Sternbach was a 23rd century Human man who served Starfleet as a security officer, assigned to Federation starship USS Enterprise in the 2270s. On his first surface assignment in months, Sternbach was left to guard the crates of supplies being brought to the Federation colony on the planet Valerian. He was knocked unconscious by two diminutive creatures who appeared to be goblins but were actually the Kuwalden Osvald and Ekdahl. While Sternbach was unconscious, the two Kuwalden hid inside the crates.