Scruffy Leblanc

Personnel File
Name:	Schubert 'Scruffy' LeBlanc
Rank:	Petty Officer First Class
Position:	Systems & Maintenance Engineer
Species:	Human
Age:	27
Gender:	Male
Orientation:	Bisexual
Birthplace:	Anaheim, California, Earth
Height:	5ft 11in / 1.8m
Weight:	168lbs / 76kg
Hair:	Brown
Eye color:	Blue
Played by:	Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Writer:	Due for inheritance
Interests
Reading Caving Yoga Running Swimming Chill Music Playing Music (Hang Drum, Ukelele)
Education
2370-2371: Starfleet Bootcamp
Service Record
2371-2375: Crewman, Engineer, USS Arkwright 2375-2378: PO3, Engineer, USS Gettysburg 2378-2380: PO2, Engineer, USS Gettysburg 2380-2381: PO1, Engineer, USS Bellerophon 2381: PO1, Engineer, USS Theurgy
Decorations
None

Petty Officer First Class Schubert ‘Scruffy’ Leblanc was an engineer aboard the USS Bellerophon prior to it’s destruction in 2381. Following the Bellerophon’s destruction, PO1 LeBlanc was brought aboard the USS Theurgy and, once he had recovered from injuries sustained during the Bellerophon’s destruction, decided to join the Theurgy’s engineering crew.

Biography

Early Life

Born in 2354 to Allison LeBlanc, a Starfleet Conn Officer, and Christian LeBlanc, a Starfleet Engineering NCO, Schubert spent the better part of his formative years with his grandmother and grandfather on Earth, living in Anaheim, California. While his parents were Starfleet through and through, Schubert’s grandmother was a different sort. Amie LeBlanc was a natural born hippie, firmly believing in non-violence, organic food, a vegan diet and peace above all else. His grandfather, Harold LeBlanc, was quite different from his grandmother, a classic example of the saying “opposites attract”. Harold had been a Starfleet engineer, and he and Amie had spent many years apart during his service. Now retired, he spent long hours out in the garage behind their house, tinkering away and hiding form his wife who, after so long living apart, he had a tendency to butt head with fairly regularly.

While Amie was proud of husband, son and daughter-in-law for their service to the Federation, she often worried about them “galivanting about the universe getting into trouble”, and did her best to steer Schubert clear of a path which would lead him to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Granny LeBlanc coddled young Schubert and tried to convince him that space was a scary place while at the same time Grandpa LeBlanc tried to instill a sense of curiosity in him. Granny LeBlanc did a good job of her endeavor, and the young Schubert soon began to find not only space to be scary, but many things on Earth as well. Shyness and fear became a constant companion to Schubert, which only made life worse for him as his classmates at school figured that out. The other kids would find constant amusement in scaring him, teasing him and trying to get a reaction out of him. They had little trouble in doing just that, the cruel taunting of the other children only helping to further solidify the fear which Schubert’s grandmother had sought to instill in him.

As a result of these events, Schubert became withdrawn, spending more and more time in the garage with Grandpa LeBlanc working on an ancient VW Van that his grandfather had found and begun to restore. This was Schubert’s first taste of working with his hands, and he quickly proved to have an aptitude for such work which his grandfather tried to encourage.

Harold LeBlanc passed away when Schubert was 12, and the young man felt the loss heavily. He had only a few friends, and had spent the vast majority of his time with his grandfather, hiding away in the garage and working together on the project. With his grandfather gone, Schubert spent more and more time alone, locked away working on the Van his grandfather had begun and which they had spent so many hours working on together. His grandmother, who felt a great deal of annoyance at Schubert’s isolation, badgered him to get out more and spend less time alone in the clutter in the garage, the she found herself unable to make herself get rid of the Van as it was something her late husband had loved so much. This hobby continued to fascinate Schubert through his school-age years, though the project later developed into modifying the old Van to run on non-fossil fuel energy sources.

On the rare occasions when Schubert did venture forth from the garage, he would generally spend time with his two friends, Beth Harrison and Dave Marsh. The three friends would spend long hours sitting in Dave’s basement, talking about what they wanted to do when they got older. His friends both planned on joining Starfleet, while Schubert had little in the way of life goals. Over the years, Beth and Dave grew closer, their relationship turning romantic. This didn’t stop the two from spending time with Schubert, and Schubert himself remained comfortable around the two, never feeling like a third wheel or out of place. On the occasions that Beth and Dave opted for more private dates, Schubert would slave away in the garage, devoting himself to working on the Van. While he was largely self-taught, Schubert proved to be a talented mechanic, and the Van became a point of pride for the young man, as well as a point of envy for his friends. Much of their free time was spent taking the Van on adventures to nearby caves and beaches, the antiquated method of transport drawing curious glances wherever they went.

Unsure of what he wanted to do with his life beyond school, Schubert received a visit from his mother at the start of his second year of high school. His mother asked him to consider joining Starfleet, to think about following in his parents’ and grandfather’s footsteps and serving a purpose greater than just his own, regardless of whatever misgivings his grandmother might have. The talk stuck with Schubert, and he spent the better part of the year thinking about it, going so far as to apply to Starfleet in case he eventually decided to follow that path.

When his grandmother found out that he had applied to the Academy Schubert found himself kicked out of her house, suddenly living in the VW Van that he had spent countless hours working on. Schubert felt lost, alone and abandoned, and spent much of his time listening to music and ignoring the world, or driving out of the city to crawl through caves or swim in the ocean. He managed to keep up with school, however, and graduated with honours after two years of living in his van or crashing on couches. Just a month before graduation he received word of his acceptance into Starfleet Bootcamp. Feeling rebellious against his upbringing under his grandmother’s oppressive rule, as well as encouraged by the long conversations he had had with his grandfather while working on the Van, Schubert found himself wanting to get out and see thing he had never thought possible.

Schubert ultimately decided to pursue a career in Starfleet. After another few months of living in his prized van, Schubert left the vehicle in the care of a friend and took a shuttle to San Francisco to start his training with Starfleet. Dave and Beth were on the same shuttle, though the trio parted ways after the flight, Schubert’s friends have been accepted into the Academy for officer training.

Starfleet Bootcamp

His first week at Starfleet bootcamp was a shock, to say the least. Criticized for his lean physique, relaxed demeanor and shaggy hair, Schubert found himself saddled with the nickname ‘Scruffy’. He had never been a fan of the name Schubert, and had hated the shorter ‘Bert’ even more, and so decided to simply embrace the nickname, going so far as to simply introduce himself as Scruffy and only giving his proper name when ordered to.

While some of his fellow recruits found life at Starfleet Bootcamp to be harsh, rough and spartan, Scruffy was of a different opinion. Having essentially lived homeless in the back of a van for more than two years, the proper beds, provided food and easily accessible shower facilities seemed almost like a luxury vacation to him. His enjoyment of the facilities provided to the recruits initially brought the ire of his fellow recruits, though over time they opted to take a page form his book and began to complain about their circumstances less and less.

Scruffy excelled at Starfleet Bootcamp, and quickly proved himself adept at engineering, having spent years troubleshooting problems with his Van, and breezed through his training. The only area he was found lacking was during training sessions involving self-defense and weapons training, where the leftover mentality from Scruffy’s pacifist grandmother still held sway. Despite this, Scruffy was considered a skilled and able Crewman and in 2371 he graduated from Starfleet Bootcamp.

USS Arkwright

For his first posting, Crewman Third Class Schubert ‘Scruffy’ LeBlanc was assigned to the USS Arkwright as a Maintenance Engineer. New to space and aboard a ship patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone, Scruffy found himself in a state of constant nervousness. While still managing to perform his duties well, he initially had trouble adjusting to life aboard a starship and had to have weekly sessions with a counsellor to help him learn coping techniques.

Over time Scruffy became more adjusted to life in space, though the idea of being so close to the Neutral Zone still greatly unnerved him. Scruffy couldn’t deny that having the opportunity to work aboard a Galaxy-class starship was a terrific posting though, and he enjoyed his time working in the Arkwright’s engineering department. The Arkwright’s Engineering officers weren’t quite sure what to make of Scruffy at first, though as time went on they learned to look past the Crewman’s casual attitude and the habit of not doing up his boots, and he received an excellent recommendation for his work with the Engineering’s maintenance department. Scruffy worked his way up through the ranks of Crewman over the course of the four years he served aboard the USS Arkwright, being trained as a Systems engineer during his third year aboard the Arkwright to make up for personnel who had transferred to other postings.

During his fourth year aboard the Arkwright, Scruffy was recommended for promotion to Petty Officer by his Engineering Chief, who provided him with a glowing recommendation.

Layover at Deep Space 9

In 2375 Scruffy received a promotion to Petty Officer 3rd class and received transfer orders. He was sent to Deep Space 9 to rendezvous with the USS Gettysburg, and arrived several days before his new ship. He spent the days exploring the station and utilizing the holodecks to explore caves on far-off worlds, though it took him a while day to sum up the nerve to approach the cranky Ferengi Bar owner and holodeck proprietor. After one such caving session Scruffy had the misfortune of getting stuck at the bar, unable to escape having his ear talked off by the chattiest Lurian he’d ever had the misfortune of meeting. The Lurian, who had introduced himself as Morn, was a nice enough fellow, though Scruffy found the incessant chatter to be irksome while at the same time being too polite to ask Morn to stop. Scruffy made a point over the following days to avoid sitting next to the Lurian.

USS Gettysburg & The Terror of Tiran

With the arrival of the USS Gettysburg at the space station, Scruffy found himself aboard his new home. While less impressive than the Arkwright, the Gettysburg was still a fine ship, and Scruffy quickly threw himself into his work in an effort to take his mind of the dangers of the Dominion War raging throughout the quadrant.

The next several years passed by in a breeze, with Scruffy getting along well with his crewmates and adjusting to his new role, though still occasionally getting a talking to about his casual demeanor and lax state of dress and deportment. That all changed in 2378, with the addition of one Emelia ‘Blue’ Tiran to the Gettysburg’s Engineering team. The newly promoted Lieutenant (J.G.) seemed to be the exact opposite of Scruffy’s laid-back demeanor, and while Scruffy initially developed a bit of a crush and hoped to get to know the new addition to their crew, things proved not to work out that was as the two were constantly at odds with one another. Scruffy usually ended up on the losing end of such encounters, and began to seek out jobs which would take him as far from the Terror of Tiran as he could get within the limits of the starship. At time it seemed as though Lieutenant Tiran had made it her personal mission to torment Petty Officer LeBlanc, such as on one occasion when she handed him an antiquated screwdriver and a bucket of screws and informed him that every screw in jefferies tube 337 needed to be replaced.

The Blue nightmare finally came to an end a year later, when Blue Tiran was relieved of duty aboard the Gettysburg following a prank on the Chief Engineer which landed the Chief in sickbay and Tiran in some seriously hot water. Despite the torment he had endured at the hands of Blue Tiran, Scruffy couldn’t help but feel sorry for her in the wake of her reprimand and dismissal, even if he felt a heavy sense of relief at the same time.

USS Bellerophon & Task Force Acheron

In mid 2380, Scruffy received a promotion to Petty Officer 1st Class, along with transfer orders which landed him aboard the USS Bellerophon. Little did he know that the following months would make the fear he had felt during his time along the Romulan Neutral Zone and during the Dominion War seem like a relaxing trip to the beach in his old VW Van.

At first, life aboard the Intrepid-class starship was very much the same ass it had been in his previous postings. His work form one starship to the next varied little beyond the Intrepid-class systems differing slightly form the older generations of vessels. His laid-back attitude drew the same ire from his superiors, who learned to deal with it in their own way once they realized the Scruffy was, appearances aside, very good at what he did. He resumed his counselling sessions, having had them regularly since joining Starfleet. Aboard the Bellerophon he found himself meeting with the ship’s Chief Counsellor, Hathev. He couldn’t be sure what the Vulcan counsellor made of him with his nickname, nonchalant demeanor and numerous neurosis, though he had to admit that he found the sessions with Lieutenant Commander Hathev helpful nonetheless.

Scruffy had the good fortune of running into one Lieutenant Dave Marsh, his old friend turned officer, and the two were happy to reconnect aboard the Bellerophon. Seeing his old friend did Scruffy good, the comfort of his old chum helping to alleviate some of Scruffy’s anxieties.

Scruffy’s routine changed when the Bellerophon was ordered to join Task Force Acheron in the hunt for the multi-vector dreadnought USS Theurgy, a ship turned traitor to the Federation. For Scruffy, their new role as a member of the task force hunting the USS Theurgy changed little in his daily routine of system checks, diagnostics, and repairing faulty bio-neutral gel packs. That all changed in January of 2381 when Task Force Archeron caught up to the errant ship, and the USS Bellerophon engaged the renegade USS Theurgy, along with the USS Akagi, the USS Ark Royal, and the USS San Paulo. The battle left the Bellerophon extensively damaged, and while Scruffy had been terrified during the engagement, he quickly found himself absorbed in repairing the extensive damage suffered by the ship. Constant repair seemed to become a normal routine aboard the Bellerophon, as only two months later they engaged the Theurgy again, this time with the Bellerophon being disabled by a virus. No sooner had they managed to get the Bellerophon underway than they once again engaged the Theurgy, this time at the Battle of Starbase 84.

Scruffy seemed to have settled into a routine of working on damaged systems, getting the ship underway only to have it be broken again, as well as generally fearing for his life, when things went from bad to worse. Task Force Archeron had tracked the Theurgy to the Azure Nebula where, after a game of cat and mouse in the swirling blue haze of creepy radioactive soup, the Bellerophon engaged one of the Theurgy’s Vectors once more alongside the USS Dauntless. During the ensuring battle the Bellerophon was targeted by the Theurgy and, suffering catastrophic damage, the Bellerophon was destroyed. Scruffy just barely managed to make it to an escape pod in time but hesitated in closing the hatch as he saw his friend Dave Marsh running towards him in the corridor. That hesitation resulted in Scruffy suffering extensive burns as a plasma conduit near the escape pod’s hatch ruptured, the full brunt of the leak engulfing his friend and spreading to impact Scruffy as well, causing him to throw himself backwards into the pod in an attempt to escape the burning. Scruffy only survived because the pod’s automated system closed the hatch and lunched the pod. Scruffy remembered nothing of his time in the escape pod following the plasma conduit rupture, and was surprised to find himself aboard the USS Theurgy when he finally awoke after spending several days in a medically induced coma while his burns were treated.

Personality Profile

Schubert LeBlanc was a laid back and easy-going sort of person, preferring to go with the flow rather than become involved in conflict. One exception to this, however, was his dislike for his name. After being called numerous variations of “a scruffy bastard” throughout his life, he simply decided to go by the nickname “Scruffy”, and disliked being called anything else.

Quick, bright, and good with his hands, Scruffy quickly proved himself a capable engineer at Starfleet Bootcamp, though he displayed a reluctance during self-defense and weapons training; a holdover from his youth spent growing up with his pacifist grandmother. Scruffy also had a deep dislike of confrontation, and was often thought of as meek or cowardly by others due to the ease with which he got spooked or scared.

Scruffy did his best to stay physically fit, preferring activities like yoga and swimming rather than weightlifting or activities which would bulk him up. He preferred to stay lean, thus making it easier to enjoy his passion for caving where bulk would make squeezes difficult to navigate.

In social situations, Scruffy was laid back, friendly, good natured, and always quick to laugh. This tendency periodically worked against him, however, as his relaxed attitude often extended into his on-duty hours, and sometimes caused him to seem too easygoing or informal when dealing with officers.

Having been used to living simply long before joining Starfleet, Scruffy kept few personal possessions. His quarters were simply decorated with a few photographs of his friends and family, as well as a couple of himself standing leaning against his prized Van or crawling through a cave. He also kept a hang drum in his room, and would spend time playing it when he needed to relax and forget about things that were bothering him.

Physical Profile

Tall and lanky, Scruffy hardly had the sort of build which people would expect great feats of strength from. His thin frame gave a false impression, however, as years of swimming, caving and working in engineering had developed lean muscles. His hands were rough and covered in tiny scars form years working on engines and ship repairs.

He had brown hair which usually looked shaggy and unkempt, and which he constantly had to brush out of his face, as well as a constant level of scruff on his face of the same colour which he had the habit of scratching whenever he was thinking or considering a problem. He had bright and lively blue eyes and a ready smile and generally carried himself in a relaxed, almost lazy manner. He had a habit of slouching and walking with his hands in his pockets, as well as not doing up his boots and leaving his uniform pants tucked into the tops, which only added to his unkempt appearance.

Special Notes

Fears:

• Death in the cold vacuum of space
• Death by explosion
• Death by burning
• Death by disintegration
• Death after being left behind
• Blue Tiran

Appearances

Aldea Prime Anthology

• The Terror of Tiran – Day 04 | 0900hrs After recovering in Sickbay, Scruffy begins work aboard the USS Theurgy
• Fine First Impressions – Day 05 | 0630hrs Scruffy encounters his new roommate, Morgan Song
• Read The Manual - Day 12 | 1515hrs Scruffy works under Nator 159 to repair the large breach in Vecotr 02 of the USS Theurgy