Lieutenant Magnus Fairchild

Character Information

Gender		Male
Species		Human/El-Aurian
Birth Date		20 August 2364

Physical Appearance

Height		6'1"
Weight		171 lbs.
Hair Color		Dark Brown
Eye Color		Black

Family

Father		Elarus Tau
Mother		Donna Fairchild

Personality & Traits

Strengths & Weaknesses		Fairchild has earned his reputation largely through his own merit and willingness to engage others. He is known for both his management and leadership skills. Among such skills are the ability to efficiently allocate personnel and resources to get the job done well. The basis for Fairchild's proficiency has been the creation of work environments conducive to relationship-building rather than outright competition. He consistently inspires others to strive for their best by genuinely affirming and supporting them in their work. All this is further enhanced by Fairchild's sense of awareness. He is open-minded and able to see the larger picture while still remaining quite attentive to the relevant details. Many people have noted his sensitivity to the needs of others as well as his ability to remain observant even in the most stressful of situations. Such distinguishing characteristics, while certainly proven to be strengths, have occasionally set Fairchild up to be somewhat counter-cultural in some environments. His strong emphasis on relationships rather than personal ambition sometimes creates unintentional conflict with others who are not used to his particular approach. At the same time, Fairchild is still coming to terms with the long life expectancy that lies before him and what that means for the relationships he has fashioned. There are times when he has already felt somewhat isolated from those with lesser lifespans in the sense that everything else seems to move very quickly. Perhaps equally disruptive to Fairchild's interaction with others has been a growing sense of Wanderlust. It is unclear as to whether or not this is something inherited from his parents, both of whom have long drifted from place to place, occasionally crossing paths from time to time. Regardless, Fairchild has been unable to shake the sense there is more to be seen or learned just around the corner. He has found himself needing to rely on greater self-discipline to avoid "running off" like his parents.
Ambitions		Fairchild is not known for being overly ambitious. This is perhaps most evident in the way he has approached his career in Starfleet. While many young officers may see themselves as being "destined" for command or some equally glorious assignment in their particular field, Fairchild seems far more interested in "living in the moment". He makes every effort to do his best and to build relationships with others. His greatest hope is that he might someday have the opportunity to travel the galaxy with his father.
Hobbies & Interests		- Stories ~ Descended (in part) from a race of listeners, Fairchild is fascinated by any and all sorts of stories (i.e. literature, holonovels, mythology, personal stories, etc). He receives each story with grace and genuine appreciation to such a degree that some have even found him more easy to talk with than designated counselors. - Travel ~ Fairchild's love of stories feeds into his love for travel. He has a strong desire to push the boundaries of what he has experienced and to learn new things from people as well as from life. - Engineering & Design ~ In addition to gaining new experiences through stories and through travel, Fairchild enjoys creating new things based on his experiences. He can often be found tinkering with technologies both new and old as well as trying new ways of being and doing things.
Languages		Federation Standard, Romulan, Vulcan

Personal History		Early Childhood Magnus Fairchild was born to Donna Fairchild aboard the Ambassador-class USS Monroe on 20 August 2364. Donna served as a Science Officer and Stellar Cartography specialist with the Monroe's Science Department. In the months leading up to her assignment aboard the Monroe, Donna Fairchild had been involved in a romantic relationship with an El-Aurian named Elarus Tau. They each went their separate ways and it was only after he had left that she discovered she was pregnant. Thus, the identity of the boy's father remained unknown to everyone but the Fairchilds. One of the benefits of serving on an Ambassador-class starship was the opportunity to take advantage of family support resources available aboard ship. Unlike smaller vessels, the Monroe did provide limited space and personnel to assist in caring for crewmembers' families. Fairchild's work with the Science Department often kept her quite occupied. While she was busy cataloguing phenomena, running experiments, or tending to the operating needs of the ship, Magnus spent much of his early childhood interacting with a relatively small group of other children under the supervision of a childhood education specialist. Elarus Tau re-entered both their lives rather unexpectedly in the year 2370 when he turned up during a layover at Starbase 104. It came as quite a surprise for Tau to learn he had fathered a son. Although Fairchild initially feared the revelation might cause him to disappear again, Tau actually chose to remain aboard the Monroe another three weeks before finally departing. Tau spent much of that time with Magnus, who was all of six years old, much to his mother's delight. Aboard the USS Renown Not long afterward, Donna Fairchild was assigned to the Intrepid-class USS Renown as Chief Science Officer. The move brought new opportunities as well as difficult changes. Perhaps the most notable change was the loss of family support resources they'd had aboard the Monroe. This was difficult for Magnus' mother in that she now had to bear almost the complete responsibility of caring for, educating, and entertaining Fairchild. At the same time, Magnus found himself with fewer children to play with aboard ship. It took effort on Fairchild's part and some convincing of her superiors, but they were eventually able to come up with a system that worked well enough for everyone involved. The Dominion War The outbreak of the Dominion War in 2373 marked a significant turning point in the life of the Federation and of its citizens, especially those serving aboard Starfleet vessels. Changes in the Renown's mission profile were accompanied by new security procedures, tactical readiness drills, and even actual combat situations. Fairchild sought to keep Magnus aboard with her as long as she could. When it became apparent that hostilities were continuing to escalate, however, she was forced to send him back to Earth to live with her parents. Magnus did not appear to take this new change in environment well at all. Many of his teachers found his attention in class to be lacking. He seemed far more interested in things outside the classroom window than in what was being taught inside. In an effort to find out what the problem was, Magnus' grandparents took him to see a counselor. This led to the realization that Magnus was predisposed to a greater sense of wonder which contributed to his being distracted by the diversity and seemingly boundless opportunities of living on Earth. His grandparents sat down with him and made a deal. If he could focus in school and maintain his grades, they would travel together to someplace new each weekend. Return to the USS Renown There was a period of time, after the war, when it looked like Magnus might have stayed on Earth with his grandparents. He had just gotten used to the way things worked and looked forward to their weekend adventures together. However, when they gave him the option of whether to stay or to go, he chose to return to the Renown to live with his mother. In the years that followed, Magnus took on a greater independence aboard ship. More and more of his academic lessons were taught by members of the Renown's crew. He seemed to be most interested in time spent in engineering where, in addition to his lessons, he was permitted to assist the engineering staff in their maintenance tasks. Aboard the USS Solstice Mid-2380 found the Fairchild family in the midst of yet another transition. Magnus' mother received orders to assume command of the Nova-class USS Solstice and to lead a survey mission of the region beyond Lissepia. This proved to be an opportunity for Magnus to further his own field experience. After his lessons each day, Magnus would volunteer to work duty shifts in engineering, under the supervision of the Solstice's Chief Engineering Officer. It was around this time that Elarus Tau once again entered into their lives. Magnus was just as surprised as his mother, especially when it was revealed Tau had come specifically to visit him and that their time together would be short. Years of other people's judgments had made Magnus wonder why his father left and if his father even cared about who he was. Those doubts started to disappear when he realized that his father was more than just some drifter unable to hold to his commitments, that the reason he kept returning was because he did care. Tau reminded his son they would have “lifetimes” to share with one another and that it was important he be true to himself in that moment. Other moments would come soon enough. Starfleet Academy Magnus arrived at Starfleet Academy in the fall of 2382 as a Starfleet cadet pursuing studies in starship operations and engineering. It did not take Magnus long to discover how much his time living aboard ship and his volunteer work in engineering would help him in his studies at the Academy. The self-discipline and time management skills started by his grandparents allowed him to remain focused on his academic course load while still enjoying the many opportunities life on Earth had to offer. He spent much of his free time exploring off-campus sites and interacting with the people he met there. Early Starfleet Career Following graduation in the Spring of 2386, Magnus was immediately assigned to Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards as an Engineering Officer. The experience was far different from what Magnus remembered of his having volunteered aboard ship. As part of the shipyard work teams, he was given the chance to help refit several older vessels including the Intrepid-class USS Renown aboard which he had spent a great deal of his childhood. He also had the opportunity to participate in the construction of entirely new starships such as the Legacy-class USS Endurance. These duty assignments, and his ability to perform them, earned him the recognition of his superiors. By 2389, Magnus had been promoted to Lieutenant JG and assigned as a Team Leader.
Service Record		- Cadet ~ Engineering & Starship Operations, Starfleet Academy (2382-2386) - Ensign ~ Engineering Officer, Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards (2386-2388) - Ensign ~ Team Leader, Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards (2388-2389) - Lieutenant JG ~ Team Leader, Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards (2389-2391) - Lieutenant ~ Chief Engineering Officer, USS Magellan (2391-Present)