Gauntlet
All-new adventures of Captain Picard's first command!

Gauntlet is a Star Trek: Stargazer novel – the first novel in the series – written by Michael Jan Friedman. Published by Pocket Books, it was first released in .

Summary 
From the book jacket
Long before he took command of the Starship Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard led another proud vessel through the uncharted regions of the galaxy: the . Thrust unexpectedly into the center seat, the twenty-eight-year-old Picard must live up to the challenges of starship command – and a crew that hasn't yet learned to trust him. 

The pirate known as the White Wolf has been wreaking havoc across several sectors, and the inexperienced Picard has been given the assignment to stop him. Surprised at getting such a challenge, Picard soon learns that he is expected to fail in his duty and have his captaincy disgraced before it can even begin. 

Given an untested crew and an impossible mission, Picard must beat the odds and apprehend the White Wolf – but the pirate keeps a shocking secret that leaves Picard to make a deadly decision.

Characters

Captain Jean-Luc Picard
First Officer Commander 
Second Officer Lieutenant Commander 
Chief Medical Officer 
Chief Weapons Officer Lieutenant 
Sciences Chief Juanita Vaderrama
Chief Engineering Officer Lieutenant 
Engineer 
Engineer Lieutenant Iulus
Engineer Marion Sears
Helmsman Lieutenant 
Navigation Lieutenant 
Navigation Lieutenant 
Communications Chief Lieutenant Martin Paxton
Communications Officer Dikembe Ulelo
Security chief Lieutenant 
Security officer 
Security officer Lieutenant Garner
Security officer Lieutenant Pierzynski
Security officer Horombo
Shuttle Chief Lieutenant Chiang
Technician Andarko
Transporter operator Lieutenant Refsland
Ensign Andreas Nikolas
Ensign Joe Caber
Ensign Jiterica

Pirate ship 

Turgis

Starbase 32 
Transporter operator Mollie Katz

USS Cochise 
Captain

Miscellaneous 
Admiral McAteer
Merriweather – McAteer's assistant
Hans Werber 
Cortin Zweller
Boothby
Captain

Referenced only 
Admiral Mehdi – promoted Jean-Luc Picard to captain
Admiral Neil Caber
Second officer Lieutenant Ang – transferred to USS Sutherland
Angela Cariello
Captain Cepeda – of the Manitou
Captain Enzo Rudolfini – of the 
Tommy Tsouratakis
Red O'Reilly
Captain Dathan Ruhalter
Maurice Picard
Doctor Ibwasa – of Starfleet Medical
Bluebeard – 20th century buccaneer
Jean Lafitte – 20th century buccaneer

References 
   Federation starship, commanded by Captain Vayishra.
 USS Christopher  Federation starship. 
    starship, commanded by Captain Greenbriar.

    starship.
   Federation starship, commanded by Captain Rudolfini.
   Federation starship.
   Federation starship.
 USS Leningrad  Federation starship, named for Leningrad.
 USS Manitou  Federation starship, commanded by Captain Cepeda.
 USS Mediterranean  Federation starship.
 USS Mongoose  Federation starship.
 Nuyyad
   Federation starship.
   Federation starship.

 Starbase 32  Federation starbase.
   Constellation-class ship newly commanded by Picard.
   Federation starship.
   Federation starship.

External link 
 

Novels