Saorise “Hex” Caidin

Early Life
Born on Mons Olympus City, Mars, to terraforming engineer Darragh Caidin and biologist Dr. Jon Hess, PhD, by way of surrogate and family friend, Veronica Glass, Saorise Maedb Hess-Caidin was considered rather bright from an early age, scoring high in testing for creativity and emotional intelligence. As she grew up, she attended schooling on Mars before transferring to Earth for more advanced studies in the Greater Niagara Regional Metroplex, Canada. She took to a love of technical engineering and gained a fascination for the increasing number of alien cultures that arrived on Earth as Humanity made itself more known in the galactic neighbourhood.

Upon graduation, she was approached by recruiters for the MACOs, who had been screening graduates across United Earth for traits that would be useful in expanding their officer cadres, as more MACOs with more technical skills were needed to provide proper defense and protection as the UE established colonies and freighter lanes beyond the Sol System. Intrigued by the offer, Saorise signed up…though her fathers were a bit wary of the military and this put a strain on their relationship for some time,

Early Career

Saorise was put through basic and then the officers’ academy, graduating with full marks and acquiring notice for her close combat skills and field engineering. She was minted as a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to a combat engineers support battalion before moving quickly to field work as a 1st Lieutenant in charge of a small pioneering squad, assigned to establish forward bases and outposts on Earth colony holdings like Alpha Centauri and Tau Valentis. Eventually, this moved on to actually assisting in the establishment of colonies themselves, especially after there was a review of missing and disastrous colonial attempts like the (at the time considered) failure of Terra Nova.

As humanity pushed outward, Saorise and her team found themselves coming up against actual combat and conflict more often: Naussican raiders, mysterious abductions, Rigellian privateers, even Klingons trying to make a name for themselves by destroying or subjugating an upstart Human colony. Saorise started to study any information she could gain on this adversaries, and developed a mental system of organizing such information in her head so that it would be retrieved quickly and accurrately when her mind required it. Social politics, language, tactics, strategies, economic systems, technical specifications…The more she could learn, the better.

Eventually though, Saorise and her team were recalled back to the Sol System, as Starfleet started to gain it’s wings and put out warp-ship patrols to the colonies while the MACOs refocused their efforts on the home system.

NV-18 Janus

Now a Captain, Saorise’s experience was put to work as a liaison to the Colony Taskforce efforts at Starfleet…a job, that while useful, was ultimately an unfulfilling desk job for the Martian lass…hence, when Starfleet started requesting MACO teams for duty on their starships, Saorise volunteered immediately and was soon assigned to the NV-18 Janus with a small team, specializing in boarding and search/seizure operations.

The Janus patrolled out to the outer worlds of the Sol System, as well as the nearby colonial holdings of Centaurus and Valentis, and eventually after it’s rediscovery by NX-01 Enterprise, Terra Nova. They dealt mainly with raiders, smugglers, pirates, and other ne’er-do-wells that thought the human worlds would be easy targets.

NP-18 Shamshir

Eventually, the Janus was damaged after a fight with a Nausican Raider and was deemed unsalvagable by Starfleet Engineers….though the Nausicans had been driven off and a boarding party had been subdued. For her part in the counter-boarding operations, Saorise was made Major and assigned to a larger MACO detachment on the NP-09 Shamshir, which reached out further towards other major worlds like Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar.

This route became more important in the wake of the attack on Earth by the Xindi and later, the formation of the Coalition of Planets.

When the Xindi Probe struck Earth, the Shamshir was assigned to protect transports carrying relief supplies from Rigel and Tellar…at first, from the usual suspects: Orion Pirates, Nausican Raiders, etc…but later on, the threats to these shipments started coming closer to home. Major Caidin found herself defending the supply convoys from what first appeared to be singular lone wolf style attacks by individuals and small groups of xenophobic terrorists and rioters…but eventually it became a more organized and dangerous collection of groups under a single banner and over all mission. Earth First, Humanity for Humans, Terra for Terrans…etc.

Saorise even found herself investigating her own team, after a plot to sabotage the convoys of alien aid was uncovered. This lead to a firefight on a Tellarite freighter when the conspirators were uncovered mid inspection, and Saorise forced to gun down her own traitorous 1st Lieutenant before being able to force a surrender from the other mutineers.

When the dust settled and the various Terra Prime offshoots were mostly dealt with, Saorise took a few weeks leave and then requested reassignment to clear her head, which was still troubled by the mutiny and the death of the 1st Lieutenant. No postings were currently available at the time however, and instead the Shamshir was sent out on a patrol towards the Vega Colony and parts beyond.

It was during this trip however, that everything would change completely.

”Death” and Enslavement

In 2155, the Romulans snuck towards Earth and instigated the Earth-Romulan War with the Battle of Sol…on the way towards the Sol system though, their fleet encountered a Starfleet picket ship that was investigating reports Orion Pirates and illegal scavenge in an intervening system.

That ship, was the Shamshir. Communications were immediately jammed to prevent the Shamshir from getting out a warning, and the Intrepid-class ship was destroyed via Nuclear torpedoes…a handful survivors remained in the ship’s smaller holds, shielded from Romulan sensors by the EM-interference of the nuclear strike…though oxygen, heat, and other nesscesities of life were short.

Originally 11 survivors were in that hold…by the time help came, only 3 remained. Of those three, Saorise was one of them.

The help that came however, was not Starfleet…nor one of their allies in the Coalition of Planets…no, the survivors would not be so fortunate. Instead, the last 3 survivors of the Shamshir were discovered by none other, then the Orion Pirates and Salvagers they were originally investigating, who had come like circling vultures to salvage the remains of the short-lived battle after the Romulans had left to continue towards their planned attack on Earth.

Saved from Nuclear fallout and the cold void of space, but thrown right into the frying pan of the Orion Slave Market. One survivor was sold as a menial labourer…when this happened, Saorise struck out in defense of the officer, only to be taken down by guards and a shock collar.

Still, the moment of fiery rebellion impressed one of the buyers, an Orion woman known as “Venalya, Mistress of the Broken Bones”, who took the commando to a gladiatorial arena known as “The Pits” on a nearby free station, to be a prize fighter. Currency of all sorts moved through this arena, via bettings, winnings, and what could salvaged off the defeated. Fighters almost all slaves or prisoners of some sort, and the best had the backing of wealthy and powerful movers and shakers of the Orion “Green Market”…this was because of a practice of augmentation, used to push fighters beyond the base limits of their species. Implants, gene-therapies, grafts…all provided by the amoral chop-docs on the payroll of those wealth clientele…and if an augmented fighter would fall, their “upgrades” were harvested from the corpse and auctioned off…gutting a Kressatian with a customized 15-chambered prosthetic heart, could mean that that heart was going to end up in your chest by the end of the week.

It was a cesspool of surgical nightmares, ruthless combat, and desperate combatants…and Saorise had just been thrown in there.

For around one and half years, Saorise lived in the hellhole of The Pits…rebelling, suffering punishment, fighting, being augmented, and repeating the cycle…eventually, the rebelling dropped as the whole thing became routine, one Saorise did with less and less emotion, until all that remained was a robotic-like killing machine that moved from one battle to the next. She faced off and encountered a wide variety of alien life forms, from sapient combatants to animalistic feral creatures released into the arena on  exposition matches. Reducing herself to her base traits to protect her psyche as much as possible from the horror, still included Saorise’s in-grained studious habits however, and she picked up a smattering of languages from the other combatants and her Mistress’s company. Fighting styles were analyzed and adjusted to be used by her still mostly human physiology, weaponry was mastered, and even improvised on the fly…Much had been stripped away from the woman from Mars, but her core remained.

Escape and Return

After a year and half of this madness, in late 2156, rumours began flying around the station about a ship that had just docked in one of the outer bays for emergency repairs. An Andorian frigate, which had just survived a battle with a Romulan patrol. Recognizing a potential friendly (blue) face for the first time in ages, rekindled that rebellious fire in Saorise’s heart and she began planning with some of the other gladiators on how to escape.

Waiting until word came of the Andorian repairs nearing completion, Saorise triggered the plan and started a full scale revolt…a radiation leak was caused in a sabotaged relay, which momentarially jammed the signals from the control and punishment implants used by the Orions and other Slavers, as well as disrupting most forms of energy weaponry in the area. Bringing the fighting down to hand-to-hand, the roid’d out and cyber’d up gladiators had the advantage and pushed it as far as the Station’s promenade….still, there were more slavers then there were slaves, and the fighting quickly turned against the rebel force…only a small handful of slaves made it on to the Andorian ship where, led by Saorise Caidin, they surrendered themselves to the Andorian Guards’ mercy and requested asylum.

The Andorian vessel left in a hurry after that, their repairs not done, but still done enough to run from a volatile situation. Saorise and her compatriots were free and the Andorian Vessel made course to rendezvous with an Earth ship that would take Saorise home.

Saorise’s return to Earth was not an overly jubilant one however, as she returned to find the Earth-Romulan War that she had previewed on the Shamshir, in full terrible swing…and in her condition, there was nothing she could do about it.

Division 14, Treatment and Observation

Sequestered first by Joint Intelligence for debrief, Saorise was then put in the hands of Earth Medical’s Division 14, a group that dealt with unique medical issues and anomalies…which Saorise’s body, so riddled with mismatched augmentations and technology from a variety of alien species, qualified her for. Studies on the implants began, often with invasive measures…followed by surgeries to remove the alien devices…when they had removed what they could, D14 set about deactivating what they couldn’t…and then limiting the damage done by what still remained active after that.

None of the implants had been developed with human physiology in mind…and it was only because of the sheer competence of the chop-doctor who worked on Saorise, that she had not died already from the strain and imbalance the implants had put on her.

Saorise remained in D14’s care for observation and recovery for several months…which began to drive her quickly stir crazy…she had not escaped from one cage to be held up in another, even the other was much more permissive and allowed her to see family and friends again.

Return to Service, NX-06 Endeavour

By 2157 however, Earth’s forces, both Starfleet and MACOs, were starting to get rather thin in the ranks thanks to casualties…in particular, the MACOs were haemorrhaging experienced field commanders. Much like a Daedalus-class in mothballs, the MACOs ordered Major Saorise M. Caidin back into active duty, noting her extensive experience in combat against various alien species and displayed talent for improvising in the field.

Division 14 responded by adding a litany of warnings and medical reports from Saorise’s attending physicians and counselors, but in the end acquiesced to the order. Saorise returned to duty and was assigned to the NX-06 Endeavour’s MACO detachment as commander.

The scars of the past few years however, both visible and not, still lingered over the commando however…and the real test of her recovery, like that of a tempered blade about to either shatter or remain strong, was about to begin.

ADDENDUMS & ATTACHED FILES

ATTENDING DOCTOR’S LOG, <DATE>
MEDICAL ANOMALIES AND RECOVERY, DIVISION 14
UNITED EARTH MEDICAL SCIENCES FACILITY 2

SUBJECT: ANOMALOUS PATIENT 1123-NULL: SAORISE MAEDB HESS-CAIDIN

BRIEF: Subject 1123-N is a human female, Saorise Maedb Hess-Caidin, age 38 years (born. May 24, 2119 at Mons Olympus Hospital, Mars). Basic Stat can be accessed in file B-1123-N-II, Level 3 Authorization required.

Subject arrived at D14 with multiple unidentifiable alien devices implanted in body, and had also undergone several gene altering methods, reportedly against their will by alien salients connected to Orion Syndicate (see Starfleet Intelligence for more info, Level 2 Clearance required).

ANALYSIS: Devices and Alterations have been categorized into three main categories by attending staff:

CONTOL: Devices meant to ensure control, capture, or compliance of subject…discovered examples include Subspace Tracking Transciever Node attached near brain stem (deactivated), Neuroshock Device implanted below left ear (pre-damaged, removed succesfully), Intravenous Chemical Resevoir loaded with various pharmaceuticals, located under left breast (removed and treated for addictive qualities of chemicals).

COMBAT: Implants and treatments designed into increase subject’s combat capabilities. Most numerous of the three groups. Examples: Adrenal Pump (still active, removal deemed too dangerous), Skin roughing gene therapy via mutagenic retrovirus (inert, but side effects still present and active), Muscle restructuring surgery (active, under analysis. Technique used to achieve increase in muscle density and flexibility still unknown), Reflex neural sheathing (active, but degrading slowly without access to upkeep treatments. Side effects of this process, unknown)

MEDICAL: This group of devices and treatments have been apparently been done primarily for medical purposes, though side-effects can also cross over into the other categories. Example Bone Lattice webbing: Bone density strengthened by webbing, which was placed directly on bones after various fractures and breaks sustained by patient, reportedly in close quarters combat.

Additionally, a fourth category exists, made up of implants and procedures that we have found but have yet to identify the function of…furthermore, there is the possibility that the limits of our accessible technology has led to others left occluded from our scans and exploratory surgeries.

SIDE EFFECTS

These devices and procedures are completely alien in design and meant for those respective physiologies. Human physiology is adaptable, but there are limitations. Example: Adrenal Pump was designed for Klingon physiognomy which mitigates the damage done by chemicals in excess of physical limitations by their redundant organs…Adrenal Pump activates on mental command, often automatically in response to stress, but leads to crashing, fatigue, and possible organ failure across the subject’s body if active for too long. Subject is undergoing therapy and adapted Vulcan mental discipline techniques to gain control over this trigger impulse to prevent further risk of damage.

Though the skin toughening process has gone inert, the protein chains used to accomplish this effect remain and are still produced by the body, which has resulted in bouts of itchiness and epidermal blotching. Treated with regular injections of a Cordrazine-related compound to keep such disruptive systems at bay.

Full list of identified complications due to medical history and resulting counter-treatments, may be requested from D14 RECORDS ADMINISTRATION with proper clearance and consent provided.

FUTHER NOTES:
The Military Assautl Command Operations group have recently put in a request for Subject-1123-N to return to active duty. This request has been made with the protestations of Division 14 Staff and a full set of induvidual complaints from various attending staff is forthcoming. For my part, I would like to point out that 1123, Saorise Caidin, is still in the first steps of their recovery, both physically and psychologically. This is a delicate moment in the healing process, and forcing them into high stress scenarios like those faced by active duty MACO officers will inevitably result in a regression, at the very least.

This is in addition to concerns about the effect of the implants themselves in a live-fire environment, and possible complications in the field. We still know so little about many of these implants, especially the ones we could remove or render inert.

The order is standing however, so all I can do at this moment is attach this to her official file and hope that someone with a view of the larger picture and respect for Saorise’s induvidual care, reads it and takes proper action.

May God help you,
Dr. Kristof van der Beorg, MD
Division 14, United Earth Medical