Make it so...err...just do it?

[Aldaron]

Just thought I'd ask around. We were talking the other day about "signature lines" for Starfleet officers. Picard's "Make it so!", for example, and were trying to come up with something similar - a sort of defining line of dialog the captain would use frequently, in the same situation: ie, Picard when telling someone to go ahead with something they've suggested.

The Nike "Just do it!" seems pretty paltry in comparison to "Make it so!", so I was wondering if anyone else had come up with some interesting 'one-liners' for their senior officers.

[Publius]

*Arrrgggghhh!*
(as they get disintegrated)

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Just so I do not hijack your post with humor (I hate it when a perfectly good post dissolves into yuckity-yuck one-upsmanship) allow me to make it up with a substantive comment:

I have used one-liners for senior officer (and other) NPC's before, and they are useful in establishing a character. It doesn't have to be a specific statement though, it could be an oft-repeated word or physical action. One of my admirals had a swagger stick (which also contained some useful items) and spoke in a drawl. A Tellerite always got into people's faces when she spoke to them. But I also used signature lines to good effect. An Andorian NPC in my campaign would often say "Might blow up" when asked about feasibility of their technobabble.

PC: "Can we modify the phasers to beam power to the base's systems?"
Andorian: "Is possible..." (all my Andorians speak either with thick Russian accents or like Zathras from B5 for some reason)
PC: "But can it be done?"
Andorian: "I will try. Of course might blow up."

It got to the point that when my players were waiting for him to say things "might blow up". It annoyed the Vulcan NPC/C.O. (who used her arched eyebrow as a physical cue but no real signature line).

[Polanski]

You asked for it ...
Here are brief dialogs from a cinematics scene I have written and read in season one of my campaign ... Let us just say that the players were on the edge of their sits

***

Status report? – inquired the captain as her form sank into the chair.
- Aft and forward shields down to 60 percent, damages to the engineering and security. – yelled Sumner fighting away his adrenalins rush. – Light casualties reported. Damages to secondary hull in aft and portside structures, ablative armour holding. – he added this time more in control of himself.
- Tactical situation?
- Enemy vessel’s configuration matches D’Deridex class Romulan Warbird, designation Phoenix, no prior communication before the tactical engagement. Their superstructure bears some sort of light hull damage, shields holding on high levels. Minimal fire returned.
- Engineering!
- Lost contact with the Chief Ma’am – reported Marola bitting her tongue at the way she addressed the Captain. – I am still working on the rest of the details.
- Conns? – Polanski asked as their structure shook from yet another disruptor impact.
- Trying my best at the evasive manoeuvres sir. – reported the pilot.
- Conns get me a solution for rapid 180 turn, tactical stand by for multifire, make every phaser bank count.
- Aye Aye sir – two officers acknowledged in a union.

Sumner’s console beeped again and for a moment he wondered if he should bother the captain with enemy’s request. Then again, it was his duty, he had to.

- Captain they are requesting our surrender.
- Tell them to come and get it themselves … - the captain’s voice was as cold as Andorian winter. – Conns execute your manoeuvre now, tactical link firing solution. Fire when ready.

***

The rain and the darkness surrounded the valley, concealing away the presence of armoured figures spread out in ambush formation and resting among the rock of the higher ground.

- I have them in sight – whispered Murphy to his right without taking her eyes away from her binoculars.
- Where?
- 11 o’clock.
- Rommies, the whole bloody column – added Ramirez quietly. – Must be like twenty of them.
- Rommies? – came Kavart’s voice from behind.

- Yes Rommies, as in Romulans, Green Bastards, Tael’Peth’s buddies … - barked Flatten.
- I know who Romulans are Mr. Flatten, please do not patronize me. – replayed Marcus.

He quietly checked his tricorder, playing for a brief moment with its controls. The so very useful field tool remained silent, revealing nothing.

- Well I am not picking anything up. – he stated.
- The bastards are jamming the whole band. – stated Ramirez.
- That’s ok Ensign … and so are we. – said Fletten looking away from his field electronic package - My guess is that Rommies have no idea that we are here waiting for them. – he added.
- I suppose they think we did not survive the landing – said Marcus.
- Ahhh, sir, I wouldn’t exactly call that a landing – Murphy felt the bloodied bruise on back of her head with her free hand.

He looked for the last time in the direction of an advancing Romulan troops and in a way he was glad that they were cut off and lost the contact with Avatar as without any orders from the above to supersede his, he was in charge of the current situation. The Rommies were walking right into his trap.

- It’s payback time. – he smiled savagely passing the final order to his troops.

***

Kind Regards
Daniel

[qerlin]

Signature lines?

CPT Thomas Morgan: Go. (Whenever they're goingto warp, etc...)

CPT William Drake: Pop the clutch. (Wherever going to warp)

Dr. Robecheau: Never trust a skinny cook. (About his culinary ventures.) Response: how 'bout a fat doctor? "Well, guess we gonna find out..."

CPT Ihloos Idisha, RRT2: I have an anger management problem, so....(add whatever).

[First of Two]

In the first game I ran, I made the person in the group who was the LEAST familiar with Star Trek the Captain. Her "Go" order?

"Go do... whatever it is you're going to do... and do it well, because I'll be watching."

I think our most often-used command line is simply "Do it." However, our new captain has picked up a tendency to say "Make me proud" on occasion.

Our Klingon chief engineer has his standard lines:
"If it doesn't fit, use a larger hammer."
"I'm WORKING on the ve'dakht thing!!!"
"I'm sorry captain, shit just blew up again."

My NPC security chief has said, on several occasions (and I think it's getting to my players): "Of COURSE I survived. I always DO."

And (taking a cue from Clint Eastwood in "Heartbreak Ridge,") if he says "you're beginning to bore me," DUCK!

[Joe Dizzy]

One of my re-curring NPCs used to say this whenever I had him drop heavy exposition on the players:
"I got good news and bad news for you."

During today's game, one of the players remarked that one of the things that the Helmsman had said, had a very "signature"-like feel to it.

A short explanation of the scene first:
The crew was exploring caves on a newly discovered planet, when they were caught by an earthquake. One of the major NPCs was hit by debris, knocked unconscious and fell into a rift (?).
In an attempt to lift the unconscious and injured crewmember up, they tied their jackets together and tried pulling him out of the rift.
Explaining his plan to the others the helmsman said something like:
"I need someone up there to keep our jackets straight/tight."

Somehow this sounded like something that could quickly become Starfleet slang. Though we're still not sure for what

Joe

[Doug Burke]

Captain Geren Muldan of the USS Midway (and later the USS Blackthorne) had a habit of "firing" his crew. Once Commander Thann Pentis became his First Officer, we got our first signature line/exchange.

Muldan: "You're fired."
Pentis: "Noted."

And then those involved would get down to whatever business was necessary at the time.

Another good example of this was one time internal communications were down and some poor NPC crewman was acting as a runner between the bridge and engineering. After a particularly long and drawn-out exchange of messages, Captain Muldan noticed the crewman's fatigue...

Muldan: "You're fired!"
Crewman: "Oh, thank god!" (as he flopped down into the nearest chair to relax.)

[tmutant]

Capt. Tyrel McCaire: "Let's make it happen."

[AslanC]

Captain Zymmer, when at his whits end or overwhelmed would say... "I'm gonna get some air."

[calguard66]

In my old FASA game, our Chief Engineer would call everything "widgets"... a piece of gear that existed was a "right-handed widget"... something theoretical or that had to be build was a "left-handed widget".

[First of Two]

I just remembered another one...

Our Captain, when directing the Security/Tactical chief to fire on an enemy (ship or personnel, or sometimes just an object), instead of giving an order to fire, would say:

"Mister Kirk... Make them go 'boom.'"

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

One of our PC's who constantly takes too much time to think of what to do got tired one day of everyone rushing him. Being the CMO and a Vulcan he calmly turned to the rest of the crew and said: "You disgust me." In a stern calm voice.

He's being saying it ever since, never with any amount of anger in his voice, just a calm voice.

[Modem]

Let’s see…

Well, Capt. McClane in a 23rd Cent. campaign:
C.S.O.: I am (Blah, blah, blah), and you are…
Mc Clane: Busy… (The room cracked-up)

And...

Once while interrogating a terrorist, one of my fav. NPCs (and my namesake for these boards) said:
Modem: I learned how to brake and destroy things and beings while in Intelligence Corps of the Marines…
I learned how to heal and fix things and being with Starfleet’s First Aid training and Engineering Corps…
Now (staring coldly into the terrorist eyes)…which category do you want to be part of…

The guy had 'bricks in his shorts' after that

[prophetsteve]

From a very old FASA campaign...



Captain East: Charon! How much time to get the warp drive back on line.

Engineer Charon: At least two hours, sir!

Captain East: You have fifteen minutes...

Engineer Charon: @#&# You...sir.


Happened every time we needed something fixed. Never have a Tellerite Engineer on board your ship

[Lord Kjeran]

Chello!

In an old FASA game, i got forced to be the captain (I just wanted to be Commo). My PC was Andorian. Later, one of the female players was playing a female Andorian comm officer. In the most tense role-playing situations (usually when negotiating with Klingons), she'd get my attention by saying, "Excuse me, captain Pooh-Bear?"

D'oh!

Tony