Laria Herren

Congratulations to you both. Welcome to the fleet!

Congrats on completing training and welcome to the fleet!

Welcome to the fleet!

Laria is wearing a dress from a recent collaboration between Betazed's Haanriel & Brea fashion house and Magna Roman designer Caeparia Servilia Lutoria.

"The stars above remind us of the limitless possibilities within ourselves." ~ Sailor (Also) Trill

Lieutenant Laria Herren is wearing a Trill evening gown by Trill designer Medara Sidrel. Sidrel's work has previously been featured at Leran Manev Fashion Week 2399, the First Contact Gala, and the Celestial Influences Fashion Festival. This dress draws on early 23rd century Trill fashion such as the work of Zindara Rajel. The dress is adorned with a collection of sequins and gemstones, many of which were sourced from a mine on the outskirts of Laria's home town of Dorvan. The PNPC crew is tagging along as well. Ensign Cheylla Thonn is wearing a red flora-inspired dress from the Beauty on the Bolarus Seafloor collection. Doctor Anath G'Renn and her husband Savok have eschewed the "illogical extravagance" of these events and opted for a current Starfleet dress uniform and Vulcan robes respectively. Rachel Flores has a new number that she's identified as being from the designer "There, I got a second dress, are you happy now?" after three awards ceremonies using the same purple dress.

Welcome to the fleet!

I think that a lot of Janeway's decisions can be looked at through a lens of pragmatism. She had to make a lot of tough decisions without any support and did a remarkable job getting her people home safely given the circumstances. What decision gets to me the most is the alliance with the Borg (at least in the second half of Scorpion). I don't think the mere suggestion of allying with the Borg is automatically a step too far and given the events that led up to the alliance I think there's enough gray area for it to be somewhat reasonable. However, I think the perception of the situation changes after the rest of the crew found out that the Borg started the war by invading fluidic space. A Starfleet captain using what are in essence biological weapons tailor-made to destroy a species on the cellular level to help an enemy wage what they know is an offensive war crosses the line worse than anything else on the list. The episode In the Flesh retroactively makes the whole thing even worse when 8472 proves open to negotiation after everyone actually sits down and talks things out. And the "greater threat to the galaxy" disappears without another word while the Borg continue to carry on ravaging the quadrant and assimilating entire societies after Voyager saved them from the war they started. A lot of that can be blamed on Species 8472 not being super fleshed-out or having a coherent direction in mind after Scorpion, but taking it as presented really casts the alliance with the Borg as a deal with the devil that Voyager didn't even get anything out of and that only further convinced Species 8472 that their reading that everything outside of fluidic space was out to get them was correct.

Congratulations, welcome aboard!

The Invisible Woman is present and accounted for, as you can clearly see... or not see.

Ensign Flores is rocking a purple dress from the "Didn't you wear the same dress last year?" collection by prominent designer "That awards thing is tomorrow. You have something to wear, right?"

When it comes to Starfleet ship design, there are always new designs in the works. When it launched, the Galaxy-class was considered the safest, most advanced ship in Starfleet and assignment to one was an honor. Within ten years of its launch, the more powerful Sovereign-class was designed, built, and put into service to take its title as the most advanced class of ship in the fleet. The 2370s also saw new designs tested in the form of the dedicated warship Defiant-class, the Intrepid-class full of new technologies, and the Prometheus-class with an experimental multi-vector assault mode. However, this constant change of what design is the most advanced of the moment doesn’t detract from how dependable Starfleet ships designs can be. Some ships, like the Excelsior-class and Miranda-class, were still seeing regular use a century later. Starfleet ship classes are routinely refitted with new technologies to extend their useful lifespans. Even the Oberth-class remained in regular service for decades. This week, we’d like to know if there are any older models of ship that could be a valuable asset to Starfleet if they were just updated to modern standards with new technology. Do you think that a Constitution-class redesigned and rebuilt from new components could hold its own against modern explorer designs? Would you like to see the Miranda or the Excelsior revisited and retooled to see that they remain on the front lines of the final frontier into the 25th century? Or maybe you think that Starfleet should be trying new designs and new ideas rather than remaking old ships? Which older class of ship would you like to see redesigned and reintroduced into the fleet?

Future technology is nothing if not incredibly convenient. Technology helps make the life of Starfleet officers easier and more enjoyable every day. Turbolifts can take someone almost anywhere on a ship in a minute or two. Replicators can create almost anything imaginable. Holodecks can take you anywhere from a historic battle to a peaceful park for a walk. The cultural and scientific knowledge of hundreds of worlds is compiled within Memory Alpha. Keeping in touch with friends and family is no issue with transporters able to take you halfway across the world in a second, real-time subspace video calls, and easy and convenient travel through the Federation. Of the modern luxuries in the 24th century, everyone has those that they use most frequently. But there are others that could easily go unused. Turbolifts may be faster, but the jefferies tubes can get to just as many places. Some people swear off ever using replicators and only eat real food. Others might never call home over subspace and just rely on letters back and forth to keep in touch with people back home. A few officers in Starfleet history were terrified of transporters and would use shuttles whenever possible. This week, we want to know which technological convenience your character would be least willing to go without. Would your character be completely lost without a food replicator? Is being able to talk face-to-face with family the only thing that makes life out on a starship bearable? Which 24th century comfort would your character be least willing to give up?

In the 24th century, older forms of entertainment like television and radio seem to be obsolete and no longer in use. Entertainment like holonovels and live performances by the crew have become more prominent. Additionally, the Starfleet database contains music from across the galaxy going back centuries. There doesn’t really seem to be much need for the radio anymore. However, it’s hard to believe that music just stopped being made. There have to be aspiring musicians out there creating new music. Commentators from Bajor to Vulcan no doubt would like to share their opinions on current events in the Federation. Radio stations today often struggle with falling audience numbers and the resultant drop in advertisement revenue. In a post-scarcity economy, radio stations could make a comeback and serve a niche audience. What kind of music would your character listen to after a long day to unwind? Would they choose the greatest hits of the 20th century or is the indie music of the 23rd more to their liking? Maybe your character would prefer to listen to talk radio shows and keep up to date with current events. With commercial viability being a lower barrier for entry, even radio dramas could make a resurgence. If Starfleet had radio stations on the ship, what would your character listen to?

The computer on a Starfleet ship is an excellent resource. The database contains star charts, logs of everything that the ship has encountered, and a reference library including literature from hundreds of worlds, historical data spanning thousands of years, and information from dozens of fields of study from astrophysics to microbiology. In addition to the raw storage capacity, the ship’s computer can assist in analyzing data and simulate just about anything given enough data. While collaborating with the ship’s computer is very helpful, some people do not like talking to a disembodied computer voice. Many Starfleet officers have turned to the holodeck so that the computer has an avatar to communicate through. When Voyager’s EMH needed to learn exobiology, he created a consultant program modeled on an infamous Cardassian doctor. Data consulted with a holographic recreation of Sigmund Freud to help interpret his dreams and Barclay called on the expertise of hologram Einstein to discuss physics and cosmology. Even holoprograms like Vic Fontaine and Leonardo da Vinci would sometimes give advice to the crew in times of need. Everyone needs advice now and then. When confronted with a problem, why not get the perspective of someone who has been there before? The famous captains of Starfleet have seen it all in their various missions across the galaxy. Their service records, appearances, and personality profiles would all be easily accessible to the computer. What would Captain Kirk make of the Borg? What better way to work through a complicated conundrum than sitting down and enjoying a cup of Earl Grey with a holographic Picard? Which Starfleet captain would your character most want to receive advice from?