Ensign Kaelun Merak
Name Kaelun Nahl Merak
Position Science Officer
Rank Ensign
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Trill | |
| Age | 24 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 1.88 | |
| Weight | 185 | |
| Hair Color | Black | |
| Eye Color | Brown | |
| Physical Description | Kaelun stands at 1.82 meters, with a lean, athletic build reflecting both his Starfleet training and an active personal regimen. An angular face marked by the characteristic Trill spots running from his temples down his body. Hazel eyes, often narrowed in focus, shift from warm and curious to calculating and distant depending on the situation. His bearing blends the deliberate posture of a scientist with the subtle readiness of someone accustomed to survival in hostile situations. |
Family
| Father | Joras Nahl | |
| Mother | Virelle Nahl | |
| Brother(s) | Tyren Nahl | |
| Sister(s) | Marila Nahl |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Kaelun Nahl Merak is a joined Trill officer whose career in Starfleet began with promise and was tested almost immediately by the Borg assault on the Federation in 2367. Trained as a xenobiologist specializing in pathogen-based deployment systems, Kaelun carries the memories and expertise of multiple previous hosts—most notably Toval Merak, a brilliant but exacting Federation virologist, and Jaren Merak, a decorated Starfleet Marine officer. This combination makes Kaelun both a meticulous researcher and a decisive actor under pressure. While highly respected for his expertise, Kaelun’s confidence can verge into arrogance, a byproduct of the immense skill and experience afforded by his joining. He is driven by the dual legacies of his past hosts to protect the Federation from biological threats, but struggles with the personal weight of surviving when so many others did not. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Exceptional xenobiological expertise, with deep cross-disciplinary insight into pathogens and adaptive biological systems. Ability to remain calm under extreme pressure, drawing on Jaren Merak’s combat instincts. Quick analytical thinking and adaptability in crisis situations. Strong tactical awareness, enabling him to apply science directly to strategic defense. WEAKNESSES: Overconfidence in his abilities, leading to friction with colleagues. Survivor’s guilt from the Borg attack, which can influence his decision-making. Occasionally detached in interpersonal interactions, preferring data and logic over emotional considerations. Driven to the point of self-neglect when pursuing solutions to perceived threats. |
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| Ambitions | Kaelun is determined to develop a viable biological countermeasure to Borg assimilation, believing that the Federation’s survival may depend on scientific ingenuity as much as military might. He is also intent on advancing Starfleet Medical’s understanding of xenopathogens, hoping to leave a legacy that rivals Toval Merak’s breakthroughs—without repeating the moral compromises of certain other past hosts. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Outside of duty, Kaelun enjoys competitive strategy games, deep-sea diving on holodeck simulations, and historical research into ancient civilizations’ medical practices. He maintains a personal database of xenobiological anomalies, compiled from both his own work and past hosts’ experiences. Physical activity is an essential part of his routine, a habit inherited from Jaren Merak’s military discipline. |
| Personal History | Kaelun Nahl was born in 2344 on Trill, the middle child of Joras and Virelle Nahl. His natural aptitude for science emerged early, along with an independent streak that often put him at odds with authority. At nineteen, he was joined with the Merak symbiont, an event that brought with it centuries of collective experience. Two past hosts left particularly strong marks: Toval Merak, a Federation virologist renowned for his breakthroughs against mutagenic plagues, imparted a precise, methodical approach to research; Jaren Merak, a Starfleet Marine officer, instilled discipline, courage under fire, and a pragmatic understanding of survival. Together, these influences shaped Kaelun into a scientist who approaches biology as both a humanitarian endeavor and a tool for strategic defense. Graduating from Starfleet Academy with honors in xenobiology, Kaelun specialized in pathogen-based deployment systems and was posted to Starfleet Medical Research Command in San Francisco. His work focused on theoretical countermeasures to invasive organisms—a field of study that suddenly became critical in 2367, when the Borg launched a devastating attack on the Federation. When the Borg fleet breached Sector 001, Starfleet Command issued a General Retreat Order for all personnel and vessels. As Earth’s defenses collapsed, he and a dozen other civilians and personnel escaped aboard a damaged medical evacuation craft, taking the co-pilot’s seat and guiding it into orbit for rendezvous with an Oberth-class science vessel. The transfer was completed seconds before the ship went to warp, narrowly avoiding assimilation. |
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| Service Record | 2362-2366: Starfleet Academy – Cadet, Xenobiology major, specialized in pathogen-based deployment systems (Graduated with Honors) 2366-2367: Starfleet Medical Research Command – Xenobiologist, developing theoretical countermeasures to invasive cybernetic organisms 2367: Borg Attack – Oversaw destruction of classified biological research during retreat from Earth; coordinated shuttle evacuation to safety Starbase 324 – Temporarily assigned to Starfleet Medical and Tactical divisions to study biological and technological data from the Borg cube that attacked Earth and the Arcturus sector; contributed to preliminary defensive countermeasure planning. |