Lieutenant Commander Thaddues Mealani   

Character Information
Name		Thaddues "Tad" Mealani
Rank		Lieutenant Commander
Position		Executive Officer
Gender		Male
Species		Betazoid
Age		33
Physical Appearance
Height		5’ 11”
Weight		185 lbs.
Eye Color		Blue
Hair Color		Brown
Physical Description		Thaddues "Tad" Mealani is an athletically fit Betazoid male. Like the Betazoid standad, he has light toned skin and dark brown hair. However, as part of the genetic testing carried out by the Vorta during the Dominion occupation of Betazed, Tad now has bright blue eyes. In all other respects, however, he appears to be a typical Betazoid male serving in Starfleet.

Personality & Traits
General Overview
Tad learned that being a telepath living in a telepathic community is very different than being a telepath living among non-telepaths. First, no one cares what you really think. Second, non-telepaths cherish their facades and little lies. They want to have their pretenses and cherish their privacy - none more so than their own thoughts. Third, no one wants others to know what they really think. Instead of letting this set of circumstances drive him to bitterness in how others seem more guarded and closed around him, Tad had worked on a personal philosophy of trust with others. By understanding their feelings regarding privacy, and not 'showing off' his telepathic nature, he usually finds that he can bring most people around to his side. This is also a philosophy he developed as a member of the Starfleet Diplomatic Corp. By trying to compromise with the wants of others, he would be able to help create a system where everyone gets what they need. As a command officer, he looks at his crew like his family - treat them with respect, loyalty and fairness and he expects the same in return. Just because someone is superior officer - Tad believes - does not make them automatically worthy of trust and respect, much less loyalty. He also understands that junior officers and subordinates need their superiors to be people they can count on, trust and look up to. They don't need someone spouting orders but rather someone who is a mentor, friend - and in some cases - a parental authority figure. Tad does view his crew as his family and himself in a parental role.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Tad's commitment to diplomacy is both a strength and weakness. Where he sees himself, in a command role, as a parent figure he does sometime lean toward leniency for infractions and will sometimes put up with a certain amount of rebelliousness. However once he has made a decision, he means for it to 'stick' and to be followed. He will be a friend only so far and never crossing that line to 'buddy' territory. Though he will put up with good natured shenanigans from his crew, he does not tolerate outright insubordination, especially directed at officers superior to him. As a result of the Dominion genetic testing, Tad's telepathy has become something of a curse. Among non-Betazeds, his telepathy can cause headaches leading up to head-splitting migraines, depending on the severity and strength needed to use it. Unfortunately this can be triggered even through his shields when the thoughts and focus of those around him are strong enough.
Ambitions
Tad started his career wanting to bring diplomacy to the galaxy. AS such he started in Starfleet Diplomatic Corp. After graduating the Academy he became a junior adjunct to a junior diplomat. As he progressed in his career he saw where the most important diplomacy started: the captain's chair. After realizing this, Tad switched to the command track, working his way through to his own ship command. He sees the opportunity to command a starship to be the first - and most imporant - line of diplomacy. He believes that good, diplomatic starship captains can prevent things such as the Dominion War. Also to that end, he tries to seek out 'difficult' assignments that afford him the best opportunity to settle conflagrations before they become wildfires.
Hobbies & Interests
When on leave, or any opportunity he can get, Tad spends the time with his wife and 2.5 children. His family is the center of his universe and the rock which strengthens him as well as the star which guides him. He is a devoted father and husband - almost to the point of naseauting others with his devotion. He'll talk about his children at the drop of a hat and it seems that his kids have him warped around their little fingers. Aside from that, he enjoys more intellectual pursuits and interaction with others. Much of the time he'll suit his activities for what is necessary for the situation at hand. Such as needing to work out a problem with a crewmember, he may take up springball in order to give them a common activity to share. He feels by being flexible in what he can do, he can better serve.
Languages		Betazed, Federation Standard, Cardassian
Family
Father		Tolian Mealani
Mother		Meira Mealani
Brother(s)		Tolian Mealani Jr,
Sister(s)		Lilandra Mealani
Spouse		Beata Mealani
Children		Dahlia - daughter - 8 years (prodigy) Jair - son - 6 years Unborn offspring - pregnancy 5 months to term
Other Family		Various relatives to include uncles, aunts, cousins and in laws - mostly on Betazed.

Tad was born on a planet where secrets were rare and few. A race of telepaths does not have the same pretense and facade of other races. His father was an official in the local governance and his mother a psychologist. As such, Tad learned early about compromises, openness and the value of dialogue in settling disputes and disagreements. As he grew up, he studied philosophy, psychology and other disciplines of the mind. He figured he would follow in the career of either parent, but was always more attracted to politics, like his father. However, as a teen he discovered that what he really loved was the mediation of disputes and settling disagreements. He realized he was better suited as a diplomat through experience and heritage.

He used connections to get him a posting at the Federation Embassy on Betazed. There he discovered that diplomacy for Betazed was limited. If he really wanted to do good, he'd have to be out there, in the galaxy. He set his sights on the Starfleet Diplomatic Corp. His dream of diplomacy was nearly crushed when he realized he would have to attend Starfleet Academy to have any chance of rising through the diplomatic ranks to where he could have some good. After lengthy discussions with his parents regarding the issue, he finally decided that it was for the best.

He applied to the Academy and was accepted. Much to his chagrin he found the Academy experience to be more challenging than he had previously thought - as well as a strong opportunity for him to grow. It allowed him to interact with many different species throughout the galaxy. This experience taught him that all people can find common ground and surprises could be made - such as his classmate, the first Ferengi in Starfleet, Nog. Considering how the Academy hosted so many firsts for Starfleet and the Federation - the first android lifeform, the first Klingon, the first Malosian, the first Ferengi, Tad determined more than ever that the Federation must survive the burgeoning Dominion confrontation. And the survival of the Federation would not be through military might but rather diplomacy.

He graduated popular with most of his class and was promptly assigned as a junior adjunct to a junior diplomat working to maintain the Alliance between the Federation, Romulan Empire and the Klingons. Unfortunately for Tad, he graduated in 2374 and after only a few months 'on the job' was granted leave to return home. He was on Betazed when the Dominion attacked. As no one has ever regarded a planet of artists, thinkers, philosophers and general pacifists to be of much strategic importance. However, no one considered how a race of telepaths were a danger to the Founders. With a thought they could ferret out the real from the changeling. This realization came too late - after Betazed had been attacked.

During the attack, he was recalled to the Federation Embassy as a token security force. The limited Federation forces along with the token Betazed defence forces were no match for the combined might of the Dominion, led by Jem'Hadar. Betazed fell quickly. During this time, the Dominion scientists - under the guidance of the Vorta - led experiments into genetic manipulation - attempting to find a way to purge the telepathy from races such as the Betazed or at least to find a way to protect the changelings from such an ability. As a captured POW - and Starfleet officer - he was chosen as a test subject. Though the manipulation didn't eliminate Tad's telepathic ability, it did twist it so that telepathic contact with other races led to mild headaches to full on, life threatening migraines.

After the liberation of Betazed, and Tad's rescue, he returned to the Diplomatic Corp, working once again on the Allied diplomatic effort. At this time his worked earned him a promotion to Ltjg. After the Dominion War, he followed his diplomatic corp to Cardassia where they worked tirelessly on aid and helping to rebuild the Cardassian homeworld after the devastation of the Dominion attacks. He spent several years on Cardassia before being reassigned. This time he became a diplomatic officer on a starship. After about a year of this assignment, Tad began to realize taht it was throught the command of a starship that the most impactful diplomacy occurred. After being transfered once again to the Argosian Embassy and working on the Argosian application to the Federation - including overseeing the repatriation of the former Argosian milita - Tad was promoted to Lieutenant. This was 2379

After hearing how Captain Picard was instrumental in effecting change in the condition of the soldiers who were thrown away after saving their planet, Tad's determination that his goals lay not in just being another diplomat but in commanding his own starship. In 2380 he petitioned to become a command officer. After switching to the red uniform, he was assigned as a floating 2nd officer at his request, allowing him to observe and learn from a succession of captains. By 2383 he was ready to settle on an assignment in order to begin working toward command. In 2384 he took and passed the Bridge Officer's Test and was then ready to begin his upward mobility to gaining a command of his own.

 

2370 - Started Starfleet Academy
2374 - Graduated SF Academy - rank of Ensign
2374 - Assigned to Federation HQ, junior adjunct, Diplo Corps
2374 - Recalled from leave, temporary assignment to SF Security, Betazed Embassy
2374 - Certified POW, Dominion invasion of Betazed
2375 - Liberated, promoted to Lt.jg reassigned to Fed HQ, adjunct Diplo Corps
2376 - Assigned to Cardassian Relief efforts
2378 - Assigned to USS Abraham, Diplomatic Officer
2379 - Assigned to Angosian Embassy, tasked to prep for Federation membership
promoted to Lieutenant
2380 - Switched from Diplomatic Corp to command staff, assigned as 'floating' 2nd officer
on numerous starships at his request, to help 'catch up' on command training
2383 - Permanent assignment to USS Steinman, 2nd Officer
2384 - Takes and passes Bridge Officer test, begins looking for promotion to XO spot