[b]Appearance:[/b] Tall, lanky, flat chested and narrow hipped, Kina exhibits the androgyny typical of the Yllin. Her large eyes are almost entirely pale turquoise in color, save for small black pupils that dilate slightly in the dark. Instead of a “nose,” per se, she simply has two small nostrils, which sit above a wide mouth filled with sharp, pointed teeth. Her coarse, straight hair, which is closely cropped and often messy, is a deep brown streaked with gold and green, and her skin shares the same color palette -- light brown, with clusters of gold and green freckles, much like mineral-flecked stone. Kina wears a pair of goggles with dark, specially treated lenses, either over her eyes in brighter light or pushed up onto her forehead, and is always, [i]always[/i], fully clothed; she favors form-fitting clothing that allows for a broad range of movement.
[b]Height:[/b] 5’11”
[b]Weight:[/b] 105 lbs.
[b]Name:[/b] Kinaktala - Kina, for short
[b]Age:[/b] 12 (this is well into young adulthood for Yllin, who reach physical maturity around 7 or 8 years of age)

[b]Birth quadrant:[/b] B07

[b]Primary Role:[/b] Medic

[b]Secondary Role:[/b] Bartender

[b]Personality:[/b] Like many Yllin who were raised away from Kamphal, Kina is very intelligent, very inquisitive, and very, very bad at forming interpersonal relationships, mostly because of the extreme difficulty she has with expressing any sort of real emotion. To most, she comes across as either aloof, awkward, or just plain odd. She is usually very serious, and not one to mince words; however, if she stumbles on something new and exciting, her passion will shine through, and she is not without a certain dry sense of humor.

[b]Species:[/b] Yllin (ill-ihn)

[b]Species Origin:[/b] The Yllin, along with their home planet of Kamphal, were discovered by the Metacaug Elite in the early years of the great Intergalactic War. As a species, they are intelligent and have the potential to be highly adaptive, due in part to their ability to pick up on and mirror the emotional states of those around them. However, since the Yllin are historically animalistic and uninhibited, they tend to give into their baser instincts when left to their own devices, forming family-like packs and becoming fiercely territorial. When Kamphal was originally discovered by the Metacaug Elite, the Yllin were thought to be beyond reason -- they wanted nothing to do with the outsiders, and violently opposed any attempts at colonization and resource or information gathering. However, the mineral-rich swamps and caverns that the Yllin inhabited were a veritable gold mine, full of natural resources that the Metacaug could not simply abandon. And so, very slowly, diplomatic relations were fostered; research stations were built, as well as small settlements, for the scientists and engineers who wanted to learn more about the new planet and reap what they felt it had to offer to their efforts in the war. Eventually, some of the more inquisitive or adventurous Yllin began their own information gathering, and it was at this point that something unexpected happened. When presented with the opportunity, and when removed from the volatile environment of their tribal society, the Yllin proved to be incredibly fast learners, capable of mastering a remarkable variety of disciplines within a relatively short amount of time. Once their potential was discovered, Yllin began to leave Kamphal in search of new adventures and opportunities, although the majority elected to remain on their home planet. It was decided that colonization would not advance; the existing facilities would be left manned and intact, but the Yllin who chose to stay would, for the most part, be left alone. Those who left Kamphal have established a small but well respected presence throughout the Metacaug territories, proving to be effective ambassadors for their race.

The Yllin are a bipedal, nocturnal, traditionally predatory species from the planet Kamphal, within quadrant B07. All members of the species are built for sprinting, with lean legs that take up ⅔ of their total height, muscular calves, flexible joints, and long, vertically oriented feet, the balls of which carry all of their weight. Their pointed ears extend well past the tops of their heads, and can rotate up to 180* for a broad range of hearing (and expression). Nearly one third of an Yllin's face is taken up by immense, round eyes, which -- thanks in part to their size, and in part to the tapetum lucidum that exists behind the retina -- give Yllin excellent night vision; however, they are extremely light-sensitive and largely colorblind, perceiving mostly shades of blue and green. Aside from some hair on their heads, which rarely grows longer than shoulder length, Yllin are entirely hairless. Their smooth skin -- especially on their fingertips, palms, and the soles of their feet -- is highly sensitive, capable of picking up even the tiniest vibrations. When some of the first Yllin to leave Kamphal agreed to participate in scientific studies, it was discovered that this sensitivity plays a critical role in their emotional mirroring; specifically, the more they were touched, the more susceptible they became, and their ability to control their own emotions fell drastically as their susceptibility rose.

[b]Character History:[/b] Kina was born on Kamphal, but she does not think of it as her home. She left the planet, together with a small group of her peers, when she was three years old, sent off by her mother to see the galaxy. Her mother, a priestess within their tribe, could not leave herself; but had seen in a vision from Imtal, the eldest of the three Sister Moons, that Kina’s future lay out among the stars, far from the Yllin homeland. Once Kina had spent a few months in her medical apprenticeship, she learned that her mother’s vision was most likely caused by the kirfu powder the Yllin liked to throw in the fire during spiritual ceremonies, which could have hallucinogenic effects if its smoke was inhaled. While she believed in the science more than she had ever believed in anything her mother said, she couldn’t quite bring herself to take off the necklace her mother gave her when she left: a cloudy black marble on a leather cord, a talisman of Imtal’s guidance.

Over the years, Kina flourished, surpassing all the other apprentices studying under her mentor and quickly becoming his favorite. They became like father and daughter, and as her skill grew, so did their bond. Because he was happy, so was she. Her thirst for knowledge was insatiable, and by her eighth birthday, she had learned everything that he had to teach her, and should have been ready to begin practicing medicine on her own. However, fate had thrown a wrench in the gears of her progress. Her mentor’s wife fell quickly, hopelessly ill, and although Kina did not love her, she felt the pain of her impending loss like a knife through her heart. Desperate to end her mentor’s pain, and thus her own, Kina stayed, and devoted all of her time to identifying a cure, certain she could succeed where all before her had failed. While she worked, her mentor fell into a depression so deep, he was barely able to function, let alone aid Kina in her research. His wife died before she could find a cure, and Kina left soon after. She will do almost anything to avoid talking about the weeks leading up to her departure.

The next four years passed quickly for Kina. She continued to study medicine, but also dabbled in other subjects that drew her interest like bioengineering, programming, and even mixology, which she particularly enjoys; she finds the different combinations of ingredients, and their varying effects, fascinating (and entertaining). Eventually, she caught wind of an opportunity that she absolutely could not refuse: a chance to join an expeditionary team and explore the uncharted Outer Rim. Access to state of the art medical facilities, top notch research equipment, and, above all, the possibility of discovering something truly [i]new[/i], were more than enough reasons for Kina to throw her hat into the ring.

[b]Equipment:[/b] Standard Issue ULSS Enviro Suit

[hider=BMIS][IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/6stl76.jpg[/IMG]
Biological and Medical Interface System
An advanced, portable system that Kina engineered. It is capable of constructing and analyzing complex digital models from organic samples.[/hider]

[b]Living Quarters:[/b] Kina’s quarters are sparsely furnished. A small collection of dogeared medical and engineering texts are shoved onto shelves, along with several small gadgets of varying usefulness that she has either collected or built herself. Her clothes and more private personal belongings are kept in a multi-tiered chest in one corner of the room; a hammock hangs from the ceiling against the wall opposite the door.

[b]Misc Info:[/b]