Headcanon - Canon!AOS minor characters: Darwin
Series of headcanons about minor characters from the Kelvin Timeline movies that were never developed on screen. Includes characters that were given a spotlight in the IDW comic series and didn’t need much working from my part.
Post-Into Darkness canon compliant. Darwin and Keenser include Beyond and post-Beyond mentions.
1. Recurring (Hendorff, Keenser, Kyle) | 2. Gaila (Star Trek 2009)
3. 0178 (Into Darkness) | 4. Darwin (Into Darkness) | 5. Moto (Into Darkness)
Posted also at Dreamwidth, Tumblr, AO3, Ad Astra and SquidgeWorld.
Mae Darwin, the woman who had to twice fill Chekov’s shoes
Rank: Lieutenant
Occupation: Navigator
Ship: USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
Leave a starship where you settled in is always an upsetting experience. Leave a starship where you felt part of the crew, in order to move to a starship where the crew is said to be a tight king group that doesn’t welcome experienced officers, it’s akin to a nightmare.
This is the first thought that crosses Lieutenant Mae Darwin’s when she receives the communication for her new assignment to the Enterprise. In any other day, the very prospect of serving on the flagship would be reason to throw a party. But gone is the Enterprise commanded by Captain Pike, a decorated hero who earned his seat on the crown jewel of the fleet. Handed over to a punk that was promoted captain straight from the academy, the Enterprise is now that aunt awfully famous you can’t ignore but so cringe that you get embarrassed whenever you have to introduce her to friends or invite her to dinner.
Nobody in their sane mind, and with stripes earned by years of service, would wish for an assignment on the Enterprise.
Mae Darwin isn’t one of those officers who despises the lucky crew. She doesn’t call them with derogatory names. She firmly believes that, if they got a field promotion or the stripes as a reward for some heroic action, there must be some merits in them. Stuck in the Laurentian system when the Enterprise left Earth to aid Vulcan, she can’t pretend to understand, let alone judge, a bunch of cadets that, alone against a superior enemy and deprived of their commanding officer, found themselves the only thing standing between an advanced starship with capabilities of destroying planets and Earth. But she’s also aware that most of Starfleet officers don’t share her open-mindedness on the matter. She’s aware of the fierce criticism, she knows that the young crew wasn’t spared nastiness and slanders. Her own fellow officers don’t hold their tongue when she break the news.
She, experienced officer who followed the proper career path, on the ship manned by young people promoted straight out of the academy? That crew, brought together by a crisis and molded under the harsh scrutiny of the public opinion, will tear her to pieces and then spit it out the bones.
It is with a sense of dread that she arrives on the Enterprise. Setting foot on the shiny black floor feels like walking on eggshells, every hand offered or welcome voiced a minefield she must approach with caution in order to not set up any trap. She’s intruding in a tight-knit team that perceives any outsider a threat, that has learned to not trust anyone who hadn’t had their first testing during the Battle of Earth.
What she finds is diametrically opposite to what was anticipated her. Those aren’t a bunch of lucky newbies with a rush graduation on the shoulders, cadets playing dress up with uniforms too large to fill, who let fame go to their heads, or any other mean thing Starfleet officers thought about the Enterprise young crew. What she finds is a family that had come together in tragedy and is trying to find their feet without a danger to force the better out of them. A family who is desperate to prove that they earned their promotions and their place on the flagship. A family under pressure, people who put up brave masks to hide that they feel the negative opinion the rest of the fleet has toward them.
And, despite her attempts at caution, she's welcomed. She isn't the intruder to chase away, but a new transfer to adopt. Everyone is eager to make her feel home and, before she knows it, she is cracking jokes and settling in, at ease in the odd bubble lead by Captain Kirk and his unique - and quite orthodox - commanding style.
They prove themselves a terrific crew during crisis, the captain is relentless and gives his best when he’s stressed, drugged on caffeine and cornered, the commander isn’t as scary as she heard, and the senior crew works like one. But it’s the way they act when the red alarm cease s to blare that’s captivating.
There are no ranks out of duty, first class crew members mingle with lieutenants, ensigns loudly plan pranks against a senior crew member and bridge crew tell the tales of how the captain managed to start a catfight between commander Spock and CMO McCoy and enjoyed the show from his chair during a boring shift. It’s like living in a big, happy college campus and, while it takes some time to get used to it, it’s undoubtedly a change that Mae embraces.
Assigned to bridge crew, she stands in as relief pilot in a couple of occasions, but it’s her first time as backup navigator that tests her skills and strength of character in ways she could’ve never predicted.
Chosen to replace ensign Chekov when the Russian is unexpectedly promoted chief engineer in stead of the even more surprising resignations of lieutenant commander Scott, she’s trust in the first line throughout the hunt for John Harrison in Klingon space.
Her ability to keep a cool head during high-level stress situations is put to the test during the Enterprise tragic battle against the more advanced Vengeance and, in front of certain death, she’s a solid and reliable partner for lieutenant Sulu, who is tasked with the burden to keep the dying Enterprise floating as much as he can. Loyal and proud, she’s the second after Sulu to defy commander Spock’s order to abandon stations to evacuate.
With the Enterprise docked for repairs, Darwin is reassigned and, her wishes fulfilled, she’s able to join her crewmates when, a year later, the restored ship leaves Earth for a five-years mission.
Now promoted to navigation, she’s often assigned to the same shift as pilot lieutenant Mitchell.
A year and half into the mission, Darwin get the unpleasing surprise of a transfer. Jumping between surveys ships and science vessels, she’s days away from Yorktown when, in 2263, the Enterprise is once again involved with a Federation-level threat and is destroyed.
Chief navigator on the USS Endeavour, she’s a familiar face that, months later, welcomes on the bridge captain Kirk, interim commanding officer assigned to the ship after the retirement of captain Derbes. Set for an exploratory survey that would last one year, the destiny of the vessel is eventually changed when a distress call requires a course change.
Unheard-before Borgs, the Romulan Star Empire, the gravity pull of a white hole, assassination attempts to ambassadors, insane captains who replace (less-insane) captains by assuming their form to attack other ships in revenge and even multiversal collection of vessels with too many different versions of captain Kirks (although the last one she forgets as it didn’t happen - time paradoxes).
Darwin can’t say that what was supposed to be a survey mission into uncharted space turned out to be more exciting than expected. Perhaps too much.
Two years of serving on normal ships, and she had forgotten how powerful was the gravitational pull of Kirk, who happens to be a magnet for all
the most bizarre things of the universe.
Longing for that life, and for the friends she left on the Enterprise, she ask the captain to
consider her for the crew of the new Enterprise that will soon launch from Yorktown base. Kirk says he can’t promise anything, but the request for the transfer is soon in her mailbox. Chief navigator of the most advanced ship of the fleet: it’ll be hard to fill the shoes of Pavel Chekov, but she’ll do her best.
Despite her imposing looks that efficiently scare people away, she's very funny and down to earth and possesses a fine sense of humor. She's a talented dancer and teaches at the tap dance course.
About Chekov: With the sad death of Anton Yelchin, as most of the fandom, I sided with the wish expressed by cast and J.J. Abrams that Chekov would not be recast.
We know that it’s unlikely we’ll ever have a new Kelvin movie but my wish has always been that he would be established as transferred on another ship. With portions of fandom claiming for a new character, I stood by the use of an existing underused character: Darwin.
In my personal headcanon, Chekov (with the face and accent of Anton Yelchin) will be forever part of the Enterprise until Pine!Kirk retires (hopefully without meeting the Nexus this time). But this headcanon series tries to stay faithful to canon. So here we are.
Notes: The two only details for Darwin we know are told in the comics series Star Trek: Boldly Go that came after Into Darkness: her name and her rank. Rest is me bullshitting; the tap dance thing in honor to Aisha Hinds, the actress that played her.
This series, as for the twin series TOS to AOS, stops at the ending of Into Darkness, with the start of the five-years mission. As the only Into Darkness character who was seen in any post-Into Darkness material, I decided to include Beyond into Darwin’s headcanon.
Post-Into Darkness canon compliant. Darwin and Keenser include Beyond and post-Beyond mentions.
1. Recurring (Hendorff, Keenser, Kyle) | 2. Gaila (Star Trek 2009)
3. 0178 (Into Darkness) | 4. Darwin (Into Darkness) | 5. Moto (Into Darkness)
Posted also at Dreamwidth, Tumblr, AO3, Ad Astra and SquidgeWorld.
Mae Darwin, the woman who had to twice fill Chekov’s shoes
Rank: Lieutenant
Occupation: Navigator
Ship: USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
Leave a starship where you settled in is always an upsetting experience. Leave a starship where you felt part of the crew, in order to move to a starship where the crew is said to be a tight king group that doesn’t welcome experienced officers, it’s akin to a nightmare.
This is the first thought that crosses Lieutenant Mae Darwin’s when she receives the communication for her new assignment to the Enterprise. In any other day, the very prospect of serving on the flagship would be reason to throw a party. But gone is the Enterprise commanded by Captain Pike, a decorated hero who earned his seat on the crown jewel of the fleet. Handed over to a punk that was promoted captain straight from the academy, the Enterprise is now that aunt awfully famous you can’t ignore but so cringe that you get embarrassed whenever you have to introduce her to friends or invite her to dinner.
Nobody in their sane mind, and with stripes earned by years of service, would wish for an assignment on the Enterprise.
Mae Darwin isn’t one of those officers who despises the lucky crew. She doesn’t call them with derogatory names. She firmly believes that, if they got a field promotion or the stripes as a reward for some heroic action, there must be some merits in them. Stuck in the Laurentian system when the Enterprise left Earth to aid Vulcan, she can’t pretend to understand, let alone judge, a bunch of cadets that, alone against a superior enemy and deprived of their commanding officer, found themselves the only thing standing between an advanced starship with capabilities of destroying planets and Earth. But she’s also aware that most of Starfleet officers don’t share her open-mindedness on the matter. She’s aware of the fierce criticism, she knows that the young crew wasn’t spared nastiness and slanders. Her own fellow officers don’t hold their tongue when she break the news.
She, experienced officer who followed the proper career path, on the ship manned by young people promoted straight out of the academy? That crew, brought together by a crisis and molded under the harsh scrutiny of the public opinion, will tear her to pieces and then spit it out the bones.
It is with a sense of dread that she arrives on the Enterprise. Setting foot on the shiny black floor feels like walking on eggshells, every hand offered or welcome voiced a minefield she must approach with caution in order to not set up any trap. She’s intruding in a tight-knit team that perceives any outsider a threat, that has learned to not trust anyone who hadn’t had their first testing during the Battle of Earth.
What she finds is diametrically opposite to what was anticipated her. Those aren’t a bunch of lucky newbies with a rush graduation on the shoulders, cadets playing dress up with uniforms too large to fill, who let fame go to their heads, or any other mean thing Starfleet officers thought about the Enterprise young crew. What she finds is a family that had come together in tragedy and is trying to find their feet without a danger to force the better out of them. A family who is desperate to prove that they earned their promotions and their place on the flagship. A family under pressure, people who put up brave masks to hide that they feel the negative opinion the rest of the fleet has toward them.
And, despite her attempts at caution, she's welcomed. She isn't the intruder to chase away, but a new transfer to adopt. Everyone is eager to make her feel home and, before she knows it, she is cracking jokes and settling in, at ease in the odd bubble lead by Captain Kirk and his unique - and quite orthodox - commanding style.
They prove themselves a terrific crew during crisis, the captain is relentless and gives his best when he’s stressed, drugged on caffeine and cornered, the commander isn’t as scary as she heard, and the senior crew works like one. But it’s the way they act when the red alarm cease s to blare that’s captivating.
There are no ranks out of duty, first class crew members mingle with lieutenants, ensigns loudly plan pranks against a senior crew member and bridge crew tell the tales of how the captain managed to start a catfight between commander Spock and CMO McCoy and enjoyed the show from his chair during a boring shift. It’s like living in a big, happy college campus and, while it takes some time to get used to it, it’s undoubtedly a change that Mae embraces.
Assigned to bridge crew, she stands in as relief pilot in a couple of occasions, but it’s her first time as backup navigator that tests her skills and strength of character in ways she could’ve never predicted.
Chosen to replace ensign Chekov when the Russian is unexpectedly promoted chief engineer in stead of the even more surprising resignations of lieutenant commander Scott, she’s trust in the first line throughout the hunt for John Harrison in Klingon space.
Her ability to keep a cool head during high-level stress situations is put to the test during the Enterprise tragic battle against the more advanced Vengeance and, in front of certain death, she’s a solid and reliable partner for lieutenant Sulu, who is tasked with the burden to keep the dying Enterprise floating as much as he can. Loyal and proud, she’s the second after Sulu to defy commander Spock’s order to abandon stations to evacuate.
With the Enterprise docked for repairs, Darwin is reassigned and, her wishes fulfilled, she’s able to join her crewmates when, a year later, the restored ship leaves Earth for a five-years mission.
Now promoted to navigation, she’s often assigned to the same shift as pilot lieutenant Mitchell.
A year and half into the mission, Darwin get the unpleasing surprise of a transfer. Jumping between surveys ships and science vessels, she’s days away from Yorktown when, in 2263, the Enterprise is once again involved with a Federation-level threat and is destroyed.
Chief navigator on the USS Endeavour, she’s a familiar face that, months later, welcomes on the bridge captain Kirk, interim commanding officer assigned to the ship after the retirement of captain Derbes. Set for an exploratory survey that would last one year, the destiny of the vessel is eventually changed when a distress call requires a course change.
Unheard-before Borgs, the Romulan Star Empire, the gravity pull of a white hole, assassination attempts to ambassadors, insane captains who replace (less-insane) captains by assuming their form to attack other ships in revenge and even multiversal collection of vessels with too many different versions of captain Kirks (although the last one she forgets as it didn’t happen - time paradoxes).
Darwin can’t say that what was supposed to be a survey mission into uncharted space turned out to be more exciting than expected. Perhaps too much.
Two years of serving on normal ships, and she had forgotten how powerful was the gravitational pull of Kirk, who happens to be a magnet for all
the most bizarre things of the universe.
Longing for that life, and for the friends she left on the Enterprise, she ask the captain to
consider her for the crew of the new Enterprise that will soon launch from Yorktown base. Kirk says he can’t promise anything, but the request for the transfer is soon in her mailbox. Chief navigator of the most advanced ship of the fleet: it’ll be hard to fill the shoes of Pavel Chekov, but she’ll do her best.
Despite her imposing looks that efficiently scare people away, she's very funny and down to earth and possesses a fine sense of humor. She's a talented dancer and teaches at the tap dance course.
About Chekov: With the sad death of Anton Yelchin, as most of the fandom, I sided with the wish expressed by cast and J.J. Abrams that Chekov would not be recast.
We know that it’s unlikely we’ll ever have a new Kelvin movie but my wish has always been that he would be established as transferred on another ship. With portions of fandom claiming for a new character, I stood by the use of an existing underused character: Darwin.
In my personal headcanon, Chekov (with the face and accent of Anton Yelchin) will be forever part of the Enterprise until Pine!Kirk retires (hopefully without meeting the Nexus this time). But this headcanon series tries to stay faithful to canon. So here we are.
Notes: The two only details for Darwin we know are told in the comics series Star Trek: Boldly Go that came after Into Darkness: her name and her rank. Rest is me bullshitting; the tap dance thing in honor to Aisha Hinds, the actress that played her.
This series, as for the twin series TOS to AOS, stops at the ending of Into Darkness, with the start of the five-years mission. As the only Into Darkness character who was seen in any post-Into Darkness material, I decided to include Beyond into Darwin’s headcanon.