Alexander Rydell

Alexander Rydell was the youngest child of the popular singing duo Fabe and Mabe. Rydell's parents scored several hits including Be-Bop-A-Bolian and Hortas In Love. Rydell's three older sisters formed the group the Rhondellas and had several hits of their own. At first, it appeared that Rydell would follow along into the family occupation. As a teenager, he penned several of his parents' biggest hits, but gradually Rydell decided that he wanted to do something different with his life. While his parents toured and saved to open their own resort on Bransonis, Rydell worked to get into Starfleet Academy. He wanted to prove that his family was capable of more than just music. He was accepted, and, since his parents and sisters used the stage name Deveraux on their albums, no one knew about Rydell's famous family. ("Of Gods and First Officers" [TRK, VEX]) Rydell was a model cadet at the Academy, but he made an enemy of William Riker when he publicly beat Riker in a contest phaser accuracy. Not one to take such public humiliation lying down, Riker set out to get Rydell back. Rydell foiled seventeen practical joke attempts within a month, during the last of which he created a concoction that dyed Riker and his cronies blue for several days. ("Star Traks 3" [TRK]) Rydell graduated with honors and continued to be a model officer through his first several postings, quickly moving up through the ranks. He was on the first survey mission to Nu Epsilon Twelve that discovered the vicious basahms of that world. ("Star Traks 5" [TRK]) Throughout all of this, though, something nagged at the back of Rydell's mind. Finally, he realized he wasn't having any fun. By this time, he had reached the rank of commander and was serving as first officer of the USS Arcadia. Rydell started loosening up. He'd play a practical joke here or throw an unauthorized party there, but mainly he just decided to relax and enjoy himself, much to the disgust of his captain. Realizing that one of their best officers was on a slide towards anarchy, Starfleet decided to step in. In hopes that serving on a substandard ship with a bunch of misfits and inexperienced cadets would scare him back into line, Starfleet promoted Rydell to captain and gave him command of the USS Secondprize. The plan backfired horribly. Finding himself in an environment where he could be himself and also let those around him be themselves, Rydell flourished. He gladly accepted the Secondprize's low profile missions in exchange for the opportunity to see the galaxy and have some fun in the process. His lax attitude almost got him in serious trouble when he openly insulted the Grand Leech of the Joegonots at an official dinner. Later, after the Joegonots kidnapped Dr. Robert Tulson, who had been one of Rydell's professors at the Academy, the Grand Leech specifically requested that Rydell come to Ugilious to negotiate for his release. When Jaroch killed the Grand Leech's future son-in-law, Rydell was betrothed to the Grand Leech's hideous daughter, Anemia. Rydell managed to escape Anemia's amorous advances, rescue his away team, and get back to the Secondprize. Once there, he blasted the entire world with the Transference Ray Dr. Tulson had constructed, which turned the entire Joegonot population into human beings. Since the newly human Joegonots requested membership in the Federation, Starfleet decided not to prosecute Rydell for seriously interfering in their culture. ("Star Traks 1" [TRK]) After leaving Ugilious, the Secondprize visited Kilma Omega IV, where Rydell was to participate in a ceremony with the Minister of that world. A faction who disapproved of Kilma Omega IV's relationship with the Federation and hoped to get the Minister removed from office framed Rydell for theft and threw him in prison. Commander Dillon attempted to free Rydell, but was captured himself. Fortunately, Dillon's belching prowess the next day managed to win their release. ("Belch-O-Rama" [TRK]) Almost immediately following the Secondprize's departure from Kilma Omega IV, Rydell was kidnapped off of the Secondprize by Zero and transported to The Suburb. Zero wanted the secret to the Transference Ray and believed Rydell had that knowledge, which he didn't. Rydell also met Karina Durham here when Zero shot down her freighter. Karina and Rydell were able to signal the Secondprize for help, and Zero was taken into custody. Karina and Rydell went their separate ways, but Rydell purchased the scenic Suburb and started making plans for it. ("Star Traks 2" [TRK]) Rydell was then summoned back to Earth to face an inquest over the Joegonot incident brought about thanks to the meddling of William Riker. Jaroch offered to defend Rydell at the inquest and managed to uncover Riker's manipulation. Rydell was cleared and immediately took the Secondprize to Gulax VI to rescue Dillon from a ship of renegade Klingons. ("Star Traks 3" [TRK]) After a shuttle carrying Rydell, Jaroch, Baird, and Carr was forced to land on Mandicor, Rydell found that his usual way with words had turned against him. Due to the odd radiation on Mandicor, any word Rydell uttered infuriated any of the planet's residents who should hear him. Rydell managed to use this to his advantage and defeated the warlord Logash, freeing the city of Felsten from his reign of terror. ("Star Traks 4" [TRK]) On the way back to the Secondprize from a sensitivity training soon after the Mandicor incident, Rydell was zapped by a spatial anomaly causing his mind to be swapped with one of his 20th century ancestors. Trapped at Old Dominion University inside the body of the 20th century Alex Rydell, Captain Rydell had to find a way to repair Alex's relationship with Trina Smith and get back to his own century. His true identity was discovered by the 20th century Travis Dillon who assisted Rydell in getting home. During this crisis, he learned that Trina was actually Trinian and, therefore, the Secondprize's bartender was really his great grandmother to the twelfth power. ("Sensitivity 101" [TRK]) Rydell initiated first contact with the Multeks, who were less than happy to see him. He was able to rescue his captured away team and drive off a hostile Multek vessel before being ordered back to Starbase 219. At the Starbase, Rydell was informed that some of his crew would be transferred to Waystation, which Starfleet was hastily building. In the meantime, Rydell was to oversee the refit of the Secondprize. During this refit, Rydell and Lisa Beck learned that the Starbase refit officer, Lt. Terris, was actually a Romulan spy. Before they could capture him, Terris transported the pair down to Nu Epsilon Twelve, where they had to face an angry basahm. Baird and Dr. Aldridge rescued them before the basahm could do any harm. With the refit complete and Waystation built, the Secondprize towed Waystation into position and continued its assignment. ("Star Traks 5" [TRK]) On Stardate 50299, Rydell and Carr were taken hostage on a shuttle by Michael Rennicks, who threatened to kill them unless he was admitted to cooking school. Rydell was able to send a message to Jaroch and Hawkins, who grabbed the shuttle while Rydell took care of Rennicks with a well-timed assist from Carr. ("Hostage Crisis" [TRK]) Over the next several months, he certified Dr. Aldridge for bridge duty, faced a troupe of Borg clowns, dodged the ship's inventory officer, and promoted Ensign Carr to operations officer. ("Commanding Presence," "Fear Has a Red Nose," "Choice Blend" [TRK]) Unbeknownst to Rydell, Rebecca Singer and Zero, both of whom Rydell had had committed to Tantalus V, escaped from the mental health facility with their minds set on getting Rydell. Singer wanted to marry him while Zero wanted to take him back to The Suburb. They stole the USS Defiant from Deep Space Nine and confronted the Secondprize. Rydell was able to outmaneuver them, forcing Singer to adopt a new strategy. While Zero went to Yyns to kill Dr. Aldridge, whom Singer absolutely despised, Singer took the Defiant back in time to 20th century Earth with the belief that her beloved Alexander was really still trapped in 20th century Alex's body. The Secondprize followed, and Rydell and Dillon beamed down to Old Dominion University to keep an eye on 20th century Alex. During this mission, Rydell found that his mind would occasionally swap places with Alex's. Singer cornered the Rydells and Dillons from both centuries, as well as Carl Jaroch, after a chase through Greenbriar Mall. Jaroch and Hawkins beamed down in time to stop her, but she grabbed Alex and made a break for it just as Rydell's mind jumped into Alex's body again. He was able to talk her down from her mania and convince her to return to Tantalus V. ("Star Traks 6" [TRK]) A few months later, he accidentally started the destruction of the universe with a badly phrased question to Forever. He and the four other Secondprize crewmembers present managed to put the destruction on hold for ten years and promptly forgot about it, assuming that Starfleet would fix things. ("Please Hold For Oblivion" [TRK]) By the time of the First Officer Exchange when Commander Conway was briefly stationed on the Secondprize, Rydell had pretty much had enough of being a captain. He shared with Conway his plans to turn the Suburb into a luxury resort and retire there to run the place. He stayed mainly for the sake of his crew, since he knew other captains might not be as understanding to the peculiarities of his officers. Starfleet had little room to complain, since Rydell did get the job done somehow and he'd never lost anyone under his command. So what if he offered a buffet at staff meetings and sang at Elvis night. ("Of Gods and First Officers" [TRK]) Two years later, Rydell did finally retire. Shortly before that, he had run into Karina Durham again, and the two started a romance that quickly grew serious. Rydell asked Karina to marry him, and the couple left for The Suburb to plan the wedding, leaving all Starfleet worries behind them...or so they thought. After Forever reactivated, Admiral Beck visited The Suburb Cottages and Spa to enlist Rydell's help in stopping the destruction of the universe. Shortly after he and Beck left for the Deneria Dry Dock, Karina was kidnapped by Morticent, who planned to use her as a hostage against Rydell. Rydell also had to contend with and insane Travis Dillon, who blamed Rydell for everything awful that had happened in his life. Rydell was able to convince Dillon to at least help save the universe, but, after Forever initiated the destruction of everything, Rydell himself was forced to leap into the time stream to see if he could stop galactic annihilation. He found himself in a clock shop with an old man who refused to fix the clock labeled Forever. Karina arrived, and the two were able to convince the clock maker to fix the universe. At the same time, they also decided to have a baby. With the universe saved, Rydell and Karina returned to The Suburb. Less than a year later, their daughter Ashley was born. ("Please Hold For Oblivion" [TRK])