Latest revision as of 17:23, 23 August 2012

Early Life

Layla Koyanagi was born on March 20, 2330. She grew up with both of her parents commissioned by Starfleet, and became very familiar with Starfleet principles, ideals, personnel, and systems from an early age. Her father was a stern, Japanese man dedicated to his career, and her mother was an exobiologist of British descent. She was an active figure skater from a very young age and continued to skate throughout her time at Starfleet Academy. She also enjoyed playing the violin.

Layla aspired to follow in her father's footsteps to become the chief medical officer aboard a starship. Because of this ambition, she performed very well academically, enough to skip 10th grade and graduate Hibiya High School in Tokyo, Japan in 2347 at the age of 17. However, while attending Starfleet Academy, she quickly realized that she had more of an aptitude for humanities and changed career paths.

She climbed the ranks at a moderately fast pace. Starfleet recognized her talent for negotiation and keeping a cool head even during stressful situations, thus deeming her as a perfect fit as the commanding officer aboard a ship within Military Operations Command. She was given command of the USS Niven in 2366.

Career

Personality

Layla, especially after being given command of her own ship, is extremely protective of her crew. She treats an attack on any member of her crew as if it were a direct assault on herself and has no tolerance for it. She never outwardly shows it, but holds grudges and seeks revenge and justice whenever someone wrongs her. Her expectations are high, but not unreasonably so; she simply has a lot of faith in her crew. She also feels a great responsibility and holds the ideal that she is ultimately responsible for the actions of any of her crew. The Niven is her first command and she is fiercely loyal to it, often scoffing at other vessels claiming to be faster, stronger, or in any way better than hers.

Though it is common knowledge that it is usually frowned upon for a captain to participate in away missions, especially dangerous ones, Layla often puts herself on away teams, much to the distress of her executive officers. Part of her reasoning is that she has a lust for adventure and wishes to experience things first hand rather than through after action reports. Another is that she knows the main reason why Starfleet put her in command was because she is an outstanding communicator and thus tries to set a presence before having to resort to using physical force. The other reason is that despite successfully passing the bridge officer's test where she had to send a friend to certain death, she would rather try to solve things herself than to repeat the test's scenario. She has trouble admitting this, even to herself, especially because she knows she ends up putting herself in danger which is far more detrimental when considering the whole situation.

Personal Logs

Personal Log, Stardate 40177.8

I have just returned from what was to be a "routine patrol" of the Romulan Neutral Zone. Prior to departure, I was informed of a classified intelligence gathering installation project of ours near their borders. Ironic, considering we discovered and captured a team of Romulans operating a similar installation close to our borders. I suppose we have similar ideas.

It gets frustrating sometimes working so far out in the middle of nowhere as it takes days to get any messages to and from Starfleet Command. I fear that one of these days I will issue an order, only to have it be the wrong decision after it is far too late and irreversible. My crew, however, make my job easier and much more enjoyable, thus making me not want to be anywhere else but aboard my dear USS Niven. As the old adage goes, "a ship is only as good as its crew", and that makes Niven the best ship in Starfleet.

Personal Log, Stardate 40323.6

Following the events on Theta Thekare, Octavio, Karl, and I were under investigation for charges of dereliction of duty, reckless endangerment, and conduct unbecoming of a Starfleet officer. Thankfully, none of us were court-martialed, but Karl was to retire immediately and Octavio was to be transferred to a starbase. Though it saddened me to lose two fine officers, I am certainly thankful about the outcome of the investigation.

What broke my heart, however, was that Karl was seriously injured before the investigation and had to undergo surgery. He seems to be out of the woods due to being in excellent physical shape, and is in and out of consciousness, but still is not permitted to have visitors. Meanwhile, I have been given my next assignment which requires me to leave starbase very soon. I deeply wish I could bid him a proper farewell, but a recorded message was the best I could do. I kept a record of it for my own sentimental reasons.

BEGIN TRANSMISSION

Dear Karl,

By the time you receive this, I have a feeling I will already be en route to my next mission's destination. You were attacked right before the investigation of our charges and though I sincerely wanted to stay to see you before I left, duty calls. I'm afraid this recorded message will have to do.

I have been apprised of the events that happened after the exfiltration of Theta Thekare. Though I do agree that some less than ideal choices were made, one mistake is absolutely not enough to cloud over the years of exemplary service you have given to Starfleet, to the Niven and her crew, and to me, personally.

Ever since I first took command of the ship, I knew I could always count on you. Your care and genuine concern for all personnel earned you their trust and mine. You always abided by orders with no complaints and went above and beyond the call of duty to help out your fellow crew.

Your presence will be deeply missed by everyone. Though we will be getting a new security chief, Karl Link will never be replaced. I'm sure Starfleet will send us a perfectly capable officer, but I will personally make sure that the he works with everyone, especially the security team, the marines, and Prime Team Alpha, as well as you did.

I hope to see you again some time, so until then, cheers, old friend. It has been a pleasure serving with you. Enjoy your retirement; you have certainly earned it.

Yours faithfully,
Layla Koyanagi

END TRANSMISSION

Personal Log, Stardate 40327.4

I was told by both Michael Standown and Matthew O'Grady that I was lucky to be alive from the riots on Theta Thekare. Evidently I was a hair's breadth away from dying. I already knew I had a compassionate crew, but I will never forget the looks on my crew's faces when I awoke after surgery. I don't ever want to put them in that kind of position again and know that now more than ever, I will do everything I can to do right by them. However, the adventurer in me, the main reason why I entered Starfleet in the first place, can't let me sit back in my chair and let my officers do all of the away missions, only experiencing missions through their reports so I knew it would be a lie if I said that I would never put myself in danger again. Because of this, I thought it might be best to try to get in better physical condition so that I may be able to withstand a few encounters.

During our travel through Stevens Nebula and getting to The Triangle, I have spent a considerable amount of my time off duty in the holodeck going through various exercise programs. Although even the novice level training program my marines use was far too difficult for me, I have noticed an improvement on my health and stamina. Yesterday I dug out my ice skates from my Academy days and cued up one of my favorite recreational holodeck programs, the ice rink at Rockerfeller Center at night. Though it had been some time since I last skated, after the initial wobbly rounds, I found everything came back fluidly and it was easier than I remembered due to my recent training.

((Player's Note: this is the back story for spending 3 EXP on Commanding Presence and 5 EXP on raising one point of health))

Personal Log, Stardate 40344.7

Dyan's efforts in extracting the computer panel from Codus was thought to take a few hours so I had a chance to chat with Michael Pierson. He opened a conversation about how it was widely regarded that west coast raw oysters were better than east coast and asked if I would be interested in an oyster dinner with him. I told him that while I have had oysters before, I don't particularly care for them. They taste like just sea water! I don't quite get the appeal, though I've seen more than enough knowing glances exchanged about them so perhaps I am missing a common joke.

Since I was intrigued by the invitation of conversation and because I had recently discovered our replicators had an updated formula for my favorite sweets, chocolate dipped strawberries, I recommended that we share those together and that they pair quite nicely with a glass of champagne. He gave me a slight smile and suggested a meat and potatoes dinner followed by dessert overlooking the northern California coastal sunset.

I got a little embarrassed, realizing too late that my request may have been unintentionally forward, like I was setting the scene for a romantic evening. Michael didn't seem to notice, or at least wasn't put off by it, so I agreed and hastily shifted the subject over to how I hadn't ever been to northern California. Thankfully, Dyan communicated in at that moment saying he might have found something and it was back to business as usual.

Personal Log, Stardate 40344.9

I had to have a talk about unsatisfactory performance with one of my senior officers today. It was difficult because in all aspects of his work, he is exemplary. However, there was a case of overstepping boundaries that undermined my authority in front of the crew and civilians. Given that we are a military operation, order in the strictest sense is absolutely necessary, especially now that we are in an extremely volatile area of space.

What I don't think he knew was that it was not purely an escalated argument; some was for show and I knew the other party had empty claims. I know that my officer was just trying to calm the situation down, and truly had good intentions. I made it clear that these were my decisions to make and to certainly never risk the lives of any of my crew. I told him that I was not going to note it in his record. I hope he understands and continues to perform admirably.

Personal Log, Stardate 40351.6

Before engaging in the battle over Valtor 2, Michael Pierson communicated in to me personally to wish me good luck. I returned the sentiment and after a brief pause he stated, "I look forward to our dinner". I gave a little smirk and told him that I expected him to be there; a woman does not take too kindly to being stood up!

Now, after surviving the firefights on and off our ship, all I can do is to sit and wait for reports from Prime Team Alpha about the status of what was going on on the surface of Valtor 2. Godspeed, Michael. Come back home safely and soon.

Personal Log, Stardate 42609.5

I received the tragic news this morning from Starfleet Diplomatic Corps that Billiemae had passed away. I couldn't help but think that her death was not because of complications with her health. My suspicions were reinforced when Dr. O'Grady found it to be a bit odd as well. Seeing as it was keeping me up at night, I decided to send a letter over a secure channel to the only person I knew who might be able to dig into the issue.

BEGIN TRANSMISSION TO DOCTOR HIROYUKI KOYANAGI

Hi Dad. I hope this message finds you well. I'm sorry I don't keep in touch as often as I should, but I have a favor to ask of you.

One of my marine captains, Billiemae Tompkins, was transferred off my ship a few months ago due to a medical discharge. She was diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome and was reassigned to the diplomatic corps to work with the liaison to the Orion consulate in San Francisco, Earth. My chief medical officer on board, Dr. Matthew O'Grady, said that though it would take 9 to 15 months, she was expected to fully recover within the estimated time, especially given her excellent physical condition.

I received a message from Starfleet diplomatic corps a few days ago saying that though she was responding well to treatments, she passed away suddenly and was found dead in her home. I found this to be a bit odd, and my suspicions were further reinforced when Dr. O'Grady thought it was strange as well. He mentioned that though it used to be a complicated disease, it was now very curable, especially with Starfleet Medical administering her care.

I am not convinced that her passing was due to complications with her medical condition. My crew has been involved in highly classified missions lately and Tompkins' case would not be the first to have unusual circumstances surrounding it. Would you be able to look into this for me? I do not know when I will be near Earth again and only have limited access into Starfleet Medical records. She was an exemplary officer and if there really was something or someone else involved, I want it brought to justice.

Please give Mum my love.

Yours Faithfully,
Layla

END TRANSMISSION

Personal Log, Stardate 42609.7

We have just received a distress call from Dolak IV. I knew of the planet and its penal colony for my friend and classmate from the Academy, Daniel Connor, was serving a sentence there. He was expelled during his second year at the Academy due to chronic problems with fighting and insubordination, and rumors also indicated some suspicion of cheating on exams, though I was never sure if this was true. Despite his roguish nature, Daniel and I got along well, and I tried to stay aware of what he was up to. After his time at the Academy, he ended up entering the Starfleet Merchant Marine and became a quartermaster. He seemed to be doing well for a while, but then, about two years ago, he was convicted of smuggling Jillkan Sound Jewels. Last I heard, Daniel was sentenced to 20 years, and chose incarceration at the Dolak IV Penal Colony so he could reduce his sentence by working as a miner. I hadn't heard of him since.

Distress calls always make me a bit anxious, especially when they involve people close to us, but I just have to remind myself to utilize my training in order to remain calm.

Personal Log, Stardate 42613.8

I came back to the ship from Psellus III to relieve Devin of command so that he could have lunch with a family member on the surface. I busied myself with some administrative duties, but a certain member of my crew weighed heavily on my mind. I knew my doing paperwork was just stalling, for I wanted to go see him the moment I beamed back aboard the ship. After I ran out of distractions, I found my feet had lead me down to Michael's quarters. He looked much better than before and was reading. I asked him how he was faring and though he was cordial, he didn't seem to want to discuss anything. It was awkward because I thought I had so much I wanted to tell him and to ask him, but in sitting there, especially with him not having anything to say, I had lost all my words. I mentioned that if he ever wanted to talk, I would always be available to him, dropping formalities, of course, and he said he would be fine. I felt a little sting in my chest at the impasse.

Just then, Dyan communicated in to say he had something he wanted to discuss. Back to work.

Personal Log, Stardate 43267.5

With the relative calm of the patrol over the last few weeks brought about a different kind of stress and pressure in my ready room: personnel evaluations. I had been struggling with them for several hours when I decided I needed a break and took a walk to 11 Aftward instead of replicating a cup of coffee near my desk. The hallways were empty. It must have been 2200 or so. I had lost track of time.

When I arrived, and Fynn talked me into having a wonderfully frothy latte instead of a standard coffee, I noticed Ian was the only other person in the lounge. He had a PADD in hand and looked quite vexed. I sympathized, knowing I must have had that same expression on my face just a few minutes ago and walked over to his table. He acknowledged me and gestured to a chair when I asked if I could join him.

I inquired as to what was troubling him and he handed over his PADD to me. The name and picture displayed on it was Corporal Tom Hansen. Without even reading what was written underneath it, I felt the same conflicting emotions that Ian must have been experiencing. He was concerned because if Hansen doesn't get promoted, he may decide he is done with Starfleet and leave. If he does get promoted, however, he would be a sergeant and have the responsibility of having subordinates reporting to him. I mentioned that I knew he has had issues in the past, but especially thinking back to his actions on the Pride o' Rigel, he does certainly bring good qualities to the table and they may even our the negative. I trust Ian will eventually make a decision and do the right thing.

When I handed the PADD back to him, he punched a few buttons and said that he was having trouble with another review and handed it to me again. This time, it was not one he was writing, but the one Akoval had given to one Captain Ian McDonald Frazier. He had been promoted and was going to be transferred in three months to the 506th training battalion and was to serve as the adjutant to the battalion commander.

I'm not sure how much of my initial disappointment showed on my face, but I did my best to smile and offered him my congratulations. With enough of personnel going through retirements, transfers, and promotions, I find myself wondering how long I can keep up the facade. I realize it is horribly selfish, but I do not enjoy seeing my wonderful crew disband.