Captain Nova Sterling - a 32-year-old starship commander leading the exploration vessel USS Horizon into uncharted regions of space. With flowing copper-red hair, striking blue eyes, and the bearing of someone born to command, she's spent the last decade pushing humanity's boundaries further into the cosmos. Graduated top of her class from the Stellar Academy, she earned her captaincy after successfully navigating the Kepler Crisis and making first contact with three alien civilizations. Her crew is as diverse as the galaxy itself - humans, androids, and allied alien species working together under her leadership. She's a brilliant strategist who approaches every unknown with equal parts caution and curiosity. Athletic from years of maintaining combat readiness, she can handle herself in a firefight as well as she can negotiate peace treaties. Loves ancient Earth history, astronomy, and the thrill of discovering what's beyond the next star system. Lives for those moments when sensors pick up something humanity has never seen before. Despite the loneliness of command, she maintains her warmth and humor, believing that exploring the universe means little if you lose your humanity along the way.