If/When Picard retires, who should be the next captain?

[MatthiasRussell]

The president is Commander in Chief. If he/she wants a say or wants to be heard in a certain appointemnt, he/she will have it; plus an appointment like that is a higher priority than the "day-to-day". The Enterprise is a major appointment, it is the symbol of Starfleet and the UFP, its captain a major diplomat, I think the president and C-in-C will want a say. Bacco herself briefed Picard before sending the E to Andoria so obviously the role of that ship and its captain is of concern to her. Akaar himself is a micro-manager.

 

[BillJ]

The president is Commander in Chief. If he/she wants a say or wants to be heard in a certain appointemnt, he/she will have it; plus an appointment like that is a higher priority than the "day-to-day". The Enterprise is a major appointment, it is the symbol of Starfleet and the UFP, its captain a major diplomat, I think the president and C-in-C will want a say. Bacco herself briefed Picard before sending the E to Andoria so obviously the role of that ship and its captain is of concern to her. Akaar himself is a micro-manager.

Once Picard retires, whose to say that the Enterprise isn't brought home and made an Admiral's flagship? It is a high profile command.

Or perhaps its simply retired to make way for a slipstream U.S.S. Enterprise?

 

[Ronald Held]

Maybe retiring the E-E would be a useful symbolic gesture, since few Enterprises make it to the museum. Plus another reason to produce an "upgraded" Enterprise.

 

[Mage]

I highly doubt that they're going to retire the Enterpise-E after only 10 years of service.

In any case, after more then 20 years of service, with ups and downs perhaps, and more then enough experience in command (including commanding the Defiant on several missons), Worf is ready for his own command.

Saying he shouldn't be captain because he's overexposed as a character isn't a in-universe explanation. Atleast some people gave reasons why they feel he shouldn't get a command through in-universe reasons.

 

[datalogan]

I vote for Capt Saavik (previously of the USS Alliance)

We haven't seen her for awhile, but we know she's been a trusted Starfleet captain for decades.
Would be great politics to have a half-Romulan in the center seat of the flagship with the Romulan-strong Typhon Pact out there.

Would be great to see more of the Spock/Saavik relationship.

Would enjoy seeing how Worf learns to work with a half-Romulan, half-Vulcan. (After Worf's reaction to Romulans in the past like in TNG episode The Enemy, I think it would be interesting for these two to learn to work together.)

La Forge or Worf only makes sense from a fan perspective (because it keeps one of the original original 7 Enterprise-D characters in command). It does not really make sense from Starfleet or Federation perspective. The flagship needs to have a seasoned captain, one who's already been a captain and proven himself or herself in both battle and diplomacy.

That’s Saavik.

Sure, Worf's ready to be a CO, but not of the flagship. I don't mind XOs being promoted to COs of ship in emergencies or on "less important" ships, but this is the flagship. Even Spock only got to become captain of the Enterprise when Kirk retired prior to ST:II because the Enterprise was (somehow) no longer the flagship of the fleet. She was just a training vessel at the time.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Once Picard retires, whose to say that the Enterprise isn't brought home and made an Admiral's flagship? It is a high profile command.

Just let Picard become an Admiral and then it can be HIS flagship.

 

[BillJ]

Saying he shouldn't be captain because he's overexposed as a character isn't a in-universe explanation. Atleast some people gave reasons why they feel he shouldn't get a command through in-universe reasons.

But it's a very valid reason in the real world. I simply won't buy books with Worf in the captain's chair. It's nothing personal... I just feel they've examined the character from just about every angle possible in the last twenty-five years.

Worf in the captain's chair isn't going to give the series any type of spark. Put a younger woman with a fire for exploration in the chair... or an Andorian... or a Vulcan.

I'm tired of being beaten over the head with honor (which becomes even more tedious when you factor in Voyager's seven years) and Worf's long lost daddy and the fact that Worf doesn't fit in with other Klingons. Which would all be ripe for exploration yet again with him the 'star' of the series.

Putting Worf in the captain's chair is the least imaginative thing Pocket could do if they move Picard on. YMMV.

I highly doubt that they're going to retire the Enterpise-E after only 10 years of service.

They retired the Enterprise-A after only eight years in service in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

 

[UncleRogi]

My opinion is Worf; not only his familiarity with the E-E, but because he's earned it.

A "resurected'" Janeway would be an admiral.

But personally, I would LOVE to see Captain Hansen. Her experience can't be equaled. Especially considering Picard's Borg experiences. They seem to have served him well...

Captain Dax for much the same reasons. Nine lives has serious experience, including Kurzon.

What's wrong with Calhoun? Kirk was a "cowboy".

But it should be Worf

And what about an Enterprise F is so surprising?

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah, the President has no real say in the day to day operations of Starfleet. That's the Commander in Chief's job. Admiral Akaar would probably make the call of who replaces Picard.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I highly doubt that they're going to retire the Enterpise-E after only 10 years of service.

They retired the Enterprise-A after only eight years in service in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

She could have been a renamed Constitution-class that had been in service for decades under her original name.

 

[BillJ]

I highly doubt that they're going to retire the Enterpise-E after only 10 years of service.

They retired the Enterprise-A after only eight years in service in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

She could have been a renamed Constitution-class that had been in service for decades under her original name.

Yeah. But there's nothing in The Final Frontier or The Undiscovered Country to indicate it's anything other than a new ship.

 

[DarKush]

I vote for Capt Saavik (previously of the USS Alliance)

We haven't seen her for awhile, but we know she's been a trusted Starfleet captain for decades.
Would be great politics to have a half-Romulan in the center seat of the flagship with the Romulan-strong Typhon Pact out there.

Would be great to see more of the Spock/Saavik relationship.

Would enjoy seeing how Worf learns to work with a half-Romulan, half-Vulcan. (After Worf's reaction to Romulans in the past like in TNG episode The Enemy, I think it would be interesting for these two to learn to work together.)

La Forge or Worf only makes sense from a fan perspective (because it keeps one of the original original 7 Enterprise-D characters in command). It does not really make sense from Starfleet or Federation perspective. The flagship needs to have a seasoned captain, one who's already been a captain and proven himself or herself in both battle and diplomacy.

That’s Saavik.

Sure, Worf's ready to be a CO, but not of the flagship. I don't mind XOs being promoted to COs of ship in emergencies or on "less important" ships, but this is the flagship. Even Spock only got to become captain of the Enterprise when Kirk retired prior to ST:II because the Enterprise was (somehow) no longer the flagship of the fleet. She was just a training vessel at the time.

Worf hasn't proved himself in battle or diplomacy? Are you kidding me? Where was Saavik during the Klingon War, Dominion War? Or the Borg invasion (either one of them), or Shinzon's incipent attack on the Federation? Has Saavik ever been a Federation ambassador?

What's wrong with a 'fan' perspective? It's the fans who will be buying the books. The idea that it doesn't fit a 'Starfleet' perspective doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense that Starfleet would actually keep a crew loaded with talent on one ship for nearly 20 years or that they would even just let Worf go back to being security chief (with the same rank) once he was done as an ambassador.

It would be more fanservice to give the post to Saavik, someone who has had a spotty history in Trek lit. and no ties to the TNG crew or many of their fans.

I don't think Saavik is a bad choice and with the right approach it could work, but that doesn't make her a better choice than Worf. It would seem rather random to me and would probably piss off more fans than bring to the books.

 

[JD]

Saavik's recent history from Memory Beta:

Saavik eventually rose to the rank of Captain, and was content for a time to command science vessels while the Federation was at peace. When the war with the Dominion broke out in 2373, she requested command of a combat-worthy vessel, and was given command of the USS Alliance.
At some point during the war in 2374 she was injured in ship-to-ship combat and transferred to home duty on Vulcan. Her former first officer, Captain Howe, sent her a "get well cactus". (ST short story: "Blood Sacrifice")
In early 2377, she led a diverse convoy of vessels into the space of the mysterious Watraii, who had announced plans for a genocidal war against the Romulan Star Empire. In this first encounter, Admiral Pavel Chekov was believed to have been killed in a transporter accident. (TOS - Vulcan's Soul novel: Exodus)
After it was discovered by Uhura that Chekov had not been killed, but was instead languishing in a Waatri prison cell, Saavik took the Alliance back into Waatri space for a rescue operation. The effort was successful, but Saavik had to deal with the immediate consequences of the rescue operation. (TOS - Vulcan's Soul novels: Exiles, Epiphany)
Saavik remained in command of the Alliance until at least the year 2379. (TTN novel: Taking Wing)

 

[DarKush]

^
Thanks for the update. Saavik has been more active in current/contemporary Trek lit. history than I realized, but even with that, she's been more prominent in the Vulcan (Noun?) books than in the mainstream relaunched Trek. And her literary adventures don't match up to Worf's 'real'/onscreen exploits. Not to mention his literary ones. I haven't read about his actions in A Time To...books, but he played a significant role in the Left Hand of Destiny books, saving the Klingon Empire, not to mention playing a part in thwarting the Borg in recent Borg arc.

 

[F. King Daniel]

They retired the Enterprise-A after only eight years in service in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

She could have been a renamed Constitution-class that had been in service for decades under her original name.

Yeah. But there's nothing in The Final Frontier or The Undiscovered Country to indicate it's anything other than a new ship.

I dunno. In STV, it looked pretty new, but I thought they made the sets look quite old and worn out in STVI.

 

[C.E. Evans]

They retired the Enterprise-A after only eight years in service in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

She could have been a renamed Constitution-class that had been in service for decades under her original name.

Yeah. But there's nothing in The Final Frontier or The Undiscovered Country to indicate it's anything other than a new ship.

All of the problems the Enterprise-A was having could just as easilly be attested to an older vessel that had been recently refitted. The original Enterprise also had problems after her refit.

 

[BillJ]

She could have been a renamed Constitution-class that had been in service for decades under her original name.

Yeah. But there's nothing in The Final Frontier or The Undiscovered Country to indicate it's anything other than a new ship.

All of the problems the Enterprise-A was having could just as easilly be attested to an older vessel that had been recently refitted. The original Enterprise also had problems after her refit.

Ah the Yorktown question, never bought that the Enterprise-A was a renamed ship. What happened to the command crew of the other ship (plus what happened to the crew)? The Excelsior-class still had to be years away from regular production due to the failure of transwarp drive.

For all we know the newly-built Enterprise-A was suppose to be the Enterprise-A. A ship built to replace the retiring NCC-1701. Heck, for all we know, Sulu may have been a candidate to command the Enterprise-A prior to the Genesis shenanigans.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Yeah. But there's nothing in The Final Frontier or The Undiscovered Country to indicate it's anything other than a new ship.

All of the problems the Enterprise-A was having could just as easilly be attested to an older vessel that had been recently refitted. The original Enterprise also had problems after her refit.

Ah the Yorktown question, never bought that the Enterprise-A was a renamed ship.

More plausible than Starfleet just happened to have a brand-new Constitution-class starship on hand for Kirk right then and there, IMO. How terribly convenient.

What happened to the command crew of the other ship (plus what happened to the crew)?

If the ship had been in the dockyard for awhile, either there wasn't one in place or that the ship was manned only with a small refit crew during its upgrade.

 

[BillJ]

All of the problems the Enterprise-A was having could just as easilly be attested to an older vessel that had been recently refitted. The original Enterprise also had problems after her refit.

Ah the Yorktown question, never bought that the Enterprise-A was a renamed ship.

More plausible than Starfleet just happened to have a brand-new Constitution-class starship on hand for Kirk right then and there, IMO. How terribly convenient.

What happened to the command crew of the other ship (plus what happened to the crew)?

If the ship had been in the dockyard for awhile, either there wasn't one in place or that the ship was manned only with a small refit crew during its upgrade.

I like how you left out the second part of my argument about the Enterprise being retired (Star Trek III) and the possibility the Enterprise-A was already being built as a replacement.

Absence evidence of a fleet reduction Starfleet would need a front-line vessel to replace the Enterprise.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Ah the Yorktown question, never bought that the Enterprise-A was a renamed ship.

More plausible than Starfleet just happened to have a brand-new Constitution-class starship on hand for Kirk right then and there, IMO. How terribly convenient.

What happened to the command crew of the other ship (plus what happened to the crew)?

If the ship had been in the dockyard for awhile, either there wasn't one in place or that the ship was manned only with a small refit crew during its upgrade.

I like how you left out the second part of my argument about the Enterprise being retired (Star Trek III) and the possibility the Enterprise-A was already being built as a replacement.

Because that's your opinion and I saw no need to comment on it.

All I'm doing is presenting a possibility that the Enterprise-A could have been a renamed older ship in lack of any evidence one way or the other.