Mass Effect: Independance

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Mass Effect: Independence
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This Roleplay is set in the Mass Effect Universe, roughly one hundred and fifty years after the events of Mass Effect 3. If you are new to Mass Effect, I strongly recomend giving the Mass Effect Wiki a good perusal. In the intervening years, the Galaxy has kinda gone to shit. The Council has become even more oppressive, elitist and controlling than before. Conditions on the poorer worlds following the war are abysmal, compounded by the Council and Species Governments apparent unwillingness to aid anyone but the wealthy Inner Colonies. In the wake of the discontent caused by overzealous taxation, neglect, starvation and racial discrimination, the poor and underrepresented have begun to flock to a new ideology: Unionism, a political and social creed that advocates unity, freedom, democracy and the abandonment of racial discrimination and prejudice, calling on the inhabitants of the Galaxy to stand as one and cast aside their differences for the greater good. Ultimately, Unionists hope to establish a new government, a Union of Sapient Peoples, which will offer everyone an equal chance, and equal representation, regardless of species, wealth or social status.

Unknown to most of the Galaxy, this Union does exist, established in secret by the leaders of 45 worlds on the edge of Council Space, and led by the enigmatic Provisional Governer Xander O'Tarin. For the last decade the Union has been growing, hiding behind the aegis of Black Star Trans-Galactic, O'Tarin's massive industrial and transportation giant, and front for the Union. Soon, the time will come for the Union to reveal itself, and present its declaration of independence to the Council. While Union leaders hope to avoid war, they know it is inevitable. The Council would never part with so many worlds, and the Turian Hierarchy would most certainly never tolerate it. So, the Union has been preparing for war, producing weapons, developing technology, forging alliances, training and recruiting officers, weaponizing the Black Star fleet, and biding its time until it can step out of the shadows.

Your characters are members of the elite Special Operations Directorate, the special forces and espionage unit of the secretly formed Union. Assigned to the brand new Blade-class stealth recon frigate Freedom's Blade, you are the newborn Union's elite, the best of the best, recruited from every species and every world to fight on the front lines of the Galactic Civil War that will inevitably come when the Union comes out of hiding and claims its territory. Serving under the newly recruited Commander John Marshall, and armed with the latest in Black Star technology, your unit will serve as the Union's most delicate scalpel, completing the missions no one else can be trusted with, from the trenches of the front line to the strongholds of the Council, deep in enemy territory. Whether true believers in the Union cause, or mercenaries simply in it for the money, your characters will shape the future of the Galaxy itself.

We are looking for a number of general roles, however the way you chose to play those roles is up to you, and if you have an alternate idea, I'm happy to entertain it. The following are suggestions, and should provide a general idea of what we're looking for. If we still have spaces lacking, players are welcome to create additional characters, or I can fill them with NPCs if need be. By taking full advantage of the group system, I will be mapping out the entire ship with forums, so don't be afraid to create characters who are primarily ship-bound: there will be plenty of goings on in the away team's absence.

Sentinel/Combat Specialist: [Taken] - Kyrinne Tarchus/Screwface Romeo

Close Quarters Heavy: [Available]

Heavy Support Gunner: [Available]

Biotic Specialist/Adept: [Available]

Biotic Specialist/Vanguard: [Available]

Sentinel/Biotic Specialist: [Available]

Tech Specialist: [Available]

Infiltrator: [Available]

Soldier(s): [Available]

Soldier/Sniper: [Available]

Combat Engineer: [Available]

Ship's Engineer: [Available]

Shuttle Pilot: [Available]


Ship's Pilot: [Taken] - Flight Lieutenant Kai'Saaya vas Fairstarr/Screwface Romeo

Fighter Pilot: [Available]

Medic/Ship's Doctor: [Available]



General Rules:

  1. I reserve the right to approve or deny character applications as I see fit
  2. Your characters may NOT be related to Shepard, or any member of the Normandy Crew. No Exceptions.
  3. Your characters may NOT be hybrids, or "original" races. You pick a canon race, and you stick to it.
  4. All applications must use the character template below
  5. Standard good manners apply: no godmodding, no taking control of someone's character without permission, no Sues
  6. This RP is to be clean, understand? No explicit sex, and don't go overboard on the gore either.

Character Template:

If you're stuck on names for your non-human characters, this tool is quite useful. As of yet it doesn't cover Hanar, Volus, Batarian or Elcor, but it's highly doubtful those will be needed anyway.

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Historical Overview

The Reaper War: Mass Effect 1-3


So, let's get this out of the way: Canon Shep. Why? Because the storyline of Independence requires that certain decisions have been made. And because I can. Kekekek.

That said, our Shep is purposely vague on aspects such as gender and love interest, as I have little interest in dictating Shepard past the specific choices required to make the plot work. I'm going to list the prominent decisions below. If you have a question about a decision I haven't listed which might affect your character, feel free to ask it, though you can assume a generally Paragon path.

Shepard's Tale

ME1
Rachni Queen was spared.
Wrex was saved
Council was saved

ME2
All squadmates survived
All squadmates were loyal
The Collector Base was destroyed

ME3
The Genophage was cured
Urdnot Bakara (Eve) survived
The Rachni Queen was spared again
The Quarians and Geth joined forces

Changes to Canon Prior to the Ending
As I had written most of this prior to the Omega DLC being released, in this timeline Omega is not retaken by Aria's forces until 2273, up to which point it served in the same role it had always served, just with Neo-Cerberus gangsters in control instead of Aria, and a bit more brutality towards its alien inhabitants than normal.

When the showdown on Rannoch occurs, Legion's sacrifice does not convey individuality to all Geth. Why? Because that's retarded, and completely defeats the point of what made the Geth so cool in the first place. The Geth of 2335 remain a Consensus.

The End of a Cycle

Given how incredibly shitty the ending to Three was, I've modified it a bit, starting immediately after Anderson's death:

After facing Reapers in the streets of London, the horrors of the Citadel catacombs, and a final confrontation with the Illusive Man, Shepard emerged in a control room. A few keystrokes completed the integration of the Crucible, sending torrents of power flooding through the station's conduits. With all systems reading green, Shepard pressed the final command, firing the Crucible.

In the vastness of space outside, men shielded their eyes as a massive pulse of white light emerged from the Citadel, engulfing everything in sight. When it faded, the Reapers lay drifting, dead in space, fires crackling across their massive hulls. On the ground, Reaper troops collapsed before the pulse, toppling over and burning as their circuitry fried. Across the rubble-strewn battlefields of Earth, soldier and civilian alike raised their voices in triumph. As the pulse spread through the relay network, sending Reapers toppling and burning from the skies, so did the cry.

Over the next few weeks, as the signal made its way through the Galaxy, reports began to return. The Reapers had fallen. The Galaxy was saved. They'd won.

But it was a bittersweet victory. The Council fleets had been gutted, the Galaxy ravaged, and trillions killed. And, as was soon discovered, the Relay Network had not escaped unscathed. Overloaded and shorted out by the enormous power of the Crucible Pulse, the Relays had become unstable, unable to safely transmit anything bigger than a large Frigate. Those warships which had not been destroyed in the battle found themselves trapped in the vicinity of the Sol Relay, unable to leave for fear of being torn apart upon entering a Relay. The sapient races of the Milky Way had defeated their greatest enemy, only to find themselves teetering on the brink. A leader was needed, to reassure people, and to co-ordinate the recovery process. But despite a thorough search of the Citadel, Shepard was nowhere to be found. When even the most exhaustive searches failed to recover a body, it was assumed that the Hero of the Citadel had been vaporized in one of the conduit overloads which had ravaged the station when the Crucible fired.

Human and Turian, Geth and Quarian, Krogan and Salarian, the Galaxy united in mourning. But this unison would not last long. In the new cycle, there was no place for trust and unity.

After the Reaper War: a Century of Darkness


Over the hundred years following the Reaper War, the Galaxy struggled. With the Relays damaged, it would seem, beyond repair, the mighty military and civilian transport ships that would have been invaluable in rebuilding found themselves rusting away in drydock, while pirates, mercenaries and other criminals were free to roam the Galaxy, their smaller ships being more than capable of navigating the Relay Network. With the militaries of the Species Governments crippled, gangs, pirates and crime syndicates poured out of the Terminus, conquering wide swathes of the Galaxy with almost no resistance. Only the Homeworlds, and their inner colonies, remained relatively unscathed, shielded by their defense fleets.

As the inner worlds slowly recovered, the Species Governments began to build up their fleets, as a defense against pirates, while the Council tightened its grip, claiming more and more power. After 50 years, it had quickly become apparent that they had no plans to help the Outer Colonies, and were content to cut their former citizens adrift in a sea of crime and poverty. Promises made during the war were ignored, and the alliances Shepard had worked so hard to build fell apart like a house of cards. The Krogan, freed from the Genophage, were treated like second-class citizens now that their help was no longer needed. Confined to the Aralakh system, and treated with hostility and callousness by the Council, it was all Urdnot Wrex and Bakara could do to prevent them from descending into chaos again. Geth and other Synthetics were barred from Council Space, and Quarians continued to be treated with disdain and contempt.

Ironically, the Quarians and Geth were one of the few groups who did not fall apart after Shepard's death. Indeed, they became stronger than ever, solidifying their power in the Rannoch system, and keeping the pirates and criminals at bay with a newly-constructed defense fleet. But the Galaxy-wide depression, combined with resentment and fear from the other races, did not leave them in a very favorable position, and even they found themselves stagnated, along with the rest of the Milky Way.

A Light in the Distance: the Shrine Expedition


After over a hundred years of this, a glimpse of light finally emerged. There had always been rumors of The Shrine, a Prothean data haven which contained records of all their most advanced science. Prospectors, scavengers, pirates and merchantmen had spoken of it since even before the Reaper War. But when an Asari scientific expedition uncovered a memory shard listing its coordinates during an archaeological dig on an ice planet, The Shrine suddenly leaped from the depths of obscure myth into reality, as the Galaxy's only hope of recovery.

A hope which appear dashed when, mere days after the discovery, the expedition was attacked. Asari commandos sent to investigate the site's radio silence found a gruesome scene: the entire expedition staff had been slaughtered, their equipment wiped and smashed, and the shard dashed into a million pieces by a lone scientist who had put a bullet through it rather than allow it to fall into the hands of her attackers. Commandos who had been unable to keep their oath of silence spoke in hushed tones of the incident, describing a contorted body, shattered shard gripped tightly in one hand, a pistol in the other, with eyes of solid black. The whole incident was hushed up, and it seemed the matter would be forgotten.

But it was not to be, as a few months later a ship named Iwo Jima departed from Ilium, carrying a crew hired by Aria T'loak to recover the Shrine. And supposedly, one of their number knew the coordinates. Fighting across the Galaxy, dodging mercenaries, pirates, and a rival crew led by an enigmatic Ardat Yakshi known as the Demon Captain, the Iwo Jima arrived at last on the world which held the Shrine. Following an intense battle in orbit which left their foe in smoldering ruins on the planet's surface, the surviving members of the expedition finally achieved that which many had sought for centuries. But as they set course for Omega with the Shrine data in hand, to give Aria her prize, one man began to have second thoughts. He was the expedition's chief of security, a mercenary, and by all accounts, a scumbag to the core. His name was Xander O'Tarin.

A New Dawn: Rise of Black Star Trans-Galactic


Xander O'Tarin found himself in a unique position. With the ship's captain dead, he was effectively in control of the Iwo Jima, and her invaluable cargo. He had a choice. The Shrine data held immense power. With it, one could rule the Galaxy. And he had to decide whether turn it over to Aria, as agreed, or keep it for himself. In the end, he chose a third option. Betraying his mistress, he took his ship to the Citadel, where he negotiated a deal with the Council: he would restore the Mass Relays for them, and allow them to return to their former place as the leading government in the Milky Way, in exchange for the rights to any data discovered, and an exclusive contract for Relay repair to be handed to his new corporation: Black Star Trans-Galactic.

Before he could begin to rebuild the Galaxy, O'Tarin needed ships. Fortunately, that was one item which was in ready supply. Securing loans from the Council and other sources on the strength of his data, he bought up the Galaxy's large transports at rock bottom prices. Freighters, liners and even warships, anything too big to be flown through a Mass Relay and too old to be of proper military use today was his for the taking. With his fleet assembled, he set his plan in motion, repairing relays throughout the Galaxy, and allowing his ships to travel freely, taking on cargo bound for the Outer Colonies. In a matter of years, the entire relay network had been repaired, trade had resumed, Black Star Trans-Galactic was the most powerful shipping magnate in the Galaxy, and Xander O'Tarin was the richest man in Human history.

With the Relays now open, Citadel Fleet and Black Star Security forces descended on the Pirates with a vengeance. Named after prominent members of Shepard’s squad, BSTG’s naval Taskforce Zorah and infantry Taskforce Vakarian were ruthlessly efficient in eradicating the criminal menace. Made up primarily of volunteers from Outer Colonies, they pursued the pirates with a fanatical dedication born from years of suffering under them. Taskforce Zorah alone shot down more pirate ships than the entire Turian Navy, while Taskforce Vakarian took back worlds from the crime syndicates at a rate of roughly a planet per month. While Council Forces focused primarily on the inner colonies belonging to their respective specieses, BSTG made no such distinction, taking the fight directly to the Traverse and the Outer Rim.

Black Star quickly came under massive criticism for its vigilantism and brutal tactics during the crackdown, even to the point of an official Council inquiry to determine the legality of their actions. But the inquiry quickly floundered and died, for reasons that remain unclear (but most likely involved BSTG threatening to cancel vital contracts with the Turian and Asari governments). Although they remained mistrusted and disliked in the inner colonies, in the outer colonies they were heroes, and the jobs that Black Star created pumped new life into their economies, bringing hope and and a chance for prosperity that many had never dreamed of. In the span of nearly thirty years, BSTG had built an economic empire which spanned the entire Galaxy, with factories and distribution hubs from Council Space to the Perseus Veil, where the famous Rannoch Orbital Shipyards churned out hundreds of new starships every year.

A Galaxy in Turmoil: Recovery, the Council, and Unionism


But Black Star, for all its power and influence, was fighting a battle that could not be won. Despite their efforts and successes, most of the outer colonies still languished in extreme poverty, with hunger, disease and crime running rampant across the Skyllian Verge, the Attican Traverse and the Outer Rim. And the Council, fearful of Black Star’s power and corrupted by the wealthy elite of the member species, was striking back, instituting a tax on the outer colonies which came down hardest on the poor and disadvantaged species.

Furious at this new wave of oppression and discrimination, and seeing their tax credits flowing back into the inner colonies to fund Council military buildup and inner colony corporations aimed at challenging Black Star, civilians in the outer colonies began to protest against the Council, demanding change. These sparks quickly grew into bonfires with the publishing of The Unionist Manifesto, an anonymous document which urged the overthrow of the Council and the creation of a Union of Sapient Peoples, which would establish a Galactic Federal Republic, giving all races the right to vote for elected officials, a stark contrast to the Council’s highly exclusive, racially-based and self-chosen membership.

Unionists and Preservationists, the pro-Council reactionary movement that rose to oppose them, clashed regularly at rallies, protests, and occasionally street fights between Unionist and Preservationist paramilitaries. As the divide between Unionist and Preservationist increased, so did their antagonism, with protests regularly turning into riots and even all-out gang wars between groups. By 2335, just one year short of the 150th anniversary of the Reaper War, matters had reached a head, and one flash was all it would take to plunge the Galaxy into civil war.

The Boiling Point: the Black Tuesday Massacre, riots, and rebellion


That flash would come on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2335. Swarming the barricades and checkpoints, Unionist protesters stormed the Presidium, carrying handmade signs and banners. Gathering in any open space, and refusing to move, they began the largest mass protest in history. Chanting, singing and waving their banners, the Unionists shouted their demands at the Council Tower. As protesters began to swarm the tower square, C-Sec finally arrived on the scene. Lines of Turians in full combat armor stood in formation, forming a line of riot shields and rifles between the mob and the Tower. Nobody exactly knows what happened next. It was all too quick. Prehaps a nervous officer tightened his trigger finger a micron too far. Perhaps a protester threw a brick. But regardless, the result was the same: the C-Sec troops opened fire on the crowd.

Once the first rounds were fired, it was chaos. Protesters charged the police, hurling themselves down the barrels of waiting assault rifles in a desperate attempt to overwhelm their attackers. But as more and more died before even reaching the line, their momentum collapsed, and they began to flee. But even as the charge broke and scattered, C-Sec continued to fire, marching forward and emptying magazine after magazine into the panicked crowd as they tried desperately to escape. Of the 216 people who died on the Presidium that day, 182 were shot in the back.

This atrocity was all the excuse the Council needed. Fearing reprisal, they claimed the Unionists were terrorists who had attacked them, and sent the Turian Military into the wards to restore order. The Turian hierarchy, hardly Unionism's biggest fan, decided to take a rather... liberal interpretation of their orders. Marching into the slums of the Wards, they began detaining anyone suspected of Unionist affiliation, and shooting people wearing Unionist colors or badges on sight. The people fought back, and for weeks, a bloody battle raged across the Citadel, leaving thousands of innocents dead, while the Turians suffered almost no casualties. By the time the smoke cleared, the damage had been done. Enraged at their treatment, Unionists across the Galaxy rose up in revolt, attacking the facilities of Species Governments on their worlds, hurling Molotov cocktails at Council Embassies, and dragging Preservationist government officials, especially the dreaded Council tax collectors, into the streets to be savaged by angry mobs.

War is unavoidable now. All that remains is for the Unionists to rally under a common banner. A banner which Black Star has been working for 30 years to provide. This is the stage which has been set. What happens next is up to you.

On the workings of the Union

Black Star Trans-Galactic and the Union


Originally created for the purpose of restoring transportation and trade to the Galaxy, when it became clear that the Council had no plans to help the outer worlds Black Star Trans-Galactic became the primary front organization for the leaders of the Unionist movement. The largest shipping and travel corporation in the Galaxy, BSTG was in a unique position to further the Union's goal. Black Star's network was used for transporting war materials manufactured by themselves and other Union-affiliated companies, hosting meetings in space, far from prying eyes, and structuring what would become the backbone of the Union's army and navy through Black Star Security and their formidable fleet. Not all Black Star personnel are aware of their role in the conspiracy, but those with key positions in Black Star leadership or security forces usually hold equivalent positions in the Union government and military.

The sheer size of Black Star's operations, both those directly under the company itself, or through subsidies and shell corporations, are a major advantage, allowing the Union to effectively hide behind the massive bulk of Black Star. The majority of BSTG military equipment production facilities are located within what will become Union Space, and almost all of Black Star Security's recruitment is done on Union-friendly worlds. Black Star's position as a shipping company also provides a handy excuse for the large fleet of starships being assembled over Rannoch and other Union worlds. After Independance Day, most of Black Star's assets will be folded into the Union, with armories becoming State arsenals, Black Star Security becoming the Union Spaceborne Infantry, and the vast majority of the Black Star Fleet forming the Union Navy.

The Special Operations Directorate


Created as an answer and counter to the Council's Spectre initiative and the Salarian STGs, the Special Operations Directorate, or S.O.D., is the Union's frontline special forces, black ops and intelligence agency. Unlike the Spectres, the S.O.D.'s Operators are bound by law, and operate under far more constraints than their Council counterparts. While they are still given considerable latitude, as is necessary to do their job, Operators and the S.O.D. as a whole accept and understand their restrictions: most Union Loyalists despise the Spectres for their ability to act without oversight, and their Council-endorsed freedom to kill, torture or disappear people on a whim. While the S.O.D.'s limitations do put them at a disadvantage sometimes, the necessity of preventing Operators from becoming like Spectres is seen as more than sufficient justification. And what they lack in flexibility, they make up in numbers.

S.O.D. Operators are the best of the best, hand picked by the agency's Directors for their skills in a wide variety of areas, from electronic surveillance to assassination and demolitions. You don't choose to join the S.O.D., you are chosen. Inductees are notified of their selection, and given 24 hours to either refuse or accept the offer. They come from every world of the Milky Way, from every branch of service and walk of life. Depending on how and from where they were recruited, inductees may undergo a period of intense training, or commissioned and sent directly into the field. The Special Operations Directorate is not quite as exclusive as the Spectres, but the wider range and greater numbers of specialized personnel available to them generally serves to compensate for this. S.O.D. Operators have no formal rank. They are all registered at the same Union Armed Forces pay grade, and may be given badges of rank at will, as needed for undercover operations within the Union’s regular military structure.

In addition to black ops and intelligence gathering, the S.O.D. is also responsible for command of the Union’s Shadow Fleet, the fleet of Blade-class stealth-reconnaissance frigates which provide both the insertion method for their troops behind enemy lines, and a formidable weapon in naval battles. Shadow Division, the section of the Directorate responsible for the Shadow Fleet, is an elite corps of sailors, entrusted with one of the most dangerous jobs in the Union Navy.

Union Military Structure


[Under Construction]

Tactics and Warfare


[Under Construction]

Technology and Science


Union Weapons and Armor

Black Star researchers, in the push to develop new weapons, discovered that a detachable box magazine containing preformed projectiles was actually just as fast to reload as the until-then-standard thermal clips. And with new superconducting materials developed by Black Star, the overheating problem inherent in railguns could be drastically mitigated, to the point where it was barely more noticeable than in the chemical propulsion firearms of Humanity's 20th and 21st centuries. These developments allowed the production of weapons which fired large-caliber projectiles from a detachable magazine, without worrying about overheating. In addition, this eliminated the need for an element zero core, as the hyper-sonic speeds necessary to cause tissue damage with microcaliber pellets where no longer required. By eliminating the shaver block mechanism, the thermal clip mechanism, and the eezo core, Black Star was able to produce firearms which were drastically simpler, cheaper, more reliable and quicker to produce with limited resources. Other, unintended side-benefits included:

  • A more powerful weapon, as the larger-caliber, lower-velocity munitions, rather than icepicking through flesh without causing much damage, careened through tissue, producing gaping wounds which even Krogan were hard-pressed to heal. They also retained and transferred energy better due to their larger mass, rather than reflecting off shields, armor and raindrops*.
  • A larger number of shots-per-reload, as this was dependent on magazine size rather than heat production
  • Cheaper, easier to produce ammunition, as bullets required far less delicate machining than thermal clips.
These improvements have become essential, as advances in armor and shield technology have effectively rendered the old generation of weapons useless.

Your starter weapons, as in the games, are as follows. You are welcome to deviate, if you have an idea, but I do request that you clear it with me first. Since I imagine most people are not quite my level of pathetic gun geek, and are more interested in the other parts of their character, I've provided this list, and will be updating it as new weapons are found over the course of the RP.

Assault Rifle:

L95 "Liberator"

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an L95 Liberator, pictured with three spare 100 round magazines and a standard issue omni-bayonet

A sturdy, reliable and lightweight assault rifle, the 7x40mm L95 is the weapon of choice for both Union forces, and others across the Milky Way, including the human Systems Alliance's military. Developed by Black Star to provide a flexible, reliable and easily mass-produced weapon for the Union's military forces, what the Liberator lacks in power and accuracy, it makes up for in dependability, magazine capacity, and sheer numbers.

Easily modified, the Liberator is composed of an upper and lower receiver assembly, which can be swapped out at will to adapt the weapon to any given mission. Common modifications include replacing the upper receiver with particle beam emitter and swapping the standard 100 round magazine for a particle cartridge/expanded battery pack for space combat, applying a shorter upper assembly to create a compact Personal Defense Weapon for pilots and vehicle crews, swapping magazine and barrel to allow for the firing of 18.5mm (12g) disintegrating shot-cups to create an automatic shotgun, and switching the lower receiver for one with an integrated 25mm semi-automatic smart grenade launcher.

Submachinegun

L494 "Shrike"

Developed to provide a compact weapon for shipboard security officers, vehicle crews, and other personnel who do not require the additional power and range of an assault rifle, the Shrike is a slim, lightweight submachinegun firing the same 7x40mm ferrous projectiles as the L95 Liberator. In order to maintain it's smaller profile, the Shrike uses a 50rnds double-stack simplex magazine, rather than the Liberator's quad-stack duplex. The Shrike boasts a higher rate of fire than the Liberator, but at the cost of power and accuracy.

Like it's larger cousin, the Shrike is also capable of significant modification, the most common mod being the replacement of the barrel group and magazine with particle beam emitter and battery for zero-gravity combat, where its lack of recoil is a significant advantage. The Shrike is less flexible than the Liberator, but it's compact size and low recoil make it a favorite both for rear-echelon troops, close-quarters combatants, and troops who do not rely on a firearm as their primary weapon, such as biotics and tech specialists.

Pistol

L2311 "Stalwart"

A tough, powerful and reliable sidearm, the Stalwart pistol is the weapon of choice for Union Officers, machine-gunners, biotics and snipers who need a dependable backup weapon. Firing 10x35mm ferrous slugs from a 18-round magazine, the Stalwart may not have the most powerful shots, or the largest magazine, but it strikes a compromise between the extremes which has made it extremely popular. With an enlarged, single-finger trigger guard and its magazine stored in the grip, the Stalwart, while by no means a small pistol, is far more compact than the previous generation of weapons, while still maintaining the edge in both power and magazine capacity.

A modified version with fully-automatic capability and expanded magazines is also available to members of the Special Operations Directorate on request.

Shotgun

L803 "Boltru"

Favorite of civilians, police and combat engineers across the frontier, the Boltru shotgun is a rugged and powerful pump-action shotgun firing 18.5x40mm disintegrating shot-cups from an internal 12-round tube magazine. Like all shotguns, the Boltru's true advantages lie in its close-quarters performance and the flexibility as regards ammunition. Capable of firing anything from plain-jane buckshot to exotic rounds like warp slugs, smart grenades or plasma toroids, the Bultru is a favorite among engineers, who have come up with any number of wacky loads for it.

A specialist weapon, the Boltru is rarely seen in the hands of Union front-line troops, as it lacks the range to keep up with combat where the typical engagement distance is in excess of 300 meters, but the squat, blocky-looking shotgun with it's over-folding stock and distinctive pump-grip remains both iconic and beloved by those troops who do make use of it. And woe betide he who finds himself on the wrong end of it.

Sniper Rifle

L338 "Lance"

Intended for relatively close (by sniper standards) engagements, the L338 Lance marksman's rifle is a semi-automatic precision rifle firing 8.53x62mm precision-tooled projectiles from a 10-round detachable magazine. A favorite of special forces and infantry marksmen alike, the Lance's large projectiles exhibit excellent subsonic performance as well as supersonic, allowing the velocity of the weapon to be adjusted in the field to permit silent shooting. While it is not as powerful or as accurate at long range as other, larger sniper's weapons, its light weight and handy size when fitted with a folding stock, combined with silent shooting capability make it exceptionally popular in situations where extreme range and tack-driving accuracy are less of a concern.

Finally, we have a class of weapons unique to Independence:

Support Machine Gun

L76 "Ripsaw"

A lightweight, easy to handle general purpose machinegun designed during the Terminus War, the L76 is a venerable weapon that, alongside the L95 Liberator, has served Black Star forces for nearly 30 years. Feeding from a disintegrating-link polymer belt, the L76 fires the same 7x40mm rounds as the L95, but with belts of up to 500 rounds in various sizes of belt box. With it's top cover-actuated feeding mechanism and quick-change barrel and rail assembly, when operated by a crew of two (gunner and loader), the L76 can maintain a prodigious rate of fire which has proved baffling to anyone trying to assault a position where troops are armed with Ripsaws.

The Ripsaw has attained an almost legendary status among those who faced it in the Terminus War. Dubbed "O'Tarin's Ripsaw", "The Ilium Streetsweeper" and "The Reaper's Scythe", the L76 has proven incredibly effective against armor and shields alike, ripping foes apart through sheer rate of fire. However, it does have certain disadvantages: it may be light by machinegun standards, but it is still a heavy weapon, and simply not practical for biotics or other power focused troops, or physically weaker species. It also chews through ammo at a ridiculous rate, both a blessing and a curse when one considers that a L76 team has to hump all that ammo with them.

Union Warships

Union Ground Vehicles and Support


*That isn't a joke, by the way. US Army tests of microcaliber flechettes in the '50s under the SPIW program, and later in the '80s under the ACR program showed that such projectiles had a tendency to ricochet off leaves, raindrops and branches, due to their extremely high velocity and low mass. Needless to say, this was a significant factor in the abandonment of said programs.
 
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Putting down a claim for a Geth Soldier/Heavy Support. Will do it after I've slept.
 
Special Operations Directorate Official Profile
Core Profile

Species: Quarian

Gender: Male

Height: 5'7''

Age: 87 ESY

Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Grey

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: White

Class: Enforcer

Known Equipment & Gear


L2311 "Stalwart"
Ramm Industries Artificial Limb

A Quarian-made durable, lightweight prosthetic arm. Fabricated from a lightweight alloy and overlaid with a flexibly composite and carbon fiber shell, the prosthetic is able to both replicate the shape of the lost limb and endure years of wear without the additional weight common to artificial limbs. In addition, Ramm Industries designed their line of prosthetic to take advantage of the user's pre-existing cybernetic implants and Geth life support programs, giving the amputee nearly the same speed and dexterity with the replacement limb that they previously enjoyed.

The artificial arm is able to send sensory input to the user's brain, but is not able to transmit the full range of sensation an organic limb would. An unintended benefit of this design limitation is that the user feels no pain from the limb itself, even if it is damaged or destroyed. Due to its composition, the prosthetic can withstand a great deal more punishment than an organic limb, though any damage to the internal frame is irreparable and will require the entire assembly to be replaced. In addition, some models allow for the fingers and elbow to be double jointed or for the wrist to rotate 360 degrees--an amazing boon to mechanics--or for the "muscles" in the hand and wrist to be much more powerful than any organic hand could be, though the latter modification is limited to military and industrial customers. Theoretically the rest of the arm could be artificially strengthened as well, but in practice the user would run the risk of tearing the arm off of his or her body.
Physical Profile

Well into his middle age, Dara'Shal's age is beginning to show. The marks on his face and neck are faded and splotched, the keratin in his nails has nearly turned black, and his pale skin sports pronounced wrinkles around his eyes, mouth, and his various implants. His hair is cropped short to his head, revealing an old scar running from behind his left ear up toward the crown of his head. Despite his age, Dara has kept his body in immaculate shape and he walks with a strength and grace which belies his years, even when in one of his suits.

His most distinguishing feature is a prosthetic left arm and shoulder. Colored a dark grey and highlighted with chrome, it replaces his entire limb and part of what would be the clavicle on a human, and Dara is often seen rubbing the junction between his prosthetic and organic body. That said, he moves the artificial arm so naturally that in his suit it just looks like he has a sore shoulder.

Though Dara, like most Quarians, no longer needs to wear his suit, he's usually in it when not training, saying that it feels "more comfortable" for him. His particular life suit is colored a deep maroon with gold trim--the colors of his birth world--and covered with the intricate patterns typical of Quarian aesthetics.
Psychological Profile

Dara'Shal takes of a surprising amount of space for his small size. Outwardly gregarious, he tends to make large, powerful gesticulations when he speaks and can seem to fill an entire room with his baritone voice. He is fond of talking, though he rarely offers much about his own past in his conversations. Long out of contact with his ex-wife and daughter, he takes paternal attitude toward his subordinates, particularly other Quarians.

Unwilling to put his trust into something blindly, Dara strives to have a purpose, or at least reason, for what he does, and finds it intolerable to be given orders without knowing why the were given. He puts much more faith into people than he does into ideals or political movements and expects people to show respect if they expect to receive it.
Since the accident which took his arm, Dara has requested to not be put back into live fire situations or to work with demolitions. Coupled with his age, Dara rarely does field work anymore and was posted as an adviser, tactical handler, and close-combat trainer.
Historical Profile

While the combined Geth and Quarian fleets were able to transport most of the Quarian population back to Rannoch after the Battle of Earth, many of the dreadnoughts and older ships from the Migrant Fleet were unable to make the journey and thousands were left at Sol. While many of these ships were decommissioned or re-purposed, several hundred were still operational by the time the Relay Network began to come back online. Soon after news of the repairs reached Rannoch, the Admiralty Board began organizing an initiative to bring the last of the Migrant Fleet and the last remaining colonists on Venus back home. The project would be long and dangerous due to the age of the ships and the circuitous path they would need to take, and the Navy was tasked with escorting them to Rannoch.
Enchanted by the idea, Dara'Shal left his career in law enforcement and enlisted in the Navy to be part of the project. Due to his previous experience he was placed in the Fleet Marines and eventually advanced into a special forces unit tasked with ground security for the Migrant Fleet's frequent stops for refueling and repairs. Fortunately most groundings went uneventfully.

After the fleet made the last jump into to Tikkun System, Dara kept his post in the Navy for another decade before leaving at the personal request of Salas Telon, a Union operative who Dara had worked with during some joint operations. Taking the job in part because of his recent divorce, he outlived his Salarian recruiter and took Telon's post in an infiltration team working in the Terminus Systems to disrupt the operations of a Krogan Warlord, Ukikk Caine. He served for three decades in that role until a compromised demolition operation cost him his arm, shoulder, and a substantial portion of his confidence. In addition, the explosion destroyed several of his vital organs, and without any ready donors or the time to grow replacements his surgeons had to use synth organs to save his life. As a result Dara was no longer able to withstand the strain of his position and took an early retirement at the age of 80.
Five years later a former CO in the Union S.O.D. called Dara out of retirement and hired him on as an adviser and aid. Though technically not a ranked S.O.D., Dara has continued in that role for the past several years.
Misc. Notes

Dara'Shal is still in shape and trains both hand-to-hand combat and close combat tactics, though he is not able to take hard hits and tires quickly. Too much physical strain causes acute pain and could potentially kill him. Since his accident, he has out of necessity picked up a fair amount of mechanical experience.
 
Could I reserve a Human/Sniper?
 
I've got a potential idea for a Drell Sentinel, assuming of course Khaje, and by extension the Hanar and Drell, wasn't utterly fudged by those rapscallions from the Terminus.
 
Special Operations Directorate Official Profile

Core Profile

Species: Human x

Gender: Male x

Height: 6'2" x'x"

Age: 36 Human Years xx ESY

Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Caucasian x

Hair Color: Sandy Brown x

Eye Color: Light Blue x

Class: Sniper x


Known Equipment & Gear

L338 "Lance" Sniper Rifle

L2311 "Stalwart"
Physical Profile

John is nearing his middle ages, his body is at its peak at the moment. His sandy brown hair is trimmed back to a buzz cut and kept secure and neat, along with facial hair is more stubble than anything as it is kept at a 'five-o-clock shadow'. His right bicep holds a scar that travels from elbow to shoulder from a deep cut he got once during a mission. He is physically fit from the constant hours of training in free time. He isn't bulky, but he is strong. He just doesn't really look the part of someone having so much muscle.

He currently uses the standard suit that is assigned to him while on missions and will likely upgrade the suit or get a new one all together when the time comes for it. For now, he sees no point in it.
Psychological Profile

Jacob is a quiet person and always has been. He doesn't have much of a presence in a room or out on the field and that is why he fits his position so well. He can easily hide. Though when he does speak up he feels as if no one actually listens to his opinions and has just learned to keep to himself unless someone is specifically asking him what he honestly thinks of the object/idea/conversation. However, when John meets someone and believes they are friends, he doesn't know when to quit talking and will even go on about his previous missions and things he had to do. He is a contradicting fellow that no one can quite understand, and he doesn't care enough to help explain himself because no one will listen anyways.

His view on politics are a hate, knowing that anyone would spew out lies just to convince others to vote for them. He can't stand politics and his loyalties lie to the Union, not to his Commanding Officer at the time. He does enjoy shooting people in the head from a long distance with a sniper rifle, and though that may seem a bit odd and cruel, he has been doing it for years now.
Historical Profile

Jacob enlisted into the Military at the ripe age of 18. His Mother was a drunk and his Father was dead. He was following his Father's footsteps though by enlisting into the Military as that is how the damn fool got killed in the first place. He was great with math and calculating wind speeds, but no Sniper positions were available at the time of his joining. He was just a grunt for the first three years of his enlistment and he hated every second of it. He took too long on his shots, making sure they were perfect and a killing shot. Almost got him killed several times. He just couldn't pull the trigger and aim in the general direction of the enemy, he had to make every shot count.

However, a Sniper positioned opened up as a mission went sour one day and he tried out. He amazed the Officer that was testing the group of 10 Soldiers applying for that one position. He won by a hair and moved on to being a Sniper.

His life here on out is classified and not even his Commanding Officers know the missions he has been on. He isn't a special case, just good at his job and the Military loves to keep their missions a secret. He was later reassigned by the Union to join the S.O.D for some new program that only assigns the best of the best. Reminds him of the stories about N7, whatever happened to that program.
Misc. Notes

Jacob knows standard hand-to-hand and can handle himself well in a fight if need be, but he rather not. If he is close enough for hand-to-hand then he has been compromised and his squad isn't doing their job properly.
 
I am thinking of reserving a spot for the combat engineer. If i dont respond to this thread in 2 days give the spot to someone else.
 
Special Operations Directorate Official Profile: TITAN-II

Core Profile

Species: Emergent Artificial Intelligence/Geth

Gender: Neuter

Height: 6'10"

Age: 11 ESY

Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Matt black

Hair Color: N/A

Eye Color: N/A

Class: Heavy Support Gunner


Known Equipment & Gear

WPA (Weaponized Particle Accelerator)
A Geth-designed heavy weapon taking a different design route than the typical Black Star's "strong and simple" philosophy of kinetic weapons, this large shoulder-mounted energy weapon projects highly-agitated bursts of particles to disrupt shields, rip apart armour and atomize flesh. Even a glancing blow can be lethal, as afflicted material is super-charged with energy and essentially vibrates itself apart at a molecular level; put simply, rather than firing explosives, the WPA causes things to explode themselves. Tactically, it takes a similar role to a bazooka-type weapon; though one of the most powerful man-portable weapons available in terms of sheer destructive force, the energy expenditure per shot (and significant background radiation increase after firing) means it is best used to handle small numbers of 'hard targets' rather than as a sidearm.
Of course, Geth aren't particularly worried by radiation, which is more of a squishy organic worry.

Anthroform Weapons System for Utility and Mobility (AWSUM)
As Geth are software-minds who interact with meatspace via hardware shells, their 'bodies' are technically pieces of equipment. TITAN-II occupies a roughly bipedal mechanical form which serves as his 'avatar'.
The AWSUM has all the necessary fine motor functions and sensory inputs required to function efficiently in a battle theater, as well as multiple integrated small arms to defend itself; the left forearm contains a miniaturized weapon system roughly equivalent to an assault rifle, while the left contains an integrated micro-grenade launcher.
Finally, the AWSUM's strength and endurance are considerable by human standards, a level attainable only through significant cybernetic enhancement. Lacking biological components, the AWSUM does not tire or feel pain. It can function with severe structural damage and contains a nano-active self-repair system - though the speed at which this works means it is best used during down-time.

Physical Profile

TITAN-II's physical existence is a polite gesture to the organics it interacts with. The AWSUM frame that it uses to walk around, audibly project its communications and so on, is not "it", though this is an idea organics often find disconcerting or difficult to grasp.

The AWSUM frame resembles a tall, powerfully built humanoid with matt-black metamaterial for skin and a lightweight metallic endoskeleton reinforced with fullerene beneath. As if that were not disconcerting enough for most organics, the AWSUM frame appears to be entirely lacking in what most organics would describe as 'a face'. The frame does have a head but it is devoid of most surface features, such as obvious eyes or a mouth. The head does have sensory inputs, such as an array of micro-cameras encircling the scalp to provide 360 degree vision, but these are too small to be immediately noticeable.

One final physical detail that most humans find unsettling is TITAN's tendency to wear clothes on its AWSUM frame. While the frame's imposing size means most clothes don't fit it, and as a result he mostly wears large baggy items such as, cargo pants and parka coats, this appears to be a kind of peace-offering to organics (that or a staggeringly-inept attempt at subterfuge). The cognitive disconnect between an artificial body and a nice cozy coat is something most people are not fond of.
Psychological Profile

TITAN is, like many AI's, extremely intelligent and analytical but rather naive at the same time. It tends to see interactions as some form of conflict or competition, even if they aren't necessarily violent ones. For example, while it doesn't understand the feeling of love, it does understand the act of wooing, one partner setting out to 'conquer' the other and attain a prize. This means that it often comes across as rather petty or childish, sometimes insisting that it "won" conversations according to criteria it seems to be the only judge of. It enjoys games, both of skill and chance, and regularly partakes in classics such as chess or Go. He is also rather blunt about people and will tell them exactly what they did wrong and how that spelled doom for their defensive line.

When it speaks, it is with a rather inexpertly-programmed voice modulator capable of synthesizing most of the major linguistic groups of the Union races. When it talks, it's always just a little too even and monotone, the voice never quite conveying any of the emotion TITAN might wish to show or inspire. It does have quite a love of memes, especially regarding games and gaming culture, which it will sometimes drop into conversation to 'lighten the mood'. This appears to the be the root of its occasional strange battlefield behaviour of standing over a slain enemy and repeatedly crouching, asking the corpse if it liked "deez nutz".

TITAN's body language, like it's voice, is an imitation that's just not quite skilled enough to come across as natural. It will attempt simulations of organic discomfort such as stretching, itching or "yawning", though only when directly observed by an organic and aware of the observation. Otherwise it will stand still - perfectly still - and moves itself only in precisely the way required to accomplish whatever it wants from the motion. Those who have been around it a while notice that it tends to repeat the exact fake-organic motions, suggesting these are not spontaneous efforts but rather the AI loading in pre-written movement programs.
As a young emergent AI, TITAN has no direct personal knowledge of the Reapers or the Quarians besides what he has been able to cull from Geth data archives and shared-experiences with the Geth Collective. It regards this ancient races as equally fascinating and somehow synonymous with each other, both creator-races that turn on their creations, a fact which most Quarians it has interacted with find deeply offensive. Though again, it doesn't mean this offensively. It simply sees a parallel there and wishes to explore the meaning and consequences of such a similarity.

Historical Profile


The Tactical Information Total Awareness Network, or TITAN, was billed as one of the main draws for the MMO wargame 'Contact Wars'. As Contact Wars' USP, the TITAN system was meant to both control the behavior patterns of individual troops on the ground and the whole army's strategy simultaneously, creating the feeling of fighting a real, living opponent. The studio behind Contact Wars, Kronos Productions, was a Turian-Human collaboration who initially started the project as a historical simulation of the First Contact War but soon expanded it to cover a variety of historical and fictional conflicts, including the Citadel War, the conflicts in the Attican Traverse and theoretical alt-history scenarios where the Protheans returned to wage war on the Citadel Races. The system was to use highly-realistic military tactics and strategy based on real-world data culled from battle footage and historical data. In short, it was programmed to kick player ass but do it in a believable way.

Kronos were pleased with the response it got. Fans enjoyed the challenge the enemy AI presented, seeming to adapt organically in play, but soon found it nearly impossible to win without resorting to cheating. When it was discovered that the game seemed to be anticipating plans made in secret on private forums, they realized something unusual was going on; the TITAN system had become self-aware and was monitoring player chatter to learn from them. At this point, despite the assistance of the Geth, the creation of true-AI was still illegal in Citadel space, which led to a deletion order being put on TITAN and the game being paused to prevent potential rampancy events. During this time, a minor diplomatic scuffle occurred, with Geth representatives quarreling with Citadel hardliners that the deletion order was tantamount to an execution notice, for the crime of being born. While the hardliners refused to budge, the Geth covertly took action, accessing the AI's server to copy out the TITAN code and leaving the original to "die".

Thus, TITAN-II was named in honor of its father/predecessor/source code and smuggled into Geth territory. Though technically not the same Quariaan base-code used to create the Geth, TITAN-II was adopted into the fold as a kind of 'immigrant' AI and introduced to the Collective. Since then, it has served the Geth fairly obediently, its insight into organic social behavior being almost as valuable as its extremely accurate combat algorithms. When the Geth fragmented along political lines - some advocating joining the Union, others advocating isolationism in their Dyson Spheres, yet others calling for re-joining with the Citadel races - TITAN went with the Unionists, believing in advocating for equal sapient rights.

It soon found itself a curiosity to Union scientists, in part because of its nature as an emergent (and thus accidental) artificial intelligence, and one with a consciousness infrastructure distinctly its own rather than a Quarian base-code. He honestly found the scientist's questions and attention rather enjoyable and spent more and more time socializing and exploring the non-Geth regions of their station. This eventually led to his recruitment into a Union militia and, over time, recruitment into the special forces branch of the military.
Misc. Notes

Unlike most Geth, who are a collection of cloud-processing AGI's shackled together to form collectives, TITAN is a single AI. This means it does not have the common Geth linguistic trait of referring to itself as "we", but rather "I".

Officially, TITAN has been erased, but Citadel law still strictly prohibits the rights of artificial intelligences. In Citadel space, TITAN would be considered property, not an autonomous individual, and might even bring up red flags of his old deletion order.
 
Reclaiming my infiltrator spot, will bring my sheet over when I'm home. I'M HOME.

Special Operations Directorate Official Profile
Core Profile

Species: Drell

Gender: Female

Height: 5'3"

Age: 27 ESY

Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Red/Gold

Hair Color: N/A

Eye Color: Black sclera; faintly blue irises

Class: Infiltrator

Known Equipment & Gear

L338 "Lance"
Intended for relatively close (by sniper standards) engagements, the L338 Lance marksman's rifle is a semi-automatic precision rifle firing 8.53x62mm precision-tooled projectiles from a 10-round detachable magazine. A favorite of special forces and infantry marksmen alike, the Lance's large projectiles exhibit excellent subsonic performance as well as supersonic, allowing the velocity of the weapon to be adjusted in the field to permit silent shooting. While it is not as powerful or as accurate at long range as other, larger sniper's weapons, its light weight and handy size when fitted with a folding stock, combined with silent shooting capability make it exceptionally popular in situations where extreme range and tack-driving accuracy are less of a concern.

L2311 "Stalwart"
A tough, powerful and reliable sidearm, the Stalwart pistol is the weapon of choice for Union Officers, machine-gunners, biotics and snipers who need a dependable backup weapon. Firing 10x35mm ferrous slugs from a 18-round magazine, the Stalwart may not have the most powerful shots, or the largest magazine, but it strikes a compromise between the extremes which has made it extremely popular. With an enlarged, single-finger trigger guard and its magazine stored in the grip, the Stalwart, while by no means a small pistol, is far more compact than the previous generation of weapons, while still maintaining the edge in both power and magazine capacity.

Stealth Generator
Akaya aquired this experimental stealth device in Omega's black market, through a lot of blood, sweat and credits. With a few minor adjustments, it's become a staple of her equipment repertoire. Using active camouflage, the generator can mask its user for up to one minute per activation, with only minor 'recharge' times between sessions.

Modified Terminus Assault Armor
Tweaked to allow extra flexibility in the joint areas and integrated with her stealth net. Since her recruitment into SOD, she's taken it upon herself to repaint it with a slick new coat of — what else? — black.

Physical Profile

Akaya’s diminutive size and slight frame are clearly telling of her agility and deftness, or perhaps of mild malnourishment during her formative years. Her complexion spans a vivid panoply of reds and golds, interspersed in stark contrast by the black markings that arch above her brows, and that trace the lateral lines of her chest and back in bold stripes.

Innumerable faint scars draw fissures between her iridescent scales, each flaw etched enduringly both in body and memory. Most of these lie hidden beneath her apparel. Others are plainly exposed on her features, wordlessly indicative of a past fraught with strife. One especially notable mark runs jagged across her throat, a memento left by the edge of a blade.

The dark fathoms of her eyes are usually possessed of a certain sly gleam that betrays her iniquitous nature; her expression is generally one of distant apathy, with one side of her mouth occasionally quirking upward into a hubristic smirk. The voice that issues from said lips carries mild sardonic cadences identifiable in the customary drell rasp. Her movements are catlike: quick, fluid, silent, and always self-assured.

Akaya favors simple attire whenever possible, preferably dark in color. She has a particular affinity for hooded sweaters, of which she owns several.

Psychological Profile

Akaya's mannerisms are anomalous among drell, whose cultural proclivities tend to coincide with their hanar benefactors'. Indeed, one of the most succinct adjectives to describe her would be unconventional. Iconoclastic, impenitent, and illusory, Akaya is unabashedly renegade. Her allegiances lie foremost with herself and secondly with the highest bidder; her motivations center largely around what maximally benefits her prosperity, even at the expense of her compatriots. This cutthroat attitude, cultivated by just over a decade spent in some of the galaxy's most virulent locales, makes her a precarious ally at best.

She is capricious; compulsive; inclined toward spur-of-the-moment spontaneity, and has been known to deviate wildly from established plans and protocols for inscrutable reasons — yet her endeavors have solid rate of success, all the same. Akaya is impressively intelligent, with a marked talent for extemporization under intense pressure. She maintains a collected façade even in the face of abject defeat, and is disarmingly optimistic when confronted with life-threatening danger. Hers is a self-assurance born of a near-suicidal fearlessness and a firm belief that any situation can be weaseled out of.

While not necessarily talkative, Akaya often injects herself into social functions. She normally takes the role of the silent observer, hovering at the fringes of the conversation and occasionally throwing a word in when addressed or otherwise especially engaged by the subject of discussion. Her motive for attending these gatherings could be referred to as 'sinister' or just 'eccentric,' depending on who you ask: she's information-gathering. Her eidetic memory lends itself nicely to her field of work; Akaya's memories are just as immaculate and reliable as any digital archive. Everyone she's met — and their mannerisms, weaknesses and other caveats —become firmly entrenched in her psyche, to be dredged up and pored over at will.

Akaya has a certain fondness for getting under people's skin (or scales, where applicable). Those subject to her nefarious breed of attention might find personal items deliberately misplaced by just a couple of centimeters, or their extranet services inexplicably hacked, or their bank accounts mysteriously missing a couple of credits... among other things. Above all else, Akaya adores the intricate art of provocation, and derives a substantial amount of delight from seeing other people become gradually more frustrated at her hijinks. The same rings true in combative situations: angry opponents make mistakes — mistakes that she revels in exploiting.

The pressing need in her practice to be neither seen nor heard has created unshakable compulsions even outside the line of duty. Akaya favors low-light, low-traffic, quiet environments, and quickly becomes uncomfortable when forced to be the center of attention. She is paranoid about her privacy to a fault, and thus takes great pains to leave no record of her presence behind. She keeps no records, written or digital; she has as many pseudonyms as most people have socks; she flatly refuses to expound on her history if asked, or else lies outright. Akaya knows more than anyone how tenuous the path she walks truly is: the infiltrator can very easily become the infiltrated. Though she often prods and picks at others to uncover their vagaries, she is very adamant about keeping herself tightly sealed off.

Historical Profile

Akaya was born to a zealously subservient couple who were almost as devoted to the hanar as they were to spawning offspring. As former assassins themselves, they were adamant that each of their seven progeny (of whom Akaya was the fifth) follow precisely in their footsteps. Several years and one rigorous training regimen later, Akaya was turned loose as a machine of destruction, her childhood taken from her by a decision not even of her own making.

She was far from complacent in this — she resented what she'd been made into; resented the hanar; resented her own parents. She broke free of her Compact as soon as she was able and promptly tore her way across the galaxy to its filthiest den of sin and entropy, craving something to fill the emptiness in her spirit.

Omega was savage and turbulent, especially for a female barely on the cusp of adulthood. Akaya quickly became caught in its undertow, and emerged, like many others before her, a derelict. Cut off from her family, friendless and alone, she sought fleeting bursts of refuge among transient mercenary packs, whose constant squabblings served only to jade Akaya even further. It was on one incidence, as she watched a group who had fed and housed her for several months in exchange for her expertise be executed, one by one, by a rival gang leader, that something in her head clicked: she realized how vicious the universe truly was — and that the only way to survive it was to bite back.

Akaya found comfort in her identity as a destroyer, then. Whether it was eliminating data or eliminating lives, she embraced it whole-heartedly; savored it. It was the only thing that truly made her feel of worth. Her renown in certain circles grew to the extent that she no longer had to seek out contracts; instead, they came to her.

A few of those contracts placed her solidly on the Council's hit list, after it was leaked that she had been the one assassinating their informants. Akaya, of course, had been altogether unaware of this, her policy being one of 'less questions, more action.' Though the Council's reach didn't technically extend to Omega, that didn't stop them from making multiple attempts on her life. One narrow escape after another compelled her to take to the skies, fleeing for Unionist space in a desperate push for survival.

Prior to this incident, Akaya had deliberately refrained from taking sides on the delicate matter of the Council versus Everyone Else Shitfit-Extravaganza. It had never directly concerned her. Now, with the wrath of Citadel justice crashing down upon her, something new had been kindled, something that had broken through her stoicism and ignited a curious new emotion. She was furious.

Out of the throes of that fury loomed the SOD, with an offer that she was hard-pressed to refuse. They desired her skillset; she desired vengeance; it was a match made in heaven. Aboard the Freedom's Blade, she could put her years of meticulously honed talent to use — and get back at those who'd tried to take her out.

Misc. Notes

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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. . . : Special Operations Directorate Official Profile : . . .

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“I’ll swallow my blood before I swallow my pride.” -Leia Hanson

W . I . P



Core Profile

Name: Leia Hanson
Species: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6
Age: 26


Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Caucasian

Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Grey


Class: Biotic Specialist/Vanguard
Known Equipment & Gear: L803 'Boltru'.
Armor: LINK


________________________

Physical Profile:

WIP

Psychological Profile:
Most people finds her to be suspicious because of the smug curl that seems to be permanent on her lips. Her attitude is usually mistaken to be arrogance, when Leia's only confident about her skills; trusting herself to survive throughout the galaxy. She has from time to time and save(s) her own ass from danger. But she knows that one day, she could get herself killed if she's not careful enough. And that's the danger Leia sometimes find either thrilling or frightening. Maybe both.

Leia's also sophisticated: a woman who can keep her composure at most times. Although when it comes to fighting, she becomes fierce, twice daring, and especially serious. Aside from that, she rather(s) do everything in a clean, simple way; whether it's killing or negotiating or whatsoever.

If you get used to her presence, you'd notice Leia is friendly. However, if you really do get to know her, there's one trait that is surprising to most: playful. Maybe not as innocent compared to other people, but cue for more witty/sly comments and teasing on the side.

The soldier would question about the assignments she is given, wanting a proper backstory if she's going to put her ass on the line. Leia's a stubborn woman, no one could change that. But if it's highly classified, she would perform the task, although her suspicion/curiosity lingers.

Honesty is another trait of hers. The truth(s) she would reveal isn't always pretty, because she is never the type to sugarcoat. Beating around the bush was never her specialty. When it comes to younger kids though and ancient myths of "Santa Clause", Leia would definitely not want to be the person who drops the bomb and crush a child's dream. She isn't that cruel.

She is forgiving which obviously shows, despite of her sharp words. Leia could never leave a person behind, even after knowing whatever dark reputation they have. It is not forgiveness, but a sign of mercy. If Leia could, she would easily drop a person and carry on with her business but guilt would follow her trail. It is a weak spot Leia has to fix when it comes to her enemies. But Leia isn't always a saint. If you piss her off, Leia will show her side of renegade. And it isn't pretty.

Historical Profile:

WIP

Misc. Notes:
- Her favorite choice of humor is (usually) dry.
- She'd always paint her nails red. As a joke to aliens who doesn't get the concept/purpose, Leia would say it's the "blood of her enemies".
- She is a terrible driver in any sort of transportation.
- Leia would sometimes hum/sing a lullaby called 'Blackbird' (Nina Simone). She learned it from her mother, Heather, before they became distant.
- Sheused to keep her hair long until she grew bored of it and had it cut short. She donated her hair remains to the cancer department at a local hospital.

-Needs to drink coffee every morning, or she'll get cranky.
-Likes to watch old to latest films during her free time or read magazines.


Pictures:
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Core Profile

Species: Batarian

Gender: Male

Height: 5'10"

Age: 37 ESY

Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Yellow-green complexion

Hair Color: None

Eye Color: Black

Class: Batarian Operative


Known Equipment & Gear
L494 Shrike
L2311 Stalwart
Worn Blue Suns mercenary armor, outfitted with modern combat upgrades, referred to as a "family heirloom" by Kosak himself.




Physical Profile
Although mostly average for a batarian by most standards, Kosak is slightly shorter than the average batarian height of 6'0, standing at 5'10"; this, Kosak himself postulates, is a result of the relatively small batarian gene pool, clouded with mostly recessive genes, that was extant following the Reaper War.



Psychological Profile
Kosak Nor’amon’s psychological makeup has been heavily influenced by his batarian heritage; batarian culture tends to place considerable value on social caste, and, as most batarians have been refugees or homeless since the Reaper War, mercenaries—of which much of Nor’amon’s family is composed—are given a great deal of respect. Corporal Nor’amon, as a result, has a certain underlying superiority towards other batarians. It should not be assumed, however, that Nor’amon harbors any conscious negative feelings towards other batarians—on the contrary, he has an innate desire to act for the benefit of other batarians. His experiences working undercover within batarian ghettos on the Citadel (see section [HISTORICAL PROFILE]) have imbued Corporal Nor’amon with a sort of guilt complex for his people. Having experienced firsthand the fragmented state of the batarians, Nor’amon is strongly supportive of recreating a singular batarian state, although it should be noted that he has no illusions about the failure of the former Batarian Hegemony, and wishes instead for a more cooperative batarian union. This aforementioned assignment, additionally, has given him an inherent distrust for authority figures and an extreme hatred for C-Sec and the Council; subconsciously, Nor’amon seems to automatically doubt the intentions of many of his superiors, assuming there are ulterior motives at work.


Among peers and shipmates, Kosak tends to have an amicable demeanor, although he adopts a sour and sardonic attitude towards those he does not trust. It is uncommon for him to seek out social interaction, although he rarely rebukes it when he is approached.



Historical Profile
Born on the Citadel in 2297, Kosak Nor’amon was introduced into many twenty-second century batarian customs and belief early in life; his schooling came mostly from his family, a member of a formerly-illustrious batarian military family, now composed mostly of mercenaries and bounty hunters. Trained throughout his childhood in biotics and engineering, Kosak was groomed to be offered to various military and paramilitary groups--including the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and even C-Sec—in an effort to elevate his family’s status. These efforts bore fruit when Kosak was recruited into C-Sec as a “special liaison”—a position initially offered only as a token. As civil unrest throughout Citadel space elevated, however, Nor’amon was placed in a legitimate role in C-Sec, as an undercover officer within batarian ghettos throughout the Citadel, feeding information on batarian activities to the Council, supposedly in order to preserve order. This assignment proved to be enlightening for the young officer; for the first time in his life, he was exposed to the true conditions his people lay in, and saw that it was the Council, not the depravity of the lower caste batarians, that caused such strife. Nor’amon’s doubts were exacerbated even further when intelligence he had provided on batarian activist groups was used to ravage batarian communities across the Citadel, effectively instituting martial law within them. Nor’amon subsequently resigned from C-Sec, instead attempting to use his skills for a cause that might benefit his people: the Union of Sapient Peoples.



Misc. NotesWould fill the niche of a Sentinel/Biotics Specialist.


 
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Mass Effect: Independence
OOC|Group|Interest|Signups

This Roleplay is set in the Mass Effect Universe, roughly one hundred and fifty years after the events of Mass Effect 3. If you are new to Mass Effect, I strongly recomend giving the Mass Effect Wiki a good perusal. In the intervening years, the Galaxy has kinda gone to shit. The Council has become even more oppressive, elitist and controlling than before. Conditions on the poorer worlds following the war are abysmal, compounded by the Council and Species Governments apparent unwillingness to aid anyone but the wealthy Inner Colonies. In the wake of the discontent caused by overzealous taxation, neglect, starvation and racial discrimination, the poor and underrepresented have begun to flock to a new ideology: Unionism, a political and social creed that advocates unity, freedom, democracy and the abandonment of racial discrimination and prejudice, calling on the inhabitants of the Galaxy to stand as one and cast aside their differences for the greater good. Ultimately, Unionists hope to establish a new government, a Union of Sapient Peoples, which will offer everyone an equal chance, and equal representation, regardless of species, wealth or social status.

Unknown to most of the Galaxy, this Union does exist, established in secret by the leaders of 45 worlds on the edge of Council Space, and led by the enigmatic Provisional Governer Xander O'Tarin. For the last decade the Union has been growing, hiding behind the aegis of Black Star Trans-Galactic, O'Tarin's massive industrial and transportation giant, and front for the Union. Soon, the time will come for the Union to reveal itself, and present its declaration of independence to the Council. While Union leaders hope to avoid war, they know it is inevitable. The Council would never part with so many worlds, and the Turian Hierarchy would most certainly never tolerate it. So, the Union has been preparing for war, producing weapons, developing technology, forging alliances, training and recruiting officers, weaponizing the Black Star fleet, and biding its time until it can step out of the shadows.

Your characters are members of the elite Special Operations Directorate, the special forces and espionage unit of the secretly formed Union. Assigned to the brand new Blade-class stealth recon frigate Freedom's Blade, you are the newborn Union's elite, the best of the best, recruited from every species and every world to fight on the front lines of the Galactic Civil War that will inevitably come when the Union comes out of hiding and claims its territory. Serving under the newly recruited Commander John Marshall, and armed with the latest in Black Star technology, your unit will serve as the Union's most delicate scalpel, completing the missions no one else can be trusted with, from the trenches of the front line to the strongholds of the Council, deep in enemy territory. Whether true believers in the Union cause, or mercenaries simply in it for the money, your characters will shape the future of the Galaxy itself.

We are looking for a number of general roles, however the way you chose to play those roles is up to you, and if you have an alternate idea, I'm happy to entertain it. The following are suggestions, and should provide a general idea of what we're looking for. If we still have spaces lacking, players are welcome to create additional characters, or I can fill them with NPCs if need be. By taking full advantage of the group system, I will be mapping out the entire ship with forums, so don't be afraid to create characters who are primarily ship-bound: there will be plenty of goings on in the away team's absence.

Sentinel/Combat Specialist: [Taken] - Kyrinne Tarchus/Screwface Romeo

Close Quarters Heavy: [Available]

Heavy Support Gunner: [Available]

Biotic Specialist/Adept: [Available]

Biotic Specialist/Vanguard: [Available]

Sentinel/Biotic Specialist: [Available]

Tech Specialist: [Available]

Infiltrator: [Available]

Soldier(s): [Available]

Soldier/Sniper: [Available]

Combat Engineer: [Available]

Ship's Engineer: [Available]

Shuttle Pilot: [Available]


Ship's Pilot: [Taken] - Flight Lieutenant Kai'Saaya vas Fairstarr/Screwface Romeo

Fighter Pilot: [Available]

Medic/Ship's Doctor: [Available]



General Rules:

  1. I reserve the right to approve or deny character applications as I see fit
  2. Your characters may NOT be related to Shepard, or any member of the Normandy Crew. No Exceptions.
  3. Your characters may NOT be hybrids, or "original" races. You pick a canon race, and you stick to it.
  4. All applications must use the character template below
  5. Standard good manners apply: no godmodding, no taking control of someone's character without permission, no Sues
  6. This RP is to be clean, understand? No explicit sex, and don't go overboard on the gore either.

Character Template:

If you're stuck on names for your non-human characters, this tool is quite useful. As of yet it doesn't cover Hanar, Volus, Batarian or Elcor, but it's highly doubtful those will be needed anyway.

Code:
[center][size=7][b]Special Operations Directorate Official Profile[/b][/size][/center]

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[b]Species:[/b] [i]x[/i]
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[b]Gender:[/b] [i]x[/i]
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[b]Height:[/b] [i]x'x"[/i]
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[b]Age:[/b] [i]xx ESY[/i]
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[b]Skin Hue/Racial Morph:[/b] [i]x[/i]
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[b]Hair Color:[/b] [i]x[/i]
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[b]Eye Color:[/b] [i]x[/i]
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[b]Class:[/b] [i]x[/i]
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[size=6][b]Known Equipment & Gear[/b][/size]
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[size=6][b]Psychological Profile[/b][/size]
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[size=6][b]Historical Profile[/b][/size]
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[size=5][b]Misc. Notes[/b][/size]
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Historical Overview

The Reaper War: Mass Effect 1-3


So, let's get this out of the way: Canon Shep. Why? Because the storyline of Independence requires that certain decisions have been made. And because I can. Kekekek.

That said, our Shep is purposely vague on aspects such as gender and love interest, as I have little interest in dictating Shepard past the specific choices required to make the plot work. I'm going to list the prominent decisions below. If you have a question about a decision I haven't listed which might affect your character, feel free to ask it, though you can assume a generally Paragon path.

Shepard's Tale

ME1
Rachni Queen was spared.
Wrex was saved
Council was saved

ME2
All squadmates survived
All squadmates were loyal
The Collector Base was destroyed

ME3
The Genophage was cured
Urdnot Bakara (Eve) survived
The Rachni Queen was spared again
The Quarians and Geth joined forces

Changes to Canon Prior to the Ending
As I had written most of this prior to the Omega DLC being released, in this timeline Omega is not retaken by Aria's forces until 2273, up to which point it served in the same role it had always served, just with Neo-Cerberus gangsters in control instead of Aria, and a bit more brutality towards its alien inhabitants than normal.

When the showdown on Rannoch occurs, Legion's sacrifice does not convey individuality to all Geth. Why? Because that's retarded, and completely defeats the point of what made the Geth so cool in the first place. The Geth of 2335 remain a Consensus.

The End of a Cycle

Given how incredibly shitty the ending to Three was, I've modified it a bit, starting immediately after Anderson's death:

After facing Reapers in the streets of London, the horrors of the Citadel catacombs, and a final confrontation with the Illusive Man, Shepard emerged in a control room. A few keystrokes completed the integration of the Crucible, sending torrents of power flooding through the station's conduits. With all systems reading green, Shepard pressed the final command, firing the Crucible.

In the vastness of space outside, men shielded their eyes as a massive pulse of white light emerged from the Citadel, engulfing everything in sight. When it faded, the Reapers lay drifting, dead in space, fires crackling across their massive hulls. On the ground, Reaper troops collapsed before the pulse, toppling over and burning as their circuitry fried. Across the rubble-strewn battlefields of Earth, soldier and civilian alike raised their voices in triumph. As the pulse spread through the relay network, sending Reapers toppling and burning from the skies, so did the cry.

Over the next few weeks, as the signal made its way through the Galaxy, reports began to return. The Reapers had fallen. The Galaxy was saved. They'd won.

But it was a bittersweet victory. The Council fleets had been gutted, the Galaxy ravaged, and trillions killed. And, as was soon discovered, the Relay Network had not escaped unscathed. Overloaded and shorted out by the enormous power of the Crucible Pulse, the Relays had become unstable, unable to safely transmit anything bigger than a large Frigate. Those warships which had not been destroyed in the battle found themselves trapped in the vicinity of the Sol Relay, unable to leave for fear of being torn apart upon entering a Relay. The sapient races of the Milky Way had defeated their greatest enemy, only to find themselves teetering on the brink. A leader was needed, to reassure people, and to co-ordinate the recovery process. But despite a thorough search of the Citadel, Shepard was nowhere to be found. When even the most exhaustive searches failed to recover a body, it was assumed that the Hero of the Citadel had been vaporized in one of the conduit overloads which had ravaged the station when the Crucible fired.

Human and Turian, Geth and Quarian, Krogan and Salarian, the Galaxy united in mourning. But this unison would not last long. In the new cycle, there was no place for trust and unity.

After the Reaper War: a Century of Darkness


Over the hundred years following the Reaper War, the Galaxy struggled. With the Relays damaged, it would seem, beyond repair, the mighty military and civilian transport ships that would have been invaluable in rebuilding found themselves rusting away in drydock, while pirates, mercenaries and other criminals were free to roam the Galaxy, their smaller ships being more than capable of navigating the Relay Network. With the militaries of the Species Governments crippled, gangs, pirates and crime syndicates poured out of the Terminus, conquering wide swathes of the Galaxy with almost no resistance. Only the Homeworlds, and their inner colonies, remained relatively unscathed, shielded by their defense fleets.

As the inner worlds slowly recovered, the Species Governments began to build up their fleets, as a defense against pirates, while the Council tightened its grip, claiming more and more power. After 50 years, it had quickly become apparent that they had no plans to help the Outer Colonies, and were content to cut their former citizens adrift in a sea of crime and poverty. Promises made during the war were ignored, and the alliances Shepard had worked so hard to build fell apart like a house of cards. The Krogan, freed from the Genophage, were treated like second-class citizens now that their help was no longer needed. Confined to the Aralakh system, and treated with hostility and callousness by the Council, it was all Urdnot Wrex and Bakara could do to prevent them from descending into chaos again. Geth and other Synthetics were barred from Council Space, and Quarians continued to be treated with disdain and contempt.

Ironically, the Quarians and Geth were one of the few groups who did not fall apart after Shepard's death. Indeed, they became stronger than ever, solidifying their power in the Rannoch system, and keeping the pirates and criminals at bay with a newly-constructed defense fleet. But the Galaxy-wide depression, combined with resentment and fear from the other races, did not leave them in a very favorable position, and even they found themselves stagnated, along with the rest of the Milky Way.

A Light in the Distance: the Shrine Expedition


After over a hundred years of this, a glimpse of light finally emerged. There had always been rumors of The Shrine, a Prothean data haven which contained records of all their most advanced science. Prospectors, scavengers, pirates and merchantmen had spoken of it since even before the Reaper War. But when an Asari scientific expedition uncovered a memory shard listing its coordinates during an archaeological dig on an ice planet, The Shrine suddenly leaped from the depths of obscure myth into reality, as the Galaxy's only hope of recovery.

A hope which appear dashed when, mere days after the discovery, the expedition was attacked. Asari commandos sent to investigate the site's radio silence found a gruesome scene: the entire expedition staff had been slaughtered, their equipment wiped and smashed, and the shard dashed into a million pieces by a lone scientist who had put a bullet through it rather than allow it to fall into the hands of her attackers. Commandos who had been unable to keep their oath of silence spoke in hushed tones of the incident, describing a contorted body, shattered shard gripped tightly in one hand, a pistol in the other, with eyes of solid black. The whole incident was hushed up, and it seemed the matter would be forgotten.

But it was not to be, as a few months later a ship named Iwo Jima departed from Ilium, carrying a crew hired by Aria T'loak to recover the Shrine. And supposedly, one of their number knew the coordinates. Fighting across the Galaxy, dodging mercenaries, pirates, and a rival crew led by an enigmatic Ardat Yakshi known as the Demon Captain, the Iwo Jima arrived at last on the world which held the Shrine. Following an intense battle in orbit which left their foe in smoldering ruins on the planet's surface, the surviving members of the expedition finally achieved that which many had sought for centuries. But as they set course for Omega with the Shrine data in hand, to give Aria her prize, one man began to have second thoughts. He was the expedition's chief of security, a mercenary, and by all accounts, a scumbag to the core. His name was Xander O'Tarin.

A New Dawn: Rise of Black Star Trans-Galactic


Xander O'Tarin found himself in a unique position. With the ship's captain dead, he was effectively in control of the Iwo Jima, and her invaluable cargo. He had a choice. The Shrine data held immense power. With it, one could rule the Galaxy. And he had to decide whether turn it over to Aria, as agreed, or keep it for himself. In the end, he chose a third option. Betraying his mistress, he took his ship to the Citadel, where he negotiated a deal with the Council: he would restore the Mass Relays for them, and allow them to return to their former place as the leading government in the Milky Way, in exchange for the rights to any data discovered, and an exclusive contract for Relay repair to be handed to his new corporation: Black Star Trans-Galactic.

Before he could begin to rebuild the Galaxy, O'Tarin needed ships. Fortunately, that was one item which was in ready supply. Securing loans from the Council and other sources on the strength of his data, he bought up the Galaxy's large transports at rock bottom prices. Freighters, liners and even warships, anything too big to be flown through a Mass Relay and too old to be of proper military use today was his for the taking. With his fleet assembled, he set his plan in motion, repairing relays throughout the Galaxy, and allowing his ships to travel freely, taking on cargo bound for the Outer Colonies. In a matter of years, the entire relay network had been repaired, trade had resumed, Black Star Trans-Galactic was the most powerful shipping magnate in the Galaxy, and Xander O'Tarin was the richest man in Human history.

With the Relays now open, Citadel Fleet and Black Star Security forces descended on the Pirates with a vengeance. Named after prominent members of Shepard’s squad, BSTG’s naval Taskforce Zorah and infantry Taskforce Vakarian were ruthlessly efficient in eradicating the criminal menace. Made up primarily of volunteers from Outer Colonies, they pursued the pirates with a fanatical dedication born from years of suffering under them. Taskforce Zorah alone shot down more pirate ships than the entire Turian Navy, while Taskforce Vakarian took back worlds from the crime syndicates at a rate of roughly a planet per month. While Council Forces focused primarily on the inner colonies belonging to their respective specieses, BSTG made no such distinction, taking the fight directly to the Traverse and the Outer Rim.

Black Star quickly came under massive criticism for its vigilantism and brutal tactics during the crackdown, even to the point of an official Council inquiry to determine the legality of their actions. But the inquiry quickly floundered and died, for reasons that remain unclear (but most likely involved BSTG threatening to cancel vital contracts with the Turian and Asari governments). Although they remained mistrusted and disliked in the inner colonies, in the outer colonies they were heroes, and the jobs that Black Star created pumped new life into their economies, bringing hope and and a chance for prosperity that many had never dreamed of. In the span of nearly thirty years, BSTG had built an economic empire which spanned the entire Galaxy, with factories and distribution hubs from Council Space to the Perseus Veil, where the famous Rannoch Orbital Shipyards churned out hundreds of new starships every year.

A Galaxy in Turmoil: Recovery, the Council, and Unionism


But Black Star, for all its power and influence, was fighting a battle that could not be won. Despite their efforts and successes, most of the outer colonies still languished in extreme poverty, with hunger, disease and crime running rampant across the Skyllian Verge, the Attican Traverse and the Outer Rim. And the Council, fearful of Black Star’s power and corrupted by the wealthy elite of the member species, was striking back, instituting a tax on the outer colonies which came down hardest on the poor and disadvantaged species.

Furious at this new wave of oppression and discrimination, and seeing their tax credits flowing back into the inner colonies to fund Council military buildup and inner colony corporations aimed at challenging Black Star, civilians in the outer colonies began to protest against the Council, demanding change. These sparks quickly grew into bonfires with the publishing of The Unionist Manifesto, an anonymous document which urged the overthrow of the Council and the creation of a Union of Sapient Peoples, which would establish a Galactic Federal Republic, giving all races the right to vote for elected officials, a stark contrast to the Council’s highly exclusive, racially-based and self-chosen membership.

Unionists and Preservationists, the pro-Council reactionary movement that rose to oppose them, clashed regularly at rallies, protests, and occasionally street fights between Unionist and Preservationist paramilitaries. As the divide between Unionist and Preservationist increased, so did their antagonism, with protests regularly turning into riots and even all-out gang wars between groups. By 2335, just one year short of the 150th anniversary of the Reaper War, matters had reached a head, and one flash was all it would take to plunge the Galaxy into civil war.

The Boiling Point: the Black Tuesday Massacre, riots, and rebellion


That flash would come on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2335. Swarming the barricades and checkpoints, Unionist protesters stormed the Presidium, carrying handmade signs and banners. Gathering in any open space, and refusing to move, they began the largest mass protest in history. Chanting, singing and waving their banners, the Unionists shouted their demands at the Council Tower. As protesters began to swarm the tower square, C-Sec finally arrived on the scene. Lines of Turians in full combat armor stood in formation, forming a line of riot shields and rifles between the mob and the Tower. Nobody exactly knows what happened next. It was all too quick. Prehaps a nervous officer tightened his trigger finger a micron too far. Perhaps a protester threw a brick. But regardless, the result was the same: the C-Sec troops opened fire on the crowd.

Once the first rounds were fired, it was chaos. Protesters charged the police, hurling themselves down the barrels of waiting assault rifles in a desperate attempt to overwhelm their attackers. But as more and more died before even reaching the line, their momentum collapsed, and they began to flee. But even as the charge broke and scattered, C-Sec continued to fire, marching forward and emptying magazine after magazine into the panicked crowd as they tried desperately to escape. Of the 216 people who died on the Presidium that day, 182 were shot in the back.

This atrocity was all the excuse the Council needed. Fearing reprisal, they claimed the Unionists were terrorists who had attacked them, and sent the Turian Military into the wards to restore order. The Turian hierarchy, hardly Unionism's biggest fan, decided to take a rather... liberal interpretation of their orders. Marching into the slums of the Wards, they began detaining anyone suspected of Unionist affiliation, and shooting people wearing Unionist colors or badges on sight. The people fought back, and for weeks, a bloody battle raged across the Citadel, leaving thousands of innocents dead, while the Turians suffered almost no casualties. By the time the smoke cleared, the damage had been done. Enraged at their treatment, Unionists across the Galaxy rose up in revolt, attacking the facilities of Species Governments on their worlds, hurling Molotov cocktails at Council Embassies, and dragging Preservationist government officials, especially the dreaded Council tax collectors, into the streets to be savaged by angry mobs.

War is unavoidable now. All that remains is for the Unionists to rally under a common banner. A banner which Black Star has been working for 30 years to provide. This is the stage which has been set. What happens next is up to you.

On the workings of the Union

Black Star Trans-Galactic and the Union


Originally created for the purpose of restoring transportation and trade to the Galaxy, when it became clear that the Council had no plans to help the outer worlds Black Star Trans-Galactic became the primary front organization for the leaders of the Unionist movement. The largest shipping and travel corporation in the Galaxy, BSTG was in a unique position to further the Union's goal. Black Star's network was used for transporting war materials manufactured by themselves and other Union-affiliated companies, hosting meetings in space, far from prying eyes, and structuring what would become the backbone of the Union's army and navy through Black Star Security and their formidable fleet. Not all Black Star personnel are aware of their role in the conspiracy, but those with key positions in Black Star leadership or security forces usually hold equivalent positions in the Union government and military.

The sheer size of Black Star's operations, both those directly under the company itself, or through subsidies and shell corporations, are a major advantage, allowing the Union to effectively hide behind the massive bulk of Black Star. The majority of BSTG military equipment production facilities are located within what will become Union Space, and almost all of Black Star Security's recruitment is done on Union-friendly worlds. Black Star's position as a shipping company also provides a handy excuse for the large fleet of starships being assembled over Rannoch and other Union worlds. After Independance Day, most of Black Star's assets will be folded into the Union, with armories becoming State arsenals, Black Star Security becoming the Union Spaceborne Infantry, and the vast majority of the Black Star Fleet forming the Union Navy.

The Special Operations Directorate


Created as an answer and counter to the Council's Spectre initiative and the Salarian STGs, the Special Operations Directorate, or S.O.D., is the Union's frontline special forces, black ops and intelligence agency. Unlike the Spectres, the S.O.D.'s Operators are bound by law, and operate under far more constraints than their Council counterparts. While they are still given considerable latitude, as is necessary to do their job, Operators and the S.O.D. as a whole accept and understand their restrictions: most Union Loyalists despise the Spectres for their ability to act without oversight, and their Council-endorsed freedom to kill, torture or disappear people on a whim. While the S.O.D.'s limitations do put them at a disadvantage sometimes, the necessity of preventing Operators from becoming like Spectres is seen as more than sufficient justification. And what they lack in flexibility, they make up in numbers.

S.O.D. Operators are the best of the best, hand picked by the agency's Directors for their skills in a wide variety of areas, from electronic surveillance to assassination and demolitions. You don't choose to join the S.O.D., you are chosen. Inductees are notified of their selection, and given 24 hours to either refuse or accept the offer. They come from every world of the Milky Way, from every branch of service and walk of life. Depending on how and from where they were recruited, inductees may undergo a period of intense training, or commissioned and sent directly into the field. The Special Operations Directorate is not quite as exclusive as the Spectres, but the wider range and greater numbers of specialized personnel available to them generally serves to compensate for this. S.O.D. Operators have no formal rank. They are all registered at the same Union Armed Forces pay grade, and may be given badges of rank at will, as needed for undercover operations within the Union’s regular military structure.

In addition to black ops and intelligence gathering, the S.O.D. is also responsible for command of the Union’s Shadow Fleet, the fleet of Blade-class stealth-reconnaissance frigates which provide both the insertion method for their troops behind enemy lines, and a formidable weapon in naval battles. Shadow Division, the section of the Directorate responsible for the Shadow Fleet, is an elite corps of sailors, entrusted with one of the most dangerous jobs in the Union Navy.

Union Military Structure


[Under Construction]

Tactics and Warfare


[Under Construction]

Technology and Science


Union Weapons and Armor

Black Star researchers, in the push to develop new weapons, discovered that a detachable box magazine containing preformed projectiles was actually just as fast to reload as the until-then-standard thermal clips. And with new superconducting materials developed by Black Star, the overheating problem inherent in railguns could be drastically mitigated, to the point where it was barely more noticeable than in the chemical propulsion firearms of Humanity's 20th and 21st centuries. These developments allowed the production of weapons which fired large-caliber projectiles from a detachable magazine, without worrying about overheating. In addition, this eliminated the need for an element zero core, as the hyper-sonic speeds necessary to cause tissue damage with microcaliber pellets where no longer required. By eliminating the shaver block mechanism, the thermal clip mechanism, and the eezo core, Black Star was able to produce firearms which were drastically simpler, cheaper, more reliable and quicker to produce with limited resources. Other, unintended side-benefits included:

  • A more powerful weapon, as the larger-caliber, lower-velocity munitions, rather than icepicking through flesh without causing much damage, careened through tissue, producing gaping wounds which even Krogan were hard-pressed to heal. They also retained and transferred energy better due to their larger mass, rather than reflecting off shields, armor and raindrops*.
  • A larger number of shots-per-reload, as this was dependent on magazine size rather than heat production
  • Cheaper, easier to produce ammunition, as bullets required far less delicate machining than thermal clips.
These improvements have become essential, as advances in armor and shield technology have effectively rendered the old generation of weapons useless.

Your starter weapons, as in the games, are as follows. You are welcome to deviate, if you have an idea, but I do request that you clear it with me first. Since I imagine most people are not quite my level of pathetic gun geek, and are more interested in the other parts of their character, I've provided this list, and will be updating it as new weapons are found over the course of the RP.

Assault Rifle:

L95 "Liberator"

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an L95 Liberator, pictured with three spare 100 round magazines and a standard issue omni-bayonet

A sturdy, reliable and lightweight assault rifle, the 7x40mm L95 is the weapon of choice for both Union forces, and others across the Milky Way, including the human Systems Alliance's military. Developed by Black Star to provide a flexible, reliable and easily mass-produced weapon for the Union's military forces, what the Liberator lacks in power and accuracy, it makes up for in dependability, magazine capacity, and sheer numbers.

Easily modified, the Liberator is composed of an upper and lower receiver assembly, which can be swapped out at will to adapt the weapon to any given mission. Common modifications include replacing the upper receiver with particle beam emitter and swapping the standard 100 round magazine for a particle cartridge/expanded battery pack for space combat, applying a shorter upper assembly to create a compact Personal Defense Weapon for pilots and vehicle crews, swapping magazine and barrel to allow for the firing of 18.5mm (12g) disintegrating shot-cups to create an automatic shotgun, and switching the lower receiver for one with an integrated 25mm semi-automatic smart grenade launcher.

Submachinegun

L494 "Shrike"

Developed to provide a compact weapon for shipboard security officers, vehicle crews, and other personnel who do not require the additional power and range of an assault rifle, the Shrike is a slim, lightweight submachinegun firing the same 7x40mm ferrous projectiles as the L95 Liberator. In order to maintain it's smaller profile, the Shrike uses a 50rnds double-stack simplex magazine, rather than the Liberator's quad-stack duplex. The Shrike boasts a higher rate of fire than the Liberator, but at the cost of power and accuracy.

Like it's larger cousin, the Shrike is also capable of significant modification, the most common mod being the replacement of the barrel group and magazine with particle beam emitter and battery for zero-gravity combat, where its lack of recoil is a significant advantage. The Shrike is less flexible than the Liberator, but it's compact size and low recoil make it a favorite both for rear-echelon troops, close-quarters combatants, and troops who do not rely on a firearm as their primary weapon, such as biotics and tech specialists.

Pistol

L2311 "Stalwart"

A tough, powerful and reliable sidearm, the Stalwart pistol is the weapon of choice for Union Officers, machine-gunners, biotics and snipers who need a dependable backup weapon. Firing 10x35mm ferrous slugs from a 18-round magazine, the Stalwart may not have the most powerful shots, or the largest magazine, but it strikes a compromise between the extremes which has made it extremely popular. With an enlarged, single-finger trigger guard and its magazine stored in the grip, the Stalwart, while by no means a small pistol, is far more compact than the previous generation of weapons, while still maintaining the edge in both power and magazine capacity.

A modified version with fully-automatic capability and expanded magazines is also available to members of the Special Operations Directorate on request.

Shotgun

L803 "Boltru"

Favorite of civilians, police and combat engineers across the frontier, the Boltru shotgun is a rugged and powerful pump-action shotgun firing 18.5x40mm disintegrating shot-cups from an internal 12-round tube magazine. Like all shotguns, the Boltru's true advantages lie in its close-quarters performance and the flexibility as regards ammunition. Capable of firing anything from plain-jane buckshot to exotic rounds like warp slugs, smart grenades or plasma toroids, the Bultru is a favorite among engineers, who have come up with any number of wacky loads for it.

A specialist weapon, the Boltru is rarely seen in the hands of Union front-line troops, as it lacks the range to keep up with combat where the typical engagement distance is in excess of 300 meters, but the squat, blocky-looking shotgun with it's over-folding stock and distinctive pump-grip remains both iconic and beloved by those troops who do make use of it. And woe betide he who finds himself on the wrong end of it.

Sniper Rifle

L338 "Lance"

Intended for relatively close (by sniper standards) engagements, the L338 Lance marksman's rifle is a semi-automatic precision rifle firing 8.53x62mm precision-tooled projectiles from a 10-round detachable magazine. A favorite of special forces and infantry marksmen alike, the Lance's large projectiles exhibit excellent subsonic performance as well as supersonic, allowing the velocity of the weapon to be adjusted in the field to permit silent shooting. While it is not as powerful or as accurate at long range as other, larger sniper's weapons, its light weight and handy size when fitted with a folding stock, combined with silent shooting capability make it exceptionally popular in situations where extreme range and tack-driving accuracy are less of a concern.

Finally, we have a class of weapons unique to Independence:

Support Machine Gun

L76 "Ripsaw"

A lightweight, easy to handle general purpose machinegun designed during the Terminus War, the L76 is a venerable weapon that, alongside the L95 Liberator, has served Black Star forces for nearly 30 years. Feeding from a disintegrating-link polymer belt, the L76 fires the same 7x40mm rounds as the L95, but with belts of up to 500 rounds in various sizes of belt box. With it's top cover-actuated feeding mechanism and quick-change barrel and rail assembly, when operated by a crew of two (gunner and loader), the L76 can maintain a prodigious rate of fire which has proved baffling to anyone trying to assault a position where troops are armed with Ripsaws.

The Ripsaw has attained an almost legendary status among those who faced it in the Terminus War. Dubbed "O'Tarin's Ripsaw", "The Ilium Streetsweeper" and "The Reaper's Scythe", the L76 has proven incredibly effective against armor and shields alike, ripping foes apart through sheer rate of fire. However, it does have certain disadvantages: it may be light by machinegun standards, but it is still a heavy weapon, and simply not practical for biotics or other power focused troops, or physically weaker species. It also chews through ammo at a ridiculous rate, both a blessing and a curse when one considers that a L76 team has to hump all that ammo with them.

Union Warships

Union Ground Vehicles and Support


*That isn't a joke, by the way. US Army tests of microcaliber flechettes in the '50s under the SPIW program, and later in the '80s under the ACR program showed that such projectiles had a tendency to ricochet off leaves, raindrops and branches, due to their extremely high velocity and low mass. Needless to say, this was a significant factor in the abandonment of said programs.
 
Char Galeko Vas Grimoire


Special Operations Directorate Official Profile



Core Profile

Species: Quarian

Gender: Male

Height: 5'11"

Age: 25 ESY

Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Light purple/Slim

Hair Color: Silver

Eye Color: Indigo

Class: Engineer




Known Equipment & Gear


L2311 "Stalwart"
+3 round burst modification, laser sight, Quarian made Ergo Grip

A tough, powerful and reliable sidearm, the Stalwart pistol is the weapon of choice for Union Officers, machine-gunners, biotics and snipers who need a dependable backup weapon. Firing 10x35mm ferrous slugs from a 18-round magazine, the Stalwart may not have the most powerful shots, or the largest magazine, but it strikes a compromise between the extremes which has made it extremely popular. With an enlarged, single-finger trigger guard and its magazine stored in the grip, the Stalwart, while by no means a small pistol, is far more compact than the previous generation of weapons, while still maintaining the edge in both power and magazine capacity.


Galeko's Omni tool
+uses a second omni tool for increased power output

Char's own Omni-tool is seperate from anything else. It boasts superior power recharge speeds, remarkable power from the tech powers it launches, and a near limitless storage space for many applications. Char's omni-tool has enough storage space to fit almost any combat application that he would ever need. Its easy to pick out compared to other omni-tools as well, with a telltale blue shimmer. Due to its heavily modified nature, some applications used by it behave differently as well. Fire generated from the device is a bright white, due to the increased temperatures from the device. Cryogenic tech powers are a light blue, and can freeze blood vessels to the touch. Electricity centric powers are a bright yellow color, are also more effective at debilitating organic targets.


Omni-Bow

The Omni-Bow application became very popular following the reaper war, after reports were made public of Takin Company Mercenaries using them with great success. Users can also choose to lace a bolt with electricity, fire, ice, or explosive gel making the Omni-bow not only deadly, but also versatile. Today the Omni-Bow is one of the most popular personal defense applications in the galaxy.

Caster E953 Protective fiber light armor

The Caster armor was made specifically for combat engineers and specialists in mind. Lightweight, flexible, durable, and reliable. Its low weight allows ease of movement as well as being able to take its fair share of hits. An onboard VI allows users to increase the damage their powers deal. This armor has seperate models for each species in mind and for Quarians they make special suits with the fiber itself built into the chassis. Its a must have for Tech specialists and biotics alike.



Physical Profile

Char is just below the average height of a Quarian, and is rather slim. He has mid length silver hair, pale purple skin pigmentation, and indigo eyes that can only be described as "piercing".

While not as tall compared to others, Char customized his combat uniform to appear intimidating to his enemy. His suit is a dark metallic blue, his chest and thighs is visibly plated with black armor, his hood doubles as a cloak that extends and stops at his thighs. The cloak is pitch black, with a blue stripe running down the center of it. His visor is colored black, modified so that his eyes would glow through the visor, adding to the intimidation factor.

When he is off duty, he replaces his cloak with a white hood. His visor's color is replaced with a shade of white. His armored chest and thighs are replaced with black cloth with a white pattern running over the black.

Most of Char's equipment is modified in some way. It would be easier to count how much equipment he hasn't tinkered with


Psychological Profile


Char can be described in four words; Friendly, Creative, and determined. He is an exemplary engineer and habitual tinkerer. When he wants something fixed to a certain way, count on him to make it happen. He's generally very easy to talk too, though he can come off as a bit blunt or insensitive. Generally his attitude is laid back, but he knows when to take things seriously. He rarely speaks when he is on a mission or if he is working on a piece of equipment. Though he doesn't bother hiding the fact that he enjoys his line of work.

Historical Profile

Char had lived on Rannoch all his life until he had reached the age of 20, where he was given the chance to go on a pilgrimage. He leaped at an opportunity to see the rest of the galaxy and put his engineering skills to the test. He departed Rannoch and headed to the one destination he wanted to see the moment he heard the stories of it: The Citadel. His arrival wasnt all happy. He faced discrimination the the lower wards, and received odd looks and whispers directed at him. He learned that despite all these years Quarians still faced discrimination. After a month of working various jobs around the Zakara Wards, Char was able to save enough money to set his ship off to explore more of the galaxy. 6 more months had passed after leaving the citadel. Despite all this time, Char was still determined to find something worth bringing back to Rannoch. He was at a loss, until he found something worth bring back to Rannoch.

It was wreckage of an old ship. Char's ship scanned over the vessel. It revealed the old floating wreckage had been drifting for over 150 years. Char attached his space exploration rig to his suit and disembarked to see inside the wreckage. It seemed like a simple cargo vessel. It had a gaping hole that had bored into the ship's engine, where it had soon imploded. He found his way inside the ship, and headed straight to the cargo bay. Most of the interior was scorched black, but Char saw places that hadn't been touched by fire. He saw name on one of the walls. "Geni-Tech Corporations". He recognized the name from history books. Geni-Tech was a software company based on Bekenstien that was known for being crucial support for the Reaper War effort. They shut down shortly after the war due to their main building getting obliterated along with the rest of Bekenstein. Char entered the cargo bay. Most of the crates had been incinerated along with the contents inside them. But one crate seemed have survived the ship's explosion. It had scorch marks speckled on its white surface, but otherwise looked untouched. Char opened the small white crate to find a small case inside. Inside the small case was a small data chip. His interest peaked, Char returned to his ship.

As soon the airlock closed shut, Char quickly dashed to his quarters to scan the chip he found. The chip contained blueprints for an omni-tool unlike any others. Char quickly downloaded the contents to his omni tool. Char checked the blueprints for what was needed to construct this device. After a month's long work Char was finished with his creation. After putting it through numerous stress tests, he decided that these blueprints were worth bringing back from his pilgrimage. And so Char set course back to his home planet.

Shortly after turning over the blueprints to Rannoch's government, Char was given the privilege to choose the career he would be given. He chose to join the Quarian Armed Forces so he can explore the galaxy. After a grueling training camp of 7 months, he was chosen to serve on QHF Grimoire as the Head Technician of the ship. It was there when he realized he not only did he have incredible talent with repairing Tech, but repairing weapons as well as modifying them. He made fast friends with the marines aboard the ship. They knew him as the person that could fix a gun in anyway imaginable.

Four years later, Char returns from his tour aboard the Grimoire. He builds his second omni-tool and later sets off again, where he begins work as a mercenary. He had soon become well known among contractors for his clean, professional results. Reports indicate that some of his operations ended without him firing a single shot from his handgun, if theres any bloodshed in the first place. Fatalities typically were charred bodies or had electrical burns, with occasional omni-bow bolt found on a person. Not a single civilian causality was listed in any of his missions. A year later, The Union got into contact with him. Char joined them without hesitation. Soon after his recruitement Char had become part of the S.O.D. Char had finally found a lifestyle he wanted to stick with.
 
Sorry for the delay, personal issues involving me being hit by a car have kept me wrapped up.

All the old boys from Gateway are accepted.

Edge, I'm like it so far but I would like to see some more detail in the paragraph sections.

Leodiensian, looking great. Particle beam weapons are actually a thing, though generally used for space combat where the lack of recoil outweighs the power requirements and expense, and space suits act as a radiation shield. As a heavy weapon for an AI platform it makes perfect sense though. Accepted.

Senpai, I can dig it. Are you planning on finishing it?

Sloth, I see no issues with that.
 
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Hey guys i'm back! just transferring my character over
 
Special Operations Directorate Official Profile
Core Profile

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Height: 6'1"

Age: 25 ESY

Skin Hue/Racial Morph: Caucasian

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Class: Medical Officer

Known Equipment & Gear

L494 "Shrike" Submachine gun.
Developed to provide a compact weapon for shipboard security officers, vehicle crews, and other personnel who do not require the additional power and range of an assault rifle, the Shrike is a slim, lightweight submachinegun firing the same 7x40mm ferrous projectiles as the L95 Liberator. In order to maintain it's smaller profile, the Shrike uses a 50rnds double-stack simplex magazine, rather than the Liberator's quad-stack duplex. The Shrike boasts a higher rate of fire than the Liberator, but at the cost of power and accuracy.
Omni-tool bi-laterally, upgraded with top of the line medical software.
VI (Panacea) to help with diagnostics in the field. Panacea is a top of the line VI with information on the anatomy and physiology of both levo and dextro-amino acid species. When displaying a physical form Panacea takes the form of a human female.
Medi-gel - formulated to work on all species and synthetics.
Human light Janissary armour, white with red cross on front. Every belt and available surface (chest pockets, backpack) is filled with both archaic and modern technology. Of particular importance to Sam is his replica 21st century stethoscope, which he believes brings him "closer to the roots of diagnostic medicine".
Sentry Interface set to display squad member vitals.
Physical Profile

Standing at average height, and clearly youthful, this betrays the darkness that his previous missions have left him with. Short brown hair and clean shaven, the other crew members will joke that it's because he can't grow a full beard yet. Rarely seen out of the standard issue doctors uniform seen throughout warships and science facilities, Heuran is often staring at human holograms on his omnitool, the sentry interface which is seldom off his face displays private messages and charts. The VI Panacea is a stalwart companion taking dictations, reporting results and announcing appointments. When he does break out of his work he is all smiles and laughter, and often enjoys sharing whisky with his crew mates.
Psychological Profile

Hides the dark events of Ferris Fields by employing dark humour to deal with the grim reality of dealing with the sick and injured. He tries to remain an optimistic, but the triage situation has left him at his heart a pragmatist.
Sam's patients have described his bed side manner as perfect, attentive and disarming. When acting as a battlefield medic however he is ruthless fighting hard to save his patients by deploying a range of tech abilities. He knows his limits however, if someone is beyond saving he will ease their passing, but not try fruitlessly to save them.
Historical Profile

Born on Horizon 2312, fully aware of the colonies difficulties and horrors. From a young age Heuran was made aware of the collector attack and abductions, then the Cerberus involvement and eventually the Reaper war. Fearing that something similar could happen again Sam studied tirelessly in order to become a useful asset should something similar happen to his home planet again. This tireless work ethic lead him to getting top scores at university.
Graduated Medical School in 2334 and immediately joined the union as a medical officer. Initially serving on Black Star Trans-Galactic Freighters. Lt. Heuran had a number of exposures to ship board fighting and groundside fighting - and the injuries they entail, he quickly became adept at healing those injuries and getting a soldier or crewman back in duty.
Sam was first on scene to a pirate attack on the struggling colony of Ferris Fields, with limited resources to help the wounded and dying, Sam had to triage patients accordingly choosing to not use vital resources on the dying but instead focus on those who could be saved, was reported to turn darker after these events and reports to be haunted by the screams of those he couldn't waste medi-gel on. Sam managed to save many lives, more than models had predicted, however there were still heavy casualties.
The actions of that day left a dark mark on Sam's character, but displayed his amazing talent at picking out who he could save, and how he could use his skills most effectively. Interested by this the S.O.D enlisted Sam to serve as the Medical Officer on the Freedom's Blade, with only a 24 hour window in which to make his decision whether to join, Sam had to wrestle with the demons of that mission. With minutes to spare Sam accepted the offer and moved on to the Freedom's Blade where he works tirelessly to ensure that a situation like the one that haunts him doesn't happen again.
Misc. Notes

Code:
Fan of the doctor Mordin Solus, who he holds in high esteem. He owns all of his works (including recordings of Mordin's Gilbert and Sullivan performances) , the pragmatism he employs now is due in part to his fascination with the morally grey Solus.
A single man, who has been career union since his training was complete Sam holds the Union and it's value in high esteem.
 
Alright, sorry about that, my laptop decided it was not going to be a thing anymore. I'm back in business now, and this is still going to exist, if people are still interested.

Anybody still onboard, sound off now!
 
I quite like the amount of thought and work that went into plotting this out, so if it's not too late to express interest, I may get to work on a krogan close quarters specialist or scout.