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Description
Static image of an Andorian starship commander from the very early years of the Federation, traditionally identified as a hand-drawn portrait of Captain Resthenar sh'Prenni of the USS Vol'Rala (AGC-7-10) as they appeared during the enduringly controversial Ware Campaign of 2165; the captain appears to be wearing a variant of the first Federation Starfleet uniform pattern that incorporates elements from the uniform of the Andorian Imperial Guard (immediate predecessor of this division).

Interestingly the captain appears to be carrying an Earth-made phase pistol, despite serving with the Andorian Guard; such juxtapositions of uniform & equipment were frequently visible during the early days of the Federation Starfleet, when that service was in many ways closer to a permanent alliance of fleets than a single institution - with extensive stocks of pre-Federation uniforms, equipment & weaponry being kept in use for many years due to the challenges of supplying a service committed to going where no quartermaster had gone before (with pre-Federation surplus still occasionally being seen in service at the limits of Starfleet supply & demand as late as the first years of the 23rd Century).

Intriguingly the precise origin of this piece remains somewhat obscure; while clearly not an official portrait (which would almost certainly have been image-capture rather than illustrated), the somewhat formal pose and striking composition suggest something more than a casual sketch - one expert on Andorian iconographic traditions has suggested that the image might have been drawn up to commemorate what many Andorians, then and now, continue to regard as the captain's martyrdom at the mercy of the political controversies stirred up by the Ware Campaign (for which many felt and still feel that the Vol'Rala was required to act as scapegoat).

^^ The illustration above was drawn by the Excellent Daystorm of deviantArt.com and inspired by the work of the equally excellent Mr C.L. Bennett (specifically his RISE OF THE FEDERATION novels, which one heartily recommends). ^^

Description
Static image of an Andorian starship commander from the very early years of the Federation, traditionally identified as a hand-drawn portrait of Captain Resthenar sh'Prenni of the USS Vol'Rala (AGC-7-10) as they appeared during the enduringly controversial Ware Campaign of 2165; the captain appears to be wearing a variant of the first Federation Starfleet uniform pattern that incorporates elements from the uniform of the Andorian Imperial Guard (immediate predecessor of this division).

Interestingly the captain appears to be carrying an Earth-made phase pistol, despite serving with the Andorian Guard; such juxtapositions of uniform & equipment were frequently visible during the early days of the Federation Starfleet, when that service was in many ways closer to a permanent alliance of fleets than a single institution - with extensive stocks of pre-Federation uniforms, equipment & weaponry being kept in use for many years due to the challenges of supplying a service committed to going where no quartermaster had gone before (with pre-Federation surplus still occasionally being seen in service at the limits of Starfleet supply & demand as late as the first years of the 23rd Century).

Intriguingly the precise origin of this piece remains somewhat obscure; while clearly not an official portrait (which would almost certainly have been image-capture rather than illustrated), the somewhat formal pose and striking composition suggest something more than a casual sketch - one expert on Andorian iconographic traditions has suggested that the image might have been drawn up to commemorate what many Andorians, then and now, continue to regard as the captain's martyrdom at the mercy of the political controversies stirred up by the Ware Campaign (for which many felt and still feel that the Vol'Rala was required to act as scapegoat).

^^ The illustration above was drawn by the Excellent Daystorm of deviantArt.com and inspired by the work of the equally excellent Mr C.L. Bennett (specifically his RISE OF THE FEDERATION novels, which one heartily recommends). ^^