Kaelen

Character Information

Gender		Male
Species		Denobulan
Age		93
Date of Birth		2305
Place of Birth		Tolaris, Denobula Triaxa

Physical Appearance

Height		178
Weight		78
Hair Color		Light Brown
Eye Color		Blue Grey
Physical Description		Like most Denobulans, Kaelen has the prominent facial ridges, pronounced toe-nails, and wide, expressive smile characteristic of his species. His features are generally seen as handsome, and his smile, once a constant beacon, now appears more deliberate. He maintains a fit physique from a lifetime of Starfleet service but now dresses in practical, durable civilian clothing—often a mix of fabrics and styles from different cultures—rather than a uniform. He has a small, faded scar on his chin from a tense "diplomatic incident" on the Klingon border decades ago.

Ship Identification

Duty Shift

Alpha

Family

Spouse		None
Children		None
Father		Joral (234)
Mother		Rellida (255)
Brother(s)		Many
Sister(s)		Many
Other Family		He's Denobulan, so yes.

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Outwardly, Kaelen remains the picture of Denobulan joviality. He is amicable, quick to smile, and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of amusing anecdotes from his decades in the Diplomatic Corps. He uses this natural charisma as both a tool and a shield. Internally, he is a man transformed. The betrayal at the New Valdore system shattered his idealism, replacing it with a quiet, hardened cynicism and a deep distrust of large, monolithic organizations, especially the Federation and Starfleet. He is still driven by a profound, genuine desire to help people, but his focus has shifted from serving an ideal to protecting individuals. He is fiercely inquisitive, a trait that now borders on paranoia, as he constantly looks for the hidden motive or the "lie behind the report." While he loves to socialize, he has become uncharacteristically private, keeping his true plans and feelings close to his chest. He is a man caught between his innate, optimistic nature and the harsh cynicism his experiences have forced upon him.
Strengths & Weaknesses		+Deep Empathy: Genuinely cares for the plight of individuals and can connect with people on a personal, emotional level. +Master Negotiator: Decades of experience allow him to read a room, de-escalate conflict, and find common ground where others see none. +Charismatic & Jovial: His Denobulan nature makes him naturally likeable and disarming, allowing him to build trust quickly (even if he no longer gives his own). +Resilient & Adaptable: Has survived high-stakes political encounters and personal crises, always finding a way to move forward, albeit on a new path. +Meticulous & Patient: A skill honed by his hobby, he is capable of extraordinary patience and attention to detail when working on a problem he cares about. -Deep-Seated Cynicism: Believes all large organizations are inherently corrupt and self-serving, making him unwilling to trust potential allies (like Starfleet). -Prone to Guilt: Carries the weight of the "New Valdore" incident personally and blames himself for his naivety, leading him to sometimes be over-cautious. -Socially Isolated: While surrounded by "friends," he has no true confidantes and has walled himself off emotionally as a defense mechanism, uncharacteristic for his species. -Secretive: His newfound paranoia causes him to withhold information, which can alienate those trying to help him. -Righteous Stubbornness: Once he believes a person or group is "the victim," he will defend them with a reckless disregard for political nuance or personal safety.
Ambitions		His primary ambition is to create a tangible, independent support network for displaced peoples, refugees, and colonies that have been failed or exploited by major galactic powers. He seeks to provide them with the resources (medical, technological, informational) to remain autonomous and safe. He is not trying to build a new government, but rather a "shield" to protect the powerless from the powerful.
Hobbies & Interests		-Restoration of Antique Toys: He meticulously restores complex mechanical toys and trinkets from hundreds of cultures (e.g., antique Vulcan logic puzzles, 22nd-century Andorian wind-up figures). He finds the process meditative and a way to "fix" something broken. -Telling Stories: A master raconteur, he loves sharing (heavily edited) stories from his diplomatic career, often over a strong drink. -Study of Historical Treaties: He obsessively studies failed treaties and broken promises from galaxy-wide history, looking for patterns and loopholes. -Collecting "Exoneration" Data: Secretly compiles data on Federation/Starfleet actions that he deems "unethical," hoping to one day find a way to expose the truth.
Sexual Orientation		Heterosexual
Language(s) Spoken		Federation Standard (Fluent); Denobulan (Fluent); Romulan (Fluent);; Klingon (Proficient); Vulcan (Conversational); Cardassian (Basic)

History

Personal History		Born on Denobula, Kaelen zov-Joral was an anomaly. While his peers were content with Denobula's communal, planetary-focused society, Kaelen was always looking up at the stars. This uncharacteristic wanderlust led him to the one place that could satisfy it: Starfleet. His natural Denobulan charisma and jovial attitude made him a poor fit for the command track but a perfect candidate for the Diplomatic Corps. For nearly 60 years, Kaelen was the Federation's ideal diplomat. He rose through the ranks, negotiating landmark treaties, calming border skirmishes, and making countless first contacts. He genuinely believed in the Federation's ideals—in justice, truth, and mutual cooperation. His life was his work; uncharacteristically for a Denobulan, he never married or had children, pouring all his energy into his career and the "good" he believed he was doing. This all changed in 2394 with the "Aen'Val Evacuation." Kaelen was hand-picked for a critical humanitarian mission: convince a colony of 50,000 desperate Romulan survivors to evacuate their new home, Aen'Val. These colonists had spent their entire collective wealth for a one-way, chartered passage to the planet, which was located in the New Valdore system. It was their last and only hope, and they were planet-bound with no ships to leave. Kaelen was told the New Valdore star was unstable and would soon scour the planet with radiation. Believing the lie, Kaelen spent two months on Aen'Val, living with the desperate colonists. He used his genuine empathy and the deep trust he built with the colony's governor to, in the end, convince them to abandon their final dream. He saw it as a painful but necessary rescue. Only after the last transport warped away did he learn the truth from the presiding Admiral: the sensor data was a "simulation," a fabrication. The planet was perfectly stable, but it was also the only viable location for a critical, strategic Federation sensor array. They had no choice but to lie to him, since he had to believe the data was real in order to not be sniffed out by Romulan telepathic probes. The realization that he had been used—that his own empathy was the weapon the Federation used to displace 50,000 people—broke him. He was not a savior; he was a tool of displacement. The Romulans had trusted him, and he had failed them. The incident shattered his faith. After a brief, quiet sabbatical, Kaelen resigned his commission. He left Starfleet, his career, and his entire life behind. Now, he operates on the fringes, using his old contacts and vast knowledge of galactic politics to do what he thought he was doing all along: helping those at the mercy of the great powers, ensuring there are no more "Aen'Vals."
Service Record		2340 - 2394 Starfleet Diplomatic Corps