Will Picard ever make Admiral ?

That's how I've always imagined it. Someone like Commodore Wesley or Decker would have been the senior officer of the local exploratory group during Kirk's 5 year mission even though the ships generally operated independently. Each group then would be a part of a larger force, perhaps a fleet, under the command of a Rear-Admiral.

 

That's my take on it, except that admiral, say in this case Picard, would be stationed on a ship rather than a starbase; that ship being the Enterprise. If one of those other ships finds something that requires a larger science facility or what-have-you, then the Big E gets called in to investigate. I believe that JMS planned something like this originally with Crusade, which was to include more of the Ranger Fleet.

 

I remember Picard once saying something to the effect that the Enterprise-D wasn't a pure science vessel. Perhaps exploration vessels do the basic initial surveys of a region--mapping, charting, and possible first alien contact in line with the Prime Directive--and then smaller science ships come in later to do the real heavily detailed (i.e., monotonous) research and analysis missions that aren't very glamorous or exciting.

Starfleet may have divisions dedicated solely towards exploration and scientific research endeavors. Like Starfleet Intelligence, Starfleet Tactical, or Starfleet Medical, "Starfleet Exploration" (for lack of a better term) may be comprised of ships and facilities dedicated solely to exploration endeavors.

Vice Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, Chief of Starfleet Exploration?

Rear Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, Commander, Exploration Fleet 6?

 

This is my first post on the forum. However, I have been lurking around for years now.

I really like the idea of an admiral Picard, actually I think he really deserves admiralty after all these years.
I think the concept of expeditionary fleet and with Picard being the 'fleet admiral' is really good. I hope that perhaps in the future the TNG relaunch will do something with this idea.
I mean he is one of the most decorated officers in the fleet and he's still a captain (by his own choice, but still).

 

That would be in "Where No One Has Gone Before". Picard seemed to be saying that his ship is intended to go places just to stake out strange new worlds, while a "pure science vessel" would conduct long term studies there.

Doesn't mean this would be the only kind of life Picard would enjoy, though. He could just have been making the best out of the job that Starfleet had entrusted on him at the time, while looking forward to the day when he can again spend half a year digging through ancient ruins while his ship maps the continents from orbit for more ruins.

Picard has always been tempted by field work, and ST:Nemesis might show him coming to appreciate it all the more in his old days. Rather than accept an administrative position in exploration, he might well resign and go for a career in archaeology.

(As for terminology, to me an "expeditionary fleet" evokes analogies of the famous British expeditionary forces that have fought for the interests of their Empire in the past... That is, military adventurism rather than scientific expeditions. Not sure if the general audiences would take it that way.)

Timo Saloniemi

 

That's what I always thought about Janeway and wham, Star Trek: Nemesis comes along. What a kick in the face for such a character that's rather in the middle of something. :-/

 

Kirk to Picard, Generations

so no I don't think so.

 

Does Picard generally take advice on the course of his life from people who've known him thirty seconds and don't know a thing about his personality?

 

Someone should have that talk with Picard about his career not moving forward anymore, the same talk he had with Riker in The Icarus Factor and The Best of Both Worlds part 1.

 

Picard should have started out Trek 10 at the rank of Admiral. It should havebene mentioned that he was claening house and that the Enterprise-E was going to become a centrakl command ship for Starfleet. The story would have been more interesting. Riker could have started out at the beginning of the move as Captain of the Titan and only come aboard the Enterprise at the end. Trek 10 could have been much improved. It also would have made sense for the Enterprise to have been towed back to another repair yard in the solar sys. It was played out that they were once again at Earth.....

 

Where's the rank of Commodore when you need it!? Gone Bye, Bye!

JDW

 

Indeed, people are putting a lot of significance on a 30 second conversation between Picard and a man he's never met.

 

Do you all think Kirk regretted being promoted off the bridge of the Enterprise?
Why did Kirk leave the nexus to help Picard, someone he'd never met!?

JDW

 

Even without Kirk's advice, I don't think Picard really ever wanted to be an Admiral. He also likes being out in the action and a Starship Captain, just like Kirk.

 

Agreed.

Picard will be a Captain until he retires or dies, IMHO.

And there's really no hurry, either. Even though the man is in his seventies now, human lifespans being what they are in Trek's time, Picard's life isn't even half over - he will still have decades left to spend as a Captain before needing to retire. I definitely believe that he simply doesn't want to be promoted, and he has the clout to ensure that he won't ever be forced to.

Wouldn't be the only one, either; look at Elias Vaughn from DS9-R. Vaughn is even older than Picard (over 100) and prefers to remain a Commander, basically to keep a low profile.

 

"God willing Picard will be back as admiral in Star Trek: Nemesis 2 - The Soich for a Good Script."... Spaceballs 2 has a better chance of being greenlit.