Captain Hawk

Captain Aze Hawk
Species: Human
Age: 44
Drive: Atonement
Warpside Assignment: Strategic Coordinator
Groundside Assignment: Cultural Officer

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The Battle of the Wolf Star, the Relief of Sirius 9, the Dracha Plague, the Defense of Volkar’s World, the Hawk Gambit... you were a legend before you were thirty-five. You ran away from home to join the Combine Navy, and rose through the ranks in record time. Early in your illustrious career, you formed an enduring friendship with Vaon Sors. The two of you complemented each other perfectly. He could analyze an enemy vessel, and you would come up with a brilliant intuitive tactic to take advantage of their weaknesses. He was a walking database of scientific facts and political factions, and you could inspire the crew to push the ship to the red line, or convince races that had been at war for a century to start negotiations with a stirring speech. When caught in a dilemma, Vaon would list the unpalatable alternatives; you'd find another solution that no-one else dared attempt. When you were given command of Adamant, Vaon became your first officer.

During the Mohilar War, you were in the spearhead of the Combine counterattack in the Bleed. For six sleepless months, you fought from Aventine to Viminal, battling durugh and Mohilar forces on space and in the ground and liberating conquered planets. Then there was Hades-4, a grim grey planet lashed by perpetual rainstorms. You detected an abandoned durugh base under the surface. Vaon led a survey team to explore the structure – and then a Mohilar battle group appeared in orbit. You were outnumbered ten to one. Vaon wasn’t there to give you his analysis, but the hard choice was obvious – abandon the survey team, or risk the ship in a desperate rescue attempt that was almost certainly doomed to failure. Mohilar weapons rocked the Adamant. Consoles exploded in showers of sparks. Defense arrays collapsed under the onslaught. You made the hard choice, the only choice. You left them behind.

After the war, you left the navy. All the medals and honors seemed hollow now. You wanted to make amends for your failure, to do something that didn’t remind you of your lost friend. The Bleed needed a hero, and you stepped up to the challenge. You signed on a laser, made the long journey from the Combine Proper to the Bleed, and set about recruiting a crew. And that’s where you found him. Sors survived the Mohilar ambush. He was tortured for months by the durugh, but survived – more or less. He's a cybe now – his injuries were horrific. He calls himself Revenant. You’re not sure how much of your friend is still in there, under the chrome and synthskin. You came back to the Bleed to honor Vaon Sors' memory, and now his ghost is manning your bridge...

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The Crew:

• Revenant: Vaon Sors, or what's left of him. Hades hangs over the two of you like a shroud, and you don't know if he blames you for what happened. You certainly blame yourself.
  
• Francine Dare: Your protegée, Dare is one of the best pilots in the Bleed. She reminds you of yourself when you were young and had the galaxy at your feet.
  
• Tim Zaren: A genetically engineered detective from an isolated planet, Zaren's drive for justice makes him an excellent addition to the crew.
  
• Dr. Fairfax: A friend in the Combine suggested you take Fairfax with you. He has a list of criminal convictions a light-year long – if he hadn't signed on with you, he'd be exiled to a prison world. Maybe you can both atone for your pasts.
  
• Volith: She's a durugh, and ex-military. You're more used to fighting durugh than working with them, but she knows the Bleed better than anyone.

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Plot Arcs:

• The Hero's Journey: Can Hawk reconcile his reputation as a hero with his self-image as a failure who left his best friend to die?
  1. The captain is honored by the leaders of a world he saved during the war – but when he learns that the government he helped preserve has grown corrupt and oppressive, what will the captain do?
     
  2. A vile energy being traps the lasers and forces them to relive their worst memories. What will the crew learn about Hawk?
     
  3. The captain finds evidence that Vaon Sors was reprogrammed by enemies of the Combine. Can the captain really trust Revenant, or will his love for his dead friend blind him to the truth?
  
  
• The Burdens of Command: Hawk left the Combine Navy behind to become a laser – but can he ever really escape the past?
  1. One of the captain's old shipmates asks for his help, but it turns out to be a trap set by an old enemy of Adamant.
     
  2. The crew find evidence that Adamant was involved in a secret military project during the war. Captain Hawk remembers nothing of this – were his memories wiped by the Bogey Conumdrum, or is something even more sinister going on?
     
  3. The Combine Navy offer Hawk his commission back – the political strife in the Bleed will soon explode into civil war, and they want him to return to active service. How can Hawk best serve the cause of justice?