Sho Sakura

Sho Sakura was a Human Starfleet officer.

History
Sho Sakura was born on Starbase 257 in 2349 to Astrid Dubois Sakura and Master Chief Petty Officer Sora Sakura, a Starfleet engineer. He lived there with his parents until 2367, when he left to attend Starfleet Academy on Earth.

Late in his fourth year, he was given an assignment as a security officer on the USS Pioneer, set to commence shortly after his upcoming graduation. Originally, the Pioneer was to pick him up directly, but were delayed by complications in their current mission, a series of planetary surveys in the Beta Quadrant. As Commander Adriana Watley, first officer, was returning from leave on Betazed at about the same time, it was decided that Ensign Sakura should rendezvous with her shuttle instead of waiting for the Pioneer. She transmitted a message to Earth as she was en route, but as commencement activities were still in their last stages, Sakura was indisposed and the message was received by academy administration.

Notice of the change in plans was relayed to Sakura by an aide and he proceeded to the Presidio spaceport after commencement was completed. Unfortunately, due to the number of people the message had been passed among on its way to its intended recipient, Sakura was unaware of precisely who would be flying the shuttle, only that it would be there. When he entered the shuttle, Watley's back was to him, and he began to flirt with her. Watley was more amused than anything by the pass, but was also mildly impressed by his self-assurance and nonchalant reaction to her identity. After this somewhat questionable beginning, the shuttle departed and experienced a nicely uneventful trip. Watley and Sakura enjoyed a pleasant conversation and agreed to spend some time together as friends once they arrived

A few days later, the two met on the holodeck for a game of velocity, though unbeknownst to Sakura, Watley was the unofficial reigning velocity champion on the Pioneer. After the game, she admitted she had deliberately left that out, as she often had trouble finding partners and rarely found anyone with which she could enjoy a game. Sakura playfully teased her about this, but she confessed that he was actually a rather good player and that they were not badly matched. By now there was an obvious attraction between them, and they shared a kiss, initiated by Sakura, before Watley hastily broke it off and departed.

Watley was troubled by the idea of a romance between them, because upon her advancement to first officer the year before, she had made a decision to avoid any such entanglements with shipmates, as she considered them inappropriate now that she was in a place of authority over virtually the entire crew. After much soul searching and discussions with her friend Tolly Gerard and commanding officer Tobias Quinton, she decided to see how the romance progressed. In fact, it became serious quickly, and they found themselves settling into a comfortable, settled relationship. Further, Watley and Sakura became engaged three years later in 2374, though they postponed the wedding until after the end of the Dominion War.

That same year, Sakura was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and made assistant chief security/tactical officer. For the most part, Watley's worries that any of his advancements might be viewed as favors for the lover of the ship's second-in-command were unfounded. Sakura had a good relationship with his superior, Lieutenant Commander Haria Lyron, and she herself assured the few who complained, jealous colleagues of Sakura, that whatever successes he had were due to his own talent and diligence.

It was this capability that lead Lyron to select Sakura as her replacement as chief of security—with an accompanying promotion to full lieutenant—in 2376. What's more, with the numerous crew departures at that time, he was also the senior bridge officer next in line for the supplementary position of second officer, recently vacated by Tolly Gerard. Sakura was gratified by their confidence in him, but also uneasy at the prospect of taking over for such popular, long-serving officers. It is very likely that the coming years will see him making his mark along with the rest of his shipmates.