Shrian Duffy, born Pelgar Shrian, is a Gelt engineer and physicist who defects to the Compact during the events of Jump. Initially indentured to the disgraced Gelt noble Laral Raas, Shrian secretly develops a prototype quantum entanglement drive—a revolutionary propulsion system capable of instant interstellar travel. She escapes Raas’s control with the help of Connor Duffy, whom she later marries, taking his surname.
Although known as Pelgar Shrian throughout most of Jump, she chooses the name Shrian Duffy following her emancipation and marriage to Connor Duffy, symbolizing both her freedom and commitment to her new life and partner.
Role in Jump
Shrian initially approaches Connor Duffy under false pretenses, hoping to recruit a Compact physicist capable of understanding her drive system. Their relationship quickly evolves into a romantic and professional partnership. She demonstrates the power of the entanglement drive by transporting Duffy across light-years to the Gelt Throneworld in an instant, confirming her device’s unprecedented capabilities.
Later, with the help of Duffy, Peter Lancaster, and several returning allies, Shrian defects to the Compact and hands over the drive—triggering the commissioning of the Endeavour as the first ship equipped with the new technology.
Peace Mission to the Throneworld
During the Endeavour’s mission to the Realm’s Throneworld, Lieutenant Shrian Duffy serves as a formal member of the crew, marking a significant evolution from her early life as a Gelt refugee. Now a fully commissioned officer in the Compact Navy, Shrian brings a rare and invaluable perspective to the mission: a Gelt citizen who chose to remain in Compact space, marry a human, and actively participate in its military structure. Her assignment aboard the Endeavour is both symbolic and practical—she is a living embodiment of postwar integration and a skilled officer in her own right.
Shrian’s familiarity with Realm customs, cultural subtext, and social cues proves instrumental as the mission approaches the Seat of Supremacy. Her insight helps the Endeavour’s command crew navigate sensitive diplomatic terrain with confidence and subtlety. Though typically quiet and composed, Shrian is not afraid to speak up when something feels wrong—a trait that saves lives during a sabotage attempt aboard the ship. The incident, which leaves her injured, profoundly impacts both the crew and her husband, Chief Engineer Connor Duffy, whose controlled fury and increased vigilance reflect the depth of their bond.
More than just a cultural bridge, Shrian represents what peace between the Compact and the Realm can truly look like: not imposed treaties or paper agreements, but shared purpose, respect, and trust hard-won through lived experience. Her presence on the mission is a subtle but vital signal—both to the Compact and the Realm—that coexistence is not just possible, but already quietly underway.
Rescue of Tessa Dasarius and Loss of Suicide
In 440 IE, Shrian remained aboard the Endeavour during the rescue of Tessa and Shaneese Dasarius, kept back intentionally by Davra Andraste to protect her from possible execution by Earth First–aligned forces under Marcus Leitman, who would have seen her Gelt heritage as grounds for summary punishment. While her husband, Connor Duffy, served aboard Goldeneye for the mission, Shrian provided quiet support from afar. When news came of Suicide’s apparent death, she comforted Duffy, who had not only lost a mentor but the woman many of them regarded as their Chosen Mother. Shrian attended the private wake in Davra’s ready room and stood with the others as they grieved. Davra later reflected that Shrian had joined their found family in full, now faced with the long journey of catching up on more than a decade of shared trauma, resilience, and unspoken bonds.
Notable Facts
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Shrian’s indenture was legal under Realm law but considered exploitative and archaic by Compact standards.
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Her emancipation was brokered by Compact allies and Laputan authorities on Armaneya.
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She is one of the few Gelt scientists to directly influence Compact propulsion theory.
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Following her defection, she is granted asylum and enters a legally recognized relationship with Connor Duffy.
Appearances: Jump, Davra's Endeavour, Suicide Solution