Lana Burke
From Galactopedia
| [[Image:|134px]] | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Contents |
[edit] Early life
The Burke family name originates on Terra in Montana, United States. Their hometown was obliterated from an orbiting Klinshayan Vessel in 2180 when it dropped an antimatter bomb on the corporate headquarters of some software giant. Since then they have been drifters, working on the star lanes after the war building their fortunes from the collapse of the mega corporations.
In 2199, Lana Burke was born to the ships Engineer Hayden Burke and the an exceptionally beautiful cargo chief Jessica Mansfield on the Ryl’Atti vessel (Translated) Shining Dawn, while the ship was en-route between Xanadu and Centauria. She is known as one of the hyperspace babies, the generation of children born to displaced Terran’s working and living entirely in space.
In 2208, at the age of 9, both her and her mother were noticed working the docks loading cargo on to the ship as she often did if it was between her education cycle. And they were noticed by a media advertiser wanting to document the life of the displaced Terrans 24 years after the war and the families that have formed on the trade lanes. With the attractive Lana being very much her mother’s daughter, she became the center piece of the documentary on the Shining Dawn. As camera crews followed her daily activities along with 9 other families for a year.
[edit] Excerpt from “Hyperspace Babies: The Children of the Spacers”
<A camera pans from a bridge workstation as the blue and purple field of hyperspace is seen in the view screen of the bulk freighter and a child in over-alls wearing a headset and staring intently at a computer screen doing her daily Calculus lessons.>
“Little Lana,” the distinct voice of the Ryl’Atti documentary producer speaking standard calls to the little girl by her nickname to which she turns immediately and smiles.
“Morning Gaeom!” she replied more than happy to get away from her studies.
“What’s on todays list?” the producer ask her in a curious but staged manner to which she happily replied.
“Well…” She said as she swung the chair around looking up thinking, “Marco and Thresx are going to inspect the cargo hold, Mom is still in sickbay with a broke leg, Dad is going to come with me to do an EVA when we drop out of hyperspace at Centauria.”, Her mind suddenly jumped to Neo Nippon, “Gaeom! We are going to the Nippon Zoo! Can you read Japanese?”
The Ryl’Atti chuckled, “I’m afraid standard is hard enough for me to learn Standard.”
“It’s ok, mom is tired of the sickbay and said she wants to take me to the Zoo to see the tyrannosaurus fed!”
[edit] Star Fleet Career
In 2218, Lana submitted herself to join the Star Fleet and serve the Alliance in a more active sense. She entered the Academy majoring in foreign relations and xeno-psychology with a minor in Starship operations.
Her academy years were full of delinquency and mediocre performance. While academically she was on the boarder of dropping out of Starfleet. Professionally she was far ahead of her academy peers. Her first evaluations were those often reflected in cadets that were on the verge of being kicked out of the service.
It wasn’t until her senior year during her class summer cruise on board the U.A.S. Ticonderoga that she displayed remarkable leadership and command abilities. This resulted in her class becoming 3rd in the academy summer competitions. In May of 2222, Lana graduated 60th in her class and was assigned to the U.A.S. Austin as an Ensign Operations Officer..
While on the U.A.S. Austin Ensign Burke was often counseled at times was often openly belligerent and nearly bordered on reprimands as an Ensign and Lieutenant Junior Grade. This attitude never came from disrespect nor not liking her shipmates...but from what she describes herself as simply knowing more than they do.
In July of 2222 she had attained the rank of Lieutenant and acted as the ships 3rd officer. In August of 2222 Lieutenant Burke received an early promote to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. It was in September of 2222 that the distinguished history of the U.A.S. Austin came to an end when she was engaged by three Xon at the Konatutzu system.
Lieutenant Commander Burke checked in on board U.A.S. Alsever SCSS-151 as the executive officer in September of 2222. While as the XO she trained and reworked the crew and it was there she found her calling. She realized that the Alliance needed strong willed people who were going to do what is necessary to protect the rights of their citizens. She intended to make the crew explorers as Alsever’s CO made it clear the ship was meant to be a vessel of science.
However that was dashed with the Christmas Mutiny of 2222 when her own CO had plotted to murder her for her unwavering loyalty to the Constitution of the United Systems Alliance. After the mutiny there were deep wounds left in her squadron, she had already been up for promotion to Commander. However serious holes were in the command ranks and she received a field promotion to Captain in January of 2222 and was ordered to assume command of U.A.S. Challenger BCSS-34.
The way the squadron did business was wrong, and she worked to change that one person at a time. Her efforts moving the Devilray squadron to a more effective and driven force had placed her at the upper echelon of the squadron command. Though this was not with criticism as people felt she was fighting for rank, or that she was a puppet of the Commodore in which the Christmas Mutiny was against. When confronted with such she responded.
“I never wanted to be promoted the way I did. It was not awarded but forced on to me by those who think they could circumvent our laws. And I swore an oath to a duty to the Starfleet. If they felt it was best for the fleet then I take the burden of the circumstances and do my absolute best to perform.”
It was shortly after this statement that she had a prolonged argument with a Centaurian woman Eve Gawo on Starfleet stance towards the other races in the quadrant and after hours of debate they found themselves as equals in the understanding of the psychology of several races the Alliance has discovered. Eve parted ways with the Challenger that night leaving Burke with the advice that being shot at is sometimes considered a greeting. The cryptic message Eve left Lana confused but she always thought the independent was referring to the Xon.
The U.A.S. Alsever was captured by a pirate force and had imprisoned the Captain on there ship. After being marooned and subsequently being rescued by the U.A.S. Hector. Captain Burke found herself being accused of allowing Alsevers attackers to take the ship, when the evidence since has proven otherwise that she had no hand in the event. Most of her opposition said it was wrong for her crew to give up the ship rather than let it be destroyed even with the chance for recovery was always an option. She maintained her innocence along with the evidence that supported the innocence of Alsever's crew and the fact there was a traitor amongst them.
However her Centaurian temper was not helping her as the admiralty of 2nd Fleet backed her into a corner and marginalized her from a squadron that already assumed she was responsible. As such she spent two months at Star fleet Headquarters waiting for adjudication that would never come. Instead of finishing the case, her rights to due process were violated. And contrary to the truth of what happened, 2nd Fleet had no intention of bringing her back. Lana obviously thought the Fleet Captain, Rear Admiral Milner, whom she regularly but heads with had a hand in the decision. She was after all in her mind replaced by a mediocre Captain by her standards.
By April 14, 2224, with her blood seething and patience wearing thin. She finally realized that Fleet was never about protecting the Alliance. That it was more focused on, in her mind, brown nosing and unneeded paper work rather than getting out to the borders and exploring. She knew her personal arrogance as a Centaurian was not going to allow herself to simply be trampled on by an Admiral whom she felt was out of touch of the fleet's mission. It was on April 14th, Lana Burke turned her back on a Fleet that turned on her. As she walked out of Star Fleet Headquarters in civilian clothing with intention to charter a civilian freighter to the Vorgon border colonies. Fleet Admiral Amury had passed by and Lana voice her opinion to him as a parting gift to fleet.
Amury taken aback had told Burke that transfer to another fleet...to take it off core world defense and to push forward with Star Fleet's mission. Lana was shocked by the offer, but turned it down saying she is under investigation and to do such would make her no better than the people she is walking away from. As she turned to leave two corporals tried to stop her requesting the Captain return to the JAG offices. Burke placed her hand on her pistol and shook her head at the two Marines to tell them not to try it. Amury waved them off and as she stepped out of the HQ she left behind her career.
Lana's where abouts are unknown she has been seen in several Alliance and Confederate systems. However in August 2224, an open hyperwave appeared with her making a direct threat to the Emperor of the Klinshayan Empire shortly after she and the crew of the C.S.S. Kansas dove right into the maw of the Klinshay orbital defenses. She apparently was approached by the confederation's military and has retained the rank of Captain and is currently engaged in battle with the Klinshay Empire.
[edit] Timeline
U.A.S. Austin- May, 2222
U.A.S. Alsever- September, 2222
U.A.S. Challenger- January, 2223
Devilray Command- September, 2223
U.A.S. Alsever- November, 2224
Devilray Commodore- January, 2224
U.A.S. Alsever- February, 2224
U.A.S. Alsever is attacked and Burke is captured. Failures in negotiating her release has resulted her being marooned on an unknown world on February 20, 2224
Captain Burke was rescued by the U.A.S. Hector on February 31st from an unknown tip.
April 14, 2224- Lana Burke left the Starfleet.
August 18, 2224- Captain Burke reappeared on the networks as a Confederate Officer attacking the Klinshayan. Her motivations are unclear.
[edit] Awards
Starfleet Academy Medal- Class of April 2222
Marksmanship Medal- June, 2222
Manning Medal- July, 2222
Starship Gunnery Medal- July, 2222
Starfleet Achievement Medal- July, 2222 for the capture of a Deathwing
Starfleet Expeditionary Medal- August, 2222
Becker Medal of Valor- August, 2222 (Loss of U.A.S. Austin)
Purple Heart- August, 2222
Alerion Thorn Tactics Medal- November, 2222
Nelson Scientific Merit- November, 2222
XON Incursion Medal- August, 2223
Meritorious Unit Commendation- August, 2223
Starfleet Commendation- February, 2224
[edit] Survial Journal
-Day 1-
This is the record of the events of the Aftermath of the Klinshayan War between the Confederation of Non-Aligned Worlds. I am Captain Lana Burke. I do not know what happened, I awoke in the clone facilities of Gaia only to find the planet turned to an empty wasteland.
Fall of 2224 we had made several successful raids on the Klinshayain Empire. Destroying their shipyards and defenses, out numbered by great odds we even managed to capture some of their ships. However the planet has been razed and I can not bring up any confederate vessels on comms. I will continue to search the city for supplies and survivors.
-Day 19-
It's been twenty days and still no sign of other life other than the occasional body. I found canned food and the water when it isn't contanminated is plenty to be found. With the transit network down, it is going to take possibly another 3 days to make it to the command HQ.
-Day 32-
There is no one here, I am having difficulty adjusting to the solitude. I repaired the hyperwave reciever at HQ, its been two weeks and not so much a automated squak from the Star Service observation post 5 lightyears away. I have had a lot of free time and I have tried to keep my mind focused on improving my shelter. I found a handscanner seven days ago under a collapsed bulkhead, brings me some comfort now I know if there is a cloud of fallout inbound. But my health is deteriating, I am trying to make a jerry-rigged transmitter to try and get an transmission out to the nearest USA colony. I have a feeling the Confederate systems will no longer recieve.
I have to stay focused...
