...Which raises the question of why Picard isn't allowed to be an explorer.
I mean, his business as usual used to include something he considered "exploration", even back when he was in command of the Federation Flagship that supposedly had major other commitments. Why is "exploration" excluded from the tasks burnened on the E-E?
Is it because at the time, Starfleet in general cannot afford to explore, there being so much else to do to undo the effects of the recent war? Archaeological digs would hardly fit that picture, but then again, that's one thing Picard is being denied here, in favor of brushfire extinguishing.
Or is it because Picard and his crew are receiving special punishment for their prior actions? We don't know the aftermath of ST:FC too intimately yet. Might be Starfleet went all "We were just about to blow the Borg to pieces, thank you very much, and there was no excuse for you to disobey your strict orders to stay out" on them? Telling Picard to do things he's good at but not keen on doing would be the soft punishment, akin to giving Kirk a prestigious wreck to command.
Or is it because the E-E is a ship unsuited for exploration, or uniquely suited for some other role that takes priority now? What that role might be is difficult to tell - she's not tasked with fighting so this is unlikely to be her field of excellence, but OTOH the diplomacy she is tasked with would not appear to call for particularly special specifications.
Or is it because exploration is forbidden by some treaty or policy adopted in the aftermath of the war? Perhaps the leaders feel the war could have been avoided if Starfleet did not boldly go where none had before, and thus apply at least a temporary ban on loitering beyond UFP borders? Perhaps the Dominion only agreed to stop crushing the UFP if the UFP agreed to stop exploring, and the ongoing negotiations try to address this, there being a hiatus in the meantime?
Timo Saloniemi
I mean, his business as usual used to include something he considered "exploration", even back when he was in command of the Federation Flagship that supposedly had major other commitments. Why is "exploration" excluded from the tasks burnened on the E-E?
Is it because at the time, Starfleet in general cannot afford to explore, there being so much else to do to undo the effects of the recent war? Archaeological digs would hardly fit that picture, but then again, that's one thing Picard is being denied here, in favor of brushfire extinguishing.
Or is it because Picard and his crew are receiving special punishment for their prior actions? We don't know the aftermath of ST:FC too intimately yet. Might be Starfleet went all "We were just about to blow the Borg to pieces, thank you very much, and there was no excuse for you to disobey your strict orders to stay out" on them? Telling Picard to do things he's good at but not keen on doing would be the soft punishment, akin to giving Kirk a prestigious wreck to command.
Or is it because the E-E is a ship unsuited for exploration, or uniquely suited for some other role that takes priority now? What that role might be is difficult to tell - she's not tasked with fighting so this is unlikely to be her field of excellence, but OTOH the diplomacy she is tasked with would not appear to call for particularly special specifications.
Or is it because exploration is forbidden by some treaty or policy adopted in the aftermath of the war? Perhaps the leaders feel the war could have been avoided if Starfleet did not boldly go where none had before, and thus apply at least a temporary ban on loitering beyond UFP borders? Perhaps the Dominion only agreed to stop crushing the UFP if the UFP agreed to stop exploring, and the ongoing negotiations try to address this, there being a hiatus in the meantime?
Timo Saloniemi
