Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson

Character Information

Gender		Female
Character Quote		ed' i' Seldarine! - By the Gods
Species		Erisian
Age		28-2369 9th Eri (May)
Cabin Assignment		Deck 17- Cabin 01-W-O

Physical Appearance

Height		5f9
Weight		135lbs
Hair Color		Black
Eye Color		Blue/Silver
Physical Description		Fit and slender, Phoenix maintains a regular exercise routine that includes running, holodeck programs and swordplay. What began partly as preparation for the day she might face her brother or father has developed into both a practical skill and a means of maintaining her physical fitness.

Family

Spouse		Major Mattias Richardson
Children		Elizabeth Liselle Lalor - Richardson - born 29.11.2396 William Kenneth Lalor - Richardson- born 29.11.2396 Tristi Richardson - Adoptive Daughter
Father		Morian Lalor — King of Hiran; High Lord of Erisia as of 2379.
Mother		Kiana Lalor, Queen of Hiran, Wife of Morian- High Lord's Lady as of 2379
Brother(s)		Pallas Lalor — Phoenix's twin; King of Hiran and heir to the High Lordship of Erisia. Kyian Lalor, 3rd born
Sister(s)		Miran Lalor, 4th Born- At the Onboard Academy
Other Family		Uncle: Gregio Lalor, High Lord (Deceased) Aunt: Jirana Lalor, Wife of Gregio, Widow. Malakai Starr (Brother-in-Law) Kara Starr (Sister-in-Law) Ezri - Daughter of Kara, Niece

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Phoenix is a woman of contrasts. Quiet and observant by nature, she has developed into a confident and decisive commander who is comfortable carrying responsibility for the lives of those under her command. She rarely needs to dominate a room to command it; Phoenix is more likely to watch, listen and consider before making her decision, but once that decision has been made she can be extremely difficult to move from it. Years of command, loss and survival have tempered much of the idealism of her younger years without destroying it. Phoenix remains deeply compassionate and possesses a strong sense of right and wrong, particularly where children, civilians and those unable to protect themselves are concerned. She is willing to compromise on politics, procedure and even personal preference, but there are moral boundaries she simply will not cross. This can make her a determined negotiator and, at times, an exceptionally stubborn opponent. Phoenix has also become fiercely protective of the Elysium and her people. The ship is no longer simply her command; after everything its crew has endured together, she regards them as a community for which she carries a profound personal responsibility. Being stranded in the Circinus Galaxy has only strengthened that instinct. She understands that bringing them home requires more than issuing orders and has increasingly relied upon the expertise of her senior officers and the cooperation of departments across the ship. Her family remains both her greatest source of strength and her greatest vulnerability. Phoenix loves Mattias, their children, Tristi and Miran with an intensity that can occasionally overwhelm the discipline she normally maintains as Commodore. She finds it far easier to place herself in danger than to remain on the sidelines when someone she loves is threatened. This conflict between Phoenix the Commodore and Phoenix the wife, mother and sister has become increasingly difficult for her to compartmentalise. She expects herself to remain calm when others cannot, to make the difficult decision and to carry its consequences afterwards. When something penetrates that control, however, the reaction can be powerful. Despite everything she has endured, Phoenix has retained her capacity for warmth, humour and affection with those she trusts. She no longer forms relationships as reluctantly as she once did, although earning her complete trust remains difficult. Those who do earn it discover someone intensely loyal who will stand beside them through almost anything. At her core, Phoenix remains an idealist — simply a far more experienced one. She knows that doing the right thing does not guarantee a good outcome, that command sometimes offers no good choices, and that saving everyone may be impossible. She nevertheless continues to believe that the attempt matters.
Strengths & Weaknesses		Strengths: Strong-Willed: Phoenix possesses considerable determination and is difficult to intimidate once she has committed herself to a course of action. She has survived personal trauma, loss, political upheaval, command crises and being stranded far from Federation space without surrendering her determination to protect her crew and find a way home. Protective: Phoenix feels a deep responsibility for those placed in her care. This extends beyond her immediate family to the crew of the Elysium and, increasingly, to civilians and others who have come to depend upon the ship. She has a particularly strong protective instinct where children are concerned. Decisive Under Pressure: Years of command have taught Phoenix to make decisions with incomplete information and accept responsibility for their consequences. She can listen to competing recommendations, weigh the risks and make the final decision when hesitation would be more dangerous than choosing incorrectly. Diplomatic: Phoenix is capable of considerable patience when diplomacy offers the best solution. She is prepared to acknowledge the rights, customs and sovereignty of other governments even when she disagrees with them. However, diplomacy does not mean surrendering her principles, and she will draw a firm line when she believes a proposed compromise requires sacrificing an innocent person. Adaptable: Circumstances rarely unfold according to plan aboard the Elysium. Phoenix has learned to adjust quickly to unfamiliar cultures, unexpected threats, damaged resources and situations for which Starfleet regulations provide little useful guidance. Trusts Her People: Phoenix has grown considerably from the young officer who felt she needed to shoulder everything herself. She increasingly recognises the expertise of her senior officers and encourages departments to share information and work together rather than operate independently. Loyal: Once Phoenix gives someone her trust, that loyalty runs extremely deep. She does not abandon people easily and will continue fighting for someone long after others might consider the situation hopeless. Willing to Learn: Phoenix does not assume that command makes her the most knowledgeable person in the room. She will listen to specialists, consider unconventional ideas and change her approach when presented with a better solution. Weaknesses: Family: Phoenix's family is unquestionably her greatest vulnerability. She can endure threats against herself far more easily than threats against Mattias, their children, Tristi or Miran. Knowing that someone she loves is hurt or in danger can make maintaining the emotional distance expected of a commanding officer extremely difficult. Overdeveloped Sense of Responsibility: Phoenix has a tendency to make the burdens of command personal. Casualties, injuries and failures are not simply numbers on a report to her, and she can carry responsibility for events that were never entirely within her control. Difficulty Accepting Helplessness: Phoenix is a woman accustomed to acting. Situations in which she is unable to help — particularly when someone she cares about is in danger — are extremely difficult for her. Being ordered to stand aside can be considerably harder for Phoenix than facing danger herself. Stubborn: The determination that makes Phoenix an effective commander can become stubbornness. Once she believes something is morally necessary, persuading her to abandon that position can be exceptionally difficult. Emotionally Guarded: Although Phoenix has become far more willing to form close relationships, she still has difficulty allowing others to see when she is struggling. Her upbringing taught her to hide vulnerability, and command has reinforced the belief that she must remain composed for everyone else. Protective to a Fault: Phoenix sometimes finds it difficult to distinguish between protecting someone and accepting that they have the right to place themselves at risk. This is particularly true with members of her family. Does Not Suffer Fools Easily: Phoenix has limited patience for deliberate incompetence, unnecessary posturing or people who endanger others through arrogance. Although she has become more diplomatic with experience, her temper can still surface when that patience is exhausted. Her Moral Compass Can Complicate Command: Phoenix's refusal to knowingly abandon an innocent person can turn an otherwise straightforward political or tactical solution into a far more difficult problem. She understands this, but there are some prices she simply will not order someone else to pay.
Ambitions		Phoenix's overriding ambition is to bring the USS Elysium, her crew and their families safely home to the Federation. Being stranded in the Circinus Galaxy has changed the meaning of command for her. Success is no longer measured simply by completing a mission; it is measured by keeping her people together, finding the next path forward and ensuring that as many of them as possible eventually see home again. She is equally determined that the journey home will not cost the Elysium its identity. Phoenix does not want survival to become an excuse for abandoning the principles she and her crew once represented. Circumstances may force compromise, unconventional decisions and alliances that would never have been considered in Federation space, but she wants them to be able to look back on their journey without being ashamed of what they became in order to survive it. On a personal level, Phoenix wants something considerably simpler: a future with her family. Her marriage to Mattias and becoming a mother have given her a life she once believed might never be possible. She wants to see Elizabeth and William grow up, to watch Tristi find her own place in the world, and to be there for the people she loves rather than continually losing them to circumstance, duty or violence. Phoenix also wants to give her children something she was denied for much of her own childhood — freedom to choose who they become. Her experiences raising Tristi and supporting Miran have only reinforced her belief that education and personal choice should never be privileges determined by birth, gender or social position. Erisia remains important to her. Phoenix still hopes to see her homeworld develop a closer relationship with the Federation, but only if Erisian women are recognised as equals and granted the same freedoms and opportunities as men. She has no desire to erase Erisian culture; she wants to see it become something in which her daughters, her sister and future generations of Erisian women can live without the restrictions that shaped her own childhood. Ultimately, Phoenix's ambitions have become less about what she personally achieves and more about what she can leave behind: her crew home, her family safe, and a world slightly better for those who come after her.
Hobbies & Interests		Phoenix has always enjoyed physical activity and continues to use exercise as one of her primary ways of clearing her mind. She runs regularly, makes use of the holodeck when circumstances permit and continues to practise fencing and swordplay. What once began partly as preparation for confronting members of her own family has become something she genuinely enjoys and a skill she takes considerable pride in. Horseback riding remains one of Phoenix's favourite pastimes and one of the few activities capable of making her forget about rank and responsibility for a while. It is something she associates strongly with Erisia, although her feelings toward her homeworld itself remain considerably more complicated. Phoenix enjoys both chess and kal-toh. She appreciates games that require patience, planning and the ability to anticipate an opponent's actions, although she can become surprisingly competitive when playing against someone she knows well. Music has remained an important part of her life. Phoenix enjoys dancing and singing, although these are sides of herself she is more likely to display around family and close friends than in front of her crew. She also continues the somewhat old-fashioned habit of writing letters. Phoenix values the deliberate nature of putting her thoughts into words rather than simply sending a quick message. Some letters are intended to be sent; others are written simply because there are things she finds easier to place on a page than say aloud. Since marrying Mattias and becoming a mother, Phoenix has discovered that many of the moments she values most are considerably less adventurous than her younger self might have expected. Time with Mattias, Elizabeth, William and Tristi — meals together, family outings, quiet evenings or simply being present while the children play — has become precious to her, particularly given how rarely command allows life to remain quiet for long.

Character Background

Personal History		2369 9th Eri (May) -Born to Morian and Kiana Lalor, Penelope and her brother Pallas were born on a cold blustery night. Unexpected was the birth of twins, and even more so was the fact that Penelope was born first. Being female and born first was a curse Penelope would have to bear. She grew up watching her brother Pallas get all the attention and praise. Watched him be feted while, she kept to the shadows and helped her mother raise their younger siblings Kyian and Miran. Her future was already etched in stone. Or so the people believed. At age 10 she was betrothed to a distant cousin and her training in the art of running a house increased while her brothers learned about flying their ships, and ruling. But it was all about to change.At their 16th birthday celebration, Pallas, for let us be honest the part was just for him, insulted another king"s son and they fought a duel. But Pallas stabbed the man in the back, killing him dishonourably. Penelope watched her fiance die by her brother's hand and knew her father would have to kill Pallas now. So she stepped from the shadows and made her brother a deal. She would take the blame. And he would when he ruled, allow her to live out her life in peace without being seen as a pawn. Pallas agreed. They set the scene. Penelope' dress was torn, and Pallas slapped her around a few times and then he returned to the feast. She followed 15 minutes later, staggering in tears pouring down her face. Shocked, her father and mother had her hastily escorted to her bedroom where she explained that her betrothed had attacked her, and fearing for her life she had stabbed him in the back. When her father explained the situation to the dead man's family, they demanded punishment. It was deemed that since no one could tell the dead man’s side, that they would merely punish Penelope to the full extent. Which, luckily for her, ended up being tempered by the presence of a Starfleet delegation. She was taken to the city's arena where she was dressed in commoner's trews and shirt. Her hair was left unbound and her circlet of position was taken and held by the High Lord. She was tied to a pole in the centre of the arena and her shirt ripped off her back, leaving the front modestly in place. Her father whipped her 60 times. Penelope endured the whipping up til the 20th stroke when she heard Pallas' voice from beside her say "Father, you are too lenient on her. Let me do it for you." Her father refused and upped his strength in the strokes, each one being jeered on by her twin. Penelope bit her lip but soon her muffled cries were screams and before the 50th stroke she was unconscious. Before she fell unconscious she saw in the crowd a group of Starfleet officers, and she locked eyes with one of them. A male Humanoid, she would later know as Mattias Richardson. . Penelope awoke in a federation style medical facility. She had been pulled out of the arena by Starfleet Marine Officers. Her back had been tended too and clean clothes befitting her station had been brought up to the Federation embassy. Pain and anger filled Penelope and she took a deep breath. She met Mattias in person when she was more fully awake, and they developed a friendship. A Close friendship that in later years would grow into a sexual relationship. After weeks of treatment she was released back to her family but Penelope refused to speak to any of them, except to say that she didn't want to be called Penelope anymore. She would take her second name of Phoenix as her first from that day forth. The day after her release from the federation's medical facility Phoenix took action. She applied to Starfleet. Her handwriting was that of a young noblewoman of her class, the only thing she really knew how to do, other than run a household was read and write in High Erisian. But she sent the letter anyway. Then she packed her belongings. Her clothes, what jewellery she had been given as betrothal gifts and the like. She snuck them out of the castle where she had been born and raised and hid them well. Then she rode her horse to the City' square. What she did next was brave and incredibly stupid in some eyes. But in her own heart she had to do this. Phoenix did not want to be a pawn anymore Phoenix stood in the centre of the City square and began to speak. People paused and stopped to listen as the princess of Hiran spoke. "People of Erisa, hear my words of truth. The punishment delivered on me should have been delivered on Prince Pallas for his crime of dishonourably slaying a man. He stabbed my betrothed in the back as he struggled to get to his feet. And then allowed me, his sister to take the blame. YES I volunteered but only to save my brother and father the humiliation that Pallas delivered on them both. My father took the punishment too far and my brother who should have been thanking his sister, urged him on. THIS IS NOT the world we women should be forced to live in. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THE MEN'S HYPOCRISY IN THIS MANNER! If you want proof of what I say, the captain of the Hiran guard was there as a witness. But I will not stand here and watch our people fail to take advantage of the joys and opportunities offered by the Federation. Erisan should join the Federation with women and men as equals. But it will not happen until all wish it so. I pray that you find your way to that enlightenment one day." She then rode her horse out of the City and headed for the Federation's base. Once there she applied for asylum and it was granted along with her application for Starfleet Academy. She was one of the youngest in that year’s intake. She was given quarters on the academy campus and shared a room with Harmony Litchfield. Phoenix would spend the next 4 years at the academy studying and learning. She focused on Flight Control and piloting in her second year having loved the adrenaline rush she got from piloting the fighters in training. Those four years were tough on Phoenix, she had to be self-sufficient, and there were no servants to help her out. But she made it. And when she graduated she was sent to the USS Montgomery Scott. 2389- 2390: USS Montgomery Scott, Junior Flight Control Officer, Ensign When Phoenix arrived on the Montgomery Scott, she ran into Mattias Richardson. again. Even though they had not seen one another for four years, their friendship from before had apparently remained quite strong. After a few months, they began dating and eventually the relationship turned sexual. It lasted until Phoenix was transferred to the USS Hydra. When they realised there was no way to transfer together, they broke up, but promised that if their paths crossed and they were both available then they would try again. 2390-2391: USS Hydra, Junior Helmsman, Ensign On the USS Hydra she was accused of assaulting a senior officer. The senior officer, the chief of Flight Control, wanted to get Phoenix into bed but she refused. So he had her arrested for assault and even though it was never proven, she found it on her record. She was then transferred to the USS Talons Wing. 2391-2392:USS Talons Wing, Flight Control Officer, Ensign The Talons Wing was a different posting. It was assigned to oversee the area around her former home world. Her father, who had succeeded her uncle as high lord, two years after her departure, had started to push for Federation membership, though there had been little or no improvement in the issue of women's rights. They had to undertake many diplomatic missions back to Erisan. This made it very hard for Phoenix who had often to shuttle both Starfleet Personnel and Royal advisers to the Talons Wing. In late 2391 she was sent to the planet with three other officers to go undercover. But it ended badly and she was reprimanded for insulting a diplomatic envoy. Who just happened to be her baby brother Kyian. Not five months later she was accused of assaulting her twin brother and again this went on her record. This time to make that one true, she left Pallas limping and with a bloody nose. She told the CO to put that on her record and smoke it. He had her transferred instantly to a new position, on the USS Elysium. While also on the Talon’s Wing she came in contact with a Q known as Quinn Henderson. Quinn was chief of Operations on the Talons wing. When it was discovered Quinn was a Q everyone was questioned and looked at closely. Before she left the Talon's Wing though, she found a stow away in her departing shuttle. It was her 12 year old sister Miran. Miran had run away from home, like Phoenix had, and was seeking sanctuary. The shuttle stopped at Starbase 245 on its way to Phoenix's next posting, where Miran and Phoenix applied for Miran to gain asylum, and Phoenix took custody of her sister. With her sister now with her, Phoenix is very determined to make her life better. To make a home for her sister, and to make sure she gets an education worth more than the one they had as children. 2392 - 2393: :USS Elysium, Chief of Operations,Lieutenant When they arrived on the USS Elysium, Miran and Phoenix found themselves in a ship where everyone was friendly and happy. Phoenix found her niche as chief of Operations and managed to handle the weirdness of Admiral Sharr easily enough. 2394 - Lieutenant Commander, Chief of Operations, Second Officer In 2394 Phoenix was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and made second officer. It was also when Elysium was sent to another Galaxy. In Andromeda she allowed herself to start a relationship with an enlisted gentleman named Ken Waters. Their relationship was slow due to his not wanting to hurt her and her outranking him. They took their time but eventually became lovers just before they returned to the Milky Way Galaxy. 2395 -Commander, Executive Officer, Chief of Operations As they left Andromeda, Phoenix was promoted to Commander and Executive Officer when the former XO was killed in mysterious circumstances and Admiral Sharr sacrificed his own freedom to ensure the Elysium and her crew were sent home safely. 2395 - Commanding officer, USS Elysium - Commander Rank Upon their return, the crew of the Elysium were debriefed and Phoenix was introduced to the new XO. Thinking she was going to be replaced, Phoenix tried to put a brave face on it. She was surprised to be told that she was now CO of Elysium. But she resolved to do her best. Phoenix continued her relationship with Ken Waters, though it was not an easy relationship. They came from different backgrounds and Ken had a habit of treating Phoenix like she was made of glass. They broke up in July 2395, but reunited in August 2395 after the events of the Mission Face to Face. 2396 - Present CAPTAIN Rank approved - USS Elysium, Commanding officer 10th January 2396 – January 31st 2396 – Phoenix, along with Gary, Liselle and Aurelia go on a trip to Trill with bad consequences. Phoenix, Gary, Liselle, and Aurelia must survive the prison while they wait for help from Elysium to escape and hopefully shut it down entirely. The other members of the crew work the clues to find out what happened to their colleagues and formulate a plan to save them. But they have a few issues, like the inspection team lead by Commodore Mountbatten who came to investigate the crew. Lieutenant Commander Percy Albright attempts to have Miran Lalor sent back to Erisia. Miran Lalor uses her royal rank for the first time on this mission. Commander Garrett Lovejoy made his first appearance. Captain Lalor babysits a newborn much to Albright’s disgust before going on her vacation. The missing command crew are found in a Romulan prison tortured and barely alive. In February 2396, Ken Waters proposed to Phoenix Lalor. She accepted but kept it quiet. In March 2396, Quinn appeared on the Elysium and sent them to Casperia Prime where the crew uncovered a Slavery ring. In May 2396 - Ken was transferred off the Elysium to Starbase 65 along with the majority of the Flight Control Department. He does not return Phoenix’s calls and eventually it is discovered that Ken died in an explosion on SB 65. June 2396 - Phoenix was abducted from her home on Earth while on shore leave by the mirror version of her executive officer and her Mirror Universe duplicate is put in her place. This duplicate surrenders the Elysium to the Mirror universe! And Phoenix is tortured and tormented. She is pregnant during this time, but due to the wants of her MU counterpart’s Brother, the children inside her are protected from the torture. The crew eventually free themselves and are sent to Pacifica where they undergo counselling and such. Phoenix’s mother and younger brother are reported dead at this time. Her Mother and brother are rescued by friendly people on Erisia and arrive on the Elysium a few weeks before Phoenix’s children, Elizabeth and William are born in November of that year. The family spent the Christmas break on Earth. January 2397 - Removed from Command. Phoenix was ‘removed from Command and placed under arrest’ in January 2397. This was a subterfuge and she was actually assigned to a secret mission with several others. Here she came back into contact with her old Lover Mattias Richardson. March 2397 - Reinstated as Captain of the USS Elysium After the mission was completed and they had successfully done their job, Phoenix returned to the Elysium, this time with her lover Mattias. They got engaged and chose not to wait long, married in July 2397. They also adopted Tristi, a young orphan they found during their mission. August 2397 - Promoted to Commodore In August 2397 Phoenix was promoted to Commodore for her work on the WATCH. Phoenix was not looking for it, in fact she would have been quite content as a Captain. And S’hibs jibes aside about how she would never go on Away Missions again, Phoenix has looked this challenge in the face and is moving forward. September 2397 — Stranded in the Circinus Galaxy In September 2397, the USS Elysium suffered a catastrophic accident that hurled the ship into the distant Circinus Galaxy. The transition was devastating. The Elysium was severely damaged, members of the crew were killed or injured and Phoenix herself suffered a broken arm and concussion during the initial disaster. For Phoenix, the situation carried an uncomfortable familiarity. The Elysium had once before found itself stranded beyond the Milky Way in the Andromeda Galaxy, but Circinus was different. There was no known route home, no Federation support to call upon and no certainty that anyone in the Milky Way even knew where they were. Her first concern following the crash was not the ship, but her family. Once she knew Mattias and the children had survived, Phoenix was able to turn her attention fully toward the Elysium and the people depending upon her. What had begun as another Starfleet mission became something entirely different. Phoenix was no longer simply commanding a starship. She was responsible for a stranded community of officers, civilians and families who had no immediate prospect of rescue. Despite the losses and the damage to the ship, Phoenix refused to accept that Circinus would become the Elysium's grave. Her objective was simple, even if achieving it would prove anything but: She would find a way to bring her people home. Survival The first days in Circinus became a test of survival for the Elysium and everyone aboard her. Damaged, isolated and without the support of Starfleet, Phoenix was forced to accept that many of the assumptions under which she had spent her career commanding a Federation starship no longer applied. Resources had to be protected, repairs prioritised and the immediate needs of the crew placed ahead of almost everything else. Phoenix was still recovering from injuries sustained during their arrival, but command afforded her little opportunity to remain out of action for long. The experience began to change the way Phoenix viewed the Elysium. The officers and civilians aboard were no longer simply a Starfleet crew carrying out a mission. They were a community stranded together, and every decision Phoenix made could affect whether that community survived long enough to find a way home. It was also a reminder that she could not carry that responsibility alone. Phoenix increasingly relied upon Gary Taylor and the rest of her senior staff, allowing those around her to shoulder responsibilities she might once have tried to carry herself. For all the uncertainty surrounding them, Phoenix refused to allow survival alone to become their objective. The Elysium still needed something to strive toward. Home remained the goal. Far From Home As the immediate crisis following their arrival began to settle, an uncomfortable reality became increasingly difficult to ignore: the Elysium might be stranded in Circinus for far longer than anyone had originally hoped. For Phoenix, this changed the nature of her responsibility. Finding a route home remained the ultimate objective, but she could no longer command the ship as though rescue or a breakthrough was always just around the corner. The people aboard Elysium needed stability as well as hope. Children still needed an education, families needed some semblance of ordinary life, and the crew needed reasons to think beyond simply surviving another day. Phoenix began balancing two sometimes competing responsibilities — continuing the search for a way back to the Federation while ensuring the people under her command could build lives in the place where circumstance had left them. Her own family made that reality impossible to view purely as a command problem. Elizabeth and William were growing up far from the Federation, Tristi needed the opportunity to build friendships and continue her education, and Miran was beginning to find her own path rather than simply remaining Phoenix's little sister. Phoenix could promise none of them when they would see the Milky Way again. What she could promise was that she would continue looking for the road home while making certain that, for however long the journey lasted, the Elysium remained more than a vessel carrying survivors through unfamiliar space. It would remain their home until she could bring them back to the one they had lost. Memory Lane Life in Circinus was not defined entirely by threats from outside the ship. For Phoenix, some of the more difficult challenges came from within her own family and from learning how to be the mother she had never expected to become. Tristi was growing into a young woman with her own frustrations, friendships and insecurities. When problems arose surrounding school, Phoenix found herself confronting echoes of her own childhood. Education had been denied to her on Erisia because she was female, leaving her woefully unprepared when she entered Starfleet Academy. Phoenix had eventually succeeded, but only after years of struggling to catch up with classmates who had received opportunities she had never been given. It was an experience she refused to allow Tristi to repeat. Phoenix made it clear that her insistence upon Tristi's education was not punishment or an attempt to control her. She wanted her daughter to have choices. Whatever Tristi eventually decided to become, Phoenix wanted that decision to be hers rather than one dictated by circumstance, birth or a lack of opportunity. The experience also demonstrated just how completely Tristi had become part of the Richardson-Lalor family. She was no longer simply an orphan Phoenix and Mattias had rescued and taken responsibility for. Phoenix regarded Tristi as her daughter, with all the love, worry, arguments and responsibilities that came with it. At the same time, Phoenix was having to adjust to another change. Miran, the little sister Phoenix had once smuggled away from Erisia and devoted herself to protecting, was no longer a frightened twelve-year-old who needed Phoenix to make every decision for her. She was becoming an adult, pursuing her own career and beginning to demand the independence that Phoenix herself had once fought so hard to obtain. Letting Miran have that independence did not come easily. Phoenix's instinct was still to protect her younger sister, but she was beginning to recognise the irony of fighting for Miran's freedom while sometimes struggling to allow her to exercise it. Through it all Mattias remained her partner, not merely in marriage but in parenting. Their family was imperfect, occasionally chaotic and very different from anything Phoenix had known growing up. That was precisely why she treasured it. For a woman who had once fled her home because she refused to remain someone else's pawn, Phoenix had finally created a family in which her daughters, her son and her sister were expected to choose their own paths. Her challenge now was learning when to protect them — and when to let them walk those paths themselves. A Church Beyond Heaven. The deeper Elysium travelled into Circinus, the clearer it became that distance from the Federation was not the only challenge Phoenix and her crew faced. They were operating in a region filled with cultures, technologies and political realities about which Starfleet knew virtually nothing. An encounter involving the Thi'leahian Slavers brought that reality sharply into focus. Faced with technology beyond anything the Elysium fully understood, Phoenix could not rely upon Starfleet databases or reinforcements arriving if things went wrong. The answers would have to come from the people already aboard her ship. It became another lesson in the kind of command Circinus required. Phoenix listened. Rather than demanding certainty where none existed, she allowed her officers to explore unconventional solutions. Ideas that might once have seemed too speculative to attempt had to be considered when conventional Starfleet responses were either unavailable or ineffective. Phoenix was willing to question proposals, examine the risks and challenge assumptions, but she was also willing to trust the expertise of the people around her. Circinus was gradually teaching Phoenix that command did not mean having all the answers. Sometimes it meant recognising the person who might. The experience reinforced a change already taking place in her command style. Phoenix increasingly encouraged her officers to think beyond their departments and beyond established solutions. The Elysium's survival would depend upon engineers, scientists, tactical officers, medical personnel and civilians combining what they knew rather than waiting for the Commodore to tell them what to do. At the same time, Phoenix remained conscious that every experiment and unconventional plan carried consequences. They had no replacement ship waiting at the nearest starbase and no Starfleet task force coming to their rescue. Risk could never be eliminated, but it had to be weighed against the equally dangerous prospect of doing nothing. It was a balance Phoenix would be forced to make repeatedly as their journey continued. The Elysium had entered Circinus as a Starfleet vessel. Under Phoenix's command, it was learning how to become an explorer again. Day to Day Not every challenge Phoenix faced in Circinus came from an enemy or a crisis on the bridge. As the months passed, ordinary life continued aboard the Elysium alongside the extraordinary circumstances in which the ship had found itself. The illness affecting Lia Taylor was a painful reminder of that reality. Lia's condition had deteriorated despite the efforts of the medical staff, leaving Gary facing the possibility of losing his wife while their daughter faced the possibility of losing her mother. For Phoenix, Gary's situation struck particularly close to home. He was not simply her Executive Officer. He was a friend and one of the people upon whom she had relied throughout some of the most difficult periods of her command. There was no order Phoenix could give that would make Lia well and no command decision that could spare Gary and his family what they were enduring. When Lia eventually died, Phoenix could offer Gary and those who loved her little beyond her presence, her friendship and the assurance that Lia would receive the honours she deserved. Phoenix grieved as well, although much of that grief was kept private. Her Erisian upbringing had given her a complicated relationship with death. She had been taught from childhood that death was something to be endured rather than feared, and years in Starfleet had only added to the number of people she had been forced to mourn. That acceptance could sometimes make Phoenix appear harder than she truly was. She had learned how to continue after losing people. She had never learned how not to care. Against that loss stood the increasingly ordinary life Phoenix had built with Mattias and their children. Their quarters offered something the bridge could not: somewhere she could simply be Phoenix rather than Commodore Lalor-Richardson. There were long shifts followed by quiet conversations with Mattias, children to put to bed, Tristi developing friendships and a social life of her own, and all the small complications that came with raising a family aboard a starship stranded in another galaxy. Those ordinary moments became increasingly precious. Circinus had already demonstrated how quickly everything could disappear. Phoenix could not control that uncertainty, nor could she promise her family that nothing would ever happen to them. What she could do was value the time they had together. For perhaps the first time in her life, Phoenix was beginning to understand that happiness did not have to be something waiting for her after the next mission. Sometimes it was simply coming home at the end of the day. Echoes of the Zynari Between major missions, Elysium entered a region of Circinus regarded by local powers as unnavigable space and encountered the Zynari, non-corporeal beings whose understanding of physical life was radically different from that of the ship's crew. At first their presence seemed little more than mischievous. Systems behaved strangely, objects moved without explanation and harmless pranks spread throughout the ship. Phoenix initially allowed her officers to investigate without treating the unknown presence as hostile. That changed as the incidents escalated. Minor interference began affecting life support, gravity and other essential systems, while increasingly dangerous events threatened crew and civilians. Phoenix recognised that regardless of the Zynari's intentions, their actions could no longer be dismissed as harmless curiosity. She increased internal alert measures, restricted access to critical systems and ordered departments across Elysium to pool information rather than investigate independently. Science, Engineering, Operations, Medical, Intelligence, Tactical and Command were instructed to share everything they knew. Phoenix was equally careful not to assume that every unexplained event necessarily came from the same source. The investigation eventually revealed that the Zynari were neither a conventional enemy nor a single united threat. Some were curious beings attempting to understand corporeal life through play, imitation and emotion. Others appeared increasingly willing to push the crew toward danger simply to discover what would happen. Communication was eventually established, and the more sympathetic Zynari demonstrated that they were beginning to understand that their games could have consequences for beings far more fragile than themselves. They provided Elysium with a route through their territory and warned the crew to leave quickly. Phoenix chose not to gamble with the lives aboard her ship. Elysium entered quantum slipstream using the route the Zynari had provided. During the escape, however, sensors detected the Romulan warbird *Havrah* following them. The Romulans appeared to be trapped in the same danger, and Phoenix refused to simply leave them behind. Despite the risks of interrupting a slipstream transit while still inside Zynari territory, she ordered Elysium to drop out long enough to secure the *Havrah* with a tractor beam and pull the warbird close enough for both vessels to continue the escape together. Both ships eventually emerged safely beyond Zynari space. The encounter became one of the strangest First Contacts of Phoenix's career. The Zynari had demonstrated that curiosity without an understanding of consequence could be every bit as dangerous as deliberate hostility. They had also reminded Phoenix of something she considered fundamental to command. Getting her own people home mattered. But being lost did not give her permission to stop being the person she wanted to be when she finally got there. Conglomerate The fragile calm following the Zynari encounter ended violently when Elysium and the Romulan warbird *Havraha* were attacked by the Galatonians. The Galatonians proved to be unlike most enemies Phoenix had encountered. Their boarding forces included cybernetically altered creatures known as hounds, once-sentient beings reduced to living weapons. Boarding pods tore through Elysium's hull and deposited Galatonian forces throughout the ship, including areas occupied by civilians, medical personnel and Academy cadets. The resulting fighting was brutal. By the end of the first assault, thirty members of Elysium's crew were dead and sixty more wounded. The ship had suffered extensive damage, departments were stretched beyond their limits and personnel who had already endured months of isolation in Circinus were being asked to absorb still more loss. Phoenix felt every one of those numbers. She remained at work through the aftermath, reading casualty reports, repair estimates and security updates long after most of the ship had moved into the next duty cycle. The losses were no longer statistics attached to a mission report. They were members of the community Phoenix had promised to bring home. The attack also struck directly at her family. Miran had encountered one of the Galatonian hounds and, rather than allow it to reach others, fought and destroyed it with a sword. She survived, but suffered serious injuries and blood loss in the process. Phoenix went to Sickbay as both Commodore and older sister. Seeing Miran bloodied on a biobed tested the control Phoenix normally maintained around her crew. Relief that her sister would recover quickly gave way to anger at how close she had come to losing her. Yet Phoenix also understood the uncomfortable truth behind Miran's actions: she had placed herself in danger because other people would have died if she had not. It was precisely the kind of decision Phoenix herself had made throughout her life. That did not make accepting it from her younger sister any easier. The aftermath presented another challenge. Elysium could not survive repeated attacks alone, and neither could the *Havraha*. Phoenix therefore accepted an increasingly close partnership with the Romulan survivors despite the painful history between Elysium and the Romulans. The relationship required trust neither side possessed naturally. Phoenix nevertheless agreed to exchange supplies, intelligence and personnel. Romulan medical officers assisted Elysium's overwhelmed Sickbay, their Marines reinforced the ship's depleted defenders and their surviving fighters joined Elysium's own. Riov Olmex ultimately placed the *Havraha* under Phoenix's overall operational command for the coming battle. Old political suspicions had become a luxury Circinus could no longer afford. When the Galatonian Queen returned with a vastly larger force, the two crews fought together. The second attack pushed both ships close to destruction. Starfleet and Romulan personnel fought side by side aboard Elysium while their combined fighter wings battled overwhelming numbers outside. Eventually, with the battle turning against them, Olmex ordered the evacuation of the *Havraha* and prepared to sacrifice his vessel. Phoenix immediately agreed to receive the Romulan escape pods — but refused to accept Olmex's intention to leave his bridge crew behind. She ordered Elysium to secure the pods and obtain transporter locks on the remaining officers as well. The *Havraha* was ultimately sacrificed against the Galatonian Crown Vessel, destroying both ships and breaking the enemy assault. Elysium survived. The victory came at an enormous price. Phoenix was now responsible not only for her own increasingly depleted crew but for more than two hundred Romulan survivors who no longer possessed a ship of their own. People who had once regarded one another as enemies now shared quarters, departments, medical facilities and the same uncertain journey through Circinus. Phoenix did not treat the Romulans merely as refugees aboard a Federation vessel. She began the difficult process of integrating their people into Elysium's community and recognised that survival now depended upon both crews learning to function as one. After the fighting stopped, Phoenix could still be found among the damaged decks in her undershirt and uniform trousers, helping distribute food and water to those clearing debris. There were command reports waiting. There were always command reports waiting. But Phoenix had come to understand that leadership aboard Elysium was sometimes less about sitting in the centre chair and more about making certain the person hauling wreckage down a ruined corridor knew they had not been forgotten. The ship that emerged from *Conglomerate* was no longer quite the same Elysium that had entered it. Neither was its Commodore. Crossroads of Destiny Following the destruction caused by the Galatonian attacks, Elysium finally reached Niea IV, the homeworld of Teevs Dosivi and his daughter Kerilia. The planet initially appeared to offer everything the exhausted crew desperately needed: repairs, supplies, shore leave and a chance to recover. That hope did not last. Political tensions surrounding the Kavai soon placed Elysium in conflict with Lady Sama of the Fourth House. When Kerilia developed the hereditary dermaglyph associated with Kavai ancestry, Lonian authorities classified her not as a child but as prohibited evidence under the Bedia Convention. Teevs, Kerilia and numerous members of the Elysium crew were subsequently detained. The final list contained seventeen names. One of them was Mattias. Learning that her husband had disappeared triggered a catastrophic medical episode in Phoenix. Unknown to those around her, and initially unknown even to Phoenix herself, her pregnancy had resulted in stage-three Gestational Cerebral Xenopolycythemia Syndrome. The condition caused accelerated blood-cell replication and tumours that interfered with blood flow to her brain, severely compromising her judgement. Phoenix armed herself from a restricted armoury and attempted to transport to the surface alone. Gary, Kyle and other members of the command team tried to stop her, but Phoenix was incapable of recognising the danger of what she was doing. When Kyle pursued her, Phoenix turned toward him with a raised phaser. Kyle stunned her before she could fire. Phoenix later remembered little beyond learning that Mattias was missing and deciding she was going after him. Discovering what had happened devastated her far more than being physically stopped. She recognised that Kyle had been forced into a position where he either had to disobey his commanding officer or defend himself against her. Phoenix did not hide behind the diagnosis once she understood it. Although she acknowledged that the syndrome explained the failure of her judgement, she refused to use it as an excuse. She accepted that Gary and Kyle had been right to stop her and acknowledged that, in doing so, they had protected the ship, the crew and Phoenix herself. Medical examination revealed that both Phoenix and her unborn child were at risk. Sthilg confined her to Sickbay and began preparing an artificial evo womb as the safest option for the baby while her condition was treated. Phoenix reluctantly accepted the medical restrictions and temporarily left Gary coordinating the response until she could be cleared to resume command. The crisis on Niea IV continued without waiting for Phoenix to recover. Once able to participate again, Phoenix first attempted to resolve the detentions through diplomacy rather than force. Lady Sama proposed a staged return of the Starfleet prisoners provided Elysium agreed to investigate the alleged offences committed by its personnel. Phoenix was prepared to accept that principle. She was not prepared to promise punishment before guilt had been established. Nor would she accept Sama's insistence that Teevs and Kerilia be excluded from any agreement. Phoenix recognised Lonian sovereignty and did not deny that their government possessed its own laws. She argued instead that mechanisms existed for transferring custody without requiring either side to surrender its authority. Even when discussing Mattias, Phoenix deliberately separated her role as his wife from her role as Commodore, presenting the facts of his conduct rather than simply demanding his release. There was, however, one point on which Phoenix would not compromise. Kerilia was a child. Sama could call her evidence, an asset or anything else Lonian law permitted, but Phoenix would not knowingly leave a child behind to be killed because of her ancestry. When diplomacy failed, Elysium prepared Operation Sunrise. Starfleet personnel and the Romulan survivors of the *Havraha* combined their resources to infiltrate the detention facility and recover everyone being held. The operation succeeded. Kerilia was found and freed, while Naxea, Damien, Teevs and an unconscious and severely injured Mattias were recovered from high security. Phoenix got her people back. The price of doing so was the end of any possibility that Niea IV could become the safe haven Elysium had hoped to find. Sama demanded the return of the rescued prisoners and what she continued to regard as evidence. Elysium refused. Lonian ships attacked during the withdrawal. Although Elysium attempted to disable rather than destroy them, one Lonian frigate catastrophically exploded, killing 248 soldiers. Phoenix left Niea IV with Mattias alive but badly injured, her own pregnancy medically endangered and another potential refuge behind them. The experience marked one of the most difficult periods of Phoenix's command. She had been forced to confront the frightening reality that illness could compromise the judgement upon which hundreds of people depended. She had also been reminded why a commanding officer needed people willing to challenge her when necessary rather than simply obey her rank. Gary and Kyle had done exactly that. At the same time, Niea IV demonstrated where Phoenix's own boundaries remained. She could negotiate. She could compromise. She could acknowledge another government's sovereignty, accept that Starfleet personnel might be investigated and even tolerate laws with which she fundamentally disagreed. What she could not do was purchase political peace by knowingly abandoning one of the people under her protection. Elysium left Niea IV once again searching for somewhere safe. But everyone Phoenix had gone there with was coming with her.
Service Record		Service Record 2385–2389 — Starfleet Academy Cadet Graduated: 2389 2389–2390 — USS Montgomery Scott Junior Flight Control Officer Rank: Ensign 2390–2391 — USS Hydra Junior Helmsman Rank: Ensign 2391–2392 — USS Talons Wing Flight Control Officer Rank: Ensign 2392–2393 — USS Elysium Chief of Operations Rank: Lieutenant 2394 — USS Elysium Chief of Operations Rank: Lieutenant Commander 2394 — USS Elysium Chief of Operations / Second Officer Rank: Commander 2395 — USS Elysium Executive Officer / Chief of Operations Rank: Commander 2395 — USS Elysium Commanding Officer Rank: Commander 2396 — USS Elysium Commanding Officer Rank: Captain 2397 — USS Elysium Commanding Officer Rank: Captain 2397 — Removed from Command Phoenix was publicly removed from command and placed under arrest. This was a cover for her assignment to a classified WATCH operation. 2397 — USS Elysium Reinstated as Commanding Officer Rank: Captain 2397 — USS Elysium Commanding Officer Promoted to Commodore Present — USS Elysium Commanding Officer Rank: Commodore Disciplinary Record 2390 — Assault on a Senior Officer 2391 — Insulting a Diplomatic Envoy 2391 — Assault on a Visiting Royal Personage The latter two incidents involved Phoenix's brothers. Phoenix maintains that this fact should be taken into consideration when assessing the seriousness of the offences.
Languages		High Erisian- Court Language Erisan Lower- Language spoken by the common folk Federation Standard: Still gets things confused like idioms and such
Academy Graduation Year		2389

Medical and Psychological Information

Medical Review		Phoenix is generally physically fit and maintains an active lifestyle. She has no known chronic physical disabilities, although her Starfleet career has resulted in a substantial history of injury and trauma. **Adolescent Injuries:** As a teenager on Erisia, Phoenix suffered significant physical injuries as a result of punishment inflicted following the death of the man to whom she had been betrothed. Although she physically recovered, some scarring remains. **2396 — Romulan Imprisonment:** Phoenix was among members of the Elysium command crew captured and held in a Romulan prison. She was recovered alive but had been tortured and was described as barely alive when found. **2396 — Mirror Universe Captivity:** While pregnant with Elizabeth and William, Phoenix was abducted and replaced by her Mirror Universe counterpart. During her captivity Phoenix was subjected to prolonged torture and abuse. Her unborn twins were deliberately protected from the worst of the physical harm at the instruction of her counterpart's brother. Phoenix was subsequently recovered and received medical and counselling support on Pacifica. The pregnancy continued successfully and Elizabeth and William were born on 29 November 2396. **Circinus Arrival:** Phoenix sustained significant injuries when the USS Elysium was thrown into the Circinus Galaxy. She suffered a severe injury to her arm and a concussion that temporarily affected her vision. Her injuries initially prevented her from continuing in command, and she transferred responsibility for the ship to Captain Gary Taylor while she recovered. Phoenix subsequently regained her sight and returned to active duty. **Current Pregnancy and GCXS:** Phoenix became pregnant with her third biological child while Elysium was stranded in the Circinus Galaxy. During the events on Niea IV, Phoenix was diagnosed with **Stage Three Gestational Cerebral Xenopolycythemia Syndrome (GCXS)**. GCXS is a genetic pregnancy-related condition in which pregnancy hormones trigger accelerated blood-cell replication. This results in the development of tumours that interfere with blood flow to the brain. In Phoenix's case the condition progressed sufficiently to impair judgement, reasoning and memory before being diagnosed. The condition became apparent following an acute neurological episode after Phoenix learned that Mattias was among seventeen Elysium personnel missing on Niea IV. During the episode Phoenix displayed behaviour profoundly inconsistent with her normal judgement and later retained no memory of events beyond learning that Mattias was missing and deciding to go after him. Following examination, Phoenix was stabilised and placed under close medical supervision. The condition presented a significant risk to both Phoenix and her unborn child. On Commander Sthilg's recommendation, the child was transferred to an artificial **evo womb**, allowing the pregnancy to continue independently while Phoenix underwent treatment for GCXS. Phoenix was temporarily confined to Sickbay and removed herself from active command until medically cleared. Phoenix has a known family history of GCXS. She was aware of the condition prior to her own diagnosis and believed she had avoided inheriting it after experiencing no symptoms during her pregnancy with Elizabeth and William. **Current Medical Status:** Under active medical supervision following Stage Three Gestational Cerebral Xenopolycythemia Syndrome. Her unborn child is currently developing in an artificial evo womb. Phoenix's fitness for unrestricted duty remains subject to medical clearance and ongoing monitoring. Was cleared 24th June 2398 for active duty
Allergies/Health Issues		**Allergies:** No known allergies. **Health Issues:** Phoenix is generally in excellent physical condition and maintains a high level of fitness appropriate for active Starfleet service. She has a history of injuries associated with active duty, captivity and combat, but has recovered from the majority of these without significant ongoing physical impairment. Phoenix has been diagnosed with **Stage Three Gestational Cerebral Xenopolycythemia Syndrome (GCXS)**, a genetic pregnancy-related condition affecting cerebral blood flow and neurological function. Her unborn child has subsequently been transferred to an artificial evo womb for the safety of both mother and child. Phoenix remains under medical supervision for GCXS. Her duty status and any restrictions are subject to continuing medical assessment.
Counseling Review		Phoenix Lalor-Richardson has experienced a considerable degree of personal and professional trauma throughout her Starfleet career, including physical abuse during adolescence, imprisonment, torture, bereavement, abduction, prolonged separation from Federation support and repeated exposure to combat and mass-casualty situations. Despite this history, Phoenix demonstrates considerable psychological resilience and remains capable of forming and maintaining strong personal relationships. Her marriage, children, extended family and close relationships among the Elysium crew provide an important support network. Phoenix's principal psychological vulnerability remains her tendency to internalise responsibility for the welfare of those under her command. She can carry casualties and failures personally, even when circumstances were beyond her control, and may be reluctant to acknowledge when the cumulative burden of command is affecting her. Family is another significant emotional vulnerability. Phoenix is considerably more capable of maintaining objectivity when her own safety is threatened than when someone she loves is in danger. The behavioural episode on Niea IV should **not** be considered evidence of psychological instability. Subsequent medical examination established that Phoenix was suffering from Stage Three Gestational Cerebral Xenopolycythemia Syndrome, which had impaired cerebral blood flow, judgement and memory. Notably, once informed of her actions, Phoenix accepted responsibility rather than attempting to excuse them. She acknowledged the necessity of intervention by members of her command staff and complied with medical restrictions. Continued access to counselling is recommended, particularly given the ongoing pressures associated with commanding a stranded vessel and community in the Circinus Galaxy. At present, there is no established psychological condition that independently precludes Phoenix from command. Fitness for duty remains subject to both medical and psychological review.