Sir Alexander Dane in Star Trek Fleet Command
Sir Alexander Dane is a Rare Science-class officer who joined Star Trek Fleet Command in the Galaxy Quest crossover. He is a niche specialist with one job: helping you pull more loot out of Mirror Universe Hostiles when he rides on the NSEA Protector.
If you fly the Protector for Mirror Universe content, he earns his bridge seat. If you do not, he sits in the barracks, and that is fine too. There is no rule that every officer in your roster needs to be used right now.
This page covers what his abilities actually do, where he fits in a crew, how to get him, and how to decide whether he is worth ranking up.
Star Trek background
Sir Alexander Dane is technically not a Star Trek character. He comes from Galaxy Quest, the 1999 film about a washed-up cast of a fictional space-opera TV show. STFC’s Galaxy Quest crossover (Update 69, August 2024) brought him into the game alongside three castmates: Jason Nesmith, Gwen DeMarco, and Laliari, plus their ship the NSEA Protector and their old enemy General Sarris, this time backed by the Klingon Empire.
In the film, Dane is a British stage actor with serious theater credits. He mentions playing Richard III on the West End to five curtain calls. After taking a quick-paycheck role as Dr. Lazarus on the cult-classic Galaxy Quest television series, he becomes typecast in a way he resents for the rest of his career. His on-screen catchphrase, “By Grabthar’s Hammer,” is the line he most hates having to deliver, which is exactly why STFC named his Officer Ability after it. The character was played by Alan Rickman.
In Galaxy Quest’s story, Dane spends most of the film bitter and cynical. By the end he embraces the role and his castmates after seeing how seriously the Thermians treat them. STFC’s flavor text leans into that arc: he eventually accepts being Dr. Lazarus and signs up for the sequel series. That redemption is the reason a character defined by reluctance ends up as a playable hero in your fleet.
Role in STFC
Dane is a Mirror Universe loot booster tied to a single ship. His group is Galaxy Quest, his class is Science, his faction is Independent, and his rarity is Rare. His max rank is five.
Read his role narrowly. He is not a generic ship killer or a station-defense officer. He works when you are running the NSEA Protector through Mirror Universe Hostile content, and not anywhere else. Outside that lane, the headline ability does nothing. His Below Deck slot still gives a small base impulse-speed bump, which has some value, but the reason most players bring him in is the Mirror loot bonus.
If you do not yet have the NSEA Protector built (Operations 40 minimum), Dane is a future investment. Recruit him when shards are cheap, hold the rank-ups until the Protector is on the way.
Captain’s Maneuver: Chain of Command
Dane does not have a working Captain’s Maneuver. The ability slot is filled by a placeholder named Chain of Command whose only job is to explain there is no captain bonus. Equip him as the captain of a ship and nothing happens.
This is intentional design. The character in Galaxy Quest is the cast member who least wants to be the hero, and the absence of a captain ability leans into that joke. The takeaway for crew building is simple: use him as a bridge officer or in a Below Deck slot, never in the captain seat.
Officer ability: By Grabthar’s Hammer
When assigned to the bridge of the NSEA Protector, Dane increases the amount of loot you gain from defeating Mirror Universe Hostiles. Officer abilities activate from any bridge slot, not just the captain seat, so you can pair him with a captain whose maneuver actually carries weight.
The per-rank values, current as of the latest game data:
| Rank | Loot bonus vs Mirror Universe Hostiles |
|---|---|
| 1 | 100% |
| 2 | 120% |
| 3 | 140% |
| 4 | 160% |
| 5 | 200% |
Two things matter here. First, the bonus applies to loot quantity, not to damage. Dane does not help the Protector kill Mirror Hostiles faster; he helps each kill pay out more. Second, the ability checks the ship: it fires only on the NSEA Protector. Put him on any other hull and the loot bonus is silent.
The implication for farming is that you want the Protector kitted to clear Mirror Hostiles quickly and reliably. Dane multiplies your output, so the upside is bigger when your kill cadence is high. A slow Protector with Dane on board still gains more loot per kill, but a fast Protector with Dane on board gains a lot more loot per hour.
Below Deck ability: By the Suns of Warvan
Dane also has a Below Deck Ability that raises base impulse speed. Below Deck slots are not on the bridge, so they apply more flexibly when he is rostered on the ship in question.
Treat the speed bonus as quality of life. It is a small bump that helps with routine travel, event chores, and time-to-target on mining and mission loops. It is not a reason to chase him on its own, but it stacks well with other speed-focused below-decks if you are building a courier or scout crew. If you do not run the Protector but already have him recruited, the Below Deck slot gives him a place to contribute.
Where Sir Alexander Dane shines
A few clear use cases.
- NSEA Protector farming runs in the Mirror Universe. This is the primary use case and the only one his officer ability touches.
- Galaxy Quest event farming windows, when active events lean into Mirror Hostile drops you care about. More drops per kill means more event progress per hour.
- Below Deck on a non-Protector ship that wants extra base impulse speed. Common picks include scout and survey ships that benefit from cutting travel time.
If you do not have the NSEA Protector built yet, hold off on heavy investment. His bridge ability cannot help you without that hull. The Below Deck speed bonus still works, but it is a small reason to rank him up by itself.
How to get Sir Alexander Dane shards
Dane was added to STFC in the Galaxy Quest crossover update. Like other event-tied officers, his shards have appeared through limited-time events, promo codes at launch, and store offers tied to Galaxy Quest content. To take him from recruit to rank five, you need 588 shards total. The cost ramps at each rank, with the largest single jumps at the upper ranks, so plan around farming windows that can deliver shards in bulk rather than chasing him a handful at a time.
Check the current store rotation and any active Galaxy Quest or Mirror Universe events for shard availability. Drop rates and event schedules shift across patches, so look at what is live in your game right now instead of relying on a static availability list.
Synergies and crews
Dane sits in the Galaxy Quest synergy group along with Jason Nesmith, Gwen DeMarco, and Laliari. As of this writing, his card does not list named synergy officer bonuses with specific percentages, so there is no specific officer who buffs Dane (or vice versa) through the synergy mechanic. Treat the Galaxy Quest grouping as a theme tag for now.
For practical crewing, the Mirror Universe Hostile farming loop on the Protector is what to build around. You want a captain whose maneuver helps the Protector hit and survive Mirror Hostiles, then a second bridge officer that pushes your damage type. Dane fills the third bridge slot when loot is the goal, since his ability is loot-side, not damage-side. Pair him with combat-oriented officers; do not double up on loot effects from another officer expecting them to stack cleanly without testing.
If you do not have him recruited yet, run the Protector with whatever combat crew clears Mirror Hostiles fastest. Dane improves the reward per kill, but he does not help you kill faster, so a strong combat crew without him still functions; it just nets less loot.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sir Alexander Dane worth ranking up?
He is worth it if you fly the NSEA Protector through Mirror Universe content regularly. The loot bonus stacks across every Mirror Hostile you kill, so it pays back over time. If you do not run the Protector, hold off on heavy rank investment and use your shards elsewhere.
What ship is Sir Alexander Dane best on?
The NSEA Protector, and only the NSEA Protector. His officer ability explicitly checks for that hull. Putting him on a Mantis, a D’Vor, or any other ship gives you nothing from the loot bonus. The Below Deck speed bump still works on any ship he is rostered on, but that is a minor consolation, not a main use case.
Does Sir Alexander Dane work as a captain?
No. His Captain’s Maneuver is a placeholder that does nothing. Use him on the bridge as a bridge officer or in a Below Deck slot.
Where do you get Sir Alexander Dane shards?
From Galaxy Quest event content, limited-time store offers tied to Mirror Universe content, and occasional promo or recruit drops. Check what is currently live in your game; nothing about event availability is permanent.
How many shards to fully unlock Sir Alexander Dane?
588 shards total to reach rank five. Most of the cost sits in the upper ranks (rank four and rank five together account for the majority of the total), so plan around farming windows that can deliver shards in bulk.
Bottom line
Sir Alexander Dane is a focused, single-use officer. If you fly the NSEA Protector in the Mirror Universe, he is one of the cheapest ways to squeeze more loot out of every hostile you kill. If you do not, he sits on the bench until you do. Decide based on whether you are committed to the Protector lane, not on the character’s pop-culture appeal.