Commander Khiane Mau
Name Khiane Mau
Position Executive Officer
Second Position Chief Intelligence Officer
Rank Commander
Character Information
| Gender | Female | |
| Species | Hantu | |
| Age | 45 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'8" | |
| Weight | 120 Pounds | |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown | |
| Eye Color | Brown (turns Gold) | |
| Physical Description | Lean and muscular, naturally graceful (in either form), with long dark brown hair and brown eyes that turn gold when the cat is close to the surface or when she’s using her low-light/darkness eyesight. She can, when she wills it, produce claws while in her human form though that’s by no means the norm. She’s not interested in lace and ruffles, doesn’t wear dresses, jewelry is limited for the most part. She does have a collar that she can wear while in cat form – because her captain wanted her to appear less threatening on an away mission (it’s tag says ‘Mittens’) – and she wore it because she was ordered to, though later found it to be more amusing than annoying. Physiology In human form, she's 5'8" and weighs about 120 pounds, all muscle. In human form, her eyes turn gold that indicates when the cat is closer to the surface or when she’s actively using her eyesight. Can extend and retract front claws at will. In cat form, she measures about eight feet in length from nose to tail and appears similar to the Puma/Mountain Lion of Earth. Stands about two feet tall at the shoulder and weighs about 120 pounds. Tawny fur, lighter on the underparts, with round head and upright ears. Five retractable claws on her forepaws and four on the back paws. Muscular neck and strong jaws. Acute hearing and excellent vision. Larger hind legs means that she can leap up to 18 feet and horizontal jumps measure between 20-40 feet depending upon terrain. Fast and can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour although best adapted for short powerful sprints. Good at climbing and loves to swim. Life span is about 200-250 years on the average. Eyesight (Eye color changes to gold when its active): > More rods than cones in their eyes which assists in night vision. The increased number of rods allows detection of movement in darkness. > Structure at the back of the eye called a tapetum lucidum that enables better night vision. This mirror-like structure reflects light (that has not already been absorbed by the eye) back into the eye a second time to help produce a brighter image. The tapetum lucidum causes their eyes to glow at night when a light is shone on them. > Has a broad horizontal line of nerve cells near the central portion of the eye that enables them to have better peripheral vision. > Has larger lenses and pupils that increase the amount of light let into the eye. This characteristic helps with night vision and when there are low light levels available > Can see color but with less saturation and strength than what we see. > Nictating membrane on each eye that keeps it moist and removes dust from the surface. > Requires about 1/6th the light that humans need to see Touch (In Cat Form Only) > Well developed sense of touch used to navigate in darkness, detect danger and attack prey > Five different types of whiskers that detect sensory information and are differentiated by their location on the body. >> Whiskers differ from guard hairs in that they are thicker, more deeply rooted in the skin and surrounded by a small capsule of blood. The root of the whisker displaces the blood when the whisker comes into contact with something thereby amplifying the movement. Sensory nerves detect this movement and send signals to the brain for interpretation. >> The mystacial whiskers are located on the muzzle (snout) and are used when attacking prey and navigating in the dark. She uses these whiskers to sense where they should inflict a bite. When navigating through darkness her pupils dilate to let more light enter the eye to increase their vision. The dilated pupils of their eyes assist their night vision but makes focusing on objects up-close difficult. Mystacial whiskers help her feel her way through the dark. >> Superciliary whiskers are located above the eyes. >> Cheek whiskers are located just behind the mystacial whiskers on the cheeks. >> Carpal whiskers are located on the back of her front legs. >> Tylotrich whiskers are located randomly throughout the body. >> Facial whiskers are about 15 centimeters (six inches) in length. > The facial area has numerous sensory neurons that can detect even the slightest change in air pressure when passing by an object. Hearing > Most acute of all senses and mainly used in hunting. In cat form, ears can rotate, similar to a radar dish, to detect the origins of various sounds such as the high-frequency sounds produced by prey in dense forest undergrowth. > In either form, sensitive to high-pitched Sounds. Can hear sounds up to 60 kHz whereas a human's upper auditory range is about 20 kHz. Sensitivity enables them to detect the high-pitched sounds emitted by prey and their movements. Smell > Not as acute. In cat form, has small amounts of odor-detecting cells in her nose and a reduced olfactory region in the brain that identifies various senses. > Used to communicate information with one another. > In cat form, she has a Jacobson organ in the roof of their mouth, a pouch-like structure located directly behind the front incisors. It has two small openings that direct scent particles from the air as she inhales to nerves located within the structure. The nerves transmit the message to the olfactory region in the brain that identifies the scent. > In cat form, exhibits a behavior called Flehman, in which she picks up a scent on her upper lip and curls it upwards towards the nose to detect scents. This behavior makes her appear to be snarling but without any sound. Taste > Can taste salt, bitter and acidic flavors and to a lesser degree sweetness. Has about 500 taste buds compared to a human's 9000. |
Family
| Spouse | None | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Andyl Mau | |
| Mother | Nedra Mau | |
| Brother(s) | Nelon, Auri |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | At heart, she's a predator and a natural guardian with a strong need to protect those under her care. She's not one to show how much it hurts. Stab her in the back and she'll take the hit, get up, and keep going with a smile. Not the type to ever let you see her grieve. That's a private thing. She has both strength and endurance because you need that when you're an outcast by virtue of who you are. Still, life has taught her to appreciate the good moments because she knows they aren't a given. She's intelligent and thoughtful, prone to think over a problem rather than go to a snap judgment and an advocate for her people -- has been trying to get them on the list for a colony world. When she loves, she loves deeply and what she wants most is a family. But for all of that, she's not easy to read or understand. She doesn't seek or need approval. Definitely has a mind of her own. She’s got a good sense of humor. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Strengths > A patient predator, in that, both sides of her nature agree. In her work in intelligence and on away teams, she excelled in the hunt – figuring out what’s going on, tracking down leads, etc. > Fast metabolism and a higher protein requirement. At 45, she’s considered a young adult for her species. > Very curious, likes to explore. Has no fear in her. Difficult situations present challenges and she’ll meet them head on. > Doesn’t believe in losing. She learns, she tries again. Weaknesses > Needs time on her own and regularly spends time in the arboretum. In cat form, she has a strong prey-drive which means that challenging her by direct eye contact or fast moves is not advised > Poor sense of taste – so the subtleties of cuisine are lost on her. > Somewhat territorial about her quarters. Not a good idea to just move in and make yourself comfortable. Takes real effort on her part to adapt to strangers being that close to her when she's sleeping. > Change is not immediate, is somewhat painful, and takes a couple of minutes to complete. > Does not react well to dominance displays. > Telepaths will have a very hard time with her – being dual-natured, the cat that lives within her (which is how she thinks about it) doesn’t accept that kind of intrusion and she will fight, with everything she has, against even the most casual intrusion. |
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| Ambitions | Ambition is a word that has no meaning for her. If pressed, she'll give you her favorite quote instead. "I never lose. Either I win or I learn." (Unknown) |
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| Hobbies & Interests | > Gymnastics (enjoys balance beam and uneven parallel bars especially) > Avoids competitive games (because of her prey drive) and prefers things where she’s challenging herself instead. > Trains in mixed martial arts and antique weapons such as knives and quarterstaffs. > Loves extreme camping and long runs in the wilderness. > Reading. Enjoys detective stories especially. |
| Personal History | Here's the story as it was told to me. Once, there was a war between two peoples, the Tziren and the Mehmati. Both were blessed with rich worlds but, in their greed and pride, they hungered for more. They fought for the right to possess all that the other had, their greed knew no limits. Until at last, the prophecy given to us by the Lords of Hulen in the ancient days, came to pass and the war came to our world. Their anger filled our skies with poison and the land would no longer sustain us. And so, we, the Hantu, became refugees. The Mehmati brought us to their world and gave us the land on which we now live but this is not home and we are not welcome here. Even among the Hantu, I am considered a rarity because I am called 'Tev'Gol' in the language of my people. The Tev'Gol were warriors and hunters, tasked with the protection of the people, but in those days, the threats were mostly large predators. The Elders say that we, the Tev'Gol are born in times of need, and while its true that there are more of us than there once was, we're still refugees and still kept to that one province we were given. Some of the most inhospitable terrain on the planet but we thrived. We are Hantu. The land blesses us. The Mehmati consider themselves to be an educated and sophisticated people, proud of their accomplishments. I tend to think of them as prideful and arrogant warmongers and there's a part of me, rebellious teenage part of me, that just wants to wipe those disdainful sneers off their perfect features. I haven't though. Instead, I worked hard in school, took lessons with the Elders, and when I came of age, joined Starfleet. Work in Progress |
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| Service Record | 2268 - 2272: Starfleet Academy, Intelligence Track 2272 - 2282: Assigned USS Walsingham, Intelligence Served for ten years aboard the Walsingham and proved adept at analysis and pattern recognition. Served with distinction on away teams and was found to be capable in the field with a gift for out of the box thinking and strategy. During her time on the Walsingham, she was promoted to Chief Intelligence Officer as well as Third Officer. 2282 - 2283: Starfleet Academy, Command Training 2283 - 2294: Assigned USS Vera Rubin, Executive Officer and Chief Intelligence Officer Following the discovery of piracy activities in the Coridan System, the Vera Rubin was assigned a patrol route in that sector. Over the next eleven years, the Vera Rubin pursued and eventually shut down an extended piracy operation that included slave trafficking, smuggling, and arms dealing. 2294 - 2295: Shore leave followed by a nine-month teaching assignment at Starfleet Academy 2295 - now: USS Hecate, First Officer and Chief Intelligence Officer |