Davra Andraste

Name: Davra Andraste
Species: Sapiens
Birthplace: Metis
Birthdate: 415 IE

Davra Andraste is a former fighter and gifted technician from Amargosa. Known for her brilliance, bravery, and sense of justice, she becomes a pivotal figure in the human resistance against the Gelt occupation.

Early Life
Davra was born on Metis and raised on Bromdar. After the death of her mother, she was raised by her father, Samuel Andraste, who became a single parent. Her early exposure to space life and off-world cultures shaped her adaptability and sharpened her technical talents.

First Months at Amargosa

Davra Andraste arrived on Amargosa from Bromdar in 428 IE, enrolling at Lowell Academy in Lansdorp. Known for sending graduates to elite universities across the Compact, the academy also funneled students into Amargosa’s Youth Corps. Davra quickly ran afoul of the Corps’ martial culture when approached by Cadet Eric Yuwono, a rigid and self-important recruiter who pitched militia service as a patriotic duty. He cited alien threats from species like the Zaras and Orags—claims Davra found alarmist and historically unsupported.

Firmly identifying as a scientist, Davra challenged Yuwono’s rhetoric and expressed no interest in military life. Still, she reluctantly agreed to visit the surface facility, if only to end the conversation. Yuwono mistook this for a recruitment victory, leaving Davra irritated. Their awkward first meeting marked the beginning of a long and complex relationship, but at the time, she viewed him as arrogant, presumptive, and tone-deaf to her ambitions.

Main Events

• Gelt Invasion: Davra joins the resistance following the Gelt invasion of Amargosa. Her skills quickly elevate her importance within the movement.

• Maglev Defense: She helps repel Lucius Kray’s forces aboard a maglev train during the early resistance efforts.

• Journey to the Ban Ki-moon: Against orders, she joins JT Austin and Eric Yuwono on a mission to reach the downed Compact Navy vessel. They navigate occupied territory, evade Gelt patrols, and have mysterious encounters with possibly intelligent lycanths.

• Saving Trixie and Facing Section 11: During the mission, Davra saves a Gelt prisoner named “Trixie” from attempted sexual assault by a fellow soldier. Though her actions are morally justified, they technically violate military protocol, forcing Suicide to convene a tribunal that nearly results in a Section 11 execution. Davra is ultimately exiled from Suicide’s team as punishment.

• Suicide’s Counsel: In exile, Suicide speaks to Davra privately, showing a deep understanding of both Davra’s values and the burden of command. Though stern, Suicide’s words carry empathy, affirming Davra’s worth while acknowledging the cost of her defiance.

• Gelt Captivity: Later, Davra is captured and held for three weeks aboard the Gelt colony transport over Lansdorp. Her time in captivity leaves her traumatized but more resolute than ever. This ordeal further matures her and deepens her hatred for the occupation.

• Return to Founders’ Mine:
  • As Davra Andraste makes her way across the war-ravaged plains of Amargosa toward the Founders’ Mine, she witnesses one of the most harrowing moments of her journey: a lone human woman, unarmed, sits down in the middle of a Gelt platoon and activates an incendiary nanite load. The resulting blast kills the entire unit, leaving nothing behind but a crater. Davra watches from a distance, frozen by the realization that this person had become a weapon, sacrificing themselves with grim resolve.
  • After escaping with the Gelt widow Peteesh, Davra returns to the Founders’ Mine and immediately places herself under arrest for desertion and disobedience.
  • She is court-martialed by Colonel Diana Jovann and Major Quan Jiang, who sentence her but commute it due to her actions in capturing Peteesh.
• Handler to Peteesh:
  • Davra is assigned to guard and interrogate Peteesh, forming a cautious but mutual bond with the Gelt woman.
  • She becomes the only human Peteesh trusts, navigating cross-species diplomacy and trauma with empathy and control.
  • She is helpless as she and Eric are found by Laral Farad and forced to watch him murder Peteesh.
  • This relationship puts her at odds with others—including Eric Yuwono—who cannot forgive the Gelt, regardless of individual actions.
• Conflict and Emotion:
  • Davra reunites with Eric Yuwono in Riverside, but their shared trauma leads to a near-violent confrontation. Their relationship remains strained but ultimately forged in mutual survival.
• Final Acts in Riverside:
  • Davra helps evacuate personnel after Riley’s warning about the fusion device, effectively saving dozens if not hundreds.
  • She chooses survival and mission over despair, helping Tyler Wat, Eric, and others to safety as Riverside falls.
• Final Confrontation with Lucius Kray 

  During the final confrontation with Lucius Kray near the ruins of Riverside, Davra found herself briefly taken hostage by the disgraced warlord. Despite the danger, she remained composed enough to exploit a moment of distraction, delivering a disabling blow that helped JT Austin and Eric Yuwono subdue Kray. Fueled by months of trauma and unresolved rage, Davra lashed out—kicking Kray in the knees and ribs, even demanding the right to execute him herself under Section 11.

  Although the final sentence was carried out by sapient lycanths in accordance with their laws, Davra’s emotional reaction—laughter rather than horror—revealed just how deeply the occupation had affected her. The moment marked a turning point: no longer just a survivor or a student soldier, Davra had become someone who could look war criminals in the eye and take decisive action. It was a grim milestone on her path toward command.

• Post-War:

  At fifteen, Davra Andraste became one of the few human recipients to date of the Thulian rejuvenation protocol—an advanced form of genetic and cellular renewal originally developed for Orags. Following a second fusion blast and the long-term effects of incendiary nanites embedded in her cells, standard medical care was no longer viable. Thulian rejuvenation was not a choice—it was a last resort.

  Informed that her only path forward required a full-body cellular replacement over a ninety-day period, Davra initially resisted. The treatment would not only flush the nanites and radiation damage from her system, it would restart her physical development, aging her up into adulthood while erasing the toll the war had taken on her body. She described it as “a forced reboot,” skeptical of a procedure even her attending physician hadn’t undergone. The reality of her condition—the sudden loss of hair, bleeding gums, and a spreading layer of dead skin—made the decision for her. She and Eric Yuwono became the first two humans to survive the Thulian protocol outside of Thule itself.

• Joining the Navy

  Following the Liberation of Amargosa, Davra Andraste chose to join the Compact Navy, leaving behind the provisional society rebuilding the planet. She began her service as an officer candidate but, like her fellow recruits from Amargosa, was temporarily reduced to recruit status during initial training. She was initially assigned to the Challenger, one of the Navy’s veteran ships, for her first deployment. Though the Challenger departed Amargosa almost immediately, Davra quickly felt the emotional weight of leaving the world where she had fought and survived the occupation. During this period, she reflected on her past, her bond with Eric Yuwono, and her hopes for the future as a naval officer.

• Incident aboard the Alyssa Carson

  After her initial assignment, Davra transferred with a group of recruits to the Alyssa Carson, an aging Metisian Planetary Defense ship pressed into Navy use. The Carson was fission-powered—an obsolete and dangerous design rarely seen outside isolated or low-budget operations. En route to Tian in the Helios System, the ship suffered a catastrophic reactor failure. With a full meltdown imminent and evacuation impossible before rescue could arrive, Davra volunteered to manually jettison the failing reactor.

  Drawing on her experience surviving the occupation of Amargosa and the regenerative effects of her Thulian rejuvenation treatment, Davra entered the irradiated compartment in an EVA suit and manually released the clamps holding the reactor in place. Despite suffering extreme radiation exposure and physical trauma, she successfully ejected the reactor before it could breach, saving the lives of everyone aboard. Davra was later transferred to the freighter Fukushima Maru for recovery, spending ten days unconscious while her body regenerated. She ultimately missed her original Officer Training School class but was reassigned to the next cycle, where she continued her naval career. Her actions during the incident earned her the quiet respect of many officers and fellow recruits.

• Aboard the Anna Khirovsky
  

  In 432 IE, junior lieutenant Davra Andraste was stationed aboard the Anna Khirovsky when Jez Salamacis, chief of staff to President Leitman, commandeered the ship to locate and apprehend Jayne Best on Thule. The Khirovsky was tasked with threatening orbital strikes unless Best surrendered, placing Davra and the crew in a tense standoff with local forces and a Metisian vessel.

  While performing routine calibrations, Davra encountered Suicide—now aligned with the Metisian Republic—who had covertly boarded the ship via a modified missile nosecone to prevent the bombardment. Recognizing the stakes, Davra agreed to help. She gave Suicide access to sabotage the Khirovsky’s reactor and staged a fake hostage scenario to escort her toward the bridge, even enduring a punch to the face to sell the ruse.

  Their deception nearly failed when Salamacis, monitoring through spider drones, called their bluff and forced Suicide to disarm. Still, Davra escorted her to the CNC, where tensions erupted. Salamacis attempted to perform a Section 11 execution of Suicide, citing treason, and fatally shot Captain Aiken Bradley when he tried to stop her. Davra responded by shooting Salamacis in the arm before she could fire again, allowing the bridge crew to regain control.

  The confrontation ended with Salamacis arrested, Suicide detained, and the reactor sabotage deactivated after a standoff involving the arrival of the Goldeneye under Navy Special Forces command. Davra’s quick thinking and steady resolve prevented a war crime, ended Salamacis’s rampage, and solidified her reputation as one of the Children of Amargosa willing to challenge even the highest authorities when justice was at stake.

  The Khirovsky’s return voyage was equally unsettling. When the Metisian cruiser Bova failed to follow, Davra realized Thule must have other stable wormholes linking it to human space. Bova eventually re-appeared over Hanar—but without Salamacis, who had “self-incinerated” in Metisian custody. The Metisians confirmed she had been a clone, and the Khirovsky’s routine data-sync almost certainly contained the resurrection imprint for yet another body. Furious that Salamacis would soon walk free, Davra confided to Vice Admiral Burke aboard her next assignment, the Challenger, that she had wanted to perform the Section 11 execution herself. Burke cautioned her that no officer should ever be eager for that duty, warning that taking a life under Section 11 dims even the brightest moral light. The exchange left Davra grappling with the thin line between justice and vengeance—an internal conflict that would shadow her rapid ascent through the Compact Navy.

• First Experiences with Section 11 as an OfficerBy 433 IE, Davra Andraste had crossed an invisible threshold in her military career—from exceptional junior officer to one who now bore the emotional and moral weight of service. On assignment aboard the Challenger in the aftermath of the Crossman bombardment, she served as an official witness to a Section 11 execution: the airlocking of a Marine colonel found guilty of military abuse. It marked her first time participating in the Compact’s gravest military protocol, outside of her own near-execution years earlier and the extraordinary case of Lucius Kray. Davra fulfilled her role with grim determination, despite a deep internal struggle. The experience bonded her further to Captain Havak, who initiated her into the quiet rituals officers adopt to process such trauma. It also sharpened Davra’s disillusionment with the political situation—especially under President Leitman, whose intervention on Crossman felt more like hostage-taking than governance. This chapter, more than any before, underscored the cost of service and the lonely burdens of command that lay ahead.
  

  A month after witnessing her first Section 11 aboard the Challenger, Davra was forced to carry out her first such execution personally during a mission to Crossman, a Compact Protectorate and colony of Aurora. Assigned to investigate irregularities in Domek Province alongside Cybercommand’s O-4 Weiss, Davra encountered a Marine colonel—John Morrissey—who had just ordered the execution of a local mayor and his entire family. Having previously warned Morrissey about such conduct and citing his own history of executing a superior under Section 11, Davra acted with grim clarity. With Weiss and her team concurring, she formally pronounced the sentence and shot Morrissey in the head. Though her actions were procedurally sound, Davra was confined to quarters pending investigation and spiraled emotionally afterward. Captain Palmer, acting in Havak’s absence, provided both reassurance and unofficial commendation, while Eric Yuwono—visiting the Challenger at the time—provided quiet support during her forced downtime. The incident marked a brutal turning point in Davra’s maturity as an officer. No longer just a witness or survivor of Section 11, she had now crossed the line into executioner—and the psychological toll was immediate.

• Operation Against Gerard Kurz

  Davra Andraste’s role in the operation against radical Cubist Gerard Kurz marks a turning point in her evolution from brilliant resistance fighter to decisive field commander. Initially traveling to Ares with Mitsuko Yamato, she was present during the giant mech incident and stayed close to Mitsuko throughout the investigation into Aphrodite’s extremist Cubist cell.

  When the team tracked Kurz to Aphrodite, Davra operated as Mitsuko’s field liaison, helping coordinate the landing and insertion near a suspected bioweapons facility. Though eager to assist in the combat phase, Davra respected Mitsuko’s authority and held position with JT Austin while the primary assault unfolded. The situation escalated rapidly—gunfire, flamethrowers, and grenades thundered through the jungle as the team discovered a pathogen-laced shed wired to detonate. Davra had to restrain JT multiple times, keeping him from rushing in before the signal. When Mitsuko finally located Suicide, Davra and JT retrieved the wounded commander and helped her to safety, moments before the entire encampment exploded. Mitsuko was declared missing in action. The events marked Davra’s first true rescue operation as a commissioned officer and began to crystallize her transition into a leadership role.

  Following Suicide’s extraction, Davra took on the informal but critical role of stabilizing JT Austin, who had been emotionally spiraling since learning of Suicide’s past as a Cubist. With Admiral Burke assigning Davra as JT’s escort while Suicide underwent surgery, she spent several tense hours reining in his volatile emotions. When the surgeon confirmed Suicide would recover, Davra gently pushed JT into Recovery, prompting a long-overdue reconciliation between the two. Observing their silent embrace, Davra recognized the emotional weight finally lifting from both of them—a moment that quietly affirmed her own growth as a moral center among the Children of Amargosa.

  Mitsuko returned days later, rescued by newly deployed Border Guard occupying Aphrodite. Understanding the emotional toll Mitsuko had endured, Davra made a rare personal gesture: she plied the grieving commander with liquor in an effort to bring her back to center, blending empathy with soldierly camaraderie. It worked.

  During the final assault on the Cubist retreat at Mount Buxanshal, Davra co-led the charge. While the rest of the team launched a coordinated frontal attack, she and JT Austin tag-teamed to prepare Mitsuko for her solo infiltration of the lake — where Mitsuko ultimately disarmed the fission device in a submerged cavern and killed Kurz during the struggle. The explosion of the bomb’s now-detached detonator marked the end of the operation, though it came at the cost of Patchi‘s life and another injury to JT.

  Following the mission, Davra attended the wedding of Mitsuko and King Edward of Bonaparte, reflecting both her personal closeness to the couple and her expanding presence in political and strategic spheres beyond Amargosa. By the end of Royal Orders, Davra has transformed into a respected officer with deep combat experience, an evolving political conscience, and a quiet ability to lead from both the front and the wings.

• Operation on Hosh
  In the lead-up to the Hosh mission, Davra and Eric Yuwono share a rare moment of intimacy that quickly turns into an argument. Davra, ever direct, confronts her growing fear that Eric’s role as a field operative—entangled in secrets, manipulations, and proximity to danger—will test his ability to remain faithful. He bristles. She doesn’t back down. The fight ends with Davra storming out and symbolically slamming a sliding door aboard the Valles Marineris, leaving the question of “them” hanging in the air.

  When JT Austin and Suicide return to the Marineris during the Hosh operation to drop off prisoners and diplomatic assets, Davra joins them back to the surface—ostensibly to assist in winding down the operation. In truth, she’s still raw from the argument and unsure what she’s walking into.

  She gets her answer when Eric Yuwono falls from orbit—ejected from a disintegrating shuttle after a mission gone sideways. Davra is in the boat when the call comes in. She races toward his crash site, arriving just in time to drag him from the shallows—wounded, half-conscious, and missing a foot after a sea bull attack during his descent.

  Their reconciliation comes in pieces. Eric, lucid enough to be honest, admits he came close to crossing a line during his assignment but stopped himself. Davra listens, grim but calm. Then, in classic Davra fashion, she lays down the terms: He transfers to Analysis. No more fieldwork. No more blurred lines. Eric agrees.

  The mission may have been a tactical win, but for Davra, Hosh is something else: a turning point. Not a dramatic rescue, not a perfect resolution—but an earned, hard-edged compromise between love and clarity. And for once, she lets herself believe it might be enough.

  Volcanic Relay Mission (433 IE)
  During a high-risk operation in 433 IE, Davra volunteered to retrieve a Realm communications relay from an unnamed volcanic planetoid (catalog #978-1520611747). Unlike Hosh, the Class-E planet where Eric had previously lost a foot, this world was barely habitable—a tidal-locked rock caught between a hot Jupiter and a swollen orange sun. Lava geysers constantly erupted from its unstable crust, and spider drones proved useless in the heat, forcing a manual insertion. Davra’s shuttle was destroyed on landing, killing her pilot and stranding her in extreme conditions. She reached the target and tagged it for retrieval, but a suit breach caused explosive decompression and the loss of her right leg below the knee.

  Rescue arrived just in time, piloted by Eric Yuwono, who defied Cybercommand orders to pull himself from the field. As Davra drifted in and out of consciousness, Eric—believing he’d nearly lost her—promised to leave black-ops for good and start their family immediately, even offering to carry their first child via Compact-compatible gestation. Davra’s leg was regrown using Thulian-grade tissue protocols, but the mission cemented a new phase in both her personal life and career: reckless valor tempered by deep personal bonds.

• Mission (435 IE) and Injury
  During a high-risk operation in 435 IE, Davra volunteered to retrieve a Realm communications relay from an unnamed volcanic planetoid (catalog #978-1520611747). Unlike Hosh, the Class-E planet where Eric had previously lost a foot, this world was barely habitable—a tidal-locked rock caught between a hot Jupiter and a swollen orange sun. Lava geysers constantly erupted from its unstable crust, and spider drones proved useless in the heat, forcing a manual insertion. Davra’s shuttle was destroyed on landing, killing her pilot and stranding her in extreme conditions. She reached the target and tagged it for retrieval, but a suit breach caused explosive decompression and the loss of her right leg below the knee.

  Rescue arrived just in time, piloted by Eric Yuwono, who defied Cybercommand orders to pull himself from the field. As Davra drifted in and out of consciousness, Eric—believing he’d nearly lost her—promised to leave black-ops for good and start their family immediately, even offering to carry their first child via Compact-compatible gestation. Davra’s leg was regrown using Thulian-grade tissue protocols, but the mission cemented a new phase in both her personal life and career: reckless valor tempered by deep personal bonds.

  Following her near-fatal mission to recover a Realm communications relay from a volcanic planetoid, Davra was formally promoted in rank to lieutenant commander by Admiral Eileen Burke. Although she had already been referred to as Burke’s special assistant to Regional Command, the promotion marked her official assignment to the Valles Marineris as a permanent member of Burke’s command staff. The appointment delayed her plans with Eric Yuwono to conceive a child for adoption by the Thulians, but Burke made clear her long-term ambitions for Davra’s career: preparing her to become an executive officer and, eventually, a starship captain. Davra accepted the position while still recovering from the regrowth of her leg, remarking that she had “earned the right to sit down for a while.”

• Detached Duty on Goshen

Assigned by Admiral Eileen Burke to accompany Marilyn Germanicus on a diplomatic mission to Goshen, Davra finds herself helping shape the postwar reconstruction of the former radical polygamist colony. While her friends fight to restore Tishla on Hanar, Davra navigates tense meetings with Goshen’s leadership, offering grounded insight drawn from her experience on Amargosa and Aphrodite. At one point, her impromptu comparison of Goshen’s challenges to Aphrodite’s long struggle leaves a profound impression on Deseret’s colonial officials. Outside of diplomacy, she becomes the confidante of Marilyn Germanicus—ultimately discovering the shocking truth of Marilyn’s resurrection and android nature. As Marilyn reveals her former identity as Carolyn Best, Davra realizes she’s part of a much larger secret shaping the future of humanity. Even from afar, Davra remains a stabilizing force, offering wisdom, discretion, and the kind of perspective only a war-forged twenty-year-old lieutenant commander could provide.

Mission to Liberty and Retrieving President Baker ibn-Aziz

In 437, Davra Andraste serves as first officer aboard the Hadrian under Captain Chen, quickly emerging as a key decision-maker during the mission. She takes point during the senior staff meeting to determine how to handle the recovery of former President Baker ibn-Aziz and ultimately makes the call to send JT Austin to the Thulian Clinic on Aphrodite for urgent treatment. When Juno-controlled mechs board the Hadrian, Davra leads the defensive response, coordinating the counterattack that prevents further damage. Upon arrival on Aphrodite, she takes command of the situation planetside, invoking Admiral Burke’s authority to defuse a standoff with the Border Guard and ensure the patient reaches the Clinic.

After leading a high-risk raid on the ship’s Medbay during a crisis, Admiral Burke privately informed her that Chen had requested Davra’s assignment be made permanent. Burke declined on Chen’s behalf—not out of disapproval, but because Davra was slated for another promotion upon their return to Tian. Following that, Burke intended to bring Davra to the Covert Yards on Ouranos, signaling a major new phase in her career and further grooming her for command.

Role on the Endeavour, Emergency Promotion to Captain, and Confontation with the Yedevans

In 438 IE, Davra received her most prestigious assignment yet: executive officer of the CNV Endeavour, a next-generation warship under construction at the covert yards on Ouranos. Though classified, the Endeavour represented the Compact’s most advanced naval engineering to date—larger than the Hadrian, warp-capable, and versatile enough to serve as a carrier or colony ship. Davra was introduced to the vessel by its commanding officer, Captain Alan Darnell, who was immediately impressed by her youth and credentials. At just twenty-four, she officially became the Endeavour’s XO, placing her one step away from her own command.

Davra serves as first officer of the Endeavour during a high-stakes diplomatic mission to retrieve Compact Assembly delegates. The mission takes an unexpected turn when the ship is pulled into unknown space and confronted by the Yedevans, an enigmatic species who claim ownership of the quantum entanglement device being tested. After the Yedevans execute a delegate and kill Captain Darnell, Davra assumes command.

Despite the gravity of the situation, she rises to the occasion—negotiating directly with the Yedevans and maintaining crew cohesion through the crisis. When Pelgar Shrian offers herself to the Yedevans to protect the crew, Davra briefly pauses her duties to comfort Connor Duffy in a lift—showing her deep loyalty to the Children of Amargosa by putting friendship before protocol for a moment.

The Yedevans ultimately return Shrian and assist in building a new entanglement device. However, the mission’s emotional toll worsens when Davra is forced to destroy another Compact Navy vessel to prevent it from triggering a catastrophe. The action devastates her. Though she keeps her composure publicly, she breaks down in private—this time with Duffy returning the lift scene’s compassion, holding her as she grieves the burden of command.

After the mission, Davra officiates the wedding of Duffy and Shrian aboard the Endeavour. The ceremony, and the path they took to get there, quietly moves her and Eric Yuwono to marry shortly afterward in a private, unannounced ceremony—an act that surprises no one close to them.

Following the mission, Davra received an unexpected visit from Vice Admiral Quentin Austin aboard the Endeavour. What began as a review of the jump technology and its strategic potential quickly became a career-defining moment. Impressed by her leadership, Austin offered Davra permanent command of the Endeavour, stating his intention to make her a full captain. Though stunned—having only recently turned twenty-four—Davra accepted the trust placed in her by Burke and Austin. The moment marked her formal transition from protégé to one of the Navy’s youngest and most capable starship commanders.

Attack on Tian and Response

Shortly after the Endeavour returns to Tian orbit, Davra Andraste finds herself reflecting on her promotion and newly official status as captain while gazing down at Tian from the observation deck. Her moment of calm is shattered when she and Fleet Admiral Eileen Burke witness a clean fusion detonation on the planet’s surface—targeting Regional Command in the foothills north of Shandug. The blast appears to have originated from within the atmosphere, with no orbital signatures, echoing the pattern of the attacks on Gilead and Amargosa.

With the destruction of Regional Command, Admiral Quentin Austin assumes emergency authority from within Cybercommand’s bunker, his survival confirmed moments later. Burke takes over the Endeavour’s ready room as a command center, designating Davra and Lieutenant Apria as her operational leads. While coordinating the immediate response, Davra reveals her concern for Duffy and Shrian, who are honeymooning on the other side of the mountain range. Though shaken, she continues to direct shipboard operations with precision.

This act marks a grim full-circle moment for Davra: the child soldier of Amargosa now commanding a capital ship at the heart of a renewed internal war. Yet even amid crisis, Burke reaffirms Davra’s command of the Endeavour and trusts her with shaping the Navy’s future leadership—starting with Apria.

In the immediate aftermath of the Tian attack, Davra Andraste led a critical mission to the remote core world of Aurora, humanity’s second oldest interstellar colony, located beyond a Jefivan wormhole. With Eric Yuwono serving as Cybercommand liaison, Davra commanded the Endeavour into the Aurora system, navigating a disorienting configuration of gas giant and binary suns. Their destination was Sheol, a bleak moonlet orbiting one of Aurora’s moons—a lifeless, dark, and oddly smooth body with minimal mapping data and unpredictable gravitational fields. Despite the eerie quiet of the system, the team detected anomalous dark matter signatures consistent with the presence of pulsar-based quantum technology. Suspecting a hidden Juno cache, Davra coordinated with Shrian and Duffy to attempt a high-risk retrieval of the suspected jump drive rather than destroy it, using the Endeavour’s entanglement unit to remotely swap mass with the artifact.

The operation succeeded moments before Juno forces aboard a stealth Hogarth-class cruiser retaliated with railgun torpedoes, forcing a harrowing emergency jump to the Zeus Shipyards. In the aftermath, Davra learned of a media smear campaign falsely accusing the Compact of staging the Tian attack—an early indication of Juno’s political war strategy. Facing a debriefing on Tian and the need to shape the resistance’s next moves, Davra challenged Eric Yuwono to rise to leadership alongside her. With figures like Burke, Suicide, and even Weiss beginning to step back, Davra declared the responsibility now fell to their generation: the Children of Amargosa and their allies. “The mission is ours now,” she told Eric. “And the enemy is out in the open.” Their work, however, was just beginning.

Permanent Command 

Mission Context

Following her official promotion to captain—granted personally by Fleet Admiral Eileen Burke and marked by a ceremonial party aboard the Endeavour—Davra Andraste receives her first major diplomatic and scientific mission. The objective is to escort Tol Germanicus on a peace mission that could potentially end the war with the Realm.

---

Key Personnel Aboard

• JT Austin – Recruited as first officer after Davra removes the condescending Commander Fuller. Though now a civilian and a Foundation citizen, JT is persuaded by Suicide and Tishla to take the role and reintegrate temporarily with the Navy.

• Tishla Austin – Assigned to run Medbay despite being a geneticist, not a physician. Her expertise is needed for critical research on Gelt amortality.

• Ellie Nardino – Joins as a specialist due to her unique affinity for mechs (“mech whisperer”), playing a vital support role.

• Mitsuko Yamato – Boards later as the Foundation’s official observer, under her title of Princess Consort, but in practice acts as an experienced commander keeping both JT and Davra sharp.

• Tol & Marilyn Germanicus – Traveling aboard JT’s Goldeneye, they serve as Compact and Foundation emissaries for the diplomatic thrust of the mission.

---

Core Objectives

1. Support the Peace Initiative – Escort Tol Germanicus to the Sovereign of the Realm with a peace offering.

2. Retrieve Vital Genetic Tech from Melekan – Visit the Gelt world of Melekan to obtain a missing component required for Tishla’s amortality research—a crucial development that could stabilize Gelt society and underpin the peace effort.

3. Enable Diplomatic Legitimacy – Build goodwill by including Gelt and Foundation representatives and treating the mission as multi-factional.

---

Major Events and Challenges

1. Saboteurs Aboard the Endeavour

During the journey, the Endeavour suffers multiple acts of sabotage. These are investigated and foiled in stages:

• JT uncovers internal flaws in flight protocols and holds the line with junior officers.

• Mitsuko discovers political subversion aimed at disrupting Tol Germanicus’s role.

• Davra herself thwarts a final attempt to disable the ship’s core systems, solidifying her authority.

2. Diplomatic Presentation to the Sovereign

Once inside Realm space, Davra and her team are granted audience with the Sovereign. In an unprecedented act of deference, Duffy and his wife Shrian (a Gelt) present a custom-built symbolic container—a “box” that echoes both Gelt tradition and Compact ideals—as a peace token. The Sovereign accepts the offering and signals a willingness to engage in peace talks.

3. The Execution on Thule

The mission concludes with a solemn visit to Thule, where Tol Germanicus willingly faces execution for his past crimes dating back to the AI-triggered nuclear standoff of Earth’s World War III. His death is public and symbolic—intended to show the Compact and the Realm that even the most powerful must be held accountable to build peace.

Mission Outcome

• Davra completes her first mission with diplomatic and scientific success.

• JT reclaims a place of respect, balancing his hatred of bureaucracy with his loyalty to Davra and Tishla.

• Tishla advances Gelt amortality research, laying a foundation for long-term peace with the Realm.

• The Sovereign accepts the Compact’s peace offering.

• Suicide and Mitsuko both reinforce Davra’s role as a rising leader in both the military and political spheres of the Compact.

  Rescue of Tessa Dasarius and Disappearance of Suicide

  By 440 IE, Davra Andraste had fully settled into command of the Endeavour, navigating the escalating crisis surrounding Marcus Leitman. During a tense engagement with the Gladwyn Jebb—a Compact ship secretly loyal to Leitman—Davra was forced to order its destruction when it refused to stand down and opened fire. Though tactically necessary, the loss of fellow Compact officers haunted her. She nearly unraveled under the burden of that choice, but Eric Yuwono helped steady her, reminding her of the lives she saved.

  When Tessa Dasarius and her daughter Shaneese were taken hostage on Earth, Davra dispatched Connor Duffy aboard the Goldeneye to lead the rescue. While awaiting their return, she engaged the Keiko Matsumoto, one of Leitman’s most dangerous assets. The Endeavour survived only due to a sabotage operation led by Suicide, who destroyed the Matsumoto and disappeared in the process. Her presumed death left a wound in the crew—and in Davra personally.

  Still holding out hope, Davra flew alongside JT Austin, searching for any trace of Suicide. When JT quietly said, “Goodbye, Mom,” she knew he had accepted the truth. It broke her heart.

  After the Endeavour was temporarily reassigned to Luna to await orders, Davra gathered the remaining six Children of Amargosa in her ready room—herself, JT, Duffy, Eric, Mitsuko, Ellie Nardino, and Tishla—for a private “for absent friends” ceremony. No guests, no fanfare—just the seven of them, remembering the woman who had fought, bled, and ultimately died for them. For all her fire and scars, Suicide had been their protector, their guide, and in many ways, their chosen mother.

  ---

  Relationships

• JT Austin: Davra Andraste’s relationship with JT Austin began during the darkest days of the Gelt invasion, when a grief-stricken JT boarded a maglev carrying the ashes of his wife, Lizzy. Davra, still only fourteen and processing her own trauma, was the first to offer him comfort. Her instinctive embrace helped ground him in that moment, forming the emotional bedrock of a bond that would evolve from raw, shared loss into deep mutual respect. Over time, their connection—often likened to that of combative siblings—was shaped by survival, clashing worldviews, and a shared refusal to yield to despair. During the Amargosa occupation, Davra often served as JT’s moral compass, never afraid to call him out even as she relied on his experience. Their bond, often compared to that of combative siblings, grew stronger as both matured into leadership roles in the war’s aftermath.

  By the time of the Aphrodite operation against Kurz, Davra had grown into a firm, decisive officer. When Suicide went missing in the jungle, JT’s instincts pushed him toward impulsive action. Davra, now acting commander, had to keep him in check—balancing empathy with tactical discipline. Her restraint and clarity helped the team recover Suicide without catastrophe, cementing her role as the grounding force in their dynamic.

  In the recovery room aboard the Valles Marineris, Davra gave JT one final push. She directly confronted him over his prolonged rift with Suicide, refusing to let his guilt and avoidance undermine the bond that once anchored both of them. The exchange was firm, even emotional—but it worked. Later that day, she witnessed JT and Suicide in an embrace. For Davra, it was a moment of quiet satisfaction: her oldest comrade was finally whole again.

  Their final mission together on Mount Buxanshal brought things full circle. With the band back together—JT, Davra, Suicide, Mitsuko, and others—things finally felt normal again, despite the fact that they were going after nuclear-armed religious fanatics in a jungle warzone. Davra and JT tag-teamed to prep Mitsuko for her solo mission, a task neither took lightly. But amid the tension, there was familiarity, camaraderie, and even humor. It was the kind of moment that reminded them both who they were before the war, and who they’d become after.

  On Hosh, JT offers Davra quiet, steady support—never pressing, never prying. He’s the one who flies her to the surface and gives her space to rescue Eric, understanding exactly what she’s dealing with without needing to say a word.

  Davra’s bond with JT deepens when the latter is wounded rescuing his wife and Baker ibn-Aziz from Liberty, especially as his condition worsens following his injuries on Liberty. When a skeptical security chief questions using official resources to transport him, Davra fiercely defends JT, pointing out that she, too, has undergone Thulian rejuvenation and understands the stakes. She implicitly aligns herself with the Children of Amargosa, affirming her loyalty to the tight-knit group. Personally escorting JT, Tishla, and President ibn-Aziz to the Thulian Clinic on Aphrodite, Davra ensures JT’s survival is treated as a priority—balancing duty, friendship, and the quiet authority she’s steadily come to embody.

  During her first mission as a fully commissioned captain, Davra requested JT as her executive officer, needing someone she trusted implicitly—and someone with the same war-forged instincts. Their partnership aboard the Endeavour was almost seamless, if not entirely without friction, as both brought emotional weight and differing command styles to the bridge. When JT was injured during a vacuum incident and Tishla appeared to be the saboteurs’ target, Davra’s professional demeanor cracked under personal concern. She later recommended him to command the Buran, but JT declined, choosing instead to remain by Tishla’s side during her experimental amortality treatment. Davra respected the decision—and gladly let JT get her drunk afterward, reasoning, as he put it, that was still part of the outgoing XO’s job.

  In 440 IE, that bond was tested as they searched together for any trace of Suicide following the destruction of the Keiko Matsumoto. JT piloted the flight himself, shaken and quiet, clinging to a sliver of hope. When he finally said, “Goodbye, Mom,” Davra felt her heart break—not just for his grief, but for the finality of what they both knew to be true.

  Later, in her ready room aboard the Endeavour, Davra gathered the seven Children of Amargosa for a private wake. As they remembered Suicide, JT spoke with a quiet authority that stayed with her: “We are Suicide. She made us.” For Davra, that single sentence reframed everything—not just their loss, but their legacy. She had always seen herself as shaped by war and necessity. But JT reminded her they had also been shaped by love, pain, and the fire of the woman who refused to let them die or surrender.

• Eric Yuwono:

  Though rarely the subject of overt romantic drama, Davra Andraste’s relationship with Eric Yuwono is one of the most stable and quietly enduring connections to emerge from the Amargosa resistance. What begins as a bond forged in wartime stress and moral conflict—particularly during the Trixie tribunal—matures into a deep partnership grounded in mutual trust, complementary skill sets, and a shared commitment to service.

  Their camaraderie, forged under fire as Eric repeatedly saved Davra’s life and she backed him during his infiltration of Kray’s militia, grew more personal in the chaotic final months of the occupation. By the time of the Liberation, their connection is solidified. Together, they undergo amortality treatment to repair cellular damage from radiation and incendiary nanites, further tying their futures to one another.

  The experience left its mark—not just physically, but emotionally. The treatment’s grueling side effects forced them into close quarters: ravenous hunger, unquenchable thirst, and overwhelming hormonal spikes. While recovering, they grew discreetly intimate, navigating a relationship that became more complicated but never public. Davra went out of her way to conceal their growing closeness, even as a perceptive nurse quietly intervened with medication to help her manage one of the more difficult side effects.

  Though neither openly defined the relationship in romantic terms, the bond between Davra and Eric endured well beyond recovery. It was a connection born of war, tempered by shared survival, and shaped by the irreversible transformation they endured together as two of the first amortals of Amargosa.

  From Another Way to Die onward, it becomes clear they are a couple in all but name. Their relationship is intimate whenever duty allows, though marriage remains postponed—ironically outpaced by their more impulsive peers like JT Austin, Tishla, and Connor Duffy.

  That strength is tested during the mission to Hosh, when Eric is nearly killed after ejecting from a disintegrating shuttle and losing his foot to a sea bull. Davra is the one who rescues him, but the emotional resolution is mutual: Eric confesses he came close to crossing a line, and Davra demands he transfer to Analysis—out of the field, out of the gray. He agrees. In true Davra and Eric fashion, it’s not a dramatic reconciliation—it’s a negotiated understanding, another quiet reinforcement of the foundation they’ve built.

  What defines Davra and Eric is quiet stability. They do not need to broadcast their affection, nor do they fall into melodrama. Instead, their bond reflects an adult partnership: respectful, resilient, and strengthened by every challenge they’ve endured.

  Eric Yuwono maintains a primarily professional presence during the Liberty mission, though his deep bond with Davra Andraste is unmistakable. While he accompanies Captain Chen and Admiral Burke to the planet’s surface, Davra assumes command aboard the Hadrian, and their banter—dry, familiar, and laced with affection—reveals a relationship that functions as a marriage in all but name. During a holographic briefing, Davra casually tells Eric, “Pick up a liter of milk on your way back,” underscoring both their comfort with each other and the quiet domesticity that persists even in the middle of a critical operation.

  Though they share no on-page scenes in Jump, Davra and Eric’s bond remains strong and implicit throughout. Davra’s experience commanding the Endeavour—particularly the emotional trauma of killing a fellow Navy crew—reshapes her view of service and connection. She leans on those closest to her, including Duffy and ultimately Eric, to stay grounded.

  Their decision to marry quietly following Duffy and Shrian’s wedding reflects the natural evolution of their relationship—one built on mutual respect, shared trauma, and enduring affection since their days as Children of Amargosa. Friends are unsurprised by the news; the two had long moved as a unit, their commitment needing no announcement to be understood.

  Eric has been Davra’s closest emotional anchor since the occupation of Amargosa, their relationship evolving from allies to romantic partners and eventually (quietly) husband and wife. Their dynamic blends deep mutual respect with a playful, sometimes provocative affection—marked by a habit of punctuating reunions with tequila and innuendo. Following her commissioning ceremony, the two celebrated her official promotion with a shared bed and the last of a rare bottle, in Eric’s words, “to foster inter-service relations.”

  Though physically stationed on Tian, Eric continued to support Davra during the Endeavour mission, using his Cybercommand access to assist in identifying and unraveling sabotage efforts against the peace initiative. Working alongside G-1 Weiss, he helped trace the intrusions back to rogue actors bent on undermining the mission. His behind-the-scenes efforts reinforced their connection—not just as partners, but as professionals still fighting the same war from different fronts.

  Davra and Eric’s bond remained strong through the escalating crises of 440 IE. When Davra was left shaken after ordering the destruction of the Gladwyn Jebb, it was Eric who arrived in her ready room first. He didn’t try to justify the decision or offer platitudes—he simply stayed with her in the silence, grounding her until she could function again.

  Not long after, he joined Suicide’s strike team to rescue Tessa Dasarius and Shaneese from captivity on Earth. Davra didn’t need to ask; he volunteered.

  Later, during the “for absent friends” gathering in Davra’s ready room following Suicide’s disappearance, it was Eric who unexpectedly lightened the mood. One sip of strong tequila sent him into a coughing fit, briefly breaking the solemnity of the moment. Davra was quietly amused—it reminded her of the boy he once was, and how much he had grown.

• Suicide: Davra Andraste’s relationship with Suicide is defined by tension, respect, and a deep, often unspoken mutual regard. Initially, Suicide serves as Davra’s commanding officer during the early resistance on Amargosa—tough, pragmatic, and far less idealistic than her young subordinate. When Davra intervenes to stop a fellow soldier from assaulting the Gelt prisoner Trixie, her actions, though morally right, violate chain of command and protocol. Suicide is forced to exile Davra from the team under Section 11, marking one of the most painful ruptures in Davra’s early military life.

  And yet, Suicide never abandons her. In a private moment following the tribunal, she offers Davra a candid mix of critique and encouragement—acknowledging both the idealism that makes Davra dangerous and the leadership potential that could make her exceptional. It’s a pivotal exchange: the first time Davra sees that Suicide isn’t just a ruthless operative, but someone carrying the weight of command with fierce loyalty and buried compassion.

  That evolution continues during the Anna Khirovsky crisis. When Suicide infiltrates the ship to stop Jez Salamacis from initiating an unauthorized Section 11 execution, it’s Davra who spots her and engineers the sabotage route—then insists Suicide take her hostage to get past security. In the claustrophobic confines of a maintenance tube, Davra keeps her cool, even as Suicide hesitates to arm a weapon against her. The exchange reveals how far their bond has come: Davra trusts Suicide with her life, and Suicide respects her enough not to risk it recklessly. Later, when Salamacis murders the ship’s captain and tries to claim Suicide’s life under false authority, Davra is the one who neutralizes her with a disabling shot. The shared danger, reversal of roles, and unspoken trust between them in those moments signal that the mentor–protégé dynamic has morphed into something deeper: a battlefield partnership rooted in shared history, mutual protection, and earned respect.

  Their bond resurfaces during the Aphrodite campaign in Royal Orders. When Suicide goes missing, Davra puts aside any lingering resentment and leads the mission to recover her, ultimately succeeding in reuniting the team. After the operation, when JT and Suicide reconcile in the recovery room, Davra observes the moment quietly, recognizing it as both a personal and symbolic healing—for them, and for herself. In a flashback during this period, Davra recalls rift between JT and Suicide and getting annoyed at the latter’s tunnel vision: “Dammit, she may call you son, but she’s my mother, too!” The line crytallizes Davra’s unspoken connection to Suicide—a bond forged in harsh lessons, mutual scars, and the kind of fierce loyalty that doesn’t require constant affirmation. At this point, Suicide isn’t just a former superior; she’s family, complicated and unshakable.

  In many ways, Suicide acts as both mentor and moral foil. Where Davra is principled and precise, Suicide is pragmatic and instinctive. Their differences often clash, but over time, their values align. By the events of Royal Orders, the power dynamic has subtly shifted: Suicide still holds rank, but Davra now operates as her equal, trusted with command and capable of steadying even her former superior.

  On Hosh, their direct interaction is limited, but the legacy of their bond remains present in every decision. Davra returns to the surface aboard the Goldeneye—flown by JT and Suicide—on a mission to recover Eric. Suicide says little, but the moment carries weight.

  In Breaking Liberty, Suicide continues to act as strategist and field leader, but a subtle shift occurs during the mech assault aboard the Hadrian. When two enemy mechs breach the ship, she defers to Davra Andraste’s command without hesitation, allowing Davra to lead the counterattack. This marks the first time one of the Children of Amargosa steps fully into a peer role beside her. Suicide’s quiet support signals not only trust in Davra’s leadership but also the maturation of the next generation—those she helped raise now commanding operations in their own right.

  Suicide has been a mentor, surrogate mother, and steady presence in Davra’s life since the Amargosa occupation. She was among the first to recognize Davra’s leadership potential and has supported her rise through the ranks—even when it meant Davra outranked her in title. At Davra’s commissioning ceremony, Suicide made a rare public appearance to honor her, proudly reminding her, “Now you get to deal with the insubordinate junior officers,” a nod to Davra’s own rebellious youth under her command.

  Their roles reversed on Thule during the mission’s final act. When Tol Germanicus—Suicide’s longtime mentor and father figure—submitted to execution, Suicide broke down in grief. For one of the few times in their long bond, it was Davra who offered comfort. She held Suicide in the quiet aftermath, softly calling her by her given name, “Yun.” It was an unguarded moment between two women hardened by war and loss, a rare exchange that deepened their already complex connection.

  Of all the Children of Amargosa, none shaped Davra more than Suicide. She had been Davra’s commanding officer, mentor, protector—and, in many ways, the woman who taught her how to lead. Their relationship was rarely soft, but it was unshakable.

  In 440 IE, Suicide returned to the Endeavour at a moment of crisis, leading the team that rescued Tessa Dasarius and Shaneese from Earth. But she disappeared shortly afterward, sacrificing herself to sabotage the Keiko Matsumoto and save the Endeavour from annihilation. The loss nearly broke Davra. For a time, she struggled to function—holding the bridge with practiced precision while her heart felt hollow. Alone in her ready room, Davra picked up a wineglass, stared at it for a long time—then hurled it against the bulkhead. The shattering sound echoed her grief, rage, and the unbearable silence Suicide left behind. She cleaned it up herself. She didn’t want the crew to know.

  In her honor, Davra organized a private wake in her ready room. No officers outside the circle. Just the seven Children of Amargosa. They sat in silence before each raised a glass of tequila in memory of the woman who had forged them in war and kept them alive when they barely knew how to fight. When JT Austin said, “We are Suicide. She made us all,” Davra felt the weight of the words settle over her like armor. It was both a farewell and a vow.

  Suicide was gone—but she was with them, always.

• Tyler Wat: Davra distrusts Wat due to his ties to the forced polygamy movement on Goshen and his morally gray decisions. She sees him as a necessary evil in the fight against Kray.

• Tishla: Davra Andraste and Tishla share little direct interaction after the events of Second Wave, but their bond is rooted in a formative, harrowing experience: Davra’s decision to save the Gelt prisoner known as “Trixie” from attempted sexual assault by a fellow soldier. That act—morally righteous but in breach of military protocol—leads to Davra’s exile under Section 11, and forever marks her as someone willing to risk everything to do what is right. For Tishla, it is the moment a former enemy becomes a protector. For Davra, it is the moment she internalizes Tishla not as “the other,” but as someone worth defending.

  Though their paths diverge, Davra seems to view Tishla as one of the Children of Amargosa—a survivor, a leader, and someone who earned her place in that small, haunted fraternity. This unspoken kinship is reaffirmed during Storming Amargosa, when Davra is taken hostage by Lucius Kray during his final standoff. Tishla arrives during the confrontation—following Brendie and Ellie—and witnesses Kray’s brutal execution at the hands of sapient lycanths. Though the scene is not shown from Davra’s perspective, her presence underscores the narrative weight of all the women Kray tried to dominate now standing against him.

  The next time the two women share space is at Mitsuko and Edward Windsor’s wedding. Tishla’s quiet attendance and Davra’s easy acknowledgment of her place there confirm the depth of their mutual recognition—more spiritual than spoken.

  In Breaking Liberty, Davra Andraste adjusts to Tishla’s role as the resident medical expert, recognizing her clinical authority even as they navigate tense political ground. When a security chief questions the priority of evacuating JT to the Thulian Clinic on Aphrodite, Davra shuts him down sharply—not only to defend JT, but to make it clear that Tishla, too, is one of the Children of Amargosa. Her loyalty extends beyond old friendships; Davra will not tolerate anti-Gelt prejudice, regardless of the Compact’s strained relations with the Realm. In Tishla, she sees both a peer and a sister-in-arms.

  Davra has long admired Tishla’s courage and compassion, even when it put her at odds with both human and Gelt leadership. During the Endeavour mission, she was both relieved and delighted to learn Tishla had been assigned as chief medical officer—even if the appointment was unconventional, given Tishla’s background as a geneticist. Recognizing that JT would only join the mission if Tishla were already on board, Davra asked her to help persuade him to serve as first officer. Tishla’s presence gave Davra confidence in the peace initiative, and as the mission progressed, she became fiercely protective of her friend when sabotage efforts suggested Tishla might be a target. Amidst the political tension and military pressure, the two carved out rare moments of girl time—trading snark, tequila, and quiet support like the veterans they were, still surviving in a galaxy that never stopped testing them.

  In 440 IE, after Suicide’s disappearance during the destruction of the Keiko Matsumoto, Tishla—at the urging of Tol Germanicus and his wife Marilyn—joined the Endeavour in orbit over Luna. She was there for the wake Davra held in her ready room, joining the other Children of Amargosa in mourning the woman who had brought them together.

  With Earth now under indefinite quarantine, Tishla voiced a quiet but pointed observation: unlike the original Gelt homeworld, Earth could still be liberated. But she mourned the cultural and historical loss the planet represented—cut off from the rest of humanity, perhaps forever. Davra, standing beside her, wondered aloud what such a liberation would cost. The two women shared a long silence, both of them shaped by the scars of Amargosa’s own liberation. They knew better than most that victory rarely came without a terrible price.

• Ellie Nardino: Davra Andraste’s relationship with Ellie Nardino begins under tense circumstances during The Children of Amargosa, when the two meet in Lansdorp and flee the fusion blast together during the invasion. Davra is grappling with the recent loss of her father, and Ellie later suffers a claustrophobic panic attack after learning her own father is dead. Their grief collides rather than bonds them—initially leaving them emotionally out of sync.

  That distance closes over time. As they travel with JT Austin and face increasingly dangerous odds, Ellie and Davra begin to trust each other in the field. By the time of the mission to the Ban Ki-moon, they coordinate demolition tasks with ease, laying the groundwork for a professional rapport rooted in competence and mutual respect.

  Following the Liberation of Amargosa, their paths diverge—Davra joins the Navy, Ellie remains planetside—but their connection remains strong whenever they’re reunited. In Royal Orders, they fight side by side once again during the assault on Mt. Buxanshal, by now operating in quiet lockstep.

  On Hosh, that cohesion continues. While Ellie leads infiltration and ground coordination, Davra handles the unscheduled emergency: Eric Yuwono’s dramatic fall from orbit. Ellie ensures Davra gets to him, and Davra finishes the job. Their communication is minimal, but their actions speak volumes. Neither woman needs to spell out the stakes—they already understand what the other is carrying. It’s not a friendship defined by overt sentiment, but by the kind of battlefield trust that never needs to be said aloud.

  During the Liberty operation, Davra Andraste observes Ellie Nardino come into her own as a leader. When enemy mechs attack the Hadrian, Davra lets Ellie take point on the external battle, trusting her to handle combat in vacuum. Once the fight moves inside, Davra reasserts command, complementing Ellie’s initiative with firm tactical control. The only hiccup comes when Ellie forgets to reset her smart ammo from vacuum to shipboard mode—a mistake Davra notes with mild exasperation but no lasting judgment. She’s seen how far Ellie has come from the frightened girl who once panicked in a dark maglev tunnel to the capable fighter now standing beside her.

  Ellie has always been a bit of a mystery to Davra—equal parts survivor, genius, and wild card. During the Endeavour mission, their bond deepened in surprising ways. Ellie, in true form, broke the ice by sneaking into Davra’s quarters and climbing into her bed as a prank—then stayed to talk, opening up in ways she rarely did with anyone. Beyond her antics, Ellie proved indispensable when the Endeavour harvested pulsar material to construct a new quantum entanglement device for the Sovereign, showcasing the same intuitive technical brilliance that once made her a legend among mechs. Davra also became quietly aware that Ellie had begun training for her pilot’s certificate, a move that made sense given her increasing involvement with flight systems and her desire to chart her own course. Their friendship is now less about shared pasts and more about mutual trust, laughter, and a quiet recognition of how far they’ve both come.

• Mitsuko Yamato: Davra Andraste and Mitsuko Yamato begin as professional acquaintances, often operating on parallel missions with minimal overlap. But during their joint deployment to Hanar and later on Aphrodite, the nature of their connection shifts. Davra, with her clear-eyed tactical thinking and principled backbone, quickly earns Mitsuko’s respect—not just as a former resistance fighter, but as an emerging leader. When Mitsuko falters after her first Section 11 execution, it’s Davra who steps in—not with judgment, but with whiskey and a willingness to shoulder the weight alongside her. That moment cements a personal bond layered beneath their professional alliance.

  By the time of the Hosh operation, their roles have further converged. Both are seasoned field commanders trusted with critical missions, both accustomed to improvising under pressure, and both carrying the quiet weariness of survivors-turned-soldiers. While Mitsuko leads a special forces unit on the ground, Davra conducts an impromptu rescue of Eric Yuwono after his uncontrolled reentry from orbit. Their coordination is seamless, their trust implicit. Though their conversations are few, their actions reflect a powerful mutual understanding: each knows the other will do what must be done—and neither will let the mission break the people they care about.

  Mitsuko Yamato puts aside her royal duties to join Suicide’s team on Liberty, helping to extract Tishla from Jez Salamacis. When enemy mechs attack the Hadrian, Mitsuko defers to Ellie and Suicide during the EVA portion of the battle, recognizing their experience in vacuum combat. But the moment the fighting shifts inside the ship, she transitions effortlessly into a command role, coordinating with Davra Andraste and taking a frontline position in the counterassault. Mitsuko may carry a title, but aboard the Hadrian, she proves once again she’s a warrior first—and one who knows exactly when to step up or step back.

  Mitsuko plays a brief but memorable role during the Endeavour’s mission to retrieve Compact Assembly delegates. Though officially a visiting royal and Foundation dignitary, she inserts herself into the operation to help manage the notoriously difficult delegates. Her first act aboard the ship—commencing a round of drinks with Davra, Duffy, and Shrian—sets the tone for her unorthodox but effective style.

  During the tense confrontation with the Yedevans, Mitsuko proves indispensable as a calming and authoritative presence among the panicking delegates. Her poise under pressure reinforces her value not just as a political figure, but as a steadying influence in moments of chaos.

  Mitsuko has long been one of Davra’s sharpest and most unflinching peers—someone who understands both the burden of power and the need to blow off steam with tequila and sarcasm. During the Endeavour mission, Mitsuko’s presence as a Foundation observer quickly proved far more operational than ceremonial. While she provided Davra with much-needed girl time—on par with Tishla in offering a blend of comfort and irreverence—she also demonstrated her instincts as a former officer. It was Mitsuko who detected a saboteur using chip overlays to mask their identity, and Mitsuko again who took the copilot’s seat during the peace delegation’s shuttle trip to the Throneworld, clearing a suspected infiltrator from the cockpit. In a mission full of shifting loyalties and dangerous politics, Mitsuko was a constant: competent, unshakeable, and one of the few people Davra could talk to without ever having to explain herself.

  Davra’s relationship with Mitsuko remained rooted in mutual respect, sharpened by their contrasting styles—Davra the disciplined military officer, Mitsuko the sardonic, impulsive royal who seemed to thrive in chaos. Yet by 440 IE, Davra recognized Mitsuko as one of the few people who could command with both credibility and conscience.

  Mitsuko played a critical role in the rescue of Tessa Dasarius and Shaneese from Leitman’s grip on Earth. At Davra’s request, she led a Templar strike team into the lion’s den, taking calculated risks and absorbing punishment most royals would never dream of facing. Davra later learned that Mitsuko had taken a bullet during the operation—kept fighting—and never mentioned it unless asked. It only reinforced Davra’s belief that Mitsuko was not just reliable but exceptional.

  At Suicide’s wake in Davra’s ready room, Mitsuko sat quietly among the seven Children of Amargosa. For once, she offered no wisecracks, no irreverent toasts. She simply raised her glass when JT said, “We are Suicide. She made us.” Davra noted that, for all her swagger, Mitsuko had learned reverence—and when to show it.

  Davra no longer thought of her as “the royal one.” She thought of her as Mitsuko: one of them.

• Connor Duffy:Though Davra and Duffy shared few scenes in earlier stories, Jump reveals the strength of their familial bond as two of the Children of Amargosa. When Shrian appears to sacrifice herself to the Yedevans, Davra halts a lift to comfort a devastated Duffy—temporarily putting aside her command duties to be his sister first, officer second. Later, after Davra is shattered by the necessity of destroying a Compact vessel, Duffy returns the favor, grounding her in her grief. Their mutual trust and willingness to lean on one another in crisis mark them as chosen siblings. Davra later officiates Duffy and Shrian’s wedding, a moment so moving it prompts her and Eric Yuwono to marry quietly shortly afterward.

  In 440 IE, when Davra broke down after ordering the destruction of the Gladwyn Jebb, it was Duffy who gently held the line. As Eric Yuwono instinctively stepped forward to comfort her, Duffy placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Let’s give them a few.” He understood what she needed—space, dignity, and time.

  Later, Davra entrusted Duffy with a critical role in the rescue of Tessa Dasarius and Shaneese. She assigned him to infiltrate the estate on Earth, knowing that Shrian—his Gelt partner—would be executed if captured. It was a brutal call, but she knew Duffy could make it count. He didn’t hesitate.

  At Suicide’s wake in her ready room, Davra caught herself watching Duffy with Eric and Ellie Nardino, laughing softly through the haze of grief. Their easy rapport, their dark humor, the history between them—it was overwhelming. And she thought of Shrian, now sharing her life with Duffy. “Eleven years of in-jokes,” she mused silently. “Shrian must feel like the new in-law in the family.” And yet, she knew Shrian belonged too. Just like the rest of them.

• Shrian Duffy:

  Shrian has been one of Davra’s most trusted crew members and personal inspirations. A Gelt rescued from indenture by Connor Duffy, Shrian earned her place aboard the Endeavour through sheer brilliance and determination, becoming a specialist in quantum entanglement and one of the Compact Navy’s foremost minds in the field. Davra not only admires her scientific insight but deeply respects her tenacity—backing Shrian’s brief attempt to resign her commission when the burden of being a Gelt officer became overwhelming. The resignation never held, and Davra was proud to captain the first Gelt officer in the Compact Navy, even officiating Shrian and Duffy’s wedding herself.

  Despite the professionalism expected of command, Davra is openly protective of Shrian, at one point overruling JT Austin—someone she normally relies on without question—when Shrian needed time to recover from a head injury. She considers Shrian an integral part of the crew, a symbol of what the Compact and the Foundation can become. For Davra, Shrian represents not just progress, but hope: a living testament to how enemies can become allies, and how brilliance, courage, and love transcend species and history.

• Laral Peteesh: Upon her capture, Laral Farad gifts Davra to his wife, Peteesh, as a pet. At first, the Gelt woman is ignorant, which Davra finds humiliating, but after witnessing Farad rape her one night, Davra slowly gains her trust. The pair escape together, and Peteesh willingly submits to be her prisoner. Davra objects to using her as a peace offering, and witnesses her murder.

• Cassandra – Initially part of a hostile group of Metisian recruits, Cassandra ultimately chose loyalty to her shipmates over peer pressure. She stood by Davra during and after the Alyssa Carson reactor incident, becoming one of her first true comrades-in-arms during her early naval career.

• Eileen Burke:

  Vice Admiral Eileen Burke has been a quiet but consistent force in Davra Andraste’s life since the end of the Liberation of Amargosa. In the aftermath of Davra’s recovery from amortality treatment, it is Burke who personally recruits her into the Navy, recognizing her unique combination of battlefield experience, technical brilliance, and a strong moral compass.

  Their relationship begins over tea in newly rebuilt New Lansdorp, where Burke offers Davra a commission as a lieutenant, junior grade, with the promise of full promotion upon completion of Officer Training School on Tian. In this initial conversation, Burke demonstrates both candor and empathy—acknowledging Davra’s controversial relationship with Eric Yuwono but choosing not to punish it, viewing both as young adults shaped by extraordinary circumstances. She also urges Davra to use her influence to encourage the rest of the Children of Amargosa to undergo rejuvenation.

  Burke takes an active interest in Davra’s career, assigning her first to the Challenger and later to the Anna Khirovsky, where Davra distinguishes herself during a mutiny involving a rogue Section 11 execution. After that assignment, Burke brings Davra aboard the Valles Marineris as Special Assistant to the Regional Commander—an unusually high-trust post for someone of Davra’s rank. The position signals Burke’s intent: Davra is not merely a promising officer, but someone being quietly shaped for command and future leadership.

  Following the Khirovsky incident, Burke personally debriefs Davra aboard the Challenger, where the young lieutenant voices her frustration that Jez Salamacis escaped Compact justice by self-immolating in Metisian custody—only to likely be resurrected via stored consciousness data. Burke uses the moment to deliver one of her most sobering lessons. In the observation lounge overlooking the gas giant Zeus, she tells Davra that while Section 11 is sometimes necessary, it marks a point of no return. “There’s a light in you, Davra,” Burke says, warning that ending a life, even justly, risks dimming it forever. The exchange is formative: Burke affirms Davra’s moral instincts but cautions her against the corrosive toll of vengeance. It cements Burke’s role not just as a superior officer, but as a steadying mentor—one committed to preserving the qualities that make Davra exceptional, even as she pushes her toward increasingly perilous roles.

  During the events of Royal Orders, Burke plays a direct role in coordinating operations against radical Cubist threats. In a rare moment of candor, she gathers the surviving human Children of Amargosa aboard the Marineris and bluntly refers to the recent giant mech incident as “the biggest clusterfuck of my career.” Rather than deflect blame, she invites Davra and her comrades to suggest next steps—an act that shifts the tone from command hierarchy to tactical partnership.

  It is from this moment that Mitsuko’s raid on Aphrodite is greenlit, with Davra taking point on much of the operational coordination. Burke continues to back her decisively, giving Davra space to lead and learn, and trusting her instincts both in the field and in crisis response.

  While Burke rarely vocalizes praise, her repeated reassignments of Davra to increasingly sensitive roles—and her willingness to consult her as a peer during strategic briefings—reveal a relationship built on deep professional respect. Burke doesn’t coddle Davra; she challenges her, elevates her, and prepares her for greater responsibilities. For Davra, the admiral is more than a superior officer—she’s a model of the kind of leader Davra herself is becoming. Burke jokes Davra will make captain by twenty-five, which later proves prophetic.

  At Liberty in 437, Admiral Burke, now a full admiral, takes on a more deliberate mentorship role as she evaluates Davra Andraste for future command. Confident in her protégé’s abilities, Burke departs the Hadrian with Captain Chen to lead surface negotiations on Liberty, leaving Davra in full operational control of the ship. On Aphrodite, Burke signals her confidence even more directly—granting Davra the authority to speak in her name during a standoff with the Border Guard. It’s more than a field test; it’s Burke grooming her first officer for eventual command in the Fleet, and making sure everyone sees it.

  In 439, Burke’s influence was felt at every level—personally delivering Davra’s formal promotion to captain and assigning her one of the most sensitive diplomatic missions in recent memory. Though the admiral gave Davra room to lead, her expectations were clear: Davra was no longer the brilliant upstart—she was command. Burke’s quiet confidence in her helped Davra rise to the challenge, even as she found herself navigating sabotage, diplomacy, and high-stakes science. For Davra, Burke remains more than a superior officer; she’s the standard, the anchor, and the model of what leadership should look like in a fractured galaxy.

  Quentin Austin:

  Davra first met Quentin Austin during the Liberation of Amargosa, when the then–Force Admiral took note of a fierce, brilliant fifteen-year-old freedom fighter who had already survived more than most soldiers do in a career. Initially interested because of her connection to his son, JT, Austin soon recognized Davra’s exceptional capabilities on her own terms. Over the years, he kept a quiet but active interest in her rise through the ranks. In 438 IE, now a full admiral and Regional Commander for Tian, Austin formally initiated the process of converting Davra’s field commission into a permanent captaincy. “You’re ready,” he told her—a rare and sincere moment from a man known for his bluntness. Privately, he told his mentor and close friend Eileen Burke, “She’s a better officer than I ever was.” For Davra, Austin’s belief meant more than any ceremony; it marked the moment she fully stepped into the role others had seen in her for years.

  Davra’s longstanding connection with Admiral Quentin Austin deepened in 440 IE as she faced some of the most difficult decisions of her career. Following the destruction of the Gladwyn Jebb, Davra received a private communication from Austin via the newly developed ansible—a prototype communication system based on quantum entanglement. His words were simple but powerful: she had made the right call.

  Coming from a man who had once led the failed liberation of Amargosa and knew the cost of war firsthand, his reassurance struck home. He not only backed her judgment but formally authorized her to loan out the quantum entanglement drive Shrian had been developing aboard the Endeavour, a bold move that later proved critical to the rescue of Tessa Dasarius.

  That call gave Davra the confidence she desperately needed in that moment. She wasn’t just holding the line—she was making the decisions that shaped the course of the Compact. And Austin, who had once been the only admiral who took her seriously during the occupation, still had her back.

  Bart Fuller:

  Commander Bart Fuller was briefly assigned as Davra’s first executive officer aboard the Endeavour—a decision that proved disastrous almost immediately. Overconfident and condescending, Fuller made the mistake of asserting authority in Davra’s ready room before she had even taken the chair formally. Treating her as a child playing captain, he dismissed her authority, ignored her schedule, and attempted to impose his own leadership over her senior staff. Davra wasted no time asserting command, relieving him for insubordination before the first day’s briefing ended. While she declined to pursue court-martial, she ensured his demotion and removal were recorded formally. Though not the first overentitled officer she’s dealt with, Fuller was a case study in how outdated assumptions about age and rank can meet a swift end under capable command.

  Abby Apria:

  Abby Apria, a skilled Martian pilot, served as the Endeavour’s helmswoman. Calm under pressure and impressively precise at the controls, Abby was instrumental in navigating high-risk operations, including combat insertions, delicate orbital maneuvers, and critical diplomatic flights. Davra came to rely on her not only for flawless flying but also for her steadiness and tactical instincts in crisis.

  When the time came to choose a new executive officer, promoting Abby was a clear and easy decision. JT Austin, already acting as XO, strongly endorsed her for the position, citing her discipline, loyalty, and sharp judgment. For Davra, it was more than a formality—it was the continuation of building a command team she could trust with her life. Abby’s rise from pilot to XO exemplified everything Davra wanted the Endeavour to represent: competence, unity, and earned respect.

Author’s Notes:

Davra’s name is a combination of “Davora,” a variant on the name of the female Israelite judge Deborah in the Book of Judges, and “Andraste,” a pre-Celtic war goddess. The idea was to make her a combination of wise leader and warrior.

Her father, and later lover and eventual husband Eric Yuwono, both called her “Dabby” in private. Eventually, the other Children of Amargosa call her that when she’s stressed.

She was originally envisioned as the group nerd, but the role has since spread out between Connor Duffy, Ellie Nardino, and, to a lesser extent, Tishla.

In the novel Davra's Endeavour, JT Austin says tells Davra, while he and Mitsuko are looked at as the fierce fighters of the group, she is the one in the Children of Amargosa he looks up to.

Appearances: The Children of Amargosa, Second Wave, Storming Amargosa, “Lady Starship Trooper,” Suicide Run, Checkmate, Royal Orders, Another Way to Die, Breaking Liberty, Jump, Davra's Endeavour, Suicide Solution