Crew Biographies | uss-hermes

Though she shares the name and appearance, this is not the same Kayshl Durandus that served on the Hermes in the past. This is a Kayshl Durandus from a parallel universe similar to our own. Born and raised on Betazed, Kayshl is the sole heir to Priscilla Durandus of the Third House of Betazed, married to Tarkis (Duval) Durandus of the Thirteenth House of Betazed. Both of Kayshl’s parents were killed during the Dominion War, after which she applied to Starfleet Academy in order to help avenge the deaths of her family and friends on Betazed. After a year of service, Kayshl enrolled in Advanced Tactical Training as well as Advanced Psionic Training at Starfleet Academy and was reassigned as Chief Tactical officer onboard the USS Hermes. While serving on board the Hermes, she was awarded several decorations for her efforts defending the Federation against their enemies. One such battle was the “Battle of Venus”, involving the Klingons and “Chancellor” Worf. She received the Starfleet Decoration of Gallantry after witnessing the rather violent death of her husband, Fleet Captain Billings, and saving several Starfleet Officers. After the death of Fleet Captain Billings, Kayshl was assigned Captain of the Hermes.

On Stardate 1401.14, the USS Hermes was given special orders to find and kill Chancellor Worf, known leader of the Klingon Empire and enemy of the Federation. Kayshl was given access to several other ships within her fleet to aid in this endeavor. Unbeknownst to Starfleet Headquarters, Kayshl also received intelligence that one “Fleet Captain Billings” was being held captive onboard the Klingon vessel in question. When she arrived, she not only found Billings, but another USS Hermes as well. It appeared that this Hermes was from a parallel universe - one where Kayshl's husband was still alive. After rescuing the crew and killing Chancellor Worf, Kayshl decided to leave her universe so that she could try and reconnect with the man she had lost.

COMMANDER KAYSHL DURANDUS (ALTERNATE UNIVERSE)

Leonard Swift is a Wolfen - a race that has not been seen very much in this universe. That is because Leonard is from an Alternate Universe - the same Alternate Universe as Commander Kayshl Durandus.

When Leonard was a child, his homeworld was conquored by the Klingons. Most of the Wolfen race were exterminated by the Klingon's brutality, including Leonard's mother, who died in his arms. It was in this moment that Leonard decided to become a doctor. Never again would he watch someone die as his mother did - not if he could prevent it. Leonard was eventually rescued by Starfleet, and was raised in an orphanage until he was 18. Eventually, he joined Starfleet to become a doctor, just as he promised. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Starfleet Medical Hospital on Venus. His facility was eventually attacked by Chancellor Worf during the Klingon-Federation war, and Leonard was taken prisoner. He was rescued three weeks later along with Fleet Captain Billings and his crew by Captain Kayshl Durandus. He decided to join them in travelling to an alternate universe in order to find a better life.

Since crossing over, Swift has begun to meet other Wolfen, and he has found that they are much different from the race he left behind. The Wolfen in this universe are willing slaves. Commanded to serve by their deity, the five-tailed Holy Dae'gra, Wolfen are not happy unless they are bound in servitude to a Master by contract. Swift struggles with this concept daily, for a life like this would be unthinkable where he came from. But the more he gets to know his people, the more he begins to understand the logic behind their service. In a way, Swift is no different. He serves Commodore Billings faithfully even unto death, and if Starfleet willed it, he would go where they sent him. Some would argue that he is no different from any other faithful servant of his race.

FIRST LIEUTENANT LEONARD SWIFT

Lila is a member of ancient civilization that vanished along with the city of Atlantis thousands of years ago. Ancient Earth historians theorized that the city fell into the sea following a cataclysmic earthquake. In reality, Atlantis and it's people were transported across the galaxy by means we still do not understand. Without the deadly conflicts of Earth to hold them back, the Atlanteans were able to flourish and evolve at a higly accelerated rate. They have the longest life spans of any humanoid in the galaxy, and their society has achieved an enlightenment unlike any other. They also developed warp drive far earlier than their Human counterparts. They originally travelled through space in one man vessels. However, once the Atlanteans began to meet other space-faring civilizations, they decided they could learn more by leaving Atlantis and serving on the ships belonging to other alien races. Thus, Spacefleet was created. An Atlantean is not considered a full-fledged citizen of society until serving a certain amount of time in this organization.

Lila is a member of the royal family - the youngest of ten children. But don't let her looks decieve you. She is over 3,000 years old. Since she is the first of her family to enter Spacefleet, she is heir to throne of Atlantis. She's served with countless species, including Klingons and Vulcans. She became interested Humans after the Vulcans made First Contact with Earth - an event she personally took part in. She joined Starfleet in time to join the Enterprise NX-01 on their maiden voyage, and has served in Starfleet ever since. She's served on countless ships throughout Starfleet's history, including every Enterprise except for the Enterprise-C. Though she holds the rank of Admiral in Spacefleet, in charge of coordinating all Atlanteans who serve in Starfleet, she is not a Starfleet Officer. She has only been granted a field commission to facilitate her Spacefleet duties.

LIEUTENANT, JUNIOR GRADE LILA KIRK

Kristjana Grimsdottir has been a Starfleet officer for almost seven years. Her career began as counselor on Starbase Everest, where she was stationed for three years. During that time, she acquired and demonstrated many key skills across several departments as a member of Everest’s senior staff.

Kristjana was offered reassignment following a change in command on Everest, which she declined. During a maternity leave, Kristjana volunteered for a civilian science initiative, serving as an associate scientist as well as Starfleet overseer. The initiative’s objective was to survey and learn about parts of Federation space that hadn’t been thoroughly explored, through lack of resources or otherwise.

Kristjana has one son, Solomon. Kristjana and the boy’s father, Frithrik, were never married, and Kristjana was not given custody of the boy when the time came for her to return to Starfleet. Solomon lives on Earth with Frithrik and his wife, Ann-Britt.

She was assigned to the Hermes following a truncated stint at the Academy, where Kristjana retrained and specialized in security and tactical foundations. She now serves as the Hermes’ Chief of Security.

As another point of interest, part of Kristjana's motor cortex was enlarged by radiation poisoning during her time on Everest. While this could be a boon for anyone who registers on Starfleet's esper scale, Jana doesn't posses any active esper genes. This has left her with a sensitivity to active telepathy.

FIRST LIEUTENANT KRISTJANA GRIMSDOTTIR

USS Hermes

NCC-4501-g

"We thought that they were angels but much to my surprise,

we climbed aboard their starship. We headed to the skies."

-Dennis DeYoung, 1977

CREW BIOGRAPHIES

Mariëlle Antoinette Deniaud, known as “Ellie” to her family and friends, was born in Avignon, France as the youngest daughter of the Honourable Ambassadors Aubert and Henrietta Deniaud. As a child, she was known for her boundless cheerfulness, her passion for learning, and her keen attention to detail. As she aged, she was deemed wilful, stubborn, and independent to the frustration of her parents. It was believed Deniaud would follow in her parents’ footsteps, but her acceptance into Starfleet Academy caused family disputes. Upon receiving her MSE, she began the doctorate program and requested to complete the rest of her studies on a Starfleet vessel, stating that her withstanding commission, although officially placed on leave, with Starfleet allowed her special access to information that would otherwise be difficult to find for her thesis. Deniaud’s commission has since been reinstated for this purpose, and she currently serves on the USS Hermes as an engineering officer.

She earned the moniker “Typhoon Maddie” (MAD being the acronym of her name) during her youth when she was a known perpetrator of large scale pranks and chaos. Deniaud is often described as quick-witted with a sharp tongue and a crude sense of humour. When dealing with her education and/or duties, this trait can often be misconstrued for insubordination or rudeness. Professionally, she is adventurous, daring, and creative in her approach. She is prone to quick bursts of anger or irritation, but is instantly soothed if the subject is not serious. She is outgoing, friendly, confident, and flirty in her personal life.

FIRST LIEUTENANT MARIELLE ANTOINETTE DENIAUD

Though all the members of the Hermes crew are unique, there's nobody quite like the Over Enthusiastic Transporter Chief. Nobody knows his real name, but in a way, nobody really needs to. The name the Hermes crew gave him is well earned.

The simple truth is that nobody knows more about transporters than the OETC. It has been his one and only passion since he was a small boy. He used to build little model transporters when he was in grade school. While everyone else was out playing sports and making friends, he was alone in his room learning the name, purpose, and dimensions of every single part that makes a transporter work. He even has a regular subscription to the Transporter Tools and Parts Catalog, which he keeps painstakingly inventoried on large bookshelves in his quarters. Anyone who starts a conversation with the Chief can expect a long lecture on the latest developments in transporter technology. Some members of the crew find this aspect of his personality quite annoying ("Isn't there ANYTHING else he can talk about?"). But if the Chief wasn't so knowledgable about transporters, then he just wouldn't be the Over Enthusiastic Transporter Chief.

As you might expect, the Chief can usually be found manning the console in Transporter Room 1. However, he has been known to take the bridge during the night shift, as well as during emergencies when a greater majority of the crew has been called away for an away mission or other duties. Though he doesn't have much of a social life, his crush on Commander Kayshl Durandus (from the current universe, not the alternate version) is common knowledge. He currently enjoys a healthy friendship with Ensign Iliana Madred.

THE OVER ENTHUSIASTIC TRANSPORTER CHIEF

NOTE: This list is incomplete. More will be added as we collect crew photos and biographies from the crew.

Jerrid Billings is a Human who possesses a Symbiont from Trill. As a result, he is far older than he appears - 1,248, to be exact. Normally, a joining like this would be impossible. A Symbiont requires specific nutrients in order to survive - nutrients that can only be produced by Trill hosts. However, the Billings Symbiont can produce these nutrients on it's own, allowing it to adapt to almost any physiology it is joined to. Because of this, the Billings Symbiont has been able to join with countless aliens that it wouldn't normally be compatible with, including Klingons, Vulcans, Ferengi, and once, even a Tribble! Billings' career in Starfleet, which began in 2373, spans three different hosts - Patrick, Brittany, and his current host, Jerrid.

Jerrid became Captain of the Hermes in 2383. Since then, he has constantly found himself in the center of galactic politics. Jerrid operates on instinct - doing what is right for the greater good - regardless of what Starfleet or anyone else thinks. This has made him a lot of enemies which include the Breen, the Cardassians, and even high ranking officials in Starfleet Command.

Jerrid maintains an active personal life. His hobbies include poker, holonovels, and golf. A widower, he maintains custody of his 12-year-old daughter, Tia Jeri Lovat. Despite various romantic flings, Jerrid has remained single in the years since his wife's death. However, that changed when he began persuing a relationship with the Kayshl Durandus from the Alternate Universe. An exact duplicate of his former Chief Tactical Officer, Jerrid often wonders whether this relationship is appropriate. Their relationship continues to develop, providing Jerrid with a sense of peace and love that he hasn't felt in years.

COMMODORE JERRID P. BILLINGS

With the success of the Emergency Medical Hologram, as well as advancements in bio-neural circuitry, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers has developed the Artificial Logistical Intelligence Computer Entity, or ALICE for short. Taking the place of the ship's computer, ALICE has a processing power several times that of a regular computer core. Too many times, a ship has been lost because the crew has been unable to enter various commands as a vital moment - malfunctioning equipment, an exploding console, alien invasions, etc. ALICE solves this problem by having the ability to make choices on her own in the event that the crew is compromised. Her user interface is fully interactive - often times replicating a physical body to communicate with the crew in order to better facilitate the crew's needs. The Hermes is to be the test bed for this new technology. If successful, it could revolutionize the Central Processing Units of Starships throughout the Federation.

On the Hermes, ALICE portrays herself as a human female with a British accent. It is unkown whether she was designed this way, or she chose these features for herself. Since she is a new form of intelligence with unlimited power over the ship's systems, some of the crew do not fully trust her - particularly Commander Durandus. Despite these issues, ALICE strives to be the best Artificial Intelligence she can be. She is very loyal to the crew, often taking the initiative to help them even when she's not asked to do so. She is always professional, honest, and direct when performing her duties. Though she still has a lot to learn about the nature of individuality, she works hard in the hopes that one day she will be accepted as a valued member of the crew.

ARTIFICIAL LOGISTICAL INTELLIGENCE COMPUTER ENTITY (ALICE)