- For the mirror universe counterpart, see Pennington (mirror).
Tim Pennington was a human journalist in the 23rd century. He was born in Scotland in 2238, the son of a junior diplomat. At age eight (2246) he accompanied his father on a goodwill visit to Vulcan.
In 2259 took a job as a stringer for the Federation News Service. In 2265 he became a frontier correspondent, based on Stars Landing, the civilian section of Starbase 47, reporting to FNS editor Arlys Warfield. After filing a report on the destruction of the USS Bombay that was made to look inaccurate by the station's Intelligence Officer Lieutenant Commander T'Prynn, he was fired from that position.
He held himself to high ethical standards as a journalist, but struggled to do so in his personal affairs, particularly in regard to his marriage to Lora Brummer, which ended after he was fired and she learned of his affair with the late Lieutenant junior grade Oriana D'Amato. (VAN novel: Harbinger)
After being fired from FNS, he began traveling with Cervantes Quinn on board Quinn's ship the Rocinante. (VAN novels: Summon the Thunder, Reap the Whirlwind)
Upon the conclusion of his adventure on Jinoteur IV in early 2266, Tim entered into a romantic fling with Ensign Vanessa Theriault of the USS Sagittarius, but the relationship ended fairly quickly after his exposé was published and Commodore Diego Reyes was arrested. (VAN novels: Reap the Whirlwind, Open Secrets)
Tim accompanied Dr. Jabilo M'Benga to Vulcan during the doctor's attempt to help Lt. Cmdr. T'Prynn, who had fallen comatose after the destruction of the USS Malacca and the death of her lover, Anna Sandesjo. After T'Prynn recovered, Tim joined the now-AWOL intelligence officer on her quest to, if not clear her name then at least lessen the charges against her levied by Starfleet; to facilitate their escape from Vulcan, Tim and T'Prynn were briefly married. (VAN novels: Open Secrets, Precipice)
In 2268, Tim lost his left arm after he was shot while shielding Lt. j.g. T'Prynn during Starfleet's mission to extract former Commodore Reyes from the Orion vessel Omari-Ekon. (VAN novel: What Judgments Come)
The Pennington School in Wellington, New Zealand, was named in his honor. (VAN novel: Harbinger)