Raas Tarras

Early Life

Raas was born in 2327 on Llanaria, the youngest son of rural farmers. His early life was spent on the family farm, where the young Raas learned everything there was to running a livestock farm. But this interest was definitely less in the animals than it was in the weaponry they used to protect themselves and their herds from local predators as they eeked out a living on the edges of the main continents wastelands.

By the time he hit his early teens, he’d already made a name for himself in the area as the go to person to mend any broken weapon brought to him. It was a talent that his parents encouraged, given that, as the youngest of their children, Raas would not inherit the family farm and thus required a different way to make his living.

However, they did not realise that, along with his interests diverging away from farming, Raas had his eye on leaving home altogether. As soon as he hit the recruitment age, Raas left home to join the army.

It was in the military that Raas found his calling. Hardy thanks to years of herding cattle in the harsh landscapes of the wastelands, he found the training more comfortable than most recruits. Perhaps also due to this, his training officers noted that while Raas performed well in a group, and was a solid soldier who followed orders promptly, he performed better when either left to his own devices or in charge.

This was proven several times when war broke out on Llanaria. Originally attached to several units as the lead armourer, Rass found himself heading out into combat more than he was in his armoury and gained a reputation as a solid asset to a unit, often forced to take command due to fatalities. 

It was operating with one of these units that he met and married his wife, Mailyn, in 2371. Unfortunately, after only eight months of marriage, Mai was killed during one of the final battles of the war, leaving Raas alone. Arguments with her other husbands meant that Raas was barred from her funeral. Every four years he returns home to Llanaria, to lay flowers on her grave. As far as he knows, he is the only person still to do so.

Starfleet Academy

After the war on his planet ended and his military service there over, Raas found himself heading out into the stars instead of returning home to herd cattle on the farm now owned by one of his siblings. After spending some time working on trader vessels, he joined Starfleet and headed to the academy in 2375.

Significantly older than the other students in his class, Raas initially found his time at the academy difficult. He had absolutely nothing in common with his fellow students, not only because of age but due to his life experiences and he felt a little like a fish out of water.

All that changed when classes switched to the speciality tracks, and the students in his class realised that he had real world experience of both combat and weaponry. Hardened by his experiences and unaffected by the pressure the training and courses put upon the class, he became somewhat of a mentor and a shoulder to cry on during the rigors of the academy program.

Starfleet Career

Upon leaving the Academy, Raas was assigned to the USS Blackthorne as a Security and Armoury officer. He settled into the role, enjoying being part of a crew again. Once again, his superior officers discovered that Raas tended to operate better if left to his own devices or in charge of projects, often assigning him more to weapons repair, although given his physical size, he was often used on security details that required a certain ‘presence’. During his time on the Blackthorne he kept himself to himself, rising from Ensign to Lt Jg.

In 2389, Raas transferred to the USS Charnwood to take up the position of Armory and Brig officer. With the Charnwood being a much larger ship than the Blackthorne, he found himself a lot busier than in his previous assignment. His no-nonsense attitude and capabilities meant that he quickly gained notice in the department and in 2391 he was promoted and moved up to the position of Assistant Armory and Brig Officer.

In 2401, during Frontier Day, Raas found himself back in a warzone, although the kind he never anticipated and never wanted. Forced to fight deck to deck against his own crew on the ship, Raas managed to secure the brig section against the turned crew, saving many lives. He holds onto that fact, against the nightmares he still has.

Current Position

With the Charnwood all but destroyed during Frontier Day, all of the crew were reassigned. Raas transferred to Starbase Bravo, taking up the position of Armory & Brig Section Leader aboard.