Prida Rala

Born just weeks into the Dominion War, Prida Rala grew up surrounded by hatred and fear. Her biology reminded her people of a time in their history that many would rather forget. Daughter of a Bajoran officer and a Cardassian engineer, the youngster renounced her Cardassian heritage at a very young age, some would say too young, and devoted her life to the Bajoran ideals of spiritualism and faith. But behind all that, a budding engineer with a marvelous intellect began to emerge.

Watching a decade of disaster, destruction and death, Prida was more certain than ever that she wanted to pursue a career for herself in Starfleet, applying for the academy at the age of 16 and being successful at the first attempt. Events in 2385 had seen Starfleet shorn of some of its key starship construction facilities, and with starbases and personnel struggling with demand, it was only natural for Cadets to enter the field. During much of her academy time, Prida benefitted from the opportunity to get hands on experience with ship construction, working on a number of Inquiry and Excelsior-II projects at Starbase bravo and beyond. Most importantly, Starfleet taught her about acceptance, never once facing the hatred and distrust she had on her homeworld. Starfleet, even as a cadet, was everything she hoped it to be.

Upon graduation from the academy in 2393, Prida’s experience and talent in her field opened up a wealth of opportunities – after all, there were always starships in need of engineers. It was her experience as part of the refit team on the Al-Batani that led the Chief Engineer to ask the Ensign to make her stay aboard the Excelsior-II permanent. Having poured many hours of blood, sweat and tears into renovating and overhauling the ship, Prida was thrilled to get the chance to see her in action. Three years of service carrying out a wide range of duties saw Prida’s talents put to the test. She would often be drafted in on matters of propulsion and engine power, linking up with other departments on a frequent basis.

An early promotion in 2396 saw the young Bajoran transfer to one of the fastest ships in the fleet, the USS Vesta. Vesta served as a bleeding-edge technological testbed for some of the most advanced spaceborne systems ever developed by Starfleet, and Prida was able to get her hands on every inch of the ship. Whilst she was able to see many worlds and phenomena, and experience the thrill of travelling the galaxy at great speeds, she wanted to be back in front of the construction board and in the fleetyards.

Her next assignment paved the way for all that was to come. She transferred to Starbase Bravo to take part in the final construction stages of the Inquiry-class vessel USS Temeraire during trial runs in her first senior role as Chief Operations Officer and head of department. Ops was different from engineering, but it allowed her to be hands on in the final stages, and responsible for many systems and resources across the ship. It was here that she felt her first true sense of belonging since her academy days, forming a close bond with a fellow Bajoran, Noli Auru, and becoming a key member of the crew under the command of Captain Tharia sh’Elas.

A short posting aboard the USS Ulysses followed for all of the Temeraire crew, with the ship heading into the Delta Quadrant to respond to the growing Blood Dilithium chaos in the region. Prior to the trip, and as a reflection of her status and the trust placed in her by the Captain, Prida was promoted to full Lieutenant and transferred to engineering. Back where she belonged, aboard one of Starfleet’s most notable ships, Prida was delighted. Shortly after, the ship was captured by the Devore Imperium and her crew imprisoned for almost two weeks.

During the liberation of a Devore prison world, hundreds of survivors were beamed to the ship. Whilst virtually all were grateful, one malevolent being took issue with being ‘imprisoned’ again by the Federation crew and killed nearly a dozen Starfleet officers, and the entire contingent of Devore prisoners. Among the dead, Captain sh’Elas herself. It was a devastating loss for all aboard and one that Prida took exceptionally hard. She, like many, took a short leave of absence to deal with their loss, before eventually returning to Starfleet.

Prida was drafted aboard the USS Prometheus as the ship embarked on a dangerous second contact mission to the Lendorian system, deep within the Typhon Expanse. Following the ship’s return, she, like many, was offered the chance to serve on the USS Hathaway, taking on the role of Chief Engineering Officer. Less than a year later, following the events of Frontier Day, Prida would join many of the Hathaway crew in transferring to the USS Lakota, albeit it after a short delay until a new officer could be appointed for Hathaway.