Commander James Fletcher is a member of British Royal Navy and a MI-6 agent.
He has been shown to be fluent in Arabic and Berber.
Biography[]
Before the Red Flu outbreak, Fletcher was born and grew up in a family of farmers in the United Kingdom. He was neighbors with Harry Sinclair and became friends with him. Both joined the British Royal Navy and MI-6 with Sinclair becoming Fletcher's CO and served on many missions together saving Fletcher's life many times, including one time in 2009 during Operation Rossi. During the Red Flu pandemic, Fletcher fought in the Immune Wars against Sean Ramsey and his army and managed to survive until the Americans defeated him and spread the cure across the world. After the United Kingdom government was restored, Fletcher and Sinclair went back into the service and Sinclair recommended Fletcher to work with the Americans when a new version of the Flu called the Red Rust started destroying their crops in hopes of finding a cure. To this end, Fletcher was assigned to work on the Nathan James and developed a romantic relationship with Sasha Cooper.
Events of The Last Ship[]
Fletcher is first seen meeting with Mahmoud Zeddam alongside Sasha to acquire the Elaeis Virilis seeds with Taylor, Danny, Miller, and Kandie backing them up. After Fletcher confirms the seeds' authenticity, Sasha tells Mahmoud they have a deal until Mahmoud tries to renegotiate their deal, bringing up that his boss Omar Bin Dalik's buyer is ready to grow food today. But before Mahmoud can tell them his new terms he is shot in the neck by a sniper and Fletcher shoots at the sniper but fails to hit him. More men ambush them and Fletcher returns fire alongside Vulture team, managing to kill them all and flee back to the Nathan James with Fletcher helping carrying Mahmoud to safety. When they get on the helicopter, Fletcher asks Mahmoud if those men were his former boss Omar's and he nods his head yes.
Back on the Nathan James in a briefing with Sasha, Slattery and Jeter, Fletcher comments that the Red Flu was originally a plant virus before it jumped kingdoms and only jumped back into the Red Rust after a cure was found. When Sasha mentions the Rust is spreading faster than anticipated, Fletcher adds the plant eating insects are helping spread the disease quicker and is now affecting sugar cane and the world's grasslands. Slattery asks Fletcher if this "dinosaur seed" is the real deal and Fletcher assures him that those seeds Omar stole are the only seeds proven immune to the Red Rust's effects. When Slattery asks if Omar's buyer could really engineer a cure into the crops, Fletcher is skeptical.
After the Nathan James docks at the naval base in Rota, Spain, Fletcher tells Sasha everything he knows about Omar. Sasha asks if Fletcher is sure Omar is responsible and while he had doubts based on Mahmoud and Omar coming from different tribes, Omar has been recruiting soldiers from all across the region. Sasha comments how Omar's buyer knows everything about these seeds and Fletcher says that his identity will remain a secret if Mahmoud doesn't recover. When Mahmoud wakes up, Fletcher tells him he is on a US Navy base reintroduces himself as an MI-6 agent working with the US Navy but Mahmoud won't mention where the seeds are until his family is safe. Fletcher later falls asleep working with Sasha on identifying Omar's buyer when the base fall under attack by Omar and his men. As they watch a video of Omar talking to Mahmoud before killing him, Fletcher translates for the others and after seeing Omar notice Mahmoud's tattoo, Fletcher realizes the seeds are in Oran, Algeria. (“In Medias Res”)
Fletcher gives a briefing on El Hamri, Oran and its history alongside Sasha with Slattery, Jeter, and Kara attending. Fletcher mentions that the city-states that survived the Immune Wars near the area are ever changing and unstable, Athens has been off the grid for months, and the Issirs in Turkey have been fighting Cyprus going on six weeks now. Fletcher asks of there are any American assets in the area and they all say any bases they had in the area either went dark or were abandoned. When he is alone with Sasha, Fletcher mentions that the mission will probably be easy because of various factors working in their favor and still has his supply of Moroccan Mint tea, but Fletcher notices she isn't listening to him.
Fletcher asks her what she is thinking about and Sasha mentions the state of the world and US, Fletcher tells her the UK isn't doing any better and Fletcher reassures her the virus won't beat them twice and tells her to drink her tea. When the Nathan James loses power in the Strait of Gibraltar, Fletcher accompanies Sasha to the bridge and asks if they hit rocks, which Capt. Slattery denies saying they are too high and it is revealed the power was knocked out by an IED. It is discovered that Omar's men set a trap and launch an attack on the ship using a missile battery hidden in the tunnels, which Fletcher states were used by the UK to hide guns, hangers and a hospital during World War Two.
When some of the weapons systems are restored Fletcher asks if they can destroy the missile launcher but Capt. Slattery says they don't have the range for that and can only take out the incoming missiles. A tactical team is sent to take out the missile battery, and they discover they are moving it each time they fire on the Nathan James and Fletcher wonders why they would waste the time and Slattery realizes Omar's men don't know they've lost control of the main weapons systems. After the Nathan James destroyed the missile battery, Fletcher concludes that one of the city-states in Europe is backing Omar based the artillery used. (“The Pillars of Hercules”)
Fletcher accompanies the tactical team sent to Oran, Algeria to search for Mahmoud's family that has the seeds. After finding Mahmoud's grandmother Djamila, they find Omar got to her first and observes him and his men trying to find an opening but have to let him go on a helicopter. Back in the Nathan James CIC, Fletcher commend Sasha for putting her beacon on Omar's helicopter so they wouldn't lose the seeds. When Omar lands on Sardinia island, Fletcher says his only friends are in North Africa and can't tell because of the city-states that keep popping up.
Fletcher lands on the island, assigned to Cobra Team under Lt. Carlton Burk's command and reports seeing some of Omar's men heading to a nearby venue. Fletcher heads around back with Cobra Team while Vulture Team heads inside and after they recover the seeds, Fletcher is hit by a ricochet with fighting Omar's men alongside Sasha and Cobra Team and leaves with them while Chandler distracts Omar and the buyer Giorgio. Fletcher arrives to their primary extraction point but Slattery, who has the seeds does not arrive. (“Bread and Circuses”)
After regrouping in the city to find Slattery and Chandler suggests splitting up to cover more ground, Fletcher argues against this but the others agree with Chandler so they split up with Fletcher going with Sasha and Chandler. When none of the locals talk, Fletcher warns them that the longer it takes the bigger risk they take all of them being found so Chandler suggests evening the playing field. To this end they kill three of Giorgio's men and steal a radio from them, which broadcasts a message a short time later. Fletcher asks is Sasha can understand the message but she says she can't understand Greek so Chandler translates the message, saying an American was spotted in a nearby house and rush over knowing it is Slattery.
They reach the house only to find the corpse of a woman and Fletcher find a bloody bed and bloody rags in a bowl, concluding Slattery was injured and she was helping him. After Chandler finds nostos and concludes Slattery was drugged, they leave the house looking for him. But before Fletcher leaves he lays a blanket over the woman's body. The later receive a message from the Nathan James saying Slattery is in the cathedral and everyone, including Fletcher head to his location while battling Giorgio and Omar's men. They reach the top of the cathedral finding Slattery and Fletcher blows the door they came through as their enemies gather around it. They hold off their enemies long enough for their helicopter to pick them up and carry them back to the Nathan James. (“Nostos”)
Fletcher attends a briefing with Sasha, Chandler, and Meylan on the Dr. Paul Vellek and his children Griogio, Lucia and Christos. Fletcher states Dr. Paul Vellek was considered by the NSA to be brilliant but morally and ethically dangerous for not just trying to boost crop yields, but to "re-engineer what it means to be human". Fletcher theorizes Dr. Vellek recruited the Greeks to his side by promising to cure the Red Rust and being the first country to benefit from it and hired his friend Omar to steal the seeds.
When Chandler suggests capturing Dr. Vellek and his research to find a cure faster, Fletcher, intrigued by the idea, asks Chandler where they would find him. Chandler describes a room in Giorgio's mansion that would have the answers before Meylan shuts it down and declares they are returning to the US with the seeds in hand and ends the meeting. While walking with Sasha, Fletcher mentions Dr. Vellek won't stop hunting them with his Hellinic Destroyer and asks her about Chandler's idea. When Sasha asks if he is serious, Fletcher tells her his brother had to evacuate his family from their home in London because neighbors were killing each other for scraps of food so he doesn't care where help comes from at this point.
Sasha understands where he is coming from but tells him that Dr. Vellek is too dangerous to be trusted and there isn't proof he can re-engineer the seeds and calls it a crazy idea. Fletcher mentions Chandler didn't think it is crazy and tries to comfort Sasha over seeing Chandler again but Sasha just focuses on the mission. While in CIC, Fletcher overhears a distress call about a trawler ship called the El Alamein, getting spooked when he hears the name of the ship. After all the passengers are taken aboard the Nathan James, Fletcher sits together with trawler captain, secretly his friend and CO Capt. Harry Sinclair, as they exchange greetings and Fletcher asks what he wants.
Harry tells him he has a message from the Riverhouse to be delivered personally that they didn't want to risk being decrypted by the Americans: the partnership with the Americans has ended and UK is going to develop a cure to the Red Rust alone. Fletcher asks how since the UK's labs are in worse shape then the US's, Harry reveals that Dr. Paul Vellek contacted them and offered the first group of plague resistant crops if they steal the seeds from the Americans. Fletcher tells him the seeds are in the medical bay under lock and key and when Harry tells Fletcher he is going to have to steal the seeds, he wonders how they are getting off the ship seeing that they are due in Naples.
Harry tells Fletcher he is leaving with the seeds before then and Fletcher worries that he will be executed while Harry is getting away. Harry explains that he will discreetly get off the ship while Fletcher throws the Americans off his trail to prevent a war between the two countries. Fletcher argues against this, stating his history with them and their people died for the seeds but Harry doesn't care reminding Fletcher of his duty to his own country. Sasha comes to find Fletcher for a briefing after the plane heading to Naples is shot down. Fletcher stares at a photo of the destroyed plane, realizing Britain leaked the plane's location to Vellek, as the others try to find another plane to transport the seeds.
When asked, Fletcher tells them that the British Air Force is non-existent, thanks to the Immune Wars and a lack of fuel and pilots. After the meeting, Fletcher runs into Sasha in the helo bay, who tells him there are twenty-eight refugees from seven former countries will be taken any place with food as long as they don't run into Dr. Vellek first and Fletcher responds that they will manage. Sasha thanks Fletcher and mentions there is never a dull moment on the ship before leaving and Fletcher says "that's for sure" to himself while staring at Harry. (“Allegiance”)
Fletcher is present during a meeting Slattery, Meylan, Chandler, and Sasha where they inform him Comm. Garnett has found another plane in Tel Aviv, so Sasha can transport the seeds to the US, heading to Tregua Island where they will meet it. Slattery thanks Fletcher for helping get the seeds, saying they owe him a great debt and Fletcher says the feeling is mutual and they end the briefing. Fletcher reports this to Harry, and they reminiscence about the Rossi Mission, with Harry telling Fletcher their time table has been pushed up.
Fletcher says he still didn't understand why this has to happen at sea, calling the plan crazy but Harry insists with this being the Americans' last chance to move the seeds and that plane will be heavily guarded as a result. Seeing Fletcher's hesitation, Harry says Fletcher maybe going soft while Fletcher retorts that Harry eating dogs has probably turned him feral. When Sinclair threatens to kill some of Fletcher's friends, specifically Sasha Cooper, if he doesn't help steal the seeds discreetly, Fletcher responds by threatening to kill Harry and claim he was secretly a pirate with no one suspecting anything about him.
Sinclair reminds Fletcher that he vouched for him, grew up with him and that if the Americans were in his position that they wouldn't hesitate to follow their President's orders to sell Fletcher out. Sinclair decides to steal the seeds himself while Fletcher gets gear for them to use and gives him a phone number to call Lucia instead of home to prepare their extraction. Fletcher calls Lucia and gives her the location of their rendezvous with their next plane in Tregua Island while pretending to call home and Lucia tells him they will pick them up at Asteris Island.
Fletcher asks if there is anything else he can do and Lucia simply says he is doing the right thing and his people will be feed thanks to him and Fletcher hangs up the phone and thanks Chief Rain for letting him use the phone. Fletcher heads to the armory to gather the gear and runs into Taylor and Kandie and talk about Fletcher's family and plans when the Red Rust is cured while he loads the equipment. Fletcher stashes the bag and runs into Sasha, lying to her he got word back from England and can't count on them for reinforcements. Sasha warns Fletcher to be careful where Vellek is concerned and Fletcher tells her he will be as vigilant as ever.
The Greek Navy arrives to chase the Nathan James to Asteris Island and Fletcher asks them how long until they reach the island while on the bridge and reports to Harry when they will arrive. When the Nathan James heads into a storm to try and lose the Greek Navy pursuing them, Fletcher struggles to get through the ship and sees Harry on a stretcher heading to the medical bay, realizing their time is up he moves to get the gear he stashed earlier. After Fletcher retrieves the bag, the MA Johnny order him to stop at gunpoint.
MA Johnny moves to arrest him but Fletcher says he didn't want to do this before throwing the bag to his face and kills him. Fletcher sneaks through the ship until he eventually reaches the deck of the ship and finds Harry, who has been shot twice in the back, and gives the seed to Fletcher before he dies. Sasha finds Fletcher and tells him not to jump while holding him at gunpoint but ultimately jumps off the ship. Fletcher is eventually picked up by Giorgio on his yacht with the seeds, with Giorgio praising his persistence and welcomes him aboard his ship. (“Tempest”)
Fletcher later with the Velleks as they start to use the seeds to re-engineer a cure to their dying crops and Dr. Vellek assures Fletcher his people will eat thanks to him. Giorgio leaves after his father orders him to and Dr. Vellek apologizes to Fletcher for Giorgio's behavior and once again commends Fletcher on his work, but Lucia remind them that Fletcher was supposed stay on the ship while Harry delivered the seeds and now they know Fletcher is involved the Nathan James will come for them. Fletcher advises working on the seeds while avoiding direct conflict with them as it would be dangerous to engage them but Lucia says to leave Chandler and the Nathan James. Dr. Vellek states he has confidence in Lucia but for now he just wants her to make Fletcher feel comfortable, but "not too comfortable".
Fletcher contacts the UK, who ask if Dr. Vellek knows how he is going to deliver the cure but Fletcher says Dr. Vellek is keeping that a deeply guarded secret. They tell him they will press Lucia for answers and send for him and the cure when the time is right and Fletcher understands. They say Fletcher will be remembered as a hero but he doubts that and they tell him this will be their last direct communication and Fletcher hangs up the phone. Fletcher later attends dinner with Dr. Vellek, Lucia, and Vice Admiral Demetrius. When Demetrius starts to aggressive assert his place as the Velleks' primary partner, Fletcher tries to assure Demetrius that Britain has no dispute with the Greeks but he asserts the Velleks work for him and everything they discover is his. Lucia manages to calm Demetrius down and they all sit down to eat.
Fletcher later hears from Giorgio with Lucia and Dr. Vellek that Chandler and the Nathan James broke into his house and stole files that will lead them directly to them. Fletcher witnesses Dr. Vellek chew Giorgio out for this and when Giorgio says the files are encrypted, Fletcher warns them that Chandler will crack it and Dr. Vellek angrily tells Giorgio to get Christos. After Giorgio and Dr. Vellek leave, Fletcher notices Demetrius' medals lying on a nearby tray and wonder that they are doing there. (“Feast”)
Fletcher stares in amazement when Vellek successfully cures the Red Rust and he give a speech on what he created, Dr. Vellek tells him his country will eat again and Fletcher is relieved to hear that. While the Velleks talk about the Nathan James, Fletcher notices that Stavros Diomedes is now a admiral wearing all of Demetrius' medals. Fletcher asks Giorgio where Demetrius is and when Stavros promoted to admiral and Giorgio respondes Demetrius is busy and Stavros was promoted as a reward from his father. Fletcher asks about his father's treatment of Giorgio and he lets it slip that his father is experimenting with mind-control drugs and leaves before Fletcher can get more details.
Fletcher heads to the comms room to make a call but is stopped by Stavros, claiming the ship is radio silent. Fletcher insists he needs to speak to the UK to make arrangements to collect the cured seeds home and Stavros tells him those arrangements have already been taken care of. Fletcher insists on hearing that himself and heads to Demetrius but Stavros tells him not to bother, saying he is in charge now. Despite this Fletcher goes to see Demetrius, who initially doesn't let him into his quarters until Fletcher orders him to let him in.
Fletcher asks what happened to him and Demetrius tells Fletcher that Dr. Vellek drugged him so Demetrius could no longer challenge Vellek or his plans. To test this, Fletcher orders him to stand up and slaps him repeatedly and all Demetrius does is ask Fletcher not to do it. Fletcher asks why Demetrius won't hit him back and realizes it must be because of the mind control drugs and asks Demetrius what Vellek's plans are. Demetrius explains Vellek told him Greece would eat and none would challenge them he didn't know about the drug until it was too late and he is the first test subject.
Fletcher realizes now Vellek knows it works and tries to get Demetrius angry saying he was a proud ruler of of people and Vellek took that from him. Demetrius wishes he could get angry but he can't and tells Fletcher that he'd rather be dead than in his current state. In response, Fletcher tells Demetrius to sit down and tells him if something were to happen to his test case he would have to reevaluate his science and pulls a hidden cyanide capsule out of a fake tooth. Fletcher states he needs time to get out of this mess he made and forces Demetrius to swallow the capsule, killing him and stating he will be angry for Demetrius.
Fletcher later finds Giorgio when he is walking alone and starts sowing doubt into Giorgio's mind about his father while painting himself as Giorgio's friend. As Dr. Vellek is autopsying Demetrius' body while Giorgio watches him, Fletcher comes to see Giorgio again and shares a drink with him while saying it isn't fair Giorgio does the dirty work while his father gets the glory. Giorgio states life isn't fair and Fletcher says he hopes Dr. Vellek appreciates what Giorgio has done. When Giorgio says he isn't in that mood right now, Fletcher mentions he is busying developing the cure and mind control drugs.
Giorgio explains that it isn't exactly mind control but rather behavior modification: the mind stays the same but the body refuses to act on how someone feels. Fletcher implores Giorgio to talk to his father stating he already figured out how to cure the Red Rust but if he has other plans, history will mark him as a villain instead of a hero with the snap of a finger and Giorgio leaves. After Giorgio talks with his father and he refuses to change his plans, Fletcher finds him again insisting Giorgio stopping his father is protecting him from himself.
Giorgio asks what he can do and Fletcher asks him to call England so they will send scientists to guard the cure and people to help his father. Giorgio says it is too late as they are almost at Malta and Fletcher tries to convince Giorgio his father's plans are crazy because he is crazy and asks Giorgio to let Fletcher help him and Giorgio tells him he is starting to dislike him. Fletcher walks back to the comms room, fights with the guard and breaks his neck and heads inside. Fletcher contacts the Nathan James and warns them about Vellek's biological weapon and they are heading to Malta. Fletcher then takes a few minutes to say he knows this doesn't make things right, he only wanted to save his country and apologizes to Sasha for hurting her before the transmission is cut.
Fletcher tries to get it back, only to realize Giorgio is behind him as Fletcher lies saying he couldn't get a signal out and tries to convince Giorgio to help him. Giorgio reveals he told his father about him and Dr. Vellek found Fletcher's poison pill in Demetrius' stomach and rants about how his science is perfect and Fletcher is a disappointment Fletcher is. Fletcher simply laughs and tells Dr. Vellek he is a lunatic and Dr. Vellek calls the world lunacy itself and proclaims he will change that. Giorgio asks him again who he called but Dr. Vellek says it doesn't matter as no one can stop them now. Fletcher asks if Dr. Vellek is going to kill him but he says he abhors violence and leaves. Fletcher once again tries to reason with Giorgio before Giorgio shots him in the head, killing Fletcher. (“Lazaretto”)
Legacy[]
Fletcher's actions in search for a cure to the Red Rust were mixed with some virtuous and some heinous. Fletcher initially served alongside the crew of the Nathan James at part of a partnership between the US and UK. To this end he helped capture Mahmoud Zeddam so he could hand over the Elaeis Virilis seeds, the only seeds proven immune to the Red Rust. Fletcher also participates in the operation on Sardinia Island to steal the seeds from Omar and his buyers the Velleks. In both these operations he fights alongside the US and kills many of Omar's soldiers and Giorgio's personal guards.
But after his country made a side deal with Dr. Vellek to betray the Americans and sent Harry to give him the message, Fletcher helped steal the seeds from the Americans and back into Dr. Vellek's hands. To this end he gave their location to the Greek Navy and escaped the ship with the seeds. Although clearly regretful about betraying his friends, Fletcher and Harry's plan resulted in the deaths of five members of the Nathan James crew. Fletcher personally killed MA Johnny while Harry killed HM1 Heggen, ENC Michael O'Connor, and two US Navy guards during his escape.
He partially redeemed himself by realizing that Dr. Vellek was planning to turn the entire population into obedient slaves that can't fight back using the cured food. To this end he personally killed Demetrius as an act of mercy to stall them and Conscript Seaman Narchos to get into the comms room. He then contacted the Nathan James to warn them of Dr. Vellek's plans and that they were heading to Malta right before he is killed, saving millions of people around the world from being drugged and enslaved as a result.
Ironically, because Fletcher stole the seeds for Dr. Vellek and then aided the Nathan James in taking down Dr. Vellek, he hastened curing the Red Rust in the best possible way. Fletcher's actions enabled Dr. Vellek in developing the cure, saving the Americans months of research with the seeds while also contributing to the Nathan James using Dr. Vellek's research to spread a non-drugged version of the cure across the globe.