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"Get it done."

Captain Edward Jellico was a 24th century Starfleet officer who served as the commanding officer of the Federation starships USS Cairo and USS Enterprise-D during the late 2360s. His voice authorization code as of stardate 46361 was "Jellico-alpha-three-one."

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Early career

Jellico began his career as a shuttle pilot on the Jovian Run in the Sol system.

By the mid-2360s, Jellico held the rank of captain and had established a family for himself, having fathered at least one child, a son. In 2367, Jellico was instrumental in establishing the armistice between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union. By 2369, he was assigned to the USS Cairo as its commanding officer. (TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I")

Captain of the Enterprise-D

In 2369, Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev gave Jellico command of the Enterprise-D. Jellico's experience in dealing with the Cardassians was thought to be invaluable, given the developing potential for conflict between the two powers. The Enterprise-D's previous commanding officer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, was assigned to an undercover mission on Celtris III.

As captain of the Enterprise-D, Jellico was a very stern and authoritarian officer, with a micro-management leadership style. For example, he was coldly dismissive of Counselor Troi's recommendations for a readjustment period. He abruptly made several changes to the operations of the Enterprise-D. He preferred a certain formality on the bridge, insisting that Deanna Troi wear a standard uniform and that his presence be announced whenever he entered. In contrast to the strict standards he expected on the bridge, he revealed a more personal side by often referring to his crew by their first names, putting up pictures drawn by his son in the Enterprise-D's ready room. However, he ordered the removal of Livingston the fish.

Though his manner of command was connected with high efficiency, Jellico ran into numerous confrontations with Enterprise-D's first officer, Commander William T. Riker. The initial problems between them stemmed from Jellico's desire to see the Enterprise-D run on a four shift rotation when it had previously run on three. The change was difficult to implement, but Jellico refused to accept Riker's excuses for not having made the change. The friction between the two came to a head after a major disagreement on how to deal with Picard's abduction by the Cardassians on Celtris III culminated in Riker's open insubordination. Jellico relieved Riker and installed Lieutenant Commander Data as his new XO.

In an attempt to gain an upper hand against the Cardassians, Jellico intended to plant mines on the Cardassian ships hiding in the McAllister C-5 Nebula. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge was willing to take on the mission but recommended to Jellico that the most skilled pilot on board Enterprise-D was Riker. After a frank conversation in which both officers outlined what they felt were the flaws of the other, Riker accepted the mission, but only after he coaxed the captain into asking. Riker admitted that he saw Jellico as someone who was closed-minded and arrogant and who wound his crew up too tight, leaving them unable to perform their jobs well.

With the anti-matter mines in place, Jellico contacted the Cardassian fleet and demonstrated his ability to destroy it at will. From his position of strength, he demanded that the Cardassian fleet eject their primary phaser coils, withdraw to the nearest Cardassian starbase, and immediately release Picard, who was being held prisoner by the Cardassians. The Cardassians complied completely.

After Picard's release and subsequent reassignment to the Enterprise-D as CO, Jellico returned to command the Cairo. While leaving the bridge, his final words to the Enterprise-D crew were "It's been an honor serving with you." (TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I", "Chain of Command, Part II")

Jellico had been succeeded as commander of the Cairo by Captain Leslie Wong in 2374 when the vessel disappeared – presumed destroyed by the Dominion – while patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Legacy

Jellico would eventually become well-known for his seemingly tyrannical command style. Ensign Beckett Mariner described him as a person that would constantly be "hovering" over the officers he commanded. On one occasion in 2380, when she learned that the USS Cerritos was going to be under the temporary command of a different commanding officer, Mariner was worried that whoever it was would be a Jellico-type. (LD: "Much Ado About Boimler")

Appendices

Background information

Jellico was played by actor Ronny Cox.

While never explicitly stated, "In the Pale Moonlight" suggests that Jellico may have been succeeded as captain of the Cairo by Leslie Wong.

According to dialogue cut from "Chain of Command, Part I", Jellico attended Starfleet Academy with future USS Victory captain Zimbata; they played together on the Academy's rugby team. Jellico recalled that Zimbata was awful at the game, but that Jellico himself was worse.

The Star Trek: New Frontier novel series, written by Peter David and published by Pocket Books, Jellico later goes on to become an admiral, initially assigned to Starbase Deep Space 5 and later working in Starfleet Command. He also appears in the novels A Time to Heal by David Mack, Triangle: Imzadi II and Before Dishonor by Peter David.

At one point, Ronald D. Moore considered making Jellico the Enterprise-D captain in the alternate timeline seen in "Tapestry", rather than Thomas Halloway. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)

In an alternate reality featured in the novel Q&A, Jellico served as the captain of the USS Enterprise-E prior to 2380, by which time he had been succeeded by Wesley Crusher.