Lieutenant JG Michael Watters
Name Michael Samuel Watters
Position Chief of Security
Rank Lieutenant JG
Stats
- 10 Mission Posts
Last Post
Sat Mar 24th, 2012 @ 2:43pm
Biographical Information
| Homeworld | Earth | |
| Species | Human | |
| Gender | Male | |
| Birth Year | 2350 | |
| Age | 38 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 6'2" | |
| Weight | 175 lbs | |
| Hair Colour | Brown | |
| Eye Colour | Blue | |
| Physical Description | Through years of physical training and enduring performance, Mike has managed to maintain the relative fitness and strong build so often attributed to the Starfleet Marine Corps. He has certainly displayed the capability of fending for himself when the need arises yet experience has taught him the value of solving things as diplomatically as possible. Mike also bears an appearance of youth and vitality which contradicts his experiences in both the Dominion War and the Elyshan Conflict. He places a greater emphasis on his own personality and interactions with others rather than on how well he looks and abides rather strictly by the Starfleet uniform dress code. During off-duty hours, Mike prefers to dress simply, avoiding flashy or showing attire if only for the simple fact it tends to make him stand out much more than he would prefer. |
Family Data
| Father | Major Devin Watters | |
| Mother | Jean Watters (nee Olivea) |
Personality Profile
| General Overview | Rumors and gossip often portray Starfleet Marines as rather uneducated brutes who delight in a constant regimen of vilonce that would put any honorable Klingon to shame. It is an image which could not be further from the truth for a majority of the men and women serving in the Starfleet Marine Corps, including Michael Watters, who has come a long way from the brash young man he was before enlisting with the Starfleet Marines. His experiences during the Dominion War and the Elyshan Conflict have played a significant role in shaping his worldview and in helping him to appreciate life in its many diverse forms. He takes particular satisfaction in his self-appointed task of being the positive influence to improve the world around him. | |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | Mike delights in the order and security being a member of the Starfleet Marine Corps has brought to his life, making him a very organized individual in many respects. On the rare occasion one of his youthful frustrations might surface, making him irritable and difficult to work with, Mike tends to immerse himself in an activity he feels will restore order to his life. Holodeck training programs, regular exercise in the gymnasium, and even attempts at meditation have all helped Mike to channel his frustrated energies into more constructive outlets. He also enjoys using his experiences to help those around him and always searches for the best way to accomplish a given task. When things do not seem to be going according to how he might expect them to, Mike has a tendency to place a greater portion of the responsibility upon himself before redoubling his efforts and approaching the situation again. This has sometimes resulted in Mike overworking himself to accomplish tasks to a higher standard. |
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| Ambitions | Having seen the ravages of war first hand, Mike has dedicated his career and his life to preventing conflicts from escalating to the point of outright war. He spent a considerable amount of time assisting with the reconstruction of Cardassia following the Dominion War and even volunteered for extended assignment aboard the flagship of Vice Admiral Iluvar during the Elyshan Conflict of 2384 to 2387. The primary reason for his returning to the Starfleet Marine Academy in pursuit of a comission was in hopes that he might be of better use during uncertain times following the destruction of the Hobus Star in early 2387. Mike once considered settling down to start a family, but the fear he might turn out just like his father prevented him from doing so. It was a fate he would not have wished upon any of his children. |
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| Hobbies & Interests | Mike enjoys spending time in the holodeck or the ship's gym training and honing his skills. When not training, he enjoys performing very detailed, organized tasks such as cooking and model construction. | |
| Languages | Federation Standard, choice Klingon phrases |
Personal Relationships
Personal History
| Personal History | Michael Samuel Watters was born 20 August 2352 to Joseph and Bethany Watters at Wesley Memorial Hospital in New London, Mars. His father, Marine Captain Joseph Watters, served as a commanding officer in the Starfleet Marine Corps who was constantly shifting from one assingment to the next and, as a result, never staying in one place for very long. In contrast, Bethany Watters much preferred the more peaceful and stable life of a civilian, so much so that she left Joseph when Michael was only four years old. Because she had been unwilling to take young Michael with her, he ended up spending a majority of his childhood being shuffled back and forth from one relative to another. This led to Michael developing a sense of bitterness toward his motherhood that remained with him throughout his childhood and into his early adult years. Moving around a lot meant that making friends at any one school was a difficult task for young Michael. No sooner would he start getting to know the other kids his age than he would be shipped off to another relative, which led him to become more and more frustrated each successive time this would occur. Michael began to act out his frustrations by getting into trouble at school. This seemed to be the only way he could draw any of his family's attention to himself and often did not require the same amount of effort or personal investment as trying to make friends had. Michael's behavior eventually reached a peak when he got himself involved in a brawl at a local recreation facility and ended up sending two other teenagers to the hospital. Left with little alternative, Michael's father relented to pressure and enlisted his son in the marine corps, hoping that maybe the order of the marines would help straighten his son out. |
| Starfleet Academy | Stability seemed to be exactly what the doctor ordered. After only the first few weeks of training, Mike realized he could actually depend upon something for the first time in his life. The daily routine remained constant and when it came to drill exercises, his fellow marines were there to support him just as much as he supported them. It was only after this realization that he began to really focus his frustrated energies into more constructive outlets. His physical performance during exercises increased and his academic scores showed significant improvement. By the time his basic training neared its completion, it had become clear to those around him that Mike had become a different person. Mike's supervising officer took note of these changes and, after consulting several other training instructors, recommended the young man for additional training in field combat techniques and unit strategy. This came as a surprise to Mike, who had spent a good portion of his childhood convinced the only sort of recognition he could earn for himself was by acting out. To have been recommended for specialized training by a superior was something he considered to be a great personal triumph. |
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| Early Career | Immediately following his completion of specialized training, Mike was assigned to the field in anticipation of growing friction between the Federation and the Dominion. The Klingons and Cardassians were already at each others' throats and there were those who could see the spectre of what would become the Dominion War looming on the horizon. With the nullification of the Khitomer Accords by Chancellor Gowron and the outbreak of the Federation-Klingon War in 2372, Mike's unit saw frequent deployments along the Federation border near Cardassian space to help ensure the safety of Federation citizens. Early 2373 saw Mike's unit deployed to the Federation colony on Jentac IV where they were ordered to assist in the evacuation of all Federation citizens and property. The colony had already been the target of three Klingon attacks which meant the imminent threat of possible attack was keeping everyone on high alert. Thanks to the efforts of the Starfleet Marine Corps, the colony on Jentac IV was successfully evacuated and Mike received commmendation from his unit leader for rescuing a family that had been trapped in a collapsed building. He was later promoted to Private 1st Class for his actions above and beyond the call of duty. No sooner had peace been declared between the Federation and the Klingon Empire than war with the Dominion reared its ugly head. The outbreak of the Dominion War meant constant deployment and redeployment of Starfleet marine units across the front lines. Within the first week of engagement with Jem'hadar forces, Mike's unit suffered casualties that reduced their number to less than half. It was clear to many of them this was not going to be a quick conflict, despite the optimism of Federation news sources, and they soon began preparing themselves for the long and difficult time ahead. There could be no denying that losses from the war with the Dominion were rising significantly in the face of repeated Jem'hadar attacks. After an unsuccessful withdrawl from Kelmer VI left Mike's unit completely decimated, he received orders from Starfleet Marine Command assigning him to a specialty unit responsible for insertion and recovery operations. Mike's experience with search and recovery, as well as field combat techniques, made him a particularly valuable asset to the team. This new team of operatives quickly demonstrated their effectiveness during an operation on Janis V where they had been ordered to assist in the recovery of several escape pods from the destruction of the USS Isaka by the Jem'hadar. By the end of the war, Mike had received several commendations for performance beyond the call of duty as well as demonstration of original thinking and had earned himself a field promotion to the rank of Sergeant. Mike continued to serve in search and recovery in the months following the Treaty of Bajor. His field unit participated in the extraction of numerous individuals who had been caught behind Dominion lines during the war as well as humanitarian efforts assisting the recovery of the Cardassian people. The ravages of war Mike had experienced were something he would never forget. After seeing first hand the destruction it had wrought upon humans, Vulcans, Betazoids, Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians, and others, Mike made his goal as a marine not to fight wars, but to prevent them. Mike was transferred to the marine detachment assigned to the USS Tethys in 2384 where he served under marine commanding officer Major Serafina Palacios. She saw the merits of Mike's previous experience and placed him in her second team as tactical specialist. His tour aboard the Tethys was relatively uneventful until 2385, when he was chosen to participate in an away mission to an abandoned mining facility discovered in the Golden Discontinuity. It was soon discovered the mining facility was the product of a secretive Alliance operation aimed at finding a way to transport vessels from the Mirror Universe into the Prime Universe. Mike went away from his first encounter with the Mirror Universe disturbed at how cruel and inhumane the 'other side' appeared to be. |
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| Later Postings | Shortly after the Tethys returned from the Mirror Universe and arrived at Starbase 386, Major Palacios and the marine detachment were transferred to another assignment at the personal request of Commodore Iluvar. Serving aboard the Tethys, while sometimes not the most exciting posting, had been one of the most notable assignments in Mike's career. He petitioned Commander Earlond and subsequently Lieutenant Fala Awen for permission to join the ship's security department. Following a lengthy discussion with Lieutenant Awen and a considerable amount of paperwork, Mike was given permission to transfer his enlistment to Starfleet and was assigned as a VIP Bodyguard aboard the Tethys. When Rear Admiral Iluvar transferred his command from the USS Tethys to the Luna-class USS Pandora, Mike was one of many who requested to transfer along with the admiral. He admired and respected the man who had led his crew through considerable difficulty while still taking the time to get to know them personally. The assignment of Lieutenant Commander Joseph Thompson as the Pandora's new Chief Security/Tactical Officer in mid-2386 brought about several changes to the Security/Tactical department. Like Major Palacios, Lieutenant Commander Thompson recognized the value of Mike's previous experience and appointed him to the position of Master-at-Arms with a promotion to the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class. The year 2387 brought about a great deal of upheaval throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants which threatened to drastically alter the balance of power even moreso than the Elyshan Cold War ever had. Although the Elyshans had retreated within their own borders following defeats at Starbase 386 and Starbase Gatekeeper, political unrest within the Romulan Empire had been thrown into chaos by the disasterous effects of the Hobus Supernova. Growing concern at Starfleet Command and the Federation Council prompted a renewed effort to formalize many of the diplomatic ties that had been established during the Dominion War. At the same time, there were many within Starfleet who also recognized the need for preparation in the event diplomacy failed. Like so many others, Mike took it upon himself to keep informed of the changes brought about in the early part of 2387 and struggled with how he could best help to keep the unrest from becoming another war. He eventually spoke with now-Vice Admiral Iluvar who encouraged him to consider returning to the Starfleet Marine Corps in pursuit of commission as an officer. With the blessing and recommendation of the Pandora's commanding officer, Mike made the difficult decision to leave his posting aboard the Luna-class starship and return to Earth for marine officer training. |
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| USS Endeavour | Mike was somewhat surprised when he finally received orders to report to Captain Benjamin Byrne aboard the USS Endeavour, a Sovereign-class vessel operating as part of the Eleventh Fleet along the southern-most frontier of Federation space, following his completion of Starfleet Marine Officer training in early 2388. The assignment seemed to be about as far away from what many considered to be the primary hotspots at that time as one could possibly get and it made Mike wonder if seeking a commission had been the best choice in the first place. Despite his doubts regarding this new assignment, Mike was left with little alternative than to report aboard the Endeavour as ordered. |
Chronology
| *Enlisted Marine Trainee - Basic & Specialized Training, Fort McCoy (2370-2371) *Private - Marine Combat Specialist, Cardassian Border (2371-2373) *Private First Class - Marine Search and Rescue, Dominion War (2373-2375) *Sergeant - Marine Humanitarian Recovery, Restoration (2375-2384) *Seargeant - Marine Tactical Specialist, USS Tethys (2384-2385) ==TRANSFER TO STARFLEET== *Petty Officer Second Class - VIP Bodyguard, USS Tethys (2385-2386) *Petty Officer Second Class - Security Officer, USS Pandora (2386) *Petty Officer First Class - Master-at-Arms, USS Pandora (2386-2387) ==TRANSFER TO STARFLEET MARINE CORPS== *Marine Officer Candidate - Marine Officer Training, Starfleet Marine Academy (2387-2388) *First Lieutenant - Detached Assignment, USS Endeavour (2388) ==TRANSFER TO STARFLEET== *Lieutenant JG - Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Endeavour (2388-Present) |