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Mr. and Mrs. Chekov,
It is with the deepest regret that I write to you of the death of your son, Ensign Pavel Andreivich Chekov in a shuttle accident early this morning. Normally, I would write something here about how he was a valuable member of this crew and list his accomplishments as a bridge officer and I can tell you without a doubt that he was one of the best navigators in Starfleet, but he was also my friend. He beat me at chess almost as often as our Vulcan first officer and he played the game just as he performed his duties on the Enterprise, with fearless confidence in his ability to do what must be done. His skill at the helm, at the transporter, and even in engineering has saved more lives than I can count, but to me, he is a hero for much more than that. His presence on the bridge— it was like he was a bright sun rising. I don’t usually resort to words like “hero” and poetic statements in these letters because it cheapens the word and does no justice to the deceased. Ensign Chekov, Pavel, deserves it. He is a hero because he made us better. He made us more competent officers. He made us better people. I can’t imagine what you must be going through right now, but know that we are all heartbroken and the crew of the Enterprise will not be the same without him. I am so, so sorry.
James Tiberius Kirk
Captain, USS Enterprise NCC-1701