Liha t'Ehhelih
Name Liha ir-ch'Bardat t'Ehhelih
Position Engineer
Second Position Helmsman
Character Information
| Gender | Female | |
| Species | Romulan | |
| Age | 42 | |
| Date of Birth | 6th day of the 7th month 2354 | |
| Place of Birth | Bardat | |
| NPC Author | Cam |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'8" | |
| Weight | 140 lbs | |
| Hair Color | Black | |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown | |
| Physical Description | Strong and lean, with keen eyes and the intensity common to many in the former specialty. Her hair is shoulder length, purposely not in a Galae military cut, but neatly trimmed |
Ship Identification
| Duty Shift | Alpha |
Family
| Father | Nveid tr'Ehhelih (deceased) | |
| Mother | Jaeih t'Ehhelih | |
| Brother(s) | Yhea tr'Ehhelih | |
| Sister(s) | Vriha t'Ehhelih | |
| Other Family | paternal uncle (dinam-hru'di'ranai) Vaebn tr'Sathe |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Passionate and intense, as befitting one with her ruling element of Fire. She can be temperamental and impatient, but she can also show gentle and comforting warmth. Though she delights in action, she was raised to appreciate study, though she learns best when working with her hands in the process. However she has a particular appreciation for philosophy and can debate as passionately as she flies in combat. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | + Skilled pilot and largely self-taught engineer - knowledgeable about the mechanics/repair of fighters and other ships; good at improvising repairs with whatever is available + Appreciation for philosophy and history, enhanced by the opportunity to read beyond what was permitted in the Empire + Adept at the martial art of Llaekh-ae'rl as well as close combat with blades - Hot temper; she struggles with self-control - Stubborn and somewhat prone to 'burning bridges' - Feels the separation from family keenly |
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| Ambitions | Survive and perhaps, one day, be reunited with her family | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Flying, design of space craft, acrobatics and fencing, philosophy and history, | |
| Sexual Orientation | heterosexual (mostly) | |
| Language(s) Spoken | Romulan, Standard, Klingon, some Cardassian |
History
| Personal History | Liha was born the eldest child of Jaeih and Nveid t'Ehhelih, both scholars at the Academy on Bardat, a border colony on the outskirts of the Empire. Her clan were among the ship-clans exiled to the border colonies in the 2220s to break their political power. Though reduced in standing the clans were not so easily divested and retained connections in the Empire, as well as their loyalty to it. Indeed, by some measures, they became more determined to prove that loyalty. Like her other siblings, Liha learned from an early age that loyalty to the Empire is paramount; however, loyalty to Empire should not be confused with loyalty to those in political power within it. Beyond their history as ship-clan, her house was known for scholars and scientists. Empires have always had an uneasy tension with academics and intellectuals, on one hand needing their skills and innovation to maintain a strong economy and military, and on the other wanting to control or suppress work that might challenge official policy. Recognizing Liha's spirit and temper, her great-uncle, Vaebn t'Sathe, who had served for many years in the Galae, took pains to impress upon her that both opinions and observations of official policy should be tightly contained. Liha did not have the family interest in academics, and her interest in science extended only to flight (though her father joked that that was very much in keeping with the ancient origins of clan). She entered the Academy intent on winning a spot as a pilot, but the fulfillment of that wish was as much nightmare as dream. The Dominion War began shortly after she entered her sophomore year as a cadet and the Empire became involved shortly thereafter. In the face of staggering losses in the first years of engagement, any acceptably trained cadets were called up to join the fight. At first it was exhilarating, and Liha quickly proved herself as a daring and adept pilot. Even news of the loss of her father, who had joined the Galae weapon's research efforts and died during a protoype test accident, only drove her on. But as the war continued, her outlook changed. It was not simply the trauma of combat and loss. She still reveled in the adrenaline rush of engaging in a space dogfight. But as her squadron worked more closely with Federation forces, her worldview shifted - she came to respect the bravery and resourcefulness of her Starfleet counterparts. They were not inferior; indeed they often sacrificed themselves as honorably as any Romulan. That realization hit home even more with the arrival of new Tal Shiar officer, whose 'input' on their missions was frequently less tactical than political, if not outright dishonorable. When he all but ordered her squadron to hold back and let Starfleet and the Klingons take the brunt of the final push to take Cardassia, her temper snapped and she decked him. She might have been executed on the spot but for the immediate need for combat pilots (and the fact her CO had wanted to do the same thing for nearly a year). In the thick of battle and knowing she had no future afterward, she fought with no intention of survival and threw her ship in front of enemy fire to shield others. The last thing she remembered of the battle was the explosion when she was hit. When she came out of a coma, she was being tended by a Romulan, but not a citizen of the Empire. As she recovered, she learned more of these members of a hidden group of dissenters. With no reason to believe anything but dishonorable discharge and death awaited her in the Empire, and much to find sympathy with, she joined them. In the course of contributing what she could to group (since they didn't need combat pilots) she began to expand the skills had picked up in maintaining and repairing her fighter, as well as the lessons from her father, and was soon working as an engineer. In fact, her ability to improvise to keep systems cobbled from whatever could be smuggled into the hidden colony was widely praised and became a source of pride. In the wake of the Reman Revolt, a number of the dissenters wanted to return home, hoping that the Empire might be reshaped in the aftermath. Liha was less optimistic, but having fitted a ship with a cloak modified from her old fighter's, she agreed to take on the mission to pilot a group into the RSE and wait inside the Neutral Zone for them to report back. She waited a month, and even risked a foray to site where their contact had picked them up. It had been destroyed. She did manage to make contact with an old family connection, but was subsequentally sent a coded warning to stay away; for her safety and her family's. After Hobus, the same sentiment for return and reform resurfaced, but Liha wanted no part of it. Once the Civil War started, she went to the Republic for a time, but on learning that her siblings were in the RSE Galae, she left. She had little confidence the Republic would ultimately be that much better than the Empire - certainly not enough to potentially kill her own brother or sister in combat. Unable to take sides, but with the colony disbanding to do exactly that, she headed out into the galaxy on her own. However, she eventually met up with a former Starfleet engineer who seemed as directionless as she was - though certainly more helpless - and decided to travel with him as he could provide the 'oversight by accredited engineer' and tutoring she needed to apply for professional engineering status (and in the meantime his credentials opened doors for employment). Besides, he obviously needed someone to look out for him. |
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| Service Record | 2371-2373: Galae Academy 2373-2375: assigned to IRW Kurat, fighter squadron 2375: officially MIA after destruction of Kurat in the last battle of the war, quietly spirited away to join a hidden colony of Romulan dissenters 2389: Briefly joins the Republic side of the romulan Civil War 2391: Leaves the Republic and takes work as she can find it outside Romulan space |