Warrant Officer Vernon Banks

Character Information

Gender		Male
Species		Human
Age		29
Date of Birth		May 4, 2360
Place of Birth		Columba, Mantilles

Character Type

Starfleet ID

Serial Number		MC-625-0527
Security Clearance		Level 3
Duty Watch		Beta

Physical Appearance

Height		6'0"
Weight		195 lbs
Hair Color		Dark Brown
Eye Color		Dark Brown
Physical Description		Vernon is average height with a slightly thick athletic build and a dark complexion. He is physically fit like most Starfleet personnel and maintains a constant workout routine throughout the week. He has dark, tightly curled hair cropped close to his head in a military fade, as well as strong features and a thick brow. His facial hair is neatly trimmed into a thin chin-strap that leads to his dark goatee.
Body Art		None =^= PNPC Owned by Lirha Saalm =^=

Family

Father		La'mel Banks
Mother		Erin Linde-Banks
Other Family		Extended family spread across Mantilles' northern continent.

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Vernon has a lively personality and can be very vocal. On duty, his vernacular is sometimes strong and forceful but often even-toned and respectful. Off-duty, he is vibrant and charismatic, and socially he likes to participate and interact with people. He has had several near-death experiences and has learned to keep a positive outlook on life and never take any of his friendships or relationships for granted. Vernon grew up an only child and keeps close ties with all his friends and family. Unfortunately, the development of his personal life as been limited due to the relatively secretive and demanding nature of his job. He currently has no girlfriend of fiance.
Strengths		A good strategist and an excellent tactician, he has great visual perception and spacial recognition skills as well as a strong decisive tendency. His most important trait is his adaptability. He is able to see multiple means to accomplish the same end using both conventional and unorthodox methods.
Weaknesses		Unfortunately, Vernon lacks skills in hard science and medical operations, and his diplomatic tone is questionable at best. Languages are also difficult for him and he requires the use of a universal translator at all times.
Ambitions		He would like to find a permanent posting aboard a Starbase or a planet-side facility. He has begun to grow tired of constantly moving throughout the galaxy and transferring between different ships and crews.
Hobbies & Interests		Basketball is his favorite sport and he can be found in the gym working on his jump-shot on a daily basis. He also enjoys playing chess, spades, and scrabble. Vernon frequents the bar sometimes and enjoys bourbons and cognacs. He likes the company of others as it helps him escape from his often stressful duties.
Orientation		Heterosexual
Language(s) Spoken		Federation Standard, basic Klingon

Personal History		Vernon was born on May 4th, 2360 in Columba, the capital city of the planet Mantilles, located in the Pallas 14 system of the Beta Quadrant. He is the only child to his parents La'mel Banks and Erin Linde-Banks, and has several uncles and aunts spread across Mantilles' northern continent. Vernon had a rather traditional planetary upbringing. As a kid, he did not travel much, instead spending most of his time in his hometown city. Because Columba was one of the oldest cities on the planet, there was much for him to do to keep himself occupied. His childhood years were spent at home with his mother until he became old enough to attend school and start playing sports. He maintained a strong relationship with her and rarely saw much of his father, La'mel, who was often busy traveling the planet while running the family textile business. Neither of his parents had much interest in Starfleet or other similar off-world ventures. They viewed the United Federation of Planets as a privileged society, or as his father had put it, "...an elitest group that the common man had nothing in common with." =^= Mantilles Colony =^= Mantilles is located on the edge of Federation territory and was often influenced by various cultures, groups, and ideology. Far away from the main Federation colonies, the planet was independently governed and rarely saw much interference from Starfleet. Over time, many private organizations and businesses established major offices and trading posts across the planet. Mantilles' society became a giant hub for inter-species relations and opportunities. And with the promise of opportunity came several criminal elements that also found a home on the planet. Despite the advanced political and social operations of the Federation, Mantilles was inherently corrupt, a world run by politicians and entrepreneurs who were bought and paid for by various interstellar organizations and syndicates. The average citizen often lead a comfortable life yet they always knew that to step too far out of line would mean severe and unorthodox repercussions for themselves and their families. The Misguided Path Years passed and Vernon grew older while taking up new hobbies and interests. He had always been a sociable kid, and unfortunately, he sometimes befriended some of the more underground members of society. At the age of twelve, while attending inner-city public school, he began to spend more and more of his free time with youth gangs and street runners. He found the lifestyle to be daring and exhilarating, a welcome break from the monotonous life he and his mother shared at home. Vernon starting using and dealing drugs as well as violating misdemeanor codes soon after. He abandoned his after-school sports and athletic lifestyle in pursuit of the next high, and the promise of money, power, and respect. At home, his family life deteriorated. His once-strong bond with his mother slowly vanished. Many nights he wouldn't even bother to come home or speak to her. His priorities became skewed and his grades began to fail until he finally reached the breaking point at age sixteen. One fateful night, Vernon experienced the unthinkable. Coerced by older members of his gang, he was initiated and almost beaten to death in a methodical fashion. The members of his crew held him in a warehouse for several days while he recovered from his injuries and threatened to end his life if he ever spoke to anyone about the incident. Fearful and barely able to walk, let alone defend himself, he complied, and suffered in agony with broken bones and internal bleeding. When he returned home several days later, barely able to walk, he found his mother at the dinner table crying hysterically as she looked him over. She took him to a nearby hospital to treat his wounds and alerted the city security force who promptly questioned and interrogated him. Unable to hide the truth under the intense scrutiny, Vernon confessed all of his actions and revealed the names of his affiliates. For his information and cooperation, he was not charged with any felony violations but instead was ordered to serve community service for the remainder of his juvenile years. He was promptly transferred to another school district and put into the state's youth witness protection program in the hope that he would not face retaliation from his former gang. Rehabilitation The next few months of his life passed without incident as he slowly became reacquainted with his former self. He met new, legitimate friends at his new school and began to participate in sports again. Now at age seventeen, he worked hard on and off the court to earn himself a starting spot on the varsity basketball team. Standing only six foot tall he played point guard, a position that gave him enormous responsibility over the rest of the team. Vernon relished the opportunity as it was his first proper leadership role in a life that was otherwise full of the follower's mentality. Vernon's community service went well also. He was assigned to help out at the local youth clinics teaching physical exercise to underprivileged children. The experience was great for him and he learned even more about responsibility and commitment. In the span of six months, Vernon grew up two years. His final three semesters of school went smoothly but were full of questions and doubt. He had no interest in going to college or university yet did not want to be a part of his father's boring textile business. He yearned for something greater and with more purpose. Six months before graduation Vernon attended a career fair and was captivated by the Starfleet personnel who attended. He wasn't very familiar with the organization yet knew of its history and purpose, as all school kids were taught. He spent over an hour at the recruiting booth while asking every question he could think of to the recruiter. For every doubt that he had, he was put at ease by the officer's smooth and deliberate answers. At the end of the day and without consulting any of his peers or family, Vernon submitted an application to Starfleet's Enlisted Academy. Vernon's PADD received the letter of acceptance early in July, 2378. He was overjoyed and ecstatic as he broke the news to his mother, then father via comm link. Despite his own jubilation, his parents were less than happy. Especially his father. Multiple lectures and heated discussions ensued that almost tore Vernon's heart apart. Neither of his parents wanted him to leave the city, let alone the planet, and they made their disapproval well known to him. His mother was slightly more accepting yet Vernon could tell by the look in her eyes that she felt betrayed. What was supposed to have been a great day for him slowly turned into a nightmare. Everything that he had worked hard for the past two years, including his recovery, seemed nullified by his decision to join the Fleet. With no support from his family and only select friends, he sank into mild depression.
Starfleet History		=^= Starfleet Enlisted Academy =^= A week before reporting to basic training, Vernon was reluctant to leave home and report to his new posting. He hadn't done much the last few months and had spent most of his time reading through the Academy ship charts and classification brochures. Though he wanted nothing more than to get away from the city and travel the galaxy, he felt that his actions would hurt his family, most importantly his mother. She hadn't spoken to him much once he had turned eighteen, and it made him upset to know that he didn't have her support. She was clever with her words and never spoke of it openly yet he could still tell that she didn't approve. When the time came to report to San Fransisco, Vernon left home with a heavy heart. He had no idea what the future would hold for him but he wanted to do his best to make his parents proud as the first family member to serve in Starfleet. Academy life went well for Vernon. In his first few weeks he found many like-minded individuals who came from similar backgrounds. He slowly settled into the grueling routine and learned to balance his studies with his personal life. The course curriculum during his first year was very broad and straight-forward, almost the equivalent of an aptitude test to determine his field of focus in the years to come. Vernon had always been a good student and he pushed through most of his basic course work with ease. He struggled with some of the hard sciences including chemistry, biology and engineering, but was able to complete his classes with a passing grade and the help of several tutors. Other subjects he excelled at, including security protocol, military history, and tactical techniques. At the end of the year, he was urged by instructors to transfer into Starfleet Tactical. He gladly complied and enrolled himself into the specialized program with the endorsement of a few senior Academy instructors. =^= USS Kiev =^= USS Kiev was Vernon's first assignment straight out of the Enlisted Academy. She was a Saber Class frigate, fast and nimble. Her mission role was more suited for border patrol and internal security rather than exploration, so Vernon spent much of his first two years inside of disputed Federation territory in the Alpha Quadrant. What he thought would be an easy assignment ended up being the two most grueling years of his life. Unbeknownst to him at the time, dissent and rebellion within the Federation had grown to an all time high. The Dominion War had taken a severe toll on United Federation of Planets and even ten years later, Starfleet was struggling to rebuild the fleet and police its own territory. During that time period, numerous rebel groups and pirate factions had risen to prominence and had expanded their spheres of influence. What normally would have been a routine system patrol several years ago had turned into a potential ambush scenario every time Kiev dropped out of warp. Vernon participated in live combat with rebel and pirate forces at an average of two engagements per day for the first six months of his initial deployment. He was thrown into the action and tested routinely on a daily basis, where he performed well under pressure. With a small crew of only about forty officers and enlisted personnel, USS Kiev took substantial casualties during his first tour of duty. Roughly half of the crew had to be replaced every six months due to injuries, fatalities, and mental degradation. Vernon saw many of his fellow comrades fall during battle and slowly learned to properly manage his emotions in order to perform the task at hand, regardless of the circumstances. =^= USS Sheraton =^= Two years later, in 2384, Vernon completed his first tour of duty and was transferred to USS Sheraton after a week of shore leave. Unlike his previous ship, Sheraton was an older Excelsior class heavy cruiser, designed for deep space exploration and first contact. As Starfleet had introduced new starships into the fleet over the last fifty years, Sheraton had become slightly outdated. She didn't possess the advanced weaponry of newer Akira or Galaxy Class cruisers but she still excelled at diplomatic, exploratory, and operational missions. The crew compliment of Sheraton was much larger as well, allowing Vernon to meet and befriend several lifelong acquaintances. One in particular, Ensign T'lel he developed a close bond with. T'lel worked in the tactical department with Vernon for the majority of their deployment. She was a young Vulcan, and was one of the first of her race that Vernon had encountered. They quickly found each other to be mutually intriguing and began to spend much time together. She saw a lot of good in him but also sensed that he had many troubles still haunting him from his early life and previous posting aboard Kiev. Over the course of a few months and after enduring several mind melds, she was able to counsel him and heal many of his emotional wounds. Once guarded and uptight, Vernon's personality slowly transformed and he became a more outgoing and confident person. His performance on duty also increased as he was able to control his fears and emotions better instead of simply suppressing them. In early 2385, a year into Vernon's second deployment, USS Sheraton was almost destroyed by Reman separatists. Under the guise of a disabled Romulan freighter, they lured Sheraton into a trap near the Romulan Neutral Zone, quickly crippling then boarding the ship. Though Vernon and some of the crew were eventually able to repel the intruders, the Remans took many of Sheraton's crew prisoner, including his captain, XO, and friend T'lel. By the time Starfleet assistance arrived, the Remans had long left the system and their whereabouts remained unknown. Sheraton was towed back to dry dock with her surviving crew and subsequently decommissioned after having sustained irreparable damage. Vernon was transferred to Starbase 001 shortly afterwards and placed on medical leave for several weeks while he recovered from his physical and emotional injuries. =^= Starbase 001 =^= Starbase 001 was a welcome change for Vernon. Still only in his mid-20s, he was one of the most experienced tactical officers in the fleet yet Starfleet saw use for his experience in a new department, Strategic Operations. After being cleared for duty he was assigned to TACCOMM, the fleet's Tactical Command branch. Though not directly responsible for tactics, maneuvers, or weapons fire, TACCOMM had a larger influence over the fleet and served as the primary military planning and strategy department. Vernon's new assignment aboard Starbase 001 allowed him to indirectly use his previous tactical skills and knowledge, formulate battle plans, and help assist the rest of the fleet so that scenarios such as the Sheraton's demise would hopefully never occur again. Vernon took a liking to his new duties and one of his first priorities was to coordinate the rescue and recovery of his former crew, and most importantly, his friend T'lel. Working with various other departments including Intelligence, Operations, and Fleet Command, he helped to track down the Reman rebels. With the reluctant help of several Romulan fleet commanders, a successful joint rescue mission was launched which Vernon helped to personally oversee. It was a great personal victory for him and the rest of the Starbase's Strategic Ops personnel. His superiors were impressed by his quick and outside-the-box thinking which went great lengths to solidify his position in the strategic operations department. =^= USS Venture =^= Two years later, Romulus was destroyed. The chaos and power struggle that ensued throughout the region created a volatile and unstable situation for Starfleet that demanded Vernon to be deployed again. He was assigned to USS Venture, a Galaxy class commissioned during the Dominion War. Venture was the flagship of Task Group 56A and Vernon was promoted within his department. For several months his task group performed border patrols across the Romulan Neutral Zone while monitoring the developing Romulan/Reman civil war. A few times the Reno and her escorts found themselves caught in the middle of the blood feud and he soon found himself again taking part in intense combat scenarios. He performed well at his post, working with the ship's various departments and communicating effectively with Starfleet to ensure maximum efficiency of his task group.
Service Record		2360: Born in Columba, Mantilles 2373-75: The Dominion War 2378: Accepted into Starfleet's Enlisted Academy 2380: Graduates Starfleet's Enlisted Academy 2382: Assigned to USS Kiev (Saber) as Security/Tactical Officer 2384: Transferred to USS Sheraton (Excelsior) as Security/Tactical Officer 2385: USS Sheraton decommissioned, transferred to Starbase 001 2385: Assigned to Starfleet TACCOMM (Tactical Command) as Strategic Operations Officer 2387: Destruction of Romulus 2387: Transferred to USS Venture (Galaxy) as Security/Tactical Officer 2389: Transferred to USS Galileo (Nova) as Security/Tactical Officer

Character Progression System

CPS Option

DISABLED

Skills and Perks

Skill Training