Peter Harrigan
From FEInfobase
| Peter Harrigan | |
| |
| Captain Harrigan in 2410 | |
| Species: |
Human |
| Homeworld: |
Aldebaran III |
| Ethnicity: |
Caucasian |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Born: |
2365 |
| Eyes: |
Blue |
| Hair: |
Blond |
| Height: |
5'11" |
| Weight: |
166 lbs. |
| Affiliation: | |
| Assignment: | |
| Position: |
Commanding Officer |
| Rank: |
Captain |
| Insignia: |
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| First Mentioned: | |
| First Appearence: | |
| Player: | |
| [ Source ] | |
Captain Peter Harrigan is a Starfleet officer and the commander of the USS Endeavour. With experience both during the war and after, he has a reputation as a capable commander, excellent starship tactician, and as one of the sharpest minds in the Federation. His origins as a Starfleet officer, however, are as an investigator, criminal psychologist, and security engineer, and he possesses doctorates in the last two fields. His reputation is mixed - some hail him as man of intellect, culture, and with an in-depth knowledge of the Core Worlds, while others would describe him as a whimsical egotist incapable of long-term dedication.
He was not the first choice for the assignment to the Endeavour, having been given the posting only upon the death of the primary candidate, and most of his superiors and colleagues alike are not inclined to forget this.
Contents |
Personal Details
Family
Parents
Harrigan's father, George, is a former Starfleet weapons engineer, reaching the rank of Commander in his career. Now retired from the service he still continues to lend his expertise on individual projects predominantly around Utopia Planitia. Always a distant man, neither his emotional accessibility or his relationship with his son improved upon the death of the rest of his family in the Dominion War. Interactions between the two have often been strained, George disapproving of most of his son's decisions in life. After his wife's death he had a string of young girlfriends for years before eventually marrying Nicola Capello, a woman younger than his own son. He is currently lives in semi-retirement in Tuscany, Italy.
Harrigan's mother was a politician, a member of the Aldebaran governing council. Where her husband had been detached at best, overbearing at worst when it came to his son's upbringing and especially his education, it was Amanda who provided him with tutors and a nurturing academic environment in which he could flourish. Amanda Laney was killed in the Dominion conquest of Aldebaran.
Siblings
Harrigan was the middle of three children; his brother Samuel was three years his elder, and his sister Pamela one year his junior. There was little competition between the siblings as Samuel was far more interested and talented in sports than Peter, and he would find himself closer to his more artistically-inclined and closer to his age sister. Both Samuel and Pamela Harrigan were killed in the Dominion conquest of Aldebaran.
Step-Mother
Nicola Capello is George Harrigan's second wife, and a woman three years younger than her step-son. She was eighteen when she married George. Her interaction with her step-son has been fleeting at best; the two have proven to have very little in common and Peter has extensively resented his father's young wife. She resides with her husband in Tuscany, Italy, where she owns a book store.
Half-Siblings
Matteo is Harrigan's half-brother, albeit young enough to be his son, and the offspring of George Harrigan and Nicola Capello. He has followed his father both into the service and into work as a weapons engineer. Already he has won several engineering awards for his success and been brought into some of Starfleet's top R&D projects. Relations between the brothers have been nothing but terse.
Lidia Capello is Harrigan's half-sister. As a Starfleet cadet she chose to go by her mother's name so as to avoid association with her father - and achieve negative attention or unearned advantages. In her third year, she is currently training as an Operations officer. Although the two are not close, her relations with her half-brother have been considerably more cordial than anyone else in the family's.
Physical Appearance
Harrigan does not appear as tall as he is, due to the stoop in his posture that comes from his reliance upon a cane to walk. He still has a certain presence which can draw the attention of those present when he steps, or even hobbles into a room. In presentation he varies between the extremes - either he is the picture of suave neatness, all spit and polish in uniforms and civilian clothing. Otherwise, usually if engrossed in some obsessive project, he's a mess of dishevelled hair, rumpled clothing, a forgetful relationship with shaving, and slightly wild eyes. His voice is one of brisk, educated tones, though it, and his oft-seen smirks, hold a ring of arrogance about them.
Medical Details
In the Battle of Sol Harrigan's leg was broken in four places and he refused to abandon his post until the end of the fight. The delay in this care led to prolongued troubles in his recovery. Harrigan rejected the offers of his leg being amputated, and spent six months learning how to walk again. Since then he has relied upon a cane to walk on an everyday basis to support his weight. On occasion he has been known to make use of a hover chair for convenience.
Starfleet Record
Service History
- 2382 - 2385: Starfleet Academy; Officer Candidate (Cadet)
- 2385 - 2389: Starfleet Academy; Extended Course Student (Ensign)
- 2389 - 2392: USS Dauntless; Chief of Security/Tactical (Lieutenant Junior Grade)
- 2392 - 2396: Starfleet Special Investigations; Criminal Psychologist (Lieutenant)
- 2396 - 2397: USS Lancaster; Chief of Security/Tactical (Lieutenant Commander)
- 2397 - 2398: USS Lancaster; Executive Officer & Chief of Security/Tactical (Lieutenant Commander)
- 2398 - 2399: Medical Leave
- 2399 - 2402: Starfleet Academy; Extended Course Student (Lieutenant Commander)
- 2402 - 2405: Starfleet Special Investigations; Analyst (Commander)
- 2405 - 2407: USS Templar; Executive Officer (Commander)
- 2407 - 2410: USS Templar; Commanding Officer (Captain)
- 2410 - Present: USS Endeavour; Commanding Officer (Captain)
Decorations and Commendations
- Battle of Sol Medal (2398)
- Bronze Star (2398)
History
Childhood
Peter Harrigan was born on Aldebaran III, the middle of three children. Early on his intellect became apparent to his teachers and to his father. A Starfleet weapons engineer, George Harrigan drove his son to excel in his studies and hone his mind with a vigour which would inspire young Peter, but also birth a tension between them. Peter was a youth with a broad interest in a range of subjects, both academically and in his personal interests, whilst George would tolerate nothing he conceived as a distraction. Despite his tensions with his father, he was close to his family and had a happy childhood for his first ten years - most especially when George was absent from home due to work. He remained a studied young man, refusing to limit himself in his curiosity, but well-rounded in socialising and sports.
This would come to an end at the outbreak of the Dominion War. Aldebaran, close to Betazed, was invaded by the Jem'hadar. George was serving in the fleet, and Peter was on a school camping trip away from civilisation, but Peter's mother, brother, and sister were killed in the assault. Aldebaran fell under Dominion occupation for the rest of the war and Peter was consigned to a camp arranged for war orphans, the Dominion following protocol of providing basic care for conquered worlds.
Quickly Peter was spotted by the Vorta administrator for his mind, just as his teachers had. The Dominion worked under the principle that eventual coercion of the human species would be needed to maintain peace after conquest. As such, the training and education of capable humans to make them loyal to the Dominion and thus able to be subservient cultural leaders was a priority on conquered planets. Peter was identified as being suitable for the programme. Although he had no real choice, he was given a better quality of living, as well as an education that he would later on realise to be simple propaganda. This would last for eighteen months until the liberation of Aldebaran. Peter was reunited with his father, but George almost immediately had him shipped to a boarding school on Earth. This would keep Peter academically challenged, prevent George from compromising his career to care for his son, and theoretically help him re-acclimatise after what he suffered at the hands of the Dominion.
He threw himself into his new life, leading his tutors and carers to conclude he was recovered after a few years. Peter was the top student in his school, popular among his classmates, a member of the rugby team, though it was to the surprise of most when he professed a desire to join Starfleet. He had never been close to his father, who had interacted with him only little following his arrival on Earth; most wondered why he would follow in his footsteps. When asked, Peter's answer was simple - he wished to defend the Federation, stop families from suffering as his had. With his high grades, he was not only granted a place at the Academy, but attended a year earlier than anticipated.
The Academy
Harrigan excelled at the Academy. His first year proved difficult as he found himself over-stimulated, taking a broad range of courses and still trying to engross himself in all aspects of Academy life, including social and sporting. He dabbled within the Science and Engineering departments, both of whom made lucrative bids in his direction, but his interest was undoubtedly with Security. He received high marks in his physical aptitude, grasp of law enforcement procedures, and starship tactics and warfare. But what his tutors noted about him most especially was his severe, unshakeable loyalty to the Federation revealed in all tests, and his particular aptitude in criminal psychology.
He nevertheless took on more courses than the average student, and it was here that he began his broadening of his experiences, otherwise being little more than a bright boy from a colony world. He learned the languages of multiple Federation member worlds, and went out of his way to learn Klingon and Romulan when the species also became members. In addition he made a point of learning and understanding the cultures of the Federation, unusual at a time when war was the priority.
Graduating at the top of his class, Harrigan opted for continued courses. He was a qualified security officer, but his voracious mind had begun to tumble down the rabbit hole in his study of criminal psychology. What often stumped him in his study of the sciences was finding them too detached, clinical - but in his chosen field, he could bring his tremendous mind to focus, and then apply it to people, for a tangible, achievable good.
The Dauntless and SSI
His first assignment was to the USS Dauntless. His extended training, high marks, and Doctorate in Criminal Psychology saw him granted the post of Chief of Security, at the rank of Lieutenant JG, immediately. For three years he served on a ship predominantly assigned to the front line. Although he provided exemplary service as a tactician and combat officer on a starship, he still jumped at the opportunity of a transfer when he heard of the development of a new Security division: Starfleet Special Investigations.
He was assigned as a Criminal Psychologist to the department. Not attached to any particular team, he acted as a specialist advisor on individual cases. Harrigan would develop a reputation for a certain whimsical excellence, utterly dedicated on an individual case, but not lingering, moving on as swiftly as possible. His colleagues often found him arrogant, but struggled to question his aptitude and results.
His results had him well-respected by Deputy Director Logan Callahan. When Callahan left SSI, feeling the war effort needed more officers, he asked Harrigan to come with him on his next assignment. Harrigan, as aware as his superior of how the time had come to fight the Borg, not crime, accepted.
The Lancaster and the Battle of Sol
Harrigan was made the Chief of Security on the USS Lancaster under Callahan's command. The ship fought hard in the final echoes of the Borg War, receiving a notable number of decorations in a relatively short time of service. This was not without its losses, for in the first year the Lancaster's first officer was killed. Lacking new personnel to replace them, Captain Callahan was forced to draw on his extant crew. He picked Harrigan as his replacement XO, though he would keep the role of Chief of Security.
As the war continued, Harrigan became something of a hoarder. He would collect artwork and items of cultural significance from most planets the Lancaster visited, especially ones that had, or were likely to be, attacked by the Borg. When planets fell, one by one, his collection became incalculably more valuable, and often Harrigan would ship belongings back to Earth to be preserved.
It would be a little over a year after his ascension to first officer that the Battle of Sol broke out. Damage to the Lancaster from the onslaught of Borg weaponry and explosions on the bridge saw his leg broken in four separate places, but Harrigan persevered and refused to abandon the tactical station. The duration of the battle, and the low priority of such a non-lethal injury, meant that it was days before Harrigan would receive medical aid.
But, ultimately, the USS Lancaster was one of the few ships to survive the battle intact.
Post-War Years
Harrigan was shipped to Starfleet medical as soon as possible. His injuries had been left unattended for some time, and exacerbated by his continued service at his post. The nature of the nerve damage to his leg made an artificial replacement unresponsive if they would amputate, and the doctors insisted he would, at least, be able to walk again.
He spent six months learning how to do so, though would forever be limited by a cane as a walking aid. In this time he wrote and had published a book - almost a guide - on how he anticipated the new generation of criminals in the post-war Federation to evolve. Knowing manpower and resources were limited, Harrigan's research drew him back to his roots in criminology, and also led him to consider how his new, lesser physical capabilities would need to be overcome. He returned to Starfleet Academy as a student in Security Engineering, researching and developing the use of newer and better technology for targeting crime, and achieved his second doctorate in that field. In this time he also taught several courses for the Security Department.
Callahan, now Director of SSI, offered him an assignment when he left the Academy. The theories Harrigan had espoused in his book had proven accurate enough to show his work and contributions were still relevant. Although bound to a desk, Commander Harrigan was heavily involved in both criminal theory and the further development of the technology SSI used to pursue its mandate. As an analyst on multiple cases, Harrigan was credited with an exemplary talent in anticipating criminal developments and action.
Upon SSI's instituting of martial law come the 2405 Presidential Elections, Harrigan acted as a supervisor for Earth operations as a whole during Director Callahan's absence. But he was growing disillusioned with his work, as he had in the past. He remained with the department until the end of the Civil War - and almost immediately asked for a transfer back to active duty on a starship at the end. Rumours hinted at a falling out between Harrigan and Director Callahan, relations between the two - who had almost been protégé and mentor - certainly cold for years to come.
The USS Templar
Commander Harrigan was posted to the USS Templar, a ship of the First Fleet. At a time when the Federation was just beginning to turn its eyes away simply from Sol, the Templar was a vessel returning to Core World member planets, and establishing secure borders and internal safety.
Here Harrigan finally found himself experiencing some of the duties he had originally aspired to as a Starfleet Officer. There was an extensive amount of relief work required on Core World planets, and the borders and trade routes were routinely threatened by pirates and, eventually, even the Vulcans. His cultural interest underwent something of a rebirth, and Harrigan began to build his reputation as an officer capable of more than simply investigative work and criminal psychology, for which he had been formally known.
As the First Officer, and eventually the CO, of the Templar, Harrigan would bring his intellect to bear in different ways. His experience from the Borg War made him a superior tactical mind, and he showed a tremendous capacity for diplomacy aided by his knowledge of psychology and by understanding the cultural background of those he dealt with. Knowing that the Federation was bigger than Earth, and that member worlds and colonies all had their own experiences, he became a versatile commander in the maintaining of the peace.
He would also, however, prove prickly and stubborn. Insults to his pride could ruin diplomatic encounters; advice from subordinate officers whom he did not deem sufficiently qualified, in academics or experience, to lecture him on a topic, could be ignored. He could also be somewhat unorthodox - on one occasion when apprehending a group of pirates who had murdered Federation citizens, he effectively avoided combat by having their ship's computer system hacked and activating the self-destruct. Captain Harrigan utilised this to force the pirates to surrender. When they did, he still left the self-destruct active until literally the last second, in retaliation.
But his methods, deemed 'effective' in a more modern, brutal Starfleet, were applauded. Harrigan's arrogance did, however, bring him into some conflict with his superiors, especially Admiral Moore, to whom he was routinely rude and dismissive - calling her 'no-nonsense' attitude simply an excuse to justify and celebrate ignorance.
The USS Endeavour
Partly through maintained interest in the Templar's mission in the Core Worlds, partly through a desire to stay and irritate Moore, the First Fleet Commander, Harrigan resisted efforts to be transferred. Eventually came the commission of the third Enterprise-class starship, the USS Endeavour.
Harrigan's name reached a short-list of candidates, though Admiral Moore balked from the beginning, and rumours abounded that even the Office of the President was displeased with such an unorthodox candidate being considered as the commander of Starfleet's newest, most high-profile vessel of recent years. This dispute would be short-lived, however, for Harrigan was by no means a front-runner, and his consideration was assumed to be a political move as Starfleet remained intent on giving the command to decorated war hero Captain Jason Shepherd.
The two men knew each other, Shepherd being married to Harrigan's first officer on the Templar, and met on Bajor when their ships crossed paths just as Shepherd was due to return to Earth for his reassignment. When he was found dead the morning after their meeting, Harrigan was one of the first on the scene, and pressed for Shepherd's death to be considered accidental - despite it being clear there had been foul play.
Harrigan returned to Earth and presented his findings to Admiral Moore and Director Callahan. It was agreed, with Romulan tensions rising around Bajor and the Federation uneasy at the prospect of military action, that Captain Shepherd's murder be kept under wraps. Neither senior officer was pleased at the prospect, but the danger that now surrounded the Endeavour mission, the need for caution and investigation over public relations or the Federation's idealistic principles, had sky-rocketed Harrigan to the top of the list of suitable commanders.
Days before the Endeavour was due to be launched, Starfleet announced the tragic accident of Captain Shepherd's death, and that replacing him as the commanding officer of this new starship would be Captain Peter Harrigan.