1505
So I see a lot of people disliking the way they put Elnor into Starfleet and I totally understand that! However, my problem isn't with the fact that Elnor is in Starfleet. My problem is that they didn't explore it.
First of all, WHY does he want to be in Starfleet? Is it because of his admiration of people like Picard or Raffi? If so, how and why does that admiration override or overpower his Qowat Milat upbringing? DOES it override or overpower his Qowat Milat upbringing? Does he attempt to stay true to his past, attempt to balance the Qowat Milat and Starfleet? Or does he leave the Qowat Milat behind? How does that decision affect him and his relationships?
Next, which department does he go into and why? Security, like Raffi? Or command, like Picard? Medical, science, engineering? What makes him decide to pursue THAT specific path? Is it something that calls to him, or is it something that he feels that he MUST be, regardless of what he wants? For example, we saw in Season 2 that Raffi was pressuring him to become a security officer despite Elnor not wanting that for himself. Did he eventually cave in, or did he refuse to compromise his own desires for her?
How does his being Romulan affect his Starfleet career? The few Romulans in Starfleet that we've seen before were pushed into hiding their heritage either to protect themselves (i.e Simon Tarses) or for a more... nefarious purpose (i.e Narissa/"Lieutenant Rizzo"). How does that history weigh on him? Do his peers see him as an equal, or as an enemy or someone who is less-than? We've seen bigotry against Romulans even within the Federation. And being the first full-blooded Romulan cadet in Starfleet is a big responsibility. Whether Elnor wants it or not, he's making history. How does he feel about that, and how does it affect him and his actions?
And when it comes to Starfleet's impacts on his life... the Federation abandoned millions of his people to the Romulan supernova. He was nearly among them. And on his very first assignment, being in Starfleet indirectly got him killed (Be in Starfleet -> Serve on the Excelsior -> Respond to the Borg threat -> Be brought by Q to the alternate timeline -> Get shot and die). That HAS to have affected him somehow. How do these things change his opinion of the organization he's now a part of? Is it still something worth serving in his eyes? If so, why? Does he believe in its ideals that much?
And finally, what does Elnor want out of Starfleet? To serve? To belong? To please someone? To make a difference? Does he believe this is the right path for him? Is it REALLY the right path for him?
All of these are questions that I would love to see answered. Even if Elnor stays in Starfleet (which, again, I don't have a problem with on its own!), just going more in-depth into the "how"s and "why"s would make me so much more satisfied with his character and his arc.
