Robert April
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| Biography | |
| Robert April | |
| |
| Full Name: | Robert T. April |
| Species: | Human |
| Gender: | Male |
| Born: | 2194 |
| Affiliation: | Federation Starfleet |
| Family | |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Spouse(s): | Doctor Sarah Poole-April |
| Career | |
| Previous Assignment: | Commanding Officer, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) |
| Final Assignment: | Ambassador-at-Large |
| Rank: | Commodore |
| Insignia: | 
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Commodore Robert T. April was the first commanding officer of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the late 2240s.
Contents |
[edit] Early Life and Career
Robert T. April was born in Coventry, England on Earth on October 14, 2194 (TOS novel: Final Frontier). April entered Starfleet Academy aged 17 in 2211 and graduated in 2215. Over the next ten years, April quickly rose through the ranks, and was made captain of the USS Tiberius in 2226. He commanded the Tiberius on three five-year missions, before returning to Earth in 2243. (EV comic: "Flesh of My Flesh").
[edit] Captain of the Enterprise
In 2243, Commodore Van Anling placed April in charge of construction of the Constitution-class, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), at the San Francisco Fleet Yards.
Six months into construction, April took the empty shell of the Enterprise on a mission secret mission to retrieve the lost colony vessel, SS Rosenberg, trapped in an ion storm. April handpicked a command crew he could trust, including his oldest friend George Samuel Kirk Sr. and his future wife, Sarah Poole. While underway, sabotage threw the Enterprise into the Romulan Neutral Zone, and nearly sparked another war with the Romulans. With some assistance from a defecting Romulan, April and Kirk managed to defuse the situation and rescue the colonists. (TOS novel: Final Frontier)
In 2244, April married his long-time friend and vet, Sarah Poole, and she agreed to sign aboard the Enterprise as chief medical officer. (TOS short story: "Though Hell Should Bar the Way").
In July 2245, construction of the Enterprise was completed and she was launched on shakedown cruises by Federation President Samuel Solomon Qasr. The shakedowns were successful, and the Enterprise began her first five-year mission of exploration in 2246, with April in command. (TAS episode: The Counter-Clock Incident; novelization: Star Trek Log Seven).
In October 2246, the Enterprise was assigned to deliver urgently needed food to the colony on Tarsus IV after a deadly mutagenic virus had attacked and destroyed the crops. Before entering the Tarsus system, the Enterprise was intercepted by the IKS Kut'luch, commanded by Commander Kor, who was under orders not to let in Federation vessels into the system.
April tried to explain to Kor that they were on a mission of mercy, but Kor attacked. April had no option but to fight back as the Enterprise took heavy damage. He had the Enterprise bring all her weapons to bear on the Kut'luch and overwhelmed its systems. With the Kut'luch disabled, April ordered the Enterprise to continue on to Tarsus IV, leaving Commander Kor dismayed that April never destroyed his ship.
Once the Enterprise arrived at Tarsus IV, April uncovered the horror that had taken place on the planet at the hands of Governor Kodos. Though he was relieved that young James T. Kirk had survived, he couldn't help but wonder if it could have been prevented had the Klingons not engaged him, and the Enterprise reached the colony sooner. (TOS short story: "Though Hell Should Bar the Way").
[edit] After the Enterprise
In 2251, following completion of the Enterprises first five-year mission, April addressed the Federation Council on the continued success of the Starship Program, and the need to continue the program to further science and exploration. April also announced that he was stepping down as captain of the Enterprise and that Captain Christopher Pike, currently commanding the USS Yorktown (NCC-1704), was to assume command for the second five-year mission. (TOS novel: Final Frontier). April personally escorted Pike to the Enterprise in spacedock to give his old ship’s new captain a few words of advice for his adventures yet to come. (EV comic: Flesh of My Flesh)
Later that year, newly-promoted Commodore April ensured, with the help of Admiral R. Mallory, that James T. Kirk was admitted into Starfleet Academy (TOS novel: Best Destiny). As a Commodore in Starfleet Command April was able to keep an eye on his old ship. In 2252 he recommended Spock as Pike's new science officer and later he selected Mia Colt, who had served under him on the Tiberius previously, as Pike's new Yeoman after the death of Dermot Cusack. (EV comics: Nor Iron Bars a Cage; Flesh of My Flesh)
Later in 2254 the then Admiral April returned to the Enterprise to temporarily take command whilst Captain Pike conducted a mission on the planet Temazi, in this time the Enterprise engaged a pair of Klingon ships and April's command decisions resulted in damage to the Enterprise and injuries to Number One. (EV comics: Thanatos & Nemesis)
- April's appearance in the last issues of Early Voyages as an Admiral is inconsistent with what was established in TAS, Pocket Books novels and earlier EV comics. However given the events of the his appearance as an Admiral it is possible he suffered demotion for his actions.
[edit] Ambassador at Large
After several years as a Starfleet Commodore, April retired from Starfleet, but still worked for the Federation as an ambassador-at-large. (FASA RPG).
In 2269, Robert and Sarah boarded the Enterprise, commanded by Kirk, enroute to Babel. Enroute, the Enterprise seemingly entered a antimatter universe and the crew begin to get younger. While the Enterprise crew regresses to infants, Robert was in his prime and once again assumed command of the Enterprise. April discovered that it was an illusion created by telepathic beings who were testing the Federation and Klingons. (TAS episode: The Counter-Clock Incident; novelization: Star Trek Log Seven).
[edit] Connections
- Robert April article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Robert April article at Star Trek Expanded Universe, the fanon Star Trek wiki.
| Preceded by: Jonathan Archer | Commanding Officers of the Starships Enterprise 2243–2251 | Succeeded by: Christopher Pike |
| Commanding Officers of the Starships Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Enterprise (NX-01): | Archer |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701): | April • Pike • Kirk • Zarlo • Decker • Spock |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A): | Kirk |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B): | Harriman • Sulu • Johnson |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C): | Garrett • Castillo |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D): | Picard • Riker • Jellico |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E): | Bateson • Picard • Riker |
| ISS Enterprise (NX-01): | Forrest |
| ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701): | Franz • Pike • Kirk • Spock • Riley • Saavik |
| ISS Enterprise (ICC-1701-D): | Picard |
