Whis was an Andorian in the 24th century.
As a child, Whis lived on planet Rimbor, where his zhavey was a Starfleet security guard.
In 2354, he befriended a human girl, Robin Lefler, whose parents served a one-year assignment on Rimbor. (NF short story: "Lefler's Logs")
Whis went on to join Starfleet, where he was deemed "an engineering wunderkind." He served with distinction on several vessels, before being assigned as chief engineer of the USS Nautilus in 2379. That same year he helped Geordi La Forge, whom he had met at a symposium on Tellar some years prior, obtain some needed parts for the Enterprise. (TNG novel: A Time to Love)