Lieutenant Tam Earthbow

Character Information

Gender		Male
Species		Betazoid
Age		54

Physical Appearance

Height		6'4"
Weight		170 lbs
Hair Color		Light Brown
Eye Color		Black
Physical Description		A bit on the lean side. Has a small curved scar under his right pectoral, from a kar'takin wound that was healed improperly by battlefield medicine with a malfunctioning dermal regenerator. Tends to carry himself with his head tilted back slightly, so can seem aloof or disengaged to those unfamiliar with him. He also, has a tendency to tilt his head to the left when questioning or in deep thought. This happens in particularly when he is analyzing someone's thoughts or emotions.

Family

Spouse		None
Children		None
Father		Glynn Earthbow (deceased)
Mother		Talia Earthbow (deceased)
Brother(s)		Arliss Earthbow (Older, Chief Science Officer USS Lincoln)
Sister(s)		Shiloh Earthbow (younger, Apothecary on Betazed) Hope Earthbow (older, deceased)

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Gone, it seems, is the wide-eyed boy who loved starship battles and space travel; or at the very least, submerged. All the optimism that he had was swept away with the onrushing tide of the Dominion War. In the final year of the war, he seemed more android than man; his sole motivations were killing Jem'Hadar and destroying their ships. He has a keen mind with a ken for tactics. He has learned to read people not just with his powers, but with body language. Tam has been known to say that a glance from a person can tell more than reading their thoughts. While certainly no psychic gladiator, his Imzadi taught him a few tricks about mind-to-mind combat in their time together. In social situations Tam seems to be an ambivert. He is exceptional at concealing anything that may wrong internally so that those around him would not be weighted down with his problems. He seeks connections with people on all levels. Although since his Imzadi died romance has been less and less. When faced with a disagreement or a mediation of sorts Tam has a tendency to stand back and observe. He likes to learn what people have on their minds, and seek a compromise whenever possible. There are some that would describe him overall as a people pleaser. When confronted about mistakes, or flaws he may have Tam gets defensive, and often tries to change the subject. He is the type of person that thrives under pressure. Tam has a unique almost Vulcanesque quality to shut out everything around him and evaluate the problem until there is a solution. This skill translates well to Intelligence work as often he has to solve a proverbial puzzle, or connect the dots as it were.
Strengths & Weaknesses		+ Leads By Example + Approachable + Extremely Loyal + Diplomatic before Tactical - Stubborn - Impulsive - Pushes too hard - Hatred for the Dominion
Ambitions		Tam would like to see the Federation achieve its goals. That of peaceful coexistence. However, he is not entirely naive. He knows that to get to that goal hands need to get dirty. To that end he has no sights on a command of his own. Tam feels he is of best use while using his talents as a shield for the Federation.
Hobbies & Interests		Kal-toh, Fencing, Parisses squares, Anbo-jyutsu, Three-dimensional chess, Reads Tarot Cards

Personal History		Born in Rixx, the capital city of Betazed, to a prominent scientist and her musician husband. He was the third of four children. Tam acquired an infection during preadolescence that caused early blooming of his telepathic and empathic abilities without the learned ability to filter out thoughts and emotion projected by those around him. With therapy and medical care, blocks were installed in his mind that allowed him to function as a regular Betazoid. He acquired the wanderlust from an early age. While returning with his parents from seeing the beautiful airborne ice floes of Yrnoch II (a newly discovered planet near the border), what was supposed to be an uneventful trip home turned into a harrowing brush with death when their starship was caught in the crossfire between several Klingon battle cruisers and a Romulan attack fleet. Despite the danger, Tam was fascinated. He began taking trips off Betazed as soon as he was old enough. After receiving a trip to Risa from his parents on his 16th birthday, he spent a few more years hopping from planet to planet: visiting Earth, Benzar, Vulcan, Qo'nos and Orion, nearly getting killed in a Talarian attack, and even getting reprimanded by UFP officials for trying to secure passage to Romulus. One of the officers citing him, a Vulcan starship captain, suggested he enroll in Starfleet. In September of 2369 at the age of 18 Tam was sworn into Starfleet as a Crewman Recruit. He attended his 3 month Basic Training which was a grueling time. The physical strain was not much for him. However, the strain on his empathic and telepathic skills did strain him. He had not been used to being around so many different species, with different thoughts etc. However, the counselors at Basic assisted him in getting a handle on things. At the end of Basic Training he was granted the rank of Crewman Apprentice. Tam went on to attend Starfleet A School and C School. A School lasted four months and he was trained to be a Data Systems Analyst. Intelligence appealed to Tam most, as it seemed to lend itself to the wanderlust that he had. It also had the advantage of allowing him to indulge his fascination with people. C School lasted five months and the training was more intensive. Here Starfleet put is natural talents to use and trained him to be a Strategic Debriefer. In that position he would use his skills to interrogate, and garner information. It was here that he realized how much body language can tell you. So much so that his abilities became a last resort tool. Something that he used only if it were imperative, and if time was of the essence. To this day he enjoys working with his mind off as the saying goes. Upon completion of his training Tam was granted the rank of Crewman and assigned to the USS Tudor as an Intelligence Specialist. His time on the Tudor was perhaps the greatest start to a Starfleet career that anyone could hope for. He travelled to various distant places, and observed a number of spatial phenomena. During this time Tam learned what it meant to have a Fleet Family. Six months into this assignment Tam met Leigh Reshlo, a Betazoid. She was a Quartermaster in the Operations Department. The two began a romance. The rest of the crew of the Tudor called them the couple of the ship. One year after starting the romance the two became Imzadi. In 2371 he was promoted to Petty Officer Third Class and assigned as the ship's Strategic Debriefer. In this new position he taught himself how to compartmentalize. How to leave the work in the office, and enjoy his life separately. This skill had to be learned as he began to see the darker side of the Federation, and the galaxy at large. In 2373 Tam's life changed forever. The Dominion War began, and his skills as an Intelligence Officer became highly sought after. As such, he spent less and less time with his Imzadi Leigh. The heavy workload began to take a toll on Tam, and he became short tempered. He also, had a hard time reconciling all of the outside emotions that affected him. With what little time they had together Leigh helped him keep a handle on anything that he could. The Tudor had been assigned to assist in the defense of Betazed in early 2374. During this battle Tam truly felt the pressure as this was his home, his friends, his family. This battle cost Tam truly everything. His mother, father, and older sister all perished during the battle. It was during the battle of Betazed where he was wounded which resulted in the scar. During the battle a Vorta had been captured and it was assigned to Tam to debrief the Vorta to gain whatever edge they could. However, during the debriefing it came without warning. Tam doubled over in pain, a throbbing in his skull and an aching in his heart. His Imazadi had been killed on the planet as she tried to reinforce a Starfleet position. In the final year of the war, he seemed more android than man; his sole motivations were finding where the Dominion was hiding. Tam began to use his abilities more and more, to the point where his Captain threatened to relieve him of duty should he not stop. He was not entirely bereft of family; his younger sister survived, and he has an older brother who is a scientist. At the war's conclusion, he bitterly bemoaned the peace treaty, feeling the Alliance ought to have pressed on into the Gamma Quadrant and wholly subdued the Dominion, wiping out the Founders and their clone soldiers. A wise commanding officer sent him to Cardassia on relief efforts to show him what a pyrrhic victory that would have been. Through his time there he came to see her race as victims of the Dominion just like his own people. Now he still hates oppression in all its forms, but has a compassion for those under its boot heels. When the war ended Tam received a promotion to Petty Officer Second Class. He tried to remain on the Tudor during the next year although he could not bear it. The corridors were haunted by the love he lost. Tam became withdrawn and distant after the War, reluctant to engage with any of his compatriots except on the barest levels required by professionalism. He requested and was granted a transfer to the USS Poseidon where he was assigned as a Data Analysis Specialist. The next few years saw him rise through the ranks to Senior Chief Petty Officer. Starfleet had a new position for him. He was assigned to Starfleet Intelligence Station Zulu along what used to be the Romulan Neutral Zone. His task here was to suss out what the Romulans were up to in a post Hobus galaxy. Tam took this time to reevaluate himself. This included his personality, how he dealt with others, and how he used his innate abilities. He began to feel that while most Betazoids used their abilities to assist in their endeavors. Tam had become almost reliant on them. With the assistance of the Counselor aboard the station Tam learned how to temper his use of his abilities. After five years watching the Romulans, Tam felt that he could do much more. He wanted to use his talents to shield the Federation, to prevent another Betazed. So, he enrolled in Starfleet Academy to become an officer. His time at the Academy was standard. He did not stand out too much academically. Ultimately he graduated in the middle of the class. However, he did excel in people skills. It was found that he had an innate ability to read people without using his talents. While at the Academy he met a man named Michael Kluger and the two became close friends. Michael believed that Tam was struck too tight and helped him relax whenever possible. Upon graduation Tam was given the rank of Ensign and assigned to the USS Tomahawk as an Intelligence Analyst. As luck would have it Michael Kluger was assigned to the Tomahawk as well into the Engineering Department. The two remained friends during their time aboard the Tomahawk. This culminated in Tam being the best man at Michael's wedding and then godfather of his son. This new friendship and the new responsibilities that came with being an officer seemed to open Tam up more. His sponsor from the Academy commented that the Tam that went into the Academy was a different than the one who came out. While the ghosts of the past still haunted him, Tam could finally move forward and embraced this new lot in life. In 2399 while serving aboard the Tomahawk Tam assists in a key decryption of Romulan messages. This results in Starfleet learning of further plans of the Zhat Vash. For his tireless efforts Tam is promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. One year later a small amount of that wanderlust returned and Tam sought a transfer. He was sent to the USS Haley where he was assigned as the Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer. In the years that followed the Borg attack of 2401 Tam used his abilities to help victims reacclimate. He also garnered valuable intelligence about how this was done, and why it was done. This intel led to measures taken to assure something like this did not happen again. By 2404 Tam was promoted to Lieutenant. Now, a new opportunity shows itself. Starfleet is returning to exploration and has created a new ship for the task, the USS Horizon. The idea of a new ship, with new people, new places to discover appealed to his old sense of wanderlust. This ship seems too good to be true for Tam. So, he applies and is granted a transfer to this ship as the Chief Intelligence Officer. Now, this new chapter in his life begins. For Tam life seemed to begin at fifty.
Service Record		September 2369 - Sworn in Rank Crewman Recruit September 2369 - December 2369- Basic Training (3 months) December 2369 - Promoted to Crewman Apprentice January 2370 - May 2370 - A School Training as Data Analyst for Starfleet Intelligence May 2370 - October 2370 - C School Training as a Strategic Debriefer October 2370 - Promoted to Crewman appointed as Intelligence Specialist USS Tudor April 2371 - Promoted to Petty Officer Third Class April 2371 - May 2375 - Intelligence Specialist Third Class/Strategic Debriefer USS Tudor May 2375 - Promoted to Petty Officer Second Class August 2376 - Transferred to USS Poseidon Data Analysis Specialist October 2379 - Promoted to Petty Officer First Class - Intelligence Specialist First Class/Strategic Debriefer USS Poseidon August 2382 - Promoted to Chief Petty Officer - Assigned to lead the Strategic Debriefing Division of the USS Poseidon October 2385 - Promoted to Senior Chief Petty Officer - Transferred to SFI Station Zulu along the old Romulan Neutral Zone. October 2385 - September 2390 - Decryption Specialist SFI Station Zulu. September 2390 - June 2391- Freshman Year Starfleet Academy September 2391 - June 2392 - Sophomore Year Starfleet Academy September 2392 - June 2393 - Junior Year Starfleet Academy September 2393 - June 2394 - Senior Year Starfleet Academy June 2394 - Graduates Starfleet Academy granted the rank of Ensign and assigned to USS Tomahawk as Military Intelligence Analyst. June 2399 - Promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade January 2400 - Transferred to USS Haley. Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer. May 2404 - Promotion to Lieutenant 2405 - Transfer to USS Horizon.