Petty Officer 3rd Class Aranai McCeachran
From Station
Captain's Yeoman Follows the Path of Justice
by Caroline Post
Chief Petty Officer, 3rd Class, Aranai McCeachran, also known as the Captain's Yeoman, has a passion for the law and justice. It came through all that she told me about her life, and overcoming obstacles which might have felled most of us.
Her first name, Aranai, is from her mother's people, whose ancestors were Native American. It means spider, or arachnid, which includes other 8-legged insects, such as the scorpion. As I spoke with her, I felt sure that there's a sting in CPO McCeachran for those who break the law.
The last name, McCeachran, comes from her father's people, who called Ireland home. From what I've read of a very chaotic period in that country's history, I presume that her father's ancestors were Scots who came to Ireland, hence the 'Mc' in the name.
Like her parentage, Aranai McCeachran is a mix of influences. "I spent my time, for the most part, all over earth. I never did have what you would call a normal family," she informed me. I asked her if she thought that the travel she did as a youngster helped prepare her for life in Starfleet.
"Yes," she agreed, "because I felt that I had no true home, this life on a starship was ideal for me." The young yeoman has had a number of assignments since she joined Starfleet. Although her father was a JAG lawyer, and wanted the same for his daughter, Aranai chose her own path, through the petty officer program.
I wondered how she viewed being on a station instead of on a ship. "I think I will enjoy it more, once I get used to its routine, just like with any new posting." She expects to have more chance to use her law skills on the station, and told me, ". . . this station has its own unique challenges." I couldn't agree with her more!
We went on to talk about what led her into law and justice. It wasn't, as one might presume, the fact that her father was a lawyer. Instead, she revealed, "I enjoyed the fact that I could help in some way, whether it be defending or prosecuting." The law and Starfleet also helped her travel far out among the stars, and still find a use for her skills. As she mentioned, ". . . Lawyers are needed quite a bit in other areas than Earth."
She couldn't tell me much about the case she considered most interesting in her career. Records have been sealed, and she was junior council on the case. "I'm still in the process of reconciling all my feelings about what happened," she confessed. Whatever the case, it's part of what has made the petty officer a strong woman, and an asset to Starfleet. "I do not like seeing injustice, or seeing those who are bad get rewarded when they should be punished,"
I asked her what it is that she does when things are getting too hard to handle. She smiled and said, "I tend to use physical exercise to help keep me sane." It seems to be working.
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