Captain Erik Norsgaard
Name Erik Norsgaard
Position Commanding Officer
Rank Captain
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 47 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 6'5" | |
| Weight | 200 lbs. | |
| Hair Color | Blonde with White Streaks - Shoulder Length | |
| Eye Color | Gray/Blue | |
| Physical Description | His voice is deep, a rich baritone, and while he's not given to shouting, he has a way of making himself heard. His gray eyes, which can vary in shade, seem peaceful at first glance but the Vikings in his ancestry shine through at times. There's an active intelligence behind his calm demeanor and you know instinctively that he doesn't miss much. At 6'5", 200 pounds, he's lean and well-muscled, washboard abs and a sculpted body that gives mute testament to the way he works out problems, in long, hard workouts; for a man his size, he moves with an easy grace. When not in uniform, he prefers casual, comfortable clothing. Then too, if he finds something he likes, he sticks with it which means he'll buy the same pullover again whenever its predecessor becomes unwearable. At the moment, he's wearing a handwoven bracelet on his left wrist, a gift from one of his nieces. |
Family
| Spouse | Elizabeth Reed Norsgaard (Deceased) | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Edvin Norsgaard | |
| Mother | Maja Norsgaard | |
| Brother(s) | Bjorn, Gustav, John, Mikael, and Alexander | |
| Sister(s) | None | |
| Other Family | Paternal Grandmother - Elin Norsgaard Astrid Norsgaard - Gustav's wife Gustav and Astrid's children - Ebba, Agneta, Maja and Brita |
Personality & Traits
| Personality Overview | He's a warrior, both highly disciplined and logical, with analytical abilities that make him both a capable tactician and captain. He's not given to smiling much, especially not first thing in the morning. He is determined and well-focused on the task at hand, a man who is adept at reading situations and excels at thinking as much as twelve moves ahead. He makes connections, sometimes between seemingly unrelated events, and has a gift for making intuitive leaps (though he'll always find the evidence/science to back up that leap). He trusts his instincts except when it comes to relationships. He's a family man at heart who needs an oasis of peace to keep him centered. When he married, he thought he had found just that; the starship captain, calm under pressure, who loves popcorn and movie nights, making snowmen, and all the other ordinary parts of life. He has strong protective instincts which means that the well being of his ship and crew matter to him a great deal. On away teams, he demonstrated his willingness to put himself in harm's way if it meant protecting those under his command. He is practically fearless, the sort who will fight against a perceived fear until it goes away and is the sort who won't forgive himself it he isn't there when the people that matter to him need him the most. He's organized and detail-oriented with a strong preference for order and cleanliness. It will bug him if a picture isn't hung properly or the cap is left off the toothpaste. |
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| Ambitions | * To visit every Federation world there is * To own a dog (has the name already picked out) |
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| Strengths & Weaknesses | Strengths: > Capable tactician, highly analytical, and able to think moves ahead of his opponent. > Good at reading the room > Good at making connections from seemingly unrelated information and making intuitive leaps Weaknesses: > Thinks better in motion which means he's big on hard workouts when he's working through a problem > Addicted to coffee to the point where he's been called a functional mute until he's had his first cup > Has trouble getting his mind to slow down when he's working on a problem which means he sometimes doesn't sleep well if at all. He tends to wander the ship at night when he can't sleep/shows up in odd places. |
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| Hobbies & Interests | > Movie Nights. Bad movie night was a regular feature as was horror movie night, science fiction night, mystery/thriller night. Never a fan of rom-coms though he watched them with his wife -- and argued the finer points. > Student of military history. Voracious reader - generally non-fiction. > Martial arts and boxing > Loves skiing, snowboarding, scuba diving, and hiking. > Camping with minimal supplies > Antique weapons |
Medical History
| Past Injuries | Mostly minor injuries that occurred during training. | |
| Known Allergies | None | |
| Preexisting Medical Conditions | None |
| Personal History | Born on April 14, 2322 in Northern Sweden to Edvin Norsgaard who worked on starships, in Starfleet Security, and eventually resigned to raise his children on an off-grid homestead after the death of his wife, Maja. Edvin, once a man filled with laughter and a sense of fun, turned inward after her death, focusing his energy on building the homestead. Work filled his days and his sons, all six of them, were left to raise themselves. When Momor Elin (paternal grandmother Elin Norsgaard) arrived, she declared the boys to be 'all but feral' and demanded that they begin 'tamed'. The fight, between Mormor Elin and her only son was legendary. The boys watched from the darkened loft. At the time, Erik remembered thinking that he was seeing the end to his way of life but later, after he'd been tamed and understood better what the world could offer, he saw it as the beginning of so many things. Four of his brothers agreed. But Gustav, the oldest, needed the peace and solitude of the wilderness; life in the city robbed him of something he needed desperately to thrive. In the end, he returned to the homestead to help his father, eventually building his own cabin, marrying and raising children. Over time, Edvin began to heal and from all accounts, became "Farfar" (Grandfather) to Gustav's children. For the first time in his life, Erik attended a regular brick and board school. Gone were the woods and ski slopes, the profound freedom he had once taken for granted, and its place, his grandmother ensured that the brothers had new friends, people to talk to and hang out with, and a host of new experiences. And through it all, she was there to share their failures and their triumphs, talk through problems, and bit by bit, Erik lost the feeling that he was always intruding on his father's grief whenever he tried to speak with him. He found that he enjoyed classes with other students which meant that he could hear differing viewpoints but more importantly, meant that he wasn't the sole focus of the teacher's attention as it was in online learning. What at first seemed the greatest tragedy of his young life quickly became a time of adventure and growth, the first steps he would make toward forming an individual identity, separate from his father and the homestead. He made friends. He got involved. He never lost his need for the outdoors, for living a bit on the edge, for testing himself against any number of activities -- axe throwing, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, boxing, martial arts, and more. Some he abandoned, some stayed with him and somewhere along the way he started finding a balance ... and a sense of himself, who he was, who he wanted to be. He met the love of his life, Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Reed his first day at Starfleet Academy. She was on track to become a physician, he saw himself as a security officer while his instructors thought he had what it took for command. And while that argument continued through his first year, he and Lizzie grew closer. They were married at his grandmother's house, with his father and all his brothers in attendance. There were nightly chats over comms and lots of scheduling challenges but in the long run, it didn't matter. They had their whole lives to be together and, really, Erik only had to look in her eyes to know, every time he saw her, that she was the one. And then it happened. Lizzie fell ill while on a mercy mission to a remote colony and died before a cure could be developed. To say he was devastated would be a understatement and the pain of her loss hasn't entirely left him. He is a family man without a family and now, focuses his efforts on his ship and his crew. |
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| Service Record | 2340-2344: Starfleet Academy, Command Major Recognized for his leadership capabilities, Erik finally agreed to the command track where he did well. His coursework focused on Intelligence, Helm/Navigation with extensive training in administration, astrogation, diplomacy, and law. He earned his pilot certification and proved to be adept at navigating complex situations. 2344-2346: USS Faraday, Third Officer/Helmsman Initially serving as Helmsman, Erik was promoted to Third Officer after six months on board. His duties expanded and he was given the Gamma Shift watch. That as well as his extensive away team experience led to several commendations for creativity and his ability to keep his head while under fire. 2347: Starfleet Academy Erik took a leave of absence after the death of his wife and spent time back at Starfleet Academy taking a course to increase his knowledge of shipboard operation. 2347=2350: USS Sitting Bull, Second Officer Erik was rotated through every department on board, given a chance to learn how they worked first-hand, as well as rotating the Beta Shift watch with the First Officer. He took distance learning courses through the Academy and continued to be cited for courage under fire and once, for deescalating a volatile situation. 2350-2353: USS Sitting Bull, First Officer/Acting Captain The Sitting Bull was officially signed a patrol route along the Cardassian border and participated in a number of engagements along what would later become the "DMZ". When the ship, damaged in a firefight, found itself in a gravitic mine field, the resulting damage cost the life of the ship's First Officer and Captain. Erik assumed the position of Acting Captain, oversaw repairs, while playing a cat and mouse game with a pair of Cardassian warships. He was able to sufficiently damage both vessels, rendering them unable to pursue, and brought the Sitting Bull safely back to port. 2353-2369: USS Sitting Bull, Commanding Officer As a result of his actions, Erik Norsgaard was made captain of the Sitting Bull and held that position for sixteen years; He engaged in several skirmishes with pirates preying on freighters, eventually bringing down the operation, and, through a wide variety of mission-profiles, Captain Norsgaard proved himself to be a canny and effective leader. Along with the ship security, was also instrumental in tracking down and capturing a Romulan Infiltrator intent on gaining access to the Defiant Class development project. 2369-Present: USS Thunderbird, Commanding Officer |