Shyla Lynn Moreau was born to Abigail Moreau and Dennis Moreau in Lafayette, Louisiana. While she was growing up, her civilian father spent long months away from home on various Federation humanitarian efforts often fraught with enough danger to warrant leaving his family at home. Shyla loved her father with all her heart but it was her mother that was her life.

When Shyla was just 7 years old, Abigail began to suffer from complications due to Kelway's Syndrome, an immune disorder she had developed many years before. Abigail had lived most of her life with the disease in remission but knew that any complications were potentially fatal so she sent for Shyla's father. Abigail died within minutes of Dennis Moreau's arrival home.

Forced to set aside his compassion on the grander scale, Dennis Moreau focused all the love in his heart on his daughter. Abigail's death had devastated the child and her father did everything humanly possible to give his daughter the best possible life. She grew up surrounded by her father's infinite kindness and eventually was able to grieve appropriately for her lost mother. Abigail had given up a Starfleet career to raise her child and Shyla dreamed that one day she would honor her mother's memory by serving in Starfleet. She was accepted on her first attempt at age 17 and soon began Starfleet Academy, encouraged by her proud father.

While at the Academy, Shyla excelled and showed remarkable aptitude for the sciences (notably the stellar and planetary sciences). She was set to finish fourth in her class as a First Year Cadet when she inexplicably transferred her Academy credits to the Enlisted Training Facility and finished out her training there. She went on to the Astrometric Technical "A" School at Jupiter Station to train for a year before accepting her first assignment at Starbase 163.

Contrary to popular belief, Crewman Moreau has not totally cast off the idea of becoming a commissioned officer someday though she keeps the ambition quiet. She constantly involves herself in the learning process, taking subspace courses in the sciences and spends a good part of her free time pursing these activities. As it is, her self-taught knowledge is extensive and her department head at Starbase 163 never worried about assigning the young crewman responsibilities normally given to the higher ranks. When asked why she quit the Academy, Shyla merely indicates that she was in a hurry to get into space.

Crewman Moreau has recently submitted a transfer to the Intrepid-class starship USS Hikaru Sulu and hopes to serve in the ship's Astrometrics Lab.

Often mistaken for being shy, Crewman Moreau is simply thoughtful and reserved. She tries to keep her enthusiasm for the mysteries of the universe carefully controlled but often can't help expressing a bit of a childlike wonder when she is particularly touched by a discovery or an event. Many people who have experienced this side of her personality believe Shyla to be hopelessly naïve when she is, in fact, an eternal optimist. She is unruffled by criticism or disdain, is almost saintly in her kindness, and tries to give everyone she meets the benefit of the doubt. Shyla is very charitable with her time and tries to spend as much as she can helping those who are less fortunate.