A Beautifully Broken Mind
Theme: “Surviving trauma, but losing the life you had once imagined for yourself.”
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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Hair: Blue-blackPlaylistPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Eyes: Light Pink
Height: 5 ft 6 in
Weight: 140 lbs.
Pinacia can be seen in most scenarios with either white or light gray flightsuits and casual scrubs. Around her waist is a form-fitting black belt that holds all of her communication or utility devices.
In more formal settings she could be seen in a black gown with a series of maroon geometric shapes in an expressive pattern wrapping all around the dress, and one strap over her shoulder. Her hair is carefully brushed into a bun that shines bright blue with floral-smelling oils.
Her build is somewhere between athletic and slightly voluptuous, with toned arms but wide hips and a healthy appetite.
On her worse days her hair is a reflection of how she is feeling; carelessly tied away in a messy bun and snatched away from her eyes. Her hair color, strangely enough, also reflects her mood at the time. Dark and twisty would reflect a bad day; on her happier days her hair seems to shine light blue in color.
PERSONALITY AND BELIEFS
Pinacia values knowledge and education above everything else. Her Chiss biology may sometimes render her aloof or heartless to other species, but she tends to lean toward the side of good and places great value in improving life for the greater masses instead of solely the Chiss. This belief system frequently puts her mind and heart at odds with her very nature.
Although she is highly intelligent she is not always practical, and unlike most Chiss it is difficult for her to see things as morally gray. Her emotions can color things as intensely black or white, and she can be overzealous in trying to embody “good” rather than “bad”, perhaps overcompensating for something deeper.
More at home in a laboratory or in the field exploring, she does not usually encroach on others and spends great amounts of time alone, exploring her own complex inner life.
STRENGTHS
High Intelligence
Pinacia is naturally drawn to several different areas of science, but her personal favorite is biology. Her deep interest in hormones and chemicals eventually led to a career in biochemical engineering and its effects on different environments. She has also studied several species who employ pheromones in different circumstances, and worked to develop those chemicals for mass market appeal.
Her interest in chemicals and molecules even carries over to vessels and warcraft, where she has studied the intricate processes that fuel flight engines. Needless to say, she would be entertained discussing the inner workings of whichever random ship she might be on.
What is normally a strength might also be a weakness. When she encounters people who act in ways she can’t understand, she has a tendency to reduce them down to their simple biology and hormones, which of course is a problematic way to view others.
Mechanical Dexterity
Pinacia’s Chiss biology lends a great deal of power to her brain. Although she prefers to study living things, she has always had a natural understanding of mechanical processes, be they ship, medical equipment, droids or otherwise. She would be just as useful assisting with a ship repair as she would standing with a doctor overlooking a surgery.
It is entirely possible her affinity for ship circuitry also makes her a natural pilot, although the connection there is a little more unlikely. Those more prone to panic and anxiety might lose their wits in the midst of a space battle. Pinacia, on the other hand, would keep calm and help direct defensive efforts.
WEAKNESSES
Solitary Nature
There are few instances where a withdrawn nature would be considered a strength, especially in the case of Ms. Stark, who has relied on seclusion as a defense for far too long. Because of her independent nature others would frequently view her as stubborn, strange, stormy, or even untrustworthy, depending on the circumstance.
She has so often felt misunderstood and ‘other than’ that it has become a constant companion - that feeling of being lost in a sea of confusion. Although it has made her mind very strong and sharp, the negative emotions that come with it have made her very guarded and dismissive of how others think and feel.
Impaled by the Past
Pinacia’s particular brand of trauma leaves her most often stuck in indecision, afraid to let go of the past but also uncertain of how her future will turn out. The result is that she stays stuck somewhere in the middle, always doubting not only her own actions but those of others around her, never fully able to trust herself and absolutely distrustful of anyone else.
That combination is incredibly self-isolating and self-defeating, which are traits that have shown up again and again throughout the Chiss culture and their history in relation to how they relate to the galaxy.
The Story
Pinacia’s story began on the Chiss homeworld Csillia, an ice-locked world far beyond even the Outer Rim.
Like most Chiss who remained on the homeworld, she grew up in an affluent environment that prioritized the sciences and how they could further advance Chiss culture. Her mother remained at home to raise her and her brothers, while her father was an ambitious doctor who frequently traveled far away to the Inner Rim planets to conduct research.
Very often he remained on worlds that were stricken with high numbers of cancer, studying the genetic code of a thousand other species and their Inflammatory responses.
It was expected that Pinacia herself also pursue the sciences and marry within her own culture. While she did have intense interest in biology she decided to study abroad, attending a university on Corellia that was not only well known to the galaxy but one that her father had donated frequently to.
Even though she moved away from home it was still hard to get away from Chiss influence, especially in her chosen field of biochemistry. She found herself soon drawn to her Chiss professor {a man named Zallek} and studying exclusively with peers who were human or near-human, perhaps out of habit rather than preference.
She excelled in her classes and drew her professor’s attention with minimal effort. Of course, one thing led to another…the scandal that she was dating her teacher did not reach the ears of her parents back home, at least not for several months.
After years of learning, she was hand-picked to attend a six-month expedition to the Outer Rim, which would serve as her final credit and help Zallek develop his research on spores and fungi.
This was a trip that would change her life forever.
Part of a team of 125 daring souls, she traveled to the lesser-known world of Drongar that has resisted settlement for as long as it has been around, due to wild temperatures and spores that frequently cause illness. She was informed by Zallek that they were there to isolate and study a particular strand of spore that was attacking and killing off large numbers of animals.
Little did she know, there was a much darker truth as to why Zallek was there.
However, their stay on Drongar was initially pleasant and fulfilling. Feeling closer to him than ever, she of course accepted his marriage proposal when he presented her with a ring on a romantic night lit by brightly-colored spores dancing among the stars, surrounded by the subdued sounds of the swamp.
In the next week however, she had made a grim discovery, accidentally, of course. Reading Zallek’s private communication with an unknown source, she pieced together that he had been contracted by a mysterious government to isolate the spore and develop its offensive capability before bringing it back to Corellia. The reason for doing so could have only been for warfare, or so Pinacia assumed.
The research had only been a front, and now there were 124 other people implicated in his work.
She decided to confront him about his lies, waiting until they were alone in his lab, where he had carefully contained a few hundred samples of the spore.
Feeling very conflicted but very passionate about not contributing to war crimes, Pinacia ordered him to destroy the samples and end the trip. When Zallek refused, their fight became very physical - and Pinacia’s recollection of what happened next is still very blurry to this day.
Whether she meant to destroy his lab and release the spores at any cost remains a mystery. Some days she believes it was an accident. Other days she vaguely remembers being intentional in her actions. Whether or not it was on purpose - the result was the same.
The Fallout
The spores were released into the protective dome that had been sheltering the camp from day one, a process her brain handled efficiently - triggering a catastrophe that not only exposed her lungs but those of everyone else working there.Zallek was killed - accidentally, she is sure - in the explosion and she had intended to die there with him. However, at the last moment her brain panicked, and she found one of only a handful of respirators lying around.
The other students were not so fortunate.
Leaving Drongar - seeing a hundred of her peers killed within an hour of exposure - taking one of the only flights off the planet and having to return to Corellia with a hazy recollection of what happened - those were experiences that changed her.
She has frequent recurring nightmares of that day, as well as residual anxiety that could be a result of spore exposure. Despite these challenges - and graduating from university with dozens of suspicious looks from strangers who question what exactly happened on Drongar - Pinacia is still working to uncover which mysterious government had contracted Zallek in the first place.
The spectacle was a great shame to her parents, as she returned home with her name shrouded in suspicion and very few Chiss employers willing to hire her. Her dream of a happily-married life was gone, too - dead with Zallek.
Her insistence on finding out who he was working for also put a strain on her familial relationships, as her family would rather she forget the ordeal and move on. Feeling out of place in her own home, she moved away - to Coruscant, where she hoped to find work and the answers she needed.
Whether or not she ever moves on from that day - she isn’t sure. But her hope is that by working toward something good - something bigger than her own failures - she can quiet her mind.
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