Shawn West

Born to then-Lieutenant Commander James West and his wife, Sub-Commander Madhel on October 29, 2343 in the city of Washington D.C. in the United States.

Shawn had a quiet life growing up with his parents, but he was raised mostly by his mother whom had retired from the Vulcan Expeditionary Group a few months before his was born. His mother repeatedly told him as a child that she wanted him to focus more on finding a white collar job so he could venture into other area. She did not see Starfleet as a future for her only son and at time would try to explain the logic in this decision to her son. However, during the final years of his secondary education, Shawn decided to see what it was that his father and others did as a member of Starfleet. In the final months of his last year of schooling he debated joining Starfleet and following his heart. Two months before the deadline to apply to Starfleet Academy, Shawn submit his exam to join the organization.Shawn never told his mother that he applied and he would have never told him until a letter came for the Academy. The argument between mother and son to this day has created a gulf that has his father acting as a mediator.

Attending Starfleet Academy in the cooling down and the aftermath of the Federation-Cardassian War, affected Shawn more than he was willing to admit. During his second year at the Academy, Shawn fell in love with being a pilot. There was just something about the Starfleet Starfighter Corps that drew him and during the spring semester, he informed his Academic Advisor that in the fall of 2363 that he would be transferring to aeronautical engineering as his major. It was also during his time at the Academy that Shawn began to show that while he could follow orders from superiors officers and midshipmen that he began to show signs of becoming a true leader to his fellow midshipmen. Once he graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2365, Shawn was transferred to the Starfighter Corp and assigned to the USS Maryland as a pilot with the rank of Ensign assigned to the Fifth Squadron of the Seventy-Second (72) Starfighter Air Group. While assigned to the Maryland, Shawn would learn the skills needed to be a member of the Starfleet Starfighter Corps.

During the week of December 28, 2367, Shawn would come to know a fear. He was temporarily assigned to the New Orleans class, USS Kyushu as a Lieutenant in the billet of Second Squadron Deputy Leader of the First Starfighter Air Group. Shawn was never suppose to have been a member of the the air group because he had been on leave from the Thirty-Eight (38) Air Group assigned to the Federation-Klingon border; however when the fleet wide yellow alert was place he was drafted to the aerospace group for since several officers were not in the system. Shawn did not see that battle as a real battle but as a slaughterhouse. The 1st Air Group had been put on hold to allow the heavy hitter a chance to go after the cube. Within second of the opening salvo, everything changed as the pilots began to work to save the few ships and escape pods that were leaving destroyed Federation ships.

In the aftermath of Battle of Wolf 359, the First Air Group had been gutted of it pilots and leadership. Shawn was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2368 a full year before he met the time in service requirement because the Corps was shuffling officers around the fleet. He would remain assigned to the First Starfighter Air Group, but now as a Squadron Leader. Shawn was vastly affected by the battle with the Borg. While he understood in his mind that Starfleet was the exploratory and defensive force of the United Federation of Planets, he felt that when it comes to defending the Federation that they were failing in that duty.

In the summer of 2369, Shawn submitted an application to the Starfleet Postgraduate School (SFPS) as his next duty station. While at the SFPS, Shawn would major in defense and strategic studies. This major was something that had appeared during the course of the Federation-Cardassian War. While at the SFPS expanded his  critical and creative thinking and develop problem solving skills while also examining past Starfleet effects of operations, and exploring how battlefield outcomes can change the strategic environment. His thesis entitled “How Starfleet Has Not Learned” was widely paneled by his instructors and members of Starfleet that felt his was advocating changing the role of Starfleet.

In the aftermath of graduating from SFPS in 2372, Shawn would take a leave of absence as advised by his former Commanding Officer to allow the hell-storm that he had threw up with his paper to settle.