Kaerde Jas Rathleseit
Kaerde Jas Rathleseit (a.k.a. K.J.R., Kaerde Jas)
Kaerde Jas Rathleseit was an Etjeselli Aquarian diplomat, being the first ambassador to Earth, and being honorarily appointed an Outreach Speaker. In 2128, Kaerde Jas was the captain of the [ship name], an exploratory vessel that encountered the Sol system while performing confirmative cartography. Subsequently, the crew orchestrated Planetary First Contact with humanity with minimal advising from the Sanjer Outreach.
Captain Rathleseit met human representatives upon Luna on August 23rd 2128, but was not part of the delegation that officially performed First Contact proceedings on Earth on October 18th due to exhibiting mild viral symptoms during the preceding eight week quarantine period. The crew's political officer [name] headed proceedings in Kaerde Jas's stead, and they were not permitted to set foot on Earth until February 6th 2129.
They seceded command of the [ship name] to their first officer [name] in order to accept the role of ambassador. For successful organisation of an unsupported First Contact, Kaerde Jas was honorarily appointed as a Speaker by the Sanjer Outreach. Being officially signed in as ambassador on February 18th, Kaerde Jas Rathleseit was humanity's first permanent alien diplomatic representative, and they acted as intermediary between Earth and the GISC for the first ten months following contact.
Most of the [ship name]'s crew proceeded on its mission, but the former captain remained on Earth with a small party of delegates - mostly translators and exolinguists who helped to navigate language barriers. For the first two years of their ambassadorship, the only human language Kaerde Jas had any knowledge or understanding of was French. Even after this, they were never successful at attempts to learn English and relied extensively upon interpreters most of their service - though they became highly adapt at communicating in a pidgin formed of French, Sanjer Standard, Etjeselli Aquarian, and the limited English they managed to retain.
Once Xethryn lor Eschir arrived to Earth as the Outreach's envoy in March of 2130, Kaerde Jas worked closely with him to establish the Outreach's diplomatic relationship with human governments. The two ambassadors subsequently became close personal friends. Kaerde Jas's official post as ambassador was within the Outreach's embassy building on Earth until the conversion of the Aquarian embassy building was completed in 2140.
Kaerde Jas was twenty-eight at the time of the First Contact and their appointment as ambassador, and they served in their post for 45 years before retiring in 2174. Kaerde Jas remained on Earth with their family until their tragic passing in a boating accident in 2178. Kaerde Jas was survived by their spouse Leisi Reisan, and their six children, including their youngest Kaerde Leisi Rathleseit, who was born two months after Kaerde Jas's death and followed her parent into diplomacy, serving in the Sanjer Embassy Administration from 2208 until 2236, when she moved to Aquarius to work in the newly established Terran Embassy. Kaerde Leisi's child Maesja Kaerde became a a writer and translator, best known for writing the Aquarian translation of Xethryn's On the Human Approach.
Living on Earth, Kaerde Jas developed a love of cats and had several across their lifetime, the first being a silver tabby kitten adopted in 2131 and named Araketh (literally 'silver cat'). Kaerde Jas is responsible as a result for the Aquarian word for cat (keth).
The first two days of the trip went as planned but on the second evening, a storm warning came over the radio. Baxter, who owned the boat, decided they would be safer if they moved closer to land. Kaerde Jas was reportedly sceptical, but deferred to Baxter as the more experienced sailor.
At 22:30, as they were still around two hours from shore, the storm hit. A sudden wave almost capsized the small boat and threw Baxter overboard. Kaerde Jas dived from the boat 'without hesitation' to rescue Baxter, managing to quickly pull him from the water and return him to the boat. However, when Kaerde Jas was attempting to return to the boat themself, another wave hit them with 'considerable force' and swept them away. Baxter reported that they appeared to have been unconscious when they hit the water. Baxter immediately radioed for help, but due to the storm rescue efforts could not begin until 08:00 the next morning.
Rescue teams searched the lake for two days before recovering Kaerde Jas's body. Two autopsies performed by a team of medical examiners (standard procedure for sudden traumatic deaths at the time) determined that they had died from a combination of drowning and impact trauma from the force with which the wave had hit them. Kaerde Jas had also suffered a broken neck and a fractured skull, but the examiners determined these injuries to have been sustained post-mortem. One examiner initially said it was possible the force with which the wave hit had been enough to kill Kaerde Jas before they hit the water, but the quantity of water in their lungs disproved this theory.
Lazarus Baxter was questioned by police in relation to Kaerde Jas's death, but he was cleared of any involvement and they were officially declared 'to have died of accidental drowning in the course of selfless actions' on the 26th of June 2178.
Kaerde Jas Rathleseit was laid to rest on July 18th 2178, with over 10,000 people in attendance. Their headstone includes a portrait of them holding Araketh, their first pet cat, and their epitaph reads 'First Aquarian Ambassador of Earth, Friend of Humanity, Beloved Parent and Spouse, Honorary Appointed Speaker, Lover of Cats'. The text of the epitaph is based on Kaerde Jas's answer to an interviewer asking how they would like to be remembered. They said that they would like to be remembered as "Earth's first Aquarian ambassador, a friend of humanity, someone who loved and was loved by their family, and who loved cats."
The memorial also has the quote 'the tides shall speak their name', which is a translation of a traditional Etjeselli memorial phrase for a person who died in an honourable manner.
A plaque bearing the same text is found at the Aquarian Embassy (also replicated in Aquarian). This plaque does not include the portrait of Kaerde Jas and Araketh, but a nearby mural depicts them with representations of several friends and relations, including their cats.
Captain Rathleseit met human representatives upon Luna on August 23rd 2128, but was not part of the delegation that officially performed First Contact proceedings on Earth on October 18th due to exhibiting mild viral symptoms during the preceding eight week quarantine period. The crew's political officer [name] headed proceedings in Kaerde Jas's stead, and they were not permitted to set foot on Earth until February 6th 2129.
They seceded command of the [ship name] to their first officer [name] in order to accept the role of ambassador. For successful organisation of an unsupported First Contact, Kaerde Jas was honorarily appointed as a Speaker by the Sanjer Outreach. Being officially signed in as ambassador on February 18th, Kaerde Jas Rathleseit was humanity's first permanent alien diplomatic representative, and they acted as intermediary between Earth and the GISC for the first ten months following contact.
Most of the [ship name]'s crew proceeded on its mission, but the former captain remained on Earth with a small party of delegates - mostly translators and exolinguists who helped to navigate language barriers. For the first two years of their ambassadorship, the only human language Kaerde Jas had any knowledge or understanding of was French. Even after this, they were never successful at attempts to learn English and relied extensively upon interpreters most of their service - though they became highly adapt at communicating in a pidgin formed of French, Sanjer Standard, Etjeselli Aquarian, and the limited English they managed to retain.
Once Xethryn lor Eschir arrived to Earth as the Outreach's envoy in March of 2130, Kaerde Jas worked closely with him to establish the Outreach's diplomatic relationship with human governments. The two ambassadors subsequently became close personal friends. Kaerde Jas's official post as ambassador was within the Outreach's embassy building on Earth until the conversion of the Aquarian embassy building was completed in 2140.
Kaerde Jas was twenty-eight at the time of the First Contact and their appointment as ambassador, and they served in their post for 45 years before retiring in 2174. Kaerde Jas remained on Earth with their family until their tragic passing in a boating accident in 2178. Kaerde Jas was survived by their spouse Leisi Reisan, and their six children, including their youngest Kaerde Leisi Rathleseit, who was born two months after Kaerde Jas's death and followed her parent into diplomacy, serving in the Sanjer Embassy Administration from 2208 until 2236, when she moved to Aquarius to work in the newly established Terran Embassy. Kaerde Leisi's child Maesja Kaerde became a a writer and translator, best known for writing the Aquarian translation of Xethryn's On the Human Approach.
Living on Earth, Kaerde Jas developed a love of cats and had several across their lifetime, the first being a silver tabby kitten adopted in 2131 and named Araketh (literally 'silver cat'). Kaerde Jas is responsible as a result for the Aquarian word for cat (keth).
Death
Four years after their retirement, Kaerde Jas went on a boating trip with Lazarus Baxter, a long-time friend. The trip was to be three days long and was intended as a leisurely excursion, perhaps involving fishing. Being from a coastal region and being an occasional recreational waterman, Kaerde Jas had been familiar with boats and as an Aquarian was a naturally strong swimmer. Forecasts predicted clear and sunny weather for the full three days of the planned trip.The first two days of the trip went as planned but on the second evening, a storm warning came over the radio. Baxter, who owned the boat, decided they would be safer if they moved closer to land. Kaerde Jas was reportedly sceptical, but deferred to Baxter as the more experienced sailor.
At 22:30, as they were still around two hours from shore, the storm hit. A sudden wave almost capsized the small boat and threw Baxter overboard. Kaerde Jas dived from the boat 'without hesitation' to rescue Baxter, managing to quickly pull him from the water and return him to the boat. However, when Kaerde Jas was attempting to return to the boat themself, another wave hit them with 'considerable force' and swept them away. Baxter reported that they appeared to have been unconscious when they hit the water. Baxter immediately radioed for help, but due to the storm rescue efforts could not begin until 08:00 the next morning.
Rescue teams searched the lake for two days before recovering Kaerde Jas's body. Two autopsies performed by a team of medical examiners (standard procedure for sudden traumatic deaths at the time) determined that they had died from a combination of drowning and impact trauma from the force with which the wave had hit them. Kaerde Jas had also suffered a broken neck and a fractured skull, but the examiners determined these injuries to have been sustained post-mortem. One examiner initially said it was possible the force with which the wave hit had been enough to kill Kaerde Jas before they hit the water, but the quantity of water in their lungs disproved this theory.
Lazarus Baxter was questioned by police in relation to Kaerde Jas's death, but he was cleared of any involvement and they were officially declared 'to have died of accidental drowning in the course of selfless actions' on the 26th of June 2178.
Kaerde Jas Rathleseit was laid to rest on July 18th 2178, with over 10,000 people in attendance. Their headstone includes a portrait of them holding Araketh, their first pet cat, and their epitaph reads 'First Aquarian Ambassador of Earth, Friend of Humanity, Beloved Parent and Spouse, Honorary Appointed Speaker, Lover of Cats'. The text of the epitaph is based on Kaerde Jas's answer to an interviewer asking how they would like to be remembered. They said that they would like to be remembered as "Earth's first Aquarian ambassador, a friend of humanity, someone who loved and was loved by their family, and who loved cats."
The memorial also has the quote 'the tides shall speak their name', which is a translation of a traditional Etjeselli memorial phrase for a person who died in an honourable manner.
A plaque bearing the same text is found at the Aquarian Embassy (also replicated in Aquarian). This plaque does not include the portrait of Kaerde Jas and Araketh, but a nearby mural depicts them with representations of several friends and relations, including their cats.
Mental characteristics
Gender Identity
Agender (they/them pronouns)
Relationships
History
Xethryn and Kaerde Jas met when Xethryn was made the Sanjer Outreach's ambassadorial envoy to humanity in 2130. Having served as the Aquarian ambassador for a year, Kaerde Jas worked with Xethryn to establish the Outreach's relationship with the Earth's governments. Subsequently, the two ambassadors became close friends - and their friendship grew further as Kaerde Jas spent a decade working out of the Outreach's embassy building while waiting on the long-delayed completion of the Aquarian embassy.
Xethryn officiated Kaerde Jas's marriage to their spouse Leisi Reisan in 2142.
Upon Kaerde Jas's tragic death in 2178, Xethryn expressed his grief in a rare candid statement. When Xethryn's family were gifted a great dane puppy in 2179, the dog was named K.J. (pronounced 'Kay-Hay') in Kaerje Jas's honour.
Nicknames & Petnames
Xethryn often wrote of Kaerde Jas as 'K.J.R.' in his journals, though he is not known to have called them this directly. Kaerde Jas was probably one of the first people to shorten Xethryn's name to 'Xeth'.
Species
Ethnicity
Life
2100
2178
78 years old
Circumstances of Death
Boating accident, swept away by a wave and drowned while rescuing a friend in a storm
Birthplace
Etjesel region, Aquarius 6
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Gender
Androgynous
Eyes
Dark grey
Hair
Golden brown, dense ringlets
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Olive
Height
184 cm (6ft)
Other Affiliations
The English text version of Kaerde Jas Rathleseit's memorial plaque, as found at the Aquarian Embassy.
Comments