In the 2150s, there has been some recent change already: as per "Judgment", the Warrior Caste has become more powerful and the other castes or professions have become less. Since Kolos paints this as the big thing in the past twenty years, the balance of Houses vs. Imperial Seat probably hasn't changed in that time. Doesn't mean it wouldn't become the next big change soon thereafter, though. Timo Saloniemi
Yeah, it cant cope with peace and stability in itself. Unified in Klingon terms is NOT having a civil war that particular year. It is probably a case of if the Klingons are not in a civil war, the Races bordering the empire get nervous as if the Klingon s are not killing each other, they will get bored and start killing them. If anything races like the romulans, cardassians and even the federation (looking at S31) will do there best to keep the Klingon's divided and fighting each other. A nation based on warfare, warriors, love of fighting and killing the weak in power will be unstable by its nature.
Nor should it be expected to be so. Technology and societies don't progress linearly. Klingons are shown to be a highly unstable society as a whole, with assassinations, wars, and conflict being the norm. The Great Houses assert their power and then L'Rell comes along and promotes a more unified Empire against outside hostiles. Klingons and the Federation end up in conflict due to resources and expansionism of the powers. I don't need this laid out for me in a speech. It makes perfect sense to me.
"We're not like Gazelles. Gazelles are born ready to build starships. It takes us time. And after awhile they don't look like other starships. I once saw a gazelle giving birth and I killed it with my mevak and ate it. Remain Klingon. Shave your head!" -Tkuvma The Confused
Was it an official tie-in to season 2? I thought it came out during s1 and was not a tie-in. Were they not made at the same time with access to PIC designs, characters, story? I made it clear that there are at least 3 levels instead of 2, your examples would be on the lower level. Were Gold Key and Bantam made during a top-secret production process using those secret elements and with a show writer on board? Of course. That's precisely my point. Tie-ins that were made simultaneously with exclusive insight into these elements and in coordination with the show's production. True, XO was not on screen so far. I meant the character herself, name, rank, uniform, specialty. But who else other than his second-in-command would follow him around on his mission?
Within Star Trek - that is a role on a Starship - she could be his second in command on his mission and be an adjunct or an assistant or an aide. There is no on-screen evidence that Raffi has every served on a Starship as crew. The question was originally about tie-in literature - in the tie-in Literature - Picard became the Captain of the USS Verity and Raffi was his first officer... except none of this appears on screen or is referred to - which suggests it is backstory for people who want to read that but does not tie the writers hands in any way. Moreover I have never seen any interview with Michelle Hurd where she seems aware of any of this and thus it does not inform her performance in any way. Given we are five episodes in and this is never mentioned, I doubt it every will be (I could be completely wrong about this) and will not be surprised if season 2 flat out contradicts it.
So I've heard that they actually have a set built for the entire interior of La Sirena, correct? If so, when are we getting some official deck plans? Even a sketch would be enlightening. Picard was a flag officer then, so things would have worked a little differently. His flagship could have had its own captain and first officer; and all onscreen indications are that Raffi was his aide. I don't like the Verity thing much because it seems to be trying to squeeze people who are supposed to be in different positions into an expected Trek box.
That is the one aspect that seemed odd from the comic. A ship the size of the Odyssey class USS Verity would surely have a Captain and Commander in spite of Picards presence on board. So then I thought maybe Raffi was the one with the equivalent Commander rank and Picard filled the Captain position. Although it wasn't that long after the Dominion War so there could still be a shortage of trained officers in Starfleet to explain it away.
No, it was a tie-in to season 1. It was the first Disco novel, and shows the Shenzhou on a mission with the Enterprise a couple of years before the pilot. It was apparently from an idea from Bryan Fuller. The idea was that we'd get to see the new crew Interact with familiar characters, which absolutely was not going to happen on the show. It presumably ties into his vision of the show which obviously changed after his departure. It's a pretty good read, and sheds quite a bit of light on Saru, Burnham and Georgiou's relationship. But it's completely at odds with Disco season two, because it has Michael and Spock not only meeting, but having a proper adventure together that can't be reconciled with them apparently being estranged since she left Vulcan to join Starfleet. The descriptions of the ship and the uniforms are also definitely taken from The Cage, which isn't a problem as such, but is a bit weird. The way Pike is portrayed is the very uptight Hunter version, not Anson Mount's cool cat. Number One doesn't display a fondness for habanero sauce.
Yes it makes little sense - Picard's mission was the evacuation - he would not be doing that and running a Starship - just like when Admirals needed a lift in TNG, I'm sure there was a ship to ferry him around but it would have its own captain and first officer...
Bit of a mixup there, I think you messed up the tags as I didnt actually post that but I did post a reply to it. Me no mixer, honest.
No, ‘Desperate Hours’ was a prequel to Season 1 that featured the Enterprise, which is completely contradicted by Season 2. ‘Enterprise War’ was the Season 2 tie in that took place on the Enterprise during Season 1. So far there isn’t any major contradictions to it that I can think of. There is another pre-season 2 novel focusing on Saru that gives some details on his homeworld and the Ba’ul, but they were contradicted as well. (Although it did have the correct names for them, which we wouldn’t get until Season 2)
There should be a Captain and XO, but this is Picard! So I expect he supervises the evacuation and Raffi mostly runs the ship.
Going by what's in the show, command does not seem to have been Raffi's specialty at all. And I don't just mean the shirt color. If Picard was commanding a rescue armada, every ship in that armada would have its own command crew, including the one he was flagging from.
I would think that building a lot of ships is doable with the full weight of the Federations shipyards behind it, the issue is finding enough trained crews for them, I doubt there are enough unless they use civilians crews and even then a lot will have to be trained. Moving 9 million is a lot but its manageable, 900 million is something else entirely. Just think of all the portaloo's they would need, my god the toilet paper requirements alone is mind boggling. Personally I think the biggest problem is finding space for them on planets that are suitable, those planets would also need to have infrastructure in place to support them and populations that are open to a huge influx of Romulans. That would narrow the options considerably.
As the admiral in charge of the entire fleet, Picard would have to be free to look at the bigger picture. He wouldn't be the one ordering his ship's helmsman when to push the button.
As a flag officer, Picard would be within his purview to have an Aide de Camp with him who serves as basically a glorified Yeoman and personal assistant, someone highly trusted with special access privileges not usually afforded to someone of a lesser rank/grade. Raffi's former position and relationship with "JL" squares nicely with that concept. Hell, Patton had Codman (and he was a Colonel - equivalent to a full-bird Captain in the Navy), why not Picard?
Even in behind the scenes stuff like Michelle Hurd's Ready Room interview, they emphasize that she was an intelligence expert. No mention of her having been a first officer.
Sisko's closest confidante and best friend in DS9 was Dax and she was both science officer and later counselor. Closest shoulder to lean upon and get advice from doesn't always have to be first officer or someone with the rank of Commander.