Paige Pharan raised her son for the remainder of the year. Then, the week after his 16th birthday, Donovan took the Starfleet Academy entrance exam and passed easily. He was accepted into Starfleet Academy in 2353. During his time at the Academy, Donovan kept mostly to himself, concentrating on his studies. He was considered a prodigy in virtually every subject, especially Tactics. Eventually though, a young and beautiful cadet named S’Tarleya, a Romulan, managed to crack his shell. He soon fell head over heals in love with S’Tarleya, but it was not to be. A month after graduation, S’Tarleya had already been assigned to the USS Icarus, NCC-51671, while Starfleet was still deciding what to do with the promising young Donovan Black. After much lobbying, Donovan managed to land a post on the out of the way science vessel, much to Starfleet Command’s dismay. Then, as the Icarus was making ready to return to Federation space after their first mission, a mapping mission in unexplored Sector 47, it disappeared and all hands, S’Tarleya included, were presumed dead.

Donovan was crushed. He felt as though he should have been there with S’Tarleya. In the end it was all that Donovan’s friends could do to force him to accept a post on the USS Galatea. As the weeks turned into months, Donovan fell deeper and deeper into the overwhelming depression that had been building since the disappearance of the USS Icarus. Because of his loss, Donovan spiraled into hopelessness and alcoholism.

That could have been the end of Donovan's career, were it not for fate and the charity of one woman. Admiral Alynna Nechayev stepped in and helped the struggling ensign. She ordered him transferred to her flagship, the Excelsior-class USS Relentless, NCC-72010, despite most people’s opinion that he should have been drummed out of Starfleet. She forced him out of his constantly intoxicated state and the ship’s doctor prescribed antidepressants.

Eventually, Donovan came around and his star began to shine again, though he himself seemed darker, and would never speak of S’Tarleya to anyone but his mother, now serving aboard the USS Relentless, and Admiral Nechayev, with whom he had a strong, if somewhat odd relationship. Nobody is quite certain what caused Admiral Alynna Nechayev to rescue Donovan Black, but he believes he owes his life and career to her and will forever be in her debt. He spent the next six years aboard the USS Relentless, serving as tactical officer and a personal aide to Admiral Nechayev.

Then, in 2368, for reasons unknown, Admiral Nechayev dispatched Black to San Francisco, to teach at Starfleet Academy. He taught Tactical Decision Making 101, and several other low level tactical classes at the Starfleet Tactical School, as well as Spatial Physics, Quantum Physics and Xenobiology/Exobiology 101 at the Starfleet School For The Sciences, and was a favorite professor at both schools. His tenure at the Academy was ended several years later. Admiral Nechayev recalled Ensign Black to the USS Relentless, which shortly thereafter left for Romulus. Nechayev, Black, and the Relentless spent the next five years in Romulan space, rarely venturing outside the Neutral Zone, even to resupply. Thus the Relentless and Donovan did not serve in the Dominion War. After a talk with Admiral Nechayev, Donovan put in for transfer to the USS Galaxy. He now servers as an Ensign on board his 5th assignment in his 21 year Starfleet career.

After only one mission aboard the USS Galaxy, Donovan took shore leave on for a month. During this time, he borrowed a runabout from Admiral Nechayev and traveled to Sector 47. While there he was responsible for retrieving the USS Icarus. He also caught and killed S'Tarleya's killer, Commander Sejanus Gordon of the Icarus, and defeated the last members of the alien race that used to inhabit Sector 56. Upon returning to Starbase 415, he was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade by the order of Fleet Admiral Alynna Nechayev and Captain Robert Edward Lee Price.

Underneath all his defenses however, Donovan is a kind and trusting; a cynical and vulnerable man. Most of the time though, he appears normal, and laughs freely, in a rich baritone voice that is the envy of many singers.

Update as of Stardate 50203.31 - Commander Karyn Dallas, Chief Counselor, USS Galaxy With his promotion to Lieutenant (JG) and the closure of being able to bury S'Tarleya, Donovan has finally begun to regain some of the confidence that he had as a younger man. He has recently initiated a relationship with Ensign Sendi Soleri, which seems to be panning out well after some initial difficulty. I believe Donovan is on his way to a full recovery and a normal life.

Donovan has an extensive collection of weapons from the early AD years on Earth to modern phaser rifles. His most prized weapons are a japanese double ended katana and a Type 3b Phaser Rifle.

Donovan is fascinated by ancient Rome, and can sput facts about it sometimes, even to the point of knowing how to speak Latin. Donovan consideres himself an expert marksman, and though his aim is improving, he really is only average when it comes to ranged weapons. Donovan's skill with martial arts is somewhat better, having knowledge of Tae Kwon Do. Like everything, Donovan also has some martial arts experience in Mok-bara and Sekoro, the Klingon and Andorian martial arts. He is only marginally capable with those defensive forms, though. He also enjoys playing racquetball and riding horses, singing 1960's to 1980's terran music and cooking.

Donovan lost his left eye during the USS Icarus mission. It has since been replaced with an optical implant similar to the ones that Lieutenant Commander La Forge of the USS Enterprise-E used. Donovan further enhances this with a tactical headpiece involving a miniature screen that flips into position over the mechanical eye, allowing for readouts to be placed directly on that screen. The eye is sometimes disorienting, especially when Lieutenant Black tries to use both his organic eye and mechanical eye at the same time. It is dark blue, offsetting his normal light blue eye.