Difference between revisions of "Andrew Sheppard"


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Revision as of 01:30, 11 November 2012

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Basic information
Assignment



Andrew Sheppard, MD is a Federation Starfleet officer serving as Chief Medical Officer of the Vesta-class USS Vesta.

Appearance

Slightly taller than average height, Andrew has always stood out from the crowd, though he has never been one to boast about his appearance nor has he ever taken it for granted. His youthful and fit appearance results from years of self-discipline and a lifestyle promoting complete and total wellness. It has been a compliment to his gracious bedside manner and blessed him with the impression of being an approachable individual.

Personality

General Overview

Andrew is perhaps best known for his professional attitude, dedication to others, and his gracious bedside manner. He works very hard to keep his mind open to the world around him and maintains a lifestyle based on complete wellness. This has often given many people the impression that he is an individual who is quite approachable.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Those who have served with Andrew often speak quite highly of his dedication and his ability to approach any situation with a professional attitude. He is well known for his attention to detail and his ability to blend efficiency with professional courteousy. This ability helps him to instill confidence in his patients and his fellow crewmembers, even in difficult or life-threatening situations. Surprisingly, his experiences as a medical cadet during the Dominion War seemed to have only strengthened his determination to provide wholesome care and service to those in need.

Like most Betazoids, Andrew has a very deep faith and spirituality that has become one of the cornerstones of his life. He has found himself to be most comfortable with the ideas and beliefs of his family that are based in the United Methodist tradition. Andrew draws much of his purpose and strength to serve others from his deep connection to his faith. It is this very same connection that has made him quite open and accepting to those whom he has encountered in his life, often giving him the strength to stand up for those who are in need.

Perhaps one of Andrew’s greatest weaknesses is his tendency to push himself to extreme lengths in the service of others. He has been known to sacrifice his own needs on behalf of those who are in need, in some cases to the point of exhaustion or even mortal peril. Age has brought Andrew some level of wisdom and restraint, but it is a struggle that he finds himself constantly faced with.

Ambitions

Andrew prides himself on being a life-long learner and seeks to constantly expand his knowledge through science and exploration as well as his deep personal faith. It is his hope to make a difference in the lives of the people he meets both as a physician and as one who is willing to share what he has with others. Specifically, he seeks to serve all those who come to him in need, a desire that can be attributed to his faith, his chosen profession as a physician, and his duty as a Starfleet officer.

Hobbies & Interests

Just as in his professional and academic pursuits, Andrew’s personal hobbies and interests reflect the diverse personality of a man who is devoted to the improvement and preservation of all life. He continues to pursue interests in language study and exobiology on a regular basis. Fencing and wilderness recreation offer him the opportunity to maintain personal wellness through physical and emotional exercise. Andrew also enjoys spending time in social observation and partaking in holonovels for personal entertainment. In essence, Andrew seeks to promote a lifestyle of complete wellness in all aspects of his life.

Languages

  • Federation Standard
  • German
  • Latin
  • Ancient Greek
  • Vulcan
  • Klingon
  • Cardassian
  • Bajoran
  • Romulan
  • Denobulan (in progress)
  • Reman (in progress)

Family

Birth Father: Unknown
Birth Mother: Kestra Ellus (deceased)
Adoptive Father: Rev. Charles Sheppard
Adoptive Mother: Annabeth Sheppard
Brothers: Michael Sheppard (38 - Human)
James Edgerton (17 - Human)

History

Early Years

Andrew Sheppard was born on April 14, 2351 to Kestra Ellus, a young Betazoid woman, in New York City on Earth. Shortly after giving birth, Kestra passed away and the yet unnamed child was placed into the temporary care of Charles and Annabeth Sheppard. Charles Sheppard was an ordained United Methodist pastor in New York City and his wife, Annabeth, was the youth director at Charles’ church. The Sheppards eventually decided to formally adopt the young child, giving him the name Andrew.

Andrew spent much of his childhood living in New York City with his adoptive parents and his adoptive older brother, Michael. The two of them got along rather well and would often spend most of their free time roaming around the city in search of something interesting or exciting to do. Because of their parents’ involvement in the United Methodist church, both Andrew and Michael spent a great deal of time involved in the various activities and ministries of their local congregation. Andrew liked the feeling he got from helping others and he enjoyed spending time with the other youth at the church.

Academically, Andrew was a very strong student. His mind seemed like a sponge that would soak up whatever information he was presented with. Whether it was geology, geography, or geometry, he loved learning about new things. When he was eleven years old, Andrew got into a fight with another group of students who had been picking on a fellow classmate who was half-Vulcan. This was quite uncharacteristic for the boy who seemed to be able to get along with pretty much anyone he met. Charles sat Andrew down and explained to him that violence was never the answer, regardless of what the situation was. There were other ways that Andrew could help those in need without resorting to throwing punches. Andrew remembered how he felt when he was helping people through the mission work of the church and took his father’s words to heart.

Around that same time, Andrew’s parents began to notice other unusual signs in their son that started to concern them. He seemed to be more distant with people his own age, especially his older brother, and he would experience drastic mood swings with little or no warning. They eventually took him to see the family physician who informed them that it was only natural for adolescent Betazoid males to experience such things while their telepathic and empathic abilities were asserting themselves. The doctor recommended that Andrew see a counselor, preferably a Betazoid, who might be able to help him sort through all the stuff that he was experiencing. The mood swings seemed to diminish not long after Andrew started meeting with the counselor, but the distance between him and his brother still remained.

Academy Years

Andrew continued to be involved in his father’s church well into high school and, for a time, even considered entering the ministry like his father had. Eventually, he decided against the ministry in favor of entering Starfleet instead. Though he had no concrete idea of what he wanted to be, he applied and was accepted to Starfleet Academy in 2369. He spent most of his first and second year taking a variety of general education courses including continuing his study of languages. As a child, he had taken German through public school and learned Ancient Greek from his father. He decided to try his hand at Klingon and Vulcan during his time at the Academy and found himself to be quite proficient. For a brief time, he considered a career as a linguistic specialist because of his apparent gift for languages.

Academics were not the only focus of Andrew’s attention during his first two years at the Academy. He spent a great deal of his free time involved in extra-curricular activities such as the fencing team, public speaking, and the Academy Jazz ensemble. Despite the amount of time both his studies and extra-curricular activities took up, Andrew always made time to stay active in the local United Methodist church and even started an inter-faith discussion group about different religions and beliefs within the Federation. He prided himself on keeping an open mind and an open heart, making an effort to welcome anyone and everyone who came through his door.

During his second year at the Academy, Andrew had also taken a few courses in biology, anatomy, and psychology that seemed to pique his interest almost as much as languages did. He was fascinated by the complexity of life and the way organisms interacted with their environments. This eventually led to his decision to apply for Starfleet Medical Academy. After two painstaking months, he learned that he had been accepted into the medical program and would be allowed to enter Starfleet Medical Academy after the completion of his studies at Starfleet Academy. In preparation for entering Starfleet Medical Academy, Andrew chose to focus his studies in the areas of biology and psychology. He eventually graduated from Starfleet Academy with a degree in Exobiology in 2373.

Andrew’s time at Starfleet Medical Academy stood in stark contrast to that of his time at Starfleet Academy. The onset of the Dominion War meant that Andrew and his fellow medical students saw a great deal of field action across the Federation. Many of his classmates became quite discouraged by the death and destruction they faced during their field assignments, but the things Andrew witnessed only served to further his determination to become a Starfleet physician. These were people in need and he wasn’t about to let them suffer without at least trying to do something about it. By the end of the Dominon War, Andrew had twice been awarded for valor when he risked his own life to save wounded officers during combat with the Jem’Hadar. Despite the amount of time Andrew had spent in the field, he had completed the entirety of his coursework within three years and managed to graduate with honors in 2376.

Early Starfleet Career

His first assignment was to the USS Galen, a medical relief vessel acting as part of the effort to rebuild in the wake of the Dominion War, as one of the ship’s large medical staff. As a medical officer, his duties ranged from simple physical examinations to assisting in surgery. The experiences he had gained during the Dominion War gave him a significant advantage in entering his field and it did not go unnoticed by his superiors.

One such occasion occurred during the evacuation of a Cardassian colony world near the borders of the Federation that had been devastated by Dominion retaliatory strikes in the final days of the war. The aftereffects of these strikes had poisoned the planet’s biosphere and threatened the very existence of the colony. At the request of Elim Garak, a small group of Federation ships was allowed to enter Cardassian space to assist in the colony’s evacuation. Andrew was among one of several teams sent down by the Galen to help organize the transport of civilians to the waiting starships in orbit. His professionalism and efforts to assist the colonists were recognized by both his own superiors as well as members of the colonial leadership.

By mid-2380, Andrew had risen to the position of Assistant Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Galen. He was well known amongst the medical staff for his attention to detail and his ability to blend efficiency with professional courteousy. Andrew increased the efficiency of the Galen’s medical staff by 28% over the course of two years by recommending changes in duty roster assignments, material inventory, and departmental procedure. His dedication to both patient and fellow crewman earned him the respect of many and continued recognition by the ship’s chief medical officer and command staff.

The Intrepid Doctor

Andrew was eventually transferred to the USS Intrepid in 2382, where he would continue to serve in the role of assistant chief medical officer for another two years. He continued to approach his duties with the same positive and determined attitude that had served him well in the past. At the recommendation of Captain Benjamin Edwards, Andrew completed the necessary coursework to successfully pass the Starfleet Bridge Officer Examination and earning himself a promotion to the rank of full lieutenant and appointment as the Intrepid’s new Chief Medical Officer.

In early 2387, Andrew received orders to report to the USS Frontier, where he would be assuming the post of Chief Medical Officer under the command of Captain Mordred Ocal. Despite the similarities between the Frontier and the Intrepid, Andrew found that there were many opportunities for experience that differed greatly from his previous assignments. He accepted the transfer without hesitation.

The Frontier had no sooner received its new Chief Medical Officer than she departed for Starbase Gatekeeper where intelligence reports indicated a large fleet made up of various Elyshan factions might have intended to push through the relatively unguarded Federation border. Ambassador Mordred Ocal quickly joined Rear Admiral Arrenhe Chan-Louris of Starbase Gatekeeper in overseeing the hastily prepared Federation defenses. As the newest member of the Frontier's senior staff, Andrew observed the interactions amongst his shipmates and provided a strong source of leadership within his own department leading up to the Battle of Gatekeeper. It was in the wake of their successful defense that Andrew began to develop his professional relationship with Ambassador Ocal.

After completing sufficient repairs to get underway, the Frontier departed Starbase Gatekeeper to begin her patrol along the Romulan Border which also served as an opportunity to search for members of her senior staff who had disappeared during the prior engagement. The Frontier eventually tracked Commander Sara Vickers and Commander Shade Castillo to the forsaken planet of Nimbus III and were soon attacked by rogue bioship belonging to Species 8472. Andrew was one of many who managed to survive the engagement as well as the Frontier's subsequent plunge into one of Nimbus III's oceans, though not without injury.

Andrew returned to his family home in New York City where he continued to recover from the injuries he sustained at Nimbus III while the recovered Frontier underwent a complete refit at the Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards. The opportunity to relax in a familiar environment was something the good doctor found he had been needing for quite some time and took advantage of, but the fate of the USS Frontier and her crew never strayed far from Andrew's mind. He eventually traveled to England in search of the Frontier's withdrawn commanding officer, making a personal house call to the estate of Ambassador Mordred Ocal, in hopes of convincing the ambassador to return.

Having finally completed what amounted to a total reconstruction, the USS Frontier departed Utopia Planetia for her assignment along the Cardassian border with instructions to patrol the region and seek opportunities to test the numerous advanced systems which had been included in her refit. Andrew, for his part, returned to find some of the familiar faces he had come to know as well as the unfamiliar faces of those who were joining the Frontier for the very first time.

The Frontier had scarcely reached the Cardassian border before they received a mysterious distress call. They arrived on the scene to find the remains of a Cardassian Galor-class warship and an intact, unknown alien vessel drifting in space. An away team was promptly dispatched via shuttlecraft due to unknown interference from the vessel's hull which prevented both scanning and beaming. It did not the away team long to discover several of the aliens rendered unconscious by whatever had transpired between the two vessels and it was the decision of Ambassador Ocal to bring the aliens aboard the Frontier for medical treatment.

As Chief Medical Officer aboard the Frontier, Andrew played a significant role in better understanding these mysterious aliens despite the inability of Federation medical technology to overcome the natural interference encountered when attempting to treat their injuries. He strongly objected to demands by a fringe Cardassian group that the aliens (later known as the V'Sai) be turned over to them. It seems altogether fitting that Andrew also became one of the first individuals to interact with the V'Sai when the survivors in sickbay regained consciousness.

Aboard the USS Vesta

Andrew was somewhat surprised when he was offered the chance to serve aboard the USS Vesta, a Vesta-class vessel operating as part of the Eleventh Fleet along the southern-most frontier of Federation space, but he embraced this new opportunity with his usual sense of enthusiasm.


Service Record


Starfleet Service Record
(2369-2373) T-c4.png Medical/Sciences Cadet Starfleet Academy
(2373-2376) T-c4.png Medical Cadet Starfleet Medical Academy
(2376-2380) T-o2.png Medical Officer USS Galen
(2380-2382) T-o2.png Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Galen
(2382-2384) T-o2.png Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Intrepid
(2384-2387) T-o3.png Chief Medical Officer USS Intrepid
(2387-2388) T-o3.png Chief Medical Officer USS Frontier
(2388-Present) T-o3.png Chief Medical Officer USS Vesta