Strange Species: Lieutenant JG Fairhug

Most rosters in the StarBase 118 fleet are filled with members of well-known and allied species – humans, Vulcans, Betazoids, Klingons, Trills. But what about the lesser-known species, and the writers who create characters from those races? In this series, we explore fleet officers from unusual species and the writers behind them.
From the Duronis II Embassy, Lieutenant JG Gogigobo Fairhug, a Bardeezan male serving as a security officer attached to the USS Thor.
SHAYNE: Tell us a little bit about yourself- where in the world do you hail from?
FAIRHUG: I was born and raised in London, England, but thanks to four years working on-board cruise ships, I’ve traveled fairly extensively around North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. I’m now settled back in Essex (a county just outside London) with my wife – who is from the Philippines and our two-year-old daughter.
You play the only Bardeezan officer in Starbase 118 history- why did you choose such an obscure, virtually unseen species for your character?
I wanted a character that I really connected with. Once my initial application was accepted, I started looking through the Lifeforms Index on the Wiki in alphabetical order. I was willing to go all the way to ‘Z’ to find the right species if I had to, but luckily I only made it to ‘B’. It was the culture, society and psychology that drew me to the Bardeezans. They are a naturally warm, friendly and respectful, yet hardy species which pretty much fit the bill for the type of character I wanted to portray.
Playing the only Bardeezan must present some intriguing challenges. Care to name one or two?
Well, since they are such an obscure species, you don’t have that wealth of knowledge and information to draw on about them like you would have if you were playing say a Vulcan, or a Klingon. As far as I know, the species has only appeared in one episode of DS9 and initially, there was even some confusion as to whether they were a permitted species. Thankfully the decision fell my way, as I had already created Gogi in my head and would have been gutted if I’d had to change him in any way. On the other hand, the obscurity of the species can be an advantage, as it allows you to get creative (within reason, of course). I’d love to be able to flesh them out some more, maybe even have a sim or two set on Bardeez one day.
How do you go about your writing process for Gogigobo? Do you get into a certain state of mind? Is there a procedure you follow?
I definitely do the whole “What would Gogi do?” thing. As my first PC, I wanted to base him primarily on my own values. I don’t know if that’s a common thing people do. I tend to think of him as my representative in the Star Trek universe – only better. So whatever is happening at the Embassy or on the Thor at the time, I try to imagine my own reaction and the multiple it by a factor of Gogi! Now that I’m starting to create some PNPCs though, I’m starting to explore some different types of characters.
If someone showed interest in playing a Bardeezan, what advice would you offer?
I’d say go for it! Despite the fact that they’re relatively obscure as a Star Trek species, there’s a decent amount of information on the Wiki to get you started and if you read their entry they are very interesting and fun characters to write for given their boisterous and fun-loving personalities – they’re also partial to a drink and a feast, which can come in handy for shore leave! At the very least, you’ll end up with a character with a unique and interesting name!
Thank you for your time, Lieutenant Fairhug!
You can read more about LtJG Fairhug on the wiki.