Terra Annabelle Nova
Overview
Leader of the Millennium Expedition team nicknamed Wolf Pack, USAF Major Terra Annabella Nova is a former student of Samantha Carter and is the only one other than Jennifer Hailey. After serving tours at both the SGC and Atlantis, Nova was chosen to be part of the Millennium Expedition and became leader of its secondary team.
Nova has formed a close bond with not just her team but with members of the Millennium Expedition's flagship team, the Dusk Riders, and Jennifer Hailey in particular.
Dossier
Theresa Naves was born in the midwest of the United States. Her family was a loving middle class family was an only child. Unfortunately, her parents may have been too loving as Theresa was a spoiled problem child. Many at the time and even herself when she grew older would describe Theresa Naves as an 'insufferably annoying and selfish bitch'. By the time she was a teenager it was easier to list the drugs she didn't use and she had a lengthy juvenile record comprised of drug abuse, multiple traffic violations, theft, burglary, and assault. When she reached the age of 18, she left home to move in with her boyfriend, her final words to her parents was her telling them to 'die in a car crash', a statement that would prove to be tragically ironic later.
She was sure that everyone else was in the wrong and that she knew better. However, she received a brutal revelation when she witnessed the people she considered friends and even her boyfriend begin shaking down the homeless for drug money. She attempted to distance herself and abandon her friends. In retaliation, they attempted to drug and assault her. The attempt was thwarted by retired Air Force Colonel Everette Nelson.
The past events left Theresa in shock as she reevaluated not just what she's done but who she was. And she was horrified. Now without a home and all her friends turned on her, Nelson offered Theresa temporary residence in his shop. The next four years was an emotional tempest for Theresa as she quit all the drugs she was addicted to and had to come to terms with her past, often feeling the suffering caused by the withdraw to be a deserved punishment.
It was Nelson who encouraged Theresa to join the military to start a new life. Theresa did try to take his advice but her lengthy juvenile record meant she was rejected from nearyl every branch. Nelson, fortunately, knew more than a few of the right people including a Recruiting Service Commander and, after two months of fighting, Nelson was able to get Theresa a moral waiver. Seeing this as a chance for a new life, Theresa changed her legal name to Terra Nova. At the time it was meant to be symbolic though she was later regret her choice of name.
While still suffering the emotional weight of her past, Nova made the most of her new life even completing college.
When she reached the rank of Captain, Nova had caught the attention of the IOA. She was assigned to be taught by Colonel Samantha Carter and become involved in the Stargate Program. She was assigned to SG-27 led by Colonel Harding.
Unfortunately, Harding would be killed on mission while they were attempting a raid on a Lucian Alliance kassa farm. However, the mission was a success and due to Nova's excellent record, she was promoted to Major.
She would later be assigned to the Millennium Expedition, becoming leader of Wolf Pack.
Personality & Traits
Those who meet Nova for the first time would likely describe her as a calm, composed, and professional individual, steady and unwavering even in the midst of battle. However, this is mostly a facade. Nova is plagued by near constant self-doubt, putting on an image of confidence because she feels that is what is necessary to be a military officer. Nova often consults with her subordinates when it comes to course of action before making the final decision. While many see this as good leadership, taking the opinion of others into consideration before making the final say, this is a result of her self doubt. She feels she needs more input before making a decision out of fear of being wrong, like when she made every wrong decision growing up. And while she has been able to make good tactical decisions when given this input, if cut off she can be impulsive and make snap judgements without thinking things through.
Nova is rather socially awkward, not taking much part in conversation. She mostly smiles and observes the conversations with a few comments rather than truly take part of it. If she does take part, she will likely miss social cues.
Nova has a love of wood work, a hobby picked up after her personality shift. She finds it very therapeutic and it allowed her to gather her thoughts. Much of the furniture in Nelson's shop and eventually her own house was hand built.
Initially, her joining the military was her hoping to do some good before dying in a fight to atone for what she's done. However, after growing close with Wolf Pack Nova has renewed will to live.
Appearance
Nova is Caucasian, standing at 1.65 m in height, Nova has voluptuous figure with long dark auburn hair. While she has her hair down when off-duty, her preferred hair style on duty is a pony tail
Development
Nova was the first character developed. I wanted to go in a different direction with the main team. O'Neill and Shepard were both male, confident, happy-go-lucky, and quippy with a never say die attitude. Nova was meant to be the opposite, an everyday-man who is witnessing the adventures. O'Neill and Shepard were both supposed to be masters of their craft (special forces and an ace pilot). Nova was meant to be the nobody with no special skills or achievements attached to her name. In a way, she is supposed to be the avatar for the series, a nobody rising to try to fill the shoes of the giants who came before her. Initial character inspiration came from Samus Aran. But I felt Samus was too much of a solo badass to be the everyday-man team leader. I shifted to the likes of Riza Hawkeye of Fullmetal Alchemist, Nova Terra of Starcraft, and FemShep of Mass Effect, and Claire Redfield of Resident Evil. In terms of appearance, I found two characters that have come close to what I imagined. One is default Sara Ryder from Mass Effect Andromeda (at least what she's supposed to look like if Bioware hadn't mucked up the character model). The other is Claire Redfield from the Resident Evil.
