Lieutenant Commander Dara Jax
Name Dara Jax
Position Chief Operations Officer
Second Position Second Officer
Rank Lieutenant Commander
Character Information
| Gender | Female | |
| Species | Joined Trill | |
| Age | 36 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'9" | |
| Weight | 134 lbs | |
| Hair Color | Blonde | |
| Eye Color | Blue | |
| Physical Description | Dara is a Trill with shoulder-length blonde hair and an athletic build. She carries herself with perfect posture at all times, so that even when relaxed she appears at attention. When not busy with a specific task, she is almost always seen with either a PADD or a cup of tea in hand |
Family
| Father | Yaran Melad | |
| Mother | Kola Melad | |
| Brother(s) | Naadul Melad Tonem Melad |
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| Other Family | Sasrau Melad (sister-in-law) Jumblaal Melad (nephew) |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Dara Melad was sure of two things at an early age: she wanted to become a Joined Trill, and she wanted to serve in Starfleet. A driven and exceptional student, Dara had no difficulty achieving both goals. Now Dara Jax finds herself exploring the role of leader, a natural outgrowth of her organizational and management skills. Warm and approachable, Dara believes in helping others achieve their goals. Her command philosophy is that a ship is only as good as her crew, and therefore she makes the personal and professional development of those in her charge a priority. | |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | Dara is a logistical thinker with an eidetic memory, which is sometimes referred to as photographic memory. This does not mean she can automatically recall everything she's ever seen, but she is able to recall in exact detail things like schematics, computer code, and similar technical information. She is generally even-tempered, warm and approachable, but she is also a by-the-book officer, mindful of protocol and of projecting a professional image. An admitted perfectionist, she has slowly learned to accept realistic limitations and outcomes, however she still maintains high expectations for both herself and those with whom she serves. As the sixth host of the Jax Symbiont, Dara has five previous lifetimes of experience to draw upon. The changes to her own personality since joining have been slight, though she is no longer vegetarian and has discovered that she is now ambidextrous. A particular area of weakness is a lack of proficiency in physical combat. Although training with Vela has improved Dara's skills in this area, she still has a long way to go. Fortunately she is capable with a phaser, and can rely on her cleverness and quick thinking when facing an opponent unarmed. Her desire for operational perfection created friction in her department when promoted to Chief of Operations, but she slowly learned how to trust others and not micro-manage; however, now that she has stepped into the new role of Executive Officer, it's possible these traits might reemerge. She is susceptible to latent monophobia, a residual fear from Jax's fourth host, which can be triggered by prolonged solitude. Dara has also had very little success with romance, both before and after joining. As such, she has made her career her focus. |
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| Ambitions | To develop her command skills and become an exemplary executive officer, and to support her commanding officer and friend any way she can. Also to make a meaningful addition to the Jax line. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Drawing - Dara always keeps a sketch pad and pencils on hand when off duty Running - Her preferred form of exercise, but also a way to unwind Holo-programming - She enjoys creating and perfecting both training and relaxation programs Mud baths - Her guilty pleasure, a soothing reminder of the Symbiont pools Vela's Holodeck Battles - Not exactly her favorite programs, but she enjoys spending time with her friend |
| Personal History | Born in the capital city of Leran Manev on Trillius Prime, Dara Melad had a comfortable and loving childhood. The oldest of three siblings, she attended the best schools and developed into an intelligent and driven young woman. Early in life she knew two things for certain: one day she would join Starfleet and explore the universe, perhaps even as a captain with a ship of her own; and second, she would do her best to become joined with a Symbiont. Having two younger brothers taught her the value of responsibility and organization at a young age. Although her parents were loving and attentive, she took it upon herself to help keep them in line, take care of the house, and tutor them in their schoolwork. Naadul, the middle child, was very mellow and usually went with the flow, but Tonem, the youngest, was a free spirit. His wild behavior and unorthodox approach to life frustrated Dara to no end, but the siblings loved each other deeply and are all still very close as adults. As she neared her eighteenth birthday, the boys had become more self-sufficient and she focused all her attention on applying to Starfleet. Passing her entrance examines with flying colors, she quickly made the first of her two life goals a reality. She excelled at the Academy, though it wasn't always easy. She made friends but quickly found she had a tendency to 'mother' them as she had her brothers. It took her almost two years to find the balance of helping others with their coursework when asked, and not lecturing them when the stayed out too late or made unwise decisions. Dara's instructors noted her drive for perfection and attempted to temper her expectations, showing her that there were situations impossible to prepare for and that not every question had an easily identifiable answer. Dara struggled with this concept, but like everything else in her life, she gave it her best. After four years filled with as many courses as she could take, mixed in with some truly valuable field experience, Dara graduated with honors and received her first posting aboard a Galaxy class ship, the USS Atlantic. During her time on the Atlantic, she was diligent in her duties but found her superior officers repeating the words of her Academy advisors: learn how to relax. Reluctantly following their advice, Dara slowly began to devote more time to her drawing, and would occasionally give sketches of her shipmates to them as gifts. She also began to develop her aptitude for holo-programming, helping modify some of the ship's training programs ad even creating a special one for herself - a spa of her own design that featured the most luxurious mud baths she could imagine. She strictly limited her visits to the program, but found when she allowed herself the indulgence she could completely relax. In less than a year she had recieved her first promotion, and having established her career as an unjoined Trill she applied to the Symbiosis Commission, feeling it important to demonstrate achievements of her own before seeking Initiate status. Once accepted to the Initiate program, Dara took an extended leave of absence from Starfleet and committed herself fully to the rigorous process that would determine if she was fit to be joined. It was far more challenging than her time at the Academy, and Dara discovered new heights of anxiety as she progressed through what was essentially a competition. However, her tendency to over-prepare combined with the self care she'd learned to practice while serving on board the Atlantic ensured she stayed balanced and able to successfully face each task placed before her. After two long years she was approved, and as their were no suitable Symbionts available at that time, she returned to Starfleet. She was assigned to the USS Harmony as the Assistant Chief Operations Officer, and found herself falling in love with the smaller Nova class vessel. During this assignment, Dara met and developed a friendship with one of the enlisted Operations personnel, an Orion named Liinya. Her happiness was only tempered by the looming question of when she would be joined, and in less than a year, Dara was notified that the Jax Symbiont was available and in need of a host. The Harmony's Captain changed course and headed towards Trillius Prime at Warp 9 to insure that Dara Melad would arrive in time for the procedure. A few hours later, he and Liinya were introduced to Dara Jax. Jax requested a brief leave of absence to adjust to the joining, and spend some time with her family. She learned that Naadul had become engaged and was thrilled to meet her future sister-in-law, Sasrau. The pair were planning on opening a restaurant together, and while Dara had not developed any culinary skills of her own, she offered to share some of Ijem Jax's best recipes. The biggest surprise was that her youngest brother had finally found a focus for his energy. Tonem had decided to become an archaeologist, and had channeled his boundless energies into his own school work in hopes of being accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy. Her parents had both retired, but were as proud of Dara's accomplishments as they had always been. They even shared a laugh that Nessi, Jax's previous host, had briefly been her father's supervisor whe he worked for the government. The time off had been nice, but the initial adjustment went smoothly and Dara quickly returned to work. Assigned to the USS Sovol, a Nebula class, she resumed her previous role as Assistant Chief Operations Officer. Her first months on board were filled with surprises, such as finding out she was now ambidextrous to discovering she was being groomed for the Department Head position. Commander Grax, a grumpy Tellarite on the verge of retirement, had noted her attention to detail and strong work ethic, and once he was convinved of her competency she was promoted to Lieutenant and to the position of Chief Operations Officer. She served in that position for three years with distinction, though it was a bumpy ride at first. While she never exactly micro-managed her staff, the old tendency to 'mother' those under her supervision came to the fore and many of the officers and crew under her command began to feel chaffed. However, under the guidance of her Captain and the First Officer, combined with the maturity of the Jax Symbiont, Dara once more found balance in her life and served for three years with distinction. In November of 2386, she was reassigned to the same position aboard the USS Nodachi. She fit in right away, and soon felt more at home with the crew of the Nodachi than she had anywhere else since her childhood. About a year into her assignment, Lieutenant Commander Santiago Vela was transferred aboard as the new Executive Officer. Jax and Vela become close friends, so close that when the time came for Dara's zhian'tara ceremony, Vela was chosen to participate. He agreed and became a temporary host for the consciousness of Tago, Jax's third host, a historian who always relished the opportunity to meet the current host and learn the 'history of the future'. During their time together, Jax treated Tago to one of Santiago's beloved Holodeck battles so that he could have the opportunity to emerge himself in an episode of Earth's past. It was just after this ceremony of self reflection that Dara came face-to-face with her worst nightmare: an 'evil' version of herself. Leading an advance team into this reality, a wickedly lethal and cruelly efficient version of Dara Jax from the 'Mirror Universe' attempted to seize control of the Nodachi and proceed on a campaign of terror to destabilize the Quadrant. In their reality, Trills were a servant race to the tyrannical Symbionts, and 'Evil' Jax was disgusted to learn that in this reality, joining was a true partnership. Aided by her lover and bodyguard, an vicious and masochistic version of Santiago Vela, the Mirror Universe team were barely defeated and returned to their home before causing irreparable damage. Dara was terribly shaken by the event, particularly by the thought that she could ever have grown into someone as ruthless as her counterpart. It is an idea that has haunted her since.  After several further adventures with the crew of the Nodachi, Jax received both a promotion to Lieutenant Commander and the responsibilities of Second Officer. Under the guidance of both Vela and the Captain, she begin to develop and strengthen her command style. When Vela received command of the USS Fearless, he asked Jax to accompany him as her Executive Officer. She answered with an enthusiastic yes. Jax Symbiont History: Mausiam Jax - Physician, male (2201-2244) Ijem Jax - Chef, female (2244-2281) Tago Jax - Historian, male (2281-2327) Darriss Jax - Entomologist, male (2327-2332) Nessi Jax- Senator, female (2332-2383) Dara Jax - Starfleet Officer, female (2383-Present) |
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| Service Record | Aug 2375 - Jun 2379 Starfleet Academy, Cadet, Operations Division. Jun 2379 - Mar 2380 USS Atlantic, Ensign, Operations Officer Mar 2380 - Aug 2380 USS Atlantic, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Operations Officer. Sept 2380 - May 2382 Trill Symbiosis Commission, Initiate, ELOA from Starfleet. Jun 2382 - Jan 2383 USS Harmony, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Assistant Chief Operations Officer Feb 2383 - Apr 2383 LOA as Dara Melad is joined with the Jax Symbiont. May 2383 - Nov 2383 USS Sovol, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Assistant Chief Operations Officer. Nov 2383 - Sept 2386 USS Sovol, Lieutenant, Chief Operations Officer. Oct 2386 - Jan 2389 USS Nodachi, Lieutenant, Chief Operations Officer. Feb 2389 - Oct 2393 USS Nodachi, Lieutenant Commander, Second Officer/Chief Operations Officer. Nov 2393 - USS Fearless, Lieutenant Commander, Executive Officer. |