 Skip Tyler |
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Biographical Information Rank: Lieutenant J.G. Physical Description Species: Human Chronological Information Affiliations:
Behind the Scenes Played by: David Tennant |
Lieutenant J. G. Steven "Skip" Tyler
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Skip Tyler is the Alliance Starship Muffin's communications officer who can't slow down his speech. He is bright and energetic and tends to be thought of as far too energetic. He has a grasp of communication systems few could understand and possibly owing to his extreme rate of speech is able to encrypt the communications system to a point that almost no one can break through it without his knowledge.
Biography
Early Childhood
Steven Logan Tyler born on the remote mining colony of Tasus 5. When Skip was 2 years old his parents died in a mining accident that claimed the lives of some 450 of the mine workers. This accident was sufficient to close down the mines almost permanently as there had been many safety violations dating back years. Skip and his sister Valerie were shuffled off into foster care but were by sheer luck kept together. Either the death of his parents or the following trauma left Skip mute. Until he was 13 Skip didn't say a word, though some have suggested he had a variety of nonverbal communication with his sister. Skip's first words came out when a power cable snapped near his home and nearly killed his sister as it swung to the ground. There is speculation that keeping language so pent up for so long is what resulted in Skip's unique speech patterns and verbosity, however there is no real proof of this. He was diagnosed as being ADD, however the diagnosis was amended as he displayed no real signs of hyperactivity beyond his speech and Ritalin had no effect on him or his condition.
When Skip was 16 he began taking Ballroom and Swing dancing lessons with his sister which served to help him learn all of the social skills he had missed out on during his years of quiet. Oddly he grew to love communication in all of its forms once he began to speak and quickly moved to focus his education on communication.
Secondary Education
Skip received his bachelors degree in Communications from Io Community College and upon graduation enrolled in the Alliance Navy, specializing in communications. When Skip became an Ensign he was assigned to the Muffin and has been enjoying his first assignment greatly.
Promotion
Due to an impressive service record Skip was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.
Future
In a possible Future that the Doctor shows to Belinda, Skip is an Admiral and leads a group that brings about the end of the Alliance.
Personality Traits
Skip suffers from a disorder similar to ADD wherein he is incapable of speaking in a slow and normal rate; doctors are still working on a way to alleviate the confusion of everyone around him. Otherwise he is outgoing and personable. He enjoys dancing and is a hit with the ladies who seem not to care about the speed of his speech.
Associations
Skip is very close to his sister Valerie and counts Lieutenant Robin Cunningham as his best friend.
Skip is president of the Alliance Ballroom Dance Club.
Behind the Scenes
- Skip's speech patterns are based on the way gnomes in the Dragonlance novels speak
- Skip's personality takes aspects of a friend of the authors he met through dancing in college, specifically the "how was your week?" comic.