Commander Joan

-Respect For Intelligent Life-Forms

-Peace Is Our Business

-Call To Action

-Bold: Command

-Troubleshooting

-Astrophysics

-Combat Tactics

-Breen Culture

## **Service Record**

**2359-2363:** Attended Starfleet Academy: Command Major, Conn Minor; Commissioned to Ensign

**2363-2365:** Served as Aero-Shuttle Pilot for Betazed; achieved Lieutenant Junior Grade

**2365-2367:** Continued to serve as Aero-Shuttle Pilot until promoted to LT and assigned as Flight Controller for Betazed Aerospace Control.

**2367-2372:** Served as Flight Controller and eventually promoted to LTCMDR and assigned as XO to USS Nautilus (NCC-31910), 2nd Fleet

**2372-2374:** While serving aboard the USS Nautilus, was part of the assaults to retake Betazed from Breen Occupation. Special Note: Instrumental in the capture of a Breen Captain that was a relative of then Thot Pran; negotiated formal POW exchange with Breen (Especial Commendation by Breen Government for exceptional service to safeguard one of their officers.)

**2374-2376:** Promoted to Commander and named Adjunct to Rear-Admiral David Ludwinger in diplomatic efforts to disengage Breen Confederacy from the Dominion War; at the end of the war, Admiral Ludwinger worked to establish more permanent diplomatic relations with the Breen.

**2376-2376:** Reassigned to XO of USS Sarek

**2376-Present:** Assigned as Acting CO of USS Sarek

## Background

Born on the Risa to the parents of Delaan and Briane, Joan was born to a family that served Starfleet in one fashion or another. Joan was wholly uninterested in Starfleet, seeing them as "no-fun" and "too occupied with rules and war." So he took to gambling in various games on Risa and, at Age 16, even competed in Damjat Tournaments for Aliens on Ferangenar. No matter how much he won, he always made sure to split it up with the final table of competitors (if rules allowed). To Joan, the thrill was not in the gathering of wealth but the risky venture of seeing into a another person's heart and prevailing even when they saw yours. He did not win all the time, but when he did it was with flair and insight that impressed more experienced gamblers. During an incident in Ferangi Space, he came across some Starfleet junior officers of the USS Merrimac down on their luck and standing accused of a variety of crimes; their Captain cited Prime Directive and respect for laws as reasons the officers needed to be punished. Joan spoke up in their defense and argued fervently that they were not guilty, but were instead victims of a con-game. The Captain at first didn't believe Joan, until paid thugs assaulted him for uncovering thier ploy. Joan nearly died and was rescued by the crew of the Merrimac; the Captain at the time said "It is one thing for one of my officers to die in defense of Federation values: it's a whole other thing for a young man like you to do the same." Joan saw bravery and compassion in Starfleet for the first time. Inspired by the heroism of the Merrimac, at age 18 he would eventually come to join Starfleet Academy.

Joan remained a risk-taker in the Academy, always willing to press his luck: but he learned quickly the boundaries and rules of Starfleet service. When asked if that would make him take less risks he said, "Sir, now that I know the rules, its time to see how far I can go within them. It's a game like any other, just a matter of taking a risk that doesn't break the rules." Several new regulations were instituted at Starfleet Academy due to his antics. For all his cavalier attitude, he was a serious study and learned a great deal about astrophysics then he ever learned in his secondary schooling. What spoke to his Risian heart though, was the inherent respect for all intelligent life-forms. For all that though, he found he excelled the most in Aero-Flight classes. By his graduating year, he wrote a thesis on "Advanced Principles of Aero-Flight and the relevancy in the Future of Starfleet."

To continue his proposed plans for better aero-flight, he was assigned as a Aero-Shuttle pilot on Betazed to experiment with various designs. On days he wasn't a test pilot, he shuttled various citizens and officers across the planet and shuttle services from the planet to starships in orbit. During his time there he would attain the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. For his continued efforts and service, he was also assigned to be the Flight Controller for Starfleet Aero-Space Operations on Betazed. His duties turned less and less from test-flights and the overall flight operations of an entire planet, while coordinating with the intricate civil services of Betazed.

Showing himself an able commander of people and an adviser who was willing to speak to anyone with true Risian openness: he was promoted to LTCMDR and assigned as XO to the USS Nautilus in the 2nd Fleet. Though he was attached to a world that spoke truly to his sense of open and frank discourse; Joan knew it was too safe to stay there, too easy. To take on a fresh command with a new crew and daunted with the missions a Miranda class would endure: he could hardly wait to get to duty. His command style of being wholly honest with he sub-ordinates and clearly directing his away teams made him popular with his crew. Before long, he was a trusted member who was known for bravery without recklessness, honestly without malice.

When the Dominion War started, Joan was shocked with the ferocity of it all. In his crew he saw friends die and the hearts of some his crew darken. Every day, he saw in his fellow officers more soldier than explorer. Time and again he would debate with his Captain in confidence, worried for the state of the crew. Despite all his misgivings for combat, for the sake of his crew he took to serious study of warfare. Abstracting the bloody conflicts certain war games of chance. He would become known for the Joan Gambit: involving risking decoy shuttles to draw the fire of enemy ships while the Nautilus was able take a more aggressive stance in the confusion. This gambit, despite Joan's protest, was evolved into larger scale conflicts that would see whole destroyer-class put at risk to put cruisers at better advantage. The Joan Gambit was used time and again in the assaults to recover Betazed from Breen Occupation in 2375.

During the Assaults, the USS Nautilus managed to capture a wounded Breen Captain. In the heat of battle, with many of the original crew killed in action, many of the crew advocated for his execution. Although Joan had accepted his new role as a war-time Starfleet Officer, he could not allow a prisoner to be killed under his command. With phaser in hand, he personally stood guard over the Breen Captain, ensuring the acting CMO could save the Breen's life. During this time, he argued with his Captain in private, stating to him, "I didn't become a member of Starfleet to kill an unarmed intelligent life-form. I understand the anger, the hate to the Breen, but we cannot devolve into murder. Otherwise, what are we even fighting to protect?" The Captain argued further with him but Joan said finally, "With all due respect, Peace is Our Business, sir. We're not out her to just win, but to bring peace in our time. If we go around murdering someone out of vengeance or grief: we might as well admit we've lost. If not against the Dominion, then against our own base instincts." The Breen captain would be patched up and survive that cycle.

Joan's Captain reported the Breen Captain's capture to Starfleet Command. Rear-Admiral David Ludwinger would take custody of the Captain in an effort to exchange POWs with the Breen and possibly further diplomatic relations in the hopes of getting the Breen to withdraw from the Dominion Alliance. The Breen Captain insisted Joan be present and promised the Rear-Admiral a meeting; it was then that the officers assembled would learn the Captain was related to then Thot Pran: the formal Fleet Liason from the Breen Confederacy to the Dominion. Joan was transferred into the Admiral's service and spent many tense months navigating Breen customs and war-time officials. By the end, the Breen Captain was returned to his people in exchange for several Starfleet officers and officials. Further, Joan was recognized by the Breen Confederacy for the safe return of the Captain and for ensuring honest negotiations between the Federation and the Confederacy.

By the end of the prisoner exchange, Joan was promoted to Commander and formally transferred from the USS Nautilus and named Adjunct to the Rear-Admiral Ludwinger in his efforts to continue diplomatic relations. When the Dominion War was over, Joan worked tirelessly with Ludwinger in reforging relations with the Breen and attempting to establish a diplomatic bulwark against future attacks. Joan likely would have spent the rest of his career with the Admiral if not for special order from Starfleet Command. A ship in the 10th Expeditionary Force, the USS Sarek, was not only in need of a new XO that Starfleet Command trusted, but one that could ably serve under the political weight of the ship's Captain Starex and adopted relative Dr. Starex. Joan was loathe to leave his work with the Admiral, but it was Rear-Admiral Ludwinger that convinced him to go. He made his final report to the Admiral, said his farewells, and embarked once more into yet another gamble: only this time in the 10th Expeditionary.