Zaryn Arn (KIA)

Personnel File
Name:	Zaryn Kolari
Rank:	Lieutenant
Position:	Intelligence Officer
Species:	Trill
Age:	37
Gender:	Male
Orientation:	Heterosexual
Birthplace:	Leran Manev, Trill
Height:	6.0ft / 1.83m
Weight:	172 lbs / 78kg
Hair:	Light Brown
Eye color:	Blue
Played by:	Sebastian Stan
Writer:	Revan
Interests
Spy Novels Guitar 20th Century Rock Music Surfing
Education
2362-2365: Manev University 2365-2369: Starfleet Academy 2374-2375: Starfleet Intelligence Academy
Service Record
2362-2369: Cadet, Starfleet Academy 2369-2371: Ensign, Security Officer, USS Atlantis 2371-2374: Security Officer, Deep Space Nine 2373: Promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade 2374: Transferred to Starfleet Intelligence 2374-2375: Starfleet Intelligence Academy, specialising in Covert Operations 2377: Promoted to Lieutenant 2381: Assigned to USS Theurgy
Decorations
2370: Christopher Pike Medal of Valor

Character Draft Awaiting Approval

Zaryn Kolari was a Starfleet Intelligence Covert Operative assigned to the USS Theurgy in 2381. He aided in the opposition against the parasites that compromised Starfleet Command in the end of the 24th century.

Biography

Early Life

Zaryn was born in Manev Central Hospital in Leran Manev, the Capital City of Trill on October 14th 2344 to Kael and Naela Kolari, both Starfleet officers. Kael and Engineer and Naela a doctor, both of whom decided to take an extended leave of absence to raise their son on Trill away from the dangers of a life in space.

Growing up near Manev Bay, Zaryn would spend a lot of his free time at the beach becoming an avid surfer and would win several trophies before the age of 6. When Zaryn was 7 years old, Kael and Naela both decided to return to Starfleet and were assigned to the U.S.S. London, an Olympic Class medical ship. Kael would serve as its chief engineer and Naela as a member of the medical staff.

Tragedy would strike when Zaryn’s father was killed when the London was boarded by raiders attempting to steal medical supplies when the young Trill was just 10 years old. After the death of his father, Naela resigned from Starfleet and moved herself and Zaryn back to Trill, where she took a job at the Trill Academy of Science as a biology teacher.

Heartbroken at the loss of his father, the once jovial, fun loving child found himself lost in a sea of anger. Angry at the raiders who had taken his father from him, angry at his parents for not staying on Trill where it was safe and angry at Starfleet for not anticipating threats to a medical ship and in his young mind, not training their people better to protect the crew better. As a result, he got into a lot of fights with other children and his school work started suffering. He would eventually start seeing a councillor to deal with his anger and grief, eventually coming to terms with the fact that while bad things happened, the anger and blame towards his parents and Starfleet were misplaced.

As his grades started to pick up it was clear that Zaryn had a knack for computers as it was the only class he constantly got top marks in, although it would also get him into trouble as he was caught several times hacking into the school’s database to change his friends grades for them.

Zaryn was also considered for joining by the Trill Symbiosis Commission and scored very well on both the tests and compatibility aspects, something that his mother was very proud of. Becoming joined was a huge honour for a Trill and something that most people aspired to be, but not Zaryn. He hated the idea of no longer being himself as part of the joining process, becoming somebody new as memories, life experiences and other host personalities all merged together and so graciously turned the Symbiosis Commission. While his mother was disappointed with his decision, she respected it.

Zaryn would go on to study Computer Science at Manev University for three years, graduating with a degree when he was 21 years old before enrolling at Starfleet Academy, wanting to honour his father’s memory.

Academy Years

Attending the Academy Zaryn had planned to take the Operations track based on his skills with a computer, however several of his tactical and security tutors early on noted that he was a skilled tactician and that a career in one of those fields might be better suited to him. After taking a few days to think about it Zaryn decided to switch to the Security track.

While at the Academy he was roommates with a human male named James Delano, who would introduce him to 20th Century rock music and spy novels. The two spending some of their free time on the holodeck playing some of the many spy holo-adventures available. Little did Zaryn know how much of an influence that would have on him later in life. It would also be during this time that he would start to learn to play the guitar.

During his time at the academy, his two closest friends were James and a Klingon male named Kareth. And while James was always a by the book cadet, Zaryn and Kareth would often walk the line and get into the occasional fight with other cadets over trivial things.

When it came to his studies, it would turn out that his teachers were right as Zaryn was a quick learner when it came to firearms and ground combat. However, he was far from perfect, for while he was accurate with a phaser rifle, he wasn’t always the best team player. As one instructor would put it: “Cadet Kolari, while a competent combatant with an eye for tactical analysis has somewhat of a “Lone Wolf” persona, which hinders him from truly excelling. Should he learn to become more of a team player, I am sure he will make an excellent security officer.” While Zaryn would eventually adapt and become a better team player, that particular instructors’ words would be one of things that would come back to affect the Trill’s life later.

Active Service

Zaryn would graduate the Academy in 2369 and was assigned to the U.S.S. Atlantis, a Excelsior class starship under the command of Captain Thasehr Ch'kyvath as a security officer.

The Atlantis had been assigned to the Omicron sector of the Beta Quadrant, patrolling the sector and keeping an eye out for any activity along the Romulan Neutral Zone or search for pirate activity within the Paulson Nebula, it would be fairly standard and boring patrols of the ship for the young Trill, which he found incredibly boring.

Things would start looking up the following year however, when the Archangel was reassigned to Deep Space Nine as one of the ships tasked with continuing the exploration of the Gamma Quadrant on the other side of the Wormhole and to establish relations with its various inhabitants. As a result, Zaryn would start going on more ground missions as an escort for delegations and down to planets on away missions.

His first major encounter would come during an away mission on the planet Telvalis IV when he accompanied several of the senior staff on an away mission to establish a dialogue with the local populous. While things started of relatively well, the group would soon find themselves in an ambush by Jem’Hadar. After trying to hold their position, the first officer would order the team to retreat into native forest. Several of the away team would be stunned and captured, while several others, Zaryn included would get separated within the treeline.

While ducking phaser fire, Zaryn lost his footing and feel down a small chasm, knocking himself unconscious. When he came too it was night time and he would soon discover that a dampening field had been setup around the planet, preventing any communication with the ship. Having no other choice, the Trill made his way back to the outskirts of the town, overhearing the locals discussing the ambush.

It would turn out that like many others, the people of Telvalis IV were unwilling subjects of the Dominion and were more than happy to provide information on where the Jem’Hadar had taken the rest of the away team, all of whom had been captured or killed. Having no other choice, Zaryn made his way to the Jem’Hadar encampment where he would lure several guards away to one area before doubling back and infiltrating the camp. Freeing the away team, they would eventually disable the dampening field and request reinforcements to chase the Jem’Hadar off the planet and establish a relationship with the people of Telvalis IV. Zaryn would earn a commendation for his actions, although he would always regret the loss of those he couldn’t help.

Near the end of 2370, Zaryn would save his Captain’s life when several members of the crew, unhappy with the Federation’s decision to abandon countless colonies in the Demilitarized Zone joined the Maquis and attempted to seize control of the ship. Responding to a request for reinforcements on the bridge Zaryn was one of the first Security officers to respond and upon seeing one his former security officers aim at Captain Ch'kyvath threw himself between them, getting fatally shot. Reinforcements would arrive and the crew would successfully manage to subdue the mutineers and retain control of the ship.

Zaryn would be taken to Deep Space Nine for medical treatment and awarded the Pike Medal of Valor for risking his own life to save his Captain’s. Due to the severity of his injury the Atlantis could not wait for him to recover, however having heard of his bravery, Captain Benjamin Sisko requested he be transferred to Deep Space Nine as he could “Use more men like him on the front lines.”

Deep Space Nine and the Dominion War

Upon recovering from his injury, Zaryn served as part of the security team and would see plenty of action at his new posting, ranging from anything between bar fights to away missions in the Gamma Quadrant there was never a shortage of things for the Trill to do, which he actually enjoyed. However, that would soon change when the Klingon’s withdrew from the Khitomer Accords ending the long-standing alliance between the Federation and the Empire. An event which would cause Zaryn his own personal conflict when his old Academy friend Kareth would resign from Starfleet and join the Klingon Defence Force. While Zaryn knew that Kareth was part of a noble Klingon house, he couldn’t help but wonder if one day he might end up facing his friend in combat.

All was not all bad for Zaryn however as he did make several friends during his time aboard the station, some of whom he would reunite with later in life unbeknownst to him at the time when fate would bring them together again.

Zaryn would find himself fighting both Klingons and Jem’Hadar mostly during his time on DS9 and on several occasions was chosen to infiltration missions based on his previous success on Telvalis IV and would have more success with those too, although some would be classified due to their nature.

In early 2373 Zaryn received a message from someone on the Klingon High Council that Kareth had been arrested under the false accusation of being a Federation spy and was being held on the Klingon prison planet Rura Penthe. At first Zaryn tried going through diplomatic channels to get some answers but found himself stonewalled at every turn and instead took a leave of absence under the guise of a family emergency to try and figure out the mystery on his own.

Using the computer skills, he had learned studying Computer Science at university, Zaryn messaged the sender of the message that had informed him of his friend’s arrest. The sender was revealed to be Kareth’s father, Ka’Mer who explained that his son’s arrest was a political play to have him removed from his seat on the High Council and that given the accusation there was little he could do personally to help his son, but that Kareth had always spoken highly of the Trill and had turned to him for help.

Ka’Mer would provide Zaryn with a shuttle to get to the planet, however the rest was up to the Trill to infiltrate, free and escapes from what was one of the most inhospitable and inescapable prisons known and yet somehow Zaryn managed to pull it off, although how he did so nobody knows. The Trill has never spoken about it, nor has the Empire.

Zaryn would return to Deep Space Nine where he would eventually witness the Dominion fleet emerge from the Wormhole and with the help of their new Cardassian allies launch an attack on Deep Space Nine, seizing the Station and marking the beginning of the Dominion War.

Not long after that, he would find himself on a shuttle heading back to Earth, having been summoned to a meeting with an Admiral, although he did not know at the time why. When he arrived, he was informed that Starfleet Intelligence had not only known about his excursion to Rura Penthe, having been observing the planet but that they had been keeping an eye on Zaryn as well. The Admiral would inform him that he had been a potential recruit for Intelligence back at the Academy and after the numerous missions he had been on had proven himself worthy should he wish to join.

At first Zaryn was hesitant to join Intelligence since he didn’t really want to spend his life as an analyst but when he was informed that they wanted him to be part of the Covert Operations branch as a field operative was immediately interested and accepted the transfer.

Intelligence Academy

To become Covert Operative however meant going back to the Intelligence Academy where he would spend a year learning interrogation techniques, both how to use them to extract information as well as how to resist it himself to avoid giving up any information, which Zaryn would briefly say was “The worst experience I’d ever had up to that point in my life.” He also learnt Reconnaissance and Infiltration techniques, how best to blend in and avoid detection, disguise usage, how best to scout an area and finally some additional computer skills to go along with those he had acquired from his Computer Sciences studies. Overall it was a long, hard, gruelling year of experiences for the Trill that he admittedly would consider quitting over several times.

However, the Trill would not quit and would eventually graduate from the Intelligence Academy in early 2375.

Covert Ops

Little is known about what Zaryn had been doing during and after the Dominion War beyond rumours, whispers and speculation, such is the nature of Starfleet Intelligence. Over the years there had been rumours that during the War, Zaryn had been tasked with investigating highly ranked officials suspected of being Changelings within Starfleet, some of which mysteriously disappeared shortly after alleged encounters with the Trill, although nothing was ever proven.

Also during the war reports surfaced that someone matching Zaryn’s description was part of a team responsible for taking down a suspected Cardassian terrorist stronghold. It was believed that the members of the cell were planning an attack on Bajor in hopes of gaining control of the planet and using it as a staging ground to attack and assuming control of Deep Space Nine in order to gain control of the Wormhole for their Dominion allies. Several members of the cell were allegedly captured and used to expose other cells and their leaders. Again, however the reports could never be verified.

All anybody truly knew was that apart from a few postings on various ships for brief periods of time throughout the Federation and that at some point a promotion to Lieutenant was added to his file, very little was officially seen or heard from Zaryn Kolari until he was assigned to the USS Theurgy in 2371.

Personality Profile

Zaryn was a master at hiding parts of himself and was a very closed off individual as a result of his years as a covert operative, always having to be someone else for months or even years at a time. Due to this he had a very hard time opening up to people as himself and not as one of his aliases, leaving people unsure as to whether they were getting to know the real Zaryn or just another persona as Zaryn himself often found it hard to “switch off” the part of his training that allowed him to blend in with other people, often finding himself adapting his personality to match that of the people he interacted into order to integrate with them better.

Zaryn himself often found it hard to trust people, always expecting a potential betrayal. Given the nature of his work, it was rare for him to have any true friendships and had difficulty forming or maintaining them outside of his job, leaving him to be what counsellors would most likely describe as borderline anti-social when off duty.

One aspect of his personality that seemed to be true for both his "true self" for lack of a better word and his numerous personas was an often sarcastic and dry sense of humour.

Early in his Intelligence career Zaryn struggled with the emotional, psychological and moral implications of some of the things he had done under orders for the benefit of the Federation which eventually lead to a drinking problem. It was during this time that he would mentally cut himself off from those feelings, taking the view that he was simply following orders like a good soldier, believing that he was a tool used for fixing things, solving the Federation's problems on behalf of those above who wielding him. While he would eventually go to therapy to kick his alcohol addiction, he would, by his own admission struggle to "stay on the wagon." and still occasionally struggles to remain sober. His self mental-conditioning was something that has remained with him to this day.

Zaryn grew to become a very cynical person with a pessimistic view of life over the course of his career in Intelligence. Having witnessed people from those in Command to Politicians, Delegates and Criminals say one thing and do another or take advantage of a situation to benefit themselves the Trill became very mistrusting of the motives of others, believing that everybody does what they do for their own selfish reasons.

Physical Profile

Standing at 6 feet tall, Zaryn had an athletic build to him due to his strict training regime. He usually kept his hair with one side parted to the right most of the time and kept some stubble of facial hair unless he was on assignment, where he would have various hair styles and grow out his facial hair to various lengths. Like all Trill he has his own unique spots that flowed from his head, down the sides of his body, although he will cover them for assignments when necessary.

Reference Images