Ashley Yael
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| Lieutenant Junior Grade Ashley Yael | |||||||
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Ensign Ashley Deneve Yael is currently assigned as a Counsellor aboard Starbase 118 Ops and its support vessel, the USS Albion.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Appearance
- Physical Appearance: Yael has an approachable and disarming smile, and his features are strongly Denobulan despite being a Human hybrid. His naturally purple with an ash-blond base hair and amethyst eye color are less-than-common, but are known trait of Denobulans from the Southern Continent. He walks with a sense of purpose, confidence, and strict posture that defies his somewhat fragile appearance. Heavily influenced by his Denobulan side physically, he has all the classic facial, ear and body ridges. He does not have the defensive Denobulan “blowfish” ability. He is somewhat short (he thinks) and has a slight build with a trim runners physique. He's taken up exercise in recent years, gaining a few healthy pounds, but in the past might have been too lean for his height/stature. He is almost always in uniform. When in civilian clothing he prefers sport-style, comfortable clothes, but never anything revealing. He is also not prone to wearing jewelry, as he has trouble doing small clasps.
- Blood: Denobulans have BLUE BLOOD. - Denobulans being descended from shelled oceanic invertebrates means their blood carries hemocyanin in the hemolymph fluid around the blood cells. Due to his hybridized lineage, being part Terran and part Denobulan, Ashley has a unique dual capacity to oxygenate his blood. Having the ability to process oxygen through both hemoglobin and hemocyanin gives him an advantage against hypoxia in low-oxygen environments.
Personality
- Demeanor: What Yael lacks in physical presence and power he more than makes up for in psychological and mental ability. He’s strangely confident, adaptable, and quite experienced and tactical for his age. While respectful of rank he is impervious to intimidation by it. He has the mindset/approach of a diplomat, always pushing to mediate and ready to find a solution. As with most Denobulans he is supremely patient, and plays the “long” game in life and his duties. He is friendly, charming, and approachable, and is adept at delving into the complex psyche’s of a multitude of types of persons, with a functional intuition of socio-cultural issues. Keenly intelligent on a psychological and emotional level, he’s at his best as a counselor or diplomat. He enjoys the challenge and satisfaction of helping his crewmates find their way, work through complex problems, and advance themselves as individuals. When at work he is the epitome of Zen. When at rest or play, he can have trouble letting down his barriers. So while he can get to know others very closely, it can be difficult for him to let anyone get to know him in return.
- Nature: His inner nature is guised in his well-practiced external shields, and while he is naturally optimistic, he is also *intensely private*, and covets his independence. He is a realistic pacifist, refusing typically to engage in violence and preferring an intellectual approach. In his heart Yael is profoundly alone and lonely, even in a room full of people. For all his ability to help others, he finds himself incapable of letting others know who he really is or how he feels. For all his external control and defensive mechanisms, he is innately not in control of his inner feelings and desires, finds them uncomfortable, seeks to repress them, and in the past this has expressed himself in the form of a secretly addictive and thrill-seeking personality. His less openly shown nature is unexpectedly chaotic compared to his calm exterior. His underlying complexities show themselves through his sometimes counter-intuitive behaviors.
- Personal Notes: He is able to span both Denobulan and Terran cultures with ease. He is always looking for something new to learn or advance in. He enjoys archery, can typically be found reading new anthropology and psychology texts, and despises cooking. He likes cute animals, but has no pets due to the hygienic factor.
Strengths/Benefits
- His dedication to his work and crew-mates is beyond simple loyalty. While quite sociable, he actually takes most things very seriously. His high energy and productivity reflect this.
- His ability to mediate issues and get to the root of problems is a healthy diplomatic skill.
- Despite being reliant on others for his defense, he is quite cool and calm in chaotic or dangerous circumstances.
Faults/Flaws
- Yael suffers from moderate Haphephobia, which is common in Denobulan males due to social factors. He does everything he can to avoid being touched, which leads to being touch-starved.
- Destructive hidden personality (secret behaviors, smoking, drinking, clubbing, etc).
- Twice annually, Yael must hibernate. It is a biological imperative, unless large doses of stimulants are used to interrupt the process. This is a 6-12 day process which requires a local leave of absence and light medical supervision.
Personal Quotes
"My childhood? No, I don't mind at all. My parents separated when I was young. There was no animosity in this for me, as it was perfectly civilized. Between Earth and Denobula, I received the best of training from the best of both worlds by the best of parents. I had a perfectly normal upbringing filled with perfectly normal life trials, was never beaten or bullied or mentally disparaged. While I had everything I could need, I was neither spoiled nor overly-protected. Perfectly boring for you to hear, no doubt."
"Of what worth is a vow of pacifism when it is made in the protected sphere in which we exist? We know neither hunger or strife, we don't struggle for our daily needs. The Federation skirts the borders of chaos that exist so prevalently elsewhere in this vicious universe, but even still, we are protected. When faced with willful cruelty, what good is my vow? Did I make it without true perspective? If I'm faced with harm, why shouldn't I pull the trigger? Every answer I can think of is selfish."
"In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death." Anne Frank said this once. In the light of what we have faced, I could not craft better words."
Family
- Mother: Lina Yael(Human). 68 years old, a Medical Doctor and general practitioner. She was Phax's second wife and lives in Skagway, Alaska, on Earth. Ashley is quite close with his mother and stays in regular contact with her.
- Father: Deneve Phax (Denobulan). 74 years old, a Medical Doctor and neurologist. He currently has three wives and lives on Denobula. Ashley is quite cool with his father, and the pair have not spoken for 10+ years. Deneve disliked Ashley's choice of career in psychology, believing it to be a lesser field to neurology/surgery. He has called Ashley a "genetic dead end" due to his diagnosis of Theoron's Disorder, which means having children is unwise.
- Ashley’s parents separated when he was only 7. He typically spent the Earth summer with his mother, and spent the remainder of the year on Denobula (in school) with his father. His parents relationship was civil but cool, and they refrain from contact unless it is required of them. Ashley's mother is in regular contact with him, while his father is in contact on an irregular basis. Ashley currently has 14 (and counting) half siblings on Denobula, and one half sibling on Earth. Many of his half siblings went into the medical field as well, but none are psychologists.
Friends
- Tallis Rhul: The Bajoran First Officer of the Duronis II Embassy prior to becoming Federation citizens, they became close despite their difference in rank. Rhul was very much like a father figure to Ashley, and it was a crushing blow when Tallis perished shortly before Ashley departed the Laudean homeworld.
- Saveron: First his doctor, then his friend, Saveron and Ashley were two of the rare non-Human crew at the Duronis II Embassy. They bonded for this, for their intellectual pursuits, and for both playing the part of helpers for their crew, being medical and counseling respectively. Saveron was the one to diagnose and treat Ashley's alcoholism. Though it dampened their friendship somewhat at the time, Ashley still thinks quite fondly of his old friend.
- Anthony Meeks: The Marine quickly became one of Ashley's closest friends on Starbase 118, and the pair often frequent the holodeck to train in their spare time. Ashley looks up to Anthony for his dedication to his craft, his seemingly natural skills, and his unwavering confidence. Perhaps he hopes a little of that confidence will rub off on him. Anthony challenges him, and is often there to save the day if Ashley gets in too deep.
- Alora DeVeau: One of his trickiest crewmembers to counsel, Alora and Ashley quickly became like siblings despite their frequent spats. The pair challenge and compliment one another in ways that have them naturally gravitating to one another. Though they butt heads often, they always get through it better off. Ashley has come to rely on Alora as a close confidant, and she is one of the only people he's spoken to about his trouble at Duronis.
- Doctor Zaheer Sahall: A Vulcan Doctor at the top of his field (Abnormal Psychology), Doctor Sahall is someone Ashley has always looked up to and hoped to work with in the future. He got to meet him shortly at a medical conference at Rigel Seven, where they spoke briefly about Ashley's research on hybrid brains, much to his delight.
Personal History
- Born March 3rd, 2361.
- Parents separate at 7.
- At 17, took 2 years to ‘explore’ space. Backpacked across several solar systems.
- At 19, enrolled on Denobula for Masters program of Cultural Anthropology.
- At 21, published first peer reviewed journal article concerning the evolutionary path of the Tak-Tik saber-toothed squirrel, "Of Vicious and Sentient Obligatory Carnivores."
- At 23, received first degree (Cultural), accepted into Starfleet under Counselors Division.
- At 25, spent 3 months break on Edo studying the effect of the “death sentence” on its people, published second peer reviewed journal article, "The Peace that Death Promotes."
- At 27, received secondary degree (Psychology), and graduated Starfleet Academy. Assigned shortly to the USS Ronin, then to the USS Thunder - Duronis II Embassy.
- At 28, transferred to Earth, Starfleet Headquarters and Main Counseling Offices, while on Leave from the Duronis II Embassy.
- At 30, returned to active duty service and was assigned to Starbase 118 Operations as Counselor. Began a large psychological scale study, "The Proclivities of Hybrid Brains."
Medical Note - Theoron's Disorder
Yael suffers from Theoron’s Disorder, which is a genetic progressive and degenerative neurological condition which can be treated with some long-term success. Daily medication, exercise, routine neuro-electrical therapy, and eventual surgical intervention can be done bilaterally in the brain. Though it is eventually fatal, most persons with Theoron’s Disorder are able to live a relatively full life with common sense restrictions on activities.
The most noticeable symptoms are mild tremor, lack of coordination, and general weakness. He is in its early stage due to regular treatment but has taken to wearing electro-stabilizing gloves, a medical device which straps round the hands/fingers and helps maintain coordination and fine motor control with electrical impulses. He typically walks with his hands clasped behind him to keep the gloves out of sight, but he's gaining confidence as he adjusts to wearing them. His life expectancy being a Terran-Denobulan hybrid is an open question, with Denobulans living upwards of 200 years, whereas the longest living sufferer of Theoron's Disorder was a Human age 52.
- Early symptoms -
Voluntary motion tremor (not while at rest), typically worse in the non-dominant side. Holding delicate objects or firing a weapon accurately can be difficult, and general clumsiness is typical. Ashley has been medically exempted from advanced weapons training for safety reasons.
- Moderate symptoms, or symptoms of a flare up if under duress. -
Worsening tremor, and tremor while at rest. Difficulty speaking or walking. An inability to hold objects steady, or at all.
- Severe symptoms occurring in late stages. -
Physical impairment conjoined with a degeneration of mental state, memory, and involuntary functions. Loss of identity or sense of self, or the ability to understand the passage of time. Late stage sufferers typically pass from unrecoverable organ failure or systemic infection.
Active Duty History
Born on Denobula to a family of doctors, Yael studied first at The Denobulan Science Academy before joining Starfleet. He started as an oddly confident ensign, quite impervious to the intimidation of the rank structure that usually paralyzes most ensigns fresh from Academy. His talents, clever insights, and professionalism made him stand out. A natural socialite and studied psychologist with a side passion for cultural anthropology, he was intellectually respected by his new crew on the Ronin, and then later on the Thunder with her dual duty post on the Embassy of Duronis II. He prided himself on his spotless reputation and ability to aid his crew. He cultivated friendships easily and even began to think of Commander Tallis as a fatherly figure. He held a single degree in Xeno-Cultural Psychology with a minor in Abnormal Psychology, and served as acting Chief Counselor.
His personal life meanwhile was not so perfect. Combating his inherited Theoron's Disease, his personal life was chaotic. He feared starting a family and cursing his own future children with his incurable disorder, leaving him feeling empty. He took to expressing his discontent through risky personal behaviors. Doctor Saveron, his close friend, diagnosed his alcoholism but eventually had to forcibly treat him. Yet he was still using recreational drugs. His dealer, a Laudean civilian by the name of Shanq, turned out to be far more criminal than the average drug pusher. Shanq had worked for a major criminal named Gaev, who the Starfleet crew were attempting to constrain to aid the Laudean government. When his leader was taken down under Captain Toni Turner and Commander Tallis Rhul's command, Shanq saw an opportunity to promote his station and used Yael as a hostage to that end. After a traumatizing experience, Ashley reached a low point facing a lengthy recovery. He took a LOA from active duty service and returned to Earth.
This being Yael’s second stint in Starfleet after taking a sabbatical for two years to further his education and heal, he attained his second professional degree in Xeno-Cultural Anthropology, and he is quite optimistic about his being posted to Starbase 118 Ops.
Photo Gallery
- Ashley Deneve Yael
PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION
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 ACTIVE STATUS | ||
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Education
- Profession: Counseling (primary) & Science (secondary).
- Xeno-Cultural & Abnormal Psychology (Masters)
- Xeno-Cultural Anthropology (Bachelors)
Military History
Professional History
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AWARDS
Awards
The Order of the Valient Heart - 2011
MISSION LOGS
NPC Listing · StarBase 118 Ops Crew Manifest · Crew History
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