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Chief Petty Officer Vera Novak
Name Vera Elziabeth Novak
Position Strategic Operations Officer
Second Position Intelligence Officer
Rank Chief Petty Officer
Character Information
| Gender | Female | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 32 | |
| Nick Name | Vera |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'6" | |
| Weight | 140 | |
| Hair Color | Red | |
| Eye Color | Green | |
| Physical Description | Vera stands 5'6" with a compact, athletic build that reflects years of physical training and field operations. Her auburn-red hair is often pulled back messily from long hours at her console, practical rather than styled. Sharp green eyes that miss nothing dominate her angular face with pronounced cheekbones, usually set in a serious expression that suggests constant analysis. Her wiry strength comes from intensive Intelligence training, and she moves with nervous energy - always in motion, always alert. She tends toward practical clothing that's often slightly rumpled from working late into ship's night. When thinking intensely, she fidgets constantly, and has a tendency to lean forward when speaking that can feel invasive of personal space. Her voice carries clipped, precise speech patterns that sometimes sound like she's delivering Intelligence briefings even in casual conversation. The overall impression is someone who's always "on duty" even during off-hours. |
Family
| Spouse | Ian Carmicheal (divorced) | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Dylan | |
| Mother | Amy | |
| Brother(s) | George, 35 Willis 28 | |
| Sister(s) | Karla 25 | |
| Other Family | Various Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc. |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Core Traits: Aggressive problem-solver - Believes in decisive action over careful deliberation Rule-flexible - Views regulations as guidelines that can be bent for mission success Adrenaline-seeking - Misses the rush of Intelligence work and unconsciously recreates it Cynically pragmatic - Years of Intelligence work eroded idealistic Federation values Professionally competent - Undeniably skilled at tactical analysis and strategic planning Emotionally guarded - Maintains distance from colleagues to avoid attachment Interpersonal Dynamics: Vera struggles with appropriate workplace boundaries, often treating Strategic Operations assignments like Intelligence missions. She pushes back against orders she considers too cautious, questions command decisions when she thinks she knows better, and struggles to understand why her colleagues don't share her willingness to bend rules. She forms quick, intense professional relationships but lacks depth in personal connections. Her tendency to view people as assets or liabilities rather than colleagues creates friction with those seeking genuine friendship. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Strengths: Exceptional tactical analysis - Can identify vulnerabilities and opportunities others miss Crisis performance - Thrives under pressure when others panic Unconventional thinking - Intelligence background provides creative problem-solving approaches Technical proficiency - Expert in sensor systems, data analysis, and tactical computers Combat readiness - Maintains physical fitness and weapons proficiency Weaknesses: Poor judgment about appropriate risk - Intelligence mindset doesn't translate to regular Starfleet operations Authority issues - Challenges superior officers when she disagrees with their assessment Impulsive decision-making - Acts first, considers consequences later Difficulty with teamwork - Prefers lone-wolf operations over collaborative planning Unresolved trauma - The failed mission haunts her, affecting judgment in similar situations |
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| Ambitions | Conscious ambitions: Return to Intelligence operations - She tells herself she's "done" with Intelligence, but constantly seeks opportunities that blur the line between Strategic Ops and Intelligence work Warrant Officer rank - Prove she's valuable enough to advance despite her checkered record Vindication - Show that her methods work and the mission failure wasn't truly her fault Respect from Intelligence community - Maintain connections with former colleagues to prove she's still "one of them" Unconscious drives: Redemption through risk - Believes successfully completing dangerous operations will erase the past failure Recapture lost identity - Desperately misses being an Intelligence operative and tries to recreate that role Prove she's still desirable - After divorce and career setback, needs validation of her worth Personal Goals: Stated desires: Find a relationship with someone who "understands" the realities of dangerous work Build a stable life in Strategic Operations Move past the trauma of the failed mission Actual patterns: Sabotages stability by pursuing unavailable men (like Ryan) Recreates dangerous situations that mirror her Intelligence work Avoids genuine emotional intimacy while seeking physical validation Long-term aspirations: Eventually transfer back to Intelligence (though this is unlikely given her record) Become indispensable to whatever department she's in Find purpose and meaning she lost when Intelligence career ended Self-destructive elements: The gap between her stated goals (stability, moving forward) and her actual behavior (risk-seeking, boundary violations, pursuing married men) reveals someone who hasn't processed her trauma or accepted her new reality. She's stuck trying to be who she was rather than adapting to who she needs to become. |
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| Hobbies & Interests | High-Risk Activities: Extreme holoprograms - Combat simulations, survival scenarios, dangerous environments Rock climbing and free climbing - Prefers challenging routes with real risk Combat sports - Participates in ship's martial arts tournaments, boxes, practices knife fighting Velocity - Plays aggressively, takes unnecessary risks to win Zero-G acrobatics - Any activity that provides adrenaline rush Intelligence-Adjacent Activities: Tactical wargaming - Obsessively studies historical battles and asymmetric warfare Code-breaking and cryptography - Maintains skills from Intelligence days Surveillance and counter-surveillance theory - Reads classified journals she shouldn't have access to Interrogation psychology - Studies behavioral analysis and manipulation techniques Social Activities: Bar culture - Spends off-duty time drinking with crew, often too much Casual gambling - Poker games, dom-jot betting, small stakes that sometimes escalate Late-night strategy discussions - Finds junior officers to debate tactical scenarios with Gym partnerships - Works out with others but makes it competitive and intense Solitary Pursuits: Intelligence reports - Reads archived mission reports, especially from failed operations Weapons maintenance - Spends time cleaning and modifying personal weapons beyond regulation Old spy novels and thrillers - Romanticizes the Intelligence lifestyle she lost Starship system analysis - Studies ship vulnerabilities and weaknesses "just in case" |
| Personal History | Early Career (2390-2398) Vera enlisted in Starfleet at 18, showing immediate aptitude for tactical analysis and intelligence gathering. She was recruited into Intelligence Operations within two years, spending eight years as an Intelligence Operations Specialist. During this time, she worked on counter-terrorism operations, infiltration support, and tactical assessment in hostile territories. The Incident (2398): A deep-cover operation went catastrophically wrong, resulting in civilian casualties and the compromise of multiple Intelligence assets. While Vera wasn't directly responsible, she was part of the operational team, and the experience left her with significant trauma and a drastically altered worldview about acceptable risk and operational ethics. Transfer to Strategic Operations (2399): Following mandatory psychological evaluation and debriefing, Vera requested transfer out of Intelligence. Her skills made her valuable for Strategic Operations, and her rank of Chief Petty Officer transferred smoothly. However, her Intelligence instincts and methods remain deeply ingrained. Assignment to USS Valkyrie (2400): The cutting-edge Vesta-class ship represents both a fresh start and a return to the kind of high-stakes operations that simultaneously excite and haunt her. |
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| Service Record |