CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY SHEET
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Name:
Commander Wolphbayne Stryker Personal Data: Height: 6'3" Immediate Family: Mother: Miereaine Pennye Stryker |
Physical Appearance: As Stryker is fond of saying, "gravity is starting to catch up." Although still muscular, his waist tends to reflect his middle age and his appetite for rich foods–frequent visits to the gym is the price he pays. Nevertheless, he is immaculate in his appearance and is an imposing figure in any situation. He combs his salt-and-pepper hair (more pepper than salt–at least for now) straight back. He keeps his moustache and goatee–both with their share of gray–carefully trimmed.
Personality: Considered a fair but demanding officer, Commander Stryker expects the very best from his sub-ordinates–no less than he expects from himself. A patient and pragmatic individual, Wolfbayne does not gladly suffer fools; his life motto can be summed up by: "Fool me once, shame on you–fool me twice, shame on me." He has a ready wit and a booming laugh. Stryker enjoys spending his off-duty time nursing a drink while he listens intently to "sea stories," or telling his own. He is an avid reader and can quote some of the most obscure poets, storytellers, and writers in the literary world. True to his Scottish heritage, Stryker is considered by many to be a virtuoso on ancient Scottish bagpipes. Wolphbayne has a slight but noticeable Scottish accent. Where women are concerned, he is gentle, conscientious, and sleeps alone only when he chooses to do so. He prefers his lovers to be strong-willed, intelligent, and definitely blonde.
Other Pertinent Data: Stryker enjoys Acey Deucy (a popular 20th Century U.S. Navy game which is a variation of Backgammon), is a light sleeper, and drinks Cutty Sark Scots whiskey on the rocks. He is extremely close with his sister, who is the Operations Officer on USS CAPTAIN JAMES COOK (NCC–8890), a GALILEO-class Starcruiser. Not surprisingly, his nicknames are "Wolfman," and "Wolf."
History: Born into a Scottish family and raised on the Gulf Coast of North America on Earth, Commander Stryker grew up with salt water in his blood. Before joining Starfleet, he and his sister spent three years circumnavigating Earth in a 38–foot sloop, traversing all seven seas. Sailing vessels, especially those classified as "tall ships," fascinate him. When he assumed his duties as First Officer of USS PHOENIX, he immediately decorated his living quarters with memorabilia and pictures of seas, coastlines, and wind-powered vessels from all over the Federation. A three-foot-long model of the composite clipper ship Cutty Sark (a three-masted sailing ship from Earth’s 19th century) occupies a prominent place in his quarters.
He entered the Academy much later than usual and was the oldest member of his class--a handicap he overcame quickly with his gregarious personality and ready wit. Although he wasn’t at the top of his graduating class, his maturity and quick grasp of strategy and tactics marked him as a "fast-track officer."
Stryker’s first assignment after graduation was USS LEFTWICH, a Michael Adam-class Scout. He distinguished himself during several skirmishes with Orion pirates and, as a lieutenant, was given command of a corvette, USS EVILSIZER. The tactics he developed for single- and multiple-ship corvette operations against superior forces became required reading at the Academy and was successfully used in several hostile engagements.
He was offered, but turned down, a position in the Academy teaching those tactics. Stryker took a line from a famous 19th Century Earth naval officer when he responds to the offer: "Sailors belong on ships, and ships belong at sea."
When offered an early promotion to Lieutenant Commander and a transfer to a Destroyer as First Officer, Wolphbayne fought a losing battle to remain in corvettes. With a genuine reluctance he accepted his new duties, but quickly discovered that the destroyer was a perfect platform to refine his tactical concepts. Four years after reporting aboard the destroyer USS LUCIFER, he was reassigned to the tactical cruiser USS LIGHTFOOT, serving as Operations Officer. When both the Commanding Officer and the First Officer were killed at the Battle of Five Points during the Andromean War (2310), he assumed temporary command of the LIGHTFOOT. In spite of his own injuries, he brought the severely damaged ship back to Starbase 237 for repairs.
Admiral Suzzanne Hawkins, Commander Task Force 611, awarded him a battlefield promotion to Commander and made a strong recommendation that Stryker be assigned as the First Officer of "any ship-of-the-line in need of a strong, capable, and dynamic individual who, in my estimation, will make an outstanding commanding officer in very short order." Wolphbayne was one of six commanders considered for the position of First Officer of the PHOENIX.