Richard Cornelius "Dick" Patterson (????-2269) was a human male introduced in the Star Trek video game Star Trek: 25th Anniversary. In the expanded edition he was voiced by Steve Bulen.
During the 2260s Patterson commanded the Constitution-class ship USS Republic. He was considered an expert tactician, and was especially recognized for his tactics during the brief 2267 war with the Klingons. In addition to his tactical skill he was also recognized as an expert in diplomacy.
In 2269, Patterson met up with Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise so the Republic could engage in war games against her sister ship. The Enterprise quickly defeated the Republic and Patterson sent his congratulations to Kirk. The two ships then departed for their respective assignments, with the Republic scanning the remnants of Gadani II supernova, and transporting investigators to the Federation member world Vardaine. (A Federation member Captain Kirk did not have a high opinion of due to his previous experiences there).
Later in 2269, the Republic was attacked by a Constitution-class starship which the Vardaine had built. This vessel was created as a near exact duplicate of the USS Enterprise, right down to the hull markings and transponders. (The only notable difference was the installation of a plasma torpedo launcher). The duplicate Enterprise was commanded by Doctor Ies Bredell, a scientist whose criminal activities Kirk had exposed earlier. Patterson and his crew were killed during the attack, and the Republic was wrecked by the attack. When the real Enterprise arrived Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and a security officer beamed aboard. Kirk noted that he and Captain Patterson had never been the best of friends, but he had respected Patterson as an officer and was saddened over Patterson's death.
After Kirk and his Enterprise destroyed the duplicate Enterprise along with their Elasi confederates, Kirk noted in his log that Captain Patterson had died in combat against Vardaine.
Trivia[]
- It is possible for Patterson and the Republic to defeat Kirk and his ship during the war games if the player does not perform well in the combat simulation. In that case Scotty will complain about the loss, with Kirk stating it was only a game.
