Jasmine Lécuyer
_{Nicknames include: "Jaz", "Kid", "Hothead", "Idiot", "That Blubbering, Thieving Little Rat", etc.}

21

Standing at 5'3'', Jaz isn't much to look at. She has a scrawny physique after years of poor nutrition on Ajaccio and her hair is always a short, unkempt mess from cutting it herself. Her usual attire screams more of a "dashing, brilliant scavenger of the stars" (according to her own words) than any sort of military dress or regulation, and is often equipped with an assortment of gear and tools she totally "borrowed" or "legally obtained" herself.

Jaz is someone with a few screws loose in her head. She's reckless, embodying a roguish, swashbuckling attitude to life. Be it swindling someone out of their money or charging head-on into combat, it remains a miracle that she still has a head on her shoulders. Even during incidents where Jaz clearly does not have the upper hand, she still has a foolish bravado and belief that things will work out. It'll certainly take something truly traumatic to beat Jaz out of her "I'm invicible!" thought process and knock in some sense into her head.

No one in their right mind would willingly want to live on Ajaccio; not even those born on Ajaccio. It is a poor, struggling world, scarred by warfare and piracy. To quote a famous yet anonymous individual, "you will never find a more wretched scum and villainy".

And yet, it was Jaz's home. Born on Ajaccio, and later abandoned on by her parents, Jaz grew up alone, living within a trashed, antique exoframe. Knowing only one path in life, Jaz spent most of her childhood stealing from others, seeing it a necessity for her own survival. Unbeknownst to her, however, she began to grow more greedy; more bolder with each passing solar year. The thrill Jaz got from stealing began to overwhelm her conscience, where she would steal for the sake of stealing.

Such desires would soon prove to be her undoing.

It happened so quickly. Hearing of a privateer meeting taking place on Ajaccio, Jaz saw it as an easy target. After all, what better target was there to steal from than two or more distracted parties? Despite how easy she thought it would be, by then Jaz's luck had finally ran out. She hadn't counted on being spotted by a giant, tall exoframe, or nearly being blown out of the sky as she attempted to make off with a treasure trove of goods.

Rushing back to her exoframe home, Jaz abandoned her haul and hopped inside. Surely, she thought, if the armor was as tough as it looked, it could outlast them. That they would run out of ammo before they could make a dent. Such thoughts were useless bravado; a confidence so arrogant she truly believed she would be safe. In actuality, it was only a matter of time before there'd be nothing more than the smoldering remains of what was once an exoframe if she did not fight back somehow.

Much to her surprise, however, things would take an even stranger turn. Even to this day, Jaz isn't quite sure what happened, but her best guess is that the impact of their lasers had sort of a jumpstarting effect on the ancient exoframe. Clumsy as it was, the titan rose from its slumber, and took on the assailants with Jaz as its newfound pilot.

Jaz likes to say she won that engagement. But even if you have an exoframe, the machine is useless with a pilot that has no idea what they're doing. Had it not been for the sudden arrival of Vox Fortuna units, she'd have been still toast.

Lionne | Hécate WASP

Heavy

The Lionne, or otherwise the Hécate WASP, is an ancient design developed long ago. Designed to be a frontline breakthrough unit, the exoframe was essentially a walking bunker buster armed to the teeth. The heavy armor was designed purposely, protecting both pilot and internal systems against the worst of assaults, primarily from enemy fortifications and strongholds it was meant to destroy upfront with its explosive capabilities.

For awhile, the WASP was a rather effective machine. However, as warfare began to change with newer and more modern exoframe designs being rolled out, production of the WASP was shuttered in favor of lighter and more mobile exoframes, especially those armed with laser and plasma. The age of slug and gunpowder was over, and so was the age of the WASP.

As for the Lionne itself, the exoframe's history is largely unknown (at least to Jaz), save for the fact that it had been used to lay siege to Ajaccio long ago. It had been abandoned on the planet, evidently having failed in some forgotten frontal assault from the ruins it sat in. Truly, it is honestly a wonder that the exoframe had been able to move after being dormant for so long without even a single update to its software. In fact, the most recent updating the Lionne has received is Jaz's personal touch; a new paint scheme that throws any sort of military camouflage out of the window in favor of a cat-like appearance.

• Protecta-12 Rotary Launcher - A rotary drum triple barreled shotgun/launcher. Can fire both slugs or grenades, but finding useful ammunition in a universe of lasers and plasma is an expensive challenge.
• Agincourt Back-Mounted Missile System - Large backpack-like casing holding an array of six automated missiles total. Currently empty and likely will forever be unless some modifications are made to allow for the use of more modern missile platforms.
• Sabre Engineering Heavy Exoframe Armor - Burly heavy armor designed to protect the internals of the exoframe and to assist in laying siege to their opponents. The aging armor plating has already taken quite the beating, with some elements needing immediate repair.

Mox Holiday (Alias)

23

Mox is an unassuming person, average in height and weight, though a fairly strict and rigorous training regimen has kept her in excellent physical health. It’s rare to find her without a smile on her face, or that same smile in her step, and just about every aspect of her demeanor. She prefers simple, comfortable clothes, but likes branching out to be a bit more fashionable when means allow—which, considering the Gamblers’ records, isn’t all that often.

Warm, energetic, with a penchant for harmless fun, Mox is someone who could find sunshine at the bottom of the ocean. Lose big at the card table? Problems with the exoframe? Mission didn’t quite pan out for you? Keep that chin up! You’re only really lost when you admit it to yourself.

Ceaseless optimism might not be the best way to make friends amongst down-and-out mercenaries, but that’s alright—Mox loves a challenge.

Maybe she’s compensating for a dull childhood, or maybe this is just who she was the whole time. Either way, what’s the point of a clean slate if you stay the same, dirty person you always were?

Mox was born on the far reaches of the Arcturus system on a planet called Gefallen. Being in the empire’s periphery, one might expect loyalty to be thin, but in fact the opposite was true. It was precisely because Gefallen was neglected that it found itself swarmed by opportunists from both the Sol Union and the North Star League. Trade was bottlenecked by privateers and unsanctioned levies, dissenting guilds and merchants were shot out of the sky, the people lived with steel boots pressed to their necks. Gefallen cried out for aid, and was unanswered; to the people this was the fault of the enemy, not the empire.

Bringing Theden justice to Gefallen and its tormentors was a dream shared by many, but few had the drive and discipline to chase it. Mox, however, had just the right blend of talent and dedication. As a waise-child working menial jobs, it wasn’t as though she had much else to do with her time but study. By the time she was old enough to enlist, her test and sim results laid a myriad of prestigious paths before her. Having always had a twinkle in her eye for folktales of knights in shining armor, she chose to specialize, and set her sights on an elite unit of melee-centric exoframes known as the Nullritter.

As a novice pilot, Mox doubled-down on her efforts. If she wasn’t studying, she was running sims, if she wasn’t running sims, she was in physical training, if she wasn’t doing any of these, she was on assignment or asleep. Repeat ad nauseum for three years until the Minsky Station Massacre gets the cold war boiling. Times have changed, the Chancellor says, the empire must be strong—the emperor, of course, gives her his full and fervorous support. Mox is among the battalion tasked with rooting the enemy out of their hitherto “unnoticed” encampments in the outer worlds.

Mox’s mind fogs. A handful of weeks sees four of the empire’s furthest tributaries utterly sacked by empire forces. Finally, they depart for Gefallen.

In the span of three days, ninety-seven major cities and countless towns and independent settlements are reduced to smoldering ruins. Sol Union and North Star casualties are in the low ten-thousands, civilian casualties remain in estimation. Mox Holiday’s exoframe is discovered two months later in the possession of an independent trader who claims he doesn’t remember who sold it to him.

A few months after that, Vox Fortuna acquires a new pilot with a very brief background.

Sonder

Medium

Bought with the money Mox made selling off the empire’s exoframe after her desertion, the Sonder is just about the last thing she truly owns. The base frame is standard enough, a sleek model from the last gen of Dainslief Heavy’s “Galahad” line, only its armor has been stripped down drastically for the sake of speed and maneuverability. Having piloted and encountered a modest variety of melee-focused exos in her few years of service, Mox had the benefit of knowing exactly what she liked, while also needing to avoid creating to stark of a resemblance. The result is a unique if sub-optimal series of modifications and additions that she nonetheless managed to acquaint herself with before joining the Gamblers.

The Sonder is built for disabling targets through fast, close-quarters strikes; it wants to get in, stab whatever needs to be stabbed, and then get the hell out. While it excels in smaller-scale skirmishes and melee-engagements, prolonged fights against multiple, well-armed targets are its downfall. Thus, the Sonder works best in and often even requires a team. It’s loadout includes:

PR Reactionary Recharge System: The “Parry-Riposte” energy system serves as the backbone to most of the exoframe’s capabilities, as well as its shield. Upon activation, the PR system sends out a “pulse” of receptive energy which, if timed correctly, can draw energy from another source when contact is made. In essence, this allows for the absorption of lighter-arms-fire and smaller-yield detonations. However, the PR system is merely a pulse and cannot be “held” like most shields, making it useless against sustained volleys of fire, and it can still be easily broken by high-powered weaponry.

Elliptical Engines: Standard to most melee-oriented exoframes, elliptical thrusters prioritize agility and are designed for providing evasive bursts of speed to close distance or maneuver against targeted projectiles. However, they fall short in protracted runs and won’t be winning Mox any marathons.

DH-25 Beam Falchions: A Dainslief Heavy classic, apparently, as the design has gone unchanged for nearly three generations. Simple and to the point, the DH-25 emits a blade of energy similar to the type utilized in projected hardlight shielding. Rather than rely solely on short-life battery packs, Mox has modified the pair to allow powering via direct-connection to the Sonder’s core—which would result in a devastating level of energy-consumption without proper utilization of the PR system. By channeling the PR system through its blades, the Sonder can draw in energy via the heat emitted from slashing through targets, or even clashing blades with other exoframes.

OS-22 Thermo-Damascus Side swords: The only part of the Sonder’s arsenal not reliant on its PR system, the “Old School” side swords are mounted hilt-forward on either shoulder. Hard steel with a single super-heated edge, the side swords cut well, but their edges cool quickly and require sheathing in order to recharge, making them an unideal holdout weapon, but still better than nothing.

Marlowe Beltras

27

Standing at a solid 5’10, Marlowe takes command of the word average. He does not stand out in a line of people, he does not have any important, distinguishing marks. He bears more of a lithe physique than men his age. He keeps his hair cut high and tight, mainly to avoid any muss and fuss when wearing his helmet inside the exo-frame.

Marlowe’s biggest mental weakness is his hesitation in battle. He’s a capable pilot; he was a pupil under Herax Singh, a celebrated Exoframe pilot and a well-known mercenary throughout the NSL. When it comes to making the kill; Marlowe will choke. He still hangs onto that foolish sentiment of the sanctity of life, something that usually gets idealists like himself a bullet in the back of the skull.

Marlowe hails from a backwater colony planet in NSL Territory named Seras. The planet was poorer than dirt and focused mainly on agriculture and fishing. It was during his formative years that Marlowe got handy piloting a rustbucket CRX-312 Angler Trawler. Not an exoframe per se, but operating a heavy machine does take a certain skill.

Through several traumatic events, Marlowe eventually crossed paths with Herax Singh of the Singh’s Raiders Mercenary Company, who took Marlowe under his wing. Singh would eventually lose his life in the border conflicts in 3060. With the leader of Singh’s Raiders dead, the mercenary band quickly fractured and Marlowe found himself as a free agent in a very dangerous place.

Medium

The Polestar Training Unit Exoframe 132 is a lightly armored, half-functioning training suit; the only Exoframe that Marlowe could grab during the Raider’s fracturing. It has been heavily modified over time, sporting a rusty EHM17 Exoframe Light Assault Gun and a modified head sensor unit. Whilst the original design is for training purposes, its light loadout and incredible maneuvering make it an efficient scout or a suit capable of hit-and-run tactics. The major issue with the Bucket, in particular, is its lack of proper wear and care over time. The left-arm capacitor has a habit of losing charge, and a solid heavy weapon shell could destroy the suit easily.

EHM17 Exoframe Light Assault Gun: A common Exoframe assault rifle that has seen far better days. Has a habit of locking up when fired for too long.
Polestar Armament Light Jump Jet Pack: A small, fuel-efficient Exoframe backpack module that allows for limited air maneuverability or long jumping. Probably the only reliable piece of equipment on the Exoframe.
Jury-rigged Ammo Capacity: Extra ammo pouches created from combat-grade materials. Allows for a slightly larger ammo loadout for the Exoframe at the cost of being completely asinine to the field.
Durus Security Systems Light Armor: Important and critical systems are outfitted with DSS Light Armor throughout the Exoframe. It would be useful if parts weren’t already damaged and dented from light use. Still capable of defense from small arms fire or from a few heavy weapon shots. A solid hit at an unprotected area would equate to the death of the pilot.

Maeve Puckett

27

Standing at five-foot-seven with pink hair and cerulean eyes, Maeve would be a looker if not for her unkempt appearance and loose-fitting attire. She’s been fighting and jury-rigging tech her whole life and her lack of empathy toward others comes through in her constant lack of facial expressiveness beyond a scowl or frown. She hasn’t smiled in over fifteen years and it shows.

Cold
Fair
Honest
Impulsive
Lawful
Temperamental
Ruthless
Violent

The three major factions represent at least seventy percent of the planets in the greater galaxy. Where Maeve grew up they never factored in. The Sol Union’s rivalry with the Thedes Empire or its distrust with the North Star League were things you heard about on Luon Prime from people who wanted to start a new leaf, break new bread, and just get away from intergalactic geo-politics. After all, Luon Prime was basically a nowhere planet, formed by the kind of people who wanted to play by their own rules and feign responsibility.

But where the greatest freedom came, so too did the greatest trials. Snake Bigby ran his planet tightly and where freedom came so too did trouble. Brigands and slavers, marauders and thieves, hustlers and enroachers; you name the type of problem and they came to Luon Prime eventually. Maeve’s father was one such person, though the details were murky and Maeve didn’t ask much. All she knew is that her father came for a second chance and before she was born became one of the more successful tin stars on the planet. Maeve’s mother was an engineer, a mechanic. Born on Luon and committed to never leaving Luon, and it was through her that Maeve was taught everything from tuning a good firearm to using a toolkit on a frame to make sure it could sputter through the next fight.

There were constant worries growing up. Her parents protected the sector five line on the planet from bad people and worse creatures. It was only ironic that her father was shot and killed in front of her, at dinner, when she was fourteen-years-old rather than in the field doing his job as a man of law. Maeve can’t even recall much of it. ‘cept the man she tracked down for years after-the-fact that did the deed.

In a normal world she would’ve followed in her father’s footsteps, stayed on Luon after she buried the man that ruined her life. But she couldn’t stomach it. Somehow she moved on and found herself a member of a crew. Gamblers of Vox Fortuna. Some of them had helped her track down who she was looking for and she owed favors and she found comforting to do something with some passive idea of purpose. This was four years—four galactic cycles—ago. She still is amongst gamblers. Might be a gambler until she’s in the ground like her father is.

Lone Star

Heavy

Obadiah Puckett, Maeve’s paternal grandfather, was the first one to fly the Lone Star. A heavy bipedal maiden standing at about 35.6 feet willing to dish out as much damage as it can take, it has served in countless conflicts from well before Andrew Puckett arrived on Luon Prime and married an engineer who knew how to patch up two generations of damage and retrofitted outdated power capacitors with better ones. It is a exoframe meant to be a damage dealer with various slots for exterior back-mounted armaments. The armor is thick, though it is one of the slower and less versatile exoframes based on some of Maeve’s contemporaries among her fellow gamblers.

The Lone Star, as described, is about dealing damage and taking damage. It may be exactly why Maeve survived the battle with her lifelong enemy and came out on top, but a lot of the bruising the Lone Star took in a fight that it was outgunned and outnumbered still remain. The power capacitors need upgrades, the armor is in imperfect shape, and the radar system works imperfectly. But Maeve has little money to her name and is in dire need of a credit line. The systems that work efficiently can be surmised below.

• Twin-Mounted ExoStarr™ Light Guns: The twin light machineguns that sit underneath the maw of the pilot’s cabin are the first line of offense for the Lone Star. Plasma-infused shells spin at a fast rate to cause integral armor damage to Maeve’s enemies.

• SCORPIO™ Heavy Rockets: Largely out-paced by the competing Hornet Hunter Seeker Missles, Mbraxo’s stronghold over explosive processing centers on several planets allows them to produce more of them even if they aren’t as efficient. A good pilot can upgrade the targeting system, anyway, right? It’s a constant thought for Maeve, but Mbraxo rockets are cheap and plentiful and they get the job done.

• Heavy Armor Plating (50% INTEGRITY): It needs a new sheet of metal, but the Lone Star’s armor is one of the benefits of its model and the modifications made through three generations of pilots. Nobody has killed a pilot while they are in the machine yet.

• Silverstar Light Rail Gun (OUT OF ORDER): Technically inoperable due to a lack of maintenance and power routing, the Silverstar Light Rail Gun is almost two generations old and the last time the Lone Star used it in a fight Maeve wouldn’t even born for another twelve years. She’s thought about updating it and repairing it, but railguns are as expensive as they are powerful.

John Marshall

23

Marshall is a short, wiry man plagued by perpetual exhaustion. Purplish black bags under his eyes mar his peaky brown skin. He walks with his feet dragging behind him and stands with a deep hunch, making him appear even smaller than he ought to. Its obvious John cares little for his appearance. His clothes are patched and stained, his hair unkempt and greasy and his expression stuck in a gloomy half-frown. The only thing he shows even the barest consideration to is the old bomber jacket he never parts from, the name "U. Marshall" stitched over its left-breast pocket.

Born the son of a Sol Union Naval officer, John Marshall was floating in Zero G before he learned to walk. Like most void children, growing up in the artificial gravity and confined spaces of a starship has shaped not only his physiology but also his mindset. John has little patience for wasted oxygen or overly convoluted solutions to simple problems. He's grown so accustomed to solitude that any extended time around other people gives him physical headaches. Try as his father might he could never get John to conform to the rigid military discipline of the Union. The boy cared little for nine-hundred page manuals; he knew all he needed in his gut.

With adulthood aboard a Union vessel came conscription into its navy. Marshall was integrated into the flotilla's Exoframe program given his high marks in simulations. He proved naturally resilient to the high Gs that followed rapid maneuvers in a light frame. Time and training smoothed out his flaws as a pilot, though he never quite adapted to working in a squadron. A distrust of authority and short temper brought him into conflict with many a superior. Anyone else would've been court marshaled after the first incident, but John's surname shielded him from the worst consequences of his actions. His father's death put an end to that.

John Marshall was less-than-honorably discharged a week after his father's funeral. Naval police were in the process of investigating John for possession of illegal substances when he finally bailed from the fleet he'd spent the first twenty years of his life in, taking his inheritance with him. The first thing he did when his feet hit port was purchase an Exoframe of his own. The second thing? Sit down with a recruiter from Vox Fortuna.

Ulysses

Light

The Ulysses is an old model from Polyhedron Manufacturing's Stormbird Interceptor IV line. Its a fast-attack Exoframe designed for maximum agility in close range dogfights, outperforming every other frame in its generation...three gens ago. Stormbirds haven't been deployed by a major military for well over twenty years, lacking the advanced interia dampeners and beefier shielding of modern interceptors. The Ulysses is a venerable machine even by Stormbird standards; it passed its expiration date a long time ago. Half of its systems require constant repairs and the other half barely function. It leans heavily to the right when in-flight, its seeker missiles have a habit of chasing ghosts and its inertia dampeners can shutdown mid-fight- knocking Marshall out on more than one occasion.

H-11 ELP Carbine: The H-11 Exoframe Light Pulse Carbine is a close range, rapid fire laser rifle with a shortened barrel. It performs best against lightly shielded hard targets and unarmored soft targets, e.g other light frames and enemy infantry or technicals. Highly effective in air-to-air dogfights. Can have it’s barrel replaced with a longer variant for increased effective range at the cost of maneuverability.

Hornet Hunter Seeker Missiles: Hornet Hunter seeker missiles are the Ulysses’s go-to weapon for destroying enemy Exoframes and air craft once they’ve been stripped of their shields with its primary weapon. These hornets lock on to the heat signatures of hostile frames and pursuit them using their highly advanced guidance system- a system riddled with bugs, often locking the hornets on to the ghosts of non-existent signatures.

DSS 'Centurion' Light Shield: Manufactured by Durus Security Systems, the 'Centurion' is an aftermarket replacement for the Stormbird's original shield projector. It can protect the Ulysses from a moderate amount of small arms fire or a glancing blow from a heavy weapon but little else; its designed to be fragile but quick to recharge, utilizing the user's speed to slip in and out of combat to its maximum potential.

Advanced Sensor Suite: The Ulysses is rigged with a wide array of electronic detection equipment including Radar, LiDAR, and thermal imaging, backed up by a full electronic warfare suite for disrupting enemy communication and knocking active trackers off its scent. During emergencies it can be used as a mobile radio tower to keep the squadron in contact with one another if they're ever separated from the Fortuna's long range comm link.

William Prescott

22

William stands at a height of 5'5 and has a weight of 118lbs. He has an ectomorphic build, with light blue eyes and blonde hair that comes down past his small ears. His face and body are unmarred by any defects, and he lacks any piercings, tattoos, or any other markings. Most commonly, William's stature has him standing straight and tall, a result of his political tutorage, however as time passes away from such a life his body has began to relax a little. A life of warm, rich clothing resulted in William caring for his appearance, and his apparel reflects this by often being neat and clean when such facilities are available to accommodate that. He is often unused to the cold, and so often may put on some extra layers without much complaint.

"William was known as a benevolent prince. He was adventurous, and members Kallas Royal Military found him to be a likeable political figure due to his presence on the frontlines, even as a spectator stuck in a command vehicle, far from the actual fighting. He tends to be morally positive, and wants the best for as many people as possible, though isn't naïve enough to think that everyone can get what they want. He believes in action rather than inaction, and is loyal to his comrades. Even me."
- Andrea Thompson

Prince William Prescott was born on the planet of Kallas, a member-planet of the Thedes Empire. Whilst the King had a place as the parliamentary representative of Kallas, the rest of the royal family lived their lives within gilded cages, only a very small step above the planet's own parliament. With the planet under frequent conflict from those who wished to part way from the Thedes Empire, there was few opportunities for William to leave the palace, and even fewer for him to step out of the capital, Rossan. The latter required military protection, which resulted in William twisting the rules and observing strikes against minor positions of the Kallas Resistance, much in the opposite of the rest of his family's behest, but in direct retaliation to them. If they wanted to force him into safety, he would do the direct opposite. The problem with removing him would be the impact on morale for those he was often spectating.

The royal family soon received their wish, however. During the Battle of Zyal Village, William was struck by shrapnel as a result of the Kallas Resistance using artillery on the rear-line command position where he was viewing the battle from. He was immediately given to the closest field hospital for treatment. His utter terror at being wounded was alleviated by the efforts of Doctor Andrea Thompson, who treated him with such excellence that he didn't even come out with a scar - though that was likely due to the royal family pouring money into having it removed later. It was thanks to this that he was permanently removed from the frontlines, and his visits to the military were strictly non-combat spectating only. Despite this, once he had recovered, he was able to award Andrea with the Kallas Medal of Eminence as gratitude for her work on him.

It was years later that he reunited with Andrea, however not in the best of circumstances. Being a Prince, it was fairly easy to keep an eye on someone of interest - he had people that could do that for him. As someone that had treated his wounds, Andrea was prominent on that interest list. William quietly attended the court marshal of Andrea, and found himself disagreeing with the severity of her punishment. His disgust for the system that he was a part of grew as a result, and he found himself desperately wanting out from his cage. William spent a week laying out pieces, and then visited Andrea with a deal; He breaks her free of her physical cell, and she break him free of his metaphorical one.

The connections of both, and his finances, were able to get them away from Kallas, albeit not completely legitimately. In the time following, William remained with Andrea, doing what he could to survive with her. Remorse struck him fortnightly, the culture shock of places unlike Kallas how had been, particularly within the palace walls and controlled gatherings. At times, William would miss the family that he had left behind. But eventually, as things were getting worse, they found something to keep them going. They found the Fortuna.

Raptor

Light

"Raptor" is the designation of William Prescott's modified AVIAN-4 Exoframe. The AVIAN Exoframes are typically birdlike in stature, with legs that bend backwards and clawed feet, allowing it a great deal of mobility. A modular design, the AVIAN-4, like its predecessors is mainly utilised as an infantry support walker; It typically was armed with rapid fire light lasers to suppress and clear out lines of infantry, as well as additional weapons to take out heavier targets. Due to it's manoeuvrability, the AVIAN Exoframes are often utilised in reconnaissance and flanking roles. However, AVIAN models sacrifice armour, relying on their shields to take the brunt of the damage and their manoeuvrability to avoid it, and their cockpits are additionally quite exposed. This gives it an almost birdlike appearance. AVIAN-type Exoframes are most commonly utilised by Kallas military forces, and have played a prominent role in the war between the Kallas government and the Kallas resistance.

Raptor's most obvious difference to typical AVIAN-4s is the large, dual-barreled laser resting on it's back, the heaviest weapon that fit without reducing manoeuvrability. A square blade rests in front of the laser, allowing for some ramming and melee capability. William purchased the modification - and the crew to shove it on the Exoframe - to give it a bit more firepower in Exo-On-Exo fights.

Raptor is armed with a variety of weapons to handle various different threats. Typically, it's weapon loadout is made for rapid engagement and rapid fire, with several weapon hardpoints situated around the Exoframe; One under the chin, one on either side, and a position for a heavier weapon on the top, the latter of which is custom to Raptor. Each weapon position is able to rotate independently, though the heavy weapon hardpoint on the top is purposefully limited in angle to avoid a change in balance that would send the Exoframe toppling over.

William has outfitted Raptor with his preferred loadout;

• PDS-H444 'Harpoon': The Harpoon is a turret located under the AVIAN-4's chin. Whilst a capable weapon against infantry targets, it's main purpose is to neutralise incoming projectiles. The Harpoon fires a laser in a solid, narrow stream onto the incoming projectile, detonating warheads mid-flight or knocking them off course. The laser is capable of sweeping through an infantry formation as well.

• KW-SFL3 'Gravemakers': The Gravemakers are dual-barrelled laser weapons that have a considerably high rate of fire. They are designed to be general-purpose weapons, able to effectively engage air and ground targets, however received the nickname of 'Gravemakers' from Kallas Exoframe pilots due to their ability to tear through infantry formations with ease, which the Kallas Resistance groups were largely made up of. Raptor comes equipped with two Gravemakers, one on either side.

• KW-HEW3 'Musket': A custom attachment to Raptor by the way of William's previous finances, the Musket is a heavy dual-barrelled laser capable of punching a hole through armour. The barrels rotate slightly as they fire to keep the laser sustained for long enough to do serious harm to the target. However, due to the fact it wasn't originally made for Raptor, the Exoframe doesn't have a good enough generator to continually use the weapon. Using the weapon frequently can result in, at best reduced power output until more is generated, and at worst a shutdown of Raptor for a few minutes. The weapon itself, due to not being on a standardised hardpoint, also suffers from cooling problems and can take time to cool down.

• KES-HSS4 'Shell': To compensate for a significant lack of armour, the AVIAN-4 comes equipped with the 'Shell'. Housed in the core of the AVIAN-4 alongside the generator, the Shell generates a strong shield around the hull of the Exoframe. Often, it doesn't find itself running at full power, due to the amount of power drawn to the weapons, made even worse by William's addition of the Musket. However, it's enough to compare to regular armour and shield systems, and keeps the Exoframe light without the weight of armoured plates.

Andrea 'Andy' Muriel Thompson

39

When people read the words "former doctor," they usually think of Andrea as a thin, weedy woman carrying a clipboard. One with little discernable musculature, and even less combat experience.

And then they also read the words "combat medic," "pilot of a heavy assault Exoframe," and "court martialed," and their thoughts tend to change rapidly.

Almost as important to Andrea as her doctor's work, and intimately intertwined with it, was her career as a soldier. Consequently, she has a significantly more developed physique than people really expect out of her. She is tall, at 5'11", with a slim figure, little curvature, and ghost-pale skin. But that skin hides a great deal of wiry whipcord muscle that's always prepared to injure someone if she needs to. Her stark white hair is worn long and is frazzled and tangled much of the time, twisted around as a nervous habit. Her gray eyes are constantly shadowed by dark circles under her eyes that stand out very sharply against her pale skin, and her face wears an expression somewhere between irritation and exhaustion. She walks with a crisp, snapping stride, making her look like she's perpetually hurrying.

And yes, she does occasionally carry a clipboard.

Andrea was born and raised on a small, temperate planet called Paadax. A child of wealth, she wanted little as a child; her parents owned and operated a massive mining empire, pulling the supremely valuable minerals out of the planet's lithium and argon-rich crust. Even as a child, she was a little bit strange, obsessing and hyperfocusing on things for long periods of time. But for the most part, she was a normal(ish) kid in a rich family.

Then, when she was nearing adulthood, she found medicine. And she fell in love with it. There was something about having somebody in front of you that you knew only you could save—somebody who was depending solely on you—somebody that you had so much power over—that dragged her into studying it. And she studied it fervently. For as small a planet as Paadax was, it was affluent, and so there were exceptional schools of medicine on it. And she consumed everything they had to offer, attaining a full doctorate at only age 26.

And then...then the Thedes Empire came calling. The lithium was what drew them in. And the lithium was why they conquered. The planet's leadership didn't resist them. Didn't even try. Hung on so tightly to their power and money that there was a bloodless conquest. In theory.

In practice, there was a bloody civil war of only three months, in which the Thedes military crushed the Paadaxian civilians underfoot. It was in this horrifying bloodbath that Andrea first truly plied her trade on the side of the Thedes. And for some reason...it was a rush. Every casualty brought to her for treatment. Everybody there in her domain. The absolute power that she wielded over them. It was intoxicating, and she grew very, very attached. So, when the Thedes left, taking the majority of their military force with them, she signed on as a doctor with experience as a combat medic. And she was happy with that for all of two years, before she started looking for a more...direct approach to the battlefield. A more direct way to ensuring those under her sheltering wings were unharmed.

And then, in her 29th year, she discovered the Exoframe program. And after a lengthy series of aptitude tests (which she aced, thankyouverymuch), paperwork, and assorted other bureaucracy that took her until thirty one, she was finally given the privilege to pilot her beloved: the Perses.

Of course, her medical work came first, as she was dispatched to the newly-conquered planet of Kallas, which was currently undergoing a similar conflict as Paadax did. But they were evidently much, much better at it; it kept going for years while she worked there, primarily as a field doctor and occasionally as an absolute menace on the battlefield with her kitted-out Perses, already beginning to take on the heavily-armed, lightly armored appearance that would mark it forever.

Of particular note during this time period—a time period that was characterized by her strict adherence by medical codes of conduct slowly coming less and less tightly tied as she treated more and more patients—that she was called to treat the Prince himself, who'd gotten himself shrapneled watching military activity. She fixed him up perfectly. A consummate professional. She was awarded by the prince himself with the Kallas Medal of Eminence, which she pinned proudly to the lapel of her lab coat (in a bit of a violation of procedure).

She served with distinction during the Kallas Rebellion for three more years, until she was 36. And then she gave into temptation. The bleeding-edge medical breakthrough of nanotechnology had just been made available to her. And really...what else was she supposed to DO? There were infinite scientific discoveries to be made here! Ways to become so much more effective in surgery! Ways to fix people who otherwise were broken! Even more power to have! So really, it would have been immoral if she didn't try to test them on a patient of hers, right?

Apparently, that is not what the military, medical community, or government thought.

The fools, blinded by their clinging to past strictures who couldn't appreciate what she was trying to do lashed against her. The medical community stripped her of her medical license, the license that she'd worked so far for. Andrea Thompson, M.D. no longer. The military court-martialed her, confiscating her Exoframe and her title. Major Andrea Thompson, Exoframe pilot, no longer. And the government? They stripped her of that medal that she was so proud of, imprisoning her summarily. She was humiliated.

And then she had a visitor. William, the prince that she'd saved. And he offered her a deal. He'd get her Frame back. He'd get her medal back. He'd get her out.

And all she needed to do was to take her with him.

Her tenuous grasp on mental stability just about shattered, she agreed, using what connections she still had in the military to get the kid an old Exoframe, about to be decommissioned. And he managed to use his connections—and his money—to retrieve her things and spring her from Kallas. She was a free woman again.

Since then, she's been wandering with William, taking odd jobs. Back-alley medical malpractice with no anesthetic and terrible, unsanitary working conditions became the order of the day, far from her immaculate laboratories. The considerable nest egg that she'd put aside from military and doctor work was all but spent now with taking care of Perses. William had been cut off from his family. They were at the end of the rope.

And then they found the Fortuna.

"You look like you need a good doctor who can also destroy a small city with her Exoframe. But if you take me, you take him too."

T-37 Heavy Battery Frame 'Perses'

Heavy

A thirty-foot-tall juggernaut. Taken (illegally) after her court martial, this military-grade frame is beginning to show its age. It's been repaired dozens of times now, but never fully fixed; no medical license and a black mark on her name from her dishonorable discharge conspire to ensure she never has the money to fix the thing up and feed herself in any given month. The plating is visibly repaired in many places, and in as many, there are scars and pockmarks that she's unable or unwilling to repair. The only piece that she never skimps on and keeps immaculate are the inertial dampeners, allowing her to make use of her full excessive arsenal when locked in zero-G combat, and the thrusters, which allow her movement in flight or spaceflight that, while somewhat clunky and omnidirectional through sheer mass, is extremely fast.

Each shoulder of the machine carries a missile pod, each containing up to ten heat-guided rockets linked to a targeting system (or what remains of one) in her frame's HUD. The wrists contain retractable laser HMGs that serve as her main (and only) real anti-personnel weaponry; though they do not measure up to the remainder of her weapons in power, they make up for it with rapidity, blanketing swathes of the battlefield with a hail of laser fire. On the back is mounted Perses' heaviest armament; a frankly ridiculous heavy plasma cannon. Though its fire rate is incredibly slow and she needs to lock joints and brace to actually fire it, each shot carries enough destructive force to level a building. Finally, in her hands is carried a massive anti-vehicle and anti-frame cannon, a plasma induction weapon nowhere near the sheer explosive might of her back-mounted cannon, but tailor-made for piercing through armor and shields alike. This, too, is beginning to show its age; not as efficient as a railgun for armor, nor a plasma weapon for shields. Still, it's an excellent middle ground weapon, serviceable against both.

As you might imagine, this level of armament on a single exoframe is just asking for trouble. Andy, though calculating, is not very good at risk management, and prefers to go all-in on sheer blistering firepower. Her shields are as light as you can really get away with on a heavy frame, and her armor is lacking. It's always been lacking. But when she was in the military, she could get away with it through access to high-grade repair facilities. Not so much anymore. As much sheer destructive force as she brings to bear, her frame is quite fragile for a heavy unit. Not only that, but it can't even withstand itself. If Perses is firing on all cylinders and bringing its full firepower to bear, then the joints of the frame—never fully repaired anymore, mostly and visibly patched together—can crumple under the strain.

Finally, she keeps her ace in the hole in the back of her molded pilot's seat. At her command, a needle pops out, injecting a payload of a powerful stimulant cocktail that drastically slows her perception of time and allows her to pull off things that she perhaps shouldn't be able to. Still, this isn't without risk. It's a last-ditch effort, a final push that lasts half an hour in the best case scenario. As soon as the drugs wear off, she is struck with a bone-deep exhaustion, and if she's lucky she won't immediately pass out. And these drugs aren't cheap. Or safe. Or legal.