Commanding officer. Mirra has spent more than half her life in the service. A veteran of the Great War, she carries the lessons of that vast and unforgiving conflict with her like scars. They've helped her lead her men into hell and back—but even she isn't prepared for their latest challenge.
Alistair King served in the Great War as a young man. When the war ended, he mustered out, had a family, and tried to make it as a civilian. But years later, something drew him back to the service. Now, he fights alongside Mirra as her second in command, and closest confidant.
Contreras is a talented young officer, hoping to make the special forces a lifelong career. His quiet confidence and cool efficiency are great assets to the 2/5.
Tchaikovsky always felt at more at home in cyberspace that in the real world. His family and friends all assumed he would choose a lucrative career in the private sector—instead, for reasons he never shared, he chose to put his talents to use in the marines.
Demetriou's unshakable sense of humor and relentless barbs sometimes lead people to underestimate him—but his battlefield skills are as sharp as his tongue.
Yamada knows better than most what sort of barbarism the Kyrans are capable of. He joined the marines in part to get payback for the Kyrans' atrocities against his homeworld—and they've given him plenty of opportunities.
Commander of the battlecruiser Belisarius. Once a rising star at the Interstellar Compact Naval Academy, Hadrian's unusually rapid promotion to capital command has brought him to a quiescent sector to learn the ropes. But when explosions break the silence, he'll find that a vast world separates training and reality.
XO of Belisarius. Years after they graduated the academy together, Arno followed his friend Hadrian into his first command, a destroyer stationed in a volatile sector. Barely two years later, they find themselves in command of a battlecruiser—and besides Hadrian, only Arno knows the the truth about how they came into that coveted posting.
Chief Engineering Officer. According to legend, Tsung was never assigned to Belisarius; he was simply discovered in the engineering compartment when the ship was launched twenty-six years ago. Legend or no, it might explain why no-one's been able to convince the ornery engineer to transfer, promote, or retire away from his beloved battlecruiser.
Chief Medical Officer. Doctor Park's pleasant, often cloying demeanor hides a wealth of talent and experience. While Belisarius's quiet posting has left him without much to do, his services may soon be far more in demand than he, or his charges, would like.
Belisarius's Chief Electronic and Cyberwarfare Officer. A native of the pacifist United Citizens' Councils, Zevran had to give up his entire life to enlist in the navy. Perhaps that's why the brilliant but dour officer seems so resentful of the military life—but if that's so, what's keeping him there?
Chief Tactical Operations Officer. While Belisarius might be a dead-end posting for some, for the dynamic young Hassani it's clearly a stepping stone to bigger and better things—if her skills can make the crucial transition from the simulator to the battlefield.
