[hider=Cathrida] [center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjgwLmY5MzkzOS5RMkYwYUhKcFpHRWdTR2xzWkdFZ1UzUnZhMlZ5LjAA/rebel.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/638eba92-fe6f-4473-92b7-b055a01223f1/ddg9q1n-685ae72b-ecb3-4333-94a2-952ba2411ba8.png/v1/fill/w_770,h_1038,strp/9_14_19_cathrida_by_crosswire40_ddg9q1n-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTcyNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzYzOGViYTkyLWZlNmYtNDQ3My05MmI3LWIwNTVhMDEyMjNmMVwvZGRnOXExbi02ODVhZTcyYi1lY2IzLTQzMzMtOTRhMi05NTJiYTI0MTFiYTgucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.to0gj5gmKdVu8_1nclqS2qw2zSjGwIi1gOc09zzsaTs[/img][/center][center][h2][color=FF0000][b]【The Butcher of Banzing】[/b][/color][/h2][/center] [hr][h2][center]DOB 469 R.C ║Mekon Movement║Lunite║Female[/center][/h2][h3][b]Physical Appearance [/b][/h3] Cathrida is a slender, fair skinned women with shoulder-length black hair and a dark aura to her. She stands 5,9 with a single tangerine colored eye. Her other eye appears to be missing, covered up with an eye-patch fitted with a hex patterned compound sensor. Sporting a noticeable bust and a slender waist, Cathrida dresses in a pair of black thigh-highs, a black and red fest, and wears a pair of dark shoulder pauldrons with a flowing red cloak coming off of it. Both arms and legs have been replaced with cybernetic prosthetics, each one sporting claw-like figures and giving her a somewhat inhuman look. Only when undressed does the full extent of her cybernetic reconstruction become apparent. [h3][b]Personality Traits: [/b][/h3] [list] [*] Ambitious [*] Vindictive [*] Fearless [*] Selfish [*] Greedy [*] [s]Regretful...[/s] [/list][h3][b]Biography:[/b][/h3] [code]WELCOME TO THE ZARN IMPERIAL INTELLIGENCE DATABASE. PLEASE INPUT COMMAND. >request file C.H Stoker THAT FILE IS HIGH CLEARANCE. AUTHORIZATION IS NEEDED >clearance code: magna carta CONFIRMING... CONFIRMATION COMPLETE. OPENING FILE. REPORT START: Cathrida Hilda Stoker was born in 469 of the Revolutionary Calendar. Her place of birth was Luna, in the 22nd habitation cylinder to a family of coffee farmers. The early years of her life were defined primarily by her work on the farm, with menial labor and repair work taking precedence over any opportunity to study. Though information from this time is limited, after the fact comments and interviews make it clear that Cathrida’s family was content with their way of life while she was anything but content. It seemed she would remain there indefinitely until an incident occurred in the habitation cylinder, with a malfunction threatening the safety of the residents. None of the locals could repair the issue and arrival of proper maintenance individuals would take too long. Then a 12 year old Cathrida appeared and with seemingly little effort repaired the malfunction, saving those living in the habitation cylinder as well as their crops. Though her family believed after the fact Cathrida had intentionally set up the malfunction to occur so she could fix it there is no current evidence to prove that. Her effort caught the attention of L-Sect and she was offered to join their ranks and study with them. Cathrida accepted without consulting her parents, effectively disappearing from their lives. Due to the secretive nature of L-Sect it is unknown what Cathrida did for the next six years. However it is assumed she gained a higher form of education and learned the many secrets of the organization. By the time she was 18 she was well spoken of and was recorded in being very active within the organization. However in 486 R.C a ad-hoc investigation was launched by a Zarn Imperial Official visiting Luna. He forced himself into a private meeting between L-Sect members and an incident occurred. Available sources show great conflict in what happened. The Zarn Official reported that Cathrida provoked and then attacked him, leading to the accidental discharge of a weapon and the death of one elder members of L-Sect present. Other sources state that the Zarn Official used excessive force, having Cathrida beaten for insulting him and attempting to shoot her before the eldest L-Sect member present attempted to intervene and was shot instead. A proper investigation could not be launched however as the next day the Zarn official and the military personnel accompanying him were all found dead. L-Sect announced that Cathrida was no longer with their organization and the Official's ship went missing. Cathrida is believed to have left Luna at this point and it is speculated that over the next two years that she became accustomed to space and found other 'like minded' individuals. By the time she was twenty years old Cathrida was identified and connected to various attacks on cargo ships and vessels traveling between planets. She made a name for herself when she attacked and raided a passenger ship called the Banzing. It is unknown why she attacked a passenger vessel, but rumors were circulating at the time that said that the Banzing was secretly carrying something of immense value. No one knows what she found or if she found anything. All that is known is that everyone on-board the massive passenger ship died, supposedly at Cathrida's hands. This made her a mass murderer and earned her the name "The Butcher of Banzing" as well as a massive bounty, making her one of the most wanted people prior to the Rebirth of Piracy. In spite of her large bounty Cathrida did well for herself. Stealing a Portia-Class repair ship, Cathrida had it remodeled for combat and began employing the mobile workers on board to raid ships. She sought out high value targets and amassed a great fortune, buying off those who wanted her bounty and making enemies into potential allies. However unlike many pirates she sought direct conflict with the Zarn Fleet, sinking and humiliating them whenever possible. During this time rumors of Cathrida's tremendous greed and her ambition began to grow. It was said by many captured criminals that had met her that Cathrida didn't want money, she wanted power. And once she found out that money could only give her so much power...she began to look for a way to seize true power. Using her wealth and connections Cathrida began to orchestrate a plot against the Royal Family of the Zarn Empire. By bribing, black mailing, and threatening various people Cathrida succeeded in gathering the Emperor and the royal family in one place. Aboard an old, Hamlet-Class ship known as the Venue a celebration was held and dedicated towards the long health and good fortune of the Emperor. Everyone aboard was convinced the ship was unassailable, but unbeknownst to them Cathrida had paid to have most of the on-board weapons sabotaged. This allowed Cathrida to sneak aboard with trusted men and take the Royal Family hostage. Gaining an upper hand, Cathrida made it a point to force the Emperor to his knees and shoot him in the head in front of everyone. No sooner did she shoot the Emperor however did someone shoot her, destroying her eye and gravely wounding her in the process. Forced to flee before she could take care of the rest of the royal family, Cathrida attempted to destroy the Venue with her weaponized mobile workers. Only to come face to face with the Empire’s latest weapon, the Redcoat “Mobile Suit”. The Redcoat’s overwhelmed her forces and nearly killed her, forcing her to flee for her life and squashing her chance to seize power. For four years, Cathrida faded from the public view. The Empire searched and searched for her, but to no avail. Then they came upon her ship in orbit around Luna. A fight broke out between Cathrida’s vessel and the Zarn fleet, with Cathrida fighting against a black mobile suit in a fight to the death. Cathrida lost and she, along with her entire crew were supposedly killed. Since then however there have been many who suspected she somehow survived, as the wreckage of her mobile suit was never found and there was no sign of her body. Some believed that Cathrida was rescued by L-Sect and has been in their care ever since, but Imperial Investigators reject this. >Find files related to C.H Stoker NO OTHER FILES EXIST >delete c.h stoker's file ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE THIS FILE? Y/N >Y FILE DELETED. THANK YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY[/code] [h3][b]Skills and Abilities[/b][/h3] [color=228B22][b]L-Sect Teachings[/b][/color]: For six years Cathrida received an extensive education on Luna and has a through understanding of the secrets of cybernetics no privy to those outside of the organization. She also has a strong knowledge of electronics, computer engineering, and knows how to program. Using this knowledge she can maintain her own cybernetics and make adjustments to her mobile suits and weapons to better suit her needs. [color=228B22][b]Pirate Captain Experience[/b][/color]: Cathrida was a pirate captain before and during the Rebirth of Piracy in R.C 490. She has intimate knowledge of the Zern Empire's fleet tactics, their older model ships, and how to properly run and utilize a ship. The women was using mobile workers in combat well before the advent of mobile suit and her experience is very clear in combat. She uses a fast and highly aggressive style, using whatever underhanded or foul tricks needed in order to win, fighting in a way that puts more numerically superior enemies at a disadvantage. [color=228B22][b]Neural Uplink[/b][/color]: Cathrida, like all Lunites, is fitted with a cybernetic neural implant in the base of her neck. This plants allows her to physically connect with machines and computers via a cable and a universal port found on most devices. By connecting to a system Cathrida is able to more easily use and understand it. Cathrida is able to take this one step further, modifying her mobile suit and even her ship to allow her to control it directly through the use of her implant. This greatly reduces reaction times and enhances her piloting abilities, essentially turning her mobile suit into an extension of her own body. Most of the time however her full capabilities are limited by the low-quality nature of her mobile suit. On top of his using a neural uplink can be risky as sudden surges of electricity or invasive software can cause extreme pain or injury to her while she's connected. [color=228B22][b]Cybernetic Reconstruction:[/b][/color] Cathrida's arms, legs, right eye, spinal cord, kidneys and liver have all been replaced with cybernetic implants. These afford Cathrida a great number of benefit including heightened strength, agility, reaction times, as well as durability as her limbs have nanocarbon plating. The sensor 'eye-patch' over her destroyed right-eye affords her binocular vision and allows her to see in different visual spectrum if she so pleases. The only downsides are these these cybernetic implants require occasional maintenance and ultimately help to keep her alive, meaning she would certainly die without them. [h3][b]Personal Items and Equipment[/b][/h3] [b]Double Barreled Handcannon:[/b] A double barreled break-action handgun produced in an illegal shop, chambered for rounds well over what would be considered safe for a pistol. However thanks to Cathrida's cybernetic arms and enhanced strength she is able to fire the recoil heavy weapons with ease. Though limited to two shots before requiring a reload the weapon is capable extreme damage, especially with a proper direct hit. [h3][b]Strengths and Weaknesses[/b][/h3] Cathrida is an experienced ex-pirate loaded with potent cybernetics that make her a monster inside ad outside of the cockpit. She knows all the right ways to cut into the Empire's ships and how to best disrupt their forces. The women is intelligent, plotting, and aggressive with a viscous confidence that draws people to her. She has a clear plan for the Zern Empire and even with the few tools at her disposal she is more then capable of carrying it out. However Cathrida isn't the same person she used to be. Though very much motivated by dark feelings within her, she has regrets that have pried open weaknesses in her heart. Her past actions have left a lot of blood on her hands and made her many, [i]many[/i] enemies on Mars who are willing to go the extra mile to see her suffer for what she did. She is also overly reliant on her cybernetics, not simply due to needing them to stay alive, but also in a combat sense. [h3][b]Chosen Mobile Weapon[/b][/h3] ★ ZIMS-01T Turncoat Cathrida Custom [/hider] [hider=ZIMS-01T Turncoat Cathrida Custom] [Center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjgwLmJmMzY1Ni5Xa2xOVXkwd01WUWdWSFZ5Ym1OdllYUWdRMkYwYUhKcFpHRWdRM1Z6ZEc5dC4xAAAA/captainswabby.regular.png[/img][/Center] [Center][img]-Place mobile suit picture reference here if you have one-[/img][/Center] [center][h1]1st Generation Customized Combat Mobile Suit[/h1][/center] [center][h2]Unique||Cathrida Stoker[/h2][/center] [color=B22222][h2][u][b]Unit Appearance[/b][/u][/h2][/color] The Turncoat is a heavily modified Redcoat where only a few fundamental elements of the suit have been left unchanged. Its head has received an extensive re-design, reducing its profile, and changing its shape to resemble that of an old-fashioned 18th century pirate's hat. The epaulette styled shoulders have been outright removed and replaced with the shoulders from the ZIMS-02 Tommy, laden with spites. Both arms and both legs of the Redcoat have been improved, making them slicker and somewhat more fluid in motion. A kind of ballistic fabric rigging has been added to the chest, acting as a carrier for reactive armor plates. From the shoulders of the machine hangs a cape made of a similar material. [color=B22222][h2][u][b]Technical Details[/b][/u][/h2][/color] [b]Accommodation:[/b] Pilot only, standard three-screen cockpit in torso. [b]Dimensions:[/b] 18 meters [b]Powerplant:[/b] Medium-output Wilberforce Reactor [b]Equipment and Design Features: [/b] [color=F0E68C][u][b]•Salvaged Tommy Reactor and Backpack[/b][/u][/color] In order to improve the capabilities of the old 1st Generation Redcoat, parts were salvaged from destroyed Tommy's found drifting through space. Only the shoulders, reactor, and backpack of the found Tommy could be used to improve the Turncoat. However even with just these parts the overall capabilities of the suit are improved. Great boosting reactor power and doubling the speed of the unit thanks to the improved thruster backpack. Since the Turncoat is still as light as the Redcoat, it is able to take advantage of the extra thruster power that Tommy's otherwise can't due to their increased weight. [color=F0E68C][u][b]•Reactive Armor Carrier and Ballistic Cape[/b][/u][/color] In order to boost the defensive abilities of the Turncoat while keeping weight down, the chest and arms have been fitted with ballistic fiber rigging carrying reactive armor plates. These plates explode when struck by projectiles, effectively denying the explosion through a shaped charge. Along with these plates is a thick cape of sorts hanging from the Turncoat's back, made of the same ballistic fiber but thicker. The cape along with the plates provide a helpful boost in defense. However the reactive armor loses effectiveness with each strike, meaning every shot provides another weak point for the enemy to abuse. [color=F0E68C][u][b]•Neural Control System[/b][/u][/color] Modifications have been made to the Turncoat to allow Cathrida to connect directly with it and control it via her neural implant. This vastly boosts the capabilities of the mobile suit and allows her to use it in ways a normal pilot couldn't. The arms and legs of the Turncoat have been redesigned to allow for more human-like movements. However even with the changes the Turncoat has trouble keeping up with Cathrida's input and partially handicaps her abilities to a degree. [color=B22222][h2][u][b]Weapons and Combat Capabilities[/b][/u][/h2][/color] [h3][b][u]Handheld Armaments[/u][/b][/h3] [color=F0E68C][u][b]•192mm Double-Barrel MAG Shotgun[/b][/u][/color] The Turncoat Custom carries with it a crude magnetic weapon, essentially an illegally made break action mobile suit sized shotgun. Though limited to two shots, the shotgun is capable of firing solid slugs or armor penetrating shatter shot. Its main advantage is that it can be over charged and used to devastating effect in close quarters, or even at a distance with the wide spray of magnetically accelerated pellets being difficult to dodge. The main weakness is that it can only be fired twice, or once if both barrels are fired at once, forcing frequent reloads using the individuals cartridges kept in pairs on the outside of the machine. [color=F0E68C][u][b]•P390 SMARTgun SMG x2[/b][/u][/color] High, compact, sleek looking sub-machine guns fitted with high power sensors and high capacity 80 round top-mounted magazines. Being Smartguns these sub-machine guns don't simply fire conventional rounds, but rather they fire high-tech guided munitions. When fired the rounds from the smartguns will curve and correct their course, tracking enemy movement and shifting direction to hit them. Their penetration and damage is limited due to the inclusion of guidance systems, but are highly accurate. While Cathrida is connected to her mobile suit, she can manually guide the rounds in order to hit pin-point targets on mobile suits in close range. The guns are mounted on small, crude sub-arms on the back of the Turncoat, allowing Cathrida to fire them freehand or remove and duel wield them as necessary. [h3][b][u]Fixed Armaments[/u][/b][/h3] [color=F0E68C][u][b]•[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Nanocarbon Cutlass[/b][/u][/color] [/b][/u][/color] A long, curved sword with a razor sharp nanocarbon blade. Carried in a sheath on the Turncoat's hit it serves as an effective and dangerous melee weapon, capable of hacking off the limbs of enemy MS or running through cockpits. [h3][b][u]Strengths and Weaknesses[/u][/b][/h3] The Turncoat is an improvement over the original Redcoat, using parts from the 2nd Generation Tommy to improve its speed and reactor powers. Improvements made to its limbs and the modifications made to allow for use of the neural connection implant of its pilot greatly boost its mobility and capabilities in combat. However it is still rather fragile like the Redcoat and the efforts made to improve its defenses provide only temporary benefit in long term combat. Even with the improvements made the performance of the suit still handicap's the pilot and prevents them from showing their full potential. [color=B22222][h2][u][b]Technical History[/b][/u][/h2][/color] After Cathrida was shot down, she was rescued from the surface of Luna by L-Sect who also recovered her heavily damaged Redcoat. As they attended to her medically, installing implants to supplement her destroyed organs and helping her through rehabilitation, her Redcoat was gradually repaired. Initially Cathrida's allies in L-Sect had great ambitions for what they could put into the suit. However they feared too much advanced tech would lead to them being accused by the Empire of assisting the pirate queen. As such they salvaged what they could from elsewhere and made most of the improvements using mundane, available technology. Only the addition of a pair of Smartguns and adjustments made to allow the suit to be controlled via Neural implant would so much as hint at their involvement. After a number of years Cathrida was healthy enough to leave and took her custom Turncoat and stowed away on a cargo ship headed for Venus... [/hider] [hider=Laika] [center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjEwNi5kNDhlMDIuVEdGcGEyRWdTM1ZrY25saGRtdGguMA,,/royal-crescent.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/638eba92-fe6f-4473-92b7-b055a01223f1/ddgdemb-eea93018-5118-40de-b55a-4c852ce70977.png/v1/fill/w_746,h_1071,strp/9_16_19_laika_by_crosswire40_ddgdemb-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTgzNyIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzYzOGViYTkyLWZlNmYtNDQ3My05MmI3LWIwNTVhMDEyMjNmMVwvZGRnZGVtYi1lZWE5MzAxOC01MTE4LTQwZGUtYjU1YS00Yzg1MmNlNzA5NzcucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.6psLRHab8YCxpKpA5DURvbZVOrmwNK9RmYML-HlrrTo[/img][/center] [center][h2][b]Bright-eyed Cabin Girl[/b][/h2][/center] [h2][center]481 R.C║Mekon Movement║Veusian║Female[/center][/h2][h3][b]Physical Appearance [/b][/h3] Laika is a young women standing 5,7 with a lithe, athletic frame and a heavy of short messy light brown hair atop her head. She has light skin often discolored with oil, dirt, dust, or a little bit of blood from scratched earned from work or fist fights on the street. Often dressed in a standard orange worker jumpsuit with the sleeves rolled up and decked out with a pair of steel-toed work boots a little too big for her, Laika often blends into crowds fairly easily. However he eyes are an a piercing yellow color and often stand out from her dirty face. [h3][b]Personality Traits: [/b][/h3] [list] [*] Loyal [*] Lonely [*] Emotionally intense [*] Curious [*] Quick to anger [*] Contemplative. [/list][h3][b]Biography:[/b][/h3] [color=32CD32]"--I don't really like to think about the past. At the same time, thinking about the future can be pretty scary. But what happened in the past makes us who were are right now. So if I just forget about it, then will I stop being me? That's an even scarier thought! I'm not sure there is any 'good' way to go about this, but I might as well write down my thoughts. Up until I was seven years old, everything is blurry. Maybe you're not even supposed to remember that far back, but all I can recall is a lot of orange and grey. Venus feels pretty familiar to me when I look at it, so it was easy enough to figure out this was where I was born. After all I don't have any implants, so I can't be from Luna, and I'm not rich so I can't be from Mars, its [s]uh--what's it called?[/s] Process of elimination. But that doesn't matter. All that matters is when I met the Captain. It was eleven years ago, 488 R.C I think. For some reason I was on a ship, a big ship. All I can remember is staring out a window into space and feeling [i]terrified[/i]. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I looked up she was there. The first time I saw the captain she had their fierce look in her eyes (she had both of them back then). Her orange eyes almost had a glow to them. I could tell just be looking that the captain wasn't afraid and I could tell that she didn't want to hurt me. What happened after that is fuzzy. All I know is that I survived while a lot of other people ended up dead. The Captain doesn't like to talk about it and I don't like to think about it. But I don't need to think about it to know that the Captain saved my life. That's [i]all[/i] I need to know. After that I became a member of her crew! Well, sort of. I became a 'cabin boy'. Apparently a long time ago, when ships sailed on the 'sea' (whatever that is) instead of in space young kids used to be used to do all kinds of chores. This was pretty much the same thing and I spent a lot of the time cleaning up, takings things to crew members, relaying messages, helping in the kitchen, and other boring stuff. But it wasn't all bad. The Captain checked on me a lot, usually to tell me off for doing something wrong, but she always taught me things. Apparently I didn't know a lot of things I was supposed to even for being as young as I was. So she taught me how to read, how to write, how to do math, how computers work, the basics of piloting a ship, how to shoot a gun, and how to stab someone so they start bleeding out. Normal stuff other kids probably got taught in school. Despite being kind of useless aboard the ship compared to the others the Captain always treated me like I was important. That didn't mean she let me be lazy or skimp out on my work, and when I pissed her off I was always at risk of a caning. But she didn't yell at me unless I was doing something stupid and she took the time to show me things. The older I got the more responsibilities she gave me. When I was with the Captain I always felt I knew what I had to do and that what I could do was meaningful. By the time I was ten years old I was using mobile workers and helping to haul 'booty' from ships that we raided. Just a year later and I was actually fighting with the rest of the crew. Not that the Captain wanted me to fight. She showed me how, but said I should wait till I was older unless I wanted do die doing something stupid. But there were times where everyone on the ship had to fight, that or die. Killing people...hurt. It was uncomfortable at first and made me feel very funny afterwards. But the Captain told me I shouldn't feel bad about hurting or killing other people. The people I kill don't care about me and would kill me without a second thought if it would benefit them. At the time I wasn't sure about that, but now...now I can see the Captain was absolutely right. Despite all the fighting we made a lot of money. I normally didn't get a very big cut, but even the sliver of money I got was so much I didn't know what to do with it all. The Captain knew exactly how to use her money though and for a while things were really good. We won all of our fights, our fleet got bigger, and even the Zern were starting to become scared of us. For a time I thought it would never end...but it did. And it ended badly. The Captain was planning something, something big. She wouldn't tell me anything, only that if she suceeded [i]she[/i] would be the one ruling Mars. When she came back though she was missing a lot of ships, a lot of men, and one of her eyes. The rest of the crew didn't see it, but when I snuck into the Captain's room that night...I saw her crying for the first time in my whole life. After that things were never the same. The Zern had gotten better weapons and our Mobile Workers were useless against them. Raiding ships became harder and Luna wasn't as safe as it used to be. Lots of the pirate fleets got destroyed and some just disbanded, ran away in fear. Our own fleet got smaller and smaller until it was just two ships. I remember the Captain doing everything she could and things just...fell apart. Then, when I was 13 or 14, the Captain sent me away. I didn't want to go, I wanted to fight, but when I tried to argue the Captain hit me hard enough to throw me off my feet. The Captain said that I needed to go and that she would find me after she was done with So I left with the head mechanic and headed to Venus. We waited for the captain there for a long time and eventually our money ran out. Me and my 'uncle' had to get a job at a factory and started living in a capsule hotel. Then there was an accident and my 'uncle' died...leaving me all alone. Later I heard that the Captain had gotten into a tight around Luna and died. But I didn't believe that, and I still don't. Its been four years since I last saw the Captain, but I'm still waiting here like she wanted me too. Living on Venus isn't great. The habitats are big and somehow cramped at the same time. No one cares about me here. No one cares about [i]anyone[/i] here. I can almost feel their apathy, their anger and their misery crushing down on me like a rock. It makes me sick and angry, enough that I just want to bury my fists into the next person I see. I don't like it here, but neither does anyone else. The people from Mars and especially the Zern always seem so happy to be leaving. Seeing their smiles always makes me so angry. I can see why the Captain said it was OK to steal from them. Everyone is so angry lately, so desperate, I can practically feel it in the air. Something is going to happen, something [b]big.[/b] Whatever happens I know the captain will be back for me. I'm not sure when I'll bother writing in this journal, but the next time I do I hope it'll be with the Captain beside me. -Laika, R.C 499[/color] [h3][b]Skills and Abilities[/b][/h3] [color=32CD32][b]Outlaw Education:[/b][/color] Laika's education was non-standard to say the least. While she learned important basics Laika was also instructed in the ways of knife-fighting, proper firearm usage, how to fight with her hands, the fundamentals of running a ship, how to board a ship, how to hide stolen goods, how to locate places to fence stolen goods, and other tricks of the criminal and piracy trade. Years later this knowledge has helped Laika stay alive on Venus. [color=32CD32][b]Mobile Worker Experience:[/b][/color] Laika has been using mobile suits since she was very young, both in a 'proper' and thoroughly illegal fashion. Her work as a mobile worker pilot in her industrial job has only kept her skills sharp and taught her all the different ways to weaponize various tools. Though she has limited experience with proper mobile suits she is never the less a capable pilot in combat situations and more then capable of engaging professionally trained combatants. [color=9370DB][b]Human Kai- Precognitive Flashes:[/b][/color] Unbeknownst to Laika, she is a "Human Kai". Her brainwaves are considerably stronger then a regular human, she has a greater sense of spatial awareness, and her body and mind are better suited for handling extreme G-forces. Even in her ignorant state unaware of what she actually is, the latent abilities inherent to all Human kai are still active within her own mind. Laika is able to more easily sense the emotions and intents of other people. Her mind registers when someone wishes to direct harm towards her and gives her a brief 'flash' of what is about to occur. This allows Laika to react well before the action is taken, allowing her to avoid danger that she would otherwise be unaware of. It is thanks to this that Human kai have insane reaction times and can seeming 'see the future'. However, there are drawbacks. Having inherent, almost empathetic abilities negatively impacts Laika's own emotional health as she is acutely aware of how others feel on an almost constant basis, even her enemies. The long term side effects of this are unknown but on the whole Laika is much more emotionally erratic, having difficulties keeping her own feelings in check when surrounded by so many intense feelings. Knowing something bad is going to happen, even before hand, does not always mean one can do anything about it. Not all attacks can be easily or cleanly avoided, even with prior warning. Overwhelming firepower can often negative the advantages of Human-Kai precognition by simply drowning the target in explosive munitions and large area of effect attacks. [h3][b]Personal Items and Equipment[/b][/h3] [u][b]Handmade Revolver:[/b][/u] A six shot low-caliber single-action revolver with a short barrel. Made on machine tools in a workshop after hours the revolver has crude rifling and its mechanisms aren't exactly factory quality. Never the less it fires bullets and kills people, plus its small enough that Laika can easily conceal it and retrieve it when necessary. Which is good, because owning the weapon could easily get her thrown in jail. [u][b]Boot Knife:[/b][/u] Hidden in Laika's right steel-toed boots is a razor sharp steel blade, capable of deploying from the tip of the boot after being promoted by a mechanism near the toe. I an instant the blade can be deployed and used as a kicking weapon, allowing Laika to make her kicks more then lethal. This is an excellent holdout weapon and one that can be used even if her arms are bound. [h3][b]Strengths and Weaknesses[/b][/h3] Laika is a young girl with a lot of potential. Her intimacy with mobile workers, her latent abilities as a Human-Kai, and her background working for a pirate leave her more prepared for rebellion then most. Despite her age she has zero qualms killing others and has the means to do so if needed. She can make the most out of mobile workers in combat, enough to go toe to toe with professional soldiers. At the same time Laika is emotionally erratic and very emotionally dependent on her surrogate mother, Cathrida. This leaves her very vulnerable to being emotionally manipulated by those close to her and at risk of violent emotional spirals. Her combat experience is also rather limited starting out and is at a disadvantage against veteran, properly equipped pilots. [h3][b]Chosen Mobile Weapon[/b][/h3] ● Modified Model 7 Scuton [/hider] [hider=Princess Asallia Zern] [center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjEwNi5mNzU5ZjYuVUhKcGJtTmxjM01nUVhOaGJHeHBZU0JhWlhKdS4w/royal-crescent.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/638eba92-fe6f-4473-92b7-b055a01223f1/ddgh0j3-a3a01744-3f21-4a46-9386-d00d466440f3.png/v1/fill/w_746,h_1071,strp/9_17_19_princess_and_the_wyvern_by_crosswire40_ddgh0j3-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTgzNyIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzYzOGViYTkyLWZlNmYtNDQ3My05MmI3LWIwNTVhMDEyMjNmMVwvZGRnaDBqMy1hM2EwMTc0NC0zZjIxLTRhNDYtOTM4Ni1kMDBkNDY2NDQwZjMucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.4oMnSBBNmSwW4ZkbwyYliA0kiz6T0ZD7xpba7dh2bLE[/img][/center] [center][h2][b]Peace-Chasing Princess[/b][/h2][/center] [h2][center]476 R.C║Zern Empire║Martian║Female [/center][/h2][h3][b]Physical Appearance [/b][/h3] The Princess stands 5,10 with long silky pink hair, deep emerald eyes, and a slender figure with an ample butt and bust fitting for royalty. She has surprisingly toned and athletic build hidden beneath her dresses and gowns, her fair light skin standing out even amidst her colorful regal clothing. Asallia always does her best to have a smile on her face and stands tall to exude an aura of positivity. Though her eyes tend to carry a look of exhaustion a lot of the time... [h3][b]Personality Traits: [/b][/h3][list][*] Kind [*] Considerate [*] Diplomatic [*] well-Spoken [*] Strong Willed [*] [s]Disillusioned and Doubtful[/s][/list][h3][b]Biography:[/b][/h3] [Color=FFD700]Hello my dear and loyal readers, its me Whispering Will come to give you the latest scoop on things you shouldn’t know in the Empire. Writing about the Royal Family is typically a big no-no. No one cares if the dirt is dug up on nobles given how much mud they sling at one another. Even works criticizing the Royal Family are given a free pass at times, often when those in the Royal Family are in agreement that something is wrong. However, a line is drawn when it comes to the personal lives of those with royal blood. No tabloid published alive would so much as think of breathing a bad word about them and underground publishers are scared to tackle the subject...save for me. I know plenty of you are already salivating at the mouth, imagining all the juicy details on the colorful characters that fill the Royal Family of Mars. However I’m sure you’ll all be surprised when you find out who I’ll be covering in this little pamphlet, back-alley toilet paper of mine. Princess Asallia. “But, Will!” I hear you cry “Why would we want to know about some pink-haired pacifist when we already know everything about her?” Ah, but that my dear readers is where you are mistaken. You think you know everything you need to know about Asallia. And that is exactly what they want. Princess Asallia was born to the Emperor’s first wife and was his third child, putting her at third in line for the throne (or dead last depending on who you ask). Like all proper members of the Royal Family she was raised on Mars and lived the first decade or so of her life in the gilded, garden filled palace of the Zern Empire. From a very young age Asallia was interested in singing, dancing, old-Earth literature, and gardening. Asallia made friends with a lower-noble boy those father owned a shoe factory on Venus. When she was ten years old her friend left with his father to make a trip to the factory so he could oversee how it was operated. However he never returned as he and his father were filled when an attempt at strike breaking turned violent and ended with the destruction of the factory. This event seemed to have a long lasting effect on Asallia as soon afterwards she began to denounce violence and made attempts to better understand the conditions on Mars and Venus. It was assumed by many in the Royal Family that this was just a phase but after three years Asallia’s behavior showed no signs of self-correction. Here is a little known fact for my faithful readers, one few outside of the Royal Family and higher ranked military members know: At one point Asallia was actually enlisted into the military. When Asallia was 13 the Emperor grew concerned about the personal beliefs his daughter held. Given how close she was in succession to the throne, he feared she could do damage to the Empire should she ever take the through. He called Asallia before her and confronted her about the matter. However she refused to yield and as a result was sent to a military academy on Deimos. So yes dear readers, for an entire year the princess was forced through grueling physical and mental training to condition her for combat. Very young enlistments into the Zern Military aren’t as uncommon as you might think, especially for those in the Royal Family and those of noble blood. It's unclear just what she went through on Deimos as no one knows who her instructor was or what classes she was present in. All that is known is the Emperor enrolled her under a false name and pulled strings to ensure the new applicant to the academy would be put through the ringer by staff and students alike. After a year the Princess was allowed to come home in order to participate in a grand ceremony aboard the Venue. And I’m sure everyone reading this is already intimately familiar with what happens next. A famous pirate came very close to killing off the royal family and actually gave the Emperor an injury that has begun to destroy his mind in recent years. However, what few realize is that many, many important details of that event have been obscured by rumor and hearsay. Someone within the Royal Family shot Cathrida. Straight. In. The. Face. Yet bo one has ever been clear about who this was. Some not-so-trustworthy individuals of ‘high acclaim’ have made statements saying they were the one to pull the trigger. Others state that it was simply one of the rank and file in the room who had managed to keep their pistol. Directly or indirectly asked, everyone who was present at the event seems to have a...tension whenever questions are put towards them. The only straight answer this underground writer was able to get was from a dying, borderline senile old man who once acted as a butler for the Royal Family. He claimed that Princess Asallia was the one who fired the shot, with a pistol the pirate butcher herself had given her. Now, I may be considered something of a baseless conspiracy theorist even amongst this communication, but I will be up front and say this: No, the Princess of Peace and Love did not shoot the pirate butcher in the face. However, I will suggest who could have fired the shot. Given Asallia was coming fresh from the military academy back home after a year, it's entirely possible she made an acquaintance. Said acquaintance was allowed to come home with her and attend the event aboard the Venue when everything went wrong. Who do we know who appeared shortly after this event? Who was given the freedom to do essentially whatever he pleased in the Empire? That’s right. The Wyvern. The masked (or helmeted for the pedantic) bodyguard of the Princess who in recent years has become as much a figure of mystery as they have controversy. I would bet anything that he was the whole who pulled his trigger. His action won him the favor of the Emperor himself who, through out of gratefulness or brain damaged delirium, gave him the decree that he did. However, The Wyvern is a story for another article entirely (one that will hopefully come with this one). So for now, let us return to the Princess. After the incident on the Venue things get fuzzy for about two years or so in regards to what the Princess was doing. While still technically enlisted in the military, it's doubtful Asallia likely participated in the mass-purge of pirates that happened afterwards. Given both her beliefs and the state of her father at the time its more plausible she returned home, possibly in a great state of emotional duress. two years later however the Princess returned to the public scene, seemingly back to her old self. At 16 years old the Princess started the “John Huffam Outreach Program” that specifically sought out intelligent children from low-income families on Venus and Luna, giving them a chance to come to Mars and attend the extremely prestigious Martian Institute of Technology. This program of hers ended up catching a lot of flack and resistance, but was the first genuine attempt to act on her beliefs that we the public got to see. Asallia’s efforts gave dozens of children the chance at a better life and helped to create many impressive technical achievements that we have started to see implemented as of late. However, a lot of Asallia’s ‘children’ ended up participating in a number of rather top secret military development programs. It’s not hard to imagine this was not what she intended and was likely the military, or maybe even her siblings, trying to mitigate the success of her program and trample on the propagation of her beliefs. Over the course of the last 7-years or so Asallia has made a number of other gestures towards the poor and downtrodden. Giving speeches and lectures on the nature of peace, writing and freely distributing her research into the matter, and even putting on charity concerts and singing for many in the Empire to here. It's hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know the face and voice of the sweet, kind, and seemingly ineffectual Princess. At the moment it is believed the Princess is headed to Venus to hold an expo displaying the technological wonders being developed by the Empire. However there is a debate on where the expo will be held on Venus and rumors are circulating that military hardware will be shown off. This might be another attempt by the Princess that once again ends up hijacked by someone else.[/color] [b] --"Whispering Will's" Underground Pamphlet Printing. [/b] [h3][b]Skills and Abilities[/b][/h3][color=3CB371][b]Military Training:[/b][/color] Princes Asallia was sent to a military academy when she was young and ended up serving the military for an unspecified amount of time. The full extent of what she learned or didn't learn isn't clear, but it can be assumed she knows enough to defend herself halfway decently. Of course weather or not she'd even do that is a subject for debate. [color=3CB371][b]Refined Human:[/b][/color] Being in the Royal Family and having a long history of genetic modification, Asallia is a Refined Human much like many of her brothers and sisters. Her overall physical capabilities are greater then that of a normal, baseline human being and she is more resistant to disease and illness. As a Refined she is capable of entering into a state of heightened physical performances known as "Overclocking". When in this state she is temporarily able to react, move, and process information at a considerably faster rate. This enhances their ability to fight inside and outside of a cockpit, at least temporarily. The state is difficult and exhausting to maintain. Though its unlikely Asallia would ever use this. [color=3CB371]Diplomacy and Discussion:[/color] Being dedicated to a philosophy of peace and understanding, Asallia has made considerable efforts to become skilled in the art of discussion and diplomacy. As such she has a strong grasp of the important aspects of diplomacy and retains and open, empathetic minds towards the blights of others. Asallia is also a capable public speaker. [color=3CB371]Songstress:[/color] Having a lot of the arts and a naturally sweet voice, Asallia is also skilled as a singer and dancer. Though trained to sing classically, Asallia prefers to sing in a "J-Pop" style that she feels is less formal and more expressive and emotive. [h3][b]Personal Items and Equipment[/b][/h3] -Nothing of Note[h3][b]Strengths and Weaknesses[/b][/h3] As a member of the Royal Family Asallia has a certain degree of connections and influence she can take advantage of. She has the knowledge and skills needed to engage in diplomacy, discussion, and the development of peaceful resolutions towards problems. Yet there are limits to what she can get away with and who will listen to and permit her plans. Since she refrains from the use of physical violence she has little actual means of stopping fights herself or participating in them. Those simply unwilling to listen or engage in discussion can make her completely and utterly irrelevant. On top of this there are plenty on Mars who disagree with her approach to things and wish to see her actively sabotaged. [h3][b]Chosen Mobile Weapon[/b][/h3] None.[hr] [/hider][hider=The Wyvern] [center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjEwNi5kMGNkY2QuVTJseUlGUm9ZV3h0YjNJZ1YzbDJaWEp1LjE,/knights-quest.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][img]-place character reference here[/img][/center] [center][h2][b]The Wyvern- Avocati[/b][/h2][/center] [h2][center]476 R.C║Zern Empire║Martian║Male [/center][/h2][h3][b]Physical Appearance [/b][/h3] Wyvern stands 5,11 with his body and face hidden by a black pilot suit and custom helmet. No one knows what lies beneath the suit and mask, but may have speculated. Everyone is firmly agreed that the Wyvern is a man and even with the padding on his suit it seems clear that they are very fit. As if to add even more menace to his dark appearance, the Wyvern has scratched a dragon-like maw into the reflective surface of his helmet visor. This doesn't effect his vision as he cannot see it from his 'side' of the helmet, but all those staring into his face will end up looking into the maw of the dragon... [h3][b]Personality Traits: [/b][/h3] [list] [*] Quiet [*] Fierce [*] Aggressive [*] Cynical [*] Violent [*] Stalwart [/list][h3][b]Biography:[/b][/h3] [Color=FFD700]Hello again loyal readers, I am Whispering Will coming at you with another edition of things you shouldn’t know in the Empire. Today I will be cutting right to the chase and speaking about him. You know who he is, the masked man, the Very little is known about the Wyvern. So much so that baseless speculation and crackpot theories about him have practically become a market of writing in their own right. Whatever slivers of truth about him are often buried under a mountain of “pence dreadfuls” and speculative nonsense. However I have finally bitten the bullet and have brought to you what truth I have managed to discern about the matter. I will say to my readers however to take what I write with an ounce of salt. You should never take information at face value, even mine, question everything. Now the first records of the Wyvern showing up happen shortly after the incident on the Venue where the Emperor was shot by the Butcher of Banzing. Now if you read my pamphlet about Princess Asallia (which you should) you would know I proposed that the one who shot the Butcher was the Wyvern himself. Why do I suggest this? Well this low-ranking nobody appears in the military with a special decree from the Emperor, written to give him free reign to do whatever he needs to in order to keep Princess Asallia safe. Now for those who don’t know, an Imperial Decree is a very, VERY big deal. It is the word of the Emperor in document form. Whatever is written there is treated as law and depending on how it is written, its meaning can be stretched and abused by the one that holds it. There are entire history books on the Zern Empire detailing the trouble that came from older, poorly worded Imperial decrees and the difficulties later Emperors had in trying to deal with them. The decree the Wyvern was given was very simple, but at the same time incredibly blunt. Many almost automatically assumed the young, mask wearing boy had taken advantage of the Emperor’s damaged mental health to come into an incredible amount of power. I however made the suggestion in the previous pamphlet that the decree was given to the Wyvern for shooting the Butcher of Banzing, ultimately saving his life and the life of the royal family. Its mere speculation, but there is evidence to back that up. Now initially the Wyvern did nothing with the decree, outside of pushing to be sent into battle against the pirates on a near constant basis and occasionally disappear from the military at his leisure. Though viewed with suspicion and irritation by many, the Wyvern’s accomplishments could not be denied. He single handedly put an end to many, many famous pirates including the Butcher of Banzing herself. After the drop off in pirates, the Wyvern took up the role of bodyguard to Princess Asallia and became her often unseen protector. During this time the Wyvern became something of a celebrity, shrouded in mystery and charm. He saved the life of the Princess several times and had a hand in ensuring the safety of other members of the Royal Family. However, it wasn’t long before a different side of the Wyvern became abundantly clear. During a trip to Luna where the Princess was to host a charity of sorts, a protest was launched against the limited opportunities for Lunites and a ship was stolen. Several Martians were taken hostage and the protectors made a list of demands. While the Princess wished to resolve the situation through diplomacy, the Wyvern used his decree and authority to put down the protect with extreme force. Using a mobile suit he disabled the ship and killed all of the Lunites onboard, succeeding in only saving two of the hostages they had taken. This would only be one of many incidents the Wyvern would be a part of. Many in the Zern Empire’s military appreciated the Wyvern’s ‘firm hand’ in dealing with criminals, pirates, and terrorists. His refusal to negotiation or bend at the knee was exactly the kind of projection of power many in the higher brass wished to see. Others simply viewed him as a brute and a murderer who deliberately denied situations to resolve issues through diplomacy. The sheer duality between the peace loving Princess and her seeming bloodthirsty bodyguard is almost like something out of a novel. It comes off at times that the Wyvern intentionally acts in opposition to the Princess’s mindset, giving an almost abusive tint to their relationship as protected and protector. Many have romanticized this as a “Beauty and the Beast” type scenario, but it's unlikely any romantic feelings are involved. Given the...strained relationship between the Emperor and Asallia , it is entirely possible the Wyvern was given his decree under the stipulation he keep the princess’s beliefs in check. This gives an almost tragic element to the Princess many see as naive and foolish. She has a lingering specter of violence looming over her at all times, swooping down whenever things go awry and ruining any chance to put her beliefs into practice. The biggest mystery of the Wyvern, why her wears a pilot suit and never takes it off, was actually elaborated on by the Princess herself. In a rare interview I managed to dig up she offhandedly mentioned that her bodyguard always wears a pilot suit because he was briefly sucked out into space during an accident. They were quickly saved before the could decompress and die, but the incident affected them so much they refuse to take off their suit. [/color] [h3][b]Skills and Abilities[/b][/h3][color=3CB371][b]Refined Human:[/b][/color] The Wyvern is a Refined human. Their overall physical capabilities are greater then that of a normal, baseline human being and he is more resistant to disease and illness. As a Refined he is capable of entering into a state of heightened physical performances known as "Overclocking". When in this state he is temporarily able to react, move, and process information at a considerably faster rate. This enhances their ability to fight inside and outside of a cockpit. The Wyvern has trained themselves to maintain this Overclocked state for longer periods of time and have a stimulant injection system built right into their pilot suit, ensuring they don't fatigue as quickly due to this. [color=3CB371][b]Ace Pilot[/b][/color]: To put it bluntly the Wyvern is an Ace Pilot. They have several years of combat and piloting experience, having fought during the Rebirth of Piracy and killed many of the influential pirates that arose during that time. The skill they possess allows them to take advantage of high mobility mobile suits and make the best use out of them. Their high speed, precision style of combat is highly honed from many many kills on both ships and enemy mobile units. [color=3CB371][b]Imperial Decree[/b][/color]: The Wyvern was given an Imperial Decree that allows them to do anything "...Necessary to ensure the safety of Princess Asallia.". This gives them a tremendous amount of authority and due to the simple wording they can stretch this to allow them to do a lot of fights. However they mainly use this as an excuse to involve themselves in various battles and fight. [h3][b]Personal Items and Equipment[/b][/h3] [u][b]Custom Pilot Suit[/b][/u] The Wyvern wears a custom, jet black pilot suit that they are believed to never take off. It has noticeably padding and nanocarbon plates sewn into it, giving them protection from small arms fire. On top of alleviating the effects of G-forces to a certain degree, the suit also has a system that allows the automatic injection of stimulants during fights. This helps to fight off fatigue and allows them to take in other fluids without having to take off their suit or helmet. [u][b]Antique Pistol[/b][/u]: The Wyvern carries with them an antique pistol that they have had re-chambered for modern rounds and refurbished. It was known as a C96 Mauser on Earth, a large short-action recoil semi-automatic pistol currently fed by a twenty round ejectable magazine. They wear the gun on their thigh in a large holster, often kept intentionally visible. [h3][b]Strengths and Weaknesses[/b][/h3] The Wyvern is a faster, monstrous fighter with no hesitation and no remorse on the field of battle. They excel in outmaneuvering and dealing massive casualties to less mobile forces. Their experience with pirates and rebels alike gives them insight into the movements of the Mekon Movement and makes them a particularly cunning foe. On the ground or in a mobile suit they are a terrifying force that can actually effect the morale of those who recognize them. However they have a tendency to fight and operate largely alone. Their mysterious and aloof nature often leaves them with a lack of support and has their own allies angry or suspicious with them. Though their imperial decree allows them to get away with a lot, their are limits. [h3][b]Chosen Mobile Weapon[/b][/h3] ✦ ZIMS-02R Tommy Command Type [/hider] [hider=Lycoris] [center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjEwNi5kODQ5ZGYuVEhsamIzSnBjeUJUY0dGeWF3LCwuMA,,/science-fair.regular.png[/img][/center] [center][img]-place character reference here[/img][/center] [center][h2][b]The Bicorn[/b][/h2][/center] [h2][center]481 R.C║Mekon Movement║Lunite║Female[/center][/h2][h3][b]Physical Appearance [/b][/h3] Lycoris stands five foot six with a slim figure, small bust, and a bookish appearance with large thick-framed glasses. Her eyes are a deep, regal purple color and her hair is light purple with black highlights often tied up in a ponytail. She is never without some kind of tablet or computer and is almost always seen carrying one with her.[h3][b]Personality Traits: [/b][/h3][list] [*] Eager to expand her knowledge [*] Obsessive [*] Prone to tunnel vision [*] Imaginative and creative [*] Desperate to prove herself [*] Hungry for validation[/list][h3][b]Biography:[/b][/h3] [color=C71585]Dear Princess Asallia. I know we will be seeing each other soon, but I felt the need to write you this letter. So many things have been happening late, I just can't keep my thoughts organized. Its difficult not to ruminate on all the awful things that have happened to me. Yet, at the same time, I was reminded how blessed I was. So many opportunities were given to me, ones that I could have so easily passed up had I made a different choice so many years ago. Do you remember when we first met? I was just eleven years old. You had come to Luna as part of a charity event in the habitation tube we lived in. My aunt and uncle didn't care for you, but I couldn't help but be drawn to you. I had heard your singing on (admittedly pirated) data cartridges and couldn't wait to meet you. Before the event began I had picked flowers to give to you, but I spent so much time picking that I was nearly late. I ran so fast that I ended up dropping all of the flowers, save for one. There we so many people and when I saw you I became so nervous that I just wanted to hide. Even back then I was self-conscious about my 'horns'. Yet you had seen me standing off to the side and actually approached me. I'll never forget how you smiled when I gave you that dainty, wilted little flower and told me that it was beautiful. I couldn't help but smile myself and had to fight to hold back my tears. You kept talking to me, even as your entourage kept pressing you to move on. I'm not sure what I said to impress you but whatever it was was enough to give you the idea for the John Huffam Outreach program. You chose me as the first recipient of the program, then and there at the charity. You never asked about my parents, or why I lived with my aunt and uncle, but I think you could tell how unhappy I was when I didn't ask to say goodbye to them. Traveling to Mars was one of the most exciting memories I have. I can remember getting off the ship with the other children and looking up into the sky and simply losing myself in how wide open everything was. I'll admit that I was honestly kind of scared with how blue the sky looked, it didn't seem right I thought something was already wrong. I know now that a lot of people tried to stop you from setting up the program. Admitting children to one of the most prestigious technical institutes on Mars, if not in the Empire, must have seemed absolutely ludicrous for them. I still remember how they stared when you brought us into M.I.T for the first time, you must have looked like a school teacher with a gaggle of children behind her. From the get go everyone seemed eager for us to fail, but we all did our best to prove them wrong. Despite our age we proved our intelligence and the more we learned the more we pushed back. There was one professor I managed to embarrass by correcting him. Maybe it was bit juvenile of me, but I felt I was defending your decision and your honor by doing that. Time passed so quickly there that before I knew it we were being tasked with proving what we had learned. I was given a shoe-string budget and set out to make my first mobile suit. It was a crude little thing, but I poured my heart, soul, and all the ideas that everyone had scoffed at. When time came to show it off the thing was functional, but disappointing. Yet there was someone who saw what I was onto. He was a genera, old and crusty, but with a bright warm smile. The man offered me chance to improve on what I had made and I took it without thinking. After I realized what I had agreed to, I was afraid to tell you. You had taught us the importance of communication, of making things to improve the lives of others instead of destroy them. But I loved mobile suits and they were only really used by the military. So I kept quiet about the whole thing as he set me up with everything I needed. It must have seemed ridiculous, I can still remember the looks on the faces of the people sent to assist me with some things when they saw how young i was. But I didn't squander a pence given to me, didn't waste an instant on that project. From the moment I had the means to create what I wanted I went at it with everything I could bring to bear. Night and day I worked, researching, testing, building, breaking, and doing everything I could to refine all the ideas that no one else but me saw the possibility in. It was because I was so young, so disregarded that I was desperate for validation. Deep down I felt that you would never approve of what I was doing, that you would be ashamed of me, and that I could only get what I wanted from others. And I'm sorry for that. Eventually the mobile suit took form, sleek, refined, and advanced. I was given a test pilot and we got so many things done. Each day brought a bigger and bigger smile to my face. It seemed the finish line was just over the hill. I could already see the shocked faces of all the nobles and the looks of awe from my professors when [i]my[/i] mobile suit was revealed. But...then it went wrong. The KINGSFORD system, it had side effects I couldn't have foreseen. It wasn't just a technical failure, even if it worked fine the long term effects would have resulted in the same thing. The issue was the pilot, the brain, it couldn't handle it... That just sounds like I'm making excuses, doesn't it? When the test pilot died and they pulled his broken body from the cockpit, it seemed like everyone was ready to ruin me then and there. But you heard about what had happened and swooped in to save me. I was crying, finally looking and acting like someone my age as you consoled me. As my mobile suit was sealed up and covered in tarps I still remember what you said. "Poor thing, just like Oliver." I remembered you reading us Oliver Twist. You loved that book so much and even then, after I had kept what I had done a secret, after I had helped to build a weapon, you were able to take pity on me and what I had made. Oliver...that was the what I named my mobile suit as it was carted off. Only later did I realize that the program that sprung out of my attempt would carry that naming theme, which only made me feel guiltier. Since then I've tried to salvage my reputation. I've been working as a general researcher, where I'm allowed too anyway. People seem ready to jump on any failure, any slip of mine, and explode it into some kind of disaster. Everyone has started calling me the "Bicorn" like I'm so monster that eats up good husbands and spits them out as dead, broken corpses. However I managed to cut a deal with a development team on the project, one who had actually stolen some of my work. They'll pull some strings and give me a chance to prove myself, to bring the Oliver out of storage and show everyone that I'm not a failure. I'll be on my way to Venus soon, likely on the same ship as you. I hope that you'll see me... [b]Your faithful student Lycoris Sparks.[/b][/color][h3][b]Skills and Abilities[/b][/h3] [color=008000][b]Neural Implant:[/b][/color] Installed into the back of her neck, Lycoris has a Neural Implant that allows her to physically connect with systems via a universal port and connection cable. This gives her greater control over whatever she hooks herself into, allowing her to better use or fix it should something be wrong. This implant is standard for all Lunites and is implanted in them shortly after they are born. Lycoris however tends to hide her implant and refrains from using it, due to the stigma against cybernetics in the Empire. [color=008000][b]HORN Implant:[/b][/color] When Lycoris was very young she received a head injury severe enough to damage her vision. In order to help recuperate that part of the brain a special implant was fitted into the frontal bone of her skull. These implants took the form of two sharp, horn-like sensors protruding out of her forehead. Each 'horn' is fitted with a sensor that helped to compensate for damaged vision while simultaneously stimulating and assisting in rehabilitating the damaged portion of her brain. While Lycoris has long since recovered her vision, the horns now serve as secondary purpose, acting as wireless transmitters and receivers. The HORN implants allow Lycoris to wirelessly connect to systems and control them. There are limits to this, often due to particle interference, but in practical application she can use several different computers at once just by thinking allowing her to amplify her work output via extreme multi-tasking. Due to the nature of the HORN implants however, they are difficult to hide and more often then not are visible to all. [color=008000][b]Mobile Suit Affinity[/b][/color]: Lycoris has a strong passion and innate grasp of many of the important fundamentals of mobile suits. This has allowed to excel in her studies and research regarding MS, fueling her love of the machines and feeding her creativity. She's not simply capable of maintaining and modifying mobile suits, but designing them from the ground up and entirely overhauling them. [color=008000][b]Martian Institute of Technology Education:[/b][/color] Thanks to Princess Asallia, Lycoris was allowed to attend the prestigious M.I.T. There she was able to refine and reinforce her already high intelligence with a good education. Thanks to her years at MIT she has extensive knowledge of electronic, mechanical, computer, and robotic engineering as well as many aspects of weapons and armor manufacturing. [h3][b]Personal Items and Equipment[/b][/h3] [color=008000][b]Screen Glasses[/b][/color]: What's a good way to protect your information and stop people from looking at your screen? Lycoris thought hard and eventually developed a solution. By uploading a certain bit of software to a computer, the screen will appear completely black and unreadable. That is, to anyone who doesn't have the right [i]filter.[/i] Lycoris's thick-framed glasses have a special digital screen laminated across the glass. As long as she wears these glasses, Lycoris is able to see the 'dark screen' as if it were normal. Allowing her to work in the open with no fear of being monitored by others. [color=008000][b]Letter Writing Kit:[/b][/color] A small, pen and paper letter writing kit that was gifted to Lycoris by the Princess Asallia years ago. She has kept the letter kit since then and has used it frequently to write old-fashioned physical letters to the Princess. [color=008000][b]Arm Mounted Computer:[/b][/color] Lycoris uses an arm mounted, custom-built computer typically mounted on her right forearm like a gauntlet. It has a collapsing/unfurling keyboard and lacks a screen, but has many capable and ports for connecting with other devices. It can hook up to her glasses to allow her to use it without a monitor. She can also connect to the computer wirelessly using her Horn implants or physically connect with it via her Neural Implant, but typically refrains from doing so. [h3][b]Strengths and Weaknesses[/b][/h3] Lycoris is a brilliant designer with a deep affinity for mobile suit and weapons technology. With her deep technical know-how she is capable of performing maintenance on any machine she can get her hands on and his capable of making improvements to designs, provided she is given the proper materials. The cybernetics she is fitted with allow her to more easily connect to systems for diagnostic work and general operation, allowing her to work faster and multi-task to a lubricious degree. Her experimental technologies are incredibly ambitious and are more often then not a step above what is commonly available. However, her more ambitious designs also tend to come with unforeseen complications and drawbacks that many assume are always lethal. Lycoris's reputation as a designer has long since been poisoned and most view her designs, suggestions, and ideas as inherently dangerous. While she is capable of operating mobile suits, her combat experience is non-existent and her technical prowess is of little use in controlling her fear in the heat of battle. Lycoris is also often hesitant to use her cybernetics, as it is just another reason she is treated poorly in the Empire. [h3][b]Chosen Mobile Weapon[/b][/h3] None [/hider]