Lieutenant Aristede Steele

Character Information

Gender		Male
Species		El-Aurian
Place of Birth		Turkana IV
Age		60
Date of Birth		April 10, 2331

Physical Appearance

Height		5'10"
Weight		160 lbs.
Hair Color		Black/Curly
Eye Color		Dark Brown
Physical Description		Steele has short, black curly hair and dark eyes alive with intelligence but the thing you notice most when you look at him, is the tattoo that lines the right side of his face. There’s a story behind it but you’ll have to buy him dinner and be prepared to listen to get it. He dresses well, preferring tailored, custom-made clothing when he has a choice but he’s comfortable wherever he is, whether it’s a mud hut or a palace.

Family

Spouse		None
Children		None
Mother		Annyce
Father		Taariq
Siblings		None
Other Family		None by Blood/Many by Choice

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Having grown up listening to stories of the fall of his homeworld, Steele has always understood the fragility of peace and security. Like many children of survivors, he experienced generational trauma that was exacerbated by the locations his parents chose to live such as Freecloud and Turkana IV. He is compassionate by nature with a strong desire to help. Owing to the stories he grew up hearing and the worlds his parents preferred, he has developed an interest in understanding criminal behavior and the more predatory species (Orion Syndicate, Cardassians, Klingons and of course, the Borg). As an El-Aurian, he plays the long game and understands that he has time to do what he wants, time to get the education, to do the work, to achieve understanding and ultimately, maybe to help others escape the fate his own people have suffered. As much as that's true, he's also a bit driven so relaxing, doing nothing, is very hard for him to do. Nearly impossible. If you take him out to a bar, for example, he'll be a part of the group but a part of him will be analyzing what he sees, making notes he'll transcribe later. It's just how he's wired. Physiology > Empathy and limited telepathy > Awareness of the normal flow of time and space and can be affected by changes in the timeline (symptoms including general unease, nausea and vomiting, also called Af-Kelt/Time Sickness > Hears the world like music, every action and word vibrates with a specific resonance, reality can be manipulated by finding and plucking the right chord -- Steele applies this by listening/counseling/helping individuals navigate through their problems/find the right path
Strengths & Weaknesses		Strengths: > Highly intelligent with an eidetic memory that helps in learning languages. He prefers reading originals to translations. > Good with people, an excellent communicator, and observant. Weaknesses: > Straight forward, doesn’t lie, and can be blunt. Not your usual warm and fluffy counselor. > Mistrusts outsiders. Not easy to let someone all the way into his life unless he’s certain they can be trusted; it’s a byproduct of his upbringing but one he’s working to overcome. > No interest in weapons though he’s taken the required academy courses. > His need to understand sometimes directs his actions. So yeah, he’ll volunteer to spend time in a dangerous situation if it means he can gain a better perspective of their view point. > Coffee. He’s not really verbal until he’s had his first cup; more, almost unapproachable before his first cup.
Ambitions		He wants to help and maybe one day, figure out how to relax for more than a few hours.
Hobbies & Interests		> Fascinated by predatory species (like the Cardassians, the Borg, the Klingons). Does a lot of reading, nearly all of it non-fiction > Studies/trains in Krav Maga. Would prefer never to use it but will if he has to because he’s never going to be a victim. Period. > Loves live theater/concerts. Has been known to arrange his shore leave so that he can attend an opening. Knows a lot of people in the performing arts. > Enjoys good food, better wine, and conversation. He's a cook. > Participating in holodeck historical fiction
Languages Spoken		El-Aurian, Federation Standard, Vulcan, Cardassian, Klingon, Orion

Background		Born in 2331 on Turkana IV. His parents, Anyce and Taariq were born in the city of Lauresse on El Auria; both escaped when the Borg attacked and wandered for some time. Aristede was born on a freighter, the “Bon Chance”, while Taariq, who had an interest in medicine, was working as their medic as a way to pay their passage. The loss of their homeworld by the Borg had a profound effect on his parents, so much so that they made sure their son knew the stories. Told them every year and as a result, caused harm to their son’s sense of security. As a teenager, unwilling to listen (yet again) to the tales of their fallen homeworld and their hatred of the Borg, Steele spent time with the local criminal element and while he never joined one, he was fascinated by the subculture. He was given a tattoo to signify his status as ‘friend’ rather than a full-on member. When he came home with the tattoo, his parents were upset. Within the month, over Steele’s very vocal protests, they moved off-world and wanted to force him to get the tattoo removed. He refused. The people he knew on Turkana had been his friends, individuals who provided him with a very different way of looking at events, and while Steele didn’t entirely agree with their methods, it had given him insight. Life on Earth was much different. Almost unreal. The harsh realities of Turkana IV and Freecloud were unknown here. People believed that they lived in a utopian society where the good of all was the highest goal. And while he recognized that this was likely a story they told themselves, he did use his time to his advantage. He studied and prepared himself to return to ‘reality’ as he saw it – the people and worlds that really needed help. When he entered the Academy, his parents, believing they had done their duty by him, returned to their wandering. He hears from them occasionally, usually around the time they do their remembrance ceremonies. Over the years, he's made new friends like Kit Hanlon and his parents. He met Kit while he was still a boy in Boston and stayed in touch over the years. It was through Kit that Steele developed an interest in historical fiction programs on the holodeck and the two get together whenever their busy schedules line up.
Service Record		2349-2353: Stanford University, Palo Alto, Earth. Received a BS in Psychology 2353-2356: Stanford University, Palo Alto, Earth. Received his Masters in Criminology Psychology 2356-2359: Harvard University, Cambridge, Earth. Received his Doctorate in Social Psychology 2363-2367: Starfleet Academy. Since he already had his doctorate, his courses focused on adapting what he knew to other races. He remains especially interested in understanding the more predatory/aggressive species and in aberrant/criminal behavior. 2367-2387: USS Faraday under the command of Captain Collin Roarke. Rose to the rank of Chief Counselor and was a regular member of away teams. Steele continued to study, focusing on sociology, and the effects of culture/society/ethics on a species behavior.Published several papers – one on the Borg, another on the mass suicide of the Quasinon colonists, another on a serial killer on Alpha Centauri, and another on the long-term effects of isolated confinement on prisoners. 2387-2390: Starfleet Academy, Instructor. Taught courses in applied psychology. Became friends with Captain Scarlett Blake while there. 2391-Now: USS Fenrir, Chief Counselor
Medical History		> Tattooed as a teenager on Turkana IV > Several instances of broken bones from away teams