(SPOILERS and speculation) "His time"?

[DarkHorizon]

I posted this over at my blog, and felt it should come here for further examination...​

WARNING! Contains spoilers for Before Dishonor and Greater Than The Sum, as well as speculation on Star Trek: Destiny.​

So, I was skimming through Before Dishonor a little while back (just to see if it was still as bad as I recall - the answer is yes) and I came to the section with Picard at Janeway's memorial service.

There's been a lot of discussion about the use of the word "destiny" in the book, particularly regarding Janeway and in connection with Destiny, but I noticed this passage - in fact, it jumped right out at me...

Why? Why was he still here when so many others who were just as worthy as he had passed on before him?
Well, maybe it just hadn't been his time yet.
"Destiny." The word floated back to him, unbidden. If "his time" was something that could generally be pinpointed, then he'd been wrong. No matter what he did, he really was part of some grand game, a mere piece to be played rather than a player.
​

...and I suddenly had a thought.

Consider the quote from which KRAD's A Singular Destiny, which will follow up on the events of Destiny, comes:

What a singular destiny has been that of this remarkable man!—To be regarded in his own age as a classic, and in ours as a companion! To receive from his contemporaries that full homage which men of genius have in general received only from posterity; to be more intimately known to posterity than other men are known to their contemporaries!
​

KRAD says it "fits the book nicely" (I tracked it down for the article on the novel at Memory Alpha). Now combine that with the above passage, and I came up with this bit of speculation.

What if Destiny results in the death of Jean-Luc Picard?

What if "his time" is saving the quadrant from the vicious attack by the Collective?

The idea has been put even more forcefully into my head by the events of Greater Than The Sum, specifically Picard and Beverly's child. Could Picard make the ultimate sacrifice to protect his family?

(I got quite a shock when the idea came into my head, let me tell you...)

This would most definitely be a universe-shattering event, and would undoubtedly affect the ongoing series - Titan and TNG definitely, VOY perhaps not so much, but it would still have an impact, methinks. Combine that with the likely effects of the quadrant-wide devastation that seems to be suggested by the epilogue of GTTS, and we have a major change in the history of the Trek universe here.

At least, if my speculation is accurate... but we'll find out in December, I guess... or sooner if I'm completely off-base, and Mack comes down to smack me on the head...

 

[JD]

You know usually I would say you're just being paranoid, but you actually make a really good case for this possibility here. It would definitely be a universe changing event that's for sure. So I wonder what the crew set up for a post-Picard Enteprise-E would be? I'm guess it Worf would be Captain, with either Miranda or Geordi as his first officer. Hey, maybe that's why Miranda is a full Commander by the beginning of Destiny.

 

[Trent Roman]

Hmm. KRAD has also said it would be a Clancey-style political thriller revolving around a newly-created civilian protagonist. This isn't hard proof against your hypothesis, of course, but I would imagine any novel dealing with the repercussions of Picard's death to the extent of being named in reference to him would want to focus on the Starfleet officers he was closest to, on the Enterprise, Titan and elsewhere, than a civilian life and government with which he had little contact. If we expect that the title refers to a specific person, it might be the novel's protagonist, although that's awfully laudatory for a new character. Or it could be our time-period straddling Hernandez, although I'm not sure to what extent she was considered a 'classic' in her own age, or a 'companion' to later eras.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Defcon]

You know usually I would say you're just being paranoid, but you actually make a really good case for this possibility here. It would definitely be a universe changing event that's for sure. So I wonder what the crew set up for a post-Picard Enteprise-E would be? I'm guess it Worf would be Captain, with either Miranda or Geordi as his first officer. Hey, maybe that's why Miranda is a full Commander by the beginning of Destiny.

Just playing along with the speculation that Picard bites the dust:

I'm not sure that Worf would become (permanent) Captain of the Enterprise in this case. If I'm not mistaken he's only first officer of the ship for under a year when Destiny takes place, and his only prior experience as "Captain" was on a much smaller ship (Defiant), so I don't think Starfleet would give him the Captaincy of their flagship, despite all he has done for the Federation and Starfleet in different capacities.

 

[tenmei]

Well, if the hypothesis is true ...

Spoiler: Spoilers for NF: Turnaround

Now that Bravo Station has been destroyed, could it be time for Admiral Shelby to get command of the Enterprise?

 

[Rosalind]

^ then it'll be the end of my TNG book buying/reading

 

[LightningStorm]

I don't think Picard's death would be "universe-shattering" at all. It would be a huge deal for fans, but his impact on the overall Trek-verse wouldn't be all that big. Sure we'd get a lot of emotional stuff regarding his friends and crew. And I'm sure he'd get a huge hero's send off by starfleet and all that. But that one man's death wouldn't be that big of a deal.

A "universe-shattering" event to me would be something that greatly and directly affected the Federation as a whole. Something that changes the balance of power in the quadrant. Something that does or threatens to tear the Federation apart at its core. And, I say "Federation," but this would apply to the other really major powers in the quadrant. So the Klingon Empire and Romulans too. But to me, one man's death, (no matter how heroic or iconic he may be) just isn't big enough to be considered something to have lasting ripple effects across every aspect of Trek.

Also, regarding tenmei's NF possiblity if Picard were to die. I agree with Rosalind, I'd stop buying/reading them too for that.

 

[Trilliam]

Well, if the hypothesis is true ...

Spoiler: Spoilers for NF: Turnaround

Now that Bravo Station has been destroyed, could it be time for Admiral Shelby to get command of the Enterprise?

I didn't get the impression that it was all that bad.

 

[JD]

I don't think Picard's death would be "universe-shattering" at all. It would be a huge deal for fans, but his impact on the overall Trek-verse wouldn't be all that big. Sure we'd get a lot of emotional stuff regarding his friends and crew. And I'm sure he'd get a huge hero's send off by starfleet and all that. But that one man's death wouldn't be that big of a deal.

A "universe-shattering" event to me would be something that greatly and directly affected the Federation as a whole. Something that changes the balance of power in the quadrant. Something that does or threatens to tear the Federation apart at its core. And, I say "Federation," but this would apply to the other really major powers in the quadrant. So the Klingon Empire and Romulans too. But to me, one man's death, (no matter how heroic or iconic he may be) just isn't big enough to be considered something to have lasting ripple effects across every aspect of Trek.

Also, regarding tenmei's NF possiblity if Picard were to die. I agree with Rosalind, I'd stop buying/reading them too for that.

Yeah, I guess you do kinda have a point there. But I still think that going by what DarkHorizon said it could be a possibility. I've been assuming since Destiny was first annonced that whatever universe shattering thing happens, it was probaly going to be a series of events, not just one event. And I don't see any reason why Picard's death couldn't be one of them.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Spoiler: Spoilers for Before Dishonor

First Janeway, then Picard? It seems unlikely that Pocket would kill off so many captains.

 

[DarkHorizon]

"As I said to the Captain, it's just a feeling..."

Hmm. KRAD has also said it would be a Clancey-style political thriller revolving around a newly-created civilian protagonist. This isn't hard proof against your hypothesis, of course, but I would imagine any novel dealing with the repercussions of Picard's death to the extent of being named in reference to him would want to focus on the Starfleet officers he was closest to, on the Enterprise, Titan and elsewhere, than a civilian life and government with which he had little contact. If we expect that the title refers to a specific person, it might be the novel's protagonist, although that's awfully laudatory for a new character. Or it could be our time-period straddling Hernandez, although I'm not sure to what extent she was considered a 'classic' in her own age, or a 'companion' to later eras.

Well, I would imagine that the devastation wrought on the Federation (as suggested by the cover) would likely play the central role in ASD, particularly since it will be a more politically-based story. Still, the title doesn't necessarily have to refer to the main plotline, does it?

I don't think Picard's death would be "universe-shattering" at all. It would be a huge deal for fans, but his impact on the overall Trek-verse wouldn't be all that big. Sure we'd get a lot of emotional stuff regarding his friends and crew. And I'm sure he'd get a huge hero's send off by starfleet and all that. But that one man's death wouldn't be that big of a deal.

In this instance, I'm talking "universe-shattering" more from the perspective of us, the fans. Still, Picard is probably a bit more well-known than most Starfleet captains to the citizens of the Federation, perhaps the most well-known: being the CO of two flagships, noted for saving Earth from the Borg in 2373, infamous for leading the Borg attack on Earth in 2367, and for the actions at Rashanar and Tezwa.

Well, if the hypothesis is true ...

Spoiler: Spoilers for NF: Turnaround

Now that Bravo Station has been destroyed, could it be time for Admiral Shelby to get command of the Enterprise?

I would agree with Rosalind and LightningStorm - that would be a misstep.