Testarossa, Teletha

テレサ・テスタロッサ

Background Information:
Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa is the clumsy yet charming Captain of the esteemed TDD-1 'Tuatha de Danaan' submarine, serving the anti-terrorist organization 'Mithril'. Although American by birth, she has spent most of her life aboard submarines and at military bases. A child prodigy, she attained such a high rank at the age of only 16. She has silver hair and grey eyes.

Spoiler

She is not particularly athletic, though she has proven to be an excellent swimmer. Tessa harbors feelings for Sousuke that go beyond professional interest, creating a love triangle involving herself, Sousuke Sagara, and Kaname Chidori. While Chidori and Tessa appear to compete for Sousuke, they are actually good friends; in several episodes, they discuss Sousuke and his unique military charm. Tessa is also one of the chief designers of the TDD-1 'Tuatha de Danaan' and the creator of Dana, the submarine's Artificial Intelligence.
Characteristics:
Tessa possesses many interesting qualities. Her subordinates are her primary concern. She is highly intelligent regarding battlefield tactics and conflicts, displaying impressive military prowess and strategy on several occasions. She also appears to have a nervous habit of playing with her ponytail.
However, as Kurz Weber notes, "whenever Tessa was told by someone she couldn't do something, she made it a point to prove them wrong". Tessa sometimes struggles to tolerate her job due to the nature of her position. Some scenes depict her as irritated by her duties, while others show her slightly depressed by them. Nevertheless, she seems to possess considerable stamina, enabling her to cope with the stress of her tasks, and she performs her job wonderfully.