Jean-Luc Picard
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- For the mirror universe counterpart, see Jean-Luc Picard (mirror).
| Biography | |
| Jean-Luc Picard | |
| |
| Full Name: | Jean-Luc Picard |
| Species: | Human |
| Gender: | male |
| Born: | 13 July 2305 |
| Affiliation: | Federation Starfleet |
| Family | |
| Parents: | Father - Maurice Picard Mother - Yvette Gessard Picard |
| Sibling(s): | Older Brother - Robert Picard Younger Brother - Claude Picard |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Spouse(s): | Beverly Crusher |
| Children: | Wesley Crusher (Stepfather) |
| Career | |
| Previous Assignment: | Commanding officer, USS Monitor |
| Assignment: | Commanding officer, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Insignia: | 
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Jean-Luc Picard was a human male in the 24th century, born in 2305. He served in Starfleet and was well known throughout the Federation and beyond for his skills, intellect, command ability and having averted innumerable disasters and crises to effect individuals, starships, planets, interstellar states and the very fate of the universe.
In 2333 Picard was serving as second officer on the USS Stargazer, he took command of the starship following the death of his captain, and was subsequently promoted to captain. He commanded the Stargazer for 22 years, until she was lost in an attack by unknown aliens, later learned to be Ferengi. Picard was assigned command of the USS Enterprise-D from the year 2364, until the vessel's destruction in 2371 and later assumed command of the USS Enterprise-E, from the year 2372.
[edit] History
[edit] Early life
Jean-Luc Picard, the son of Maurice Picard and Yvette Gessard Picard, was born in LaBarre, France, on Earth on 13th July 2305. From an early age Jean-Luc and his elder brother Robert Picard fought constantly, but shared friends Louis and Claude. (TNG episode: "Conundrum"; TNG comic: "The Gift"; TNG novel: Perchance to Dream)
Jean-Luc's interest in history and archaeology began in 2313, when he was forced to escape to a small parish church to escape the bullying and torment of his brother. He was so captivated by the church that he wanted to know everything about the building. (TNG novel: Guises of the Mind)
[edit] Starfleet Academy
Picard first applied for admittance into Starfleet Academy at the age of 17 in 2322. He failed the entrance exam, due in part to his problem with mathematics. However, the following year he passed the exam, and was admitted into the Academy as a cadet.
In his first year, Jean-Luc was supervised by Cadet First Lieutenant Ivan Gruzinov, and began taking extra maths tuition at Cal Tech in Old Pasadena with Adrienne Tillstrom. Picard also made good friends with Cadets Marta Batanides and Cortin Zweller, and some adversaries, including Cadet Morgan Korsmo. He was the top scorer in his marksmanship course (TNG episodes: "Coming of Age", "Tapestry"; TNG novels: Nightshade, Grounded, Vendetta; TNG comic: "Hidden Agendas")
At one point during his Academy career, Picard, along with Zweller, risked possible expulsion and imprisonment for bringing the comatose Batanides to the black-market genetics laboratory on the world Yrskatdon, after discovering that the only known cure for Batanides' Fetal Incompatibility Syndrome was a banned genetic resequencing procedure. (SA comic: "Judgment"; TNG novel: Rogue)
In 2324, Jean-Luc won the 41st Starfleet Academy Marathon against a number of competitors, and became the first freshmen to win the marathon, beating many favorites, including Fergus McLeod and David Gold. (TNG episode: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"; ST short story: "The Footfalls of Tradition"; SCE eBook: The Belly of the Beast)
Picard later credited Ivan Valentinovitch Gruzinov as the man who ultimately "drummed [him] into shape." (TNG novel: Blaze of Glory)
After graduating from Starfleet Academy in 2327, Ensign Picard and his friends, Batanides and Zweller, awaited their first assignments at Starbase Earhart. While on the base, Picard was stabbed through the heart and nearly killed after brawling with three Nausicaans after a game of dom-jot. Picard received an artificial heart at the Stabase's medical center. (TNG episodes: "Samaritan Snare", "Tapestry")
On his first shakedown cruise, his department head was Phillip Boom (TNG novel: Balance of Power)
[edit] Early Career
After a few weeks of recovery, Ensign Picard was assigned to the USS Antares with his former supervisor, Ivan Gruzinov. (TNG novel: Blaze of Glory)
In 2328, Picard was granted a special shore leave to run an elite, long-distance race on a barren planet in the Elyrion system. Unfortunately, he did not finish in the top five. However, during his time on the planet he befriended a young Zartani named Nuadra Demmix, and also gained experience with the Ubarrak. (STA novel: Oblivion)
Around this time, as lieutenants, Picard and Robert DeSoto served together and became friends. (TNG episode: "Tin Man")
In early 2329, Picard was assigned to a starship under the command of Captain Anton Manning, where he was assigned as flight controller. Later that year, Picard attended the wedding of Ambassador Spock and Commander Saavik, of the USS Armstrong. (TOS novel: Vulcan's Heart)
[edit] The Stargazer
- There are two alternate takes on the missions which propelled Picard into command of the Stargazer:
- The Valiant
In 2333, Picard was a lieutenant commander, and second officer of the USS Stargazer under the command of Captain Daithan Ruhalter. The Stargazer was ordered to investigate the threat of a Nuyyad attack from beyond the galactic barrier. After crossing the barrier, the Stargazer was attacked and crippled by the Nuyyad, which left Captain Ruhlater dead, and first officer Commander Stephen Leach in a coma. Picard assumed command and got the Stargazer to safety at Magnia colony.
While undergoing repairs at the colony, the Stargazer's crew, uncomfortable with such an inexperienced commander, mutinied. Picard managed to quell the mutiny and appointed Lt. Gilaad Ben Zoma as first officer and Lt. Vigo as tactical officer.
With the mutiny resolved, Picard had the Stargazer refitted with enhanced Kelvan weaponry and defended the Magnians from a Nuyyad attack and destroyed one of their weapons depots, before returning to Federation space.
Following the successful completion of the mission, Admiral Mehdi promoted Picard to captain and placed him in permanent command of the Stargazer. (TNG novel: The Valiant)
- Legacy
In 2333, Picard was serving as first officer on the USS Stargazer when the ship was monitoring a fight between the Romulans and the Vulcan T'Uerell's ship. As she was vastly outgunned and outnumbered, T'Uerell activated a Borg device, which destroyed an unpopulated planet and caused large pieces of debris to break off from the planetoid and head for the Phidian system, which had a population of hundreds of millions of people. The resulting shockwave from the planetoid's core hit the Stargazer, killing Captain Ruhalter. Picard took command and headed to a starbase. After the ship was somewhat repaired, the Stargazer took a task force inside the system and destroy much of the debris. Later, the task force saved three heavily populated planets; Phidian I, II and III, with the help of modified sensor pods armed with phasers, which the task force dragged into orbit using tractor beams.
Later, a huge piece of debris broke off the planetoid and headed for Phidian III. Picard realized that he would not be able to break it up with his ship's phasers and photon torpedoes, but could destroy it by using the ship's tractor beam to drag other debris into the larger piece’s path. After obliterating the immense piece of debris, the system was saved from annihilation. Picard was then promoted to Captain and command of the Stargazer. (ST video game: Legacy)
[edit] First Tests of Command
Following the Nuyyad encounter, Stargazer proceeded to Starbase 32, where Picard and Ben Zoma attended a meeting of Starfleet captains and admirals. Admiral Arlen McAteer ordered Picard to find and apprehend the pirate known as the White Wolf, who had been haunting the Beta Barritus system.
The Stargazer succeeded in traversing the systems, magnetic vortex belt while tracking White Wolf, but instead encountered the Constellation-class USS Cochise. Captain Greenbriar of the Cochise informed Picard that White Wolf was actually the famed exobiologist Emil Carridine, who was protecting a Prime Directive world. Picard decided not to apprehend Carridine, but returned to Starbase 32 with White Wolf's cargo, which angered Admiral McAteer. (STA novel: Gauntlet)
Over the next few months, tensions between Picard and McAteer continued to mount. Following his failure to apprehend White Wolf, McAteer ordered the Stargazer to survey the Egreggedor system. Defying orders, Picard diverted the ship to Gnala at the request of his chief engineer, Phigus Simenon. The reptilian Simenon needed to return home so that he could participate in the traditional competition amongst males of his people that allowed the winner to be the one who fertilized the next generation of his clan's eggs. (STA novel: Progenitor)
Picard first met the El-Aurian woman named Guinan while on an undercover assignment in the orbital city Oblivion. In the years that followed, Picard and Guinan would form a friendship that Guinan once described as, "Beyond friendship, beyond family". (STA novel: Oblivion)
McAteer eventually held a competency hearing for Picard a few months later, but he failed to strip Picard of command, and Picard remained in command of the Stargazer.
After the competency hearing, Admiral Mehndi assigned the Stargazer to a long-term mission of exploration in uncharted regions of space. (STA novel: Maker)
[edit] A Seasoned Captain
In the early 2340s the Stargazer returned to Earth for an extensive overhaul and refitting. While nominally still in command, Picard was given a temporary assignment in Paris, where he met and courted the future Jenice Manheim. On 9 April 2342, the day before the Stargazer was due to depart spacedock, he arranged to meet her at the Café des Artistes, but in the end he never showed up. (TNG episode: "We'll Always Have Paris")
In 2343, Picard first met Lieutenant Elias Vaughn of Starfleet Intelligence. The two would meet several times over the coming years, including a coup on the planet Darnak VII.
In late 2343, Picard was forced to order the Stargazer to retreat after an intense battle with a vessel from the newly aggressive Cardassian Union. (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible; ST comic: "Divided We Fall")
In early 2344, the Stargazer underwent several weeks of repairs and upgrades following the Cardassian battle at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars. It was during this time that Picard first made the acquaintance of Beverly Howard, the fiancee' of his good friend and shipmate, Jack Crusher.
Soon after, the Stargazer rescued Ambassador Spock, who was undergoing pon farr and had escaped from the Romulans with the help of a Romulan defector, Subcommander Ruanek. (TOS novel: Vulcan's Heart)
In 2345, while en route to Alpha Pensura, the Stargazer received a priority message from a Gorn ship. The Gorn requested that the starship divert to Vontalimar IV. Arriving at the planet, Captain Picard met with the Gorn leader, Keeyah, who declared war on the Federation, because of their expansion in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
Not wanting to drag the Federation into a war with the Gorn, Picard challenged Keeyah to talk and negotiate through their differences instead. Picard's challenge was successful and war was averted, for the time being. (TNG novel: Requiem)
In 2345 or 2346, Picard became romantically involved with Miranda Vigo. It apparently was not an exclusive relationship (at least on her part), and after they parted ways she bore a son, Jason, for whom Picard was not the only possible father. However, Picard was completely unaware of this development. (TNG episode: "Bloodlines")
In 2348, Picard attended the wedding of Jack and Beverly Crusher in San Francisco. It was here that a Romulan spy named Manathas gathered the genetic material from Picard that was eventually used to grow the Picard-clone, Shinzon. (TNG novel: Death in Winter)
In 2349, the Stargazer was ordered to the Debennius system after a series of terrorist attacks threatened to destabilize the region. The Stagazers response to the attacks resulted in the death of Thallonian terrorist, Mendan Thul, son of General Gerrid Thul, who vowed revenge against Picard. (TNG novel: The First Virtue)
In 2354, the Stargazer was dispatched to the planet Xenex to talk with the Xenexians in an attempt to stop further bloodshed against the Danteri, who were seeking Federation membership. Picard and Jack Crusher met with a 19-year old warlord named M'k'n'zy of Calhoun. Picard was very impressed with M'k'n'zy, and he encouraged him to enter Starfleet Academy. (NF novel: House of Cards)
Shortly after the assignment to Xenex, the Stargazer was the first Federation starship to encounter the Nensi phenomenon, a ball of energy and matter thought to have its origin in a special category of supernova. The encounter caused multiple systems failures and began an overload in the ships starboard warp field generator.
In order to save the ship, Picard reluctantly ordered Jack Crusher and chief of security, Peter "Pug" Joseph to sever the starboard warp nacelle from the ship with laser rifles before it could explode.
When communications went dead, Picard went out to investigate. He found his two officers apparently rendered unconscious after successfully detaching the nacelle. Unfortunately, he only had time to bring one officer back to the ship before the nacelle exploded. He chose Joseph, who was closer.
Picard later traveled to Earth to personally deliver Jack Crusher's body to Jack's widow, Beverly, and their son, Wesley. (TNG novel: Reunion)
[edit] The Battle of Maxia
In 2355, while exploring the Maxia Zeta system, the Stargazer was approached by an unidentified vessel (later revealed to be Ferengi). The vessel attacked the Stargazer causing severe damage, and the Stargazer crew was only saved when Picard performed what became known as the Picard Maneuver, which destroyed the Ferengi vessel. The Stargazer was so badly damaged that the crew was forced to abandon the ship and leave it for dead. (TNG episode: "The Battle"; TNG novels: Reunion, The Buried Age)
Following the loss of the Stargazer, Picard faced a court-martial hearing by JAG officer Phillipa Louvois. Picard and Louvois were romantically linked at the time, and Picard in fact, asked for Phillipa to be his defense attorney but he found that she was already assigned as prosecutor. and as prosecutor, she was ruthless in her prosecution of Picard. In fact, she was so relentless that after using a bedroom confession against Picard in court, Louvois was removed from the case and she promptly resigned from Starfleet. (TNG novel: The Buried Age) Nonetheless, the grueling hearing found Picard innocent of any negligence, however his relationship with Louvois was ended. As a result of his actions at the Battle of Maxia, Picard was awarded the Grankite Order of Tactic on Stardate 38946.2. (STA short story: "Darkness")
[edit] The Interim Years
Following the court-martial hearings, Picard, who was feeling at ends following the destruction of the Stargazer, began to wonder if starship command was really for him. He decided to visit his former second officer Elizabeth Wu on the Hydra IV colony. Wu had left the Stargazer in 2336, but Picard had kept in touch with her over the years, and desired the perspective of someone who had been in Starfleet, but left it behind.
Picard's craft crash landed on an uncharted and unexplored planet. There, he encountered a group of Rhitori, whose ancestors owed their freedom to the Stargazer responding to their distress call over 20 years prior. The incident made Picard realize all the good that he had done, and could continue to do, as a starship captain. Picard decided to remain in Starfleet. (STA short story: "Darkness")
Soon after, Picard began guest lecturing at Starfleet Academy, as well as transferring between numerous assignments. (TNG novel: Doors Into Chaos)
Picard also enrolled as a Ph.D. student in archaeology at the University of Alpha Centauri in 2355. Three years into this program, he was teaching an introductory class in archaeology when Guinan paid him a visit, and questioned whether he really wanted to avoid going back to commanding a starship.
During his time at the University of Alpha Centauri Picard ensembled a group of archeologists who wanted discovered some survivors of the ancient race of Manraloth. Picard fell in love with the first survivor they were able to rescue from a time stasis field. Not remembering her past, she accepted the name Ariel. Picard and Ariel spent many month together putting together a team of Starfleet specialists who would eventually search for other Manraloth. Knowing that he could achieve their goal only with the help of Starfleet, Picard rejoined the fleet and was given command of the Miranda-class USS Portia. After they found other survivors, Picard realized that Ariel (who in the meanwhile regained her memory, and remembered her true name: Giriaenn) had tricked him by using his feelings for her.
The Manraloth planned to destroy the Federation in order to save the galaxy. It took Picard three years to hunt them down. The Manraloth realised that their plans were wrong and evolved into the next stage of being. Soon after that Picard accepted to take command of the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG novel: The Buried Age)
Before moving back into a starship command role in 2364, Picard served as the special liaison officer to the Federation President. (RPG reference: Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual)
[edit] The USS Enterprise-D
[edit] 2364
Picard was ferried from Starbase 52 and assumed command of the Enterprise-D on stardate 41124.0 in 2364, on the order of Rear Admiral Norah Satie. Also assigned to the Enterprise as chief medical officer was Jack Crusher's widow, Beverly Crusher. (TNG novel: Reunion; TNG novelization: All Good Things...; TNG episode: "The Drumhead")
Upon arriving on the Enterprise, he was greeted by his second officer Lieutenant Commander Data, who escorted him to the bridge. Upon arriving on the bridge, he informed the ship's computer that he was taking command of the ship, and began the Captain's log of the Enterprise.(TNG novel: Encounter at Farpoint)
During his first day as Captain of the Enterprise, Data interrupted Picard 12 times with questions or requests regarding starship operations. Picard eventually asked Data if he intended to check with him before breathing, and told Data that he was not a Captain that needed to be made aware of or approve every little detail involved with running the ship.(TNG novel: Relics)
Soon after taking command of the Enterprise-D, Picard and crew had their first encounter with omnipotent being known as Q. Q accused Picard and the humanity he represented as being unworthy of further access to the stars and put Picard and members of his crew on trial. Picard challenged Q to allow his crew to be tested as a barometer of humanity's progress. After Picard solved the mystery of Farpoint Station, Q agreed to let the Enterprise, and by extension, humanity itself continue its explorations. Q warned them, however, that the trial wasn't over. (TNG novelization: Encounter at Farpoint)
In mid 2364, the Enterprise met with a Ferengi vessel in the Xendi Sabu system commanded by one DaiMon Bok. Bok presented the long-lost Stargazer as a gift to Picard. Bok claimed to have found the starship adrift. Bok was actually the father of the Ferengi DaiMan defeated by Picard at Maxia-Zeta all those years prior, and his 'gift' was actually part of an elaborate plan of revenge. Bok was arrested by his own crew for engaging in such an unprofitable venture as revenge. (TNG episode: "The Battle")
The Enterprise was present when the Romulans returned to the galactic stage in late 2364, after a 53 year absence, since the Tomed Incident of 2311. (TNG episode: "The Neutral Zone")
[edit] 2365
In early 2365, the Enterprise was ordered to chair negotiations between the Klingons and the Kreel, after the Kreel had taken over an uninhabited planet designated DQN 1196 that contained a stash of advanced weaponry, and had begun attacking Klingon ships. The situation was very intense, as relations between the two adversaries were never good, but Picard and the Klingon Ambassador, The Honorable Kobry, managed to keep the situation on an even keel for the most part.
In the end, the weapons, and thus the point of contention, vanished when the weapons creators, the advanced race known as the Cognocenti, finished their tests on the species involved in the affair and moved on. (TNG novel: Strike Zone)
Soon after, the Enterprise was summoned to the planet Raimon to attend the death ceremony of the planet's Primarch, Sarlis Gaspadral, an old friend of Picard's. When the Primarch was murdered, Picard was accused of the crime. Commander William T. Riker fought in Picard's place in the societies traditional trial by combat, and was nearly killed himself before the identity of the true killer, Lutina, the Primarch's daughter, was revealed. (TNG comics: "Return to Raimon", "Murder, Most Foul")
When the USS Yamato, under the command of Captain Donald Varley was destroyed by an Iconian computer virus in 2365, Picard and the Enterprise raced to find Iconia and stop the virus from destroying his own ship, and as it turned out, a cloaked Romulan Warbird that had been stalking them. (TNG episode: "Contagion")
Picard and the Enterprise first encountered the Borg in System J25 of the Delta Quadrant after a tense argument with Q. The Enterprise barely survived the encounter, and it was only with Q's help that the starship returned to the Alpha Quadrant. (TNG episode: "Q Who?")
[edit] 2366
The Enterprise was assigned to transport Ambassador Sarek to Legara IV, in order to conclude his negotiations with the Legarans, which took nearly 100 years to complete. During the voyage it was discovered that Sarek had contracted Bendii Syndrome, and that his emotions were starting to control him. Picard volunteered to mind meld with Sarek, so that he could act as an emotional anchor for the Vulcan as he concluded the talks, which were successful. (TNG episode: "Sarek"; TNG novelization: Unification)
The Borg kidnapped and assimilated Picard in late 2366. The Borg intended the Picard-drone, designated as Locutus, to act as a liaison between the Borg and humanity. Using Picard's knowledge of Starfleet procedures, Locutus led the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 which resulted in the loss of 11,000 lives and 39 starships.
The Borg were stopped when Picard's first officer, William T. Riker, captured Locutus and managed to use Locutus' link to the collective against the Borg. (TNG episodes: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"; TNG novelization: Star Trek: First Contact)
[edit] 2367
In early 2367, the former surviving crew of the Stargazer gathered aboard the Enterprise to travel with Captain Morgen, the hereditary leader of the planet Daa'V, to his coronation ceremony. During the voyage, attempts were made on the lives of both Morgen and Captain Ben Zoma. Evidence was planted implicating Idun Asmund as the killer, and she was confined. Enterprise Chief of security Worf investigated further, and discovered that the would-be killer was actually Dr. Carter Greyhorse. Greyhorse had grown despondant since the death of his lover, Idun's twin sister Gerda Asmund. Greyhorse was seeking revenge on those he believed to be responsible for Gerda's death. (TNG novel: Reunion)
Later that year, the Borg launched a renewed assault on the Federation, sending several ships into the Alpha Quadrant. The Borg were defeated by the woman known as Delcara, who had commandeered an ancient Doomsday machine built by a long-forgotten race. Delcara used the weapon viscously in her personal vendetta against the Borg. In the end, Delcara proved to be as big of a threat as the Borg. Delcara vanished, never to return, after attempting to use her vessel to break the Warp 10 barrier. (TNG novel: Vendetta)
[edit] 2368
In 2368 Picard went undercover on Romulus to investigate the activity of ambassador Spock on the planet. Following this mission he returned to the Enterprise to find correspondence from an old friend, Dr Marjorie Devarona, inviting him to join an expedition to recently discovered ruins on the planet Rajatha Prime. Picard gladly accepted and left Commander Riker in charge of the Enterprise for a week whilst he joined the expedition. (TNG novelization: Unification; TNG comic: "Captain's Pleasure")
Shortly into his visit the team discovered a collection of harmonic diamonds, unknown to them at the time the gems stimulating areas of the brain associated with primitive emotions, including anger, envy, and greed, they soon began to affect the team. By the next morning the expedition’s comm. had been sabotaged and Dr Devarona had been killed. Picard had not touched the diamonds himself so remained unaffected but the rest of the group consumed by greed and suspicion gradually killed each other through the day. In short time only Picard and the first person to touch the gems, Gest, survived. As Gest made her move to attack Picard an away team from the Enterprise arrived, alerted by the lack in communications from the expedition. Per Dr. Devarona's last wishes Picard had the valuable diamonds invested in funding archaeological digs across the quadrant. (TNG comic: "Captain's Pleasure")
[edit] 2370
At stardate 47111.1 the Enterprise was involved in the discovery of the Unity Device. Captain Picard worked together with the Garidian Captain Pentara and the Chodak Admiral Brodnack to send the Device into the future, feeling that the galaxy was not ready for such advanced technology. (TNG video game: A Final Unity)
In late 2370, the Enterprise was sent to the Gorn homeworld to attend a peace summit with the Gorn. Enroute, the Enterprise encountered a long-abandoned alien station. When the starship approached, the station's systems became active and transported Captain Picard back in time to Cestus III in 2267, four days before it was attacked by the Gorn.
On arrival at the outpost, Picard gave the false name of Dixon Hill to the commander of the outpost, Commodore Travers. In his time on the base, Picard was successful in preventing the base's reactor from exploding and witnessed first hand the brutal attack made on the outpost by the Gorn. Picard was eventually recovered from the past by the same transporter technology that sent him there. Following Picard's return to the 24th century, the Enterprise continued on to the Gorn homeworld. (TNG novel: Requiem)
At stardate 47993.3 Picard, with the research assistance of Data discovered a conspiracy within Starfleet that was using findings reported in the Enterprise's logs to create offensive weapons and tip the political scales in the Federation's favour. Picard somehow tracked this conspiracy to a secret complex on Earth and sent an away team of his senior staff to infiltrate it and reveal the conspiracy to the rest of Starfleet, with orders to destroy it as a last resort if necessary. (TNG comics: "Space Seeds", "An Inconvenient Truth")
Meanwhile Picard contacted Admiral Nechayev to inform her of his findings but received a cold reply warning him off taking the matter further. Picard (correctly) suspected the admiral might be involved in the conspiracy and went to talk to Mr. Boothby to ask his opinion on her and the conspiracy. Boothby confirmed rumours of a shady group within Starfleet, but was not sure whether or not Nechayev could be trusted.
Just as Boothby departed to go back to bed Picard found himself under attack, from a Tellarite lurking in the shadows. He made a dash through the flower beds but was unable to avoid the assassin’s phaser beams. Fortunately just as a beam pierced his torso he was beamed away.
He materialised within the conspirator's complex, and was greeted by one of the conspirators. After a brief debate on both mens' ethics Picard’s away team arrived to rescue him, but in response more of the conspirators beamed in to even the numbers. At an apparent stalemate Picard ordered Geordie to activate the explosive charges the team had set, but they failed to detonate - the conspirators had deactivated them moments after the away team set them. The conspirators then beamed away leaving Picard empty handed. (TNG comic: "An Inconvenient Truth")
[edit] 2371
After the destruction of the Enterprise-D at the world of Veridian III, there was a brief hearing at Starfleet Command, in which Picard was cleared of any negligence or wrongdoing. It was anounced that there would be another starship Enterprise built, and it was assumed that command of the ship would be given to Picard. (TNG novel: Triangle: Imzadi II)
[edit] The USS Enterprise-E
The Enterprise-E was launched in early 2372, but Picard wasn't offered the command as expected. Instead, command of the Enterprise-E went to Captain Morgan Bateson. Picard was ordered to go into Cardassian space and confront Gul Madred and negotiate for the release of Federation prisoners.
Enroute to Cardassia Prime, Picard relived some adventures of the USS Enterprise, under the command of James T. Kirk on the vessels holodeck. Kirk's adventures persuaded Picard that negotiation would be useless. Picard began to plan to kidnap Madred and demand the prisoners release. His move was successful and all Federation prisoners were released into Picard's custody.
Picard and the prisoners were later successful in regaining control of the Enterprise after the ship had been captured by the Klingon renegade Kozara, who attempted to use the ship to invade Cardassia. Following the Enterprises recapture, Morgan Bateson turned the ship over to Picard's command. (TNG novel: Ship of the Line)
[edit] Old Loyalties
In early 2373, Picard was reunited with Marta Batanides and Cortin Zweller, when the Enterprise was ordered to Chiaros IV to find the missing USS Slayton. The Enterprise was tasked to complete the Slaytons mission to convince the Chiarosians to join the Federation instead of the Romulan Star Empire.
Enroute to Chiaros, the Enterprise rendezvoused with the USS Thunderchild and took aboard Admiral Batanides and Ambassador Aubin Tabor. Upon reaching Chiaros, Ambassador Tabor was killed in the first diplomatic meeting. Afterward, Captain Picard learned that the first diplomatic team from the Slayton, led by Commander Zweller, had been taken prisoner by Chiarosian rebels.
The Enterprise crew managed to rescue the prisoners and learned that the Slayton had been destroyed after discovering a cloaked Romulan experimental facility that was studying a subspace singularity near Chiaros IV. The singularity was a huge potential supply of energy to whoever controled it.
Picard soon discovered that Zweller was an agent of rogue intelligence agency Section 31, and that Zweller's true mission on Chiaros was to make sure that the planet joined the Romulan Star Empire. In return from the Romulans, Zweller was to recieve a list of all Tal Shiar agents currently operating in the Federation.
Picard allowed Zweller to complete his mission and Chiaros joined the Romulans. However, Picard, Data and Lt. Sean Hawk managed to sneak aboard the secret Romulan facility in a stolen scout ship and destroy the base and the singularity it was studying, depriving the Romulans of their prize.
Picard felt betrayed by Zweller and handed him over to the USS Tian An Men to face charges, but those charges were cleared by Admiral Connaught Rossa. Picard strongly protested, but he was powerless to do anything. Afterward, Batanides swore that she would do everything in her power to bring down Section 31. (TNG novel: Rogue)
[edit] Making First Contact
In early 2373, the Borg returned to the Alpha Quadrant and attacked Earth with a single cube. Picard, taking command of the Federation's fleet, destroyed the Borg cube, but not before it sent a small vessel into the past to change Earth's history by preventing Zefram Cochrane's first warp flight in 2063.
Picard and the Enterprise followed the Borg to 2063 where Commanders Riker and Geordi La Forge assisted Cochrane with his historic flight.
On the Enterprise, Picard confronted the Borg Queen, and fought off a Borg attempt to assimilate the ship and crew. After being assured that the timeline had been saved, The Enterprise returned to the 24th Century. (TNG novelization: Star Trek: First Contact)
After the Enterprises returned to 2373, she was docked at McKinley Station, and the crew was quarantined, scanned, and decontaminated for any possible Borg infections. While the Enterprise orbited Earth, Captain Picard and Lt. Commander Ranul Keru took a shuttlecraft to Bradbury City on Mars to return to personal effects of Lt. Sean Hawk, who was killed in the battle with the Borg, to his parents. (TNG novel: Rogue)
[edit] The Collapse of the Thallonian Empire
In late 2373, the Thallonian Empire in Sector 221-G collapsed and thousands of refugees were yearning to escape. The Enterprise was one of the first ships on the scene and was responsible for transporting refugees to Deep Space 5.
On arrival at DS5, a meeting was held aboard the Enterprise, between Admirals Alynna Nechayev and Edward Jellico, Captain Picard, Commander Riker, Thallonian prince Si Cwan, and Danteri Ambassador Ryjaan. The meeting was to discuss the future of Thallonian space, to which all parties had different ideas. Captain Picard and Admiral Nechayev's suggestion was that a single Federation starship be assigned to the region, and with some negotiation, the plan was implemented.
At Picard's suggestion, command of the ship in question, the USS Excalibur, was given to former Starfleet captain, Mackenzie Calhoun, whose rank was re-activated. (NF novel: House of Cards)
[edit] The Dominion War
[edit] Behind Enemy Lines
In early 2374, the Enterprise saw extensive action along the front-line in the Dominion War. After extensive battles with Jem'Hadar forces, the Enterprise received a distress call from the Ambassador-class, USS Aurora. They proceed to the scene and engaged several Cardassian vessels, which they dispatched, but not in time to save the Aurora. During the battle, the Bajoran vessel Orb of Peace, containing Maquis refugees, including Ro Laren*, arrived and aided in the battle.
Picard had the Maquis beamed aboard and Ro informed him that the Dominion was using slave labor in Sector 283 to construct an artificial wormhole. Completion of the project would allow the Dominion access to the Alpha Quadrant without needing to use the Bajoran Wormhole. Picard agreed that they should investigate, and they left in the Orb of Peace donning Bajoran disguises. Meanwhile, Commander Riker took the Enterprise to be repaired at Starbase 209, and left Lt. Commander Data behind in the shuttlecraft Cook to monitor the captain's process.
After dodging several patrols, the Orb of Peace made it to the OK Corral station in the Badlands. In the Badlands, the crew liberated slaves from the Cardassian tanker Tag Garwal. The slaves were mining corzanium from a black hole for the Dominion, for the construction of the wormhole. Among the survivors are former Enterprise-D personnel, Sam Lavelle and Taurik. (TNG novel: Behind Enemy Lines)
As they proceed to Sector 283, the progress of the Orb of Peace was impeded by a Changeling who had taken the form of Taurik. Data managed to rescue the Orb of Peace and destroy the artificial wormhole by using the shuttle's escape pod as a meteroid. The crew was later rescued by the Enterprise and proceeded to Deep Space 9, which has recently been liberated by Captain Benjamin Sisko and a large task force. (TNG novel: Tunnel Through the Stars)
- (*Discrepancy note: Certain elements of the above story, mostly pertaining to the relationship between Ro and Picard, are in contradiction with later stories told in the post-finale Deep Space 9 fiction. Some have speculated that these tales actually take place in the Shatnerverse continuity, as the Dominion's attempt at building an artificial wormhole is mentioned in the Shatner book, Spectre.)
[edit] The Return of Q
In mid 2374, the Enterprise arrived at Betazed and took aboard Professor Lem Faal and his family. The Enterprise was assigned to transport Faal to the edge of the galaxy, so that Faal could conduct experiments based on his life-long research to break through the galactic barrier using a specially designed wormhole probe.
Just before the test was about to be implemented, Q arrived on the Enterprise, along with his mate and child, q. He immediately vanished with Picard and took him through time to view his own personal history, and view its relevance to the current situation. Meanwhile, the Enterprise came under attack by the Calamarain, a species that had a grudge against Q. (TNG novel: Q-Zone)
When Picard and Q return to the Enterprise, Professor Faal (under the control of 0, another omnipotent being), launched the wormhole torpedo into the barrier and allowed 0 to return to the galaxy. 0 immediately hunted down Q, but Q was able to unite with the Calamarain and defeat 0. (TNG novel: Q-Strike)
[edit] The Gorn Crisis
In late 2374, Starfleet Command dispatched Captain Picard and the Enterprise to the Gorn Hegemony, to gain their support in the Dominion War. On arrival at the Gorn homeworld, the Enterprise crew discovered that the Black Crest faction had staged a coup and overthrew the government.
The Black Crest aimed to expand Gorn territory and launched several attacks on Federation outposts. Thankfully, Commander Riker and a Klingon task force were defending the outposts, and the attack was repelled. Meanwhile, Picard remained behind on the Gorn homeworld to try and solve the situation. (TNG comic: "The Gorn Crisis")
[edit] The Battle of Betazed
In early 2375, the Enterprise was fighting Dominion forces deep inside Federation territory following the invasion of Betazed in late 2374. The Enterprise had suffered damage following the Battle of Rigel, but managed to dock at Starbase 133 for repairs.
A few weeks later, while docked at the starbase, Commander Elias Vaughn boarded the Enterprise on a top-priority assignment. Vaughn told Picard that the Enterprise was to lead a small Starfleet task force, comprising the USS Defiant and three Saber-class vessels, the USS Tulwar, USS Katana, and USS Scimitar, to attack the Dominion station, Sentok Nor in orbit of Betazed. While Vaughn was to lead a small team to the prison facility on Darona to free the murderer, Hunt Tevren, whose skills were needed by the Betazed resistance.
The attack on the station proved a success, and the Enterprise managed to rescue a large number of Betazoid slaves before the station self-destructed. However, the Katana was lost in the battle.
Vaughn's team was also partially successful, they managed to find Tevren, but he later died in battle with Jem'Hadar soldiers. Fortunately, before he died he taught some of his telepathic secrets to Commander Troi. Using the information gleaned from Troi, the most powerful members of the Betazed Resistance used their telepathic powers to empathically overload the minds of the Jem'Hadar occupation forces. Betazed was liberated; however, 1200 Betazoid telepaths died from the strain of the attack. (TNG novel: The Battle of Betazed)
[edit] Insurrection
In mid 2375, the Enterprise proceeded into the Briar Patch to the planet Ba'ku, after Commander Data had appeared to have malfunctioned and sabotaged a joint Starfleet-Son'a duckblind mission on the surface. Eventually Picard and the Enterprise crew learned that Ba'ku's metaphasic rings were like a fountain of youth, and Admiral Matthew Dougherty and the Son'a leader, Ru'afo were determined to have the planet. Picard and the crew staged an insurrection and stopped the 600 Ba'ku from being transplanted from the planet, and discovered that the Son'a are actually Ba'ku. (TNG novelization: Insurrection)
[edit] The Battle of Ricktor Prime and Gul Madred
The Enterprise was at the forefront of the allied forces at the Battle of Ricktor Prime in 2375. It was one of only four of the six allied ships at that battle to survive, though the day was won. After the battle, while en route to meet with a Klingon civilian, the Enterprise received a distress call from a Cardassian Akril-class vessel, the Pakliros.
The ship had suffered catastrophic engine damage, and there were only two survivors: Glinn Driana and Gul Madred. Driana died of radiation poisoning; Picard had Madred placed in the brig, and insisted on conducting the interrogation himself, over the objections of Troi and security chief Lieutenant Padraig Daniels.
Despite their positions being reversed from what they had been on Cardassia six years prior, Madred continued to manipulate Picard, including trying to get him to use his desire to see Driana against him. Eventually, with Troi's help, Picard ceased speaking to Madred, and stopped allowing the gul to continue to victimize him. (TNG short story: "Four Lights")
[edit] Post-War Crises
[edit] Mission to Gemworld
In late 2375, the Enterprise was due to conduct a low-gravity survey of planet Primus IV, when they were summoned to Gemworld, homeplanet of Lieutenant Melora Pazlar, who was temporarily assigned to the Enterprise. Upon arriving on Gemworld, Captain Picard and the crew discovered that a dimensional rift was streaming dark matter onto the planet and destabilizing the artificial planet's support program.
Picard and the crew needed to obtain the crystal key shards from all of the races on Gemworld that were required to power down the planet's protective shell, and allow the Enterprise to power the forcefields. The Alpusta seized control of the Enterprise and attempted to use its phaser banks to destroy the rift. The plan is thwarted, and the situation is resolved when Counselor Troi managed to contact an entity in the rift and convinced it to close the rift. (TNG novels: Gemworld, Book One, Gemworld, Book Two)
[edit] The Dead Zones
In early 2376, while attempting to rescue a Federation cargo hauler that had become stranded in the Romulan Neutral Zone, the Enterprise was the first of many ships across the galaxy to encounter a warp dead zone. Captain Picard soon learned that the dead zones were affecting the entire galaxy, and took aboard Ambassador Spock and the infamous Romulan mass-murderer, T'sart.
Spock believed that T'sart held vital information about the phenomena. However, T'sart was poisoned by a Klingon governor named, Kalor before he could talk. However, Picard suspected that they needed to travel into Romulan space, so he sent Commander Riker, Counselor Troi, and Data in the runabout USS Kaku into Romulan territory to obtain a sample of barantium from a Romulan station, to mask the Enterprise's warp trail. However, Commander Folan of the IRW Makluan anticipated the action and rigged the station to explode.
Ambassador Spock managed to convince Commander Folan of the threat of the dead zones and he allowed the Enterprise to travel to the Caltiskan system. Upon reaching Caltiskan, the Enterprise (along with several other Enterprise's from around the multi-verse) penetrated the alien sphere that was responsible for the dead zones and shut the sphere down. (TNG novels: Dead Zone, Forever Dark)
[edit] Badlands mission and Jem'Hadar attack on DS9
In April of 2376 the Enterprise was assigned to patrol near the Badlands in response to rumored Breen activity. Traveling aboard the Enterprise was Commander Elias Vaughn, who confided in Picard about his thoughts of retirement. Picard suggested Vaughn would not be happy sitting back and letting worlds go by, and suggested he turned to writing or teaching.
After three weeks of the patrol, the Enterprise discovered a lost Cardassian freighter, the Kamal. Commander Vaughn led an away team to the freighter and discovered one of the lost Bajoran Orbs, the Orb of Memory, whose mind-affecting properties affected the entire away team. After recovering the Orb, Picard ordered a course set to starbase Deep Space 9 in the Bajoran sector, to return the Orb to the Bajoran people and have the Enterprise repaired after being damaged by the Badlands' plasma activity. (DS9 novel: Avatar, Book One)
The Enterprise arrived at the station in the aftermath of a Jem'Hadar assault, and a planned Federation Alliance assault on the Dominion. Picard had time to enjoy delivering the recovered orb to Kira Nerys before the Enterprise and station personnel were called into action again to stop a Jem'Hadar assault on the station's fusion core. After the crisis was averted, Vaughn chose to stay behind on DS9 and fill th