Theo Whittaker: Difference between revisions

Captain ‘’’Theo Michelangelo Whittaker’’ is the {{age|2364|10|18}} year old Commanding Officer of the [[USS Columbia]]. He previously served as captain of the medical ship [[USS Blackwell|Blackwell]]- part of the [[Andaris Task Force]] and as [[First Officer]] of [[StarBase 118 Ops|Starbase 118]]. He began his career aboard the [[USS Columbia|Columbia]] as an engineer, eventually becoming Chief Engineer prior to it’s removal from active service.

Born on Archer IV, a Federation colony world, Theo is only the son of the late Josiah Whittaker and Captain Madeline Whittaker- a university professor and a Starfleet officer respectively. His interest in a career with [[Starfleet]] which began at an early age, caused much consternation between father and son- ultimately leading to an estrangement that was not resolved at the time of his father’s passing.

Theo is of average stature for a human male from Archer IV, standing at 5ft 8' (or 1.76 meters) and weighs approximately 152lbs (69kgs). He keeps himself in shape via thrice weekly visits the gymnasium aboard the Columbia giving him a slim but toned appearance. He keeps his black hair short and prefers to wear it with his natural curls. He has Caucasian skin and has uncommonly bright hazel eyes.

Due to being raised mostly by his father (whose family can trace their heritage back to the old British aristocracy) Theo speaks with a distinct old British accent known as 'received pronunciation' and has a tendency to be unusually eloquent as a result, although he has found that he has become more relaxed with his vocabulary as he has become more comfortable in his skin. He has a tendency to smile a lot, especially when dealing with his friends and colleagues.

As a Commanding Officer, Theo operates a relaxed style of command. On duty, he does expect to be called by his rank when on-duty, although he does not like to be called "sir", as his father insisted Theo call him that growing up. His amenable command style has seen him host soirees and attend various off-duty staff gatherings He has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour which some have noted is used in difficult situations as a defence mechanism.

[[File: Offquart.jpg|left|150px]] Theo's quarters aboard the Columbia are located on Deck 2, Section Alpha and, along with the Executive Officer's Quarters, are the closest cabins to the bridge which allows him quick access to it in the event of an emergency.  Although they are more or less identical in basic layout to the XO's cabin, the CO's quarters aboard Columbia are larger. He keeps personal touches to a minimum, however he does have several model starships on display and a series of ancient human novels in first editions, given to him by his father for his 15th birthday. He is fastidious with his cleaning, which is surprising considering that he spends very little time in his quarters unless it is to sleep- even off duty (he spends much of his off duty in his ready room, on the holodeck, lurking in Engineering or visiting his friends aboard the Columbia).

Theo enjoys reading starship technical manuals as well as hosting soirees with various themes. At one time he considered himself an amateur mixologist, however the rigours of command has meant that he had not indulged in this past time for quite some time prior to taking command of the Columbia. He also enjoys fashion and keeps abreast of the latest trends.

Theo's relationship with his father was often frosty and difficult, eventually breaking down all together after Theo made the decision to become a Starfleet officer. Josiah expected his son to enter a life of academia, as had every Whittaker for over 400 years, while Theo wanted to be his own man and find his own way. He would often disappear into the mountains which lay near T'Pol's Landing (Theo's hometown) for days on end, camping in the woods purely to spite his father. In contrast his relationship with his mother, Madeline, is extremely close. She privately supported her son's desire to become whatever he wanted to be and was the one to sponsor his application to Starfleet Academy- which led to the breakdown of her marriage to Josiah. Theo and his mother communicate regularly by letter and she is extremely proud that her son is the Executive Officer of Starbase 118 at the age of {{age|2366|10|18}}. His father passed away from Meenok's disease during the second year of Theo's Starfleet Academy studies while the two were still estranged.

[[File:20080815parkstreet(1).png|thumb|left|Whittaker Mannor, Theo's childhood home.]] Theo Whittaker was born on Stardate 236610.18 in the city of T'Pol's Landing. His father, Josiah Whittaker was determined to ensure that the boy Theo would follow in ten generations of Whittaker's and become an academic, although his mother - Madeline, a Starfleet officer, privately encouraged him to find his own path in life. As mentioned previously, Theo's strong minded independence and closeness with his mother led to a frosty and difficult with his father. On multiple occasions, Theo would run away from the manor he lived in with his father, escaping to the mountains on hikes that could last for two or three days. Other times, Theo would hide for hours in the tunnels that ran beneath the family home.

Due to the intensive studies forced upon him, Theo was known by his peers at school as something of a recluse and a loner with very few friends. His teachers expressed concerns about this, which were dismissed by his father. As a result, Theo found it incredibly difficult to forge bonds with children his own age and led to his reserved manner that he did not shed until well into his tenure as XO of [[StarBase 118Ops| StarBase 118]].

Upon turning eighteen he defied his father's wishes and applied to Starfleet Academy which his mother agreed to sponsor. He failed his first entrance exam following an explosive argument with his father. As a result, he attended university where he gained an undergraduate degree in Terran Literature, followed by a postgraduate degree a year after that. However he still felt the call of Starfleet and so he took the academy entrance exam once again- this time passing and at the age of 23, he took his place at Starfleet Academy, majoring  in Starship Engineering with a minor in Starship Operations Management.