Benjamin Kelsoe

Benjamin Kelsoe was the commanding officer of the USS Pioneer since 2378. (🇸🇹)

Early years
Benjamin Kelsoe is believed to have been born in to unknown parents. The only identification that could be found on him was the name Benjamin, the last name had been scrubbed off the paper. Immediately after being found, the infant Kelsoe was sent to an orphanage in San Francisco. As he grew he did ask about his parents, but he was never given the answer. He was told that the man who found was a Dr. Kyle Kelsoe from. He never found out who is parents were. When he was six years old, he was adopted by Maxwell and Julienne Brooke, whom raised him as their son.

Academy years (2364-2368)
When he had reached the appropriate age, he was allowed to enroll in Starfleet Academy with the Brooke's next door neighbor, Commander Jon Larue, as his sponsor. It was at the Academy where he meet his long time friend, Connor Burt. Kelsoe excelled at his studies and in physical training, making him an easy choice for officer's training. During his graduation ceremony, Kelsoe met both Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Ambassador Spock.

Early career
Ensign Kelsoe served aboard the USS Milburn under Captain Donald Blaine. It was on the Milburn that Kelsoe became a lieutenant.

For a while Commander Benjamin Kelsoe was the executive officer on the USS Skyfox, under the command of Captain Sarah Tellening. Tellening and Kelsoe became romantically involved and after an away mission incident, Kelsoe requested reassignment.

He was then sent the Enterprise, under the command of Jean-Luc Picard, where he spent most of his time in engineering assisting Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge. Captain Jean-Luc Picard remembered meeting the young Kelsoe at Starfleet Academy and immediately recognized Kelsoe's given talents of command. Picard took it upon himself to become Kelsoe's mentor and Kelsoe has seen Picard as a second father ever since. It was while serving aboard the Enterprise that Kelsoe met and married his wife, Anne.

A year after he married Anne, a position became available in Starfleet Command, and with the urging of Captain Picard and Commander William Riker, Kelsoe applied for the post. He won the position and became the personal assistant to Admiral John Hayes, the Starfleet Commander. Kelsoe was present on Earth during the Borg incursion and watched from, as the Enterprise, with his wife aboard, was taken back in time with the Borg. Later, when the Enterprise returned did he learn of the assimilation and eventual death of his wife. During his grieving process he was visited by many of his friends from the Enterprise, including Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Riker, and Geordi La Forge.

Duty aboard the USS Pioneer
Unsure that he was capable of command, Kelsoe suddenly found himself promoted to the rank of captain in 2378 and given command of a Nova class starship, the USS Pioneer (NCC-1084), which had been refitted for long missions in a new part of space called the Oralian sector. Kelsoe asked his old Academy buddy, Connor Burt to be his first officer, and in no time a crew had been assembled. Later on Kelsoe would learn that one of his strongest proponents was Captain Picard, who, along with Admiral Hayes, had urged Starfleet Command to give him command of a starship. With the knowledge that both saw him as having the capability to command his own starship, his confidence soared and he was ready to tackle his first mission. ("The So'ja Incident", "The Teacher")

Body swap
During the second year of his assignment aboard the Pioneer, Kelsoe encountered a prisoner by the name of Tyson Calok, who had glowing red eyes, and special abilities. In an attempt to escape, Calok swapped bodies with Kelsoe. This deception was later uncovered by the crew, and Kelsoe was restored to his own body, but in the process, he had unknowingly meet his archenemy. ("Transfer")

Cloned
In 2379, Romulan Commander L'mar meet with Kelsoe about the Pioneer, after which it was discovered that L'mar had stolen some samples of Kelsoe's. Later that year, the Pioneer stumbled upon the wreckage of L'mar's ship, the IRW, and found a young boy. After an examination by Dr. Braga, it was determined that the boy was a clone of Captain Kelsoe. Kelsoe named him Kyle, and stood by his side as he died as a result of genetic encoding by L'mar. ("Beware Romulans Bearing Gifts", "The Crossing")

Medal of Valor
In 2381, Kelsoe received the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor for his action in preventing the assassination of Federation President Korvin Mot earlier that year. Admiral Toshio Kawamura presented the medal to Kelsoe three months after he was rescued from his imprisonment by Tyson Calok and the So'ja Coalition. ("Prime Target", "Everything Changes")

Programmed
In early 2381, at the beginning of the Coalition War, Kelsoe as abducted from the USS Imperial (NCC-19018) while they were rescuing the crew of the USS Regal (NCC-13522) in the Trajan Nebula. He was taken to a secret station somewhere in the vicinity of the Venka Nebula. While there he was tortured and interrogated by Tyson Calok and L'mar, during which Kelsoe was shaved and subjected to Calok's telepathic mind probes. Later that year his crew rescued him. In 2382, after the Battle of Minark, Tyson Calok "activated" a mental program he had installed in Kelsoe while interrogating him in 2381, causing him to turn stark raving mad. It was only through the efforts of his crew and some timely help from Xojo Manjala that he was cured of the mental program. ("The Hornet's Nest", "Nothing Else Matters", "Torment and Woe", "Dawn")

Starfleet service record

 * [[Image:2366 - CDT4 (Command).PNG]] Starfleet Academy (2364-2368) - Rank: Cadet
 * [[Image:2366 - ENS (Command).PNG]] USS Milburn (NCC-1901) (2368-2369) - Rank: Ensign - Post: CONN officer
 * [[Image:2366 - LT (Command).PNG]] USS Milburn (NCC-1901) (2368-2370) - Rank: Lieutenant - Post: CONN officer
 * [[Image:2366 - LCDR Alternate (Operations).PNG]] USS Milburn (NCC-1901) (2370) - Rank: Lieutenant Commander - Post: Operations officer/Second officer
 * [[Image:2366 - CDR Alternate (Command).PNG]] USS Skyfox (NCC-19030) (2370-2372) - Rank: Commander - Post: Executive officer
 * [[Image:2373 - CDR (Operations).PNG]] USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) (2372-2376) - Rank: Commander - Post: Engineering technician
 * [[Image:2373 - CDR (Command).PNG]] Starfleet Command (2376-2378) - Rank: Commander - Post: Senior Aide to the Starfleet Commander
 * [[Image:2373 - CAPT (Command).PNG]] USS Pioneer (NCC-1084) (2378- ) - Rank: Captain - Post: Commanding Officer

Honors
Citation of Honor, Star Cross, Legion of Honor, Medal of Commendation, Extended Service Citation, Silver Palm, Battle of Sector 001 Service Medal, Dominion War Service Medal, Raid on San Francisco Service Medal, 18 Commendations, and the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor.



Personal life
Benjamin Kelsoe enjoys collecting antics and ancient artifacts, a habit he picked up from his former commander Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Kelsoe's first commanding officer was Captain Donald Blaine of the USS Milburn (NCC-1901), where Kelsoe served as the CONN officer. It was with Blaine that Kelsoe explored his interest in painting. Though Kelsoe has remained an amateur, Blaine is considered a great painter. In fact, when Kelsoe was promoted to Commander, and made the first officer of the USS Skyfox, Captain Blaine gave him one of his paintings. ("Everything Changes")

Kelsoe is good friends with MACOs commander Major James Morgan. Both are orphans and grew up at the same orphanage in.

Anne Kelsoe
Kelsoe met Anne while serving aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E). They married in late 2372. Kelsoe loved her very much and when she was assimilated by the Borg and later died in 2373 it tore him apart. By 2380, he still had not gotten over her death. ("The So'ja Incident")

Sarah Tellening
In 2370, Benjamin Kelsoe became Tellening's executive officer aboard the USS Skyfox (NCC-19030) and by early 2371, they had begun an affair. In 2372, Kelsoe requested a transfer after his feelings for her interfered with his duties during a mission. The two met again in 2380, when Starfleet needed to select a new Commander-in-Chief. They had dinner, and Tellening revealed her interest in picking up where they left off, however Kelsoe was still recovering from the loss of his wife in 2373. At the time his feelings for her are ambivalent. ("The Teacher")

When they met again, she teased that she had been eyeing Major James Morgan, Kelsoe's old friend.

In 2382, before the Battle of Minark, Tellening and Kelsoe reunited during the mission briefing. Captain Connor Burt sensed that the flame between the two was still there so he left them the room, leaving them alone. Tellening and Kelsoe exchanged a few words before passionately kissing, and deciding that they would continue their relationship once they returned from the mission. ("Torment and Woe")

Joanna Withrome
All thought neither has admitted it, they both feel a strong attraction to one another. While as his first officer Connor Burt, tried to convince Kelsoe to see Joanna. But Kelsoe declined, remembing his past relationship with Sarah Tellening.

Tyson Calok
Kelsoe first encountered Calok when the crew of the USS Pioneer (NCC-1084) was assigned to transport Calok from Dinok to the Federation Penal colony on Rizac V. Later, when he was "released", Calok attacked the Oralian Peace Conference on Deep Space Five, almost killing Kelsoe and Admiral Harold Anton. Since then Calok has been a persistent thorn in the side for both Kelsoe and the Federation, including helping the So'ja Coalition plot the assassination attempt on the Federation President. Then in 2381, Calok abducted Kelsoe from the USS Imperial (NCC-19018) and performed a series of experiments on him, which could be viewed as torture. After many sessions of experiments and mind probes Calok revealed to Kelsoe that he had big plans for the captain. ("Transfer", "Security Threat", "Prime Target", "The Hornet's Nest", "Question of Loyalty")

Calok's assistance of the So'ja Coalition in their war against the Federation has also help create the feelings of animosity between the two. Calok had also intefered with Kelsoe and his crew's secret mission to Boolrillia to make contact with the Boolran. And he also played a major role during the Battle of Minark. ("The Boolran Eye, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3", "Torment and Woe")

Telek L'mar
The Romulan Commander L'mar attempted to clone Kelsoe after meeting him in 2379, and later joined forces with Tyson Calok against the Federation during the Coalition War. He also assisted Calok in his experiments and torturing of Kelsoe while the captain was in their custody. ("Beware Romulans Bearing Gifts", "The Crossing", "Prime Target", "Question of Loyalty")

Xojo Manjala
The Tealuian known as Xojo Manjala has been a thorn in Kelsoe's side ever since he abducted three crew-members of the USS Pioneer (NCC-1084) in 2378. Xojo was then caught performing scientific experiments on the crew of the Pioneer. And then joined forces with Tyson Calok to 2382. Later that year Xojo was betrayed by Calok and the Coalition when the 3rd Command Group attacked his homeworld of Minark. ("The Caverns of Eden, Part 2", "Unwelcomed Visitors", "Question of Loyalty", "Torment and Woe")