[hider=Carmen Castro]
[b]Name:[/b] Carmen Castro

[b]Age:[/b] 32

[b]Looks:[/b] Life within the Brotherhood of Steel had its advantages. With a strict training regimen and a good diet, she had a healthy upbringing. Carmen Castro is 5'7 and 160 pounds. While she was more muscular in her youth, she still maintains a strict exercise routine with a strong focus on cardio which gives her an athletic build. She is of Latino descent. She keeps her hair no longer than shoulder length. Long hair simply gets in the way of work. After a brutal Legion ambush, she carries a few scars from a machete along her torso and is missing a ring finger.

She alternates between three outfits
	1. Field Outfit: When out in the field, she wears repurposed, tan military fatigues,a sun helmet, and a utility belt. This outfit 
		acts as useful camouflage in the desert while also keeping her cool. The utility belt carries her field rations, first aid, 
		mechanical tools, and ammo. 
	2. Mechanic: When working on maintenance, she dons on a red mechanic's jumpsuit with a construction gloves. 
	3. Casual: In the rare chance Carmen can find downtime, she wears simple brown flannel with blue overalls.

[b]Personality:[/b] The disillusionment from the Brotherhood of Steel's teaching encouraged Castro to be skeptical and open-minded. After deserting the BoS, she worked with the Followers of the Apocalypse. There, she gained an optimistic, but cautious attitude. Despite the hardships in the Mojave, Carmen believes a better future for the Mojave is possible. Though, she finds herself on a dangerous tightrope. If the Brotherhood discovers her desertion, she is fearful they will kill those around her; however, she yearns for the strong sense of family that they used to offer. For this reason, she keeps her past a secret. Furthermore, she fears that the Counterattack would see her desertion as an act of cowardice or disloyalty. It wouldn't be too far from the truth. For this, she finds it hard to relate to others. How can build a connection with someone if you keep your past locked away? Despite this obstacle she maintains a friendly and helpful attitude in her every day life. She doesn't enjoy keeping her hands still so is often finding anything she can do to assist-which mainly means mechanical work. 

[b]Faction:[/b] The Counterattack

[b]S.P.E.C.I.A.L[/b]
[b]Strength:[/b]5
[b]Perception:[/b] 7
[b]Endurance:[/b] 6
[b]Charisma:[/b] 5
[b]Intelligence:[/b] 7
[b]Agility:[/b] 6
[b]Luck:[/b] 6

[b]Backstory:[/b]
	In 2249, Carmen was born to Anthony and Paola in the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. Her father served as a Brotherhood Knight whereas her mother belonged to the Order of Scribes. Like every child born within the Brotherhood of Steel, she was taught the dogmatic view that the barbarians of the waste could not be trusted with technology. The Brotherhood of Steel's purpose was to protect humanity by hiding the destructive technology of the past. With the Brotherhood of Steel guarding relics of the past, humanity would benefit. These dogmatic teachings were not all bad. Carmen received a robust education ranging from reading, math, science, first aid, and combat tactics.
	Carmen preferred the academic courses over the military courses. In 2272, she graduated from her squire position, she was given the choice between the Order of Knights or the Order of Scribes. There were reports of the NCR encroaching further into the Mojave. While there were no official hostilities yet between the two factions, the threat of violence frightened Carmen. Due to the future threat of the NCR, Carmen made the cowardly decision to join the Order of Scribes; however, that would not protect her from the war. Scribe Carmen transferred to Helios One shortly thereafter.
	By 2274, the NCR and BoS were officially at war with each other. Elder Elijah fortified Helios One-trapping Carmen within. As the war went on, the she became disillusioned with the BoS. Despite all their training, all their technology, and all their knowledge, the Brotherhood was losing to the NCR. Desertion became appealing with each passing day; however, if she were caught, a brutal execution would follow. Instead, she would have to bide her time. Operation Sunburst offered Carmen a chance to escape in the heat of battle. She hopes that the BoS listed her as KIA. If they were to discover she deserted the Brotherhood, she fears how they would retaliate.
	After deserting the BoS, Carmen joined the Followers of Apocalypse for a few years. The Followers offered security and food in exchange for her mechanical aptitude. Life outside the Brotherhood felt rewarding. The Followers were a better family than the Brotherhood. No matter how small a part one played, they were valued. The Followers of the Apocalypse were helping humanity. They were helping rebuild society in ways that the Brotherhood could never. Unfortunately, during a return trip from the Gibson Scrap Yard, the Legion ambushed her caravan. Carmen barely survived. Seeing the brutality of the Legion served as a wake-up call. The BoS lost to the NCR who had a technological disadvantage, and now the NCR is losing to the Legion with a a further technological disadvantage. The Mojave will never be safe until those bastards are destroyed.
[/hider]