Valéria Serrano was often called "Lince" as a nickname growing up, and it is easy to see why. She is not the tallest example of Human women, but she makes up for it by being a fierce little bugger. A strict regimen of exercise and Holodeck training has given her a body covered in lithe, athletic muscle.  To the point that even in her uniform, it is clear that she has an impressive figure.

Her skin is blessed with the kiss of the Brazilian sun, and she has gotten compliments on her complexion in many bars around the galaxy. In conjunction with the beauty mark on her left cheek, genetics has seen fit to bless Valéria with a not unpleasing visage, to put it mildly. And she knows it too. While she is not a vain person, Valéria has been known to attempt to use wiles during missions in the past.

While she is a very by the book kind of officer, the one deviation from the expected that Valéria has indulged in is a peculiar cut to her lovely dark brown hair. She intentionally crops it very short on the right side of her head, for a reason that only she knows. Many have gotten the impression that it is more than a simple fashion choice.

If there was one defining personality trait of Valéria Serrano, it would be her unwavering focus and discipline. But a close second to these desirable traits would be her dry wit, that she indulges in more than she probably should. How this impacts her performance as an officer usually manifests itself as her carrying out her duty with unyielding tenacity, all the while making comments that would more than likely raise a few eyebrows at Starfleet Command.

It has been noted in Valéria's psych profiles that she possesses an uncommon aptitude for adaptive problem solving. She often surprises her superiors with her suggestions if asked. Outside the box thinking, as it were. Which is not to say that she totally forgoes tried and true methods, simply that she does not feel constrained by them. Valéria's father has often joked that before his daughter retires, they are probably going to name half a dozen new maneuvers after her.

Though some would assume that she is simply engaging in an activity required by her ranks and position, physical fitness and martial arts training are actually Valéria's favorite downtime activity. She finds freedom in the exertion, and peace in the discipline of learning. Aside from the styles taught at the Academy, Valéria has started branching out to learn other nonhuman styles such as Mok'bara and Suus Mahna. Many an evening on the holodeck has ended in sweaty, satisfied delight.

The one area of her life that is not bound by duty and discipline is her love life. Valéria loves fiercely when she chooses a partner. In her mind, she makes a clear distinction between a partner, and a lover. One is to share the soul, and possibly marry one day. A lover is someone to pass a pleasant evening with. In her life, she has had three great loves, all of which affected her deeply. She bears the scars and joys of those relationships still.

Valéria is also a huge animal lover. But only for companionship, otherwise she might have entered a very different career. She is always gathering strays and finding them new homes. At the moment, she has a beautiful Macaw Parrot in her quarters named Frederico.

Valéria Serrano was born in São Paulo, Brazil on October 5th 2334. Her father, Bernardo Serrano, is a skilled and highly accomplished artist from the region. He specialty is in sculpting, though he has been branching out into newer and more abstract art in the last few years. Valéria's mother, Danila, was a well respected civilian exoarchaeologist. While she was a loving mother, her work often took her away from Earth for months at a time. As a result, Valéria was primarily raised by her father, and grew closer to him as a result. However, the galaxy is a dangerous place. And Danila was killed in an accident on Camus II when Valéria was only eight. It was no one's fault, a simple act of chance that could have happened to anyone. However, the event lit a spark in Valéria's mind. She swore that she would never be caught unawares, and that she would be prepared for whatever the galaxy hid in it's dark corners.

That was when she started getting into physical fitness in a big way. Gymnastics, rock climbing, and track were just a few of the ways she found to express this new desire. By the time she was in her secondary education years, she found her primary outlet in her wrestling team. Indeed, when she was sixteen she won a silver medal in her regional high school wrestling tournament. She still proudly hangs it from her wall to this day. But when it came to choose the direction her life would take, Valéria surprised her father by applying to Starfleet Academy. She had never shown any great desire to learn the higher sciences, but the nature and style of the peace keeping and exploration organization appealed to her. And in some small way, she would have an excuse to wander the stars, and maybe understand her mother a bit better. To find the beauty in the unknown that inspired Danila to dig into the sand of far away worlds. Even though Valéria was known for her, some would say, stubbornness, she surprised everyone with her time at Starfleet Academy.

Valéria spent eight years at Starfleet Academy. Four more years than most officers that graduate from their distinguished halls. She graduated with a double Major in Tactical Analysis and Xenolinguistics, with a Minor in Ancient Philosophies. Of course, she continued her previous extracurricular activities by joining the Academy wrestling team. But she also expanded her horizons by joining the Boxing, ESC, and Velocity clubs. It was unsurprising that Valéria became a Security Officer with that kind of background. She was assigned to the USS Farouk El-Baz as a Junior Officer, and served proudly for two years. Unfortunately that proud ship was nearly destroyed, severely damaged during a skirmish in the Romulan Neutral Zone, though she managed to make it safely to a life pod and was rescued in the aftermath of the fight. She eventually was promoted and transferred to the USS Bellerophon, where she served with distinction for five years. The proudest act of career was when she took the tactical controls when the majority of the bridge officers were killed during the Battle of Wolf 359. For her actions she was awarded with the Decoration for Valor and Gallantry.

But when promotion came for the position of a new Tactical Officer, it was suggested that Valéria take the post on the USS Phoenix. That was one of the hardest decisions of her life, but Valéria finally decided to take the posting. It would take her farther and longer from Earth and her father than she had ever been, but this sort of opportunity was too good to pass up. Though she had made close friends on the Bellerophon, she bid them all a fond farewell, and prepared herself for the long exploration voyage into the Gamma Quadrant. This was the kind of adventure her mother would have loved. Valéria hopes that she can make her proud, and finally find what she is looking for among those unexplored stars...