Lieutenant Commander James Markson

 Physical Characteristics:
James is fairly tall and slim, not being broad but rather slight in frame. He is clean shaven with brown hair and vaguely blue eyes, which, upon closer examination show splashes of green and hazel, giving a vibrant feel and a look constant alertness in an otherwise often calm face. His straight nose and proud chin shine through his turbulent past, suggesting a handsome face, now marred by a prominent scar across his left cheek, which despite modern dermal regenerators, still remains as a souvenir of his career as a fighter pilot during the dominion wars. For the most part he walks humbly, treading softly, though when the occasion calls he has been seen to walk proudly and in an almost kingly fashion, a great, although reluctant inspirer of men.

Personality:
James started the academy at 18 as a proud young man, confident in his abilities, at times, overly and overtly so. One did not have to scratch much at the surface to find arrogance, born from the experience of being the best at everything. Though constantly aware of the virtues of modestly, he was all too keen to let others know of his achievements, and impressive though they  might have been, he still found few who were able to tolerate his sometimes boastful tendencies. It  was therefore with little remorse that he decided  to leave his home for Starfleet Academy, not having many close friends to hold him. His athleticism and intelligence saw him through the Academy entrance exam easily, earning him some of the best marks in all tests. Upon entering the academy, overly confidant in his own abilities, he put little effort into his work, seeking to impress his peers with daring stunts and high performance in competitions, hoping to earn the friends and admirers he had never had. His lack of effort and lack of interest in his subjects gave him moderate grades, and his poor attendance in classes soon meant he found himself being humbled in front of his commanding officer at Starfleet Academy. His extravert nature was tamed and he retreated into himself. Finding solace in solitude, he still paid little attention to his work throughout his first year, instead focusing on challenges, both physical and mental, hoping that in finding the limits to his abilities he might kerb the soaring self confidence which had led to such arrogance that he hated himself for it. Here he found a solution at least in part, and was finally humbled during the dominion wars, barely escaping with his life in one particular conflict and withstanding heavy injuries. Having found the limits of his abilities which at one time he almost thought boundless, he became more reserved and shy in character, in what most of his friends thought was a change for the better, who undoubtedly thought him brilliant, though his brilliance they later discovered was restrained in his inability to appropriately express himself, neurological scans during the treatment of his injuries showing him to have strong dyslexia. Having been informed of this he returned to his career as a fighter pilot as soon as his injuries allowed, eager to not only impress but determined to become the best, confidant that at least in this he could show his ability.


Hobbies and Interests:
Sports, Fighter Design, Holodramas.
 

History:

James Markson was born in Plymouth, England. His childhood was to others one of excellence, to him one of frustration, as he struggled to find ways to express his advanced ideas at an early age. Academic studies came easily to him, and he soon found himself a year above his age group, still being the top of his local school. He was in many ways detached from his parents who never really understood or got to know him. He therefore focused on his many pursuits, finding time to be involved in most or all of the sports available to him, and often going further than was required in his studies.

By the age of 14 he came out of his self imposed solitude, seeking to impress those around him. This he found difficult, conversation and integration with his peers being one of the few things that did not come easily to him, but he persevered, only to discover his arrogance and his unswerving belief in his own superiority kept others at bay. At 16 his eyes fell upon a colleague at school, where he was known by reputation, his reputation not at all being favourable. He soon realised he had strong feelings for this girl, however upon approaching her, he found himself ignored and shunned. This brought him in shock down to earth, but was still arrogant to convince himself that it was her loss, and he was kindly favouring her by attempting to talk to her. It was at this point he started looking for something to do after he finished at school at 18, and quickly settled on Starfleet. Here, he thought, his talents would be recognised and he focused his studies on learning all he might need to know.

Having taken the entrance exam shortly after his 18th birthday he was accepted, and later that year began his first year at the Academy. He found the Academy to not be up to his high expectations, and although many were near his ability he failed to see them, and assumed he needed to put little effort into his work. This resulted in him seeking other outlets in his spare time, resorting to stunts and pranks, and infrequently attending classes in an effort to gain himself attention. Mid-way through his first year he was subsequently called up before his commanding officer at the Academy and put on probation. This time even James himself could not ignore his behaviour. After this he spent increasing amounts of time alone, and focused on challenging himself, soon realising he was not as great as he had once led himself to believe. He ended his year once more towards the top of most of his classes, but his poor effort throughout most of the year meant he only survived the cut of a large percentage of the students by a small amount. On starting his second year he focused on “Fighter Maintenance and Piloting” enjoying this more than any other of his courses, and his diligence paid off, finishing top in a class of 70, having extended his studies in this area well beyond the required level.

It was soon realised by his superiors and  tutors at the academy this was his forte and his focus on this subject was encouraged. By the end of his 4-year course he had done well in all areas, but was recognised for his excellence in Fighter Maintenance and Piloting, and transferred to the Mars Shuttle Operations Test Facility to work on the Razor Class fighter. However this work was cut short by the outbreak of the dominion war, and he was sent along with other, more experienced pilots, to the front lines. His first taste of major action was during the dominion assault on Betazed. Here at last he saw a place to win himself renown. Ignoring the order to retreat he foolishly fought to the last against Dominion dominance. His battle came to an end in his futile defence of a fleeing transport ship carrying civilians from the planet. After disabling two Jem’Hadar attack ships his fighter was caught by the fire of a Breen warship, and he was counted for dead, however his fighter managed to limp away from the battle on impulse power to be picked up by a retreating Federation Starship.
                        He was commended with a reward for bravery, his refusal to retreat being seen as a determination to save civilians, rather than a selfish desire to gain fame. After recovering from his injuries he was posted as the Chief Shuttle Officer on the USS White Star, and whilst serving there, was given a promotion to Lieutenant JG before being transferred to the USS Russia were he served as Fighter Detachment Commanding Officer on a predominantly Marine ship. His ability to command was there seen, despite his shy nature. It was nonetheless a shock when he was offered a promotion to Lt. Cmdr. and a position as the Executive Officer on the new sovereign class USS Intervision. He quickly accepted this promotion and was later offered a further promotion to Commander and the command of the USS Intervision as the CO, Commander Dor was transferred to another ship. Despite his success as an executive officer, he soon found that it did not suit him and stepped down from command, feeling he was more “at home” as a pilot and always would be.
                       

Commodore Butterworth's thoughts on James Markson

Stardate: 237809.20

Yet to be recorded.