Ellen Ripley

Ellen Ripley
Ellen Ripley in 2385
Full name:	Ellen Louise Ripley
Species:	Human
Gender:	Female
Height:	6'0" (1.83 m)
Eye color:	Brown
Hair color:	Brown
Homeworld:	Earth
Birthplace:	Olympia colony, Luna
Born:	January 7, 2332
Affiliation:	Federation, Starfleet, Starfleet Marine Corps
Family
Mother:	Marianne Ripley
Father:	James Ripley
Marital Status:	Single
Spouse(s):	Alex (husband, formerly; m. 2360-2363; divorced) Paul Carter (husband, formerly; divorced)
Children:	Amanda Ripley (b. 2360; daughter)
Other relatives:	Alan Decker (descendant)
Career
Occupation:	Starfleet officer, Starfleet Marine officer
Previous Assignment:	Chief of security, USS Kansas (2360-2371)
Assignment:	Marine Detachment commanding officer, Starbase 240 (2389)
Rank:	Captain, formerly Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant
Insignia:
Ellen Ripley in 2367

"Final report of the commercial starship Nostromo, Lieutenant Ripley reporting. The other members of the crew — Kane, Lambert, Parker, Brett, Ash and Captain Dallas — are dead. Cargo and ship destroyed. I should reach the Kansas in about twelve days. With a little luck, the Kansas will pick me up. This is Ripley, one of the last survivors of the Nostromo, signing off."

— Ripley

Ellen Louise Ripley is a well known female Human Starfleet Marine, Starfleet officer born on Luna in 2332 and a hugely influential figure in humanity's encounters with the species Xenomorph XX121. She is the mother of Amanda Ripley and the forebear of Alan Decker. In 2360, Ellen was a member of the Federation's first contact team which while on an expeditionary mission to the moon LV-426, while there Ripley, Halliwell and Mackenzie had discovered the planetary bio-hazardous species the Xenomorph. Her exploits were well-known among certain groups that dealt with the Aliens and one of the most experienced individuals known to have survived encounters with the Xenomorph. Her exploits ensured that she was well-known among groups and individuals that dealt with the Xenomorph for decades.

Early life

Ellen Louise Ripley was born on January 7th, 2332 on the Olympia colony on Luna to parents Marianne and James Ripley. She eventually met and married her husband Alex, and during a layover between trips they conceived their first child. Ripley allowed the pregnancy to come to term, eventually resulting in the birth of her daughter Amanda. Alex would later leave Ripley when Amanda was 3 years old, and had no further contact with either Ripley or his daughter. Ripley's friend Typhuss James Halliwell, was a second father to Amanda when she was just 3 years old and Typhuss was also her godfather snice Amanda's birth.

Starfleet career

USS Kansas (2360-2371)

Ellen Ripley in 2360

In 2360, Ripley served on the USS Kansas, a Galaxy-class starship with the rank of Lieutenant. Ripley was the chief of security aboard the Kansas. Ripley became friends with most of the crew of the USS Kansas including Typhuss James Halliwell, Kara Thrace, Sarah Mackenzie and Julia Harris.

Nostromo Incident

Ripley rushes to escape the Nostromo

In 2360, Ripley, Typhuss, Sarah first encounterd the Xenomorph on a freighter, the Nostromo. The remaining surviving Starfleet personnel and crew members ultimately decided on destroying the Nostromo in order to kill the alien. Only Lieutenants Ripley and Halliwell and Major Mackenzie escaped the destruction of the Nostromo in the shuttlecraft Narcissus.

Ripley prepares to shoot the alien

Unknown by her that the creature had also snuck on board the shuttlecraft by camouflaging itself in a small crevice, but Ripley finally manage to kill it by blowing it out an airlock and igniting it with the engines. Ripley activates the shuttlecraft's auto pilot and sets it on a course for the Kansas. It would remain on auto pilot in space for twelve days until it was recovered by the crew of the USS Kansas. The crew was immediately transferred to the USS Kansas for medical care. Ripley was visibly traumatized by her experience and had recurring nightmares related to the creature.

Hadley's Hope Xenomorph encounter

"I am not going back, and I am- I would not be any good to you if I did."

— Ripley, to Burke and Gorman

In 2367, Ripley encounterd the Xenomorph during an investigation mission on LV-426 after the colony lost contact with Starfleet Command along with Sarah Mackenzie, Dwayne Hicks and Typhuss James Halliwell. The only survivors of the rescue attempt include Corporal Dwayne Hicks, Ellen Ripley, Newt, Sarah Mackenzie and Typhuss James Halliwell. After the mission to LV-426, Ripley was visibly traumatized by her experience and had recurring nightmares related to the creature.

Some time later, she was approached by Burke and Lieutenant Gorman of the Starfleet Marine Corps, who delivered the news that contact with the Hadley's Hope colony had been lost. While Ripley initially refused to take part in the proposed investigation, her recurring nightmares eventually convinced her to join the mission and confront her fears. Ripley accompanied Burke and Gorman's marines back to LV-426 aboard the USS Sulaco on the promise that they would not capture but destroy whatever extraterrestrials they encountered. When she briefed the marines on the creature that had killed the crew of the Nostromo, they met her story with the same level of cynicism as the investigative committee, and Ripley's experiences with Ash made her instantly mistrustful of the Sulaco's executive officer Bishop.

Investigating Hadley's Hope

"The structure seems intact. They still have power."

— Ripley to Gorman, observing Hadley's Hope

During the drop to the colony aboard Bug Stomper, Ripley's anxiety was aggravated by Private Hudson, who taunted her with his bravado and supreme confidence in the marines' high-tech firepower and ability to overcome any enemy. When the APC touched down, Ripley, Sarah and Typhuss remained on board with Gorman and Burke while the troops went in to sweep Hadley's Hope. Their search revealed an abandoned colony and evidence of Xenomorph activity. Despite Ripley's reservations, Gorman declared the complex secured and Ripley, Sarah and Typhuss reluctantly headed inside. Ripley, Typhuss, Sarah and the marines soon discovered several live Facehuggers being stored in the colony's medical facility, evidently recovered from colonists for the purposes of research as the Xenomorph infestation took hold. The team also encountered Rebecca Jorden, better known as Newt, a twelve year-old girl who had spent the last few weeks hiding in the colony's extensive ventilation network, apparently the final surviving inhabitant of Hadley's Hope. Ripley immediately began attempting to bond with Newt, and after some persistence the previously withdrawn young girl opened up to Ripley about the colony's fate.

Following the discovery of the colonists' PDTs inside the nearby Atmosphere Processing Plant, Ripley, Typhuss, Sarah and Newt accompanied the marines as they investigated, remaining in the APC as the men went in on foot. The marines discovered the colonists cocooned inside a Hive on one of the station's lower levels, all but one of whom, Mary, were dead; Ripley, Sarah and Typhuss watched in horror as a Chestburster tore its way out of Mary's body, and the marines were then set upon by the Xenomorphs. When the inexperienced Gorman lost the ability to handle the situation, Ripley took action herself, commandeering the APC and driving it into the Hive to rescue the survivors. She succeeded, but many of the marines were lost, including their experienced field commander Sergeant Apone. Gorman himself was incapacitated, and when the APC finally came to a rest outside it was wrecked.

Stranded

"I say we take off and destroy the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

— Ripley, condemning Hadley's Hope

Ripley and Newt stranded on Acheron with the marines

Following the disastrous ambush, Private Vasquez immediately suggested retrieving Apone and Corporal Dietrich, both of whom had been captured alive, until Ripley pointed out they were likely already being cocooned and impregnated, just like the colonists. Instead, Ripley suggested the survivors retreat to the Sulaco and destroy the entire colony from orbit with a torpedo strike. Burke attempted to overrule her, countering by mentioning the monetary value of the colony itself and the scientific significance of the Xenomorphs, but Ripley reminded him that, with Gorman unconscious and Apone captured, Corporal Hicks was now in charge of the operation. Hicks, seeing sense in Ripley's plan, ordered Corporal Ferro to pick up the survivors in Bug Stomper for immediate evacuation.

However, a stowaway Xenomorph aboard the dropship killed Ferro and caused the vessel to crash, destroying the APC and most of the marines' supplies in the process. Now stranded, the survivors reluctantly returned to the colony, where Ripley and Hicks devised the best way to barricade and fortify their position. After setting up robot sentries in the tunnels and corridors of the colony and sealing any entrances they could find, the survivors hunkered down to await a rescue. To help reassure her, Hicks gave Ripley a tracer bracelet allowing him to find her wherever she went, which he insisted was "just a precaution".

Confronting Burke

"A bad call? These people are dead, Burke!"

— Ripley to Burke, after learning of his role in the colony's destruction

Ripley confronts Burke

After putting Newt to bed in the colony's medical facility, Ripley learned from Bishop that Burke intended to return the live Facehugger specimens they had found to Earth. Her suspicions aroused, Ripley checked the colony's logs and discovered a telling piece of information — shortly before contact with the colony was lost, they received an order to investigate the co-ordinates of the derelict vessel where Kane had found the Xenomorph months previously, information presumably gleaned from Ripley's report to the board on Gateway Station. The log revealed that the order had come from none other than Burke. Enraged, Ripley confronted Burke with this information, rejecting his suggestions that helping him could benefit the Federation and vowing to see him brought to justice when they returned to Earth.

After the Xenomorphs assaulted and overran the first sentry phaser position, Bishop informed the survivors that the colony's Atmosphere Processor was on course for an irreversible meltdown, having been damaged during the earlier ambush in the Hive. Ripley and the others agreed that retrieving the second dropship aboard the Sulaco was their only chance for survival, but with the marines' transmitter destroyed someone would need to venture out to the colony's array and remotely pilot the dropship from there. Bishop volunteered, and Ripley and Vasquez saw him off. Soon after his departure, the Xenomorphs attacked the second and final sentry phaser position, and while they were repelled, the phasers used up virtually all of their power cells in the process and would not hold off another assault. Ripley assured the others that the Xenomorphs would waste time searching for an alternate route into the complex, but, realizing how grave the situation was, pointedly asked Hicks to "take care of it" if it looked as though they would be captured by the creatures. He solemnly confirmed that he would, before instructing Ripley in how to operate an M41A Pulse Rifle so that she might defend herself and render such a course of action unnecessary. Now armed, Ripley joined Newt in the med lab for some much needed rest.

When Ripley awoke, she discovered to her horror that the two live Facehugger specimens from the colony's lab had been set loose in the room. With her weapon gone and the door locked, Ripley set off the fire alarm in the room to attract the attention of the marines, but was attacked by one of the Facehuggers before they arrived. Although she managed to stop the creature from latching onto her face, when Hicks and the others arrived and saved her, killing both of the creatures. Ripley informed them immediately that Burke had been responsible.

Fight and flight

"Medical! Get to medical!"

— Ripley, urging the other survivors to retreat

The marines confronted Burke over his actions, Ripley hypothesising that he had intended to smuggle Xenomorph embryos back to Earth by having her and Newt impregnated. She also theorised that he would likely have sabotaged the marines' cryotubes on the return journey to prevent them informing anyone of the Chestbursters inside the two females — after jettisoning their bodies into space he would be free to make up any story he liked regarding their demise. Hicks, having had enough, prepared to execute Burke for his treachery, but at that moment the power to the colony failed, shutting off the lights.

The Xenomorphs had cut the power, and they attacked en masse from above, having slipped into the complex undetected above the false ceilings. In the ensuing chaos, Hudson was captured by the aliens while Burke left, sealing the survivors in Operations behind him, trapping them with the swarming Xenomorphs. Newt led Ripley and the other survivors to safety through the colony's ventilation ducts, although Vasquez and the revived Gorman were cornered by the pursuing Xenomorphs and chose to commit suicide with a pulse rifle grenade rather than be captured alive. The explosion also knocked Newt into a vertical access shaft, separating her from Ripley and Hicks.

Fortunately, Ripley had passed on the tracer bracelet given to her by Hicks, and the two quickly located Newt in the colony's sub-levels. However, she was trapped in the colony's sewers, beneath the flooring, and by the time Hicks could cut through a Warrior had captured her. Ripley refused to abandon the little girl, but, realizing the jeopardy they were in, Hicks dragged her away. As they attempted to escape in an elevator, another Xenomorph attacked and Hicks was wounded by its acid blood. Ripley carried him back to the recently arrived dropship, telling Bishop that they were not yet ready to leave.

Rescuing Newt

"I don't wanna hear about it, Bishop. She's alive. There's still time."

— Ripley to Bishop, refusing to abandon Newt

Ripley insists on rescuing Newt herself

Ripley ordered Bishop to fly her to the Atmosphere Processor where she knew Newt would be taken. While in transit, she constructed a combination Pulse Rifle/flamethrower weapon and armed herself with as many grenades as she could carry. Despite Bishop's pleas that the Processor's reactor was due to go critical in less than twenty minutes, Ripley would not leave Newt behind, asking Hicks to ensure Bishop did not leave until she returned with the girl. She and Hicks shared their first names for the first time, before Ripley and Typhuss descended into the Hive to save Newt.

Ripley found her about to be impregnated by a Facehugger. She killed the creature and pulled Newt from the cocoon in which she had been entombed, but as the two fled they found themselves standing before the Queen in her Egg chamber. Ripley attempted to secure safe passage by "negotiating" with the Queen, threatening her Eggs, a process that appeared to work when the Queen instructed her Warriors to back off. However, when one of the Eggs began to hatch, Ripley incinerated the entire chamber, opening fire on anything that moved and firing several grenades into the Queen's Egg sac, destroying it. With the whole room ablaze, Ripley fled with Newt to the elevators. As they waited for them to arrive, Ripley discovered the Queen was still alive and, freed from her ruined Egg sac, was now in pursuit. The elevator arrived as the Queen approached and Ripley, Typhuss and Newt just barely escaped, ascending to the landing pad.

Upon reaching the platform, Ripley discovered that the dropship was gone. Meanwhile, all around them the Atmosphere Processor was disintegrating, rocked by explosions as its systems overloaded. The situation deteriorated further when a second elevator arrived, and from it emerged the Queen. Out of ammunition, Ripley discarded her weapons and prepared to face her fate. Luckily, Bishop returned in the dropship at that very moment, extracting them and flying to safety mere moments before the Processor's reactor detonated in a thermonuclear explosion, killing all of the remaining Xenomorphs at Hadley's Hope.

Power loader vs. the Queen

"Get away from her you BITCH!"

— Ripley, to the First Acheron Queen

Ripley clashing with the Queen

Back aboard the Sulaco, Bishop apologized for temporarily abandoning Ripley, stating the the landing pad had become too unstable for the dropship to remain there. Ripley commended him for his bravery, making it clear she had overcome her initial mistrust of him. At that moment, Bishop was suddenly impaled by the Queen's tail, the creature having stowed away in the dropship's undercarriage just before it departed the Atmosphere Processor. After ripping Bishop in two, the Queen chased after Ripley, who distracted the Queen long enough for Newt to escape under the hangar's floor grates. Ripley made it into a nearby storage bay, sealing the door, and so the Queen returned her attention to Newt. She was moments from killing the girl when Ripley reappeared, now strapped into a Power Loader and prepared for a fight to the death. The pair clashed, Ripley eventually gaining the upper hand and throwing the Queen into an airlock in the hangar's floor; at the last moment, the Queen grabbed onto the Power Loader's frame and dragged the machine in after her.

Ripley quickly scrambled out of the airlock, the Queen trapped beneath the Power Loader. However, before she could reach the Sulaco's deck the Queen grabbed her ankle, attempting to drag her back down and kill her. A desperate Ripley opened the airlock, despite still being inside, and clung to the ladder as the decompression began to vent the Sulaco's atmosphere into space, the Queen still clinging to her leg. She shouted for the others to 'hold on' as the ship depressurised. Finally her sneaker came loose, and with it the Queen's grip, hurling the Xenomorph to her death somewhere in space. Ripley escaped the airlock and sealed the doors, collapsing exhausted on the floor of the Sulaco's hangar. After recovering and treating Hicks' wounds, Ripley, Halliwell, Mackenzie, Newt, Hicks and Bishop entered stasis for the return journey to Earth.

2371

In 2371, the USS Kansas's mission was to meet the USS Yorktown at Deep Space 9 for final crew members and personnel before continuing on to the Gamma Quadrant for it’s mission of exploration. While at DS9 Captain Walker received his final orders via Commander Benjamin Sisko. The standing orders were primarily exploration and the Kansas was only to fire in defence and only if communications were unavailable. Captain Walker relayed the orders to his ship and departed DS9 and entered the wormhole officially starting its first mission into the Gamma Quadrant.

The USS Kansas fires on a Jem'Hadar attack ship

Two weeks later the Kansas came under attack from a Jem'Hadar attack ship, while retrieving one of her long range shuttles. The Kansas managed to destroy the ship after hails were ignored by the Jem'Hadar. Due to extensive damage on the star drive section, Captain Walker gave the order to return to the wormhole. The Kansas arrived at DS9 requesting permission to dock at one of the upper pylons Commander Sisko agreed. Walker gave his report to Starfleet Command via subspace. Ripley was then assigned to other Federation starship, Ripley leaves the USS Kansas after eleven years.

Later career

In 2378, Ellen was promoted to Captain, Ripley still held the rank of Captain in 2389. By 2389, Ripley was assigned to Starbase 240 as a Marine Detachment commanding officer, in command of a Starfleet Marine battalion.

In 2387, Typhuss contacted Ellen for help after his sister Phoebe Halliwell was captured by the Der'kal and Cole Turner, to go on a rescue mission because Starfleet wouldn't commit resources for the mission. (Star Trek: The New Generation episode: "Phoebe found")

Personality and traits

"That's the grenade launcher... I don't think you wanna mess with that."
"You started this. Show me everything. I can handle myself."
"Yeah, I noticed..."

— Hicks and Ripley

Given the horrifying events Ellen Ripley was exposed to during the latter part of her life, her personality understandably changed over time, but she nonetheless remained a strong-willed, level-headed, honorable and determined individual. Early in her life she had a strict sense of duty and professionalism, and operated very much by-the-book and in accordance with the rules, a trait that sometimes brought her into conflict with the more laid-back Parker and Brett aboard the Nostromo. When command of the Nostromo survivors fell to Ripley, she maintained her calm despite the terror they faced, although the revelation of Ash's betrayal somewhat dented this collected exterior and revealed a more impulsive, frantic person underneath. Ellen Ripley was a strong willed woman that had a degree of professionalism while on the job and would follow the rules. She kept her calm in certain situations that meant life or death. She would also get emotional at times, such as discovering Starfleet's secret orders (actually Section 31 impersonating Starfleet officers) as well as finding her dead crewmates. When the mission started to unravel when the Marines were in the atmospheric processor, Ripley took charge and took the shuttle to rescue the survivors of the ambush. She later told the Marines that they couldn't help their comrades that "survived" as they were being cocooned by the creatures. She later changed this attitude when she went back to rescue Newt, who she grew close to with loosing their families and dealing with the creatures. The events on LV-426, would traumatize Ripley and effect her greatly after returning to the Federation. She suffered from nightmares related to the creature and lost her flight status.

The events on board the Nostromo significantly traumatized Ripley and, coupled with the rejection of her story upon her eventual return to Earth, affected her greatly, in many respects permanently altering her personality. She became far colder and more apathetic towards her life, resigned to the fact she had been ruined both professionally and personally by what had happened. At the same time, she was plagued by vivid nightmares involving the Xenomorph, nightmares that ultimately spurred her decision to return to LV-426 and confront the creatures again. When the mission went disastrously wrong, Ripley's prior experience with the Alien helped her to maintain a level of cool that even some of the hardened Starfleet Marines fighting for survival alongside her could not match, most notably the panicky Private Hudson. Her level of calm and ability to make competent decisions, even under such extreme stress, endeared her greatly to the Marines around her, particularly Corporal Hicks, who openly included Ripley in tactical discussions, trusting her judgement despite the fact she was only a Starfleet officer and a Starfleet Marine officer.

Ripley was also capable of extreme bravery, perhaps never more apparent than when she entered the Hive on LV-426, alone, to rescue the captured Newt.

Equipment

Ripley was instructed by Corporal Hicks on how to use a M41A pulse rifle

Although Ripley, by her own mission, was not a soldier, she would arm herself with whatever came to hand if it would help her survive. Aboard the Nostromo, she armed herself with one of Parker's custom-built Flame Throwers, although when cornered by the Alien aboard the Narcissus she resorted to a more rudimentary harpoon gun to finally kill the creature. After spending some time with Starfleet Marines on LV-426 and being faced with the precariousness of their situation, Ripley had Hicks instruct her on the use of various equipment, including the M41A pulse rifle and M240 Incinerator Unit, both of which she would later combine together (in a strictly non-regulation manner) when attempting to rescue Newt. Ripley also made use of flares as well to illuminate and to mark her path inside the hive.

As a result of her short-lived career working in a dockyard on Earth, Ripley became adept with the Caterpillar P-5000 Work Loader, a skill she later used in her battle with the First Acheron Queen aboard the Sulaco.