Name: Xander Clarke
Age: 28
Appearance: When picturing what a special ops counter terrorist operator would look like, Xan is usually not what most expect. Cursed to be just under 6 feet, Xan stands at 5’11”. While he is not exactly bulging with muscle, his training does keep him toned and fit. When next to the other members of Raven Squad, however, Xan looks to be a stick. As such he doesn’t feel the need to “show off”, opting to wear long sleeved V necks or dress shirts and jeans as his casual wear.
Being more of an indoors person, his pale skin lacks any sort of tan. Not that he would really get one anyway with all the gear he usually wears. His sandy blonde hair is kept short and spiked forward with the sides buzzed. Easy to maintain and not a heart break if it gets ruined by his helmet. Below his foggy blue/gray eyes, he styles his facial hair in an anchor beard. Another combination of style and practicality.
The first words out of Xan’s mouth exposes the origins of this Aussie, as he uses Australian slang and makes no attempt to hide his rather thick accent.
Nationality: Australian
Callsign: Glitch
Skills: IT: Xan is a tech junkie. He can repair and dismantle all manner of devices, vehicles, weapons, really anything that has parts and wires. His knowledge of both hardware and software is extensive, and he is prone to use that knowledge for the benefit of his team. Well. Most of the time. He has even developed his own special programs to use on the fly, but we’ll get to those a bit later.
I’ll drive: From dune buggies, to military jets, and even the more advanced mechs, Xan knows or can quickly learn how to pilot them all. He doesn't even need to be at the helm as Xan has been known to take control remotely if a stubborn tango (or a friendly) refuses to get out of the driver's seat when it’s his turn.
Sleight of hand: Years of experience has taught Xan that every second matters when it comes to an operation. Fumbling to reload or put away his gun could waste precious time, and inversely at any moment be forced to drop whatever he's working on and draw his weapon. As such he has practiced these actions over and over again until he could reload at record speed, and fluidly pull out and put away his equipment in the blink of an eye.
One step ahead: Though at times he may seem spontaneous and random, Xan is very methodical in the actions he takes. Though he can’t predict the future or see every possible outcome, he is extremely observant. There are patterns in everything and he will follow them to anticipate what is about to happen and be prepared to react accordingly. This is one reason why he keeps such a versatile assortment of gear on hand, so that none of his options are restricted when the time comes.
History: The early years of Xander’s life were, uneventful to say the least. He was born in Perth as the youngest of 3 and the son of an accountant and doctor. It was in those years that he learned he had a knack for technology. He would build all sorts of small gizmos and contraptions, eventually learning how to add circuitry and chips that he could code to run specific functions. Unfortunately, his genius did not come with discipline. Many of his creations were crafted and used for the sole purpose of messing with his siblings or disrupting school lectures. Wanting to combat his mischievous nature, but also nurture his gift, his parents decided the best course of action was to enroll him in the Australian Defense Force Academy.
From day one Xan excelled at the ADFA. His studies focused on computer and cyber security along with engineering, further enhancing his technological abilities. While he still had issues following all the rules and obeying his COs, it was found that he thrived in a military structured environment. Running drills, learning military tactics and strategies, having clear goals, and working with others to accomplish those goals really gave Xan a great sense of purpose. He especially loved the more high stress drills and training as they really pushed and challenged him both physically and mentally. After graduating from the ADFA, Xan immediately joined the Australian Army as an infantryman. Though many protested this, saying his mind and skills would be better suited in R&D or military intelligence, Xan was adamant that he be placed in the action and not behind some desk or in a lab.
It came at no surprise that due to his abilities in the field, Xan was given the chance to join the SASR rather early into his military career. From there he played key parts in many classified operations. That alone may have been enough for him to be considered for the most elite team on the planet, but it was his performance during a more recent mission that made him known.
Xan's squad had been deployed to raid a warehouse confirmed to contain illegal weapon shipments. It was supposed to be a textbook raid. Surround the building, go in fast, and catch them with their pants down. It wasn’t until they began breaching that they learned what nightmare they had stumbled into. The weapons belonged to Artemis, and they weren't about to give them up. The SASR were not only outnumbered, but also out classed in terms of equipment. In minutes more than half the squad was wiped, and the mission changed from securing the weapons, to escape.
Cornered and Desperate to at least get him and his men out alive, Xan changed up his strategy. He knew his team was better trained than these guys, they just had to find a way to eliminate the enemies technical advantage and level the playing field. Using just his cell phone, Xan was able to breach the enemy's network, scramble their communications, and turn any security system against them. From there it was a matter of moving swiftly and strategically to take advantage of the chaos. In the end, despite all the odds against them and the heavy losses they incurred, the remaining SASR not only survived, but emerged victorious.
That’s the official story, at least.
When everything was over, Xan was hailed as a hero, a title he pushed back against and still refuses to acknowledge. Regardless how he felt, the incident gave him a lot of attention, and it wasn’t long after that Xan was contacted by the Oracle with an offer to join Raven Squad.
Personality: A beer in his hand, a smirk on his face, and a quip on his tongue, Xan is an overconfident jokester. In nearly all situations he will be making comments and “clever” observations that others may also find humorous, but usually earn him eye rolls and dirty looks. Xan doesn’t mind this as he’s accepted his position as the team jester.
In addition to his comedic antics, Xan rarely doesn’t have some sort of scheme going on or a prank he’s planning to pull on his comrades. All in good fun of course. He would never try anything that would jeopardize a mission or put someone in harm's way. Only stuff around the base to shake things up. In a way, it also keeps his skills sharp, as most of what he does in action could be viewed as “pranking” or “tricking” the enemy. And for those seeking revenge, he takes all retaliation in stride as he’s well aware that what comes around, goes around.
His cockyness does not stay at home, either. Even on the most critical missions, Xan will be cracking jokes and making light of dire situations. Some might interpret this as Xan not caring, that he doesn’t take his job seriously. In reality, it’s simply another tool in his arsenal. If he keeps things light, it helps his team not crack under the pressure of it all. And if he acts like he’s always one step ahead, his enemies might start second guessing their next move and start to make mistakes.
On the surface, Xan’s Tac Suit would seem to be the standard issue exoskeleton with his default choice in clothing being the urban camouflage. While it does still offer the same benefits of jump packs, enhanced movement, protection from most common firearms, and even increased strength, Xan has also added a number of his own modifications to his suit. Most of them have been approved for field use, but some are features he may or may not have gotten cleared.
HUD: Helmet visor displays a myriad of information Xan needs to keep tabs on during a mission such as battery life of both suit and all his equipment, progress of any programs running on his tablet, and status of The Dingo. It can also alternator between several different kinds of views such as therm and night vision.
Amplification: Boosts his tablet, allowing it to have a much greater range and signal strength through most surfaces.
Aim assist: No, the suit doesn’t auto target or track enemies. Instead it is able to detect faint movements in Xan’s arms and steady them. It allows his accuracy to remain high even under extreme stress and even counter some of his weapon’s recoil for a more consistent bullet spread.
Lober: Left shoulder mounted grenade launcher. Simply load with whatever grenade or can of beer that needs to be sent farther than you can toss it, aim, then watch it go.
Mamaragan: Sometimes the best option is to call down some lightning, and this high powered taser fashioned to Xander’s right arm does just that. While its range is limited as the retractable probes can only go a few feet, Xander can crank the voltage up as high as he needs to take down a target or fry a system. Assuming his suit has enough energy to support it.
Weapons: Due to the amount of equipment Xan is already carrying, he will usually default to one rifle and one side arm.
Assault Rifles: F88 Austeyr
Sig Sauer MCX
DMR: SR-25
Pistols:USP Tactical
Glock 19
Equipment: Tactical Tablet: Xan carriers with him a specialized tablet loaded up with dozens of programs, viruses, malware, everything he needs to break through an enemy firewall or create a backdoor into their systems. All he needs is to crack a network password or even directly connect to the right device. From there he can download any data needed, take control of anything linked to that network, basically become a nightmare for anything relying on tech. Simultaneously, he can use them to keep hostile cyberattacks at bay preventing unwanted intrusions entirely or hitting them with the metaphorical Uno reverse.
Once a program has been launched, the tablet clips securely onto Xan’s left arm, offering an extremely convenient way for him to carry it while it can both recharge and continue whatever upload or download was initiated. The tablet itself is lined in a bullet proof case, providing even more protection in the event Xan drops it. Oh, and from being shot, I guess.
The Dingo: Secured to Xan’s lower back is what appears to be a large carrying case, but in reality is an advanced portable sentry gun. It can be deployed and retracted in a matter of seconds for quick use and repositioning. When active, it uses state of the art motion and thermal sensors to identify and lock on to a target almost instantly. It will then have a short delay as it waits for a signal from the friendly chip, a microchip Xan made sure was wired into every tactical suit on Raven Squad that tells the sentry “No. Bad dog.” If it does not receive this signal, whatever it is aiming at will be sent sixteen 7.62mm rounds per second until the target stops moving. Xan can also control the sentry remotely with his tablet.
Warning! It is not recommended to use The Dingo auto target mode while in a situation where civilians or non Raven Squad personnel are involved. They are not equipped with the friendly chip and The Dingo does not like strangers.
3 x EMP Grenades: If Xan can’t hack it, then the next best thing is to knock it out completely.
3 x Flashbang Grenades.
3 x Smoke Grenades.
M9 Bayonet: Combat knife that can attach to the F88.
Field repair/tool kit: Never know when something needs to be fixed on the fly.
Hobbies: When there’s down time the two most common things you’ll find Xander doing are tinkering with his gear, or orchestrating pranks on the other squad members.
If inspiration hasn’t struck in those regards, he’ll usually default to playing some sort of video game or flying one of the many aircrafts stored at the base. (Assuming the hangar staff let him.)
But on rare occasions where Xander just needs to shut out the world and turn off his brain, he can be found playing the piano where one is available.
Likes: -Cold beer.
-Rainy days.
-Good company.
-Automation.
Dislikes: -People without a sense of humor.
-Selfishness/”Lone Wolf” types.
-Prolonged CQC.
-White Chocolate.
