Voltaire stopped mid-step and landed the airborne foot onto the stone floor with a bit of force, rolling his eyes as he heard someone calling out to him from behind. A quiet sigh left as he shuffled slowly around to face whoever it was that decided to play nice with him. It was WAY too early for him to be dealing with people let alone feint being friendly just to get whoever it was off his back. His head rose up to look at Vilkas with an expression one would expect from a grumpy old man "Voltaire." A bit of irritated state seeped into his voice "Like I would tell you that. I have literally just woken up, so forgive me if I am little irritable." The snark in his tone suggested he was anything but sorry for his attitude.
He had just got done speaking when Stephanie joined their little conversation and he couldn't hide the low groan as her pressed the side of his against his forehead "Great, another one." He said under his breath but did little to lower his voice enough not to be heard, although it was a relief that the two knew each other. That meant he could drop mister big and scaly off on her and he could continue his day as planned "Name's Voltaire. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm sure you can entertain each other well enough." A clearly forced smile accompanied a nod as he turned around once more to set out towards the mess hall. "For Arun's sake, people are freaking chatty in the morning." He mumbled to himself as he reached the stairs.
Voltaire was just happy the whatever the hell that tree thing was and the giant dog didn't come to speak to him as well. A majority of the residents here didn't mind sharing details about their past but he couldn't be more eager to forget it and move on. He wasn't here to wallow in self-pity or pretend there wasn't real problems out there that needed to be fixed. The sooner he ate and got his damn coffee the sooner he could start working on how to solve them. After all, people only really cared about themselves so why bother getting to know any of them. Everyone disappoints you eventually.
The bleak reality of the world is clearly expressed in Desmond's pessmistic outlook on the current state of affairs. He is always thinking of ways that a scenario can go wrong, which has made him cautious and suspicious of other's intentions. This lack of trust hinder him from developing cohesion with other members of his unit. In battle, he prefers to operate on his own intuition rather that strictly following orders. A recent personal loss before his transfer to the 212th has changed his outlook slightly and is more willing to assist his squad mates when needed. No matter he does or accomplishes, it is never enough in his eyes and this can drive can lead him to make detrimental decisions.
Despite his stand-offish attitude, Desmond views the lives of his squad-mates more than his own. He is more than willing to give his life if it means saving more people but can make it seem like he is purposefully looking for such opportunities. Mistakes made by lower and sometimes even higher ranked pilots are quick to be called out by him with a sharp tongue. He will help anyone out off-mission despite making it seem like he absolutely hates to be bothered.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Desmond was born on March 3rd, 1981 into a poverty-stricken family that lived no better than the refugees that arrived on the United Kingdom's shores. His father was conscripted into the military but no aid ever came home and they were more or less forced to live day by day doing whatever they could to survive. His mother tried to paint his father as some kind of noble soldier sacrificing everything to fight an unrelenting enemy. That meant nothing to the young Desmond as he never got to see what they looked like. What he did know was how going without food made his stomach twist and turn and how some days his mother would just sit on their shard bed and cry.
That was why Desmond decided he would take care of his mother if his father was not. The days where food rations were scarce he stole from others without a second thought, making sure he was never caught. He developed a quite negative opinion personnel contrary to many other kids his age, which often resulted in Desmond getting beaten up. That was until he learned how to play dirty and soon the other kids were crying anytime they tried picking on him. One such fight he threw dust in the eyes of a much larger kid and stabbed him in the thigh with a sharp rock he picked up off the ground. His mother then gave him a lesson he would never forget but from then on the other kids would avoid him entirely.
Desmond, now of age to serve, was in the process of stalking his next target when two military officers approached him to conscript him into service. He resisted at first and gave the one a pretty nasty bloody nose before getting restrained when three military police came to assist. Desmond was brought to the recruitment office in cuffs and was told plainly that he would either train to be a pilot or he could face jail-time for assault. He took the offer on the guarantee that his mother would be taken care of and so he was forced into becoming the one thing he hated most.
He was far from being popular with his instructors and fellow pilots due to his hostile attitude. The fact that was rather successful in both his theoretical and practical studies only furthered the divide between him and his fellow trainees. His training unit failed their first final exam due to his lone-wolf attitude and it was only after many heated arguments, and a few fist fights, that Desmond got his act together enough to allow his unit to pass. It was not until he began to dispatch on actual combat missions that he fully realized the necessity of others watching your back.
Desmond broke formation during a culling operation in which the BETA's numbers were unusually high. While he refuses to release any details, it resulted in the death of the the squadron's second-in-command. It was clear that Desmond would no longer be able to operate in that squadron anymore and after an extensive pysch-eval he was released back into service. It was at this time that he was assigned to the 212th where he would be closely monitored.
❂ Battle Focus (1/Swordsman) - User's every 10th normal attack critically hits automatically. Passive. ❂ Swordsmanship (5/Swordsman) - User gains increased damage for their normal attacks. Passive. ❂ Greater Swordsmanship (10/Swordsman) - User gains 3% increased damage for their normal attacks. Stacks with Swordsmanship. Passive. ❂ Hilt Bash (5/Swordsman) - Whenever an opponent misses a melee attack against user, user automatically deals low concussive damage back. Does not stack with any other damage modifier. Passive.
❂ Lunge (1/Swordsman) - User lunges out with their blade, piercing a single target for moderate piercing damage. 50MP. ❂ Wide Swing (1/Swordsman) - User swings their weapon in a wide arc, hitting up to 3 targets for low bladed damage. 100MP. ❂ Flurry (5/Swordsman) - User slashes with their sword in a flurry of motions, dealing moderate bladed damage. 100MP. ❂ Strike Down (5/Swordsman) - User raises their sword then strikes down cleanly, dealing high bladed damage against a single target. 150MP. ❂ Arc Slash (10/Swordsman) - User slashes out with their weapon, causing an energy strike to travel in a linear line. Deals medium bladed damage to all units caught. 300MP. ❂ Parry (10/Swordsman) - User parries a bladed melee attack, nullifying it. 150MP. ❂ Disarm (10/Swordsman) - User with their superior skill utilizes a quick, skillful motion to disarm their foe. Target drops the item with 40% chance. 200MP.
❂ Sidestep (1/Universal) - User steps aside. +5% chance of evasion. 20MP. ❂ Meditate (5/Universal) - User focuses for few a minutes, recovering either 200HP or 200MP. 0MP. ❂ Boost Self (5/Universal) - User gains +5 Strength, Agility and Intelligence for a while. Can only be used once a day. 200MP. ❂ Greater Accelerate (10/Universal) - User's movement speed greatly increases for a bit. 300MP. ❂ Knee Strike (10/Universal) - User grabs the target and knees them, dealing high damage to single target. 200MP.
❂ Steel Katana(mythic) - Equipped ❂ Oliam's Longsword (360 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Leather Armor (100 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Small Knife (20 Renn) ❂ Cutthroat's Gloves (100 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Sturdy Clothes (25 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Power Threads (220 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Ring of Protection (100 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Spell Resist Cloak (80 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Helm of Resistance (150 Renn) - Equipped ❂ Red Potion x 2 (120 Renn) ❂ Potion of Resilience (80 Renn) ❂ Potion of Might (100 Renn) ❂ Ancient Mage's Talisman (450 Renn) ❂ Whip (25 Renn)
Power Treads: +5 to strength Ring of Protection: Minor damage reduction Spell Resist Cloak: Increased Magic resistance Cutthroat's Gloves: +5 Agility Oliam's Longsword: +5 to all attributes, +5 to sword wielding skill Helm of Resistance: Increased damage reduction against ranged physical damage "Champion of the Lesser": User gains +30 STR, AGI, INT and STM but takes additional damage from all sources if any friendlies with lower level than User are nearby.
Somehow during the rain of death, Kira lost track of Karuu. She normally wouldn't keep track of that but they were competing after all and she wanted to make sure he didn't cheat. Turning in place, she scoured the battlefield looking for his unmistakable appearance that she could recognize any time of the day. Goblins were coming in from seemingly every direction. Where was her great adversary? It was true she had pushed up a little too far but it didn't make sense she couldn't see him. It he didn't show himself she would utter a curse that would burn him from the inside out and make go bald. After furiously searching, while fending off goblins, she found the beserker. He was surrounded by a large group of them and was looking pretty wounded. There was nothing to fear anymore, for Kira was here to save the day "Give thanks to the great Akumi, for she has deigned to assist you! Your soul will be sufficient payment!" Fearlessly she charged forward, with the notion that he would owe her his life in return. Without support. Without mana. It was not meant to be.
The green-skins overwhelmed Karuu as he fought to the very end taking out a good number of them in the process. A jagged blade pierced his back, draining what remained of his health away. Kira watched it all transpire, her bright, green eyes opened wide "Karuu!" She screamed so hard the muscles in her throat began to ache while his body fell to the ground and shattered into a cloud of pixels. It sounded nothing like Kira and for once fear made its way into her tone. Provoked into a rage, she recklessly assaulted all of the goblins using her actions without restraint as she cried out a roar of pain. The suddeness of his death was more than what Akumi could handle, and for the first time in years a bit of Ryu emerged from her inner sanctum of darkness. Her hands all the way up her arm couldnt' stop shaking as she finished the last one, tears forming in her eyes and slowly dripped down her cheeks.
Kira moved over to the spot where Karuu had been slain, crying awfully but with a somber smile as she knelt on the ground where only his items remained "T-there's no...need..to fear. I'll...I'll just let you stay with me. Please!....just stay. It might be...a little dark inside but..! Akumi will protect us both now. Its okay. It will be nice to have company. I...always liked you, so it will be fine. Just....please...don't leave." This was far too much for her. She didn't want to have control anymore! This was why she stayed inside. The dark. The cold. It was comforting. She reached out and retrieved his items as her smile grew a little "There you go. Now we will be together and I won't have to say goodbye. You'll like being with me, nothing will hurt us." A intense, burning sensation erupted in her chest that nearly prevented her from moving at all. She couldn't bear this! As her fingers dug into chest, Akumi relieved her of the pain and once again asserted itself as the dominant personality.
The tears. The burning. The pain. It all went away and she stood up no longer shaking. Kira eyes closed in honor of her fallen pawn, he had been most useful to her in getting this far. Now his soul was absorbed into her own and she would use his power against the false god of this world and assert herself, Akumi, as the only being worthy of worship. The master of this world had taken one of her favorite pets from her, a slight that he would pay with life. This world needed to burn. Everyone associated with it deserved eternal suffering. Her eyes opened possessing a darkness that Kira did not express before. A serious killer intent. An ice cold gaze of resentment. They had taken something precious to her, and she intended to take everything from them. Any mercy she might have granted them was tossed aside like they tossed aside Karuu's life.
Bidding a final farewell, she moved towards the ornate gates that separated her from the next area for her to conquer. Floor 2. Kira remained strangely silent as she arrived in the expansive rain-forest. She hardly thought about the brutal conditions as she marched forward with a grim look on her face that she did not usually wear. Despite all things she says, Kira was generally full of energy and very expressive. Yet here she was looking like she was about to murder the next person that rubbed her the wrong way. Inside the dark room of her mind, Ryu sat on her legs across from her mental image of Karuu. How many times she had sat here watching him through Akumi's eyes, wishing that it could be her speaking to him? If only the world was not so terrifying outside of her walls. It all worked out, cause he was with her now in this place of sanctuary with all the time in the world. It was a darker than usual in her room, but it was alright. She was used to it by now and Karuu will be too in time.
Akumi ignored the rest of the guild and simply began moving towards the city as she had no time to waste to mess around. Power. She needed more power to destroy the world. The pact she made with Ryu had to be upheld. That she would protect her in exchange for her body. Never again would let her control slip and have that pathetic little girl out of her cage. It was for her own good. She would not last outside of her dark room. As long as she had Karuu's soul within her, she would give him a new body when her true powers awakened.
Helene maintains an icy-cold demeanor that hides her concern for her subordinates's health and well-being. She does not shy away from a challenge and will often force others to back up wild claims they make. Helene does not like to hide or bend the truth from her allies but inquiries into her life outside of being a TSF pilot are made in vain. Her priorities are making sure that everyone gets through this war alive, not getting friendly with each person.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Born on March 24, 1978 to an influential family that she would not be aware of until much later in her life. She was taken by the Statsi at birth for their top-secret ESP program, backed by a group of Soviet scientists, modeled after the Soviet Union's Alternative III Plan. The intention of the Statsi was to create a generation of ESP-enhanced soldiers that they could exploit to exert greater control of East Germany. As they did not possess the same genetic engineering technology as the Soviets, they were forced to abduct newly born infants that were healthy and possessed qualities they believed vital to the project.
Up until the fall of the Oder-Neisse Defence Line in 1983, Helene and many other children were subjected to numerous, unethical experiments paired alongside a rigid education in an attempt to develop their ESP potential. Helene was on of their most promising candidates as she began to demonstrate an ability to read the emotions of others towards the end of 1982, followed by a few others. Their development was halted for good when the BETA broke through and she was evacuated alongside a small number of her fellow subjects.
After the Stasi were removed from power, authority of the children was handed over to what remained of the People's National Army. They were taken care of in a special facility until they were deemed old enough to begin basic training and military education. Helene was quickly appointed as leader of the class due the loyalty of the other children and her intelligence. Years of grueling training and the class graduated into the 606th TSF Squadron and began their first deployment in the summer of 1994 with Helene leading the formation in her MigG-29OVT Fulcrum.
The 606th were highly successful in culling operations conducted in northern Germany and it was not long before they earned a reputation as the most elite squadron under East Germany's command. It was for this reason that they were selected to represent East Germany in Operation Shattered Steel. During the fighting, the 606th and especially Helen were credited with hundreds of slain BETA as a vanguard unit in the operation. However, the battle took its toll on the 606th with only seven members remaining by the time they reached the Hive's entrance thanks to the sudden appearance of the Laser-Fort class BETA. Helene still recalls the bittersweet feeling that came with the confirmation of the Superior's death.
Her accomplishments led to her appointment as the squadron leader of the newly formed 212th Tactical Armored Battalion with the remaining 606th members being dispersed. Despite her own personal doubts, Helene is determined to guide the 212th to the end of this war.
The bleak reality of the world is clearly expressed in Desmond's pessmistic outlook on the current state of affairs. He is always thinking of ways that a scenario can go wrong, which has made him cautious and suspicious of other's intentions. This lack of trust hinder him from developing cohesion with other members of his unit. In battle, he prefers to operate on his own intuition rather that strictly following orders. A recent personal loss before his transfer to the 212th has changed his outlook slightly and is more willing to assist his squad mates when needed. No matter he does or accomplishes, it is never enough in his eyes and this can drive can lead him to make detrimental decisions.
Despite his stand-offish attitude, Desmond views the lives of his squad-mates more than his own. He is more than willing to give his life if it means saving more people but can make it seem like he is purposefully looking for such opportunities. Mistakes made by lower and sometimes even higher ranked pilots are quick to be called out by him with a sharp tongue. He will help anyone out off-mission despite making it seem like he absolutely hates to be bothered.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Desmond was born on March 3rd, 1981 into a poverty-stricken family that lived no better than the refugees that arrived on the United Kingdom's shores. His father was conscripted into the military but no aid ever came home and they were more or less forced to live day by day doing whatever they could to survive. His mother tried to paint his father as some kind of noble soldier sacrificing everything to fight an unrelenting enemy. That meant nothing to the young Desmond as he never got to see what they looked like. What he did know was how going without food made his stomach twist and turn and how some days his mother would just sit on their shard bed and cry.
That was why Desmond decided he would take care of his mother if his father was not. The days where food rations were scarce he stole from others without a second thought, making sure he was never caught. He developed a quite negative opinion personnel contrary to many other kids his age, which often resulted in Desmond getting beaten up. That was until he learned how to play dirty and soon the other kids were crying anytime they tried picking on him. One such fight he threw dust in the eyes of a much larger kid and stabbed him in the thigh with a sharp rock he picked up off the ground. His mother then gave him a lesson he would never forget but from then on the other kids would avoid him entirely.
Desmond, now of age to serve, was in the process of stalking his next target when two military officers approached him to conscript him into service. He resisted at first and gave the one a pretty nasty bloody nose before getting restrained when three military police came to assist. Desmond was brought to the recruitment office in cuffs and was told plainly that he would either train to be a pilot or he could face jail-time for assault. He took the offer on the guarantee that his mother would be taken care of and so he was forced into becoming the one thing he hated most.
He was far from being popular with his instructors and fellow pilots due to his hostile attitude. The fact that was rather successful in both his theoretical and practical studies only furthered the divide between him and his fellow trainees. His training unit failed their first final exam due to his lone-wolf attitude and it was only after many heated arguments, and a few fist fights, that Desmond got his act together enough to allow his unit to pass. It was not until he began to dispatch on actual combat missions that he fully realized the necessity of others watching your back.
Desmond broke formation during a culling operation in which the BETA's numbers were unusually high. While he refuses to release any details, it resulted in the death of the the squadron's second-in-command. It was clear that Desmond would no longer be able to operate in that squadron anymore and after an extensive pysch-eval he was released back into service. It was at this time that he was assigned to the 212th where he would be closely monitored.
Easy-going and even slightly bashful. Colonel Fabel is known by many of his subordinates as a capable commander, one that can see the wider picture of a battle and direct his forces as required to ensure victory in the name of Humanity. Outside of battle Colonel Fabel is known to be a calculating and reserved higher echelon leader, careful not to step into the schemes of his fellow officers or other nations agents to further their careers or political agendas. Highly intuitive, and always suspicious of those not directly in his chain of command, Fabel has earned himself a reputation as the "Infallible Colonel" by those both withing the UN and on the outside if the UN who wish to use him and his unit to further their causes.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Born in a time before the BETA had landed on Earth, Izaak Fabel was a promising young man that his parents believed would move on to do great things with his ever growing mind. Be it lead armies of West Germany to a unification of their shattered nation, pursue a career in government, or make a move for a position within the UN itself. Izaak's parents knew that his son would be destined for greatness, and this would hold true.
In 1967 the BETA would invade the Lunar surface, beginning the First Lunar War. Izaak, only seven at the time would not take part, and the fledgling UN Space Command forces would fight their hardest for the next several years until the BETA would finally make their way to Earth, landing in Kashgar Province in China. The development was followed closely by the world, and the Chinese would ensure the world that they had the situation under control. To which the world would soon learn was not the case. As the BETA would defeat the Chinese and Soviet forces that came to assist too late, the world would watch in horror as the BETA began their campaign of destruction against Asia and the Soviet Union and her Western European Warsaw PACT Allies.
By 1976 Izaak would find himself a pilot in the Federal Republic of Germany's Army, flying the the F5G Tornado that was used as the mainstay of the West German TSF force. For the next five years Izaak would mostly sit at read-alert standby with the rest of the West German military as East Germany refused to allow the capitalist West to assist them in defending the Oder-Neisse Defense Line. Until the fall of the Oder-NEisse Defense Line in the waning days of August 1983. With West Germany's only shield against the BETA utterly annihilated following the fall of the Oder-Neisse, West German Forces along with US and UN forces would take part in multiple heroic last stands as the populace of the country and the rest of Western Europe was evacuated from the continent. Managing through what many would call skill but Izaak would attribute to luck, he would survive the desperate retreat and stalling of the EBTA advance across Western Germany and the rest of France to finally evacuate across the English Channel to the safe haven of Britain.
Following the escape from mainland Europe, Izaak would be absorbed into the UN 1st Force in Britain, where a General would notice the brilliant young Officer being wasted as a TSF pilot and request him to be added to his general Staff. As an adviser to a prominent UN General, Izaak would begin to stand out as the talented tactician and strategist he was, eventually finding a way into the 231st Tactical Armored Battalion as its Executive Officer, and following the promotion and subsequent move of it's prior Commanding Officer he would find himself in charge of the Battalion.
The year is now 2004, and Colonel Izaak Fabel has not set foot in a TSF for nearly twenty five years. Yet he stands on the bridge of a TSF carrier, ready to coordinate his Battalion in undertaking the first part of the retaking of Earth.
• May or may not be involved in a relationship with her fellow Rafale pilot, depending on who you ask.
• "Certain individuals can change the entire outlook of the team with their overwhelming abilities." - Mark Kluger
Personality ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Straightforward and focused, Mina is a youth attuned for the rigors of command. Outspoken with her plans, Mina requires everyone to be on board with the mission details, primarily to ensure the pilots under her command stay alive. Nonetheless, unforeseen circumstances may always exist on the battlefield; something Mina has trained her to easily adjust to in a calm manner. Mina has zero tolerance for glory seekers who rush into the battlefield without thought. Seeing them as trouble makers, Mina is quick to reprimand them, especially after having to bail out a number of soldiers showcasing bravado on the battlefield.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Mina Barakat was born within Morocco, where her family, among others, helped to supply the French war machine against the BETA. The demand for manpower and natural resources was always needed, and so the colonies were hard pressed to produce for the front lines. Nevertheless, young children were given the same free reign they usually had, and so for most of Mina's childhood she had lived as a normal child as if the BETA were nonexistent, yet everything would soon change. France had fallen to the BETA by 1985, and thousands of refugees had suddenly appeared in the Moroccan homeland.
Many of the French had distraught appearances, and some were not keen to be forced into the colonies that had been mostly exploited for their own gains. Despite this, Mina quickly made friends with a French girl, Elise, who was just around her age. Together, they forged a bond of friendship, ignoring the odd looks that the French refugees would give them. The girls didn't care for the differences between them; All they wanted was to have fun like the kids they were despite the hardships both refugee and native were now facing after the fall of the French homeland.
However, the world soon caught up to the children, and they were conscripted among a number of others to fight against the BETA. The training showed itself to be nearly unbearable, but by the end, Mina and Elise had come out on top, much to the instructors' surprise. In Mina's case, some looked up at her with envy, feeling a lowly Moroccan shouldn't be scoring so high. A few had been more vocal than the rest, but their complaints were silenced by the instructors. Nonetheless, this didn't stop her "comrades" from mocking her heritage or harassing Mina where the ears of their superiors failed to reach.
Mina did her best to ignore the harassment, and continued as she always did. Finding her knack at commanding early on, Mina was allowed to help direct the Mirage 2000s as they went across to Europe in various BETA culling operations. During this time, Elise had been at Mina's side the entire time; their bond showcasing their greater skill that the French military was eager to take advantage of. Rather than cast away natural talent in old obsolete TSFs, Mina and Elise were given new third generation TSFs: the Rafale--a machine destined to destroy the BETA.
And destroy the BETA it did. In a world-wide operation dubbed Operation Ouka, Mina and Elise would experience their defining moments in hell on earth. Used as a distraction force, both girls had seen carnage that day, watching pilots die to the BETA faster than they could blink. Their ammunition had nearly bled dry before they were recalled back across the strait. Both sides suffered thousands of casualties, yet before the girls could realize the effects of the operation, they were given a new calling. Sent to the UN's 231st "Grey Wolves" battalion, Mina and Elise were given new orders as part of another world-wide operation; this time to cleanse the world from the BETA.
• May or may not be involved in a relationship with her fellow Rafale pilot, depending on who you ask.
• "I have someone I like. I never had the confidence and I’ve doubted my feelings countless of times. But, when she stays by my side and smiles with me, I feel like I can do anything." - Yoshida Haru
Personality ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Upbeat and courteous, Elise keeps an outlook on life that many would not consider during the bleak circumstances of the BETA invasion. Despite losing her homeland, Elise knows mulling instead of acting will accomplish nothing, and therefore she looks forward to each day as if it was not possible to be her last. Nonetheless, Elise's perspective has brought comparison to her being a "boot licker" considering how positive she is day to day, especially considering her tight-knit relationship with a Moroccan pilot (despite both of them qualifying as French citizens). While Elise denies these rumors, not everyone is keen to cast their doubts aside.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Elise Allaire was born in the heartland of France, a few years prior to the BETA invasion of the country. Her father and uncle had been shipped off to war early on, leaving Elise with a faint memory of her relatives while her mother and herself awaited for their return. Nonetheless, the triumphant return home never came, only calls for evacuation. Germany had collapsed shortly after reunification, and France was next on the chopping block, which by then was a bloodbath. A desperate struggle was had, but the tide of BETA could not be stemmed, leaving the French with no choice to abandon their homeland.
Forcefully evacuated to French Morocco, life as a refugee was harsh for Elise. Substance was mediocre, and at times the heat could be unbearable, yet pure chance would play its way in Elise's life. Meeting a young Moroccan native by the name of Mina, Elise would soon form a bond that would last a lifetime. While some of the French evacuees weren't keen on being "buddy buddy" with those from the colonies, Elise had no problem skipping rocks across the sand or making sand angels with Mina. They had formed a bond of friendship, and the two girls couldn't careless what others may have thought.
Yet in a world ravaged by the BETA, no one escapes the threat of military conscription. Perhaps it was her family's military connections or the need for TSF pilots, but once of age, Elise--and Mina--were called for conscription. The training had been grueling for those who were still considered children, but the unbreakable bond would continue to outlast the hardships. Impressing their instructors, Elise and Mina would graduate the top of their class with superb scores, although bringing the jealousy of others along with them. Around this time, Elise would finally meet her uncle, who sadly informed her that her father had fallen on the battlefield years ago.
It was a sad reunion, but together uncle and niece would be thrown in the same TSF flight. Given Mirage 2000s under command of her uncle, Elise and Mina would be sent to cull BETA across Gibraltar to reduce their foe's numbers. The fact that they survived the fabled "eight minutes of death" more than once was surprising, but what was even more surprising is that they had been doing their duties exceptionally well. Eager not to waste such talent in soon obsolete TSFs, the French Army had placed the cadets in the mass-produced third generation Rafale to use both talent and superior machinery to their advantage.
A few years had passed, and together the girls had gained a considerable kill count as they grew ever so close to each other, yet disaster prepared to strike again. Operation Ouka would commence, and so would hell on earth. In a world-wide operation that claimed the life of countless pilots, Elise and Mina would fight against the BETA until their ammunition ran dry. The mission was a success, but there had been countless casualties on both sides; their deaths almost forgotten in favor of a new undertaking. As part of the French contribution to the UN, the girls were placed in the 231st "Grey Wolves" battalion, in hopes that the planet would soon be freed from the BETA.
• Loadout • 2x 36mm/120 Assault Cannon • 4x36mm and 2x120mm Magazines • 1x Supplemental Armor • Full Leg/Arm blade motor armament • 2x Close Combat Dagger
Personality ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Distant and withdrawn. Kseniya bears all the telltale signs of a pilot that has lost everything, more than once. She often jumps between two very distinct personalities, a side effect of her creation and the subsequent drugs and treatments she is forced to take and endure and her experience in Operation Swaraj, that range anywhere from vaguely helpful and slightly friendly to completely insane and sadistic, prepared to kill anyone and everyone that may even breath in her vicinity. Still carrying the mental scars of Operation Swaraj around with her, she is frequently overcome by episodes brought on by triggers of the event and focuses the pain and hatred that boils up with them into her fight against the BETA. Kseniya as well has a deep seated fear of water thanks to her creation and the treatments she undergoes regularly.
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Kseniya Kochenkov, or Kseniya Barchenowa as is her true name, is a Fifth Generation ESPer of the Soviet Union. Manufactured through a process of cloning and brought up undergoing treatments and procedures so that she would exhibit Extra Sensory Perception abilities in order to be used as a tool by the Soviet Union to pursue their Alternative III plan and make contact with the BETA.
Much of her young life revolved around tests, treatments, and labs. Then she would repeat the process, but perhaps in a different order this time, and the time after that, and the next one as well. When not being subjected to experiments and tests or training, the Barchenowa ESPers were being raised by the KGB to compete against one another and build bounds between their individual flights and squadrons in an attempt to increase their combat effectiveness. In the end it could be said that her fellow sisters in the program became her family. It was this very same family that would venture into the Bhopol Hive during Operation Swaraj along with Kseniya in order to attempt to make direct communication with the BETA.
Approximately two hours into the intrusion into the Bhopol Hive, the F14AN3 Mindseekers of the Vsadnik Squadron were being overwhelmed and whittled down. TSF after TSF was lost as only small amounts of ground were gained as they progressed further into the Bhopol Hive. Even with these sacrifices, not a single one of the ESPers had been able to establish communication with any BETA, even with the advanced equipment that had been added to the F14AN3 that they were using to amplify their abilities. Kseniya's non-ESPer pilot, Captain Eranov was beginning to grow afraid as one by one TSFs fell to the BETA inside the Hive, and Kseniya could sense it.
As the group of F14AN3s made their way into an new hall, they were set upon by a large swarm of Tank-Class, and quickly found themselves in a desperate close-quarters skirmish for their lives. In the process of the fight the highly-sensitive equipment mounted on Kseniya's F14AN3 was damaged, causing it to amplify the signals it was picking up and overwhelm Kseniya as she was hooked into the system itself. She fell into a panic as she could feel TSF piltos outside the Hive dying, as she could feel her Sisters within the Hive being eaten alive, as she could feel infantry and tank crews as they were crushed beneath waves of BETA. Her power of projection now firmly out of her control would wildly force her feelings of impending doom and the futility of their mission upon many of the TSF pilots and ESPers present. Although many of the ESPers were able to overcome the sudden flood of emotions from their sister, a few of the pilots were overcome with fear at the wave of emotions that weren't theirs and and began to make a hasty retreat.
Of this group was Kseniya's own pilot. As Kseniya continued to be overwhelmed in the front seat of her TSF, Captain Eranov made for the nearest Stab and escaped the Bhopol Hive along with two other F14AN3s. It was only later that day once they had reached a resupply post that they would finally be able to remove Kseniya from the cockpit and detach her from the equipment that was causing the intense feedback. By the end of the Operation only a handful of Barchenowa Generation ESPers sent would survive, among them were the three that had escaped due to Kseniya's loss of control and their pilots panic and a few scattered groups from other expeditions into the Hive.
Operation Swaraj would produce only a single result for its massive loss of life and equipment, and that result was that the BETA did not consider humanity as a life form at all.
Reassigned to the Soviet Army following the abandonment of Alternative II after the failure of Operation Swaraj, Kseniya would remain an unstable ESPer for the rest of her time serving with the Soviet Army. Following multiple high risk missions, and being purposefully left out of Operation Ouka by request of the KGB, Kseniya would be promoted to Major and assigned to the UNs 231st Battalion "The Grey Wolves" as the Executive Officer. Her handlers within the KGB would be monitoring her and a number of other ESPers within the massive UN force intently, as the information they could gain from such a massive undertaking and their varied positions would no doubt prove valuable in a post-BETA world.
• Loadout • 1x Type 87 Assault Cannon • 4x36mm and 2x120mm Magazines • 1x Type 92 Multi-purpose Supplemental Armor • 2x Type 74 PB Blade • 2x Type 65 PB Blade
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Fiercely loyal to his country and willing to give everything in the name of defeating the BETA and saving Humanity, Kosuke is an exemplary Eishi that the Shogun himself would be honored to have as part of the Royal Guard. With an attitude that most would state is dangerous and even at times callous of others safety, he performs to such a level in combat that many who serve with him can tend to overlook his shortcomings in his personality and learn to trust him to watch their backs. When not in combat he is dutiful, often found completing paperwork, checks on his and others TSFs, or helping with other work to be done around the Battalion. He's known to speak frankly to newcomers, if one were to listen it tends to seem that Kosuke degrades new pilots and lessens them to nothing more than liabilities for the rest of the Squadron but given a keen enough ear and enough time some have come to notice that while he does degrade them, much of what he says holds value in combat and is good to keep at the back of your mind.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Born to a single mother in the Miyagi prefecture Kosuke was brought up by his Grandmother while his mother worked round the clock to keep food on the table for the three of them. While his upbringing wasn't the "normal" that was expected in Japan at the time it certainly wasn't unusual, for many families had lost the males of the household to the war with the BETA just as Kosuke's family had.
With strict standards placed on him by his Grandmother Kosuke was instilled with a strong sense of responsibility when given a task, to the point that he wouldn't hesitate to take any necessary steps to accomplish the task at hand. A trait that would end up less than favorable among his peers in the military.
At the age of he fifteen he was drafted into the Imperial Army and began his formal training to become a TSF pilot. Just a year into his training at the age of sixteen the BETA invasion of Japan began in Kitakyushu. Kosuke found himself deployed to the defense line being set up in Kyoto. It was there that he would get his first taste of combat, fighting in close quarters relentlessly, with few breaks and little time to think, Kosuke found himself acting off instinct in combat, when given a command he would go to any lengths in an attempt to ensure it was completed, which led to complications.
On August 10th of 1998, the day that Kyoto fell, Kosuke was deployed with a forward squad tasked with holding the BETA advance at a key railway junction that was being used to evacuate important people and equipment. The orders were specified as being of the utmost importance and Kosuke's Squad leader informed them that they had to defend the point at all costs. It wasn't long until the BETA surged forth on the junction.
Terrified and inexperienced Kosuke let his emotions get the best of him becoming almost useless in the opening minutes of the fighting. Only snapped back to reality as his Squadron leader used his TSF to shield Kosuke from a Tank-Classes charge, Kosuke would finally begin to fight. His sole purpose was the mission they had been given, and his Squad leaders words stuck with him, "At any cost.". Kosuke and one other would be the only survivors of the Squad sent to the railway junction, and would retreat shortly after a large portion of the internal defense of Kyoto fell.
It was only a week after the fighting had ended that the second pilot who had been unconscious since the battle awoke. The stories he told of the fight were brutal, but nothing compared to what he said about Kosuke. The inexperienced pilot had entirely disregarded his fellow pilots, a move that many pilots would consider to be completely unlike a Japanese Eishi, allowing many of them to be overwhelmed by BETA as he focused entirely on keeping the BETA from the railway. He even disregarded the calls for help from a pilot trapped in his broken TSF as the hatch was slowly pulled away by a Tank-Class BETA, all the while Kosuke was simply reloading and waiting for more BETA to make a move for the railway.
The Tank-Class would eventually be done in by Kosuke, but only after it had had an enjoyable meal and set its sights on Kosuke himself. With this recollection of events, Kosuke found himself up against military Court Marshall, and was not charged with the loss of his entire squad due to a severe lack in experienced pilots. Instead he was capped at 1stLt and was simply put back on the front lines where the BETA would have a better chance of giving him what he deserved.
Following the fall of Kyoto, Kosuke would be stricken with night terrors, many of which would involve his Squadron that he had willing allowed to die around him. He would reign himself in from then on, promising himself that he would never let his emotions cloud is judgement in combat again, and that he would do everything in his power to complete the mission and bring his fellow Eishi home safely at the end of the day. Even if it meant giving his own life to reach those goals.
The words of his deceased Squad Leader have been etched into his mind, and serve as his mantra. To remind himself that he must make the impossible possible, that he must never be afraid to give his beating heart for his Country or his comrades. That he must complete the mission, at any cost.
Rath is never one to miss an opportunity to tell a good joke or two..or three. He is the first one to try and cheer someone up if they are sad, no matter what their relation is to him. Rath is often described as light-hearted, care-free, and easy-going by his comrades. He is very adamant about not getting hung up about sentimental things, rather focusing on the present and moving forward. Anytime he suffers a tragedy he uses humor to mask how upset he actually is and would rather pretend something doesn't bother him than face it. Every once in awhile Rath will go to a secluded room or area and let loose a scream of anguish and anger, that he will not let anyone to see. It is incredibly important to Rath that everyone see him as the bright, cheerful guy he makes himself out to be and is. When two fellow soldiers have physical quarrel, he is the first one to step in whether to break it up with words or by force.
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Born without a father a day after the fall of Poland, Rath was raised solely by his mother without much knowledge of his dad or homeland. His entire early childhood, Rath's mother would never truly smile and always held a solemn look in her features. This caused Rath a lot of distress until one day he walked into the kitchen after a rainy day and said "Mama, birdie won't fly!" with tears in his eyes, he held a frog. The smile and few seconds of laughter he saw from her were like the prettiest gems in the world, he had made her smile. From then on Rath would try everyday to accomplish the same feat, succeeding some days but also falling short on others. That was when he decided his mission was to bring back smiles and laughter not just to his mother, but to everyone in the world.
When he was only twelve years old he was 'conscripted' by the Soviet Union officials, tearing him away from his mother and the only person he had in the whole world. The last gift he received from his mother was a small stack of photos of both his father and various pictures of Poland before it fell. During his training, He realized that before the whole world could smile and laugh again...the BETA would need to be eliminated. This realization gave into conviction and he saw past his situation to the goal ahead and always gave it his all keeping his humor alive through it all. Of course Rath's eagerness to become better and stronger did not sit well with the other kids abducted by the Soviets, and was often ridiculed, but by the end of their training he was friends with most of them.
He got his first taste of real-combat when his Battalion helped the Soviets drive back BETA that were targeting the Milkovsky District. This battle codified his dream in his mind, the reason why he would continue to fight until every last BETA was killed on Earth and beyond. The conflicts leading up to the defenese of the soviet base ц-04 would only strengthen his skills as an front-line aggressor and hone his piloting ability. It was after the defense of ц-04 that he screamed in anger and loss for the first time. The losses they endured only for the Soviet Union to stab them in the back? That day the naive veil that was over his eyes lifted. It was hardly a year after that Rath went through what can only be described as hell. Operation Ouka. Rath by then had some experience under his belt but nothing could prepare him for the losses his battalion endured fighting the Laser-Fort class BETA. Rath was no longer fighting for victory, he was fighting for his own survival. During the final attack run on the Laser-Fort Class he prepared himself for death and suddenly he understood the sacrifice his father made all those years ago. Rath managed to dodge one of the stingers and prevented himself from getting impaled however his TSF was badly damaged after the stinger destroyed its one leg and both of his thrusters. He never got to see the massive BETA fall as he carefully made his way back to allied forces, the entire experience would haunt his dreams for the next two years.
The Soviet Union were eager to send Rath as part of their contribution to the multi-national battalion "The Grey Wolves" after a few.....'disagreements' between him and a senior officer. Rath was happy for the transfer excited to meet pilots from around the world. Despite the loss and tragedy, the one thing Rath has been able to hang onto is his humor...and those photos.
• Sleeps with a model of an F-18E Super Hornet, her most prized possession. The initials D.A. are etched into the body.
• Has no issues insulting her own team but god forbid an outsider do it
• Can't handle her alcohol very well and makes her incredibly emotional
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Haley is very confident in her abilities and is not afraid to let others know that, often coming off as cocky and full of herself. She is adamant that no one else can out-shoot her and claims her handling of her TSF as better than everyone else. Those who operate more close-quarters TSFs are often looked down by her. National pride is evident in her superior attitude towards those whose country has fallen to the BETA.
Her humor is often made at the expense of someone else, often high-lighting their faults. Halely has a highly-competitive nature and will never back down from a challenge. Blame is not something she easily accepts and will often put the blame on others instead. Trust is almost a foreign concept to Haley and prefers to keep her distance.
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Haley was born the youngest of four children to a wealthy family in the North-Eastern United States. The eldest son, Dominic, was someone she always looked up to her entire childhood for his kindness and bravery. This admiration only increased when Dominic joined the United States Marines as a TSF pilot to protect the world from aleins. Dominic was her hero in every aspect of life and there was nothing he couldn't do in her mind, she wanted to be the best just like him. Her other siblings, two twins named Julia and Noah, were more interested in books but Haley would often convince them to play "TSF vs. BETa" with her.
Haley enjoyed a comfortable upbringing always seeking to be the center of attention and only being humble when in comparison to her older brother. Her family's status though did mean that they expected nothing but the best from Haley as well, as her twin siblings were quickly showing great potential in the sciences. The twins would later be hired by Boening to develop and refine TSFs, working as an inseparable pair. When she was finally old enough, she signed up to begin training to pilot a TSF just like her hero. Whether it was sports or her grades, no one in her class could match her ferocity or skill. There were a few who thought that she was just some loud-mouth hot-shot but by the end of her training, she stood high above the rest.
Before she could properly finish her training and become an enlisted TSF pilot, a letter was given her during one of her classes. Dominic Anders, the person she held dearest to her, was declared killed in action. His unit, the VMF-318 Black Knives, were wiped out, except for a single survivor, defending the JFK Naval Garrison Base against a BETA attack. The lost of her greatest role model shattered her spirit for several days before she began to piece it back together. After it had recovered, She found herself determined more than ever to be an incredible TSF pilot and one day the best in the world.
Haley signed on with the 117th Tactical Armored Battalion after graduating at the top of her class, coming out as the best marksman of her peers. The 117th were deployed as an expeditionary force to fight alongside UN/EU armies beginning in early 2004. There is no battle of note that occurred in between her short service with the 117th and her transfer to the 231st, only a pristine record of combat excellence and a few mentions of her 'aggressive' personality. When told Haley had passed her "8 minutes" by one of the senior team members, she simply replied "It is only to be expected.". While Haley shows a great deal of potential as a Gun Sweeper, she lacks experience and has yet to encounter a serious engagement with the BETA that put her in great danger.
Laid back most of the time, she tends to have a darker outlook on things as well as a noncommittal attitude. A trait carried over to even her piloting skills and combat, as she has no clear preference for close range or long range, support or offense, or even the type of equipment she uses. What was clear however, was that she was proficient in using any of them in any role. Of course, she did not have experience in most other TSFs, but with the required training it wasn't that hard to imagine her being able to pilot most anything well.
That was not to say she didn't have any outstanding traits in her personality however; she tended to be observant of events, if not social cues, as well as being quick on her feet in making spontaneous decisions. Has a notable quirk of not actually reading the mood for anything, as well as being rather blunt at times. Combined with her naturally mouthy character, with a tendency to spout out anything on her mind, it was to be expected she tended to come of as abrasive to some people.
History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
The general public rarely ever knew much about the Beta, what they were, or even how they looked like. They couldn't know, they shouldn't know. While she and a group of recruits knew how they looked like, none of them had any real experience actually fighting one in a combat situation. Thus they were sent on a culling operation that was deemed suitable for their experience, with low numbers of small Betas to be expected. What they found was a much larger force meeting it, with barely any experienced pilots or suitable heavy weapons for the larger Betas. Verena was the sole survivor, by virtue of being the one furthest from the group. She did not escape unscathed however, for she was hospitalized for a few months after.
Those who remembered her before would often remark she had changed much after, leading to her current personality, whereas she used to be bright eyed and hopeful, just one of those bright young people with fire in their heart and a genuine desire to make the world better. One who sees taking back her homeland from the Beta as their own quest, and who now looks upon that impossible dream wryly. What use would a Beta infested chunk of land be for her? She could live anywhere she want to after all.
Verena was not one with a remarkable background, being born to a relatively normal family, with barely anything noticeable save for her high marks on tests. While one could say her family's retreat over the years as the Beta pushed them away from their homeland was interesting, there were many other refugee families with stories similar to them. Beyond that one skirmish, most of her military career has been training and combat exercises, and barely anything else. It made her survival of that skirmish seem all the more miraculous, considering she survived until the more experienced veterans came in to pull her out.
• Loadout • 1x Type-87 Support Assault Cannon • 8x 36mm and 2x120mm • 1x Melee Halberd • 2x Close Combat Knife
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Kwan lost her parents at age 6 and was taken in by the government and placed in the Alternative Care Facility Iwate Prefecture and adapted quickly to her new life making her an Institutional Person more at home in an organized bureaucracy than what many might see as a normal environment.
As part of her indoctrination in the institute Kwan learned to enjoy being another cog in the machine sublimating her needs for those of the group. Taught by her former teachers and guardians that excuses were useless she accepts responsibility for her actions without complaint. Another trained response is to accept cheerfully any task assigned to her and finish no matter the personal cost in physical or mental exertion.
Aware that her stature is abnormal for a woman Kwan operates as the female most useful for heavy work even enjoying the feeling of accomplishment.
She enjoys cooking and will volunteer for kitchen duty to have the chance to practice her craft even making the government supplied food taste better.
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Orphaned at 6 Kwan became a ward of the state and doomed because of her genetic nationality and age to be in the bland care that made up the faceless children. From their ranks many a troublemaker come and there are those like Kwan who thrive in the environment.
She didn't have many friends at the Iwato Alternate care facility she called home because many thought her a pawn of authority. Never a Suckup to authority but also never a thorn so long as authority also played within the rules Kawn is pragmatic about life and understands there are times when her own ego doesn't count in the common thought. She sees society as a function of consensus, she enjoys order and predictability so long as she is given dignity.
Experiencing a growth spurt at 10 and continued at breakneck pace to an additional 30 centimeters by age 13 her clothes were always too small. (Kwan is still growing having gained 12 centimeters from age 17 to her present age of 19
Institutionalized in her thought and general environment Kwan was smoothly inducted and trained as a Marine, one of her instructors commented "She must have been an easy birth because she was an easy Marine"
Her Deployments are about as average as a Marine's get standing out for no notable success or failure she is a Bland study of statistics...a Grunt.
Her only claim of any fame is as a female Judo practitioner but she's never joined in on any sort of competition gaining her rep on the unit training mats.
All in all Kwan's Biography could be used as punishment or a cure for insomnia but who knows what her future holds.
Additional Members
First Lieutenant Guerrini
Second Lieutenant Poulsen
Second Lieutenant Lundell
Second Lieutenant Kasteler
Second Lieutenant Holland
Second Lieutenant Gonzalez
Commander Kashkanov Isaak Vladislavovich | Soviet Union
Captain Kyo Jin-Hwan | Korea
Major Kirigaya Hanako | Japan
1st Lieutenant Tanimoto Ichiha | Japan
1st Lieutenant Kurakina Lidia Yakovna | Soviet Union
1st Lieutenant Danylo Zhuravel | Ukraine
1st Lieutenant Walter Davenport | United States
1st Lieutenant Sara Lancaster | Canadian
1st Lieutenant Felicia Keller | East Germany
1st Lieutenant Satya Shirivastav | India
2nd Lieutenant Rachael Powell | United States
2nd Lieutenant Liliana Ciszewska | Poland
2nd Lieutenant Sayankov Borisovich | Soviet Union
2nd Lieutenant Violeta Villacrés | Spain
2nd Lieutenant Manu Kerehoma | New Zealand
Commander Seraina Holzer | West Germany
Captain Augustus Saul | United States
Major Donovan Rogers | Australia
1st Lieutenant Eleonora Siegrist | Switzerland
1st Lieutenant Vala Rosano | Italy
1st Lieutenant Rikard Antonsson | Sweden
1st Lieutenant Daniel Bradley | United States
1st Lieutenant Lucas Gallagher | Great Britain
2nd Lieutenant Kahele Aolani | United States
2nd Lieutenant Jonathan Jameson | United States
2nd Lieutenant Siske van Vollenhoven | Netherlands
Izurich
The Otter
Alby47
Landaus Five-One
