[B]Organisation Name:[/B] Halios Consortium [I]Inspiration Illuminates Progress[/I] [B]Organisation Leader:[/B] Vartarus Halios, CEO [B]Important Figures: [/B] Shilo Than, Head Researcher of the ‘Blackout’ Division, volus Hakim Kalif, Head of Security, human Forsan Rykarn, Man Hunter, krogan [B]Organisation Specialisation:[/B] Genetic Research and Therapy, Pharmaceuticals, Biological Augmentation and Experimentation. [B]Organisation Type:[/B] Legal Research Firm with undisclosed and classified illegal research and materials acquisitions division. [B]Organisation Income Source:[/B] Sales of illegal technology supplemented by a legitimate front. [B]Legality:[/B] Halios Consortium operates outside of the confines of Citadel Law as it is not a part of Citadel Space, operating a legal front while taking great pains to hide its Blackout division, where Citadel Law is thoroughly discarded in pursuit of cold, often unethical research. While Citadel investigators suspect there is something shady about the Consortium, they have nothing concrete to base their suspicions off of yet, especially since they have no authority on the frigid, remote planet. Generous “Donations” to the Executive Board all but ensure that Halios Consortium is kept free from outside interference. [B]Organisation Base:[/B] Noveria, Peak 37 Research Facility. Head office is maintained in Port Hanshan. This mountain-based facility has a pair of docks capable of housing two medium-sized cargo freighters each, as well as large garage to house land vehicles making the often treacherous journey across the winding mountain paths. A pair of anti-aircraft batteries are nestled in the cliff-face, and a small battery of anti-vehicle cannons and pillboxes guard the overland approach. Each of the hangers and the overland garage are each manned by a secure checkpoint, and while it is very seldom for visitors to be received in the facility, those that are permitted access are under the watchful eye of armed guards and state of the art security systems including remotely accessed and magnetically locked doors, biometric scanners, and Smart cameras with access to public databases to verify visitor identification. Additional security is provided by a contingent of 75 light and 8 heavy security mechs, rotating shifts of 120 guards, and many of the scientists and researchers who have achieved “Trusted” status are permitted to carry personal arms in the facility, although few chose to do so. A total of four research labs make up Halios Consortium’s presence on Peak 37, including the rumoured “Blackout” lab. The three “Front” labs share what amounts to a small town’s worth of amenities, including a housing complex, a movie theater, two restaurants, sports complex, and other amenities which are all often staffed by the researchers’ or guards’ families. What makes the facility unique amongst many others on Noveria is Halios Consortium’s efforts to create the illusion of living on the surface of a much more temperate world. Ceiling-spanning vid screens, much like on the Presidium, show blue skies with changing weather patterns, advanced ventilation systems to simulate fresh air, and a wide assortment of vegetation is brought in and maintained to help combat against the psychological stress of living in a subterranean environment. [B]Organisation Assets:[/B] 6 Medium Freighters, 3 VIP Transports, 2 Business Shuttles, 1 Heavy Freighter with a small, 3 Fighter detachments assigned to Noveria facility. 18 Small Freighters, 14 Medium Freighters, 2 Heavy Freighters with 2 fighter detachments, 4 rented docks on fuel stations in each distribution center system with emergency refueling ships, fully stocked distribution centers with warehouses, on-site labs, customer service departments, and other essentials of a cross-galactic service with armed guards, mechs, and drones for each ship and facility. Rented docks and distribution centers on Omega, Elysium, Illium, and Khar’shan. Long-standing relationship with the Eclipse Private Military Contractors, Eclipse is often used as ship escort and personnel protection detail, as well as several off the books “wetwork” assignments. Contacts in the black market on several worlds. Note: Each fighter detachment is six fighters. [I]NOTE: Eclipse can be substituted with a player-based PMC company upon sheet acceptance.[/I] [B]Organisation Relations:[/B] [I]Bretin's Raiders[/I]: While strictly off the books, Halios Consortium never-the-less conducts business with the pirate outfit for test specimens in exchange for a "finder's fee" and the occasional sample of Halios Consortium's wares. [B]Organisation History:[/B] A third-generation company founded 83 years ago by Elarius Halios, a turian medical doctor with a strong background in chemistry and shares in promising pharmaceutical companies, Halios Consortium had its humble beginnings in the Palaven capital Cipritine and shortly after on the Citadel in the Wards. Specializing in new medicine, vaccines, and vitamins tailored to the unique biological needs of each species, Elarius Halios’ upstart company grew exponentially thanks to the quiet but very successful presence across several of the galaxy’s medicinal markets. While breakthroughs such as Medigel captured the galaxy’s collective attention, Halios Consortium focused on more specific markets with more stringent treatment requirements. When it was time to pass the reigns of the company to Tiberian Halios, Elarius’ son, change was already in the air. Tiberian, a reputable geneticist that had published papers in several medical journals going as far back as his time as a field doctor in the Hierarchy’s armed forces, and perhaps inspired by or in spite of his experience with the often risky procedures involved in military medicine, decided to expand Halios Consortium’s scope of interest. Tiberian was not afraid to push the envelope, expanding the company’s scope of research and beginning to hire outside of turian worlds for the best and brightest minds he could attract and a considerable amount of resources were spent in researching the unique biology and genetic sequences in each individual species in the galaxy with the aim of creating specialized treatments and surgeries that were aimed at mending specific ailments at affordable rates. Like a hole in a dam, the funds came in first as a trickle before becoming an unstoppable torrent. Effective, affordable treatments that addressed underfunded and often ignored issues by the galaxy at large were now beginning to fill a niche that had been horrendously under represented. Halios Consortium was fast becoming one of the most recognized brand names in the galactic medical community. It never quite achieved the recognition of the largest corporations like Sirta Foundation, but the company had a very secure foothold and for the first time in the company’s history, Halious Consortium was turning a profit and needed to expand. When Tiberian’s son Vartarus finished his medical education and training and joined the company, his father soon set him onto what would ultimately prove to be an impossible challenge to develop something that would replace Medigel as the new primary galactic standard for all encompassing cross-species first aid medicine. What followed was and aggressive expansion and branching into biotic amps, prosthesis, and physical augmentation technologies and surgeries. Vartarus’ department soon became the most daring and profitable for Halios Consortium, following a very high risk- high reward model that was successful thanks to the large amount of funding Halios Consortium was capable of providing from the profits of the tried and true ventures. When it was time for Tiberian to retire, Halios Consortium was signed over to his son and Vartarus became the new chairman and CEO of the company, quickly restructuring the family business into a model that emphasized the established departments while quietly signing his risk-taking department off the books and channeling far more resources into it, effectively making it classified and seldom spoken of within the company. The very same traits that gave Tiberian reason to entrust a new division to Vartarus was exactly what lead the youngest Halios to lift the restrictions of his corporation, relocate the primary center of operations on Noveria, and begin attracting the most brilliant and ruthless minds he could afford, including the brilliant volus biological engineer and geneticist Shiloh Than, the newly appointed head of the “Blackout Division.” As Halios Consortium grew and began to take on progressively more illegal methods in its aggressive pursuit of research and development, Vartarus Halios took inspiration from an unlikely and very unsettling source; the Collectors. While the enigmatic and fabled race of body traffickers was hardly confirmed to be real, Halios has none-the-less sought them out in interest of trade and has ordered members of his security team to obtain test subjects, ultimately expendable people no one would miss (at least, that’s what Halios tells himself) that are run through a cruel and ruthless line of experimentation and testing for the newest augmentations, therapies, and drugs in Halios Consortium’s lineups. Many do not realize that the last light from Noveria’s star is often the last they’ll see as they disappear under the heavy confines of Peak 37, at the mercy of scientists who see them as little more than lab rats. While the corporation expands, so does their net for victims and trade profits. While galactic authorities are unable to prove Halios Consortium’s illicit activities, or are powerless to legally respond to them, there is a net of suspicion about the corporation, although the rumours have the added side effect of preventing many from inquiring too closely; after all, the galaxy is a very large place where someone could disappear without warning. And Halios is very good at covering his tracks. - - - [B]Leader CS:[/B] [B]Name:[/B] Vartarus Halios [B]Race:[/B] Turian [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 57 Earth years, 42 Palaven Years. [B]Appearance:[/B] A distinguished middle-aged man with a pale-grey carapace with a violet facial tattoo, two stripes down the mandibles on either side and three strips vertically down the chin. He sports a pair of sharp orange eyes, a slightly more slender frame than your average turian, and slightly taller than average height, allowing him to tower over most of his contacts. He typically wears expensive white suits with black accents with a gold pin with the Halios Consortium symbol on his right lapel. [hider=Tattoo and carapace tone reference[/hider] [IMG]http://silentstephi.com/Misc/turians/comp/3.png[/IMG] [/hider] [B]Background:[/B] A brilliant geneticist born to an influential and rich family of famed scientific background, Vartarus followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and inherited the family corporation after his father retired. While his early family life was unremarkable, his military service saw Vartarus assigned to the medical corps where he became very decorated for his unconventional but effective practices that had saved the life of several casualties of the various turian colony uprisings. After his 15 year conscription term had expired, Vartarus immediately went to work for his father and soon met Myrea Dolarius, his soon to be future wife, at a scientific conference on Palaven. Within five years, the youngest Halios was the proud father of two sons, Marius and Thanos. While he was always a caring and supportive father, Vartarus’ first love was always to his research, and his loyalty to his family legacy was unyielding. Despite his great advances in the medical sciences, the elusive replacement for Omni-gel his father had charged him with when he began at Halios Consortium had yet to be achieved. It did not take much for Vartarus to begin to authorize much more illicit activities, quickly replacing anyone who did not share his vision with more malleable personalities and ruthless geniuses who were often released from their own companies for differences in ideology, namely the unpopular concept that the Hippocratic Oath and its galactic equivalent were simply holding progress back. Halios Consortium certainly had begun to subscribe to the philosophy of “it is easier to beg for forgiveness instead of asking for permission”, and soon begging for forgiveness was no longer a concern. There simply were not enough people aware of what the corporation was really up to that posed a threat. While his research in the Blackout Division became much more ruthless and cruel, Halios maintained his other departments much as his father had, and he made sure to keep himself visible and accessible to his employees. He strived to be what the ideal employer should be; shrewd, decisive, and respectful. His employees and the researchers under his wing were what drove the company, and as such he made sure that they were well taken care of to not only ensure happiness and productivity, but to also instil a sense of loyalty that let many turn a blind eye to the rumours they heard about in their own company. After all, could a man who lets you take a month off to visit distant family and give you a yearly bonus the same year be the same man who abducted people out of the slums and tortured them to death? This willful ignorance and excellent work culture in Halios Consortium had played well into ensuring the turian’s family stayed together. He was a devoted husband and father, often taking time away from work to spend what time he could with his family, especially when he knew he was too involved with his work. The substantial profits from the company allowed the Halios family to enjoy an opulent lifestyle, and none in his family wanted for anything. The finest clothing, food, and décor filled their lives, as well as vacations to worlds that most could never dream of affording. His family is largely what drives the turian, although it still pales in comparison to his strive to discover and expand the influence and power of his corporation. When reports came to him about a potential Prothean relic, Halios wasted no time in springing into action. After all, there was no telling what advancements such a relic could promise; it would be the key to realizing his father’s wish, providing the lifestyle his family deserved, and would ensure Halios Consortium would become among the most powerful entities in the galaxy. Knowledge is power, and Vartarus is terribly hungry for both. [B]Positive Traits: [/B] -Charismatic. -Intelligent. -Patient, a plotter. -Takes great effort to look after the welfare of his employees and their families. -Judges people based on merit over species, race, or creed. -Pays heed to his advisors. -A family man. -A crack shot with a pistol. [B]Negative Traits:[/B] -Narcissistic. -Arrogant. -Ruthless. -Has little value for life. -Prone to mood swings. -Has been known to approve expensive ideas that have a high failure rate. -Approves and encourages unethical research practices. -Excessively opulent lifestyle; materialistic to a fault. - - - [B]Important Figures[/B] [B]Name:[/B] Doctor Shilo Than [B]Race:[/B] Volus [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 43, 28.6 Irune years [B]Position: [/B] Head Researcher of the Blackout division. [B]Appearance:[/B] While most aliens would be unlikely to notice due to the universal bulkiness of a volus’ protective pressurized suit, Shilo Than is slightly more slender than his counterparts, owing to a lean diet and a slightly longer set of limbs that tend to be hereditary. Like most of the medical and research staff at Peak 37, Dr. Than’s suit is a white on grey colour with red stripes and accents to denote his status as a medical professional. [/B]Background:[/B] A long-term associate of Mr. Halios, Dr. Than was a travelling professional with the uncanny ability to disappear from public when his medical practices started drawing unwanted attention from the authorities. Always having been fixated on anatomy and of the opinion that a few live subjects can go a long way in creating effective treatments for the rest of his patients’ (and oftentimes victims) species. Having been well connected with the black market for most of his professional life, Dr. Than’s original identity has been long lost to time and he has a history of changing his identity every time he was forced to start a new practice. Vartarus Halios first became aware of Dr. Than on Omega where a reliable source made the volus doctor known. He was an ideal candidate for Halios Consortium’s newly formed Blackout division. Meticulous and oftentimes impartial, Dr. Than is often thought to be lacking in empathy, but he has been a good friend to Halios and the turian CEO’s family since they met nearly two decades ago. He has something of a dry sense of humour and it often can go unobserved by those who are unfamiliar with the volus. He is a man who is familiar with danger, death, and working on the wrong side of the law, and he is very much accustomed to what the inside of bodies looks like. He is a brilliant scientist and medical practitioner, and despite his isolate and relative safety on Noveria, Dr. Than is known to publish renown medical journals under a pen name and the research grants associated to his alter-ego has helped fund some of his more risky procedures and developments and made the volus fairly wealthy, even if one were to exclude his salary from Halios Consortium and the bonuses that come with his lofty position with the company. [B]Positive Traits: [/B] -Extremely intelligent, well versed in the fields of biology, chemistry, genetics and physics. -Street smart. -Ambitious. -Meticulous, documents everything. -Loyal to his friends and company. -Well-liked in his division. [B]Negative Traits:[/B] -Ruthless malpractice of medicine. -Little regard for individual lives. -While not suffering from OCD, he is very particular with how his laboratories and equipment are laid out to the point of vain irrationality. -Is technically a wanted man in Council Space. -Can be so absorbed in his work he neglects his health. -Can be particular vindictive if he feels he has been slighted. -Unintentionally omits information when speaking to others, a habit formed over years of having to watch over his shoulder. - - - [B]Name:[/B] Hakim Kalif [B]Race:[/B] Human [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 31 [B]Position:[/B] Chief of Security on Peak 37 [B]Appearance: [/B] A ruggedly handsome man of Moroccan descent, Hakim is a physically fit former mercenary who keeps a neatly shaved beard, brushed back black hair, and thoughtful brown eyes. He stands at an imposing 6’04” and thanks to his career as a mercenary and a dedication to dieting and exercise; he is in excellent physical and mental condition. His uniform and armour are always kept in a pristine and presentable state. [B]Background:[/B] An Earthborn man hailing from North Africa, Hakim grew up accustomed to a balmy coastal climate to a fairly opulent family and his life up until his 18th birthday was largely unremarkable. A sense of wanderlust overcame the young man and much to his family’s surprise, he announced that he was going to move to the Citadel to take part in the new exciting frontiers in galactic civilization. It wasn’t long until Hakim found himself over his head in gambling debt in an attempt to alleviate the costs of living in the upper wards to a lieutenant in an Attican Traverse mercenary company who offered him the chance to repay his debts by signing on for a five year contract in the company. Hakim, seeing no other option and wishing not to get stabbed leaving his apartment in the upcoming weeks, reluctantly agreed and was pleasantly surprised to find the life of a soldier of fortune was much to his liking. While his family wasn’t thrilled with the news, they couldn’t argue he was better off than he would have been on Earth. Hakim soon became a reliable and resourceful mercenary, moving up the ranks and pay grades steadily and taking on a range of skills including VIP protection, colonial security, as well as the typical soldier-type training including offensive and defensive operations. Over the course of nine years, Hakim had find himself deployed over a dozen times to various hotspots around the Traverse, earning himself a solid reputation for quick and decisive action in the face of danger. His keen insights towards colonial defense were what first drew Vartarus Halios’ attention to Hakim, and when he was a month shy of his 28th birthday, he took a position with Halios Consortium’s Peak 37 security detachment and within 3 years had found himself promoted to Chief of Security after a drug scandal resulted in the termination of the last Chief. While he’s still learning the ropes of running an entire division that also overseas Halios Consortium’s off world warehouses and docks, he is a keen man who has yet to slip up over his career. Despite his relatively young age, he has largely earned the respect of his security teams. [B]Positive Traits: [/B] -Trained mercenary, is comparable to a first-rate soldier in training and experience. -Friendly disposition, he is both approachable and capable of defusing tension with relative ease. -Orderly, he runs a tight department and does not overlook small details. -Well known among Halios Consortium’s employees, he knows everyone’s names and remembers details of their personal lives. -Dedicated to his job, he follows the regulations to a T. -Well-mannered, maintains a professional respect when dealing with both coworkers and contacts related to his job. -First-aid trained, he keeps his first aid and CPR training up to date and is able to treat any of the aliens on Peak 37. -Animal lover, owns both a pet parrot and a pyjak and has been known to animal-sit for coworkers. -Fitness buff, works out at least one hour every day. [B]Negative Traits:[/B] -Uncompromising, does not bend or break the rules or regulations for anyone even for minor infractions. -Has been known to engage in extra-marital affairs, uses his potion to protect himself and his various mistresses. -Frequently uses work-related trips to various Halios Consortium stations as pseudo vacations and is rumoured to indulge in drugs, drink, and gambling, being careful to only partake in things that can clear his system within two days. -Violent temper, while it’s hard for Hakim to lose his cool, the rare time he does usually ends up with somebody in the medical wards. -Keeps in close contact with his mercenary buddies, whether or not this is an issue to Halios remains to be seen. _ _ _ [B]Name:[/B] Forsan Rykarn [B]Race:[/B] Krogan [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 287, 17.2 Tuchanka years [B]Position:[/B] Man Hunter [B]Appearance:[/B] Unremarkable as far as krogan go, Rykarn stands at a commanding 6’08” at the hump. His flesh is as tough as rhino’s hide given his age, and is a dark tan in colour. His crest is a gradient of barely discernable shades of brown. What makes him stick out are the bright red eyes that peer out from his otherwise dark appearance, giving Rykarn something of a sinister look, which coupled with his impressive physique, make him quite an intimidating sight. [B]Background:[/B] Being born in a particularly tough year for Clan Forsan, Rykarn was the only krogan born to the clan in a month on account of the genophage. His father grew fiercely protective of his only son, ensuring Rykarn had all the best opportunities that the clan could provide on account of Forsan Durn’s position as a warlord. Rykarn grew up comfortably untouchable on account of his father’s considerable power and resources. This, of course, engendered no small amount of resentment among other youth and Warlord Durn’s three main rivals sent their sons, who had yet to take the Rite of Passage, to prove their worth by killing Rykarn. Confronted alone and away from help, Rykarn enthusiastically met his assailants in a melee that resulted in their deaths and one broken serrated blade. Instead of being furious, Durn gloated about his son’s victory, claiming it was a sign that his bloodline was superior. The clan leader decreed that it was an act of self-defence, and if three aggressors couldn’t kill one boy, than they were weak and weren’t worthy of the clan. Durn’s rivals were furious, but there was little they could do but plot their revenge. Despite his father’s insistence he remain on Tuchanka to work his way up to becoming Clan chief one day, Forsan Rykarn had left Tuchanka after meeting with a Blood Pack recruiter, who was impressed with the young krogan’s Rite of Passage, in which he had to kill a varren unclothed and unarmed to demonstrate his mastery of his bloodlust and his ability to channel the ancient struggle of his ancestors, who struggled against the native life of Tuchanka without more than primitive weapons and their own strength. Rykarn found himself sent to the Skyllian Verge to the batarian colony of Camala, where he was to be a private security enforcer for the Blood Pack. He found himself liking the batarians and finding that the skills and training that had come naturally to him were in high demand amongst Camala’s various clients of the Blood Pack, which increased his own standing amongst the Blood Pack leadership. It wasn’t long before Rykarn found himself stationed throughout the Verge and the Terminus Systems, including one particularly eventful tour of duty on Flett, the vorcha training world where vorcha were bred and beat into the common foot soldiers of the Blood Pack. After a particularly bloody and violent falling out amongst top officers in the Blood Pack over a quarrel over line of succession after the leader, Ganar Wrang, died of mysterious circumstances, Forsan Rykarn quietly quit the company after deciding his life was more important than being caught up in a power struggle and a man of his talents could find work elsewhere. After several years as hired gun and bounty hunter, Rykarn came into contact with Halios when the krogan had inadvertently stopped a gang from striking against a Halios Consortium warehouse on account of him being paid to kill their leader by another client. After a few interviews, Rykarn was recruited into Halios Industries in a unique position for the newly formed Blackout division, run by Doctor Shiloh Than. It would be his job to make sure that key enemies of Vartarus Halios would find themselves in “accidents”, as well as to obtain test subjects for Dr. Than that wouldn’t be missed. A partnership emerged, and Rykarn began his work for Halios Consortium, remaining in Vartarus’ employment long after the younger turian eventually took over the entire company. While Rykarn largely operates alone, he does have a small field team he has available to assist with asset obtainment, and as an accredited bounty hunter, Rykarn has been able to stay out of the law’s lingering gaze for the most part. [B]Positive Traits:[/B] -Extremely resourceful, able to locate and reach targets using locally available equipment and materials. For him, it’s not a matter of if, but when. -Weapon’s expert, prefers cheap disposable weapons and is an excellent marksman with a rifle. -Patient, always thinks before acting. The pay-off is always worth it in the end. -Basic living standards, does not need much to be comfortable. -Well-connected, a long life has yielded several reliable contacts across the galaxy. -Physically dominating, even by krogan standards, Rykarn is remarkably strong and very swift. [B]Negative Traits: [/B] -Not a people person, it is unknown if Rykarn has any acquaintances or friends. He does not offer insights easily. -Bloodthirsty, while able to ignore his desire to kill to complete a job, he has been known to pick weapons or methods that are painful and very, very visceral when taking a life. It’s not unheard of for unaccounted murders to occur in locations he is sent to. Many victims are by chance and are not a part of his mandate. -Uncertain motives, while he has served Halios dutifully for many years, it’s thought his loyalty lies mainly with the pay. No one is certain as to what would make him change loyalties. -Racist, while not as blind with hate as other krogan, Rykarn still harbours a resentment for alien races. On an individual level, he’s able to overlook this, but without a personal connection he’s just as quick to assume the worst about aliens and deal with them accordingly. -Secretive, little is known of Rykarn’s personal habits and he offers little information about what he’s doing, volunteering the very minimum of information his employer requires. Regardless, the work is almost always accomplished as requested.