Richard Kent

Kent, originally from Maine, was a police officer who caught an intergalactic case. His choice to join Starfleet may have ruined his highschool marriage, but he's become a very charismatic and dedicated Commander on the U.S.S. Venture.

Early Life


Richard Xavier Kent hails from Maine, where he grew up in a relatively serene environment that was a throwback to simpler times. His childhood was idyllic, and he enjoyed a wonderful family and social life. Kent was popular, and although he had many choices and an abundance of intelligence, he chose to go into law enforcement. At twenty he married his girlfriend of four years, Minerva Walter, and attempted to settle down. She was a teacher, and they lived in their hometown the first few years.

Shortly afterwards, Kent was assigned to a mission that turned out to have intergalactic involvement. While pursuing it, Kent realized that his calling was really in space, and after it ended he enrolled in Starfleet. Although they attempted to make it work, he and Minerva gradually slipped apart, and when they divorced just before his graduation the feelings were mutual and there was no real ill will. Minerva decided that she couldn't stand to stay behind, and that HER life wasn't meant for space.

(What she didn't mention was that she was pregnant at the time of their separation. She now has a small child named Benjamin whom she has yet to tell Kent about.)

Kent loves his family and visits them often, but truly enjoys his job in Starfleet. He is well liked by almost everyone under his command, and has an easy-going way with the people he meets. At the academy he was very popular with both peers and commanders, and he retains many of these friendships as contacts. He was recommended for Commander of the Venture by one of his professors, who knew about his love of science and his acceptance of other beings.

Family
Kent's parents were a dream couple, very much in love after they met at the hospital where his mother worked. His mother, Amelia Astor, was interning at the time, when his father, Martin Kent, came in after a boating accident. He was one of the relatively few fisherman left in Maine, but had been caught in a pretty bad storm. She later changed to pediatrics, but that was after they were married. They waited several years, bought a lovely house on the beach, and had two children. Kent was the youngest, after his older sister Bristol (Bree) Kent.

Bree is now a chef who specializes in seafood, is married, and lives near their parents in Maine. She has 2.5 kids, and enjoys hearing tales from her space-adventuring brother.

Minerva was his highschool sweetheart, and even when they weren't together during his time at the Academy, Kent never considered cheating. He later finds out about Benjamin, and is torn between his blossoming career in Starfleet and his desire to be a father for his son.

Police Career
Although he was only on the force for four years, he was good at what he did. After all, he did stay in law, just went into a different kind-- one that had more of a scientific edge to it.

Kent doesn't necessarily have a rigid sense of right and wrong, but his own moral code is very important to him when dealing with any situation. If he has to make a decision in the field, he will weight all sides to make the correct decision-- even if it is a decision he doesn't agree with.

Well liked even on his squad, Kent never had a hard time making friends and rarely made enemies. (Except casualties of the job.) Crime rates are drastically lower in the future, but it wasn't as though he WANTED people to be evil to one another. Most of his cases were petty sort of things. He spent a lot of time patrolling traffic, both on and off the ground, and dealt with domestic and business deals.

The assignment that led him to Starfleet started out with several sporadic murders, and eventually let to an intergalactic smuggling operation. Kent embroiled himself right into the middle, and sacrificed himself as a decoy so that those involved could be apprehended. It was his own key intelligence that made the successful finish possible. It led him off Earth, and the minute he stepped on his first Starship Kent knew he had to be in space.

Although sad to see him go, his buddies at the station wished him well, and he is still in contact with many of his friends from back home.

Previous Assignments
Before the Venture, Kent was actually only assigned to one other ship. Thanks to his prowess and experience, not to mention natural talent, he rose quickly. (His contacts might have helped a bit, but Kent isn't one to slack, so he also rose on his own merits.) Although he appears affable and easy-going, he's got a sharp mind and a good eye for people. By the time he left, he'd already made Lieutenant Commander, and was more often than not in charge of piloting. (Although he's equally good on navigation and tactical.)

(I don't have the name of his other ship yet! ^^;)