Commander Shelby Proctor

Commander Shelby Proctor is the main supporting character of the trilogy, and the protagonist of the 2nd trilogy. As the officer assigned to the Constitution early in the first book to convert the ship into a museum, she is initially despised by just about everyone on the ship, Granger included. But during the invasion she demonstrates the remarkable ability to lead and organize the crew, eventually replacing the deceased Abraham Haws as XO, and taking over for Granger when he passes out during the pivotal final battle over Earth.

Originally a scientist (PhD., Dissertation on Swarm colonization and aggression patterns), she gave up science to pursue command when she saw no one was taking her ideas seriously. Throughout the series, she constantly second guesses her career choices.

Proctor is meticulous, exacting, thorough, and extremely competent. She is also ambitious, and sets her sights incredibly high. Her ambition sometimes conflicts with her personal relationships.

During the battle of Earth in book 1, she takes command of the Constitution, and, after the ship’s evacuation, when Granger secretly stays behind to pilot the ship into the singularity, she watches it disappear, and reappear seconds later. She pilots her escape pod up to the Constitution as it careens through Earth’s atmosphere, boards, finds Granger, and manages to skim the ship across the Great Salt Lake and crash land in Salt Lake City.

Later, in books 2 and 3, she is the main driver behind studying Swarm biology, discovering the meta-space link all Swarm-infected beings share, and eventually taking a leave of absence from command to dedicate as much time as possible to understanding the Swarm threat. Her findings are instrumental for the eventual defeat of the Swarm.

She leads the final defense of Earth with General Norton and President Avery as Granger flies the ISS Victory into the black hole to end the threat for good.