Crew

Name: Ensign Azur Vaer
Position: Flight Control Officer, USS Mariner
Serial Number: 391T-KCRX020-Echo
Race: {Joined} Trill
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 0
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Grey
Host Birthdate: 14 April 2364
Symbiont Birthdate: 26 July 2032
Languages: Federation Standard, Trill
Family: Father, Tabrin Elar; Mother, Jorina Elar; Older brother, Izar Cerl

Appearance:
Azur is a tall, well-built young man with a handsome visage. Like all Trill, Azur has distinguishing spots running along either side of his body. As a result of his early joining, there is an odd contradiction between his youthful appearance and the experienced gaze with which he views the world around him.

Hobbies:
Drawing on the experiences of previous hosts, Azur Vaer has since taken up an interest in music and the arts. Shortly after joining with Vaer, Azur took up the clarinet and found himself quite accomplished. He still maintains an interest in Earth literature, particularly that of the 20th and 21st Centuries, even going so far as to try his own hand at writing. Though Azur will take time to enjoy a good holoprogram, he prefers to experience the world first-hand, taking joy in the sensations and beauty of nature.

Personality:
Prior to being joined with the Vaer symbiont, Azur was a bright young man. In addition to excelling in his studies, Azur had a talent for social interactions. While he usually wasn’t the most popular person amongst his peers, he was appreciated by most. Like all joined Trill, Azur’s personality changed somewhat following the joining process. The experiences provided by the symbiont gave him wisdom and knowledge, but the sudden nature of the joining left a mark on the young Trill. Where he had previously been comfortable in many social situations, he now found himself more reserved and even, on occasion, in self-doubt. It is his hope that, with time, he will become comfortable with his joining. For now, he continues to struggle with the difficulties of sharing his life with the Vaer symbiont, difficulties he had not been prepared for.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
Azur Vaer is a brilliant young man with a passion for life. His youthful vigor, tempered by the experience of the Vaer symbiont, gives him a unique perspective on the nature of life. However, Azur is noticeably self-conscious and reserved. He continues to struggle with the difficulties associated with joining; difficulties that most initiates learn to handle through years of training but that he has been forced to overcome on his own.

Ambitions:
Azur entered Starfleet Academy with dreams of adventure and, perhaps one day, a captaincy of his own. When he was joined with the Vaer symbiont, Azur suddenly realized that he wasn’t sure where he saw himself going. The joining had not been planned, forcing Azur into a “new life” in which his concerns and goals were different then what they had been. While he still wished to remain in Starfleet, Azur knew that he needed to first come to terms with his sudden joining before he could consider his future in the long-term.

Background:
Azur Elar was the second son, born to Lieutenant Commander Tabrin Elar and Dr. Jorina Elar on Trill in April of 2364. Because families were not permitted on the Jericho, Tabrin had requested leave to see the birth of his second son. Within two weeks, his allotted leave had expired and Tabrin was ordered to return to duty. Though it pained him to leave his family, he returned to the Jericho, leaving Jorina to care for the two boys.

Azur and Izar grew up together on Trill, homeschooled by their mother, who was a professor at a local university. Izar was four years the elder and this often led to playful conflict between the two siblings. It was often surprising how quickly Izar could switch from teasing his younger brother to standing up for him in a pinch. The neighborhood kids soon learned that the only person allowed to pick on Azur was Izar…and that was final.

The difference in ages was just enough that Azur was able to hang out with his own friends, rather than tagging along with Izar all the time. In fact, he preferred it that way because he didn’t always have to live in Izar’s shadow. Most of the time, Azur and his friends would pretend all sorts of different things. One day, they would be Starfleet officers, exploring the final frontier. The next day, they’d be one of the famous joined Trills, negotiating treaties or speaking on the floor of the legislature. Another day would be for space pirates and visions of plunder. From each day to the next, it was one adventure after another.

When Azur was twelve years old, two representatives from the Trill Symbiosis Commission came to the Elar residence. They informed the family that Izar had been selected as a possible candidate for joining and that he would need to be taken for training and assessment. Jorina tried to explain to Azur that his older brother had been selected for a great honor, but he still felt sad at having to see his brother head off to instruction. At the same time, his father had been transferred to a deep space vessel, meaning that his leave time would be limited.

Izar left and time passed. Azur continued his studies with diligence. He would hang out with his friends and spend time enjoying the outdoors. Still, the commission did not come to select him for joining. Eventually, the time came for Azur to make the decision whether to remain and take his chances with the Symbiosis commission or to enroll in Starfleet Academy, as it was his goal to become a Starfleet officer like he and his friends had imagined as children. In 2382, Azur passed his Academy entrance exams and was admitted to Starfleet Academy. Leaving Trill for the first time in his life, Azur journeyed to Earth to begin his training as a Starfleet cadet.

Compared to his studies at home, Azur found the first term at the Academy to be relatively easy. Through study groups and organized trips off campus from time to time, Azur had the opportunity to meet and interact with individuals from a variety of races, all with an interest in Starfleet. His instructors were pleased with the amount of effort and participation he put into his studies. As the coursework began to increase in difficulty, Azur embraced the challenge and continued to succeed, even going so far as to help his fellow cadets through study group.

During his second term, Azur received a message from his older brother, Izar. After six years of training and anticipation, he had been selected to join with the Cerl symbiont. As a result of the joining, Izar was not the same young man who had left the family six years prior. Still, the effects of the joining were something that would become a part of their continued relationship, giving it added dimension. Azur was happy for his brother, pleased to learn that Izar had found a place in the Science Ministry. Izar promised that he would make a trip to Earth as soon as his position allowed.

In his third year, Azur was lucky enough to be posted to his first space assignment aboard the USS Madison. Having spent most of his Academy career focusing on flight control, Azur was happy to have the chance to test his skills out both on shuttle and starship piloting. After a three month tour, he returned to Earth to continue his work at the Academy. During his time aboard the Madison, Azur also had the opportunity to talk to the Madison’s captain. These little chats really solidified his desire to one day captain a starship of his own.

Near the end of his fourth year, Azur received a second space assignment, this time aboard the USS Sheboygan. It was here that he met Ambassador Jezeb Vaer, a skilled negotiator who was returning from a successful conference on Pacifica. While en route from Pacifica, the Sheboygan received a distress call from a civilian research vessel operating near the Tholian border. Cadet Azur Elar was on the bridge, observing, when the Sheboygan arrived on the scene to find the research vessel trapped in a Tholian web. Being that there were no other vessels in range and that the web was nearing completion, the captain ordered the Sheboygan in to assist.

Immediately, two of the webspinners broke off to attack the Sheboygan. Azur watched the entire scene play out as if it was in slow motion. A lucky shot from one of the Tholian webspinners caused an overload that threw the helmsman from his seat. Being the only pilot on the scene, Azur was ordered to step in. Without any alternative, he took up position at the helm. It was taking every trick he knew to stay on top of the webspinner attacks. Finally, the transporter chief managed to beam out the twelve people aboard the research vessel, allowing the Sheboygan to retreat to safety.

During the attack, however, Ambassador Vaer was critically wounded. The Sheboygan had suffered damage to its warp drive and, though it was being repaired, the closest starbase was still a day away at top speed, not to mention attempting to reach Trill. If they did not do something soon, both the host and the symbiont would die. As the only Trill aboard, Azur was summoned to sickbay to test for compatibility. The ambassador asked to speak privately with the young man before a decision was made. When the two were done speaking, Azur agreed to undergo the procedure.

Less than four hours later, Cadet Azur Elar emerged from surgery as Cadet Azur Vaer. The captain of the Sheboygan released Azur from all further duties until they reached Earth, where he was returned to Starfleet Academy. Representatives from the Symbiosis Commission, Starfleet Command, and Starfleet Academy met with him to discuss his future. The Symbiosis Commission requested that he return to Trill with them for training and examination, but he refused, preferring to remain in Starfleet.

Azur’s joining with the Vaer symbiont caused quite a stir among the Symbiosis Commission. The idea that such a prominent symbiont had been joined with a Starfleet cadet in such a manner was disconcerting, despite the urgent circumstances. To add to the confusion that Azur was already experiencing, the Symbiosis Commission did not officially sanction the union, which essentially ostracized Azur from the Trill community.

Returning to the Academy, Azur completed his training and graduated with the rest of his flight, though he was no longer as certain about his future and the direction he wished to go. For the time being, he chose to remain in flight control while he attempted to reconcile himself with the unexpected joining.

Shortly after graduation, Azur received orders to report to Commander Matthew Drake aboard the Constitution-class USS Mariner, which had recently completed a complete refit to bring that vessel up to specification. Azur was surprised to be receiving such a unique posting aboard a vessel that was over one hundred years old. Knowing that only time would tell, the young Trill packed his bags and departed for his first assignment as a Starfleet officer.