No Calm Before the Storm

The U.S.S. Rafale, NCC-93017, is an Akira-class starship assigned to Task Force 75, Seventh Fleet.

==History==

Rafale entered service on stardate 75680, under the command of Captain Mal'Kon. Hoping to find ways to begin upgrading the fleet's Akira-class starships to take a more active role in the exploratory mission of Starfleet (like the ship they were meant to replace, the Excelsior-class), Rafale was built without the fly-through hanger deck that had been a standard of the class. The space was used instead for a conventional aft-facing shuttle bay, as well as numerous labs, an expanded crew recreation area, and a larger astrometrics lab. In addition, the weapons pod was altered to house scientific probe launchers, reducing the total number of torpedo launchers. Her sensors suite was updated drastically from the simple suite most Escort ships are provided, allowing the Rafale to act as a short-range exploratory starship that was more than capable of defending herself during the time of increasing tensions with the Klingons and the Romulan diaspora.

===Early missions===

Named after the early 21st century fighter airplane built by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale quickly lived up to her namesake, taking part in numerous skirmishes with Romulan ships in previously unexplored territory.

Captain Mal'Kon was prone to risk taking and incredible battle tactics, and ships that were involved alongside the Rafale spoke on numerous occasions of the speed and maneuverability in combat that she demonstrated; time and again she was described as a "violent storm of a ship."

The Rafale was one of the first ships on the front-lines when war broke out between the Federation and the newly expanded (and aggressive) Klingon Empire. She was assigned to the Seventh Fleet and transferred to the Klingon front permanently.

===Scientific missions===

The Rafale was unique in that it retained many of the best qualities of the Akira-class escort, while also able to be deployed as a research vessel. This gave the Rafale an incredible advantage over the more conventional science ships, which traded armor and firepower for sensors, allowing her to take part in many exploratory missions near the Federation-Klingon border.

"What's that human expression? 'When life hands you lemons...'"

"You know, I never understood that when my father told that to me. I love to eat lemons. They should say 'When life hands you strawberries.' It would make more sense to me."

"But strawberries are sweet, aren't they?"

"Now you see where I'm coming from."



Jessica St. Peter, Lieutenant Junior Grade, is a science officer on the U.S.S. Rafale.

==History==
Jessica St. Peter was born in 2386 in the Andromeda Galaxy. Shrouded in mystery from the start, the infant Jessica was found on a planet that had been colonized by another race, the Pfelaag - small, mole-like aliens and allies of the Federation. The colony had been obliterated by an orbital bombardment; very few survivors were found, to include the infant. Her appearance didn't match any of the survivors or any others of the dead, and her species was not recognized by the main governing body of that region of space, the Vinrali. Both the Vinrali and Starfleet requested the child be turned over to them to learn as much as they could about this new race, but they were refused by the captain of the starship Archangel, the ship responsible for rescuing the girl. She was put in the care of the medic who had found her, Ensign Jason St. Peter, and was adopted.

When the ancient Iconian gateway being used by the Federation to travel to Andromeda began to degrade, and the threat of being trapped in Andromeda became a very real possibility, Starfleet recalled its ships and personnel. Ensign St. Peter returned to Federation space with his young daughter in tow.

Jessica grew up knowing full well she was not human, but embraced the culture of her father since it was the only one she knew. It was her alien origins and her desire to learn more about herself that opened her eyes to biology. She excelled in science throughout her school years, often at the expense of her other studies, and was enrolled in university-level courses during her high school years.

===Academy Years===
Despite very average grades in her core subjects, her extremely high scores in her science courses allowed her to successfully gain admission to the Starfleet Academy Preparatory School. After a year of focusing on her core subjects, and when new cadets failed to show for the start of the new year, Jessica was admitted to the Academy as a first year cadet.

While at the Academy, Jessica continued excelling in biology, often using her own species as a sample for her work. When she had exhausted the undergraduate biology program, she was admitted to the graduate program, where she began her focuses on xenobiology and reproductive processes. She joined the Academy volleyball team in her sophomore year with her best friend Justine Dubois, where the two met and befriended tactical officer cadet Bridget Kinsley. The next year, the three friends moved up to the varsity squad, and won at the championship university-level tournament held on Risa. To this day, it is the fondest memory the trio has of their time at the Academy, and it is a spot they frequent regularly on the holodeck.

Jessica graduated top of her class at the academy in 2408, earning a commission as a Lieutenant (JG). She was posted to the Akira-class starship Rafale as a science officer.

==Aboard the Rafale==
Jessica is one of the newest crewmembers on the Rafale, and has so far been the victim of the usual "hazing" of the new kid since her arrival. Despite the undesirable long shifts in the astrometrics lab, she has quickly shown herself to be a dedicated officer. She's caught the attention of the command staff, and has started to learn the ropes as a relief bridge officer. She's befriended fellow science officer Nizeri Sano, and has caught the attention of more than one of the male officers, including operations officer Seymour Sonia, much to her chagrin. Captain Mal'kon noted on her crew evaluation that it wouldn't be very long until she could expect to be a full-time relief bridge officer or in charge of one of the biology labs on the ship.

"There's too much to do on my own, my own experiences and life. How can I be alive if I'll have lived three, ten, twenty, a hundred lifetimes already, and not one of them was mine?"



Nizeri Sano, Lieutenant Junior Grade, is a science officer assigned to the U.S.S. Rafale.

==History==
Nizeri Sano was born on the planet Trill in 2385, the third of eight children to a pair of joined Trill. It was this distinction of being a "joined" family that caused the parents to push their children to excel in their academic studies. Sano's older siblings went on to study at the most prestigious schools of arts and sciences on Trill, Andoria, Earth, Bajor, and, prior to renewed hostilities with the Klingon Empire, Qo'nos. Both applied to and were accepted by the Symbiosis Commission.

The pressure to succeed and be joined initially appealed to Nizeri. She struggled to compete with her older siblings' accomplishments, ultimately applying successfully to the Commission. It was at this time that her oldest sister was joined with a symbiont. The personality shift of her sister was dramatic, as the symbiont's personality overwhelmed the host's, and Nizeri began to have doubts about her own success with being joined. When her second elder sister was joined with similar results, Nizeri abandoned the symbiosis program, to the dismay of her parents but joy of her remaining younger siblings.

===Academy Years===
Sano left Trill to join Starfleet with a fellow dropout of the symbiosis program. In 2401, Sano and her friend entered the Academy. Her time at the school went by uneventfully, with her time divided between her studies as a science officer candidate and her continued love of art.

In 2405 Sano graduated, with her first posting on the modified Akira-class starship Rafale.

==Aboard the Rafale==
Nizeri's career continued as her time at the Academy did; very uneventfully, never wanting to push herself further than was necessary, thanks in no small part to the constant pressure to succeed her parents placed on her as a child. She was promoted to Lieutenant JG, taking a post as a relief science bridge officer. Nizeri made many friends among the crew, and recently began a romantic relationship with tactical officer Ensign Wirstowx.

"What, you mean I can't take it home with me?"
"It's not a pet, Elaina! It's a starship, for crying out loud!"
"I promise I'll take good care of it!"



Elaina Seurer, Lieutenant Commander, is the Chief Engineer of the U.S.S. Rafale.


==History==
Elaina Seurer was born on the planet Braida in 2379. Like all Braidan children, she received biomechanical implants at birth and was taught how to use them to survive the harsh environment of the failed human colony. The daughter of engineers, Elaina was apprenticed to her father at an early age as an assistant engineer. Not satisfied repairing biodomes and advancing the medical technology that allowed her people to survive, Seurer soon found herself drawn to the graceful hulls and beautiful warp engines of the Starfleet ships that visited her world. Despite strong opposition from her family, Elaina left Braida to attend Starfleet Academy.


===Academy Years===
Seurer entered the Academy in 2396, quickly establishing herself as a capable engineering cadet. Due to her ability to "flush" most toxins out of her body in a matter of seconds, many cadets and instructors would be alarmed by her constant disregard for normal safety protocols; on more than one occasion, her "super-human complex" resulted in her instructors reprimanding her, and she faced suspension many times during her time there. Many instructors also regarded her with fear and distrust, seeing her implants and associating her with the ruthless Borg, adding another hurdle for her to overcome.

In 2400, Seurer graduated and was commissioned, with her first posting on the Excalibur-class starship Sword of Martin.


===Aboard the Rafale===
Captain Mal'kon recruited Seurer when she was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2406 when his chief engineer retired. She quickly established herself as a capable chief engineer, though her ability to shrug off safety concerns - from sleep deprivation to radiation poisoning - has caused rifts among her troops, with just as many admiring her as there are viewing her as an insane hazard to their own well being.

"This is I do, because I am Ozem."



Wirstowx, Ensign, is a tactical officer and helmsman on the U.S.S. Rafale.

==History==
Wirstowx was born sometime between 2360 and 2370 on the planet Tozem-Aloh ("New Tozem") in the Andromeda Galaxy. When he was of age, he enlisted in the Vinrali Guard, the military branch of the alliance of races known as the Vinrali Dragon. In 2381, Wirstowx was on board the Vinrali cruiser Joguun Lor when first contact was made with the United Federation of Planets, as a Starfleet armada came through a subspace rift in the middle of a fierce battle between the forces of the Dragon and the mysterious and merciless Shay'd. In the following years, as an alliance was forged between the Federation and the Dragon, Wirstowx worked closely and forged relationships with personnel from the ships Qilin and Hawking.

When the ancient Iconian gateway being used by the Federation to travel to Andromeda began to degrade, and the threat of being trapped in Andromeda became a very real possibility, Starfleet recalled its ships and personnel. Many members of the Vinrali Guard, impressed by their Starfleet friends and longing to explore outside their own, war-torn galaxy, travelled back to the Milky Way, including Wirstowx.

===Officer Candidacy===
In 2406, Wirstowx petitioned to join Starfleet as an officer, citing his previous experience in the Guard and working with their Starfleet counterparts in Andromeda. Securing the recommendations of captains he had worked with in Andromeda, Wirstowx was accepted into Starfleet, officially transferring his enlistment. He was accepted into the Starfleet Officer School, earning a commission as a tactical officer. In 2407, he was assigned to the Akira-class starship Rafale.

==Aboard the Rafale==
Wirstowx surprised Captain Mal'kon with his size alone, quickly followed by his abilities as a tactical officer. With years of tactical training under his belt, Wirstowx only had to learn how to pilot the starship, as the tactical and helm positions were combined on the bridge of the Rafale. He quickly proved himself more than capable, earning his position as helmsman and a place on Mal'kon's command bridge crew.

"This colony exists because generations gave their lives for it. Many died, before we found a way to adapt to the radiation, and many more died bringing water to this desert..."
-Gosheven, TNG "The Ensigns of Command"

Braidans

In the late 23rd century, a large human colony was established on a class K planet in the Braida system, with the hope of proving new terraforming techniques. Starting in pressure domes, the colonists hoped to create a paradise on the fringe of Federation space.
While they were initially successful, a catastrophic failure of one of the colony's power generators irradiated the planet. The level of radiation, combined with a complete loss of communications, left the Federation with little hope of finding survivors, and a rescue attempt out of the question. The colony was abandoned as a total loss, and the system declared completely uninhabitable and forgotten.

Despite the death sentence the Federation gave to the Braida colony, a small band did survive, seeking shelter in the pressure domes and integrating medical technology with the state-of-the-art terraforming equipment in order to cleanse their bodies of the dangerous toxins and radiation that now covered the planet. The constant need of this "flushing" limited the mobility of the colonists, forcing them to be creative and construct more portable units. As the years progressed, the units grew smaller until it was possible to directly implant the unit into the body. Further development allowed for near-total control of the colonists' biochemistry, allowing them to leave the pressure domes for longer and longer periods of time in the harsh environment.

While failing to create a new paradise, they had successfully created a new race - the Braidans.

Radiation levels dropped to sufficient levels to where communications were able to be re-established with the Federation in 2368, but conflict quickly arose. The Braidans were resentful that the Federation had declared their colony destroyed, while the races of the Federation viewed the Braidans with disdain for their uncomfortable similarity to the Borg following the devastating Battle of Wolf 359. Because of these conflicts, very few Braidans serve in Starfleet.