Editing Mass Effect Transcendence/The Principals/Russell Misc (section)

===Alpha Platoon===

'''Operations Chief Ilyana Shevchenko'''

Company Executive Officer (XO) and leader of Alpha Platoon. A woman in her late-thirties, renowned for her astounding insight and keen strategical mind, Ilyana was a very balanced, very down to earth soldier. She would rarely lose her patience or fall apart during a crisis, indicating a very strong inner personality. She would merely think in silence for a few moments, and she'd come up with a solution for whatever problem needed to be addressed. A woman of very few words but calm, purposeful actions, Ilyana was considered an exemplary soldier and promoted swiftly in her career.

Shevchenko survived Torfan and awarded a commendation for her actions. She is still in active service.


====1st Squad====

'''Gunnery Chief Paul Roby'''

Leader of 1st Section (1st and 2nd Squads). Paul was a true leader despite his relatively young age, and that was the main reason he was chosen to lead the first squad. A Terminus child through and through, Paul was born and raised in one of the most dangerous fringe colonies humans still clung to. Besieged by slavers, pirates and human-haters, Paul swiftly grew tired of the Alliance's meagre support and rallied a civilian militia when he was only a teenager. Armed with makeshift weapons and, later, weaponry salvaged from defeated foes, Paul's militia kept his colony safe for several years. When the Alliance finally reinforced his region of space and the militia was disbanded, he was contacted and persuaded by a recruiter to join the military.

Roby was killed in action on Torfan, dying instantly with the rest of the 1st squad when the mine went off.

 
'''Corporal Anna Hammery'''

The elder sister of five rowdy boys, she was raised to pull her weight at her family's farm and simultaneously look after her troublemaking brothers. After her father was killed in a raider assault and her mother's health steadily deteriorated from taking too many jobs, she realised that the only way to spare her family a backbreaking life of hard labour was either to marry someone rich or to join the military and send her pay-checks home. And like she said herself whenever she told her story, "she ain't never been a lady," so marriage was out of the question.

Hammery was killed in action on Torfan, dying instantly with the rest of the 1st squad when the mine went off.


'''Private Angelo Fontanella'''

Angelo was a man of emotion, always throwing himself heedless into danger and coming out unscathed by the skin of his teeth. He was passed for promotion many times over due to unfavourable reports over his hotheadedness. Prone to drastic mood swings at the drop of a hat, Angelo was a handful to deal between missions, but he could be relied to follow orders at any cost.

Fontanella was killed in action on Torfan, dying instantly with the rest of the 1st squad when the mine went off.


'''Private Shen Huang-Chi'''

Always eager to please, Shen was a relentless optimist. He would always look on the bright side of everything and remain polite to the point of excess. Driven to be the best from birth, his academic scores were almost as impressive as his marksmanship and exemplary behaviour. His inexperience played against him, however, and he was passed for promotion a few times. Shen, of course, took it all in stride.

Shen was killed in action on Torfan, dying instantly with the rest of the 1st squad when the mine went off.


'''Tech Specialist Renard Delacroix'''

A quiet, easygoing, middle-aged man, he was never one to let a problem go unsolved. His determination to fix everything often led him to neglect his physical well-being. A knowledgeable man who felt uncomfortable around others, Renard would often hum old French songs to himself while he worked.

Delacroix was killed in action on Torfan, dying instantly with the rest of the 1st squad when the mine went off.


====2nd Squad====

'''Corporal Misha Khabarovsk'''

Teased for having a girly name, Misha was a giant of a man, fondly dubbed "Viking" by his peers despite having never set foot on Earth in his life. Fiercely protective of his squadmates, he was a sight to behold on the battlefield, having specialised in heavy weaponry and demolitions. He was good-natured and responsible, his youthful looks concealing the decade he had over most of his peers.

Khabarovsk survived Torfan and is still in active service.


'''Private Zuberi Bamgboshe'''

His parents named him "Zuberi", for their desire for their child to be strong. He made them proud, even after they were captured by Batarian slavers and killed when they tried to escape. Despite joining the Alliance military out of grief and hatred, he found a home and some direly-needed stability there. Before the events at Torfan, he had been slowly learning to move past his grief and laugh again. But that, of course, changed after that fateful mission.

Bamgboshe survived Torfan and was given an Honourable Discharge in 2180.


'''Private Soraya Tehrani'''

Not one to make jokes or take things lightly, Soraya conducted herself with stern professionalism, something that surprised people given her young age. Not a prodigy by any means, she was nevertheless raised to see the world as a battlefield, honing her keen intellect and souring her nature. The only time her ice-cold demeanour was broken was when it came to civilian protection, which she was uncharacteristically passionate about. There was a story there, but nobody ever got to hear it.

Tehrani survived Torfan and was promoted to Corporal for her actions. She was reassigned to another unit and received an Honourable Discharge in 2183.


'''Private Carson Lillow'''

Carson was "that guy." The guy whose father, mother, all four grandparents and practically his entire family had been military, going back generations ago to some distant ancestor who fought in one of the World Wars. Afforded distinction, old money and privilege, his parents had heavily invested in in-utero genetic modifications to ensure that their child would be born with all the right genes for military life. Far superior to practically everyone else (even Jill Warren-Mayfield couldn't quite match him), he was often ostracised for being arrogant and frankly insufferable. Some pitied his constant lonesomeness and tried to reach out to him, but his out of combat personality was extremely difficult to deal with.

Lillow survived Torfan and was promoted to Corporal for his actions. He received an Honourable Discharge in 2179.


'''Tech Specialist Jill Warren-Mayfield'''

Jill caused quite the commotion in her wealthy family when she decided to join the military. A slip of a thing, afforded the best genetic modifications money could buy, she was both intimidatingly smart and fairly good-looking. Her naiveté and general ignorance, product of a sheltered childhood, often made her strike the point between annoying and endearing. An expert technician, Jill's ability to work under fire left everyone quite impressed. She would become an expert in surprising those who underestimated her.

Warren-Mayfield was killed in action on Torfan.


====3rd Squad====

"The Lucky 3rd"


'''Service Chief Russell Ortiz'''

Leader of 2nd Section (3rd and 4th Squads). At the time of Torfan, Ortiz was 20 years old and newly-promoted to Service Chief, junior of the three Service Chiefs in the Company (Grandison was most senior, then Ivanov). He'd proven himself capable and resourceful on a number of operations since enlisting in 2176, shortly after the Skyllian Blitz and his 18th birthday, leading to a rapid rise from Private, through Corporal to Chief.

Ortiz survived Torfan and was turned into the celebrated success story of the operation. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant and awarded a commendation. He received an Honourable Discharge in 2181.


'''Corporal Melissa Stanfield'''

A ruthless, cutthroat woman who took no prisoners, Melissa earned both the respect and the fear of most people who met her. She was driven to see the Alliance succeed against the "alien scum," as she put it, and her driven will to push herself to the limit made her a fearsome combatant. Single-mindedly dedicated to her career, she seemed to have no hobbies or personal interests outside military life.

Stanfield survived Torfan and received an Honourable Discharge in 2182.


'''Private Johann Vegard'''

Johann "Lucky Three" Vegard knew it was a sign when he was assigned to third squad. The third son of a family that had long served in the armed service, Johann was the third generation to join the Systems Alliance offworld taskforces and was assigned to the anti-piracy operations on Torfan. He was a dreamer and an idealist, well known for his sense of humour and catch phrase, "Good things come in three's, just like me's!", Johann was the least experienced of the squad, but the one some of his squad mates said would make a name for himself. It was an open secret amongst the platoon that he harboured a deep crush on the forward scout from 7th Squad, one Sally Robbin, and there was an ongoing pool as to what the battle-blonde would do once she found out about it.

Vegard was killed in action on Torfan.


'''Private Miko Tatsuya'''

Miko was a very formal, very stiff woman raised to value propriety and decorum above all else. She was an average soldier in most aspects, but conducted herself with the seriousness and stature of an Admiral. She could be relied upon for absolutely anything: if she gave her word, she would keep it, come hell or high water. Her sense of honour was unbreakable, and others admired the way she always volunteered for the most difficult tasks, pushing through adversity with sheer willpower. It was believed that her home colony, constantly in the eye of the media due to their shady businesses (mainly revolving around law-skirting genetic research), forced a highly ethical behaviour on its inhabitants and left them with a keen knowledge of how others perceived their actions.

Tatsuya survived Torfan and was promoted to Corporal for her actions. She received an Honourable Discharge in 2178.


'''Tech Specialist Peter Nguye'''

Born in a slum on the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria on Earth, Peter overcame the poverty of his beginnings with his prodigious technical talent. By the age of 7 he was able to support his family by repairing and refurbishing salvaged junk. By 10 he'd upgraded the rickety infrastructure in his local neighbourhood and at 13 he came to international fame when one of his inventions, an inexpensive means to [something], caught the eye of an Alliance News Network reporter visiting his neighbourhood. He earned a scholarship to the Grissom Academy, where his technological genius flourished in that hothouse environment.

When he graduated in late 2177, it was something of a surprise to everyone when he turned down the numerous offers from high-tech firms who'd been tracking his progress and instead enlisted in the Alliance Marine Corps. While only an average soldier (he did passably well in the paramilitary training at the Academy), Nguye rapidly gained a reputation as the possibly best technician in the 3rd company, in spite of his youth. He had an instinctive knack with tech at any level, from mechanical and electronic right through to VIs and the mass effect. His ferocious talent was tempered by his irrepressible sense of humour - Pete could find mirth in almost any situation and was happy to share that joy with anyone. He didn't take himself or anything else too seriously, making him one of the easier tech specialists to get along with.

Nguye earned a commendation for his actions at Torfan and a job offer from an intelligence agency he didn't have the option of refusing. He all but disappeared for two years on assignment before reappearing as an apparent freelance mercenary. According to his service record, he was Honourably Discharged in 2180.


====4th Squad====

'''Corporal Hideo Masayuri'''

Hideo came from the same colony as Miko, which was a rather surprising coincidence. They didn't know each other before Miko was transferred to the 3rd Company, but the two of them often exchanged news and reminisced about colony life. Hideo was far more relaxed and flexible than Miko, but he retained the same sense of honour and propriety that characterised their colony. He was far more willing to laugh or crack jokes, but he and Miko often needed to exchange but one look to wordlessly agree on how to proceed. When asked about this, they would often shrug and reply that it was how they had been raised.

Masayuri was commended for his actions on Torfan and remained in service. He was killed in a tragic vehicle accident in 2179.


'''Private Sebastián Vázquez'''

Sebastián was the popular private in his squad, all good looks and easy smiles, always the life of the party. He'd brag about his conquests and get reprimands over fraternisation, but he took it all in style. Unremarkable in most areas, his only true talent was keeping his head cool and crack a smile in moments of crisis. Confident but not too cocky, Sebastián was never one to lie or engage in shady behaviour. 

Vázquez was killed in action on Torfan.


'''Private Annette Reed'''

Annette was the child of two scientists from a colony whose companies had committed patent violations against the dignity of their test subjects in their quest for knowledge and profit. Her parents, being very high in the company hierarchy, ended up in a cold prison in some forgotten planetoid. Annette was placed in foster care and eventually joined the military to atone for her parents' misdeeds. She'd often tell herself that she was going to "make it right," but when asked what "it" was, she'd only say "everything."

Reed was killed in action on Torfan.


'''Private Chris Dawson'''

Chris was a very good-looking actor-wannabe. He had joined the military out of his parents' insistence to have something to fall back on if the acting thing didn't work out, but he was still desperately looking forward to being honourably discharged. Most of his shore leave and free time was spent networking for contacts for when his time in the military was up. A reasonably smart guy, he followed orders quietly and efficiently, though he was frankly a lousy shot. He and Sebastián became close and had a good-natured, friendly rivalry going on before the events at Torfan.

Dawson was killed in action on Torfan.


'''Tech Specialist Sati Chatula'''

Born in a very small, tightly-knit colony, Sati was the heart of the company. Always in a good mood, she'd spend time to get to know everyone and do little thoughtful things for each of them, like setting Sebastián up with someone whenever they were on shore leave, spending time with the more lonely members of the company (like Carson, Renard, Soraya or Melissa) or giving people small gifts for their birthdays (she gave Russell a silver pin with his home colony's banner, "so that he'd have something to remember home by, wherever he was"). Sati never talked about it, but Jill once did a background check on her and discovered her home colony had been wiped out in a nuclear accident while Sati had been off-planet. The news spread through the company like wildfire, but nobody ever brought it up in front of her. For all intents and purposes, the 3rd Company was Sati's new family.

Chatula survived Torfan and remained in active service for a time. However, she struggled with the psychological scars of what she had seen and received a Medical Discharge in 2180.