HD02 - Tactical Cadet Ethan Diaz

[Amelina Whittaker]

== Welcome to your holodeck, Cadet Diaz

Read the following information carefully, because it has a fair amount of important information for you.  If you have any questions or difficulties at any time, please contact one of the following people for assistance.  We’d be glad to help you out.

Commander Jasal
Commander Shanth 
Captain Allen 

Remember, during your time at the Academy, people have responsibilities such as school, jobs, and family, as well as maintaining our site. There are times when we may have to wait longer than we’d like for a reply to a post or a question. Patience and treating each other with respect and dignity are two things that are absolutely required of all members.

On the flip side, the Constitution states that players need to post at least twice a week.  If you find you are unable to keep up due to something coming up in real-life responsibilities or you’re just going to be on holiday, please let one of the Admins know.  You can be granted a leave of absence for the length of time you think you’ll be away.  If you don’t let us know and you suddenly disappear, this could end with you being considered AWOL and eventually removed from the active cadet roster.

Now… with all of that said, let’s get to your character’s bio!

Please begin by posting your bio using the template below. Once posted, your bio will be reviewed by an Evaluations representative. They will post comments for you and suggest any adjustments your bio might require.  Once they approve your bio, you will be assigned an instructor and your adventure will begin!

Federation Space is a written RPG. With that said, we ask that you try to pay attention to spelling and grammar in your posts.  Posts properly formatted are easier and more enjoyable for everyone to read. I strongly recommend you run your bio and any posts you make through a spell check before posting them.

Next are a few resources that can help you as you write your bio:

Be sure to check out playable races.

Our character development page is a great resource to help you fill out your bio form.

One last thing, please take time to read and understand our site’s canon page.  This will help you understand what 'Trek' related information is included on our site.

Again, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  And as always - have fun!

== Physical Description ==
Name:
Species:
Gender:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Build/Body Type:
Complexion:
Hair Color:
Hair Style:
Eye Color:
Voice:
Off-Duty Clothing Taste:
Distinguishing Features:

== Personal History ==
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Marital Status:
Siblings Name & Ages:
Mother's Name:
Father's Name:
Parent's Status:
Pets:
Best Friend:
Personal History:

== Personality ==
Academy Majors:
Academy Minors:
Hobbies & Past-Times:
Short-Term Goals:
Long-Term Goals:
Personality:
Sense of Humor:
Phobias:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Pet Peeves/Gripes:
Bad Habits / Vices:
Achievements:
Disappointments:
Illnesses:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Fears:
Prejudices:

== Questions ==
Most Painful Experience:
Best Time:
Most Crucial Experience:
Role Model:
Referrer / How you found Fed Space (If 'Google' or 'Search Engine', please specify the search engine and the term searched for):

==

== Tag Diaz ==

[Ethan Diaz]

== Physical Description ==

Name: Diaz, Ethan K.

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 24

Height: 6 ft., 1 in. (185 cm.)

Weight: 195 lbs. (88 kg.)

Build/Body Type: Athletic / Moderately Muscular Build

Complexion: Moderately Tanned

Hair Color: Ash Brown

Hair Style: Medium Length, Low-Taper Fade

Eye Color: Jade / Pale Green

Voice: Warm, Resonant

Off-Duty Clothing Taste: Ethan generally favors modern business casual or other modest styles, but will wear more provincial or utilitarian clothing during extended non-working periods

Distinguishing Features: N.A.


== Personal History ==

Date of Birth: 26 November, (Birth Year Not Specified)

Place of Birth: MUNICIPALITY/SETTLEMENT: Sol Valley—STATE/TERRITORY: Commonwealth of Easthaven—PLANET: Lambda Minor

Marital Status: Single

Sibling/s Name & Ages: Lauren Diaz—27, Sofia Diaz—25

Mother's Name: Veronica Diaz

Father's Name: Angelo Diaz

Parent's Status: Angelo Diaz—Active Employment (Full-Time), Veronica Diaz—Semi-Active Employment (Retired)

Pet/s: “Butch” (Species: Dog—Breed: “Cane Corso” Italian Mastiff )

Best Friend: Connor Lloyd (Civilian) 

Personal History: Ethan Diaz was born in Easthaven, Lambda Minor to Angelo and Veronica Diaz on November 26th, [Birth Year Not Specified]. He spent his childhood and adolescent years in Sol Valley, a mostly rural community tied to the planet’s energy industry. Ethan was the youngest of three children in a typical middle-class family and grew up on his father’s ancestral estate, a large solar farm comprising several thousand acres of land. From a young age, he demonstrated a uniquely individualistic personality and highly creative mind, and soon developed an interest in the arts. By all accounts, he had a peaceful childhood, immersed in the rich agricultural and conservationist tradition of the Lambda Colonies. In his adolescent years, however, he struggled in school, underperforming academically and yearning for a career outside of the power companies. Teachers often described him as undisciplined or lacking motivation, and Ethan's rebellious phase culminated in his developing an addiction to blackstone—a mild mineral stimulant consumed by igniting it and inhaling the fumes. While he was able to graduate from high school, he came to be almost constantly at odds with his family and felt his life had become directionless. 

Ethan’s decision to join Starfleet was largely influenced by his maternal uncle Jason Doheny, a highly-decorated retired Master Chief Petty Officer in Starfleet’s Security Forces. Doheny was the recipient of a Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained while rescuing fellow crewmen during an attack on his vessel by the Cardassian Navy. Among several other recurring health problems, Doheny's injuries resulted in substantial post-surgery scars following extensive facial reconstruction. He assisted Veronica in reconnecting with her angry and misguided son and supported Ethan through his personal rehabilitation process. At Doheny's encouragement, Ethan began taking Starfleet aptitude tests a few months after his eighteenth birthday and found that his language and writing literacy levels qualified him for the Officer Candidate Delayed Entry Program. With help from his uncle and an active-duty sponsor, he passed the vetting process and was allowed to apply for Starfleet Academy. Ethan scored in the bottom third range on the entrance exam and was formally admitted as an officer candidate at age 20. 

After being sworn in, Ethan was ordered to Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, where he would elect to study under a Command and Control curriculum, majoring in Tactical Control Operations and minoring in Galactic History and Logic and Rhetoric Studies. His academic career was middling at best, but his standing as a cadet would improve when his more positive qualities came to light. While Ethan consistently struggled with his coursework—particularly in math and sciences—his instructors would notice that he was exceptionally courteous, well-read, and could be an effective facilitator for his fellow cadets on occasion. Most importantly, he would prove to be resilient in the face of failure and adversity. Ethan went on to attain high marks in subjects such as marksmanship, literature, and military communication, and etiquette. His physical fitness and simulator scores also steadily improved each semester, which helped to prevent him from washing out. By now a man changed immeasurably for the better, Ethan would go on to become the "anchor" of his class (a traditional term of affection that refers to the cadet who graduates last) and proudly received his commission in [Year Not Specified] . 


== Personality ==

Academy Major/s: Tactical Control Operations

Academy Minor/s: Galactic History, Logic and Rhetoric Studies

Hobbies & Past-Times:
- Painting
- Woodworking
- Hiking
- Reading
- Writing (Creative and Philosophical)
- Film Study (Mid-22nd Century—Late 23rd Century)

Short-Term Goals: Ethan's most immediate objective is to establish himself as a reliable junior officer by earning all of the necessary Operational Proficiency Certifications (OPCs) required for primary watch standers rated for Bridge Crew duty. He intends to focus specifically on becoming a fully qualified helmsman and conn officer by finding suitable mentors among his department's senior staff. 

Long-Term Goals: Ethan finds himself increasingly motivated by the possibility of being given starship command later in his career and helping to support the Federation's diplomatic missions as a flag officer. He's looking to develop the skills necessary for participating in critical surface operations and leading away teams, which could potentially result in early promotion. Additionally, Ethan hopes to get married and start a family before retiring from service and returning to his homeworld of Lambda Minor to help run his family's business.

Personality: Ethan is a somewhat reserved individual who tends to listen more than he speaks. His life experiences thus far have made him fairly self-conscious, but his social anxieties are usually accompanied by a strict adherence to Starfleet's customs and courtesies that has endeared him to some. He's also loyal to a fault and just as quick to forgive the shortcomings of others, which makes it relatively easy for him to relate to others. Ethan has a surprisingly careful, but sincere style of communicating his thoughts and feelings that has at times been mistaken for a flirtatious manner. 

Sense of Humor: While his personal brand of humor tends to be more "clever", Ethan is quite good at choosing just the right kind of joke based on his audience. He has a real knack for impressions, and will never miss a chance to hear or tell an amusing story if he can help it.

Phobias: [COMMENTS RESERVED FOR SUBJECT'S MEDICAL RECORD—SEE GENERAL PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION FORM "F"]
- Physical sensation of transporting (Minimal)
- Physical proximity to airlocks (Minimal)
- Insects (Moderate)
- Water/swimming (Moderate)

Likes: 
- Horses
- Kung Fu
- Violin music

Dislikes:
- Cold weather
- Nightclubs
- Evening duty shifts

Pet Peeves / Gripes: Ethan can't stand the "tough guy" mentality, and all of the abrasive behaviors that accompany it. He's frustrated by individuals that try to do everything by themselves, and is especially annoyed by the mindset that asking for help is a sign of weakness. He also strictly avoids profanity, innuendo, and immodesty, believing them to be low-class and symptoms of "loud" personalities that impede unit cohesion. 

Bad Habits / Vices: [COMMENTS RESERVED FOR SUBJECT'S MEDICAL RECORD—SEE GENERAL PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION FORM "F"]
Ethan is still subject to residual tendencies pertaining to past substance abuse—more specifically, a moderate blackstone addiction. He smokes occasionally, but typically maintains a limit of 3-5 times per week.

Achievements: The following notations have been attached to Diaz, Ethan K.'s official service record by Starfleet Officer Candidate Training and Education Command (SOCTEC): 
- Cadet Diaz was nominated an “Academic Ambassador” by faculty and senior cadets in his second year at Starfleet Academy for fostering positive interspecies relations by participating in cultural exchange events.
- Cadet Diaz’s deck company won an academy unit citation for receiving first place in the Annual Upperclassmen Close-Order Drill Competition.
- Cadet Diaz was the first runner-up for the Commodore Nick Milligan Artistic Merit Award in recognition of extracurricular work in the humanities that reflects and/or emphasizes the core values of Starfleet.

Disappointments: Ethan's biggest disappointments revolve around mistakes that he made, both in his life and with regard to his personal relationships. Before he had fully matured and made the decision to join Starfleet, his relationship with his parents had been significantly strained. He still experiences a lot of guilt that stems from the fact he didn't mature as quickly as his older sisters, who have been helping run the farm since Ethan left for Starfleet Academy. Most disappointing was the loss of his uncle Jason, who died of health complications less than two weeks before Ethan graduated.

Illnesses: Ethan is prone to occasional bouts of space sickness, for which he is prescribed a quarterly Nonrestricted Pharmaceutical Supplement (NPS) by authorized Starfleet Medical physicians. 

Strengths: Ethan's greatest strengths are his empathy and humility, due in no small part to the lessons he's learned from his worst mistakes. Ethan isn't afraid to admit when he's wrong or volunteer advice when it's applicable. He is also very skilled at communicating complex ideas and generating consensus up and down the chain of command. 

Weaknesses: Ethan can be overly self-critical, which sometimes distracts him from considering things objectively and thinking about the bigger picture. His dedication to duty and desire to make up for his past might also prevent him from voicing dissent or asking questions when necessary. This has also created mental habits which make it hard for Ethan to stand up for himself as opposed to shrugging off insults. 

Fears: Ethan fears dying young, given the many dangers inherent in space travel, and his potential to make mistakes that cost other crew members their lives. Another prominent worry is that Ethan's below-average performance at the Academy will alienate him from his fellow officers and make them reluctant to trust him with real responsibility. As a result of this, Ethan also suffers from "impostor syndrome" to a certain degree; he's concerned that any attempt to further his career will simply be seen as an unreliable crew member trying to curry favor with senior officers. 

Prejudices: Ethan subscribes to the belief that interspecies marriages are medically and culturally unethical. 


== Questions ==

Most Painful Experience: Ethan's most painful experience was undergoing minor drug rehabilitation and counseling as a teenager. It was a period of time that represents deep shame and emotional turmoil, and very nearly prevented him from entering Starfleet in the first place. 

Best Time: The best time of Ethan's life thus far was his final year at Starfleet Academy. While being an upperclassman brought many physical, mental, and emotional challenges, new friendships and the promise of a career among the galaxy's best and brightest helped him to grow significantly as a person. 

Most Crucial Experience: To date, Ethan's most crucial life experience has been his first several months at Starfleet Academy, where he worked hard to regain his confidence and embrace his potential as a leader following a difficult struggle with drug addiction. 

Role Model/s: Ethan's primary role models include his father, his uncle Jason, and a fellow Starfleet officer that served with him, Captain Tanner Martell. Other role models include Captain Jean-Luc Picard and a number of other famous officers, as well as several novelists and artistic intellectuals. 

Referrer / How you found Fed Space (If 'Google' or 'Search Engine', please specify the search engine and the term searched for): I found the site through a wiki article while researching Star Trek content online.

[Amelina Whittaker]

== Congratulations Cadet, your bio has been approved and your Instructor will begin your lessons shortly :-) ==

[Maddie Allen]

== Hello Cadet Diaz and welcome to Federation Space RPG or Fed Space as many here refer to it. This is a great game and community and I’m excited to have you joining us.  I’ll be your Academy Instructor, helping you get ready for your time on ship. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me here or email me.  

Before we move onto the first lesson, I want to make sure you know about the great resource our wiki provides. It has a lot of information, including what your department’s duties will be. Be sure to take some time to review.
 
While you’re checking out our wiki, don’t forget the Academy section. It has a lot of resources for you such as the New Cadet FAQ. We will be using the wiki later in our lessons, so it’s helpful for you to start navigating it now. 
 
With that out of the way, let’s get started with Lesson one: Writing Format
 
Third Person, Past Tense: 
Fed Space has players all over the world so we use a standardized set of formatting rules. By using one style, it makes it easier for everyone to follow and understand each other’s posts.
 
The first thing to know is that our posts are written in third person, past tense.  An example of this style would be: Maddie was so excited to see her son graduate, she nearly fell off her seat.  NOT: I fell off my seat because I was so excited to see my son graduate.
 
We also use double spacing between paragraphs and character’s spoken lines. This means when you write a spoken line with quotation marks “ ”, leave a space after. This makes it easier for players to follow.  A good rule to follow is ‘When in doubt, double space!’
 
Your Character’s Internal Thoughts
To show your character’s own thoughts, we use italics.  When writing your character’s thoughts, it’s acceptable to write in first person.  An example of showing my character’s thoughts: I can’t wait for another cup of chai. Maybe I should make it a dirty chai next time. 
 
Showing Emphasis
To make something really stand out in your post, such as if your character was shouting, we use bold text. An example of showing emphasis could be: Maddie loved a good cup of chai, especially with a bit of vanilla.
 
Telepathic Communication
In general, it is rare a character has the ability to communicate telepathically and because of this, it is closely monitored by our Senior and Commanding Officers to make sure it isn’t abused.  With that said, there are a few telepathic races on Fed Space and on occasion telepaths will speak to each other through this unique skill. An example of telepathic communication is shown like this:  ~ Hello, I am speaking directly into your mind. ~

If your character is not telepathic then, in general, you won’t need to worry about this technique, but I want you to be aware it exists in case you see crewmembers on your ship or others using it. 
 
Using Communication Badges or Comm Badges
Characters can often receive verbal communications through a communication device, such as a comm badge, from another crew member or the computer.  When receiving a message, you should drop the quotations “ ” and instead use brackets [ ].
For example, if I received a message from another officer, it would look something like this:  [Commander Jasal to Captain Allen. We are out of chai.]

If you are the one speaking to somebody through a comm device, you would still use the quotations “ ”.
 
Out Of Character posting or OOC: 
OOC posting is what I’m doing now. OOC text is surrounded by == ==.   Use OOC when you want to talk to another player and not write it as part of the storyline.  You won’t need to do this in general discussion areas such as your ship’s OOC sections like Crew Announcements as well as in Hailing Frequencies. 
 
Proofing Posts: 
When writing a post, it’s important to take time to run your posts through the spell check many writing software offers. Spell check won’t find all grammar and spelling errors, but will find many and help correct errors found. Rereading your post can help catch errors. We don’t need anyone to be a speller or grammar whiz, but taking the time to do this extra step will make it easier for everyone to understand what’s written.
 
A good way to get the feel of these formatting rules and to get a feel of the site in general is to browse the different ship forums. Take some time to look at the different ships. Take time to  notice how our players use the elements listed above.  


With all that said, let’s get to some posting!  Your first assignment is to respond to my post below using the above formatting elements. If you have any questions, ask. Good luck and have fun!   == 

 
The holodeck shimmered to life as Maddie stepped inside.  Sipping liquid from her cup, she tapped a few things on her console, wanting to review the cadet’s file she was to evaluate one last time.  Maddie glanced toward the entrance just as Cadet Diaz arrived. She offered a welcoming smile.

“Cadet Diaz, welcome to your final exam.  I’m excited to be evaluating you.”  She paused to look at the cadet with curiosity. “Before we begin, I would like to know what drew you to tactical... Tell me your story.”
 

== Tag Cadet Diaz  ==

[Ethan Diaz]

== Holodeck 2—0818 Hours ==

Once Ethan was admitted for testing, he headed for his assigned room and was stopped cold by the sight of Captain Allen herself waiting for him. What on earth was the superintendent doing here? He'd heard plenty of theories about what kinds of curveballs the academy might throw at seniors to trip them up on Finals Day, but the Captain coming down to personally watch individual exam sessions wasn't one of them. Inwardly, Ethan felt some of his confidence ebbing away. Screwing up in front of the academy's ranking officer seemed like a pretty foolproof way of getting sent home without a commission. 

Ethan did his best to keep his cool as he approached Holodeck Number Two, nodding in response to Captain Allen's greeting. "Good morning, ma'am," he replied automatically. He wasn't entirely sure what else he should say, so he elected to stay quiet and follow her inside. Then, the doors closed and locked behind them like a tomb being sealed shut. Allen's next words to him required much more careful thought. 

My story? In a word: complicated. Something told Ethan that wasn't really an acceptable answer though, so he kept it to himself. Instead, he took a deep breath and gave her the honest version instead. 

"T.O.s. . . they carry a lot of weight, ma'am," Ethan began, his mouth already beginning to feel dry. "They're in the middle of it no matter where they are. When big decisions get made in the Fleet, those guys see the results first. I guess that's what resonated with me the most when I was joining up. I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not a science whiz, and I'll be the first to admit I'd make a lousy engineer, but to be perfectly honest, I don't mind the idea of being up there with the watch standers. They're leaders, ma'am, and if I'm going to be one, I'd like very much to be where they are."

Too much? No, there was no such thing on Finals Day, Ethan thought. It was the truth. Too many people had pegged him for a jarhead, asked him why he didn't want to ride his career out in Security Forces. He was determined to push himself and make up for the lost time. Forget everyone else and their expectations for "average" cadets. The whole point of this place was to exceed expectations, and if Starfleet gave him a chance, that's exactly what Ethan was going to do. 

== Tag Captain Allen ==