Ashana

United Federation of Planets
Ashana
Position	Ambassador
Rank	Civilian
Species	Ardanan
Gender	Female
DOB
Age
Birthplace	Stratos, Ardana

Ashana was a noted, if not sometimes, notorious, Ardanan diplomat. Her most recent post was Federation ambassador to Duronis II.

	Appearance

Despite her appearance of being in her late 40s in Terran years, Ashana is rumored to be in her 70s, perhaps even 80s. (Ardanan lifespans are similar to those of Terrans.) She credits her youthful looks to rigorous Ardanan self-care regime and rigorous daily exercise. The Ambassador does not like to be asked her age.

Ashana is always immaculately dressed, even during informal occasions. She is known for a broad collection of fashion from various Federation member worlds. One of her favorite materials is Tholian silk.

	Background

Ashana was raised on Ardana’s floating city of Stratos, still legendary for its anti-gravity technology.. She notably was the daughter of a famed marriage between a leading member of Stratos’s ruling council and a leader of the Troglyte labor leader.

From the outside, Ashana is the quintessential Stratos native. She is highly articulate, intelligent and perceptive, with strong artistic sensibilities. She notably possesses the aristocratic air common to Stratos inhabitants. She is very polite and well spoken but can be aggressive and forceful in getting her way.

Ashana was partially educated on Earth, pursuing advanced degrees in diplomacy, political science and interspecies negotiation from Cambridge University and the Institut de Sciences Politiques. In fact, she speaks fluent English—she chose to adopt a British accent—along with French, although the later is no longer wildly used on Earth. In addition to her schooling on Earth, she complemented this with studies in philosophy on Vulcan, art and military history on Andoria and Betazed.

But beneath Ashana’s highly cultivated and stylish veneer, there is something of a rebel, both in her professional and personal lives. Ashana had her first marriage to an Ardanan political leader annulled only after three days. For a time, Ashana had an intimate relationship with a Klingon Captain, Goral, who saved the transport that was carrying her during the Dominion War. Following the war’s end, she eventually married and lived with him on Qo’nos. At a renowned public gathering, one of her husband’s rivals gravely insulted both her and her husband. The next day, the rival was found ritually killed with a digging tool used by Troglytes on Ardana. Under Klingon law, the killing was legal, so no investigation was ever began, but it was clear that Ashana eliminated the rival personally. The story comes to light now and again in diplomatic circles, but Ashana refuses to comment. Of her marriage to Goral, she says that her ex-husband considered her to be an honorable wife. Despite their divorce, they are said to remain on good terms. As for life on Qo’Nos, she will only say that she has an occasional craving for gagh—but only if it’s fresh.

Politically, Ashana is known for occasionally dramatic behavior, when it is to her advantage After listening to a long diatribe by a Tellarite ambassador against her stance against environmental protections at a trade conference, she wordlessly stood up and threw him out of the room. She then told the other attendees, “The production of such hot gas was unproductive in diplomatic discussion.” Despite the theatrics, Ashana is known for being highly loyal to the Federation and its objective for interspecies understanding and collaboration. She does draw the line at what she see as the tendency of “certain member worlds” for dominating Federation politics. Similarly, she appreciates Starfleet but questions the agenda of those in charge. For that reason, she is not always popular with top brass, as she has been known to grill officers in the past for actions she considered unethical toward, disrespectful or dismissive of her vision of the Federation.

	Mission to Duronis System

Around SD 239404, Ashana received a new assignment after taking several months off, after leading a series of trade talks between several member worlds. She was to be sent to Duronis II in order to get a firm commitment from the local planetary government, after what seemed to be indifference to Federation citizens and Starfleet officers.