Hoshi Sato

Hoshi Sato was a Human female who was famous for her role in the historic voyages of the United Earth Starfleet vessel UES Enterprise (NX-01) as communications officer and protocol officer, and as the mind behind critical breakthroughs in the development of the universal translator.

Biography
Hoshi Sato was born on 9 July 2129, in Kyoto, Japan, Sino-Federation, on Earth to Chiyoko and Haruto Sato. She was the second of three children, her older brother Masaru and younger sister Umeko. Growing up, she discovered that she had an uncanny ability, almost an instinct, with translating languages.

In her fourth year at the Training Institute she attended an advanced seminar taught by Doctor Isabela Teodoro called Toward a Universal Translator: Alien Grammars and the Limits of the Possible in which she was one of only five students. In this class, Hoshi learned of both the near-impossibility and the absolute necessity of developing a functional Universal Translator if humanity was to travel the stars.

Training
During Starfleet training, Sato held a poker game for new recruits. Regulations at the time stated that gambling was only an honor violation if it was held while school was actually in session, so she held the game on weekends. However, her CO still tried to break up the game, at which point the two got into an argument and she broke his arm. Sato was discharged, but owing to Starfleet's need for language experts, Sato was allowed to rejoin on probation, and she successfully completed the three-year training.

Enterprise
Sato was on leave from Starfleet and working at a language school in Amazon Desert, Brazil in 2151, when she was approached by Captain Jonathan Archer, who wanted her to cut short her leave and journey with the UES Enterprise to Qo'noS, the Klingon homeworld, and return an injured man to them. Sato initially refused, but changed her mind after Archer played a sample of the Klingon language for her. Her attempts to communicate with the Klingon, Klaang, were largely successful, and Sato was later able to translate what the Klingon High Council was saying to Archer without the use of a translator.

After the mission to Qo'noS, Sato agreed to remain aboard the Enterprise, but she soon found the life in space to be difficult for her, and experienced space sickness. At one point she considered leaving Enterprise, but first contact with the Axanarri a few weeks later convinced her to stay. Despite teething problems, Sato became an essential part of Enterprise's crew. Sato served as communications and protocol officer aboard the Enterprise throughout its voyages.

Sato faced a huge problem when trying to decipher the Fazi language a few weeks later. The Fazi's highly structured language meant that she was not completely happy with the translation, but Archer had no problem communicating with Councilman Naom 'it Draa, despite offending him several times.

Xindi Conflict
Read More: Xindi Conflict

During the August Wave, the Earth-centric attack of the Xindi First Strike, Hoshi's parents refused evacuation from their home in Tokyo, intent to allow other refugees to take their spot. Both were killed during the ensuing tsunami which destroyed the city. Tragically her sister was also killed when Seattle was destroyed durign the collapse of the San Andres Faultline.

As a result of the resulting Xindi Conflict, Sato was promoted to lieutenant commander.

In 2154, during the Battle of Tarsus III, Sato was placed in command of the Andorian destroyer ICS Kirti. She was able to use her studies of Andorian culture and her command of the language to rapidly regiment her command staff and bring the ship into battle with the Xindi. Her vessel suffered heavy damage in combat but managed to destroy two enemy crafts.

Sato soon after returned to her post on the Enterprise under Admiral Archer.

Later that year, while assisting the Thelasian Trading Confederacy in translating the language of the mysterious Antianna, Sato made the initial breakthrough that eventually resulted her invention of the linguacode translation matrix. She also began a romantic relationship with Ravis Del'Pan, a Thelasian envoy she had previously met during leave on Risa.

In 2156 the two marriaged, the first Human-Thelasian marriage. The union resulted in a daughter, Umeko Del'Pan.

Later Life
Tragedy struck Sato in 2157 when Ravis was killed during Guardian Conflict, when the Guardians destroyed the Providence colony.

Holding the rank of lieutenant commander, Hoshi Sato retired from Starfleet after Ravis' death to care for her daughter Umeko. Afterwards, she perfected the linguacode translation matrix, which became the most critical element of universal translator technology and used for centuries to come.

Hoshi Sato later moved to Eratosthenes, and remarried to Takashi Kimura and raised a family, sons Aki, Ritsuo, Haruto and Ikuya.