Colonial Personnel Database
- Call Sign: Black Widow (Formerly Andromeda)
- Rank/Position: Commander
- Ship: Battlestar Hyperion
- Career: Viper Pilot/Commander
- Place of Origin: Caprica
- Apparent Age: 40
- Height: 5" 8'
- Player/Type: NPC
Appearance
Kyra Areol is a tall, dark haired, woman. She is athletic and strong, traits which served her well as a viper pilot. She has the outward appearance of a stern and cold naval captain. She doesn't like to get too close to her subordinates and she does every thing by the book. However having Selene on hand as her CAG helped remind her that they are now part of a dying race and that the people on this ship aren't combat veterans, they are rookies who are prone to making mistakes.
No surprise then that not only has she bent the rules more than once against her better judgement, but she promoted the person who influenced her to do so to Executive Officer!
Despite her outwardly cold and calculated appearance Kyra is a Viper pilot at heart. Privately she yearns to jump in the cockpit of the MK7 that she keeps on board and join her crew in the fight.
Every time she loses a pilot an old wound is opened and she is reminded of her husband. A fact that is kept secret from the crew bar Selene and Belle the ships councilor who took up the role of EXO for a time until a suitable candidate was found.
Biography
Pre-Exodus
Prior to the Exodus Kyra held the rank of Captain. She was offered the command of Battlestar Hyperion for a temporary period of 6 months. She took the job as a stepping stone in her career, a move to advance further than her estranged husband Major John Areol.
The two had met through their respective careers and hit it off instantly and were quickly married. Having their careers to maintain and progress took it's toll on the marriage. Each of them spent longer and longer away on assignments, neither was willing to give up their career and this brought about the end of their relationship.
The last Kyra heard of her husband, he was leading a squad of the Caprican Air Force he would likely have been on duty and at the head of the fight when the Cylons attacked.
The Exodus
At the time of the Exodus, Commander Areol was bringing the Battlestar Hyperion back from the final leg of its 6 month tour of duty. They did what little they could having just jumped into the middle of a war zone. Realising that the battle was lost she did what she thought was the best thing for her crew at the time, they prepared to jump.
The Hyperion had suffered major casualties, losing most of it's senior staff including her EXO leaving no one on board but the Rookies. But there was some hope on the horizon in the most unlikely of forms. A single Raptor baring the Battlestar Galactica IFF signature put out a distress call saying that it was heading for Galactica with survivors and had been cut off with its jump drive damaged in combat. This was the first time the Commander encountered Lt Jenna "Selene" Gray and her Crazy Half-Moon manoeuvre.
Kyra's original call sign was Andromeda. A fact her husband used to sway her hand when they first met, however after fleeing the 12 Colonies she took the call sign Black Widow blaming herself for her husbands presumed death. The majority of the crew have no knowledge of this, however, as she doesn't often speak openly of her feelings. The only 2 people she has spoken to about it, and confines in when even she needs someone, are Belle and Selene.
Current Activities
Commander Areol is currently faced with a number of operational and morality issues.
Firstly and above all else she must consider the safety of her crew and that of the people on the ships which rely on the Battlestar Hyperion for protection.
Secondly she must consider that there are at least two other Battlestars, which survived the Exodus and that if recent information is accurate, at least one of them may have gone rogue and posses a threat.
With that in mind there is also the question of the survivor they found who by rights should be executed for Terrorism and Murder in accordance with Colonial law. And what of the Cylon prisoner who is currently on board? Killing her will only result in the upload of information to the Cylon resurrection ship and if she truly is alive and sentient, what then? If her information is accurate then the Cylons are close to civil war.
There is also the ever looming threat of a Cylon attack. But now that they possess tools and information which could be used in a counter attack.
Commanding a ship is not an easy job at the best of times. But the current circumstances have got Commander Areol pushed to breaking point and while she struggles with the Operational issues there are a multitude of personal issues on the ship which also require her attention. The up coming marriage of two of her crew members provides much needed distraction from the grind of daily life onboard the Hyperion
Personality
Once you get passed her cold exterior, Kyra is really just a Viper Jock with a lot of weight on her shoulders. She values people who do their jobs right and don't give her extra problems to worry about.
She finds it hard to trust people, especially those under her command because she doesn't want to fail. However, anyone who get close enough to her will find her to be a woman, a strong one but a woman and she has the same wants and needs that all women have.
She is well educated and dependable. She may have the sense of humor of a fire breathing drill sergeant, but she is a tough and fierce fighter. Couple that with a strong sense of obligation and duty and it is no wonder that the crew of the Hyperion have lasted this long!
Combat Style
There is no doubt that Kyra Areol was born to dog fight. Her reflexes, strength and self discipline make her ideally suited to the cockpit. Some might say that being the Commander of a Battlestar these past several months has made her go soft, but they'd be wrong! Kyra keeps herself fit physically and mentally.
She works out regularly beating the crap out of a punching bag as well as other exercises to stay in peak physical condition in Hyperion's gym. She reviews flight data and keeps up to date with what Rookie pilots are doing and even sneaks into the simulator when no one is around.
On land she is equally as formidable. She is well trained in a number of hand to hand combat traditions and techniques.
Social Style
As a Commander of a ship she takes protocol seriously and expects the same from her crew. Commander Areol commands respect and is always strict but firm with her crew and prevents herself showing any inner turmoil or conflicts from junior officers. Crew know that they need to be respectful to her unless they want to spend time in the brig for insubordination. Amongst the senior officers, however, she is more personable and fraternises more, especially with Belle and Selene who are her only real confidants and true friends. With them, or those select few she lets into her social circle, she is more friendly and outwardly caring than the crew believes she is capable of being.
Signature Equipment
- ID "Dog" Tags
- Picon Five-seveN (standard-issue pistol)
- Military Undershirt
- Fleet Pilot Flight Suit
- Fleet Officer Working Blues Uniform (red-gold piping)
- Fleet Officer Dress Grey Uniform
Signature Quotes
- "Selene, behave!" (too often)
