Petty Officer 3rd Class Sindari Toylen [ADMIN NPC]

Character Information

Gender		Female
Species		Betazoid-Romulan
Age		20

Physical Appearance

Physical Description

Slender, Fit, one who runs daily. Sindari uses a Virtual sensory display to display what people say, and has a wrist padd that she uses to communicate. She wears her hair in a pony tail and keeps a low profile.

Family

Father		Nuhir T’alehith tr’Noramei
Mother		Jasmine Toylen (d)
Other Family		Shiarrael T’Rhenn (Arranged Marriage)

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Sindari is quiet even beyond the necessities imposed by her deafness. Introverted, observant and fiercely independent, she has spent much of her life learning how to function in environments designed around people who experience the world differently from her. She dislikes being treated as helpless and particularly dislikes people assuming that her deafness means she is incapable of understanding what is happening around her. She does not seek attention and is perfectly content working alone for long periods. Computer systems suit her temperament particularly well. Machines are predictable. Code does not become impatient because she needs to read a conversation. A computer does not stare at her communication device or speak unnecessarily slowly when it discovers she cannot hear. Computers simply communicate. That does not mean Sindari dislikes people. She is simply cautious about allowing them close. The death of her mother when Sindari was sixteen reinforced an independence that had already been developing throughout childhood. Rather than reaching outward after the loss, Sindari withdrew further into herself. She has a dry, understated sense of humour that is easily missed by people who do not know her well. Her amusement tends to appear as a raised eyebrow, a tiny smile or a surprisingly pointed sentence appearing on her PADD. Sindari rarely panics. When circumstances become dangerous she tends to become quieter and more focused, reducing problems to systems that can be understood and manipulated. This was demonstrated during the boarding of the Elysium, when she used her knowledge of the ship's internal systems and maintenance routes to protect other members of the crew. Rather than directly confronting the attacking creatures, she manipulated forcefields and environmental controls and led others through the maintenance network to safety. Sindari does not consider this particularly heroic. She considers it solving a problem.
Strengths & Weaknesses		Strengths Computer Systems: Sindari has an exceptional aptitude for computer architecture, programming, diagnostics and systems integration. She is particularly good at identifying patterns within complex systems. Problem Solving: She approaches problems logically and methodically, often finding unconventional solutions by looking at how several systems can interact rather than treating each system independently. Observation: Sindari watches constantly. Body language, environmental changes, system behaviour and small inconsistencies frequently attract her attention. Calm Under Pressure: Dangerous situations tend to sharpen rather than overwhelm her concentration. Independence: Sindari has spent most of her life adapting to situations without expecting others to accommodate her. Shipboard Systems: Her familiarity with Elysium has grown considerably during her service aboard the vessel. She understands not only computer systems but the infrastructure connecting them. Empathic Awareness: Her Betazoid heritage appears to have given Sindari some empathic sensitivity. She does not rely upon it heavily, but she is capable of perceiving emotional impressions and presences that cannot be communicated through conventional sound. Weaknesses Socially Withdrawn: Sindari's independence can become isolation. She rarely asks for help and can disappear into her work when emotionally uncomfortable. Difficulty Trusting: Losing her mother young and experiencing prejudice surrounding her Romulan ancestry have made Sindari cautious about allowing others close. Avoidance: When confronted with deeply personal situations, Sindari's instinct is often to remove herself rather than confront them. Romulan Heritage: Sindari has almost no personal connection to the Romulan half of her ancestry. Assumptions made about her because of that heritage irritate her, while direct encounters with Romulans can make her profoundly uncomfortable. She fears being regarded by Romulans as an inferior half-breed while simultaneously having experienced Federation citizens who assume her ancestry gives her knowledge, loyalties or sympathies she simply does not possess. Communication Barriers: Technology makes communication considerably easier, but situations involving damaged equipment, poor visibility or rapidly changing circumstances can leave Sindari at a disadvantage.
Hobbies & Interests		Hobbies and Interests Sindari runs regularly and uses physical exercise as both recreation and a means of clearing her thoughts. She enjoys computer programming outside her assigned duties and will sometimes create small programs simply to see whether something can be done more efficiently. She prefers quiet environments and can happily spend hours alone in computer core access areas, workshops or other technical spaces. Sindari has an unusual relationship with music. Having never experienced sound in the same manner as a hearing person, she experiences rhythm through vibration, visual representation and pattern. Her encounter with the Zynari added another dimension to this perception and left her with a private appreciation for the idea that music does not necessarily have to be heard.

Character Background

Personal History		Sindari Elspeth Toylen was born and raised on Betazed by her mother, Jasmine Toylen. She never knew her father. Shortly after Sindari's birth it was discovered that she was profoundly deaf. Jasmine chose to raise her daughter within Federation society and ensured that Sindari attended ordinary schools rather than allowing her deafness to determine the limits of her education. Academically, Sindari performed well. Socially, things were considerably more difficult. She struggled to make friends and increasingly found herself more comfortable around technology than other children. Computers did not care whether she could hear. Programming languages were visual, structured and logical. Problems had solutions. People were considerably more complicated. Her mixed heritage added another difficulty. Sindari knew that her father was Romulan, but Romulan culture was not part of her upbringing. She grew up Betazoid and Federation. Nevertheless, other people sometimes regarded her differently after discovering her ancestry. Sindari learned early that people could look at pointed ears, a name or a genetic record and decide who they believed she was before actually knowing her. When Sindari was sixteen, Jasmine died suddenly from heart failure. The loss devastated her. Jasmine had been Sindari's parent, advocate and strongest connection to the world. Rather than remaining on Betazed surrounded by memories, Sindari closed her mother's home following the funeral and left. She travelled to Mars and enrolled in Starfleet Technical Services Academy. Engineering proved to be exactly the environment she needed. Sindari entered the engineering stream and quickly distinguished herself in computer systems. Her ability to concentrate for long periods, identify patterns and work methodically made her particularly suited to computer diagnostics and systems architecture. For two years she trained as a computer specialist. At eighteen she graduated and received her first assignment: USS Elysium. USS Elysium Sindari arrived aboard the USS Elysium as a Crewman Recruit and Computer Specialist. Initially she maintained the same pattern that had characterised much of her life: work hard, remain unnoticed and keep other people at a comfortable distance. Elysium made that increasingly difficult. The ship's extraordinary circumstances repeatedly forced Sindari beyond the safety of computer terminals. During the ship's time far from home, Sindari demonstrated an ability to identify potentially useful resources within a massive starship graveyard and suggested that the damaged Elysium might salvage compatible materials from the wreckage. When Commodore Lalor-Richardson subsequently requested schematics for a cloaking device, Sindari researched existing cloak technologies and proposed combining elements from several designs to compensate for their individual weaknesses. The assignment also brought one of her recurring frustrations to the surface. Her Romulan ancestry led to an assumption that she would naturally possess knowledge of cloaking technology. Sindari made it very clear that she had been raised within Federation space and had no contact with the Romulan side of her heritage. It was not the first time she had been forced to make that distinction. The Zynari One of the most personally significant experiences of Sindari's service aboard Elysium occurred during the encounter with the Zynari. While working alone near the computer core, Sindari discovered her systems behaving strangely. Her PADD produced musical tones. Text shimmered across her displays. Tools moved seemingly of their own accord. Rather than reacting with fear, Sindari sensed something behind the events. Playfulness. Kindness. Mischief. The Zynari had noticed her. More importantly, they appeared to understand her. Their interaction did not attempt to cure her deafness or make her experience the world like everyone else. Instead they communicated through light, text, movement, emotion and patterns. They told her that her logic was beautiful. They thanked her for listening. Sindari eventually typed two words: I hear you. For someone who had spent much of her life being defined by what she could not hear, the encounter affected her deeply. The Zynari had not seen something broken. They had simply seen Sindari. She has never forgotten that. The Conglomerate Boarding Sindari later demonstrated how much she had grown during the Conglomerate attack on Elysium. Caught away from conventional defensive positions, she moved through the ship's maintenance network rather than expose herself unnecessarily. She encountered Commander Kara Starr and Lieutenant Scott Gregory and quickly adapted her plans to include them. Using her knowledge of Elysium's systems, Sindari configured forcefields to discriminate between Elysium personnel and hostile biosigns. When the attacking creatures attempted to circumvent those barriers, she continued manipulating the ship around them. One creature was eventually trapped behind a forcefield and deprived of atmosphere. Sindari then guided the others through the maintenance tubes while continuing to erect barriers behind them. The incident demonstrated something that Sindari herself might never volunteer: She possesses considerable courage. Not the loud kind. Sindari's courage is quiet, calculated and practical. Romulan Encounters Contact with Romulans aboard Elysium has exposed an unresolved part of Sindari's identity. When Romulan engineers assisted Elysium following severe damage, Sindari deliberately avoided them. She expected rejection. Whatever Starfleet personnel might occasionally assume about her Romulan ancestry, Sindari believes many Romulans would regard her mixed blood with contempt. Faced with the possibility of discovering whether that fear was justified, she chose not to find out. She disappeared into the maintenance tubes. It is one of the clearest indications that beneath Sindari's calm exterior remains a frightened young woman who has never resolved what being the daughter of Nuhir T'alehith tr'Noramei means. Eventually, she may no longer be able to avoid that question. Communication Sindari was born profoundly deaf. Her primary means of communication are sign language and written communication through her wrist PADD. Her virtual sensory display translates spoken language around her into text, allowing people to speak normally while she follows the conversation visually. Sindari prefers people to simply speak normally rather than exaggerating their mouth movements, raising their voices or otherwise changing their behaviour because she is deaf. She generally uses her PADD to respond when communicating with people who cannot sign. Because she has been deaf since birth, Sindari does not normally use spoken language herself and has consequently become known among some members of the crew as both deaf and non-speaking. She does not consider silence an absence of communication.
Service Record		2395 — Graduated Starfleet Technical Services Academy; assigned USS Elysium as Computer Specialist, Crewman Recruit. 2396 — Crewman Apprentice, USS Elysium, Computer Specialist. 2397 — Crewman, USS Elysium, Computer Specialist. Current — Petty Officer 3rd Class, USS Elysium, Computer Systems Specialist.

Medical and Psychological Information

Medical Review		Medical Information Sindari was born profoundly deaf. She uses assistive technology rather than treating her deafness as an illness requiring correction. Her virtual sensory display provides visual transcription of nearby speech, while her wrist-mounted PADD allows rapid written communication. She maintains excellent physical fitness and runs regularly. Her Betazoid ancestry has manifested in empathic sensitivity, although the exact extent of her abilities has not been extensively explored.
Counseling Review		Psychological Information Sindari is psychologically stable and capable of performing her duties effectively, including under dangerous conditions. Her primary concerns are emotional isolation, reluctance to seek assistance and a tendency to avoid situations involving her Romulan ancestry. The death of her mother remains one of the defining events of her life. Sindari's apparent self-sufficiency should not necessarily be interpreted as an absence of emotional needs. She has simply become extremely practiced at meeting those needs herself. Her experience with the Zynari appears to have been particularly beneficial because their interaction offered acceptance without requiring Sindari to change.