Warning!
	This article contains information regarding Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and thus may contain spoilers.

Emerin Sadal was a Betazoid who served as the President of Betazed in the late 32nd century. He belonged to the notable First House, and was the father of Tarima and Ocam. (SA: "Beta Test")

As a child, Tarima lost control of her telepathic abilities in a fit of anger and accidentally destroyed her father's auditory cortex. Sadal was thereafter deaf and primarily used lip reading and sign language to communicate when meeting with the Federation, although he was also capable of verbal speech. He made use of an interpreter drone which automatically interpreted his signs into audible speech. (SA: "Beta Test", "Come, Let's Away")

Sadal was an isolationist who had campaigned for the presidency on maintaining the psionic wall that had kept his people secluded from the wider galaxy for over a century. Nevertheless, early in his term he was pressured by the Betazed Youth Delegation, led by his children, to enter negotiations with the Federation to lower the barrier and renew Betazed's membership. Due to the presence of the Youth Delegation, the Betazoids were received at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco.

Sadal's opening demands were twelve battle-ready starships to be permanently stationed within five light years of Betazed, six seats on the Federation Security Council, and the right to veto any potential new Federation member without consensus. The Federation counter-offered four starships, three Council seats, and "meaningful input into new members," which failed to satisfy Sadal. He was further irritated by Tarima's growing closeness with Cadet Caleb Mir, who had a criminal record. Declaring that the Federation offered only "empty words", he ended the talks and prepared to depart.

However, at Mir's urging, Tarima persuaded her father to return to the table. Captain Nahla Ake then presented the Federation's additional offer to construct its new capital on Betazed, a concrete demonstration of commitment that finally convinced Sadal who went so far as to give his agreement verbally. Afterward, Sadal permitted Tarima and Ocam to remain on Earth and enlist in Starfleet as cadets. (SA: "Beta Test")

When Tarima stowed away on the USS Athena at the end of the academic year rather than returning to Betazed, Ake commented that her father was not going to be happy. (SA: "300th Night")