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More often than not, he stands on the bridge. Looks out through the viewport at all the stars that have yet to be conquered. He stands tall, strong, one hand ready to grab a weapon at a moment’s notice. In a different universe, his blue eyes might have been kind, but here they are only chips of dark ice that betray a cruel heart. His hair and goatee, a stark gray due to age, are neat to the point of intimidation. Everything about him is calculated. His stance, his hair, his uniform, all are weapons used to maintain control over his ship.
On his right side stands a boy. Or, who should be a boy. This ship makes people grow up fast, and he is no exception. His face is stern, yet he stands with a haughty ease that only the young and powerful possess. He’s been groomed to lead since before he could walk, and it certainly shows. His sleeveless uniform shows off powerful arms and shoulders, as well as skill to hold off would-be assassins. The unaware do not last long here.
Standing behind these two is a third man. As second-in-command, he should be the captain’s confidant, but the Empire does not foster friendships. He is an ambitious one with the skill to match. His charisma has turned quite a few officers to his side, but he hasn’t done anything yet. He still needs an opportunity.
In the medbay, a mistress of death works. She is a descendant of warriors, both of the body and the mind. She’s lived through plenty of hard times and has the scars to prove it. She can kill with the same efficiency that she saves, and she has. She has trained the boy, protected him, cares about him, but part of her wonders if he cares about her as well.
In an office that could be called a prison, a master of the mind rests. Her creation was a demonstration of victory, a show of the might of the Empire. Her creation was also the creation of a weapon. She can see through anyone. She knows what can hurt them. It makes her dangerous, hence the cage. The second-in-command is kind to her; so few are. She gives him information, he gives her compassion. It’s an equal trade.
Far below, the guardian of the ship goes about his business. It could be said that his life has been a series of miracles. Born without sight, it was almost certain that he would be cast aside by a society intolerant of weakness. But he lived and gained sight through technology. He wouldn’t let anyone think that he was weak again. He struggled to connect with anyone, but that isn’t a problem when you spend most of your waking hours around machines. He often works with rolled-up sleeves, and his strong arms and thick beard only increase his resemblance to the blacksmiths of old. No one calls him weak now. Even if they do, it is likely that they will not survive to apologize.
The android shouldn’t be there. All past experience suggests that he should have already been broken by a hard and unforgiving crew. Perhaps he was taken under the protection of an engineer who cared more for mechanics and electronics than flesh and blood. Either way, he proved himself to be a boon both to the engineer and the ship. His positronic brain could do the calculations faster and more accurately than a human could ever hope to, and it gave the ship the edge they needed to conquer faster and further than they ever could on their own. Of course, the android is nothing more than a computer to most of the crew. Computers don’t deserve respect. In private, the engineer treats the android better. The android doesn’t understand why.
A warrior paces back and forth across the bridge. In her head, she is already thinking of the various ways that the current situation could devolve into violence, and how she could emerge victorious. Her job is to protect, after all. Unlike the captain, she holds her phaser at the ready at all times. She’s been betrayed enough that she always has one eye open.
A monster lurks within the walls of the ship. He seeks vengeance for destruction, for loss, for pain. He is not afraid to kill. The captain knows this. The monster’s enemy is also his enemy. So they keep him locked away, letting him out enough to keep him calm. The captain knows not to use him until the time is right. That time has not come yet.
Space, the final frontier. These are the conquests of the ISS Enterprise.