Commander Valtor Grad is a Trill whose symbiont is over 450 years old; the Valtor host is Grad's ninth and is in his mid 50s. The two are a stable pairing. Grad is a fatherly, serene personality that like many Trill, takes the long view of problems and situations. It is incredibly rare to see him frightened or angry, or possessed by any other negative emotion; he practically projects calm. Kor is an ex-engineer and ex-scientist and his Trill background and experience allows him to become extremely practical at need. He is a somewhat unconventional tactician, using his knowledge of history to remake past strategies fit present-day events and circumstances. Grad can see the good in almost anyone, and often struggles to make others of low self-esteem see themselves as he sees them.