Race/Sex: Nausicaan/Male
Age: 34yrs
Date and place of birth:
Height & Weight: 7’2/397lb
Description:
In the eyes of most humans and human-looking creatures, the Nausicaans are large and ugly. Groch is no exception. Attached via a thick neck to a massive, muscular, and quite tall body, Groch’s head is wrought with unattractiveness and a severity of intimidating features. His long, thick hair is braided into large braids, all of which he generally pulls back into one massive topknot which hangs down to the middle of his back. His face is typical for his species, if not more fierce. Thick, leathery grey-pallid skin is wrapped tightly around the lines of his bones, giving him the look of an exoskeleton. His jaw has four parts, including two external mandibles. Looking from beneath heavy brow ridges are two, deep-set grey-blue eyes with narrow pupils.
In short, he looks something like a monster or nightmare.
Interests:
Service Record:
Background:
Like many Nausicaans, Groch's family was in the pirating business. They ran missions as mercenaries, thieves, thugs, and bodyguards. Mainly they loved to live free in the stars, and get latinum for doing what they do best: Cracking skulls. This rather base lifestyle ended up costing them dearly, as all of them, save Groch, were killed in a firefight with another, multi-species, crew of pirates. Groch, only nine years old yet still capable enough to defend himself (it helped that he was almost the size of a fully grown human), was incapacitated in the fight.
The captain of this other pirate crew, a Tellarite man named Gon, took Groch on as crew. Knowing his only other option was death, and not knowing much in the way of family loyalty from his parents, Groch agreed. As it turned out, Gon's crew was more professional than what the Nausicaan was used to. They had a variety of skills and abilities that made them effective smugglers and thieves, and tended for a more graceful path in their clandestine business practices. Seeing potential in the young Groch, they began to train him in a variety of areas, making him a more valuable team member. He learned all manner of larceny, as well as engineering, astro-navigation, piloting, weapons training, and various other handy skills. The team specialized in salvage ops, so he had to lean on the ability to repair and use all manner of alien technology.
Most importantly, Gon saw Groch as a potentially powerful warrior – one that he wanted to have on his crew. He set the young Nausicaan on the course to master the Chalnoth Fighting Art of Kran'Tel, an unarmed fighting style that relied on overpowering grapples, bone-breaking holds, and complex locks and submissions. Groch took to it like a Targ to carrion, and spent most of his free time practing the art and learning all he could about it. Gon frequently put Groch in fights on planets that allowed such a bloodsport.
By the time Gon reached sixteen years of age, most of the original pirate crew had been switched out, and Gon had been killed in a botched smuggling run. Now Groch found himself along with a newer captain and crew, the right hand on the operation. He developed a reputation in the underworld rings as a fierce warrior, and he and his crew eventually got tangled up with the Orion Syndicate a bit too deeply.
Around the time of his twentieth birthday, Grogh had fallen in love with the pilot of their vessel, a human woman named Kari. Though he never quite knew for sure her feelings toward him fully, she was his friend. That was until the day the Orion Syndicate caught up with them, and after a furious space battle, all of the pirates had been killed. Only the Nausicaan was left standing, though he was badly wounded. He crawled across the horribly damaged bridge, and found his way to Kari. She managed a few last words, insisting that he leave this life behind, and go to a place that the Syndicate could not catch up to him. Her suggestion was Starfleet, and just before dying, she gave him the name of her father, a Starfleet admiral named Graves. As he wept, he agreed with her wishes… though the attacking Syndicate hitmen would not get off so easily. He programmed the transporters to beam him directly onto the enemy ship's bridge, and set the controls to do so directly after he rammed their vessel. His plan worked, the collision knocking the shields out from his adversaries, and destroying his own ship. After killing the enemy crew, he did what he could to repair their ship, and made his way to the nearest space station.
A few months later, he was in Starfleet academy – more specifically, he had gone to the Marine Corps, inviting the rigorous training as something comfortable to him. This was as much a surprise to him as it was to the other cadets, for he was completely certain they wouldn't admit him. Fortunately, Kari's father had pulled quite a few strings to get him in. Apparently, the Admiral belonged to some sort of internal organization, a secret one, who had a vested interest in the future of the Nausicaan. From the very beginning the Admirals organization kept tabs on him, helping him work his way through Starfleet, and staying in touch with him – all the while insisting that he keep them secret from the rest of Starfleet.
When he finally graduated, again to everyone's surprise, he found himself disliking the idea of this secret agency having him on a leash more and more. Fortunately for him, the Dominion War distracted him from the idea. Here Groch earned his stripes in combat, consistently requesting front-line assignments, both on ships and on the ground. He lived his life on the edge, fighting and fighting, seeking the thrill of war. He earned respect from his fellow marines, and worked his way up in rank quickly.
When the war came to an end, 1st Lieutenant Groch once more realized that he'd have to worry about his shadowy masters in Starfleet, and he has since been working to find an assignment that will put some distance between him and Section 31.
Personality:
Nausicaans are noted for their short tempers and surly manner, though years of Starfleet training have managed to curb these traits in Groch into a more silent, brooding persona. His history has changed him from the most typical of his species’ molds, giving him a richer view of other species and other ways of existing in the vast galaxy. As such, he generally an open-minded individual, taking most things at face value though wise enough to not fully believe anything as it is.
He loves a good joke, grasping many varying kinds of humor, though rarely has the charisma to pull off any of his own. He’s thought of them, he just doesn’t say them out loud. Mostly, he doesn’t say much, preferring to listen to others instead. Those who know him well would say that he is good humored.
His most predominant feature, however, is his bullheaded tenacity. Once he’s made up his mind, there is virtually no way to persuade him otherwise, and once he names you an ally, consider yourself well protected in this manner. This tenacity has been a wonderful substitute for other qualities in Groch’s life, including bravery and resourcefulness. Groch is fiercely loyal to those he considers family, which can be anyone who has proven themselves to him.