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Literary Challenge #26 : Senior Officers
pwebranflakes
Member Posts: 7,741
Hello and welcome to another edition of our writers' challenges! :cool:
Today we start the two-week run of the twenty-sixth Literary Challenge: Senior Officers
This is the writer's thread -- only entries should be made here.
The Discussion Thread can be found HERE.
We also have an Index of previous challenges HERE.
The rules may change from one challenge to another, but I'd like to remind everyone what the base rules are. These may grow as we move on, so also feel free to give feedback!
Today we start the two-week run of the twenty-sixth Literary Challenge: Senior Officers
Every Captain has their own Senior Officers. Now is your chance to flesh out the biographies and backstories of your First Officer and Chief Officers while sharing them with the community. Feel free to do so below in any fashion (e.g. Log Entries, PADD entries, etc.).
This is the writer's thread -- only entries should be made here.
The Discussion Thread can be found HERE.
We also have an Index of previous challenges HERE.
The rules may change from one challenge to another, but I'd like to remind everyone what the base rules are. These may grow as we move on, so also feel free to give feedback!
- Each Challenge will run for two weeks. For 2 weeks we will sticky the challenge and let you make your entry.
- There are no right or wrong entry.
- The background story, questions I ask, and format requested are only to serve as a platform that you can start your writing from. Feel free to change up the back-story or the way you deliver, as long as the entry stays on topic of the original challenge.
- Write as little or as much as you would like.
- Please keep discussion about the entries in the appropriate Discussion Thread.
- In the Discussion Thread, feel free to write what inspired you and what your thoughts on the topic are.
- A few other important reminders:
- Please heed the rest of the forum's rules when submitting your entry! All of them apply to these posts.
- Each poster can have one entry. Feel free to edit your post to fix typos or add/ remove content as you see fit during the next two weeks.
- After two weeks time, the thread will be locked and unstickied, as we move on to the next challenge.
- We'll have two threads: One to post the entries in and one to discuss the entries. **Cross-linking between these two threads is acceptable for these challenges ONLY!!**
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Kar'ukan Amara'Atar - First Officer, Chief Security Officer
Jem'Hadar, Male
Originally a clone of Kar'ukan of the Dominion who was responsible for the second occupation of DS9. After the last battle he was discovered by Gul Rokar as an infant and instead of going back with the rest of the Dominion forces and the Founder he remain in the Alpha Quadrant and was fond of Gul Rokar and become hes personal guard first and later after he was fully mature by the genetic modifications of all Jem'Hadar he joined the Senior Staff of Cardassia Prime.
K'Gamong of the house of Kanohos - Chief Engineering Officer
Klingon, Male
After a terible fight with hes father Kanohos the Builder he rejected all that is Klingon and joined Starfleet after hes training was complete he joined the USS Cardassia Prime as Engineer but after the Chief Engineer of the ship was killed by the Borg he assume his role. Hes father was one of the main Klingon inventors and engineers of the Empire tho he does not approve the current councilor policy.
Rolok - Chief Operations Officer
Andorian, Male
He is the only Starfleet officer from the original staff before Gul Rokar take command he isn't very comfortable among the rest of the senior staff because they are not trained Starfleet Officers hes most likely to ask for a transfer to another ship anytime soon.
T'kerat - Chief Science Officer
Vulcan, Male
T'kerat was a member of Vulcan Science Academy and its temporary aboard the ship for the officer exchange program among the federation members. Hes cold logic often help the ship to deal with many problems and threats.
Six of Ten Primary Processor of Unimatrix 251 - Chief Medical Officer
Human/Borg, Male
First he was assimilated during the Vega Colony invasion by the Borg from one of the ships. Rescued after a battle with a borg cube and after a lot of work he regain hes humanity and joined the crew that rescue him. Problem remain with identity he no longer is part of the borg collective but hes not and individual also. As a Medical officer he has make many breakthrough in various cases because of his former borg nature. Most notable is the Nanite Health Probes who act as good as any field medic.
Nebara Zyal - Chief Tactical Officer
Bajoran, Female
A former freedom fighter who was a seasoned warrior during the bajoran occupation but after the fall of Central Command of the Cardassian Union a lot of files where uncovered and it was stated the only military cardassian who oppose the occupation and its brutality was Gul Rokar Rain the leader of the 5th Order. New Bajoran Goverment decided to honor Gul Rokar and after a symposium about the ocupation a officer was send aboard Gul Rokar's ship. Zyal recognize the good in Gul Rokar and yet she often argue with him and his decisions but he does value her opinion and often she act as his voice of reason.
Inquiry finished, LCARS - Offline
Francesca - First Officer, Chief Tactical Officer
(Human Female)
She's smart but when it comes to a situation....Her preference is shooting more than diplomacy.
Ramirez - Chief Security Officer
(Caitian Male)
Prankster that was attempting a prank, he used a Starfleet uniform for 1 prank....ended up stuck on the U.S.S. Renegade. He is all serious on duty.....off duty he pranks everybody.
Kelsey - Chief Science Officer
(Alien Female)
From System 8235 - "Rybrillloth" in the Delta Volnais Cluster, Kelsey wanted to explore the galaxy. See what's out there. Being on an ice planet the rest of your life gets pretty boring. So she found a functional ship in a cave..convient right?...and just took off. Going wherever she wanted.Well, Kelsey was just flying in her ship through the Delta Volanis Cluster. and heard about Starfleet in here travels. She immediately wanted to join.But they don't accept just anybody, especially not some random person who hasn't been to Earth. The U.S.S. Renegade was doing a routine search through the Delta Volanis Cluster.
Kelsey hailed them and told them "I can do science." That was good enough for Renegade Steve, captain of the U.S.S. Renegade. He shipped her to Starfleet Academy with his recommendation and well, here she is. Kelsey immediately requested to work with the U.S.S. Renegade since its the first ship she ever saw.
Magnificent.
K'Ehlawr - Chief Engineer
(Klingon Female)
Cute most of the time but if you dishonor her, she'll rip your arm off like she did the last guy.
Catta - Shuttle Pilot
(Saurian Female)
Really skilled shuttle pilot. No matter what the situation, she'll manage to get you out. Also, she's a great listener and offers great advice.
Ebasin - Shuttle Pilot
(Betazoid Male)
Got drunk one night and enlisted in Starfleet. He hasn't regretted that decision.
Carl - Chief Operations
(Ferengi Male)
Nobody know why his name is Carl. He rarely speaks at all. The only thing we know about him is that he sometime sells himself to Orion Slavers for a quick profit.
Cherut - Chief Medical Officer
(Bajorian Male)
A whacko Bajorian medic who defiantly needs a psychological evaluation. Some of his medical methods aren't exactly "Starfleet regulation", but it works. He is also completely obsessed with shoes, believing "They can fix anything"
'Damn, its been a busy few years.' I thought to myself, trying to adjust this frickin' tie.
'The attack on Vega colony, Devidians, Romulans, Tholians , Undine, Cardassians, Terrans, Dominion, Breen, Iconians, time travel and the Borg. How the heck did I survive?
Oh yeah, if it wasn't for my friends I'd have died so many times over, heh.'
I thought of my officers. Many had sought me out after assignments, but a few, who are my most senior staff, I personally encountered or requested they be assigned to me.
My thoughts first turned to my helm, Supuk. We went to the academy together. She was not fond of Vulcan traditions around emotions, so she opted to enlist in Starfleet. We took shuttle lessons at the same time, and I found her style to be almost suicidal: Supuk went for the riskiest maneuvers possible. We were even assigned to the Freedom before the attack on Vega colony. Amazingly, she survived the attack on the Freedom and proved invaluable in locating escape pods from lost ships. There is not a single pilot in Starfleet I would trust with my life more than her.
I finally fixed that tie, now I had to find my spats, it's been so long since I last wore them. 2 years, 6 months, and 9 days. The day of my graduation.
That made me think about my Chief Medical officer, Jelun Montoya. He had graduated the same day as I did, and he took assignment to Starbase 39-Sierra as a 3rd-watch doctor. We used to spend so many nights getting drunk and seeing who could swim across San Francisco bay unassisted. We never made it more than half a mile before secrurity had us beamed back ashore.
We were roommates for the latter half of our Academy days, and he always cooked. His cooking was amazing! I hated having to settle for replicated food while we were prepping for our exams.
Naturally, when I found that he was looking for a change of pace, I jumped at the chance to get him assigned to my ship.
Ahh, there's my spats, now where did I put that watch?
Ahh technology, reminds me of my Chief engineer, Six. I still don't know much about her, though I do know she sought me out after my encounter with Iconian tech. She is fascinated by any form of exotic technology, I suppose thats due to her borg implants.
Its funny how we're always at odds, since I tend to tinker around with the warp core.
Almost like my Chief Science officer, Pi.
I rescued him during a little temporal incident where I almost blew my own mind. So I was surprised to find he asked to be assigned to me not 5 minutes after I returned to spacedock from that misadventure. He always wants to analyse every anomaly we pass, so he notes his indignation when we can't stop.
I am snapped out of my introspective by a knock at the door. It must be Zazhid!
I quickly spray some aftershave, double check my suit is all prim and proper, then I open the door.
Before me stands my First officer, Zazhid Phax. Her long, flowing auburn hair frames her beautiful face, her make-up accentuating her deep, ocean blue eyes. Her spots seemed to shimmer. She wore an amazing azure ballgown, which cinched in to show off her taught figure, which was honed after many, many away mission hauling my own backside out of the fire. I had a crush on her since our first day at the academy. I was taken aback when she asked to be my medical officer, but had to ask her to double hat as no.1 for some time before Jelun came aboard. By that time Zazhid was better suited to the role of First officer.
"Shall we go, once you pick your jaw off the floor?" Zazhid asked me, knowing full well her beauty stunned me every time.
"Of course, milady" I said, raising my arm.
We headed off to the italian on the shore and shared a divine evening. This next moment could be the best, or worst moment of my life.
I turned and stared into those impossibly deep eyes, and mustered up the courage to open my mouth for what seemed to be the hardest thing I've done, and I've led people to their deaths!
"Zazhid, there's something I've been wanting to say since the first day I met you."
Zazhid looked a little puzzled, "What is it?"
"Since I first laid eyes on you that day at the academy, I've felt a feeling that has had no equal when we have been apart. I love you with all my heart, mind, body and soul. I'd follow you to the ends of time, beyond the final frontier into the infinite beyond..." I got up from my seat, approached her...
...got down on one knee, reached into my pocket and pulled out a gold ring with a diamond the size of a marble.
Everyone in the restaurant had noticed what I was doing, and we both blushed more than the tomatoes.
"Zazhid Phax, will you marry me and make me the jammiest guy this side of the wormhole?"
... Zazhid looked stunned, but she opened her mouth to answer, tears welling up in her eyes...
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
FROM: SUBCOMREL11A5
TO: SFIHQOFFINTRPT
INTERCEPTED REPORT TH11054.B
ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS: TERRAN EMPIRE AGENT ' SEHRA', UNIDENTIFIED TERRAN EMPIRE COMMANDER(?)
* TRANSMISSION BEGINS *
- Sir,
- I have obtained the data you requested on the Federation Excelsior-class starship Dawnstar, Vice Admiral Kelro Verne's current flagship.
- While at first I could not understand why a Vice Admiral would use a Heavy Cruiser to command his task force, I believe I now understand that there is considerable distrust among the Admiralty within this Starfleet towards the former Imperial commander and his staff, and this has blocked him from commanding anything but a ship many would consider a museum relic. Even so, there is considerable evidence the ship has been upgraded significantly, and the transwarp drives of this class of ship remain among the most advanced in space. I must urge caution in any encounter with this ship.
- I still do not understand why I was denied permission to sanction the traitors during my investigation but...
>>> THAT IS NOT YOUR CONCERN! THAT THEY MAY HAVE BECOME WHAT THEY NOW ARE DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THEY ONCE SERVED THE EMPIRE GLORIOUSLY! WE WILL ACCORD THEM THE PROPER DEATHS IN BATTLE, NOT BY THE KNIFE! DO NOT QUESTION YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICERS FURTHER! <<<
- ...Understood.
- In addition to the technical data, I have obtained a Starfleet data file containing background information on the current senior officers aboard, apparently some sort of research file being compiled by the commanding officer of a ship within the Dawnstar's squadron. Perhaps he hopes to write a book? I will send this data in this transmission along with my own observations as part of the Dawnstar's crew, as it may provide insight on what orders I receive next, and the technical data is too large for this method of communication to be used without drawing suspicion.
>>>PROCEED <<<
______________________________
CREW SUMMARY: U.S.S. DAWNSTAR NCC-93294
______________________________
COMMANDER AUGUST NINE WINGS
FIRST OFFICER
HUMAN MALE
August Nine Wings is one of several war leaders from the planet Amerind who joined Starfleet as part of a plan to prevent the Empire from devestating the planet with prison industry. That plan involved taking over an Imperial starship and setting it in orbit to defend against any Imperial aggression. However, the ship that actually arrived was the I.S.S. Conquest. It was only after the Amerind attack parties had boarded the Conquest that they realized it was not a standard Imperial ship, but one with a commander and crew who were in disfavor with the High Command for their lack of aggressiveness in enforcing Imperial rule. When the Conquest stopped an Imperial dreadnaught from bombarding Amerind after the planet revolted, August and many of the war party members joined the crew in a debt of honor and remained aboard the Conquest when it fled to the Federation.
Since that time, August has found himself appointed First Officer aboard the Dawnstar, and become a close friend to Admiral Kelro Verne. Stern but fair, he manages the crew with care as well as discipline, knowing that in an emergency, the dedication of people is as important as their skill at their task.
-This man does not miss a single mistake! I once fudged a single number on a report I was doing in the Mess Deck, and it was this man who came down to check on it personally within an hour of my filing it. I don't doubt that he would have made a deadly Imperial commander, if he hadn't been born on that backwards planet.
_____________
LT. COMMANDER CHAI ANNE TAKASHI
WEAPONS OFFICER
HUMAN FEMALE
Chai Takashi was born the child of a military father and the American translater he married, in the late 20th century. Always feeling the outsider in the closed society around her, Chai learned at an early age to hold her own ground and to outthink those around her who sought to use her. When her father disappeared, her mother seemed to accept that Chai would be fated to be a lonely and embattled young woman in a country where conformity was expected.
That all changed when she was abducted and mistakenly inducted into the ranks of Humans tasked by the Preservers in their war against the extra-galactic hegemony known only as The Darkening. There, her tactical abilities made her a valuable warrior among others who shared her fears and truimphs, and she quickly formed several strong friendships with her teamates. Chai also became a unique candidate for linking with and safeguarding one of the greatest treasures of that time...sentient crystals that were the core of the proto-Preserver civilization. During the War, she and Kelro Verne were forced together and shared both trials and a close friendship that turned to a committed relationship. When the War ended, they were seperated and returned to their own time and places. This lasted until her abduction by the same damaged recovery ship that took Kelro and others into a centuries-long stasis sleep, and which was discovered adrift by an Imperial cruiser on deep patrol.
Joining Starfleet after recovering from the long hybernation, Chai quickly found the skills she had honed in the War served her well in the 25th Century, and it was not long before she found herself a newly-minted Starfleet Officer once again serving alongside Captain Verne. Since the flight of the Conquest to Federation space and the transfer of the survivors of that ship to the Dawnstar, she has also become the adopted sister to another officer aboard. The attempts to learn from Lt. Commander Teirsa Odmrid how to function in Betazoid culture have provided some of the most interesting tactical decisions of Chai's life.
- I once had a chance to talk to Takashi and asked her about how she first met Admiral Verne. The mental scarring and images I experienced convince me there is deep trauma involved with that memory, and possibly healed insanity. The techniques used to cover these are unfamiliar to me, but they are advanced. I noted the same with the Admiral when I managed to drop the same question on him. A weakness we can exploit?
_______________
LT. COMMANDER TEIRSA ODMRID
CHIEF ENGINEER
BETAZOID FEMALE
Teirsa Odmrid is the daughter of Vice Admiral Dor Odmrid, who commanded one of the Reserve Squadrons at Wolf 359. Being raised in the traditions of Starfleet did not soften the blow that his death at the battle there struck, but it did reinforce the direction her life would take. Contrary to her mother's wishes, Teirsa enlisted in Starfleet's Engineering branch and put her mind entirely to learning about warp engines and power systems. Some have wondered if her determination to succeed was a disguise to fuel some plan to exact revenge on the Borg, and this no doubt was a factor in her assignment by the Federation to a ship crewed by former Imperial officers who were, themselves, not entirely trusted.
Regardless of these fears, Commander Odmrid has consistently performed her duties as Chief Engineer aboard the Dawnstar with quiet professionalism, running Engineering with a firm but even hand and coming up with several innovations in Warp Field application. Her empathic abilities often seem to extend to the ship, though she denies any sort of psychic link.
Teirsa is especially close to Lt. Commander Chai Takashi. During an away mission that marooned the two on a barren world, she declared to the local tribes that Takashi was her sister, and the friendship that continued between the two afterwards motivated Teirsa to make that relationship an actual one when she asked her family to officially adopt Takashi into their Betazoid community. The two are now sisters in all but blood.
- This one, I didn't want to get too close to. Of all the senior staff, she seemed to sense something wrong with me. Maybe the Betazoid here can sense their opposite numbers? I didn't want to find out, and it's quite possible I may have to eliminate her to maintain...
>>> WE HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION!<<<
_______________________
LT. COMMANDER TEN (GALLOWAY)
CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER
LIBERATED BORG MALE
Ted Galloway had joined Starfleet to make a name for himself with his family on Betazed, and felt certain the assignment to the new Odyssey-class U.S.S. Bullet was the chance he had waited for. Going so far as to switch assignment designations with another crewman, he quickly found himself in the Astrophysics Department and awaiting the day he would save the ship.
That day did not come as he expected. Just before the maiden voyage of the Bullet, Ted was asked to return to Betazed by a subspace message from his family. The transport carrying him was intercepted by a Borg Probe and most of the passengers assimilated. Ted held back the oncoming drones long enough for a single shuttle to escape the doomed ship, but was himself captured.
Designated Ten of Sixty Two, he found the price for glory was steep indeed. Lost in the Collective, he had no real individuality until the Dawnstar retrieved him a month later. Even then, it would be another two weeks before he began to be anything like the young crewman the ship had risked their lives to recover. Although the cybernetics employed on him proved far too extensive to remove and much of his memory remains elusive, it is clear his time within the Collective has sharpened his previous lackluster scientific skills and given him the enhancements to analyze a situation much faster than most within the Science Department aboard ship.
Feeling more comfortable with the name Ten, he is now entirely dedicated to opposing the beings who took away his former life.
- This one is scary! I didn't know where to begin to guess at what he could detect, and the light probes I did hit a mental block that was like a brick wall. I don't think I ever saw him smile, and the fact that he analyzes everything around him like a computer made me avoid any meeting between us. That the Federation would even allow a Borg on their ship, let alone as a senior officer, is all the proof we need of how flawed their reasoning abilities must be! Do they -want- to die?
_______________________
LT. COMMANDER PAGE WALKS FAR
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
HUMAN FEMALE
Page Walks Far is a native of the planet known as Amerind. A world where the Preservers had transplanted various tribes of Native Americans from Terra, the Empire had decided to use it as a prison world for undesirables who were too valuable for immediate execution. It was not long before the native tribes and prisoner camps joined forces to plan their survival.
A natural healer, Page also knows that even healers must fight to survive. When she was made part of the attempt by the Amerind war chiefs to take over a Starfleet ship to defend their world, Page went willing to give her life to earn success. It was only after the Conquest saved her world that Page accepted that the ship was not a loyalist Imperial ship, and that her spirit path had always led to her joining the crew.
When the Conquest fled to the Federation universe, Page remained aboard as Chief Medical Officer. She has since become a valued and trusted member of the Dawnstar's company, though Page's stern upbringing has not left many of her patients impressed with her bedside manner. Indeed, many of the crew regard the annual physical exam as a refresher course in combat readiness, and the Honor Blade all crew from Amerind are allowed to wear with their uniforms makes many question if she does as well.
- I liked this woman! She didn't have the soft attitude of most of the females aboard this ship. Again, would have made a fine Imperial officer if she hadn't such low heritage.
>>> YOUR PREJUDICES TOWARDS LOWER DEVELOPED WORLDS ARE WELL KNOWN TO US. KEEP IT OUT OF THIS REPORT! ALL HUMANS ARE WORTHY OF OUR PROTECTION, REGARDLESS OF THEIR WORLD, AND ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMPIRE! <<<
_________________________
LT. EMANUEL LONG FIST
CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER
HUMAN MALE
Emanuel Long Fist is a native of Amerind, and one of the most cunning warriors to have come from that planet. Like most of the planet's inhabitants, he gained his first name from the Imperial personnel that he interacted with as a guide. When the war chiefs of the planet decided to capture a Starfleet vessel to protect themselves, Long Fist became their primary agent in the orbital factories due to his placement within the occupation organization.
After the attack party discovered it was aboard an Imperial cruiser with a crew who respected the people of Amerind instead of the aggressor ship they had expected, it was Long Fist who stood by August Nine Wings to convince the warriors to cease the planned attack and join with the Conquest's crew in fighting off the second Imperial ship that had been dispatched to lay waste to their world. Impressed with the crew of the starship, Long Fist elected to join those who chose to remain aboard in the Conquest's flight to the Federation's universe.
It was inevitable that Long Fist would seek to become the highest-ranking warrior aboard the Dawnstar, and few can doubt that the duties of Chief Security Officer are perfectly suited to this man. Even though he has a great interest and appreciation for music and dance, Long Fist's combat skills are what most outsiders remember.
- Long Fist is the kind of warrior you hear in the tales of old Terra's Samurai, a kind of artist/fighter. He loves a challenge, both in battle and in his attempts to play musical instruments. Depressingly, he is excellent at both, and takes that same talent to his Security duties. Luckily, there are others in his Department that are not so capable, and he cannot stay awake all day and night.
____________
LT. JEREMIAH WILFREDO SANGREY
NAVIGATOR/OPERATIONS OFFICER
HUMAN MALE
Jeremiah Sangrey was raised in a reclusive commune on Alpha Centauri that believed only those who applied all of their attention to what they did could achieve Mankind's ultimate destiny. This tended to produce an atmosphere that encouraged the development of odd patterns of behavior and customs other members of the Federation would be hard-pressed to understand.
Jeremiah was considered an odd child by the commune because he yearned to learn things such as starship engineering and gravitic theory, disciplines far beyond the allowed technology of the commune's teachings. No amount of correction or confiscation of the technical manuals he managed to hide within the commune changed this, and the elders were hard-pressed to keep other children from following in his herasy. When he was of age, it was with great relief they drew up the application for Starfleet that sent him where he wanted to go.
Always wearing gloves to prevent 'unclean materials' from touching his hands, Jeremiah has earned his place in Starfleet and aboard the Dawnstar despite a tendency to rattle off long streams of definitions during conversations. None can fault his navigation skills, however, and Jeremiah is credited with no less than five citations for exemplary performance under adverse spacial conditions, one of which resulted in an ongoing investigation by the Starfleet Corps of Engineers to determine if Jeremiah has discovered a previously-unknown utilization of transwarp theory.
- I didn't spend any time with this one. If anyone could kill an enemy by talking their head off, Sangrey might be a master assassin. Oddly enough, when he is at the ship's plotting station or operating the shields, he doesn't speak beyond the minimum required for duty....must be that concentration thing.
__________________________
LT. REM ZUT
HELMSMAN
BETAZOID MALE
Rem Zut has always been known as a gambler and risk-taker. During his youth, he attempted every dare and stunt presented to him, sometimes with very bad results. This resulted in a series of fines and damage expenses that eventually threatened to cast him out of his family's Circle. In desperation, he decided to join Starfleet. It wasn't until he was in the Academy that Rem realized Starfleet didn't pay nearly as well as his recruiter had claimed, and he suspects his family arranged behind the scenes to have him enlist one way or the other. Regardless, he soon surprised both his instructors and himself with a talent for Scientific inquiry that was at odds with his gambler mannerisms.
Since reporting aboard ship, Rem has found all the challenge he could have wished for as Helmsman for the Dawnstar. The ship's missions continue to fulfill his desire to challenge fate, and he has moderated his risk-taking to a large extent as he learns to value the safety and well-being of his crewmates. In particular, Rem has come to be attracted to Chief Engineer Odmrid, and his attempts to gain her affection have been the subject of many of the crew's tales at dock. In addition, Rem maintains a network of associates at many of the ports the Dawnstar visits, and it is not unheard of for him to obtain 'additional resources' when Starfleet's supply chain fails to extend far enough for the ship's needs.
- Oh, the fun I had with Rem! His mind was such a jangle of conflicting motivations every time I met him that I doubt he could have noticed my probes if I posted subspace notices for him! Unfortunately, I couldn't get past that mess to see what was in that tiny brain of his, but he doesn't seem to have the typical Betazoid ability to keep his emotions from his face. I will have to take him out for a night on our next port call and see just how much he....
>>> YOU REALLY NEED TO LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONFUSION AND DECOY, MS. SEHRA (WINK!) <<<
- ???
- You....NO!
>>> AND YOU SHOULD LEARN TO PLAY POKER! AMAZING GAME! NOW, I REALLY HAVE TO THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT READ, BUT I'VE GOT PLACES TO BE, PEOPLE TO MEET. SO, WHY DON'T YOU JUST SIT TIGHT UNTIL SECURITY GETS DOWN THERE AND....<<<
* TRANSMISSION ENDS *
I know it's been a while since I last wrote to you. Sorry about that. We have been busy transferring alot of new crew members to the Sentinel following a transfer to Serenity Station. Xui Li has been working overtime, organising the new people. Most people would hate such a large scale task, but she thoroughly enjoys it. Part of her chinese upbringing, I guess. She was brought up to be very considerate of others first and is always polite with a smile. She once showed me her pet Tribbles. I was surprised to see them, even more surprised when I heard the Captain knew about them as well. But as long as she doesn't feed them, the Captain seems fine with them. I must admit, there's soemthing about those little fluffballs that is just too cute. I'm tempted to get one myself, but I would forget and feed it. And that isn't a subtle hint for a birthday present. Don't get Tribbles. Some planets consider them an ecological menace. I don't think they are that bad, but we do have to be careful, some here think like that. I would hate to think what Roderick would do if he got his hands on one of Xui Li's pets.
Thank you for the care package you sent. We are heading towards a star cluster to survey an ice world soon, that scarf will be very useful. Talaina thinks it wont be cold. But being from Andor, she's used to the really cold temperatures. So is Bosip. You remember them from your visit? Bosip is as secretive as ever, but Talaina really seems to be warming up, pardon the pun. When I first met her, she was so militaristic. Comes from her growing up I guess. Did I tell you she comes from a long line of servicemen in the Andorian Imperial Guard? She's very proud of her family heritage, but it can take a while to get her to start talking. I remember when we first met, I thought she was the coldest person I'd ever met. Always so serious, always the prim and proper soldier. But over the years, she has definately become friendlier. I don't think I would call her my best friend on the ship, Jenna would most likely take that role, but Talaina is a good friend, even if she is always on duty as the First Officer.
Oh, speaking of care packages, how is Dad doing? I mentioned his symptoms to Luwara and she suggested the Frykloza Root from Horst III, ground up and served in some Ginger Ale, with a dash of Bajoran spiney basil, some Muktok plant and plenty of Zyruko herbs. Only a little of the root though, she says it's potent stuff, but easy to get. So is the Ginger Ale. I'm not sure what Ginger Ale is, it's some kind of human drink, but Luawra said that should help ease his pain. She is always making random recipies like that, we barely ever have to resupply our medical supplies except for when we have been offering relief aid. All tricks she learnt from her mother. She seems to really enjoy her work. Alot of my fellow shipmates do. So do I, but you know I'll come right back home to Trill on the first transport if you need me. All you have to do is ask, don't be stubborn like you were when you tried to get me joined. At least Dad wont be getting into any more bar fights. Not that there haven't been fun of that kind on board.
Roderick, you didn't meet him when you visited, but he was born on the old Maquis colonies right before the outbreak of the Dominion War. He has had something of a troubled past, never seems to be calm. I don't blame him, he saw some horrors in that war, and at such a young age, but the Captain seems to have taken him under hsi wing, trying to focus him. Luawra and Ernie Hauser have also been helping, but Ernie always gets scared easily. The sad part is, it was working. Roderick was getting better at controlling his anger. Then the whole debacle with the Jem'Hadar fleet returning through the wormhole and retaking DS9 ruined all that work. Seeing the Jem'Hadar, literally teh people from his nightmares, return in such force, he snapped. At least he kept things in check until the mission was over, but it took some time and alot of broken furniture to get him resembling some form of calm again. Like before though, just as he was starting to make some real progress, Starfleet assigned us a Jem'Hadar bridge officer as part of an Officer Exchange program between Starfleet and the Dominion, in an effort to cement peace between us following that 2800 incident. Oh boy. The instant Roderick saw Mirat, I thought his head was going to explode. Mirat does not help matters with his traditional 'I'm a Jem'Hadar, I'm better than you' attitude, but the two are always antagonising each other. They never sit near each other on the bridge, and more than once, Security has been forced to break up their fights. I remember one particularly bad time, just after we had taken on a Breen refugee, Ernie, Jenna and I were in The Bar, that place at the front of the ship with that bartender you thought was cute if you remember?, and suddenly we heard this loud commotion. People scattered and Roderick was punching Mirat hard in the face. Mirat responded by throwing Roderick around the room, smashing the ships on teh wall, breaking tables, even putting a couple of guys in Sickbway when they tried to break it up. It wasn't helped when Gar, that Breen I mentioned, decided to throw an ice grenade at the pair. Mirat and Gar seem to have become friends, ganging up on Roderick. I feel sorry for him, he just wants to have a calm life, but the ghosts of his past keep getting dragged up, no matter how much the Captain, or the rest of us try to help him.
Anyway, it's getting late and I have to recalibrate the sensors in the morning for the ice survey. Although I must tell you about a new friend. Well, he's more like a pet. The captain and I beamed down to a Romulan Mine a few months ago to investigate, and in the tunnels, we find a Horta. A genuine, living Horta. He followed us out of the mine and snuggled up against my foot. He was so cute. We were going to leave him, but he wouldn't go back into the tunnels. He just kept sitting on my foot everytime we stopped to beam up, so we brought him back up with us. He's become the ship's mascot, and my unofficial pet. He's always running around somewhere, or hugging my leg. He's really cute, and very faithful. We had a contest to name him, basically the crew gathered in The Bar and we shouted out random names. Someone shouted out Jeff and he burnt into the deck that he liked it, so we named him Jeff. I've included some pics of Jeff, as well as some shots of my adventures, including one of a collapsing Trinary star. We were very lucky to come across that, we only had a few hours to study it before all three collapsed at once. I knew you would appreciate those images.
Give my best to Dad. I truly hope he feels better. Let me know if you try Luawra's remedy, she has loads more she's eager to suggest.
Love you guys and miss you loads.
Lots of love.
Emony.
XX
A Romulan Strike Team, Missing Farmers and an ancient base on a Klingon Border world. But what connects them? Find out in my First Foundary mission: 'The Jeroan Farmer Escapade'
Commander sh'Raul replied calmly, without a trace of emotion in his voice. "Do you at least understand the dilemma here? Clearly not. Starfleet is a military organization, yes, but our goal is not the utter and complete annihilation of anyone and everyone who opposes our values."
Ensign Smith visibly shuddered. "But the Tholians ambushed us while we were in Federation space. They deserved to die. Our Captain is weak."
"I think it's safe to say that everyone on the ship agrees that the Tholians were in the wrong, and the Captain did the right thing defending us and disabling their ships. Do you remember how we left them? Both ships had main propulsion and weapons systems disabled. One ship had multiple hull breaches and was being evacuated. You honestly believe the Captain was wrong in offering our assistance? You would rather have us slaughter them while they were defenseless?"
"How else will we teach them a lesson?"
"Alright, let's talk about lessons. What is your background in, Ensign?"
"I have a doctorate in reptilian anatomy, sir."
Checkmate. "And I have a doctorate in clinical psychology, and a second one in pantheistic religions. So let me explain this to you. Leaving the Tholians alive was an act of mercy. We don't want to make them extinct - we just want to have a peaceful coexistence. There is no rational reason to destroy ships full of sentient beings just because you are mad at them. I think you must have suffered an injustice from another race as a child, perhaps from the Borg or Klingons?"
"Well, actually..."
Wednesday, 1449 hours
"Lieutenant, Pahkwa-thanh traditions have intrinsic value, but you also have to respect your shipmates. Asking someone to surrender their arm because you are starving and the staff meeting is running late is taking things too far. Do you agree?"
Mehn shifted his weight and wagged his tail around. "I don't see the problem. It was just a joke."
"So here's a joke for you. I like eating lizards. You look like one. Do you want to be barbecued or roasted?"
Thursday, 2317 hours
A low chime on his padd alerted sh'Raul to a new message. This one is marked personal with a copy sent to the Captain. Great, another late-night complaint! With a shake of his head, he tried to push cynicism aside and give Lieutenant Beckett a chance. After all, he'd only spoken to Beckett twice.
Counselor,
I wanted to thank you for inviting me to your grief management session two nights ago. Yes, I was under the Captain's orders to talk to you, but I had no orders to like what you had to offer.
I was ashamed to show up, but the brief introductory remarks calmed me down. I thought we were in the holodeck because of the mood lighting, so I was completely shocked when you announced that the rest of our night was to be spent playing an old Earth game called bowling. Did you know that my fiance liked that, or was it just a lucky guess? Either way, I now have a support group. You have earned my trust.
Paul
Saturday, 1805 hours
The senior staff poker game had just started. sh'Raul was anxious to get things underway - it was his birthday, and he never really liked celebrating himself. His life was dedicated to helping people, but for some reason, self-esteem was hard to come by personally.
Chief Engineer Raul Jarvis stopped shuffling and reached under the table. "It's only fitting that we take a minute to celebrate the work that sh'Raul is doing on our lovely ship. Yes, we know it's your birthday, and we know that you appreciate written correspondence more than the 'electronic garbage' you are bombarded with." Jarvis dumped a stack of papers on the table, right where the bets go. "These are from the crew. You are appreciated more than you know. Take your time in reading them when you get back to your quarters. Happy birthday!"
Goshen smiled as he replied, "These are the officers that I have selected for my bridge crew."
Admiral Macciocca looked began to scroll through them.
First Officer / Chief Engineer
Name: Marok
Species: Vulcan
Homeworld: Vulcanis Lunar Colony.
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Rank: Commander
Division: Engineering
Speciality: Warp Theory & Application
Status: Married to T'Prell
SI Background Check: During his marriage ritual to T'Prell, the Vulcan Priest that bound them together stole a portion of their emotional control to help him deal with his undiagnosed Bendii Syndrome. As a result, Marok's emotions are much closer to the surface. He is known to exhibit occasional emotional outbursts that are dramatic by Vulcan standards. Marok joined Starfleet to seek out a solution to his ailment, while his wife seeks a solution on Vulcan. He?s a longtime friend of Goshen A'nar and they communicate with each other often.
Operations Officer
Name: Noebellor
Species: Denobulan
Homeworld: Denobulus
Sex: Male
Age: 44
Rank: Lieutenant
Division: Engineering / Operations
Speciality: Environmental Control Specialist
Status: Married to Zahtyr. Formerly married to Lyranex
SI Background Check: He is a competent engineer. He is confrontational for a Denobulan, and therefore prefers the company of aliens to that of his own people. He was undecided about a career choice and jumped from one job to another for many years. It was only after he left Denobulus and took a position on a Denobulan freighter, where he met his wife, Zahtyr (a Denobulan/Deltan) that he discovered happiness, self-control, and his competency for operations.
Science Officer
Name: Chell Brotha
Species: Bolian
Homeworld: Bolius
Sex: Male
Age: 35
Rank: Lt. Commander
Division: Science
Specialty: Degrees in multiple disciplines.
Status: Married with a wife and co-husband both are Starfleet Officers. They have one child, a daughter.
SI Background Check: Chell was a customer service representative for a telecomm company on Bolius, until he suffered from a mental breakdown after dealing with disgruntled customers day in and day out. He returned to vocational college, where he studied make-up and tattoo arts, but his artistic skills were not in demand. He joined Starfleet where he met his wife and co-husband. They had a child at the Academy, where he ended up taking night courses. He excelled at his studies and earned multiple degrees. Several Starfleet Captains entered into a bidding war to get him on their crew.
Helm Officer
Name: Lydia MacArthur
Species: Human
Homeworld: Earth
Sex: Female
Age: 19
Rank: Ensign
Division: Tactical
Speciality: Combat Flight Tactics & Shuttle Operations
Status: Single / Never Married
SI Background Check: She is adventurous and fearless and is a proficient pilot. She grew up on a ranch in Texas and grew up around animals. She maintains a very close relationship with her father. She is known to keep pets. She enjoys large animals that she can ride, and will attempt to ride anything that she is able to mount. She is qualified to fly a wide range of Federation craft and has been is a quick study learning the controls for any craft that she has not experienced before.
Admiral Macciocca closed the Padd and handed it back to Goshen. "It looks good, but I have some questions."
Goshen smiled, "What do you want to know?"
The Admiral's expression turned serious. "How did you manage to convince Chell to join your crew?"
Goshen laughed before explaining. "I offered him a promotion to Lt. Commander, made him my Chief Science Officer, and gave his wife and co-husband positions onboard the Olympic."
Admiral Macciocca leaned back in his chair. "Do you think he's ready for that responsibility?"
"Have you seen his transcripts from the Academy? He can teach there. Besides, I'm not a complete slouch when it comes to the sciences."
"I'm impressed." The Admiral thought for a moment, before he asked, "However, your crew is a little light. I don't see a Tactical Officer, Security Chief, or a Doctor on that list."
"I'm still looking for the Tactical Officer and Security Chief. It?s down to a handful of candidates, but I haven't gotten them down yet."
"Alright. You need to make your decision before you leave on Friday, and I don?t need to remind you that it's already, late Tuesday afternoon."
"I know. I'll have my decision made soon enough,? Goshen replied confidently.
"But what about your doctor," Admiral Macciocca asked again.
Goshen's smile grew larger. "That?s what I wanted to talk to you about."
The Admiral grew suspicious and the expression on his face showed his concern in its wrinkles. "What is it?"
"You still owe me one from this weekend's poker game."
Admiral Macciocca didn't like where this was heading.
"I want Dr. Boocht," Goshen replied, knowing full well that he had the Admiral by the short hairs.
"That's out of the question. Starfleet Intelligence assigned him to Starbase 36 under my command," Demetri responded, shaking his head in disapproval.
"According to Boocht, he's due for ship duty in a few weeks. You could accelerate his reassignment and grant him permission to come aboard the Olympic."
The Admiral scowled. "You spoke to him?" He grunted and mumbled under his breath. "Of course you did." He sighed heavily and dreaded the paperwork that he now had to fill out in triplicate explaining to Starfleet Intelligence, why he had reassigned the Yattho doctor. He better come up with a convincing lie fast. "I'll put in the transfer request this afternoon. But, my debt to you is paid, and we won?t speak of that poker game ever again. Is that understood?"
Beaming, Goshen replied, "Yes, sir!" He turned and walked out of the Admiral's office content that he had gotten everything he wanted. This was turning out to be a great day.
I'm still having trouble sleeping. I suppose that's to be expected after having a large shard of Console removed from your chest. Luckily for me it missed anything vital and I'll only be in sickbay another day. While on a routine systems check I was down in engineering visiting with Chief Devon Fine and her "new assistant" Wraith. The Boy had been spending enough helping out down there that I figured we might as well make it official. At least this way he has an "official" reason to be on board. Everything was getting along fine until we had a plasma relay blow. There were a few burns and some minor cuts, but I'd managed to take the worst of it. It's funny that they say life flashes before you in times like this, but I've found it's just given me time to think. Thoughts about my ships, my life, and mostly my crew. The brave souls that have made me proud time and time again. It's not the first time I've been injured but I had to admit it was the first time I'd been so sentimental after. I'm sure E'Saul would find this "most intriguing".
A majority of the crew had been put together by Admiral Aviess, an old friend I used to serve under on the Icarus. She needed a crew that she could trust and with Section 31, trust was everything. She insisted on at least 3 Vulcans on the senior staff. Dr. E'Saul was first choice. She's both the ships chief medical officer as well as the councilor. She could have had her pick of assignments and she choose the frontlines as it were. She's a funny woman, in both senses of the word. She has a dry wit to her, not an out right sense of humor, but a definite sarcasm that makes her stand out from the usual Vulcan. She's in her late eighties but being Vulcan looks much younger. Her husband of 40 years resides on Vulcan as a priest. Both of them are the religious sort as it were, believing in the power of logic. Personally I don't get it but she's proven herself as more than capable. Her bedside manner though is as cold and logical as to be expected though. Her Nurse Pruz, or "Fizi" as everyone calls her, at least has been making up for that during my stay. Fizi herself is a Betazoid. She started off her medical career as E'Saul's assistant, both medically and psychologically. I suppose getting her was a bit of a package deal as well as a win/win. She's enthusiastic as much as she is empathic, so she was the perfect or "logical" choice as the doctor put it. E'Saul says it would be illogical to have to train a new assistant, but deep down I'm sure she wouldn't want any one else.
Mr. Sabin and Commander T'Pal are both top of their class at the Vulcan academy. More of the typical Vulcan mentality. T'Pal is My first officer, she's of the tactical mind much as myself. We tend to compliment each other in terms of planning away missions as well as any combat situation. Sabin himself is the ship science officer. While a little dull, even by Vulcan standards he's got a grasp of things I myself will never fully understand. Give me a phaser and I can turn the tide of battle, give that man a tricorder and there isn't an anomaly he can't explain. Well, at least to any body other than myself. Each have their own interests, Sabin spends his time with botany. He keeps several small plants in his quarters that require precision and careful maintenance. T'Pal is actually a remarkable cook. She's fascinated by the various forms of cuisine from various cultures. They both claim that instead of being a hobby as most crew would, it is a form of meditation. If I didn't know any better I'd almost think that there were a little more human the longer they're on board.
It's nice to see that even the famous attitude of Vulcans can be broken for a little personal down time. I wish the same could be said about two of my other officers. The Borg. More specifically my chief engineer Devon Fine and one Simon Edison. It's hard to drag them away from their work, even when ordered. Both were liberated from the collective years after assimilation. Both stand as two sides of the Liberation coin. Devon is in her late twenties and was only in the collective for 2 years. She was a maintenance drone, retaining all knowledge from her time on a Tac Cube which is how I was able to get her position as chief. She's a cute one, and the younger crew take notice. Both smart and friendly it took her little time to earn her position as well as the respect of her coworkers. She's even taken Wraith under her wing in terms of giving him purpose on the ship as well as integrating him into the crew. She's got a pale tone with a few minor implants showing on her face and over the length of her left arm. Poor Edison on the other hand had been assimilated roughly 9 years ago. He was a drone specialized for scientific research. His "modifications" were far more extensive. So much so that his implants were irreversible. He's a full drone and constant reminder of the horrors of the Borg. He's a quiet man who enjoys music and it pains me to see the way he walks the halls alone. He's a good crew man, but he keeps his distance. E'Saul says it's almost like he feels guilty for being a reminder of what he was instead of letting people see him for who he is. In time though, he will be just as much a part of this crew as any one.
Commander David Keating is my tactical officer. A military man through and through. I'd pulled him from his service in the MACO's. He's loyal to Starfleet and to this ship, but at times can come off a little rough. He works closely with head of security, an Andorian Zhen named Lelha Erhab. It's funny watching them work together. One is a hot headed Andorian and the other is a by the book man of regulations. David is my team leader on away team Alpha. His training ranges from general ground incursions to covert recon, and every thing else in between. We may not see eye to eye at times, but he will follow orders out of a mutual trust and respect, even on the few occasions it was for a cause he didn't agree too. A soldier like that is essential to the line of work the Geist finds herself in every now and then. Lelha on the other hand is a bit of a wild card. She's a hot head but tempered to match. No matter how mad she gets, she's fair. She handles ship wide security as well as can drink a Klingon under the table. A feat I'd seen here accomplish on numerous occasions. She's a piece of work, but the ships is always safe in her hands. Often times she'll make the punishment fit the crime. "A little added irony is all it takes to keep the crew in line" she'll tell me.
I shudder to think of the day that I'm no longer captain, but when it comes I know I'll be leaving it in good hands. Until then I know that I'm surrounded with people that I can count on. I trust each of them with my life as well as them trusting me with theirs. Given that each of these people have earned their place I can't really see this ship operating as well as it does with out them. They've pulled this ship and her crew through a lot of rough spots and frankly I'm proud of each and every one of them. Once I'm out of the medical bay maybe I'll see to it they all get some R&R or some time off to visit home. They've earned it.
Name: Tenea Igriliv Lyryia
Species: Andorian (Thalish)
Rank: Commander
Position: First Officer/Executive Officer
Personality: Remarkably light-hearted for an Andorian, spending 9 years in mixed company has caused her normally stoic and serious nature to soften slightly. Fellow Andorian crew-members view her with a level of disdain, considering her willingness to laugh or jest as a weakness. Her temper, however, is as short as ever. She finds herself in front of the Admiral regularly for striking crew-members or damaging equipment, her defense usually being summed up as a variation of "he/she/it" deserved it.
History:
Born on Andoria to an extremely traditional family, Tenea hid herself on a Federation transport two days before her Remali'y to escape the inevitable arranged marriage that would have immediately followed. Discovered by an ensign upon arrival at Earth, she joined Starfleet to avoid being sent home (she lied about having completed her turning age ritual, and by the time they learned otherwise, the date had passed making her ?technically? an adult and eligible to complete her training)
Her Academy career was mostly uneventful, she was comfortably middle of her class and had avoided any serious altercation with the Klingon or Vulcan cadets, who angered her to no end. Her first assignment was the USS Thermopylae as a security member.
Following the Vega System encounter, she was serving as the temporary first officer, expected to last only until reaching space-dock, at which point she expected to return to being a regular security team member. She has been Mal'Doran's first officer ever since. Although offered commands of her own, she continually turns them down. She's made it clear she'd rather place her loyalty to her captain above personal career advancement.
Relations With Crewmembers:
Tenea and Nyerti are as close as friends can get at this point. They were roommates in the Academy and haven't separated since, an oddity considering Starfleet's policy of placing individuals in new situations in order to grow and develop them. She wears a simple platinum ring on her right antenna, a gift from Nyerti on graduation, a sign that their friendship is deeper than some courtships even. This is made even more apparent when you consider the fact that Val'Doran is the only person who regularly calms Tenea's temper before injuries occur and hasn't been struck herself since the Academy.
Her relations with the other crew-members varies, although she generally has a positive view of them, as evidenced by only sending one or two to sickbay per quarter.
T'Ryssa (yes, that T'Ryssa): Vulcan(-ish). Science Officer. Second Officer. (First-contact specialist, unofficially). With the Enterprise crew going their separate ways, Chen accepted a position onboard the Adrianople, incorrectly assuming it would be quieter and less dangerous than her previous assignments. She does find the oddity of the other crew members comforting. Much to her delight, then-Captain Mal'Doran's first action was to award her a small plaque commemorating her clotheless space flight from NGC 6281 to Maravel.
Noimo: Unjoined Trill. Chief Medical Officer. Knew she'd probably never be selected for a joining, she focused her efforts on joining Starfleet with the unspoken goal of besting the joined Trill (especially Dax). Cheerful, upbeat and almost childish behavior, the ships unofficial moral officer and usually the first questioned after an elaborate prank is discovered.
Sekketh: Vulcan. Chief Engineering Officer. Third Officer. A fast-paced officer, Sekketh has moved through the ranks at an alarmingly fast rate. The odds are very high that he will be offered his own command in the near future, and it is equally likely he will accept.
Five of Six: Borg (formerly human). Operations Manager. Found in the wreckage of a Borg probe, Noimo and the EMH were able to successfully remove most of her Borg implants. Her transition back to humanity was easier than Seven of Nine's since she was assimilated in her twenties and was only a drone for six years. She's expected to step into the Chief Engineer if and when Sekketh is offered his own command.
Kizdah: Klingon. Chief Security Officer. Joined the Federation when it became clear the KDF put honor above everything else to a foolish degree. His view is that honor without logic is as offensive as cowardice, as it results in meaningless deaths. Choosing the time and place of one's battles is more desirable than the archaic fighting to the death, damn the odds that prevails in Klingon thinking. During his first week, he and Tenea duelled in the holodeck, resulting in both of them spending a month in sickbay recovering from their injuries. The result is a mutual respect that manifests itself in barbed insults and harsh shoulder punches between the two.
U.S.S Spellbound, Multi-Mission Strategic Explorer. NCC-92008.
The USS Stellar Drift-A is the second ship of her name, and like her predecessor, a state-of-the-art science vessel. This time, however, of the Polaris class hull design instead of the Luna.
Gone are the experimental graviton emitter configuration, or bizarre deflector grid geometry. This new ship promises advances in sensor analysis, and deeper penetration into subspace using sensor scans. She can fly a little faster, a little longer, and her science labs are a bit more noteworthy. Also gone are the hull decorations that her predecessor sailed with proudly.
However, not gone are the faces, and tireless souls that made the first Stellar Drift the ship it became. My story tends to be told a lot in the media. These men, women, and transgendered species who have served so faithfully under my command have stories of their own, and many of them far more incredible than my own.
First Officer: Commander Sevak Sharp
Other than myself, I think the most well-known name on this vessel is that of my First Officer. She came aboard as Commander Sevak Kh?via, She is also known as Colonel Sevak Sharp of the V?Shar, though she tells me that her service with the V?Shar is finally over.
She was born in the city of Krishyyn on Vulcan and is the youngest child ,and only daughter of Professor Varek and Doctor Sumara Kh?via. Professor Varek was a philosophy professor at Starfleet Academy up until last year, and also my martial arts coach when I was a cadet. He was responsible for shaping me into the officer I am today.
Sevak and her brother Toval spent much of their youth on Earth as opposed to Vulcan. Varek and my father knew each other well from their service on the USS Cambridge, so they would come to visit at least once a year.
Varek and Sumara, wanted to explore different ways of living, and encouraged Sevak and Toval to find their own way. They also strayed so far from the Kohlinar, they felt that they would not be welcome on Vulcan.
Not that they weren?t logical, either, but they took a different approach on their view of emotion. They never completely suppressed their emotions, but used the power of meditation and self-reflection to control it. It was not uncustomary to see either of them smile, or Toval for that matter. It used to frighten people more than it would soothe them. In fact, I can remember more than one accusation from someone that they were Romulan instead of Vulcans.
Sevak was another story. She was never truly happy with her life on Earth, and despised me from the get-go. Oh, Varek and Sumara would encourage us to play together, but she would always go off by herself. She told me years later it was the clash of the two cultures that was too much for her. She was an alien on Earth, but also an alien on Vulcan because of her parents choice of not following the Kohlinar.
When she was older, she went to stay with her uncle Valan on Vulcan, and joined the V?Shar when she came of age. I saw her once my Junior year at the Academy at a Ultet match. In fact, she was the last opponent I faced before I was knocked out of the tournament, and then I saw her again after I graduated from the Academy.
We ran into each other only twice during the rest of the Dominion War, though both of us served fairly extensively on the front lines. The first time we saw each other was at Deep Space Five right before The Battle of Galla Pass. Well, and a holding cell the next night. That fight nearly ended her career, and nearly got me masted, but I think there was more on Captain Rawlings? mind than the shenanigans of two young officers.
The second time we saw each other was after the Liberation of Betazed. Sevak had been on the ground for nearly eight months with the rest of her unit trying to secure the planet. The war also took its toll on her parents, as did the death of Toval in 2378. The family moved to Vulcan shortly after and took up residence in the mountains near Krishyyn.
Her role in Starfleet, and amongst my crew has been met with controversy. She was assigned to my crew at first as a member of Starfleet and as my Chief of Security, but it was later revealed to me by Admiral Olio that she had been acting under orders by both the V?Shar and Starfleet Intelligence as an observer. Despite my loyalty to Starfleet even living on Romulus and my marriage to Ynala, Starfleet still felt suspicious enough, and wanted their spy to be someone that I would be familiar with.
Even as we had gotten older, Sevak and I always remained standoffish towards each other. The 25th Century was no different. In fact, she was colder and much more argumentative than she had been before. She took orders just fine, but there was always a twinge of sarcasm with her that made working with her extremely difficult.
Admittedly, however, I wasn't easy to get along with either. Sevak and I share the same failing in that we are both very prideful sometimes, and that pride often turns into vanity. That vanity turns into stubbornness. We will both hold onto anger, grief, sorrow, even happiness until it eats us alive. With that, it is difficult for either of us to talk when something is bothering us.
Counselor Malela, and my daughter Vaihuu, suggested that we spend more time together to try and work out our differences. Well, it wasn't really a suggestion, it was more of an order.
At first it was difficult. We argued frequently, and there were a few challenges on the Ultet mat, but in time we started to talk more, and formed more of a friendly bond.
However, it was an incident at Starbase 24 that really changed everything. I know everyone in the fleet is familiar with that godforsaken starbase, but this was a particularly nasty raid. The Klingons had gotten onto the Starbase, and had occupied most of it. We had gotten ambushed in a corridor near the cargo bay and were making a retreat when Sevak got separated from the away team.
I ordered Kala, Soral, and Thol to lay down cover fire, and made my way to her. By the time I got to her, however, she had been injured severely. I was able to kill a warrior before he got her, and did what I could to patch her wounds, but they were too severe even for the medical kit that I had on me. The ship was mired in combat around the station, so we couldn't be beamed back right away. I remember watching helplessly as she slowly started to slip away thinking how much I had come to depend on her, not just on the ship but in my private life.
It felt like an eternity before my away team got to us, but they did, and Soral helped me stabilize her. Eventually, reinforcements arrived and we were able to beam back to the Drift. After that, Sevak became a little less rough around the edges, and told me that she had begun to understand what her father had tried to teach her.
Our weekly sparring and meditiation sessions turned into dinners, or we'd take in a play that some of my junior officers would put on, or one of Ziri's concerts. Next thing you know.
There was controversy over that, too. Especially after Soral and Kala disappeared and Sevak was promoted to First Officer. Some of the junior officers tried to call favoritism, but in reality she was the next in the line of succession. Though, I had enlisted help from Admiral Retchelle Alvarez at the JAG office. I offered to step down as Commanding Officer, and transfer to another department, but Retchelle insisted that I remain aboard as a show of good faith, so long as I didn't let my personal feelings interfere with my duties.
I will admit it has been difficult sometimes to separate the two, but I feel I have done a good job, and the crew have seemed to accept the arrangement.
Sevak and I married last year on Earth, with most of my senior staff in attendance. There are no plans on anything further, and Vaihuu I think already accepted her before we became involved.
Sevak has recently returned to the crew after being on special assignment.
My Second Officer, and beloved Operations Officer hails to us from Andoria. Prior to serving with Thol, I served with one other Andorian, but it was very briefly, so I was none too familiar with them or their customs.
Despite his seemingly surly exterior Thol can be best described as a teddy bear. He is also a whiz when it comes to manipulating force fields and dispatching damage control teams when the ship is under heavy fire. Some would say it would be because of my tendency of taking my ship into places it shouldn?t go, but I would say it actually comes from his service on the USS Firebaugh.
Captain Tavis was a name I knew even when I was a cadet, and of all the commanders I had ever met or read about, he was the one that could test the limits of a ship. Perhaps why Starfleet gave him a star cruiser.
He still managed to nearly tear his ship apart, though. In fact, as the original Stellar Drift pulled out of spacedock, Firebaugh was moored next to it undergoing extensive hull repair after he had gotten too close to what he described as a thicket of Klingon warships.
Thol?s parents never served in Starfleet, but Thol says he learned his skills as an engineer from helping out a family friend at the local shuttlepad. In addition to directing traffic, the two of them would also sometimes be asked to perform maintenance on various systems. He also took inspiration from his grandfather, who served aboard the USS Boxot as a damage control engineer, his cousin Joran who served on the Enterprise-E as a power grid engineer, and one of his ancestors had been a Lieutenant in the Andorian Guard when Andoria ratified the Federation charter.
As different ship types would come in, he would read about them, and larger ships and began to wonder what it was like to fix each of them. He tells me that's what really inspired him to join Starfleet.
In addition to ship systems, he is a brilliant mind, with an incredible grasp on subatomic physics, subspace mechanics, and he is an excellent tactician.
He also makes a wonderful Andorian Mint Souffle.
His niece, Captain Daphne Suari is an officer under my command and just took the helm of the USS Frontier.
Zoymu is another one of the teddy bears on my staff. With his reflective eyes; pale blue iridescent skin; and spikes across his face he is certainly an imposing fellow, especially for first time patients in sickbay.
However, he is perhaps the nicest man I have ever met. He is Alhalan by birth although ethnically half Alhalan and half Thraxis. He only lived a very small part of his life on Alhala Prime. Due to the fact it is a hotly contested world on the outer reaches of Romulan space, his family fled when he and his siblings were young and claimed asylum within the Federation.
He has since lived most of his life on the planet Xrixis VII, which is a low-light colony in the heart of Federation space. In fact, for species like his who are more comfortable with higher levels of violet light as opposed to yellow or orange, it is marketed as a resort colony.
Despite the frequency in which Alhala Prime is besieged, Alhalans culturally are a very worldly, upbeat, and optimistic people. Being on a Federation colony nurtured much of this aspect of Alhalan culture. His mother was a school teacher on Xrixis, and his father was a well known painter. Zoymu has inherited much of his father?s talents as well.
There aren?t many Alhalans serving within the Federation, though he is one of two on my ship, and I believe at last report the highest ranking Alhalan in Starfleet.
Zoymu likes to credit his service in Starfleet to his desire to use his hands to help others in addition to painting pictures.
Counselor: Lieutenant Commander Malela:
I mentioned one other Alhalan aboard my ship. Malela is the other. She originally came aboard as my head nurse, but two years ago asked me if she could do something more than be in sickbay, and so I placed her on the bridge as my science officer. Recently, however, she has decided to change her career path to Ship's Counselor. Since she is a valued field officer already, Starfleet Academy is allowing her study while on board, and I've allowed her a chance to work with the other staff. It has been one of my best decisions yet, and I don?t think she could be any happier.
Unlike Zoymu, Malela grew up on Alhala Prime, but after the Romulans had seized it. She is a mixed breed of Alhalan and something else. I don?t remember what. It?s not Romulan. Her parents were owners of a grocery store in the capital city of Shryzz. There she became familiar with different herbs and spices sold in the store and their various medicinal properties. She would advertise these to customers in order to gain sales, and sometimes when fighting between rebels and Romulan soldiers would get bloody, she would take them from the store and use them to heal others.
When she was a teenager, Alhala Prime briefly gained independence from the Romulan Star Empire and she used the time to apply to Starfleet Academy. She said she didn?t dare try the Imperial Science Academy since she felt the Romulans use their medical personnel as doctors of death.
After she entered the Academy, she became interested in many different other sciences, so many in fact that her mentor had to limit her subject matter lest she be held back in graduating.
Very recently Malela has started dating my best sensor technician.
Ziri is another officer that has sort of risen through the ranks aboard the Stellar Drift. She is Bolian by ethnicity, but grew up on Earth in the city of Visalia, California. She has four other siblings, three of which are also in Starfleet.
Ziri is the youngest daughter of my long time friend, and indirect commanding officer, Admiral Zot Olio of Starfleet Intelligence. Unlike him, however, she is less of a tactician and more of a tinkerer.
She started off as a power grid specialist, assigned to me out of the Academy, and out of spacedock to help correct EPS power conduit problems caused after we fixed the graviton radiation problem on the old ship. She proved so useful, however, in optimizing power flow, and fixing other minor problems around the ship that weren?t even power grid related issues, that I decided to keep her aboard.
Lieutenant Commander Kala Lahal, who was my Chief Engineer at the time, very quickly fell in love with the girl, and appointed her second in command.
Tragically, late last year, a shuttle containing Kala my former first officer, Commander Soral, and their son disappeared while en route to Bajor. The loss hit us all very hard, and Ziri at first was hesitant to take command.
However, with some encouragement from myself, her father, and from Kala?s mother, she accepted the position of Chief Engineer. In that position she has been dedicated, hardworking, and genuinely loves her job. She is the kind of officer that would be inside a Jeffries tube with a roll of duct tape and twine just to keep the ship alive. In fact, I just had the honor of presenting Ziri with a decoration for valor for crawling into a radiation-filled compartment to repair a plasma leak after we had been hit by an isolytic charge.
Malela likes to refer to Ziri as the lifeline of the ship. Not just in that she is good with engineering, but she normally very optimistic, good-natured, and silly. Despite all of the terrible things that have happened in the past several years aboard this ship, she has become a symbol of comfort to the rest of the crew. When she isn't smiling, or singing down a corridor, someone usually comes and gets me.
Speaking of her singing, it is her biggest hobby. She was a member of the Academy Choir, and the Academy Jazz Singers when she was a cadet, and it is not uncommon to hear her singing while she is on duty. According to my engineering staff, she is particularly fond of Jeffries Tube 1 Junction 3-Bravo on Deck 12, but that could be just because the main power grid is located in that area.
She recently sang for a Malcorian diplomatic delegation, and she also sang at my wedding. Though, she tells me she likes singing opera and more classical tunes just fine, she is more fond of pop music classics of the 20th Century, and symphonic rock.
Ziri is married to a senior, command-level officer under my command, Captain Liara Bain, commanding officer of the USS Orca. The two met at the Academy in Quantum Theory 101. According to Captain Bain, she was less skilled in that subject, and Ziri offered to tutor her. The two became fast friends, and rest happened from there.
Ziri recently returned from maternity leave where she gave birth to the couple?s first child, a little girl named Xalia.
Next to Sevak, Thol, Falor is the next longest-tenured member of my original bridge staff. He hails from the planet Betazed, and yes he drives the ship, and very competently I might add.
He also, begrudgingly, has the nickname in my household of, ?son-in-law.? Or will once he and Vaihuu get married next fall.
I jest. Falor is a very humble young man, and unlike a lot of other helm officers in Starfleet that I know of, especially ones commanding science ships with names ending in ellar Drift, he does not come from racing pilot, space jockey sort of past.
He is to be honest, a very quiet, easy-going, hum drum sort of guy, which also makes me wonder what he is doing with Vaihuu.
However, he is very intelligent and takes orders very well. In fact, sometimes too well, since he tends not to question me when I am know I am pushing the ship too far.
Since he has been keeping his romance with my daughter a secret so long, he came across to me as sort of a homebody. He would stay in his quarters most of the time, and be rather anti-social sometimes. So, in that, I don?t know much about himself, or his hobbies. He is also very happy as a senior officer and not a command-level officer. Which makes me a little sad in that he would be an easy first choice for the USS Tigershark when it comes off the line.
Chief Science Officer: Commander Araja Enree:
Araja comes to this ship by way of personal recommendation from Sevak. She is a former Omega Force officer that has recently transferred to fleet duties. She served with Sevak and others from Starfleet Intelligence, the V?Shar, the MACOs, you name it, in various joint operations. The most recent one being an incursion on Nukara Prime, in which both she and Sevak were severely injured defending a downed shuttlecraft.
Being a joined Trill, Commander Enree possesses a unique amount of knowledge, making her an excellent scientist. She has taken over for Malela at my science console.
The adjustment to space life for Araja hasn?t been easy. She is not accustomed to some of the delicious meals that Chief Isheiya prepares for us, and she is not used to the more casual way we go about our lives. I think she also disapproves of my relationship with Sevak.
However, she has not complained, and follows my orders without question.
In her off hours, she really likes metal sculpting, and contact sports. She told me recently she has found an appreciation for rugby.
Chief Tactical Officer/Chief of Security: Lieutenant David Rawlings III:
Last but not least is the latest arrival, Lieutenant David Rawlings. He is a recent Academy graduate, and the grandson of my first commanding officer, the late Captain David Rawlings. He is also a spitting image of the man I knew.
Though his grandfather was an engineer by trade, David was inspired by his grandfather?s accomplishments in Starfleet and joined.
I will admit to losing touch with Captain Rawlings? family since my return to the 25th Century, so I am still getting to know David. What I do know of him, however, reminds me a lot of Will Riker. He is a brilliant tactician, and very much a cowboy. Sometimes too much of a cowboy, but I have faith he will mature into a fine officer.
There are many more faces among my crew, and they are all a family to me, but these are my department heads. I look forward to many more years aboard this ship.
--End Log Entry and Saved
V. Adm. Kim Sharp
USS Stellar Drift, NCC-92883-A
Pihla Linti
Oivi Uki Street 124
12516ET Asunto
Defera Prime
Defera System
Orellius Sector Block
03-04-2407
Dear Linti,
It's just another day on the bridge of the U.S.S. Yeager as usual, missing you. But it seems to be different. I don't know why but I feel uneasy, as if something might happen at any time, something bad.
Something bad?, I hear you think. Was the war with the Breen not bad enough? We seem to have seen the worst of it now. It took me two years of frustration before Starfleet command agreed to send us here, but now we are here, we have helped the Deferi defeat the Breen and all is quiet again.
So what could happen, with the Starfleet Orellius task force here? I don't know, it's just a feeling. It feels unbalanced, you know that feeling?
Anyway, if something happens, the good news is we are here. It seems Starfleet wants to keep us around for an extended period of time. Which is good, I love being so near to you.
So what is going on here? I see the Admiral being busy, a coming ang going in his Ready room. The other day someone thought I was him! A Klingon, not very balanced. He shouted: "Admiral Rauno!". I turned and he saw his mistake. And he added:"All you Deferi look alike". Very charming, very balanced.
I wonder if the people here think we are all alike. I have the suspicion the Admiral doesn?t promote me to Lieutenant-Commander just because he does not want people to think a Deferi gets special treatment. But I suppose I would do the same, it?s in the interest of balance.
Speaking of balance, there is little balance here on the bridge. Starfleet does not believe in separating the different species, it?s a good thing, but not always easy.
Our First Officer, Thelan, is an Andorian. Very tough, very strict. He runs a tight ship, that?s for sure, and I think we all fear him a little. But, when you least expect it, he shows a softer side. I remember him testing me. He knew what happened to me in Starfleet Academy, remember when I refused to do the Kobayashi Maru test because I felt it was unbalanced? And I received an official disciplinary measure? He just kept going on about it, how he could not trust me because I would choose balance over orders. It was frustrating and so unfair of Thelan because I was punished for that at the Academy already. Then, one day, I confronted him. I said: ?Sir, I feel you treat me unfairly by punishing me for my problem at the Academy, I deserve a fair chance and I deserve your trust. And if you can?t give me that, you should transfer me.? He looked at me like he was going to pull my head off my body. Then he said: ?Vesku, I personally selected you to become my helmsman because I need someone who will stand up for his principles when he is treated unfairly. I see I made the right choice.? I will never forget that. I gained a lot of respect for Thelan that day.
And then there is Lieutenant Commander Eclia, our Chief Engineer. She is Bolian and I if I could choose a department to work in, it would be hers. I swear Linti, if it was not for her blue skin and the lack of a Harja I would swear she was Deferi. Such balance. There is nothing she would not do for her people, it is almost as if she works for them. I remember how there was an impending warp core breach last year after a skirmish with the Breen. The warp core was critical. It could go off any time and needed to be reset. She ordered all her people out so she could close the security hatches and do the job herself. And you know what? The whole shift refused to leave, so much do they love her. And the balance was there that day for they fixed the problem. Admiral Rauno was not pleased for he could have lost most of his engineers all at once, but he felt it was balanced to let it go. I agreed with that.
But my best friend is Lieutenant Commander Marcus, he?s a Betazoid, and our Chief Science Officer. We have the same shifts and we always have breakfast together. You know why I think he likes me? He says he can?t read my thoughts. Something about the Deferi brain being impervious to being probed. I never knew that. But I think it is comforting for him having a friend that he can?t catch in having bad thoughts about him. I wouldn?t anyway, that would not be balanced. But our bond is deeper. I never told you, but during the war with the Breen we were on an away-team together once. Just him and me, checking out a cave system for possible refugees. We received a signal that the Yeager had to leave to intercept a Breen raiding party and we would be stranded for a few hours. And just at that time it turned out there was a whole company of Breen there, hidden. They hunted us through those caves and we had to remain hidden for hours in a pit. Marcus felt great hate with the Breen and was sure they would kill us if they found us. So we stayed quiet, even when the sun went away and we were freezing. Shivering, we whispered each other our life stories to forget the cold. I remember that moment like it happened yesterday. We were rescued eventually and we were friends ever since.
There is so much more to tell, but apparently things are happening now, they are really busy at the science station. I need to go. I just wanted to say I love you. I hope you and your parents are all in good balance.
Love, Vesku
---Only minutes after this letter was sent, a subspace portal opened in the Defera System and a Borg cube appeared. The Deferi-Borg war began. The U.S.S. Yeager was one of the first Starships to engage the Borg cube. The Starship was destroyed and five hundred and fifty two crew members were assimilated, only three escaped. Vesku, and all persons mentioned in Vesku's letter (excluding Admiral Rauno) were never seen again. ---
http://www.defera.org
(Sovereign-class Assault Cruiser)
Captain KYLE SINCLAIR
Commanding Officer
Human male
[See separate entry]
Commander RINTALA SH'PASHEK
First Officer / Tactical Officer
Andorian shen
"Tala" is as passionate and fierce as any Klingon; Sinclair sometimes calls her "my pirate queen," to which she usually responds with a dangerous grin. She is equally adept at the tactical console or leading an away team. She will (reluctantly) play it cool when orders and/or circumstances require it, but prefers to throw herself into battle. There is a strong mutual attraction between her and Kyle, but they have so far refused to act on or even openly acknowledge it; not only is he her commanding officer, she is already part of an Andorian qavni (quad marriage). She is an accomplished watercolor artist and calligrapher.
During a visit to Andoria, Rintala introduced her captain to her bondmates. Evras (thaan) was cordial, while Dirnan (chaan) was as suspicious as he is of all non-Andorians, and Kayna (zhen) was neutral, only wishing that Tala would spend more time at home. The children were very curious and enthusiastic, but had to be reminded that "pinkskin" was not something they should call a guest (Dirnan disagreed on this point).
Commander GABRIEL HENRY "SULLY" SULLIVAN
Chief Engineer
Human male
If one were to pick one adjective to describe Discovery's chief engineer, it would have to be "big": big man, big smiles, big heart. Though best known for his friendliness and irresistible charisma, he can be quite intimidating on the few occasions he needs to be. He and Sinclair hit it off immediately, with none of the difficulties the captain had with his last chief; his men practically worship him. Sullivan's usual reply to orders is a confident, "We'll get it done, sir." He enjoys historical holonovels, hockey (he coaches the ship's team), and playing jazz trumpet.
Sully is a family man, with a wife, two young daughters and an infant son accompanying him on board. Anyone who threatens them will see a very different side of him.
Lt. Commander LISSA ADRAY
Science Officer
Trill female
Practical yet insightful, and a good listener, Adray has helped "ground" her friend and captain on many occasions and is often the one to come up with other options when something isn't working. Her field is astrophysics, specializing in subspace phenomena; she was a sensor operator on the Osiris before being thrust into the role of acting science officer. Lissa never sought Joining, which she feels is too deep and permanent a commitment; she'd rather remain the person she is and live her own life. She cooks as a hobby, preferring its spontaneity and uncertainty to the sameness of replicated food.
Adray recently acquired an unlikely-seeming partner in the kitchen: the Vulcan chef Stonn, who she initially assumed would be as precise and unvarying as any replicator. She was surprised (and embarrassed) to discover his commitment to the philosophy of IDIC, as expressed in the art and science of cooking.
Lt. Commander OLIM VAN
Chief Medical Officer
Bolian male
Discovery's doctor is known for his excellent bedside manner and positive attitude in the worst of situations. He is a constant talker, engaging patients in a line of cheerful and sympathetic patter while diagnosing and treating their injuries; any questions or orders to subordinates are slipped smoothly into the endless stream of words, as are any necessary hyposprays, etc. The effect can be as potent and soothing as anesthezine; crew members often find themselves drifting off to sleep on a biobed or standing outside sickbay again before they quite realize they've been healed, let alone exactly when or how. If someone doesn't respond well to such treatment, he can sometimes become hurt and huffy in turn, but seems incapable of holding a grudge for long. He dabbles in botany, and talks to the plants too.
Dr. Van once talked his way out of a hostage situation in sickbay, distracting and then incapacitating the most belligerent of his captors before persuading the remaining, less fanatical members of the group to surrender.
Lt. SARAT
Operations Officer
Vulcan male
Sarat is a model Vulcan: polite, inquisitive, logical. He is a very sensitive touch-telepath, with an esper rating in the top percentile for Vulcans; he habitually wears gloves while on duty to avoid inadvertant contact with fellow officers or psychometric incidents from handling equipment. A note in his file actually forbids him from coming within ten light years of the Galactic Barrier; his captain is fond of describing this as a "restraining order." He enjoys, or rather, "appreciates" strategy games of all sorts.
Mr. Sarat was instrumental in clearing his captain of a murder charge. Though initially convinced of his own guilt, but unable to explain why he did it, Sinclair began to notice inconsistencies in his memory of the event. A mind meld with Sarat established that this was a false memory implanted by the real murderer, also a telepath.
Lt. TOREN JEMOD
Flight Controller
Cardassian male
Jemod grew up on post-war Cardassia, determined to make something of himself. To that end, he enlisted in Starfleet, starting out as a shuttle pilot and quickly moving up to the helm of a starship. He is an expert hand-to-hand combatant; in contrast to Tala's flamboyant combat style, he favors quick, brutal takedowns. He has a keen sense of black comedy, with a sarcastic quip for almost any situation. He is often found on the holodeck, running sparring programs or hang-gliding; he is also an expert poker player.
Jemod was recently contacted by a childhood friend who had joined the True Way and attempted to recruit him also, to "stop living off Federation charity and reclaim the past glories of Cardassia." Jemod, who has a more jaded view of that glorious past, refused and was eventually forced to kill his former friend to prevent an act of terrorism - something for which he offers neither excuses nor apology.
Vice Admiral Bryan Mitchel Valot sighed to himself as he once again began to look over the 1st Assault fleet's personnel roster. Ever since he had signed on with them as their head of recruitment, he often found himself staying up well past when his duty shift ended managing the fleets new additions. He turned his chair towards the window and began to idly think about those with whom he had served over the course of his career. His bridge crew had changed on several occasions due to promotions, reassignments, and casualties. It was at this thought that he turned back to his console and began to look through the personnel files for his current senior staff.
First officer and Chief Science officer
Commander Ibalei Valot (formally Ibalei Zera); Trill; Female
Commander Ibalei Valot was widely considered to be a likely candidate to be joined with a symbiote. But when the opprotunity arose, she turned it down, saying that she "wanted to be her own person" and instead signed up for training at Starfleet Academy. It was here that she met Bryan Mitchel Valot. Bryan was en route to class while Ibalei was going to the courtyard when the two collided. The two remained in contact through the Academy, and she even served as Bryan's First officer during the Kobayashi Maru Test. The two were separated after graduation, with Bryan being assigned to the ShiKhar class U.S.S. Nemesis, while Ibalei was assigned to the U.S.S. London. Later, after Bryan had been officially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and given command of the Nemesis, he had her reassigned to his command, where he nominated her as his first officer.
She still serves as Bryan's First officer and Chief Science officer onboard the Odyssey class battleship U.S.S. Athena. She is well respected by the crew, as she is calm, patient, and very firendly. However, she is also a very excellant tactical officer, often coming up with ideas that none of the other tactical Officers on the Athena would have even thought of. Bryan and Ibalei were recently married in a private ceremony on the Athena. This raised serious issues regarding why Bryan chose her as his First officer, but whenever he's questioned on the topic, he'll say that the two had not had any romantic relationship prior to his assignment to the Athena, and, even then, the two of them never let their relationship come before their duty to Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. The two presently have no children and don't currently have any plans for any, however they both have been quoted as saying that that could change. One of her most notable features is her eyes, which are a distinct grey color.
Chief of Engineering
Lieutenant Commander Six of Nine; Human (Borg); Female
Six of Nine was formally a Borg drone. No records of her previous life are available. Her record begins at the Vega system, where she was knocked unconscious by a phaser blast from Valot while he was assisting aboard the U.S.S. Khitomer. In the aftermath of the Vega incident, she was discovered to have been cut off from the Collective, and was no longer under their control. As soon as she was able, Six enlisted in Starfleet as an Engineer. rather than putting her through the usual training, however, she was immediately given her commission as an Ensign. It was her that requested her that requested assignment to Bryan's command. He chose her to be his chief of Engineering, a position she has held ever since.
She is currently still assigned to Bryan's command, serving as the Chief of Engineering on the U.S.S. Athena. She is very unlike most other Liberated Borg in that she is more friendly, and interacts with the crew more. A small portion of the crew is a little wary of her. However, most do seem to respect her and think that she is a good person.
Chief of Operations
Lieutenant Syfil; Vulcan; Male
Lieutenant Syfil was the most recent addition to Bryan's crew, being assigned to him while he commanded the U.S.S. Ares, a hybrid Star Cruiser type vessel. Previously, he served aboard several ships as an operations officer, including the U.S.S. Nobel, which had been previously rescued by Bryan and his crew. His was assigned to Bryan's command after the U.S.S. Nobel was brought back to the Utopia Planitia Shipyards for a refit for deep space exploration.
The Lieutenant does not interact with the crew much, and often spends his off-duty hours meditating. Those in the Ops department of the Athena, however, that he is an excellent leader for his department. They often talk to him about issues that arise that Bryan is unable to resolve, and he will aid them to the best of his ability. He is quoted as saying "It is only logical that a crew that has higher moral will always preform better and more efficiently than a crew that does not."
Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Syiseda Dinirtra; Betazoid; Female
Lieutenant Dinirtra was assigned to Bryan when he was in command of the Dakota class U.S.S. Omega at the rank of commander. As the Omega was her first assignment, she didn't expect to stay there longer than a few months before she was promoted and reassigned. As it turned out, Bryan was more than satisfied with her performance as a medical officer, not only promoting her, but also recommending that she stay under his command as the Chief medical officer.
She is still presently posted to Bryan's command and many of the crew will say nothing but positive comments on her friendly treatment of anyone who is sent to sickbay for any reason. She is warm-hearted, outgoing, and very personable. She is currently rumored to be involved in a romantic relationship with Lieutenant Mckenzie Lennis, a Human woman who serves as the second in command of engineering, but none of the other officers on the Athena will ever confirm or deny it.
Chief Tactical officer
Lieutenant Commander Kerry Avalrez; Human; Female
Kerry Avalrez was assigned to Bryan when he was assigned command of the Excalibur class U.S.S. Invincible. She had some experience serving on board U.S.S. Reliant, a Typhoon class vessel, before the ship was severely damaged on the Klingon front defending a Federation deep space outpost. In the aftermath, she was assigned to Bryan's staff when he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Shortly after her assignment, she was nominated to be the Chief Tactical officer due to her prior experience on the Reliant.
She is often regarded as slightly obsessive compulsive, as she almost never takes any time away from her duties to relax. Whenever she's off duty, she'll often be found planning, analyzing tactical data, or managing her duty rosters. On shore leave, she'll often be found fine-tuning the ship's targeting systems and making sure the weapons themselves are functioning at optimal capacity. Bryan, whenver asked about her odd devotion to duty, will simply say "Well, the ship is always running at optimal capability due in no small part to Avalrez's hard work, so I'm not going to complain." He does often tell her to take more time off, however.
Chief of Security
Lieutenant Justin Bronder; Human; Male
Justin's family has had a long history with Starfleet, tracing their history all the way back to the Columbia NX-02. Continuing with the family tradition, Justin signed up for Starfleet academy. When he graduated, he was assigned to the Dakota U.S.S. Omega as a security officer. When Bryan later received command of the Omega, Justin stayed on board, commenting that he would rather be on board a familiar ship than stay with his previous captain and move to a new one. When Bryan transferred off of the Omega, Justin this time transferred off as well. It was at this time that Bryan promoted him and gave him his current position as chief of security.
Justin is regarded as very quiet and polite, quite the opposite of some others on his security staff. However, whenever he is on an away mission, protecting the ship against intruders, or launching a boarding action on an enemy vessel, he becomes tough, vocal, and very aggressive. Justin regarded as an excellent leader, and is often complimented by the other security personnel on the Athena for his ability to get his entire team out alive, no matter the circumstances He is currently married, with a wife and two daughters living on Earth.
It was after he finished with reading the last of his senior staff when Ibalei walked in.
"Hey, sir," she smiled, walking up to his desk, "You should take a break."
"Just a minute," Bryan replied as he closed down the personnel files. "All right, what did you have in mind?"
"Well, I hear Rulian down in the bar managed to acquire a crate of Romulan Ale..."
"Sounds like a plan," he said, smiling silightly as he looked into her beautiful grey eyes, "I could really use a break."
With that, the two of them walked out of the ready room. Around four months later,They made an announcement that would change their lives, as well as the lives of their families, forever.
Commanding officer: Odyssey class U.S.S. Athena
Admiral of the 1st Assault Fleet
Join date: Some time in Closed Beta
I am going to unsticky this challenge as I prepare to post #27, but feel free to still contribute if you have not had a chance yet.
Cheers,
Brandon =/\=