Leon Marquez (KIA)

Personnel File
Name:	Leon Marquez
Rank:	Lieutenant Commander
Position:	Executive Officer, USS Resolve
Callsign:	Striker
Species:	Human
Age:	35
Gender:	Male
Orientation:	Heterosexual
Birthplace:	Guanajuato, Mexico, Earth
Height:	6ft 2in / 1.88m
Weight:	208lbs / 95kg
Hair:	Blonde
Eye color:	Brown
Played by:	Kiefer Sutherland
Interests
Tactics Martial Arts Soccer Combat Simulation
Education
2350-2365: Excelsior-Class Upbringing 2365: Joined Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, CA, Earth. 2365-2368: Starfleet Officer Training 2367: Starfleet Academy, Tacical CONN Academy (Unofficial program at the time) 2368: Starfleet 4th year Cadet, Specialist in Danube-class Tactics
Service Record
2368: Cadet, Danube-class Test Fighter Pilot, Sector 001. Survival Training 2368-2370: Ensign, USS Velociraptor, Steamrunner-class Escort-Light Carrier. Helmsman/Deputy Tactical Officer 2370-2371: Lt JG River Squadron: Starfleet Academy Graduate School Flight/CONN, Cycle-Posted on (Classified) Training/Reconnaisance Tour 2371-2372: Lt, USS Hornet, Galaxy-Class (Carrier Refit), River Squadron 'Reassignment': - Fighter Pilot, Element Leader "Striker 3-1" -> "Striker 4" -> - Flight Leader, "Striker-01" - Fought in Klingon War, with Civilian Evacuation and Protection. 2373-2375: USS Hornet: Wing Commander, Second Officer -> Chief Tactical Officer -> Executive Officer Lt CMDR Joint Starfleet-Romulan Alliance Task Force. Codename: "Eagle Project" Classified - Awarded Medal of Commendation 2376-2378: Executive Officer, USS Resolve - Assigned to Romulan Sector.
Decorations
Starfleet Medal of Commendation

Leon Marquez was the Executive Officer on the USS Resolve in 2381. Leon Marquez aided in the opposition against the parasites that compromised Starfleet Command in the end of the 24^th century.

Background Story

Leon Marquez was raised on an Excelsior-Class Starship USS Nautilus, though he was born on Earth in his mother Rose's home city of Guanajuato, she resumed her Helm duties on the USS Nautilus, where her husband Allan, enlisted in Starfleet as a non-commisioned security officer to raise their child, giving up his Civilian Career as a world-renowned Soccer player.

Their son Leon grew up on the USS Nautilus with a fixation for starships and combat tactics, largely to protect the people onboard from "bad guys", at the time, the Cardassians, who didn't believe in the Federation or its values. To the young Leon, it was a learning opportunity that forged him into a tough young man growing up, taking after the strict but widely respected Captain Xan, who mentored the young Marquez and arranged for him to take Starfleet Academy basic courses and lessons by crew trainers aboard the vessel. Marquez eventually was even as once an acting Ensign until he saved the ship by defying orders. By using the exact method as Captain Sulu's maneuver during the Praxis incident, rather than rely on USS Nautilus´s warp drive, Marquez saved the vessel. While the ship was mildly damaged, but safe; Andorian Captain Xan had the young man sent to Starfleet Academy to learn his place. This became his sole motivation in life: reclaim his place at the Nautilus helm... at least that was his childhood dream, before the Dominion War.

The Andorian did, however make it a personal point to recruit the energetic but overeager young Cadet into the unofficial Tactical CONN department (Tactical CONN Academy was not made official until 2375), even though Marquez's drill instructors recommended him for Security or even Tactical (which he later transferred to), given Marquez's inherent marksmanship skills and athletic stamina, acquired in friendly soccer matches during his spare time in Golden Gate Park.

Marquez was eager to acquire his own runabout with free reign to customize its load-out at Earth Spacedock to experiment with a combat-ready vessel, which led him to be on the Danube-class experimental team, which became the focus of his time at Starfleet Academy, qualifying as a Pilot, and recommended to spend a training tour aboard one of the new Steamrunner-Class Escort vessels, which would also apply several Danube-centric tactics that had impressed one of Marquez's instructors enough to test them out near Cardassian territory.

He was tasked with the enforcement of the peace settlement with the Bajoran Sector aboard the new USS Velociraptor. Marquez's first noteworthy skirmish: Two Cardassian Galor-class cruisers, acting suspiciously and refusing hails in the Badlands. Upon being fired upon while at yellow alert, the two ships were found to be smuggling Bajoran laborers, and the USS Velociraptor disabled both vessels, pinging their location to their superiors, who 'would deal with the matter', per jurisdictional mandate.

The Maquis Crisis. Marquez had learned from his older crewmates to distrust Cardassians on principle, despite the Federation's principles. Marquez was even approached by members of the Maquis resistance to combat them when a treaty was signed, losing his friend, a Denobulan paramedic when he defected to the Maquis. Marquez pitied them but had nothing to gain by joining them or their cause. Nonetheless, his tour on the USS Velociraptor had made him an expert on Maquis Tactics, using their own ship-to-ship preference against them. "Operation Rodeo" was a particular demonstration where six Maquis raiders were lured into an ambush and captured without a single loss of life. The USS Velociraptor would appear from warp, fire a harmless, but shield-dampening tetryon bombardment, neutralizing hostile shields, allowing Security Officers to beam in and arrest the renegades and confiscate their vessels with few casualties. One raider was captured intact, and the rest were destroyed when all life and data aboard were secured. Before the Maquis resistance movement was snuffed out, Marquez was told by one of the rebels he'd arrested that he had a bounty on his head worth as much as any Gul's. Given his history, this sentiment disturbed him, given the early battles with the Cardassians back on the USS Nautilus. In fact, he nearly died from depressurization from a Cardassian Sneak attack in his youth, and depressurization remains a mild childhood fear.

Coupled with his Captain's blessing, "Operation Rodeo" actions had Leon promoted and reassigned to the USS Hornet a Galaxy-class Carrier Squadron on the heels of a new threat from the Gamma Quadrant. The captain had been considering Marquez's sponsorship into something that included a flight patch of a vague depiction of a stampede of horses. It turned out to be an in-joke, given the Danube-Series Runabouts' names for rivers on earth, and their promise to "turn the tide". When Marquez first saw footage of the USS Odyssey, however, he more than found his resolve.

Years 2370-71

Starfleet Command knew the war looked bleak for their outgunned armada against the Dominion. Marquez was secretly fond of the 'bait and bash' tactic learned during his tour in Bajoran Space, and his theories on Danube-Class tactics were enough to have him transferred to the Galaxy-class USS Hornet, and it was on this ship where Marquez made a name for himself. A training shakedown cruise of the retrofit carrier also doubled as wartime combat drills in Sector 001's harsh survival climates. The mission also included secret visits to other Federation worlds, under several other harsh world environments, in the event pilots were forced to survive any climate. The instructors included Captain Solok of Vulcan, and Captain Xan of Andoria, and simulated Jem'Hadar and Cardassian battles and dogfights were tested during this training tour.

Years 2371-72

Onboard the USS Hornet, Marquez dedicated every moment of his free time designing attack plans and weapons configurations for himself and his wing. Captain Xan, the same old Andorian who Captained Marquez's home ship, the Nautilus, was Leon's CO yet again. Leon reacquainted with the Captain's daughter, then-Lieutenant Tarsi, weapons specialist. The two got to work closely together when the Founders incited a war between the Federation and Klingon Empire. It was also here where Marquez and Tarsi began keeping count by the number of small arms they collected. More often than not, the Klingons managed to board the Hornet, and small arms fire was necessary. Marquez himself, both a habitual boxer and a lifelong soccer got into his first real engagement with Klingon boarders.

Captain Xan was injured during this attack, but Marquez stayed with his mentor, engaging him into such an argument which actually wound up saving the old Andorian's life. The precise remark had something to do with going out with the Captain's daughter. It earned him a promotion, but also, allegedly, an ushaan challenge. Of course, Marquez turned out to be bluffing, something Marquez learned how to emulate from his mentor during their long friendship. Nonetheless, this incident would have repercussions later.

Years 2373-2375

The Hornet, once a long-range exploration and defense cruiser, had been largely retrofit to carry more combat personnel, weapons and hangar capability. Talk persisted it was being groomed for the prototype Yamato-class Marquez once noticed during a briefing in "River Squadron" as a next-generation combat variant of the Galaxy-class. Captain Xan even occasionally took advantage of the Galaxy-class's saucer separation capability, and the stardrive section was given to Marquez's expertise at the helm, where a waiting wing of weaponized Runabouts awaited awaited his commands. Xan's first officer, despite reservations about Marquez's feisty and sometimes contentious attitude mistook his arrogance for conviction, but even this didn't stop Leon from claiming several confirmed kills, hardening his reservations about killing other beings, even in defense of others, it took some soul-searching, but after some pep talk with both the "Bruce Lee" and "George Patton" Holographic characters, Marquez opted to rechristen his unit as the "Strikers", claiming the squadron's callsign for himself in their memory.

Months of fighting the Dominion and its allies by now have forged Marquez into a tough, rugged fighter with a true soldier's attitude to go with the soccer player-boxer body he religiously maintained. Captain Xan had been forced to use non-security personnel as supplementary reinforcements for ground engagements. Marquez and the crew often go months without seeing the inside of their vessels' cockpits when the Hornet was forced to reinforce planetary defenses in the Alpha Quadrant. Marquez, soon the highest-ranking officer left in the Battle of Serenity Valley on HT-997, an obscure rogue planet, whose only real value was its location and the possibility to install a remote sensor array.

Captain Xan's orders were to hold the planetoid, Lieutenant Marquez, helped coordinate the planetoid's defense. In summary, the battle was an absolute success, though the time eventually came when Marquez was shot down behind enemy lines. Thanks to his appropriated Jem'Hadar rifle and survival instinct, Marquez, was able to cause havoc behind Jem'hadar lines, picking off units hiding behind cover assuming they were safe. It was a particularly bitter experience for Leon Marquez, now killing people instead of starships.

Leon was begrudgingly advanced to the Hornet´s Helmsman during the events of Operation Return, which was impressive, given Marquez's youth at the time, but to be expected, given the extreme casualties. Xan had lost an Antennae at least once and was often barking orders at Marquez from Sickbay, though the protective and patient XO Al'fadil made it a point to keep the energetic-turned-vengeful Marquez in check, appeasing the wary Commander Al'Fadil.

Despite initial friction, Marquez and the Hornet's crew fought with distinction during the major battles of the Dominion War, now hell-bent on winning the war, tired of being one of the few ships standing, whether by fate or by destiny, the Hornet was pursued into a gas giant, where they spent the better part of a week monitoring a Dominion Fleet build-up. Hornet had stumbled into a staging area. With Dominion fighters in pursuit, Marquez steered the Hornet through the enemy fleet at high warp, drawing their attention and inviting a high speed chase. A sector invasion at stake, the Hornet was under heavy fire, but in an unexpected deliverance, was rescued by the Romulan fleet, who were staging a first strike, which the Hornet inadvertently disrupted. After biding power from weapons to escape, Hornet joined ranks with the Romulans and engaged the Jem'Hadar, which became the first opportunity for the Romulans to vindicate themselves for actions in past wars. As a political ploy, the Hornet became an "Envoy" vessel, doubling as a flagship for Romulan-Federation operations, and Marquez would be personally tasked at war's end, under considerable scrutiny by suspicious elements of the Imperial Navy.

Marquez was awarded the Starfleet Medal of Commendation for this, along with most of the senior officers.

This was a blessing in disguise, as Marquez was permitted to fly in an Scorpion-class Attack Fighter for joint operations, giving him and his "Eagle Squadron" a distinct advantage over most other Federation Units, but Xan, whose family held a deep-roted hatred for Andorians soon began to undermine the peace process and threatened to terminate Marquez's career if he continued to fraternize with tomorrow's enemy.

Marquez remained on the USS Hornet as its First Officer, but acted largely as Chief Tactical Officer when that officer was injured during the ensuing skirmishes. On the Romulan front, acting as a lure for Jem'Hadar and Breen vessels for the tactical advantage of warbird cloaking technology, giving vital combat data to the warbirds. Only once did Starfleet spare any reinforcements to replace the ones lost during this stage of the war. Just before the Battle of Cardassia, one of the Romulan seniority had allegedly attempted to stab Captain Xan, which was little more than an idle threat enough for Xan to respond in kind by not saving that Sub-Admiral's flagship during one of the final skirmishes against the Dominion. Marquez hypothetically had Seniority, but refused a battlefield commission to Commander, permitting that to be transferred to Xan's daughter Tarsi, who was also Leon's lifelong friend and a Science Officer, but a capable CO. Marquez, however was advanced to Lieutenant Commander and maintained his station during the battle, with the Hornet forced to evacuate to its battle bridge in time, though many of her crew, including the flight crew were killed in action, making the ensuing victory a solemn one.

Years 2375-2378

After the war was over Leon Marquez transferred to the USS Resolve where he served as executive officer under Captain Tristan Kendrick. For the next two and a half years the Resolve went on a number of missions, both scientific and humanitarian before disappearing while investigating a mysterious anomaly in 2378.

Years 2378-2381

Along with the rest of the Resolve’s crew, Marquez was sent far into the uncharted space beyond the Romulan Star Empire, and it took three years to reach Starbase 84 in March of 2381. During his time aboard, he held the rank of Lieutenant Commander and First Officer. It was because of some contention between him and Captain Tristan Kendrick that he was not given a field-promotion to Commander during the time on the Resolve. When the corruption at Starbase 84 was exposed, Marquez and his shipmates had to flee. Only the timely arrival of the USS Theurgy prevented the entire complement from being lost when the Resolve was destroyed by the Starbase's forces. Now Marquez and his surviving shipmates were forced to join an outlaw crew where trust, sanity, and discipline were in short order...

Personality Profile

Marquez was an idealist and patriot for planet Earth and the Federation, having been raised by his parents in Starfleet, who shaped his early years. Then the Dominion War, and the Events aboard the USS Resolve for the last three years jaded him and turned his talents into necessary survival skills.

Telepaths would detect a brooding, lone gunslinger, trying to deeply bury his 'bad cop' routine. Marquez claimed he was bent on both personal redemption, and setting foot on Earth again. Otherwise, Leon "Striker" Marquez was polite, civil, honest, straightforward, upfront and professional. He knew guile but made it a point of never employing it in a conversation, and limited his vices, mindful by example of the 8-10 hours before shift rule. He encouraged others to pursue their interests as rewards for their hard work, including relationships and 'extra rest'. Some crewmates even owed their latest promotion to Marquez when a new, original method was developed over an existing one.

"He might be crazy, but he gets results. He's good at what he does, but he walked the line on the Prime Directive. We disagreed, but he always fell in line. I appreciate that trait, even if there are others about him that worry me." -- Captain Kendrick

Raised a on starships, his parents were a soccer player-turned Security enlistee and a Helm officer respectively on the Excelsior-Class USS Nautilus, Marquez grew up on the vessel under the mentorship of their Andorian Captain Xan, who sponsored Marquez's Starfleet Academy sponsorship after deputizing him as an acting Ensign before Marquez steered the Excelsior into the shockwave of an explosion in subspace. Marquez refused Xan's orders, but saved the ship from destruction, citing the Praxis incident and Captain Sulu's solution. Ironically, the Andorian, Captain Xan was had to save face and rather than arrest Marquez or punish his mother, who was not at her post at that particular moment, he had Leon Transferred off the ship and into Starfleet Academy.

"Damn fine soldier, whatever else you may think. I once called him an Andorian in disguise... and his glare told me otherwise. He's a proud pink skin to his core being. I just wish he never used my daughter to get to me." -- Captain Xan

"He's not so easy, Ladies, but I'd like to see you try." -- Juorda Cloi, silently having dibbs on him

Leon Marquez was a decorated Danube-class Runabout fighter pilot during the Dominion War, with a good success rate, opting for the survival of his crew before the outcome of the mission, even if he took longer for him to accomplish his goals, Marquez firmly believes in Starfleet and its moral values, willing to go any lengths to protect it, even if he is forced to make renegade decisions for the greater good, but not lightly. It was no secret that "Raptor" took his name for an pack hunter, who made sure everyone would draw blood and share in the glory, rather than hoard it for himself.

"He'd man a console himself or grab a tool kit if it meant saving the ship in time. Never once for the glory. He just has an obsession for saving lives. I can relate." -- Dr. James Mariner, after a glowing list of instances when Marquez wouldn't 'sit still' or 'take his medications on time'

As a Cadet, Leon was himself once a competitive pacifist who, in his own words, "Just liked to race and win... and sometimes fight", but when the Cardassians and later, the Marquis, Klingons and Dominion became threats to the Federation, it became a race for survival, and Marquez vowed never to lose.

After the War, Marquez held no particular animosity to any of the Cardassians or Klingons who redeemded themselves, sometimes joking that his family had fought each race at least once in their entire history, dating back to the days of Captain Hernandez and the Romulans. acknowledging that they were all doing what they had to do, but privately Marquez loathes the Breen for the death of his Mother, but chooses not to talk about it. Much of his emotions have been sealed and geared to the conviction making it home to Earth, not having been there since before the Leyton scandal, when Earth was still the Camelot Leon still believes is worth living for.

Pros

Resourceful and innovative during a ship battle. Always obeyed his CO's orders explicitly, even if he disagreed. Marquez held no real ambition outside of proving himself to be capable of doing his duty. (Loyal Officer, unambitious, believed in the Federation and Earth's safety, honest patriot)

One to to lead or join away teams, whether for diplomacy or combat. He geared himself for the latter, mostly out of necessity, while Captain Kendrick would be the diplomat and thus the ship's role model. Marquez was tempered by Dominion War combat, both on land and in space. Before the war, he was an avid Soccer player at Starfleet Academy, and used to go hiking near Starfleet Academy in the mountain ranges of North California and swimming at the various beaches of Mexico. The "River Squadron"'s pilots and tactical officers also underwent a 2-week Surivival course on a number of environments, including Luna base. (A good away team member, reserve pilot and survival specialist)

Spent many years crewed with Andorians and Trill, spoke the basics of their language (albeit his Human accent), was cultured in their ways, as well as an emerging understanding of the Romulan people. His only (see Cons) Holodeck programs were Trill or Andorian in nature for recreation, while the only "Earth" Holoprograms took place in abstract depictions of Dojos or fighter cockpits during wartime. (Cultured, disciplined)

Cons

Never used the Holodeck for anything but combat training. He missed Earth very much, any artificial setting of his dear homeworld only made him wince. (Uptight, homesick, disciplined, emotional, but somewhat bitter. Marquez's deepest flaws stemmed from his homesickness, and in his words, "unfinished business" with people back home. That said, his favorite food was replicated Mexican cuisine.)

In terms of vice, Marquez had weakness for Dark Mexican Ale, only indulging once a week 10 hours before any shift. His unpopular but necessary decisions have cost him popularity points, but with the Captains's Blessing, he was allowed to treat the crew to Happy Hour, an unofficial ritual the crew fell into, with variable success, namely the catharsis between Marquez and those under his care. (Worked hard, played harder, prone to hangovers at least once a week)

Is slow to trust others, and he knows it: A Changeling infiltrator once impersonated the Cloi Symbiont's first host, Obria during his first romantic 'encounter' with anyone; Fortunately, the Founder spy's nature was identified and neutralized in their quarters by security, but the incident embarrassed him to this day. Embittered by the incident, Marquez had become cynical towards relationships, at least right away, though he was heterosexual and open to relations (even encouraging them among his crew) he kept himself available. He himself only saw himself as introverted and a loner. But that doesn't mean he was a permanent loner.

Physical Profile

Like his father, Marquez had the physique of a soccer player, and was a fast runner. He was a skilled, self-taught Kickboxer, and used his legs and feet for offense, with his arms for defense. The Dominion War forged Marquez into a tough, rugged fighter with a true soldier's attitude to go with the soccer player-boxer body he religiously maintained to this day. Marquez was often seen jogging, bicycling or practicing his soccer maneuvers in any gym.

One of his friends was a self-aware holodeck's rendition of Martial Artist Bruce Lee of Earth's History. However, Marquez was a well-trained fighter, but he was not an invincible fighter. He is also not formally "belt graded" in any martial art. One of his few jokes is "Not having a black belt is just a technicality. The only belt I need is the one holstering my phaser... and sometimes I need even more than that."