Lieutenant Commander Ethan Walker, MD, Ph.D
Name Ethan Kimball Walker, MD, Ph.D
Position Chief Counselor
Rank Lieutenant Commander
Character Information
Gender | Male | |
Species | Human | |
Age | 49 |
Physical Appearance
Height | 5'9" | |
Weight | 195lbs | |
Hair Color | Brown | |
Eye Color | Brown | |
Physical Description | Has a baby-faced and youthful appearance that easily subtracts ten years off his face. Always clean shaven, mostly because his beard doesn't grow in thick enough to be presentable. It works in his favor, giving him a friendly air that allows his job to be done just a little bit easier. Very light on his feet and almost frail in appearance. Doesn't have a very commanding presence. Can sometimes work in his favor. He's not a pushover or a weakling by any stretch, he simply blends in very easily. Softspoken in timbre, but not afraid of making himself known if he feels it is necessary. Still, he prefers the 'turn the other cheek' approach. |
Family
Spouse | Bethany (died, 2375) | |
Children | None | |
Father | James Walker (died 2352) | |
Mother | Angie Walker (died 2352) | |
Other Family | Zanat th'Jor |
Personality & Traits
General Overview | Soft-spoken, even-tempered, and gentle. Rarely raises his voice. He's of the conviction that raising one's voice to be heard, is less effective than keeping an even tone. It forces the other to listen harder, and by listening harder, it makes it easier for him to make his point. Extremely hard to agitate or upset. Prides himself on his even temperament. It has frustrated more than one peer as well as anyone who's ever tried to stand toe to toe against him regarding his faith. He doesn't get angry, that simply isn't his way. Always willing to help, regardless of the past interactions with the person. He's always willing to forgive and mend the relationship. Extremely pious and is often found in his room or office meditating or reflecting on a particular verse or book of the bible. He takes his faith seriously and though he never pushes it on others, he isn't afraid to witness to them. If they agree or don't agree is their choice, but he doesn't tone his own beliefs back just to appease them. That doesn't mean he pushes his beliefs, he simply doesn't hide them. - Has what is sometimes considered a 'unique' approach to religion. Ethan is a devout Christian and believes that God did create Heaven and the Earth. However, he believes that even though he created that; what has 'evolved' and become life all over the Galaxy did so on its own, thanks to the spark of life God gave them. - A student of all faiths, he believes the central themes are the same. That doesn't mean he thinks their faith is right, he simply believes one should embrace all men of faith. That goes for Earth religions as well as extra-terrestrial ones as well. |
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Strengths & Weaknesses | + Compassion. Not simply because he's a priest, but because he's a good man. + Approachable and well-respected by those who know him. Has a trustworthy air. + Has an uncanny ability to disarm people and situations that would otherwise become volatile. +/- Doesn't give up just because someone has no faith. Believes strongly that faith is held in them by the divine. - Attended Starfleet Academy, but not a leader of men. Prefers the one on one interaction. - Not comfortable making decisions for a group as a whole. He is not suited nor does he wish to hold command; Departmental or otherwise. |
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Ambitions | To help those in need and to spread faith, hope and love. | |
Hobbies & Interests | Reading, writing, theology. Ethan enjoys spending time in quiet reflection, or in private sessions with crewmembers who need a little counseling. Though he doesn't generally, he has been known to spend time in the holodeck or suites with friends. He doesn't often go alone. |
Personal History | Ethan's life began with tragedy. His parents, missionaries for the Catholic Church, were on the far side of the Alpha Quadrant missioning to a colony of human refugees fleeing persecution for their genetic anomalies on a barely hospitable world. When James and Angie found out that they were pregnant, they immediately sent to the church for replacement. They wanted to raise their child back at home, with their own families. They felt that even though their cause was righteous, they were not prepared to risk the life of their infant son. Once replacement missionaries arrived, the Walker's set off for the long journey back to Earth. They knew that their son would be born along the way, but they were committed to giving him the best life possible. En route to Sol, their vessel was attacked by a Borg cube fleeing a small Starfleet offensive. The attack killed both his parents. The infant Ethan was saved by the quick thinking and skillful hands of the ship's Doctor. That Doctor, Zanat th'Jor, adopted the young boy despite the fact that he was Andorian and raised him as if he was his own. th'Jor took special attention to ensure that Ethan was raised with the beliefs that his parents shared and would have wanted him to have but also taking care to keep him open-minded to the other faiths and belief systems that existed across the Galaxy. The result was Ethan's current philosophy - 'Faith in all by faith in one'. As the adopted son of a Doctor, on a Science vessel, Ethan's youth was dominated by the stimuli and learning experiences that could only be found by a vessel exploring the depths of space. He learned everything from particle physics to basic Warp theory and enjoyed every minute. Yet, despite all this learning, he felt the calling elsewhere. Not in Science and Engineering, but in Theology. Call it divine intervention or whatever you like, Ethan knew what he wanted to do. At fifteen, an unusually young age, Ethan applied and was accepted to a prestigious Seminary school in Rome, Italy, run by the Catholic Church. He was welcomed with open arms, despite his youth, and was eager to learn all he could while there. He studied for two years, obtaining a degree in Theology where most students required three years. Thus, at seventeen, he was finished and ready to join the Priesthood - at least that's what the Church expected. Ethan again felt his place was somewhere else. The idea of having a Church and congregation of his own and having to constantly pander to the requests, needs and demands of the Church at large was not appealing. So, drawing on the education he had received at the hands of his adopted father, Ethan turned his attention to Starfleet where he gained admission into Starfleet Academy. It was here that he met Bethany, a young, bright, and beautiful woman fresh from London and eager to make her mark in Starfleet. Ethan was quickly smitten, and they were married at the end of their first year. While he initially chose to study Science at the Academy, Ethan quickly turned towards Medicine. By his second year, he'd declared a double-major in Counseling as well. His wife, Bethany, had become a Science Officer aboard a Federation observatory upon her graduation from the Academy the year before him. Weeks before Ethan's graduation she was killed en route to Sol by a Dominion Vessel who refused to yield passage to the Science ship, despite its mostly civilian crew and passengers. It was a stark reminder to Ethan of the fragility of life and the loss of his parents, that he had never known. Her death hit him hard, and he buried himself in his work. Ethan applied and was accepted to Starfleet Medical and took up the Physician's training there, but was unable to shake the melancholy that had followed Bethany's death. His Starfleet Medical instructors thought he was mad to try, but he insisted he needed the distraction. Ethan applied to the Ph.D. program at Notre Dame University and began to study for his Doctorate in Psychology simultaneously. He completed the Starfleet Medical curriculum right on time and defended his dissertation for his Doctorate at Notre Dame a full year early. Ethan had not spared a moment to mourn for his wife. He'd simply thrown himself headlong into his studies, and once they were completed, it all came crashing back down. He joined Starfleet's counseling Corps upon graduation, but only after a short sabbatical in Rome to quietly mourn and reflect on the loss of his wife. When he returned to Starfleet he was assigned to the USS Seleya as a Resident Physician. Starfleet felt it was more important that he finalized his status as a Physician than join the Counseling corps. Ethan didn't argue. He spent his three year residency aboard the Seleya without incident before being transferred to the USS Archer. Aboard the Seleya, he might have been a resident, but he had been a valued member of the staff and crew. It wasn't the same on the Archer. Not in the slightest. He was assigned to the Archer as both a Counselor and a Physician. The Chief Medical Officer was keen to have someone like Ethan aboard that could handle the sort of counseling issues that required a Physician's attention considering that he was both. The expectation was that Ethan would report to the Chief Counselor and would be the only member of the Counseling staff that could freely use the medical facilities to treat patients. It seemed, on the surface, like the ideal job for him and it might have been, were it not for the Chief Counselor. As the only man of the cloth aboard the vessel, Ethan became the defacto Chaplain as well, a role he quickly embraced. He felt he was doing a great job, and providing a real service for the mental health and well-being of the crew. The ship's Counselor, Commander Tralak, had a very different opinion of Ethan and his 'pointless' faith. Despite the Vulcan's rank, and training, he looked down on Ethan for his faith and never truly took him seriously as a colleague or a Physician. Walker tried to negotiate a truce with the Commander but the only acceptable truce the Vulcan was willing to make, came after Ethan denounced his faith as 'useless' and allowed himself to be counseled on the way things really were. After two years of that torture, Ethan heard about a unit operating on Bajor who were assisting the locals in their own archaeological and anthropological heritage - officially known as the Federation's Attache to the Kai. It was not what he'd trained extensively for, but he filed for transfer and joined their team as the resident Theologian, spending his time with the new Kai and the various other prophets of note on the planet. Having spent a few years furthering his own faith as well as that of his new Bajoran friends, Ethan felt it was time to return to the Fleet and resume a ship-borne post. He was assigned to the Luna-class, USS Ardeshir. |
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Service Record | Civilian Life: 2348 - Born enroute to Sol System. Both parents killed in Borg Attack. Adopted by Zanat th'Jor. 2363 - Enrolls at Seminary. 2365 - Graduates Seminary. Forgoes joining the Priest ranks in favor of Starfleet service. Starfleet Academy: 2365 - Enrolls at Starfleet Academy - Pre-Medical focus. 2366 - Promoted at end of 1st Year. 2366(Summer) - Marries Bethany Jorgensen. 2367 - Promoted after 2nd Year at the Academy. 2368 - Promoted after 3rd Year at Academy. 2368 - Death of Bethany Walker by Dominion forces, en route to Sol. 2368 - Graduates Starfleet Academy. Active Duty: 2368 - Enrolls at Starfleet Medical - Counseling/Medical. 2368 - Enrolls at Notre Dame - Psychology Ph.D. program. 2375 - (Spring) Graduation from Starfleet Medical 2375 - Published his Ph.D. Dissertation: 'Theology in a Multi-Species Environment' 2375 - Transferred to USS Seleya - Resident Physician 2378 - Transferred to the USS Archer - Counselor/Chaplain. 2380 - Transfer to Starfleet Diplomatic Office - Bajoran Embassy 2380 - Transferred to Bajor as special attache to the Kai. 2385 - Special commendation received on behalf of the Kai and the Bajoran Embassy for furthering the 'Faith and Strength' of the Bajoran people. 2386 - Assigned to USS Ardeshir - Chief Counselor |