Simone Langford

Simone Langford was born in 2357 as the youngest of two children on Arendis, an independent world located in the Azure Nebula. Her family were influential stakeholders in the Venteris Corporation, a megacorporation that had de facto rule over the corporate republic of Arendis. Tiago Langford, Simone’s father, was a member of the Directorate Assembly, the legislative branch of Venteris that oversaw the governance of Arendis under the leadership of the Director-General. Simone’s mother, Gillian, served as the executive director for Venteris Biomedical, a subsidiary of the megacorporation in charge of the majority planet’s health services.

Simone spent most of her childhood on Arendis where her family was based. She grew up alongside the siblings of the Misrahi family – also influential stakeholders in Venteris – and was especially close with Nala Misrahi, the youngest daughter of the Misrahi family who was similar to her own age. In 2369, following the recent Borg incursion in the area two years earlier, Arendis sought to become a Federation protectorate. Simone’s father participated in the talks but was assassinated by suspected Orion Syndicate members along with the Director-General. Talks with the Federation stalled and Arendis pursued the development of its own defences as a result.

Simone was twelve years old at the time of her father’s death and it affected her deeply. She became truly aware for the first time of the danger of the galaxy she lived in. At the same time, it was also her first encounter with Starfleet and her eyes were opened to the ideals of the Federation. Not long afterwards, in 2370, her mother was appointed as the Arendis envoy to Coridan, and Simone moved with her mother while her brother stayed on Arendis. Simone was enrolled at a prestigious school on Coridan where her education had a strong focus on political science and law. 

It was during this time that she befriended the son of a Starfleet commander stationed on Coridan, with whom she became romantically involved when she was 16. The romance didn’t last long as the outbreak of the Dominion War sent Simone and her family back to Arendis, but she kept in touch with him and his family. When the war ended in 2375, Simone decided to visit him on Earth and while there took a tour of the Starfleet Academy campus. Though her family expected her to go into the family business with the Venteris Corporation, Simone had become enamoured with the idea of exploration and joining Starfleet. Eventually she managed to convince her mother to allow her to follow her dreams and, with a recommendation from her friend’s father, was allowed to take the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. 

While at the Academy, Simone pursued the command track but she put her political science education to good use and complimented it with scientific and diplomatic subjects. Following her graduation in 2379, she was assigned to the USS Heyerdahl as Diplomatic Attaché.