Artemis Byrne

Character History

Artemis Byrne is the daughter of Ambassador Matthew Byrne, the Earth Ambassador to Denobula.  She was born a fraternal twin with a brother, Apollo, and both grew up in an environment with loving parents, surrounded by the gregarious Denobulans.  Both children were bright and active, though Apollo was the more cerebral twin, with Artemis having a strong desire to get “hands-on” with things.  It was no surprise to anyone when both the twins were accepted into Starfleet Academy at the earliest opportunity.  Both excelled at the Academy, though Apollo focused strongly on the Command track while Artemis sought out Operations.  Artemis was diligent in her studies, and while she had many friends, her focus was on achievement.  It only grated on her a little bit when her brother graduated 7 spots ahead of her, but both were in the top 5 percentile.

Artemis made her career by being very good at unglamorous work.  Her first posting out of the Academy was as a salvager at one of the Federation’s “ship graveyards” and that was where she met then-Ensign Mourad.  It was hardly love at first sight (though certainly lust at first sight for both of them), but it was clear to all involved that their bickering and sniping at each other was entirely flirtation.  Needless to say, few were surprised when they wound up in a romantic relationship with each other.    They were briefly parted by other assignments, but soon wound up at Utopia Planitia, where Artemis was assigned as one of the transporter operators and Mourad worked on one of the many starship assembly crews. Their relationship resumed, even more passionately than before, and in a moment of dubious judgment for both of them, they eloped during an R&R back on Earth.  

The marriage, however, proved short lived.  Mourad asked Artemis to beam up a package that was less-than-authorized, without informing her of the contents or purpose.  The package was discovered, and both Mourad and Artemis received official reprimands in their records (the contents of the package were mild contraband, thankfully nothing harmful).  The divorce was swift and a great deal of no fun for either of them.  Thankfully Starfleet saw fit to split them up afterwards, though Artemis was more than a bit piqued that Mourad remained at Utopia Planitia while she was assigned to Starbase duty elsewhere.  

The loss of a prestigious assignment did nothing to stop Artemis’ diligence in her work, however.  If anything she became even more meticulous and driven than before.  As with many Operations officers she rotated through several odd jobs on various Starbases, Ships, and Shipyards.  Transporter chief, salvage crew leader, Deputy Chief of Logistics, Deputy Operations Officer, she gained a reputation as a jack-of-all-trades…and a bristly if highly competent personality to work with.  “Getting Byrned” has become something of a term at many of her assignments when someone earns a dressing down from her.  Eventually she even returned to Utopia Planitia where she spent time working on holosystem installation and programming.  With the onset of the Dominion War, Artemis was placed as Chief of Salvaging Operations at one of the Starfleet shipyards, working diligently to reclaim valuable and vital materials for the repair and construction of still-functioning Starships.  The work led to a promotion to Lieutenant Commander, and soon reassignment as the Chief Operations Officer on board the USS Forger.

Artemis is, outwardly, the stereotypical “ice queen.”  She is meticulous in her work, and strictly follows rules and regulations and expects the same of those working for her.  She is professionally polite and courteous, but tends to form few close attachments to her fellow crewmembers, be they peers, superiors, or subordinates.  Many are put off by the contradiction of her glamorous appearance and prestigious parentage with the decidedly “blue collar” jobs she has had.  While she is stern and stoic, she is not vain or conceited, and she does, in her own very by-the-book way, try to help those placed under her supervision to improve and excel.  She also does have a warm, caring, and good-humored side to her, it’s simply that few people at her various postings ever see it.  She remains close with her parents and brother (all still living), and a smattering of friends from her Academy days and some of her previous postings.  Artemis is career-minded, and has command aspirations, though she will be just as happy running a Starbase or Shipyard or a smaller vessel than a Sovereign.

Note:  Artemis’ brother, Apollo Byrne, has recently been promoted to Commander and is slated to be the First Officer of the USS Cronus when it launches.  She’s only a little jealous.

Art by MaxsIllustrations