Member
DELETED9742
mickilennial
Kuro
Dark Cloud
Mae
Name
Xiril Poxx
(Zeer-uhl Pocks)
Age
44
Rank/Position
Helmsman
Race
Beta-Cephanian
The Cephanians are an aquatic humanoid species from the planet Cepha, that have evolved into two distinct groups; Alpha-Cephanians, a hard shelled, crab-like humanoid species, and Beta-Cephanians, their subjugated fish-like cousins. Hailing from a completely submerged planet, all Beta-Cephanians have mucous-producing skin, gills, webbed fingers, and other characteristics suited to an aquatic environment, while their crustacean cousins have a thick exoskeleton, mandibles over their mouths, and antannae capable of sensing movement.
Whereas Alpha-Cephanians are usually boisterous and warlike, Beta-Cephanians are a quiet, private people known for their humorlessness and brevity, which are results of their neural biology and selective breeding than of a culture. Despite being a warp-capable civilization, Cephanians have a very primal culture with little room for sentimentality -- Elderly or injured Beta-Cephanians are usually devoured to support their colony's sustenance, for example, whereas Alpha-Cephanians frequently murder one another over perceived slights.
Appearance
Most say Beta-Cephanians all look alike. As the only differentiation between male and female Beta-Cephanians are that one is blueish purple and the other is purplish blue, this is not entirely without merit. Though Commander Poxx has dark blue stripes lining most of his body, this is hidden by his uniform, leaving the rank-denoting stripes on his sleeve the only face-value distinction between himself and any other Cephanian, though his pink ear-frills are said to be somewhat long. Though not especially short or tall, Commander Poxx's Cephanian biology leaves him with very little fat, giving him a somewhat muscular physique.
Personality
Commander Poxx's mannerisms and personality are fairly standard for a Beta-Cephanian. He keeps most interactions as brief as possible, spends most of his time off alone in his quarters, and has little patience for galas and ceremonies. Other than his work, Commander Poxx has three hobbies; swimming, underwater horticulture, and martial arts, the latter of which earns him a spot on most away teams. As his homeworld's culture is extremely different than human culture, Poxx is one of the aliens aboard the Orion that experiences a great deal of culture shock. Hot beverages, for example, are a subject surrounded by mystery to Commander Poxx, as well as things like art or humor. Human customs (Such as subtlety and emotional perception) are frequently lost to the Cephanian, who frequently seeks advice from other nonhuman members of the ship.
History
Xiril Poxx was hatched on Cepha, spending his youth absorbing the culture and knowledge of his people while working on one of his planet's many algae farms. His father, Luril Poxx, eventually bought his family's freedom from their master during Xiril's childhood, and went on to work as a Medical Officer for the USS Tyson, which fostered Xiril's interest in joining Starfleet from a young age. Xiril went on to join Starfleet Academy when he became old enough and was put onto an expedited path to becoming an ensign aboard the USS Highlander, after graduating second in his class. Though originally eager to become a medical officer like his father, Xiril switched divisons after his second year, and has proudly worn Tactical Red ever since. After serving aboard the USS Highlander for several years, Commander Poxx was recently transferred to the USS Orion, where he now serves as Helmsman.
Skills
Though he comes off as cold, Commander Poxx's lack of emotion help him remain calm under pressure and make logic-based, split second decisions other officers would struggle with. The Cephanian brain -- particularly that of a Beta-Cephanian -- has far fewer receptors for emotion than a human, and more for memory and problem solving; By human standards, Poxx would be considered a genius.
As a Cephanian, Commander Poxx can use sonar to maneuver in complete darkness, and stun most humanoids. His youth spent underwater has given him a heightened perception of his position in three-dimensional space, which he uses to his advantage when performing tactical maneuvers.
Cepha is a large planet near the edge of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, which is a member of the united Federation of Planets. It has a dense core half the size of Earth's, which is hidden beneath thousands of miles of saltwater in all directions -- The planet has no dry land, though its surface is covered in its entirety with a layer of algae about a mile thick, which is farmed by Beta-Cephanians as a power source. It is the second planet in its solar system, and is kept together by its unusually high gravity, and warm by means of its thick, cloudy atmosphere. It is orbited by a relatively lifeless microplanet, which is in turn orbited by an asteroid. Other than that, there is little of note about the Cephanian homeworld; It is considered somewhat primitive and isolated as Federation planets go, and engages in very little trade.
The dominant species of Cepha are the Alpha-Cephanians, a crustacean-like race of humanoids evolved from ancient Cepha's apex predator. Culturally, the Alpha-Cephanian is not dissimilar from a Klingon; Though they live to be 200 years old, their average lifespans are about one hundred years due to widespread honor killings and duels. Alpha-Cephanians are an extremely proud race, and as such are too involved with convoluted feuds and tribal arguments to be greatly involved in the affairs of their intergalactic neighbors.
Most people have not heard of Cephanians -- They are mentioned in Federation training as one of the nine completely aquatic spacefaring races -- and as such, few are aware of the distinction between Alpha and Beta Cephanians. As such, those from Cepha are usually regarded to in a myriad of different terms; Red and Blue Cephanians, High and Low Cephanians, and Great and Common Cephanians are all terms they have begrudgingly accepted. Both races refer to themselves simply as "Cephanian" while using the Alpha and Beta labels for the other race.
An entirely separate species, Beta-Cephanians are a fishlike humanoid species capable of using sonar to traverse water too deep for light to reach, or too thick with algae to see. Subjugated by Alpha-Cephanians during "The Great Cephanian War", a civil war between the two races thousands of years ago, Beta-Cephanians have been the planet's workforce and backbone for generations. Cepha's technology is almost entirely powered by their algae, though it is fairly inefficient as fuels go, and is farmed by millions of their Beta-Cephanian thralls.
As a slave society, Beta-Cephanians have a great cultural belief in destiny, and coexist with Alpha-Cephanians with surprisingly little animosity; After several thousand years of enslavement, Beta-Cephanians have more or less accepted their position as unavoidable fate, which coupled with their being bred for passivity by Alpha-Cephanians, has led to a society with almost zero rebellions.
Whereas Alpha-Cephanians are free to choose their careers, specific Beta-Cephanians are born for specific roles. Some are farmers of the algae that powers their planet's technology, others are concubines and servants of Alpha-Cephanians, others still are born for clerical work, and a select few are born for little else than fueling their kin during food shortages; Some speculate it is due to the lack of breastfeeding in Cephanian biology that they do not form especially close bonds with their parents and are generally void of emotion.
The language spoken on Cepha is Korqyk, more commonly referred to simply as Cephanian, a language nearly indecipherable by the universal translator due to its subtle uses of emphasized bubble blowing and sonar as vowels. As it can only be spoken underwater, it is also impossible to be spoken by non-Cephanians.
