USS Minoru

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Physical Description

Of middling height (about 1.7 m), Gaius Plinius has dark hair, brown eyes, and strong features. Someone familiar with Earth's peoples might think he looks Italian, but he speaks with no accent. He is more muscled than one might expect for a science officer, but the sometimes faraway look in his eyes suggests that he is not a security officer. He has a phaser scar on his upper left arm from his time in the Army, and he also usually has one or two small burns on his fingers or hands from experimental mishaps.

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Personality

Gaius Plinius is exactingly precise and literal almost to a fault. He is highly intelligent and is not afraid to say so, nor is he afraid to speak his mind about other peoples' mental and physical strengths and weaknesses. He has a sense of honor and dignity that he thinks would rival most Klingons, but when he discovers or is on the verge of discovering something, his sense of wonder often trumps his need to be dignified. He defends his family's honor and his way of life, sometimes with little regard for the beliefs or feelings of the one who has threatened him. Although he knows he is intelligent, he relies on the approval of his peers and superiors to decide whether he has acted well.

Practical pursuits include practicing swordplay on the holodeck, reading physics journals, and pla-- working with the particle accelerator. He also enjoys watching arena fights from home (which are now mostly non-lethal), playing Roman chess and Tali & Tropa, and spending time with friends in the mess hall or lounge. He likes listening to various kinds of music but was never any good at making music. He does collect and appreciate visual art, not only classical Roman but also the indigenous art from Nova Mexico, and also does some sculpting from time to time. Gaius is faithful to the Roman pantheon, but since he cannot visit the temples regularly, he keeps small shrines to Vulcan, Minerva, and Mars in his quarters and makes small daily offerings.

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Background

Family
Father:	Gaius Plinius Caepio Scaeva
Mother:	Sentia (Minor) Caepio
Sister:	Plinia Caepio
Wife:	Antonia Tertia Caepio

Although Gaius Plinius' parents are both descendants of the original Magna Romans, he grew up in Magna Roma's equivalent of the American Southwest. His father was praetor of the province of Nova Mexico and so had access to the best education, but he was bored with it until he turned eight. That year, his uncle took him and his sister to the Republic Space Center in Mexico Antiquus. There, Gaius Plinius got to see both space transports lifting off during the day and the planets and stars through the observatory's telescope at night. He devoted himself to his studies from then on. His father, having sought support primarily from his people rather than the other affluent clans, was one of the few praetors who maintained their elected positions during the upheaval in 2365 when Captain Sejanus of the U.S.S. Centurion and the Volcinii clan made a move to gain planetary power and restore the old Imperial ways. When he was 15, Gaius Plinius started a fight with an older boy who insinuated that his sister, Plinia, had been sleeping around. Gaius had taken several punches after landing none, and Plinia stepped in and finished the fight. Gaius has never quite forgiven her for this. A year later, his father tried to get him to focus less of his studies on science so he could go into politics, but he refused, leaving them temporarily estranged.

At 18, he served his mandatory 3-year stint in the Magna Roman Army, where he was stationed on the planet Ares in Magna Roma's system at a defensive post. It was supposed to be a quiet posting, but the system was attacked by the Dominion. Although he did not get the chance to do anything extremely heroic, Gaius Plinius and his legion did not retreat and were able to hold the Jem'Hadar at bay long enough for other Federation reinforcements to arrive, and Magna Roma was spared occupation by the Dominion.

After his time in the Army, he went on to study at the University of the Republic until he was 26, giving him the equivalent of a Master's degree with some pre-doctorate study in particle physics and astrophysics. While there, he met and married his wife, Antonia. At their wedding, his father publicly lauded him for his accomplishments, and they ended their quiet feud. Gaius Plinius then decided that to be of the most use to society and to fulfill his dreams, he needed to join Starfleet so he could travel to new areas of space and have access to the latest Federation technology. He completed his studies at Starfleet academy in 3 years. He had most of the entry-level courses out of the way, but he wanted to learn as much about other subjects like xenobiology, history, and piloting as possible.

At 29, he received his commission and was assigned to the U.S.S. Gabriel Bell. The U.S.S. Gabriel Bell, an Olympic-class ship, was assigned to a 2-year exploration mission in the sparsely-starred regions rimward from the Federation, near the Galactic Barrier. Six months into this posting, the Assistant CScO was incapacitated, and Caepio recieved a field commission to Lieutenant (JG). The Gabriel Bell then spent six months coordinating and assisting with a new colony in the area, after which he was promoted to full Lieutenant and reassigned to the U.S.S. Minoru as the Chief Science Officer.

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