Mackenzie Calhoun

**Mackenzie Calhoun** (formerly known as **M'k'n'zy of Calhoun**, a.k.a. **"Calhoun the God"**) was a Xenexian Starfleet officer who served in the late 24th century and early 25th century.

## iographyedit | edit source

### Early lifeedit | edit source

M'k'n'zy was born to Gr'zy in the city of Calhoun on the Danteri-occupied planet Xenex in 2334. M'k'n'zy had one elder brother, D'ndai. (*NF* novels: *House of Cards*, *Once Burned*; *NF* - *What Lay Beyond* short story: "Death After Life")

When he was fourteen seasons old, M'k'n'zy and his brother witnessed their father being beaten to death by Danteri soldiers in Calhoun's public city square. Although M'k'n'zy wanted to leap forward and defend his father, D'ndai held him back, fearing that M'k'n'zy himself would also be killed by the soldiers. (*NF* - *The Captain's Table* novel: *Once Burned*)

Over the next three seasons, the anger at his father's death led M'k'n'zy to begin to plot rebellion and driving the Danteri oppressors off of Xenex. On a hot day in 2351, M'k'n'zy decided to begin the rebellion by attacking and killing a Danteri tax collector named Stener. Secretly trailing Stener and his escort as they left Calhoun and traveled along the single road to the small village of Moute, he soon seized upon his chance; hurling stones at the three guards to knock them unconscious, he then rounded upon Stener with his sword. However, one of the guards wasn't completely subdued and he leaped to Stener's defense before M'k'n'zy could impale him. While Stener rode off to safety, M'k'n'zy engaged in a swordfight with the guard, eventually overcoming and killing him, his "first blood". As the guard lay dying, M'k'n'zy felt compelled to stay with him and hold his hand until he died. Once he had, M'k'n'zy openly wept for some time before leaving to avoid Danteri hunting parties. (*NF* - *The Captain's Table* novel: *Once Burned*)

### Warlordedit | edit source

Following the failed attempt on Stener, M'k'n'zy returned home to tell D'ndai what he had done and of his intentions to lead a rebellion against the Danteri. D'ndai had no great love of the Danteri and agreed to help his brother gather up supporters as well as allowing his several private fliers to be used in the coming battle. Out of respect for M'k'n'zy, he was appointed to the rank of *r'ksha* and given command of the largest flier and a crew of ten of the "truest and bravest men", although they were all barely teenagers. (*NF* - *The Captain's Table* novel: *Once Burned*)

Unfortunately by the end of the first year of combat, all of M'k'n'zy's men had been killed during separate engagements with the Danteri. The last of his men died during a "surprise" raid on a Danteri outpost when M'k'n'zy, emboldened by many successful campaigns, had acted on information given to him by a source, which in turn was a Danteri trap. M'k'n'zy's so-called "sixth sense" for danger saw them avoid walking directly into an ambush which meant they weren't all killed or captured, but the resulting firefight was just as catastrophic. (*NF* - *The Captain's Table* novel: *Once Burned*)

Although M'k'n'zy wasn't as emotionally upset by his men's death than he had been when he killed the guard, he still carried an immense burden of guilt despite assurances by his brother that he was not responsible. While walking the streets of Calhoun one night, M'k'n'zy came across a mysterious building known as "*R'Ksha* Foldes" ("The Captain's Table"). His curiosity getting the better of him, M'k'n'zy entered and he was faced with a number of strange people, including the mysterious Cap who welcomed him as the "youngest captain ever to visit the Captain's Table". A short time later, M'k'n'zy found himself in a "disagreement" with another patron at the bar, Miles Gloriosus, after M'k'n'zy inadvertently sat at his table, although M'k'n'zy was able to get the better of Gloriosus. Following this, M'k'n'zy talked to Cap about the attack on the outpost, and Cap told him that it was his fault, because as the captain, he was ultimately responsible for the success and failure of the mission. M'k'n'zy then left the "Captain's Table" with Cap promising that he would tell a story next time he visited. When, he tried to return to the bar a few weeks later, he couldn't find any trace of it. (*NF* - *The Captain's Table* novel: *Once Burned*)

By the time he was nineteen seasons old, M'k'n'zy had become a warlord amongst his people and had eventually succeeded in freeing Xenex from their Danteri overlords. He was likened to Alexander the Great by Captain Jean-Luc Picard of a visiting Federation starship, the USS *Stargazer*. Picard urged M'k'n'zy to join Starfleet, warning him that things would not go well if he allowed the climax of his life to occur in his youth. (*NF* novel: *House of Cards*)

In 2354, Calhoun fathered a child by Calhoun clan widow, Catrine, according to Xenexian traditions. Calhoun would not meet the boy, Xyon, until he was well into adulthood. (*NF* novels: *Martyr*, *The Quiet Place*)