A biography of Starfleet's noted captains – A Star to Steer Her By was a Pocket Books special edition reference work by Michael Jan Friedman released in July 1997 containing biographies of Captain's James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Kathryn Janeway, and Christopher Pike. The book was a limited edition packaged with Playmates' Masterpiece Edition 12" Starfleet Action Figures, with a different front cover for each of the captains, each of which was limited to 10,000 copies.
The five biographies were reprinted after each character's entry in The Captain's Table Omnibus in March 2000 as well as their novel in The Captain's Table book series. Michael and Denise Okuda were credited as research consultants.
Description[]
- Imbued with intellect, a love of exploration, and a dedication to Federation principles, captains like Garth of Izar, Matt Decker, and Robert April made history with their exploits. Their names still conjure images of valor and achievement in the face of remarkable odds.
- But in the annals of Starfleet, five figures have stood out the most as shining examples of what it means to command... five individuals who have each, in his or her own way, embodied an ideal of leadership and vision.
- These are their stories.
Contents[]
- The Starfleet Captain
- Christopher Pike
- James T. Kirk
- Jean-Luc Picard
- Benjamin Sisko
- Kathryn Janeway
References[]
Characters[]
- Kathryn Janeway • James T. Kirk • Jean-Luc Picard • Christopher Pike • Benjamin Sisko
- Referenced only
- Akorem Laan • Apollo • Robert April • Armus • Julian Bashir • Gabriel Bell • Bok • Buck Bokai • Liam Boothby • Bramble • Butler • Ruth Cartwright • Chakotay • Liviana Charvanek • John Christopher • Shaun Geoffrey Christopher • Jack Crusher • Beverly Crusher • Wesley Crusher • Neela Daren • Arne Darvin • Data • Dathon • Curzon Dax • Jadzia Dax • Matthew Decker • Willard Decker • Skrain Dukat • Amelia Earhart • Michael Eddington • Charles Evans • Female Q • Fenna • Sean Finnegan • Benjamin Finney • Jamie Finney • Richard Galen • Stephen Garrovick (I) • Garth of Izar • Yvette Gessard Picard • John Gill • Gorkon • Gowron • Guardian of Forever • Guinan • Dixon Hill • Robin Hood • Calvin Hudson • Hugh • Ilia • Edward Janeway • Gretchen Janeway • Phoebe Janeway • Edward Jellico • Mark Johnson • K'mpec • Kamin • Edith Keeler • Keras • Kes • Harry Kim • Aurelan Kirk • Peter Kirk • George Samuel Kirk • Kodos the Executioner • Kruge • Janice Lester • Abraham Lincoln • Locutus • Phillipa Louvois • Madred • Jenice Manheim • Paul Manheim • Carol Marcus • David Marcus • Maid Marian • Martok • Leonard McCoy • Miramanee • Gary Mitchell • Molly • Harry Mudd • Khan Noonien Singh • Miles O'Brien • Miles O'Brien (mirror) • Odo • Opaka Sulan • Maurice Picard • Owen Paris • Tom Paris • Petunia • Marie Picard • René Picard • Robert Picard • Yvette Picard • Katherine Pulaski • Q • Gregory Quinn • William T. Riker • Thomas Riker • Ro Laren • S'alath • Antonia Salvatori • Sarek • Montgomery Scott • Areel Shaw • Khan Noonien Singh • Jake Sisko • Jennifer Sisko • Jennifer Sisko (mirror) • Joseph Sisko • Judith Sisko • Noonien Soong • Tolian Soran • Tris Speaker • Spock • Tango • Justin Tighe • B'Elanna Torres • Trelane • Tuvok • V'Ger • Vash • Jason Vigo • Miranda Vigo • Vina • Janet Wallace • Ted Williams • Worf • Tasha Yar • Kasidy Yates
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class explorer) • USS Voyager (Intrepid-class cruiser) • USS Defiant (Defiant-class battleship)
- Referenced only
- USS Al-Batani (Excelsior-class explorer) • Bajoran solar-sail vessel • SS Botany Bay • Cetacean probe • class-J training ship • SS Columbia • ISS Defiant • USS Defiant (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • escape pod • USS Enterprise-A USS Enterprise-B USS Enterprise-C USS Farragut (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Fesarius • USS Icarus • USS Livingston (Excelsior-class explorer) • ChR Memenda (D7 Akif-class cruiser) • Promellian battle cruiser • USS Reliant (Miranda-class medium cruiser) • USS Republic (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Saratoga (Miranda-class medium cruiser) • shuttlecraft • USS Stargazer (Constellation-class cruiser) • Val Jean
Locations[]
- Alpha Quadrant • Amusement Park planet • Axanar • B'hala • Badlands • Bajor • Bajoran wormhole • Beta Quadrant • Bonestell Recreation Facility • Cestus III (Pike City) • Ceti Alpha V • Danula II • Deep Space 9 • Delta Quadrant • Deneva • Denorios Belt • Dimorus • Dorvan V • Earth (Chez Sandrine • Earth Station McKinley • El Capitan • England • France • Gilgo Beach • Indiana • Iowa • Mojave • New Orleans • North America • Portland, Oregon • San Francisco • Yosemite National Park) • Ekos • Elba II • Eminiar VII • Endicor • galactic barrier • the galaxy • Gamma Quadrant • Genesis Planet • Gideon • Iconia • Kataan • LaBarre • Mars • Martian colonies • Maxia Zeta • Milika III • Mintaka III • Mirror universe • Mount Olympus • Mudd • Nechani homeworld • Neural • Omicron Delta region • Pelios Station • Rigel VII • Risa • Romulan Neutral Zone • Romulus • Rura Penthe • Starbase 11 • Starbase Earhart • System J-25 • Talos star group • Tarsus IV • Tau Ceti Prime • Ten-Forward • Thasus • Tycho IV • Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards • Vagra II • Vandor IV • Vega colony • Vendikar • Veridian III • Veridian system • Vulcan • Wolf 359
Races and cultures[]
- Android • Augment • Bajoran • Being • blastoneuron • Bluegill • Borg • Cardassian • Deltan • Dominion • El-Aurian • Ferengi • Founders • Gorn • Human (African • American • Creole • French • Native American • Terran) • Jem'Hadar • Kazon • Klingon • Legaran • Metron • Nausicaan • Nechani • Neuralese (Hill People) • Prophets • Providers • Q (species) • Rigellian (humanoid) • Romulan • Talosian • Tamarian • Tholian • Trill • Tzenkethi • Vidiian • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- Federation • Federation Archeology Council • Federation Council • Klingon Alliance • Klingon High Council • Maquis • Q Continuum • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command
Science and classification[]
- alternate timeline • anti-time • archeology • artificial heart • chemistry • cloaking device • corbomite • cryogenics • dart • eugenics • Genesis Device • holodeck • holodeck program • holonovel • holosuite • identity transfer • Janeway Lambda-1 • laboratory • Orb • poison • Project Genesis • psi-wave device • quantum cosmology • refit • replicator • self destruct • sleeper ship • subspace radio • suspended animation • technology • temporal anomaly • terraforming • time travel • transporter • Venus drug • weapon • wheelchair
Occupations and titles[]
- administrator • admiral • Arbiter of Succession • archeologist • attorney • bartender • cadet • captain • chancellor • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief of operations • chief of security • Chief of Starfleet Operations • civilian • commander • commanding officer • computer • crewmember • diplomat • doctor • Emissary of the Prophets • ensign • equestrian • executive officer • first officer • fleet captain • general • governess • gul • helmsman • kai • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • mathematician • officer • pilot • pirate • profession • rebel • science officer • scientist • security chief • security officer • social worker • tactical officer • technician • thrall • valedictorian • vice-admiral • vintner
Events[]
- Academy Marathon • Battle of Sector 001 • Battle of Trafalgar • Battle of Wolf 359 • Bell Riots • Borg Incursion of 2366-2367 • Khitomer Conference • Pueblo Revolt • World Series (2042 World Series)
Other references[]
- 23rd century • alternate timeline • anatomy • animal • antimatter • Atlantis Project • away team • ballet • baseball • Bendii Syndrome • billiards • bistro • black star • cave-diving • century • chordate • city • coffee • colony • coma • computer virus • cooking • corbomite • court martial • death • decade • delta radiation • desert • dikironium cloud creature • distress call • DNA • dog (Great Dane • Irish setter) • Earl Gray • emotion • engineering • evolution • farm • five-year mission • flagship • foods and beverages • forest • galactic barrier • General Order 7 • Gothic • government • Grankite Order of Tactics • gravitation • hiking • history • horse • hour • humanoid • illusion • interphase • ion storm • katra • kilometer • Kobayashi Maru scenario • Kragite Order of Heroism • light year • light year • logic • logic • love • macrovirus • marriage • Medal of Honor • mile • military • mind meld • mirror universe • month • mountain • music • neural network • Nexus • Nobel Prize • ore • Palm Leaf of Axanar • parallel universe • park • peace • penal colony • piano • Picard Maneuver • pon farr • Preantares Ribbon of Commendation • Prime Directive • prison • proto-universe • psionic weapon • psychokinesis • Questor symposium • rebellion • Ressikan flute • rock climbing • sector • self destruct • shapeshifter • shore leave • Silver Palm with Cluster • skeleton • snow • space • spirit guide • star • Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry • subspace fracture • suicide • supernova • surgery • tea • telekinesis • tennis • phage • timeline • Vegan choriomeningitis • vineyard • virus • vision quest • war • warship • wedding • wormhole • year
Chronology[]
A few dates contradicted later established canon dating. For such events, the parenthetical date is from Memory Beta Chronology.
- 1692
- Javier Maribona-Picard experiences the Pueblo Revolt.
- 1930
- James T. Kirk meets Edith Keeler via the Guardian of Forever time portal.
- 1937
- Amelia Earhart taken to the Delta Quadrant.
- 19th century
- Guinan is born.
- 2024
- Benjamin Sisko time travels to San Francisco during the Bell Riots.
- 20th century
- John Christopher visits the USS Enterprise.
- late 20th century
- SS Botany Bay sleeper ship launches.
- 2161
- Federation founded, Starfleet chartered, Starfleet Academy founded.
- 2180
- First Academy-trained starship captains are exploring space.
- 2233
- James T. Kirk is born.
- 2246
- Tarsus IV massacre.
- 2250
- Kirk admitted to Starfleet Academy.
- 2250 (2251)
- Christopher Pike assumes command of the Enterprise.
- 2251
- Garth of Izar at Axanar; Kirk awarded Palm Leaf of Axanar.
- 2252
- Kirk dated Ruth Cartwright.
- 2254
- Talos IV incident, Kirk graduates from Starfleet Academy.
- 2257
- Dikironium cloud creature kills many aboard the USS Farragut.
- 2261
- Pike completes his second five-year mission.
- 2264
- Kirk assumes command of the Enterprise.
- 2264 - 2269 (2265 - 2270)
- James T. Kirk's first five-year mission.
- 2265
- Enterprise at the galactic barrier.
- 2266
- Pike suffers injuries from delta radiation exposure.
- 2267
- Deneva invaded by blastoneurons; Mirror universe transposition.
- 2268
- Kirk and two officers abducted by the Providers; Kirk marries Miramanee; Vegan choriomeningitis used for population control on Gideon.
- 2285
- Project Genesis incident.
- late 23rd century
- Borg nearly wipe out the El-Aurians.
- 2293
- Khitomer Conference, USS Enterprise launches, Kirk lost in the Nexus.
- 2322
- Jean-Luc Picard applies to Starfleet Academy.
- 2323
- Picard admitted to the Academy, ran the Academy Marathon.
- 2327
- Shortly after graduating, Picard is impaled by Nausicaans.
- 2333
- Picard awarded command of USS Stargazer.
- 2344
- USS Enterprise creates an alternate timeline; Picard meets Beverly Crusher.
- 2348
- Jack Crusher and Beverly Crusher are married.
- 2349
- Wesley Crusher is born.
- 2353
- Benjamin Sisko meets Jennifer Sisko at Gilgo Beach.
- 2354
- Jack Crusher dies.
- 2355
- Jake Sisko is born; Stargazer is nearly destroyed in Maxia Zeta system.
- 2363
- Picard appointed CO of the USS Enterprise.
- 2364
- First Enterprise-D encounter with Q; Paul Manheim accident on Vandor IV.
- 2365
- Data's status is confirmed; Energy vortex duplicates Picard; Picard's artificial heart is replaced.
- 2366
- Picard interpreted as a deity on Mintaka III; Picard meets Vash; Picard converted into Locutus.
- 2366 (2366 - 2367)
- Borg Incursion of 2366-2367.
- 2367
- USS Saratoga destroyed at the Battle of Wolf 359; Q creates Robin Hood fantasy on Enterprise-D.
- 2368
- Hugh recovered; Picard and Dathon meet; Picard experiences Kamin's life; Ambassador Sarek dies.
- 2369
- Picard re-experiences being impaled by Nausicaans; Picard tortured by Gul Madred; Richard Galen dies.
- 2370
- Q instigates an anti-time phenomenon.
- 2371
- Kirk aids Picard at Veridian III; Robert Picard and René Picard die; Sisko promoted; USS Voyager and Val Jean taken to Delta Quadrant.
- 2372
- Kathryn Janeway meets Q.
Appendices[]
Background[]
- The book's title came from the poem Sea-Fever by John Masefield, which James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard have quoted from.
Errata[]
- The Klingons armed the Villagers against the Hill People in 2267, in TOS episode & Star Trek 10 novelization: A Private Little War. The reference listed it the other way around.
- Vandor IV was printed as Vandor IX.
Images[]
Connections[]
External links[]
- A Star to Steer Her By article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.