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ESCAPE! A dangerous criminal is on the loose
from the prison world of Oovo IV. Dreks Falstom,
notorious murderer and gangster, has been tracked
back to his home base on the planet Selsor. There,
he plans to reunite with his former lover, and
one-time partner, Mon Iika, who has desperately
tried to put the past behind her.

In order to protect her from the dangers of Falstom,
the Jedi Council has dispatched Jedi Knight Beck,
and his padawan Tawrrowaldr, to keep Mon Iika safe
from harm.

Blue engines flared as the T-6 Shuttle exited hyperspace, altering course for the system's inhabited planet. Through the transparasteel windows the arid world of Selsor appeared to rise, its bronze appearance turned white by winter's empbrace. A pair of tawny-furred hands worked the shuttle's controls, manipulating the vessel's flight path to approach the surface. The small Wookiee glanced from his instruments to the windows as he entered the final commands, prompting a voice beside him to speak up.

"Adjust your flight angle, Tawrrowaldr," came the deep bass of Jedi Knight Beck from the co-pilot's seat. A broad smile appeared under his bulbous nose even as his tone warranted caution, "We want to enter the atmosphere, not skip across."

The young Wookiee called Tawrrowaldr looked up from the controls to glare at the Jedi Knight. A hint of bitterness coursed through his voice as he blustered a retort, his voice issuing as the series of growls and warbles that constituted his native tongue, "I got this, Master."

"Patience, my young padawan," Beck said in a quiet, but firm tone, leaving little room for interpretation.

That didn't seem to stop the young Jedi from trying, anyway. "You did ask me to fly."

"I asked you to learn."

Tawrrowaldr bristled at the rebuke, his cheeks glowing hot under their thick fur. He turned towards the window, narrowing his eyes as if that would let him see more clearly. Beck had no right to criticize him, the padawan told himself, he had but only a few weeks of training under the Jedi Knight. How could he be expected to get everything right the first time?

In a low growl, the Wookiee padawan asked, "And I'm not?"

Beck's response hurt more than the young Jedi was prepared to believe. "That remains to be seen."

The padawan kept his face turned away for the rest of the flight. He was still fuming as the pair disembarked from the ambassadorial shuttle, stepping foot onto the cold, frozen ground of Selsor. The thick pads on the bottom of his feet protected the young Jedi from contact with the frigid earth underfoot, but his master had donned a heavy, warm outfit to protect against the cold. There were some advantages to being a Wookiee, the young padawan noted to himself, as the entirety of his garments consisted of a utility belt to keep his lightsaber and comlink close at hand. The cold didn't bother him in any way.

As he scanned the icy tundra, the terrain broken occasionally by pockets of structures huddled together, Tawrrowaldr searched for signs of importance on this world. His eyes flicked from structures to the terrain, trying to imagine what value they would have to a convicted gangster. He kept up his search as Beck motioned for them to walk, examining his surroundings with an open mind. Keeping an open mind was the first step to accomplishing one's objectives, or at least that was what Master Ulthas had taught him so many years ago.

Impatience found him at last, after a fruitless search on his own, and the young padawan piped up in a high-pitched yip, "Why would he come here?"

The knight seemed to find this question amusing, for he issued a deep chuckle that almost echoed in the calm, frigid air. "My young padawan, Dreks Falstom is many things, but practical is not one of them." Before Tawrrowaldr could inquire as to what part of Falstom's nature would bring him here, his master provided that on his own, "He came back for love, Tawrrowaldr. It is a powerful emotion, but it can easily be a man's undoing."

TBC...

NPC Jedi Knight
Tawrro's Master

Name: Beck

Age: 42

Race: Korun

Appearance:


Home Planet: Haruun Kal

Personality: Beck is a man of few words and deliberate action. He is a compassionate soul, but in times of battle it hardly shows; Beck is an aggressive and decisive fighter. He has mellowed in his middle age from a brash youth, and knows the moment to speak and when to hold his tongue. As a result, Beck appears solemn and thoughtful, perhaps more so than he deserves. This reputation is tempered by a penchant for rash action, sometimes leading Beck into more trouble than he can handle. Between a combination of skill, luck and grace, however, Beck has survived everything the galaxy has thrown at him.

Alignment: Republic

Lightsaber(s): A single, blue-bladed lightsaber.


Style of Combat:
Form VI, Juyo (preferred style, adept)
Form IV, Ataru (adept)
Form V, Shien (skilled)

Primary Force abilities:
Force Healing
Breath Control
Force Body
Battle Precognition
Force Leap

Amazing Feat:
Force Repulse
Force Stasis

Skill Focus: Lightsaber-focused, Guardian

Bio:

Jerek Zenduu


Cole Sprouse

Name: Jerek Zenduu
Age: 14
Species: Human

Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 105 lbs.
Hair Color: Sandy Blond
Eye Color: Hazel
Handiness: Right

Appearance: Arguably, the first thing one tends to notice about the fair-skinned boy is not his softened facial features. Nor is it the freckles that dot his face and body, or his lean and tall build. Rather, it is his wild, blond hair. Reaching almost to his shoulder, Jerek likes to keep his hair out of his hazel eyes, but little else is done to tame it. Its natural straightness doesn't keep it from looking like a mop, and its dishwater color only serves to add to the comparison. The boy's lanky frame further compounds the distinction, and is most effective in making most standard-sized clothing look baggy on his slender figure. His figure belies the boy's strength, slimming trained muscles that stretch along the adolescent's five and-a-half foot height. His physical progress, compounded by his training so far, seems to predict a well-built figure by the time Jerek enters adulthood.

Level: Padawan
Class: Sentinel

Force Abilities:
Force Stun
Force Speed
Telekinesis
Force Sense
Basic Mind Trick

Non-Force Related Skills:
Basic unarmed combat
Survival skills

Lightsaber Form:
Form III Soresu
Form I Shii-Cho
Although Jerek was trained in several styles, Soresu remains his preferred and most adept style. Jerek is moderately proficient in Soresu, while somewhat proficient in Form I, Shii-Cho.

Lightsaber(s) hilt(s) and colour(s): A single green-bladed lightsaber.

Other Equipment:
Comlink
Jedi Padawan Robes
Civilian clothes
Elias' training saber hilt (unpowered)

Personality - Being half of a twin pair tends to lend itself to something of a split personality, with each twin carrying a part. Jerek and Elias were just such a pair. Where Elias was confident and aggressive, Jerek was more cautious and passive. He had a calm approach that his brother envied, eschewed grudges and focused on analyzing problems rather than jumping headlong into the fray in the hopes of finding a solution.

With the loss of his twin brother, Jerek suffered for years from having half a personality. His lack of self-confidence and over-cautiousness betrayed him and left him open to bullying and disappointment. Raw intelligence has done some to help Jerek overcome the problem, while a rivalry with a fellow student in the Jedi Temple helped to bolster his self-confidence. Still, Jerek's caution and tendency to over-analyze an issue can still stop him short of achievement.

History: It was most unusual for the Jedi to discover a pair of force sensitive twins. Thus, Jerek and Elias Zenduu were brought up in unusual circumstances. In a different life, they would have grown up together and shared many experiences, but the life of a Jedi forbids such strong attachments. Shortly upon their arrival at the Jedi Temple as toddlers, the Zenduu twins were separated into different clans, taught by different instructors and slept in different wings.

Still, the twin shared a unique bond, one even the Jedi could not break. Jerek was aware of his sibling, the twins did see a good deal of each other passing through the halls and encountering each other during free times. So even if the two did not share every waking minute of their life together, Jerek knew things about his twin brother that even the Jedi Masters were unaware of, and there were times when it felt as if, just before he went to sleep, that Jerek could touch the mind of Elias and share his deepest, inner feelings.

The bond between the twins progressed as they grew older. Soon one or the other began to sneak away from their clans to join the other in classes, which was soon noticed and corrected. The Jedi Masters could not, however, keep the boys separate during their free periods, try as they might. Ultimately, it was if the two had never been separated at all, it became unusual to see one Zenduu boy without the other, much to the Masters' chagrin.

When Jerek was ten, his twin brother fell victim to a terrible sickness. The Jedi Healers could not repair Elias' withered body, and he lay weakened in bed for days as Jerek sat close by, watching his brother fade away. Eventually, Elias was taken to a private Coruscanti hospital, the cost of which was paid for by the Supreme Chancellor, where he was given the finest care and comfort. Despite all the best efforts, Elias passed away just hours after Jerek's last visit, as he was later told. The news left the twin broken, as if he had lost half of his soul.

The loss of his twin weighed heavily on the youngster's heart, and Jerek did poorly in his studies after that. He became a prime target for taunts and pranks, a task quickly picked up by one Vul Abaan. Spotting Jerek's intellect, Vul admonished him whenever possible, keeping Jerek feeling small. Without Elias, the boy did not feel confident enough to confront the bully, and his torture continued for months.

Eventually, Jerek's pent-up frustration hit boiling point, and he lashed out at Vul. The argument devolved into a full-fledged brawl. Despite his small size and his depression, Jerek nearly came out on top, only falling to Vul's blow as the Jedi Masters discovered their fight. Though punished severely by the Temple's masters, Jerek's attitude reformed and he became a worthy student. Jerek and Vul continued to be rivals, though on a much less dramatic scale, throughout Jerek's Initiate years.

Name: Evangeline Erinth
Nickname: Eva
Real Age: approx. 340 years
Apparent/Body Age: 11 years
Gender: Female
Species: Miran
Homeworld: M-2553 or Miri's Planet (Name given by Captain James T. Kirk who discovered the planet on Stardate 2713.5, real name long forgotten by remaining inhabitants More Information)

Height: 4' 11"
Weight: 90 lbs
Eye Color: Cerulean Blue
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Physical Appearance: Slim body, medium build, appears similar in age to a human child of 11 or 12
Skin Tone: Light Tan
Distinguishing Marks: None, which made it almost impossible to tell Eva and her twin sister apart.

Appearance: A slender frame with a medium build, Evangeline looks similar to a prepubescent child of ten or eleven. Her fair complexion gives little indication of a life spent outdoors until quite recently, but coupled with her cerulean blue eyes and dark brown hair she appears pale and unhealthy. Nothing could be further than the truth, a fact easily discerned by even the most casual witness to the child's exuberance and energy.

Status: Single
Spouse: None
Father: Augustine (deceased)
Mother: Rebecca (deceased)
Sister(s): Jenna/Jani (11 - Eva's twin sister), Katherine (16, deceased)

Personality: Eva is a creature of strong will and determination. She will do just about anything to get what she wants, no matter how long it takes. Her tenacity is followed by her fierce loyalty to those around her, especially her family, whom she would place above herself whenever the need should arise.

The Miran girl is terribly viscous when her age or people come under attack. While she is often mistaken for a human child, Eva does not easily dismiss the confusion, and rallies on under the banner of eliminating ignorance of her species and situation. 

When she is angered or defending her age or race, Eva often employs a wide range of sarcasm to put her point across. Not able to exercise physical prowess to make her point, she instead uses her mental and intellectual abilities to do that instead.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Her strong will and determination makes Eva a reliable crewmember, and friend. Her loyalty compliments her persistence, but can also be perceived as stubbornness if taken too far.

One of Eva's many flaws is her aggressiveness towards anyone who makes the mistake of mistaking her for a child. This carries over into her daily life of, even after the initial confrontation, being mistaken and misunderstood, to which she responds in a most impolite manner.

Ambitions: Eva's greatest ambition is to see the return of her twin sibling to the reality of their situation, to accept the life they had before, and not be blinded to the life they experienced for centuries alone.

Hobbies and Interests: In her free time, Eva does exhibit some of the qualities of the children she is often compared to. While typically professional on duty, she prefers games and romping around to just sitting and talking when she can. Her free time is often taken up, then, by imagination, and engaging others when she can.

When forced to take up more conventional hobbies, Eva enjoys reading, primarily history. She is fascinated by all that went on during the years that she and her cousins were trapped in a state of eternal youth in both mind and body.

Service Record:
2290 - [CDT] - Accepted into Starfleet Academy
2295 - [ENS] - Graduated and Commissioned as an Ensign. Assigned as a junior Helm Officer on the USS Bjornke
2296 - [ENS] - USS Bjornke decommissioned.
2296 - [ENS] - Assigned to the USS Agamemnon as Assistant Helm Officer
2296 - [ENS] - Promoted to Chief Helm Officer
2298 - [LTJG] - Promoted to Lieutenant, J.G.
2300 - [LTJG] - Transferred to USS Nautilus as Chief Helm Officer

Background: None of the children knew just what to expect when the group of blue-shirted Starfleeters swirled into being before their eyes. Fear and anger were rampant as the unruly mob swarmed around the Federation relief personnel, the dirty and poorly clothed children led by a pair of twin girls who looked to be no more than eleven human years. As the dust and emotions settled, the Federation workers began to piece together the lives the children once knew and the identity of the girl known as Eva.

She was born as Evangeline, the name written on some ancient piece of paper. The name meant nothing to the girl, nor its age. A year was the same as fifty or a hundred to her, this girl who, with her twin and her merry band of misfits, had made a deserted planet their home. Once, they knew, there had been something here. A city, a world, a people, some of whom they might have called 'mother' or 'father'. That was all gone, destroyed by the hubris of some scientist who thought to tempt fate and control his own destiny, only to destroy himself and his world in the process. The irony of the disaster of the Life Prolongation Virus, or LPV, was that it did truly work. The LPV did was it was supposed to do in the mass of the world's children, permanently altering their DNA and lengthening their lifespan to the point where milennia felt no different to these children as a single year did to the average human. But the virus bound their bodies with a curse as well, for any member of their race who entered puberty, who forged the righteous path to adulthood and the wisdom it brings, would be destroyed in a swarm of aching sores and irrational madness.

Eva had witnessed her family dissolve into this debilitating state, according to some dusty records, that had been first her mother, then her father. There was no record of what happened with her sister, older than the twins by just four years, but it wasn't difficult to figure out. That experience gave Eva a healthy disrespect of grown-ups, a trait not uncommon among the remaining survivors, so much so that 'grup', their term for an adult, was a four-letter word. The Federation grups, Eva felt, were no different and could hardly last very long. Yet they persisted, the Federation sent more people to her world. Doctors and nurses, psychiatrists, teachers and administrators all came out of sympathy, curiosity, or both. They built a school, with dorms for the children to live in, with playgrounds to climb and green fields to run through and new toys to play with. Eva, her twin sister Jenna, and the children of their orphaned band were brought to this place, the Miran Institute, and here Eva encountered others like her from all over her homeworld.

At first Eva wanted nothing more than to be returned to her deserted city, to run with her sister and their pack of children. For several years, she and Jenna formed a bloc against the Federation intentions, resisting the counseling sessions, refusing to pay attention in classes or complete any homework assignments. That wasn't their life, Eva argued again and again. They just wanted to be free, to live as they had been, to play.

Eventually, something changed in Eva. She saw children making it through the Institute, graduating out of the lower classes she seemed doomed to perpetually attend. Some found themselves placed with families who could bear no children themselves, or cared not to. Some took up professions from what meager offerings there were, as most Federation species looked upon the Mirans as little more than children, too immature for all but the most basic tasks. Eva saw these Mirans succeed, and soon she saw her life for what it was. Realizing that it was going nowhere, Eva decided to turn it around. Even if she was doomed to childhood for the next few thousand years, she would endeavor not to waste them; it was time to accept that the life she had lived for the three centuries prior to Starfleet's arrival was over, Eva was a different person and had a different life to live.

The bond of sisterhood was more dear to Eva than anything, but even as she came to realize that her life must change, Jenna held stubbornly to tradition. Jenna continued to resist the Federation attempts to educate her, to resolve what feral tendencies had developed over the course of the centuries. Eva and her twin argued constantly about the shift in their perspectives, both sides failing to sway the other. Eventually, tired of arguing and fed up with what she perceived to be her sister's betrayal, Jenna began to ignore Eva and her arguments. The group they once both directed, though smaller in number than it once was, now obeyed Jenna completely and absolutely, joining her in the admonishment of Eva and her ideas.

Banished from her own enclave, Eva felt that she could do no more for herself on Miri's World. The girl began to explore the options with Federation counselors, trying to find what kind of life might lie beyond the confines of her homeworld. Her counselor took in everything she said and weighed the possibilities, finally coming up with four options. Eva could stay on Miri's World and return to her lifestyle of play and games. This, the life she had known and now rejected, was immediately discarded. The second choice was to stay on Miri's World to help other children learn about and accept their past lives, if any information could be found, and assist them in the transition to a 'normal life.' Another choice would be to find a foster family in the Federation who would accept Eva as a child of their own, and she could live with them until she reached puberty. The last choice was to apply to Starfleet Academy and to join Starfleet.

The second option was intriguing, but limited. Eva wanted to leave the environment of Miri's World and start her own life, to remove herself from a society that no longer understood her. The third option seemed no better than the first. The fourth option was the one that sparked Eva's interest, and she sent in an application for Starfleet Academy. The message came back almost immediately. Application denied. The reason: Starfleet Academy applicants had to be at least seventeen years old. Eva was furious. Her life had thus far spanned four centuries, and yet Starfleet rejected her because she was too young?

Eva tried official channels, but the numerous Federation diplomats and government officials just laughed at her or referred her to other departments. She played a chase game for the next two years, filling out forms, submitting them and being told to go to another department where the same thing occurred. Nothing seemed to be working, so she asked the counselors again for help. Going up through their official channels, one was able to find a connection to a legal service. The firm was interested in the case, and took up the sword for Eva, and for all Mirans.

It was a long and arduous journey, but in the end, it was worth it. For the next few years, the firm researched the Miran's situation, their background and medical data, the facilities and rehabilitation services that it offered to the Miran inhabitants, and then going through the Federation legal system. It took some time before the case appeared in a Federation court, and even longer still to argue it out. The case took just four months, but the entire process took a total of four years. The finished product, however, was that any Miran would be viewed as a legal adult under the Federation laws so long as they passed an assessment by the Federation officials manning the planetary base. Inspections would be held to see that certain qualifications were met, but after all that work, it finally meant that Mirans, and especially Eva, would be allowed to attend Starfleet Academy.

The assessment test, at the time, was really just three medical officials, including the base's commanding physician, to sign off on a document that would declare her a legal adult. It was not fancy and time consuming, but Eva was not disappointed. For her legal documents, Eva adopted her full name, discovered by the Federation workers to be Evangeline, and paired it with a name she found in a directory of Earth residents. Evangeline Erinth, the newly-minted legal adult of the Federation, immediately sent her resubmission to Starfleet Academy for acceptance. This time, Starfleet did not have a choice in the matter. The courts, in addition to their decision, had laid down an injunction on the Academy's denying power to Mirans for the next three years, enough time for any Miran to get through the assessment tests and submit their application.

Eva struggled through the Academy for a while, failing several classes, most notably her physical education class. She never faltered or gave up, as many times as she wanted too. Motivation came in the form of a picture of Jenna that graced the desk of her room on campus. As she progressed through the academy, Eva tried to find what career path she fit best. Her small size was terrible for security, and although it was almost perfect for engineering, she didn't have the interest in fixing or creating things. Communications was soon ruled out as well, however, as she could barely master the second language that Starfleet required their students to take. Science was too picky for her, and she could never sit still enough to focus on the experiments being made. The solution was found in piloting, or helm control. Eva found she did well during her flight lessons and astrophysics came easily to her. So her career was chosen for her and finally Eva graduated, not on time but a year later in the class of '95.

The first posting that the young Miran received was to the USS Bjornke, an aging Bonaventure-class ship, as a junior Helm officer. The old ship was usually slow in speed and sluggish in response, forcing the fresh Ensign to learn, on the fly, how to anticipate maneuvers and obstacles before the response time would be too late in implementing commands. Eva received invaluable experience from the posting, some that would have taken her years, if ever, to learn, yet was learned over a period of eight months.

The Bjornke's last assignment was as a training vessel in its later years, and had been so for the past ten. But even training ships get replaced, and so it was with the Bjornke as well. Almost suddenly for its captain, the crew was notified in early 2296 that their ship would be decommissioned in a few months. The last few missions were carried out and when at last the ship pulled into port over the Martian landscape at Utopia Planitia, the captain was in such grief that he neglected to hold a farewell event. The crew abandoned the ship without ceremony, and headed on for their next assignments.

Instead of going aboard another training ship, Eva was surprised to find that her next assignment was to a newly commissioned vessel, the Excelsior-class USS Agamemnon. Dutifully, she headed to the ship to encounter what waited for her aboard. Soon after embarking, Eva was swept into a whirlwind of events which resulted in her reassignment as Chief Helm Officer. As she struggled to learn the handling of such a large ship, alongside a new set of responsibilities, the crew of the Agamemnon were swept from one crisis to the next. Along the way, she became fast friends with the ship's XO, Commander Josias Toban. Toban soon recommended her for Lieutenant Junior Grade, a rate that Starfleet awarded with some hesitation.

The sudden transfer of Commander Toban from the Agamemnon in 2299 left Eva uncertain and disconnected. Although she could perform her duties well, the motivation to improve and succeed had faded. The Agamemnon crew, many of whom Eva had never grown close to, seemed to stare at her wherever she went. She no longer had a friend she could turn to for help, and to Eva, the new first officer was a stranger. Little by little, she grew withdrawn from the crew, and eventually her duties. When Captain Robinson could not figure out how to help her, he issued a formal complaint on her record. Embarrassed and ashamed, Eva requested a transfer from the Agamemnon to a new ship.

With Eva's record, Starfleet decided to assign her to the USS Nautilus. The stories of her time there have yet to be written.

[float=right][/float]Character Information
Name: Jonathan "Jack" Mantell
Position: Chief Flight Control Officer
Assignment: USS Arizona
Rank: Lieutenant
Species: Miran
Date of Birth: c. 1956
Place of Birth: Miri's Planet
Nicknames/Aliases:
He has been called Jack for as long as he can remember. He might respond to variations, such as Jackie or Johnny, but he knows himself as Jack.

Physical Appearance
Height: 4'7"
Weight: 71 lbs.
Hair Color: Dirty Blond
Eye Color: Blue
Handiness: Right
Physical Description:
Standing at a little over four and a half feet and weighing in slightly over seventy pounds, Jack appears to be a normal ten-year-old Human boy. He has a fair complexion, a scattering of freckles on his face, and dirty blond hair, which he wears in gelled-up spikes on most days. His body betrays the appearance of an active child, Jack is limber and solidly build for his slender frame.

Family
Spouse: None
Children: None
Father: Kent Mantell (34, Deceased)
Mother: Susan Mantell (33, Deceased)
Brother(s): None
Sister(s): Catherine (16, Deceased)
Other Family:
Adoptive Father: Franklin Gault (107, Deceased)
Adoptive Mother: Marissa Gault (92, Deceased)

Personality & Traits
General Overview:
Jack is not typical officer material. In fact, his dossier is stamped with several instances of "not command material" and "do not promote" from the various bosses and COs that he has served under in his career. Jack often behaves in a childish, immature manner, owing to the unique properties of his race. His mind is often more focused on his next pet project, or mastering a particular maneuver than an issue within his department. Nevertheless, his mind is sharp, and he can respond to situations in uncannily short order. He does seem to understand the deep responsibilities that underlie his leadership positions, for he feels regretful when he fails to accomplish them. The few ship captains that have recognized his potential and understanding took the time to nurture Jack's growth. Perhaps another such captain can help Jack to grow as an officer as well as a person.

Strengths:
Jack has the learning capability of a child, he picks up new ideas and methods quickly and readily absorbs and adapts to different environments. He is resilient and thick-skinned, enough to brush off a hurtful remark or an insult, or to weather through an unsympathetic superior. Jack does understand responsibility, and that he has it. Jack is quick to think on his feet, and responds well under pressure.

Weaknesses:
Jack struggles in adhering to the responsibilities and duties that he has. His first priority in the morning would be play, while for others it would be work. While Jack tries his best to maintain professionalism on the job, when off-duty he lets his childish tendencies run rampant, eschewing the responsibility of performing as a role model while off-duty. Jack is reluctant to assume leadership, he's more comfortable in choosing a follower position than one of a leader, despite his capability to be one. This lack of self-esteem is played off as humility, but Jack would definitely be excited if someone went out of their way to recognize his accomplishments.

Ambitions:
Jack's ambitions are mainly short-term goals. He hasn't planned out his entire Starfleet career, he doesn't aspire to be the next great politician, thinker, inventor or anything like that. Many of his ambitions include getting a certain computer program he may be developing to work properly, or finding a way to beat a particularly difficult opponent at Kadis-Kot.

Hobbies and Interests:
Of Jack's many hobbies, some he finds more exciting are tinkering with computer programs and systems,

Likes:
-Jack is a sucker for sweets, anything from chocolate cake to marshmallows will delight this Miran.
-Jack is just at the age where he is beginning to find a fondness for girls, and though he would never consider even holding hands with one, he might enjoy the company of female coworkers a bit too much.

Dislikes:

Linguistic Abilities:
Jack is fluent in English, and the major dialects of Vulcan, Cardassian, Romulan and Klingon, as well as several computer languages. However, he has neglected using many of his non-English, non-computer language skills for so long that many have fallen into the forgotten realms of memory.


Personal History
Personal History:
The boy known as Jack was once named Jonathan Mantell. It's unknown whether he existed for a time as Jonathan, or perhaps John or Johnny. For the entirety of his memory, his name has been Jack. According to records recovered from the collapsed rubble that was the hall of government in Jack's region, his parents were Susan and Kent Mantell. They had an older daughter, Catherine, who was six years Jack's senior. All three of them were presumed dead in the wake of the Life Prolongation Virus that swept across another earth, a doppelganger nestled lightyears from its living, breathing cousin in the Alpha Quadrant. Whether the original name of the planet was also Earth, or something else, has been lost to time and decay. The centuries that decayed the records of the world also obscured the minds of those survivors, those who called themselves the Onlies. For whatever classification reasons, the Federation now refers to this race as the Mirans, and their world as Miri's Planet. (See TOS Episode 8 "Miri" and BF Infobase article Miran)

All those centuries ago, Jack was a normal ten-year-old boy living in a suburban community. He might have been rich or poor, or perhaps he was the popular or cool kid at school. None of that matters now. What matters was that in the middle of the 1960s, scientists on his world accidentally unleashed a product, a virus, that was designed to prolong the lifespan of the humanoid creatures. Fortunately, any crisis that would have surmounted following such a disaster was short-lived, as any sexually mature creature was corrupted with a terrible affliction, causing unavoidable death. The scientists who created the virus, the world leaders, schoolteachers, doctors, police, members of the military and even Jack's parents and older sister, all succumbed to the terrible and violent affects of the disease. Ironically, the virus did its job to perfection in the bodies of those children who had not yet begun the onset of puberty. It slowed their physical development to a rate of one month per century, virtually increasing their lifespan an infinite number of times. Barring injury or illness, Jack and the rest of the Mirans could live another 80,000 years or more, depending on the kindness of medicine.

During those centuries, Jack and the other Mirans struggled for survival. With a crumbling infrastructure and no sustainable food supply, the children were forced to scavenge for food or haphazardly attempt to grow it themselves. As they lived and played foolies, their name for games, their small numbers eventually dwindled even more. Death became a common phenomenon, there were at least a few every decade. The school-aged children soon became haughty survivors, desperately clinging to life. It was in that state they were found by the Federation relief workers, who came following the discovery of their world by Captain Kirk and the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701. The Federation teams quickly set up shop, establishing a group home, a teaching institution and a medical facility to treat the traumatized children for centuries of PTSD. Jack soon found himself living among the Federation establishments, attending school once more and shirking his counseling visits as much as possible.

Some of the Miran children found homes with researchers and doctors from the Federation who came to their world to assist. Jack, eager to fill the hole in his heart left by his parents' death, consented to adoption by an older couple, Franklin and Marissa Gault. The Gault's doted on their new son, for their family was small and Jack was now an only child with few 'aunts' or 'cousins' to speak of. Eventually, the enjoyment of his family waned, while his parents remained steadfast in their love, their relatives grew bored of hosting a young child annually as they continued to grow older with each passing year. His adoptive parents stayed fond of him, and for a while, Jack convinced himself that was enough.

While under the care of the Gaults, Jack discovered his interest in computer systems. He began to spend hours in front of his desk consoles, puttering away at different code combinations and programming mechanisms. Sometimes it was days between periods that he spent outside. The Gaults initially worried about Jack's newfound obsession, but as he exhibited a greater proficiency and, more importantly, pride regarding his work, they began to encourage him instead. Eventually, the Gaults encouraged Jack to enroll at MIT to study his passion academically. Yet Jack's organization skills and wandering attention span cost him in several terms of failed classes, and he dropped out, discouraged. For a time, he put away his computer programs and took up other hobbies.

Jack's timeless youth had been an advantage to him since the day he had come to live with the Gaults. There were times when it became hard for others to understand why he didn't always go to school --though he did attend a few times to be with neighborhood children he grew fond of-- or that he stayed as the same picture of youth as when the Gaults had first adopted him. Some responded warmly to his eternal childhood, and indeed Jack retained friendships with kids he had played with who had since grown into adults, even after they began to create their own families. Some were less receptive and grew cold to the Gaults, even to the point of moving from the neighborhood the Gaults lived in. Yet Jack's youth came with a perilous downside.

The Gaults were not a young couple when they adopted Jack, and their rate of aging did not slow, no matter how much Jack willed it. Over time, family friends and relatives were asked to come in to help care for Jack, younger individuals capable of keeping up with the centuries old ten-year-old. And though Jack wished as much as he could, he could not will youth back into his parents. For the Gaults had become like real parents to him, more than his biological ones had ever been to him. In 2325, Marissa Gault passed away while she slept. Jack took it badly, shuttering himself into his room and refusing to eat or let anyone in for a day. His caretakers were finally able to coax him out, to take part in life again, but for a few years Jack remained a hollow child. Try as he might, Franklin Gault could not always devote the amount of adoration that his child needed. He found it difficult to express his love to Jack, and their relationship grew apart. In 2331, Franklin finally passed away, leaving Jack an orphan once more.

This time, Jack went into a total relapse of his first days after his homeworld had withered and died. His parents were dead, and he refused to recognize any of his caretakers or other family members. The visits of old friends, those who he had played with when they were children, brought him to the surface for a brief time, until he realized that they, too, were old men and women and not their youthful selves. Jack withdrew, giving his caretakers great concern. They brought him to see several doctors and psychologists, even a few Starfleet Counselors, until one recommended sending him back to Miri's Planet for treatment. His caretakers agreed, and Jack was returned to Miri's Planet, to the Miran Institute to get treatment. There, the Federation's Miran specialists addressed Jack's case as an acute resurgence of the Post-LPV Traumatic Stress, and ordered a contingency of medications and therapy for the boy.

The counselors on Miri's Planet were troubled by Jack's state. His situation called adoptions to a halt, believing that more Mirans might end up like he did. Their best Betazoid minds tackled his case, only to find themselves rebuffed. Even the Vulcan counselor could not break Jack's anxiety. After repeated attempts at therapy and medications, the puzzled administrators of Miri's Planet called out for help from across the Federation. Their call was answered by a most unusual individual, a Tellarite. Out of all the therapy approaches that the counselors had attempted, none were as radical as this Tellarite Counselor's. Yet somehow, when he talked, Jack listened. The Tellarite, Skrav, turned his culture's penchant for insults into a means of therapy, to which the closest analogy to conventional Federation therapeutic techniques would be playing the Devil's Advocate. For whatever reason, where others failed, Skrav got through. Within a few months, Jack was responding again and even playing with other Mirans for short periods.

At Skrav's advice, Jack returned to his hobby of programming computers and making complex systems. His room was soon littered with memory chips containing dozens of programs. After a while, his skills transformed beyond the level of a hobby, and Jack found himself making improvements to the Institute's systems, often without the approval of the administration. Yet when Jack's tweaks and improvements led to the facilities saving a significant percentage of their energy outputs, Jack's case was once again reviewed. It was suggested that Jack take up a career, perhaps Starfleet, where his skills could be put to good use. When Jack rejected the suggestion, his case workers found new projects for him to work on, even transporting him off Miri's Planet a few times to assist with improving systems on other worlds. Every once in a while, someone would make an off-hand remark about joining Starfleet or someplace where his skills would be highly valued. Though he rejected the idea every time, the seed was planted in Jack's mind. After that, sometimes he would daydream about being in Starfleet, and some of his games with other Mirans revolved around this. His case workers took note, but did nothing to further pressure the boy.

In 2348, the Federation was shocked by the massacre at Setlik III. There had been crises during Jack's time in the Federation, certainly, but never had a foreign body so violently struck out against the Federation. War drums pounded across the quadrant, and Starfleet ships were readied for the conflict they had unwillingly been dragged into. The news was sparse on Miri's Planet, for the administrators were unsure how the children would react to the war. Those small snippets that escaped lead Jack to do his own research. He was shocked by the violence of their Cardassian attackers, and found himself displaying a patriotism he had never before known. The seed of suggestion planted by his case workers grew and flowered, and Jack decided he wanted to join Starfleet. With a few rounds of discussion and a flurry of signed papers, Jack's legal status was transferred to Starfleet pending his completion of the Academy, which he would enter that fall.

Education:
c. 1960 - Partial primary education, Miri's Planet
2268 - Enrolled, Miran Institute
2294 - Enrolled, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2296 - Dropped out of MIT
2332 - Re-enrolled, Miran Institute
2348 - [CDT1] - Starfleet Academy, First Year Cadet
2349 - [CDT2] - Starfleet Academy, Second Year Cadet
2351 - [CDT3] - Starfleet Academy, Third Year Cadet
2352 - [CDT4] - Starfleet Academy, Fourth Year Cadet

Medical Information
Medical Profile:
Jack has an altered metabolism caused by base-level RNA modifications from the man-made Life Prolongation Virus or LPV. While the active form of the virus was neutralized by an antidote created by Doctor Leonard McCoy, his blood is still contaminated and should be treated like that of an HIV/AIDs patient in the late 20th/early 21st centuries to prevent accidental exposure, especially by other children.

He has type A+ blood, but no transfusions should be attempted to non-Mirans. (See above.)

"Other than the chronic ailment of the LPV and its affects of longevity, Jack is a very healthy young man. Apart from a few poorly healed broken bones, likely obtained during the centuries of isolation on this planet, which are scheduled to be reset and healed properly with 23rd century medicine, I can find nothing critically wrong with Jack's health. Barring any kind of reversal of the LPV's affects that would allow Jack to live a normal life, I predict that he will outlive us all."
Stardate 6157.4
Doctor James Beiring, Chief Medical Officer
Federation Outpost on Miri's Planet.

Psychological Profile:

Professional History
Service Chronology:
2348 - [CDT] - Joined Starfleet, enrolled in Starfleet Academy
2352 - [ENS] - Graduated Academy, posted to USS Excalibur, Communications Officer
2354 - [ENS] - Promoted to Assistant Chief of Communications
2356 - [ENS] - Transferred to USS Richmond, Transporter Manager
2358 - [LTJG] - Promoted, Transferred to Computer Systems Manager
2361 - [LTJG] - Promoted to Assistant Chief Engineer
2365 - [LTJG] - Transferred to USS Gettysburg, Assistant Chief Flight Controller
2369 - [LTJG] - Promoted to Chief Flight Controller
2372 - [LT] - Transferred to USS Charlemagne, Starfighter Pilot
2374 - [LT] - Transferred to USS Cavell, Supplies and Transport Pilot
2376 - [LT] - Transferred to Jupiter Station, Research Engineer
2381 - [LT] - Transferred to USS Seleya, Chief Flight Controller
2387 - [LT] - Transferred to USS Arizona, Chief Flight Controller

Service Record:
In the Academy, Jack's organizational skills once again became his greatest weakness, but his mind was tempered by years of projects of his own. It was difficult, at first, for him to adapt to the many small pieces of classwork, most of which had no bearing in the grand scheme of things, but Jack was spurred on by his newfound patriotism. Finding Engineering too meticulous for his liking, Jack chose a path in Communications. His technical skills in computers greatly aided him, for learning spoken language was not too diverse from computer languages, if only less structured. In the spring of 2352, Jack graduated from the Academy. In the stands at the ceremony were his caseworkers, Skrav, and the children of several of his neighborhood friends.

Jack's entrance into the full realm of Starfleet launched a whirlwind of events. He was assigned to the USS Excalibur, an Ambassador-class ship only recently out of her first refit. Upgraded and reinforced, the cruiser was often employed against Cardassian warships. Jack got his first taste of battle only weeks after his arrival on the Excalibur. From then on, during his time on the Excalibur, his life was a see-saw between wartime battles and resting periods. The Excalibur was battered, scarred, rattled and shaken, but she remained in one piece for his time on the ship. The young Communications officer didn't have much to do when it came time for ship-to-ship encounters, but his skills were put to work intercepting and deciphering Cardassian communiques on the field. His efforts caught the attention of the ships' Chief of Communications, Lieutenant Matthews, who promoted Jack to his assistant after only two years.

Though their relationship started out well, Jack and Matthews never found a good working dynamic. Their relationship devolved into a facade, and then a struggle. Prior to becoming an open wound, in 2356, the Excalibur's Executive Officer offered Jack a transfer. Believing his best interests were being looked out for, Jack accepted and was transferred to the USS Richmond. The Richmond was a newer starship, already implementing Starfleet's restructured department scheme. This unfortunately meant that the duties of Communications had been folded into Operations and Engineering. His orders becoming somehow mangled along the way, Jack wound up being assigned as the Richmond's Transporter Manager in the Engineering department, bringing with it a promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Despite not knowing much about Transporters, Jack learned quickly. He found the experience radically diverse from the meticulous and monotonous work that the Academy had made Engineering out to be. And, to his surprise, Jack found he liked working with his hands. The war with the Cardassians continued, though the Richmond was far from its front, being a smaller ship designed to support cruisers like the Excalibur in large engagements, not take on warships by itself. By this point, Jack didn't seem to mind, he had found war not particularly to his liking. The childhood games and foolies he had played were unrealistic in comparison to the perils and terrors of war. After a single away mission against Cardassian forces, Jack begged, pleaded and tricked his way out of further ground engagements with their forces. The Richmond's duties were usually behind the lines, still carrying the Federation banner and principles to worlds that requested aid.

After a couple years as the Transporter Manager, Jack was able to request a reassignment as the Computer Systems Manager. Building on his earlier love of computers, a passion that had brought him into Starfleet in the first place, Jack approached his role with renewed excitement. His managerial style began to take shape then, Jack began to focus more of his time on pet projects than on leading his team. Nevertheless, when the role of Assistant Chief Engineer opened, the Richmond's Chief Engineer suggested Jack for the position. Jack readily accepted, eager for a new challenge. Jack was full of ideas, some more extreme than others, but far less concerned with the drama and politics that seemed to converge on the engine room. He was well liked by the Chief Engineer, and given enough room to manage a team of his own within Engineering, but his mannerisms were despised and his position was hotly coveted.

During this time, Jack began taking shifts as a relief pilot. He'd excelled in his flight lessons at the Academy, but since that time he'd found little opportunity to put the skills to good use. While the Richmond was present at the battle for a Federation outpost in late 2362, many officers were pressed into bridge duties. Jack volunteered as a pilot during this conflict, and afterwards continued serving occasionally. He quickly learned that piloting a starship is vastly different than the smaller shuttles, but Jack's quick learning abilities dissolved this obstacle in a few weeks. During a Cardassian engagement in 2365, the Richmond was heavily damaged and the crew was forced to abandon ship. With Starfleet's focus shifting away from the Cardassian front, which had largely stagnated in the past half-decade, the crew was left fragmented, broken up as no dedicated ship was available to reassign all of them to. Jack was assigned to the USS Gettysburg as their Assistant Chief Flight Controller.

It was a position Jack served in with some disdain. Though flight itself was exhilarating, the job of Assistant Chief Flight Controller didn't entirely capture his attention nor challenge his skills. Regardless, the Gettysburg was a ship with a well-seasoned crew, and there was little lateral movement, to Engineering or anywhere. So Jack persevered and stuck out the role, serving with distinction for four years. To his surprise, when the Chief Flight Controller retired in 2369, Jack was offered the position. His role as a leader during this period became well-liked, in contrast to his tenure as Assistant Chief Engineer on the Richmond, the pilots in his department preferred his laid back style. Often, Jack served on the Beta or Gamma shifts as opposed to the Alpha shift, and would ferry out away team assignments to others while he focused instead on his own pet projects.

The year 2372 brought another sense of urgency to Starfleet, with the outbreak of war against the Klingon Empire. Their tactics were vicious but predictable, and the Federation's new weapon was also an old one, fighter pilots. Starfleet was offering commissions for new pilots, and promotions for current offers who would transfer into the new roles. Encouraged by his CO, and the chance for something new, Jack took the promotion to full Lieutenant and transferred into what would eventually become known as the Starfighter Corps. Following a six-week intermediate training for all transfers, Jack was assigned to the USS Charlemagne as a Starfighter Pilot in the 45th Transfers Squadron.

Jack as a fighter pilot was an exhilarating experience. His love of flying combined with the excitement of doing something new, but that excitement quickly wore off. What remained was a grind, pilots pushed to their limits both physically and mentally to gain even a small edge over an enemy who had spent the past 70 years learning how the Federation fought. Resorting to stims to boost his flights, and meds to help him sleep, it was clear to his squadron commanders that Jack was not well adjusted for the life of a fighter pilot. Near the close of the war, Jack was transferred to the USS Cavell to serve as a pilot shuttling supplies and personnel around the battlefields, especially in the few ground battles in which the Federation engaged.

Peace lasted no time at all before war returned, this time with the Dominion. This new enemy from the Gamma Quadrant fought hard, and Jack found his assignments growing more dangerous. Routinely he found himself ferrying supplies to worlds under siege, and once flying into a battlezone to shuttle a recon crew close enough to take accurate readings of a Jem'Hadar battleship. Relieved of the need to shoot down his enemy and stay in a formation, Jack was quickly recognized for his cunning and quick-reflexes on missions.

The war went badly for the Federation, and victory came at a price. For Jack, many of the men and women he had served with, some friends, died in the line of duty. For his efforts during the war, Jack was awarded with a few medals for valor or bravery and the like, but he cared little for them, and the medals wound up on some shelf. Though offered several roles following the war's conclusion, including a few department head positions and even the command of a starfighter squadron, Jack turned them all down. Instead, he applied for a transfer to Jupiter Station as a Research Engineer.

War had been hell but Jupiter Station, so far removed from the conflict, escaped untouched. Jack found an immense new freedom in his work, and the return to mechanical tinkerings was, for the time, a relief. Though Jack had deadlines, he was free to work on whatever passed his fancy, whether or not it related to the current project of the facility. Jack's creativity went rampant, and he enjoyed creating all sorts of computer programs, gadgets and designs for devices that would likely never be greenlit or even built. That didn't seem to matter to him. Jack enjoyed plenty of free time on Jupiter Station, and its proximity to Earth allowed him plenty of vacations on warm beaches or in little parks where children play. It was almost the perfect balance of fun and work for Jack, and for a time it suited him well.

Like many things with Jack, he began to grow bored of Jupiter Station and its unstructured work. He missed the adventures, exploration and, yes, even the danger on starships. Pining for a new chapter, Jack surprised himself by asking for a piloting position, and he was unconcerned with the exact ship Starfleet would post him to. In 2381, his request was finally able to be put in motion, and Jack was assigned to the USS Seleya, under the command of Captain T'Prev. The Seleya, a Norway-class ship, was unique in the fact that it was one of few vessels crewed almost entirely by Vulcan crewmembers.

At first, the contrast between Vulcan and Miran was great and difficult for many to get accustomed to. Indeed, some of Jack's subordinates immediately put in for a transfer when they learned how Jack conducted his department. Over time, T'Prev grew to like Jack's unpredictable style and spontaneity. It may have clashed directly with her logical style of command, but T'Prev herself once conceded that logic alone could not always anticipate every solution to every problem. It was for this reason that, in 2383, Jack was offered a promotion to Lieutenant Commander.

He turned it down, insisting that he wasn't interested in the extra responsibility and that no ship captain would ever be interested in a Miran command officer. Some members of the crew were shocked by this response, and even tried to have Jack examined by a Starfleet Counselor for being "logical reasoning issues". The effort was halted when Jack began pretending to be a stoic and logical figure for a few weeks, and the humorless Vulcans actually believed him. For several years, Jack served T'Prev happily. She was forgiving of his childish nature and his difficulty with attention, though that didn't exempt him from a stern warning once or twice about "realigning his priorities to better anneal his duties as a Starfleet Officer and Chief Flight Control Officer." By that time, Jack knew enough not to laugh, endeavoring himself to improve his focus instead. He even asked T'Prev to teach him how to meditate, something counselors on Miri's Planet had once tried as a therapeutic technique.

The USS Seleya experienced a change in command in the year 2386, as Captain T'Prev took a transfer to the Vulcan Defense Force to support the growing calls for Vulcan-Romulan Reunification. The new commander, Captain Spreyn, was much less forgiving than T'Prev. He constantly questioned Jack's actions while on duty, and overrode many of the Miran's departmental decisions, mostly on the basis of being illogical. Whenever Jack confronted the wizened Vulcan on the issue, Spreyn would label his reaction as emotional and dismiss him. Sick of the mistreatment, Jack put in for a transfer, but was denied by Captain Spreyn for being, once more, illogical. So Jack bided his time. It so happened on one mission that Captain Spreyn fell ill, and the ship's XO had to step up for several weeks. During this time, Jack resubmitted his transfer request, and the XO, who subscribed to a different flavor of logic than Spreyn, approved it.

That is how Jack became the Chief Flight Controller for the USS Arizona in the year 2387. The stories of his time there have yet to be written.

Reprimands:

Miscellaneous
Notes: