Lieutenant Yousef Tabak
Name Yousef Tabak
Position Chief Engineering Officer
Rank Lieutenant
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 34 | |
| Languages | Turkish, Federation Standard, Vulcan |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'10" | |
| Weight | 166 lbs | |
| Hair Color | Black | |
| Eye Color | Green | |
| Physical Description | Yousef is of about average height, with olive skin, piercing green eyes, and dark, glossy black hair. He has a decidedly masculine appearance, with a strong jaw, a muscular physique, a scruffy beard, and a spray of dark hair across his chest, his belly, and on his arms, and legs. When not on duty he can often be found in loose clothing, flowing shirts, open wide at the throat, comfortable pants, and nice shoes. He tends not to wear jewelry, and has no tattoos. |
Family
| Father | Farouk Tabak | |
| Mother | Kiraz Tabak |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Yousef is a friendly, outgoing person, who enjoys to be around other people, works great with others, and loves to meet, and get to know new people. However, all of this covers a darker side to the man. He has battled with depression much of his life, mostly stemming from his strict Muslim upbringing, the loss of his mother at the age of 14, and his homosexuality, which he had to keep hidden until well into adulthood. When he was twenty two years old he finally came out to his father, and was completely unsurprised when he disowned him, rather than suffer the humiliation, and dishonor he believed this to be. Now, he lives his life openly, and, while he still considers himself a Muslim, has found ways to accept the way he is, and reconcile it with his love for his religion, and his devotion to Allah. | |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | +Honorable +Responsible +Friendly -Suffers from depression and anxiety. -Blunt -Easily trusting, sometimes to a fault. |
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| Ambitions | To make his way into the admiralty, and find new ways in which to serve Starfleet, and better the Federation he calls his home. He also hopes, one day, to find someone to settle down with, and start a family. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Engineering, especially structural engineering, is a driving passion for Yousef, as is anthropology, and sociology. He also has a deep, abiding love for all things religion, and studies them often in his free time, learning about different ones, and the cultures attached to them. He also has a great interest in foods from other cultures, and samples them when possible. |
| Personal History | Yousef was born in a rural village about fifty miles from Istanbul, Turkey, on March 21, 2359. His father, Farouk, a deeply religious man, and a civil engineer, instilled in Yousef both a love and devotion to his religion, and an innate joy in all things engineering, from design, to implementation, and even repair. His mother, Kiraz was a writer, of both literature, and poetry, who specialized in historical novels set in Turkey. Her influence over Yousef was minor, mostly because of that fact that his father dominated so much of his time, wanting to do all he could to instill his own values of faith, honor, and masculinity in his son. Yousef did well in school, and particularly so in his math, and science classes. He also spent a great deal of time at the local Mosque, learning about his religious history, and culture. As a child the only word that many would use to describe him was studious, and both of his parents were quite proud of him. As he grew, and learned he became the model son they’d always wanted. But then, when he was fourteen it all came crashing down for Yousef. His mother fell ill, and eventually died, leaving him alone with his father, who became both mentally, and physically abusive towards his son, especially at any indication of weakness, or effeminacy. This was also the time period where Yousef began to realize he was a homosexual, and deep feelings of shame, and self-hatred manifested, leading him to spiral into a deep depression that almost cost him his life. When he was eighteen Yousef finally escaped that hell, after graduating from his secondary education he immediately declared to his father that he was going to enter Starfleet Academy, and become an engineer. For once his father seemed proud of him again. He helped him to pack, and even accompanied him to San Francisco to sit the exam. When he passed, and was accepted they spent a night on the town, enjoying the food, and the culture of the diverse city. It was an evening that would end in terror for Yousef, when his father saw two men walking, holding hands, and became violently offended at such behavior. The encounter ended with him having to restrain his father until the police could arrive, and then watch as they took his father away in restraints for his attack on the two men. This would leave an indelible mark on Yousef, as he struggled further with his own homosexuality, and what it would mean if his father ever found out. By the time his father was able to get out of jail Yousef was already well into his first semester at the Academy, and wasn’t even there when he returned to Turkey. Putting all of this aside Yousef dove into his studies, becoming more and more excited for his future as the days went by. He excelled in his classes, his childhood experiences with his father giving him great insight, and aptitude for the work he was assigned. And also, he learned a great deal about the diversity of the Federation, and the people that were around him daily. Eventually he even grew out of the intense self-hatred he still felt in many ways, and sought out the help of one of the campus counselors, Yolanda Smith. She was an amazing woman, and she helped him to delve into many aspects of his life, and his inner being, carefully helping him to cultivate an understanding of who he was as a person, and as a child of Allah both. It took almost three years, but in the end Yousef finally accepted that he was not broken, that he was exactly as he was supposed to be, and released the hatred, and the fear he’d held on to for so many years. At her prompting, and with her help, he even sat down and wrote a letter to his father, telling him everything he’d gone through since his teenage years, and begging him to please try to see him as he truly was, a gifted young man, his only child, and someone who loved him deeply, despite his flaws. This was a disastrous failure, and not even ten minutes after he sent the letter he received one back. It was short, and quite plainly to the point, telling him never to speak to his father again, that he was dead to him, and that he was dishonored, and disgraced by this sinful lifestyle. Spiraling back into his depression Yousef very nearly ended up being expelled from Starfleet Academy on the grounds that he was emotionally unfit to serve. When his counselor, and now his friend, Yolanda, brought him this news it was crushing, and enlightening both. It was an eye opening experience in many ways, and he realized that he was allowing childish problems to jeopardize something he’d put so much work into. Working with her, once again, he was able to overcome this problem, and finish out his school career. But that wasn’t the end. Because of the circumstances he was required to go through a battery of psychological tests before he was able to receive a commission. He was told that even if he failed he would still have the training, and be granted the degrees he’d earned, but that he simply wouldn’t be able to gain an assignment in Starfleet. He accepted this, and went through a month of near daily sessions with various counselors, and doctors. Finally he was cleared and was able to start what would prove to be a productive, and fast paced career. |
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| Service Record | Starfleet Academy: 4 yrs., Cadet I-IV Ensign: USS Roark: 2.5 yrs, Engineering Officer USS Alexandria: 4 yrs, Engineering Officer Lieutenant J.G.: USS Bospherous: 2 yrs, Assistant Chief Engineering Officer Lieutenant: USS Bospherous: 6 months, Assistant Chief Engineering Officer USS Achilles: Current, Chief Engineering Officer |