Flare Sci-Fi Forums: RIKER, CMDR WILLIAM T. -- Starfleet Assignments

This is topic RIKER, CMDR WILLIAM T. -- Starfleet Assignments in forum General Trek at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flare.solareclipse.net/ultimatebb.php/topic/3/516.html

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Hey all. I was just thinking about one of my favorite TNG characters, Commander William T. Riker ... specificly, his previous ship assignments, and what ranks he was, etcetra.

We know he was aboard the Hood as Executive Officer and ranked lieutenant commander.

He recieved that promotion to lt. commander while aboard the Potemkin.

His first assignment, as ensign, was to the USS Pegasus, and I believe he also served aboard the Yorktown..

He was selected as First Officer of the Enterprise by Jean-Luc Picard, one of many applicants. Picard was impressed by an incident where Riker refused to allow Cpt. Desoto to transport to a hostile surface while aboard the Hood.

He was offered command of the Drake while XO of the Hood, a job he turned down to take the Enterprise.. Apparently, he would've served on the Drake at the position of captain but rank of Commander (unless Starfleet planned to have him skip "commander"). He later turned down command offers of the Aries and the Melbourne.

No one knows what Riker did after the destruction of the Enterprise-D and the commissioning of the Enterprise-E. It's possible Riker had to face a hearing regarding his actions during the incident with the Klingons that destroyed the Enterprise.

I believe (according to the Chronology) that Riker graduated Starfleet Academy in 2355 or thereabouts (the same year as Geordi). Two of Riker's friends died aboard the Adelphi during the Gorushda incident.

So ...

Ensign Riker assigned to Pegasus.
Lt (jg) Riker assigned to Yorktown.
Lt Riker assigned to Potemkin.
-Promoted
Lt Cmdr Riker assigned to Hood as XO.
Cmdr Riker assigned to Enterprise as XO.

------------------
Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 6.27 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with four eps posted)
***
"Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!"
-Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001
****
"The candidate who slimed John McCain in the primaries and smeared Al Gore in the general election is now the president who pledges to elevate the nation's tone and bring civility to our discorse. Kind of like Michael Corleone brought peace to the mob by killing the heads of the other four families."
--Paul Begala, Is Our Children Learning?

[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited February 26, 2001).]

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

Well, Skipping "Commander" seems to be relatively frequent in the Star Trek Universe. How many Commander-rank first officers have we ever seen? Riker, and Spock (who was also a Lt. Commander while an XO, IIRC). That's it, unless you count that Cadet XO on the Valiant.

IMO, I think the Commander rank is for people who've been XO for a long time, or for Station Commanders (we've seen three of those: Quinteros in "11001001", the guy running the degaussing thing in "Starship Mine", and Sisko). A sort of senior rank before actually becoming a Captain.

Mark

------------------
"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

[This message has been edited by Mark Nguyen (edited February 26, 2001).]

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Spock. The XO on the Odyssey.

It's not like we really SEE a lot of other starships, so it's hard to gauge, right?

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

Caught Spock while you were typing your response.

But I'm sure the Odyssey XO was Lt. Commander... Anyway, Sisko was on the Saratoga. Riker on the Hood. Spock (pointed out above). Chakotay on Voyager, and Cavit before him. Presumably Data's XO on the Sutherland. True, there aren't many of 'em, but they outnumber the true commanders..

Mark

------------------
"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :

Y'all forgot Chekov on Reliant.

------------------
"Gee, the public whipping didn't quite convey their fascist culture, I need something more straightforward. Ah, leather hats!" --Nimrod, on National Socialism fashion design.

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

Aha! Wasn't he a Lt. Commander too?

And even if he wasn't, was he ever mentioned as XO on the Reliant, in his log or something? 'Cuz Commander Kyle (never saw his pin) and the Commander "We'll give them a few more minutes" (who had a minimum Lt. Commander pin) were aboard too...

Mark

------------------
"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :

Riker never served on the Yorktown. After the Pegasus he was assigned to do something on Betazed. He was a Lt. JG at that time and that's also when he met Deanna.

Chekov said "Commander Pavel Chekov" in his log, but he could still be using that as the short from of Lieutenant Commander.

------------------
[Bart's looking for his dog.]
Groundskeeper Willy: Yeah, I bought your mutt - and I 'ate 'im! [Bart gasps.] I 'ate 'is little face, I 'ate 'is guts, and I 'ate the way 'e's always barkin'! So I gave 'im to the church.
Bart: Ohhh, I see... you HATE him, so you gave him to the church.
Groundskeeper Willy: Aye. I also 'ate the mess he left on me rug. [Bart stares.] Ya heard me!

Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :

I just caught "The Jem Ha'Dar" on TV the other night. The Oydessey's XO was a full commander. Wasn't Spock eventually given full commander's stripes before the series ended? And by the end of Star Trek VI, hadn't most of the Enterprise senior staff become full commanders?

------------------
Nic: She's not a practicing lesbian. We need PRACTICING lesbians!
Me: I have a camcorder.
Nic: But no lesbians.
Me: Ahhh... no.
Nic: DAMN IT MAN! WE NEED LESBIANS! LOTS AND LOTS OF LESBIANS!

ICQ Conversation From January 23, 2001.

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Hmmm, wonder where I picked up on that Yorktown bit.

Okay, so Riker's three ship assignments before the Enterprise were the Pegasus, Potemkin, and Hood. Still leaves a lot of time open for Riker to be doing stuff. Any theories on what he was doing between Generations and First Contact?

IIRC, Spock was always a full commander on TOS. Scotty and McCoy were Lt. Commanders, Uhura and Sulu lieutenants, and Chekov an ensign (they didn't have the Lt. jg. rank in TOS, it would seem). By the end of the movies, Kirk, Spock, Sulu and Scotty were Captains, and McCoy, Uhura, and Chekov were commanders. While we know what happened to Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty (lost then killed, Federation Ambassador, retired Admiral, lost -- now flying around in a shuttlecraft), we don't know what happened to Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura. I like to think that Uhura and Chekov eventually got commands of their own.

I don't think a Miranda-Class in the TNG/DS9/VOY would rate a full rank captain, much less a commander or lt. commander as XO. Honestly, they'd seem fit with a Commander as CO and a Lt. as XO.

Perhaps certain classes of starship warrant a certain ranked CO, XO, etc., and smaller class starships warrant less. For example, a Galaxy-Class might warrant a Captain as CO, a full Commander as CO, and a Lt. Commander (at the least) as Second Officer, while a Miranda might only warrant a Commander as CO, and two lieutenants as XO and Second Officer ... ?

[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited February 26, 2001).]

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

This brings up the question again of rank pins vs. titles, vs, what we see on the screen. In the Wrold Wars, warship skippers were frequently of Lieutenant rank, even lower. And it makes sense that "real" Captains would be on the upper-end ships.

However, we've seen Captain-pins on the uniforms of several smaller ships - Grissom, Reliant, Drake, Brattain, and Equinox to name a few. By contrast, only the (Nebula) Prometheus and the (Oberth) Yosemite were seen with Lieutenants in charge (and the Prometheus case made little sense at all except in the dramatic sense).

So it seems apparent that Starfleet does allow ships to go without Captain-rank people around, but it may employ a standard by which some people may be promoted to Captains' rank, but be stuck in a certain role as a result. This could be why Riker turned down the Drake -he'd have his own ship, but would likely not ever get to command a bigger, better class of vessel. Hence, he was hoping to get in line for a big ship. Note that each time he was offered command, it was to progressively larger vessels: Wambundu, Constellation, and Nebula or Excelsior (depending on your POV).

Mark

------------------
"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :

The Yorktown-assignment comes from the book "Fortune's Light" IIRC.

------------------
"Second star to the right, and then straight on till morning."

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

Just to correct JeffK, Spock was a Lt. Commander in the first season. His sleeve had one solid ring and one broken.

------------------
"I rather strongly disagree, even if I share the love of Dick. Speaking of which, that would be the most embarrasing .sig quote ever, so never use it."

- Simon Sizer, 23/01/2001

Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :

quote:
His sleeve had one solid ring and one broken.

Really? I thought he wore 2 solid stripes and held the rank of Lt. Cmdr., like Giotto and Finney.

Chekov was a full commander aboard the Reliant.

------------------
"Second star to the right, and then straight on till morning."

Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :

Spock always wore two solid stripes, yes - but "Court Martial" nevertheless claimed that his rank was Lt.Cmdr, which has made people wonder for the past thirty years or so...

Chekov HAD to be a full commander aboard the Reliant, since Bob Fletcher originally forgot to design a pin to go with the rank of Lt.Cmdr! This pin was only added for the later movies, and confused the living daylights out of people when it appeared on the shoulder of "Lieutenant" Valeris in ST6.

Riker might have served aboard various ships including the noncanon Yorktown, but somehow he doesn't seem the type. I got the distinct impression that he was searching for father figures, and sticking to a single captain until dragged away from him screaming and kicking. Once Pressman and Riker got out fo the Pegasus mess, Riker probably found himself in a cushy position aboard the Potemkin with a couple of new pips on his collar and a humble request from Pressman not to talk too much about the past assignment. Given such good cards, Riker could refuse a transfer if he wished, and ask Pressman to smooth out things for him...

From there on, Riker aimed high, but not so high as to accept independent command (which he would have, if he was really just trying to skyrocket his career). If he held the right cards to allow him to refuse command, he'd probably have refused transfers to other ships as well, and stuck to DeSoto for as long as possible.

Timo Saloniemi

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

I'm pretty sure Chekov identifies himself as "First Officer, Lt. Commander Pavel Chekov..."

Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :

Just watched it this morning. Nope. He's a full Commander.

--Jonah

------------------
"It's obvious I'm dealing with a moron..."

--Col. Edwards, ROBOTECH

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Yeah, I just popped it in to check. Coulda sworn he was Lt. Commander, but I guess that would be Lt. Commander Kyle.

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

As it was pointed out above, there wasn't a Lt. Commander pin at the time. Which means that Chekov, Commander "Let's give them a few more minutes" and Kyle were all full Commanders. Kinda puts Voyager's rank distribution to shame, don't it?

But my question still stands - was Chekov ever distinctly mentioned as the First Officer on the Reliant? He barely had a chance to ACT as one before Khan and his stooges took it over...

Mark

------------------
"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Yes. He made a ship's log and identified himself as the First Officer.

Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :

And Kyle was obviously the Communications officer. The yellow-collared Branch may have been the chief Helmsman (those generally have had high ranks), or perhaps the chief Engineer (who, like Scotty, might sometimes come up to the bridge to take command when the ship is in standard orbit and the Captain and his XO are down below).

Timo Saloniemi

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Captain Terrel -- CO
Commander Pavel Chekov -- First Officer
Lt. Commander Kyle -- Chief Engineer (assuming he's a Lt. Commander and not a full Commander)

What about Beech? Anyone see his rank pin?

Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :

Kyle was a full Commander.

He said something like this:

"Starship Reliant to Captain Terrell... This is Commander Kyle. Will you please respond, Captain...Captain Terrell, respond please."

And as Timo said, there was no pin for Lt. Cmdr., so it was the Commander-pin on his uniform.

And he wasn't the CEO because his division colour was gray.

Beach was a full commander too.

------------------
"Second star to the right, and then straight on till morning."

[This message has been edited by Fitz (edited February 28, 2001).]

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Aye-yi-yi ... there ALL full commanders?

Data was addressed as "Commander" quite a bit ... just because someone is addressed as a "Commander" doesn't mean they're not a lieutenant commander.

Just as Worf and LaForge were always called "lieutenant" in the first season of TNG, not "lieutenant junior grade"

I have a hard time believing they were ALL full Commanders.

Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :

quote:
Data was addressed as "Commander" quite a bit ... just because someone is addressed as a "Commander" doesn't mean they're not a lieutenant commander.

True, but in Kyle's case we've a visual evidence, that he was a full commander.

IIRC the first Lt. Cmdr. we've seen in the movies 2-7 was this Alien at Starfleet Emergency Operations in STIV. http://www.stinsv.com/MOv/640char/peters1.jpg

------------------
"Second star to the right, and then straight on till morning."

[This message has been edited by Fitz (edited February 28, 2001).]

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

Of course, we also had visual evidence that Valaris was a lt commander...

For a completely arbitary reason, I hold the movie ranks pins as less "definite" than the TNG or TOS ones, simply because they are harder to identify in a snap (and they take a lot longer to figure out. Pretty much everyone can guess the TNG ranks after one episode).

(Baring Admirals, obviously.)

(And NCO's.)

------------------
"And Mojo was hurt and I would have kissed his little boo boo but then I realized he was a BAD monkey so I KICKED HIM IN HIS FACE!"
-Bubbles

Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :

That's cuz Valeris was supposed to be Saavik. IMNSHO, ST VI was one giant clusterf**k... From the mess with Valeris to the size of the E-A bridge to the general decor of both ships... Yeesh.

--Jonah

------------------
"It's obvious I'm dealing with a moron..."

--Col. Edwards, ROBOTECH

Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :

Valeris' costume was "off the rack". At a convention once, Kim Cattrall said the only actual new bit of clothing she got was pants, since she insisted on that much. The shirt and jacket were probably just whatever
fit her best from what they had. So the rank insignia and the gray uniform-colour was an "error" of the costume department.

Same thing with Colonel West. He wore the uniform of a vice admiral.

------------------
"Second star to the right, and then straight on till morning."

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Liam: Oi! Stop baring the admirals! We don't need to see that!

------------------
We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
"Wowsers!"
-Star Trek: Series ?: "A Pair o' Docs, part II"

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

What was wrong with the decor of the two ships?

Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :

Now, see, that just kind of blows. I mean it's a motion picture, for Pete's sake. Did they really think that noone would be paying attention?

"Well, it's only the 6th movie in the series. Noone is really paying attention to detail stuff yet anyway. Just grap a jacket from wardrobe and put it on her. I guess she's insisting on new pants, though. Prima dona."

------------------
"You don't tug on Superman's cape.
You don't spit into the wind.
You don't pull the mask off the ole' Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim."
Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

STVI is the best of the series, in my opinion. I loved the fact that you got to see so much of the workings of the ship (something that also spiced up Insurrection). And the bridge wasn't THAT large - no more so than the original TOS bridge. To completely damn the film just because it doesn't conform to some little fanboy idea of how the ship should be just seems silly.

------------------
"I rather strongly disagree, even if I share the love of Dick. Speaking of which, that would be the most embarrasing .sig quote ever, so never use it."

- Simon Sizer, 23/01/2001

Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :

I object because the bridge set neither fits in nor matches in structure the exterior model -- even though they managed it in the first four movies. If it had been inconsistent throughout, I wouldn't have had as much of a problem as I do with them building a new set that is wrong, when the old one wasn't.

--Jonah

------------------
"It's obvious I'm dealing with a moron..."

--Col. Edwards, ROBOTECH

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

So they moved the turbolifts. Big deal. It was set 7 years after STV, a lot could have happened between then & "now." Besides, maybe they had a similar arrangement to on the E-D, with a spare turbolift to the side, and they just swapped. Try to keep things in perspective: not liking a few cosmetic changes to one set does not mean you should completely condemn a film.

------------------
"I rather strongly disagree, even if I share the love of Dick. Speaking of which, that would be the most embarrasing .sig quote ever, so never use it."

- Simon Sizer, 23/01/2001

Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :

They might HAVE moved the turbos, but they didn't change the shape of the exterior on the filming miniature to reflect that. The size and shape of the V and VI bridge does not fit within the existing model.

And that ISN'T the only reason VI is not my favorite (actually, it ranks at number four or five on my heirarchy). The only reason I keep going on about it is because it feels like my points are being dismissed completely without consideration. I am not a wierdo fanboy. I am not some hyper-anal no-life techie dweeb. Call me crazy, but I think it ISN'T too much to ask that the people working on this property we all love so well actually pay attention to such trivial matters as whether or not a set will fit within the physical constraints imposed by the model that's been in existence for over a decade previous -- and if it doesn't, altering the model to allow for the changes.

--Jonah

------------------
"It's obvious I'm dealing with a moron..."

--Col. Edwards, ROBOTECH

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

Relax, Perrychops. No-one's getting at you. Just, unclench, dude. It's only a movie. 8)

------------------
"I rather strongly disagree, even if I share the love of Dick. Speaking of which, that would be the most embarrasing .sig quote ever, so never use it."

- Simon Sizer, 23/01/2001

Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :

*twitch*

------------------
"It's obvious I'm dealing with a moron..."

--Col. Edwards, ROBOTECH

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

And besides, if you were being a COMPLETE fanboy, Ultra Magnus would have done his stuff by now. 8)

------------------
"I rather strongly disagree, even if I share the love of Dick. Speaking of which, that would be the most embarrasing .sig quote ever, so never use it."

- Simon Sizer, 23/01/2001

Posted by hoth1701 on :

qoute:
-----------
They might HAVE moved the turbos, but they didn't change the shape of the exterior on the filming miniature to reflect that. The size and shape of the V and VI bridge does not fit within the existing model.
-----------

Exactly how were they supposed to change that on the exterior? As far as I can recall we never see any exterior views where we can see where the turbolifts going.

BTW weren't Spock an XO and had a Captains rank in STV and STVI?

Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :

Mark? Would you please?

--Jonah

------------------
"It's obvious I'm dealing with a moron..."

--Col. Edwards, ROBOTECH

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

Not much to add, really - they changed the inside of the bridge, but they didn't change the outside. While the physical model didn't have any protrusions to indicate where the turbolifts came up, the physical set (including the aft airlock) matched the dome quite closely. In ST5 and 6, the new set would move the trubolifts to the sides, where they'd be sticking out from the dome.

Mark

------------------
"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Just re-watched Pegasus.

I noticed something interesting.

Pressman mentions that the "incident" (or: mutiny) occured 12 years prior.

This episode aired mid-way during the 7th season, so what this means is that Will Riker was an ensign aboard the Pegasus five & a half years before he became XO of the Enterprise.

Does that seem like a really short time to anyone?

Riker had been on Pegasus for seven-months, straight out of the Academy when the mutiny happened. Presumeably, he was promoted to Lt (jg) afterwards.

So, in five and a half years, he rose in rank to Commander and serving on a starship in his second assignment as XO (his first being the Hood). He'd also passed up a command!

Assuming Riker was 22 when he graduated the Academy, this means he was 27 or 28 when he joined the Enterprise crew, and 35 during Pegasus. Now, this may strike me as odd, but I always pegged Riker as being early-to-mid thirties when the show first began.

------------------
Star Trek Gamma Quadrant
Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted)
***
"Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!"
-Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001
***
"I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

The Encyclopedia puts his graduation from the Academy in 2357 (pretty much matching the "twelve years"), and his birth in 2335. So, he was 22 when he graduated, and he was 29 when he started on the E-D.

------------------
"Although, from what I understand, having travelled around the Mid-west quite a bit, apparently Jesus is coming, so I guess the choice now is we should decide whether we should spit or swallow."
-Maynard James Keenan

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

29 doesn't strike me as being an unbelievable age, leaving aside the issue of promotion speeds. He looked quite young before the beard.

------------------
"Excuse me, Mr. Rampaging Killer? Why don't you put down the gun and take a look at this hand-held monkey? Does it not have clever little forepaws? It eats gum and sap!"
--
L. Fitzgerald Sj�berg
****
Read three (three!) chapters of "Dirk Tungsten in...The Disappearing Planet" and something pleasent will happen to you. Possibly involving syrup.

Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :

Frakes was 35 at EoF...

6 years older than his character isn't so bad.

------------------
"I can be creative when I have a good idea. That just happens way too rarely."
-Omega, April 6

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

Interesting comparison to Stewart, who was ten years younger than his character...

------------------
You know, when Comedy Central asked us to do a Thanksgiving episode, the first thought that went through my mind was, "Boy, I'd like to have sex with Jennifer Aniston."
-Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park

Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :

OK, here is what I�ve put together for Riker based upon my knowledge of TNG and what the Encyclopaedia states . . .

William T. Riker was born in 2335. He graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2357 at the age of 22 and at the rank of Ensign. His first assignment was the USS Pegasus. When the Pegasus was lost in 2358 (just over a year later) I�m guessing that he was assigned to Betazed as a Junior Grade Lieutenant. I�m guessing that he stayed there until about 2360 when he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to the USS Potemkin (wanting to further his career rather than a relationship with Troi), possibly as an engineer due to the gold uniform his duplicate was wearing. In 2361 the transport accident occurred and created a second copy of Riker. It is stated that after this accident he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Since it is now 2361 I�m again guessing that Riker was assigned to the USS Hood as XO in 2362 or maybe late 2361. This would work as about a year later he was assigned to the USS Enterprise with the rank of Commander (aged 28), to fill the position of XO.

So;

2357 � 22 � Ensign � USS Pegasus � Pilot?
2358 � 23 � Lt (jg) � Betazed?
2360 � 25 � Lt � USS Potemkin � Pilot/Engineer?
2361 � 26 � Lt Comdr. � USS Potemkin (& USS Hood?)
2362 � 27 � Lt Comdr. � USS Hood � XO
2363 � 28 � Comdr � USS Enterprise � XO

The ages given would fit with the episode when Riker�s father came aboard (second season) and he commented that he was 29 years old (as of stardate 42686.4 - mid/late-2364).

Ensign to Commander in 6 years and 5 assignments, with approximately 14 months per assignment and rank � not bad.

Hope that helps!

BTW - EoF?

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

EoF == End of File. However, that should have been "EaF", which is "Encounter at Farpoint".

As for Riker... Is it possible to follow a solely command-oriented path up through the ranks? Think about it... Riker doesn't seem particularly knowledgeable about engineering or science. He also doesn't act like a former security/tactical officer. So, what did he do? It seems like he was written in the character of an XO, and no-one ever gave a thought as to his background.

Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :

I'm pretty sure that Riker has a background in Security/Tactical, and that this was directly mentioned either in "Second Chances" or somewhere else. FWIW, Alt-Riker manned tactical in "Yesterday's Enterprise", and in "Parallels", he was ordered by Picard to cover for Worf when the latter was universe-hopping and couldn't work out the controls.

------------------
"I can be creative when I have a good idea. That just happens way too rarely."
-Omega, April 6

Posted by Obi Juan (Member # 90) on :

He's the best pilot on the Enterprise. According to Geordi in Chain of Command anyway(Geordi being the second best pilot on the Enterprise). Of course he was referring to piloting shuttles, but most the series' usually assume that if you can pilot a small ship well then you can do the same w/ a big one. He took the helm in Generations and in Insurrection (which was sort of a "bad ass pilot required situation"). So I would say he was a helmsman (connsman--whatever)at one point in his career.

Of course that doesn't explain why he was in gold in Second Chances, but if I had to guess I would say Ops. Operations seems like the obvious springboard for a command career, and he definitely hasn't shown any engineering or security aptitude.

[This message has been edited by Obi Juan (edited April 25, 2001).]

Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :

Fighting one's way through a mutinous crew to rescue one's captain doesn't qualify as "security aptitude"?

I'd think that it is mandatory for all officers with command ambitions to perform a short stint at some other career path after the initial standard helmsman period. And Security would come naturally to Riker, who probably earned his promotion and transfer by the personal recommendation of Pressman - Pressman had been impressed by the Security qualifications of Riker specifically, after all, and would have a keen interest in keeping Riker happy and silent.

A Security lieutenant would be a natural choice for somebody to manage an evacuation of an endangered outpost, as in "Second Chances". Of course, given the technobabblic nature of that evacuation, an Engineering specialist might also be needed, but "Tom" Riker didn't seem to be so knowledgeable that he would have understood what happened to him during the transport. An Operations manager could also be called in to facilitate an evacuation OPERATION, but Ops officers have generally looked more like shipboard managers, not field operatives. So my vote still goes for the yellowshirted "Tom" Riker to have been a Security officer.

Timo Saloniemi

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

I agree. I also think that Jeff should just pluck up the courage to ask Riker to marry him.

Or Frakes. I can't tell whether he loves the character for his grissly looks, or his fun-luvin' personality.