Admiral Kendal Ozzel: Lord Vader, the fleet has moved out of lightspeed and we're preparing to- [gets Force-choked]
Darth Vader: You have failed me for the last time, Admiral. Captain Piett?
Captain Firmus Piett: Yes, my Lord?
Darth Vader: Make ready to land our troops beyond their energy field, and deploy the fleet, so that nothing gets off the system. [Ozzel collapses to the floor] You are in command now, Admiral Piett.
Admiral Piett: [nervously] Thank you, Lord Vader.
Darth Vader: You have failed me for the last time, Admiral. Captain Piett?
Captain Firmus Piett: Yes, my Lord?
Darth Vader: Make ready to land our troops beyond their energy field, and deploy the fleet, so that nothing gets off the system. [Ozzel collapses to the floor] You are in command now, Admiral Piett.
Admiral Piett: [nervously] Thank you, Lord Vader.
— Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
During training:
Lt. Col. Moore: All right, your officer's dead, what do you do?
Platoon Sergeant: First—
Lt. Col. Moore: All right, he hesitated, HE'S dead! What do you do?
Sgt. Savage: GET OFF THE CHOPPER!
Lt. Col. Moore: All right, your officer's dead, what do you do?
Platoon Sergeant: First—
Lt. Col. Moore: All right, he hesitated, HE'S dead! What do you do?
Sgt. Savage: GET OFF THE CHOPPER!
Lt. Col. Moore: You learn the job of the man above you, and you teach your job to the man below you in rank. That goes for every man in this outfit. Understood?
Troops, in unison: Yes, sir!
Lt. Col. Moore: We'll be landing under fire, gentlemen. Men will die.
Troops, in unison: Yes, sir!
Lt. Col. Moore: We'll be landing under fire, gentlemen. Men will die.
"It was once rare for a Galaxy-class to be commanded by one as young as me but the wars with the Klingons and the Borg have a way of eliminating the complacent or unlucky and clearing the way for new blood. Hell, that’s the reason I got my first command, after the Borg killed or assimilated the entire command staff of the Kagoshima, which left me, the second shift weapons officer and the senior-most JG afloat, the ship’s acting captain."
— Captain Kanril Eleya, Bait and Switch
Bir: Code Dragonfly means we’re cut off, ma’am. The portal home just slammed shut hard and fast enough to cut a Black Knight in half, I can’t raise Avalon on our comms, and whatever that little wave was, it just cut all of us from mental and spiritual contact with Avalon as well. I can’t feel the Empire anymore, just everyone right here. That portal wasn’t closed by our people, and since it hasn’t reopened already, we have to assume it can’t. We’re cut off, and I have no clue how long that will last. [...] And in accordance with His Majesty’s last instructions from His own lips, you are in command until relieved, Lieutenant. Orders, ma’am?
Asuka (shocked): Scheiße!
Asuka (shocked): Scheiße!
General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: What's going on? Why am I to be shot?
General der Infanterie Hans Krebs: You know the Führer has forbidden any westward retreat. Officers who disobey are to be arrested and shot on the spot.
General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: What do you mean? My units have been in fierce battle for days! My command post is only one kilometer from the front line!
General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: Go on.
General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: [emphasizes his Knight's Cross] You see this, don't you? Don't use that tone with me! Now do what you have to!
General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: I think you should explain it to the Führer yourself. Come along.
[later]
Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel: Congratulations, your report impressed the Führer. He has appointed you in command of Berlin's defenses.
General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: ...I'd rather have been shot than have this honor.
General der Infanterie Hans Krebs: You know the Führer has forbidden any westward retreat. Officers who disobey are to be arrested and shot on the spot.
General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: What do you mean? My units have been in fierce battle for days! My command post is only one kilometer from the front line!
General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: Go on.
General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: [emphasizes his Knight's Cross] You see this, don't you? Don't use that tone with me! Now do what you have to!
General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: I think you should explain it to the Führer yourself. Come along.
[later]
Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel: Congratulations, your report impressed the Führer. He has appointed you in command of Berlin's defenses.
General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: ...I'd rather have been shot than have this honor.
Commander William Adama: Admiral Nagala is dead. The Battlestar Atlantia has been destroyed, so has the Triton, Solaria, Columbia, the list goes on.
Colonel Saul Tigh: Who's the senior officer? Who's in command?
Commander William Adama: [to Dee] Send a message to all the Colonial military units. Use Priority Channel 1. Message begins: "Am taking command of fleet."
Colonel Saul Tigh: Who's the senior officer? Who's in command?
Commander William Adama: [to Dee] Send a message to all the Colonial military units. Use Priority Channel 1. Message begins: "Am taking command of fleet."
"In less than twenty four hours, this armada's going to hit that Borg vessel with everything we can muster. Either they survive or we do. As for Picard, a great man has been lost. Your Captain. My friend. Commander Riker, I hereby promote you to the field commission of Captain. The Enterprise is your ship now. Congratulations. I wish the circumstances were different."
— Admiral J.P. Hanson, Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Best of Both Worlds, Part II"
Kerrigan: That's it... I have nearly all of the Xel'Naga's essence.
Zagara: I have been honored to serve you, my queen.
Kerrigan: The Swarm is yours, Zagara. Remember our lessons.
Zagara: I shall.
Zagara: I have been honored to serve you, my queen.
Kerrigan: The Swarm is yours, Zagara. Remember our lessons.
Zagara: I shall.
—StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void Epilogue
Lt. Kitan: Oh, Clara, I have bad news.
Claire: What's wrong?
Lt. Kitan: You're the ranking officer, which means you have command. Enjoy.
Claire: ... Son of a bitch.
Claire: What's wrong?
Lt. Kitan: You're the ranking officer, which means you have command. Enjoy.
Claire: ... Son of a bitch.
—The Orville: Command Performance
Riker: It's not that simple. This was his crew. He wrote the book on this ship.
Guinan: And the Borg know everything he knows. It's time to throw that book away. You must let him go, Riker. It's the only way to beat him. The only way to save him. And that is now your chair, Captain.
Guinan: And the Borg know everything he knows. It's time to throw that book away. You must let him go, Riker. It's the only way to beat him. The only way to save him. And that is now your chair, Captain.
— Star Trek: The Next Generation, "The Best of Both Worlds: Part II"
Aftran knew what to expect, or thought she did. She expected a promotion. Not for the council-member to literally wave a two-fingered hand in dismissal as he casually announces that Aftran 942 shall be the new Visser One, that she should appoint a new Visser Three at her discretion, and that he trusts she’ll make cleaning up this mess her first priority.
Aftran’s outward stunned silence lasts as long as it takes the Council and their myriad security forces to retreat. Inwardly, she and Tom are a swirling chaos of overlapping thoughts: did-they-just?—what-do-we-do—fuck,Eva,that’s—how-do-we—Visser-One?—VISSER-ONE?
Aftran’s outward stunned silence lasts as long as it takes the Council and their myriad security forces to retreat. Inwardly, she and Tom are a swirling chaos of overlapping thoughts: did-they-just?—what-do-we-do—fuck,Eva,that’s—how-do-we—Visser-One?—VISSER-ONE?
— "What if Tom was infested by a member of the Yeerk Peace Movement?", All Assorted Animorphs AUs
Mira: (salutes the space marines) Second Lieutenant Mira, 203rd Cadian Regiment.
Titus: Captain Titus of the Ultramarines.
Sidonius: You are in command?
Mira: I'm all that's left, my lord, unless my commanders rise from the grave. So far, they seem content to stay put.
Titus: Captain Titus of the Ultramarines.
Sidonius: You are in command?
Mira: I'm all that's left, my lord, unless my commanders rise from the grave. So far, they seem content to stay put.
"That makes [Commodore Yul] the new fleet admiral. Offer him my insincere congratulations on a rank he earned purely by being the last naval officer standing."
— Jago Sevatar, Horus Heresy: Prince of Crows
Gil: All I want is your commander.
Soldier: You hit him with lightning.
Gil: Ah. Second in command?
Soldier: Him, too.
Gil: ...Third?
Soldier: He was in the second machine.
Gil: <sigh> Fourth?
Soldier: That would be me, madboy!
[The soldier suddenly gets stabbed in the head by Dimo's throwing knife.]
Dimo: Hoy! So who else vants to be promoted?!
Soldier: You hit him with lightning.
Gil: Ah. Second in command?
Soldier: Him, too.
Gil: ...Third?
Soldier: He was in the second machine.
Gil: <sigh> Fourth?
Soldier: That would be me, madboy!
[The soldier suddenly gets stabbed in the head by Dimo's throwing knife.]
Dimo: Hoy! So who else vants to be promoted?!
