Topics

So I had a thought. Would anyone else be interested in revisiting the train wreck that was our first go at the mission in the Holodeck?

[Basics]

|Kejal Buris|

Basics

Name: Kejal Buris
Species: Bajoran
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 2346 (actual date uncertain, Starfleet registered as 1/15)
Age: 32

Appearance

Height: 5'9"
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Brown
Characteristic elements: He seems a bit non-descript in a crowd, typically 'tall, dark, and handsome'. He's just muscular enough to be attractive, but he doesn't flaunt it. In fact, he seems a little oblivious to the fact that he could probably have had more women than he's ever been interested in. But when he's in civvies, most people would never guess him for an Operations officer with skills primarily based in Engineering and Science, instead expecting a soldier or security. Old habits and the way you learn to carry yourself do, after all, die hard.

Backstory
Buris' very early history is unknown, to him and to everyone around him. The earliest that is known is that he was found as an orphan outside a work camp on Bajor in early 2346, and adopted by two members of the Resistance (and their cell) - given the only appropriate family name they could think of, Kejal, meaning "freedom" in the Bajoran language. He was never a happy child, always understanding that he was the outsider, but this was his family nonetheless. They taught him, they clothed him, they fed him. And most of all, they trained him. His parents died in a raid on a Cardassian food supply convoy when he was 13, and it was then that he officially joined the front line of the Resistance. Two years of direct conflict with the Cardassians as the smallest member of the cell, the one used for both infiltration and repairs, made him aware of just what war really was. When the Cardassians left Bajor, he was too young to join the Militia, but he was old beyond his years, so school wasn't an option. He flitted between the last vestige of the Resistance, the Maquis, and even for a month, the Circle. But he left when he was old enough to do so, and applied to Starfleet Academy on Earth, inspired by the stories of Ro Laren and Sito Jaxa, which had filtered all the way back to Bajor.

He tested high on his Engineering entrance practical exam, though he needed a great many refresher courses on how to do things "right", or more accurately, according to Federation safety regs. The next four years were the beginning of a new life to him, away from the hell that had been his youth. He stopped wearing the D'jarra earring, stopped praying to the Prophets. But he never stopped being a Bajoran. His faith in the rightness of Starfleet and his CO are absolute - a point which his professors noted with dubious pride, as he would be a liability to the Fleet if a ships' captain ever turned rogue. He had some trouble at the Academy with his fellow classmates, as they truly did not understand him. Even with the Dominion War raging, the other students did not know what it was like to be an orphan, to never know where food was coming from. It angered him and he lashed out a few times, which nearly got him booted out, except for a few professors who demanded he get a second chance, with respect to his odd situation. When he realized just how far gone he was, he swore an oath that he would never disappoint them again.

Leaving the Academy, he immediately went into service aboard the Niagara-Class vessel Wellington to finish his Cadet training at space, then went the Enlisted route rather than going back to Earth for the Commission Exam.  There, Mister Kejal served dutifully for several years, gradually working his way up from lower decks in Engineering until he was transferred to the Operations Department, where his newly-discovered and constantly developing people skills would be put to good use - especially since he had a great deal of practical knowledge that could be used in just about any department from Security to Medical thanks to his experience in the Resistance.  He was noted even while an enlisted man for his breadth of knowledge and dedication to the job.  After a series of promotions which kept him in the sights of the ship's officers, they all encouraged him to finally test for his commission.  He passed with flying colors - including the infamous torture simulator known as the Kobayashi Maru.

When he received his commission as an Ensign, a few comments circulated about Ro Laren and her prior court-martial (and the habits of Bajorans in general), and he took a senior officer to task verbally as to his own behavior. The ship's Captain later agreed that both parties were wrong, and so both the now commissioned Buris and the Lieutenant received relatively minor NJPs on their permanent Service Records. In 2373, the ship visited Deep Space 9; an uncomfortable time for him, and despite being given leave to go on the station, he left the ship only once, to spit on the floor of the Cardassian-built station turn his back on it. Outside of that, everything was just fine.

However, there was no chance of ever unseating the Chief of Ops - even if he stayed there for a decade or more, as the older man had been onboard this ship for over two decades - it was part of his family.  Everyone aboard said there was as much his blood as warp plasma flowing through the EPS conduits - or vice versa in his veins.  So, with a heavy heart and despite Buris' honest desire to stay on the vessel after he was promoted to Ensign, he realized it was out of the question. He had to request a transfer, if he was to go anywhere in his life. He requested the newly-commissioned Prometheus for early 2374, but was, sadly, declined.  He considered transferring to the Defiant as well, but couldn't stomach the thought of being onboard "Terok Nor".  In retrospect, he was glad to to have been turned down from the front lines.

Instead, he took the role of Operations Officer on the science vessel USS Bellerophon (general cruise area in the opposite direction of the Dominion Warzone), and was the only officer left to take the role of Chief Operations Officer when all of her Engineers, Science, and Ops officers (along with the Intrepid's entire Engineering staff), were transferred to Earth by order of Starfleet Command in 2378 - Voyager's return brought a new joy to the Federation. Service aboard the Bellerophon was uneventful, though rather brief.

With the Bellerophon herself being transferred to Utopia Planitia for upgrades and experimental refit, Buris found himself adrift before requesting the transfer to Aurora Fleet and the USS Phoenix.

Career

Enlisted or Officer?: Officer
Department preference 1: Operations
Department Preference 2: Engineering

Service Record

2363 - 2368: Starfleet Academy, Earth and satellite campuses. Cadet Ranks. Demoted once for extreme aggression in second year. After mandatory anger management counseling, restored to commission with commendation for how fast he genuinely wanted to change.

2368 - 2374: USS Wellington NCC-28473, Niagara Class.  Cadet 4th year, Engineering/Command Track - Enlisted ranks E1 - E5 - Ensign; Posting: Midshipman, Engineer's Mate, Engineer, Operations Officer. No comments about anger issues at this time. Multiple commendations for valor throughout career, one NJP soon after successfully testing for Ensign rank for verbal insubordination - Captain noted that it was resolved by Command arbitration to mutual respect between officers.

2374 - 2378: USS Bellerophon NCC-74705, Intrepid Class. Ensign, Field Commendations; Posting: Operations Officer, Assistant Chief Operations Officer, Chief Operations Officer / Assistant Chief Engineering Officer.

Sample Post

You have arrived at your newest assignment...

Buris woke up in the back of the shuttlecraft with the group of other officers who were transferring from other ships and fleets over to SB Athena and the Phoenix.  Some of them were actually just stopping by Athena before getting on their way to another assignment, and were talking about their destinations freely.  Most of those who'd slept were rubbing their necks, stretching, and generally acting like normal people waking up from a nap in an enclosed space. But Ensign Kejal was not most people, and he never would be.  He pulled the PADD out of his bag, syncing it with an isolinear chip and reading.  USS Phoenix.  Nebula Class vessel.  750 souls aboard her over 30 decks.  Like all ships of her class, mission-variable pod on rear for versatility.  She was loaded with the Tactical Pod unit on her rear (which Buris thought resembled a desert scorpion's tail), and was capable of all explorer-type missions.  Her need for an Ops specialist with experience in Engineering, Science, and Tactical was becoming clear to him.

Scanning through, the shuttlecraft complement caught his eye. With a quick calculation in the back of his head, he realized something: in a pinch, they could probably move or evac about a third of the crew without deploying a single escape pod.  That wasn't bad at all.  And the Danube class runabout they had on board, the Monongahela, was one of the early units that'd been given a USS designation, though she'd obviously had her NCC number stripped and presumably replaced with NCC-65025-R.  He wondered about this tough old ship, what she'd be like, what she'd sound like, and how she'd behave.  The fact that she was a fleet flagship didn't hurt any, either - he knew he'd never have to 'make do' with a Rear Admiral as CO as he had aboard the Bellerophon.  Supplies and repair parts would be at his fingertips, and he figured he'd end up spoiled by the time he was ready to move on.  Of course, with an Admiral in command, he figured he had a good long time before that even became a concern.

The pilot tapped his intraship comm unit, and the speaker in the passenger compartment of the shuttle came to life.  "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in docking procedures with Starbase Athena.  As we enter the base, please take a look to starboard to have a look at the USS Phoenix."

There wasn't much more to be said to Buris, as he stood up, putting his bag on his seat, and crossed the aisle to the starboard side of the vessel to see the shuttlecraft coming in past the Phoenix.  Somehow, the tech drawing had made the tailpiece look more sinister.  Instead, she looked to him like a workhorse now, raring to go.  Obviously, the design lineages leading from the Miranda and her sister Galaxy class were evident, but somehow as Buris folded his arms over his chest and nodded tightly, to himself, he knew she was a powerhouse.  There was a feel for a starship, certainly, because she was much more than just machinery slapped together.  She was assembled, carefully, with a purpose.

Maybe discovering her purpose would help him find his own, he thought.  But he sat down, packing the PADD and chip away, disregarding the errant poetic thought.

15 minutes later...

This starbase was huge, and getting just from the shuttle docking bay to the ship docking bay was a hike.  He figured that most people would be tired now, especially based on the way some of the other officers were looking.  But he chuckled and checked his new(ish) uniform jacket, his hair, everything, giving the jacket a sharp tug to straighten it out.  He walked up to the airlock, to the ship crewman there, and cleared his throat.

"Ensign Kejal Buris, reporting for duty as Chief Operations Officer, USS Phoenix.  Request permission to come aboard."

The Risian woman looked over her PADD and nodded.  "Oh, yes, sir.  Ensign Kejal, welcome aboard, the Admiral will see you at 1730."

Buris started to walk past with a tight nod - then froze in his tracks as he looked at her, shocked, his eyes slightly wide.  His voice was hushed as he smiled, partly from shock.  "You got my name right.  Thanks, Chief!"

She smiled, chuckling. "There are other Bajorans aboard the ship, sir.  Ops staff have to be quick learners when it comes to names."

He nodded and gave her a wave before stepping aboard.  This could be his new home.

Behind the Mask

Have you done textbased RP before?: I ran 7th Fleet (directly commanded the Windrider) for 7 years, I was on Malloy and Xolani fleets, I ran USS Dauntless for 2 years and I've served aboard a smattering of other ships in the meantime.  I'm active with multiple characters at X-Men:A New Dawn.  So, I'd say... yes!

How did you find Aurora?: More than adequate, thank you.
Oh! You meant how did I learn about it?  Which of your Admirals is Hillboy over on RPG-D?  Because I was talking to them in PM.

Additional notes about yourself or your character?:  I have a few additional character notes (This is actually a version of the character I played in charge of USS Dauntless.)

Strengths & Weaknesses

Artistic: Bajoran society, even during the Occupation, stressed the importance of artwork to preserve the continuity of belief and civilization. And while it is extremely hard to 'train' someone to be creative, it certainly can be nurtured, and in an environment where a split-second decision can literally spell life or death, sometimes being able to come to a creative, effective, solution quickly is the one skill you need to survive. However, this is one of many things that often disappears when he feels threatened, as the 'soldier' part of his personality takes over, and he becomes very direct.

Inventive: When you're the smallest member of a Resistance cell, you're often the one called on to repair the Raiders mid-flight, and so he learned the very meaning of jury-rigging early on. Never ask him to just 'fix' something, because it will work, but the Great Bird help you try and figure out exactly how.

Faithful: Like it or not, he's a Bajoran. His life is organized around the things he's faithful to - To Starfleet, to his ship, to his captain, to the ideals of the Federation. This is a strength as it allows him to be a great leader, dedicated to the faith he has in those around him. Unlike the commanders who can make catastrophic events into minor inconveniences, Kejal's strength is that even if the person disbelieves in themselves, he will never lose his faith in them. This can become a distinct weakness if he feels betrayed by another crewman, as there is little worse than a truly faithful and hopeful man betrayed.

Blunt: In the Resistance, there was no room for guile or deception. You either told someone what you were going to tell them, or you told whoever was performing the interrogation that you weren't going to talk. Of all the soldiery traits he has held, this is the one that he still keeps close to his heart - he never lies, and when the truth is to be told, he tells all of it. This can become a distinct weakness, as he very rarely cuts corners in telling junior officers and subordinates just how bad a job they did and reminding them forcefully of the number of lives which could potentially rest on their shoulders for a screwup.

Tactically Minded: Another double-edged sword, the experience of growing up in the Resistance made him think like everything in life is a contest or a battle. While it makes him second-to-none in tactical and strategic planning, it often leaves him out in the cold when the peacetime hits. On Shore Leave, he never knows quite what to do with himself. He has been trying to 'get over' this, but every space battle he's in convinces him it's a necessary trait.

Disbelief: Belief and Faith are two different things. The revelation that the Celestial Temple brought the Dominion to Bajor, and that the Prophets were helpless to stop them (perhaps even encouraged the Dominion War), as well as the nature of the Prophets as simply older life-forms, changed Buris. As such, while he can be tolerant of faith and the faithful, he has no respect for beings that claim themselves to be deities. When the crew encounters them, he will be the first denier, the first to try and display the sham for what it is - completely regardless of the Prime Directive.

Ambitions
Conscious: To earn command of a starship and respect for its crew.
Unconscious: To meet directly with the Prophets, and ask them some very hard questions about Bajor, the Bajorans, and himself.

Hobbies & Interests
Painting, tinkering with various technologies, wargames, Parrises' Squares, the occasional hasperat.

Languages
Bajoran, Federation Standard

Family
Father
Unknown, presumably deceased

Mother
Unknown, presumably deceased

Brothers
Unknown

Sisters
Unknown

Other Family
Rota Tabris and Rota Seela; Adoptive parents, deceased[/i][/i]