Luke Duncan

Political Information

• Affiliation: Starfleet, United Federation of Planets

Family

• Mother: Marie Duncan, former Starfleet Captain (deceased),
  Father: Mark Duncan, former Federation Ambassador (deceased),
• Wife: Nicola Duncan, Starfleet Rear Admiral of Deep Space 19
• Son: Max Duncan-Court, Starfleet Captain of the USS Odyssey (NCC-80000)
• Son-in-law: Tobias Duncan-Court, Starfleet Commander of the USS Odyssey (NCC-80000)
• Grandson: Jordan Duncan-Court, Starfleet Cadet of the USS Odyssey (NCC-80000)
• Grandson: William Duncan-Court, Civilian on USS Odyssey (NCC-80000)

Biography

Early Life

Luke Duncan was born on October 11th, 2329, in Greenwich, South East London, to Starfleet Captain Marie Duncan and Federation Ambassador Mark Duncan. He grew up in London and attended several boarding schools on Earth, with occasional off-world visits with his parents. 

During his teenage years, his parents were both assigned to Earth, and Luke attended Guildford Grammar School, where he was known for his leadership skills. He was the Student President of the School’s Student Council for three years and captained his year group’s basketball team. Luke was a talented percussion player and lead vocalist in a band he formed with his friends. He excelled in English Language and Literature, Math, History, Sport, Music, Maths, and Science, and developed an interest in physics.

Starfleet Career

Starfleet Academy

September 5th 2347, saw Luke join Starfleet Academy. His instructors expected Luke to follow in his mother’s footsteps; however, he surprised them by taking classes in the science division. Two terms later, Luke was doing well in his subject area and enjoying Starfleet Academy. Before the beginning of the third term, the Starfleet Commandant met with Luke to discuss his future in the Academy and Starfleet. Several of Luke’s teachers and instructors believed he would be far better-attending classes related to the command division. Luke initially hesitated as he didn’t want to follow in his mother’s footsteps.

Nonetheless, after much reflection, he agreed to take tactical and piloting lessons in his third year. Luke was eventually assigned to Red Squad, where he met Cadets Sean Thompson and David Stone. The three cadets worked well together and soon became close friends. During this time, Luke dated Cadet Carrie Parkshaw from his tactical classes. The two ended their relationship after Carrie felt that their relationship would harm her development in Starfleet. On July 26th, 2351, Luke graduated from Starfleet Academy, majoring in Astronautics and Astrophysics. He was ranked third in his class. He was highlighted as someone Starfleet were interested in fast-tracking through the Command Training Program. 

Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards

Luke was promoted to ensign and assigned a highly coveted position at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. His primary duty was to pilot shuttlecrafts, which involved transporting distinguished officers between docked ships. However, he also served as a test pilot, requiring him to test his skills and push the spacecraft’s limits. Despite the seemingly steady nature of his assignment, Luke found it somewhat unfulfilling and yearned for a more exciting challenge. His time undertaking the CTP had empowered him to want more. As a result, he boldly requested a transfer to a starship assignment, eager to take on a more thrilling and adventurous role in the fleet.

USS Yamaguchi (NCC-26510)

Ensign Duncan was fortunate to have transported the captain of the USS Yamaguchi, who was impressed by his conduct and excellent piloting skills. Unknown to Luke at the time, the captain required a new chief flight control officer. A few weeks later, Luke’s request for a transfer was granted. He was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and assigned to serve as the second most senior pilot on the Yamaguchi, an Ambassador-class starship. Duncan was thrilled with his new assignment and excelled further in his new role. 

He continued to work hard, wanting to ensure his new captain’s decision to have him join the Yamaguchi was correctly made. Luke not only completed his CTP but undertook other duties to widen his experience.  

In 2357, the Yamaguchi patrolled the Talarian-Federation border as tensions between the two nations escalated. This was Luke’s debut in a combat scenario. His ship was part of the Federation task force assigned to safeguard settlements in the region when Galen IV was targeted. As the Yamaguchi’s pilot, Luke flew his vessel into the fray against the attackers and was praised by his captain for his swift adaptation to the battle.

Two years later, Luke had risen through the ranks swiftly and was now a lieutenant command and held the dual role of second officer and chief flight control officer. The faith his captain had placed him all those years ago proved well-placed. It was a surprise when his captain pulled him into their ready room and gave him a verbal splash of cold water to consider where he was going with his career. Encouraging him to spread his wings further, he applied for the executive officer position on a brand new Nebula-class ship.

USS Roehmapton (NCC-60221)

Luke joined the USS Roehampton (NCC-60221) before it was launched from the San Francisco Shipyards in orbit of Earth. Over the course of eight years, Luke enjoyed his new position as First Officer. During this time, he became good friends with his commanding officer, Captain Nathan Harrison. The seasoned captain became his mentor, showing him everything he needed to know about being an officer in the command department. 

While on the Roehampton, he became romantically involved with the chief science officer, Lieutenant Commander Nicola Sand. The two became quite the couple and would eventually become good friends with the captain and his wife (Commander Lianne Harrison, the ship’s chief medical officer). Often the four of them would share meals. When Lianne became pregnant in 2363 with her first child, she and Nathan asked Luke and Nicola to become godparents to their son, which they joyfully accepted. After the birth of their godson, Max, Luke and Nicola decided to move into shared quarters; on some evenings, they would babysit for the Harrisons. 

In 2366, Roehampton was ordered to abandon its archaeological survey on Camus II and head straight to Wolf 359. The Roehampton was meant to be part of the fleet that was intercepting the Borg Cube invading the Federation; however, during their flight, the ship had to divert around an ion storm. This delayed the ship significantly, and it missed the entire battle. Though lucky to avoid the devastation caused by the Borg, one tragedy did strike the crew. Doctor Harrison was travelling via one of the ships lost during the battle. The death of his wife overwhelmed Captain Harrison, who eventually took a brief respite away from his duties, leaving Luke temporarily in command of the Roehampton.

A year later, and after many opportunities to take command of the Roehampton, Luke was asked by Starfleet if he would transfer to another ship. The loss of many experienced officers at Wolf 359 meant others had to step into other roles. Starfleet wanted him to become the first officer on board the USS Galaxy. Encouraged to take the opportunity by Nicola, Luke agreed to the transfer. 

USS Galaxy (NCC-70637)

The chance to serve on one of Starfleet’s most advanced ships to date was a lifetime opportunity that Luke quickly reached for. The Galaxy remained close to the Sol system, testing new components for future ships and ensuring the core territories could recover after the Borg incursion. Though he was away from Nicola, they ensured their long-distance relationship would work. 

During a mission in the Beta Quadrant, the Galaxy received a distress call from the Roehampton. The voice belonged to Nicola, and she reported a group of mercenaries had attacked them while the ship was providing medical relief to a Federation outpost. She was temporarily in command after Captain Harrison and other senior staff had been killed when the rogues had boarded them. The Galaxy arrived in time to prevent a second raid by the mercenaries and saved the Roehampton from destruction. The Galaxy would tow the Roehampton to Starbase 234 for repairs while Luke took his godson under his wing to look after him. Nicola also requested a transfer to the Galaxy, happy to accept a position that wasn’t on the senior staff. 

After four years on the Galaxy, Starfleet approached Luke again to ask if he would consider moving from the Galaxy to a new posting: Captain of the newest Sovereign-class starship, the USS Odyssey. After discussing it with Nicola, he immediately said yes.

USS Odyssey (NCC-72503)

Taking command of the Odyssey was a massive change in his life; however, another one soon came to Nicola. She was offered the chance to teach at Starfleet Academy on the Mellstoxx III campus, which she wanted to do. Knowing they could make their relationship work while apart, Luke and Nicola agreed to get engaged, and Max would join Luke on the Odyssey. The Odyssey would be based out of Starbase Four and assigned to the Fourth Fleet; as such, it gave Luke and Nicola the chance they needed to be a real couple.

After eighteen months in command of the Odyssey, Luke led one of the task forces assigned to protect Federation interests during the brief Federation-Klingon War. Dealing with Klingon aggression around the Paulson Nebula became a skill he developed, which assisted when the Klingons attempted to attack the Mellstoxx system. Thankfully, the Odyssey and the other Starfleet ships arrived in time to rout the KDF strike force and keep the system secure. 

In 2374, on the eve of the Dominion War, Nicola and Luke agreed to move Max from the Odyssey to be with her. They also got married at this time. 

During the first year of the Dominion War, the Odyssey remained in the Beta Quadrant, undertaking missions that other ships would typically do but who had been redirected to the frontlines. Though Luke was frustrated that they were constantly running errands for Starfleet, he understood the need to maintain operations. By mid-2375, this changed, and Starfleet ordered the Odyssey to the frontlines. The ship engaged in combat on many occasions and, in every instance, performed exceptionally well under his leadership. The ship had been on Earth when the Breen attacked and was one of the few ships that were able to respond to the raid on Starfleet Command Headquarters. Luke found this entire engagement the hardest to deal with, especially after his mother had been killed while stationed at Starfleet Command. Nicola and Max had also been visiting her parents on Earth. Thankfully, they were unarmed. 

While transporting cadets from Earth to Mellstoxx, the Odyssey was somehow pulled into a temporal subspace node. Trapped within it, Luke found other ships that had also been lost, living here. This included several Starfleet vessels and other allied ships. Banding together, the ships worked together to survive; thankfully, the node had a few star systems within it that they used to gain resources from. Eventually, Nicola found a way out, and the Odyssey led the fleet to freedom. When they returned to space, the Odyssey’s crew discovered that time in the node moved at a faster rate. Where they had experienced four years, only a month had passed in normal space. After a brief welcome home, Captain Duncan was ordered to take those ships that could be used to join the final battle against the Dominion. 

Starbase 4

After the war’s end, Luke was promoted to rear admiral and took command of Starbase 4. He kept the Odyssey as his flagship. This new position allowed him and his family to remain with one another. Nicola had become a captain and assumed command of the Odyssey, while Max was now a cadet at the Starfleet Academy campus on Mellstoxx. 

In 2380, after five years of commanding Starbase 4 and being made an admiral, Luke was offered the chance to take command of a brand new station on the far edges of Federation space: Deep Space 19. He would be responsible for new explorative missions into the Beta Quadrant while overseeing relations in the region with the Romulan Star Empire. However, his new assignment was put on hold while he was placed in charge of dealing with the aggressive stance the Pakelds took with the Federation in the region. Commanding a task force based out of Starbase 4, Duncan successfully removed the threat to the area after the Odyssey located key mercenary bases supporting the Pakelds.

After a triumphant victory, Luke left Starbase 4 with the Odyssey to DS-19 and the Kovar sector. 

Deep Space 19

The exceptional leadership of Admiral Luke Duncan in the Kovar sector cannot be denied. Upon taking command of the newly constructed station, he demonstrated his prowess by efficiently overseeing the evacuation of a nearby Federation colony inhabited by the Bolian race. Unfortunately, the settlement’s destruction was claimed by the Forgotten Children of Remus, a group of former followers of the late Praetor Shinzon, who aimed to use thalaron technology left by Shinzon against the Federation. In a series of brutal assaults, several Starfleet ships were targeted, and the Romulans eventually besieged the station itself.

Undaunted, Admiral Duncan and his skeleton crew engaged in small unit combat against the Romulans and even formed a resistance movement in the process. Through their gallant efforts, the station was ultimately retaken with the assistance of a substantial Federation-Klingon fleet. It is important to note that the admiral evacuated most of the crew off the station before it fell into enemy hands. All in all, Admiral Duncan’s adept decision-making, strategic leadership, and selfless valour were truly noteworthy.

In 2381, he was promoted to Fleet Admiral and assumed command of the Fourth Fleet, continuing to use the Odyssey as his own flagship. 

Fourth Fleet Command

Luke briefly served as commander of the fourth fleet, during which he had to deal with more politics than his predecessors. Despite his relatively uneventful tenure, his most significant achievement was advocating for expanding the fourth fleet’s exploration efforts. This resulted in deploying many more fourth fleet ships on deep space missions, a feat not seen since the Dominion War.

By 2383, the admiral’s dreams of consideration for retirement were put on hold when the Living Construct infected many Starfleet vessels. This computer virus was used as a weapon by the Vau N’Akat. The computer virus was delivered to the fleet unintentionally by the USS Protostar. The damage and loss of so many Starfleet ships became another tragedy and one that Starfleet was determined to bounce back from. As a result, Luke was ordered to take over Starfleet’s rebuilding efforts of the fleet. Initially, he was reluctant to do so, but he saw and realised how important it was he remained and helped.  

Starfleet Operations

Assigned to Earth, Starfleet Command wanted those ships that were lost to be replaced within a year. Coordinating such a vast project was challenging, but Luke’s leadership approach helped ensure that the task was on track. Most of those damaged were repaired and recrewed within nine months, while those that had to be rebuilt required a bit more work.

When it was discovered that the Romulans could not evacuate everyone due to the impending Hobus supernova, Luke requested permission to begin leading one of the many areas considered for relocation efforts. 

USS Odyssey (NCC-72503)

Retaking command of the Odyssey, Luke led a fleet of ships back to the Kovar sector to begin transporting Romulans into new settlements near the Federation border. Though mainly successful, Luke led further operations to deal with a criminal organisation known as the Beta Cartel, who were bent on disrupting Starfleet’s attempts to secure the Federation-Romulan border for the massive evacuation processes. Thankfully, Luke’s fleet was able to deal with the criminals swiftly. 

Luke’s fleet’s work on the evacuation process was hampered further. This happened later in the year when the Snyth Attack on Mars occurred. A majority of his ships were ordered back to the core territories. Left to manage with what facilities and assets were left, Luke continued working along the border. 

Luke and Nicola felt down after Starfleet announced their plan to decommission the Odyssey and replace it with a newer ship in 2386. They decided to retire from Starfleet. He convinced Starfleet to let him undertake one final deep space exploration assignment. Despite Starfleet’s reluctance, Luke persuaded them to entertain his request and he took the ship, along wit the USS Triton to explore regions just beyond the Deneb Sector.

Finally, after almost two weeks of travelling to the far edges of the Deneb sector, the ships arrived at their destination to find a distress call emitting from a nearby independent system along; however, they were not alone. Along with them was a group of sixteen Breen warships. The Breen mercenaries had wanted to take the system for the Breen Confederacy. The Breen task force was able to overwhelm the colony’s defence network, but at a cost. Triton detected a debris field that belonged to at least fifteen other Breen ships. The remaining Breen ships could not send in troops to occupy the colony as they would be outnumbered; instead, they planned to hold the system until help arrived from the Confederacy.

Hatching a plan with Captain James Preston McCallister of the Triton, Luke authorised a covert attempt at retaking the system by remobilising the colony’s planetary defence systems. However, the black ops team were detected by the Breen, which resulted in the enemy ships discovering the Triton and Odyssey. Luke had convinced a former Klingon general he knew from his time in the temporal subspace node to join them under cloak. The battle was fierce, but it was a victory for the Federation-Klingon forces. Triton and Odyssey were heavily damaged, but the entire system was liberated. Luke took command of the area while they fortified their position to prevent any more Breen incursions.

By the end of the year, the crew of the Triton discovered Iconian technology. With help from the Odyssey, the Triton attempted to recover it, but an Iconian Probe ended up disabling both ships with a computer virus. McCallister was able to overload the Triton’s primary computer processor to stop the virus from destroying the ship, but his actions caused heavy damage, which resulted in the ship being completely disabled. Sadly, though, the Odyssey was lost, and its crew were forced to abandon the ship before its warp core detonated. Luke got everyone off his ship before she was lost, but after floating in an escape pod for several days with Nicola, he decided their time in Starfleet had ended. 

Luke’s last act as a fleet admiral was to launch the new USS Odyssey (NX-80000) and give command of it to Captain McCallister. He was incredibly proud that his son, Max, would join the ship as its new Chief Counsellor. He gave Captain McCallister’s first set of orders to take the Odyssey to the Kovar sector and resume what he had started in the previous ship named Odyssey. 

Retirement and return to Starfleet

Though he remained on the reserve list, Luke was pleased to retire on Kovar with his wife. In 2399, it was reported that Luke had died due to natural causes. However, in 2401, it was discovered that Luke had been replaced by a changeling infiltrator and had faked Luke’s death to use his high-level security clearance to aid in their joint efforts with the remnants of the Borg. 

Luke had found himself in a stasis chamber in an underground facility somewhere on Earth. He was able to escape but decided to avoid causing a scene as he wanted to find out who had captured him and why he had been taken. After the events of Frontier Day came to light, and with the help of the crew of the USS Triton, Luke’s ‘resurrection’ became public knowledge. Nicola and Max were thrilled to see him alive. 

While getting reacquainted, Luke found out that Nicola had returned to the centre seat, and after considering it for some time, he decided he wanted to return to duty as well. Luke was offered the chance to return to the fourth fleet and head up fleet operations after the admiralty had discovered that a changeling had impersonated Vice Admiral Zack Marshall-Bennet.