Leon Marquez (KIA)

Personnel File
Name:	Leon Marquez
Rank:	Lieutenant Commander
Position:	Chief Tactical Officer
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
Writer:	Deceased, formerly Triton
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

Before his death, and becoming Chief Tactical Officer on the USS Theurgy, Leon Marquez was the Executive Officer on the USS Resolve before the Battle of Starbase 84. Leon Marquez aided in the opposition against the parasites that compromised Starfleet Command in the end of the 24^th century until he was killed in action during the Battle of the Apertures.

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 senior staff of 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 whenever the Hornet would be past its refits and shakedown trials. Captain Xan, the same old Andorian who Captained Marquez's home ship, the USS Nautilus, was Leon's CO yet again. Leon reacquainted with the Captain's daughter, PO Tarsi, Torpedo guidance and ordnance 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 and learned how necessary it was to be proficient with as many close-range bladed weapons as possible, such as swords, lirpas and ushaan-tors. Leon also adopted a now-famous policy of having a partner when faced with the prospect of being surrounded by hostiles.

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 than a standard Galaxy-class. It had spent the last two years being repurposed to store 3 Peregrine attack fighters and a trio of Hopper-class atmospheric transports for evacuation or liberation purposes. Talk persisted it was being groomed for the prototype Yamato-class Marquez once noticed during a Utopia Planitia briefing 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. In anticipation of hostilities from the Empire from the Gamma Quadrant, The Hornet took on a new crew of graduates in Conn and Security under the command of tested officers in 2373 and became the flagship in a Galaxy Wing with the Fifth Fleet, including Alessia Garcia and Jimmy Mariner.

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 Tranquility Valley on HT-997, an obscure rogue planetoid, whose only real value was its location and the possibility to install a remote sensor array which was unbeknownst to the Federation, monitoring Betazed and the Tenth Fleet ahead of their planned Invasion into Federation Space.

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.

Despite initial demoralizing losses, including Betazed, and the costly win at Tranquility Valley, 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 diplomatic peace offering, the Hornet became a flagship for Romulan-Federation operations. It wasn't an easy culture clash, given so much intrigue, curiosity and mutual distrust, and the clashes turned literal on occasion. Fortunately, Founder subterfuge was rooted out and dealt with, which was a catharsis for the competing factions that the Founders, not each other, were the enemy.

This was a blessing in disguise, as Marquez was trusted enough by the Romulans permitted to test pilot a 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 Romulans soon began to undermine the peace process and threatened to terminate Marquez's career if he continued to fraternize with 'tomorrow's enemy'. Despite profound respect for his lifelong friend and mentor, Leon sensed that Xan was compromised by the mission at hand and knew he would eventually have to confront or arrest the Captain.

Marquez remained on the USS Hornet as its Chief Tactical Officer, but acted largely as First Officer when Captain Xan assumed command of the saucer section for Close-quarter combat. Even despite the commitment of the Romulans, Starfleet could spare any reinforcements to replace the ones lost By this stage of the war. Marquez, was advanced to Lieutenant Commander and maintained his station during the battles the Hornet partook in. It was in the final battle, where the IRW D'rathidau was singled out by Jem'Hadar fighters, which could have been rescued by Xan, had he given the order. Evidently, a centuries-standing Ushaan had been declared by one of Xan's forebearers against any descendant of the masterminds behind the infamous 'Aenar Drone' project. Upon learning that the Romulan Commander's lineage was at odds with his family's vow of revenge, Xan allowed the flagship to be destroyed.

Before Leon could have Xan arrested, however, a Jem'Hadar fighter made a suicide charge against the Hornet's saucer. Fortunately, Leon was in the stardrive's bridge center seat and separated the ship in time to beam over any survivors from the bridge and saucer section to sickbay. Leon assumed command of the Carrier from there and was able to survive long enough for the Cardassians to turn the tide of the battle. Many of USS Hornet's crew, including the most of their saucer section 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 Starfleet parents, who shaped his early years, taking time off to serve in the Home Fleet to keep Leon near Earth and what he would some day fight to protect. He had his chance during 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 limited his vices to exercise, meditation and practical use of Holo-films, mindful by example of the 8-10 hours before shift rule when it came to the occasional drink with friends. 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 an original, untested but effective solution was proven more effective over an existing one.

Raised on starships, Leon's 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.

Leon Marquez was an accomplished Danube-class Runabout fighter pilot during the Dominion War, with an admirable 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 believed in Starfleet and its moral values, willing to go any lengths to protect it, even if he was forced to make renegade decisions for the needs of the many, but not lightly.

As a Cadet, Leon was himself once a competitive pacifist who, in his own words, "Just liked to race, fight and win... and sometimes explore", 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.

Headstrong Nature

Leon was resourceful and innovative during battle, and was known for his aggressive and efficient experience with antimatter weaponry. 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, though after assuming command of the stardrive section of the USS Hornet during the final battle of the Dominion War, he expected a seat on that ship's bridge, but less than a month after the final battle, Leon was assigned to the Romulan sector, and eventually, the USS Resolve.

At home on the bridge or on an away team, whether for diplomacy or combat, Leon could handle himself in whatever situation he was needed. 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.

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. His ongoing homesickness usually discouraged him from using the Holodeck to relive Earth.

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'd made for himself. Marquez was often seen jogging, bicycling or practicing his soccer maneuvers in any gym.

Among many of Leon's Holodeck character friends included Bruce Lee. While is also not formally "belt graded" in any martial art, One of his jokes on the matter is "Not having a black belt is just a technicality. The only belt I need is the one holstering my phaser.