Lt. (jg) Li Essa

Family:
Mother: Li Faren, 55�Farm Manager
Father: Li Betas, 56�Farmer
Brother: Li Maxel, 33�Farmer/Merchant
Sister: Li Naya, Deceased

Interests:
Essa enjoys all games of chance including dabo and poker. She enjoys piloting any type of fixed wing craft. She stays physically fit through various disciplines of martial arts. She played soccer at Starfleet Academy and continues to play, if only through holo-programs.

Education:
2369-2373: Starfleet Academy
2374: Cadet Cruise
2377: Advanced Training on Romulan and Klingon Technology, Starfleet Engineering and Operations Special Training Academy

Service Record:
2375-2376: USS Gettysburg (Nebula class) Operations Officer/Shuttle Pilot (Ensign)
2377: USS Fury (Intrepid Class) Operations Officer/Assistant Chief of Operations, Promoted to Lt. (jg)

Decorations:
Starfleet Academy Ribbon
Dominion War Battle Ribbon

Background:
Li Essa was born into a family (Li) of farmers on Bajor during the Cardassian Occupation. Essa�s brother Maxel was interned on the Velos VII Interment Camp during her childhood. This ensured the family�s compliance and continued food production from the farm. When Essa was 15, the Cardassians came for her older sister, Niya, who was transported off world, destined to become a �comfort woman.� As the Cardassian commander left the farm, he turned to Essa and told her that he would be back in a couple of years for her.

Li Essa made the decision to leave the family and flee. She spent several months on her own, living in ghettos until she met up with members of the Kenda-Ra. She learned to perform maintenance on and eventually co-pilot fixed wing craft with the Kenda-Ra, who smuggle weapons to the larger and more well-known resistance units of the Bajoran freedom struggle. She served with the resistance unit for three years, her responsibility and status increasing each successive year.

The Cardassians withdrew from Bajor in 2369 and an 18-year-old Essa returned to her home. Her brother returned, shattered from his years held captive, but her sister did not come, missing like thousands of other Bajorans. Her family encouraged Essa to return to school, her old resistance comrades offered her a position in the Bajoran Militia, but a family friend, Pro-Federation Vedek Moras encouraged her to apply to Starfleet. Much to her surprise, she passed the entrance interviews and exams, despite her limited academic background.

Li Essa�s Academy experience was difficult. She lagged behind in her academic studies, even with tutors, her grades were unremarkable, if not poor. She prepared herself for the likelihood that she would enter Starfleet as a crewman rather than an officer. During her third and fourth years at the academy, she began to excel as theory and coursework gave way to more applications and training simulations. Essa�s years in the resistance allowed her to focus under pressure as the �superior� students made mistakes during battle simulations. She was a natural pilot and scored high in Operations and Helm Control. She received a superior ranking during her Cadet Cruise and graduated as an officer, firmly in the middle of her class.

Li Essa returned to Bajor briefly to visit her family and Vedek Moras. While there, she spent two days on Deep Space Nine and say the emissary, a deeply spiritual moment for her. Her first posting was the USS Gettysburg, on which she took part in two large fleet battles during the Dominion War.

Personality Profile:
Essa is a rather extroverted, opinioned young woman. Like most Bajoran women, she is extremely strong-willed. She attempts to be a good officer and follows protocol at all times; however, she will not hesitate to stand her ground or share her opinion (however negative) during off-duty hours, even to senior officers. She loves to laugh, has an off-color sense of humor and a wild side. Some of this is a front, to hide a much more sensitive, spiritual woman who is till coming to terms with her experiences under the Cardassian Occupation.

Chief Counselor�s Notes:
Capable Bajoran officer who occasionally displays mild anti-social tendencies, probably a result of her experiences during the Cardassian occupation. Potential violent outbursts.

Physical Description:
She is of medium height and average build. She is naturally pretty but does not give much thought to her appearance. She changes her hair color from blonde to auburn and any shade in between, depending on her mood. She has green eyes.

Special Notes:
Like most Bajorans, she has a deep hatred of the Cardassians.