Gan Laikan was a male Centauran from Alpha Centauri who lived in the late 23rd and early 24th centuries. He was a member of Starfleet in the early part of his life, eventually rising to the rank of captain. He took command of the USS Asimov in 2255 for its first voyage with him as captain. He is remembered for discovering more class M planets then any other starship captain in the 23rd century. (Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook) The story of Picard's school trip is repeated in the Star Trek: Myriad Universes novel A Gutted World.