Alister Blood

Alister Tobias Blood is a former Coalition pilot who turned to piracy after being Court Martialed for crimes of genocide and high treason. In a very short time, he earned status as an infamous outlaw, for his willingness to strike at Coalition and Dominion controlled targets and his exceptional brutality. He is currently the captain of the Persephone, a heavily modified Starcaster-class Light Frigate. He is a wanted man in every civilized corner of the system, with his current bounty exceeding ten million credits.

Background
Alister was born in the city of Ares, the last bastion of Coalition power on Mars. The first child of a freighter pilot and history teacher, Alister was raised with all the traditional comforts of life and was expected to follow in his father's footsteps in the business of transporting goods for the Unity Corporation.

The war with the Children of Olympus was a common topic in Ares, as it raged all around the walls and domed shields of the colonial capital. Many believed that eventually, the Olympians would break through their defenses and at long last conquer the entirety of the red planet in the name of their Gods. This fear forever loomed over the heads of every Ares citizen, resulting in drills during school hours on what to do during an attack and intimate knowledge of evacuation centers and shelters. Alister was raised to despise and fear the Children of Olympus, for no reason other than they always had. But one fateful day, something changed, and Alister Blood would find his own hatred in a way that would alter the course of his life forever.

A public broadcast to every audio and visual device in the city, every television, computer monitor, holo-chamber, radio, keyPC, everything. Shadowy figures dressed in strange clothing stood behind a row of men and women, wearing corporation uniforms and bags over their heads. Each was unmasked in turn, beaten, bloodied, and bruised. They stood accused of smuggling weapons and other war supplies from Earth into Ares, to assist the colonial rebellion against advancing Olympian forces. One of those men was Captain Darian Blood of the Freighter Zion, and all of them were sentenced to death in the name of the Gods of Mount Olympus. With little ceremony or care for their decency, the Olympians executed them in front of the entire planet, sparing no detail for innocent eyes. Alister watched his own father's head fall from his shoulders, his life ended in an instant. He turned sixteen the following month, and let his anger well up inside of him.

The day after his sixteenth birthday, Alister reported to a Terran military recruiting center. Mars had seen a large influx of recruits, hungry for revenge against the heinous act they had witnessed. Between the lax requirements, need for new blood, and clever manipulation of the system, Alister falsified enlistment forms, passed all of the examinations and was drafted into the Terran Navy. Upon the completion of his aptitude test, he was immediately sent to basic training. Thirteen long weeks weeded out the men from the boys, the warriors from the weak, and slowly wore away at what was left of Alister's innocence. Unlike in school, where he was perhaps an average student, Alister excelled in his training. Top marks in written exams, practical tests, close-quarters combat, and marksmanship.

Alister's first command was aboard the CSS Andromeda, under the leadership of Commander Kenneth Halloran. He also became acquainted with the ship’s flight commander, Lieutenant Commander Merhia Dravyn, whom he begrudgingly came to respect. Just as he began to settle into his new life, yet another tragedy struck by way of a message from home. A transmission of a news story from Ares, detailing a warehouse shootout that left several dead civilians before the suspect was apprehended. The face of a man, a face that Alister would never forget, flashed across the screen accompanied by a name: Czeslaw Romano. Among the deceased was Tristan Blood, Alister’s younger sister. It was only under the threat of being charged as a deserter that he didn’t immediately return home, and he subsequently ended up missing the funeral due to deployment orders for the Andromeda.

Four more years passed aboard the Andromeda, and Alister re-enlisted for another tour of duty, remaining aboard the ship. The Andromeda was being deployed to the asteroid colony of Artemis, which was surrounded by Olympian shipyards. Rumor had it that the Olympians were developing a new class of ships, capable of shredding the Coalition Navy like they were nothing. A squadron was dispatched to navigate the surrounding field, infiltrate the shipyard, retrieve the Olympian designs, and destroy the facilities. The first part of the mission went without a hitch, until the Olympians retreated to the colony itself with the designs in hand. On the battlefield, they unleashed horrors that most would not dare speak of, the things of nightmares that are only whispered about. Blood watched his entire company get slaughtered, except for a chosen few. He led those last few men and women to kill all the remaining enemy forces, as well as all the colonists of Artemis, and is said to have boarded the Coalition ship to return home, but not before commandeering the use of the orbital cannon to annihilate the remains of the colony. With such blood on his hands, they took to calling him the Butcher of Artemis. With the rest of his company dead, and his ‘heroism’ and ‘valiance’, he was given a wartime commission as an officer, and entered the pilot program, as his father had done long ago.

The Coalition Naval Flight Academy returned him closer to home, as they used the asteroid field for training exercises in extremely dangerous environments. He was given a single month at home to recover from the front, before classes would begin in earnest. At age twenty, Alister was the youngest in his class, and the only one to be recommended into the academy without a four year degree which was the typical requirement. His shortcomings in education became apparent in classes, where he began to lag behind his classmates in written assignments and exams. But in the simulators, and eventually practical flight tests, Alister's instincts and natural acumen for flight outstripped all the others. Unfortunately, three months of remedial courses set Alister back, but he eventually graduated from the academy with adequate test scores and the Academy's record for the final flight test, The Gauntlet, which consisted of equal parts obstacle avoidance, complex navigational exercises, and adversary elimination in solo and team-based engagements. With the completion of the academy, Alister was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, and returned to service aboard the Andromeda.

Twelve weeks in the academy, and then another two years aboard the Andromeda, now as a member of Commander Dravyn's flight crew quickly passed Alister by. He'd now spent six years as a part of the Coalition Navy, and his future continued to look bright. That was, until the decision came down from the top that he be court martialed for his actions on Artemis, going back on the decision that had been made initially to pardon him, for his actions had saved countless lives, and possibly tipped the war in their favor. Nobody had any answers as to this change in decision, but the consequences came at a swift and righteous cadence. He was brought before a tribunal of judges on Earth, who seemed predisposed to his guilt. The court martial was stacked against him, and those who spoke in his defense found themselves either dead, or disappeared without a trace. The entire thing stank of treachery and manipulation, with the Dominion pulling the strings of corrupt officials and officers held firmly within the pockets of the almighty corporations.

They stripped him of his rank, and resigned to have him imprisoned for the rest of his life. As a final show of loyalty, the men and women that he had served with at Artemis, the last survivors of his company who hadn’t testified and met their fates, created a distraction, allowing him to be smuggled aboard an outbound ship to escape the grasp of the Coalition and their Dominion masters. After that, his name began to crop up, associated with various acts of piracy. He took whatever work he could find, especially if it was operating against the Dominion or Children of Olympus. He also developed a reputation for contractual loyalty, always fulfilling the original contract whether or not there was another opportunity that arose during said job. He forged a reputation of reliability, and it was probably because of this that even someone who was a murderer, a pirate, and scum of the system, managed to retain some good, deep inside. Eventually, he got a better ship, and formed a small crew, a band of rebels and mercenaries. Money was hard to come by even for pirates, and competition was everywhere... as well as the occasional Dominion assassins sent to kill Blood whenever he found some small fragment of the truth. They lived from job to job, waiting for a golden opportunity. But eventually Blood’s life would take a strange turn, forging alliances that he never imagined. The events of prophecy were beginning to align. It all began on Kessel Station. It began like all good stories do; with a bar, a job... and a girl.

Personality
In his youth, Alister was a boy full of imagination and wonder. He spent most of his time staring up into the red-tinged skies of Mars, always through the shimmering sheen of Ares' shields, and thought of what lay beyond the little red dot he called home. In school he was educated on the history of the Coalition, of the colonies, and of the homeland known as Earth. To a young boy, these were fanciful tales of far off lands that he would likely never see. There were expectations of him, when he was grown. He would attend college, earn a degree, find a position of distinction in the Unity Corporation, and aspire to be more. That was the plan his father always set out for him, as Darian Blood worked long hours of overtime and ran dangerous shipping lanes for every extra credit it would take to make those dreams a reality.

The birth of his sister, Tristan, was also the birth of Alister's capacity for loyalty. He loved her with all his heart, and even as a boy knew that he would do anything to protect her. The two of them were practically inseparable as she grew older, both coming homes with scrapes, cuts, bruises, and tales of adventure through the streets of their neighborhood. Money grew tighter in regards to dreams of the future, but the Blood family made their sacrifices to ensure both of their children never knew hardship or misfortune. Darian began to come home less and less, leaving Alister's closeness to his mother grow, and for his bond with Tristan to become stronger than steel. Eventually, Darian Blood would never come home again. The death of his father, in a public execution no less, was likely the beginning of his transformation into the Alister Blood of the present. Alister had spent his entire life being told of the evil of Olympus, and at long last, it had come to his doorstep. Just shortly before his sixteenth birthday, he was forced to watch his father's brutal murder and replayed the moment over and over in his own head. The first layer of childlike innocence was stripped away, and Alister left to join the Coalition Navy, and with falsified documents no less. He'd been given the spark he needed to hate the Children of Olympus as much as he was told he must. And he was now the man of the family, which brought with it a crushing responsibility all its own. His heart broke further at the thought of abandoning his sister and his mother to their lives, never knowing if he'd even live long enough to see them again. Alister's decision to throw his life away for a chance at vengeance was more rashness than bravery, but he had both in great measure. He killed his first man at sixteen. He saw horrors few could imagine (and were redacted from the public eye under threat of judicial punishment), being deployed against Olympian forces all across the solar system. In the span of a year, he had lost his father and then his sister. Comrades and friends died on the field or even in his arms, begging for once last chance to see home as the light faded from their eyes. He was slowly beginning to unravel, traumas beginning to pile upon his shoulders, and only the next mission to distract him. He began to sink into the rhythm of his military life, using it to force all other thoughts from his mind. He cultivated a brutal focus, an 'eyes-forward' mentality that the military encouraged. No time to worry about what's happening when back home, when there was always another threat ahead, another chance that those Olympian fuckers would tear out your guts and strangle you to death with them. Alister began to grow cold, distant from his emotions, compartmentalizing his pain in little mental boxes and filing them away for those darkest moments when no one was around, and he could unleash his pain in a manner of unhealthy ways; pummeling his fists until they were bloody in the gym, spending hours on end in the firing range simulators while forgoing food or drink, and filling what little free time he had with alcohol use and exceptional amounts of sleep. All these things made him a shell of a person, but an excellent soldier.

After his commendation for the battle on Artemis was overturned and he was Court Martialed, Alister thought his life was finally coming to an end. He'd spend the rest of his life in prison if found guilty, and the deck was stacked against him. He was a young man still, having committed many questionable deeds in the name of the Coalition, under the orders of his superiors. He'd never been a man of great patriotism, never dedicated to the ideals of the Coalition more than he was to the idea of putting bullets into Olympians equating to some kind of vengeance for his father. He saw this action as a clear betrayal by the powers that be, with his higher-ups taking the stand to condemn him for actions they'd instructed him to take, or that they had previously endorsed as contributing to their victory. Alister's loyalty and trust in his comrades was met with more pain, as many of those that planned to speak in his defense were silenced... permanently. The lucky few who sighted the conspiracy to condemn a man as some kind of political scapegoat sprang to action, providing the distraction he needed to escape prosecution. Alister learned to be more careful with his trust after that, keeping his circle small, and always following his suspicions.

The several short years he lived as a pirate were well served by the skills and coldness he'd learned as a soldier. He still killed his enemies with signature brutality, showing no mercy for those that didn't deserve it. He began to garner a particular reputation, living on a very clear set of ethical codes that elevated him above the normal rabble that called themselves pirates. He became a Captain with discipline, standards, and someone you could trust not to stab you in the back unless you reached for the knife first. His small crew trusted him implicitly, despite his sometimes impulsive decision-making. Alister Blood always acted in the best interests of his crew in the long term, seeing them as the only family he had left in the universe.

Life has not been kind to Alister Blood. Its many cruelties and twists have worn away the soft edges that once existed in the young man, and left behind only a grizzled, hardened, traumatized individual who has little care or compassion left for the world around him. He fills the aching hole of his suffering with liquor, murder, sex, and gambling. He hides his pain behind a facade of lightheartedness, sarcasm, and the occasional act of kindness or charity for the damned and downtrodden, where he sometimes can see the face of his sister, his friends, his father, and all the other casualties he'd suffered in his time at war with the whims of fate.

Equipment and Modifications

 * PALADIN MK II Heavy Assault Armor - An older set of armor, superseded by the development of the PALADIN MK III and subsequent release of the MARAUDER MK I series, the PALADIN MK II Heavy Assault armor saw an incredible amount of use during its time. It was the pinnacle of heavy armor technology before integrated kinetic shield generators were affordable or even effective. The armor is made up of several layers of plating, starting with the base of a ballistic weave skinsuit. Laminate ceramic plating, designed to conform to the flexing of the body is next, and then the heavy metal segments derived from an alloy of metals that isn't too heavy for movement, and allows for heat dispersal across each plate for some protection from laser-based weapons. Every layer is shock absorbent, lending maximum effectiveness against ballistic weapons while neutralizing the force of the impact, and the plates are dense enough to have Grade I resistance to armor piercing rounds (resistance is graded from I to V, to correlate with grades of ammunition). The joints of the PALADIN MK II are mechanized, increased the wearer's natural strength when lifting, moving, or attacking. When the helmet is worn, the entire suit can seal itself and become airtight, used in the vacuum of space or to prevent the breathing of aerosol-based substances. A HUD relaying all relevant information (ammo count, a map of the area if available, friend-and-foe identification tags, and communications information) is built into the helmet's visor. Minor thrusters are installed on board the armor for assisted navigation in zero-gravity, and the bottom of the boots can be magnetized to any metal surface.
 * Sintech R4 ‘Raptor’ Pistol - A sidearm that is extremely popular among collectors of weaponized perfection, the ‘Raptor’ is a highly customizable pistol designed to be rapid firing and extremely accurate, especially when used in pairs. The bullets are guided by a smart firing coordination system allowing the pair of pistols to communicate their vectors and firing velocities with each other in order to perform pinpoint attacks. When this weapon was first designed, it utilized first generation smart targeting capability and was considered top of the line.
 * T-745 Auto-Shotgun - An extremely powerful assault weapon, heralded for its ability to compact for portability, as well as armor piercing slugs fired with an adjustable spread, turning the shotgun into either a multiple target shredding death machine, or a precision armor breaker. The T-745 fires shells in rapid succession as long as the trigger is depressed, instead of requiring reloading after each subsequent firing. It accomplishes this by a quick cycling revolver type cartridge that holds six shells per cartridge. It auto-ejects the cartridge from the bottom, where the new one can quickly be inserted to reload the weapon.
 * M22 Predator Modular Rifle - A weapon billed for its versatility on the battlefield, the M22 can be modified with a kit of add-ons and augmentations making it an all-purpose firearm. The base weapon consists of a sleek assault rifle model, capable of switching between automatic and semi-automatic fire using a switch just above the trigger. The muzzle can be extended for a longer firing range, and the stock is collapsible between three settings for the comfort of firing in every situation. Four rails are mounted to the weapon, one on each side and then one on the top and bottom, for the mounting of attachments. Alister typically wields the M22 with a long distance targeting scope mounted to the topmost rail, a stabilization bi-pod to the bottom, and a set of targeting sensors to the side which interface with the scope to increase magnification, switch between infrared, night, and normal vision, and measure distance between the shooter and target. The rifle is scuffed and worn with use, and has the image of a scantily clad pinup girl inscribed into the stock, which appears to be more well-maintained than the rest of the weapon.
 * Durasteel Katana - Made from a metal capable of cutting through most known substances and as light as a feather, traditional durasteel blades have fallen out of popular use in combat. The blades vary greatly, from the rapiers often worn as decoration by military officers and governors, to the wicked katana often used by covert operation units, and even sword based on more medieval construction (longswords, claymores, and broadswords) that are usually kept only as display pieces. The practicality of these weapons has fallen as projectile weapon technology has increased exponentially. The only variation of durasteel blades still considered somewhat viable are retractable, wrist mounted blades favored by assassins and stealth combatants.
 * Serrated Tactical Knife - Standard issue to all Coalition military personnel, the serrated tactical knife is designed to enter the body cleanly, and then tear its way out through arteries, veins, and organs to inflict the maximum amount of internal damage to the target through its double-serrated back edge. The handle can be magnetized to assist gripping and prevent the wielder from being disarmed.
 * Boot Knife - The simple boot knife is a common accessory in the arsenal of a pirate, or other dishonorable combatants. The knife is made of light materials, which are not picked up on ninety-nine percent of Dominion grade weapon scans. It can be worn on the inside of any boot or mounted beneath the foot in a special compartment. The former option simply allows the knife to be concealed for later use, while the latter allows the option of ejecting the blade from under the foot, and allow the wielder to kick the target with the knife's blade before retracting it back into its concealed compartment.
 * Basic Coalition Soldier Genetic Enhancement Package - Given to all frontline fighters of the Coalition forces, this cutting edge regimen of genetic enhancements from GenEx turn any man or woman into a capable combatant. There are marginal increases to physical strength, stamina, running speed, reaction time, and resistant to injury and illness. The skin becomes slightly harder to penetrate with weapons and bullets, while the immune system is boosted in order to resist the effects of poisons and diseases. Supplemental adrenal gland implants fuel the body with adrenaline, muting the flight aspect of a human's natural fight or flight reaction. Lung capacity is increased, allowing the subject to hold their breath for longer underwater or during chemical gas attacks where a rebreather is not available. There are also increases to the five basic senses, giving the soldier overall higher awareness of their surroundings. GenEx promises at least fifteen percent improvement over the basic human standards with this package.
 * Advanced Coalition Pilot Genetic Enhancement Package - A secondary set of enhancements reserved for pilots, allowing them to better perform the duties expected of them while commanding a personal fighter or other spacecraft. This includes further increases to senses and a drastic increase of reaction times to approximately twenty-five percent over the basic human standard. The lung capacity is further increased, for situations where oxygen must be preserved for long periods of time. Calcium injections strengthen the bones, due to the excessive amounts of centripetal force and gravitational exertion pilots experience on a daily basis, making their bones harder to break and making the body overall more resistant to increased gravity levels. A failsafe is included in the case of exposure to open space, allowing the subject to survive an additional twenty minutes in a vacuum without any other form of protection.
 * GenEx Series IV Stimulant Injection Rig - A long, metal implement grafted onto the spinal cord, this device allows for the implementation of additional substances for increased temporary effects. It accepts the entire line of GenEx's current stimulant series, featuring an easy injection protocol that takes only moments to take effect. The rig also increases the sensitivity of the nervous system as it pertains to reacting to electrical signals from the brain, allowing the body to move in time with the increased reaction times present in Coalition soldiers, with this unit personally attenuated to Alister's other enhancements. This targeted neural shock can also be used to temporarily deactivate clusters of nerves, allowing the user to ignore pain and injury for a short time. Lastly, the rig promotes faster clotting for wounds, encourages healing, and can even deliver a powerful system shock to re-engage the subject after losing consciousness.