Daughter
of the Klingon Miral and her human father John Torres she lived on, the
Federation colony, Kessick IV until she joined Starfleet Academy. In her
second year she dropped out and soon after joined the Maquis.
The
B’Elanna Torres forced from a Maquis ship onto the USS Voyager, in
2371 is a thinned-skinned woman who hears criticism in friendly
comments, doesn’t trust anyone who likes her, doesn’t respect anyone
unless they’ve proven themselves to her and has a bad temper that’s
expressed in physical violence. As a half- human, half-Klingon who
respects neither culture, she is warring with everyone, including
herself. However, since she’s also a brilliant engineer, honest and
loyal, she’s an asset to any starship.
Torres
becomes Voyager’s chief engineer soon after the Maquis and Starfleet
crews are forced to integrate. It’s a job she wants and keeps, with
much effort and a lot of help from Janeway.
In 2372
Torres receives the chance to confront her Klingon side, the cause of
her personality problems, when Vidiian medical research splits her into
a full human and a full Klingon version of herself. For the first time
she understands that something positive comes from Klingon heritage.
This insight, however, brings no peace of mind.
In 2373,
when Vorik declares his interest in mating, one of the advantages to the
coupling, he believes, is his ability to teach her mental discipline.
Instead, she becomes affected by this Ponn Farr experience and reveals
her attraction for Tom, something she preferred to keep secret.
Torres
secretly reads Klingon romance novels, but admitting to Tom Paris that
she loves is terrifying. Only when she is seconds away from death on the
Klingon Day Of Honour in 2374 does Torres finally admit her feelings.
After they are saved, the romance begins. Expressing some feelings opens
the flood gates to Torres’ darker emotions as well. She finds herself
taking terrible risks on the holodeck, until learning to accept others.
Then, in 2376, Torres believes she must save her mother from Klingon
Hell and, in doing so, gains some acceptance about her Klingon self.
In 2377,
B’Elanna and Tom marry and, to their joint surprise, she soon
discovers that she is pregnant with a baby girl. Her own childhood
torments fresh in her mind, Torres is frantic to manipulate the DNA of
the foetus so that it will be entirely human. With Tom’s love and
understanding, B’Elanna is able to accept the child and herself.
