Atton Rand

IC: Maya looked at the hand stretched out in front of her. Reluctantly, she reached out, gripping it firmly.

IC: "And I'm just a soldier. I go where they tell me to go. I shoot when they tell me to shoot." Maya paused. "I suppose I should introduce myself. "Private Logan."

IC: "Oh, THAT situation," Maya smiled, somewhat embarrassed at even having to ask the question. "I'm sorry, Nobody tells me much. I've spent the last week either sharing the barracks with a bunch of recruits or workin on my mech. I haven't exactly been briefed on what's going on. The other recruits know as much as I do, sometimes even less. And while I'm still seen as not ready nobody's felt the need to keep me posted on anything."

IC: "What situation?"

Was that what was going on. I did some references to a program but I thought there were only Two or three people in it.

IC: "Because I'm a fresh recruit with no field experience."

IC: "My mech's fine," Maya replied. "I think it's lookin pretty good. I've added some extra armour and greater firepower. Nobody's going to want to mess with me. The only problem is the officers don't think I'm ready for a field mission yet."

IC: "That is true. They don't." "I wasn't deployed during the attack. They said I was a reserve in case reinforcements were needed. Probably didn't think I was ready."

IC: "Is that even regulation?" Maya asked, not that she cared much. It wasn't like she was going to report a few soldiers trying to make things slightly more bearable. She leaned against one of the tables, taking a moment to exhale a small stream of smoke. "At least I'm not the only one stuck here," the soldier muttered. "When they transferred me out of the marines I was hoping to get some real action. I've spent the last few weeks maintaining a new walker without ever once getting to use it in the field."

IC: "Yeah, sure," Maya replied as she entered. "It's got to be better than the usual rations."

IC: Maya stood at the kitchen door, watching the two people inside. At least she wasn't the only one with nothing to do at the moment. It looked like they were making chicken of some kind, and whatever they were doing it was probably better than the rations normally given. It was probably against regulation, not that she cared much. If anything, that would have made her more inclined to get involved. She slowly stepped into the mess hall, glancing at the chef. "What's going on in here?' She asked.

OOC: Okay, so perhaps I didn't make the best choice on my first post and I got in right when most of the cast was in the middle of something. I didn't have all the information so it seemed like it was best not to dive in too quickly but now that doesn't leave very many options for interaction. Looks like there are only two other people at the base. I guess that's the logical place to go. Norik and Conway, I hope you don't mind. IC: Maya continued to smoke as she wandered out of the hangar bay. Not much to do at the moment other than perhaps visit her old friends at the marines. She had one tough walker but there was still no sign of it actually being used. One of these days, she hoped, someone would finally give her an assignment. There wasn't any obvious sign of that happening now. Everyone else was in the middle of the action and she was still being pushed to the sidelines. It hardly did much good for her current mood. She was passing the mess hall when she noticed two people inside: a man and a woman. The man was in the middle of barbecuing something, looked like chicken. Both were talking among themselves.

OOC: So I've been talking to Rache, and it turns out the street gang plot hasn't been very good. In fact, it seems people are actively ignoring those posts. I was hoping it would bring in a new angle, but I've failed miserably. I'm still waiting a response before I can do anything more with Dak, so this seemed like a good time to finally resolve it. I know this isn't exactly the most dramatic way to deal with the problem, but it's something. IC: The Twi'lek stood in surprise as she approached the Vulkar Base. The old building wasn't in particularly great shape. Next to her, Viseria appeared to show discomfort. "I can feel it," the Miraluka said, a sense of mourning in her voice. Nadia approached reluctantly. As she stepped inside, the place was in ruins. Furniture had been knocked over, the remnants of blaster fire everywhere. Some of the vulkars were injured, with others tending to their wounded. A few bodies were lying around, among them Nadia recognized Dorq Joben. "Nadia?" A familiar voice called out. The Twi'lek turned. She could see Gonzai standing in front of her. He looked shaken, though otherwise unharmed. "What happened?" "What do you think?" The Gamorrean replied. "The Beks attacked." "It looks bad," Nadia replied. "The Beks are getting nasty. We managed to repel them for now, but they're going to keep coming. Listen, Nadia. I've given it some thought, and I've had to make a difficult decision." Nadia remained quiet. "How much you got in winnings?" "Around five hundred credits," Nadia replied. Gonzai reached into his pocket, handing Nadia a few credit chits. "Here's 200. That should be enough for you and Viseria to buy passage off Taris." "What?" Nadia asked. "You want me to leave?" "I know it's hard to accept," Gonzai said. "At this rate, the Vulkars are done. If you stick around here, they'll kill you at the first opportunity." Nadia paused, a few tears emerging, though she was visibly trying to hold back the urge to cry. Viseria approached her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "You're a great swoop rider, Nadia. You could succeed off-world. Viseria, you've always wanted answers. I hope you find them." "Thanks," the Miraluka said, her voice soft. "Find a place to lay low," Gonzai said. "From there, take the first opportunity to get off-world. Tashka's going to want to come fight. If you see her, try to convince her to leave." "Got it," Nadia replied, wiping a tear from her eye. "Now I'll need you to get out of here before anyone comes back." Nadia nodded. "Goodbye," she said, with a sniff. "I'll miss you," Gonzai replied. Nadia turned toward the door. She walked out the door, Viseria behind her. Nadia wiped another tear as she stepped out of the Vulkar Base for the last time. Viseria placed an arm on her shoulder in comfort. OOC: Nadia is open for interaction.

OOC: Okay, so I'm probably going to need some time to get fully immersed in this world. I'm not sure if there's a good place to start, so I guess for my introductory post I'll just begin at a moment that seems to make logical sense. IC: Another day on the base and the most action she'd seen so far was the occasional fight in the barracks. Not what Private Maya Logan had signed up for. It seemed like everyone else had been given missions, and so far all she had to do was the occasional tinkering on Dirty Harry. There was no doubt that the machine was something that would have made her fellow marines proud. In the short time she'd owned it, she'd managed to give her Warrior enough firepower for it to live up to its name. Once inside, she hardly imagined herself the kind of person who would play by the rules. That was of course, if she ever got a chance to use it in the field. So far, it seemed most of the division was out on a mission, and she was stuck on maintenance duty. Not the greatest position for a trained marine. Once again, she was tasked with inspecting Dirty Harry's systems, and everything seemed to be in order. The walkers three main weapons seemed to be in good condition. The armor was fine. What she really wanted now was a chance to take it into the field and see how well it actually performed. Maya slowly climbed down from her walker, having finished her inspection. This was getting tedious. She'd hoped owning a walker would mean a chance to do something, a problem that had presented itself in the marines. Without much to do, she took a seat at the bottom of the scaffolding next to her walker, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. She quickly placed one into her mouth and reached for her lighter. OOC: Maya is open for interaction, and she's ready for a mission.

Hooray! Now I just need to find a good place to start. Any recommendations?

Great! Now if everything goes accordingly, I've just got to find a good place to start. I don't suppose there's any action I can join in on?

IC: (Dak Ulgo, Stray Tach) Dak paused, only a meter away from the table and she was experiencing a mix of feelings. She was hardly calm. Part of her was nervous that she was wrong. What if this was just some group of people who had nothing to do with her situation. Then what would she say? On the other hand, if she was right, this could mean many things. She was hoping for answers, but she was officially a deserter now. They hadn't made a firm effort at locating her, but that may have only been because the Imperial Forces on Taris had much higher priorities, and they probably wouldn't mind arresting and/or executing her if given the chance. One way or another, she was a fugitive, and she couldn't hide out with the street gangs forever. Getting off Taris was probably her best bet, and if this guy was who she thought he was, he could be the key. The ex-Stormtrooper approached the table slowly. She wasn't entirely sure what to say. Her training hadn't exactly covered discretion, and she definitely wasn't trained for undercover work. Perhaps the only option was to tell the truth (or at least as much as she could safely reveal) and hope they believed her. "You're the one they're hunting, aren't you?" Dak finally said as she approached the table. "The Empire has been looking for someone who matches your description, a fugitive of great significance." Dak paused. "Relax," she finally said. "I'm not here to collect. If you are who I think you are, I'm willing to trade work for safe passage off Taris."

I've had this one idea recently. I'm not sure if it's any good or where I'd go with it if I tried to develop it. You mind if I share it?

Wow! I can't believe I didn't notice that formatting error and accidentally doubled the profile. Okay, so I edited the post to make the profile easier to read and I've added the walker profile.

Okay, so it looks like I'm headed in the general direction of something that favors firepower over agility. Let's see what I can come up with... Base Model: Warrior Designation: Dirty Harry Appearance: More or less standard in design at the moment, painted in a military green-and-brown camo. Armaments: At present, Maya's walker hasn't been heavily customized and mostly relies on the standard settings (a combat rifle in one arm and a shield on the other) combined with the few upgrades she has managed to acquire. On the gunner arm, Maya has also installed a minigun and a grenade launcher. Her combat rifle has also been modified to include a retractable bayonet for close ranged attacks. Additionally, the walker has been modified with armored plating to make it more durable in the field. Weakness: Because of the weight produced by the extra weapons and armor, it lacks the mobility of other models. Pilot: Maya Logan

OOC: Okay, so it looks like at the moment I'm probably going to be focusing mainly on Dak for a while. So if there's anyone reading this who was actually invested in Nadia or Kyra, I may have to place those two on hold for now. It's probably not a bad idea anyway seeing as they're not really in a position to enter the main narrative yet and that would give me some time to figure out exactly what I want to do with them. That leaves the three PCs I have at the Stray Tach (Dak, Tashka, and R9) and the ones I introduced in the discussion topic once they're approved. Of those, I think Dak has the best opportunity to get into the main narrative. Tashka and R9 are both open for interaction of course, so I guess we'll see what happens. IC: It was hard for the ex-stormtrooper to contain her nerves. She still wasn't sure what she was going to say. After all, walking straight up to a possible fugitive and saying "hey, aren't you that guy everyone's been looking for? I need some information" was probably not going to end well. She needed to use discretion. In a crowded place like the Stray Tach, she could probably avoid drawing attention if she was careful in her choice of words. Nearly every part of her wanted to back off now, especially given she didn't know what would happen next. Finally, there she was, only a meter or so away from the table where the four men were gathered. She still remained unsure of what to say. First off, she had to be sure she was even talking to the right person, and she had to find a discreet way of doing it.

So this is roughly 72 years from now? Okay, I can work with that.

Those are some interesting ideas, and they would make the walker slightly more interesting. That said, I did have one or two questions if that's okay. This is a neat idea. Admittedly I was surprised because I assumed that the rifle was fixed to the walker, though making it detachable could still have been among the mods used on it. Now that you mention it, the rifle would add extra weight, so making it detachable would mean that the arm would have a much smaller load on it, allowing it to aim much faster if needed. That could work. If you don't mind me asking, how big is the rifle in relation to the walker? There are bayonets for walkers? Why didn't anyone tell me that sooner? A bayonet would be a very good idea in case an enemy walker got too close. Are there any particular models of bayonet in use currently? Ammunition would also be a good idea. The only thing I feel I should note is that may introduce a new weakness (mainly that the extra ammo would weigh it down). That's probably no big deal, but that information would be useful for the profile. Okay, before I do anything here, I need to ask a question. When you say "shield" do you mean like an actual physical shield attached to one arm that can be used to block attack attacks, or a force field generated in the arm? That's suddenly given me a few new ideas for names... One idea I had considered was some kind of mine-deployment device. I was thinking that there could be something at the base of the walker which could be used to deploy and arm land mines, though they probably would have to be some fairly large explosives if they're expected to do damage to other walkers. Would that be believable?

True enough. I do have one totally insane idea that came from thinking outside the box, though it may also be a good choice. Anyone can pull out a random name from Ancient Mythology. What I'm thinking is that in the distant future they may also have drawn from Modern Pop Culture. Name: Maya Logan Age: 21 Gender: Female Occupation: Arsenal Mech Operator, former marine. Appearance: Given her military background, it's not surprising that she isn't particularly glamorous when it comes to fashion. Her usual preferred attire consists of a t-shirt on top of camouflage pants, and sometimes a jacket overtop. She has long dirty blonde hair which is usually tied back into a messy bun (she doesn't put much effort into looking good, only tying it back enough that it doesn't get in the way). She also doesn't spend a lot of time keeping clean, so her clothes are often covered in dirt, sweat, and grease. Equipment: She often keeps a 44. magnum on hand for defensive purposes. Beyond that, she often has a pack of cigarettes and a lighter in her pocket. In the field, she also likes to equip at least one flashbang and/or grenade, depending on the nature of the mission (although how often she gets to use them is another matter). Skills: Having trained with the marines, Maya knows more than a few things about combat. She can handle variety of firearms and also knows hand-to-hand. When it comes to mechs, Maya knows enough that she can maneuver one and handle its weapons, though she still has a lot to learn. Personality: As a rookie freshly transferred from the marine corps, Maya lacks the experience of many of the other mech users. She often displays a remarkable sense of enthusiasm and an eagerness to get into the action (which was why she switched to the mech program in the first place). Having spent her career so far in her own lines, she has become somewhat tense, and can be somewhat reckless as a result. This is not to say she's necessarily stupid. However, she does have a tendency to charge into situations without thinking clearly. Bio: Maya is the latest in a long line of soldiers. Her grandmother was a marine and a war hero seventy years ago. Her father also served in the marines. Continuing the tradition, it was no surprise that Maya went on to enlist as a marine when she was old enough. Unfortunately for her, the military had changed drastically and the life of a marine proved a difficult one. After eight weeks of boot camp in which she was constantly insulted by a ruthless drill instructor, Maya eventually graduated. However, after joining the marines, she was disappointed to find that there was almost no action. She spent several months sitting around various army bases with her fellow soldiers more or less waiting for an assignment to present itself. Of course, when you take a group of marines fresh out of training who are all eager to get their first kill and tell them to wait, it doesn't prove easy. The result was Maya's tense personality, which came from the constant boredom of waiting for her first assignment. The marines had to find ways to keep themselves occupied, which sometimes resulted in their recklessness. During her time in the marines, Maya had more than a few instances of questionable actions performed alongside other soldiers while trying to deal with her boredom. However, her test scores were able to attract the attention of a few officers and Maya was approached with an offer to enlist in the mech division. Hoping that this would finally give her some action, she accepted. After a short period of training, Maya was assigned her first walker. She has yet to see any real action, though she is eager to get into the field at the first opportunity. Weakness: Because of her inexperience, Maya can be extremely reckless, especially with her tendency to get tense and not always think clearly during periods of inactivity. She's also a heavy smoker and sometimes has difficulty working as a team player due to overconfidence. She also still has a lot to learn regarding the roles of mechs in contemporary warfare. Base Model: Warrior Designation: Dirty Harry Appearance: More or less standard in design at the moment, painted in a military green-and-brown camo. Armaments: At present, Maya's walker hasn't been heavily customized and mostly relies on the standard settings (a combat rifle in one arm and a shield on the other) combined with the few upgrades she has managed to acquire. On the gunner arm, Maya has also installed a minigun and a grenade launcher. Her combat rifle has also been modified to include a retractable bayonet for close ranged attacks. Additionally, the walker has been modified with armored plating to make it more durable in the field. Weakness: Because of the weight produced by the extra weapons and armor, it lacks the mobility of other models. Pilot: Maya Logan

Okay fair enough. I did have one other idea, but it might be totally insane. I guess I'll need some time to think about a good name.