Tesjha Phohl

"Why'd you join up?"

"To piss off my thavan."

— Kanril Eleya and Tess Phohl (Bait and Switch: "From Bajor to the Black, Part II")

Tesjha "Tess" Phohl (Imperial name: Siritesjha sh'Phohlhi), was an Andorian shen active as an officer in Starfleet in the early 25th century. (Bait and Switch)

Biography

Tesjha Phohl was born in Andoria's equatorial region to a military family and joined Starfleet rather than the Andorian Imperial Guard to annoy her thavan. ("From Bajor to the Black")

Tess roomed with Jennifer van der Putte at Starfleet Academy and was later the maid of honor at her wedding. ("All In")

In 2407 she was stationed aboard the USS Khitomer as a torpedo officer, with the rank of lieutenant junior grade. During the Borg attack at Vega colony she was sent over to the USS Kagoshima to act as temporary tactical officer for Kanril Eleya, the Shi'Kahr-class vessel's acting captain, and manned the ship's weapons. After the survivors of the fleet escaped, Tess took part in Kanril's Kobayashi Maru scenario, again playing tactical officer. Kanril subsequently requested that Tess be assigned to the Kagoshima full-time as first officer in addition to TO. ("From Bajor to the Black, Part II", "The Universe Doesn't Cheat")

2409

In 2409 she held the rank of commander and joined Kanril in the same roles aboard the USS Bajor. Before the crew headed to the shipyard she got into an argument with a Vulcan Defense Force customs officer over the fact that the name she had given him didn't match the name on her ID, despite them both being legal names. Kanril defused the argument. ("Shakedown Shenanigans")

Tess beamed down to Dreon VII with Kanril during the Orion Syndicate attack on the village of Tholis, armed with a phased polaron minigun she had purchased from a Ferengi trader during their prior layover at Deep Space 9.

Tess later informed Kanril that she was aware the latter had slept with her operations officer Reshek Gaarra a second time, citing fraternization policy, but told the Bajoran that she wouldn't pursue the matter unless their relationship endangered the ship. (Bait and Switch)

2410

During the Schrödinger's Butterfly incident Tess forcefully stopped Kanril from leaving the Bajor's bridge to see the wounded Reshek while the starship was in the Bajoran wormhole. Citing regulation 619, Tess informed her captain that she would remove her from command if she attempted to continue. ("Reality Is Fluid, Part II")

Tess beamed down with Birail Riyannis and several other crew members to investigate a Preserver installation on Orvis II. The away team came under attack by the Breen and Tess was captured and tortured by Dalsh Ruul. However, she managed to conceal her stiletto from the Breen and, when the Bajor returned and deployed an assault unit to rescue the away team, Tess stabbed Ruul in the back before using Ruul's own disruptor pistol against the other Breen. ("Frostbite")

Reshek and Kanril later attempted to conceal from Tess that they had begun a romantic relationship, but when the Bajor crew celebrated the Day of Remembrance that April, Tess caught the two Bajorans slow-dancing and told her to "just kiss him already!" ("To Absent Friends")

2411

Tess took command of USS Bajor after Kanril went missing in action, subsequently meeting with Benthan Guard High Justicar Mathan to find her. She mentioned to Commander Bynam Ehrob, with whom she had previously been in a relationship, that she still disliked Reshek and Kanril's marriage but had accepted it. ("Red Scar")

Alternate timelines

In a possible November 2421, Tess had been promoted to captain and was commanding officer of USS Iconia. She was present by hologram for the birth of Reshek Taryn to her former CO, Kanril Eleya. ("Brother on Brother, Daughter on Mother")

The War of the Masters

In 2412 Tess held the rank of commander and was XO and tactical officer of the USS George Hammond. On 18 August she attended Sobaru Lanstar's funeral with Kanril. ("The Only Way to Go")

External link

• Tesjha Phohl article at Memory Gamma