Possessing an average constitution and only slightly above-average intelligence, Troy was never a gifted athlete or brilliant student. He never belonged to any academic or sports teams and his GPA throughout his entire academic career never topped a 3.1. Troy is living proof that not everyone is born to be special. Some people are just average.
During his third year of high school, Troy voluntarily took the military aptitude test as a means of missing half of his classes for one day. Having written down his address on that exam, pamphlets were routinely mailed to his house over the course of the next year and a Starfleet Recruiter stopped by his house to speak with him on more than one occasion. Neither love of the Federation nor a romance with the stars caused Troy to join the Starfleet Marine Academy. He joined simply because of the persistence of a recruiter and because he didn't have anything better planned.
While at the Academy, Troy failed to distinguish himself in nearly every possible way. His grades were average, he gained no patrons, did not develop any friendships that would last him the rest of his life, and he only graduated at the top of the third quarter in his class.
In fact, the only two areas that Troy ever displayed an above-average aptitude for were marksmanship, phaser maintenance, and logistics. And only then because he was apprenticed during his second year with a Gunsmith, which provided him with ample experience repairing, shooting, and re-supplying phasers.
When Troy requested shortly after his commissioning that he be allowed to complete a Masters of Philosophy program at his Mother s University, it was the only time his average record helped him. His complete lack of honors ensured that there was no reason for him to be granted his request, but his complete lack of reprimands ensured that there was no reason for him not to be granted his request. In a bizarre twist of fate, the officer reviewing his record decided the whole thing with a coin toss. It was heads.
Now, the ink barely dry on his Masters Degree, Troy has been given the USS Galaxy as his first assignment.
This has never bothered Troy. Since his family upbringing was so free of hostility, Troy has never really had to think very deeply on anything. He doesn't constantly crave companionship nor does he always want to be alone. Instead, he just likes to keep himself busy. Reading a book, exercising, drinking with a few acquaintances, it's all the same to him, just as long as he s doing something.
Some might think this apathy would translate into a poor officer. If this was what lay at Troy's heart, they would be right. However, Troy also understands that as a Starfleet Officer he has a responsibility to the men and women serving with him. He knows that he'll never be a great leader like Patton or Eisenhower. He just wants to do his job and try to keep everyone under his command in one piece.
And not everyone has to be a natural leader that goes on to do great things. Starfleet has places for officers that are merely reliable performers. Troy is one of them.
Mother: Helen Thompson Elder (51) Professor of Special Education
Brother: Henry Elder (26) Doctoral Candidate of Psychology, Stanford University, Earth
Sister: Elizabeth Elder (22) Public School Teacher
