Naamah'keevah

"The mind is only limited by the tools of the hand."

- Naamah'keevah

Naamah'keevah, or more commonly just Keevah, is the only known member of the D'tra species to freely roam outside of native space. After being exiled from her home empire for reasons obscure, the lone D'tra has made a living as a skilled engineer, finding work in all manner of ships, shipyards, and vehicle shops across the Andromeda Galaxy. For most of the recent past, Keevah has spent her time contracted by Ankoran Covenant special forces, to serve aboard the HSS Guidance.

Early Life
Keevah speaks little of her life within the boundaries of her species' territory, but from what hints she sometimes gives, it seems to have been well-off. Her father had been nobility, either a close supporter of D'tran royalty, or even royalty itself. Nevertheless, she has said to have done much travelling within the empire in her youth, joined by several brothers as they toured D'tran space. Keevah's outlook on her own childhood is outwardly positive.

She has never mentioned anything of her mother, making it probable that she died or was estranged early in Keevah's life.

Military Service
Naamah'keeva talks more openly about her time in the D'tran armed forces, and still owns numerous records of that time. She had fought on the side of government loyalists during a seven-year civil war, attaining the rank of Nagadim (officer) within a naval strike battalion and acting as chief engineer on a void hunter stealth ship. Keevah speaks very highly of the men she served with, especially the other crew members of her ship.

Despite the camaraderie, Keevah is still quietly haunted by the nightmares of the war she survived, even not being able to sleep some nights from the terrors.

Exile
Similarly to her early life, Keevah does not say much about what led her to leave her home empire. However, in this case, she flat out refuses to discuss it. What is known is that Keevah returned to a normal life for some time after fulfilling her obligation in the military. Life seemed fair for her during this time, though she has hinted at tension between herself and her father. Eventually, she fled D'tran space and took to the fringes of the Andromeda. For the next few years, Keevah made a living working on a variety of freighters, offering her engineering prowess for pay and transport. She remained in this life for a number of years before being contacted by the Ankoran Covenant and eventually hired to put her skill to use on the HSS Guidance.

Appearance
Although very few outside of D'tran space have actually seen the aliens in the flesh, Keevah is is not outstanding by her own standards. Characteristic to her species, she is clad in a chitinous exoskeleton that covers her nearly from head-to-toe, providing protection from nearly all forms of physical damage. The most vulnerable parts of a D'tra are those not covered by the carapace, most notably the neck and under the arms. In addition to shielding the body, the exoskeleton also provides decent insulation and radiation resistance adapted on the D'tra's hot, sun-baked homeworld.

While possessing a roughly humanoid stance, the D'tra begin life in an eight-legged semi-aquatic form, and will spend much of their juvenile years in and out of water. At the onset of adulthood, the D'tra will gain more reptilian traits such a horizontally-jawed mouth lined with teeth, and the loss of four limbs while the remaining four develop into legs and arms. Even when grown up, they still keep some remnants of their earlier phase like mandibles and a powerful, armored tail for swimming. This strange progression is considered to be an evolutionary anomaly induced by a harsh, ionized planet. Keevah, of course, is no different.

Keevah says that the coloration of her carapace is somewhat lighter than normal, nearly matching the shade of her crimson eyes. Also unique are a few scars carved into the surface of the carapace, received during the war and unable to ever fully heal.

Personality
Keevah tends to be rather quiet in the day-to-day, preferring to occupy herself with her work and her thoughts when there is not much to talk about. The D'tran female is reserved, but not shy. When prompted with conversation, however, she is usually happy to exchange small talk and gossip despite the lingering language barrier. She has no trouble meeting new people, but seems content to hold the few friends she has close instead of striving to make many new ones.

On a deeper level, the friendly, even (at times) playful mannerism hides a troubled mind. Keevah is reluctant to discuss things related to her family, as well the circumstances of her exile from D'tran regime. From time to time, she can be caught lost in rumination, which usually gets her down for the rest of the day. Such delving into memory does not help the loneliness she seems to live in.

Abilities
Characteristic to her species, Keevah is a powerful swimmer that can use her gills left over from her juvenile form to breathe underwater, indefinitely at rest or for short periods with activity. Likewise, she exhibits a lifting strength higher than what her form would look to have due to the muscle of the torso and legs. For protection, her carapace can withstand bladed weapons and blasterfire to a decent degree, even being able to completely stop dull blades and low-power shots. It also provides fair insulation for heat and radiation. In short, the D'tra are quite tough and dogged, wielding an inbred endurance from a harsh world.

Keevah is an aerospace engineer by trade, and a skilled one at that. Her years spent in the D'tran navy and on numerous civilian craft has given her much experience in working with a variety of starship makes and models. While aerospace remains her specialty, she has used her knowledge to function as a combat engineer at times, particularly while serving with the HSS Guidance. Either way, she has a fondness for all things mechanical, and is often eager to bury herself shoulder-deep in the inner workings of any space or land vehicle.

Relationships
(To be added with time)

Trivia

 * Naamah'keevah is derived from Hebrew, with naamah being the name of both a descendant of Cain and a demon in Jewish mysticism, and keevah meaning "protection" or "haven".