Name - Tara Taa'l (pronounced Ta-ah-el).
Age - 47 Adolescent. Lifespan varies depending on the host species but general rule of thumb is multiply host lifespan by five. In this case the host was 34 at the time of merger so now would be considered between 10-11 if human years were to be expanded out to the new lifespan.
Species - Or'Taleen. More widely known colloquially as Body Snatchers, the Or'Taleen are a collection of sub-species. They are few in number and tend to be somewhat reclusive. Born by infecting a host with their parasitic offspring the larva attempts to bond with the host. Not all species are compatible and some take easier than others but the success rate bonding is rather low at roughly 1/50. Failure to bond usually results in death while successful bonding causes the host to enter a chrysalis stage for metamorphosis. Each metamorphosis results in a unique Or'Taleen but they usually retain some physical and mental traits of the host. It is customary to retain the host's first name and append the clans last name. This has led them to often be mistaken as different species even though they are all from the same base strain.
Traditionally the Or'Taleen developed from a warrior culture. Their ability to defeat another species by genetic assimilation drove them to seek stronger foes to continuously evolve. Becoming space faring several thousand years ago their adaption of various genetic abilities expanded greatly. As they have assumed more and more sentient species into their fold the more barbaric methods of host selection have subsided. Many species found such methods of reproduction to be wrong and inhumane. Thus since their conquest had been quelled by force and the Or'Taleen returned to hunting. But now it was for criminals and low lifes. It's a little easier to get away with stealing a body when no one cares if they're alive or dead.
Bounty hunting turned out to be a good fit for them though. Having diversified into different sub-groups (or clans) each Or'Taleen clan had different specialties that allowed them to seek out dangerous and tough criminals that could be used to further strengthen the next generation. However not every host is picked because they have desirable genetic traits.
Role - Bounty Hunter.
Gender - Female
Appearance -
A giant among most of the humans she tends to hang around, Tara is 7'. She has elongated features but to those familiar with Ot'Taleen would know that her body is derived from a human. She has long white hair, yellow eyes, and pink skin that make her stand out all the more. The headdress is only ever worn outside of combat and she has yet to explain its significance.
The "wings" are actually bioorganic armor plates created specifically for the Taa'L clan to manipulate with their low level telepathic abilities. While they don't actually function as wings the formation they assume while idle is a holdover from the host's mind, likely inciting some inner hope of some kind.
Personality - Unlike most of the Or'Taleen, Tara is partially dual-minded. It is the result of Tara having volunteered herself as a host, in which part of the host's mind has a chance to survive and develop alongside the new Or'Taleen. Because of this she has a lot more human mannerisms and a preference toward humankind over her new species. Inheriting her host's snark she is a lot more sociable that most of her kind. Eventually the two minds will merge but for the time being she will appear distant on occasion as she "converses" with her host.
Despite the above Tara is a bred warrior and assumes a serious tone when her job is concerned. Still extremely young she understands that what she does is a part of her heritage. She must train, grow stronger, and survive if she wishes to continue her species. Nevermind that that will take another hundred years or so. Fearless in battle if she believes that she can overtake an enemy she will take a hit to do it.
History - Tara has only been a Or'Taleen for 13 years. Unlike many species they don't have to go through an extended period of extreme vulnerability. They are born fighters and mentally develop rapidly. Taking from a host they are already physically capable of functioning on their own.
But we're getting ahead of the story. Before Tara Taa'L ever was there was Tara Hadart. A pirate in command of her own small ship, part of a larger fleet. She was wanted for numerous crimes by the UGPC and other factions alike. Perhaps not just her specifically, but the whole group of pirates had a price on their head.
Most of the bounty hunters they came across they were able to either evade or fight off with numbers. That was until they crossed paths with the Or'Taleen. While not numerous their ships were pretty equal in defenses and fire power. What makes an encounter with an Or'Taleen fleet different is they will jump in and launch their boarding crew in pods before all the enemy ships get the chance to run. The battle then becomes not only one ship to ship, but also on board the defending ship. Add to their ferocity and physiological variation it is hard to account for every kind of Or'Taleen.
This was just such a happening with Tara's ship. It was boarded and eventually taken along with one other ship that got separated from the main pirate fleet. She knew that one of two things were going to happen were she turned over to the UGPC. Either she was going to be executed or put in prison for the rest of her life. Neither sounded particularly inviting. However she had heard rumors that willing hosts of the Or'Taleen survive the transformation. It didn't work exactly that way but rumors aren't always accurate. Any chance to cheat death sounded like a good chance at that point.
It took some convincing that she was even worth becoming a Or'Taleen. Humans, while compatible, did not have many physical traits that warranted the effort. Eventually though one in the Taa'L clan saw use of the human's mental capacity and vouched for the idea. That particular clan, while tough and densely built like all the others, specialized in low level telepathy. Nothing so amazing as mental communication but they could sense emotion and make slight pushes to influence weaker and untrained minds. It was one reason that clan often had the task of raising new Or'Taleen and guide them in their ways. But more applicably they have been developing technology for some time that responded to their mental commands.
Tara Taa'L proved to be a difficult one to handle. Her human host's mind had survived more than would have been liked. Still she was teachable even if she acted oddly. After more than a decade in the care of her kind she began to long for her former kind. There were no rules against such a thing so she was permitted to go find a group that she felt comfortable with. Even if that group wasn't necessarily comfortable with her.
Equipment - As with most Or'Taleen equipment, hers is bioorganicly engineered.
Armor - Her armor is light, flexible, and unrestrictive. Self repairing it needs little maintenance and offers limited healing for wounds. Not intended for use against heavy fire.
Variable Defense Nodes -The armor plates that make up her "wings" are small devices that float and respond to Tara's mental commands. Made of a similar but tougher material to her armor it supplements her light armor by allowing her to move and arrange them into varying formations for defense and attack. These only operate within a three yard radius of her.
M-701 Lance (Laser Rifle) - Mapped to her mental signature Tara can be sure that no one else will be able to fire her weapon unless she allows it. It works how one would expect a laser rifle to work. Has single and burst fire modes. Both require three seconds of cooldown with 90 shots to an energy cell.
Ship - N/A
Activity - I am on call so my schedule is sporadic throughout the day. But I usually have the evenings to post if I haven't already during the day. If anything specific comes up that would prevent me from posting for an extended period I'll let you know.
Extras - The Or'Taleen's ganetic makeup is largely borrowed and selected to make them stronger, faster, and tougher. Over time they've incorporated many of the traits of the more common species found in their sector so they have a fairly high tolerance to many environmental conditions, diseases, and toxins. Not to say they are entirely immune, but would last longer in harsh environments. Despite looking rather thin Tara's physiology makes her pretty resilient. Having rather dense muscle tissue and skeletal structure means she can take harder hits and survive them. While not exceptionally strong she can deadlift around 200lbs.
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