OPERATION CLARION
Systems Alliance/Citadel Council Frigate-X Class Vessel Normandy SR-3
DOSSIERS OF COMMAND STAFF/COMBAT TEAM
Author's Note: The four new, original characters appear first, in case that's all you want to read. Dossiers for the rest of the characters follow; though you will know much of the information, there are many dashes of humor and original content. Do not read until you have read through at least Chapter 5 of "Beyond"!
Just updating this to include before/after "Beyond" Chapter 5 versions. Nothing to see here, move along.
Quarian Heavy Fleet Commander Keenon'Daal vas Idenna
Species/Gender: Quarian/Male
Specialties: Engineering and tech, cutting-edge communications, bashful glowing skin
Last Posting: Fleet Headquarters, Rannoch. After The War, Keenon'Daal transferred from his position as XO of the Idenna to Rannoch, where he served as Chief Design Engineer overseeing the construction of a state of the art facility for the construction of new ships. Following its completion, he continued to periodically serve on the Idenna as the fleet began to transition from its role as "home" for the Quarians to a more traditional military role of patrol and defend.
GRaDeF History: Keenon met and became a friend of Admiral Tali'Zorah-Reegar and Commander Kal'Reegar during the construction of Fleet Headquarters. He was introduced to Admiral Shepard during a personal visit by her to Rannoch in 2188; upon discovering that they also shared another mutual acquaintance, Research Council member Kahlee Sanders-Anderson, they stayed in touch. A year later she asked him to join GRaDeF.
Personal History: Born in 2165 on the Tonbay to a machinist father and technician mother, Keenon displayed an extraordinary aptitude for electronics at an early age; a friendly and good-natured child, by the time he was a young teenager he had a reputation for being able to repair any electronics on the ship.
For his pilgrimage, he traveled to Illium and secured an internship with Armali Council; he adapted technologies from the prestigious Nexus line of Omni-tools for the drones used by the Migrant Fleet to repair external damage to their ships, significantly increasing their efficiency.
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Turian Marine Corps Lieutenant Commander Litha Palamin
Species/Gender: Turian/Female
Specialties: Infiltration and sabotage, smart-ass commentary
Last Posting: Turian 43rd Marine Division/Blackwatch. A team of exceptionally skilled Special Ops soldiers, the majority of Blackwatch's operations are classified, although it's generally accepted that they have the highest success rate of any Turian unit in history.
GRaDeF History: Commander Palamin was recommended for GRaDeF by C-Sec Executor Vakarian upon its formation. Shepard accepted her into the force sight unseen, presumably trusting the recommendation of her longtime friend implicitly.
Personal History: Born in 2160 to a mid-level Defense Ministry official and a manager at a ceramics materials manufacturer, Palamin received a traditional middle-class upbringing in a suburb of Cipritine. Known as a smart but unruly student, she spent much of her youth in and out of minor trouble; nonetheless, her IQ tests and overall GPA was sufficiently high to gain her admittance into officer training shortly after she began her term of public service.
Consistently labeled a troublemaker and more than once winding up in the brig for insubordination, Palamin was nonetheless identified by one instructor, a Lieutenant Garvon Nallack, as potential special forces material. Siphoned into a more intensive and specialized training program, she showed immediate talent for infiltration into high risk areas.
Palamin was completing an internship in the Intelligence Division when she was loaned out to Garrus Vakarian's Reaper Task Force. When The War began, she was transferred into Blackwatch. As is typical with Blackwatch, her activities during The War are highly classified.
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Systems Alliance Staff Lieutenant Timah Naik
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Heavy assault, heavy weapons, light-to-medium explosives, uncomfortable silences
Last Posting: 103rd Marines. Earth's largest collection of Special Forces, the 103rd saw heavy fighting during The War, in the arctic desert one week, crawling through jungles the next.
GRaDeF History: Naik first came to the attention of Admiral Shepard via Alliance Consultant Jacqueline Nought ("Jack"), who became acquainted with Naik, then a young 2nd Lieutenant, when her biotics students joined the 103rd on Earth as a front-line support squad. When recommending him for consideration as a GRaDeF agent, Ms. Nought is reported to have said: "He's more of a tight-ass than even Vakarian, but he knows how to blow shit up real good; Shepard'll love him."
Nevertheless, Naik was initially deemed too young and inexperienced to join GRaDeF. However, a year later he received an open invitation after he played a critical role in rescuing a Team Delta squad led by Commander James Vega on Gei Hinnom during an unsuccessful attempt by Alliance Marines to bring an end to the ongoing ruins conflicts.
Personal History: Born in 2166 to an Indian dignitary farther and a British humanitarian and minor royal mother, his youth was spent in both the affluent suburbs of New Delhi and Chelsea in London. A quiet and respectful child, Timah was a good student but excelled in athletics. He received a full athletic scholarship to play football for Notre Dame University, where he led the team to two division championships (but no continental championships) as quarterback.
The War erupted during his senior year at Notre Dame; already a member of ROTC, he joined the Marines and was quickly selected for special forces training and service. After The War, he completed his schooling via the extranet and received his B.S. in Civil Engineering in 2187. He maintains a modest apartment in the Kirkland suburb of Seattle-Vancouver. An intensely private person, little is known about his personal relationships or non-military activities.
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Systems Alliance Consultant Andrew Wyatt
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Small arms design, repair and modification, detached bemusement
Last Posting: Mr. Wyatt is an independent businessman who provides consulting services to the Systems Alliance on an ad-hoc basis. He owns his own company, Wyatt Fabrications, and is best known for developing a weapon heat dispersal system in 2188 that revolutionized small arms manufacture and use, making thermal clips unnecessary and reducing weapon overheating by ninety-eight percent. The patent on the technology has made Mr. Wyatt a relatively wealthy man, though exactly how wealthy is not known.
Personal History: Born in 2156 to an electrical engineer father and chemist mother in Greater Los Angeles-San Diego, Andrew grew up in a home where creativity and experimentation were encouraged and even prized. Though he thrived in this environment, he tended to prefer the outdoors to the lab. An affable and easygoing young man, as a teenager Andrew spent his summers working for the Regional Park Service, hiking through Yosemite and the Sierra National Forest installing extranet receivers as part of the government's push in the early 2170s to achieve 100% planetary extranet coverage.
Andrew received a triple B.S. in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from California Polytechnic State University in 2179 while working as a line technician at a nearby Hahne-Kedar manufacturing facility, then became a field rep for the company's weapons division. In 2184 he transferred to their Shadow Works subsidiary, subsequently introducing a number of improvements to their custom-made firearms, which are provided exclusively to Systems Alliance special forces.
On February 27, 2186, he wed Systems Alliance Staff Lieutenant Ashley Madeleine Williams in Vancouver. In early 2187, shortly after the end of The War, he resigned from Hahne-Kedar to start his own consulting and independent development company, which led to the invention of the heat dispersal system as well as a number of other weapon modifications.
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Systems Alliance Admiral Graceyn Shepard
Species/Gender: Human/Female
Specialties: Biotics, skirmish warfare, galactic warfare, Reaper killing, cursing
Last Posting: Admiral Ad-Hoc, SpecTRe, and GRaDeF Operations Lead
Personal/Military History: Born in 2154 to retired farmers on the colony of Mindoir, Shepard was known as a gregarious and outgoing child. Naturally intelligent but not overly studious, she was two-time planetary track champion in the 5K and 10K. She was the sole surviving colonist when Batarian slavers attacked Mindoir in 2170.
Shepard completed high school at the prestigious Wozniak Boarding School in Palo Alto and received a scholarship to the Naval Academy at Arcturus Station. She graduated in 2176 with honors and joined the Special Forces. After holding off a Batarian pirate attack for more than ten hours on Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz, she was invited to attend ICT. In 2182 she was awarded the "N7" designation, one of less than twenty active duty soldiers to bear the honor and the only one to receive it while carrying a rank of less than Staff Commander.
In 2183, Shepard became the first human SpecTRe and was given command of the prototype SSV Normandy SR-1. In July 2183 she led the defense of the Citadel against an attack by the rogue SpecTRe Saren Arterius and the Reaper known as 'Sovereign.' MIA and presumed dead two months later when the Normandy was destroyed in a surprise attack, she suddenly reappeared in late 2185 under mysterious circumstances.
Credited with destroying the group responsible for a series of attacks on human colonies in 2185, Shepard was detained and stripped of rank after destroying a mass relay in order to delay the Reaper invasion. When the invasion came six months later, she was reinstated, given command of the Normandy SR-2, and ultimately led galactic forces to the defeat of the Reapers.
Promoted retroactively to Staff Commander at the close of The War then quickly to Major, in 2188 Shepard was promoted to Admiral; shortly thereafter, she was given command of the newly-formed Council rapid response force known as GRaDeF, the creation of which was reportedly her idea. Most of GRaDeF's operations are highly classified, but it is known that in 2190 she spearheaded a top-secret operation to destroy the Leviathans, the remnants of an ancient, mind-controlling species that created the Catalyst.
It is an open secret that Admiral Shepard has maintained a long-term relationship with Systems Alliance Admiral and Director of SpecTRe Operations Kaidan Alenko, and the couple reside together in Tayseri Ward on the Citadel as well as own a condo on the Vancouver shore.
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Systems Alliance Admiral Kaidan Alenko
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Biotics and tech, impossible self-control
Last Posting: Director of SpecTRe Operations.
Personal/Military History: Born in 2151 to a military father and programmer mother in Singapore, Alenko spent his childhood in Vancouver. He displayed an early aptitude for engineering and technical pursuits, but when it was discovered he was one of the first wave of human biotics, he was implanted with the new L2 implant and sent to Biotics Acclimation and Temperance Training (BAaT) on Gagarin Station.
In 2168 he was involved in an incident that resulted in the death of a teacher and ultimately the closure of BAaT; however, he was never charged in the incident. After returning to Vancouver, not much is known about his activities until he enrolled in the Naval Academy in 2173. A polite but reserved student who tended to keep to himself, possibly due to complications from the L2, he excelled academically and graduated with honors and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 2177.
Alenko received over a dozen special commendations in the next six years, and in 2183 was put in charge of the marine detachment to the Normandy SR-1. He played a central role in the pursuit of Saren and successful defense of the Citadel against Sovereign, and like many who served on the Normandy, moved rapidly up the ranks over the next several years. He served as Special Liaison to Councilor Anderson in 2184-85, then was promoted to Major and given command of the 1st Special Operations Biotic Company, a covert unit.
He was in Vancouver when the Reapers attacked and escaped with Commander Shepard on the Normandy. Made the second human SpecTRe soon after the Reapers attacked, Alenko served alongside Shepard on the Normandy SR-2 for the duration of The War and took command of the Normandy for the final and decisive battle.
Major Alenko was a day-one member of GRaDeF, and in September 2190 was promoted to Admiral and named Director of SpecTRe Operations by the Council, the first to occupy that post. Though never officially confirmed, Admiral Alenko is widely known to be in a relationship with Admiral Shepard, and the couple owns several residences together.
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Systems Alliance Major Ashley Williams
Species/Gender: Human/Female
Specialties: Small-to-medium arms, infantry combat and tactics, wise-cracking under fire
Last Posting: Arms and Combat Instructor at ICT in Rio de Janeiro
Personal/Military History: Born in 2158 on the colony of Sirona to a military father and geologist mother, Williams spent her childhood moving from one military outpost to another. As the oldest of four children, she did not lack for company. Her family lived under the shadow of her grandfather, General Williams. The commander on Shanxi when the First Contact War began, he had the ignominious honor of being the first human commander to surrender to an alien force.
Despite the black mark on the family name, Williams enlisted in Navy upon graduation from high school in 2176. Through skill, a natural instinct for the battlefield, and sheer dogged determination, she persevered through a series of punishing postings, by 2183 rising to the rank of Gunnery Chief in the 212 Unit of the 2nd Frontier Division.
The 212 was stationed on the colony of Eden Prime when it was attacked by Geth under the command of Saren. She was the sole survivor from the 212 when she encountered Commander Shepard. Reassigned to the Normandy, she played a key role in the pursuit of Saren and the successful defense of the Citadel against Sovereign, and like many who served on the Normandy, moved rapidly up the ranks over the next several years.
During 2184-85, Williams commanded squads on Elysium then Terra Nova, as well as conducting classified operations on behalf of Councilor Anderson. In February 2186 she wed Andrew Wyatt of Wyatt Fabrications. In April 2186 she was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.
Commanding a marine platoon stationed at the Citadel when The War began, Williams helped thwart a Cerberus plot to overthrow the Council, then joined Shepard on the Normandy for the remainder of The War and was integral to the defeat of the Reapers.
Though an occasional participant in GRaDeF operations, Williams began taking on more of a leadership role rather than a front-line combat one in the years that followed. In 2191 she was offered the position of Arms Instructor at the prestigious ICT, and she and her husband relocated to Rio. In 2193 she was promoted to a Combat Instructor as well.
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Systems Alliance Major James Vega
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Small-to-medium arms, heavy assault, infantry combat, inappropriate innuendos
Last Posting: Commander of Alliance Spec Ops Team Delta
Personal/Military History: Born in 2158 in Greater Los Angeles-San Diego, the professions of his parents aren't known. A good-natured prankster in high school, Vega enlisted in the marines in 2176, several months after graduating from high school. Identified early on as someone who both could think on his feet in tense combat situations and had a natural rapport with other soldiers, Vega quickly gained an officer commission.
He was stationed on the colony of Fehl Prime in 2185 when it was attacked; the attacking ship was destroyed, but most of the colonists perished. Though awarded a special commendation and offered a promotion for his heroic actions, he took unpaid leave and disappeared off the grid for several months, resurfacing at the detention of Commander Shepard as her personal guard.
Vega accompanied Shepard on the Normandy when the Reapers attacked, and continued to serve on it for the duration of The War. He then led a special team under Admiral Kennedy tasked with rebuilding military installations on Earth. He was promoted to Staff Commander and commanded platoons on Benning and Watson before joining Team Delta. A day-one member of GRaDeF, in 2192 he was promoted to Major and given command of Team Delta.
Major Vega is reported to be in a long-term relationship with Flight Lieutenant Steve Cortez.
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Turian Senior Commissioner Garrus Vakarian
Species/Gender: Turian/Male
Specialties: Squad combat, strategic defense, weapons systems, infinite calibrations
Last Posting: Turian Hierarchy Select Committee, Cipritine, Palaven
Person/Military History: Born in 2150 on Palaven to a C-Sec officer father and homemaker mother, Garrus received a strict, rigid upbringing from his father, though his mother is said to have been kind and affectionate. Teachers described him as a studious child with a tender heart.
After serving in the military, he went to work for C-Sec, quickly gaining a reputation as being willing to do whatever it took to bring criminals to justice, even if it meant breaking rules. In 2183 he was tasked with investigating claims against Saren. Appalled by what he found, he joined Commander Shepard aboard the Normandy and helped her chase and ultimately defeat Saren.
He then returned to C-Sec, invigorated and more confident from the months spent under Shepard's tutelage. However, this made him even less of a fit for C-Sec, and five months later he resigned from C-Sec and vanished. Later it was learned that he had gone to Omega and began a vigilante campaign against the criminal gangs. Dubbed "Archangel" by those he aided, he racked up an impressive body count and made a measurable dent in the flow of drugs before being betrayed from within and hunted down by the gangs he had targeted. He escaped and joined Shepard on the Normandy SR-2, helping her stop the attacks on human colonies.
After Shepard was detained by the Alliance he returned to Palaven, determined to convince the government of the Reaper threat. The Primarch gave him a task force to prepare for the threat; the increase in planetary defenses and contingency plans are credited with helping Palaven withstand the Reaper attack far better than Earth. He also reconciled with his father during this time. He joined Shepard when The War began and was instrumental in the defeat of the Reapers.
After The War he became Executor of C-Sec, which had been decimated when the Reapers captured the Citadel. As such, he was able to largely shape it in his vision into a more lean, proactive organization. In 2191 he finally accepted the repeated requests of his friend Primarch Victus to return to Palaven and join the Hierarchy's Select Committee.
Commissioner Vakarian is known to be one of Admiral Shepard's closest friends and confidantes.
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Research Council Chairman Doctor Liara T'Soni
Species/Gender: Asari/Mono
Specialties: Biotics, scientific analysis and research, Protheans, random glomping of Shepard
Last Posting: Chairman of Research Council
Personal/Military History: Born in 2077 on Thessia to Matriarch Benezia, it was only many years later that she learned her father was Matriarch Aethyta. Early on it was recognized that, though shy and not naturally sociable, Liara was highly intelligent and inquisitive, and Benezia provided many enrichment activities throughout her youth. She attended the most prestigious university on Thessia and interned with some of the most respected scientists of the day. Still, she chose the relatively unpopular and obscure specialization of archaeological study of the instinct Protheans. She spent decades in relative solitude studying ancient ruins and artifacts.
When it was discovered that Benezia was working with Saren, Shepard sought out Dr. T'Soni. She joined Shepard on the Normandy and later played a role in her mother's death. Her knowledge of the Protheans helped decipher visions Shepard had received from Prothean beacons and led to the discovery of the Conduit, which Shepard used to defeat Saren and Sovereign.
Several months later, Dr. T'Soni moved to Illium to work as an information broker. She became quite successful at it, reportedly amassing a small fortune in two years. In January 2186, she disappeared for several months, reappearing in July investigating the Prothean ruins on Mars.
When The War began, Dr. T'Soni joined Shepard on the Normandy. She was instrumental in deciphering and helping to construct the Crucible, the massive weapon used by Hackett, Shepard and EDI to destroy the Reapers. After The War she became Chairman of the Research Council, the top-secret group formed to study and develop technologies discovered in the Catalyst files.
Dr. T'Soni is considered a very close friend of Admiral Shepard, though one anonymous source described their relationship as "complicated."
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Council Special Advisor EDI
Species/Gender: AI/Female
Specialties: Ship systems management, cyber warfare and defense, hacking the galaxy
Last Posting: Central AI of the Citadel
Personal/Military History: The AI now known as "EDI" began as an Alliance VI used on Luna for training exercises. In 2183 the VI attained s rudimentary level of sentience and went rogue, perhaps due to confusion, and was shut down by Commander Shepard. Cerberus infiltrated the Luna base and stole the hardware; they integrated the VI processes into a quantum blue box and enhanced it with Reaper code, creating an AI highly skilled in cyber warfare and defense.
EDI was installed in the Normandy SR-2 which Shepard commanded while fighting the colony attacks in 2185. When the ship was attacked, the behavioral blocks that restrained EDI's actions were removed. Shortly thereafter, EDI repudiated Cerberus. As AIs were illegal in Citadel space at the time, EDI masked her true nature when the Normandy was handed over to the Alliance. During The War, EDI obtained a mech body, which she controlled remotely from the Normandy.
In the final battle against the Reapers, Shepard enabled EDI to take over the Catalyst AI within the Citadel. After overpowering and killing the Catalyst, EDI used it's connection to the mass relays to direct the Crucible weapon at the Reapers, while sparing the Geth and other AIs. She then took over as the central AI of The Citadel.
In the aftermath of The War, EDI discovered that the Catalyst had retained extensive files on every civilization that had existed – and been exterminated by the Reapers – since its creation hundreds of thousands of millennia ago. She worked with the Research Council to analyze this data, leading to revolutionary advances in science, technology, medicine and interstellar travel.
EDI has made periodic improvements to her mech body; internally synthetic, it now has the outward appearance of a human female. Though she uses it for most purposes, she retains the Catalyst's connection to the mass relays and is reportedly able to "travel" throughout the galaxy.
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Lawson Industries Chairman Miranda Lawson
Species/Gender: Human/Female
Specialties: Biotics, small squad combat, operations management, attitude of superiority
Last Posting: Chairman of Lawson Industries, New York
Personal/Military History: Born in 2150 to the business magnate Henry Lawson, Miranda has no mother; she was genetically engineered from her father's genome. As such, she has heightened biotic abilities, intelligence, reflexes, and health. Intended to be her father's legacy, she rebelled against his controlling nature. At 16 she ran away; at some point thereafter she joined Cerberus.
With Miranda's betrayal, Henry Lawson created a second child from his genetic material. Not wanting Oriana to suffer the same upbringing, Miranda kidnapped her when she was an infant; Cerberus placed her with an adoptive family and hid her location from her father for many years.
Miranda rose quickly in the Cerberus ranks, becoming one of the Illusive Man's closest advisors and overseeing numerous Cerberus projects. In 2183 she worked with Jacob Taylor to prevent the assassination of the Citadel Council by Batarian terrorists. She was placed in charge of Project Lazarus and spent two years rebuilding and enhancing Commander Shepard's body and, ultimately, bringing her back to life. She then served as the Normandy SR-2's XO when Shepard fought the colony attacks. After several months at Shepard's side, Miranda defected from Cerberus and became, in effect, a fugitive.
When her father kidnapped Oriana, she devoted all her resources to rescuing her. Learning that her father was helping the Illusive Man try to control the Reapers, she traced him to Sanctuary. Shepard arrived there at the same time; together they rescued Oriana and killed Henry Lawson. Miranda joined Shepard and helped to take down Cerberus and regain control of the Citadel.
After The War, Miranda took over her father's company, relocating its headquarters to New York and redirecting its considerable resources to helping the galaxy rebuild.
Known for her brusque and no-nonsense manner, Ms. Lawson is nonetheless a trusted friend of Admiral Shepard. As of the start of Operation Clarion, she is believed to be in a romantic relationship with Staff Lieutenant Jacob Taylor.
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Systems Alliance Staff Lieutenant Jacob Taylor
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Biotics and small arms, unnaturally white teeth, feeling it
Last Posting: Northeastern Strategic Command, New York City
Personal/Military History: Born in 2157 on Earth to a merchant marine father and a caterer mother, Jacob joined the military after graduating from college. Loaned out to the Corsair program in 2181, he met Miranda Lawson while foiling an assassination plot against the Council by Batarian terrorists. A survivor of the Geth attack on Eden Prime later that year, he became disillusioned with the politics and bureaucracy of the Alliance and resigned to join Cerberus.
Taylor served as the chief security officer over Project Lazarus, and joined Shepard aboard the Normandy SR-2 following her revival. After several months at Shepard's side, he too defected from Cerberus; receiving a blanket pardon, in 2186 he re-joined the Alliance, though he was given a demotion in rank down to 2nd Lieutenant. Though he did not serve on the Normandy during The War, he was part of the team that regained control of the Citadel in the final battle.
After the War he continued to serve in the Alliance, rising to the rank of Staff Lieutenant; in 2191 he transferred to Northeastern Strategic Command as an aid and advisor to Admiral Zhou.
As of the start of Operation Clarion, Lieutenant Taylor is believed to be in a romantic relationship with Miranda Lawson.
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Krogan Overlord Urdnot Wrex
Species/Gender: Krogan/Male
Specialties: Biotics, solo combat, platoon combat, governing…or perhaps not
Last Posting: Krogan Overlord, Tuchanka
Personal/Military History: Born in 1821 on Tuchanka to Warlord Urdnot Jarrod and Urdnot Tanna, Wrex was a popular young warrior; in 1868 he became the youngest Krogan to lead a tribe in a millennia. However, his focus on rebuilding rather than warfare brought him into conflict with his father. Wrex's squad was massacred in an ambush, and Wrex killed his father.
Disillusioned, Wrex left Tuchanka and became a mercenary and bounty hunter. Then in 2183, after a coincidental encounter involving a crime lord on the Citadel, Wrex joined Commander Shepard aboard the Normandy and assisted in her pursuit and defeat of Saren and Sovereign.
Inspired by Shepard's leadership and outlook, Wrex returned to Tuchanka and assumed leadership of Clan Urdnot. After solidifying his rule, he pursued peaceful relations amongst the clans; Clan Urdnot grew in stature and influence, becoming the most powerful Clan on Tuchanka.
During The War, Wrex worked with Shepard and Dr. Mordin Solus to develop and deploy a cure for the genophage. In return, he committed the Krogan to assisting the Turians in defending Palaven. He was also part of the team that regained control of the Citadel during the final battle.
Following The War, Wrex married Urdnot Bakura, whom he had met while curing the genophage. He continued to pursue the unification of the Krogan, and in 2190 was named the first Overlord in fourteen hundred years.
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GRaDeF Agent Thane Krios
Species/Gender: Drell/Male
Specialties: Biotics, targeted combat and assassination, prayer, sultry voice
Last Posting: Various
Personal/Military History: Born in 2146 on Kahje, the Hanar homeworld, Krios volunteered for military training at a young age as part of the Compact with the Hanar. With naturally quick reflexes, he was trained as an assassin, and executed his first hit at the age of 12. Over the years he committed an unknown number of executions on behalf of the Hanar government.
In 2168, he met Irikah, who later became his wife. The Hanar released him from service, and he became a freelance hit man. They had a son Kolyat several years later. In 2179, Irikah was murdered as revenge for his assassination of a Batarian mercenary leader. Thane is believed to have hunted down and killed everyone involved in her murder, though he was never charged.
In late 2185, Krios joined Shepard on the Normandy SR-2, though he was dying of Kepral's Syndrome. During The War he was instrumental in thwarting Cerberus' attempt to overthrow the Council, and was part of the team that regained control of the Citadel in the final battle. After the War he began receiving advanced genetic treatments based on medical data in the Catalyst files. A year later the damage from Kepral's had been repaired and he was given a clean bill of health, as well as a blanket pardon due to his heroic actions during The War.
Mr. Krios' whereabouts over the next years are mostly a mystery; it is known that he spent time on the Citadel visiting his son, who was a C-Sec officer, and performing off-the-books assignments for Executor Vakarian and later for GRaDeF. The rest of his time he traveled the galaxy. He is not believed to have continued as an assassin–at least an unauthorized one.
A highly spiritual man despite his past, he is reportedly a close confidante of Admiral Shepard.
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GRaDeF Agent Kasumi Goto
Species/Gender: Human/Female
Specialties: Tech and hacking, infiltration, stealth, secret-keeping and its converse, gossiping
Last Posting: Active GRaDeF agent
Personal/Military History: Born in 2164 in Hong Kong to a mother who was a member of the Hong Kong mafia and an unknown father, Kasumi ran away when she was 9. A precocious and clever child, she kept herself alive on the streets by doing theft jobs for local gangs, using her small stature, innocent appearance, and quick reflexes to pull off burglaries others could not. When she was 13 she disappeared, her location unknown until she appeared on the Normandy in 2185.
However, she is believed to have committed a number of high-profile and daring heists over the years, gaining a reputation as one of the best and most elusive thieves in the business. In 2181, she teamed up with another thief, Keiji Okuda, until he was killed in 2184.
In 2185, Ms. Goto joined Shepard aboard the Normandy SR-2 and assisted in bringing an end to the colony attacks, then vanished again, reappearing during The War in the employ of Admiral Hackett. A master hacker, Ms. Goto hid on the Citadel when the Reapers captured it and hacked the Catalyst's security protocols, enabling EDI to take it over. After The War, Ms. Goto worked with EDI to create an AI construct of her former lover, using his graybox as source material. She joined GRaDeF two years after its formation.
Still a mysterious and largely unknown figure, Ms. Goto is believed to have a close personal friendship with Admiral Shepard.
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GRaDeF Agent Keiji Okuda
Species/Gender: AI/Male
Specialties: Tech analysis and manipulation, infiltration and targeted combat, ghostly haunting
Last Posting: Active GRaDeF agent
Personal/Military History: An AI construct based on the deceased Keiji Okuda, he achieved sentience in 2189. Little is known about the early life of his predecessor, and Okuda may not be his birth name. For several years he performed undercover work for the Alliance Intelligence Agency, while engaging in high-stakes thefts on the side.
In 2183 he was prosecuted but not convicted of selling classified information. In 2184 he was murdered by Donovan Hock in order to obtain his graybox and damaging Alliance information. However, with Commander Shepard's help, Kasumi Goto, his former partner and lover, was able to retrieve the graybox from Hock, killing him in the process.
Like many AIs, Okuda is skilled in coding, hacking and data analysis, and retains his predecessor's skills in infiltration and sabotage. Despite resistance, he was made a GRaDeF agent in 2191. As of the start of Operation Clarion, he is (again) in a relationship with Kasumi Goto.
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Legion Model II
Species/Gender: AI/Male
Specialties: Ship systems management, ship combat navigation and warfare, straight man
Last Posting: Shipboard AI of Normandy SR-2
Personal/Military History: Legion is an AI construct based on the Geth known as Legion. The original Legion died on Rannoch during The War in order to give all Geth true consciousness and sentience. However, Legion had left a copy of his core processes and code on the Normandy, and Admiral Tali'Zorah and Major Alenko used it to build a shipboard VI that could serve as a backup should EDI be unavailable. When EDI took control of the Catalyst during the final battle, the Legion VI assumed management of the Normandy. It is reported that the VI attained sentience while engaged in intense space warfare with several Reapers.
After The War, Legion requested and was provided a Geth mech body, though he is not networked and is no longer a Geth. In 2193 his AI processes were transferred from the Normandy SR-2 to the SR-3 during its construction, and he serves as the ship's primary AI.
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Systems Alliance Senior Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Combat flight, inappropriate humor, largest collection of porn in the galaxy
Last Posting: GRaDeF On-call Pilot
Personal/Military History: Born in 2155 to a military contractor mother and mechanic father, Jeff has Vrolik Syndrome, or "brittle bone disease." When his parents separated, he went with his mother to live at Arcturus Station. Despite his medical condition, he joined the military as soon as he was of age. Though now known for his acerbic wit, his nickname was given in sarcasm by an instructor, on account of him never smiling. He has a reputation for insubordination and disregard of procedures, but his flying skills are unmatched in the Alliance.
Moreau was the pilot for the prototype Normandy SR-1, and he developed a loyalty toward Shepard that was matched only by his loyalty to the Normandy. After the ship was destroyed in 2183 he became increasingly bitter, and in 2184 he took an extended medical leave of absence. He was then contacted by Cerberus and chosen to be the pilot for the Normandy SR-2 as well.
He developed an increasing attachment to EDI, the shipboard AI, and when the SR-2 was turned over to the Alliance in early 2186 he remained nearby. He was onboard when the Reaper attack began and was able to evacuate Commander Shepard and others from Vancouver.
At some point during The War he began a romantic relationship with the now corporeal EDI. In the years after The War, medical advances developed from the Catalyst files led to sophisticated treatments for Vrolik Syndrome, and by 2191 he had regained full functionality of his limbs.
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Systems Alliance Flight Lieutenant Steve Cortez
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Shuttle flight, combat flight, small arms, requisitions, tearful breakdowns
Last Posting: Arcturus Station
Personal/Military History: Born in 2156 on Earth to a military contractor father and chef mother, both his parents died when he was a teenager, and he joined the military soon thereafter. Initially a fighter pilot, his organizational skills and mild demeanor led him to flight deck command and procurement management, as well as regular shuttle piloting.
Cortez married Robert Jensen, a colony developer, in 2179. He met and became friends with James Vega during a rotation on Fehl Prime. In 2185, Robert was killed in a colony attack. Battling depression, Cortez returned to Earth and worked on the Normandy SR-2 retrofit. While in Vancouver he became reacquainted with Vega, who was Shepard's personal guard. He served on the Normandy during The War and flew a daring shuttle drop on Earth in the final battle.
After The War, Cortez served on Admiral Kennedy's team rebuilding military installations on Earth, then joined Commander Vega's squad on Watson. Later assignments included special piloting duties at the rebuilt Arcturus; he also serves as shuttle pilot for GRaDeF missions.
As of the start of Operation Clarion, Lieutenant Cortez is in a relationship with Major Vega.
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Systems Alliance Senior Medical Lieutenant Doctor Karin Chakwas-Adams
Species/Gender: Human/Female
Specialties: Medical trauma, surgery, alien physiology, inability to hold her liquor
Last Posting: Alliance R&D, Citadel
Personal/Military History: Born in 2125 on Earth to a doctor father and medical researcher mother, Karin Chakwas was destined to be a doctor. Not content with the lab, she joined the Alliance after receiving her medical degree, seeking grander adventures. She distinguished herself numerous times treating combat trauma, and in 2183 was chosen as the doctor for the SR-1.
After the destruction of the SR-1, she was reassigned to the Mars Naval Medical Center. However, when approached by Cerberus to join the SR-2, she took a leave of absence and did so. Her friendship with Shepard grew during this time, and when Shepard was given command of the Normandy at the start of The War she left her position on the Citadel and rejoined the crew.
Dr. Chakwas spent the six months after The War helping to treat the tens of thousands of injured, human and alien, on Earth and the Citadel. Later, she was instrumental in the development of several new state-of-the-art medical facilities on the Citadel, and ultimately took a position as Director of a research center on the Citadel. In 2188 she married Greg Adams.
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Systems Alliance Senior Chief Engineer Gregory Adams
Species/Gender: Human/Male
Specialties: Military ship drives and propulsion, gleeful excitement over engines
Last Posting: Construction of Normandy SR-3
Personal/Military History: Born in 2127 on Earth to a civil engineer mother and architect father, Greg took an early interest in engines, restoring classic vehicles as a teenager. He joined the military after high school; the Alliance paid for him to obtain an M.E. in mechanical engineering. A savant of sorts with respect to starship engines, he spent a career overseeing them before ever being assigned to the Normandy SR-1.
A longtime friend of Dr. Chakwas, she approached him about joining her on the SR-2 in 2185; skeptical of claims of Shepard's return, he refused. However, when given the opportunity to join the Normandy during The War, he jumped at the chance, and expressed regret at his earlier decision, though neither Shepard nor Chakwas appeared to hold it against him.
He spent the year after The War assisting with the repair and rebuilding of the damaged fleets. In 2188 he married Karin Chakwas and made his permanent residence on the Citadel, where he acted as a consultant on new ship drive core design and development.