Craigen Flemen

Biography

Early Life

Born on Kessik IV, Craigen enjoyed a very stable childhood on one of the many thriving Federation worlds. His parents lived a straightforward life; his mother was a civilian shuttle pilot, and his father was an attorney. Craigen was only four when his youngest brother was born, and over the next decade, the two were typical brothers. They would wind one another up but always had each other’s back at school. Being the only Lumerians in their schools, they did not mind the attention they got from their almost human classes. 

When Craigen was fifteen, his parents took him to the homeworld to meet family members he had never met before and for him and his brother to see where their people were from. As he learned more about his culture, Craigen became more fascinated with how he could use his empathic powers to help others. The family encouraged him to consider his options, and by the time the family returned to Kessik, Craigen had decided that he wanted to join Starfleet. 

Starfleet Career

Starfleet Academy

Completing the Starfleet Academy entrance exam in 2387 was a challenge for Craigen, but he did it by the skin of his teeth. Though he had easily passed the aptitude and physical ability, the academic side wasn’t his strongest element. For this, he knew he had to work harder to prove he was worthy of being at the academy, not to his professors but to himself.  

Attending the satellite campus on Mellstoxx III, Craigen found his time on the Betazoid colony helpful. It opened his mind and enabled him to develop his empathic abilities further with other Betazoids. Working hard to prove his place in Starfleet, Craigen had a successful but highly stressful first year. When choosing the areas he would specialise in; he decided to study interstellar relations with xeno/sociology and rhetoric studies. Craigen was interested in taking the route of eventually becoming a diplomatic specialist. Though he became notorious for his late-night studies, Craigen participated in other extracurricular activities, including being a member of the Velocity and Decathlon teams. He entered the Academy’s marathon in his second year and came third. 

Though Craigen got on with his classmates, he made no long-lasting friendships except for his roommate, Tam Grex. Tam was a good influence on Craigen with his work ethic and ensuring that he had a balanced approach to life at the academy. A keen pilot, Tam would assist Craigen with his studies on starship operations while Craigen would repay the help by helping Tam pass the physical elements of their training. Being Betazoid, Tam would also help Craigen with developing his empathic abilities. When they had time off from the academy, Tam invited Craigen to stay with his family at their home on Mellstoxx, as it was too far for him to return home to Kessik. 

The two would go on to serve on Bravo Squadron, the elite unit assigned to the Mellstoxx campus. Craigen enjoyed his time with the squadron and eventually became a natural while on a starship. This development was particularly true when he trained on the USS Exeter, the ship assigned to the campus. 

By the end of his fourth year, Craigen surprised himself by coming top in his class for his studies. One of his professors, Captain Rio Canção, encouraged him in his last year to undertake his studies in advanced starship operations. Even though it would delay him from graduating with the rest of his class by several months, she insisted that he would one day appreciate it and said she saw his raw potential to become a captain. At the end of his studies, he eventually graduated and was assigned to the USS Pytheas.

USS Pytheas (NCC-76554)

Life on the Ross-class starship USS Pytheas brought a range of experiences for Craigen. As the ship was mainly found on the Federation-Romulan border, Craigen was involved in the ship’s multiple missions in dealing with refugees who attempted to flee into Federation space. Fortunately, Tam was also assigned to the ship, which meant that Craigen had at least one familiar face he knew. The two would often spend their time off-duty together, either on the holodeck or hanging out in Ten Forward. 

During one particular mission, Craigen was on a runabout and was being piloted by Tam. Their team, led by the ship’s first officer, had been assigned to save a group of Romulan refugees attempting to reach the colony on Vashti. After eventually finding the group, who were on board a cramped Romulan shuttle that was slowly losing life-support, the Pytheas team were able to render aid. Initially, the Romulans refused the help from Starfleet, but Craigen was able to talk to them and convince them to accept their help. Before rendezvousing with the Pytheas, the runabout was attacked by Orion pirates who were planning to kidnap the Starfleet crew and the Romulan refugees to sell as slaves. The runabout was boarded, and during an almost hand-to-hand battle with the pirates, the Starfleet crew were victorious. The only people left alive were Craigen, Tam and the ship’s chief medical officer (who was severely injured herself). Working together, Craigen and Tam assisted their superior and secured the runabout. Being able to destroy the Orion craft that had attacked them, the resulting blast from the enemy ship heavily damaged the Romulan refugee ship. Finding a way to extend their life support system, Craigen beamed the refugees onto their runabout before they returned to the Pytheas. Both men were given commendations in their files for their courage and bravery in the face of opposition and their actions in saving the refugees.

Craigen applied to join the ship’s hazard team because he needed to do more with his career beyond just diplomatic efforts. Craigen wasn’t happy that he hadn’t been able to initially do more in repelling those that boarded the runabout besides fire a phaser. After intense training for several weeks, he eventually gained a spot on the ship’s beta team.

Hazard team training was not the only extra development that Craigen undertook. Another mission found him following in his captain’s interest in archaeology. He decided to take it further and applied to the Starfleet Academy to obtain a degree in this area. Approved for long-distance learning, Craigen would undertake his studies in between his shifts. Three years of studying eventually led to him completing his degree in exo-archaeology, with his dissertation focused on ancient civilisations.

Four years of excellent service, not only in his role in the diplomatic department but also with the hazard team, resulted in Craigen being promoted to lieutenant junior grade. At this point, he was offered the position of beta team leader, which he accepted. The ship’s missions in the Beta Quadrant were filled with new challenges extending Craigen’s abilities and skills. 

In 2395, Craigen returned to Mellstoxx III to undertake the Advanced Tactical Training course, as recommended by his captain. His captain believed that the training would broaden his horizon and give him an extra edge as he developed as a capable diplomatic officer. His captain was correct, and Craigen completed the course. While there, he was approached by an instructor and advised to undertake the contact specialist training, too. By undertaking this, he would know more about supporting his command crew in dealing with diplomatic missions, especially first contacts. 

Eventually, in 2396, Craigen had to decide whether to return to the Pytheas or expand his experience further by going to another ship. Encouraged by his former captain to look elsewhere, as he couldn’t provide Craigen with a more senior role that his training should entitle him, Craigen began searching for another job. Reviewing several positions, he eventually decided he wanted to apply for the deputy spot on the USS Odyssey as its assistant chief diplomatic officer and contact specialist. Though he could apply to others with more senior roles, he had wanted to join the ship as it had an excellent reputation of being one of the finest in Starfleet. 

USS Odyssey (NCC-80000)

Joining the Odyssey in late 2396, Craigen spent the next four years working under Commander Max Duncan, his superior, who would become quite his mentor. In 2398, Craigen was promoted to lieutenant and, by this time, was almost running the diplomatic department on the ship. Though it was one of the smallest departments, Craigen found himself constantly busy as the ship was involved in a range of missions that involved the crew making first contact with new civilisations or dealing with neighbours of the Federation (mainly the Romulans). Craigen enjoyed recapping Federation law on a mission where the captain required support in dealing with a political asylum request. Once again, Craigen put his efforts into his studies with the Starfleet Legal Academy while off duty. Though he had several qualifications and degrees in similar areas, he would be working on his law degree for the next four years.  As someone who enjoyed a challenge, Craigen also took on some extra responsibility by undertaking the bridge officer’s test so that he could work on the bridge at least once a week during the ship’s delta shift. 

During mid-2399, Craigen was extremely busy working with the Uxali when the ship was assigned to the Delta Quadrant. For its first mission in the distance quadrant, the Odyssey aided the Uxali by helping them transport the entire race from their damaged homeworld to another more suitable planet. For his work in ensuring there were no further diplomatic incidents between the Federation and the Uxali, he was commended for his idea of convincing the Uxali to sign a compact with the Federation that would state they were open to exploring further peaceful relations, which would later lead to further agreements between the two governments. His superior, Commander Duncan, was impressed with the initiative and, between them, wrote a proposed understanding that would allow Federation delegates to meet with Uxali representatives later to formalise the treaty. What was created was a pledge that ensured further peace talks, which included trade elements and providing aid where and when required. The pledge was signed by the Uxali leadership and Captain McCallister on behalf of the Federation. 

Almost two months after this mission, Craigen was promoted to chief diplomatic officer and contact specialist due to Commander Duncan’s surprised elevation to First Officer. Flemen was made Acting Captain of the Odyssey by Rear Admiral Bennet at the end of 2399 when most of the crew were abducted by an alien ark vessel. He also received a field promotion to lieutenant commander. He was responsible for maintaining the ship and the crew that had been left behind (along with a number of the children). During his three-month stint as acting captain, he became close to Captain McCallister’s son, Alfie, who became his acting yeoman and operations officer. When their rescue effort was a success, Flemen returned to his previous position and was allowed to retain his new promotion on the basis that he joined the command training program. Pleased to be allowed to expand his skills further, he started the course immediately upon the ship’s return to the Alpha Quadrant while also trying to complete his law degree. 

Over the next two years, Craigen was at the heart of many diplomatic exchanges as the ship encountered races and re-explored the Delta Quadrant’s Gradin Belt. During one incident, he was kidnapped by a Pendarian delegation who wanted to mate with him as they believed he was their Messiah. When the Odyssey crew rescued him, they found Flemen tied to a holy totem topless as the Pendarians served him naked. 

In late 2400, Craigen was affected by a neurogenic field created by a nearby baby telepathic pitcher plant. This space-dwelling lifeform was infected by Blood Dilithium and attempted to use the telepathic members of the crew to help it. Craigen was one of the first to fall to its powers. He was caught sleep-walking while in a deep REM state, and later, the lifeform convinced him and others to lead a mutiny against Captain McCallister. He ended up punching his best friend, Tomaz, during an altercation on the bridge. After the crew were unaffected by the baby telepathic pitcher plant, nicknamed Princess, were able to resolve the matter, Craigen spent a lot of time recovering. It took a lot of support, especially from Tomaz, to help him come to terms with the action he took while under Princess’s control. 

At the beginning of 2401, Craigen completed his law degree and was appointed the new Judge Advocate General Officer on the Odyssey. Soon after, Craigen’s help in dealing with a group of Borg drones would be crucial. The Odyssey, now leading a squadron of exploration ships, encountered the remains of a crashed Borg Tactical Cube, where its survivors had created a living habitat for them on a moon. When McCallister met with its leader, Flemen was by his side and helped the drones see that being fully liberated from the Collective was the best course of action for their survival. 

Later in the year, the Odyssey entered the Kotaba Expanse in the Swallow Nebula region. Here, the ship engaged in further diplomatic exchanges with other civilisations. Craigen was instrumental in the squadron’s achievement in securing a trade agreement and mutual-support pact with the Benthans. Craigen was praised by everyone for his efforts and for pulling off quite a feat. Craigen was frustrated when the Odyssey was recalled to the Alpha Quadrant ahead of the upcoming Frontier Day celebrations. Before returning to Earth, the Odyssey was assigned patrol duties along the Black Cluster near the Deneb Sector. When the Dominion’s Lost Fleet invaded the area, the Odyssey was sent in to help defend Federation worlds and interests. During this incursion, Craigen was more involved in command situations where he was left leading duty shifts or liaising with elements from the Cardassian Third Order, which was sent to help Starfleet. When the Odyssey Squadron saved an entire Federation colony, Flemen led the efforts to stabilise the situation by working with the colony’s government. 

When the ship was finally involved in the Frontier Day celebrations, Craigen was present on the bridge when the younger crew members were affected by the Borg Jupiter signal. His former training as a Hazard Team member came into use when he helped defend the ship. He suggested that those who survived to use the ship’s access tunnels or smaller rooms to hide from the younger crew outnumbered them and were now Borg drones. Shortly after this, he was made a commander.By late 2401, when command of the Odyssey was transferred to Captain Max Duncan, Flemen was made his Third Officer.