Vina

For the mirror universe counterpart, see Vina (mirror).

Vina was a female human in the 23rd century.

Biography[]

Vina was born in Paris on Earth in 2206^[1], the daughter of a ballet dancer father and a pastry chef mother. An aunt lived in Lebanon, and owned a beach house on the Mediterranean coast north of Beirut.

As her mother's patisserie catered to the Palais de la Concorde, Vina encountered many alien dignitaries while accompanying her mother. As a young girl, she once met the President of the United Federation of Planets, who promised the graceful, lovely and witty child a castle of her own if she ever visited her homeworld.

Vina also started taking ballet lessons at age three. By age twelve, her teachers judged that she had the skill and talent to become a professional dancer, but she lacked the discipline and desire. By age seventeen, she elected to end her lessons.

Following high school, she followed a number of pursuits, including languages, theatre and piloting. For a while, she was a charter pilot, mostly running tourist flights to Luna. During this period, she briefly became involved with a Centaurian junior ambassador. When that relationship ended, so did her piloting career.

She attended university, studying a variety of subjects. One of the courses she took (primarily because it was available to her as a late register) was a geology course taught by visiting professor Doctor Theodore Haskins. Though he was more than ten years older, the two fell in love, and Vina switched her geology coursework to other professors to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

In addition to their romantic relationship, Vina became Theo's archivist and assistant. By 2231 she accompanied him on the first of several deep space planetary survey expeditions organized by the American Continent Institute, with which Haskins was affiliated. Vina often found herself the youngest member of such expeditions.

In 2236, on the homeward voyage of one such mission aboard the SS Columbia, Theo asked Vina to marry him. Tragically, before the captain could perform the ceremony, the Columbia suffered an accident of unknown cause and had to attempt a crash landing on the nearest suitable world, Talos IV. Vina survived the crash with severe injuries only because Theo put her in a highly-protected locker. All others aboard perished. (TOS novel: Burning Dreams)

The Talosians found Vina in the Columbia's wreckage and restored her health as best they knew. Unfortunately, having no experience with alien physiology or psychology, the Talosians' efforts still left her hunched and scarred, and very much alone.

In 2254, in an effort to give Vina a companion, the Talosians lured Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise to Talos IV and attempted to keep him captive. Pike resisted and was allowed to leave. Instead, an illusory version of Pike was provided for Vina. (TOS episode & comic adaptation: "The Cage")

Vina 2257 — Vina illusionary appearance in 2257.

Three years later, in 2257, Vina greeted Michael Burnham and Spock who had just arrived on Talos IV. Vina provided them with transporter coordinates so they could meet the Keeper. Vina also communicated with Captain Pike on the USS Discovery, allowing him to communicate with Spock and Burnham. Later, as both Pike and operatives from Section 31 were attempting to beam Spock and Burnham back from Talos IV, Vina appeared to Pike once again and convinced him to break off the attempt, which was a ruse designed to trick Section 31 into thinking they had captured Spock and Burnham. (DSC episode: "If Memory Serves")

In 2267, after Pike had suffered a debilitating injury, he was invited back to Talos IV. He accepted, and Vina and he remained companions for the remainder of her life. (TOS episode & novelization: The Menagerie)

Vina 2270 — Vina's true appearance in 2270.

Pike also studied the ancient Talosians' medical techniques. Using them, he and Vina finally were able to have the only thing missing in their lives -- a child. Phillip Joshua Pike was born nine years after his father had returned to Talos.

In 2290, then-Captain Spock made a return visit to Talos. He had been sent by Starfleet to offer Pike a way to return home -- to undergo an experimental procedure that would put Pike's brain inside a partly-cloned, partly-bionic body. After Phillip attacked Spock out of fear that his father would leave forever, Pike refused the offer, and remained on Talos with his wife and son. By now, the retired Fleet captain sported a full beard, a stark contrast to the scarred face Spock last saw. (TOS comics: "Door in the Cage", "Future Tense")

Vina died on Talos IV sometime prior to 2320. (TOS novel: Burning Dreams)

It has not been specified if she died near the end of the 23rd century or in the early 24th century.

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Columbia personnel
United States (NASA)	Columbia (Apollo 11 command module)	Buzz Aldrin • Neil Armstrong • Michael Collins
United Earth (civilian registry)	SS Columbia	T. Haskins • Vina
United Earth Starfleet	Columbia (NX-02)	R. Akagi • D. Atlagic • Biggs • K. el-Rashad • V. Fletcher • K. Graylock • K. Gunnarsdóttir • E. Hernandez • R. Hexter • B. Mealia • J. Metzger • R. Oliveira • D. Pierce • S. Rivers • C. Siguenza • Strong • K. Thayer • C. Tucker • S. Valerian • C. Zeilfelder • MACO personnel: E. Crichlow • S. Foyle • N. Mazzetti • H. Mottaki • N. Otumbo • G. Pembleton • T. Steinhauer • V. Yacavino
Federation, Starfleet	USS Columbia (NCC-621)	V. DeSalle • C. Terrell
	USS Columbia (Steamrunner-class)	Mike Anderson • Brown • Kalpana Chawla • Richard Husband • Willie McCool • Ilan Ramon
	USS Columbia (NCC-97000, Odyssey-class)	Veslin
	USS Columbia (NCC-170147, Galaxy-X-class)	Veslin