USS Lovell NCC-62711

Sorry it took so long for this one, everyone. This crew goes in the same category as The Enterprise-D and Excelsior-B. This crew is very special to me as you will read:

The USS Lovell may not look like anything special being a New Orleans-Class Vessel; however, her crew is very special. It’s a very diverse crew with most of its command staff attending the Academy together. The Captain, XO, Chief Engineer, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Science, Chief of Security, Conn and Ops officers have such a strong bond of friendship that it has lasted them decades and will last them beyond. This is a strong crew and the Captain’s first command. Who better to have by your side than those you have trusted for years. The Uniforms they wear are unique and allowed by Starfleet to show their commitment to the history of Starfleet and their friendship. Those that have joined the crew in different command positions left open are proud to be associated with this crew and hope to earn a place among the friends as friends themselves.

Captain Michael Mead: While this is his first command, he gained a lot of training while XO of the Archer. He was the first one to start to trust the first full Orion woman in the Academy when they met the first day there. His showing her respect earned him her love, a love that, while apart, was still strong. He picked his close friends because he knew they were the best Starfleet had to offer and he wanted the best on his ship. He is humble and yet strong as a commander and as a human being. His crew, though diverse, respect him and trust him with their lives.

Commander Michelle Anida: Michelle started at the Academy as a communication’s cadet. However, Starfleet was slowly combining communications with the tactical station. Michelle figured the best way to go with the times was to learn to be a tactical officer. This way she could put her skills in use to the fullest. She was roommates with Starfleet’s first full Orion. Though she didn’t like her at first, they soon became best friends. Michelle proved herself on the Potter, an old Constellation vessel that still had a need for a communications officer. When Mike offered her a transfer to the Lovell as his executive, she readily took the transfer happy to be with her friends again.

Lieutenant Commander Vanotal Dumaz: Vanotal once thought of himself as the best engineer in the quadrant. That was until he met Karone and the others. He soon realized how far he still had to go and with the help of his friends, he was able to grow into a good engineer and a good leader. He learned that just because he was the best didn’t mean he had to lord it over others. He protects his friends out of loyalty and respect. Michael had seen many candidates come up since Van that, according to their commanders, were better engineers, but he chose his friend, Vanotal out of the same loyalty. He accepted graciously.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Nodeno Ledrah: Nodeno is a Tiburonian engineer that has recently caught galactic attention by finding ways to improve all engine efficiency to Warp Nine Point Four without the engines overheating. Every ship wanted him aboard, but Vanotal gave him the best offer, a promotion and position as assistant chief Engineer. Though this may not seem like much, it also came with the family of the Lovell, a crew that had started out as friends at the Academy and now on a ship together. This intrigued Nodeno. He would be part of a group that was a small legend in Starfleet. He joined the crew of the Lovell and wants to see what comes from this.

Commander Shrash ch’N’Tall: Shrash comes from a long line of Starfleet Officers, most of who were into medicine and science. His ancestor was in the Imperial Guard as a doctor serving under Commander Shran so he has an affinity for humans. He met T’Sara and Karone while his and T’Sara’s families were being transferred to their new post. They were both intrigued by this Orion who thought she was human and became friends. That friendship lasted them through the Academy when Shrash and T’Sara had all but forgotten the Orion. However, they stuck by her and the others that made friends with her. They ended up become a strong group even though Shrash was older than them. When Shrash was ready for a promotion, he took it in the form of Chief Medical Officer aboard the Lovell. He brought his son, Thalen, along with him so that Thalen could get to know his Aunts and Uncles and be proud of them.

Lieutenant Commander Rhea: Rhea was a rising star in the medical field. However, she always wondered if that was in part due to the fact she was a Deltan. Her oath of Celibacy was on record, but that didn’t mean some males still didn’t fall over their tongues trying to talk to her. Despite her doubts, Shrash requested her as his Assistant Chief Engineer. Though hesitant to begin with, she noticed one of the crewman was an Orion, she signed up. She found a kindred spirit in Karone, but also a crew that respects her as her and not as a Deltan.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Felina M’Ress: Felina is the great-niece of Shiboline M’Ress of Enterprise fame. Felina is a recent graduate from Starfleet Nursing and was snapped up quickly by Shrash. She isn’t sure what to expect with this ship and crew, but have heard some legends of the Command Staff and can’t wait to be able to learn from them.

Sub-Centurion Tavara: Tavara is a Romulan Defector. She had had enough of the lies and mystery of the Romulan people and decided to leave. She knew she was being chased by the Tal Sh’iar, but she didn’t care. She ran for her freedom. The first Starfleet vessel she came upon gave her protection from the Romulan vessel she was running from. That Vessel was the Archer. Mike found her to be compassionate and caring rather than like a regular Romulan. He also discovered she was part of an underground movement that had been started only a few years ago. She was part of the Reunification Movement. Mike wanted her as his Chief Counselor to use her compassion. Starfleet granted with their own conditions and she was happy to be doing something other than just be interrogated.

Lieutenant Commander Talina Kem: Talina is a Trill Science Officer. She had a crush on Andrew Epson, the full Betazoid Security Officer when they were students at the Academy. They made friends with Michael Mead on the trip to the Academy building and when Mike was accepted by Karone and her friends, they were accepted as well. It was something that has helped her and lasted her through her life. She married Andrew in the junior year at the Academy and kept close ties with their friends. Whether on the Sherman or on the Lovell, Talina gives her all and is happy to be among friends.

Lieutenant Onela Tolun: Onela was a young Scientist on the Ticonderoga alongside Vanotal. She was actually a year behind him in the Academy and had a crush on him, but didn’t know how to approach. She was intimidated by his friends. She needn’t have worried. She spent time with Van and got to know him better. The more time they spent together, the more she learned who he was and who they were. When Van was transferred to the Lovell she asked to come along and was accepted. She met his friends and was soon accepted by them as well.

Lieutenant Commander Andrew Epson: Andrew’s mother’s life was saved while she was still pregnant with Andrew by a young Starfleet Officer, Ian Andrew Troi. His mother was so happy with Ian that she gave her son his middle name as his own. Andrew wished to honor the man who saved his life by joining Starfleet. Even though he didn’t know it, Andrew found himself drawn to Security rather than Science like Ian. He did, however, fall in love with a scientist in the form of Talina Kem. Andrew enjoyed his circle of friends at the Academy, their thoughts, though open to him, helped train him in better ways to control his ability and hide it from scanners. On board the Sherman, with his wife Talina, he proved himself to be a great security officer. When Mike asked him and Talina to come aboard the Lovell, they both accepted happily unable to wait to be back with their friends.

Lieutenant Commander Karone Ranor: Karone was born in a typical Orion family, but not to a typical Orion mother. Her mother, Ooala, wanted more for her daughter Leyona than training as an Orion Animal Woman. So when she read to Karone, stories about knights on horseback saving damsels from evil men who wanted to use them. When Karone was five, she stole a shuttle and came upon a Starfleet Vessel she mistook for a knight’s white steed. The Commanding Officer, Commodore Reginald Ranor, and his crew rescued her and adopted her. She grew up wanting to honor the crew of the U.S.S. Tucker and especially her adopted parents Reginald and Kitana Ranor by joining Starfleet. She fell in love with piloting and felt that was the only choice for her. She went to the Academy, and though she suffered some strife in her first year, the help of her new friends helped her become the person that her family and friends wanted her to. She graduated the Academy at the top of her class while majoring in every subject she could. Her mind was surprisingly that brilliant. Though she was smart, she never lorded over anyone and that is what made her endearing. She tried to keep her intelligence a secret, and was relatively successful. The second ship she lived and served on was the Liberty commanded by her mother with her Brother as the chief medical officer and her sister as the chief of science. Her father just came along for the ride. Mike had learned that Karone was happy where she was so she asked her commanding officer to trick her into joining the Lovell. However, once she did, she was extremely happy. Though her brother and sister came to join her, she doesn’t mind. She likes having family aboard.

Lieutenant Commander T’Sara: T’Sara is not what you would consider a typical Vulcan. She made friends with an Andorion in her youth and friends with an Orion, a pair of humans, a Trill a Betazoid, and a Saurian at the Academy. Vulcans don’t normally make that kind of emotional attachments, but T’Sara did. She found her companions as logical choices for ones she could share herself with even more than her own husband. When she was made Operations officer on the Surak, an all Vulcan ship, she began to exhibit signs of inability to control her emotions. Though it was very slight, other Vulcan’s could notice it. She had a son in her sixth year aboard the Surak. A couple years later she was promoted to Second officer. When Mike gained his own command he offered her the chance to be his Operations officer. She now had a choice. Become Executive of a ship full of Vulcans or become Operations Officer on a ship that had her friends. She chose the latter. Her husband did not like this and filed for an annulment of their marriage. Her son, on the other hand, liked this, as Vulcans can, and decided to live with his mother. They are still going through the process of divorce and child custody through the Vulcan Council.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Quinton Quaice: Quinton was one of the best at the Academy. The true reason behind this he’s kept secret and hopes to continue to do so. He is a member of an ancient and powerful race, the Q Continuum. He has decided to explore this young race of upstarts called Humans as one of them in a great experiment. He feels that best way to learn about them is to be like one of them. However, like with all experiments, he has to submit a yearly report on his findings to the Continuum. In essence, he has to return to them once a year. While at the Academy, the first year of his experiment, he tried being studious, but discovered humans appreciated interaction. Second year he kept up his studies while trying to get to know others, etc. As a Q, he had observed Michael and Karone once, and now he is on a ship commanded by Michael. He could try and promote himself immediately or any number of things, but Quinton is going to see this experiment through by being a human until his supposed death.

Captain Kajen Jadeb: Jadeb was born on Cardassia ravaged Bajor. Some Bajorans thought of fighting back while some thought about escape. For a while Jadeb was in the resistance. However, he dreamed of escape. With help from his family, and against the wishes of his resistance cell, he made it off world. Through help of different species, Jadeb made it to Earth and decided to join Starfleet Academy. All Jadeb knew to do was fight, so he was a perfect candidate for the Starfleet Marine Corps. He went through OTS and graduated in the top tier, but not at the top of his class. He was posted on a few ships before being transferred to the Lovell. There he met the recently divorced T’Sara and has begun to spend time with her.

Warrior Third Class K’Etarya: K’Etarya is a young Klingon warrior who graduated from the Klingon Academy. She wanted to serve on a Starfleet vessel through the officer exchange program ever since she first learned about them. Her great grandfather told her stories about humans he met on the Warship Enterprise he had come to respect and this thrilled her to want to learn about them first hand. She got her request when Captain Michael Mead accepted her on his ship. She serves under the Bajoran Marine Commander and has come to enjoy spending time with young Thalen N’Tall who has taken in interest in Klingon philosophy and sense of honor.

Commodores Hovan and D’Espall Ranor: Hovan and D’Espall were two children found on a colony world abandoned by the Romulans. They grew up on the world along with Saavik and other Romulan/Vulcan hybrid children. The Romulans wanted to take the best of each species and tried to put them into one. However, they were deemed a failure and left to fend for themselves. Hovan and D’Espall, it should be noted, are biologically from different parents. They wanted to stay together and didn’t want to learn the logic of their people. To that end, they were raised by Reginald and Kitana Ranor. Though they were raised as siblings they knew they had love for each other so when they wanted to get married, their parents and, once it was proven they were not blood siblings, Starfleet accepted it. They served with their parents out of love and respect. However, when they were promoted to Commodore, they felt they still could be of some use on a Starship. They followed their sister Karone to the Lovell and the Captain accepted them as long as they stayed to their respective divisions and not try and take over his ship. It was something they could agree to. They wear standard Starfleet uniforms rather than ones similar to the rest of the crew.

Thalen N’Tall and Vorin: Thalen and Vorin. Children of Shrash and T’Sara respectively. Thalen spent most of his time with his other parents, but wanted to spend it with his Chen Father. Vorin could see how much these emotional beings helped his mother and felt it was better to be with them than his own father and his own people. Thalen met Vorin on their first day and became friends just like their parents had done over twenty years before. They are good children who sometimes get into trouble like boys will, but neither Thalen nor Vorin would trade their lives aboard the Lovell for anything.