Summary
Commander Roptojmey is a Klingon-born, Tellarite-raised Federation Doctor. Abandoned at birth due to multiple birth defects, he was discovered by a Tellarite newlywed couple who took him in and raised him as their own. His genetic Klingon aggression blended well with the Tellarite’s impatience and stubborn nature, leading to a very healthy upbringing. He was not raised ignorant of Klingon culture; however, it was more to understand it better to mock it, as that same culture is what led to his initial abandonment.
He followed in his mother’s footsteps and took an interest in medicine, a further mockery of his heritage; as Klingon Warriors glorified dying in battle, and as a doctor, it was his prerogative to prevent that from happening. He served a highly distinguished career in Starfleet, retiring in 2384 to focus on his family and raising his daughter. In 2104, his daughter was killed on her first training cruise during Frontier Day, prompting him to re-join Starfleet in memory of her, and to chase away the loneliness in his life.
Appearance
Roptojmey is predominantly Klingon, with all the general physical features one would expect. 6’0”, 200lb, his frayed gray hair is generally brushed back or tied in a ponytail. He has a full beard and mustache covering his face. His forehead ridges are a pronounced feature, yet occasionally he will wear a hoodie to cover them to ease some patients who may have reservations about a Klingon. His face wears the age of time of a man nearing his 70s, but he wears it well. Though he has a resting ‘grouchy’ face, he will smile and make silly faces at children when he catches them staring.
Character Inspiration: Older Samuel L Jackson
AI Art of Character Generated with ChatGPT
Character in Star Trek Online
Personality
Roptojmey is the personification of a grumpy old man with an old sweetheart. He is playfully confrontational, due to his Tellarite upbringing, and always finds something to complain about, but knows how to read a room. He can be very loving and protective of younger officers, often taking them under his wing like children, both out of fraternal instinct and as a coping mechanism for his loss. Professionally, he has an excellent bedside manner and loves making younger children laugh, often joining in on juvenile pranks with his younger patients.
History
Birth and Childhood
Roptjomey was born in 2334, on Qo’noS as a member of a lower house. Due to having many birth defects and the unlikelihood of him becoming a worthy heir, his father ordered him to be abandoned in the wilds. Unwilling to subscribe her child to death, his mother in turn deposited the child on a local trading planet close to the Klingon-Federation border. Luckily, a newlywed Tellarite couple discovered him and tried to reach out to the Klingon Government to find his family.
When the parents were told the boy was ‘ghubDaQ Roptojmey’ [ghubDaQ meaning ‘First Born’, Roptoj meaning ‘Scars from illness’, and -mey meaning ‘many’] and not worth saving. This infuriated the Tellarties, who took the boy in immediately as their own and named him Roptojmey in defiance of the Klingon’s abandonment, determined to raise him to be a dedicated member of society and prove them wrong.
Roptojmey’s mother was a renowned pediatrician in her own right and spent countless hours devoted to treating most of the boy’s illnesses to the point that by the time he started school, aside from an odd limp due to his bone structure, he was a normal, healthy boy. His father would often tell children that the only reason he looked different from them was because he had butterfingers and dropped Roptojmey on his face as a child. Other than that, Roptojmey was just another Tellarite and grew up a well-adjusted child.
By the time he grew older, he had taken an interest in medicine. Not only due to his mother’s profession, but he found the profound irony of a ‘Klingon Doctor’, spitting in the image of the Klingon Honor of a Warrior’s Death. He saw the job of a doctor, who fights against disease and death itself, to be the ultimate sign of a true Klingon Warrior, and relished in the perversion of his people’s customs.
Starfleet Service
Roptojmey entered Starfleet Medical Academy in 2352 and graduated 8 years later in 2359, entering service at the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. After serving his residency for an additional 4 years aboard a starbase, he got his mettle truly tested when he was deployed as a trauma response team following the Massacre of Setlik III. Never before had he seen such atrocity, but it only prompted him to become better at his craft so he could continue to save as many lives as he could.
He ultimately came face to face with his Klingon heritage following the Klingon Civil War, sent as part of a Federation Aid mission. Initially, he felt so out of place back on Qo’noS and worried he would be gutted on the spot. But to his surprise, the Klingons he worked with respected him and his craft, acknowledging his Klingon family were wrong for what they did, but reveled in his accomplishments despite the fact. This changed something in Roptojmey, bringing closure to nearly 30 years of repressed aggression towards his biological homeland.
Roptojmey married in 2371 to a beautiful Tellarite bride and served in joint operations with the Fifth Fleet, based out of Starbase 375 during the entirety of the Dominion War. In 2382, his wife gave birth to a daughter, prompting Roptojmey to re-evaluate his position in Starfleet. After much offboarding, he resigned in 2384 to become a full-time father on Tellar Prime in his family estate, which he inherited after his parents’ passing.
Retirement
In 2396, despite much effort on his part, Roptojmey’s wife passes away, leaving him to raise their 15-year-old daughter alone. He pours even more of his heart and soul into his daughter, spoiling her but also helping guide her on the path to her future. He gets her sponsorship into Starfleet Academy in 2399, but is devastated once again when she is killed in her Junior Year, following the events of Frontier Day. Heartbroken and alone, he turns to a dark place before old colleagues reach out and suggest he return to Starfleet, which he only does out of memory of his daughter.
Service Record
Date | Position | Posting | Rank |
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2352 | Basic Starship Operations | Starfleet Academy |
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2353 | Medical Student | Starfleet Academy |
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2354 | Medical Student | Starfleet Academy |
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2355 | Medical Student | Starfleet Academy |
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2356 | Freshman Medical Resident | Starfleet Medical Academy |
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2357 | Sophomore Medical Resident | Starfleet Medical Academy |
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2358 | Junior Medical Resident | Starfleet Medical Academy |
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2359 | Senior Medical Resident | Starfleet Medical Academy |
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2360 | Medical Doctor | Starfleet Medical Academy |
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2363 | Trauma Surgeon | Starbase 72 |
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2368 | Chief of Surgery | Starbase 234 |
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2375 | Chief Medical Officer | Starbase 310 |
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2384 | Retired | Retired |
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2401 - Present | Chief Medical Officer | [Pending Command] |
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