William T. Riker


 * For a list of others named Riker, see Riker (disambiguation).

William Thomas Riker was a Human male who served as a Starfleet Captain, in command of the USS Titan in the years 2379 and 2380. Riker served as First Officer aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) between the years 2364 and 2379.
 * The novel Imzadi posited that Riker's middle inital "T" stood for "Thelonius." After TNGs Second Chances established that Riker's middle name was "Thomas", the novel Imzadi II revealed that "Thelonius" was a self-adopted middle name, not his actual one.

Early life
Riker was born on April 15, 2335 in Valdez, Alaska on planet Earth, the son of Kyle and Elizabeth Laura 'Betty' Riker. (TNG episode: Conundrum). Riker's family had lived in the United States since at least the mid 19th century, when a solider named Thaddius Riker fought for the Union in the United States Civil War.


 * In the novel Deny Thy Father, Riker's mother is given the name Annie.

Riker's mother died when he was two years old. His father, a civilian strategist for Starfleet, was kept away from Earth by his duties for extended periods, forcing Riker to largely raise himself. Kyle eventually abandoned his son altogether when Will was only fifteen years old. (TLE novel: Deny Thy Father).

Will's grandfather - Betty's father - was a trombone player in New Orleans. In 2342, Will fractured his collarbone after falling off Execution Rock (TNG novel: Fortune's Light).

Will's best friend growing up was named Jackson Carter, whom Will nicknamed "Squibby". Carter retaliated by giving Will the nickname "Thunderball". When Will left for Starfleet Academy in 2353, he and Carter swore that they would keep in touch, but they didn't see each other again until the year 2366 on the planet Paradise. (TNG novel: A Rock and a Hard Place).

Another person Will called his "best friend" was Teller Conlon - who later joined Will at Starfleet Academy, onboard the USS Potemkin and the USS Yorktown. In 2361, both were detached from Starfleet duty so they could serve on the team that forged the Imperiman Trade Agreement (TNG novel: Fortune's Light).

Yet another very close friend during Will's childhood was Lyrinda Halk, who was also born in Valdez (TNG comic: "Thin Ice").

Riker grew up - at least partially - in Fairbanks, Alaska (TNG novel: Grounded).

Ancestry
Doctor Astrid Kemal believed that one of Riker's ancestors was the spouse of one of Khan Noonien Singh's Augments due to certain behaviour characteristics he demonstrated as well as his excellent physical as well as mental condition. Despite this though, Riker himself had doubts about the validity of this suspicion and nothing was confirmed. (TNG novel: Infiltrator)

Starfleet Academy
Will entered Starfleet Academy in the year 2353, and was a member of Zeta Squadron. One of Zeta Squadrons assignments was a "scavenger hunt" style survival test on the streets of San Francisco. (TLE novel: Deny Thy Father'')

While at the Academy, Will once re-programmed a Transporter so that a particularly despised instructor would arrive at a ceremony in his honor sans clothing. (TNG novel: Strike Zone)

Riker graduated eighth in his class in 2357. One of the speakers at his graduation ceremony was Admiral Leonard McCoy. (TLE novel: Deny Thy Father)

The Pegasus
Will's first assignment as a Starfleet officer was a posting as an Ensign aboard the USS Pegasus under the command of Captain Eric Pressman in late 2357. His youthful appearance soon earned him the nickname "Ensign Babyface" from ships Tactical Officer Mark Boylan.

Among the Pegasus' assignments before the ship was lost include the extradition of war criminal Endyk Plure from the Candelar system, and a harrowing encounter in space disputed by the worlds of Omistol and Ven. (TLE novel: Deny Thy Father)

Deanna Troi
By 2359, Will was serving as Lieutenant and Second officer on the USS Fortuna when word of his promotion to First Officer of the USS Hood came through. Will was on the command fast track, and many even believed that he would achieve a command of his own faster than the legendary James T. Kirk, who became captain at the age of 31.

But before he could report to the Hood, which was in Drydock under going repairs from an attack by Sindareen Raiders, Riker was temporarily assigned as Starfleet liaison to the Federation Embassy on Betazed.

On Will's first day on Betazed, he was asked to be the Federations presence at the wedding of the Daughter of the Third House of Betazed, Chandra Xerx. Will was utterly oblivious to the fact that in Betazoid weddings, all members of the wedding party and all of the guests are expected to be nude. It was at this wedding where Will first caught sight of Deanna Troi (much to her amusement), who was one of the bridesmaids.

Over the weeks that followed, Will pursued Deanna with only limited success. It was not until Will's rescue of Deanna from Sindareen Raiders that had taken her captive that they each gave into their mutual passion under a waterfall in Betazed's isolated Jalara Jungle. Riker could feel Deanna in his mind, and he heard a word in her voice- Imzadi.

Deanna's mother Lwaxana was less than pleased with this development, and forbid the relationship to continue. At first, Deanna complied with her mother's wishes, and told Will so. She later defied her mother's wishes and left to be with her Imzadi.

Unfortunately, the rejected Riker had drowned out his sorrows with a bottle of Scotch when he received a visitor in the form of Wendy Roper, the daughter of the head of the Federation Embassy, who had come to "console" him.

Deanna found the two of them in bed together, and realized that Riker was not ready for the kind of relationship that she needed from him. They parted amicably a few days later at a Betazed museum as the Hood arrived to collect Riker. Neither said "goodbye" to the other. (TNG novel: Imzadi)

Riker attempted a reconciliation by arranging a date with Deanna a few years later on Risa while on temporary assignment to the USS Potemkin, but was unable to make the date. Riker chose to make his career a priority and did not see Deanna again until they were both posted to the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) in 2364. (TNG novel: Imzadi II)

In 2361, Riker was duplicated in a transporter accident on Nervala IV. A redundant secondary confinement beam reflected off the atmosphere, rematerializing a duplicate on the surface; his duplicate was left behind alone on the planet for eight years (TNG episode: "Second Chances")'. Riker was unaware of this incident until returning to Nervala IV in 2369.

Riker served on the Hood under Captain Robert DeSoto until receiving the promotion to First Officer of the Federation's flagship, the Enterprise.

NCC-1701-D
In 2364, Riker transfered to the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) as First Officer, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He was soon reunited with Deanna Troi who was assigned to the Enterprise ship's Counselor. The two chose not to renew their romantic relationship at that time for professional reasons.

In 2368, Riker recieved a strange visitor in the form of himself, Admiral William T. Riker from the year 2408. The elder Riker had traveled back in time by way of the Guardian of Forever in order to prevent the murder of Deanna Troi by a time-travelling Sindareen, who blamed Deanna for his race's troubles in this era.

When the timeline had been restored, Admiral Riker was restored to his proper time. The younger Riker and Troi again chose not to renew their romantic relationship, but Riker long remained haunted by the vision of the bitter and joyless Riker from the future, who had lived his life without his Imzadi. (TNG novel: Imzadi)

In 2369, Riker met himself again, this time in the form of a duplicate created by a transporter accident in 2361. This Lieutenant Riker and he had an antagonistic relationship. When Lieutenant Riker left Enterprise, he took the name Thomas Riker.

In late 2370, Troi began a romantic relationship with her Enterprise shipmate, Lieutenant Commander Worf. Riker was outwardly happy for his friends, but secretly harbored resentment towards Worf.

After the destuction of the Enterprise-D in 2371, Riker finally realized the depths of his feelings of Deanna. He had no wish to hurt his friend Worf, but he resolved to tell Deanna how he felt.

Riker's timing was unfortunate, as before Riker could talk to Deanna, Worf proposed marriage to her, and she accepted.

At first, Riker willingly stepped aside, but soon realized that he had no wish to turn into that bitter old man from the future, and went after Deanna, Worf be damned.

At this time, Deanna and Worf's son, Alexander Rozhenko, had been captured by Tom Riker (who had recently escaped from the Cardassian labor camp on Lazon II) and was being coerced by the Romulan Sela, who believed him to be Will. Will Riker was, in turn, then captured by Cardassians, who believed him to be the escaped Tom.

Will was rescued from the Cardassians by Worf, and the two put aside their differences in order to rescue Deanna and Alexander.

It was after this encounter that Worf and Deanna realized that they were too different for their relationship to work, and they parted amicably. Will and Deanna again chose not to renew their romantic relationship at that time, but both saw it as an inevitability that they both looked forward to. (TNG novel: Imzadi II)

NCC-1701-E
In 2372, Riker and most of the rest of the Enterprise-D command staff, including Deanna, requested assignment to the newly constructed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) under the assumption that Captain Picard would be given command. Starfleet Command had other ideas.

Riker strenuously objected when Starfleet gave command of the Enterprise-E to Captain Morgan Bateson, but did his duty as assigned.

Bateson stepped aside for Picard after losing command of the ship to a group of Klingons, led by his old nemesis Kozara, and Picard re-took the ship from them. (TNG novel: Ship of the Line)

In late 2375, Riker was given temporary command of the USS Excalibur (which he had commanded briefly during the Klingon civil war of 2366-2367) when that ship's captain, Mackenzie Calhoun was on a temporary assignment for Starfleet Intelligence. Riker commanded the Excalibur and her unorthodox crew through an encounter with Sela and the Romulans. (NF novel: Double or Nothing)

Will and Deanna finally resumed their romantic relationship in 2375 after feeling the rejuvinating effects of the metaphasic radiation inherent to the adopted homeworld of the Ba'ku. (movie Star Trek: Insurrection)

In late 2378, Riker was forced to take command of the Enterprise after Picard's competence was called into question after an incident at the Rashanar Battle Site that resulted in the destruction of the USS Juno with all hands, and the seeming destruction of an Ontailian vessel. Picard was soon cleared of all charges, and re-assumed command. (TNG ATT novels: A Time to Be Born, A Time to Die) After the death of Riker's father Kyle on the planet Delta Sigma IV with so much between them still unresolved, he decided that his relationship with Deanna was not something that he wanted to go unresolved any longer. Will proposed marriage to Deanna, and Deanna accepted.

Soon after, he was offered the command of the USS Titan by Admiral Kathryn Janeway. Janeway reminded Riker that Starfleet had offered him his own command more than once, and warned him that this may be the last time. (TNG ATT novels: A Time to Love, A Time to Hate)

Riker accepted the offer soon after his ordeal at the hands of the madman from Tezwa, Kinchawn a few weeks later. (TNG ATT novels: A Time to Kill, A Time to Heal)

After seeing the Enterprise through a grueling inspection tour, William Riker and Deanna Troi were married in a ceremony in Riker's native Alaska.

The Enterprise was on her way to Betazed for the wedding ceremony being planned by Deanna's mother Lwaxana (who now claimed that she had always adored Will), when the ship had its fateful encounters with the mad Reman Praetor, Shinzon.

Soon after the Betazed ceremony, Will and Deanna transfered to the Titan. (TNG ATT novel: A Time for War, A Time for Peace; movie Star Trek: Nemesis)

Captain Riker
Captain William T. Riker took comand of the USS Titan on Stardate 56941.1, in the closing days of the year 2379. Deanna was assigned as ship's Head Counselor and Diplomatic Officer.

Titan ' s primary mission was to be one of scientific inquery and exploration in the uncharted region known as the Gum Nebula. But, before the ship and crew could begin that mission, Admirals William Ross and Leonard James Akaar ordered a slight detour.

Titan was sent to Romulus as head of a small diplomatic and humanitarian convoy in response to Praetor Tal'Aura's request to begin a dialogue between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire.

While in Romulan space, Riker and Titan managed to rescue Commander Tuvok, formerly of the Starship Voyager, who had been sent to Romulus to recall the legendary Ambassador Spock back to Federation space. Instead, Tuvok found himself taken captive by a Romulan faction during the chaos following Shinzon's murder of the Romulan Senate.

Riker and Spock managed to negotiate an agreement between the Romulans, the Reman's, and the Klingons that did much to stabilize the region.

Before leaving Romulan space, Riker assisted Romulan Commander Donatra is searching for a missing fleet of Romulan ships that vanished near the anomaly created the destruction of Shinzons Thallaron Weapon, which the Romulans called The Great Bloom. The bloom turned out to be an interspacial portal of some kind that deposited Titan and Donatra's ship, the Valdore into the mini-galaxy known as the Smaller Magellanic Cloud, home to the sundered branch of Earth humanity known as the Neyel. (TTN novel: Taking Wing)

While in SMC space, the Titan evacuated as many Neyel and other species as they could from the destruction caused by the growth of a Proto-Universe (which was called the Sleeper by the natives of the SMC, and dubbed the Red King by the crew of the Titan), back to the Milky Way Galaxy. The fate of those left behind in the SMC is uncertain.

After returning from SMC space, Riker chose the Vulcan phrase Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations for the ship's Dedication Plaque, in tribute to Titans crew, which was one of the most species diverse in Starfleet history. (TTN novel: The Red King)

Titan finally began her primary exploritory mission of exploration in the Gum Nebula in late February of 2380, on stardate 57137.8.

In Riker's first mission, he brokered an agreement between a race of galactic hunters called the Pa'haquel (who believed that they were protecting the galactic ecology by hunting down and killing hostile Cosmozoan species), and the intelligent Star-jellies (who objected to be hunted and their corpses defiled), whom Riker and Troi first encountered at Deneb IV, on their first mission on the Enterprise-D.

The Gum Nebula apparently served as a breeding ground for cosmozoan species such as the Star-Jellies, the Crystaline Entities or Branchers, a living Solar System called the Proplydian, and many others. (TTN novel: Orion's Hounds)

The Titan continued on her mission of exploration in the Gum Nebula.


 * The Titan series will continue in 2007 with the release of Sword of Damocles by Geoffrey Thorne.

Riker's Starfleet Service Record

 * Starfleet Academy (2353–2357)
 * USS Pegasus (NCC-53847) (2357)
 * USS Zhukov (NCC-26136)
 * USS Yorktown (NCC-2033)
 * USS Fortuna (2359)
 * USS Potemkin (NCC-18253)
 * USS Hood (NCC-42296)
 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)
 * USS Excalibur (NCC-26517)
 * USS Challenger (NCC-71099)
 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)
 * USS Titan (NCC-80102)