Aren Furai was born during the great exodus of Hiigara.
A bright and extraordinary child, Aren took a unique interest in becoming a member of the Hiigaran military at the age of fifteen. While under normal circumstances her ambition would be taken with a slight smile and a gentle push back to her family's quarters, by now the aging Hiigaran military commanders had realized the need for fresh soldiers to replenish their ranks.
While Aren received strong discouragement from her father; a former soldier who served during the Fringe Wars, she was still accepted into the program. After completing her initial training cycle she joined the ranks of the Hiigaran Fleet, performing small duties at first, moving on to more advanced assignments later on.
Overtime Aren was complimented for her commitment towards her duties, as well as her devotion towards her independent studies. In recognition of these admirable traits, she was promoted to the rank of sergeant, becoming the youngest NCO in the fleet. While it was difficult for a young seventeen year-old to command the respect of her older subordinates at first, she grew into the role.
Aren received strong support from her friends, colleagues, and superiors, however her father continually frowned upon her accomplishments. Eventually the emotional distance between the two of them became so broad that they barely spoke to each other. By the time a new homeworld was found, they had little more than blood relation.
Settling onto the homeworld was more difficult a transition for Aren than she could have expected, an experience that was shared with many of the younger Hiigarans. Two military battlecruisers had survived the journey and now patrolled the system against outside threats, so she requested a permanent duty assignment on board either one. Her request was accepted.
Barely a year later, Aren received an unexpected offer to join Starfleet. It was an effort to enhance diplomatic relations, and Aren's former commander believed she would be an ideal candidate to represent the Hiigarans. Moments before she boarded a federation starship bound for Earth, she was visited by her father. For the first time in her life, he told her how proud he was of her, and how much he hoped that she succeeded in her dreams. While his words couldn't make everything right at once, it was the first step needed to make progress.
Aren joined the class of 2378 and began her freshman year at Starfleet Academy. Her skills as a Hiigaran soldier played a significant role towards her success in her academic and actual instruction. When she graduated she was promptly assigned to the USS Cromwell, a small Norway class exploratory cruiser.
Under the Command of Captain Marcus Sheridan, The Cromwell patrolled Cardassian space, protecting federation relief vessels from piracy and rogue elements of the former regime. Overall it was an uneventful mission, yet they sustained a few injuries during what little excitement did show up.
During a typical escort run gone bad however, the Cromwell was engaged by forces that have yet to be identified by Starfleet Intelligence. While the ship sustained only minor damage, Aren and a few others were were caught in an explosive decompression. She was rescued and treated promptly, however the damage to her lungs was considerable. Her evacuation to Starfleet Medical was deemed necessary.
A month later, Aren was cleared for duty, and was reassigned to the USS Galaxy.
Some time into her career on board the USS Galaxy, Aren Furai transferred to the elite Vanguard squadron.
Aren survives by a will of strength and determination, yet suffers from certain fears attained during the incident on board the USS Cromwell. Nevertheless she has a hopeful ambition to become the best pilot in Starfleet, and hopes to one day take command of a ship... maybe even the Galaxy.
The Forgotten Territories
The Forgotten Territories is a cluster of systems comprised of nine stars, and seventy-four worlds. Once known as the Eastern Fringe, it was the birthplace of the Hiigarans, the Kushan, and the Taidan. Each of these three civilizations reached beyond the heavens through advancements in spacefaring technology, and overtime established colonies on other worlds along their territories.
The Eastern Fringe saw a moderate degree of conflict while these young races expanded their territories, resourcing operations, and military presence. As they realized the benefit of cooperation over individual conquest they formed the Eastern Fringe Alliance, a lasting organization that would endure for several thousand years.
The Hiigarans became the dominate race in military strength, while the Kushan and Taidan had mastered the approach of resourcing and colonization. Peace and prosperity stretched across the entire Eastern Fringe for billions.
The Vaghr Scourge
Thousands of years ago the Vaghr Clans had abandoned their own world to prowl the galaxy in a terrifying crusade of conversion and genocide. In their wake are entire worlds left barren and ablaze, with all life scorched from the surface. What they cannot convert, they destroy.
Their leader is Mah'kan, a sinister lord under the influence of a dark power.
The Fringe Wars/The Great Exodus
The Fringe Wars began shortly after the Vaghr Clans began their invasion of the Eastern Fringe. The initial assault completely overwhelmed every nearby outpost and defensive patrol, inflicting incredible casualties upon the the Eastern Fringe Alliance. By the time Hiigaran reinforcements arrived to halt the Vaghr advance, it was nearly too late.
Over a quarter of the cluster had been lost to the enemy overnight. Their astounding defeat in the first engagement left the Vaghr in apparent overconfidence however, as a second counterattack found the bulk of the enemy forces exposed. Even still it was a costly battle for both sides. During later engagements, Vaghr clans met such opposition that the full of their forces were diverted from other campaigns to combat the Eastern Fringe Alliance. Fighting with immense strength, courage, and will, the Eastern Fringe managed to bring the Vaghr advance to a near standstill, and over the next seven years endured against the onslaught.
By the time the Vaghr fleets managed to overcome the Eastern Fringe Defenses, the alliance was already well on its way in finalizing an evacuation fleet. The Kushan and Taidan homeworlds were evacuated first as they were closest the frontline, while Hiigara would serve as the final junction out of the Fringe for the entire effort.
In an unexpected tactic by the Vaghr, the world of Hiigara came under direct bombardment earlier than had been anticipated. The evacuation was rushed while perimeter defenses made every effort to hold off the Vaghr attack for as long as possible, yet only a quarter of the fleet made it out of the hotzone. Huddled into massive transports, thousands of Hiigaran, Kushan, and Taidan refugees began their journey into the unknown.
Over the course of twenty years, they wandered aimlessly through space in a desperate search for a new homeworld, encountering many mystical elements during their travels. Despite these wonders, many succumbed to the largely inhospitable journey, and by the time they found their new homeworld there were little more than a few thousand still alive.
This desert world was located inside federation space, and each of the three civilizations established several small colonies along its most habitable regions. Nothing could overcome such hardships as that which these people had endured however, and even with relief from the United Federation of Planets, their numbers dwindled further for many years.
