Stargazer question

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Mr. Laser Beam, Feb 7, 2009.

  1. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I got to thinking of this when I read the "Picard's rank?" thread, in the TNG forum.

    AFAIK, the Stargazer series states that Picard - a Lt. Cmdr. at the time - was made the Captain of the ship when its original CO (Daithan Ruhalter) was killed, and the original XO (Stephen Leach) wounded and comatose. Can this really be true, though? An early TNG episode - might have been the pilot, I can't remember - mentioned that Picard was once an XO. (Something about Riker's refusal to let Picard beam down to a planet. Riker says that because Picard was once an XO himself, he'd understand the reasoning behind it.)

    So even after the Stargazer's two most senior officers were out of action, Picard couldn't have immediately become Captain, because we'd already been told he spent some time as an XO first. Do the novels explain this?
     
  2. Mike Winters

    Mike Winters Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I do not remember any reference to Picard being referred to as an XO by Riker at all. Looking at Memory Alpha which uses primarily filmed Trek as its source (thus the dreaded Canon word), it doesn't refer to him ever being an XO.

    Mike
     
  3. Brendan Moody

    Brendan Moody Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^No, Babaganoosh is right. There's a scene in "Encounter at Farpoint" where Picard and Riker discuss the right of a captain to participate in away missions, and Riker says "Having been a first officer yourself, you know that assuming that responsibility must by definition include the safety of the captain."
     
  4. Mike Winters

    Mike Winters Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I guess it is one of the many cases where the show reversed itself, or perhaps Riker was mistaken, assuming Picard had been a First Officer since he was now a Captain. It would be understandable for one to assume a Captain had once been an XO.
     
  5. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I would think that if Riker had gotten it wrong, Picard would have corrected him.
     
  6. Brendan Moody

    Brendan Moody Vice Admiral Admiral

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    And there isn't any evidence that the show reversed itself. What little Stargazer/Picard backstory is actually given onscreen doesn't prevent his having served as a first officer; it's the elaborated version in the novels that rules it out.
     
  7. elaithin

    elaithin Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Doesn't the show also refer to his having become a Captain very young?
     
  8. Brendan Moody

    Brendan Moody Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^In "Conspiracy" Picard says that Tryla Scott made captain faster than anyone else, "present company included," which suggests that he made captain fairly young, but still doesn't rule out brief first officer service.
     
  9. Jean-Luc Picard

    Jean-Luc Picard Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    Picard was the ship's second officer before becoming captain. He pretty much did the job of an XO.
     
  10. William Leisner

    William Leisner Scribbler Rear Admiral

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    Wouldn't the first officer, technically speaking, become captain upon the CO's death, regardless of his capacity to carry out that duty? And thus, wouldn't Picard have technically been the ship's second in command, acting in Leach's stead while he was out of commission?
     
  11. elaithin

    elaithin Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Mmmn... tenuous, but it could work.
     
  12. captcalhoun

    captcalhoun Admiral Admiral

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    not tenuos or 'technically' true. from what we've previously seen in Trek, it's true.
     
  13. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Could be. I don't remember whether Ruhalter's death or Leach's coma came first. If it was both at the same time, then the above couldn't happen, because Picard (as the next senior officer) would go straight to being CO.

    I thought that was Jack Crusher. :confused: But I suppose Picard could have become that, after Jack's death.
     
  14. Trent Roman

    Trent Roman Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^ Crusher only joined the crew much later into timeline, by which point Picard had already been captain for quite a while.

    Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
     
  15. shanejayell

    shanejayell Captain Captain

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    Could Picard have been a XO on a ship BEFORE Stargazer?
     
  16. William Leisner

    William Leisner Scribbler Rear Admiral

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    It's possible, but it would seem a step backwards to go from first officer to second officer.
     
  17. nx1701g

    nx1701g Admiral Admiral

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    I seem to recall in the novel that Picard was being groomed to become the XO of the Stargazer by the Captain, but that wouldn't count.

    Memory Beta doesn't list him as having been XO in any noncanon material.
     
  18. Defcon

    Defcon Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Not necessarily, if he was first officer of a rather small vessel only carrying diplomats around for example, I guess he would count becoming second officer of an exploration ship as a step up and a more fulfilling position.
     
  19. shanejayell

    shanejayell Captain Captain

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    Or even be XO of a dinky little courier ship. *lol*
     
  20. Mike Winters

    Mike Winters Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    If I remember correctly, the captain was killed and the first officer was severely injured and comatose. I believe that officers who did not agree with Picard wanted to wake the XO (who at that point would have been the Captain) (and I guess Picard would have been his XO) and have him overrule Picard.

    Mike