Lhandon Nilsen: Difference between revisions

Nilsen demonstrated natural skills in operations during his time at Starfleet Academy but struggled with academic subjects and attendance. His rebellious phase included a toxic romantic relationship and confrontational behaviour. Joining Echo Squad for search and rescue piloting, his rivalry with fellow cadet Blackwood culminated in a crash during a training mission. This incident led to his dismissal from Echo Squad and a shift in career focus to operations and communications. Despite frequent fights, he developed a friendship with medical student Nera Ay and graduated as a qualified HCO officer in 2400. He was posted to the USS Oumuamua, having transformed from a potential helm officer to a versatile operations officer.

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[[File:Cadet Nilsen at Starfleet Museum (2397).jpg|thumb|Cadet Nilsen at Starfleet Museum (2397)|310x310px]]

During his training at Starfleet Academy, Nilsen demonstrated a natural skill in Operations courses, exhibiting exceptional operational skills and the ability to keep systems running smoothly. However, he struggled with academic subjects like PHYS101 and BIO101 and faced challenges with attendance and attitude. Nilsen was known for confrontational behaviour, often picking fights regardless of the outcome.

Nilsen initially pursued a major in helm and navigation, with a minor in communications and operations. This combination of studies reflected his interest in piloting and his natural aptitude for operational tasks.

In his first year at the academy, Nilsen entered into a relationship with Finn Johanas, who was training to be a marine officer. The two connected at first over a shared love of photography; however, their relationship soured as their egos could not be contained in the same room, and this led to a very toxic relationship. Their relationship ended in 2398 after Nilsen's Echo Squad crash.

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Nilsen's skills earned him an invitation to join Echo Squad, a specialized program for cadets focusing on search and rescue piloting operations. This achievement, typically reserved for more senior cadets, occurred during his second year at the Academy.

Initially, Nilsen's performance in Echo Squad was promising: His flying style suited the demands of search and rescue operations, and at the start of his third year as a cadet, squad commanders suggested he consider a leadership role. This recommendation intensified the rivalry between Nilsen and fellow cadet Blackwood.

[[File:Harrison Blackwood.png|thumb|Harrison Blackwood, a rival of Lhandon Nilsen]]

Nilsen often bullied and annoyed Blackwood, including pranks like changing Blackwood's PADD language to Klingon. Their rivalry stemmed from contrasting personalities: Nilsen's mischievous and impulsive nature versus Blackwood's strict adherence to rules. Physical differences also added to their dynamic: Nilsen was tall and robust with a rugby player's build, while Blackwood was of average height and athletic. Nilsen gave Blackwood the callsign "Prince," as an insult to how posh he saw Blackwood.

The turning point in Nilsen's Academy career came during a training mission in the Kuiper Belt: Commander Norton assigned Blackwood as squad leader for the mission, fueling Nilsen's resentment. After the briefing, there was a heated exchange which led to Blackwood punching Nilsen.

During the mission, Nilsen's shuttle malfunctioned, colliding with Sh'mais's shuttle. Both shuttles fell into a gravity well towards an asteroid. Nilsen, ignoring orders to evacuate, attempted a risky manoeuvre to save both shuttles. The attempt resulted in a crash landing on the asteroid.

The crash had significant consequences for Nilsen's academy career: He was dismissed from Echo Squad due to the incident and forced to reconsider his career trajectory. He dropped his major in Helm/Navigation and pivoted to the Operations (Ops) track. Nilsen also broke up with his boyfriend at the time, Finn Johannes.

After the Echo Squad dismissal, Nilsen adapted his career path. He discovered that his farm upbringing suited him well for Operations roles and developed a passion for the communication aspect of the HCO (Helm, Communications, Operations) role, which would in later years expand to a love of diplomacy. He honed his language skills, building on his newfound interest in communications and quietly harbored hope of returning to helm duties in the future.

Nilsen's tendency for physical confrontations continued throughout his Academy years: He often found himself in fights, claiming they helped him "get rid of his anger" and feel "normal for just a while." A notable incident occurred shortly after the Echo Squad crash: He visited a bar called the Allegation in San Francisco's Bay View district where he got into a fight in which he was outnumbered 2 to 1 and suffered a broken nose and a bruised rib.

Nilsen met Nera following the fight at the Allegation. He slowly developed a friendship with the medical student, and Nera agreed to tutor Nilsen in the required science topics so that he would pass his exams. As the two spent more time together, they grew closer and started a sexual relationship that would be described as "friends with benefits." Neither was ready to commit, but they shared a mutual attraction to each other.

They lost contact soon after Nilsen graduated from the academy.

Nilsen's academic journey concluded with him graduating as a qualified HCO officer in 2400, rather than the dedicated Helm officer he had initially planned to become, and being posted to the USS Oumuamua.

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