USS Galileo :: Biography - Rayze

SUBNAVIGATION

NEW CHARACTERS

Liam O'Connor
Engineering Officer
PNPC

Jonathon DeLaney
Deputy Engineering Officer

Katja Becker
Medical Officer
PNPC

Theo Winters
Crew Family
PNPC

Serran
Operations Manager

Stats

11 Mission Posts
1 Personal Logs

Last Post

08 Jan 2017 @ 10:00pm

Lieutenant JG Rayze

Name Rayze

Position Chief Security Officer

Rank Lieutenant JG

Basic Info
Personality
History
CPS

Character Information

Gender		Male
Species		Risian
Age		39
Date of Birth		June 12th, 2351
Place of Birth		Suraya Bay, Risa

Character Type

Starfleet ID

Serial Number		OG-291-4005
Security Clearance		Level 5
Duty Watch		Alpha

Physical Appearance

Height		6’ (1.83 m)
Weight		175 lbs (79.3 kg)
Hair Color		Blonde
Eye Color		Blue
Physical Description		Rayze is a tall man with an athletic, solidly built body. He keeps himself in shape and fit with daily physical training and has a naturally mesomorphic build. His skin tans easily giving it a golden hue, but long months spent on shipboard duty pales the tone. Like many Risians, he has what many races might consider handsome features and looks younger than his actual age due to aging slower than humans. Rayze's hair is a summer blonde colour, with a sandy base and sunny highlights, while his eyes are a bright sky blue.
Body Art		Rayze wears the ja’risia, a small golden pendant on his forehead that signifies his philosophical caste, only when off duty, abiding by Starfleet regulations limiting jewelry when in uniform. This particular symbol is called la’tizat, roughly translating as ‘path of justice’, and is mostly associated with Risian law enforcement. Rayze also has a tattoo of Starfleet’s 111st Peregrine Squadron, the “Falcons”, on his right bicep, in shades of black, gold, and blue.

Family

Spouse		None
Children		None
Father		Hagraln, 61; Weather Control Technician, Risa
Mother		Yavaya, Deceased; Petty Officer 3rd Class, Starfleet
Brother(s)		Makketh, 37; Nuvian Masseur, Risa
Other Family		Rayze has a few aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins, most of whom live on Risa.

Personality & Traits

General Overview		The Risian way of life remains one of the strongest influences on Rayze's personality to this day. He embodies many of their qualities still, such as hedonism and passion, the joy to be found in sharing the delights of the universe with others, and the innumerable benefits of pleasure, relaxation, and peace. However, circumstances in his life have forced him to change over time and to adapt new views that no average Risian would recognise. Rayze has learned the perils of all-consuming revenge, both the harm and the uses that violence can bring, and the power of tragic loss first hand. For many years he struggled to adapt to and survive these lessons, and though he has come to understand and accept that the universe doesn't always work the way his people wish it could, being a Starfleet Officer and a Risian still requires a constant vigilance of self. In any potentially violent situation Rayze will try to find the least destructive path if possible, but if left with no other choice he will respond with force, and favours tactics in both ship and ground engagements that turn an enemy's strength against them. His tranquil and harmonious nature often sets him apart from those Security personnel that see themselves as warriors primarily, and he takes no pride in his abilities in combat no matter how skilled he may be. As a leader, Rayze prefers to focus his teams on the peace-officer role of Security, putting high value on ideas such as responsibility, service, justice, and commitment. He is welcoming of individual personalities and new ideas, making him an easy man to work for. However, his noticeable lack of decorum at times, most commonly seen in the way he addresses superior officers by name rather than rank and his unusual ideas on how to run a Security department, can sometimes give more strict commanding officers fits. Off duty, Rayze is much like one might expect from a Risian. He pursues pleasure and comfort eagerly, always seemingly glad to have others join him or even to serve them in some manner to increase their own enjoyment. Rayze finds a silver-lining in just about any situation, a reason to smile and laugh even when things seem gloomy, and his easy-going enthusiasm for life is often infectious. Sharing bliss or thrills with others is always his preferred way to exist, but even if left to his own devices for a long time Rayze can find ways to keep himself amused and entertained. When it comes to romantic encounters, he is quite typically Risian, finding satisfaction with multiple partners he finds appealing, rather than limiting himself to a single person, and can find something attractive in many different species. Though some might consider him flighty and shallow because of his behaviour, he can show remarkable depths discussing topics ranging from art and philosophy, to history and tactics, or offering the benefits of his experience to others.
Strengths		Friendly, accepting, and a born polyglot, Rayze's greatest strength is communication, a feature natural to most Risians and honed through their exposure to the many different species that frequent their homeworld. His Starfleet training has helped Rayze become a good pilot, a compassionate leader, and when the need arises, a capable fighter. While he seems to know a little bit about a lot of different topics, his service in the fleet has focused on advanced starship and ground tactics, weaponry use and maintenance, anti-terrorist tactics, small ship piloting, military history, and survival. While he appreciates the tried and tested tactics, Rayze can sometimes come up with unorthodox and unexpected methods of achieving a goal.
Weaknesses		One of the most notable weaknesses that Rayze just can't seem to surmount is his lack of military propriety. While he can follow most regulations and requirements without issue, he frequently forgets to address superior officers by rank, can be very forward and too familiar with other officers and crew, and takes what happens on the job personally. This has resulted in numerous mentions in his record from commanding officers over the years, though none exactly serious meaning to serve as a head’s up and warning to the next CO that has to deal with him, and has delayed his promotions compared to others with similar experience. Rayze especially takes any violent act that he commits that harms another to heart, and though he can usually wait till a crisis is over to deal with the consequences of his actions it can take him a long time to accept these events and move on. Outside of weapon and fighter maintenance, he does not have the skill for engineering tasks, and even these require constant practise with to maintain acceptable levels. Rayze is at best only basically qualified on first aid in the field, and has a hard time dealing with blood and injuries.
Ambitions		Rayze hopes to someday earn a command of his own, preferably on a ship of exploration, though seems in no rush to get there. He believes that he still has much to learn about being an officer, a leader, and a man, and is content to allow this growth to come naturally over time.
Hobbies & Interests		Rayze is familiar, at least on a superficial level, of a surprising number of different topics and activities, the better to communicate and engage with people from many different walks of life. He is often reading or trying out new things, though moves on quickly to the next exciting thing that catches his eye. This means that while he might have some experience with something, he is almost always at best an amateur enthusiast. The only activities that Rayze excels in are meditation, rock climbing, swimming, mixology, and language.
Vernacular		He speaks with enthusiasm and happiness at most times, friendly and familiar even with complete strangers. When called upon to defuse a tense situation, Rayze can switch to a more measured and reasonable tone, talking people down out of desperate action.
Orientation		Bisexual
Language(s) Spoken		Federation Standard, Risian, Orion, Ferengi, Deltan, Kitarian, Bolian, Gazerite, Caitian

Personal History		"Every life is a march from innocence, through temptation, to virtue or vice."" -Lyman Abbott Rayze was born during the Risian spring in the beautiful resort town of Suraya Bay, a community built onto a series of stunning cliffs before one of the most pristine beaches that Risa has to offer. Exclusive, with a waiting list for guests that sometimes extended into years before one could visit, Suraya Bay is one of the most cosmopolitan and diverse towns on the Risian homeworld. He is the elder of two children by Yavaya and Hagraln during their brief liaison with one another, brother to Makketh. Hagraln worked in the nearby weather control center, the important planet-wide network that keeps Risa the lush tropical paradise is it renowned for being. His brother also remained on Risa, becoming a Nuvian masseur, the highly-skilled massage therapists that spend years in training before perfecting their art. Rayze’s mother was originally a resort caretaker that saw to the needs and desires of their guests, but eventually surprised everyone by enlisting in Starfleet after her children had reached adolescence, and it was her example that eventually lead to Rayze joining Starfleet as well. Growing up on Risa, Rayze was exposed to dozens of alien races and cultures, each one more fascinating than the last. A bright boy, he did well at his schooling, but like most other Risian children, he was allowed to proceed at his own pace, to be a kid and enjoy it for as long as it lasted. Considering the luxuries, comforts, environments, and opportunities that Risa offers, it was a gloriously happy, if rather pampered, upbringing. Rayze showed an early talent for language, picking up phrases from alien guests in the resort quickly, and at least until his mother left for Starfleet it seemed that the boy would be content to spend his days on the homeworld. He began to study mixology and helping out on some of the floating bars when he grew tall enough to see over the counters. The 2360s were a time of frequent strife for the Federation, and the reason why Rayze's mother decided to join Starfleet. At first, he couldn’t understand. Why would she leave paradise and the children who loved her so deeply for a life of hardship and, worse, the violence that was such an antithesis to their pacifist culture? Rayze was quite happy with his life on Risa, couldn’t imagine trading it in for anything. That all changed in an instant; when Rayze received word of his mother's death during the Battle of Wolf 359, the young man's mind opened to new, and sometimes dark ideas that began to set him apart from his people. The details of the brutal attack were slow to reach them, but when his mother’s former CO, Captain Rachel Smith, made a point of stopping at Risa to meet with Yavaya’s family, Rayze learned all about the merciless Borg and his mother’s death. The complete unfairness of it all, and the certainty in the captain’s eyes that there was worse yet to come in the galaxy, led him to feel something very un-Risian: the desire for revenge. He could no longer be content being a bartender on his peaceful tropical planet, and reapplied himself to his academic studies with a surprising passion. Those years spent in study were difficult, as he needed some kind of outlet for the uncharacteristic and sometimes violent thoughts he struggled with. Having been raised a pacifist, one who had lost his faith in the ideal, there was little help for him beyond focusing on his goal, and over time he honed his need for revenge into a powerful, ambitious drive. By the time he was of age, in 2369, he'd managed to meet the educational requirements for applying to Starfleet Academy, and was given a letter of recommendation by Captain Smith who had stayed in touch with the young man and helped guide him on his path to the fleet.
Starfleet History		"Instead of a man of peace and love, I have become a man of violence and revenge." -Hiawatha At San Francisco, Rayze had to learn to adapt to a surprising level of discipline and lack of luxuries, the former of which a problem that he often only just squeezed by, the latter less painfully broken through no other choice. The hedonistic young man found it difficult to adjust at times, and encountered his fair share of incredulity and prejudice from those who thought it laughable that a Risian would join the service. Rayze was immediately drawn to piloting, enjoying the rush and challenge of being a fighter pilot, but even more the chance it might give him to fight his perceived nemesis. That too caused some raised eyebrows. It was odd enough that a Risian would abandon his peaceful philosophy to join Starfleet. Becoming a fighter pilot, a role whose express purpose was for combat, was beyond strange, but his performance and dedication were good enough in other areas, and his ability to obscure the truth through his cleverness in conversation was up to the task, the Academy instructors and counselors could never truly find anything wrong with his ambition. His leadership skills were honed by the instructors even as he learned to fly, and by the time of his senior year at the Academy Rayze had become a cadet squadron commander. Rayze earned a commendation to his Academy record for his performance as a leader that partially offset his citations for lack of decorum, and graduated in 2373. Rayze was assigned to the USS Hurricane, an Akira Class vessel, as a fighter pilot, and his first experience of real combat came far sooner than he expected. The Borg launched an attack against the Federation and Earth in 2373, and the Hurricane was one of the vessels that engaged the cube in the Battle of Sector 001. Their losses were extreme, and Rayze's fighter sustained heavy damage which he nearly did not survive. Having faced the Borg so soon after graduation, and having been so soundly defeated by them, Rayze faced another existential crisis. No matter how brash he’d been, the risks he’d taken, the paths of his own people he’d rejected, he’d failed in his desires to avenge his mother. Worse yet, thousands of officers and personnel had been lost on over twenty ships, and Earth itself had nearly fallen. The Borg hadn’t been moved one bit by Rayze’s losses, his rage, or even his skills, or from any of those who sacrificed that day, and that was a horrible realisation to face. "I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." -Dwight D. Eisenhower There was little time for Rayze to begin to sort through his actions and beliefs after the Borg attack, as soon after the Dominion began the war against the Federation-Klingon Alliance. Rayze continued to serve as a member of the 111st Peregrine Squadron, posted on numerous ships and stations during the first years when the Federation fell back on all fronts from the onslaught of the Dominion and Cardassian forces. The casualties in the fleet were high, and the life expectancy of the fighter pilots was less than three missions; Rayze survived every bit as much through more than a fair share of luck as he did through skill, participating in numerous battles during the war. By the time the Alliance forces struck at Cardassia Prime, Rayze had been promoted in position to flight leader and in rank, partly from his own merits but mostly due to the severe shortage of trained pilots by the end of the conflict. With the end of the Dominion War, Starfleet entered a period of rebuilding and recovery. Now that the dust of years of conflict began to settle, Rayze could no longer focus on his job to keep himself going, to push away all the doubts and troubles that had been building up since he’d first learned of his mother’s death. Rayze sought counseling to deal with his grief and trauma, and he suffered from the loss of many friends and colleagues, the loss of his own culture he thought he had betrayed and abandoned on a failed personal quest, but also the lives he had taken himself. Sorting out his emotions and beliefs was a slow process that took years, during which Rayze’s career seemed to stagnate as he went from one sector to another, with extremely long rotations on border patrols and escort duty. He slowly began to understand it wasn't just the violence of the war that had disturbed him so deeply, but it was the injustice of the lives that had been lost that was the hardest issue he had to come to terms with. Nearly half a decade after the end of the Dominion War, Rayze's rank and duties had remained the same, but he had begun to explore new ideas and philosophies that would help him learn to cope, eventually turn him into a better leader, and would lead him into the next stage of his career. "We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves." -Dalai Lama In 2380, Rayze applied for a transfer out of the fighter pilot wing and into Security, as the idea of being an officer who served and protected others suited him far better than his previous role. The following years were a welcome change to him, a chance to work towards peace, both in the Federation and in his own soul. While he continued to climb the ranks slowly, still mainly due to his overt familiarity with his superiors and peers, Rayze gained a lot of needed seasoning on numerous missions over the next decade. A number of further encounters with the Borg on the outskirts of the Alpha Quadrant were a crucible for Rayze, testing the peace he’d made with himself and his past. Despite his traumatic experiences he earned recognition as a very capable if rather unorthodox officer. In late 2390, Rayze was tapped for a leadership position once again, this time to serve as the Security Chief of the USS Galileo, his first major promotion in over fifteen years.
Medical History		Rayze has suffered numerous injuries during his years in Starfleet, both as a fighter pilot and later as a Security officer. Though he recovered from physical injuries fully each and every time, the psychological trauma has been a constant companion with him since his very first mission against the Borg. Through consistent counseling, as well as dedicated meditation practises, Rayze maintains a sometimes precarious balance of his peaceful beliefs and the occasional need for violence.
Service Record		EARLY LIFE 2351: Born June 12th at Suraya Bay, Risa 2351-2369: Lived and educated on Risa EARLY STARFLEET CAREER 2369-2373: Cadet, Starfleet Academy, Earth 2373: Ensign, Fighter Pilot, 111st Peregrine Squadron, USS Hurricane; vessel destroyed in the Battle of Sector 001 DOMINION WAR & RECOVERY 2373-2374: Ensign, Fighter Pilot, USS Manoora 2374-2375: Lieutenant (jg), Flight Leader, 111st Peregrine Squadron, USS Hakaido, USS Geronimo, Starbase 15, USS Kansas, Starbase 37, USS Miami 2375-2380: Lieutenant (jg), Flight Leader, 111st Peregrine Squadron, USS Churchill, USS Odyssey CURRENT STARFLEET CAREER 2380-2382: Lieutenant (jg), Security/Tactical Officer, USS Odyssey 2382-2390: Lieutenant (jg), Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Tethys 2390-Present: Lieutenant (jg), Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Galileo

Character Progression System

CPS Option

DISABLED

Skills and Perks

Skill Training