Name: Konstantin Stojanović

Gender: Male

Age: 26

Appearance: A man of resilient, lean build, sharp jaw, and steel-clad expression. Carries himself with a pilot's surety and confidence, bolstered by the slightest air of recessed nobility— perhaps suggesting that he was not always so immersed within this harsh, spartan military life. His hair is a sandy blonde, and normally cropped quite close in a classical crew cut, but has been grown out during the lax span of the Pandora's interstellar voyage.

Personality: Keeps a rather cool-headed and reserved exterior, but close beneath lies a warm, friendly, even affable man. Long released from the trials that plagued his youth, Konstantin walks with the weight of wondering when his next meal will be completely removed from his shoulders, leaving only the well-earned faith in his skill that he honed over years of active duty. Happiest behind the cockpit, he nonetheless has been making concerted efforts to continue rehabilitating himself to life beyond it, having cultivated a few hobbies as well as a dark, dry sense of humor that would make Ganymede’s soil proud. Seems to go alight at the prospect of a scrap, as any red-blooded soldier should. His skills are his very life. Putting them to the test, in his eyes, is a thrill none other could match.

Backstory: A son of a well-to-do family hailing from Belgrade, Konstantin's early life was one that enjoyed the Earth's comfort and stability. Educated well, with little want for simple luxuries or privileges borne of money, it was the picturesque standard of the homeworld's upper class upbringing. Club sports, chess lessons, regular vacations to scenic vistas, all were simple facts of life to the Stojanovic children. A charmed childhood.

A routine stop at a spaceport tossed it all out the window. Not one moment of this lax upbringing could prepare young Konstantin, scarcely eleven at the time, for his abduction by a rather notorious band of interplanetary corsairs after being separated from his family. The pirates' leader, at the time still posing as the overseer of a backwater colony upon Ganymede, saw only a young man, the name "Stojanovic" scarcely pronounceable, let alone noteworthy— If he hadn't heard of it, then surely no ransom would be worth the attention. Konstantin, despite his protests, was thrown to the mines as a result. An able body was an able body, and this was one of many he needed not pay anything resembling a wage to. For four years, this would be Stojanovic’s life— endless toiling in the thick, hot, dusty air, unable to desert or even rest for fear of starvation, torture, or worse. He had worn to nothing beyond his name, bereft of his status, of his hope, of all semblance of his former life and self. Had he not so covetously clung to this final facet of his identity, he likely would have broken forever.

To compound his trials, at 15 he was transferred out of the mine and onto the battlefield, for reasons still unknown to him. To combat an incursion by rival pirates, the Overseer had need of manned atmospheric craft— in so many words, Konstantin was shoved into the cockpit of a centuries-old Sukhoi, guns at his back and a suicidal task ahead. He had graduated from "laborer" to "prisoner"; now spending his time on the ground in a cell rather than absolute squalor. It was a hell of a tradeoff— get more food for the small price of nigh-impossible missions. The more damage you did, the more your plate was covered. A full meal was reserved for those who excelled, the right of only the day's ace.

Knowing that this bastardization of valor was now his only path to survival, he quickly learned to dive into the fireworks. There was no room for cowardice, for timidity, for ineptitude. His wings would never soar the way they needed to with such weights upon him. No odds were too long, no order worth starving for.

5 years passed, the skirmishes growing into a war that could no longer escape the notice of the United Nations. Peacekeeping forces initially descended planetside to assist in dealing with the more brazen piracy opposite Konstantin's guns, but one fateful transmission captured their full attention. A simple act of switching radio frequencies by one of the only pilots who had lived behind the controls long enough to intimately understand their plane, and the words, "Investigate the mines. All of them. The colony's numbers aren't as clean as you think."

It took one tumultuous month for the inescapable hammer of justice to fall upon the entire operation. Two to evacuate and begin to rehabilitate every gaunt figure that crawled out of the shadows, lungs heavy with dust. Three for the United Nations Armed Forces to receive a new pilot candidate. He had dodged death for five years in the thin skies of a Jovian moon— their training could never hope to break him.

It would only make him better.

He acclimated quite readily to proper logistics, training, and chains of command, graduating from aircraft to Orbitals at the night-insistent urging of his instructors. Within months, he was back on the battlefield, now carving piracy out of the stars for a just cause, as opposed to a simple means of survival. His performance wasn’t always flawless, as the crimson arm on the Bedwyr would attest, but his ability was nonetheless undeniable. He was definitely where he belonged.

Skills and Flaws: Experienced pilot, comfortable in the cockpit of both aircraft and orbitals. Naturally, this includes good reaction times, sense of three-dimensional space, and a learned tolerance for G-Forces. Owing to his rather unique experience with the former, his aim with dumbfire weapons such as vulcans is, plainly put, remarkable. Ruthless yet obedient, he keeps enough of a leash on his innate bloodlust to follow all but the most anathematic orders (to date, none in his proper military career). That said, if there is leeway to get into a fight, chances are high that he will happily pursue engagement, ready to prove his ability. It is notable that he seems to more than simply pride himself on his combative skill— it is a cornerstone of his identity, "the wings that set him free" in his own words. He doesn't take well psychologically to being grounded for an extended period. One might theorize this as the primary reason he has not reunited with his erstwhile family beyond letter correspondence. Beyond the cockpit, he is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of plum brandy, keeps an obsessively clean space, and treats life with a dry, blackened humor.

Equipment: Standard-issue, pressurized flight suit, albeit with a modified helmet system to accompany experimental vision tracking program. 9mm sidearm. Dress uniform. Nothing at all related to brewery or the female form, sir.

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Model Number: General Resources OF-02D, Unofficially designated "Bedwyr"

Role: Point Defense / Area Denial Artillery

Appearance: 20m tall, the Bedwyr owns the humble distinction of having perhaps the most recognizable silhouette of any standard-sized Orbital, owing naturally to its quartet of autocannons and variable-geometry wings. Often thought to have an appearance reminiscent of the knights of old, its alloy plates are all distinctly curved or angled, an attempt to minimize both direct penetration and atmospheric drag. This particular craft is painted with a red left arm, a bout of symbolism having overtaken both pilot and maintenance crew.

Systems: Merlon Target Acquisition Suite: Boastfully marketed as "The logical conclusion of AESA and IFF", the Bedwyr's onboard platform of phased-array sensors and identification software allow it a 360 degree picture of the battlefield with remarkable fidelity, as well as a streamlined data-uplink system for transmission of gathered information. This is most often used in conjunction with, or as a proxy version of, a dedicated AWACS system. This particular unit contains an experimental eyeball-tracking program, intended for use in real-time combat against highly agile targets. General Resources believes very strongly in the value of field-testing.

Variable Geometry Wings: For use in both atmospheric and vacuum combat maneuvering, these wings adjust position to increase in-flight stability with additional lift, or as a platform for retros in space. Both offer marginal improvements in small-scale agility and course adjustment.

Weapons: 4x General Resources E-30: A quartet of 80mm autocannons integral to the Bedwyr's construction, a pair each mounted on the Orbital's shoulders and underslung through the "armpits". A mainstay of the unit's firing platform, the modular receiver and barrel design is both light on parts and very receptive to customization, allowing for specialization in ammunition type changing from mission to mission. Linked to the fly-by-wire systems and onboard IFF designators, the E-30s have a functional aim assist, allowing for use in a suppressive or additional CIWS role while the pilot can focus on manually-operated weapons systems.

2x Kaida Corporations Super-22-G: Kaida Corporations, while known primarily for their advancements in the field of A.I. and drone units, have carved out a small niche of making what most Orbital Pilots refer to as "very fun ideas". Chief amongst them is the Super-22-G, an Orbital-class drum-magazine 105mm smoothbore "Canister Rifle". In sum, this weapon is not dissimilar to the venerable shotguns of infantry combat, in that its Gauss Barrel propels a scaled-up cartridge round containing "buckshot". Where the idea gets "fun", however, is that each pellet of the aforementioned "buckshot" is equivalent to a 40mm grenade. Very useful for throwing out a wall of firepower at an enemy Orbital, chewing a skyscraper in half, or putting on an impromptu fireworks show. Can work with most NATO-standard 105mm Howitzer rounds, but why would you ever pick something so boring?

General Resources TLS-88: Tactical Laser Sword. A model that was designed in-line with the "energy efficiency" philosophy, it unfortunately has proven to suffer from a (rather obvious, in retrospect) reduction in cutting power compared to older beam saber units, as well as most of its contemporaries. Such is the curse of being mostly an afterthought in the design process. Theoretically can be brought to standard— many pilots opt to simply pump in more juice and redline their blades in the thick of combat, but such practices drastically decrease the weapon's service life.

Manufacturing History: First introduced ten years ago, after a 5-year testing period. With a growing demand by United Nations constituents for a new Gunner-class orbital platform in recent years, the industry giant General Resources (formerly Germany-based Grunder Heavy Industries) sought to fill the void left by the last heavies to retire with a next-generation model, competitive with many of their peers' Space Dominance Units in performance, if filling a differing niche in armament.

Looking to the ongoing Usean Drone Conflict taking place on Mars, the market seemed wide open for a suit excelling both in maneuverability and (given the inhuman ability of most things pilots were trying to shoot) target saturation. The result was the OF-02 platform, performing admirably enough in its role that it was referred to as "a flying turret". The more conventional nature of the autocannons compared to the contemporary rail-weapons meant the Orbital sported a notable advantage in energy efficiency, even amongst Oberth Reactors. This allowed General Resources and Pilots alike to direct that spare power elsewhere.

The release of the D-Variant came roughly twenty months prior to the launch of Pandora, the Merlon Targeting system being now all but inseparable from the mech's identity, as well as sporting weight reductions and ridding itself of a jamming issue with the shoulder-mounts' receivers upon loading with alternative ammunition.

Weaknesses: With such a spirited focus on target field saturation, the mech is naturally very ammunition-dependent, with an additional caveat of not being particularly suited to punching through harder defenses, nor extremely close-quarters combat. A danger-close fire mission is still a risky prospect, even in an Orbital, and it currently lacks the caliber to meaningfully damage anything its many small explosive shells cannot bust open.

Name: Holden "Castle" Cross
Gender: Male
Age: 37, chronologically older.
Appearance: Standing at a flat six-feet tall, Holden is a toned, fit man with bluish-grey eyes and a serious expression. His neat black hair, now graying with age even in spite of the miracles of modern science, give off the impression of a man who's seen a lot of things in his life. Holden trims his facial hair every now and then to ensure it doesn't grow out of control but doesn't care enough to shave it off completely. The man walks with a disciplined and orderly bearing, in spite of his battle-scarred legs. In particular, both of his lower legs have been replaced with bionic prosthetics better suited for piloting.


Personality: Dedicated, dutiful, and disciplined, Holden is a man who has spent most of his time in space, whether that's in a space station, onboard a ship, or inside the cockpit of a Heavy or an Orbital. While the man can kick back and appreciate some well-spent shore leave over at the local pub, he's only truly comfortable when he feels in control of a situation, and that just happens to be when he's sitting at the controls of said vehicles. Holden feels especially strange when he has to go planetside, and that typically becomes an endeavor in its own right. Still, he's a simple man of sound judgement who prefers it when things are clear-cut and straightforward, though he knows that most of the time, things will rarely be so easy.

Paradoxically, while not particularly prone to brooding, Holden finds some solace in the belief of a higher power and sets time aside to center himself and his beliefs when alone. His honesty is brutal; he doesn't see himself as a good man, and his self-loyalty trumps all of his actions. However, he is known to assist others out of his own inconvenience simply because "he wants to".

Backstory: Holden was voidborn, having been delivered in Kronos Megaport, which was held in high-orbit over Titan, the moon of Saturn. Kronos Megaport was one of the system's biggest suppliers of fuel and relied on harvesting and refining local gas from both Saturn and the surface of Titan itself. This process transformed these volatile gases into usable fuel for interstellar travel. The colony was even sustainable, using machinery to drill down into Titan's crust and pump out precious water for both human consumption and use in hydroponics.

Suffice it to say, Kronos Megaport was a burgeoning colony with plenty of potential to grow. Holden's father was a chaplain of the Catholic faith, while his mother was an engineer, working the pipes and extractors of the Megaport. They lived simply and did not want for many things in life. However, life did not remain peaceful for long, as while prosperity grows, so too does opportunity- legal or otherwise. The occasional trade convoy carrying imports or exports would disappear, their precious cargo forcibly repossessed by pirates. After all, on the frontier of the solar system, good security is hard to find past the Belt.

The lack of stability in the system prompted an increase in recruitment for members of the local militia and military force. In spite of his parent's protests, the man decided to join the latter, in an attempt to contribute something meaningful to the colony. It was with the local Saturn Defense Force that he gained his first true lessons in discipline and piloting. Holden was by-the-book and on the right side of the law, and he intended to keep it that way.

As time went on and security increased, external threats such as piracy had mostly been relegated to the dark side of the Saturn, if at all. However, internal threats began to increase as the discontent on trade tariffs began to pile up. Holden continued his work as a military officer, but as tensions came to a head, several extremist groups began to form, holding Saturn's government responsible for these issues. A year later, the Saturn Insurrections began. These terrorist groups quickly began to cripple the infrastructure of Kronos Megaport, likely in pursuit of their own agenda rather than any attempt at reform.

During one of these attempts at sabotage, Holden's parents were buried under several tons of steel; marked off as unfortunate casualties of one such bombing.

Driven by grief and rage, the man devoted himself wholly to bring these killers to justice. As it is the nature of these groups, it was mostly a waiting game to see when they would show themselves, before reacting to them accordingly. After a display of belligerent behavior from him, Holden was assigned to guard a remote munitions depot as punishment. The posting was boring and uneventful for the most part, but one day, the place came under a surprise attack from both pirates and terrorists, who had apparently joined forces to get their hands on the weapons and munitions within. If they had succeeded, it's likely they would have had enough armaments to become an even greater threat.

They did not count on the guards who were on duty that day.

Holden activated the aging Ajax that was in the storage bay and turned its weapons on the oncoming enemies. Having received ample training over the years as a pilot, he felt that this was what he was meant to do. He fought and fought, holding off the enemy advance while awaiting reinforcements. When his Orbital was crippled and left immobile, he turned it from a vehicle into a bunker, fighting on in spite of life-threatening injuries. This singular act of heroism bought the defenders enough time for reinforcements to arrive-- and is how Lance Corporal Holden Cross earned the moniker of "Castle".

Fast-forward several decades, and you'll find that the former war hero and military-man has become a shadow of his former self. Years of fighting pointless battles and fighting for a cause he once thought right had left him jaded. Holden "Castle" Cross had retired early at the military rank of Captain. Saturn was his home, but things weren't as one-dimensional as he had once thought. He missed the days where his cause was simple and clear, and the lines weren't as blurred.

One day, while living off of his pension, Holden received word that the Pandora was on a recruitment drive, searching for the best pilots in the system. His name was at the top of Saturn's recommendations. Although initially hesitant at first, the man found new resolve in such a noble endeavor. Saturn was his home, and it always will be, in spite of all its flaws.

...but perhaps with his help, he can make Proxima Centauri home for someone else.

Skills and Flaws:

• Combat Training: Holden is a trained soldier and has seen combat experience both on the ground and in an Orbital. He's a good shot with a rifle and pistol and can hold his own in close-quarters combat.
• Orbital Piloting Training: Holden is also an excellent pilot, but while he can pilot most Orbitals, he's best suited to piloting the Ajax. In addition, years of working with the Orbital's Integrated Targeting Unit has sharpened his mathematics skill, which he readily applies when making minute adjustments to the ballistics systems.
• Officer Training: Holden has spent several years in Saturn's Officer Training School and has years of experience as a captain. If necessary, he can be trusted to effectively lead a squad.
• Engineering Basics: While far from an expert, Holden has learned enough from his mother on how machines work. He can, at the very least, maintain his Orbital and other pieces of equipment. If pressed, he can do 'patch jobs' with the proper tools on hand, though this is a band-aid solution at best.
• Enduring: Holden's mental fortitude is outstanding, and he can tap into his willpower to temporarily ignore wounds or perform dangerous acts without fear.
• Substance Dependency: In the years following the death of his family, Holden began to abuse cigarettes and liquor- both luxury commodities this far into the solar system- in an attempt to cope. He's gotten over these addictions and now takes them responsibly, if at all, but at the cost of his physical and mental health. Particularly stressful or emotional episodes may trigger a relapse, however temporary.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Decades of military life have not been kind to Holden. To keep himself from breaking down completely, he has compartmentalized certain memories and past actions. On occasion, the man can be particularly cold, insensitive, and lacking in empathy.
• Deathwish: Some part of Holden, however small, believes that he can find redemption through death or sacrifice. Although not suicidal, the man would not hesitate to trade his life for the life of others, or for the sake of the mission- even if it would be wiser not to.

Equipment:

• Flight Suit
• Dress Uniform
• Colonial Arms 50. Revolver
• Combat Knife
• Toolkit (For maintaining prosthetics and firearms)
• Holy Bible (King James Version)
• Military Paraphernalia (Medals, insignia, and photos accumulated over years of service in the Saturn Defense Force)

Model Number: RGM-96X Ajax

Role: Heavy Ordnance / Medium-Long Range Fire Support Unit

Appearance: Standing at a sizable 23 meters, the Ajax is larger than most other Orbitals to make room for additional ammunition and ordnance bays. A relic of an older age, there was little attempt to streamline the armor plating- giving off a brutalist vibe. Deep navy blues and dark grays dominate the Orbital's color palette. It is a tool of war and doesn't pretend to be anything other; the Ajax cuts a no-nonsense, imposing figure.


Systems:

• Diomedes Integrated Targeting Unit: A conservative combat OS that tracks ballistics, optimizes ammo usage, and corrects for target velocity. This system makes micro-corrections to the pilot's aim while advising the pilot of the most effective position to maximize fields of fire. Links directly to the Orbital's weapons systems, and can connect to the sensors of other allies to extend the effective range of artillery weapons.
• Talaria Jump Jets: Although now outdated by contemporary military standards, these thrusters located on the backpack, forearms, and calves of the Orbital can be used in short bursts to allow for rapid vertical movement on the battlefield. It can also be useful in zero-G, acting as thrusters and afterburners to assist with maneuverability during space battles. Alternatively, the jump jets can be used offensively to put some devastating rocket-powered force into close-combat maneuvers.
• Adamantine Armor Plating: A second layer of alloyed ceramic armor plating layered on top of the first, intended to protect the Ajax from enemy fire. This second layer helps protect against kinetic and high-explosive damage but is less effective against energy weapons. In addition, the additional weight created by the armor is widely considered as cumbersome, which makes the relatively slow movement of the Ajax even slower. If necessary, the added armor can be purged instantly using explosive bolts to return to normal speed.

Weapons:

• Z-26 Akon LRM: A missile battery mounted on the backpack, over the left shoulder. The Akon is a large guided missile suited for long-range support by backline combat Orbitals. A combat-rated autoloader system ensures continued usefulness in protracted engagements. Despite being a technologically mature weapon system, the Akon-class missile is the obvious choice for long-range strikes by cautious pilots. The guidance system on this weapon makes it dangerous only versus larger or slower enemy crafts. Unfortunately, the slow speed of these missiles makes them vulnerable to any half-decent point defense system. In addition, quicker targets can outmaneuver the missiles in the air, which somewhat limits the Akon's otherwise considerable punch. Still, despite these weaknesses, Akon-class missiles are effective in large batteries, where the sheer number of missiles in flight at any given time can persistently distract and sometimes damage enemy Orbitals.
• T-15 Keraunos Hypervelocity Driver: A large cannon mounted on the backpack, over the right shoulder. The hypervelocity driver uses a 2-stage process to accelerate a uranium slug with a magnetized iron-cobalt core to a very high velocity. A chemical charge accelerates the slug first, then the magnetic coils take over, accelerating the slug further and stabilizing its flight. The slug is highly charged by the time it reaches the target, generating a significant amount of electromagnetic interference on the target it impacts. Only modestly effective against particularly well-armored targets, but the EMP field generated by successful hits can cripple enemy systems.
• D-42 Hephaestus Assault Gun: Occasionally referred to as "The Hag" due to its rugged appearance, the Hephaestus Assault Gun is a medium-range Orbital-class assault rifle designed to punch through heavy armor. It is a truly devastating weapon platform, named after an archaic god of volcanoes. A typical HAG system features two large barrels that take turns firing armor-destroying rounds at 240 RPM. An electro-magnetic ejector, powered feed system, and nanocoolants allow the weapon to fire for extended periods of time. The shaped charge shells have low muzzle velocity and great armor penetrating power, but can be swapped out for NATO standard rounds or other specialized ammunition if necessary.
• GT-150 Typhon Torpedo: A single unguided torpedo of devastating yield with a powerful onboard engine, fired from a disposable rocket launcher. The quintessential strike weapon, a single Typhon torpedo is a large self-propelled, armored, dumbfire delivery system for an enriched AM-catalyzed nuclear warhead. As the warhead is not equipped with a guidance device, it is extremely hard to use the Typhon torpedo to hit a moving target accurately. However, it is still a highly destructive portable weapon. Recent upgrades to the rocket launcher itself include a foregrip and added sight unit for improved accuracy. The science behind the surprisingly compact detonator is poorly understood by many, though widely speculated to be based on physics classified as secret by United Nations authority. What is known is that three or four of these slipping through PD arcs are enough to destroy even large capital ships.
• S-9 Kopis Beam Cutter: The standard close range armament for most Dodekatheon Orbitals, modified for use by the Ajax. The blade of the Kopis is shorter than most standard beam swords, but has greater cutting power to compensate, as it was intended to be used to cut open ship hulls rather than to duel another Orbital in melee. The beam cutter is a small device held in the Orbital's hands when operated and is powered by a rechargeable energy capacitor. It emits a blade of plasma contained by an I-Field and can cut through most armor not treated with an anti-beam coating. Due to the mounting of a shield on the left arm as part of the added armor, the Ajax's beam cutter is stored on a waist-mounted sheath.
• F-4 Ancile Buckler: A basic defense armament for many Dodekatheon Orbitals. This shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy an Orbital and is also treated with an anti-beam coating to withstand several beam shots before the coating wears off. Typically, physical shields can only take so much damage before they succumb to the pressure and break. This particular shield is smaller than most Ancile models after considering weight balance, and can also be purged similarly to the Adamantine Armor Plating, if necessary. Ajax is equipped with a shield fixed to the left arm as part of its armor, replacing the beam sword rack of most Orbitals.

Manufacturing History: One of the first few commissions from Dodekatheon Industries, the Ajax was derived from a much older Heavy model that was intended to fulfill the purpose of a resilient fire-support unit, whether that's on the ground or in the hard vacuum of space. The Ajax filled a support role that, at the time, was necessary for battles that required a decisive strike. It was not the fastest, nor the most efficient, but was certainly effective at what it did, and has garnered much respect in its field for its accomplishments.

The Ajax is part of the old guard, but has recently received a number of retrofittings and refurbishments from Dodekatheon Industries, and is now ready to take its place among the new. Whether it's defending the last fortress of the world or besieging the mighty Walls of Troy, you don't have to look far for an Orbital that did what was necessary. With enough firepower to break open even the toughest of bunkers, or the greatest of capital ships, you'll want Ajax by your side.

Weaknesses: The Ajax is from an older time when maneuverability was less of a factor in the face of overwhelming firepower, and it shows. Many of the Ajax's armaments are ill-suited to taking down highly-maneuverable targets and are instead better suited to destroying large, slower targets, or entrenched enemy positions. In addition, due to the size and weight of the Orbital in question, the Ajax's own speed and maneuverability leave much to be desired. The Orbital must rely on its heavy armor to shrug off damage from enemy attacks. It has a few tricks up its sleeve to surprise enemies who want to exploit its slow speed, but once revealed, there isn't much the Ajax can do to actually stop it- making close-quarters engagements against quicker opponents a dangerous prospect for anyone piloting the Ajax.

Due to its reliance on heavy ordnance, the Ajax is naturally quite ammo-hungry, and once its missile bays are depleted, it will be forced to rely on the Keraunos Hypervelocity Driver and Hephaestus Assault Gun- or worse, the Kopis Beam Cutter. Additionally, in spite of its focus on long-range engagements, the Ajax lacks any form of long-range surveillance equipment-- it will need external support from spotters, satellites, or other Orbitals to truly make the best of its weapon systems.

Name: [ERR.084 // FIELD CORRUPTED.] // "Gypsy Alexandros"

Gender: Female

Age: 26

Appearance: Given that her choice of eyewear obscures up to half of her face, down to the tip of her nose, it can be difficult to determine the true features of Gypsy Alexandros. Her skin is the golden tan of a girl who spends her free time in the booth, and though her hair is naturally blonde it looks like it's been bleached lighter and lighter with regularity over the years; sandier, almost-brown roots can occasionally be caught in the light. She looks like she should be a surfer or a swimsuit model, not a first contact specialist. Her teal eyes, tending closer to green, only add another oceanic flair to the beach babe appeal. Most of her clothing has been cobbled together over the years, stolen by flings, so much of what she wears outside her pilot suit is often leather, faded denim, and a little too big for her. She has her navel pierced with a pair of studs.

Personality: A charismatic, thoroughly spaced-out, go with the flow kind of girl. Gypsy's cultivated air of mystery seems to be the most careful thing about her, and her reassured manner can be a source of comfort or disquiet. She seems a bit detached from most conversations she's involved in - not that she's not paying attention to what's being said, but more as though her responses can be a little vague or dreamy, with strange, small anachronisms being a personal staple. She is, however, a keen judge of character, and adroit at both lying and detecting liars, as well as a hit-and-miss source of advice in general; in fact, she occasionally seems to deliberately offer misleading opinions or advice if only to bait out potential counterpoints, or make someone question the merits of their own decision more thoroughly. This can be done in conversations both personal and professional.

She values her leisure time highly, often kicking back with books, music, and some form of simulated sunlight to make her feel like she's tanning. She's had a colorful record with relationships, mostly do to her own nature, and so likes to keep her interactions with all people at varying flavors of casual, whether friendly, romantic, or adversarial in nature.

Backstory: To hear Gypsy tell of her own life, you would hear...well, not much. She spent her college years on the beaches of Europe, burning through men, an occasional woman, pizza and alcohol on a fast track to a United Nations career she was thoroughly unsuited for and even more thoroughly uninterested in. Once she had well and truly washed up in college, she returned to her native Mars, settling into a job as a corporate test pilot for one of the myriad conglomerates that had seized control of Mars after the failed Mars Sphere Revolution of a century prior. to hear Gypsy tell of her own life, she basically just hung around Mars doing much of the same, but now with a company tab to put her vices on, and lucked into a berth on Pandora.

Obviously, there is more to her life than what Gypsy tells.

For one thing, although she had indeed wound up withdrawing from college on Earth, her grades were impeccable up until the very semester before she was schedule to advance further in her career track - although school officials, under duress, might eventually be coaxed to admit that her enrollment in the first place came with a generous donation in favor of a transcript. Her withdrawal seemed motivated with the job she took immediately upon returning to Mars, a test piloting gig with the Martian Orbital developer Chiron Works similar to those snatched up by ex-military or mercenary types. In addition to what the occupation that went on her taxes, however, she was also a corporate attache for a variety of expeditions related to the possibility of alien life from Venus to the habitats of the Jovian Sphere. With those qualifications in mind, it's no surprise that she, and the mysterious, exotic-looking Orbital she pilots, found themselves onboard Pandora.

Skills and Flaws: Though charismatic and capable of coaxing people to achieve their best, she also seems unable to connect with them on any deeper level. She doesn't open up well about herself or the things she desires, and aloof curiosity seems to have completely taken the place of the natural, primal fear of the unknown innate in humans. This makes her a formidable Orbital pilot, but also a reckless one, constantly removing safety limiters on her machine without proper oversight. In her free time, she likes to bake homemade pizzas, play the guitar, and is toying with the idea of writing her first novel - she has a talent for narrative and prose, but her spaced out nature can lead to procrastination, and she has a hard time realizing what makes her characters tick.

Equipment: A stylish, completely unique and original mask and two pairs of sunglasses for every day of the week. Portable music device.

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Model Number: CW-023 Atrox Fortuna // Anemoi-001 "Gypsy Soul"

Role: Close-Combat Precision Assault Unit

Appearance: 16.8 meters, designed as a pastiche of the original extraterrestrial war machines, given a complete crimson paint job per pilot specification. Pretty sick lookin'.

Systems:
Haidos Stealth System - The crown jewel of the Atrox Fortuna, the Haidos stealth system is designed to block infrared emission and limit visual identification through the dispersion of colloidal nanoparticles, modified by certain polymers, to create a stronger, more durable material that light can also pass through. In theory, on an unpainted suit, this would be a breakthrough in materials science that allows for almost-total "invisibility" while retaining the more durable frame. Gypsy, however, has had her test unit painted bright red, so some of the effect is lost. It turns a little pinkish in the right light though.
Ablative Armor - A second layer of protection atop the Atrox Fortuna's armor, the Orbital's ablative armor covering provides an extra level of defense against beam or directed energy weapons, flaking off at the time of the absorption of impact. The armor does little to protect against kinetic strikes, a weakness of the Atrox Fortuna suit in general.
High-Performance Package ver. Praxis Clock - The wing binders and tail stabilizer of the Atrox Fortuna were originally designed for long-term in-atmosphere usage, one of many such modifications made with the Orbital's original purpose in mind. Upon the suit's modification into a stealth attack unit, many of the limiters on the mobility systems and the Oberth Reactor were stripped away at the test pilot's request - and what limits were imposed on her by the company were quietly tinkered with, stealthily enough to make the suit itself blush. Moving three times faster than a normal G-Hawk comes with its downsides, however - namely an intense strain on the pilot and the constant risk of Oberth Reactor strain or outright power failure.

Weapons:
Argive Industrial CFL-M Marksman Rifle x1- Further running the risk of stunted power generation is the large-scale Char's Fucking Combat-Functional long-range marksmanship rifle rifle. Although it fires snazzy, incredibly stylized crimson rounds, for conservation reasons and in keeping with the pilot's preferred fighting style, this rifle usually goes unequipped unless the Atrox Fortuna is directly connected to the Pandora.
Argive Industrial CFL-LL Beam Vulcans x4 - More often used in engagements are several small-scale beam Vulcans, two mounted on the forearms and two in the cranial unit. Though not capable of doing much damage to many Orbitals, or even the Heavies of old, they are more than capable of fending off point-blank assaults, munitions fire, or the odd bit, funnel, or drone assault.
Jawaid & Jawaid Industries Samadhi Laser Sabre x1- Whatever. You know what this is. You've watched anime, I've watched anime. This one is red because of very complicated power conservation reasons. It is the Atrox Fortuna's primary weapon in most engagements, paired with the Looking Glass.
Quess-Paraya Defenses Looking Glass Protective Shield x1 - An ornate shield that also serves as the only non-crimson spot of color on the Atrox Fortuna, the Looking Glass is more than capable of withstanding large-scale kinetic hits that the Orbital itself would shy away from. It also has the same ablative coating that the Orbital sports, to disperse most directed energy weapon fire.

Manufacturing History: The Atrox Fortuna bears, to use a descriptive trope often whipped out in the days of the old HFV design, quite the "striking appearance." Its exotic, borderline-inhuman design was the first aspect of the suit to come together. A team of Chiron Works' finest mechanical designers painstakingly analyzed the awe-inspiring machines discovered buried in Siberia centuries prior, and through a little well-meaning, innocent corporate espionage even managed to obtain up close pictures of a couple of the original alien suits from whatever government warehouse they had been mothballed in. The design cues wound up comprising the first drafts of the CW-023 Atrox Fortuna.

The alien appearance of Chiron's latest Orbital was no accident. It had been designed with the expectation of future alien incursion into the solar system from the nascent beginnings of its development, and the Atrox Fortuna's purpose was to provide a bit of a familiar "face" to the species that (presumably) had abandoned a ship full of war machines in the first place. The suit, hypothetically, would provide a measure of comfort and open dialogue between our species and our extraterrestrial visitors - or, at the very least, convince them that we had adopted enough of their technology in order to pose a viable threat to an invasion force.

Strangely, the test pilot itself seemed to have more and more input on the suit's specifications and intended role as time went on, moreso than one would expect for a corporate employee with no past qualifications as a mechanical designer. Many of her improvements seemed to make for a more finely tuned machine, however, and the suit fit both its old and new niches with a surprising panache, so it was only natural that the Atrox Fortuna and its pilot would receive Chiron Works' berth onboard the expedition to Proxima Centauri.

Weaknesses: The Atrox Fortuna is designed to slip in, hit fast, then retreat. It's a highly-specced hit and run unit that was even further specialized by its pilot, and relies greatly on her own speed and instinct to avoid overclocking the suit or sustaining critical damage. Delivering that damage, should she slip up, is not hard.

Name: Zakharin ‘Iron Side’ Brusilov
Gender: Male
Age: 67
Appearance:
Brusilov stands an impressive 6’5 with a strong build to his body thanks to the amount of cybernetics in his body. In fact up-to 65% of his body is composed of cybernetics. Consisting of replacement heart, left lung, and spine. Bot of his arms and legs have been replaced as these old 3rd gen parts are far more utilitarian lacking the synthetic skin. Earning the nickname iron side. He keeps his hair in a marine buzz cut. While keeping a magnificent beard and mustache. As his brown hair has long since turned white. He wears the standard UN marine uniform.

Personality:
Brusilov is known to be quite a stubborn man. He carries himself with a degree of professionalism that was instilled into him while he was still in basic. Expecting the same from those under him. The old marine firmly takes to the old notion that a good officer must lead from the front as it inspires his men. He has known protective lives under his command more than his own life. Brusilov hates being reminded of his old age.

Backstory:
Born to a blue collar family in the slums of Moscow around 182 SA. Life was tough upbringing in the old capital of the Russian federation. He struggled in school throughout his youth and nearly dropped out of school during his freshman year. He had already joined a small street gang. But despite this Zakharin still wanted more to his life. Soon an opportunity presented itself as a United Nation marines corps recruiter came to Moscow. Hearing the possible life he could have in the marines granted the young man some clarity. Brusilov was able to lie about his age and joined the marines.

Zakharin shipped out to the UN marine training camp. Unlike his struggles with school he took greatly to his new life in the military. His zeal during his time earned him a promotion to the rank of corporal. Once his training was complete Brusilov was shipped out to the fight in the belt pacification campaign. Clearing out pirate and smugglers bases hidden among the asteroids. He performed admirably during the operation earning him an officers commission.

Over the next couple of decades Brusilov sent to different hotspots across the systems earning fame and metals for his service in the marine. Eventually making up to the rank of major where he stayed for several years avoiding any promotion to a higher rank. His desire not to achieve higher rank came from a concern that he would no longer be able to take part in front-line combat. This fear came back when assisting in a peacekeeping operation on Titan. A car bomb went off next to his squad during one of their patrols. Taking the full brunt of the explosion he was quickly evacuated to a medical station. And after a grueling 12 hour surgery ended up with most of his body being replaced with cybernetics. When Brusilov recovered from the wounds he was able to get sent back to his unit.

As Zakharin's long and illustrious career dragged on a certain issue became more apparent. The cyborg became more concerned that one day he would be pulled from combat and stuck behind a desk. He started to look for a way to avoid retirement. Brusilov soon was informed about an opening on Pandora for their head of security requested a transfered to the expedition. Having the old marine on the ship was considered to be a major boon for the expedition but they informed him if he wanted the position he would have accepted the rank of colonel. Reluctantly Brusilov accepted the position.

Skills and Flaws:
-Cybernetics: Since a lot of Brusilov body have been replaced with cybernetics it confers many benefits to him. Enhance strength, durability, and inbuilt weapons. But he has several medical issues due to the implants. For one his blood has to be dialysis as his blood is synthetic. Another problem is that he has older generation cybernetics thus requiring him to take special drugs in order to keep his body from rejecting the implants.
-Harden Veteran: A long and extensive career in the UN marines as both a regular enlisted man to piloting an Orbitals has molded Brusilov into a dangerous foe to engage. With a large amount of training and experience to call upon.
- Old age: The colonel has begun to slow down in his old age and has trouble accumulating new technology.

Equipment:
-Standard issue UNMC uniform
-.45 handgun
- Automatic 8 gauge shotgun
-toolkit
- box of cigars/zippo lighter
Cybernetics implants:
-Dermal Armor: Zakharin has armor woven into his skin that is able to reduce inflicted damage effects from blunt trauma, ballistic attacks, cutting, and/or slashing attacks. Secondary functionality also provides protection from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) assault. Although it limits the flexibility of his own skin. The dermal armor lacks in comparison to proper ballistic protection.
-Nanoblade: mounted on the top of his right arm is a monomolecular edge blade. Works great against flesh and light armor. But is ineffective for cutting through ceramic-metallic plate armor or similar material.
-Implanted SMG: In his left arm is mounted into his arm. Meant to be a holdout weapon in case of an emergency. It can't be reloaded without removing some of the arm plates.
-Shock absorbed: The leg's higher-density muscle bunches in tandem with the shock-absorbing gel matrix found in its knee joints is far better at absorbing shock. Allowing the Zakharin to survive longer falls.
==============================================
Model Number: CO-m31(A) Odysseus
Role: Command
Appearance:
The Odysseus stands at the regular height for an Orbital about 21 meters. Its body is the most noticeable thing about the orbital as all that comes from that orbital series. Its body is designed to maximize protection of the more important systems while trying to reduce weight.
Systems:
Sensor Array: The sensors on Odysseus are highly advanced, able to cut through most forms of interference giving it a clear view of the battle field harvesting any information is funneled into the pilot and to the battle net for other Orbitals to use.
Battle net: Far more than just a simple Communication system. The battle net links many different orbitals onto a signal network. This new work provides Common operational picture to not only the pilot of the Odysseus but to all Orbitals on the network. The net relies on an advanced A.I that the command can use to perform complicated maneuvers co-ordinates ground, air, and orbital assets.
Drone network: The Orbital carries a series of modular drones that can be outfitted for various duties. From armed with mounted auto-cannons and missile pods. Extra sensor equipment to give a larger view of the battle field for spotting and recon. Even outfitted with some simple repair equipment for battlefield maintenance.
Weapons: The CO-m31(D) due to its role is armed with;
-H&K ac-40: A favorite among those of the UNMC developed by Heckler and Koch. The bullpup gun offers firepower and accuracy. As well as it can fire a variety of ammunition types from solid slugs to HE rounds.
-M-50: A multi rocket missile launcher that can fire either smart or dumb fire ammunition. The system has an autoloader to refill the empty tubes in between salvos.
-Vibro-blade: For close quarter combat it has a blade vibrate at an incredible speed causing it to be able to cut through all sorts of material and it is mounted into the wrist.
Manufacturing History:
Developed by the UN Military commission on Orbital development in 240 as a part to develop the next generation of orbitals. The goal of which was to create a series of Orbitals to take advantage of the newly created battlenet called the Trojan series. Each given the names of Greek heroes the first to make it through the design was Odysseus as the Achilles and Ajax are stuck in a bureaucratic gridlock. The series disposed most of the established design traditions of orbital giving the series its unique look. The Odysseus was sent out to units for field trials. The feedback from pilots led to improvements in the survivability of the unit.
Weaknesses:
The main drawback to the unit is the lack of offensive capabilities and defensive that the Orbital has. As armor and shielding units had been removed to make room for the various sensors and communication within the Orbitals body. Due to all the sophisticated systems it has a vulnerability to electronic warfare.

Name: Artemie Isra
Gender: Female
Age: 23 (Born 211 SA)
Personality: Brave, enterprising, dutiful, and resolute… On duty. Artemie had to be all of these things to volunteer for the mission she did but she couldn’t have predicted the toll that it would take on her personally. On her own time Artemie feels out of place, or more accurately out of time. Even though the years passed like the blink of an eye for her she is acutely aware that events that feel like yesterday for her happened, in some cases, years before her colleagues were old enough to serve. Every now and again the reminder can give the naturally outgoing girl pause, putting her on the back foot until she can power through it. She tends to overcompensate by trying to learn everything that has happened since her mission began all at once, cramming information in until she can’t help but get some of it muddled. These habits can give the impression of someone a little absentminded.

In the cockpit all of her uncertainty disappears replaced with calm assurance. Despite being one of the most junior members of the expedition experientially she has no problem holding her own with people actually her own age. Artemie loves to chat when she has her feet firmly planted in the present, and remains fascinated by the years of Orbital development that happened while she was gone.
Backstory: Artemie Isra was born in 211 SA on the Moon colony of Armstrong, a thriving city of almost a million souls. She was given up for adoption but the fact never really bothered her; she had loving adoptive parents, a home, and a comfortable childhood. The probe bound for Proxima Centauri launched when she was three years old and little Artemie was fascinated. Her excitement never died down, not when the probe arrived, not in the years waiting for the data to come back, and certainly not when she became a pilot in preparation for any expedition that might come her way. Or when she studied in her free time to become a technician. Artemie Isra had been born in time to explore the stars and she was determined to do just that. Most of her training was done on recently decommissioned Heavies, graduating to the newer Orbitals during her service and signing up for any mission that might get her closer to the stars.

And then the probe data failed to return on time. Months dragged on, and the diagnosis came back; the booster the probe had dropped on its way to Proxima Centauri had malfunctioned. Two and a half lightyears away, too far for any drone to repair it and too far for it to be easily replaced. Someone would have to go and fix it.

Artemie volunteered.

Her adoptive parents had passed away a few years earlier, she had no siblings, and few attachments. And it was a chance to go farther than anyone had traveled to date. Two and a half lightyears, almost ten years of travel, just to reach the booster and repair it. She strapped into the first deep space Orbital anyone could lay hands on and went to sleep. When she awoke she had reached her destination and nothing could have prepared her for the emptiness so far past the limits of her solar system. She made her repairs in just under twelve hours, and went down again for the cold sleep to wait for CAPEI Operations to confirm the data had been received. Not, admittedly, before she took a peek for herself.

The computer woke her again with a choice; the data had been received, and an expedition had been greenlit. It would leave before she returned. She could set course for home and settle in for the long nap, and the twenty year wait for what answers the expedition would find… Or she could go back into cryo and wait for the Pandora to collect her on its way to Proxima Centauri.

She went to sleep again, with a preprogrammed intercept with the Pandora scheduled in twelve years. She wouldn’t wake again for another twenty.

But she would see the light of another star.
Skills and Flaws: Despite one of the longest service records, Artemie has among the least actual combat experience among the Pandora’s pilots. She was born, raised, and served on the Moon; so far in-system there was no cause for Orbital deployment on anything more than routine patrols. Her simulator scores, her practice battles, all of her scores on paper are excellent and indicative of the gifted pilot that she is but she has never had to face a real battle; an opponent with the intent to kill. Similarly, despite her best efforts, her knowledge of Orbitals is thirty years out of date.

On the other hand, her engineering knowledge is top notch. She was tapped to fix the relay for her knowledge in both piloting and electronics, after all, and had to have the requisite knowledge to repair any one of the systems that may have malfunctioned. Additionally, she would need to be able to repair her Orbital, her cryostasis equipment, or any one of half a dozen critical systems necessary for her mission. As a result, Artemie is a repairwoman and Macgyver par excellence.

Her piloting style tends more towards the creative than the textbook, a work of instinct and not of protocol. She always looks for the edge, the upgrade that she can fashion for herself to narrow the playing field.
Equipment: Artemie has nothing on her person that she did not take on her original mission. Owing to the original mission profile, that means she has an extensive tool box, a standard issue sidearm, a diagnostic computer, a pilot suit, and her uniform.

Model Number: IS-049 Voyager (“Starlight”)
Role: Deep Space Operations
Appearance: Tall and powerfully built at 24.5m tall, with tapered spires upon its shoulders and a protruding chest like a bomber’s nose. Inset in the tip is a gleaming red circular emitter. Its shoulders descend into cylindrical forearms, its legs long and aerodynamic. A regal, crested helm with a red sensor visor to protect its cameras adorns the top. Variable wing stabilizes adorn its back and calves, with thrusters mounted on its back, shoulders, calves, and the bottom of its feet. The Starlight is cast in hues of blued steel, with small red details and gold accents. Inscribed just below the emitter on its chest in hand sprayed gold letters are the words “Ultima Ratio Regum”, and on either shoulder “Luci Ad Tenebras”.

Powerful boosters in unaccented black are added to its shoulders and calves when fully equipped for deep space operations.
Systems:
-X Corp “G-Aegis” Emitters: Beam emitters mounted in the shoulders and chest, designed to form an arrowhead shaped shield ahead of the Voyager during flight to incinerate any debris that might cause harm during its relativistic journey. Can be formed in an arrowhead ‘above’ and encompassing the upper body of the Voyager, or the emitters can flip forward and cast a wider, more blunted shape over the front of the Voyager above the head and down to the waist.
-Isurugi Heavy Industries “Dauntless” Booster System: Four boosters, with their own additional capacitors charged off of the Voyager’s Oberth Reactor. Fitted on its shoulders and calves, the Dauntless boosters are capable of significantly increasing the Voyager’s straightline acceleration and stamina at the cost of some maneuverability. Can be purged, but cannot be reattached in the field.
-Isurugi Heavy Industries “Starlight” Electronics Suite: Something of a misnomer, “Starlight” is the Voyager’s computer. Capable of filtering interference out from signals at great distance, limited automation of Orbital functions slaved to voice command, and following preprogrammed flight plans with self correcting trajectories due to outside interference.

Weapons:
-X Corp G-Lancier: The torso emitter for the G-Aegis is also capable of acting as a beam cannon of considerable strength, enough to destroy an Orbital if it hits. The output is variable and can be cranked higher than is recommended, but at substantial drain to the Voyager’s power. The Voyager does not have powerful enough targeting systems to make a shot at greater than medium range unassisted.
-X Corp G-Aegis: Though intended to deal with debris, the G-Aegis is both the Voyager’s most powerful (and only) defense as well as one of its most powerful offensive tools. The same beam shield intended to protect it from debris will protect it from solid projectiles, as well as energy attacks… As long as the power supply holds. In the same fashion, it can be used to turn the entire Orbital into a beam tipped projectile with considerable ramming speed.
-Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the right forearm, magnetically fired.
-Jawaid and Jawaid Cluster Missiles x2: Hip mounted.
-Isurugi Heavy Industries Beam Saber: Left arm stored.
Manufacturing History: Isurugi Heavy Industries’ Voyager is a second generation Orbital hurriedly commissioned in 234 SA.. Without the time for a long development cycle Isurugi borrowed one of the prototype frames for what would eventually become the IS-50 Odysseus in reference to the long journey of their sister. Despite their shared base the Voyager was designed from top to bottom in less than six months for use in deep space beyond any hope for assistance. First and foremost, the Voyager was fitted with thirty percent more capacitors than any Orbital at the time. It wouldn’t speed up the recharge, but it would make sure there was more power initially available. And it was necessary; the booster assemblies that would accelerate it to the nearly same maximum speed available to an Oberth Reactor-powered ship needed an incredible amount of power to start up.

From there the Voyager needed to be able to sustain its pilot for the planned round trip, nearly twenty years. That meant building the facilities to keep Artemie in cryostasis into a single ‘room’ on board the boosters, along with building an access point on the Orbital’s back to move from her stasis chamber to the cockpit. The Voyager required an above average AI to control its functions, as well. Though far from a true artificial intelligence the on board computer needed to be able to follow a programmed course, recognize debris in the way, and wake its pilot in case of emergency.

And in keeping with standing human policy, it had to be armed. No sanctioned human excursion into the black went without the capability to defend itself.
Weaknesses: The Voyager is fast, strong, enduring… And it was never meant to be a frontline combat unit. Its arsenal draws on the same enhanced capacitors it needed for its sustained mission, and the most potent of its offensive arsenal simply repurposes the same technology that mission required. Used at its full potential the Voyager will run out of power rapidly and be left dead in the water. Owing to this restriction, Artemie will refrain from using its beam options (aside from the saber) as much as she can. This means the Voyager makes requent use of its rotary cannon, and frankly, its bare hands. Though the G-Aegis is a powerful defense, against any sort of sustained assault it will drain the capacitors rapidly. Against a sustained energy attack the shield would drain the capacitors exponentially, while physical munitions are less of an issue.

Name:
Stel Nebula

Gender:
Female

Age:
24

Appearance:

Personality:
A carefree girl with a live and let live attitude, Stel is only ever serious when she's angry or during a battle between Orbitals. She tends to make jokes often, if not very good ones, and her reliance on music to keep her concentration outside of her mech makes it hard to get a real grasp on her abilities as a whole.

Backstory:
Born to the daughter of the original designer for the Angel Units and the son of the man who built from scratch the OS of three Archangels, fate could not have chosen a better pilot for Michael. She was raised on Pluto where she was expected to grow up to be an Orbital designer or mechanic herself, her parents teaching and training her for the job almost since birth. She spent her formative years inside the cockpit of an Angel when not at school, though rarely to pilot as she was more prone to re-purposing or reprogramming, whichever her parents (or their clients) wanted at the time. She listened to music constantly to keep her focused to the point that now she is almost unable to focus at all without it, and she tends towards the rock music her home planet is known for. She would often sneak out of school to train in an Orbital simulator, since she found the idea of not being able to pilot what she was fixing to not make sense. In spite of this, she was only able to pilot a single mech one time before being tested for compatibility with Michael.
She only had a few weeks to prepare for departure to the Pandora after the results of her test with Michael, and has spent that time mostly trying to deal with the anxiety of knowing she may never see her friends and family again.

Skills and Flaws:
Skills:
- Mechanic work: She is capable of both repairing and building many types of machinery if given the tools and materials necessary. She isn't as good as the Plutonian mechanics, but she's always improving.
- Computer work: She is able to both write and edit in several of the modern and quite a few extinct programming languages, including the unique language that the Angel Unit OS uses.
- Basic combat: She is in shape and knows how to throw a punch. She's also decent with a firearm, though they somewhat scare her when she has to hold one in her own hands.
- Art: She is able to draw very well, including but not limited to designs for new machines or improvements to them as diagrams and blueprints. She prefers drawing living creatures, however.
- Language: She knows the most common language of each planet from Venus to her home of Pluto, not counting the shared common language of all of them, which she knows as well.

Flaws:
- Inexperience piloting: Due to her upbringing she has had very little exposure to actual Orbitals, so her training is entirely simulation based. Combined with the fact that her Orbital is one of a kind and she's had no practice with it other than walking it around on Pluto's surface, she is completely overwhelmed by Michael.
- Fear of deep water: She gets scared when she can't see the bottom of a body of water. While the potential creatures that live there fascinate her, the though of meeting one in person terrifies her.
- Slight OCD: She has a need for order and symmetry in all things, and dislikes though will tolerate physical contact with another person. You will find her belongings organized specifically and with preference towards the left direction or equality in each direction if you pay close attention.
- Terrible at history: She knows very little of history both of her own planet and the others. She also has a hard time grasping important dates or even the general order of events before her lifetime. This bleeds over into her everyday life by making her forget upcoming events very easily as well.
- She hates formality with a passion and will likely get in trouble by not properly addressing people. This combines with a dislike of authority for a potentially disastrous mix.

Equipment:
- A manual on the coding language that Michael's OS are programmed in, as well as a manual on its design and how to repair it.
- A personal pocket multi-tool with a human-sized Divide Dagger as part of it.
- Two PDAs capable of interfacing with most wireless technology. They also have built in comms and various scanners.
- A grappling hook launcher sturdy enough to hold five times her weight. The hook can be removed from the launcher for manual throwing.
- A portable personal computing device, the modern evolution of 20th century laptops.

---

Orbital:

Model Number:
AA-13-LCF "Michael" / "The Right Hand of God" (By its designer)

Role:
Variable Combat

Appearance:


Systems:
Standard Archangel Systems:
All of the Archangel Units are made from various types of carbon nanotubes and graphene; no expense was spared in their development. While there is a layer of each in every part of the Orbitals, and some parts are made of them entirely, the rest is made of tungsten and its alloys. There are also retractable wheels in the feet of the Orbitals that allow for enhanced movement.

Dual-Mode Systems:
The METATRON armaments are reinforced with carbyne mesh throughout the armor, whereas on the S.A.T.A.N. system the right hand is covered in a similar mesh. The cockpit of both systems is covered with both carbyne and graphene plates, twice those of the S.A.T.A.N. in the METATRON's cockpit armor.
The Dual-Mode System is the ability to attach the METATRON armaments to the S.A.T.A.N.'s base body and the ability to quickly remove it during battle to switch back to the S.A.T.A.N. to go from the role of vanguard to the role of total annihilation of the enemy.

Weapons:
- See: Form Specs.
- Blast Anchors: Four in front and two in the back, these are high-velocity anchors made of carbon nanotubes that attach themselves to what they hit and can be reeled in or out to allow for quick movement or more stabilization. They can also be used as a weapon.
- "Right Hand of God": A set of two different models of the Michael's right arm comprised of sharp psuedo-Divide Dagger fingers and an energy/wave/particle-wave palm capable of reaching extreme heat and releasing raw energy to quickly melt or destroy what it touches.
- Divide Dagger: An incredibly sharp and sturdy blade capable of cutting through most materials, especially so when super-heated.

Manufacturing History:
Originally designed by a Heavy manufacturer who got too caught up with his own ideas to keep up with the times, the Angel Unit design was sold to the largest (and only, really) manufactory on Pluto where it saw great success as asteroid busters. The design favored controlled, slow flight for vacuum-based maneuvers with projectile anchors built in to allow for more stability on the ground, where-ever that may be. These were eventually improved upon into the Archangel Units, special Orbitals made for individual fields of work rather than the all-around versatility of the Angels. Keeping many aspects of the Angel line, the fourteen Archangel Units were each the pet project of different would-be designers who managed to impress the owners of the Angel Units' licence. The three designers were each promised one Archangel Unit for themselves if they would design five. Each of the three dabbled in the various fields of possible paths for their Orbitals to go down, but the Michael unit itself was designed purely for combat, actually taking ideas from the other 12 completed designs and making them into a complex final product.
The largest flaw with the Archangel Units was that their OS were built by eccentrics as bad as the designers of the mechs themselves. Each one rejected countless would-be pilots, the ones specially reserved for their designers even more-so than the others. This eventually led to the Units "Uriel" and "Throne" to become totally AI piloted, and even today only six of the others have pilots. "Michael" itself found its pilot ironically in the form of the original Angel Unit's designer's great-granddaughter, Stel. Despite being built little more than a year ago, it was with open arms that such a powerful Orbital was allowed onto the Pandora.

Weaknesses:
- See: Form Specs.
- Power consumption is a large problem when the arms and/or wings run out of energy canisters.
- It is not as well defended as it is powerful. A single mistake that results in the use of its own weapons against itself will quickly lead to its destruction.
- There is no eject function; once you're in it, you're stuck until you can open the cockpit back up.
- The cockpit of the METATRON mode requires a special machine to open, meaning it can't be gotten into and out of in the field.
- There are only two (2) instances of the METATRON armaments. (Including the one on it upon the Pandora's launch) If both are discarded in the field, they will have to be recovered or re-made entirely to be replaced, and nobody outside of Pluto knows how to make them as well as the originals.
- Using an Oberth Reactor to charge them simultaneously, it would take 23.5 hours to charge all of the S.A.T.A.N.'s energy canisters, and an additional 49.75 hours to charge those of the METATRON.
- While capable of blocking many energy weapons, in most cases, continuous and/or strong enough energy-based weapons are capable of disabling the Particle Energy shields of the METATRON.

Form Specs:
Archangel Unit: Michael - METATRON



Archangel Unit: Michael - S.A.T.A.N (System: Abaddon - Total Annihilation: New-Order)

Name: Adam Gilford

Gender: Male

Age: 29

Appearance: Adam is a mountain of a man, standing at 6'3", broad and heavily muscled, though he keeps a healthy supply of bodyfat on himself to support function over form or aesthetics of physique. Like many Martian men in his age bracket, his facial features are a generic "rugged handsome" as a result of fetal genetic tampering prevalent across mars some years ago. He keeps his dark brown hair, mustache and beard well-maintained but thick enough to conceal most of his gene-tailored features.

Personality: Out of combat, Adam is a calm and generally agreeable individual that often tries to avoid conflict amongst his comrades, less so among outsiders or people he is unfamiliar with. When he's not just idly hovering around his friends, he can come off as overly-cautious, curious and blunt, though he does have a small hot streak if he feels he's being mistreated. He can be surprisingly perceptive of his environment, though he always second-guesses himself when it comes to people.

On a deeper level, he struggles to reconcile his identity as a pilot with an intensifying anxiety while behind his controls. He knows the reputation following his Orbital, and it is beginning to affect him.

Backstory: A Martian born and raised, Adam's entire world was Mars through his entire childhood. Born to an Agri-tech and his Mining Foreman Wife, Adam lived in the same town from birth until he turned twenty when he joined the Martian Navy. The reasons why were numerous, but a falling out with his parents was a large contributor.

His time training to join the Navy is where things became something other than mundane. Showing the proper aptitudes to operate an Orbital, he was pushed into space to fill one of the many cockpits available thanks to a large Defense-spending budget and some interplanetary saber-rattling, all under the guise of "anti-piracy operations". There, Adam proved himself a capable pilot, and he found himself promoted into and onto the Red Atlas, Mars' "pride and joy", touted as Mars' "Front line against space-piracy". It was more or less a publicity project, used to earn political points and bankroll more defense spending than was really necessary.

Surprising everyone , the Red Atlas actually saw a substantial amount of combat and success both. Supported by the overperforming SFC-11, countless pirate crews were dragged in or shot down over the first few years of the project, to the joy of everyone but the pirates. Things grew intense after the UN forcefully dismantled a massive criminal empire spanning the entire solar system, and a power-vacuum was left in it's place. Things went quiet for a while before Piracy started again in earnest, waiting for the colonies to relax. With this new pirate threat emerging, Mars shelled out to upgrade it's numerous Orbitals, and it's armored forces further diversified. Adam eventually found himself behind the controls of one of the now-infamous SFC-11-G, hot off the line.

Late in In 247 SA, the Red Atlas was deployed to Earth to act as escort for a cargo ship in a rare "quiet" mission. Escord the Tide Queen cargo hauler from Earth to Mars. Everyone knew they were guarding something expensive, but exactly what was kept need-to-know. When the Tide Queen reported gunfire in the hold fifteen minutes after leaving space dock, no one expected Adam and his squad to be fighting for their lives.

An enterprising pirate crew had learned of what the Queen was moving and had stowed away by greasing palms and blackmail. When Adam and squad entered the hold, they were alarmed to see other Orbitals online and operational. The ensuing close-quarters conflict inside of the ship caused considerable damage, and after losing power to it's lower-rear thrust, began a sharp nose-down dive into Earth's gravity. The pirates, in a panic, breached the hull and escaped into space, and the Martian forces were forced to pursue.

Two opposing forces facing one another down in the middle of an unplanned reentry was a recipe for disaster. The Pirates, backed into a corner and unable to flee, chose to fight the anti-piracy squad in the Tide Queen's wake. After beating and/or crippling the pirates the only option for a survivable landing was a suicide burn. Adam, having covered his squad's escape and disabling the last enemy Orbital, launched at the last minute. Having launched lower in Earth's atmosphere, his landing was much less stable. Adam survived the crash heavily injured, but alive and unconscious in the Siberian tundra.

Months later, during his recovery, the Martian government sought to use Adam's notoriety as yet another publicity stunt. They wanted to send him off on the Pandora with a replacement Orbital and plenty of good press. Having very little tying him down, and with the opportunity to see an entirely different system, he accepted. From then to the launch, Adam finished his recovery and proceeded to train on his new Orbital and prepare for what could be a one-way-trip.

Skills & Flaws:

++Adam has been trained to survive maneuvers that would injure or kill most other pilots while maintaining control in combat, and he has an innate understanding of the physical dangers he and other pilots face.

++A sharp perception and intuition allow Adam to read the battlefield, so long as he can rely on his sensors and intel. It's easier for him to figure out roughly what his opponent is doing and plan ahead, and strange behaviors will inevitably draw his attention.

--Specialization has it's drawbacks, and Adam is no exception. While grounded, Adam is fully reliant on his allies for direction, and is prone to making poor choices of position. He knows where to fly, but he doesn't know where to stand.

--The physical and mental stresses of piloting are intense for Adam, and if battles are dragged out, he becomes more and more vulnerable to panic or slip-ups. This problem is exacerbated by his Orbital's limited capacity for carrying munitions, meaning the more he fights, the worse it will get.

Equipment:

Enhanced Flight-Suit: Necessary for safe operation of his Orbital. The suit is noticeably bulkier than standard suits out of necessity, as most suits are designed almost exclusively for forward acceleration. Martian Navy coloration of Black and Orange-Red.

Colonial Arms 20-30 MAW: Adam's Service Weapon from the Mars Navy, a Magnetic PDW. High stopping power. Physical mount present in Orbital Cockpit.

Model Number: MRI SFC-11-G(C) "Skyhammer"

Role: Air-Superiority / Hypermobility Interceptor

Appearance: The SFC-011-G series Orbitals all share the same physical appearance, barring the differing equipment of sub-series. All have the same core frame, standing shy of the average at 19m tall. The armor is wrapped tightly around the internals and heavily angled to keep wind resistance down, giving the limbs (and the torso to a lesser degree) a thin, gangly and mildly unnerving appearance. The head is heavily angular, opting for a more utilitarian and less humanoid appearance, mounting three slightly recessed optical modules stacked vertically, each housing it's own mono-optic and compound sensor array. The most notable part of the SFC-011-Gs are the myriad reversible thruster vents merged into the armor leaving numerous blocky directional vents all over the Orbital's armor.

Systems:

Bell-Isle Harborworks "Frontiersman" Movement Control System: An enhanced control program that smooths Orbital movements and maneuvers in an attempt to reduce physical stresses on the pilot via cockpit reorientation, thrust control and vitals tracking. Also possesses a limited combat-autopilot and a learning algorithm to self-improve according to pilot needs.

General Industries Centralized Capacitor Bank: In order to increase the flexibility of the Skyhammer's Oberth Reactor, a capacitor bank was installed in the center-rear of the torso to provide an energy buffer of sufficient size to remove the pilot's need to micromanage power consumption. An additional utility offered by this system is the retractable power cable spool located on the Orbital's lower back.

Bell-Isle Harborworks MCS-481 "Bullseye": Numerous anti-missile countermeasures installed and configured for the Skyhammer Orbitals, primarily consisting of High-Intensity Flares, Radar Decoys and nanochaff, though other modern countermeasures are included as well.

Weapons:

Isurugi Heavy Industries FOMAR-221 x1: A Magnetic Accelerator Rifle using twin barrels running off of a single overclocked feed system to achieve a high fire rate without sacrificing firepower. This one sports an optional drum-magazine filled with standard munitions. Only one spare magazine is carried, limiting capacity for alternative munitions.

Argive Industrial VI-LBS x2: A pair of light-weight beam-sabres, each mounted on a hip. Configurable between optimizing destructive potential and beam runtime.

Jawaid & Jawaid Industries SLM-41S x4: A quartet of small missiles that can be fired unguided, dumb-fired for use with a target designator, or use radar lock to function as short-range pursuit missiles. Each missile is housed in an ejectable single-use pod mounted on the Skyhammer's back. if ejected without firing, the pod can still be dumbfired.

General Resources AMB: A small beam-weapon mounted in the head configured for low power and fact cycle times. Primarily used as a CIWS turret for intercepting projectiles and small debris.

Manufacturing History: Martian Robotic Industries was tasked with adapting their mass-production "Standard Frontline Chassis Model 11" from a bog-standard frontline Orbital into several specialized roles on a limited production budget with the promise of an absurdly lucrative production contract by the Martian government. The "Skyhammer" Refit sought to remake the relatively plain Model 11 into an air-superiority powerhouse.

Statistically, the design was a success, utilizing a compact reversible thruster system and a slew of miniaturizations and weight-saving measures produced an Orbital boasting a greatly reduced weight and a very high thrust output. Combining it's resulting high acceleration with the total maneuverability afforded by it's dual-direction thrusters, the "Skyhammer" acheived hypermobility on a budget.

The 11-G turned out to be a victim of it's own success. Because of it's high performance and low manufacturing cost, it fell into more hands than other air-superiority Orbitals, and Mars' rush to fill cockpits reduced pilot standards for the design. The 11-G "Skyhammer" series quickly gained a reputation for killing pilots, and Mars demanded the model be modified for general use. Out of their depth, MRI sub-contracted Bell-Isle Harborworks to assist in further refining the 11-G.

The two iterations currently in service are the 11-G(A) and the 11-G(C). the A-variant utilized an enhanced flight-control program and new precision throttle-control to reduce the power drain and increase platform stability, making the 11-G(A) far more accessible. The C-variant took a different approach, seeking to better support well-trained pilots with an enhanced movement control system, better inerta-dampening cockpit systems and a more advanced flight-suit designed for the unusual acceleration patterns the pilots would inevitably face.

Weaknesses:

--Being as light as it is came with many costs, not the least of which was the overall reduction in armor density and effectiveness. the "Skyhammer" Orbital design's defenses are less than stellar, and while it can avoid standard munitions, it is more vulnerable to explosives and saturation-fire as a result.

--Pilot stress is important in combat, and this Orbital is more demanding than others. Protracted battles are likely to exhaust the pilot, and with the power behind the throttle, could very easily die from any resulting mistakes.

--Because of it's design focus, the Skyhammer has little capacity for stealth. While it could be equipped with an active ECM to cover for it's allies, the energy put out by it's thrusters make it impossible for the Orbital design to benefit from ECMs while fulfilling it's role.

--Payload restrictions are common on this Orbital, and it is incapable of properly utilizing weapons with excessive weight, energy or ammo consumption without compromising it's flight stability or maneuverability. Hard targets are almost fully outside this Orbital's purview.

Name: Halim
Gender: Male
Age: 24, chronologically older.
Appearance:

Personality: Halim is a sweetly tempered young man and very eager to please, to a decidedly unhealthy degree. If he's ever learned to say no to someone, he certainly has never exercised that skill. He doesn't seem to shy away from his past and often thinks people are a little strange when they react with horror or disgust about it. After all, the BTF was everything to him up to this point, why would they ever do anything to hurt him?

While he wont admit it, he is terrified of not being useful. So when he's behind the controls of an Orbital he falls into a strange zen like panic, anxiously jerking and flitting about the controls with a fevered grace that few can match. While always glad to help; he rarely accepts any amount of credit due to him, either thinking himself not really worthy of the praise or attributing it to the actions of another pilot. Largely, this seems to be a result of Halim considering himself not as a person, but as equipment.

Backstory: Halim was born among the Bratox Trade Flotilla(a politically independent fleet of trade vessels that had grown to dominate the trade routes through the asteroid belt between the inner and outer systems) to the non-critical renewable labor caste. Like most children in the BTF Halim was raised in the communal education centers, where in he was tirelessly drilled on the various jobs he could be asked to perform upon reaching reproductive viability as well as reminding them all for how thankful they should be to the BTF for providing them with their existence for only a nominal annual fee. Halim took to his lessons well showing exceptional aptitude in simulated Orbital operation and astronavigation. At 15, after passing his provisional exams, he was finally deemed competent enough to enter the BTF's labor force and was swiftly assigned to Field Asset Protection.

Halim considered the years he spent with Field Asset Protection to be very fulfilling, if perhaps a little dull. In theory, most F.A.P Orbital pilots where armed deterrents for piracy, but that never really held up with Halim's experience. Most pirates wouldn't bother with targeting BTF ships and what few that where dumb enough to try normally shot down long before they came within his weapon range. In truth most of the time was spent using his orbital to block or destroy potentially damaging debris from hitting any freighter he was escorting or racing through the belt at what were (for any other pilot than BTFs finest!) near suicidal speeds to do more of the same.

Halim would have been happy to remain like this until the day he was euthanized, but the Pandora Expedition put an end to that. He along with three other high performing pilots from the F.A.P where 'generously donated' to the project with shiny new Orbitals to match, though for what reason he did not know. Still, his was not a place to question and now, as he blinks the last vestiges of cryosleep from his eyes, he is eager to make himself useful to his new owners.
Skills:

Space Ace: Having lived his whole piloting career in space, Halim can fly in zero gravity and high orbit with a grace and speed that would impress even veteran pilots. More over, there is no pilot that could hope to match his pace in a debris field no matter their experience.

Astral Navigator: Halim is able to astronavigate, a somewhat outdated skill set given modern instrumentation and automated navigation computers. However, one never knows when instruments fail.

Absolute Loyalty: Halim is ready and willing to follow any order given to him to the letter with a happy smile! Neither fear nor ego cloud his judgement, making him an ideal wingman.

A Tool that Knows its Tools: Halim has never piloted an Orbital that wasn't a Casket. This familiarity makes him and other F.A.P pilots uniquely suited to handling their more finicky systems, even without instrumentation for aid. Additionally, he can diagnose issues with his Orbital from sound and feel alone.

Flaws:
Combat Novice: While Halim's piloting is certainly good, his combat experience is frankly laughable. He'll need a firm guiding hand and some time before he'll be considered a true combat pilot.

Space Case: Halim has some serious gaps in his knowledge base. He is barely able to read beyond a 5th grade level or perform math beyond firing calculations. He has no familiarity with any political or social norms beyond the BTFs.

Gravity!?: Halim has never been planet side, nor has he ever piloted within an atmosphere. Expect a radial display of under performance under such conditions.

Absolute Loyalty: Halim will HAPPILY follow ANY order given to him by those he perceives to own him. This includes the entire expedition currently. Even those who might abuse that power.

Equipment: He has a standard issue flight suit with helmet and a BTF uniform (pictured above). He owns nothing else, not even blankets or pillows for his bunk. Surely if he needed those things someone would have given them to him....right?

Model Number: Cerbain Security Corp model, CSC-37. Aka, The Casket.

Role: Deep Space Escort, Mid Range Variable Combat

Appearance: Halim's Casket is 20.6 meters tall with the stock 'Lunar Landing' paint option, and only can be differentiated from the other BTF provided Orbitals by the operator number on the shoulder.


Systems:
Cerbain Optimized Power Suite: Cerbain is noted for having a certain level of care for their customers...which is to say absolutely none at all. This power suite heavily optimizes weapon and defensive systems while effectively gutting life support, climate control, and all other 'none vital' systems to their barest minimums.

Shahmaran Thruster Suite MK 3.3: A highly tuned thruster suite exclusive to the Casket Series that priorities control and tight maneuvering over all else. Many old school pilots consider this suite, and this suite alone, to be the reason to get a casket and the latest version does NOT disappoint.
Weapons:
Persephone Shield Emitter Array: The one true piece of innovation to come standard with a Csc-37. The PSE is a fantastic defensive option for both the Orbital and its escort, allowing the pilot to form large and sturdy hard light barriers effective against both kinetic and energy weapons. However, due to its rather large energy demand, it cannot be run in concurrently with weapon systems.
Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the shoulder weapons compartment. A bog standard option.
X Corp Beam rifle: Mounted in Shoulder weapons compartment. A high intensity Beam rifle still in service at the time of the Caskets initial release. While many swear by this weapon, citing its excellent accuracy and energy efficiency, it has a noted lack of penetration or stopping power compared to more 'modern' beam weapons.
2x Cerbain TCK-B: Tactical Combat Knife-Beam Variant. A short cost effective beam weapon directly mounted to the upper arms, just before the wrist. While their cutting powered can't be argued, CQC with this Orbital has been noted to be more akin to fist fighting than anything else.
Manufacturing History: Cerbain Security Corp is an Orbital manufacture that believes in building BY the numbers so they can build IN the numbers. They are less known for their innovation and more for their ability to field large orders of Orbitals quickly and inexpensively without compromising on (reasonable) quality. They have, and always will be, leaders in making infantry fodder machines, thus why their most famous series ended up with the nick name "The Casket".
Still, the 37 does its job and damned if it doesn't do it well, able to fill any role within a team and provide a slight defensive edge.
Weaknesses: Like many previous entries in the Casket series, lack of specialization and an over focus on economy HURTS this Orbital more than anything. It also suffers from having to commit to going on the offensive or defensive, unable to spare the energy for both DESPITE having its none critical systems gutted. A less talked about, but still present, issue is the shoulder mount being the only platform for body mounted weapons and creating a blindspot on the pilots left side.