Caraxxus Rilem

Caraxxus Rilem. Third child and second son of Maritwa Rilem, daughter of the Seventh House of Betazed. Born to a prestigious noble family on their homeworld, Caraxxus wanted for nothing. He went to the best schools, attended the most important of social functions. A natural telepath like most of his people, Caraxxus also was fascinated with temporal phenomenon and subspace theory from a very young age, with a driving interest in the hard sciences instead of the “softer” social sciences. When he was old enough, he passed the entrance exam for Starfleet Academy with flying colors and promptly was sent off to attend the school with all pomp and circumstance as befitted a son of the Seventh House.

He excelled at Starfleet Academy as much as he had back on Betazed, particularly in the sciences. He was top of his class, class after class, year after year. Acerbic as he was brilliant, his reputation grew by leaps and bounds, much of his rougher edges forgiven out of “Betazoid honesty” and due to his skill and understanding. He also did exactly the “right” number and type of extracurricular activities: he played a handful of various sports over his tenure at the Academy, never any for long enough to excel, but always considered a decent player; he attended musical performances and plays and was a semi-regular at the piano bar near campus. In truth, besides his often sarcastic and blunt manner, Rilem was clearly marked for fast movement through Starfleet’s science division, with his pick of postings. He had no weaknesses, no shortcomings. He was handsome, brilliant, well-read, quick-witted, with a knack for unconventional thinking.

He did have one weakness though: James Erikson, another brilliant young Academy student that happened to be assigned as Caraxxus’s roommate their freshman year. While Caraxxus was on the science track, James was on the command track. James was human, and there were some that whispered that Erikson might be the second coming of Kirk– though Erikson had plenty of detractors as well. By their third year at the Academy, they were madly, deeply in love with each other.

After graduation, they were initially separated by their assignments, though the two lovers kept in touch, sending each other messages nightly after their shifts on their separate ships, often in separate quadrants. 

Caraxxus moved between various assignments, primarily on scientific and survey vessels where he gained a reputation as one of the finest young stellar cartographers in Starfleet.  A few assignments to more generalized ships made it clear that he was being groomed for future command (likely of one of said science and survey ships).  He ascended fairly rapidly through the ranks, attaining that of Lieutenant Commander shortly before the Maquis crisis unfolded.  Through all of it, his relationship with Erikson endured, seizing every opportunity to meet in person on shore leave and the like, even if such opportunities were rare.  Then, due to their mutually-excellent records, they both received the assignments they requested aboard the Galaxy-Class USS Odyssey, with Erikson as the Chief of Flight Operations and Caraxxus as Chief Science Officer.

It didn’t take long before plans were being made for a wedding on Betazed.  Unfortunately those weren’t the only plans being made:  Erikson hailed from one of the many colonies that found itself on the wrong side of the border after the Cardassian War, and was an early and deeply dedicated recruit to the Maquis’ cause.  To his credit, Erikson did not keep this from Caraxxus (would have been difficult, given the man is a telepath), and so by extension, Caraxxus became a Maquis recruit as well.    

When Erikson needed his fiance’s assistance for a covert job he was running for the Maquis, Caraxxus was willing and didn’t ask many questions. He secretly acquired what materials Erikson asked for from the ship’s laboratories, and handed it over. However, not long after he did so, his own scientific curiosity mixed with fleeting stray thoughts from his soon-to-be husband got the better of him, and for the first time Caraxxus really looked into what it was that was being plotted. Horrified at what he realized the result would be, he went to their captain with the evidence. Both he and Erikson were taken into custody; eventually, Erikson would be sent to permanent Federation prison in New Zealand on Earth, while Caraxxus was demoted to Ensign and assigned to “hurry up and wait” duty at Starfleet Headquarters. 

A month after the trials were both over, Caraxxus was assigned to the USS Sherman under then-Captain Park in the science division. He grew very close to his crewmates, most who had similar loyalties and tragedies to his own; many of whom were also abrasive and embittered because of such. He even managed to formally grieve what might have been with Erikson, and, despite it all, remained loyal to him. After the Dominion War began, he was sent to a starbase to do basic science work, where he languished until Captain Tanar sent for him to join the Forger.