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Variety Hour: An Absolute Comics Roleplay

You know, I absolutely felt like an OU would be out about now to scratch my itch. Guess I'm just gonna have to dip back into my catalogue and pick up a story I left off...

Boy Scout

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

C A P T A I N A M E R I C A ' S
A V E N G E R S

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

_{Tags: @Feyblue}

---

Kenichi understood that the sensation he felt was not strictly an authentic representation of what was happening. While not a surgeon by any means, the doctor's apprentice knew the rough anatomy of where the different internal organs were and what was necessary to treat issues revolving around different parts of the body. He had read much in his youth, and heard the various symptoms from the various patients in the village. But in that awkward moment of fumbling words and awkward placating between the two youths, Kenichi could have sworn he felt his heart drop down into his stomach. He did his best to hide his feelings, leaning on his crutch a bit more as his legs felt the strain from the sensation rock him to his core. He kept his awkward smile plastered on his face, jumping in and interrupting her the moment he had some room in to respond.

"No, no... I understand. I should have scheduled... er, no, no, I just meant to deliver the medicine. I will not keep you."

Kenichi turned his body away from Oyuki, his gaze falling back down the stairs as his cheeks grew hotter and redder by the moment. He couldn't quite place the feelings churning in his abdomen, but he could tell they were unpleasant regardless. The only clear thought running through his mind is he needed to be away. For the briefest of moments, tucking up into a ball and just rolling down the hillside seemed like a reasonable option. Of course, the analytical and reasonable side won out as the doctor's apprentice gave a slight bow facing away from Lady Oyuki. "I wish you well, Lady Oyuki. I will be off."

With such a simple goodbye, Kenichi took a deep breath and began moving down the stairs as quick as his legs would allow, internalizing his grunts and frustrations as he descended from the shrine and towards the village below.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

We're lucky I can't like my own posts.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

The shuttle dropped out of hyperspace on the edge of the Junker Fleet. As soon as its transponder pinged, it wasn’t questioned. It wasn’t challenged. The Junker Fleet knew whose space they were inhabiting. Transmitting clearance, and a docking request. The shuttle glided into the hangar of the Venator, wings folding up over its head. Touching down on repulsors, the hatch at the front opening and hissing even before the hangar door had closed. Two armoured individuals descended from the ramp. The first, Captain Phasma. One of the elite soldiers within the First Order, right hand woman to General Hux with her own special training program within the First Order.

The second figure was clearly a Mandalorian, though his armour markings were irregular. It wasn’t visible, due to their helmets though Phasma wasn’t comfortable with him, and he wasn’t comfortable with her.

They were unknown quantities.

Phasma didn’t like things being unknown. She drilled her people to be loyal through and through, they were conditioned to respond to events accordingly. Now due to some orders coming from on high she was just expected to trust this Mandalorian. It was absurd.

The two of them walked out from beneath the shuttle.She stood waiting at the base of the ramp, the mandalorian by her side waiting. She never approached first, no. They had to come to her.

The Mandalorian didn’t feel like playing such games. Instead he walked up to the closest deckhand, clasping his shoulder to turn him around. “We need whoever's in charge.”

---

“Ma’am… the First Order is here. They are requesting the usual landing permissions.”

Tamara Hycin was standing in front of the viewport of The Salvager’s bridge, her hands clasped behind her back. She wore the outfit she always wore when among the Junkers Union: a tight brown jumpsuit with a red vest, and a heavy blaster pistol strapped with a utility belt to her hip. Her clothes didn’t bear a single stain, but none of the workers or scrappers here would dare to bring it up. It was a show of solidarity that all on board understood, and putting it to words would draw unwanted attention from the cutthroat privateer. Her eyes were trained on the new speck that she had clocked from her position moving closer. Before her subordinate had even spoke, she could recognize that shuttle anywhere. Tamara gave a nod, and turned her gaze to her left where a man dressed in a run-down Rebel Alliance naval uniform was looking to her expectantly. ”They are authorized for the portside docking bay. Make an announcement for Captains Andarin and Rinslan to report there as well.” With a nod of acknowledgement from the officer, Tamara turned on her heels and walked briskly towards the elevator shaft to meet with the First Order. She knew they did not appreciate tardiness.

Within a few moments, her brisk footsteps were matched by those of Captain Winrell Rinslan. His familiar steps echoed in the empty halls in this portion of the ship, the sound of the leather imperial boots a nostalgic sound to the former Imperial officer. Rinslan was a tall, lithe man who never quite filled out his old naval uniform quite right, resulting in him having to use careful tucking and some pins to try and get it to conform around his body. That being said, his alterations were calculated and in compliance with the harsh dress code of his naval upbringing. His steps were uniform and practically a clicking march in lockstep with his commanding officer. This was interrupted by the thudding footfalls of Captain Jax Andarin, whose face and hair were still marked with grease stains. He jogged up towards the former Imperials, readjusting his coat as he fell nearly in step alongside Captain Rinslan in following Chief Hycin. Tamara turned her gaze towards Jax as he fell in line, her sweet tones undercut with a threatening confidence. ”They are earlier than usual. Don’t speak unless I give the signal.” Jax gave a confused glance to Winrell, who simply flashed a condescending smirk to his fellow Captain. Jax clenched his jaw as he turned his gaze ahead to follow the others into the docking bay.

The doors slid open, and Chief Hycin took a step forward confidently. Her eyes glanced over the familiar shuttle, before passing over two figures. She slowed her next step for a moment, just long enough for Jax to fall out of step and nearly run into his CO. Hycin’s heart missed a beat as recognition passed over her face for a second. Reputation was a powerful tool, and one the Junkers Union brandished to keep fear in the heart of its enemies. But a reputation powerful enough to make Tamara Hycin nearly stop dead in her tracks was rare. Tamara took a deep breath as she continued her pace once again. This was unexpected, and unexpected was not something Tamara Hycin was fond of. The lone deckhand turned his gaze towards the open blast doors and the three figures approaching, and shakily pointed a finger in their direction. “Y-You’ll want to speak with Chief Hycin, s-sir.” The second he got the chance, the dockhand slipped from the Mandalorian’s grip and made his way towards a couple other dockhands standing alert near a set of ammunition crates, doing his best to fade into the background.

Tamara Hycin and company marched within a few meters of the two visitors, and she fell into an immediate salute along with Winrell. Jax stood at his full height and kept his hands resting on his utility belt, far and enough away from the CA-87 resting in a holster on his right thigh. Tamara’s voice went rigid and formal, her naval discipline kicking in. ”It is an honor to have you on board, Captain Phasma.”

The Mandalorian stepped back in line behind Phasma. Letting go off the deckhand as the three officers approached. Phasma instantly clocked two of them for Imperials. The third. She’d assume he had no formal military background, no that wasn’t right. Rebel maybe. When she finally spoke her voice was metallic and neutral, her helmet filtering her voice to betray no emotion. Instead everything sounded like mild disdain.

“It’s good to see that my reputation precedes me. This is my associate, he goes by the title Crusader. He needs your ship and its crew for an important mission. I need you to be ready to leave within five hours if you are to make your timeframe.”

Tamara kept her gaze straight, lowering her attentive stance as Winrell followed. She bared a slightly warm smile,raising her eyebrows in some acknowledgement of surprise at the sudden request. She knew better than to play any part other than the accommodating servant. ”The Junkers Union would be happy to serve the First Order. Are you requesting The Salvager or the whole fleet?”

“The Salvager will suffice. We have some specialist vessels that will meet with you at the target destination to assist as necessary.” Phasma turned and gestured to Crusader “I remind you that in my absence you will be in the employ of Crusader-” She had to stop herself from scoffing at his ridiculous name. “-and his orders should be taken as our own. I assume I don’t need to remind you that my presence here indicates you have gained yourself some prestige? My superiors sent me here directly.”

Tamara nodded towards Captain Rinslan, who nodded in return and sharply turned on his heels to begin preparations for departure. She turned her gaze back towards Phasma, same warm smile plastered on her lips. ”We are happy for the recognition and opportunity to perform such a vital mission for the First Order.” Her gaze turned finally in acknowledgement of the Mandalorian. ”We will be happy to escort you to the bridge for a briefing on what you need from us when you are ready, Crusader.” With a simple turn of head once again, Tamara’s eyes locked back onto Phasma. ”Do you have any further specifications or accommodation requests, Captain?”

Crusader merely nodded, before pulling some form of needle from a pouch on his hip, stabbing in between two joints of his armour.

Phasma meanwhile signalled back to the shuttle as a group of eleven troopers, and a twelfth with an officers pauldron, descended from the shuttle. “This squad of troopers will remain behind to assist Crusader with his duties aboard this ship. All other details, Crusader will fill you in on.” Without another word she turned around and back up towards the shuttle. The troopers stood waiting in the middle of the hangar as the ramp to the shuttle was once more raised. As soon as the doors were open it raised off its legs and left the hangar.

Crusader spoke again, his voice oddly hollow and gravely. “Take me to the bridge, and have someone show the Troopers to some quarters.”

Tamara watched the shuttle begin to take off from the hangar, and turned to match Jax’s gaze. Her warm smile gave way to a simmering rage, which Jax met with a slight nod. She turned her gaze back towards Crusader. ”I’ll have an officer escort them momentarily. For now, we will lead you to the bridge.” Chief Hycin turned on her heels and began making her way out of the hangar bay and towards the turbolift to the bridge, fetching a small datapad from her vest pocket and typing up a quick message to prepare one of the barrack spaces for the troopers. Of course, it meant having to quickly evict salvagers back to The Dauntless, but it was an acceptable tradeoff. They would be liabilities in the coming mission regardless. Jax followed Tamara closely, keeping an eye on Crusader with clear suspicion. Something about this whole situation didn’t sit right with the pilot. And he knew damn well at this point to trust in his gut.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

Onboard The Salvager // First Order Space

The main hangar bay was, as always, a cacophony of sounds that drove most in the galaxy crazy. Metal plating scratched against metal plating, and the stinging sound of welding echoed through the large open chambers. Foremen barked orders to mechanics and scrappers alike, as the starfighter wrecks haphazardly dumped into the various working bays were being torn apart and reassembled into something functional. Standing among the wreckage, over a salvaged and flickering holotable to be precise, was a man with pepper hair slicked back with grease. A set of goggles was pushed up on his forehead as he was readjusting the sleeves on his shirt to keep them rolled up, staring at the blue image of a heavily damaged Z-95 Headhunter. Jax Andarin turned his gaze towards the Sullustan who was scratching his own shoulder next to him. "They want to be able to carry a bounty in this..."

"<Yup.>"

"Safety isn't a concern..."

"<Correct.>"

"The Hutts want it in 3 cycles..."

"<Yeah.>"

"And they don't care about safety measures?" The Sullustan answered the question with a nod to indicate a positive response, and Jax shrugged his shoulders, moving his hands up to interact with the hologram. He lifted his left hand and motioned towards the dented nose of the starfighter, and threw it off screen haphazardly. Jax's right hand tapped on the control panel for a moment, and a different nose appeared separate from the Z-95. "Luckily we salvaged a functional front half of a Z-95 when we dealt with Zeffron's gang. There's already retrofitted space for storage in the nose, we'll just have to expand it."

With a few more flicks of his wrists, the nose was zoomed in on the hologram and the various components removed to create a more three dimensional image, and Jax began pointing at the various components within the nose. "They already specified they didn't want the torpedo launchers, which helps save space. We can remove the nose sensors and move them back closer to the engines. We can then rip out the life support from that salvaged X-Wing and store it right up next to the expanded storage bin. The heat from that and the battery will help make sure the bounties don't freeze, but they won't be comfortable. This'll put more strain on the engine than usual, but we can add in additional venting. Besides, this is what the Hutts get for buying cheap. Should fly until the Hunter crosses path with a Ranger." The Sullustan gave a nod, his eyes tracing over the various gestures Jax made. He then turned around, and began barking at the mechanics that had been huddled nearby. Jax took this as his cue to fetch his jacket from where it was resting upon a spare communications relay and walk off deeper into the Venator class Star Destroyer, making his way around the closed off sections that were still under repair.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

Conversation is sparse here, would you guys rather have a discord or just keep the OOC chatter to a minimal?

@Sep

I'm good with either option. Discord might be better for quick questions asking ourselves, and allows easier discussion.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

Jax Andarin

Name: Jax Andarin
Species: Human
Age: 28
Appearance:

Jax Andarin's look

Faction: Junkers, Alliance "Privateer"

Equipment:

• DC-15a Blaster Carbine (with ascension cable attachment)
• CA-87 Blaster (modified, short range ion blaster)
• Refurbished T-7 Ion Disruptor (stowed in X-Wing in case of emergencies)
• 10 EMP "Droid Popper" Grenades
• Tactical backpack, with spare junk and personal tool box

Modified T-70 Trainer X-Wing

• Jump Seat replacing Droid compartment, seated right above life support.
• "Fixed" instruments and switches in cockpit to allow for easier manipulation of important systems. Extraneous features relegated to a stowed tray table switchboard next to pilot.
• Storage compartment in nose reduced to allow retractable laser Canon with controls linked to cockpit/jump seat.
• Redundancies in armor plating and wiring directly behind s-foils replaced with increased capacity for quick-change torpedo magazines, allowing X-Wing to carry 4 Ion Bombs and 8 Proton Torpedos at once.
• Navcomputer installed next to life support, with display and controls replacing "redundant" systems in cockpit.
• Modified energy adjustment instrument installed next to navcomputer, allowing for greater individual control of power outputs to various systems.

Skills:

Born to Fly: With his past connected to piloting and shipbuilding, Jax feels more comfortable in a cockpit than he does on his own two legs. His primary focus in life has been becoming a skilled pilot, and he treats it like a science and a numbers game. He could recite the exact trajectory vectors on his approach into Bracca airspace faster than he could tell you what he had for breakfast that morning.

Juryrigging: Jax has a penchant for knowing how to patch up broken tech, systems, or engines just well enough to pull through until he can sit down for proper repairs. This gift also.means he knows exactly how to break something in just the right way to get him what he wants.

Mechanic by Trade: Jax was a mechanic before becoming a pilot, and always works on his own ships rather than let anyone else under the hood. He knows what he's doing when it comes to proper repairs... they just take time.

Boot Camp: As part of his brief introduction into the Republic Naval Forces, Jax knows his way around blasters and standard tactical formations. While much more skilled and aware in aerospace combat encounters, he is aware of the general tactics that come from land skirmishes.

Weaknesses:

What you call luck, I call skill: Jax has a fundamental belief that he is too gifted at piloting to not die. He has walked out of suicide missions enough times that he is willing to perform bold and incredibly dangerous maneuvers to accomplish his goals. That luck is bound to run out eventually.

Zealot: Jax has a fundamental hatred for Droid soldiers due to his great grandfather's own dealings around the time of the Clone Wars. While Jax does not believe in the Empire being the answer to this issue, Jax doesn't trust the Republic allowing themselves with the Separatist Union. If he sees the opportunity to deal a massive blow to the Union or the use of droids in warfare, he will take it.

Bad Reputation: Jax's association with The Junkers, who are known to sell illegal ships to whoever has the credits, tends to make him seem somewhat untrustworthy. Couple that with the fact that Jax's current profession of being a privateer is less reputable than being a bounty hunter, and it seems like only a matter of time before the Alliance calls him in for questioning.

Weak Constitution: Jax is meant to be a pilot, not a soldier. He is not as capable of sustaining a prolonged sprint or charge, and is not particularly adept at Athletic challenges.

History:

Jax was born on the planet on the planet of Fresia, home to the Incom Corporation, 2 years after the Battle of Yavin. His parents were less than thrilled with the galactic Imperial occupation, with Jax's father leaving to join the Rebel Alliance. This left Jax in the care of his mother and uncle, the latter of whom became a pivotal role model. As the Galactic Civil War came to a close and Jax father was counted among the casualties, Jax was exposed to the Incom Corporation from a young age.

Jax's uncle was a higher ranking manager in the engineering department, and had a large hand in the development of training simulators and the development of the T-65 Trainer X-Wings. As a result to the connection, Jax was exposed to the Sims from.a young age. He would help with QA, and would push the Sims to the limit in the way only kids with idle curiosity could. As Jax grew up, he became a sort of apprentice to his uncle as they were developing and improving the T-70 Trainer X-Wings for deployment to the New Republic and private sector.

Jax's grandfather, after the death of the Emperor, took an early retirement to Fresia to spend time with his only grandson. He didn't tell many tales of his time as an Imperial Officer, and instead focused on his youth in the time of the Clone Wars. He was a "merchant" at the time, and spoke of his escapades and dealing with the Separatists of old. He spoke of the horrors of war at the hands of an unfeeling Droid army, and instilled in Jax the same fear of autonomous weapons that led him to join the Imperial Navy. It was almost certainly this fear that ultimately inspired Jax to join the New Republic Navy when he was of age.

Jax served for a short time, his service falling around the time Imperial Warlord Daala kicked open the hornets nest, so to speak. Jax served the Republic with some distinction, and most who served alongside him had no qualms with his skills. When the dust settled, though, peace was established between the Confederacy and the Republic. The Separatists were viewed as a partner, and that infuriated Jax. So he resigned from his post and went independent. He wasn't the only one, and quite a few skilled pilots with like minded goals had the same fear of droids.

It was through an old connection to his deceased grandfather that Jax got in touch with the self proclaimed "Moff Hycin," an officer serving under the Imperial Warlord Daala who fled into the outer rim for a time to avoid being arrested. Hycin had grown up with the same fear of another war with Droid that would see countless dead, and was dedicated to figuring out what to do next. Jax joined the small crew of what would eventually become the Junkers, starting out with the cobbled together snubfighter squadron operating near the salvsge world of Bracca. They got lucky and found what would be come to known as The Salvager, an abandoned and partially destroyed Venator Star Destroyer.

It took a year of work just to get the life support fixed. Hycin was the one with the connections, and was able to recruit former Imperials and outlaws into her "flock" once the Venator was working as well as it could. All the while, Jax was practically Hycin's right hand man in cobbling the Venator back together. It was Hycin who gifted Jax the T-70 X-Wing he flies to this day (granted, much more modified than when he got it). Jax reached out to some of his old allies in the Navy who weren't happy with the Alliance either, and began putting together a crew once again. Hycin provided all the ships, never really explaining how she got ahold of them.

And so, for the last five years, Jax has operated as "Scav Leader" to his band of former military pilots, picking up odd jobs for Planetary Defense Forces and the Alliance to keep travel panes safe from pirates. Of course, Jax's indirect connections to the First Order military has also opened up some sites of combination to some old allies in the Alliance Rangers and Alliance Intelligence, who are very interested in updates on movement in space they are not permitted to operate in. Regardless, when the heat gets too much or Hycin needs a favor, the Scavs return back to The Salvager to get patched up.

FACTION: The Junkers

Faction Name: The Junker's Union
Faction Classification: Privateer Fleet
Faction Leader: Chief Foreman Tamara Hycin
Faction Members(Players): Captain Jax Andarin (Scavs)
Important NPCs: Captain Winrell Rinslan (Imperial Frigate CO), Captain Quixti Lyr and Captain Tycho Zen (of the DP20 frigates)
Faction Assets:
Ships: 1 Venator Class Star Destroyer (The Salvager), Numerous Lambda Class Shuttles, 2 DP20 Frigates, 1 Imperial II-Class Frigate (carrying 3 Modified Tie Squadrons), 3 additional Mixed Starfighter Squadrons (The Scavengers included)
Manpower: 33,278
Credits: 20 million credit evaluation
Access to Weaponry: Imperial Personal Arms, Ion-based personal arms. Enough to arm 5,000 accordingly.
Timeline of Factions History:

The Junkers began when a higher ranking member of the Imperial Remnant, Captain Tamara Hycin, orchestrated a mutiny in the waning weeks of Imperial Warlord Daala's campaign. Seeing the end coming, Captain Hycin got like minded officers and pilots to aid in taking the Bridge of their Imperial II-class frigate, and jumped into the outer rim. Captain Hycin had a powerful personality, and convinced a core group of trained Imperial Marines around her to trust her thoroughly. Those who didn't see the writing on the wall or were suspected of being disloyal to Hycin were executed. By the end, Hycin's crew was reduced from. Nearly 16,000 to a mere 8,000. Hycin was going to need a message, a cause, and to rebrand. After reaching the salvage world of Bracca via an Imperial shuttle while the Frigate hid a sector away, Hycin found the cause in the grumblings of local salvagers: a distrust of droids from the old days, a desire to be mobile, and the need to be free.

Hycin needed to put together a crew and began reaching out to potential associates. She had been told by her former mentor and commanding officer about connections with Incom, and managed to get in touch with a "prodigy" of a pilot and mechanic. Jax and Hycin met, and the two had a long talk about ideologies. It didn't take long for Hycin's scheming mind to finally settle on how to rebrand formally and save her own skin: play on the underlying fears lingering from the Clone Wars regarding the Droid army. On backwater worlds like Bracca and Tattooine, this message resonated loud and clear. Hycin sold excess food stores in bulk to these out of reach corners of the galaxy to get her hands on some junked up cargo freighters and snub fighters, and set about the work she signed up for long ago: decimate space pirates.

For about a year, the small group focused on freeing up trade routes in the Outer Rim while the politicians tried to create a compromised government. The trick was simple: the snubfighter squadron would outmanuever smaller pirate Squadrons, while the freighters would pick up the scrap. Jax's reputation and Hycin's diplomacy helped in securing additional credits from localized defense forces or local governments, who were usually pleased enough to pay off the Privateers for keeping shipping lanes safe without having the more centralized Alliance breathing down their necks. Hycin even was even able to get rival local crime syndicates to pay her off from interfering in their own schemes, or to pay Hycin to hinder the illicit trade of the competition.

Of course, this model wasn't sustainable without being able to expand. And that opportunity came when a tip from one of Hycin's contacts clued the group into the existence of a broken down Venator Star Destroyer just outside of traditional hyperlanes near the same sector as Bracca. After a quick examination, Hycin got in contact with her junior officer in the Imperial military, Captain Rinslan, and brought them old crew back into the fold. Hycin used the Frigate to help funnel workers from Bracca to the Venator, where Jax manned the engineering efforts to fix the Venator's life support and restart its engines. It took another year until it was complete, but Hycin had big plans for her new flagship: The Salvager.

Once the Venator was operational, Hycin had begun recruiting en masse to form a "Junkers Union" that would have plenty of food, as long as salvagers were willing to help keep the Venator afloat and not ask too many questions. The Junkers Union started by patrolling hyperlanes and trying to lure out pirates with the relatively pristine Imperial II-Frigate relaying distress calls. What lurking pirates were not expecting were the weaponry on board to be operational, nor did they anticipate a highly trained starfighter crew (The Scavengers) to be accompanying them. After every successful trap, The Salvager would make a micro jump and sweep up any salvageable materials. The Junkers Union made money twice, effectively: deals with governments for clearing out pirates, and deals with salvage yards and various private elements looking for ship parts.

For the last six years, the operations of the Junkers has expanded significantly. Hycin acquired two more Frigates to help aid in the local pirate operations, and the group's expansion has helped legitimize their success and results. Jax's Scavengers, decked out in makeshift experimental tech to keep themselves ten steps ahead of any bounty hunters or pirates, have made a name for themselves in certain circles. The most pressing development came from the formation of the First Order as a more independent galactic Faction. Along with their rapid militarization, the Junkers Union (through old contacts of Chief Foreman Tamara Hycin) has secured a formal contract from the First Order to aid in securing its trade routes and border territories from illicit activity. Time will tell how this contract shapes out the future of the Junkers Union. For now, Chief Foreman Hycin encourages the Captains of her Frigates and Squadrons to patrol far and wide for "opportunities" to make the galaxy a safer place.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

Got a character and Faction sheet for ya. Figure I might as well shake things up a little.

Jax Andarin

Name: Jax Andarin
Species: Human
Age: 28
Appearance:

Jax Andarin's look

Faction: Junkers, Alliance "Privateer"

Equipment:

• DC-15a Blaster Carbine (with ascension cable attachment)
• CA-87 Blaster (modified, short range ion blaster)
• Refurbished T-7 Ion Disruptor (stowed in X-Wing in case of emergencies)
• 10 EMP "Droid Popper" Grenades
• Tactical backpack, with spare junk and personal tool box

Modified T-70 Trainer X-Wing

• Jump Seat replacing Droid compartment, seated right above life support.
• "Fixed" instruments and switches in cockpit to allow for easier manipulation of important systems. Extraneous features relegated to a stowed tray table switchboard next to pilot.
• Storage compartment in nose reduced to allow retractable laser Canon with controls linked to cockpit/jump seat.
• Redundancies in armor plating and wiring directly behind s-foils replaced with increased capacity for quick-change torpedo magazines, allowing X-Wing to carry 4 Ion Bombs and 8 Proton Torpedos at once.
• Navcomputer installed next to life support, with display and controls replacing "redundant" systems in cockpit.
• Modified energy adjustment instrument installed next to navcomputer, allowing for greater individual control of power outputs to various systems.

Skills:

Born to Fly: With his past connected to piloting and shipbuilding, Jax feels more comfortable in a cockpit than he does on his own two legs. His primary focus in life has been becoming a skilled pilot, and he treats it like a science and a numbers game. He could recite the exact trajectory vectors on his approach into Bracca airspace faster than he could tell you what he had for breakfast that morning.

Juryrigging: Jax has a penchant for knowing how to patch up broken tech, systems, or engines just well enough to pull through until he can sit down for proper repairs. This gift also.means he knows exactly how to break something in just the right way to get him what he wants.

Mechanic by Trade: Jax was a mechanic before becoming a pilot, and always works on his own ships rather than let anyone else under the hood. He knows what he's doing when it comes to proper repairs... they just take time.

Boot Camp: As part of his brief introduction into the Republic Naval Forces, Jax knows his way around blasters and standard tactical formations. While much more skilled and aware in aerospace combat encounters, he is aware of the general tactics that come from land skirmishes.

Weaknesses:

What you call luck, I call skill: Jax has a fundamental belief that he is too gifted at piloting to not die. He has walked out of suicide missions enough times that he is willing to perform bold and incredibly dangerous maneuvers to accomplish his goals. That luck is bound to run out eventually.

Zealot: Jax has a fundamental hatred for Droid soldiers due to his great grandfather's own dealings around the time of the Clone Wars. While Jax does not believe in the Empire being the answer to this issue, Jax doesn't trust the Republic allowing themselves with the Separatist Union. If he sees the opportunity to deal a massive blow to the Union or the use of droids in warfare, he will take it.

Bad Reputation: Jax's association with The Junkers, who are known to sell illegal ships to whoever has the credits, tends to make him seem somewhat untrustworthy. Couple that with the fact that Jax's current profession of being a privateer is less reputable than being a bounty hunter, and it seems like only a matter of time before the Alliance calls him in for questioning.

Weak Constitution: Jax is meant to be a pilot, not a soldier. He is not as capable of sustaining a prolonged sprint or charge, and is not particularly adept at Athletic challenges.

History:

Jax was born on the planet on the planet of Fresia, home to the Incom Corporation, 2 years after the Battle of Yavin. His parents were less than thrilled with the galactic Imperial occupation, with Jax's father leaving to join the Rebel Alliance. This left Jax in the care of his mother and uncle, the latter of whom became a pivotal role model. As the Galactic Civil War came to a close and Jax father was counted among the casualties, Jax was exposed to the Incom Corporation from a young age.

Jax's uncle was a higher ranking manager in the engineering department, and had a large hand in the development of training simulators and the development of the T-65 Trainer X-Wings. As a result to the connection, Jax was exposed to the Sims from.a young age. He would help with QA, and would push the Sims to the limit in the way only kids with idle curiosity could. As Jax grew up, he became a sort of apprentice to his uncle as they were developing and improving the T-70 Trainer X-Wings for deployment to the New Republic and private sector.

Jax's grandfather, after the death of the Emperor, took an early retirement to Fresia to spend time with his only grandson. He didn't tell many tales of his time as an Imperial Officer, and instead focused on his youth in the time of the Clone Wars. He was a "merchant" at the time, and spoke of his escapades and dealing with the Separatists of old. He spoke of the horrors of war at the hands of an unfeeling Droid army, and instilled in Jax the same fear of autonomous weapons that led him to join the Imperial Navy. It was almost certainly this fear that ultimately inspired Jax to join the New Republic Navy when he was of age.

Jax served for a short time, his service falling around the time Imperial Warlord Daala kicked open the hornets nest, so to speak. Jax served the Republic with some distinction, and most who served alongside him had no qualms with his skills. When the dust settled, though, peace was established between the Confederacy and the Republic. The Separatists were viewed as a partner, and that infuriated Jax. So he resigned from his post and went independent. He wasn't the only one, and quite a few skilled pilots with like minded goals had the same fear of droids.

It was through an old connection to his deceased grandfather that Jax got in touch with the self proclaimed "Moff Hycin," an officer serving under the Imperial Warlord Daala who fled into the outer rim for a time to avoid being arrested. Hycin had grown up with the same fear of another war with Droid that would see countless dead, and was dedicated to figuring out what to do next. Jax joined the small crew of what would eventually become the Junkers, starting out with the cobbled together snubfighter squadron operating near the salvsge world of Bracca. They got lucky and found what would be come to known as The Salvager, an abandoned and partially destroyed Venator Star Destroyer.

It took a year of work just to get the life support fixed. Hycin was the one with the connections, and was able to recruit former Imperials and outlaws into her "flock" once the Venator was working as well as it could. All the while, Jax was practically Hycin's right hand man in cobbling the Venator back together. It was Hycin who gifted Jax the T-70 X-Wing he flies to this day (granted, much more modified than when he got it). Jax reached out to some of his old allies in the Navy who weren't happy with the Alliance either, and began putting together a crew once again. Hycin provided all the ships, never really explaining how she got ahold of them.

And so, for the last five years, Jax has operated as "Scav Leader" to his band of former military pilots, picking up odd jobs for Planetary Defense Forces and the Alliance to keep travel panes safe from pirates. Of course, Jax's indirect connections to the First Order military has also opened up some sites of combination to some old allies in the Alliance Rangers and Alliance Intelligence, who are very interested in updates on movement in space they are not permitted to operate in. Regardless, when the heat gets too much or Hycin needs a favor, the Scavs return back to The Salvager to get patched up.

FACTION: The Junkers

Faction Name: The Junker's Union
Faction Classification: Privateer Fleet
Faction Leader: Chief Foreman Tamara Hycin
Faction Members(Players): Captain Jax Andarin (Scavs)
Important NPCs: Captain Winrell Rinslan (Imperial Frigate CO), Captain Quixti Lyr and Captain Tycho Zen (of the DP20 frigates)
Faction Assets:
Ships: 1 Venator Class Star Destroyer (The Salvager), Numerous Lambda Class Shuttles, 2 DP20 Frigates, 1 Imperial II-Class Frigate (carrying 3 Modified Tie Squadrons), 3 additional Mixed Starfighter Squadrons (The Scavengers included)
Manpower: 33,278
Credits: 20 million credit evaluation
Access to Weaponry: Imperial Personal Arms, Ion-based personal arms. Enough to arm 5,000 accordingly.
Timeline of Factions History:

The Junkers began when a higher ranking member of the Imperial Remnant, Captain Tamara Hycin, orchestrated a mutiny in the waning weeks of Imperial Warlord Daala's campaign. Seeing the end coming, Captain Hycin got like minded officers and pilots to aid in taking the Bridge of their Imperial II-class frigate, and jumped into the outer rim. Captain Hycin had a powerful personality, and convinced a core group of trained Imperial Marines around her to trust her thoroughly. Those who didn't see the writing on the wall or were suspected of being disloyal to Hycin were executed. By the end, Hycin's crew was reduced from. Nearly 16,000 to a mere 8,000. Hycin was going to need a message, a cause, and to rebrand. After reaching the salvage world of Bracca via an Imperial shuttle while the Frigate hid a sector away, Hycin found the cause in the grumblings of local salvagers: a distrust of droids from the old days, a desire to be mobile, and the need to be free.

Hycin needed to put together a crew and began reaching out to potential associates. She had been told by her former mentor and commanding officer about connections with Incom, and managed to get in touch with a "prodigy" of a pilot and mechanic. Jax and Hycin met, and the two had a long talk about ideologies. It didn't take long for Hycin's scheming mind to finally settle on how to rebrand formally and save her own skin: play on the underlying fears lingering from the Clone Wars regarding the Droid army. On backwater worlds like Bracca and Tattooine, this message resonated loud and clear. Hycin sold excess food stores in bulk to these out of reach corners of the galaxy to get her hands on some junked up cargo freighters and snub fighters, and set about the work she signed up for long ago: decimate space pirates.

For about a year, the small group focused on freeing up trade routes in the Outer Rim while the politicians tried to create a compromised government. The trick was simple: the snubfighter squadron would outmanuever smaller pirate Squadrons, while the freighters would pick up the scrap. Jax's reputation and Hycin's diplomacy helped in securing additional credits from localized defense forces or local governments, who were usually pleased enough to pay off the Privateers for keeping shipping lanes safe without having the more centralized Alliance breathing down their necks. Hycin even was even able to get rival local crime syndicates to pay her off from interfering in their own schemes, or to pay Hycin to hinder the illicit trade of the competition.

Of course, this model wasn't sustainable without being able to expand. And that opportunity came when a tip from one of Hycin's contacts clued the group into the existence of a broken down Venator Star Destroyer just outside of traditional hyperlanes near the same sector as Bracca. After a quick examination, Hycin got in contact with her junior officer in the Imperial military, Captain Rinslan, and brought them old crew back into the fold. Hycin used the Frigate to help funnel workers from Bracca to the Venator, where Jax manned the engineering efforts to fix the Venator's life support and restart its engines. It took another year until it was complete, but Hycin had big plans for her new flagship: The Salvager.

Once the Venator was operational, Hycin had begun recruiting en masse to form a "Junkers Union" that would have plenty of food, as long as salvagers were willing to help keep the Venator afloat and not ask too many questions. The Junkers Union started by patrolling hyperlanes and trying to lure out pirates with the relatively pristine Imperial II-Frigate relaying distress calls. What lurking pirates were not expecting were the weaponry on board to be operational, nor did they anticipate a highly trained starfighter crew (The Scavengers) to be accompanying them. After every successful trap, The Salvager would make a micro jump and sweep up any salvageable materials. The Junkers Union made money twice, effectively: deals with governments for clearing out pirates, and deals with salvage yards and various private elements looking for ship parts.

For the last six years, the operations of the Junkers has expanded significantly. Hycin acquired two more Frigates to help aid in the local pirate operations, and the group's expansion has helped legitimize their success and results. Jax's Scavengers, decked out in makeshift experimental tech to keep themselves ten steps ahead of any bounty hunters or pirates, have made a name for themselves in certain circles. The most pressing development came from the formation of the First Order as a more independent galactic Faction. Along with their rapid militarization, the Junkers Union (through old contacts of Chief Foreman Tamara Hycin) has secured a formal contract from the First Order to aid in securing its trade routes and border territories from illicit activity. Time will tell how this contract shapes out the future of the Junkers Union. For now, Chief Foreman Hycin encourages the Captains of her Frigates and Squadrons to patrol far and wide for "opportunities" to make the galaxy a safer place.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

I'll be putting something together once I get back from a wedding this weekend. Something a bit more independent.

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

_{Tags: @Feyblue}

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Kenichi held in a sigh as Oyuki bowed to him, apologizing profusely. While a small part of Kenichi's mind was pleased at the thought of the local yokai being scolded, he wasn't sure how to feel about the overtly formal apology. More than that, from the tone and emphasis in her apology, it didn't take long for the apprentice to realize that she was taking personal responsibility for such a simple fall. Kenichi parted his lips to protest verbally, but he found no words to form. He wasn't sure how to reassure her. As he clutched at words, she spoke once more. He gave a small smile at her offer to let him rest.

"No, no... I could not ask of more hospitality than a spot to sit a moment." The doctor's apprentice took a small step forward up the steps, his heart thumping from the recent excitement and physical exertion. His thoughts fell on her words as he continued trying to craft a coherent response. Something was nagging at the corner of his mind, but that could wait. "As for my business... um... medicine. I... brewed more than I anticipated. It is designed to help alleviate symptoms of a cold or sore throat, and would do best when mixed with some tea and honey. This should remain fresh for use for about a month or so." As Kenichi's mind focused on the medicine, he felt his social anxiety slip away for a moment. His words flowed like a river, and he spoke with the same confidence he had with any patients he treated. He felt his left hand rise and fall naturally as he gestured with his words.

For a brief moment, Kenichi had begun walking up the steps with surprising ease. He showed no sign of pain or discomfort as his mind was focused on explaining the medicine. He stopped as his words did, and reached into his satchel to quickly produce a small vial. He held it out in Oyuki's direction for a moment. "With all of the work you do for the village, I thought you might be in most need of a dose if you awoke with a sore throat. It would buy you time before..."

The realization hit him like an axe striking a tree. That tone in her voice had finally registered as something being wrong. It was a sort of timid and rehearsed politeness that a young man with more self-awareness would have recognized all too well. Kenichi had instinctively pulled the vial back towards himself for a moment as he tried to find some way to acknowledge this development, before realizing he hadn't even finished whatever thought he had before. Kenichi's eyes turned upwards towards the hill as he spoke more to the general air than to Oyuki. "I have caught you at a bad time. Of course..." Kenichi turned his gaze back towards Oyuki for a moment, before holding out the vial once again whilst bowing. "My apologies, Lady Oyuki. I did not think of how busy you must be. I do not wish to take up more of your time, and hope you do not take offense at my refusal of your hospitality. I would not dream of interfering with your duties here."