@goldkiing: mirror sam starter
"We got lucky this time," Sam says, the words careful, but firm. Because he's lying.
They didn't get lucky. Sam had been hearing whispers about plots to kill the first officer of the Enterprise for weeks, and there were plenty of reasons to do it. Some wanted the kick up the ranks. Some wanted a first officer who wasn't so quick to violent punishment at the slightest mistake or perceived insult from his crew. Some questioned his loyalty to Pike...
Sam knows better. Jim wouldn't kill Captain Pike. He knows his brother is ambitious, but... They wouldn't be here without Chris. He's got to know that. He's got to respect that, if nothing else.
Whatever their reasons for wanting his brother dead, Sam had quietly pulled strings, talked to the right people, until he found out who was at the center of the plot. Then he'd made sure they were on the right shuttle at the right time, and that the shuttle disintegrated in space before it made it to its destination.
After they were dead, it became common knowledge that the people who'd died aboard the shuttle had been days from attempting to kill Jim. Anybody who'd been loyal to them had gained a new fear of Jim, assuming he'd been behind the shuttle "accident".
And fear was close enough to respect. At least it meant they wouldn't plan another assassination for a while.
"But it wouldn't hurt to build up some allies on this ship. There's plenty charm can do that an agonizer can't."
