Cara Maria

Lieutenant Commander Cara Maria is currently the Second Officer & CSO aboard the USS Ronin, having transferred from the Independence when it was destroyed.

Stats

• Full Name: Cara Maria, formerly Cara Maria-Mil until she disowned her father.
• Race: Half Terran, half Betazoid Hybrid
• Date of Birth: 235909.14
• Place of Birth: Zaragoza
• Age: 24
• Gender: Female
• Telepathic status: E4 (Empathic Synaesthesia)

Appearance

• Height: 5' 2"
• Weight: 45 Kg
• Hair Colour: Black
• Length of Hair: Mid shoulder-blades, prefers to wear in a ponytail though.
• Eye Colour: Black
• Skin Tone: Golden-brown
• Birthmarks, Scars: One large slightly raised scar slanting across her upper back, medium one on upper right arm, medium down back of right leg and multiple small scars from beatings elsewhere. The large scars healed over prior to an infection taking hold, hence causing the ridged formation.
• Tattoos/Body Modifications: Pierced ears, usually wears small studs with some kind of stone.
• Build: Slight, flexible, lighter than she looks and less fragile.
• Face: Oval, quite small (like the rest of her)
• Eyes: Comparatively large and spaced normally, longish eyelashes.
• Mouth: Delicate lips.
• Arms: Elegant.
• Legs: Elegant (she's a dancer).
• Carriage: Walks softly but quickly. Quite often walks/runs as if she were a shadow or cat (unintentionally), with easy strides that carry her quite fast.
• Poses:If she has to remain still she'll loosely clasp her hands behind her back, though when she speaks she tends to use them to illustrate, apart from that her movements are quick and alert, as if spooked quite a lot of the time.
• Taste in Clothing (when off duty): Loose clothes, usually cloth trousers/shirts in single colours.
• Shoes: Prefers flat shoes of waterproof cloth.
• Voice: Quiet and soft, but light.
• Handedness: Right

Empathic Synaesthesia

Synaesthesia is when two or more senses are mixed up or connected in the brain, a standard example being that someone can taste colours. Due to a lack of training in her (quite strong) empathic gift her empathic sesnes welded themselves to her normal senses so that she could understand and use it, meaning that she can see, hear, feel, taste and smell emotions. These lay themselves over her normal senses like drawing on transparent plastic and putting it over an image.

Emotions generally follow trends, for example: the stronger the sensation the stronger the emotion, fear and anger are normally heat-based, brighter colours usually mean 'happier' emotions and turbulence with a blend of colours show confusion. In addition to this it seems that there may also be a connection to species, due to the fact most human emotions appear as flowing 'scarves' whereas the Sya-negan appear as sparkles and Betazoid emotions are more inclined to scent.

Empathic Auras and Signatures

The emotions of living things perceived in this way by Cara are influenced by her understanding of the individual and the individual's mind itself (leading to the species theory). When Cara does not particularly know an individual their emotions are normally perceived as an Aura around the person. This aura appears to actually be the visible part of a consciousness that extends through the person, as when the minds of several crew members moved to another plane Cara could see their emotional form moving entirely separately from their body.

While in this form each person's Aura is still unique, but it is not possible to explain how as it just 'feels' different, supporting the theory of an empathic 'Signature' that simply cannot be seen at the time, such as in the case of the Kolk's, where Cara could identify the Alternate Kolk from their own, but only recognised their different cloud-like signatures several months after.

When an individual is understood to a greater level there is often a 'sharpening' of perception and shapes made out within the Aura, forming this signature. It is not necessarily just a clearing of sight but an entire change in the way someone is perceived, for example Benjamin Walker is covered in flame with most of the emotions felt as different kinds of heat. The experiences of the person also have a great effect, Admiral Anassasi's emotional form being completely altered by the mutation she underwent, forming a cat-like beast.

Problems

Cara has little control over the intensity of her perception, meaning that she can be overwhelmed by the emotions around her. Normally this results in an 'Empathic headache' where Cara experiences emotions seemingly at random, the first sign of which is normally seeing emotions from non-living objects such as the ship. When a headache occurs the only way to ease it seems to be sleeping, though if she doesn't do this she will fall unconscious anyway. It is possible to delay it by a short period of meditation but it will be more vicious later.

These headaches date from the time her emotions were completely overloaded when a teenager, any instinctive control she had broken to a large degree, though it may have strengthened the intensity of her gift. In order to stop her going insane the conscious mind retreated, locking itself inside the subconscious while the emotions went crazy. Recently she has been able to slightly sharpen her sight when needed, but cannot change the intensity.

When there are particularly strong emotions around her she can be affected by them, though normally she recognises when she may be affected and concentrates on remaining as she was. Fear is a particularly contagious emotion and Cara has to work hard to keep herself thinking clearly.

Manner

• Quarters: A picture of her mother and herself, a small portable (and old) music player from Betazed (formerly her mother's) that can sense rudimentary thoughts and plays appropriate songs to fit. However the AI personality seems to have been implanted with a sadistic sense of humour, playing some songs at exactly the wrong moment, creating awkward situations at points, it's thought this is what caused Maria Alenaas to give it to her daughter.

There is also a communications terminal (the music player sits next to this on the desk) and a reasonable size couch with a small table next to it in the main quarters which she's separated from the bedroom area with a screen. The room itself has a relatively empty space in the centre in which she can dance and stretch to remain limber.

• Favourite Room: None in particular, though prefers to be somewhere she knows well (and preferably somewhere that's easy to see/hear someone coming).
• Mannerisms: Apologises quite a lot. Tends to fiddle with the end of her ponytail when nervous and rarely laughs outright, usually smiling instead, though she uses many different types of smile.
• Physical Limitations: Physically weaker than most crewmembers, but flexible and agile, preferring speed over strength.
• Temprament: Quiet and submissive but intelligent. Shy introvert. Tries not to be too extreme in her own emotions, especially anger. Extremely patient.
• Habits: Tends to sink into the shadows a lot but will help anyone in any way she can, wakes up very fast and alert as soon as she opens her eyes.
• Religion/Spiritual Devotion: None that is distinct, is known to meditate through dance.

Personality

Quiet but cheerful, also intelligent and has a tendency to come up with strange ideas that work. However she has quite a low confidence and can be very nervous around most (especially men due to her father) until she gets to trust them. At present has little control over her empathy and needs more extensive training in it.

She will always try to help people even if she dislikes them and usually keeps a calm head in hectic or dangerous situations, in effect cutting herself off from her own emotions. She also tries and usually succeeds in not getting angry at people. However she is likely to shrink away if someone shouts at her.

Mirror Universe

In the Mirror Universe the beating from her father never came, instead she was pushed out the window several months earlier, catching hold of one of the balconies below before pulling herself up. Her father was arrested then and Cara was sought by a trainer for her gymnastics skills. This led to becoming calm-headed but confident in her abilites and allowing her to persue her dancing.

Cara was a national contender in gymnastics competitions before coming across the troupe of performers known as the Swallows. The performers it turned out were restocking for their next tour of space, where at each place they performed aid would be given to those who needed it in the form of food, money or acting as a cover for prison breakouts.

The betazoid hybrid immediately joined the group to dance for them, acting as one of the main dancers with her flame fans and attractive form and face, which she has learnt how to use to her advantage along with the talent of reading emotions. As a result she is a skilled distraction and rarely shows her calm interior beneath the dancer.

The fans she uses to perform can flame along the open edge of the fan only and can be turned on or off. The delicate beauty of them also hides the fact that the ribs have razor sharp edges and points, serving as her weapons as well as tools if a situation gets nasty, weaving a calm, but deadly dance.

Hobbies and Pastimes

• Dancing, preferably to Betazed music, but other music also.
• Reading romance/psychology books.
• Challenging herself.
• Learning all she can, currently focusing on increasing engineering and medical knowledge.

Likes and Dislikes

• Likes
  • Music
  • Dancing
  • Acrobatics
  • Reading
  • Listening to people
  • Helping others
  • Learning
  • Challenges

• Dislikes
  • Being shouted at.
  • Unneccessary violence.
  • Being forced into something she doesn't agree with.
  • Being the centre of attention (unless she's doing a solo dance/routine)

Ambitions and Goals

She wants to become the best counsellor she can be and help as many as she can. This came from when she completely lost control of her empathic abilities and a vulcan counsellor helped her to regain control and teach her some rudimentary empathic control. She wants to be able to assist in the same way.

Personal Achievements and Disappointments

The major achievement so far in her life was graduating from the Starfleet academy as she doubted her ability to either get in or get out, despite her common sense telling her she did fine in the final exam. She was also pleased at her exam results from school, as she had passed with nearly all A's and A*'s. However she celebrated these quietly and celebrated her father being imprisoned even more quietly.

A very great achievement for her was being approved of by the Captain, mostly due to high authority not only noticing, but approving. Her promotion and assignment to CSO also are key moments.

Family

A single child with Betazoid mother (Maria Alenaas) and Terran father (Anton Mil) in an arranged marriage. Her father was aggressive and bad-tempered when drunk, and got so increasingly often since he lost his job and gained a very low-level one. After a particularly nasty incident he was arrested and imprisoned, the marriage dissolved and Cara was allowed to drop the name Mil.

Her grandmother, Miss Josephine, on Betazed is the matriarch of the Alenaas family and a recluse to society as it fits her cause. She arranges everything that goes on in the family, often arranging entire lives in order to make contacts and connections. This is not only due to wanting a feeling of control after she was jilted by her engaged husband but also on the discovery of a connection to the great Houses of Betazed. It is clear that Josephine not only wants the Alenaas' to become a great house but also intends for her to lead it.

Spouse

• Marital Status: Single

Children

None

Parents

Mother was Maria Alenaas from Betazoid, she was betrothed by her parents (mainly her mother Josephine Alenaas) to Anton Mil. She was also a victim of Anton's abuse as she was a betazoid, though she was reasonably pretty. She taught Cara about Betazoid culture and was about to organise a teacher for her empathic abilities when she was discovered and forced to cancel arrangements. She only accepted the marriage as it would take her away from her scheming mother who continually makes plans to have a web of contacts spread throughout the galaxy, her final aim being to have her own spy network and therefore a higher position in Betazoid culture.

Anton Mil was Cara's father and a spaniard from Zaragoza on earth. He had xenophobia and was forced to marry someone alien, not his ideal choice but his parents are fiercer than him and he grudgingly admitted as the money from the dowry was waved at him. In return he didn't treat them too badly at first until he lost his job three years before Cara entered the academy, steadily getting worse since until a few weeks before the entrance exams for Starfleet.

Personal History

Currently Cara's history has been normal for any girl raised on earth in a mediocre part of a spanish city, with the exception of her father and the final incident concerning him which left her with a partial nervousness around men and the larger scars on her body. Due to her tendency to listen when people tell her information she did quite well in all of her subjects, though languages were never her strong point her mother, being a translator/linguist, helped her with the languages required to be taken at Starfleet. As a result she is nearly fluent in Betazoid and Vulcan, but can speak Spanish and English fluently.

The most notable friendship in her life so far is with Sidney Riley, however it is the most notable as it happened so quickly, Cara normally takes so long to trust that feeling a connection so soon is a very strange event for her.

Timeline

1. 235909.14: Born in Zaragoza, Earth.
2. 237705.06: Told her father she wanted to join Starfleet, was beaten severely and nearly raped by him. He was arrested. The full incident can be found at Confession of a counsellor. Warning, contains violence and attempted rape. She then spent a year with her mum, moving to Marseilles and recovering, before going for the examinations again.
3. 237806.01:Took Starfleet entrance exams and passed.
4. 238301.15:Graduated from the academy.
5. 238304.23:Assigned to USS Independence.
6. 238312.16:Assigned to USS Ronin and promoted to Lieutenant
7. 238408.24:Promoted to Lieutenant Commander

Professional History

• Date Graduated from Academy: 238301.15
• Current Rank: Lieutenant Commander
• Current Assignment: Second Office/CSO
• Duty Post: Second Officer/Chief Science Officer

StarFleet Assessments and Records

Enrolled at the academy in 2379 and graduated in 2383, having majored in psychology and physics. When the Wallace was decommissioned she was assigned as a science officer of the Independence. Since then she had been promoted to Lt. JG and made head of department (CSO)

Promotion History

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Lieutenant Commander (238408.24 - Present)

Posting

• CSO/Counsellor, USS Ronin (238408.24)

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Lieutenant (238312.16 - 238408.24)

Posting

• CSO/Counsellor, USS Ronin (238312.16 - 238408.24)

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Lieutenant Junior Grade (238308.04 - 238312.16)

Posting

• Science Officer/CSO/Counsellor, USS Independence (238308.04 - 238312.16)

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Ensign (238301.15 - 238308.04)

Posting

• Counsellor, USS Wallace (238301.19 - 238304.23)
• Science Officer, USS Independence (238304.23 - 238308.04)
  

File:Cadet.jpg Cadet (237806.01 - 238301.15)

Postings

• Cadet, Starfleet Acadamy, Marseilles, Earth (237806.01-238301.03)
  
• Cadet, final exam, Starbase 118 (238301.03-238301.15)
  

Working Areas

• Almost anywhere on the ship
• Counsellor's office
• Quarters (various)
• Science Lab
• Bridge

Subordinates

• Ensign Lester, Camilla (science)

SIM Archive

• Confession of a counsellor- The major incident with her father.
• SIM: Ens. Maria: Taking the plunge - First sims on the Wallace.
• SIM:Ens. Maria: Open your eyes - After an overdose of knockout gas Cara's mind starts to work.