Del Bato

Summary
A son of a Bolian politician, Del grew up on Bolarus IX in a beautiful community by the frozen shores of Das’adi, the planet’s cultural and philosophical center. From a young age he was introduced into the fine arts, like music and sculpturing, but had always harbored more of an interest in the simpler things. So, when his father was appointed the Bolian ambassador to Earth in 2357, he took that as an opportunity to move from a more artistic education to practical one.

Eventually joining Starfleet Academy and graduating in the Operations branch, Del joined the crew of the newly commissioned USS Lammergeier as an Ensign in its logistics department. Staying with Captain Jackson Palmer through thick and thin, even the ship’s major refit, by 2379 Del is the longest serving senior staff member aboard. He is also one of the only two Lieutenant Commanders in the fleet, who have only served on one ship their entire career.

History
Growing up on Bolarus, in the quaint coastal town of Das’adi, Del was always ingulfed by the spiritual and artistic air of his childhood home, as well as the city surrounding it. A cultural center for the Bolian people, his mother too was a rather well-known artist, while his father worked for the government as a local governor. Thus coming from a rather affluent background, the young boy had always been surrounded by only the finest things, which ironically fostered his desire for the simpler, more worthwhile treasures of life.

While his mother excelled in the arts of music and sound, his father in the art of words and tactics, Del always enjoyed more tangible skills. Building things, growing things, fixing things … anything that represented in a physical payoff. That and organizing said work and its results. Even when he got into primary school, he already started administrating the little workshop, always making sure everything was where it belonged and that when stocks were running low, he got the teacher to order more. To the point where he would even streamline their entire household at home, much to the dismay of his mother and other servants.

By the age of fourteen then, Del’s father was offered the position of the Bolian ambassador to earth, looking at a move to San Francisco. And while the decision for the whole family to go was not an entirely unanimous one, Del has never regretted it. Going to James T. Kirk high school meant the young man was immediately exposed to the legacy and sense of adventure, Starfleet exuded, through one of its most prominent Captains. So it didn’t take long for him to align his own best interests with those of the Federation’s defense and exploratory force.

So, it came to no surprise that Del eventually joined Starfleet Academy, specializing in the Operations and Logistic branch. Not the fact that he would choose civil service, being somewhat of a disappointment to his parents, but rather the fact that he didn’t pick a more prestigious branch. However, not ever having been the most ambitious person, Del didn’t aspire to be a Captain or Admiral eventually. He just intended to fill his life with what he enjoyed. Because then he wouldn’t be working a single day.

2359 - 2365
That being said, joining the crew of a newly commissioned vessel straight out of the academy, was a dream come true for the young Ensign. The Lammergeier wasn’t the first of its class, but still had enough early kinks and oddities that gave the ship character, Del thought. A lot had to be organized first – chief among them the initial departure – and as a logistics officer he was front and center to the execution of most of these preparations, at least in a supporting capacity. He soon learned the ship inside out and almost developed a relationship with it.

On their mission of patrolling the Cardassian border, out of Starbase 211, Del was usually tasked with preparing checklists for base visits and keepings tock of certain secondary consumables on their short excursions. This procession of comfortably routine tasks was only briefly interrupted by the attack on Settlik III, in which the Lammergeier acted as a second responder, taking on many of the injured, providing a bit of logistic variety.

2365 - 2372
Getting promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade, as a full-fledged Operations officer, not only Del’s responsibilities increased, but as Lammergeier transitioned to a more supportive role at the border, also the magnitude of their reach. He would oftentimes coordinate with other ships in the area on crew and maintenance issues as well as organizing a few planetary supply missions, in the onset of the Maquis guerilla campaign. He would later help identify and trace a lot of the goods delivered by the Lammergeier, reappear in rebel hideouts and vessels, thus allowing Starfleet intelligence to unearth several covert supply routes. The Lammergeier in turn repeatedly being tasked with cutting them.

2372 - 2379
The next stretch in Del’s career history, after being promoted to full Lieutenant and being made the ship’s Chief Operations Officer, encompassed the onset of the Dominion war and its immediate aftermath. Further coordinating internal processes as well as fleet liaisons and resupply timelines, he was also slowly becoming a rather close friend to Captain Palmer, whom he had served with for over a decade, at this point. A bond that would extend well beyond the professional boundaries and into each other’s private lives as well.

Being involved in many key skirmishes of the war, Del became battle hardened alongside the Lammergeier and the rest of its crew. His exceptional deductive and organizational skills helped keep Jackson’s back free to focus on command and the ship to run as smoothly and effectively as was demanded in such trying times.

Eventually the ship would be reposted once more to an important mission in the Maelstrom. Here they would eventually foil a Cardassian plot to reestablish their power and independence in the wake of their capitulation. A show of duty that would eventually garner Del a plethora of recommissioning offers as the mission ended and they returned to earth. Yet none he would even remotely consider, having found a home on Lammergeier. So it was no surprise that wherever Captain Palmer would go next, so would his COO.

Undergoing a major refit, Del was not only one of the few crewmates that remained loyal to their Captain and ship, but also one who was heavily involved in the entire process. He spent almost every day at the fleetyards, overseeing the operations and accustoming himself with the new systems and briefing Jackson on every little detail. And with the Lammergeier recommissioned, so came another promotion to Lieutenant Commander as well as Second Officer. Something the man surely hadn’t lobbied for, but gladly accepted.

2379 - 10/2379
Having gone home to his parents for dinner, almost every night during the extended refit on earth, the departure was a little bit bittersweet. Del had felt his private life rekindle ever so slightly, even as a grown man, having missed out on his parents for a long time during his deployment. However, it only took one week in space, en route to Starbase 157, and the newly instated ritual of daily captain’s dinners among the three most senior officers, that would re-instill that sense of home for him that Lammergeier had become.

So, when they finally arrived at the new frontier, fifty-five days later, Del had once again become a part of the ship and the crew, to the point where he was not only in charge of operations but unofficially of crew morale as a whole.

Appearance
Aside of Del’s distinctive, blue-colored skin and bald scalp, he also possesses the natural Bolian separation line, across the vertical center of his torso and head. Of rather imposing physique, more befitting a security officer, the man’s stature is rather a result of a mesomorphic body structure and physiology, rather than particular exercise. Also natural to his species is the slightly shorter height and heavier bone structure.

Sporting a few traditional Bolian tattoos as well, which aren’t visible in uniform, Del’s body is also entirely hairless, as per his species physiology. Additionally, a few scars taint his skin, from several minor incidents during his career, predominantly during the Dominion War. However they are significantly faded due to his exceptional regenerative ability and medical treatment.

Motivation
Del’s sole motivation to follow the Lammergeier into the Narendra Sector is his connection to Captain Palmer and the ship itself. Having served on it, and under Jackson, for twenty years, and lacking any general ambition for change, the Bolian is wholesomely content with the familiar and comfortable environment, which he is able to take anywhere in the Galaxy. And anywhere it could go, he’ll follow.

And while not having a special penchant for exploring the unknown, he understands the value of his expertise and experience aboard the ship and its procedures, to still be an important part of any undertaking that the vessel would partake in. Still feeling like he partly owes Captain Palmer for creating this warm environment to serve in, Del is more than motivated to do everything he can to repay the man through his duty.

Episode 01

 * Day 01 | 0000 hrs. | Thread Title with Character 01, Character 02, Character 03