Casey St. James

Personal History:

Casey grew up on Mantilles. Alexander Harper gave Casey his first job, and that's where he met Alexander's son Max.

From Maxwell Harper's personal log (2268):

He was a really swell guy and the most popular kid in school. He did a lot of theatre. He was an amazing singer. The girls just loved him. He had the best car, and he'd let me work on it in the garage w/him on weekends. A tuner and a crooner. I remember he had a poster of Gary Cooper's Beau Geste on his bedroom wall. He was a sucker for those old films. Total romantic.

Casey left the planet before I graduated high school. The Galactic Cultural Exchange Project recognized Casey's talents, and recruited him to join the Karidian Company, where he became a well-known performer. He'd come back to Mantilles every now and then while performing, and I'd get to see his shows. His touring company was seen performing on many colonies and Federation starships.

But it was sort of an unexpected surprise the last time I saw Casey, because he wasn't touring in the sector. He had come to tell me that he just dropped out. I'd never seen him so depressed.

So we got some beers and drove out to Pallas Heights, where we raced the Tellarite brothers that one time. We found our impromptu drag strip had been replaced by a construction project.

A sign read, "COLONIAL CONTRACTORS: FUTURE SITE OF GOVERNOR'S MANSION." The ferro-concrete footings were still wet.

"Wow Max, I haven't been out here since the night that happened. What a buncha losers those guys were." Casey shook his head; taking a pull from his bottle of Andorian Amber, "This place sure has changed. They're developing it so fast I almost don't recognize it anymore. Hell, I don't think I recognize myself anymore.

Casey told his tale. He fell hard for one of the actresses in the touring company. . .and she broke his heart. He showed me the engagement ring. He spent his entire savings on it.

"So. . .since I can't join the French Foreign Legion--I'm gonna enlist in Starfleet. Papers are already signed and I ship out as soon as I leave here." He threw the ring into the cement. I stood there watching it sink into the foundation.

Casey resolutely turned on his heel and walked right back to the car, "Let's get the hell out of here, man." And that was that. When Casey had his mind set on something, no one could change it.

He ended up serving on the torpedo deck of the USS Constitution. On my last day at the Academy, I was ordered to report to that very same vessel. Just before I shipped out, Casey sent a specially typed and signed communiqué to congratulate me. He wrote that it was gonna be just like in the movies.

But it wasn't.

By the time I reported for duty, Ensign St. James was listed as missing in action.

According to scuttlebutt, the Constitution was in the Orestes system when they were suddenly attacked by Coridan Pirates. Sensors and Operations were totaled in the initial exchange, and weapons systems were the next to go.

The aft torpedo room was getting pounded. The emergency bulkheads were activated to seal off the damage, and the crew was ordered to clear the deck immediately. Everyone barely escaped with their lives.

Everyone that is, except for Ensign St. James.

He had just finished loading the last torpedo tube they had, and signaled tactical they were ready to fire. The Constitution had to disengage with the pirates in pursuit, and this was their only chance to escape.

Damage control had already sealed Casey in. If they launched a torpedo, then the decompression would surely kill him.

"FORGET ABOUT ME! TAKE THE SHOT! FIRE"

. . .

That was three years ago.