Top Five Star Trek Women Who Need More Love

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

First of all, this is not a list for the women who often get short shrift in canon but who fortunately get more love in fandom, at least in the corners of the internet I frequent. Women like:

   


Nor is it for awesome characters who only showed up once or twice, like:

     


Even though they are terrific too.


This list is focusing only on women who have been regular or recurring characters at some point, and who either don't really get discussed much by fans, or who are often portrayed or perceived as one-dimensional, annoying and whiny, incapable, or just there to get in the way of a slash pairing.

Here's why they're actually awesome.



5. Kasidy Yates



Who Is She? A freighter captain who works around Bajor
What's She Like? Fun. Principled. Capable. Affectionate.
What is There to Talk About? Captaining a freighter during wartime. Why she decided to move to Bajor. Her relationship with her brother. Her implied religious upbringing and heritage. The discomfort that causes her in relation to the Bajoran faith. Her friendship with Jake. How she relates to Kira. Her interest in baseball. Her time in prison. What she does after the series has ended. Her sub-par cooking skills.
Why Is She Awesome? She does what she thinks is right no matter what the consequences.


4. Tasha Yar



Who Is She? A security chief on the Enterprise
What's She Like? Dedicated. Passionate. Friendly. Brave.
What is There to Talk About? Her experiences on Turkana IV. Her relationship with her sister. Her friendship with Data. Her intense devotion to Starfleet. Her first meeting with Picard. How she managed at the Academy without any prior formal education. Her friendship with Deanna. Her interest in martial arts and sport.
Why Is She Awesome? She does her job very well, and loves doing it with all her heart.


3. Kes



Who Is She? A medic and airponics expert on Voyager
What's She Like? Strong-willed. Empathetic. Curious. Intelligent.
What is There to Talk About? What made her want to leave her life on Ocampa? Does she ever miss it? Her relationship with Neelix. Working in the airponics bay and Sickbay. An Ocampan childhood. Her experiences with the Kazon. Her feelings about her mental powers. The Elogium. The aftermath of her time with Tieran.
Why Is She Awesome? She left everything she ever knew so that she could have adventures on other worlds.


2. Keiko O'Brien



Who Is She? A botanist and school teacher on the Enterprise, Deep Space Nine and Bajor
What's She Like? Loving. Focused. Musical. Tenacious.
What is There to Talk About? How she fell in love with botany. How she joined the Enterprise. What it's like to be a civilian in a Starfleet facility. Her interest in fashion. Her pride in her heritage. Her close relationship with her grandmother. Choosing her career over staying on Deep Space Nine. Living on Bajor. Refusing to teach the Celestial Temple.
Why Is She Awesome? She raised kids while holding down a job, and during a war.


1. Kate Pulaski



Who Is She? Chief medical officer on the Enterprise
What's She Like? Easy-going. Practical. Open-minded. Modest.
What is There to Talk About? Her transporter phobia. Her ground-breaking work in ocular implant surgery and viral propagation research. Her love of traditional remedies. Her admiration for Picard. Her friendship with Deanna. Her three marriages. Her low regard for the Prime Directive. Gradually growing to understand Data. Her interest in Klingon culture. Her skill at poker.
Why Is She Awesome? She prescribes chicken soup to her patients and drinks poisonous tea.



These are just my personal top five. Feel free to suggest more - as well as share recs - in the comments!

images from Trekcore

Comments

[merisunshine36.livejournal.com]

What a great post! My other favorite unloved Trek women are Carol Marcus, T'Pring, and Valeris. I think they all have such great potential for examination. What interactions with Klingons did Valeris have in the past that would drive her to murder multiple people in order to prevent the Khitomer conference? What was it like for T'Pring hanging out on Vulcan and waiting for Spock to show up and "claim" her for all these years? Why did Carol fall in love (lust?) with Kirk, and what is it like being so smart that you figured out how to bioengineer a whole planet?

I actually don't know of any fic for these fine ladies, so I would love recs.

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Aah, awesome! Especially Valeris. They all seem to have at least one or two fics in the tags at where_no_woman and A03 (http://www.http://archiveofourown.org), but apart from that, yeah... not loads. I'd love to see more fic about what Carol Marcus got up to afterwards.

[lindmere.livejournal.com]

I watched ST:VI the other night and was reminded of how great Valeris is. She's so likable up to the moment you find out she's a traitor, but at that point you do want to know how this apparently non-evil person is capable of engineering a war.

Recs!

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

medie drabbled extensively about T'Pring, but I don't know if she wrote longer fics about her.

ninhursag wrote a heartbreaking take on Reboot Carol & Jim in The Brain Has Corridors (http://vaingirlfic.livejournal.com/75643.html).

igrockspock wrote a wonderful story about Valeris, Every Good Villain (http://igrockspock.livejournal.com/111289.html).

(And oh, this is an awesome post.)

T'Pring fic recs

[silvr-dagger.livejournal.com]

Hello there, from one T'Pring fan to another. I come bearing recs!

It looks like Rubynye has already pointed you in the direction of Medie, who is excellent, but here are a few other stories I've found featuring the most awesome of all Vulcans:

Having, Wanting (http://community.livejournal.com/reboot_genfic/1063.html) by doyle_sb4

An interesting look at T'Pring from Spock Prime's perspective, taking place in the aftermath of Vulcan. Very deftly-written and characterized, quite lovely and sad. I would have preferred if the author had not implied (briefly) that T'Pring was in the wrong in Amok Time, but then, not everyone shares my views on that particular episode.

Warnings: discussion of minor character death.


Sympathy for the Devil (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/452636/1/Sympathy_for_the_Devill) by RabbleRouser (link goes to ff.net)

Amok Time and the events leading up to it, from T'Pring's perspective. This one is one of the longest and most plotty T'Pring fics I've found, and very well written. In spite of the title, it actually does a very good job of not demonizing her - in fact, T'Pring is definitely the good guy in this, although Spock is not demonized either. I absolutely love the agency she shows at the end, and not just through saying no to Spock.

Warnings: This fic is pretty unflinching in addressing the nastier implications of the hints of Vulcan society we see in Amok Time, and while it does not contain anything gruesome or explicit, it may be triggering to some readers. Contains frank discussion of potential sexual assault.


One Half the World (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6076059/1/One_Half_the_World) by OtakuLibra (link goes to ff.net)


T'Pring and Gaila. Can there be a more awesome combination? No. No, there cannot. This fic starts out relatively lighthearted, acquires a more serious edge, then finishes up on a lovely sweet note with a hint of T'Pring/Gaila

Warnings: Some discussion of homophobia/biphobia


Also, while I really cannot speak for the quality of my own work, I did write a short vignette from T'Pring's perspective before Amok Time, which is here (http://silvr-dagger.livejournal.com/2731.html#cutid1) at my journal, if you are interested.

Warnings: non-explicit/allusive mention of potential sexual assault


If anyone has any other recs, please let me know - I am always hoping for more T'Pring fic.

[haikitteh.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, T'Pring is my favorite misunderstood female character in ST. As for answering the question, "What was it like for T'Pring waiting for Spock to come back?" - this story is a thoughtful answer. It details the reasons why T'Pring might have been led to that choice, without vilifying her.

The Girl's Alright by StarTrekFanWriter. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6121270/1/

[such_heights]

This is a great post! KEIKO! <3

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

I adore Keiko. It breaks my heart that there's so little fic about her, and half of it is just about how she doesn't understand Miles and Julian's special love.

(Which, dammit, their love is special, but... KEIKO!!)

[myfloralbonnet.livejournal.com]

I love this list! One of my favorites was Ro Laren. ♥

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Ooh, Ro was awesome!

[mtgat]

This is fantastic! :)

Tasha was my first girlcrush in the Trek 'verse. Keiko! Kasidy!!! And omg, Kes was the only reason I stayed with Voyager as long as I did. *snuggles them all*

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :D

Yeah, it mystifies me that Kes doesn't get more attention, she's brilliant!

[ale-rambles.livejournal.com]

Love this post!! <3
And totally agree with your list, they all deserve more love! :)

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[sophia-gratia.livejournal.com]

You maybe can't tell, but I am high-fiving you so hard right now.

The "Why is she awesome" for Pulaski will have me cracking up 'til tomorrow.

I love all these ladies and agree wholeheartedly, and must also add: KASIDY, WHAT UP. ♥

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

*high-fives back*

And, well... is is why she's awesome! At least partly. The Klingon tea ceremony thing is one of my favourite Pulaski moments.

[kivitaskula.livejournal.com]

Oh man, this makes me want to watch so much more Star Trek beyond TOS and TNG (which I have seen very little of since my early teens, anyway). OH PULASKI. I find my love for you has survived a decade of neglect.

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Oooh, do it, do it! (If you're interested, ds9_rewatch started literally two weeks ago...)

Pulaski is so awesome there aren't even words for it.

[beth-soprano.livejournal.com]

Yay, Kasidy! ♥

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

:D

[silvr-dagger.livejournal.com]

Oooh, wonderful post. I wish I had recs to offer you, but yeah, all those ladies need more love.

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe this post will inspire people so the next time someone wants recs, there'll be some! :D

[bookblather.livejournal.com]

KEIKOOOOOOOOO I love you so much for including her. I love her, I love her relationship with Miles and how they make it work like *GASP* a realistic couple, the fact that she has the most adorable kids ever trufax, and how generally badass she is. Keiko = awesome.

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

I know right? Keiko seems to get so much flack for being bitchy/whiny/mean just because she and Miles don't get on wonderfully 100% of the time - for me it's refreshing to see a grown-up couple who have problems and work through them.

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

Kasidy!!!! *runs around flailing* Yes yes yes! She defied Starfleet to help the Marquis and even went to jail for it then came back to keep on being awesome! She is actually a well written woman with her own principles and choices and flaws and amazing skills. OH, guh, love her so much!

Keiko same thing! Yes she started on TNG but on DS9 she got much more life and her trials of trying to find her own place, her relationship with her husband, being a teacher and researching, going to Bajor. Oh love her.

DS9 women really are pretty the bosses of trek in general, just saying :-p

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, DS9 was definitely ahead of the pack, awesome ladies-wise.

(awesome icon, River FTW!)

[solo-by-choice.livejournal.com]

I love Pulaski which is not something with which many people agree, sadly. I think she's awesome! Especially the poisonous tea bit. She's so blase about it like "Poisonous to humans? Hang on." hypos self "okay, we're good!"

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Yay! I adore Pulaski! And a few others seem to be coming out of the woodwork in this post...

Yes! I love that bit so much!

[chesari.livejournal.com]

Oh, A+, this post is awesome! :D Great choice of characters. I'm especially glad you listed Kasidy - she's a fantastic character, really deserves more attention.

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D I adore Kasidy, she's such fun.

[oparu.livejournal.com]

I had no idea Kasidy was religious. Must make time for DS9 rewatch community!! *kicks university* I love that she stuck to her principles, went to jail and came back, still awesome, and had a great, mature relationship with Ben. I know very little of DS9 fandom, Kasidy not getting love eludes me because she's so obviously loved on the show. Dax, Kira, Bashir-- they all speak positively of her.

Tasha's a brilliant character with an incredibly tragic life. (even her AU life is tragic). Definitely more love for her. I don't think I've ever come across her in a fic.

Kes gets ignored much in the VOY fandom I've seen. Which is sad, because there's so much potential. Her relationship with Tuvok especially, and how her life could have passed through so many different lovers on the ship because she'd be changing, while they didn't.

Keiko vs Kai Winn was brilliant. One of my favourite episodes. Also the one where Keiko is possessed by a pah'wraith. Okay, not her, but HUGE HUGE points to Rosalind.

One of my secret loves of Kate Pulaski is that she's occasionally mean to Data. Data's the fanboy centre of the universe, and the fact that he has to earn her respect, amuses me. She's absolutely sweet with Deanna, and I love the way she fights with Picard.

A friend and I started shippingvKate with Alynna Nechayev, who is my favourite underloved Trek woman. Everyone thinks she's an evil bitch when she's SO obviously not. (and she'd get along with Kate). I don't know why she couldn't have at least been recurring for the rest of the show. I would have so watched Beverly and Kate save the galaxy from plague.

[cosmic-llin.livejournal.com]

They don't really mention much about Kasidy's background, but there's a brief line somewhere about how her mother really wanted her to get married in church. She might not be religious but it's definitely an influence, which is interesting to me because we don't hear much abou religion in the future, unless it's the Bajoran religion or some random made-up space-faith.

That's exactly it about Kes. I actually think Kes would be the ideal partner for Janeway - in practical terms, she's not a member of the Starfleet crew so regulations etc don't get in the way, and they seem very similar in terms of outlook. They're both independent, determined, curious - I think if Kes had stayed and gotten a little older she and Janeway would have been perfect for each other.

Haha, that's entertaining - most of the Pulaski haters I know are down on her partly because she's mean to Data. Which I maintain she isn't much, really. She has trouble accepting him as a person, initially, but there's a clear arc of her making an effort and learning to understand him better, and succeeding. Riker was just as dubious of Data initially but he doesn't get any flak for it. And yes, love her with Deanna! I ship them so hard.

I can see her and Nechayev working well. Are there any actual fics yet? Because I would read the crap out of that.

I would have so watched Beverly and Kate save the galaxy from plague

THIS. This should be a thing.