Bounty Hunters: [hider=Tara Taa'L][b]Name [/b]- Tara Taa'l (pronounced Ta-ah-el). [b]Age[/b] - 47 Adolescent. Lifespan varies depending on the host species but general rule of thumb is multiply host lifespan by five. In this case the host was 34 at the time of merger so now would be considered between 10-11 if human years were to be expanded out to the new lifespan. [b]Species [/b]- Or'Taleen. More widely known colloquially as Body Snatchers, the Or'Taleen are a collection of sub-species. They are few in number and tend to be somewhat reclusive. Born by infecting a host with their parasitic offspring the larva attempts to bond with the host. Not all species are compatible and some take easier than others but the success rate bonding is rather low at roughly 1/50. Failure to bond usually results in death while successful bonding causes the host to enter a chrysalis stage for metamorphosis. Each metamorphosis results in a unique Or'Taleen but they usually retain some physical and mental traits of the host. It is customary to retain the host's first name and append the clans last name. This has led them to often be mistaken as different species even though they are all from the same base strain. Traditionally the Or'Taleen developed from a warrior culture. Their ability to defeat another species by genetic assimilation drove them to seek stronger foes to continuously evolve. Becoming space faring several thousand years ago their adaption of various genetic abilities expanded greatly. As they have assumed more and more sentient species into their fold the more barbaric methods of host selection have subsided. Many species found such methods of reproduction to be wrong and inhumane. Thus since their conquest had been quelled by force and the Or'Taleen returned to hunting. But now it was for criminals and low lifes. It's a little easier to get away with stealing a body when no one cares if they're alive or dead. Bounty hunting turned out to be a good fit for them though. Having diversified into different sub-groups (or clans) each Or'Taleen clan had different specialties that allowed them to seek out dangerous and tough criminals that could be used to further strengthen the next generation. However not every host is picked because they have desirable genetic traits. [b]Role [/b]- Bounty Hunter. [b]Gender [/b]- Female [b]Appearance [/b]- [img]http://i.imgur.com/k4qbuQH.jpg[/img] A giant among most of the humans she tends to hang around, Tara is 7'. She has elongated features but to those familiar with Ot'Taleen would know that her body is derived from a human. She has long white hair, yellow eyes, and pink skin that make her stand out all the more. The headdress is only ever worn outside of combat and she has yet to explain its significance. The "wings" are actually bioorganic armor plates created specifically for the Taa'L clan to manipulate with their low level telepathic abilities. While they don't actually function as wings the formation they assume while idle is a holdover from the host's mind, likely inciting some inner hope of some kind. [b]Personality [/b]- Unlike most of the Or'Taleen, Tara is partially dual-minded. It is the result of Tara having volunteered herself as a host, in which part of the host's mind has a chance to survive and develop alongside the new Or'Taleen. Because of this she has a lot more human mannerisms and a preference toward humankind over her new species. Inheriting her host's snark she is a lot more sociable that most of her kind. Eventually the two minds will merge but for the time being she will appear distant on occasion as she "converses" with her host. Despite the above Tara is a bred warrior and assumes a serious tone when her job is concerned. Still extremely young she understands that what she does is a part of her heritage. She must train, grow stronger, and survive if she wishes to continue her species. Nevermind that that will take another hundred years or so. Fearless in battle if she believes that she can overtake an enemy she will take a hit to do it. [b]History [/b]- Tara has only been a Or'Taleen for 13 years. Unlike many species they don't have to go through an extended period of extreme vulnerability. They are born fighters and mentally develop rapidly. Taking from a host they are already physically capable of functioning on their own. But we're getting ahead of the story. Before Tara Taa'L ever was there was Tara Hadart. A pirate in command of her own small ship, part of a larger fleet. She was wanted for numerous crimes by the UGPC and other factions alike. Perhaps not just her specifically, but the whole group of pirates had a price on their head. Most of the bounty hunters they came across they were able to either evade or fight off with numbers. That was until they crossed paths with the Or'Taleen. While not numerous their ships were pretty equal in defenses and fire power. What makes an encounter with an Or'Taleen fleet different is they will jump in and launch their boarding crew in pods before all the enemy ships get the chance to run. The battle then becomes not only one ship to ship, but also on board the defending ship. Add to their ferocity and physiological variation it is hard to account for every kind of Or'Taleen. This was just such a happening with Tara's ship. It was boarded and eventually taken along with one other ship that got separated from the main pirate fleet. She knew that one of two things were going to happen were she turned over to the UGPC. Either she was going to be executed or put in prison for the rest of her life. Neither sounded particularly inviting. However she had heard rumors that willing hosts of the Or'Taleen survive the transformation. It didn't work exactly that way but rumors aren't always accurate. Any chance to cheat death sounded like a good chance at that point. It took some convincing that she was even worth becoming a Or'Taleen. Humans, while compatible, did not have many physical traits that warranted the effort. Eventually though one in the Taa'L clan saw use of the human's mental capacity and vouched for the idea. That particular clan, while tough and densely built like all the others, specialized in low level telepathy. Nothing so amazing as mental communication but they could sense emotion and make slight pushes to influence weaker and untrained minds. It was one reason that clan often had the task of raising new Or'Taleen and guide them in their ways. But more applicably they have been developing technology for some time that responded to their mental commands. Tara Taa'L proved to be a difficult one to handle. Her human host's mind had survived more than would have been liked. Still she was teachable even if she acted oddly. After more than a decade in the care of her kind she began to long for her former kind. There were no rules against such a thing so she was permitted to go find a group that she felt comfortable with. Even if that group wasn't necessarily comfortable with her. [b]Equipment [/b]- As with most Or'Taleen equipment, hers is bioorganicly engineered. [indent][b]Armor[/b] - Her armor is light, flexible, and unrestrictive. Self repairing it needs little maintenance and offers limited healing for wounds. Not intended for use against heavy fire. [b]Variable Defense Nodes[/b] -The armor plates that make up her "wings" are small devices that float and respond to Tara's mental commands. Made of a similar but tougher material to her armor it supplements her light armor by allowing her to move and arrange them into varying formations for defense and attack. These only operate within a three yard radius of her. [b][url=http://i.imgur.com/Pd5ntkE.png]M-701 Lance (Laser Rifle)[/url][/b] - Mapped to her mental signature Tara can be sure that no one else will be able to fire her weapon unless she allows it. It works how one would expect a laser rifle to work. Has single and burst fire modes. Both require three seconds of cooldown with 90 shots to an energy cell.[/indent] [b]Ship [/b]- N/A [b]Activity [/b]- I am on call so my schedule is sporadic throughout the day. But I usually have the evenings to post if I haven't already during the day. If anything specific comes up that would prevent me from posting for an extended period I'll let you know. [b]Extras [/b]- The Or'Taleen's ganetic makeup is largely borrowed and selected to make them stronger, faster, and tougher. Over time they've incorporated many of the traits of the more common species found in their sector so they have a fairly high tolerance to many environmental conditions, diseases, and toxins. Not to say they are entirely immune, but would last longer in harsh environments. Despite looking rather thin Tara's physiology makes her pretty resilient. Having rather dense muscle tissue and skeletal structure means she can take harder hits and survive them. While not exceptionally strong she can deadlift around 200lbs. [/hider] Freelancers: [hider=Eva][b]Name[/b] - Eva [b]Age [/b]- 14 biologically. 2 years functionally. [b]Species [/b]- Synthetic Human. Engineered biological human. They have similar life spans to humans but tend to be more resilient. Mostly used as workers in environments that require a human touch but are a bit hazardous. Often considered expendable most synths are second class and just a step above AI in society. [b]Role [/b]- Freelancer [b]Gender [/b]- Female [b]Appearance [/b]- [img]http://i.imgur.com/ABMmj9D.png[/img] A scrawny 5' 2" girl. Her hair is unnaturally white, a sign that she is a unfinished synth. While she will live as long as your average human she actually won't age any more than she already has due to production flaws. [b]Personality [/b]- Even though she's an outcast she is at least somewhat sociable. Still under the effects of her sped up learning she is almost constantly curious and occasionally asks too many questions. Naive to some extent she doesn't always catch queues that are more obvious to others. Titania often ends up being something of a babysitter, keeping Eva from getting into too much trouble. Though she has an oversized weapon for defense she doesn't like the idea of hurting anyone. [b]History [/b]- The production of synthetic species is heavily regulated be the UGCP. Even before humanity long ago put restrictions on their production. That didn't stop people from trying though. Synths, as they came to be called, fetch a pretty penny on the black market. Used for every purpose imaginable if you have the money you can have your own human grown to your specifications. The process is not the easiest though. Having a close watch on when new synths pop up means that operations have to keep moving constantly. So every now and then mistakes are made and the process doesn't quite work as intended. The usual process involved an accelerated aging and learning stage where the synth was grown to the desired age and fed information to fulfill their role. Eva's story starts with her being dumped out on the streets. The accelerated growth process had stalled and her development had been stunted. Lost and without any solid purpose she wandered Luna-2 aimlessly. Her mind still in learning mode she ate up knowledge like crazy. She had no formal training but she took to technology like a fish in water. Having an inexplicable ability to assemble and repair tech, Eva assumes that whatever her role was meant to me it had something to do with technology. While on her own she ran into Titania, or rather Titania ran into her. Eva had tried to make a deal with a lowlife and she ended up getting mugged and left in a battered condition. Being nursed to health by Titania, Eva found a friend and fellow soul. The two synthetic being stick together now and complement one another quite well for being a little girl and a giant robot. [b]Equipment [/b]- She very proudly carries around a rather large Therillium Autocannon that she stole from an old contact. Essentially a machine gun that shoots plasma it can lay down a fair amount of fire but isn't all that great at dealing with heavy armor. The body of the gun can collapse into a slightly smaller form factor. She carries the weapon mounted to her back via electromagnets. Sometimes Titania carries it for her though considering its size and weight. [b]Ship [/b]- N/A [b]Extras [/b]- Besides her intellect and and above average resilience, Eva is your average teen. Possessing your normal strength, speed and agility she has limited room for improvement due to her stunted growth. Eva to Titania Size Comparison[img]http://i.imgur.com/N8Ko9Qg.png[/img][/hider] UGCP: [hider=Em][b]Name [/b]- ECAI-01, 02, 03, 04, and 05 (Empirion Cluster AI). Each go by their numeric designation with exception of ECAI-05 who goes by Em. [b]Age [/b]- In operation aboard The Empirion for four years. [b]Species [/b]- Artificial Intelligence [b]Role [/b]- UGCP [b]Gender [/b]- Female [b]Appearance [/b]- Units 01-04 appear as life size 6' 4" holographic projections to give them a presence among the crew. They never exit their station. Em has the same appearance but is a miniature about 8" tall. [img]http://i.imgur.com/orLBwlt.png[/img] [b]Personality [/b]- Units 01-04 are extremely professional. They do not joke or make small talk beyond what is needed to keep the crew from becoming disheartened. Most often they just relay information about the ship. Em (unit 05) is a bit different. Being independent of the ship and Eli's personal AI she has developed a sort of personality. Still professional under most circumstances she will engage in banter with Eli, having learned his personality and how he interacts with other beings. She doesn't really interact with anyone else unless ordered to or there is need. [b]History [/b]- Designed specifically to operate The Empirion, units 01-04 stay aboard the ship at all times. They are all capable of running the ship individually. There is not much to say about their history as they serve no other function than being part of the ship. The four function independently but are interconnected to perform redundancy checks against any compromise of the unit's station or programing. In the event that a breach is detected the compromised unit is severed from the cluster and locked out of the system. Said unit will power down to allow a technician to perform maintenance and if needed a reset. Em is the exception to the rule. Considered a hardened unit, she does not interface with the ship at all and has a separate system in the captain's quarters that checks for compromises. If none are found the current version of the AI is copied to revert should she be lost or compromised. A master also exists to perform a reset in the event of total failure. When docked at the captain's desk a miniature hologram can be projected anywhere in the room. When not docked she usually exists as simply a voice that speaks through the captain's comms. Her mobile unit is a small dockable disk device the size of a drink coaster. When not kept in Eli's pocket it can be deployed to hover and project Em's miniature form. When needed she can physically interface with other systems but that is usually discouraged. When it is necessary one way communication is attempted first. [b]Equipment [/b]- 01-04 operate and monitor The Emperion. They also each have their own base stations that house each AI individually (see the rings in the image above). Em has her miniature base that allows her to be portable and project herself (see below). [img]http://i.imgur.com/E9XaI2f.jpg?1[/img] [b]Ship [/b]- The Emperion [b]Extras [/b]- Em is the only of the five AI that is free to develop a personality or leave the ship. She does not have any wireless communication capability to reduce the chance of a breach. For security reasons the other units are kept in different parts of the ship. This makes a complete takeover of the ship extremely difficult. ECAI-01 is stationed on the bridge. ECAI-02 is stationed in engineering. ECAI-03 is stationed in the main hangar. ECAI-04 is stationed in the medical bay.[/hider]