Lieutenant Ethan Gunnarsen
Name Ethan Teerlor Gunnarsen
Position Chief Flight Control Officer
Rank Lieutenant
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Human/Betazoid | |
| Age | 33 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 6'3" | |
| Weight | 186 lbs | |
| Hair Color | Sable | |
| Eye Color | Jet | |
| Physical Description | Ethan is an imposing figure, standing some inches above six foot and sporting a broad-shouldered physique. He maintains a lean musculature to facilitate the task of working more easily in the cramped confines of shuttles when necessary. |
Family
| Father | Rueben Gunnarsen | |
| Mother | Teerlori Ohaxir (Deceased) | |
| Brother(s) | Christopher Berg - Step-Brother (35) Arun Gunnarsen-Berg - Half-Brother (27) |
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| Sister(s) | Lark Gunnarsen-Berg - Half-Sister (23) | |
| Other Family | Ingrid Berg - Step-Mother |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Ethan is a quick study; he has a passion for flight – has nurtured it ever since he was old enough to understand the concept – but it is this very passion which has become something of a wedge between him and his father. Time has softened the edges, but a disconnect still remains. | |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | • Memory – while not eidetic, Ethan has worked to develop a near-perfect recall over the years. It is a trait that has come in handy in the middle of emergencies, allowing him to draw on ingrained knowledge and apply it to the situation at hand. • Flight – since age 14, when he first qualified for a provisional license after winning the junior divisional qualifiers, Ethan has found his place at the console. In reality, if virtual flight was counted, he could claim his earliest victories closer to age seven. He likes to say that his abilities are naturally inherited from his mother; as the woman died shortly before Ethan turned five, that love proved one of the few truly bonding memories Ethan retained. • Empathic/Telepathic abilities – here, Ethan seems to be lacking. Though it is not expected as a hybrid for him to have full-strength capabilities, he seems over-all handicapped in using what he does possess. Speculation lies on early childhood trauma and lack of development, having spent his formative years away from Betazoid influence of any kind. He is also prone to nightmares at times of high stress. |
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| Ambitions | It seems cliched to say Ethan wants to be the best in his field; he would never seek so trivial a goal. Rather, Ethan strives to be his own personal best on a more wholistic scale – to bring honor to the parent he never had time to truly know. While in good times this drives him toward high potential for achievements, it also makes Ethan his own worst critic and can lead to almost manic lows. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | • Flight, especially in small shuttles and runners. He’s had the chance once to test a Bajoran Light Ship and would welcome another shot. • Sports, in particular swimming, running and climbing. • Holo-Games and movies, typically revolving around action and involving some aspect of flight. Ironically – or not, depending on who asks – Ethan has a secret liking for Steampunk and Cyberpunk fiction, and enjoys scenarios built around similar plots. HE especially enjoys the old Terran series ‘Firefly’. |
| Personal History | For much of the Federation, life ended and began again with Wolf 359, Ethan being one of those. As a pre-schooler on the USS Bellerophon, he remembered very little of the actual event, save huddling down in an escape pod, his father shielding his small self as they managed a daring escape from the battlefield. In the first week, Ethan – or Etín, as he was still known at that time – had not questioned where his mother was. She had, after all, been on duty that day, sitting at the helm of the big ship. It had often been a welcome treat to perch on her lap as Teerlori explained the various controls and how they operated the movement of the ship. Surely, she was still busy getting the Bellerophon and the rest of the crew to safety; she would simply join them later. It was only the night that Ethan walked in on his father sobbing into a glass of alcohol, a discarded PADD at his side, that the truth finally began to sink in to his four-year-old mind. Mommy was gone; she was not coming back. That was the night his life as Etín ended. The next morning, Father had come to him with red-rimmed eyes and explained they were going to a new home, and he would have a new name – Ethan Gunnarsen. Shocked by the revelation that Mommy would never be coming back, Ethan had gone along without protest. Life began again. Settling in Aberna, Denmark, Ethan found himself with a new family – grandparents he had never met before, and in time a new ‘Mommy’. At first, she was just Ingrid, Daddy’s friend, with her boy Christoph, who was a few years older than Ethan himself. The novelty of having someone near his own age soothed the waters as Ingrid’s presence became more common in the home; and when talk of ceremonies and ‘should we keep your name or mine’ were followed by, ‘do we want the nursery to be green or gold’, there was no reason to question, as all seemed as it should be. A little brother came after Ethan turned six, and then a sister four years after that. ‘Mommy’ Ingrid proved a binding force for the growing family, weaving her children’s lives together as if each and every one – including Ethan – were blood born and equally precious to her. Her presence became vital as Ethan powered through puberty, fighting an onset of inexplicable migraines until they faded for the most part. Words like ‘stress’ and ‘latent PTSD’ were batted about, but what helped him most were dark rooms, cool cloths, and a warm, soothing voice crooning old Danish folk songs at a near whisper. Life continued on; Ethan took up interest in flying, and much to his father’s chagrin Ingrid supported him. Her father had been a pilot, she explained, as had his mother. ‘It’s in your blood as it is in mine,’ she told him, and accompanied Ethan to flying lessons – often with her youngest, Lark, in tow. Interest grew into passion, and over time Ethan found himself more at home behind a flight console than he ever did in the quaint four-bedroom house his father provided. For three years he practiced and studied until he was ready for his first solo-run. Ingrid and Lark came to cheer him on, along with Christoph. Arun had a game, and Father had said he deserved to have someone there with him. It didn’t matter, then. Life took on new meaning and opened doors Ethan never imagined possible as the Earth drifted ever further below him. But even as he soared upwards, Life seemed somehow tethered and strained – especially when the letter arrived. The official looking missive with the trade-mark Starfleet Academy Logo filled the family console screen. At sixteen and a half, Ethan had won enough competitions – on top of maintaining a strong grade point average – to catch the attention of Starfleet itself. It should have been a joyous occasion, a night for the family to go out and celebrate; instead, the evening crumbled into a cacophony of shouts and oaths screamed from one to another. ‘I forbid it’, came from his father. ‘You can’t say that – he earned this’ was Ingrid’s retort. It grew so loud that Ethan fled to his room with Arun and Lark, hiding from the anger that pulsed behind him. In the morning, Father was gone. ‘Not Forever,’ Ingrid had assured them. ‘He just needs to cool off.’ She was right; Father returned, but nothing was ever the same. He did not talk to Ethan, merely signed papers to give his grudging approval. For the remainder of the school year, Father moved about as a shadow in the house. Ethan struggled to keep his grades up despite a return of his headaches from some years back. He held on to the promise that he was going to Starfleet, but to the end he wondered if the promise was worth this painful silence. Summer came at last and Ingrid helped him pack his bags. The decision had been made for Ethan to go to San Francisco. There was a prep program for seniors on track for Academy; Ingrid would accompany him, along with Lark, while Arun stayed home with Father. Christoph was already off to Oxford and well on his way to his own life. More than once Ethan questioned if Ingrid was leaving his father, and every time she assured him otherwise. She would stay just until he was ready to go on his own, then she and Lark would return home. But summer turned to Fall, and Lark fell into the vibrant community that was San Francisco. Always one to encourage her children – be they blood or otherwise – Ingrid never discouraged her. Life stuttered; Ethan saw the papers before Ingrid, but he left them be. He never heard her mention them, only saw the quiet tears and the silent evening spent alone. In the morning, though she smiled, there was a sadness in his Mother’s gaze that never quite left. Desperate to do something – anything – Ethan came up with a plan. He talked to someone who knew someone … it wasn’t that hard in San Francisco. Though she hesitated at first, Ingrid soon embraced the idea, and even invited Lark into the circle to join them. They waited until Spring came again, when Ethan’s acceptance into Academy was ‘officially Official’. On that day, life began again. Three wounded souls stepped into a parlor and stepped out some time later renewed and refocused, bearing marks to commemorate their rebirth. From that point, Ethan didn’t mark the starts and stops of life. Most often it moved in a steady, forward flow. He sailed through Academy, building confidence and adding even more skill to his flight repertoire. He applied the same effort and determination to his studies as he did in school before. At graduation, he received his honors, gave his speech, and then came home to celebrate again before heading off on his first official mission. The first trio of assignments after graduation went smoothly, with Ethan slowly learning to adjust to life aboard a larger vessel and adapting to the command structure in general. Shortly after his assignment to the Tombow, after a double-tour on the Phoenix, he received promotion to Lieutenant, Junior Grade and was assigned as the new Assistant Chief Flight Officer. An assignment to Lunar base came after this, and a part of Ethan welcomed the change as it allowed him to down-shift somewhat and slide back into the more relaxed atmosphere he had known in Academy as he took part in various flight and combat scenarios with the base crew, as well as trading off with crew to manage the various assigned craft. His proximity to Earth allowed for regular visits home - that being San Francisco, as Ingrid had never moved back to Denmark. By this time Christoph had finished his schooling in Cambridge and was living near by as well, or at least on the same continent while he taught physics out on the Eastern coast at Harvard. He would divide his time between his step-father and half-brother in Denmark, and his Mother and Lark out West as time allowed. Neither Rueben nor Arun ever made the effort to return the favor. Shortly after his assignment to the base, Lark finished her schooling and graduated from the Academy. Almost immediately she landed a spot on the USS Tamerlanine as a Science Officer. Over the next few years, Ethan served as somewhat of a touchstone between his sister and his mother-in-law, sharing what info he gathered regarding her daughter's vessel in between Lark's own scattered correspondance. Soon enough, his own time for assignment was coming up. As luck would have it, both Lark and Ethan managed assignment to the same vessel - the USS Archimedes. They went into the adventure willingly, and for the most part it lived up to the expectations. Ethan saw his sister flourishing in her chosen field of Biology, working with plants and animals from various worlds and cultures. For his part, His headaches were starting to come back yet again. Ethan kept them at bay as best he could, but a few rough patches - one involving the abduction of part of the crew during shore leave, Ethan with them - left him floundering. It wasn't too difficult for Lark to convince him that a furlough might be a good idea. Once again, Ethan found a spot on Lunar Base. Though he gathered Lark would have preferred he stay at home, the thought of an extended shore-leave was unsettling after recent events. Better to stay busy, he thought. All the same, Ingrid and Lark managed to lure him out time and again, even reigning Christoph in on the deal when he had a free moment. One extended weekend saw the two young men enjoying time to themselves - something that had really not happened since their childhood. When Christoph went back to his new school term and Ethan returned to Lunar base, the trip seemed to have done some good, at least. Soon enough the urge to get out and go was too loud to ignore. Fortunately, word that the recently recovered Obsidian Command was due to be back up and running within the week. Ethan and Lark both put their names in, and both were accepted - Lark to the station as a Science officer, and Ethan to one of the auxiliary vessels, the USS Theseus, as Chief Flight Officer. |
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| Service Record | • Starfleet Academy – 2380-2383 – graduated with honors • USS Valeron – 2383-2385 – Ensign, Flight Control • USS Phoenix – 2385-2389 – Ensign, Flight Control • USS Tombow – 2389-2392 – Ensign, promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade and to Assistant Chief of Flight Control • Lunar Base – 2392-2395 – Served with base flight patrols and participated in extended training • USS Archimedes – 2395-2397 – Lieutenant Junior Grade – promoted to full Lieutenant and Chief Flight Control Officer • USS Theseus – 2397 – Present – Lieutenant, Chief Flight Control |