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Wed 5th Jun, 2024 @ 11:19am

Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena

Name Kiara Varonika Lena

Position Chief Diplomatic Officer

Rank Lieutenant Commander

Basic Info
Personality
History

Character Information

Gender		Female
Species		Betazoid/Human
Age		33

Physical Appearance

Height		5' 7"
Weight		145 lbs
Hair Color		Blonde
Eye Color		Ice Blue
Physical Description		Kiara is curvy and not afraid to show it. She knows that her looks help her in her job, even though she believes that what a person is inside is far more important. She likes to wear clothes that feel good and make her look good. She prefers classic styles in rich colors.

Family

Father		Merl Lena
Mother		Varonika Slovskaia
Brother(s)		Pyotr Stev

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Kiara is generally warm and caring. She has little tolerance for pompous bureaucrats, although she has to work with them. She has learned, over time, to be polite and professional without showing her inner thoughts, which has come in handy in her work. She has worked with Vulcans and Betazoids to keep her inner thoughts private under stressful situations.   She has a sense of humor and enjoys having time to be alone or with a small group of friends.
Strengths & Weaknesses		Strengths:  Intelligent, thoughtful, caring, a good listener, diplomatic.  She listens more than she speaks, and she considers the opinions of others, even though she doesn't always agree with them.  She is observant and pays attention to her surroundings and the people she meets.  Stands her ground.  She cares about people and has a diverse group of colleagues.  Weaknesses: Does not tolerate fools or pompous bureaucrats.   Will not follow the crowd if she disagrees.  Stands her ground.  Can lead with her heart.  Has a soft spot for the underdog.  Will not agree to terms that she considers ridiculous, even if they might be the most politic. She likes to look for ways to resolve differences that are for the greater good and not just the most politic.
Ambitions		Kiara wants to do her best as a diplomat, to be able to improve the community in which she lives, and one day, to marry and raise a family. So far, the only men who've shown interest are those who think she'll be a political asset and not a help meet.
Hobbies & Interests		She loves orchestral music. She plays the piano and cello. She paints with oils and sketches in pencil and ink.   She enjoys reading. Publicly, she reads histories and biographies, but she has a secret love of science fiction and fantasy.   She enjoys the outdoors. She takes walks in the woods and goes camping when possible.   She loves solving puzzles and word games.  She practices doing embroidery.

Personal History		Kiara was born in the city of Kiev on Earth. Her father, a Betazoid, fled his homework during the Dominion War and settled in the Ukraine. He is a Clinical Psychologist who works with refugees. Her mother teaches literature at the University of Kiev. She has two older brothers. Both picked on her a lot when she was growing up. She was more of a tomboy and liked to play their games, but they did their best to get rid of her. To prove she was good enough to join them, she learned to play football, shoot a pistol, and survive in the woods.  Still, she spent a good deal of time alone and would often go into the woods outside of the city and read for hours. She loved folk and fairy tales, imagining herself as the characters in her books. She developed a great love of history and fantasy.  She went to the University of Kiev and studied literature and history, working long hours to get doctorates in both subjects, hoping to follow in her mother's footsteps. As an undergraduate, she took a class on diplomacy and visited Paris to see how the Federation Council worked. That made her rethink her life. She added classes on civics and psychology, adding skills she thought would be beneficial if she chose to work as a diplomat. She spent two summers as an intern in UFP headquarters. She also added classes on the worlds of the Federation, studying their history and literature.   And then her brother Pyotr joined Starfleet. He often spoke of his travels and the planets he explored and the people he met. She mentioned her interest to one of the senior diplomats in Paris and subsequently received a sponsorship into Starfleet Academy to become a science officer and a diplomat.   She spent her first year aboard the USS Vancouver as a diplomat. As she was fresh out of the Academy, she did most of the paperwork and had plenty of opportunities to observe the chief diplomat. He was a pompous ogre who disliked women in general and her in particular. So she made it her mission to change his mind on both. For the next year she studied everything she could about each diplomatic function, learning who the other diplomats were, how they voted, and what they preferred for meals and social gatherings. By the end of the year, when she received orders to transfer to a new ship, the chief thanked her for the work she’d done and he would miss her attention to detail. From him, it was high praise, and she took it as such. The Cousteau had little to offer a diplomat, so she served as historian and had several opportunities to talk to government officials and get permission to look at their records. Even though she did so as a science officer, she was able to use her diplomatic skills and what had rubbed off of her father’s psychology to get the job done. Her next assignment was on Shi’Kahr where she learned more about protocol and mental control while learning how Vulcans dealt with other races. It was a great opportunity and she was often singled out by senior diplomats to work with them. Towards the end of her two years she was given a number of assignments to do on her own, treating her as a senior diplomat. Her next posting was on the USS Budapest as the Assistant Chief Diplomat. While she’d been offered a spot as the chief on a small explorer, Solan’s reputation and body of work so impressed her that she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with him. The Vulcan had more years as a diplomat than her parents had been alive. He taught her the finer art of diplomacy, how to read people, how to turn a phrase, and how to sidestep an issue. Her year was a masterclass where she learned more than she had her career to date. When Solan learned that Starbase 109 was in need of a Chief Diplomat, he recommended Kiara. While she did not have the years of other diplomats, her training and skillset were more than equal to those of her applicants, and she was given the position.  She loves being able to use her knowledge of history, cultures, and literature to deal with people. She also loves being able to travel the galaxy. For now, Starfleet is giving her the opportunity to do both.
Service Record		Spent two summers as an intern at UFP Headquarters.  Graduated Starfleet Academy.  Served as diplomat aboard the USS Vancouver.  Served as diplomat and historian aboard the USS Cousteau. Served as diplomat on Shi’Kahr.  Served as Assistant Chief Diplomat aboard the USS Budapest.  Serves as Chief Diplomat aboard Starbase 109.