exploration  missions

DIXIE HALL was born in 2913 at New Austin, Terra, the only daughter of UEE Navy Captain Jonathan Hall.  Being raised by a single father who was also a ship Captain in the UEE Navy required Hall to be mature and resourceful at a young age.  Growing up on her father’s stories from his Navy cruises, Hall became enamored with the science of space and at an early age knew that she wanted to be a Deep Space Astronomer.

While attending the University of Terra at Prime to gain her undergraduate degree in Geophysics and Planetary Science, her father was listed as missing in action and presumed dead by the UEE Navy.  His ship, the UEES Matthew G. Axelson (DD-91), was on an undisclosed mission outside of UEE space when all contact was lost.  The UEE Navy stated that two separate CSAR missions were carried out and neither turned up any evidence as to the ship and its crew.

The loss of her father changed Hall and upon completing her Bachelor's, she enlisted into the UEE Navy and attended the MacArthur Naval Academy on Kilian, graduating 3rd in her class in 2939.  As a newly commissioned Ensign, she was billeted in several base staff positions in support of UEE Navy Exploration Command, but was not deployed to active fleet service.  During this time, Hall was sent to Earth to obtain her Master’s Degree in Astrophysics from the prestigious Cambridge University.  Upon completion of this advanced degree, Hall was guaranteed a fleet posting of her choice.

While on Earth, Hall discovered that her father’s ship was on a covert mission in Vanduul space, but she was not able to access any details.  Additionally, she became attuned to all of the political troubles facing the UEE, and began to see how the far stretched arms of the UEE took advantage of and manipulated its citizens.  Shortly before graduating, she read a book titled Bad Times, Strong Men / Good Times, Weak Men, by Daniel Altier, and began listening to his self-produced Versecasts on the role of individuals and government and their relationship to each other.

Newly promoted Lieutenant Hall’s fleet postings were a whirlwind.  Going off the recommendations of her father’s Navy friends, she selected a less glamorous posting as the OA Division command Lieutenant for Space Weather Forecasting on the UEES Paul Steed (CV 023), then under the command of Admiral Ernst Bishop.  Under Admiral Bishop’s command, Hall began living her own stories, but never forgot about her father and his disappearance.  Subsequent commands aboard the Steed included a short stint as OW Command Lieutenant, where she was responsible for EMS Data gathering and analysis.  Here, her ability to quickly examine data and apply her scientific training led her to suggesting new and innovative ways of planning attack avenues and approaches using “cover” in space.  Command quickly assigned her to the Strike Operations Division, where she could formally develop strike plans and packages to better meet the mission objectives.  Eventually she landed the role as the Assistant Air Officer in the Air Department and told she was being groomed for a future position as a Command Air Officer, the highest command a non-pilot could attain on a Navy Carrier.

It was during this time, that Hall’s search for the truth behind her father’s disappearance started yielding some results.  Being in the fleet gave her access to more information and scuttlebutt than as a grolub stationed at a base.  She was able to determine that no actual CSAR missions were flown in response to her father’s ship's disappearance.  Furthermore, she had uncovered hints that the UEE might be manufacturing a reason to push for all-out war with the Vanduul and it appeared that the UEES Paul Steed was going to be right in the middle of it.

The Vanduul “attack” on Aremis at Vega II initiated the second major change in Hall’s life.  While her skills helped the UEE Navy to a resounding victory over the Vanduul which included the destruction of a Kingship, it did not come without a price.  Several close friends aboard the Paul Steed were killed in the battle and the reports of civilian casualties gave Hall pause.  Was she using her talents for the right purpose?  A battlefield promotion to Lieutenant Commander saw her transferred back to her old Operations command, except this time leading the entire command instead of just one of its smaller divisions.  Dealing with the aftermath of the battle and the subsequent relief efforts on Aremis disheartened Hall, and she questioned why she was really in the Navy.  Hall realized that she needed to find the answer to her father’s disappearance and she could no longer do that as a member of the UEE Navy.  Five months to the day after the initial Vanduul attack, Hall separated from the Navy in 2946.

Adjusting to civilian life was hard, but her father’s pension meant at least she didn’t have to immediately find work.  She spent her time looking for answers and becoming more and more enthralled with the work that Daniel Altier was doing on his Aurora Project.  When the trail went cold on her father’s disappearance, she found her answer.  She would help Altier achieve his vision for the Aurora Republic.  Later that evening she filed her resume and applied for the Explorations Mission Officer in the fledgling Aurora Republics Exploration Division.