Character Corner: Calandra Menankar
An inside look at my Alien People Chronicles co-protagonist
Sometimes, while developing stories, authors will form an emotional bond with their own characters. They become like close friends or even family.
Such is the case for me with my Alien People Chronicles protagonists. Calandra Menankar and Xttra Oogan existed for more than two decades in my imagination before I finally published Alien People in September, 2020. Both characters are closer to my heart than any other characters I’ve created. I spent countless hours crafting their lives and personalities from scratch.Â
Calandra is the subject of my new Character Corner spotlight. If you haven’t read the Alien People Chronicles trilogy yet, beware that some significant *spoilers* lie ahead.Â
Who is Calandra Menankar?
Calandra is an astronomer from a planet called Lathos. Readers first meet Calandra when she discovers a mysterious probe on the outer edge of her home solar system. Her quest to retrieve the probe and make contact with the probe builders sets the entire Alien People Chronicles trilogy in motion.
Calandra is the oldest child of Malthius Menankar and Alyssa Bru'ala. She was born and raised in Luma – the capital city of Ra'ahm, a theocratic nation on Lathos. Her grandfather, Janthore, served as First Minister under Delcor during the early years of his rule. Janthore was a key ally to Delcor during the final year of the Separatist War and helped him win the war and become Chief Sovereign. Calandra loved her grandfather and visited him in the palace as a child. She harbored resentment toward Janthore as she grew older because he suddenly resigned from his position after the disappearance of the prime oracle Valadius and fled to an off-world colony on Laxa — one of two moons orbiting Lathos. Janthore never returned to his home planet.
As a child, Calandra dreamed of traveling among the stars and visiting other planets. She spent many nights stargazing with her father. Her dreams were hindered by a medical condition that caused her to have brittle bones. Calandra fractured her hand after slipping and falling on the floor as a toddler. Her clan doctor discovered she had brittle bones. This condition disqualified her from service in the Stellar Guard and prohibited her from civilian space travel. Only the chief sovereign himself could lift the ban. With that door closed to her, Calandra became an astronomer when she grew into an adult.
Meeting Xttra Oogan
Calandra's life took a happy turn when she met her future husband, Xttra Oogan, while hiking a remote trail nestled in the Aurora Mountains. From a young age, Calandra embraced hiking as a hobby. It gave her a chance to spend time among nature and animals — two things she deeply enjoys. Hiking also offered a chance to battle back against her brittle bones and not let that condition completely hinder her life. Xttra charmed Calandra with his humor and confidence and she invited him to join her on the remainder of her hike. He asked her on a date after the hike ended and she quickly accepted.
Xttra and Calandra had already been dating for three months at the start of Alien People and are deeply in love with one another. They married a few months before the events of Dark Metamorphosis unfold and she gives birth to their daughter Alexa about 3 ½ years before Among Hidden Stars begins.
Life in Luma
Calandra lives in a spacious apartment in an upscale Luma neighborhood. Her lone roommate is Bella — Calandra's pet cala. (Calas are small carnivores resembling a hybrid of a cat and a squirrel in appearance.) Calandra adopted Bella when she found the little animal injured and abandoned on a trail in the Aurora Mountains. She nursed the cala back to health and enjoys playing with her pet.
A small studio occupies part of Calandra’s apartment where she sketches and paints. Calandra loves to draw mountain scenery, people, and animals in her spare time. Her best friend Alayna casually revealed to Xttra a portrait Calandra drew of him shortly after meeting the master pilot. Calandra felt slightly embarrassed about the revelation because she is shy about sharing her talent for art.
As a child, Calandra loved to explore and discover hidden things. Her curiosity caused her trouble as a teen when she broke her ankle and foot in multiple places after falling in a random cave in the Aurora Mountains. Rescuing her from the cave took over an hour and she could not walk without great pain or difficulty for several months.
First Contact with Earthians
Calandra is 28 years old when Alien People opens. Her curiosity upon finding a probe from a mysterious planet called Earth compels Calandra to learn more about these aliens. She persuades Delcor to authorize a first contact expedition to the distant planet. He allows her to go as a civilian consultant with Xttra and his scout ship crew.
Meeting the Earthians turns into a nightmare. Government and military officials from the United States wrongly assume the Lathoans are hostile invaders after failing to establish communications. US Army rangers track down the entire scout ship crew in Utah. Calandra is captured, imprisoned, and tortured before being rescued by Xttra and Lance. Her arm and several ribs are broken during her capture. Calandra and Xttra finally escape from Earth with the help of Kevin Riley, a sympathetic army ranger, but an infection in her broken arm forces Calandra's clan doctor to amputate the limb to save her life after Calandra returns to Lathos. These events profoundly traumatize her and embitter Calandra towards Earth and Earthians in general.
Appearance and Personality
Calandra would be considered pretty by both Lathoan and Earthian standards. She stands about 5-foot-8 and has an athletic build. She has shoulder-length auburn hair with red highlights, cream colored skin, and deep piercing green eyes. The coloring in her irises is more vivid than what is commonly found in an Earthian’s eyes — a trait all Lathoans share.
Persistence defines Calandra and guides her actions. She once told Xttra she never faced an obstacle she could not overcome. In her younger years, Calandra is filled with hopeful optimism to the point of being too naïve for her own good. Her experiences in the Alien People Chronicles harden her a bit and fill her with distrust and resentment toward Earthians. She struggles to cope with her experiences and often questions why so many bad things happen to her and the people she loves. Calandra is intelligent, thoughtful, warm, caring, and loyal to her family and friends. She has a tender heart and an adventurous spirit — which makes her a good match for Xttra.
Which character from my novels and short stories do you want to see highlighted in a future Character Corner feature? Cast your vote or leave a comment below.
I really liked the one detail that she couldn't go to space because medical reasons, so she became an astronomer and got to space in her own way.
I appreciate how much thought you put into your character development and world building. This is very interesting!