Star Trek: The Next Generation
Picard was given command of the new Galaxy class USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) in 2364 by order of Rear Admiral Nora Satie ("All Good Things..."). The crew's first mission is to investigate the mystery surrounding Farpoint Station ("Encounter at Farpoint").
En route to Farpoint, Picard is inadvertently called upon as a "representative" for the human race to stand trial before the enigmatic and omnipotent Q, who accuses humanity of being a "dangerously-savage child race" and threatens to take away humanity's capability of space travel as punishment. Picard persuades Q to test humanity, and Q chooses as the test's first stage the crew's performance at Farpoint ("Encounter at Farpoint"). The test does not end, however, until seven years later, when Q stages another trial. Q increases the stakes, failure will mean humanity's annihilation before it even began, but Picard, on humanity's behalf, passes the test ("All Good Things...").
In 2365, Q facilitates Starfleet's first contact with the Borg by hurling the Enterprise 7,000 light-years away, near the presence of a Borg cube ship. With the ship moments away from being captured by the pursuing ship, Picard pleas for Q's help, which the omnipotent being grants. The encounter cost the ship 18 crewmembers, and serves to warn the United Federation of Planets of the Borg threat ("Q Who?").
The following year, Picard grants Klingon Chancellor K'mpec's request that Picard serve as the impartial Arbiter of Succession in the transfer of power upon K'mpec's imminent death. Soon afterward, Picard scrutinizes two challengers: Duras and Gowron. However, before he can render a decision, Duras kills Klingon Ambassador K'Ehleyr, the mate of security chief Worf; in turn, Worf kills Duras ("Reunion").
In late December 2366 - early January 2367 (circa stardate 43989.1), Captain Picard and the Enterprise-D engage a Borg cube heading for Earth. During these engagements, Picard is abducted and assimilated by the Borg. Designated "Locutus of Borg" (Latin: "having spoken" or contextually, "he who has spoken"), the Borg use him as a representative in its attempt to force Earth's unconditional surrender and as a prelude to assimilating it and the entire Federation.
Picard's assimilation provides the Borg access to all of his experience and knowledge, including Starfleet tactics and technology. This leads to the Battle of Wolf 359, during which one Borg cube destroys 39 of forty Starfleet starships assembled to halt its advance. After Dr. Beverly Crusher's partial removal of the Borg implants, parts of Picard's personality break through. Operating on Picard's monosyllabic advice "Sleep" Lieutenant Commander Data uses Locutus' link to the "hive mind" to command the invading Borg to enter into a regenerative state. This causes the cube's power systems to overload and destroy the cube ("The Best of Both Worlds").
After the Borg incident, Picard spends time visiting his brother, sister-in-law and nephew in France. The experience proves cathartic, forcing him to confront the guilt he feels about his forced role in destroying the Starfleet forces at Wolf 359. He also is able to partially reconcile long-simmering differences with his brother, Robert ("Family").
Picard is relieved of command in 2369 to train for and carry out a covert mission against the Cardassians. He is captured and held prisoner for interrogation by Gul Madred. During this time, Captain Edward Jellico commands the Enterprise. After gaining a tactical upperhand against a group of Cardassians, Jellico arranges for Picard's release, after which Picard returns to command the Enterprise ("Chain of Command").
Picard's artificial heart is damaged when he is attacked at a diplomatic conference. The heart fails, causing Picard to hover between life and death. Q apparently comes to him in this state and offers to let him change the mistake that resulted in his need for the artificial heart. He takes Q's offer, avoiding the fight and keeping his heart. However, Q's glimpse of his banal career with his biological heart makes Picard realize that the loss of his heart was the turning point of his life; Picard tells Q that he would rather die than live that life Q shows him. "Returning" to the bar once again, Picard antagonizes the Naussicans and is stabbed through the chest, at which point Picard, on the Enterprise, takes a turn toward improvement. Picard is uncertain as to whether Q really intervened or his "vision" was just a near-death experience ("Tapestry").
Picard's other accomplishments and encounters during the Enterprise's first seven years include helping save the Bynar homeworld ("11001001"); making first contact with the Velara III "microbrains" ("Home Soil"), the Malcorians ("First Contact"), and the Cytherians ("The Nth Degree"); being offered (and declining) the job of Starfleet Academy commandant ("Coming of Age"); stopping an alien conspiracy to take over Starfleet ("Conspiracy"); making contact with the Romulans after a decades-long silence ("The Neutral Zone"); establishing Data's basic "human" rights ("The Measure of a Man"); discovering an Iconian outpost ("Contagion"); being mistaken for a god by the Mintakins ("Who Watches the Watchers?"); destroying the 27th century Tox Uthat weapon ("Captain's Holiday"); making it possible for Ambassador Sarek to complete his final mission ("Sarek"); stopping rogue captain Benjamin Maxwell ("The Wounded"); freeing the people of Ventax II from servitude under Ardra ("Devil's Due"); stopping Romulan involvement in the Klingon Civil War ("Redemption"); making the first successful communication with the Children of Tama ("Darmok"); discovering Ambassador Spock's whereabouts on Romulus ("Unification"); living thirty subjective years in the life of a Kataanian in a 25-minute time span ("The Inner Light"); stopping terrorists from obtaining trilithium resin ("Starship Mine"); and helping discover the origin of life in the galaxy ("The Chase").
<< back
This page is HTML 4.01 Transitional and CSS Valid.