How long did Picard serve onboard the Stargazer before becoming Captain of that ship and how long after the loss of the Stargazer did he have to wait to command the Enterprise-D?
James
James
From the Stargazer to the Enterprise-D
- Thread starter James Wright
- Start date
He was Captain of that ship for something like 22 years but don't know about the time he was on the ship before that. I'm not sure if that was mentioned anywhere.
9 years. 2355 was the loss of the Stargazer. 2364 was the first mission of the Enterprise.
And suggests he commanded another ship in between Stargazer and Enterprise.
Actually, the idea that Picard commanded the Stargazer for 22 years is never confirmed on screen. It comes only from the backstage material, from suggestions on writing the character; the Encyclopedia and the various novels have taken their interpretation from that writing guide entry.
Onscreen, we only know that Picard served aboard the Stargazer for an unknown number of years, which included at least one incident where Picard took command of the ship from her incapacitated captain in an emergency (established in "Tapestry"), and at least a few years where Picard himself was the captain (established in "The Battle"). We also know that the Stargazer was Picard's first command (established in "Relics").
But we don't know that the Stargazer would have been the first ship on which Picard served. We don't know that he would have gotten command of that ship immediately after his heroic temporary command, either. And we have no idea when this heroic temporary command took place - what year, what rank, what circumstances.
It is possible, for example, that Picard only served aboard the Stargazer between 2333 and 2336, during which he once heroically stood in for the skipper. He might then have gone on serving aboard several other ships, gradually rising in rank, until returning to command the Stargazer from 2352 to her loss in 2355.
it is also possible that Picard commanded the Stargazer on multiple occasions, and in fact commanded a total of seven or eight separate starships, most of them between the Stargazer stints and then a few more after the loss of the Stargazer but before the E-D.
Timo Saloniemi
Onscreen, we only know that Picard served aboard the Stargazer for an unknown number of years, which included at least one incident where Picard took command of the ship from her incapacitated captain in an emergency (established in "Tapestry"), and at least a few years where Picard himself was the captain (established in "The Battle"). We also know that the Stargazer was Picard's first command (established in "Relics").
But we don't know that the Stargazer would have been the first ship on which Picard served. We don't know that he would have gotten command of that ship immediately after his heroic temporary command, either. And we have no idea when this heroic temporary command took place - what year, what rank, what circumstances.
It is possible, for example, that Picard only served aboard the Stargazer between 2333 and 2336, during which he once heroically stood in for the skipper. He might then have gone on serving aboard several other ships, gradually rising in rank, until returning to command the Stargazer from 2352 to her loss in 2355.
it is also possible that Picard commanded the Stargazer on multiple occasions, and in fact commanded a total of seven or eight separate starships, most of them between the Stargazer stints and then a few more after the loss of the Stargazer but before the E-D.
Timo Saloniemi
Well, all together how many years did Kirk Command the Enterprise and how long did McCoy say he'd been CMO at the trial of himself and Kirk in TUC?
James
James
I don't remember how long Kirk was in command of the Enterprise, but McCoy said he'd been the CMO for 27 years.
...Of course, we don't know if McCoy counts from the day he first entered the CMO position to the present day (ignoring any periods of unemployment in between), or if he counts the actual days. Under the first interpretation, if TUC took place in 2291, then 2264 would mark McCoy's first day in the job - that is, he'd never have been the CMO of any starship before coming aboard the Enterprise just prior to TOS. The second interpretation would allow him to start CMOing somewhat earlier on, although it was only through coincidence and convolution that he became one temporarily in 2258 already (no big spoilers for STXI).
AFAIK, Kirk never said anything about when he took command or how long he held it. There isn't even a definite statement on whether the Enterprise was his first command or not. And we have very little idea on whether Kirk retained command of the ship between TOS/TAS and TMP, or TMP and ST2/ST5, or ST5 and ST6 (although the last one at least is likely).
Timo Saloniemi
AFAIK, Kirk never said anything about when he took command or how long he held it. There isn't even a definite statement on whether the Enterprise was his first command or not. And we have very little idea on whether Kirk retained command of the ship between TOS/TAS and TMP, or TMP and ST2/ST5, or ST5 and ST6 (although the last one at least is likely).
Timo Saloniemi
He was captain of her for from 2265-2270. And while he used her a lot he was never officially captain of the ship till the end of 2286 (Voyage Home) and remained so till 2293 (Undiscovered Country).
And then in the new timeline he became captain in 2258 and well, we don't know yet how long he'll remain in that position!
I was going to say that. I'm reading it at the moment, and it's pretty good. It introduces the idea that Picard took a sabbatical to concentrate on archaeology for a few years, before eventually finding his way back to Starfleet.
He also quit Starfleet sometime before TMP, and might not have been CMO on Enterprise for all of the fifteen years between TMP and TWOK. So it could be that he has literally served on the Enterprise for 27 years, not that it is precisely 27 years since he first joined the ship.
Also, he only says "ship's surgeon", not specifically CMO, so he could have served on the medical staff under Dr Piper or even Dr Boyce.
Ah, good point! Not CMO, merely MO. (I wonder if there are other officer positions for medical staff available besides "ship's surgeon"? That is, was Nurse Chapel an Ensign or enlisted? She wears Lieutenant braid in ST:TMP, but that doesn't really tell us much about TOS. She's a Lieutenant in TAS, but does that count?)
To be a bit anal-retentive, we don't know that nu-Kirk became Captain in 2258. We know that he became Captain thanks to heroics in 2258, some time after those heroics.
Perhaps the year of the final scenes is 2262 or something like that? Some might say that Pike being in a wheelchair is proof that this happens mere days after his torture by Nero - but that torture left him perfectly able to walk, and I doubt 23rd century medicine would necessitate him sitting down again, for an important military ceremony no less. The wheelchair might tell of a separate, later event that forced Pike's sick leave and handing over of command to Kirk who in the meantime had attained Captain rank (while his bridge crew had not made quite that much progress).
Timo Saloniemi
To be a bit anal-retentive, we don't know that nu-Kirk became Captain in 2258. We know that he became Captain thanks to heroics in 2258, some time after those heroics.
Perhaps the year of the final scenes is 2262 or something like that? Some might say that Pike being in a wheelchair is proof that this happens mere days after his torture by Nero - but that torture left him perfectly able to walk, and I doubt 23rd century medicine would necessitate him sitting down again, for an important military ceremony no less. The wheelchair might tell of a separate, later event that forced Pike's sick leave and handing over of command to Kirk who in the meantime had attained Captain rank (while his bridge crew had not made quite that much progress).
Timo Saloniemi
I've assumed she was enlisted in TOS (remember she only signed on to find Korby), and received a commission after she completed her medical degree. If you want to include TAS, she could have been made a lieutenant before then, since TOS was always a little fuzzy between the elisted ranks and ensigns.
It makes more sense if the epilogue is set a good while after, perhaps even years. For all we know New Pike is also slowly deteriorating from radiation sickness too. Hopefully in this universe, they can find him a chair with more than one light...
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