Vaela P'Tammah

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Vaela
Name:	Ensign Vaela P'Tammah
Rank:	http://www.startrekfreedom.com/wiki/images/8/86/Redensign.jpg
Gender:	Female
Species:	Andorian/Aenar
Age:	27
Position:	Chief of Operations
Ship:	USS Hades NX-60637
Status:	Getting ready for some shore leave

Vaela's history and exploits:

Andorians are divided into two sub-species - the blue-skinned Andorians and the bluey-white skinned Aenar - with the two species rarely inter-marrying. Shalla the Aenar and Taeran the Andorian, however, proved to be one of those exceptions. Both were artists, with Taeran being an impassioned but struggling painter, and Shalla a meticulous but passionless musician, until the two met and found in each other something that they each individually lacked. For both found that by working together Taeran's passion and Shalla's attention to detail created an artistic union that gave them fame across Andoria. It also led the two to become lovers and wed, and soon after Shalla gave birth to a daughter - Vaela.

Being the daughter of a renowned Aenar musician and Andorian artist, Vaela was seen by both her parents and others as a young girl who would naturally gravitate towards the Arts. Certainly she seemed to possess the best characteristics of both parents, by inheriting the beauty and poise of her mother and the passion of her father. Yet, unlike either, she had neither the dexterity or vision to excel at music or the visual arts, a fact which Vaela herself knew. Instead she had a passion for the sports, and of Science, and of learning of the great Federation explorers that had charted the Alpha quadrant. As a girl, she even dreamed of exploring and charting the furthest reaches of space herself, but if her parents knew of her secret desires they must have thought them childish flights of fancy, because they pushed her into the Andorian Academy of Arts as soon as she was old enough to attend.

Vaela knew she stuck out like a sore thumb in the hallowed halls of Andorian Academy from her first day there. The only reason she had been accepted was because of the fame her parents had, and they were the only reason she didn’t become the butt of her fellow students’ jokes. Vaela was not exactly bad, but put in the company of the future poets, artists and musicians of the Federation made her efforts seem tawdry in comparison. So Vaela spent as much time as possible doing what she loved to do. She would take whatever outside subject to do with the Sciences that she could find, whether it was Xeno-Biology or Asto-Mechanics, and plunged into a host of sporting activities, particularly the human sport of Soccer and the traditional Andorian martial arts of kharakom (a kind of kickboxing) and the use of the hrisal (a lightly curved short sword). Yet, even though she excelled at all of the extra-curriculur activities she was doing, her tutors despaired at the quality of her academic work, and told her so as she scraped through her first year at the Academy. Indeed, in an effort to avoid the embarrassment of personally failing Taeran and Shalla’s child, they even suggested that she make use of the student exchange programs available, and it turned out to be the best advice Vaela was ever given.

Vaela was accepted on a program at the University of London on Earth, and on arrival tore up the syllabus that was proscribed for her. Instead she devoted herself to that which she had a passion for, particularly Astrophysics and Stellar Cartography, and excelled at both. Indeed, she even arranged to enrol permanently in London after her period of exchange was over, and she eventually graduated near the top of her class. After that she rebelled against her parents wishes - particularly those of her mother - and enrolled in Starfleet Academy.

The four years Vaela spent at the Academy were truly the best of her life. She excelled as a pilot in her time there, and learning of the galaxy and the innumerable species contained therein only increased her appetite to see it for herself. On her graduation Vaela was assigned to the USS Hades as Assistant Chief of Operations, and just in time for the Prometheus class vessel to be thrust into its first battle.

Following a bruising encounter with an aggressive species called the Myenru in the Beta Seranis system, and the transfer of Lieutenant Keswick from the Hades, Vaela was promoted to Ensign (senior grade) and to the position of Chief of Operations on stardate 2407.03.26. She also received a commendation from Captain Saleke for her performance during the battle.

What Vaela looks like:

With her light blue skin, thin frame, and antennae, few would mistake Vaela for anything other than she is - an Andorian. Yet, just as no human is exactly alike, so Vaela has her differences from other Andorians. For one, the high cheekbones, short hair, and thin aquiline nose she possesses lend her an air of poise and grace not normally associated with her species. Further, her height and the wiry musculature she possesses, give her a more boyish look than most Andorian females, with their voluptuous curves. Finally her skin tone, although blue, is lighter than the typical Andorian, so that it is an attractive pale bluey-white colour.

Some un-Andorian features Vaela possesses:

Based on the fact that Vaela is half-Aenar, I've concluded that having an Aenar's blood in her veins has given Vaela limited telepathy and telemetry. She has little control over the abilities, however, with the former only apparent to her when she is physically close to someone who is emotional stimulated, and the latter giving her a slight edge on the sports field or when piloting a vessel.

Awards:

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Awarded Combat Action Ribbon: For duties performed during the battle with the Myenru war-fleet.

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Awarded Captains Commendation: For excellence in the performance of their duties during conflict with the Myenru.

A sample of some of Vaela's posts:

Journeying from the Academy to the Hades

Mission: In the Hands of an Angry God

Mission Day: 12

Stardate 2407.03.18

(Beta Seranis System – Shuttlecraft, Living Area – Ensign Vaela P’Tammah – 0832)

~“You want to join Starfleet?” It was more of an accusation than a question from the Andorian woman who sat before her. She was clad in one of the graceful dresses that Vaela remembered from her youth, but in spite of that she seemed older and more vulnerable than Vaela remembered. A sigh that was pregnant with the disappointment that the woman felt escaped from the deep blue of her lips, and she slowly rose to her feet and walked away. Vaela found herself calling after the woman as she was enveloped in the dusk that was falling, but, if she heard her, the Andorian woman did not turn back….~

“Sir?” The voice became more urgent when she did not respond, and was soon joined by a firm hand that fell upon her shoulder and shook her awake. “Ensign P’Tammah?”

Opening her violet eyes Vaela found herself staring up at the grizzled human face of the shuttle pilot she had been traveling with. “I’m awake Crewman Sato,” Vaela mumbled in response, in a voice still heavy with the sleep she had been woken from. “What is it?”

“We’re almost there,” the Crewman replied as his face creased into a broad smile. “We’ll be at the Hades within the hour.”

“Give me a moment to freshen up and I’ll be right out,” the Andorian Ensign stated as she dismissed Sato with a wave of her hand and stumbled over to the mirror placed in the cramped sleeping quarters of the shuttle-craft.

~I look so similar to her~ she mused, as her thoughts still lingered on the dream she had experienced. She slowly traced the same high cheekbones, aquiline nose, and thin face that she had seen in her dream and which she now saw in her own reflection. That moment of reverie, however, was broken when her gaze fell upon the reflection of her tousled hair. ~Well maybe not exactly the same~ she added with a smile as she began to change into her Starfleet uniform.

Some twenty minutes later Vaela found herself seated at the front of the small Type 9 shuttle gazing out at the strange star system the shuttle had entered only moments before. It was almost eight weeks since the Andorian had set out from Earth after receiving her commission to join the Hades – eight weeks of traveling on cramped shuttles, and even more cramped public transports. So that now that she had finally reached the system in which the Hades was reputed to be in, Vaela couldn’t disguise her relief that the arduous journey was over.

“Have you contacted the Hades?” Vaela asked the Crewman seated next to her, suddenly anxious that the ship may have left its last reported location.

“Aye Sir. They’re in orbit at Beta Seranis III and have given us permission to dock,” he replied simply as he punched up the coordinates on her console, gave her control of the small craft and sat back in his chair.

The Andorian Ensign merely smiled in response, as she gently coaxed the vessel through the system on its impulse engines, and towards the third planet in the system. As they drew nearer what had first appeared as a small speck hovering over the planet, grew larger and larger until it itself to be the Hades.

“Now there’s a welcome sight”, Vaela murmured, admiring the sleek curves of the starship as she swung the vessel around the back of Hades and into its upper shuttlebay.

After the ship had safely landed with a gentle thud, Vaela gathered what belongings she had aboard the shuttle, straightened her uniform and stepped out into the Hades and her new life as a Starfleet Officer.

Notes on some other stuff:

Vaela is both Andorian and Aenar. There are a couple of good websites detailing Andorian culture etc (eg. [1]) which I use, but not much on the Aenar. So to address that I've included some info. below which I've culled from Wikipedia:

Aenar along with the Andorians, inhabit the world of Andor (Andoria). In many regards, they are similar to the Andorians in physical appearance. However, their skin is a light blue/white color, they are almost totally blind, and they have powerful telepathic abilities. Aenar are pacifistic and do not use their mind reading abilities against the will of another individual. However, their blindness doesn't appear to hinder their ability to know that they are in the presence of a "blueskin" Andorian or detect obstacles.

Aenar government, such as it is, has little structure; leaders of Aenar society are chosen as the need arises, usually when contact with outsiders is called for. The Aenar are usually considered to be just a different ethnicity of the Andorian race and not an utterly separate species. The Aenar population is approximately 1,000 in size and they inhabit the polar region of their world. Andorians believed the Aenar to be mythical creatures before their existence was confirmed circa 2104.

Aenar of course appear in a couple of Enterprise episodes, in case you're wondering where they appear in ST canon.