As in the real life Navy, there are some differences between the role of Commodore and Fleet Captain in the Star Trek universe. There have been several Starfleet Commodores over the years, with the most notable being Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) in Star Trek: Picard season 3. The role of Fleet Captain is less represented across Star Trek history, with only two Starfleet officers known to have held the position: Fleet Captain Christopher Pike (Sean Kenney) and Fleet Captain Garth (Steve Inhat). A century later, Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) was offered the position of Fleet Captain of the ill-fated Texas-class line of starships.
While Fleet Captain is a promotion, it's unclear if it outranks Commodore, but both ranks sit underneath Vice iral in the Starfleet hierarchy. In Naval tradition, a Fleet Captain was essentially Chief of the iral's staff, which is why the title was retired in favor of Chief of Staff. It's known that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) will eventually leave the USS Enterprise to take up the role of Fleet Captain. Here's what the role could entail for PIke, and how it differs from Geordi's role as Commodore.
Why Pike Is Fleet Captain In Star Trek: TOS
It's implied in Star Trek that the title of Fleet Captain is an honorary one, given that Fleet Captain Garth was one of Starfleet's most decorated officers. Pike is also a decorated military hero, and has even received a prestigious Cardassian medal. Perhaps Pike's final five-year mission on the Enterprise sees him add more accolades to his record, earning him the position of Fleet Captain, potentially acting as Chief of Staff to his former mentor iral Robert April (Adrian Holmes) with increased responsibilities outside a single starship.
The only thing that's known for sure about Pike's time as Fleet Captain is that he oversaw the training of future Starfleet recruits. A year after he was promoted, he was involved in the tragic accident that would paralyze him for the rest of his life. As thanks for his noble sacrifice to save the lives of the young cadets, Starfleet kept Pike on the command roster, rather than force him to retire. Strangely, this acknowledgment of his heroism didn't extend to promotion, as Starfleet never made Pike an iral.
Why Geordi Is A Commodore In Picard Season 3
Unlike Fleet Captain, Commodore has a permanent position in Starfleet's rank hierarchy. It's the traditional Naval term for a senior officer who oversees a number of starships, which is a more defined role than the Fleet Captain's "additional responsibilities". As the curator of Star Trek: Picard's Starfleet Museum, Geordi earned the rank of Commodore because he oversaw the various legendary starships in the collection. In Naval , Commodore is the equivalent of a rear iral, suggesting that a rise to the iralty could be in Geordi's future if he wants it.
If Star Trek Commodores are the equivalent of Rear irals, it would explain why Pike's mentor iral Robert April is referred to as Commodore during Star Trek: The Animated Series. This equivalence therefore confirms that Commodore is the rank above Fleet Captain. Fleet Captain could purely be an honorary title for an officer who's outgrown a single starship, but for whom a role as iral is yet to be found. Tragically, Christopher Pike's accident means that he'll never follow that career trajectory from Fleet Captain to Commodore to iral.