Samantha Rutherford (Stasis)

Personnel File
Name:	Samantha Varen Rutherford
Rank:	Lieutenant Commander
Position:	Chief Diplomatic Officer
Callsign:	N/A
Species:	¾ Human ¼ Vulcan
Age:	Thirty-Two
Gender:	Female
Orientation:	Heterosexual
Birthplace:	Klaestron IV
Height:	5ft 7in / 1.7m
Weight:	128lbs / 58kg
Hair:	Blonde
Eye color:	Baby Blue
Played by:	Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Writer:	Stardust
Interests
Politics, History, Philosophy, The Arts, Swimming, Literature, Holo Novels;
Education
2354-2359: Private Tutoring in Various 2359-2363: Middle School in Paris 2363-2367: Vulcan Interstellar High School in Paris 2367-2368: Internship Federation Council / Foreign Ministry in Paris / Geneva 2368-2371: Starfleet Academy in San Francisco
Service Record
2371-2371: Ensign, Diplomatic Scriptor, USS Yorkshire-B 2371-2372: Ensign, Diplomatic Aid, USS Shadow 2372-2373: Lieutenant J.G., Diplomatic Aid, USS Shadow 2373-2373: Lieutenant J.G., Diplomatic Attaché, Starbase 211 2373-2375: Lieutenant J.G., Diplomatic Advisor, USS Poseidon 2375-2375: Lieutenant J.G., Starfleet Special Envoy, Deep Space Nine 2375-2377: Lieutenant J.G., Assistant Chief Diplomatic Officer, USS Beijing 2377-2380: Lieutenant, Assistant Chief Diplomatic Officer, USS Beijing 2380-2381: Lieutenant Commander, Starfleet Special Envoy, Starbase 84 2381-XXXX: Lieutenant Commander, Chief Diplomatic Officer, USS Theurgy
Decorations
2372: Federation Star of Diplomacy 2375: Bronze Star 2375: UFP Purple Heart 2375: Extended Service Citation 2378: Legion of Merit 2379: Career Service Citation

Character Draft Awaiting Approval

Samantha Rutherford was a Starfleet Officer in the Diplomatic Corps and granddaughter of Starfleet Rear Admiral Evangeline T’Pel, nee Baxter. Her grandfather was United Federation of Planets council member and Vulcan senator Dolan T’Pel. Growing up in the conflict zones of the mid 24th century she was marked by the violence and senselessness of war, from an early age on, which ultimately lead her to pursue a career in diplomacy. Her parents being relief workers for the UFP also aided in that decision. Samantha understood quickly that you could either treat the symptoms or the illness that infested the powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrant itself.

Moving to Earth at age 10 her onerous, uprooted life switched to a steady one of comfort. Samantha was now educated on a broader spectrum and was introduced to the political intricacies of the haves and have-nots. It was this dual life-experience that prepared her immeasurably for the trials and tribulations ahead.

Attending Starfleet Academy and starting into a career as an Officer of the Diplomatic Corps, the young woman was well equipped for her duty. She excelled through persistence, integrity, proactiveness and confidence – never showing an inch of doubt or second-guessing. Be it in her own decisions or those of mentoring superiors. This infallible work-ethic paired with her fine-tuned sense for diplomacy boosted her career and earned her swift promotions and – in the beginning of her tenure – numerous repostings. So being asked to participate in a covert mission with no further details given than a location to travel to was not an entirely out of the ordinary request to grant for Samantha.

Biography

2349-2359

Samantha was born on the eve of December 8th, 2349 – at 21:09 hours - in a field post of the Federation Peace Corps on Klaestron IV where a civil war had just ended a few years prior. Her parents, Alden Rutherford and Miranda Rutherford (nee T’Pel), were relief workers that had met on a humanitarian mission after the Yridian Segregation left hundreds of thousands of Yridians exiled. They were instrumental in establishing several refugee camps in neighboring systems. So for the first years of her life all that Samantha knew were the confines of the Federation compound, surrounded by a village of makeshift tents and huts of the displaced Klaestrons hoping for help. At night she would sit in her father’s lap at the window and look across the sea of differently colored lights and flames, listening to the clanking of the provided ration containers, the wailing of the people and the sounds of the chirping mud beetles all turning into some sort of melodical interlude before the final curtain of the night fell over the valley. At this age she was too young to understand.

After Klaestron IV the young family moved on to the planet Lyshan, along the Cardassian border, to establish a transit camp for Bajoran refuges in the final days of the occupation. It was here that Samantha started helping out with daily duties since her parents wanted her to get involved in their lifestyle and share in their conviction. In doing so they may have underestimated how much of the drama and torment even a young girl could pick up. By the time she was 10 and a good 3 new planets later the young girl had grown gloomy and disillusioned. Drawing pictures of imaginary (or all too real) monsters living in the slums eating the flesh off the poor and making up stories about invisible ghosts rummaging through the tents at night to infect the people. It had been a gradual development process, one that maybe had been met with a just as gradual development of self-delusion on the part of her parents. So ultimately they decided to distance her from this life – their life – and send her to Earth.

2359-2367
Arriving in Paris Samantha delved into a fantastic dream world she had only imagined in her early years of princess stories and shining white castles. Her grandparents – influential members of the UFP and Starfleet respectively – lived in a utopian elite suburb of Paris where everything seemed to be fresh and healthy. The nights quiet and the lights in one unified, cold hue. Ironically so, this world seemed far more fantastic and unreal to the young girl than ramshackle alien worlds. So naturally at first she had a hard time to fit into this controlled world of etiquette and morale. All through middle school she was certainly a handful, no denying it. But her grandfather Dolan saw the problem quickly and took Samantha under his guidance. He educated her in meditation and Vulcan logic. Showing her there was reason and cause in even the smallest of things and that every decisions had consequences. He gave her calm and collectedness while her grandmother also gave her a certain air of class and dignity.

So by the time High School came around Samantha had soaked up enough of the Vulcan mindset and spiritual believes that she asked to attend the Vulcan International High School in Paris where the children of most alien council members were taught in a co-educative environment. It was here that she learned a lot about dealing with different species with different needs and different values. She was a popular kid, understanding emotions and social interactions better than most others. She also had a neck for leadership which she provided to the school government as well as many extracurricular activities in the areas of politics, foreign relations and arts, such as the model UFP. Although not being very gifted artistically Samantha developed an eye for beauty and aesthetics and a decent knowledge of alien as well as human art history. However, despite her popularity, she had still trouble forming deeper emotional connections du to her early impressions as a child always on the move. It was sadly going to be a characteristic that followed her way into her adult life. Graduating with honors, however, the young girl needed a little time out from education.

2367-2368
So, at the suggestion of her grandfather, Samantha started an internship at the Federation Council for 6 months. She attended off-world conferences, hearings and banquets – overhearing one or the other backroom deals being negotiated. And even the most dubious concessions excited her! There was so much might and power going around with mere words that safely rivaled any sparring pad in a Klingon Military School. Just the same the charming young girl was a welcome distraction for the old and stuffy aristocracy in return as well.

After that Samantha committed to a further sixth month at the Foreign Ministry overseeing alien affairs within the Federation. Here she learned a lot about the relations between the Council and its executive branch: Starfleet. Moving back and forth between Geneva and San Francisco at the side of one Admiral Cortana Henderson she slowly got a feel for where the real challenging diplomatic incidents were happening. The council was sitting in a bubble on earth while Starfleet went far and beyond to seek new allies – and seemingly enemies alike. It was due to suggestion and ultimate endorsement by her admiral mentor that she subsequently enrolled to Starfleet Academy. Which certainly made her grandmother proud.

2368-2371
Starfleet Academy was a wonderful experience for the young woman, but it also marked the first time to really be away from home – or a semblance thereof. It was the first instance of her truly striking out for her own, and it was scary at times. So she gladly recalled her grandfather’s teachings of guarding one’s emotions and follow the path of logic. In the first years maybe too much. Samantha didn’t really make any friends at the Academy. By the time the second year came around she was known as an overachiever with little regard to others. Always the bigger picture in mind, losing sight of the here and now and the people in it. Scholars however spoke very highly of her, a new rising star. Specializing in Diplomacy was a no-brainer akin to a birthright. It was the essence of whom she had developed to be – whom live had shaped her to be.

During the second year Samantha and her class spent 2 months at Federation Outpost 23 during a practical exercise which included rudimentary command training. She lead her team through a series of tasks over the course of 8 weeks that ultimately granted them the second-highest rating of that year. Yet it was her attempts at negotiating the outcome with her teachers that still garnered her a special commendation. Back on earth for the remainder of the year the young woman developed an even stronger bite for success yet also realizing that it had been a team effort that had ultimately helped her to excel at Outpost 23.

So towards the end of her education at the Academy, Samantha slowly warmed up to the idea of letting people in and came to be known as a mediator within her small circle of close friends. She ultimately scored highest in the famed Khitomer Scenario, the diplomatic branch’s version of the Kobayashi Maru based on the original conditions of the Khitomer Accords from 2293. Coining the quote “The secret to diplomacy is knowing when you are the beggar and when you are the chooser”. Which granted her the honor of holding the valedictorian speech for the class of ‘71. A spot that came with an exclusive posting on the USS Yorkshire-B under Chief Negotiator Delenn Turon.

2371-2371
Samantha’s first official posting was a prestigious, yet not very long-lived one, as it came on the coattails of learning that her parents had perished in an uprising at a Hanoran refugee camp. Though the distance that had slowly developed between them in the past 12 years had felt like padding to the blow. It was her first brush with personal loss. Commissioned as a diplomatic scriptor, thus, the young ensign frequently overstepped her bounds and spoke up where she wasn’t supposed to. She infamously told a Tholian ambassador during a conference on Yedar that “it’s pointless to negotiate with a hornet’s nest”. Yet it wasn’t only this instance but rather a series of clashes with Turon that ultimately earned her a redeployment to the USS Shadow, which saw its diplomatic detachment replaced around that time and was looking for fresh blood.

2371-2373
Starting her tenure as Diplomatic Aid on a new ship was a step up for sure. Samantha regarded the fact that Chief Negotiator Delenn Tunor had made the concession to endorse her for a better position as a way of getting rid of her as a diplomatic victory, of sorts. So her spirits and confidence weren’t really affected by it. Which certainly helped to carve her a piece from the newly formed department on the Shadow. Her superior was just a Lieutenant J.G. herself and the two got along swimmingly. The ship was originally deployed along the borderlands of the Gorn Hegemony to oversee compliance with the treaty over Cestus III in which Samantha learned a lot of practical knowledge in dealing with a lesser known, non-humanoid species. She got insight into previously merely theoretical considerations like different olfactory and visual physiology that could influence a party’s perceptions. That valued items like flowers could be considered an affront to reptilian lifeforms. Or that pads had to be adjusted to emit a different spectrum of light to display information less strenuously visible to the Gorn eyes.

Towards the end of 2372 then the USS Shadow was redeployed to the far reaches of Federation space along the Mutara Nebula. Stopping at Ceti Alpha before moving out of controlled space towards the Krazzle Republic: A small warp capable civilization calling their home system and a couple of rogue asteroid mines their own. The Federation had long desired to negotiate a trade agreement for their rich deposits of Kelbonite to facilitate a research project into stealth technology. And since her superior was entirely involved in the negotiation of the guest membership negotiations Samantha was allowed to spearhead the entire trade agreement herself. The paper that came to be known as the ‘Ge’Ovan Charter’ was a major breakthrough and involved many concessions on the side of the inexperienced Krazzle officials, including a few clauses giving the Federation monopoly rights. The ultimate co-signing of her impressed superior ultimately earned Samantha the Federation Star of Diplomacy that year. The both of them were also promoted by their CO in the eve of the successful mission, making her a Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Early in 2373 however, with the invasion of the Dominion into the Alpha Quadrant, the USS Shadow was recalled to Starbase 211 for war preparations.

2373-2373
Arriving at the Starbase was like being thrown into the midst of Starfleet war prep efforts. Countless ships were docked or in remote supply positions awaiting to be stocked up. The station was crowded with personnel either succumbing to the dreary outlook or partying their fears and worries away in the public areas. The quarters were hopelessly overcrowded. It was really hard to find a single quiet spot on the whole of the base. And while her days were filled with some sort of pointless ‘job-creation-scheme’ the nights were sometimes unbearable. Taking a book to a viewport on the command deck was the only escape Samantha could find, night after night before going to bed. But it wouldn’t stay solitary for long.

Meeting Brody was a turning point. The strong jawed, smooth-talking redshirt with that boyish glimmer to his eyes. To admit that he was pulling the floor out from under her in the best way possible was an understatement. But none to be made on record. He started off by talking to Samantha about the book she was reading while covertly, skillfully, perusing the summary on the back envelop. It was not, however, a feast that eluded her … yet it was the intent that held all the meaning. It was the first character trait of his that she picked up on: his innate desire to accommodate her, even just with hot air. Something that carried through their entire relationship. They ended up spending a few of their first nights by the porthole before creating their own little bubbles elsewhere wherever they went.

By the time deployment came around and the task force was set to move on to Deep Space Nine, to meet with Klingon and Romulan Fleets, Samantha decided that she was done waiting. Nothing had ever come to her waiting. So after persuading Brody he put in a word with his friend and CO and within 15 hours she had a transfer order to the USS Poseidon.

2373-2375
It was however decided by Starfleet command that the ship – a Prometheus class – was deemed too important to participate in the initial skirmishes. It remained docked at Starbase 211 with its crew in training during the first leg of the Dominion War. From a distance the young couple had to witness major victories and defeats of the war which – at times – made Samantha feel utterly helpless. So, they focused on one thing they could control and actively participate in: Their relationship – which grew stronger and more intimidate each day.

It wasn’t until the victory to recapture Deep Space Nine from the Dominion became a sure-fire possibility in 2374 that Starfleet ordered the Poseidon to join the war efforts and drive back the opposing forces into Cardassian territory. The few instances to use the ships offensive systems against a couple of Jem Hadar ships weren’t challenging. Within a very short time frame they were docked safely at Deep Space Nine back in Bajoran/Federation hand. Following this victory major operations temporarily ceased, and the Poseidon was ordered on a parade tour back to earth to reassure Federation systems to Starfleet’s commitment to safety. In this time Samantha’s major duties concerned diplomatic handholding and de-escalation. A tedious task, which – however – trained her patience and made her negotiations to conduct calmer and more collected. But it did in the end leave time for Brody and her to make their love official. They married in late summer at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Admiral Joseph Nerva Anderson – Brody’s former superior at Starfleet Intelligence – serving as Best Man, and spent a couple of picturesque days on earth. That was until the Dominion captured Betazed. Which caused the USS Poseidon to be ordered to participate in three counter attacks with the Second Fleet that were all quickly repulsed. It was a dark time for Samantha where she vowed to herself never to let a war escalate to a point where diplomacy was useless on her watch. It was a time that Brody helped her through with his kindness and unrelenting hope. It was that one quote - “Hope is the last light that will go out in the galaxy” - that stuck with her forever. It was not a philosophy she was able to adapt wholly, but maybe the wish for it to be true was hope enough. Then the Romulans joined the war …

By 2375 the tides had shifted in favor of the Allied Forces. Even though not being a direct contributor Samantha had learned a lot observing Federation diplomacy being practiced elsewhere. The smoke and mirror game to get the Romulans involved, the withholding of the Founders’ cure, the support of the Cardassian underground. All through brody’s ex intelligence contacts. It rekindled her early views that the ends sometimes justified the means. By that time, she had assumed a ‘de facto’ advisory position to the CO and XO (Brody). Braving through countless battles going back and forth the Poseidon ultimately entered the final Battle of Cardassia without its saucer section – which was lost at Chin’toka - and only its two engineering hull vectors operational. A fierce battle ensued over Cardassia prime during which the secondary vector, commanded by Brody, was critically damaged. Suffering only mid-level wounds Samantha aided in evacuating the crew as the warp core built up to a breach. Brody, alone on the bridge, kept the automated defense systems running as the computer core slowly destabilized. Trying to eject the core ruptured a deuterium line which caused an explosion that split the secondary vector in half, cutting Samantha off from Brody. Using the last pod to escape with a few remaining injured crewmen she had to watch the eventual warp core breach annihilate both fragments of the vector. As the survivors of the Poseidon were picked up by other Federation ships the war was over. Samantha learned on Admiral Ross’ ship, the Farragut, of the capitulation of the Dominion. It didn’t register.

2375-2375
The rest of the year went by in a blur. Samantha and the rest of the Poseidon crew, and all survivors of other ships, were brought back to Deep Space Nine. Since not much diplomatic personnel was available, she became instrumental in drafting the Treaty of Bajor which formulated the surrender of the Dominion. She could not bear to attend the ceremony and face the enemy that had killed her husband. The next day she was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic service and the Purple Heart for her wounds suffered in the war. Though it was not intended for the emotional ones. Also due that year was her Extended Service Citation for 4 consecutive years of service without serious disciplinary actions on her record. None of which could make up for her loss.

2375-2380
After a short leave of absence on Bajor, Samantha was transferred to the USS Beijing as Assistant Chief Diplomatic Officer en route to Starbase 241. She recovered quickly from her emotional distress, in huge part thanks to the Vulcan teachings of her grandfather. It did however mean that most of the feelings were just repressed rather than dealt with. Shortly thereafter the Bejing was classified as a Federation envoy vessel to grant diplomatic immunity under the Treaty of Bajor while in Romulan space.

After a short refit and reduction of armament in accordance with the treaty the Starship entered Romulan Space on its 4-year mission to re-establish diplomatic ties and attempt to negotiate a new bilateral treaty with the Romulan Star Empire. Initially the Beijing was handed around the border worlds, strictly kept away from Romulus. Which the diplomatic detachment used to establish a foothold with the various Romulan governors. During this time the Chief and Assistant Chief were split between sectors and so Samantha spent about 7 months on the Bejing’s captain’s yacht ‘Gùgōng’ (The Forbidden City) in the Tarod Sector.

This progress in garnering support within the lower systems of the Empire brought her the ‘Legion of Merit’ commendation in 2378 for her exemplary service in the diplomatic field and a Career Service Citation for 8 consecutive years of service without serious disciplinary actions on her record in 2379. Shortly before the Beijing was recalled after Starfleet Intelligence picked up a shift in the Romulan Senate. Ultimately the USS Enterprise was deployed instead by the request of the newly appointed Praetor. The USS Beijing sat course for Starbase 241. On the way, however, they briefly joined with Starfleet Battle Group Omega to rendezvous with the Enterprise returning under pursuit from Romulan space. The threat was averted before the Scimitar could be engaged and the Beijing returned to Starbase 241.

2380-2381
For a brief time at the end of 2380 and the first few months of the following year Samantha was stationed on Starbase 84 on the Romulan border to evaluate the developing civil war in the Empire due to her recent experience in the area. For this appointment she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Ultimately she was contacted by an old friend of her late husband, his former CO Admiral Joseph Nerva Anderson, whom she had previously met (and potentially impressed) at their wedding in San Francisco.

2381-XXXX
What Samantha desperately needed at this point in her life was a distraction, something reckless, off the record. She had seriously considered leaving Strafleet since all she had seen in the past few years of her career were wars instigated by egoistic sentiments and judgmental attitudes. It had – at times – felt as if something had changed … or maybe it had just been her idealism dying a slow death. Everything had felt numb since Brody’s death, so it was hard to say. The first feeling, however, that Samantha felt when listening to the Admiral’s message was: excitement. As light-footed as a Talarian mountain goat. The Director of Covert Operations wasn’t exactly one she would’ve ever imagined to deal with her outside his social obligations to the widow of his former subordinate. He spoke of a “potential threat to the stability of Starfleet, the Federation and the quadrant as a whole” – which was certainly down her alley. Secrecy wasn’t really, but she had wished for something new and destiny had thrown her a bone. She was instructed to covertly travel to Deep Space K-7 and board the Klingon cruiser ChunDab before meeting with the Vor’nak at Kayvok. To say that a little bit of fear was mixed in with the initial euphoria as she packed was an understatement.

Taking her accumulated leaves of absence, not overly worrying about extending the limit, Samantha activated the call option on her ID license to assume her late husband’s last name to travel under the name of Sam Moretti to K-7. From there she boarded the Klingon transport at which point even her strongest footprints would’ve surely vanished. Then, in Kayvok, she boarded the next ship, which she heard was under the Command of Chancellor Martok, whom she had never met personally. In all her career so far she wished she had more experiences in dealing with Klingons, she realized then … or mostly their food and choice of bedding. But she was able to hold her own. The instructions were foolproof. After arriving in Epsilon Mynos – virtually the middle of nowhere – Samantha took a moment to stand still in the middle of the spaceport plaza, like a rock amidst the waves and currents of Klingons and other Aliens. The bronze sky above. Before plucking up the courage to shout her code phrase at any Klingon who was giving her a disapproving look. She was ultimately introduced to General Chu’vok whom organized a transport for her. Moments later Samantha materialized in a spacedock. Taking the final steps to the large windows she gazed upon her future: The USS Theurgy – the Federation Deserters. And even though this should’ve concerned her, it brought an excited smile onto her plump lips … lips that hadn’t smiled in a long time.

Personality Profile

Growing up in two different worlds was a theme that drew through Samantha’s entire personality like a red thread. She had adopted the pessimism and worst-case-scenario attitude from her early childhood spent around refugee camps with her aid- worker parents and the dignified, controlled, glamorous etiquette of moving to her affluent grandparents in Paris on Earth at 10 years old. She was her own person and let no one else dictate who that would be, which got her into trouble a lot as a child. But as she grew older, more diplomatic, she found ways to conceal this vice, and eventually even made a virtue out of it. She was extremely in tune with the other two worlds that separated her, her emotional human side that understood the motivation of feelings to a far greater extent than normal due to her Vulcan upbringing (and ¼ Vulcan genes) which embraced logic and reason. Always focused on the bigger picture rather than the minute detail. The needs of the many above the needs of the one. Usually these two sides were strictly limited to private and professional interactions respectively. But this duality in her personality came at a price and Samantha, at times, tended to get the two mixed up and it resulted in uncontrolled behavior that could be diagnosed as mild bipolar disorder (which was mostly kept in check due to an autonomous drug dispenser subcutaneously implanted in her upper left arm). This and her PTSD from a lifetime of loss and the resulting fear of deeper commitment on an emotional level, to a place or a person, have counted as her least favorable character traits. Alongside a mild case of sociopathy in younger years through disassociating people and their emotions from one another, using them for potential manipulation.

Physical Profile

Samantha was tall with slender curves and a fit body due to her fancy for swimming. Her shoulders and long neck were a bit wider than her slim frame would suggest due to this favorite exercise as well. She had the piercing blue eyes and plump, full lips of her mother and the blond hair of her father. After the Battle of Cardassia some of her wounds did not heal entirely so she had a small scar on her hairline at the right side of her forehead and a longer one running down the inside of her lower right arm. Her legs were proportionally 5% longer than the ideal human ratio aspect put forth by DaVinci and so was her neck.

Albeit not a physical trait, Samantha always wore a thin gold necklace with a pendant of the Vulcan symbol for eternity, given to her by Brody. It was of course not visible while wearing her uniform.

Reference Images

Special Notes (Optional)

Due to her dealing with many people from many different species throughout her career she knew a lot of contacts in a lot of governments but not all of them had kept her in the highest regard. Diplomacy was not about making personal friends, after all, but unions that were built under the illusion of mutual benefit.