Dorothy Kinney

Dorothy "Dot" Kinney was the first mate aboard the SS Walkabout, serving under Robert Zhou. (Walkabout)

History

Dorothy Kinney was born to colonists on Zetti VI, a small, low-gravity world formerly of the United Federation of Planets, before they signed it to the Cardassians in a treaty. Days before the treaty was enforced, Zetti was evacuated under pressure from armed Star Fleet officers; Dot's parents returned to Earth to retire but Dot never could get over what had been done to them. The colonists had invested so much of themselves in creating a home and making a living out of sweat and blood on Zetti. From combating the elements to establishing their own government to dealing with the losses to unexpected local diseases- through their troubles, many of the colonists had developed a deep running camaraderie, and that too seemed to be torn apart when they were evacuated.

Life on Earth wasn't the same for Dot. She was intensely suspicious of the governments and having all of her needs and desires at the push of a button made her feel guilty and only served to remind her of the cost the citizens of the Federation lived such a life of ease at- the freedom of others. The Federation was willing to sell any small minority down river for the needs and comforts of the many and the UFP just a coalition of mother planets that survived and maintained themselves by oppressing the lessers as if they were little more than satellites with no rights of their own, but only privileges granted them; after all- who would ever sign Earth or Trill over to another power in some treaty? She concluded that Zetti had lost little when the Federation abandoned it.

Dot and other displaced colonists would later return to the settlement, quietly, unnoticed by the Cardies or Feds. They re-established the settlement and developed a pact and an independent government of in secret. If they had to stand alone to defend themselves, then so be it. Maquis members often came to Zetti hide or to shelter their families or regroup for other plans and the Zetti settlers did everything they could to support the cause. Dot became Zetti's "Trade Commissioner" and was charged with seeing that the fledgling re-settlement received supplies and sold their crafts, crops, and raw materials they produced- all with out being noticed by Cardies or Feds. To accomplish that task, Dot lined up a number of less than reputable captains willing to risk a little smuggling endeavor. Robert Zhou was one of her shippers and over almost five years, the two developed a high level of trust and respect for one another.

With the Cardassians recovering from the Dominion War, they began to burden their citizenship with higher taxes and duties to pay for all of the recovery processes and war debts incurred. Unfortunately for Zetti, they also began to re-visit all of their territories with patrol and scout ships. It wasn't long until the frontier paradise of Zetti VI was discovered. When the Cardassian government tried to collect taxes, Dot and her compatriots refused to comply. In response, the Cardassian Empire issued warrants for their arrest, forcing the government of Zetti into exile which the Cardassians then replaced with a puppet government of their own.

Still, the freedom loving Zetti settlers break every rule of law they can get away with, including evading the export and import duties via some clever old fashioned smuggling. Dot, however, is unable to return, with the Cardassian warrant still outstanding, and has been forced to look for new work. She's calling on a few old friends as she seeks out a job in the shipping business.

Personality

Dot is mostly quiet and to herself, but she enjoys good company and is less reserved around close friends. She is generally distrusting of any large organizations and especially despises the UFP and the Cardassian Empire. While feminine in her own way, Dot wears an outer tough gal shell, and carries a good old fashioned pistol like most of the Zetti settlers grew accustomed to including in their wardrobe. She's not very good with any advanced technology, most fancy equipment being way outside her experience, but is familiar with the basics of piloting smaller craft. She's do or die, all or nothing. She doesn't make friends with just anyone, but the people she does come to trust can depend on Dot in life or death situations. She believes a man is nothing if he can't keep his word and her biggest aspiration in life is just to live an honest life- without the charity and attached oppression of all the blood sucking Big Brothers in the galaxy.

She's not picky about where she sleeps or what she eats and frontier life has made her flood and sand storm resistant. She's accustomed to working hard and laughing harder. She realizes now that she can't change the Way Things Are, but maybe she can spend her life sticking it to 'em.

Salvaged from the now-defunct Walkabout wikisite and reprinted here for the purposes of historical preservation.