@~Two profiles this issue

                     Star Trek Profiles
                Taken from the public domain

     1. Profile of Denise Crosby/Lieutenant Natasha Yar

Although the universe of The Next Generation is supposedly a much
more peaceful place than it was in the days of Captain Kirk, the
USS Enterprise is still the flagship of the federation fleet, and
armed to the teeth with all the latest hightech weaponry.  To
supervise and control the complicated equipment is a job for a
skilled tactician, and Captain Picard could not have chosen better
than his Chief of Security, Lieutenant Natasha Yar.

Tasha, as she prefers to be know, is exactly the opposite of the
typical burly security officer - slightly built with a fair
complexion and short cropped blond hair.  She would look more at
home on the cover of the 24th Century equivalent of Vogue than she
would in a battlefield.  However, looks can be deceiving and
Tasha's outward appearance belies her inner strength and
determination, not to mention her tough upbringing and training in
martial arts.  Tasha was born on a distant Earth colony, where the
rule of law had degenerated into anarchy.  In order to survive and
avoid the rape gangs (among other perils), you had to be either
tough or fast, and she quickly developed both skills.  By the time
she was rescued and taken back to civilisation, Tasha had little
formal education, but she did have a strong desire to use her
new-found skills to help others who might find themselves in
similar predicaments.  She joined Starfleet, and rose rapidly
through the ranks until she was spotted by Jean-Luc Picard who
appointed her as Chief of Security aboard his new Galaxy class
starship.

During her tour of duty on the Enterprise she has frequently
displayed a fiery temper - on occasions Picard finds her a little
too willing to shoot first and ask questions later - but she has
nonetheless proved herself worthy of his trust.  She is completely
devoted to her new 'family' aboard the Enterprise, and forms a
special friendship with Lieutenant Commander Data.  Later in the
first series it is revealed that even the stolid Worf secretly
admires her skills and abilities - among her other, more obvious
charms.  In one episode, Skin of Evil, in which Tasha is to be a
contestant in a shipboard martial arts competition, he comments
somewhat hesitatingly "You are... favoured... in the ship's pool."
Tasha smiled coyly; "You bet on me?" she asked, innocently.  "A
sure thing," returned Worf as he turned away in embarrassment -
with Tasha still gazing a little wistfully after him.

Unfortunately there is a tendency for the writer's to use Tasha as
simply another anonymous security guard, and even when they do
give her something to do, her dialogue tends to be a little
emotive.  However, there are a few surprises, and even a shock or
two, in store for Tasha over the turbulent run of the first
series, but to find out more you'll just have to stay tuned to
Star Trek: The Next Generation.

@~As I've said before, these profiles are a bit out of date
@~because I've been serialising them for so long. The final ones
@~will be next issue ... Sue
           2. Profile of Todd Bryant/Captain Klaa

A career that spans a gamut from a well-loved Dickens street
urchin to a Klingon officer is a little unusual, but that's Todd
Bryant's acting life.

Bryant, who relentlessly pursues Kirk and company as Klingon
Captain Klaa in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, began acting at
age 10.  He debuted in the title role of Oliver! at the Morgan
Theater in Santa Monica, CA, Growing up added weight and height to
Bryant's frame, turning him into a classic "heavy" type.  After
motion picture stunt school and acting classes, he found himself
playing bad guys in such TV series as 21 Jump Street, Werewolf and
Murder, She Wrote, as well as less villainous roles in The Hogan
Family and Our House.

For Star Trek V, his sixth motion picture, Bryant threw himself
into the work of being a Klingon.  "Spice Williams (Vixis) decided
we should build up our bodies and stay on diets," he recalls.  "We
worked out and rehearsed.  I practised for weeks by riding around
on my bike listening to Klingon on my Walkman.  Our whole lives
were devoted to working out, and learning Klingon."

















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