Star Trek: The Captain's Table Book 2: Dujonian's Hoard by Michael Jan Friedman

Author:Michael Jan Friedman
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780671014650
Publisher: Star Trek
Published: 1998-06-02T04:00:00+00:00

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

by Michael Jan Friedman

His Early Life

Jean-Luc Picard was born on Earth in 2305

to Maurice and Yvette Gessard Picard, and

raised on a family farm in Labarre, France,

along with his older brother, Robert. Maurice

Picard was a tradition-bound French vintner who

didn't approve of advanced technology and

encouraged both his sons to follow in his footsteps.

However, from a very young age, Jean-Luc had his

eyes on the stars. As a boy, he enjoyed building

ships in bottles, the pride of his collection being

a legendary Promellian battle

cruiser-a vessel he would one day discover in his

voyages aboard the Enterprise-D.

These toy ships served as a springboard for the

future captain's imagination. In his daydreams,

he was in command of the vessels after which the toys had been

modeled, a true heir to the legendary starship

commanders who had gone before him.

Against his father's wishes, Picard applied for

entrance into Starfleet Academy in 2322, at the

age of seventeen. Unfortunately, he fell

short in this effort.

Undaunted, the young Frenchman tried again and was

admitted to the Academy a year later.

As a first-year cadet, in 2323, he ran the

grueling Starfleet Academy marathon on

Danula II. By passing four upperclassmen on

the last hill of the forty-kilometer run, he became

the only freshman ever to win the event. Picard won

top academic honors at the Academy as

well, scoring high enough to be named class

valedictorian.

Still, his record at the Academy was not flawless.

He committed a serious offense that was never made

public. Years later, Picard credited

Academy groundskeeper Boothby with

helping him to rectify his error, thereby making it

possible for him to remain a cadet in good standing.

Shortly after graduation with the class of 2327,

Picard was on leave with several classmates at

Starbase Earhart, where he picked a fight with

three Nausicaans at the Honestell Recreation

Facility. One of the Nausicaans stabbed Picard

through the heart, necessitating a cardiac

replacement procedure and leaving Picard with an

artificial heart.

Years later, as a young lieutenant, Picard

met the legendary Sarek of Vulcan at the wedding

of the ambassador's son. Picard was awed

by Sarek, whose negotiations had helped to shape the

Federation. On another occasion, Picard distinguished

himself by leading an away team to Milika III

to save an endangered Federation ambassador.

In 2333, Picard was a staff officer on the

U.s.s. Stargazer when the ship's captain was

killed. The twenty-eight-year-old Picard took

charge of the bridge and for his coolheadedness in the

emergency was offered command of the Stargazer-thereby becoming

one of the youngest Starfleet officers ever to captain a

starship.

Sometime later, Picard became fast

friends with Jack Crusher, one of the officers reporting

to him on the Stargazer. In 2344, Crusher

introduced Picard to his fiancde, a medical

studen t named Beverly Howard, to whom Picard was

strongly attracted. However, as Crusher was a

close friend, Picard never mentioned the attraction,

either to Crusher or to Beverly.

Jack Crusher married Beverly Howard in

2348. The couple had a child, Wesley, a year

later. When Jack was killed in the line of duty in

2354, it was Picard's sad task to inform Beverly

Crusher of her husband's death. Picard still declined

to reveal his love for Beverly at the time, because he

felt to do so would be to betray his friend.

Picard commanded the Stargazer until 2 35 5,

when the ship was nearly destroyed by an unprovoked

sneak attack near the Maxia Zeta star system.

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