Lieutenant Commander Tommy Alexander Robertson (USS Kyushu)

Character of the Year

I here-by submit the character, one Lieutenant Commander Thomas Robertson of the ship USS Kyushu, for consideration as Obsidian Fleet Character of the Year. The reasons for this choice are numerous and ... quite over-abundant to list here, so I will attempt to make the citation palatable for even the most McDonald’s-esque palate. Many moons ago I pulled a character out of the mothballs and applied her once again to the task of XO – the ship failed miserably for a CO who was simply not in the game, but from the ordeal I stumbled upon a treasure: Tommy Robertson, played by Brian – a player with whom I am very well acquainted. Brian encouraged me to take up command of my own ship – coaching me through COALs as my instructor until – at last – I gained full command of the Kyushu. He then transferred over his character to serve as the ship’s CEO and the game has just gone from there. Tommy as a person has a long and well-developed history. Much of it took place before I even considered the gaming world. Back-story spanning over years that – somehow – Brian manages to weave into a tragically complex individual. Much of this history is shown in a slowly evolving personality that is – at the best of times – marginally approachable. Tommy is sharp-edged, defensive of his territory, demanding of his department to the point of outright dictatorship, and yet he demands even more of himself – even knowing that he cannot reach the goal. Admittedly, the character has its weaknesses – but as a Shakespeare student myself, I have learned that it is the tragic flaw which truly defines the character. When Tommy is not dragging his team through the wringer, he’s exploring his own psyche through a variety of personal flash-backs. Or embroiled in a seemingly constant face-off with the ship’s CMO – a strong spirit in her own right! Keeping in step with his history – including a near-fatal neural-gel disaster – Tommy’s day-to-day struggles with basic existence reflect strongly in not only his personal image, but his less-than-perky interaction with other characters. He can be down-right acerbic at times! However, through it all he still presents an individual who is battered but believable – someone who, even if you hate him you still care to know what happens and that, I believe, is his greatest strength. ~ Submitted by: CAPT Jocelyn Benét (CO, USS Kyushu)