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{{Biography

|Affiliation=United Federation of Planets

|Retired=Yes

|Name= Terra Arking

Her Father supported her as well as her Mother and she quickly enrolled into Starfleet Academy, although her Brother was a little disappointed; he had set up a position for her in his new mining business as a research consultant but he was proud all the same for her making the decision. At first she found it hard, especially in her quantum mechanics classes, she found she knew most of it and what she didn’t know wasn’t enough to stop her being bored until her third year when it became highly advanced and intensive. Her social life at the Academy didn’t suffer through all of this as she made many life long friends who would continue to correspond and meet up with her into her Starfleet career. She graduated top of her Major classes with honors and in the top 95 percentile of her Minors.

Her first posting from the academy was the destroyer Sun Tzu. This wasn’t her first choice however, the Gettysburg was, but she could live with the decision as her best friend was assigned to the same ship. Life couldn't have been better for the young Trill woman as she set out on her career. As a destroyer the ship was mainly focused on and assigned police duties, although nothing much happened it was a great chance for her to begin and continue her research into a more efficient warp system, utilizing subspace to a more higher degree than was possible now. As the years passed she made Lieutenant Junior Grade in no time and was well on her way to Lieutenant before the Romulan war began, the consequences of which would be good and bad for Terra.

During the war several of her friends died in their first engagement with Romulan forces, she quickly got over it (professionally) and stuck to her duties, fixing up the ship ready for the next engagement and a promotion to Lieutenant. It was the next skirmish with several Starfleet ships and Romulan vessels that really took its toll on her. Lieutenant Commander D’ran, her CEO was killed and she was next in line for the position. She managed to work through the pain of losing her mentor and several more friends and keep the ship together at all costs despite the emotional trauma that was developing. They lost the battle technically but it was ruled a stalemate, the Romulan forces were so badly damaged they needed to withdraw. The Starfleet task force only lost because of the amount of ships and hands they lost compared to the RSE. Limping home to the Sol system for a complete repair, gave Terra time to think about everything that had gone on through the last few months. How many friends she had lost. She took the hard decision, one of the hardest she had made, to transfer. She didn’t care where to but needed to be away from the Sun Tzu, there were just too many memories there. To her surprise she was given the Gettysburg, at least it made how she felt more bearable.

Service aboard the Gettysburg was anything but mundane for Terra who was given the position –unexpectedly- of Chief Engineer. She had only wanted a transfer out, to help get over the thoughts and feelings that still haunted her from the Sun Tzu but was thrown in at the deep end when the ships current CEO stepped down because of family issues. Although she accepted the position she always felt a little like a fish out of water and that, reasonably, the ACEO, Kiron Hunter, should have been given the post. He was gifted, intelligent and a fine officer, from what she had heard from Chris, her cauliflower and bloodwine breakfast, a practical joke from Hunter, seemed to prove otherwise.

Her first mission however has since proven one of great consequence to her life. Stranded in the future and even further from the place she once called home, a series of events had led up to a transporter accident that completely wrecked her body and mind. It took a while but after a successful procedure developed by a fellow Trill, in tough conditions, she pulled through with no memory of the accident. Her future now undecided and an unwillingness to take over in engineering, having never been secure in the job in the first place, She needed to find a place in this universe they could all someday call home. Despite everyone’s best efforts she felt they were never going to return.

The transfer completed Terra made her way to main engineering and found Schwicker absent but with standing orders, she proceeded to prepare the ship for the resulting special anomaly that had first crippled the ship on its way to the alternate universe. They made it through safely but encountered another problem, Romulans. With no knowledge of the war being over a confusing course of events unfolded that led to the Gettysburg again being heavily damaged at the hands of the Romulans but also allied with them.

The battle over, they were escorted from Romulan space by the Shadowhawk and then proceeded to Earth and Starbase Alpha where she was reunited with her friends and family. This reunion was short lived however as she was extensively debriefed and then quickly transferred to oversee final preparations of the USS Nova, the Federations newest battleship.

To her surprise once this was completed she was reassigned to the Nova, back under the command of Grant. It was odd to say the least. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go back into service aboard a star ship, let alone with the crew. It wasn't anything negative about them but the fact that they all knew about her accident and she found it a little embarrassing. But, with an attitude of facing her fears, she decided to press on and go where she was assigned. A positive out of it was once again being able to work with Chris, Stell and of course Grant who she felt was the best CO she had ever worked with.

It was after this announcement she shamed herself, her temper, mixed with grief and confusion, lashed out at Grayson, cursing him and Starfleet. Almost on the verge of being forcibly removed from the Admirals ready room she packed, informed Chris of the situation and left the Nova on a transport bound for Earth and her new position.

Terra’s posting aboard the Dauntless was unwelcome, the posting as First Officer even more so. She wanted to stay aboard the Nova. Both Grayson and Mike when he first met Terra knew this. However after some coercing and understanding they came to an agreement. Terra would stay and give the job a go if she had a bathtub installed in her quarters.

However, Mike made it clear, if Terra did not want to be there he would, without question, put her ashore and get her transferred elsewhere.

The first mission aboard the Dauntless was a simple one, take a party of diplomats, both Vulcan and Romulan to a planet in the Amazonia system and to collect an ancient relic and the on to Romulus to drop off the party.