James Kincaid

Early Life and Starfleet Academy (2335-2357)

James Kincaid grew up in the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania, the son of Elizabeth and Alexander Kincaid. Alexander was a former enlisted Starfleet engineer, twenty years older than his mother, Elizabeth. A kind man of few words but firm principles, Alexander taught Kincaid how to stand his ground and to always keep one eye on what everyone else was doing or preparing to do. Elizabeth was a homemaker and keen gardener, her love of nature a useful balance to Alexander’s love of machines. His childhood was simple but disciplined, with early mornings, hard work, and little room for complaining. In education and at home, it quickly became apparent that what the young Kincaid lacked in raw intelligence he would substitute with dogged determination and charisma.

Strongly encouraged by his father and grudgingly tolerated by his mother, Kincaid started boxing as a teenager and quickly established himself as a fighter of note. A tall and lean youth, his height advantage was obvious but where he truly excelled in the ring was because of his explosive, unexpected violence. His aim was to end a fight as soon after it had started as possible. Perhaps as a partial substitute for the taciturn nature of his father’s communication, it was through boxing that Kincaid met and formed relationships with many former and currently serving members of Starfleet security.

With his father’s distinct lack of stories, but with plenty from those of his father’s friends, Kincaid grew up imagining the incredible adventures that he could have with a career in Starfleet. His mother, modest but encouraging, provided the practical support that he needed to be prepared for, and ultimately succeed, in gaining admission to Starfleet Academy.

Kincaid knew that he was not, nor ever would be, the smartest cadet at the Academy. He had grit and a fighter’s instinct but struggled to maintain his academic grades much beyond the bottom of the class. Fortunately, there were a handful of instructors at the Academy who had started their careers as enlisted personnel before earning their commissions. One of them – Commander Fairclough – went out of his way to mentor the young cadet. Fairclough taught him that strategy was not necessarily about outthinking your opponent and that Kincaid could triumph by learning how to patiently outlast them. By reframing his approach to problems, Kincaid realised that those with a keen mind can often overlook how taking care of the physical aspects of life have a considerable bearing on survival.

USS Warwick (2357-2365)

Much to Kincaid’s surprise, his mentor provided him with the opportunity to continue their relationship during his first posting. Fairclough, frustrated by his own experiences as an instructor at the Academy, had returned to regular duty and was being given his first command, the Excelsior-class USS Warwick, and thrown into the frontlines of the Federation-Cardassian War. The Warwick and its crew, particularly Kincaid and the security department, participated in some of the most violent and traumatic skirmishes and battles of the war.

Recognising, perhaps too late, that the Warwick had seen intense fighting for most of the eight years of Fairclough’s captaincy, Starfleet Command ordered that the ship return for repair in order to engineer a reason for the traumatised crew to be reassigned away from the conflict. For Kincaid, that meant a posting as a security officer to Starbase 1.

Love and Starbase 1 (2365-2382)

The pace and atmosphere of Starbase 1 was just about as far away from war as you could find in Starfleet. Kincaid was a dutiful officer and so took the posting with no complaint, but he was frustrated to be away from the fight and spent several years trying to adjust to a softer set of responsibilities. The best outcome for Kincaid, however, was the serendipity of meeting his future wife.

Kincaid had noticed Meredith Vennock at the Academy. Friends told him that she was sharp-witted, fiercely determined, and apparently a force to be reckoned with. He had seen her once or twice, across training halls and lecture rooms, but back then both their minds had no space for romance. That changed on Starbase 1. Kincaid had always been steady, pragmatic, and disciplined. He followed protocol, trusted the chain of command, and kept himself firmly grounded. Vennock was the opposite: she was passionate, relentless, and impossible to ignore. She found him amusing – so straightforward, so respectful – and he in turn fell in love with her.

Fortunately, that love was reciprocated and they married within months of meeting. From then on he loved watching his wife work: he loved the way she commanded a medical bay; he loved how she never faltered in an emergency; and how she invariably managed to use her abruptness in a way that won people over.

Raven and Viper (2382-2398)

For all the years Kincaid spent on Starbase 1 and the life he made with Vennock, he quietly ached for the risks and fear of service on the frontiers. He found that there was something invigorating about being out beyond the reach of Starfleet Command, where survival depended on instinct, skill, and trust in your crew. Joining Vennock on her old ship, the Galaxy-class USS Raven, was the beginning of finding himself again. When they subsequently transferred, together, to the Sovereign-class Viper – with its focus on high-risk missions – Kincaid was the happiest he had ever been.

USS Sacramento (2398-)

As Kincaid and Vennock continue their journey aboard the USS Sacramento, they know retirement is not far away. But for now, they still have one last mission to explore, side by side.