"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.