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Revision as of 23:40, 6 July 2011

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Basic information
Assignment



Mark Anderson is a Federation Starfleet officer, veteran of the Dominion War, and commanding officer of the Sentinel-class USS Eagle.

Appearance

Mark appears middle-aged and physically fit. Just for fun, he decided to try out the beard that he has maintained since his time on the Avenger. His eyes sparkle with a daring curiosity, but have been known to hold a compassion that can rival many professional counselors.

Personality

Mark is very enthusiastic about life. He faces each new day head on, hoping to gain something new and to leave something to others. While some may consider him rash at times, Mark usually has a way of finding the road less traveled and racing down it. He maintains a close relationship with his brother, something that has defined him since his childhood.

Some have described Mark as a free spirit who's faded with time. They would be furthest from the truth. Mark's sense of loyalty and devotion to his shipmates, his family, and his career make him a dependable rock in many situations. The scorn of love lost has never left Mark. Likely because of that reason, he has never sought another relationship.

While many might say that their ambition is to command a starship, Mark finds that rather low on his list of priorities. Since the "discovery" of his son, his main ambition has been to be a good father and to raise his son to be an individual. He strives to put forth his best effort in everything that he does and what comes will come.

Hobbies & Interests

Like many Starfleet officers, Mark enjoys the wonders of the holodeck. It can be a great escape when on deep space assignment. More often, he finds that spending time with his son or with fellow shipmates can be even more rewarding. When he was younger, Mark learned how to play the saxophone. He has only recently begun attempting to recover that lost ability. Outside of that, he enjoys reading and listening to music from Earth's history.

Family

Father: Jack Anderson
Mother: Maria Anderson nee Mitchell
Brother: Simon Anderson
Fiancee: Ensign Jennifer Sanderson (deceased)
Children: James Anderson

History

Childhood

Mark was born on March 20, 2345 to parents Jack and Maria Anderson. He was the elder of his twin brother, Simon. The two brothers spent much of their childhood living aboard the SS Kaligula, a Federation science vessel operating on behalf of the Daystrom Institute. As the only children aboard, the twins developed a close bond with each other. Playmates, co-conspirators, and confidantes, Mark and Simon not only managed to get into much mischief, but they also learned quite a few things from their parents and the other scientists aboard.

The Kaligula would spend years researching a specific project, then abruptly shift to another assignment. It was these abrupt shifts that always interested Mark. He loved to sit on the bridge and watch the crew at work. By the time he was ten, Mark knew each position and their duties by heart. He had started to memorize the different control stations and their functions. From his parents point of view, he seemed to be headed for a career in Starfleet.

If that was the case, then his brother would likely be going too. The siblings were nigh inseparable. With their parents often buried in mounds of data and statistics, the two had taken to watching out for each other. As the eldest, Mark felt a certain responsibility to Simon. That wasn’t to say they didn’t fight. In fact, on one occasion, the brothers got into such an argument that they didn’t speak to each other for three days. Every time one of them would enter a room, the other would leave. The crew thought the two would never speak again, but they did.

When the twins were fourteen, their parents returned to the Daystrom Institute on Earth to compile all the research they had been doing aboard the Kaligula. This provided them the opportunity to attend high school with teenagers their own age.

On the first day, however, Mark landed himself in detention and on the Principal’s watch list. When a group of social elites tried to pick on Simon, Mark intervened. The situation escalated and Mark ended up sending three of them to the nurse’s office with various minor injuries. He knew that it had been wrong to take things that far, but no one picked on his little brother.

The twins continued to stick together, even though they didn’t always hang out in the same circles. Both of them were involved in various school activities and they both graduated in the top 5% of their class. Mark still desired to go into Starfleet and Simon was willing to follow his brother on that career path. The two brothers headed off to Starfleet Academy together.

Academy Years

Their first few months at the Academy were eye-opening. Simon struggled with some aspects of his program and thoughts of dropping out and finding something else to do with his life began to emerge. Mark didn’t want to see his brother go and tried to encourage Simon to stick with it. He offered to help Simon with tutoring and made sure to invite him whenever he went out with friends. For awhile, this seemed to work for the twins.

Mark eventually settled into flight control. He enjoyed spending time in the simulators flying all different kinds of craft from shuttles to starships, even antiquated aircraft. His instructors were so impressed by his work that they recommended him for fighter pilot training. Mark turned down the offer, citing his desire for exploration, rather than combat oriented service.

Returning late one night from a practical simulation, Mark found his brother packing. Simon had dropped out of the Academy. Things had gotten to be too much for him and he was going off to the Daystrom Institute to finish his education. From there, he wasn’t sure what he would do. Mark initially didn’t know what to say. In the end, the two brothers parted for the first time, wishing each other the best.


Early Starfleet Career

Mark graduated from the Academy in 2367 and received his first posting as a shuttle pilot for McKinley Station. Since shuttling various officers and dignitaries to and fro was rather routine, this left Mark with lots of time to himself. Ordinarily, he would have spent that time with his brother, but now that Simon was working on a graduate degree, there wasn’t a lot of time for the two of them to get together. Instead, Mark frequented the regular hangouts for Starfleet officers, both in San Fransisco and McKinley Station.

It was during these visits that he met Ensign Jennifer Sanderson, a flight controller aboard the Indianapolis. The two of them began to grow close, even became engaged to marry, but Jennifer backed out at the last minute. To add insult to injury, she transferred to a deep space assignment and Mark was unable to reach her. Scorned, Mark focused on his duties, mundane as they appeared.

In early 2370, he was shuttling Captain Katie Julliard to her new posting aboard the USS Avenger, a new Defiant-class escort. The captain was impressed by Mark’s decorum and piloting skills that she requested he be assigned to the Avenger as Chief Flight Control Officer. Surprised at the sudden change of pace, Mark accepted. The chance to be out in open space was something he was all too eager to experience.

Aboard the Avenger, Mark found his career to be much more enjoyable than shuttle duty. He easily made friends amongst the crew and frequently spent his off duty time in the mess hall, swapping stories of various dignitaries who were not so dignified. Regular contact with his brother, who had remained on Earth and become a marine biologist, was a highlight of his free time.

In 2371, the Avenger was escorting two Federation transports to Rigel VII when they came under attack by pirates. The attack was highly coordinated and sought to separate the three ships from each other. Mark used his expertise and the maneuverability of the Avenger to his advantage, providing every opportunity for the tactical officer to hit his marks. Surprised by the strong reaction they received, the pirates retreated and the convoy continued, unabated.

The Avenger was called upon to conduct a search and rescue mission in 2371 following the disappearance of the USS Voyager. When no immediate trace of the vessel was found amidst the plasma storms of the Badlands, Starfleet called off the Avenger in favor of vessels with better suited sensor palates.

In 2372, the Avenger entered orbit of Joliet IV to investigate anomalous sensor readings picked up by a passing survey ship. Mark, by now a lieutenant and second officer aboard the Avenger, was selected to lead the away team. As soon as they beamed down, a dampening field appeared, severing all communications with the Avenger. With no other alternative, Mark led his team onward to complete their mission. In searching for a way to contact the Avenger, they stumbled upon an Iconian outpost. The team managed to figure out a way to deactivate the dampening field long enough for the Avenger to beam them out. While there was no gateway present, Starfleet immediately classified the discovery and ordered a debrief of the Avenger’s crew.

The Dominion War

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With the outbreak of the Dominion War in 2373, the Avenger, like her sistership, the Defiant, was seen as a valuable tool against the Dominion advance. Participating in various escort, reconnaissance, and strike missions, the Avenger saw little mainstream action. She was recalled to Utopia Planetia in 2375 for modifications following the destruction of the Defiant by a Breen Energy Weapon at the Second Battle of Chin’toka.

Due to the growing loss of experienced officers, many of the senior staff of the Avenger were dispersed amongst the fleet to fill in where needed. Mark was assigned to the USS Houston, one of the new Intrepid-class starships commissioned shortly before the Dominion War. Continuing his role as Chief Flight Control Officer and second officer, Mark saw increased action along the front lines, culminating in his experience at the Battle of Cardassia.

The Houston suffered heavy damage at the hands of Dominion attack ships, which were more maneuverable than the larger Intrepid-class starship. Mark managed to shake two of the pursuing vessels, but he could not lose the third. Finally, Mark brought the Houston to a halt, causing the Dominion to overshoot and providing the tactical officer a clear shot.

Finally, with the war over, the Houston was assigned as part of the task force to help supply relief to the devastated Cardassian people. Again, the need for officers was great and the Houston’s first officer was granted a command of her own. Captain Denar asked Mark to step up to the challenge. Mark agreed, though he would miss the hands on feel of the helm. It turned out the paperwork was the hardest part to get used to.

Reunion

It was during a layover at Deep Space Nine in 2382 that Mark was approached by a boy who claimed to be his son. Disbelieving at first, Mark brought the boy to the Houston’s CMO to be tested for DNA comparison. It turned out the boy’s story was true. James Anderson had been born in 2370 while his mother was serving aboard the USS Roanoke. She continued to raise him aboard the Roanoke until the war. In the final days of the Dominion War, she suffered severe injury from an ambush that forced her to resign from Starfleet. The injury was worse than initially suspected, as her condition continued to deteriorate.

Finally, she broke down and told James about his father and where to find him. Then, shortly afterwards, she died. James was shuttled off to her parents, who were not pleased with having a child dumped on their doorstep. Mark could understand the feeling himself. A few weeks prior, the boy had run away and found Simon, Mark’s brother. Surprisingly, Simon had said nothing in their previous communications about the boy. It was Simon who helped James to get to Deep Space Nine.

Still blindsided by the sudden revelation, Mark took the boy in. It took some time, but he began to grow accustomed to having another person living with him. He could see a little of the boy’s mother in him, which reopened the pain of her departure. His love for the boy was the final assurance that James was indeed his son. Mark made a promise to himself, never to let the boy go. If he let James slip by, he might not ever forgive himself.

Recent Career

Mark continued to serve aboard the Houston until 2387, when he was offered command of the newly constructed USS Eagle. With his teenage son at his side, he arrived aboard the Eagle shortly before the expected launch date. In addition to settling in and helping to oversee preparations for launch, Mark took advantage of their proximity to Earth and spent a few days on the surface with his brother.

Personal Life

Personal Relationships

Mark's twin brother Simon

Simon Anderson

The twin Anderson boys grew up together without anyone but each other's company for most of their childhood. Mark loved his brother dearly and the two were often getting into mischief together. It wasn't until the day Simon dropped-out of the Academy that Mark realized just how close he and his brother had been. Even then, Mark took advantage of the proximity of the Academy and his first assignment as a shuttle pilot with McKinley Station to continue to visit his brother on a regular basis.

Though Mark's assignments prevented him from seeing much of his brother, the two kept in close contact. Perhaps that was why it was such a shock when Mark learned that Simon had kept James' identity secret from him. It wasn't long before the two siblings made-up. Mark makes it a point to visit his brother, now a researcher at the Cetacean Institute in San Fransisco, whenever he is in the neighborhood.

Jennifer Sanderson

Mark met Ensign Jennifer Sanderson at Kelio's Pub, one of many Starfleet officer hangouts in San Fransisco, in early 2369. He was a shuttle pilot for McKinley Station and she was a flight controller aboard the Indianapolis. Close in age, the two hit off almost immediately. Their relationship continued to develop over the next six months. The young couple became engaged later that year with plans to be married in early 2370. It seemed as if everything was going perfect until Jennifer accepted a posting to a deep space assignment and disappeared without even saying good-bye.

Devastated, Mark threw himself into his work. The scorn that he had received from Jennifer's abandonment left an emotional wound that would never fully heal. It wasn't until the discovery of his son, James Anderson, that Mark would learn what had happened to his nearly wedded wife.

James Anderson

James at age 16

The discovery of his own son was a blindsiding revelation for Mark. He had not been aware of the boy's existence or the fate of his mother since Jennifer left in 2370. Understandably, Mark was initially skeptical and upset about being kept in the dark. If he was the boy's father, he had a right to know. The fact that Simon had been aware of the boy did not seem to help matters. Eventually, once the relationship was confirmed and custody granted, Mark began the slow process of getting to know his lost heir.

It didn't take long for Mark to start taking James on father/son outings, most of which took place on the holodeck for lack of a better destination. These outings, combined with time spent 'hanging out' and working on James' studies, helped to foster a strong bond between father and son. Mark made every effort to encourage James to consider many possibilities for his future and not just Starfleet.

Mark is proud of the young man that James has become and the accomplishments the boy has made. Whatever his chosen path in life, Mark is certain that James will succeed. He and his son continue to enjoy quality time together, though the activities have changed from toy blocks to more sophisticated adventures with the aid of the holodeck. Mark considers his relationship with his son to be a strength and a blessing. He finds that it has given him a deeper sense of purpose in life and looks forward to seeing what the future holds for his son.

Service Record

  • Cadet - Flight Control, Starfleet Academy (2363 - 2367)
  • Ensign - Shuttle Pilot, McKinley Station (2367 - 2370)
  • Lieutenant JG - Chief Flight Controller, USS Avenger (2370 - 2375)
  • Lieutenant - Chief Flight Controller, USS Houston (2375)
  • Lieutenant Commander - Executive Officer, USS Houston (2375 - 2387)
  • Commander - Commanding Officer, USS Eagle (2387 - Present)