Fleet captain Fleet captain was a Starfleet title given to a senior captain with a different set of responsibilities than a starship captain . This may have been a higher rank than captain or even commodore , although it did not possess a permanent position in the rank hierarchy . In 2265 , after promotion to fleet captain , Christopher Pike passed command of the starship on to Captain James Kirk . In 2266 , as a fleet captain , Pike was engaged in a training exercise aboard an antiquated Class J starship . The vessel ' s baffle plate ruptured and many of the trainees were killed . A number were saved by Pike – at the cost of him being rendered a " complete invalid " . Despite his catastrophic injuries , Pike remained on the active duty roster as a command - grade officer . This was primarily due to Starfleet Command not willing to retire Captain Pike from duty due to the sacrifice he had made while saving cadets . ( ) In the 2260s , Fleet Captain Garth was one of Starfleet ' s most decorated captains , the hero of the Battle of Axanar . Garth was injured and recovered among the natives of Antos IV , where he learned of the Antosians ' bizarre metamorphic biochemistry control . The strain on Garth ' s system was too much , he was driven insane by learning their abilities . His life was saved , but maddened , he ordered a starship to fire on the planet , the crew mutinied and Fleet Captain Garth was sentenced to treatment at Elba II . ( ) Appendices . Background information . The name plate on the door to Pike ' s room on Starbase 11 reads simply " Captain Christopher Pike , " suggesting that the title " fleet captain " is an honorary title and not a rank . Nevertheless , Kirk explicitly stated that " Enterprise " was summoned by " Fleet Captain Pike " , whom he had met when Pike " was promoted to fleet captain . " While not definitive , Pike was referred to as " fleet captain " only in the teaser of . The phrase " fleet captain " was never uttered in " Part II " , nor was Pike addressed by that title in either part of the episode . Examination of Kirk ' s sleeve stripe rank , when compared to that of a commodore , suggests that there may be a " missing rank " between captain and commodore comprised of three solid sleeve stripes in comparison to Kirk ' s two solid with a center hash mark . This insignia has never made an appearance in any canon or licensed material . The " Star Fleet Technical Manual " depicts the three stripe insignia ( incorrectly ) as that of commodore . The featured a " Star Trek " movies - era fleet captain pin , however , there was no on - screen appearance of the pin , and the insignia was not even part of uniform designer Robert Fletcher ' s detailed rank notes . Besides the " Star Trek Encyclopedia " , there is no insignia for this rank in any other Starfleet uniform code devised , and no similar rank exists in the real - world navies Starfleet was based on . This makes it appear this is simply a title accorded a senior captain . The reference manual " " also speaks on the rank of fleet captain , stating that it is a position held by the heads of ship design teams , with three fleet captains throughout all of Starfleet who are in charge of cruiser - , destroyer - , and escort - class ships respectively . The " Manual " states that the rank is comprised of five gold pips worn on a uniform collar and , oddly enough , is " senior " to the rank of commodore .