Th'Khiss K'aa was born on the Gorn homeworld of S'sgarnon Prime.

Early education was to Gorn Standard at the S'sgarnon Academy, where grades were above average but acknowledged that better results could be attained with more effort. After completing the Basic Training regimen, Th'Khiss was ordered by his father (also the head of his clan) to attend a one-year student exchange program with the Kzinti (part of the Gorn/Kzinti peace initiative) in hope of providing a desire to continue to Advanced Training for the benefit of the clan. The experience for the inexperienced, insular young Gorn was - dramatic.

Exposure to the Kzinti, as well as other students at the Palain School (Hydrans, Vulcans, Humans, Andorians, Rigellians) opened his fields of interests (strategy games, especially) and made him question traditional Gorn policies, tactics, and attitudes. Although the exchange was only for a year, Th'Khiss developed lasting friendships with a number of "aliens".

Returning to the S'sgarnon Academy, he undertook Advanced Studies - this time with motivation and drive. His grades were markedly improved from his basic education, but his selection of training did not please the traditional elders of his ancient clan – the Red Crest. In addition to leadership, military history, combat training and survival skills, he undertook a study in xeno-relations, political science, and mathematics - as well as a long-range correspondence course in probability/statistics and game theory from Princeton University on Earth.

It was during this time that the Black Crest, an extreme clan of the Gorn warrior caste, instigated a coup against the Gorn Ruling Council during the height of the Dominion War. Lord Slesssh, leader of the Black Crest, became dictator and instigated a frontal assault against the only territorial loss in the history of the Gorn Hegemony – the Federation colony on Cestus III, sensing the Federations losses made it weak and ripe for conquest. The USS Enterprise E, under the command of Jean-luc Picard, was already in diplomatic proceedings with the Council, and managed to avert another war through diplomacy and a direct challenge to the Gorn Imperative – a Spartan-like evolutionary philosophy that weakness of any kind must be destroyed. Slesssh was deposed, and the surviving Councilors voted to support the Federation against the Dominion – a fleet of over three-hundred cruisers, frigates and destroyers were sent with the Enterprise.

Although too young to serve in the occupation of Cestus III or the coup, K'aa was present to observe the diplomatic skills of Captain Picard and Commander Riker and was greatly impressed with what he saw. Further, he studied how the crew of the Enterprise and a Klingon Vor'cha-class warship had deftly captured the General in charge of the Gorn fleet that had outnumbered them over twenty-to-one. The revelations further drove the young reptilian in search of something more than the "way of the fathers" he had been exposed to. Upon graduation (3rd in class), K'aa was assigned as a sub-lieutenant (ensign) on the Gorn Hegemony warship Eshtraan, a tyrannosaur-class heavy cruiser, on the Gorn/Klingon frontier. While Th'Khiss served with some distinction in a number of Klingon "exploratory" raids into Hegemony space – observing that Klingons were almost as "traditionally stupid" as his own people, his repeated requests for a change of post to the Gorn Hegemony's diplomatic corps caught the attention of many of his clan's elders.

This decision ruptured the already growing rift between Th'Khiss and his very traditional family. Gorn family ostracism makes a Klingon coming-of-age ritual look like a mild disagreement at Starfleet Academy's chess club. A severely wounded Th'Khiss K'aa stowed away on a Rigellians freighter headed for Federation space; after the voyage, a much healed and much wealthier Gorn managed to make his way to San Francisco. After consulting with some of his human friends from the Kzinti exchange, he applied and was accepted to Starfleet Academy. Lacking any kind of family life, K'aa took to study with a vengeance – completing graduate courses in Law and Anthropology during spring and summer breaks. After graduation, he spent six months at the Advanced Tactical School at Wolf Station, the starbase built on the site of the Borg massacre in the Wolf 359 system, raising more than a few eyebrows with his unorthodox tactical and strategic theory. Upon graduation, he received posting to the starship Miranda.

Service in Starfleet proved more varied and perilous than the Gorn tactical officer could have imagined. Experiencing entities such as Trelaine and the Q shook the core of what Th'Khiss had expected from serving on a Federation starship. The encounters with these entities, however, paled in comparison to what is now referred to as the "Indefatigatable Incident".

The USS Indefatigatable was equipped with an experimental "Philadelphia" drive which enabled the starship to quickly travel in our space by traveling through another. On her voyage test the ship disappeared, only to be rediscovered in 2383 by the Miranda. As part of the away team that explored the derelict, K'aa was deeply affected by an entity the Indefatigatable's stardrive brought with it from the alien dimension.

Calling itself "the Messenger", the creature subtly began taking control of the away team's actions – Ensign K'aa in particular. The influence initially began as a slight 'redirection' of K'aa's moral compass, reducing his empathy for living beings while adjusting the reptilian's sense of ego. As the Messenger entity became stronger in the Gorn's psyche, telepathic and telekinetic powers developed – eventually to the point where molecular bonds of molecules, living tissue and alloys could be affected. Once strong enough the Messenger, through Ensign K'aa, began to feed off the fears and terrors of the crew, seeming to savor the madness that his presence and abilities caused. Sated for the moment, the Messenger returned to the Indefatigatable to reactivate the starship's Philadelphia drive and bring bore of its brethren into our reality, specifically a more powerful entity called "the Gate". The entity abandoned K'aa to assume one of its true forms, leaving the Gorn paralyzed from a hemorrhagic stroke. Colonel Jordan Elaithin sacrificed her life and the Indefatigatable to banish the Messenger from our reality.

K'aa chose to perform his recovery with the Miranda's medical staff rather than Starbase Atlantis during the ship's tactical refit, receiving promotion to Lieutenant junior-grade for work at Wolf Station. Although bound to a hoverchair, he observed the installation of the equipment he was trained to use at Wolf Station Advanced Tactical School. The previous experience proved priceless, as the Miranda's next voyage, under the command of the legendary Christopher Summers, took her to the Delta Quadrant by ways of the accidental discovery of a subspace slipstream. The CTO, Donavan Hammond, was severely injured during the trip, and the ACTO, Shiarrael t'Khnialmnae was soon assimilated by the Borg during an away mission, leaving the Miranda's new Command Information Center in the hands of two very junior officers – Th'Khiss K'aa and Chris Daniels. Through hard work and some unorthodox tactical planning, combined with sheer luck, the Borg cube attacking the Miranda and several thousand refugees she had rescued managed to be destroyed. In the following weeks, K'aa and Daniels ran Tactical under Captain Summers' supervision while Lieutenant t'Khnialmnae recovered from her assimilation.

Promoted to Lieutenant and Assistant Chief Tactical officer, K'aa oversaw operations in the CIC during the failed first Battle of Romulus. During this engagement, Captain Summers received a critical head wound on the bridge, and his passing left a surprisingly deep impact on the reptilian. Gorn culture reveres the elders of their race, and Christopher Summers' accomplishments on the Anchorage were nothing less than epic. The old man's passing gave the reptilian cause to reflect on his role in Starfleet and the aftermath of the Federation and Romulan loss. Oaths were sworn, but they remain secret.

K'aa assumed the responsibilities of Chief Tactical Officer during the Second Battle of Romulus while Lieutenant t'Khnialmnae was involved in diplomatic efforts with the Romulan Senate. Many of his tactics came into play during the battle, in particular the baiting of the Hydran Starbeast and the unusual application of the tractor beam against T'Kith'Kin biological shield generators. After the battle and the return of Elaithin Jii as Captain the Miranda, the Gorn was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and given the post of Chief of Operations. Upon the reassignment of the Starship Miranda, K'aa was given the position as Chief Tactical Officer onboard the Starbase Atlantis despite his youth and short career, because of his experience in the sector, his numerous commendations, and notions on his record from Commanding Officers. The assignment was short lived, as the reptilian was shocked into hibernation by aliens dormant within the station's 'underground'. He served briefly under Admiral Bek's Strategic Operations and the SF Diplomatic Corps at Starfleet Command until being reassigned a post on the Galaxy.

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Gorn are not a stoic race - they simply communicate differently. Th'Khiss K'aa is surprisingly jovial - remarkable for an individual genetically incapable of smiling, grinning or laughing. His sense of humor is subtle, and has created his own "laugh" to better communicate with his non-Gorn friends (a series of short, intermitted hisses). He has embraced what he feels is humanity's greatest gift to the universe – poker.

Learning it well on the Kzinti homeworld, it enabled the young Gorn to build on the modest savings he had with him on the Rigellian freighter; the Rigellians learned quickly that a Gorn's bluff is impossible to read. Not restricted to mere games of chance and gambling, he has also embraced games of strategy and skill - and relishes a cunning victory over a skilled opponent. He is aware of the subtle difference between strategy (the overall plan of an ambition) and tactics (the actual means used to gain a goal), and uses both with great subtlety.

He is also painfully aware that he is quite unique and in a way, even more isolated than back on S'sgarnon - he is usually the only reptilian in a sea of mammals. This sense of isolation, despite being surrounded by friends and colleagues, sometimes brings about periods depression. Since his experiences during the "Indefatigatable Incident" K'aa has become more reflective and brooding.

Family:
Matriarch - Ss'teesh K'aa, Provincial Administrator, S'sgarnon Prime
Patriarch - A'kaaah't K'aa, Security Officer, GDF cruiser Shethsaaa

Is missing a number of scales on back of head and arms (effects of beatings). Generally eats alone in quarters (large amounts of raw protein eaten by a high-metabolism Gorn can be… unsettling). Keeps six neutered tribbles in quarters (Starfleet ships are somewhat cold for a Gorn - tribbles are warm and like sleeping on a snoring Gorn - seems logical). They are heat sources on typically cold mammal starships - definitely NOT snacks.

Generally likes trying new things and new experiences, be it exploration, tactical challenges, work experience. Has a Master in Xeno-Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, specializing in First Nations Humanity of the North American West Coast, awaiting his PHD pending the evaluation of his thesis.