Howard Anderson

Howard Anderson was a Terran Survey Command officer, Terran Federation Navy officer and later politician of the 23rd century.

As commander of the TFS Discovery he made first contact with the Khanate of Orion in 2205, winning the First Battle of VX-134 against the KONS Alkzar. Later the same year, now a Captain of the new Terran Federation Navy he won the Second Battle of VX-134.

Anderson rose rapidly through the ranks of the TFN, reaching the rank of Vice Admiral by early 2207 when he commanded Task Force 14 in the push on the Orion sector capital of Parzh, winning the First Battle of Malkhor and First Battle of Gruzakor before a tactical victory and strategic defeat in the outer system of Parzh. Withdrawing to Gruzakor, Anderson was then recalled by the Joint Chiefs who had been advised there was little risk of an Orion counter-attack and wished his perspective on refitting existing Terran warships with the Force Beam.

In 2208, Anderson was in command of Task Force 16 and was seriously wounded at the First Battle of Geralon, in which the Orion's First Fang, Heerow, was killed. Anderson's injuries required him to pass command of his task force to Irena Riva y Silva while he recovered.

During the almost two year lull in action following from the Second Battle of Geralon, Anderson (now a Fleet Admiral) argued the TFN was being too defensive. He was rewarded in 2210 with command of Task Force 40, with which he won the Third Battle of Gruzakor. Feeling Orion strength was too little, he correctly advised that the KON was concentrating elsewhere for an offensive of their own.

Anderson was appointed Chief of Naval Operations in 2211 and planned an attack on the Orion shipyard at Liawak, which was successfully carried out by Horatio Spurance. Anderson himself commanded Task Force 40 during the Third Battle of Duval, retaking the system from the Orions. He endorsed a raid late in 2211 to try to eliminate the Orion commander Varnik and almost lost his own life the following year when eight cruisers ambushed TFS Queensland while he was an inspection tour.

Anderson commanded Task Force 101, the TFN forces at the Battle of Aklumar which decided the outcome of the First Interstellar War.

During the Second Interstellar War, Anderson remained CNO, following which he retired from active service and entered politics. By the outbreak of the Third Interstellar War in 2244 he was in his second term of office as President.

After leaving office, Anderson remained a member of the Assembly as President Emetrius and continued to argue for maintaining a strong TFN. During the Theban War he accepted a position as Minister of War Production, collapsing on the floor of the Assembly as he argued against a policy of genocide against the Thebans.

After his death in 2311, the human colony world in VX-134 (previously retaining the Orion name Mazdranar) was renamed as Anderson. During the Fourth Interstellar War, the TFN named a class of Monitors after him.