Asgren Valdes

Childhood
Asgren was born into a family that valued tradition, manual labor, and artisan crafts over technological advancements. Her home, where she lived with her parents, grandparents, and siblings, was an isolated farm far from the buzzing city of Gothenburg. To outsiders, it seemed charmingly picturesque. To Asgren, it was nothing but restrictive. As the eldest daughter, her task was to watch over her younger brothers and sisters and care for them whenever their mother was needed elsewhere. Asgren was often lauded for her apparent maturity—a euphemism for someone who had to grow up far too quickly and deny her own wishes in favor of family life.

From a young age, she wanted to escape. Asgren made a point of excelling in her studies, often staying up through the night, sacrificing sleep and hobbies in the pursuit of knowledge. When she applied to Starfleet Academy, she told no one. When she held the acceptance letter in her hands, she packed her bags and informed her parents. The conversation that followed was colored by disbelief and disappointment, but they parted on amicable terms.

Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy was nothing short of a culture shock—too many new faces, too many new species, too many technologies she had known existed but had never gained confidence in using. It was difficult to fit in, and she made few friends. Once more, Asgren sought solace in studying, earning the respect of her fellow cadets in lieu of their friendship.

Upon graduating, Asgren received a posting aboard a California-class vessel running resupply missions. She was an excellent officer, but her unsolicited suggestions on what to improve and how to optimize processes were ill-received by her superiors. After a year, she was transferred elsewhere.

Linna
Asgren began to understand that interpersonal connections mattered just as much as raw talent. Instead of spending her nights studying science, she spent her days studying people. Though it didn’t come as naturally to her as it seemed to for others, she managed to build a positive rapport with those she worked with. Unexpectedly, those new skills led to a date—and eventually a relationship—with Stephan Olsen, a civilian bar manager. When Asgren became pregnant, she wanted to focus on her career. It was Olsen who convinced her that this was indeed the right time to start a family, and nine months later, their daughter Linna was born.

Asgren hated her time away from active duty but understood the responsibility she had toward her daughter—after all, she was no stranger to putting her own desires aside. She tried to enjoy motherhood but quickly grew resentful of Olsen, who was still working while she felt “stuck.” When Linna turned two years old, Asgren decided to return to work, but since her position aboard the ship had been filled, she was offered a transfer to another vessel. Olsen did not want that—he had plenty of friends aboard the ship—so Asgren once more packed her bags and left with Linna.

Return to Active Duty
The balance between being a single mother and a Starfleet officer was challenging but not impossible to master. In addition, her interest in connecting with others had diminished after her failed relationship, and instead of socializing, she focused that additional time on her career. After serving several years aboard the USS Dusseldorf, Asgren had risen to Chief Science Officer and was offered the opportunity to attain additional qualifications—an offer she gladly accepted.

Asgren’s first posting as First Officer aboard the USS Jacksonville barely lasted a year. The Captain disliked her, and the crew avoided her as much as possible—but she was good at her job. As such, the only way to get rid of her was to promote her to the rank of Captain and send her on her way.

Commanding Officer
The role of Captain suited Asgren and fit her personality—particularly because there was no one she had to report to on a daily basis. Her first command, the USS Aveana, was comfortable enough, and Asgren’s First Officer compensated for the fact that she kept people at arm’s length. After its successful three-year mission, Asgren was set to transfer to the USS Sirona. It was the first time she was reluctant to leave—after all, she had finally found her place—but this was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.