Name: Arus Lenthan / Sura Nahtnel
Gender: Female
Species:
The Quernoans are the native race of Veretta, and are also the race that rules the planet. Ever since the dawn of their civilization, they were very warlike, and often battled each other for dominance and for resources. While they originally lacked in most sciences and other areas of the mind, they surpassed many other species in the art of war and their sheer physical aspect. While they may not seem to be muscular, they are quite strong, and are much taller than the average human, standing at an imposing eight feet average, while some can get up to nine feet, or even ten, in rare cases. Due to living in the harsh environment of their planet, they have tougher skin than most other races, which can withstand the scratches and bites of many of their local predators for some time before giving way to the assault. Of course, bullets and blasters still won't care much for that extra resistance if it a decent caliber of firearm. Their eyes are no better than a humans in terms of how well they can see detail or in the dark, however, they can see farther than a human can. Their smell is slightly dulled, however, as that sense was rarely needed in their environment. The hearing of the Quernoans is above average by a slight amount, so as to avoid ambushes by other Quernoans and wild animals. The teeth of a Quernoan are all sharp and pointed, made for eating meat. However, they are omnivorous, so as not to limit them on their food choice, as meat is not always available. Their legs are digitigrade, and their feet end in three sharp claws - two in the front, and one smaller one in the back. Their arms are slightly longer than those of a human, and reach down to their mid-thigh. They have three long fingers and one thumb, all ending in small, sharp claws. The average lifespan for a Quernoan is roughly five-hundred years. While the Quernoans are not particularly imperialistic, they do often participate in the acquisition of planets for their "empire" for the express purpose of gathering resources and making more room for their people. Normally, if a planet has no resources worthy of taking, the Quernoans will ignore it completely - if it inhabited but not under the control of a major power, they will often assert their dominance over it and take it over, often with force. If it is under control of a major power, they will begin large scale trade negotiations with the planet. They would prefer to acquire the planet itself, however this is rarely the case, and so they make do. The race is often seen a bad light for their warlike tendencies, however the individuals are rarely as evil as the stories and tales of other races make them out to be.
Preferred Weapon(s)/Personal Item(s): .40 Neran Pistol; DM Sniper rifle; Invisibility Device
Abilities:
Thick Skin - The smallest of firearms and knives won't be able to pierce her skin, though they still hurt like hell.
Heightened Senses - The sight, hearing, and smell of Quernoans is heightened, giving them an edge over some other races in that department. However, it is not enough to be completely overpowering.
Invisibility - So long as she carries the experimental device, Arus will be able to turn invisible for up to ten minutes, though her sound is not muffled. This is not effected by how quickly she moves.Bio: Arus grew up on the planet of Veretta, one of the Republic's many holdings, though the most valuable. Like many young species of her race, she aspired to be one of the many great warriors of her people. However, as time passed and she got older, it was clear to most around her that she wouldn't be fit for the normal soldier life - her muscles weren't as big as the others, she was timid, flinched when there was a loud sound, wasn't quick to violence. Her body was too slim while keeping the height of the others. However, this did not stop her from applying for the military when she came of age.
She was accepted, barely. It would have been the greatest embarrassment her family had ever seen if she hadn't been permitted to join: The only ones usually excluded from service were the mentally and physically handicapped, with the rare normal Quernoan that was simply inept. Of course, she wasn't placed in the normal rank and file soldiers - she was to be trained as a scout, as her small frame would allow her to hide better. Even with the extensive training and new diet, Arus failed to put on much more muscle mass than she already had - however, she made up for this by being an excellent shot with a rifle, even she did need some extra padding on her shoulder.
After that, she was promoted to the sniper teams, in where she began to personalize her rifle. No real modifications were made, but it was changed to be sleeker and darker until it was an earthy brown color, the barrel and stock splashed with tans and greens. Artificial leaves were grafted onto the frame, allowing for better cover in the jungles. Most snipers personalized their rifles in some way or another, and so no one said a word as she meticulously worked on the fine details of it. Her time in the sniper squad didn't last too long, though - a recommendation from her old scout commander had her whisked away to form a new assassin squad. Further training was given to her, in which she was taught hand-to-hand combat and how to use a knife effectively, along with some more advanced pistol training.
The physical training of being an assassin was a strain on her body, but she would not allow herself to be a failure. It wasn't exactly uncommon for recruit assassins to quit or fail, and it never brought shame. But it was not something she could allow. Even so, her muscles remained small and sleek, giving her a lean look rather than a muscular one like the others. Though she saw it as a failure, her squad leader saw an opportunity in her. With some string pulling and favor cashing in, he was able to get an experimental device: A new piece of technology, meant to cloak the user in a personal field of invisibility. Arus was to be the test subject for it.
The device worked extraordinarily. The time it was able to keep, while small in the scheme of things, was impressive for the first working model, and the fact that it hid the user and their weapons from view from anyone who wasn't really looking for them was an amazing feat. The only issue with it was a mental flaw, one that was severely overlooked. Arus was becoming more and more paranoid as she used it, to the point where she would even use it in the bases and camps she was using, and refused to take it off, even when she slept. Most saw this as her showing off and not wanting to share her new toy, but in reality she was simply going crazy because of the device, and no one thought to check the mental state of the user, only focusing on how great the device was working. The scientists in charge were even beginning to make similar devices to be distributed to the rest of her squad.
That plan ended one night when Arus suddenly went on a rampage in the camp. It was a normal night, job well done, they were to head back to the base the next morning. Arus was uncloaked for once, acting much calmer than usual. With the ease they were all feeling, none were carrying around more than their knives - they were far away from where their target had been, and close enough to the base that it would be foolhardy for any enemies to come at them, even if they could find their location.
Of course, they hadn't accounted for inside jobs.
Out of nowhere, Arus flipped out, throwing her food into the air, startling the others. Before any of them could really react, her gun was out and pointed at her captain. A cruel grin formed on her face, and the trigger was pulled. As the captain fell to the ground, her squadmates tackled her down. After a harsh struggle, they managed to knock her out, though they took more than a few bullets. They returned to the base by morning, far sooner than they should have. Two of them had died of their wounds and had to be left behind with the captain's body, and another died in the hospital ward, leaving just Arus and her last squadmate to report to the higher ups.
No one was sure what had happened, but she was allowed her guns, armor, and some clothes, and was exiled from the Hades System on pain of death. Reluctantly agreeing, she headed out... of course, after retrieving her little toy from a certain scientist. Then her ship escorted her to Norrux Mirugal, where she began to take up jobs as a mercenary and assassin, making a name for herself, though becoming harder and harder to find as time passed. And, with each passing day, she became more and more conscious of the other half growing within her...
Other: Extensive use of the experimental has given Arus split-personality disorder and paranoia.
