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Mon Dec 14th, 2020 @ 2:47am
Lieutenant Richard Ballston
Name Richard Allen Ballston M.D. PsyD
Rank Lieutenant
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Azzian | |
| Age | 87 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 6'1" | |
| Weight | 158 lb | |
| Hair Color | Dark blonde with sandy highlights | |
| Eye Color | Pale Sapphire blie with speckles of darer blue highlights. | |
| Physical Description | Richard physically resembles a human male in his mid to late twenties even though he is considerably past that. Martial arts training keeps the doctor in excellent physical shape for an individual in his position with muscle definition and strength as a male in his prime. The counselor’s pale blue eyes are very expressive and some had called them captivating. In spite of his interesting eyes his winning smile has long been considered his best feature. |
Family
| Spouse | Fahli’ kosa Lariso Ve’ hassi Sov domi, Lei’hallah Asrar 'Inayat Ve’hassi, Adibah’ Sal’hilta Meota Ve’hassi (These women are technically not married to Richard but they are telepathically bonded. | |
| Children | Abigail Elizabeth Ballston (Daughter) |
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| Father | Baro Ko’liki Rasil Ve’hassi (Deceased) | |
| Mother | Vo’liki Ko’tim (Ve’hassi) Al’ abio (Deceased) | |
| Brother(s) | None | |
| Sister(s) | Half-sisters: Nosiv’a Ko’liki Rasil Ve’hassi, Pid’aco Ko’liki Bal’ Ve’hassi , Kito Da’lacor Oni’ditu Ve’hassi (They all share the same father as Richard.) |
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| Other Family | Adoptive Mother, Latinate J.G. Dr. Eikeha Ballston (Deceased) Step mothers: So’ tao Ko’liki Soiav Ve’hassi Reochi, Ge’heto mosari Ve’hassi. Omri Pa’luni Ve’hassi Neoti |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Richard often comes across as a self-confident, outgoing person in love with life. This is more of a façade than realty. Though his life and his opinion of himself have improved dramatically since his very early years his past still haunts him. When introduced to a person he beams with an open and inviting smile. His pulse might race and his mind go into overdrive especially if it is someone he is attracted to. He has learned ways to keep things like this better in check. On duty, he is more subdued and radiates a professional and caring aura. His counseling couch is al, at least most of the time. Women in particular seem to pose the greatest response and he still may stutter when he speaks to them. The counselor’s door always stays open to whoever needs to talk and he never seems to get tired of hearing the same complaints over and over again. Most of his associates wonder how he accomplishes as much as he does with the amount of one on one counseling Richard performs. People often see him laugh and warmly, interacting with people as if each individual were somehow special and of particular interest. His eyes and body language display a keen desire to understand and get to know whomever he is conversing with. Always the consummate gentlemen, Richard dislikes discussing any of his successes preferring to steer the conversation away from anything personal and onto the other individual. This makes them feel important and special and at the same time masks his feelings of inadequacy that lurk just below the surface. Since discovering his true species things have changed dramatically. He now is a father and bonded with three Azzian women, both are things he thought would never be possible. His health records have been corrected showing his true species rather than the one he grew up in the shadow of. He also no longer has to worry about a group known as Humans for Genetic Purity, a hate group focusing on enhanced humans, which attacked the USS Elysium while he served as the Assistant Chief Counselor. This does not mean he no longer faces prejudice from time to time but most of his retractors have been silenced. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Weaknesses: Learning disabilities: Richard has a debilitating learning disability often compared with acute visual dyslexia. Known among the Azzians as Ko’ Diono or visions of the blessed ones, the disability as rendered him unable to read or write. Though this is primarily a visual Dyslexia it is so extreme that visually it seems letters actually will not remain still and will cause Richard to experience headaches if he tries to look at printed words. For years he was entirely dependent on computerized devices to perform these functions. Thanks to a linguist and voluntary assistant he had while on the USS Elysium, the then Petty Officer Aidan Datari and the aid of a blind professor at the Academy aboard that vessel he has learned Braille. This has freed him from his dependence on devices that proved to be more of a nescience. He does however in certain situations revert back to computer to read information to him. This is often when he needs to get through a large body of text quickly. Painful, abusive past: Physical, psychological and emotionally abused from birth until he was liberated from the research center he spent his early years in has formed him in many ways that have needed to be addressed and readdressed though his eight years. The trained physician and counselor remembers every incident as a result of his perfect memory. Medical issues: Dr. Ballston has had several medical issues related to his hormone levels. Some have been nearly fatal and at times required hospitalization and treatment to keep them in check. Now that the true identity of his species is known and with their assistance he is hoping the issues will not be as severe as they were previously. The Azzian Sodi’onar which is similar to the Vulcan Pon farr is generally on a four-year cycle, however this may occur at any time. Shyness: With his primary abuser being a woman and the instilled sense of being less than Richard feels inadequate, especially around women he is attracted to. In spite being highly intelligent, charismatic and bonded to beautiful women he still experiences some of these effects. These include excruciating shyness, stuttering and being far more clumsy than normal. He has been working on overcoming this for a long time and has yet to master it. Clumsy: As with many individuals with severe learning disabilities Richard is less nimble than others. Martial arts exercises have helped to improve his eye-hand coordination and for the most part his ailment is unnoticeable, except of course when he is around women he is particularly attracted to. Strengths: Perfect pictorial and auditory memory: Both a blessing and a curse, the counselor can remember any spoken word or anything he sees in great detail. Richard can tell you the date, time, day of the week and often things like what he ate that day. Although many might consider this a rare gift but in Richard’s case it comes with the baggage of remembering in detail the abuse from his past. Exceptional Intelligence: His remarkable intellect has allowed him to overcome obstacles most would not be able to. It has also propelled him to the status he now holds in the counseling community. Charismatic: Richard can be quite the charmer though it has not proven to be extremely successful with women. Well Respected in His Field: Richard has earned the credentials and credibility respected by many others in his chosen profession. From time to time, even when believed to be an enhanced human he has been asked to lecture and write articles on a variety of mental health issues. Dedicated: No doubt if he is willing to continue counseling for the Federation after what has occurred in the past. Detail Oriented: Perfectionist is closer to the truth. His attention to detail borders on compulsion thanks to his desire to be seen as an equal among his peers. Always seeing others as superior to himself he has needed to try exceptionally hard to appear, to himself at least, as worthy of his position. |
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| Ambitions | The Counselor desires to serve as best he can the people of the Federation. Now that he has become a father Richard really would like to see his daughter grow up and find true love as he feels he has though exactly what form hers will take he really doesn't know. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Hobbies and Interests: Counseling Psychology Sociology History Cooking Martial Arts |
| Personal History | Richard Allen Ballston was found on the sixteenth of November 2307 aboard a starship adrift in the Maxia sector. The craft was reported to appear as a disk-shaped craft that resembled the saucer section of some Federation ships. After performing several scans of the craft, it was believed all life forms were deceased. When boarding parties further examined the starship they discovered a newborn child which appeared human. He was found in stasis swaddled in a dark blue cloth which the Azzians call a Espali. It matched his extremely dark blue eyes as did a brooch that held the cloth together. The silver brooch, known as a Dos’icri, was set with a dark sapphire looking stone. The craft was pulled to Starbase 32. Once there any further dealings regarding it were taken over by a certain sector of Starfleet Intelligence. Wanting to hide these facts in order to gain access to the highly advanced temporal technologies aboard the ship reports were falsified by this group and misinformation dispensed to a number of news outlets. Other records that have since surfaced indicate that he was actually born on the twelfth of November or the eighteenth of Gifil’ on the Azzian calendar. They also indicate that the Federation was keenly aware the ship found was of Azzian origin. In addition, Records indicated that his birth father was Baro Ko’liki Rasil Ve’hassi, the first Azzian ambassador to be sent to the Federation, and his mother, Vo’liki Ko’tim (Ve’hassi) Al’ abio who were both found among the deceased. His name was also Tov’alti Dobi’ Rasil Ko’tim Ve’hassi. After some initial evaluations Richard was taken to Starfleet medical in San Francisco, Earth for further examination. They discovered several “abnormalities.” Including bifurcated temporal lobes, highly modified DNA and two unique hormones. Once the tests and examinations were completed it was determined that the initial impression that he was a genetically altered human was correct. There were several dissenting views raised by the some of the physicians but the decision remained. Richard was sent to the Darwin Genetic Research Station on Gagarin IV, a planet in the Gagarin system. At the research facility Dr. Susan Kramer took responsibility for the infant. She was the chief researcher at the facility and although responsible for Richard as a research subject she saw him as not much more, certainly not as her child. He was subject to neglect and systemic abuse by a few of the researchers at the facility. Dr. Kramer wrote research papers referring to him as either, “Baby Boy 147841 or the child. In some of her papers she would even use the phrases, horrible child or horrible Richie. She enlisted the aid of other researchers all of which were predisposed to thinking of Richard in much the same manner. When it was discovered he could not read this only added to their reasons to despise and mistreat the child. Richard was kept in isolation and although there were other children at the research center he was never allowed to interact with them. In 2312 Starfleet medical sent a team to investigate claims of abuse. A new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Phillip Matthews, had been assigned to the research facility in 2310 and had been sending requests on Richard’s behalf though it seemed for a while no one was listening. Dr. Matthews had noted broken bones including posterior rib bones, bruises, immersion and contact burns that bore signs of child abuse. Even with his evidence it still took two years before anything was done. Dr. Herriot Fredericks was a member of the investigative team. She interviewed the rest of the staff and found major discrepancies to what they were reporting and what had been reported about Richard. She heard he was highly obedient and eager to please while the research papers and reports to Starfleet Medical stated he was a “wild child” and “uncontrollable.” She also was informed by a Dr. Susan Yoder, who was responsible for teaching him science and math, observed Richard was a rather bright child in spite of his severe learning disabilities.” Security tapes which were recorded without the direct knowledge of Dr. Kramer or her team were also viewed and it became abundantly clear the amount of physical, emotional and psychological abuse Richard had been subject to. In addition, Richard underwent a mind meld with a Vulcan who further verified the abuse. As a result, Kramer lost her position at the research center, her license to practice was revoked and was sentenced to twenty-three years at Starbase 237 a Federation Prison. Three others were sentenced to from eight to twelve years respectfully. Dr. Eikeha Ballston, a Betazoid counselor assigned to the investigation and decided to file for custody of Richard. Her request was granted though not immediately. While waiting for the adoption to go through the boy remained at the research center. He was allowed to interact with other children and was observed to be shy, especially around girls that he liked, stuttered and was extremely clumsy. Later, once the adoption was finalized she moved Richard to Betazed where his life took a dramatic change for the better. Not long after moving to Betazed his adoptive mother reported that Richard was experiencing night terrors. These focused on his experiences at the Research center and were so vivid to the young boy he could not distinguish between reality and the dreams. These continued to plague him as an adult. A series of counseling and medical examinations was put in place to monitor his health, most of which were however an attempt to secretly studying an alien species. In an effort to correct his learning disability ocular and auditory implants were surgically installed. The ocular devices were removed a year after being installed because they did not seem to resolve the issues with his visualization of words though the auditory implants were modified so that he could listen to a tricorder read for him without disturbing others. He was given his first tricorder that had the ability to read pages from a printed material by placing it on the text. It was linked to the auditory implants and could read audibly to Richard without others being disturbed. As an adolescent in age Richard found life was challenging. His body was trying to mature to that of an adult Azzian as it normally would but because his hormonal changes were seen a severe condition doctors would treat him with various medications in an attempt to keep them in check. Seeing he was having to visit Starfleet Medical every six months or sooner for hormonal treatments the young man made several trips to Earth. Each time became a media event with reporters trying to catch a glimpse of him. Starfleet Security often would have to protect him not only from the overzealous reporters but also from protesters. Freedom of speech allowed those that hated enhanced humans to come and protest the resources being spent to keep Richard alive. Though they would often use codes to hide the arrival and departure times of his visits these events seemed to become more and more of a burden on both Richard and Starfleet Medical. Thanks to his loving home being a refuge for the youth, in spite of his shyness and learning disabilities, he excelled in his education. In a few short months Richard was prepared to begin college courses. Richard felt a keen desire to serve in Starfleet. He knew getting accepted would be an uphill battle. His preferred path was to attend the Academy and hopefully Starfleet Medical seeing he wanted to follow in his mother’s footsteps. The young man was aware of the ban on Genetically Altered Humans serving in the Federation’s Military branches and so he reached out to Admiral Lindsey Ricardo, an individual who had been involved in many previous attempts at resolving the incorrect species labeling. He would do so many times during his life hoping for some relief from his restrictions. At the age of 16 he began taking a few higher education level courses via correspondence from the University of Betetazed. These were college level classes that would normally have been taken within the first few years. These were designed to move him towards a pre-med degree though he was still taken his regular secondary school coursework. Later, Admiral Ricardo advised Richard what courses to take in the event he could attend Starfleet Medical School. These courses won him high praise from the professors and they encouraged him to enroll in the University once he graduated. In 2323 Recardo, along with a few of her colleagues, appealed on his behalf to the Federation Council. They used recently released data provided by a Dr. Karin Hensley and others arguing the case that Richard should be classified as a non-Federation species. They also brought up the fact that he was found on an unidentified space craft which may hold the answers to his true lineage. This attempt was unsuccessful though there was some progress. It was agreed that Richard would be able to attend another medical training facility, within the Federation, as long as he agreed to strict limitations on what could be studied and would not enter the fields of genetic research. These limitations included that he would be checked quarterly by medical personnel, preferably from Starfleet Medical, and a counselor to assure his continued stable mental and physical health. Richard was also ordered not be without a tricorder on his person with the modifications that allowed it to decipher printed material. The true reason for this restriction wash that the device would also keep track of him similar to a Combadge though it was argued to insure he would be able to read posted notices and follow such instructions. Finally, they required an oath of celibacy stating that, “With the unstable nature of his hormones and other medical conditions it would be unwise for him to copulate with a member of any species and thus potentially perpetuate the problems.” This last demand was not lifted until 2364. At the age of 21 Richard completed medical school with high honors and was granted an internship at the hospital on Starbase 371 in Neurology. While there he met Lieutenant James Quinn, the chief of security for the base. The Lieutenant took Richard under his wing giving him some pointers in regard to his relationship with women and taught him several styles of martial arts which did wonders for his self-esteem and his agility though it did little to affect his awkwardness around women was as attracted to. After his four-year residency was completed he was denied permission to sit for the Academy Entrance exam. There was no reason given for the denial though it was pretty obvious why. He contacted Admiral Ricardo and she advised him to go ahead and take the counseling courses he wished. She also mentioned that the Federation highly valued counselors trained in Neuropsychology. Following her advice, he applied again to the University of Betazed. Because of previous coursework completed he was able to complete his general psychology degree in three instead of four years. Before signing up to take his specialty in Neuropsychology Richard applied to take the Starfleet Academy Entrance Exam. This time he was able to sit for it but although he passed with an exceptional score he was rejected citing concerns over his status as a genetically altered human. He was disappointed but still determined to follow his dream. Richard chose to remain in school and took the two years of Neuropsychology as suggested. This raised the eyebrows of Starfleet Medical fearing he planned to go into research. The following year he sat again for the entrance exam and scored exceptionally well. Once again, he was rejected claiming the same restrictions against Enhance Humans. He then took another year of school studying space psychology hoping that the effort would gain him recognition and he would finally be accepted. His request to take the exam that year was rejected stating again that as a genetically altered human he was automatically disqualified. Having his dreams crushed once again he reluctantly accepted a position offered by the Hospital on Betazed. As a new counselor, he was under the watchful eyes of numerous experienced counselors who admired his ability to interact with patients and his compassion for others. He showed exceptional promise as a counselor. In 2340 Richard entered what seemed to be his puberty. It was extremely embarrassing for him as his voice cracked and he began to grow hair in placed it previously had not been. This would have happened earlier had it not been for the treatments to control his hormones and yet he still had not reached what would be considered puberty for an Azzian. Still, by working for the Hospital Richard was making a name for himself in the counseling world. In 2344, much to his astonishment, Richard received a call from Admiral Recardo. She advised him to apply for a counseling position in Starfleet as an enlisted officer. This he did though he was more than a little puzzled knowing the Federation had not changed his species classification. The Admiral pointed out that a new ruling on his status only stated he could not be a commissioned officer, it did not state Richard could not enlist. Shortly afterwards he found himself on a starship headed to Starbase 12 in the Gamma 400 System. Admiral Ricardo did explain what made this possible. She had managed to convince the Federation to create a new species classification category. This new category was designed for individuals that the Federation believed there was a high chance they were Enhanced Humans but lacked sufficient information to make a clear determination. With this new category Richard would be allowed to become an enlisted individual in Starfleet. He was still unable to attend the Academy and become an officer and there were many restrictions placed upon him but Richard was willing to accept them in exchange for a chance to follow his dreams Starbase 12 was an aging facility with both land and space facilities. Admiral Philip Jacobs was the Commanding Officer and was extremely patient with Richard as he learned the ins and outs of life as a Federation enlisted person. He served in the capacity of a counselor with the added duties of the moral officer. Though his title was counselor a small oversight had made his pay based on merely serving as a moral officer which represented a dramatic cut in earnings. The Executive Officer, Commander Ra'Vesti, stepped in and ensured his pay reflected both positions. Although his pay was greatly increased it still was the same as someone just graduating with a counseling degree without any experience. It took another three months to rectify. In his second year the counselor had an idea that he felt might really raise the moral of the crew. Richard knew how to cook. He had learned that back on Betazed and thought there might be a way to use that to improve relations. Richard used what resources were available to him as the Moral officer such as replicator privileges as well as some of his own to create the necessary ingredients. Then, he used his personal holograph privileges to create the space to cook and serve his creations. The counselor decided to make at least one dish from every homeworld represented on the base. It was a huge success and was appreciated by everyone that participated. Shortly afterwards he was promoted for the first time. In 2347 Richard received transfer orders to the U.S.S. Burke. The vessel was Constellation class starship whose refit was well overdue. Dr. Ballston was orders included boarding a Type 6 shuttle to take him out to meet the ship. While on the way the shuttle picked up passengers from various ships including Ensign Gregory A. Griffin who later became an Admiral and a good friend of Richard’s. Commodore Jacob M. Gallus was the CO at the time, a spry human male with greying hair. He, along with his XO Lieutenant Commander Phillip Moran had looked at Dr. Ballston’s available service record and in spite their misgivings regarding having an enhance human available were impressed with what they saw. Knowing they were headed towards the growing hostilities of the Federation-Cardassian war the needed someone with his training and reputation. His age however, even as a genetically altered human, seemed to pose a risk for him and the crew. Richard was in his forties now and to their surprise the counselor that arrived seemed to be a spry young man capable of the duties ahead. The restriction regarding firearms that Richard agreed to remain a concern though as medical staff it was not as great as if he were in another branch. When Richard arrived, the counselor found he was assigned to a storage room just off a cargo bay. This was a prank played on him because of his species classification, a little reminder that all were not thrilled to have him aboard. The “mix up” was addressed quickly and he was reassigned to more suitable quarters. As the ship headed off for his new assignment Richard found how embroiled in the Federation-Cardassian war he was going to be. His new posting was to be in the thick of things aggressively taking on the enemy. Many times, the counselor served in the medical department because the number of crew members assigned to medical were low to begin with and with growing casualties those numbers were acerbated. Over time Richard earned their trust and he volunteered to be their Moral Officer seeing it was not part of his original duties. As time permitted and there were resources he could pull from Richard would cook and grill for the crew which boosted their spirits and as some put it, “kept them from going insane.” Richard would later write that, “war is a series of moments requiring quick action which causes fear separated by long periods of terrifying silence.” Both the CO and XO both put in several requests for commendations and suggested Richard be considered for officer training. They felt he outperformed superior officers and pulled the crew together during tough times. All such requests were denied leaving Richard the same rank and undecorated in spite of his dedication and service. On October 28, 2359 at 0207 the call to abandon the USS Burke was given. They had been involved in a fierce battle with the two Galor class cruisers and a freighter for nearly twelve hours and with their assailants routed or destroyed and their own vessel dangerously with a compromised warp core. The CO reluctantly consented to the order. Of its crew of 535 less than two hundred would survive. Persuading the pods to join into clusters so the remaining medical personnel could attend to the wounded. Dr. Ballston assumed the CMO’s position in the absence of any academy graduates qualified to fill the position. He began working along with other medically trained personnel to serve the fifty-three PODs in their cluster and used what communication methods he could to provide medical leadership to those medical personnel that were in other POD clusters. Almost a week later the USS Jasmine arrived to rescue the crew. They were housed and cared along with other survivors forcing them to place those who did not need constant medical care inside of cargo bays. It took only three weeks before a new ship to arrive to gather together a new crew made up of the displaced crews of several destroyed ships. Christened USS Burke NCC-88537-B. It was another Constellation Class starship though it had been taken out of storage and refitted with better weapons, shielding and an enhanced warp drive. This time when looking for his new quarters Dr. Ballston discovered they had assigned him to a shelf in the morgue. By this time Richard had grown accustom to such harassment and took it in stride. Though Operations fixed this “error” and apologized profusely noting that the numbers were “similar.” Richard found his new assignment was a much better size than before with only three others to share quarters with. With the end of the Federation-Cardassian war and the talks that concluded it the U.S.S. Burke headed back towards Earth with a stop at Betazed and a well-deserved shore leave. Richard saw his adoptive mother and visited the University and hospital. He enjoyed seeing old friends and visiting the planet he considered his homeworld. Though he was only on leave a week he was happy to return his “family,” the crew of the starship he now considered home. Their new mission was to be peaceful, cruising the sector surrounding Betazed though that lasted only until 2372 when they were called into another war, this time with the Klingons. The U.S.S. Burke became embroiled in the one year war between the two powers and at one point there was an attempt to board Richard’s ship. That attempt was foiled but not after the loss of a number of crew and severe damage to the vessel. Ricard thought that the crew was more traumatized by it than during the Federation-Cardassian war which was a much longer conflict. 2373 may have marked the end of the Federation-Klingon war but the Incursion of the Borg insured there was no letup in the threats faced by Starfleet. Arriving late to the initial battle Dr. Ballston found himself caring for the wounded survivors in the horrific aftermath. He was given the task of triage, something often assigned him when there were so many to care for. As a physician, he handled the task well but he had to shut down his counseling side at times to stay focused on correctly sorting through the wounded. Dr. Ballston had already heard about the growing war with the Dominion and as one war ended their ship headed into yet another conflict-ridden mission. There was a change in leadership as the Commanding officer retired and the Executive officer took his place. Then in 2374 word came that Betazed had been invaded by the Dominion, his homeworld had become a casualty of war. His adoptive mother was killed during the invasion and from what he heard it was not a quick and painless experience for her. For the first time in his career Richard requested a day off to mourn. It was granted though the war would not allow it as the Jim’Hadar attacked their vessel and sickbay was filled rapidly with the dead and dying. Though they survived the assault the ship lost over a third if its crew. During another encounter with the Jim’Hadar Richard received a flesh wound from flying debris. He had gone to the bridge to evaluate a science officer who had been severely injured when his COM station exploded. Pieces of the station struck his left arm and remained impaled there. The wound was mostly superficial and he took care of the Science officer before he returned to sickbay to have the wound addressed. After it was extracted he returned to his duties waiting until after the attack was over to have his arm looked at further. When the war was over the U.S.S. Burke was assigned to patrolling the neutral zone. Though there was little excitement compared to what the crew had already been through Richard was grateful for the reprieve though he knew it would be short lived. In 2384 Richard was reassigned to the USS Elysium. Though disappointed that he was leaving a ship and crew he had come to love, Richard was eager to face the new challenges that awaited him on such a massive ship. He was giving the new rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer and moved to the position of Assistant Chief Counselor. Not everyone was pleased with Richard’s new assignment. Members of the hate group HGP managed to obtain positions aboard his new ship and from the very beginning began being an irritation. To start off the counselor was assigned to a storage room, empty except for a framed picture of Dr. Susan Kramer hanging on the back wall as his quarters. The situation was rectified and an investigation was launched to find the individuals responsible though none were found. Even though there was this tension brewing beneath the surface Richard found many friends. He soon met a young enlisted man named Aidan Datary. He served the crew as the Ships linguist and took a keen interest in Richard forming a close friendship. The young trill volunteered to be his assistant after it became obvious that someone was messing with the computer system to ensure Dr. Ballston was receiving miss information. There were actually two sets of files on the ships computer core, one that everyone else accessed and one designed to mislead Richard. Once this was resolved things went much easier. Not long after this Richard found himself locked into his quarters by a sophisticated force field placed at the entrance. The environmental controls were locked in such a way that the temperature rose to over 44 degrees Celsius. His replicator had been reprogrammed to malfunction filling a glass with foul smelling mud rather than water. Aidan Datari tried to help but found the heat unbearable. He was able to get assistance for the trapped counselor but it took Operations to deactivate the force field in order for the trapped counselor to be removed and taken to sickbay for evaluation. The experience wasn’t completely negative. As a result, Dr. Ballston realized he could handle higher temperatures a little easier than others and it gave him an idea. Over the years it had become clear that a portion of what was believed to be bifurcations of the temporal lobes in his brain really seemed to serve no particular function. During the examination that followed scans indicated that brain activity registered from these previously inactive areas. With the aid of the CMO they were able to create an artificial atmosphere which seemed favorable to Richard. With a slight increase of oxygen, slight changes in other gasses, a more tropic temperature and a ten percent lower than on Earth. This relieved pressure within the additional lobes he possesses. The atmospheric controls in his room were adjusted to match these settings as were those in his office. Most, including Aidan Datari found the new environmental settings quite enjoyable. Later when Richard finally visited Azzia, his true homeworld, it was discovered that the atmosphere on the planet was almost identical to those determined by the Chief physician and himself. Having discovered this environmental change had therapeutic benefits Richard Contacted the Science department to see if there were any class M planets that matched these new environmental settings. The search yielded a handful of possibilities most of which seemed highly improbable based on either the planet had a species much different biologically than he was, was colonized or uninhabited. The Azzian homeworld was not considered seeing its existence was hidden inside the temporal anomaly. Datari also volunteered to teach Richard Braille. With the help of a blind professor at the Starfleet Academy aboard the Elysium Aidan was able to help Dr. Ballston learn to read the raised dots that form each character with his fingers. This helped him tremendously alleviating even further Richard’s dependence on computers. Richard had requested hearings to try and get his species designation changed. They were held at Starfleet Headquarters on Earth over a three-day period. While attending these meetings he had a chance encounter with Lei’hallah Asrar 'Inayat Ve’hassi, the new Azzian Ambassador to the Federation. He was about to teleport back to his ship when she entered the transporter room with her entourage. It was extremely brief though in those few moment he could tell there was something different about this beautiful woman. Richard received a handwritten letter in the Azzian language. Although it took some work on the part of Datari to translate the letter it was a personal invitation from the ambassador to Richard. He was to be a dinner guest aboard her starship. Dr. Ballston quickly accepted seeing she identified herself as the woman he had briefly seen in the transporter room. He made several such visits to see the woman and he fell quickly in love. Unfortunately talks between the two powers broke down when it was discovered the Federation was hiding information from her and they wanted them to hand over their temporal technology. Shortly after Richard sat up a meeting on a holodeck to display the things he had learned from Lei’hallah regarding Azzians. Operations had managed to take a holographic program given him from the Ambassador which featured a typical Azzian home with a courtyard along with some fresh fruit she had provided. The program produced the environment typical of Azzia which was extremely similar to that he and the CMO had already thought would be ideal for him. The consensus was not a resounding yes but that there was a high probability that he was. During his time aboard the Elysium He also was sent a message from the hate group HGP. It was in Latin and instructed Richard to steal a shuttle and travel to Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. There, they would “Purge” the mutations from him with a molecular transporter. If it did not work they would scatter his atoms in space. To ensure his cooperation they informed him that his friends, crewmates and families would be killed if he did not do as he was told. Aidan had read the letter to him and reported it to KTox who refused to allow Richard to go saying they would deal with the consequences. Not long afterwards the Elysium was attacked by the HGP but from inside. They detonated an old temporal bomb stolen from the Azzians forcing the damaged ship into another dimension. It was during this attack that Fahli’ kosa Lariso Ve’ hassi Sov domi , an Azzian telepathic searcher who had been looking for Richard since his birth finally was able to locate him. Then Azzians from that dimension managed to return the ship to its own timeline. Dr. Ballston became a father under unique circumstances to an adorable baby girl. Thirty years earlier Richard had met Lieutenant Lennora Angelos. She had been assigned to the U.S.S. Burke for as an advisor for a mission. She took a hair sample without his knowledge before faking her own death. The woman was actually Fah’do Bati’ domni’ Aso’dobi, an Azzian working with Starfleet Intelligence. She had offered to help them with the temporal technology in exchange for their assistance. She took the hair for the DNA which was later used to create a child. After her mother’s death during an attack on the Azzians. Richard was granted sole custody of the child and forcing the Federation to admit Richard was in fact an Azzian. The counselor still experienced bouts of uncontrolled hormones. In one episode, he lost the dark blue hue from the iris of his eyes leaving them considerably paler. In humans, this was not a naturally occurring event and often is associated with another health condition. For Azzians this is a primary sign of physical maturity. There were a few time Richard began retaining body fluid at an alarming weight in which cases he ended up being hospitalized until the swelling receded. His last bout was so severe that it was feared Richard was going to die. The now Admiral Gregory Griffin ordered Richard to be taken from the Elysium to Azzia, for treatment. This was done secretly because there were still those who did not believe he was indeed the newly discovered species. Fahli’ Sov domi, the telepathic searcher, played a substantial role in his recovery. Working for the Azzian Board of Health she had knowledge on how to assist individuals in his condition. Fahli’ would keep in touch with Richard and became good friends after he was released from the medical facility. Once Richards health was stabilized he was reassigned as part of the Diplomatic liaison to the Azzians. Tako Dieson, a former Admiral had come out of retirement to serve as the Federation Ambassador, insisted that Doctor Ballston be part of any diplomatic negotiations. He was awarded the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade becoming a commissioned officer, something Richard had hoped for and fought for years to obtain. Although there were logical reasons why the Azzian Counselor should have been a part of the diplomatic team. There was one that seemed to trump the others, Ambassador Lei’hallah Ve’hassi demanded it. She had also made the stipulation that if negotiations were to be continued the damaged starship that the Federation had been officially denying they had taken and that the remains of the Azzians that had been kept for study be returned to Azzia. This was done and along with their return was the brooch and cloth Richard had been Swaddled in. While there Richard met his extended family. He found he had several step mothers and half-sisters along with a scattering of more distant relative who all wanted to meet the returning Azzian boy who had been lost for so many years. Most were ecstatic about his return and the closure it brought to that traumatic portion of their history. He learned that he was a member of the Azzian Imperial family, a distinction that among the Azzians was not all that celebrated. With a significant portion of the population able to trace their lineage back to the first Emperor the distinction was not near as important as what it might have been on other worlds. Although the Emperor or Empress was chosen from among these decedents they primarily came from a closer branch than Richard’s. It did however mean that the land his family lived on actually belonged to the government and, at the decision of the people taken away and given to others. It also meant that he was expected to be in a service industry such as Government, teaching or medicine. The culture was dramatically different if his homeworld Betazed. It was reminiscent of parts of Earth. The provinces all had a different flavor and a little different take on what it was to be Azzian. Families lived in what might be considered polygamist groups throughout the empire where a single male would have seven women bonded to him. The children of these relationships would grow up together in large extended family groups with the adults all serving as their parents. Marriage itself had been outlawed centuries earlier as it was seen as an enslavement of women. These as well as other aspects of the culture seemed rather unique and intriguing to the physician. Although he understood from his Betazoid mother and having lived on Betazed the women there could love more than one individual at a time he certainly didn’t understand how a man could do so with seven women. The idea seemed rather bizarre to him. Richard could not see himself becoming involved with more than one woman let alone seven. He met Lei’hallah’s sister Adibah’ who would often babysit his daughter allowing him to perform his duties and spend more time with Lei’hallah. Although he had strong feelings for her Richard did not act on them believing that somehow he could not love more than one woman. He knew he actually loved all three women, Fahli’, Adibah’ and Lei Hallah but had no idea how to express that and his own culturally induced fears of polygamist relationships kept him from even acting on those feelings. With the breakdown of negotiations between the Federation and the Azzian Empire only two years later Richard was reassigned once again, this time to the USS Nightingale. It was his dream position, Chief of Mental Health on a ship dedicated to healing. Richard was saddened though because he believed the chance for Lie’halla and himself getting together permanently, or any other Azzian for that matter had been completely lost. From what he what the Azzian Board of health had shared with him regarding his hormonal situation because of the treatments he had received earlier in life his Sodi’onar might not be on a four-year cycle. Not having experience with Federation Medicine or delaying the onset of puberty through medication they were extremely concerned what might happen if there was not a trained Azzian female around to mitigate any complications. During his two-year tour aboard the vessel Richard made many friends among the crew. He enlisted the aid of science and medical personnel as he searched for a remedy that might spare his life should his Sodi’onar occur in the absence of an Azzian female. Though there was some progress nothing resembling a satisfactory treatment emerged from his efforts. In addition, he worked behind the scenes to try and reopen the talks between the Federation and the Azzians but saw little improvement. There were movements towards this though the Federations persistence in regard to the procurement of and elimination of temporal technology from the Azzians remained the major stumbling block. Richard also volunteered to assist the moral officer in a party for the entire crew. Using the holodeck to form the environment people were asked to come in their native costumes while Richard cooked and grilled food provided by the replicators. It was a huge success that brought the crew closer together. But his service seemed exceptionally short to him, being called away in the middle of a celebration honoring their completion of a mission he was ordered onto a transport to take him to his new posting with the claim that there had been some sort of error with his placement. His next posting was on the USS Crown. With astonishment, he learned he was to be their chief medical officer, another position banned for so many years. Fahli’ was also sent by the Azzian Board of Health to watch over him. He longed for Lie’halla and if he was honest with himself he did so for Adiba’ as well though it took Fahli’ to get him to finally agree to allow all three of them into his life. He then discovered the cure for a disease known as The Blight that was wiping the species known as the Nkosians. Not long after the decision was made and he had asked the Captain to be part of the traditional Ceremony known as Asmo'ti things went all wrong. In early 2390 the crown was under attack by the dimension crossing alien species that had infected the world they had come to save. The ship took heavy damage and the crew was ordered to evacuate which they did infecting the entire crew though his cure was successful in saving their lives. After it was clear they no longer posed a health risk they were taken to Starbase 80 where he stayed for a period of time and underwent the Asmo'ti ceremony bonding him to the three women. In 2391 He was posted to Starbase Protector, again as the Chief Medical Officer. Things seemed to be coming together for his life and he relished his position with Fahl’ as his assistant, Adibah’ working in the diplomatic department and Lie’hallah continuing her duties as the Azzian Ambassador to the Federation. Richard received an urgent message from his old friend Admiral Griffin. He was informing him that he would need to leave immediately for a new posting aboard the USS Discovery. They really needed his services urgently, he was told, and he needed to leave immediately for his new position. |
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| Service Record | 2344 Assigned to Starbase 12, Petty Officer First Class, Counselor 2346 Promoted to Petty Officer Third Class 2347 Reassigned to USS Burke, Counselor 2384 Reassigned to USS Elysium, Assistant Chief Counselor, Promoted to Senior Chief 2386 Reassigned to United Federation of Planets Embassy on Assia, Chief counselor/Advisory to the Ambassadorial staff. 2387 Reassigned to USS Nightingale, Promoted Lieutenant Junior Grade 2389 Reassigned to USS Crown, Chief Medical Officer, Promoted to Lieutenant. 2391 Reassigned to Starbase Protector, Chief Medical Officer 2394 Reassigned to USS Pioneer, Chief Medical officer |