• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Year 5 Begins
• Gowron’s forces are successful in destroying the Duras supply bases in the Mempa sector.
About three weeks prior to “Redemption, Part II” (TNG).
• Three major engagements between forces loyal to Gowron and those of the Duras family result in significant losses to Gowron. Starfleet continues to resist involvement in what is principally an internal Klingon matter.
Within two weeks of “Redemption, Part II” (TNG).
• A Tamarian spacecraft arrives at planet El-Adrel IV. The vessel transmits a subspace signal toward Federation space. The signal is determined to contain a standard mathematical progression, which Starfleet interprets as an attempt to start a dialog with the Federation.
“Darmok” (TNG). Picard noted the ship apparently arrived nearly three weeks prior to the episode.
~1:[4,#B],7:[2,#I],72:[1,#I],74:[1,#I],77:[1,#I],83:[1,#I],96:[1,#I],98:[1,#I],109:[1,#I],177:[1,#I],201:[1,#I],231:[1,#I],345:[9,#I],358:[14,#I],373:[9,#I],383:[13,#I],397:[2,#I],400:[19,#I],420:[32,#I]@1“Redemption, Part II” (TNG)@2Stardate 45020.4. U.S.S. Enterprise -D at Starbase 234, where Fleet Admiral Shanthi authorizes Captain Jean-Luc Picard to lead an armada of 23 starships in an attempt to blockade a Romulan convoy suspected of being the source of supplies to forces loyal to the Duras family. Such Romulan interference is believed to threaten the stability of the Gowron regime.
Among the vessels assigned to the blockade are the Enterprise -D, Excalibur, and the Sutherland. Due to limited available personnel, Enterprise -D executive officer William Riker is assigned to temporary command of the Excalibur, and Enterprise -D operations manager Data is placed in charge of the Sutherland. Gowron’s forces are reported in full retreat from the Mempa sector, this despite the fact that the Duras supply bases in that sector had been destroyed three weeks before.
Utilizing a tachyon network technique developed by Geordi La Forge, Picard’s armada is successful in detecting a cloaked Romulan warbird, whose commander requests a meeting with Captain Picard. The commander identifies herself as Sela, the daughter of former Enterprise -D security officer Tasha Yar, claiming that Yar had been sent into the past and had been captured after the destruction of the Enterprise -C some 24 years ago. Sela further claims that she is the product of a union between Yar and a Romulan general, who spared the lives of the surviving Enterprise -C personnel when Yar agreed to become his consort. Later, La Forge’s tachyon network is further successful in detecting additional Romulan spacecraft attempting to run the blockade line. The ships turn back after being located, and the Federation vessels also return to their home territory.
In the absence of Romulan support, the Duras family challenge to leadership of the High Council fails, marking the end of the Klingon civil war. Although Toral, son of Duras, is convicted of treason, Worf, eldest son of Mogh, declines to exercise his right to take Toral’s life for wrongfully having brought disgrace to Worf’s family. Captain Jean-Luc Picard accepts Worf’s request for reinstatement as a Starfleet officer.
Editors’ Note: Other ships in Picard’s armada included the U.S.S. Tian An Men (a remembrance of those who died for Chinese freedom, much as the U.S. Navy’s Lexington commemorated the first battle of the American Revolution), the Endeavour (named for James Cook’s flagship, also for NASA’s new space shuttle orbiter), the Akagi and the Hornet (two ships that fought against each other in the Battle of Midway, now serving side by side), and the Sutherland (named for the ship commanded by C. S. Forester’s fictional Horatio Hornblower, one of Gene Roddenberry’s inspirations for the character of Captain Kirk). These names were all selected by writer-producer Ron Moore.
~1:[2,#B],5:[2,#I],43:[1,#I],61:[1,#I],127:[1,#I],192:[5,#I],221:[24,#I],259:[1,#I],281:[1,#I],314:[12,#I]@1“Darmok” (TNG)@2Stardate 45047.2. U.S.S. Enterprise -D en route to the uninhabited El-Adrel star system, near the territory of the enigmatic race known as the Children of Tama. Previous attempts at establishing communication with these people had been unsuccessful, and attempts by Enterprise -D personnel to communicate with the Tamarians are similarly unsuccessful, even with use of the universal translator.
Enterprise -D captain Picard is abducted by the Tamarians, and transported to the surface of planet El-Adrel IV, along with Tamarian captain Dathon. The abduction, initially believed to be a hostile act, is later learned to be an attempt at communication by Captain Dathon. The Tamarian gives his life in this attempt to bridge the communication gap between the Tamarians and the alien captain of the Enterprise -D. Because of Dathon’s actions, it is learned that the Tamarian language is based on metaphors derived from Tamarian mythology, marking the first successful attempt at communication between the two dissimilar cultures.
• A terrorist attack destroys the Federation settlement on planet Solarion IV. The attack is blamed on Bajoran terrorists seeking to involve the Federation in the Bajoran dispute with the Cardassian Empire.
Prior to “Ensign Ro” (TNG).
• A Cardassian liaison meets with Starfleet Admiral Kennelly, requesting assistance in tracking down Bajoran terrorists, which the Cardassian describes as their “mutual enemy.”
About a week prior to “Ensign Ro” (TNG), but after the Solarion IV attack. Kennelly said he’d met with the Cardassian liaison “last weekend.”
• Admiral Kennelly visits Ensign Ro Laren, in prison on Jaros II for the Wellington disaster at Garon II. He offers an administrative pardon in exchange for her agreement to undertake a special mission aboard the Enterprise -D to help resolve the Bajoran terrorist issue. It is later learned that Ro’s orders from Kennelly included the offering of illegal weapons to the Bajoran terrorists for use against the Cardassians.
Prior to “Ensign Ro” (TNG), after Kennelly’s meeting with the Cardassian liaison.
~1:[3,#B],6:[2,#I],22:[1,#I],134:[1,#I],152:[1,#I],174:[19,#I],194:[24,#I],219:[2,#I],228:[14,#I],243:[40,#I],284:[14,#I],299:[2,#I],325:[7,#I]@1“Ensign Ro” (TNG)@2Stardate 45076.3. U.S.S. Enterprise -D at Lya Station Alpha with survivors from planet Solarion IV. Admiral Kennelly assigns Enterprise -D to seek out Bajoran terrorist leaders to dissuade them from further violence. Ensign Ro Laren is assigned as mission specialist because of her knowledge of Bajoran culture.
At the Valo star system, Ro assists in locating Bajoran leader Orta on the third moon of planet Valo I. Orta meets with Picard, presenting convincing evidence that the attack at Solarion IV was not the work of Bajoran terrorists. It is later learned that the Solarion attack had been staged by the Cardassians in an effort to gain Federation assistance in locating Bajoran leaders. It is further determined that Admiral Kennelly had acted improperly by permitting the Cardassians to destroy a Bajoran Antares -class sublight cruiser in an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate Orta.
Ensign Ro elects to remain aboard the Enterprise -D as a crew member at the invitation of Captain Picard. She is assigned to the position of flight controller (conn).
Editors’ Note: This episode marks the first appearance of Ensign Ro Laren. The class name of the Bajoran cruiser, Antares, was suggested by writer Naren Shankar as an homage to the old freighter by the same name that was destroyed in “Charlie X” (TOS).
• U.S.S. Enterprise -D conducts survey assignment in sector 21305.
Just after “Ensign Ro” (TNG).
Editors’ Note: The end of “Ensign Ro” suggests the Enterprise -D will be returning to Lya Station Alpha in “a few weeks” after the survey in sector 21305, but it is not clear if this is before or after the next episode. It is possible that this is where the Enterprise -D went while the away team was assisting at Melona IV during “Silicon Avatar.”
• U.S.S. Enterprise -D drops off a contingent of personnel to assist with preparations for a colonization project on planet Melona IV, then departs from the area.
About a day before “Silicon Avatar” (TNG).
~1:[3,#B],11:[1,#I],94:[1,#I],189:[1,#I],214:[1,#I],267:[2,#I],291:[4,#I],299:[1,#I],332:[5,#I]@1“Silicon Avatar” (TNG)@2Stardate 45122.3. At planet Melona IV, an Enterprise -D away team headed by Commander William Riker assists with survey preparations for construction of a colony. The planet’s surface is devastated by an unprovoked attack by a powerful spaceborne life-form known as the Crystalline Entity. This is believed to be the same entity that destroyed the colony at Omicron Theta in 2336. Two colonists, including Carmen Davila, are killed in the attack before a secure shelter can be found.
Upon detecting the presence of the Crystalline Entity, Captain Picard orders the Enterprise -D to return to Melona IV ahead of schedule to rescue the survivors. Starfleet Command, notified of the incident, assigns xenologist Dr. Kila Marr to assist with the study of the entity. The mission is to locate and establish communication with the entity, but Marr, who lost her son in the attack at Omicron Theta, suggests that destruction of the entity would be a preferable course of action. Marr cites records suggesting the entity had been responsible for at least eleven attacks since 2338.
During the investigation, it is learned that the transport ship Kallisko had been pursued and later destroyed by the Crystalline Entity, which has since departed Melona IV. Upon intercepting the entity near the Brechtian Cluster, Enterprise -D personnel attempt communication, using a modulated graviton beam. The attempt is interrupted by an unauthorized modification of the beam control program by Dr. Marr. This action, apparently motivated by Marr’s desire for revenge for her son’s death, creates a continuous graviton beam, resulting in the destruction of the Crystalline Entity.
• Starship Enterprise -D completes a mission to planet Mudor V several days ahead of schedule, affording the crew a respite before their next assignment.
Prior to “Disaster” (TNG).
• Three children of Enterprise -D crew personnel, Jay Gordon, Marissa Flores, and Patterson Supra, win the ship’s primary school science fair. Their prize is a tour of the ship to be personally conducted by Captain Picard.
Just prior to “Disaster” (TNG).
~1:[2,#B],5:[2,#I],93:[1,#I],117:[32,#I],151:[9,#I],165:[36,#I],210:[1,#I],231:[2,#I],242:[3,#I],255:[1,#I],290:[11,#I],328:[25,#I],354:[2,#I],376:[2,#I],408:[27,#I]@1“Disaster” (TNG)@2Stardate 45156.1. U.S.S. Enterprise -D suffers major systems damage from collision with a quantum filament. The ship’s main computer, warp drive, antimatter containment, and other key systems are affected. Counselor Deanna Troi, temporarily in command of the vessel, orders emergency procedure Alpha 2, bypassing computer control and placing key systems on manual. Indications are detected of a potential breach of the antimatter containment system, but Chief O’Brien and Ensign Ro Laren are successful in assisting engineering personnel in averting an explosion despite a major power failure in the engineering section.
Enterprise -D botanist Keiko O’Brien gives birth to a baby girl. Assisting with the delivery is security chief Worf. The child is named Molly.
Editors’ Note: The name of the O’Brien child is not established until “The Game” (TNG), when Wesley asks how Molly is doing. Molly was named for Rick Berman’s daughter and for former Star Trek staffer Molly Rennie. Molly, seen as a child in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine a year later, must have grown unusually quickly, although in “The Nagus”(DS9), Sisko said that Molly was three years old, which would put her birth in 2366, instead of 2368 (in which “Disaster” [TNG] is set).
• Captain Picard takes the three winners of the Enterprise -D science fair on a tour of the ship that includes visits to the battle bridge and the torpedo bay. U.S.S. Enterprise -D proceeds to Starbase 67 for major systems repair.
After “Disaster” (TNG).
• After Counselor Troi’s brief stint in command of the Enterprise -D, she realizes that she may want to pursue advancement within Starfleet so that she can experience the feeling of being in command, although she does not act on this for another two years.
After “Disaster” (TNG), as Troi mentioned in “Thine Own Self” (TNG).
• Ambassador Spock mysteriously disappears from his home on Vulcan. He has wrapped up his affairs very carefully, but has given little clue as to his plans.
“Unification, Part I” (TNG). Admiral Brackett said Spock had disappeared three weeks prior to the episode. Perrin implied that Spock’s residence was on planet Vulcan.
• Starship Enterprise -D on scientific mission to conduct studies at the previously uncharted Phoenix Cluster. Several science teams are transported from the Starship Zhukov to assist in the project. Although the exploration had been scheduled to last five weeks, a diplomatic mission to Oceanus IV has cut the available time to only two weeks.
Just prior to “The Game” (TNG).
Editors’ Note: Sensor scans of luminescent asteroids within the Phoenix cluster were apparently unsuccessful in locating the whereabouts of Lieutenant Talby.
~1:[3,#B],37:[1,#I],70:[1,#I],131:[2,#I],136:[2,#I],147:[1,#I],157:[4,#I],210:[2,#I],219:[7,#I],269:[8,#I],278:[2,#I],299:[7,#I]@1“The Game” (TNG)@2Stardate 45208.2. Commander William Riker takes shore leave on planet Risa. He meets a woman named Etana, who is later learned to be a military operative for the Ktarans. Riker returns to the Enterprise -D with a small recreational device, which he replicates for distribution to his crewmates. It is later learned that these devices employ sophisticated neural-optical conditioning techniques to control the behavior of the Enterprise -D crew, part of a Ktaran attempt to gain control of the Federation Starfleet. Lieutenant Commander Data and Cadet Wesley Crusher, on leave from Starfleet Academy, are successful in developing an optical deprogramming technique to counteract the effects of the Ktaran devices. Mission specialist Robin Lefler is also credited with helping to identify the threat posed by the Ktarans.
• U.S.S. Enterprise -D rendezvous with U.S.S. Merrimack, transferring Wesley Crusher for transport back to Starfleet Academy. Enterprise -D thereafter proceeds to Oceanus IV for diplomatic mission.
After “The Game” (TNG).
• A Ferengi cargo shuttle crashes in the Hanolin asteroid belt near Vulcan. Wreckage is recovered from over 100 square kilometers. Parts of a derelict Vulcan spacecraft, concealed in crates labeled as containing medical supplies, are found among the debris. The parts are sent to Vulcan for identification, and U.S.S. Enterprise -D personnel are later asked to assist.
Sometime prior to “Unification, Part I” (TNG).
• Starfleet Intelligence reports Ambassador Spock, missing for nearly three weeks, has been sighted on Romulus. The unauthorized visit is of great concern to Starfleet Command because of the tremendous potential for damage to Federation security in the event that Spock has defected.
Two days prior to “Unification, Part I” (TNG).
• Starship Enterprise -D terraforming mission to planet Doraf I is canceled, ship is recalled to Starbase 234 by Fleet Admiral Brackett.
Just prior to “Unification, Part I” (TNG).
~1:[4,#B],7:[2,#I],140:[1,#I],185:[1,#I],203:[1,#I],254:[11,#I],267:[38,#I],307:[69,#I],378:[1,#I],386:[19,#I],410:[10,#I],421:[15,#I],438:[6,#I]@1“Unification, Part I” (TNG)@2Stardate 45233.1. U.S.S. Enterprise -D is assigned by Fleet Admiral Brackett to investigate Spock’s disappearance. At the suggestion of Ambassador Sarek, Captain Picard and Lieutenant Commander Data journey to Romulus to seek out Romulan senator Pardek. Despite initial reluctance by Klingon authorities, Klingon council leader Gowron agrees to the loan of a Bird-of-Prey for the purpose of a covert trip to Romulus. Picard later discovers that the Klingon reluctance to lend assistance was due to selective editing of the historical record by Gowron, intended to downplay the aid of the Federation in the recent Klingon civil war.
En route to Romulus, it is learned that Ambassador Sarek has died from Bendii syndrome, a degenerative brain disorder, at his home on Vulcan. He is survived by his wife, Perrin, and his son, Spock. Sarek was 203.
Enterprise -D personnel, assisting Vulcan authorities in investigating debris recovered from a recently crashed Ferengi shuttle, uncover evidence that unknown agents, possibly Ferengi, had been attempting to smuggle Vulcan spacecraft components to an unknown destination. The components are traced to a decommissioned Vulcan ship, the T’Pau, sent four years ago to the surplus depot at Qualor II. Investigation at the depot shows the T’Pau was removed under mysterious circumstances, probably by an unidentified spacecraft detected at Qualor II. The vehicle is reported to have self-destructed, apparently to avoid further investigation.
Picard and Data, working undercover on Romulus, are successful in making contact with Romulan senator Pardek and Federation ambassador Spock near the Krocton Segment.
Editors’ Note: The death of Sarek is an important milestone in Star Trek history, marking the first occasion when a major continuing character has died and not been resurrected. (Of course, it is possible that a younger Sarek might yet be seen in a feature film or other project set in Star Trek’s earlier era.)
The surplus depot at Qualor II used many wrecked ships originally built for the graveyard scene in “The Best of Both Worlds, Part II” (TNG). Some additional ships may be seen by those with a discerning eye and a good VCR or a laserdisk: Several study models, originally designed by Nilo Rodis, Bill George, and their colleagues at Industrial Light and Magic as possible designs for the U.S.S. Excelsior in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, are among the ships in the junkyard, as is a replica of the Klingon battle cruiser originally built for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Even more intriguing are two study models for a proposed Enterprise redesign by Ralph McQuarrie. These models were made in the mid ’70s for a proposed Star Trek movie project that was never produced.
