Ellen Spitzer
| Ellen Spitzer | ||||||||||||
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| Publication Information | ||||||||||||
| Publisher | Three Rivers / Deuterium Studios | |||||||||||
| First Appearance | February, 2010 | |||||||||||
| Creator(s) | Dewidd Ceisicum, Mors Hemiker | |||||||||||
| In-story Information | ||||||||||||
| Birth | September 3, 2213 | |||||||||||
| Birthplace | Les Plaines, NAL | |||||||||||
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| Death Place | ||||||||||||
| Rank | Captain of the Vanguard | |||||||||||
| Promotion Date | March 7, 2243 | |||||||||||
| Training | Graduated Institute in 2235 | |||||||||||
| Assignment | Vanguard | |||||||||||
Captain Ellen Spitzer, played by Madgelle Bourgogne, is the captain of the SUM Vanguard in the Space Voyage 2245 series. She was born in Les Plaines, in the NAL. She joined the Star Academy in 2231, graduating in 2235. She quickly rose through the ranks, privately determined to become the Starmada's youngest captain, which she accomplished on March 7, 2243, when she was promoted to Captain, and given command of the recently-commissioned Vanguard.
Childhood
Captain Spitzer was born to Admiral Marie Bourbon-Le Moyne, a distant relative of the King of The Three Frances (modern-day France, Louisianne, and New Francy) and her husband, Dr. Peter Spitzer. She was named after Peter's grandmother. To her father's dismay, she chose to follow her mother's footsteps into the Starmada, rather then entering the medical profession, although as a child she had some significant training under the tutelage of her father, a world renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon.
Institute
Then-Cadet Spitzer was at the top of her class. As part of the senior training core, all seniors attending the Starmada Institute are required to survive on the surface of Drixil for one week with limited supplies that vary every year. Cadet Spitzer was able to befriend and trade with local Drixiloids, despite the fact that they were entering their normal reproductive cycle, when diplomacy is ill-advised at the best of times. At the time, one of her instructors told her "You're gonna go places, Miss Spitzer. Whether it's the captain's seat of a state-of-the-art starship, or the inside of some alien's stomach, I'm not sure."
Early Career
After graduating from the academy, Ensign Spitzer was assigned to the SUM Hellas Planitia. She rose quickly through the ranks, excelling in every assignment presented to her, aside galley duty. She served first as third shift pilot, running the ship through the long hours of shadowday.
After serving for a year on shadowday she was promoted to second shift, serving as tertiary pilot. Through crew promotions and retirement, she was promoted to serve as Ancillary Pilot by 2239, where she was repeatedly awarded for her merit and sacrifice in the line of duty, including her daring rescue of seven crewmates in the wake of the disastrous Hironian negotiations. With the S.U.M. Hellas Planitia in dire need of repair following the debacle, Lieutenant Spitzer was transferred to serve aboard the S.U.M. Trailblazer.
By late 2240 she had been promoted to Lt-Commander and continued to serve as Ancillary Pilot. In 2241, while exploring the edge of the Lesser Antilles, then-Lt Commander Spitzer became Acting Captain of the Trailblazer after her superiors were incapacitated during an incident involving a foraging party of what were assumed to be the Dzhirona. She was credited with saving the ship and its crew, and was promoted to full Commander and made First Officer aboard the SUM New Orleans, where she served with distinction.
During her time as First Officer aboard the S.U.M. New Orleans, Commander Spitzer was instrumental in the peaceful introduction of the Condominium to the Kulofi Federation, a heterogeneous collection of alien races. They accept and are welcomed into the Condominium with open arms, albeit with some trepidation. For her extensive efforts in diplomacy, Commander Spitzer was awarded the Silver Palm.
The Vanguard
In 2244, Commander Spitzer was promoted to Captain, and given her own ship, the newly-built Ship-of-the-Line-class Vanguard. She was the youngest captain in Starmada history.
Scandals
In the original books, there were several major scandals in her career involving accusations of improper relations with subordinate officers. However, the television series leaves out mention of these scandals, though her amorous nature is still fully present, largely restricted to the alien of the week.
