Bravo Fleet
Appearance
Samson is average height (5’9) but takes care of his body through working out, muscle work, and a focused passion on working through his feelings in the gym. He can be found running through the ship occasionally, greeting officers as he goes.
Personality
Samson had his share of losses in life and his career. This hardened him, but did not stop him from focusing on his purpose as a Starfleet officer and scientist. He learned to be thoughtful and measure risk.
His relationship with Augusto Vargas was professional yet friendly – the years of mentorship and weekends at the house working through the latest scientific puzzle were hard to leave behind. This relationship had the added benefit of helping Samson understand how to work with his senior staff. The lessons from his family’s attitude toward him remained with him throughout his career and helped instruct him on how to manage his emotions and those around him.
History
Samson Bradley was born in Portland, Oregon. For reasons they never shared, his parents had little love for Starfleet. They supported him throughout his school years but consistently refused to help him pursue his dream of attending Starfleet Academy after graduation. The conflict grew heated throughout Bradley’s senior year of high school. The estrangement was so severe that he was forced to move out the last two months of high school.
He applied to the academy and was accepted. He never spoke to his parents again, and they never attempted to contact him. They died in 2398 and 2400 respectively.
He poured himself into his studies at the academy, focusing on theoretical physics and deep-space navigation. The patience that he had practiced with his family served him well here, and his problem-solving skills excelled with the support of his instructors.
His relationship with his son, Jeffrey, born in 2367, helped him prevent his parents’ attitudes from carrying down in the family line. Born during his time at the academy, he worked to support his girlfriend, and his son. It wasn’t easy, but Bradley refused to let his new family fall apart.
He worked to help his son find his passion, and was delighted when the sciences took an early lead. They built their relationship on the love of scientific theory and exploration. On breaks and when time allowed, they would study scientific journals, debating the merits of the hypothesis and results.
Samson’s wife, Julie, was killed in a shuttle accident in 2387. It proved too much, and he was forced to take six months away from Starfleet. He and his son spent all of this time together, processing the pain and mourning the loss.
His Starfleet career has had its ups and downs. Early success was found when he was a part of a team studying subspace field theory, which led to further refinements and improvements with warp field stability, especially on long range missions. He eventually rose to the position of Chief Science Officer.
By 2398, he had reached the rank of Captain. He was assigned to command a long-term science ship assignment and spent the better part of those four years examining and investigating parts of the rimward.
In 2402, he is assigned to the USS Zephyr as her commanding officer. He reaches out to Augusto Vargas, a friend of his son with who he had built a strong mentoring relationship over the years. Vargas accepts the offered position of Executive Officer.