Tala Violet Jones[1][2] was a female Andorian[3] who lived during the 25th century. She served in Starfleet as executive officer and tactical officer of the USS Leviathan[4][5] and held the rank of lieutenant as of 2409.[6]
Tala was typically level-headed, but her violent ancestry sometimes reared its head in tense situations.
Appearance
Tala had a slightly muscular build, standing at a height of 175 cm with a mass of 64 kg. She had blue eyes, and, like most Andorians, white hair, which she kept in a ponytail. She wore a standard issue black Starfleet uniform with a grey collar and command red trim. She wore a silver command division combadge.[2]
Personality
Traits
Biography
Early life
Tala was born on 6 April 2386 (ca. 62214) in Laikan, Andoria. Her biological parents abandoned her at a very young age, and she had no memory of them. She was adopted by Michael and Martha Jones, a Human couple, at age four. They raised her as their own daughter.[2][7]
She graduated from a private high school in 2404.[2]
Starfleet Academy
Tala's primary studies at Starfleet Academy included weapon tactics and systems, history and religion, and music.
She graduated summa cum laude with the Class of 2408 on 14 May 2408 (82513.9)[2] and attended the graduation ceremony in San Francisco. She chided fellow cadet Daniel Harvey for speaking over Jason Fredricks' valedictory during the ceremony.[3][a]
Fleet Admiral Jorel Quinn believed her to be "one of the brightest" students to attend Starfleet Academy in recent history.[2]
Early Starfleet career
Tala was assigned to the USS Renown on 22 May 2408 (82533.4) as a junior tactical officer,[2] where she served under Captain Vo'Lok for roughly eight months.[5]
Service on the USS Leviathan
On 28 January 2409 (83165.2), Vo'Lok sent her to the USS Leviathan to fill the vacant tactical officer position there. When introduced to Jason, she snapped to attention, but he told her that she didn't need to be so formal since he did not outrank her. Instead, all he asked was that she dedicate herself to her duty. She complied and took her station.[5]
After assisting another Starfleet vessel in distress, the Leviathan and Renown crews discovered that the Borg were mounting an invasion on the Federation. Vo'Lok ordered the Leviathan to go to the Vega system where the Borg were congregating, but only to conduct surveillance on their activities. Once in the system, however, Jason decided that they should assist the colony. Tala warned him that it would be in violation of their orders, but Jason decided it was worth facing the potential consequences. Tala then destroyed multiple Borg ships as they made their way into orbit of Vega IX.
Tala, Jason, and Ernie Hauser transported down to the Vega colony (though she advised that Jason remain on the ship)[8] and proceeded to locate the colony's administrator, Willa Post. Administrator Post volunteered to round up survivors while Tala and the others went and destroyed Borg devices that prevented the transporters from functioning.
As they approached one of the Borg devices, they came under fire from turrets placed by the Borg in the area. Tala and Ernie provided cover fire for Jason as he disabled the device. A heavy tactical drone then emerged from an alcove and tried to assault them. The trio attempted to halt it with their phasers, but it was only after Jason hit it with a photon grenade that they defeated it. Jason then shut down the Borg interference network with a feedback pulse.[9]
Upon returning to the Leviathan, Tala resumed her station. The Leviathan met up with a Federation fleet, led by Admiral Quinn, and Tala coordinated the Leviathan's attack vector with the rest of the fleet. Luckily, the Borg were beaten back enough that they were forced to retreat.
Later, Tala attended a memorial service for all of the officers who had lost their lives during the Klingon assault on the Leviathan as well as in the Battle of Vega. She comforted Jason, who was still distraught over the loss of Captain Masc Taggart.[10]
On 3 February 2409 (83180.5), the Leviathan responded to a distress call sent out by the SS Azura. When they arrived in the area the Azura was, they encountered Orion pirate vessels. Tala attempted to disable the vessels to no avail. After a bit of strategic maneuvering through an asteroid, the Leviathan managed to outsmart her opponents – destroying all but one of them, which retreated. Tala tried to volunteer to accompany Jason on his away team to the Azura, but he told her he needed her to remain in case the Orions returned.[11]
After Jason's away team transported to the Azura, an EPS power surge left the Leviathan without power. Tala immediately began coordinating repairs, placing Charlie Morgan in charge of fixing the damaged systems.[12] Luckily, Charlie and the engineering staff were able to get the ship's systems back up and running just in time to save the away team. As soon as all of the away team members were aboard, Tala gave the order to move the Leviathan out of range of the Azura, whose warp core was in the midst of breaching.[13]
On 7 February 2409 (83189.1), Tala learned that her cousin, Robert Jones, had been killed during a Klingon raid of the Azha system. This caused her great distress, as the two were very close during their youth.[14]
Following the incident with Jarek Davis, Tala was promoted to lieutenant junior grade by Fleet Admiral Quinn.[15]
On stardate 83446.1, she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. A small celebration was held for her and Dylyp Azeli – who had also been promoted – in the mess hall.[6]
Relationships
Family
Tala was very close to her cousin, Robert Jones, who was nine years older than her. They spent much time together in her childhood, and she felt as though he was like an "older brother" to her. He was killed in a Klingon raid sometime in early 2409.[16]
Crewmates
Jason Fredricks
Lucas Wells
The first time Tala and Lucas met, he walked up to her and began flirting with her. She found his personality to be "charming", and she blushed when he complimented her name.[5]
Dylyp Azeli
Appendices
Background and trivia
- Tala originated as a bridge officer of CaptFredricks' Star Trek Online character, Jason Fredricks, in 2012.
- In the original STO tutorial, the player received an Andorian tactical officer upon its completion. Tala was a randomly generated name, but Capt liked it and kept it, adding her middle and last names later.
- Her first appearance in Star Trek: Federation Legacy was "Khitomer Crisis", in which she was a junior officer on board the USS Khitomer who came aboard the USS Leviathan to assist its crew following the death of Captain Taggart. When the chapter was rewritten, her first appearance became "Stranded in Space", though chronologically her first appearance is the Class of 2408 graduation ceremony in "The Price of Liberty".
- Tala is one of only four characters to appear in every chapter of Federation Legacy so far (the others being Jason Fredricks, Lucas Wells and Ernie Hauser). This includes the two chapters in Volume 0.
- Until a 2020 revision of "War Is Good for Business", Tala incorrectly refers to herself as both tactical officer and security chief. The latter position is held by Vance L'eher as of "Stranded in Space".
Appearances
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Price of Liberty" (First appearance; chronological order)
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Line in the Sand"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Stranded in Space" (First appearance; publish order)
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Diplomatic Orders"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Hide and Seek"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Stop the Signal"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Researcher Rescue"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Kuvah'Magh"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "War Is Good for Business"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Treasure Trading Station"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Secret Orders"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Task Force Hippocrates"
- Personnel Files (No. 3) (Featured character)
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Skirmish"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "What Lies Beneath"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Everything Old Is New"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Night of the Comet"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Ultimate Klingon"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Doomsday Device"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Past Imperfect"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Lost City of Paradise"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Undying"
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Installation 18"
Unofficial appearances
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Khitomer Crisis" (First appearance)
- Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Price of Liberty"
Notes and references
- ↑ Tala may have declined to give the valedictory, because she graduated with higher honors than Jason did.
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "War Is Good for Business" (Act I)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Personnel Files (No. 3), Tala's information is revealed.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "The Price of Liberty" (Act I), Tala makes her debut.
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Stop the Signal" (Teaser)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Skirmish" (Act I)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Diplomatic Orders" (Act II)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Line in the Sand" (Act I)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Line in the Sand" (Act II)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Line in the Sand" (Act III)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Stranded in Space" (Act I)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Stranded in Space" (Act II)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Stranded in Space" (Act III)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Diplomatic Orders" (Act II)
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Treasure Trading Station"
- ↑ Star Trek: Federation Legacy – "Diplomatic Orders" (Act II)
External links
- Tala Jones at STAR TREK Expanded Universe, the Star Trek fanon wiki
v - e - ? | USS Leviathan | ||
---|---|---|---|
Senior officers | Masc Taggart^ • Jason Fredricks • Ernie Hauser • Jhael Onika† • Vance L'eher • Lucas Wells • Henry Fuller† • Marvin Pierce† • Koja Nara† • Mars Lionel† • Mercedes McMary† • Travis Murray† • Julia Cromwell • Tala Jones • Phil Schrader† • Elisa Flores • Dylyp Azeli • Lenerea Mendel • Jarek Davis^ • Th'vol Olethla | ||
Junior officers | Hannah Freeman • Kevin Briggs • Jim O'Donnell† • Leo Anderson • Will Darrow • Thom Leiden† • Don Leffler† • Walt Bozeman • Délia Molnár† • Jessik Zaji • T'mar • Qadir • Jessik Cameo | ||
Enlisted | Charlie Morgan • Nathan • John Palmer† • Rendek† • Jonah Willis | ||
Specialists | Blaise Moreau^ • Vincent Petrᚆ | ||
Civilians/Pets | Crusoe • Hercules | ||
Other personnel | Laarkan† • Weller Unnamed personnel | ||
Interior layout | |||
Rooms | Transporter Room 1 • Guest Cabin 5 • Science Lab 6 |
v - e - ? | USS Renown | ||
---|---|---|---|
Command crew | Vo'Lok Tactical officer • operations officer • communications officer | ||
Duty officers | Tala Jones^ |
v - e - ? | USS Khitomer | ||
---|---|---|---|
Command crew | Pim Dalel* • Jay Yim • Jarek Davis^ | ||
Duty officers | EMH* • Thelis* • Tala Jones*^ • Daniel Harvey Officer (unknown position)* |
v - e - ? | Starfleet Academy, Class of 2408 | ||
---|---|---|---|
Summa cum laude | Tala Jones | ||
Magna cum laude | Dylyp Azeli • Jason Fredricks (valedictorian) • Lucas Wells | ||
Cum laude | Ernie Hauser | ||
Others | Leo Anderson • Elisa Flores • Hannah Freeman • Daniel Harvey • Vance L'eher • Lenerea Mendel • Norrg'k • Jhael Onika† • Jeff Philips • Serov • T'Vrell • Raltha Trebor • Sofia Wenner • Zarva |