Petty Officer 2nd Class Leah Rochester
Name Leah Elisabeth Rochester
Position Crime Scene Investigators
Rank Petty Officer 2nd Class
Character Information
| PNPC By | (Constantine) | |
| Gender | Female | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 30 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'10'' | |
| Weight | 129 Ibs | |
| Hair Color | Dark red | |
| Eye Color | Blue | |
| Physical Description | Leah could be called a striking woman with blue eyes and long dark red hair. She has a tall and slender frame, which at times can make her look a little on the fragile side with her pale skin, but her feisty nature soon negates that impression. Her delicate features can be turned as easily to a knowingly flirtatious smile as a stubborn glare. |
Family
| Spouse | None | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Lord Henry Jacob Rochester *deceased* | |
| Mother | Lady Frances Rochester *deceased* | |
| Brother(s) | Sean Joseph Rochester, Chief of Flight Control, USS Horizon | |
| Sister(s) | None |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Lively, vivacious, seductive, feisty and thrill seeking, Leah is not exactly the kind of woman that might come to mind when picturing a law-and-order professional. It seems there is no kind of thrill, excitement or danger that Leah does not invite. As it may be guessed, she hardly sleeps and rarely stops to eat, and still indulges in intense and sometimes even dangerous nights out. Seductive and charming towards people when she wants or needs something, she will usually only turn on someone if they have annoyed her. However, she’s prone to mood swings and can just as easily be irritable, sharp tongued and insulting due to her defensive streak. There is more to this seemingly lively woman than meets the eye though. Despite the short skirts, alluring smiles, playful laughter, streetwise attitude, stubbornness and tendency to fight her own battles with a sharp tongue and hot temper, people with some knowledge of psychology might suggest that they are all a mask to hide a much more vulnerable, hurt and private young woman. Behind that vibrant exterior is a genuinely good-hearted person with a kind soul. Her unresolved trauma has left her with a well of pain, wariness and anxiety that she keeps buried at all costs. But it also gives her a tremendous amount of empathy and compassion for others, as well as a burning desire to bring predators to justice. |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Strengths: Intelligent, quick learner, excellent at multitasking, tenacious, determined, unafraid to speak her mind. Weaknesses: Can suffer from some unresolved PTSD symptoms, doesn’t always know when it’s time to give up, hot tempered, can be blunt to a fault. |
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| Ambitions | Nothing specific other than to continue in her line of work. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Reading, gambling, dancing, clubbing, parties, drinking, smoking, tennis, rowing, horse riding, running. |
| Personal History | Leah was born as the second child of the English aristocratic Rochester family. Even early on, her father showed very little interest in her, and instead focussed his attention on the eldest heir, Sean. Leah picked up on the disinterest even as a child, and strove to do well in her studies to please him and get some of the same attention that was given to Sean...but it was to no avail. The father/daughter relationship only worsened as Leah became older, when it was clear she had inherited his sharp tongue, feistiness and headstrong nature. They were simply too alike. She resented him for his one-sided interest in Sean, and he resented her defiant nature. It got to a stage where the pair rarely had a civil word to say to each other. Leah did anything and everything that got her out of the house and away from the unpleasant atmosphere, sometimes going missing for nights at a time. It was whilst on holiday that Leah’s parents fell victim to a fatal mountaineering accident. As the eldest child, Sean would inherit everything and become the head of the Rochester family, but as he was still under 18, their father’s close friend and aide, Nathan Seymour, moved into the family residence as their guardian to protect the large family estate and financial interests until Sean was old enough to take control for himself. However, at the age of 17, Sean decided to join Starfleet to become a fighter pilot. Leah, only 14 at the time, was forced to remain under the guardian’s care. She was distraught at the idea of Sean leaving, having always been close to her brother. He assured her that he would coordinate his leave with her school holidays so they could see each other, and their guardian, Nathan Seymour, promised to care for her as if she was his own. Unfortunately, Nathan lied. Nathan took advantage of having a pretty young girl living alone with him. Still young and feeling isolated, Leah was afraid to tell Sean of the sexual abuse that Nathan perpetrated against her. Sean was good friends with Nathan...she was scared he wouldn’t believe her and of how he might react, and fearful of what Nathan might do. And so, she reluctantly played along, pretending everything was fine at home. Sean never suspected anything. Leah’s behaviour changed as a result of the abuse. She became disagreeable with many people, quick to pick an argument or a fight. By the time she was 16 years old, she was smoking, drinking, using illegal recreational drugs and going out clubbing as often as she could. She’d dress ‘inappropriately’ as Sean would call it, picking up strange men. When she finally reached 18, Nathan no longer had an excuse to live in the Rochester home. Although free of the man, she wasn’t free of the effect his abuse had on her. Despite studying for a degree, she would go out to bars every night, dressed in very little, mixing cocktails of drugs and alcohol, leaving with strange men...she knew it was dangerous, and yet she didn’t care anymore. Sean often had to get her out of bad situations, picking her up when she was left in the middle of nowhere, or from dangerous situations. The fact she managed to pass her degree meant little to her...she was lost in her self-destructive behaviour. Sean put up with it for as long as he could, bailing her out of trouble month after month, week after week. He finally couldn’t take it anymore though and cut her off, not understanding her behaviour. Leah found herself on her own, with nothing. Her behaviour became worse, and even more dangerous. A few months later, Leah’s behaviour spiralled to a low point and she ended up in a vehicle collision. Whilst in hospital, she was visited by a Priest who had been concerned for the young woman’s circumstances and her lack of visitors. Despite her frosty exterior, Father Michael kept visiting and eventually Leah warmed to him. He helped her reconnect with her Catholic upbringing and slowly but surely she became more grounded and steady. She was by no means a miracle rehabilitation story, but she started to make some improvements to her lifestyle, until she was ready to contact her brother. Sean was wary about getting involved again, but he relented enough to maintain contact via messages. With her life starting to get back on track, Father Michael encouraged her to use her education to find an occupation that would help her regain some confidence. She was doubtful but trusted him enough to at least try. After several application attempts, her degree in biology and psychology led to an interview with the local police force as a trainee Crime Scene Investigator. It hadn’t been the first thing she’d imagined doing, but it did intrigue her. Leah took to the world of forensics like a duck to water. Finally, her bright mind, desperate for stimulation, found something to fully occupy it. She loved the intricacies of the work and how no day was ever the same. And nothing was like the sense of satisfaction she got when she managed to answer a question, solve a mystery or contribute to bringing a perpetrator to justice. She found the work utterly compulsive and by the time she was fully trained, she was hooked. She continued to work with the police for a few years until she was approached by a Starfleet recruiter. They were looking for experienced Crime Scene Investigators to transfer into the fleet, and she relished the idea of a challenge. She had no desire to train as an officer, not wanting the politics that went with it or the longer training period. Instead, she was content to enlist, and a re-training course with Starfleet Academy saw her out in the field with the rank of Crewman due to her previous experience. Her first position kept her on Earth, but it wasn’t long before she requested a transfer to a post off planet; it was what she had signed up for after all. The USS Harbinger was her first home from home and she knew that she’d made the right decision. Thriving under the pressure, she was quickly promoted and sent to a specialist starbase before finally being sent to the USS Artemis. |
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| Service Record | 2384-2387 - Civilian University: Bachelor’s in Biology with Psychology 2389-2391 - Police Force (Earth): Trainee Crime Scene Investigator 2391-2393 - Police Force (Earth): Crime Scene Investigator 2393 - Enlisted Retraining Programme: Starfleet Academy 2393-2394 - Starfleet Crime Scene Investigator: Earth, Crewman 2395-2396 - Starfleet Crime Scene Investigator: USS Harbringer, PO3 2396-2397 - Starfleet Crime Scene Investigator: Starbase Rho, PO3 2397 - Starfleet Crime Scene Investigator: USS Artemis, PO2 |