My Oldest Character, now an NPC. Started of CT (Scout turned IBIS/ the did the MT thing a while, including Arrival Vengenace module with the Memphis Group of Gamers "Second Skin Incorporated" (Joseph Brown, Brian Gibson (Artist extraordinaire now with T-20 hereabouts), Robert Green, and several others, including Megan Janvis' player, & later my lady wife and chatelaine of this house, Paula Marie Thompson)...
As wellas Karen (Mr Brown's 6'2" red haired lady wife, and player of Tzabra, a Darrian Merchant princess married to the Marquis Logan Drak)...
Martin Francis Rourke
By Liam Devlin
UPP: 9B*89DA-8-A!
(* Denotes age reduced stat/ ! denotes Starburst for Extreme Heroism, honorary Knighthood equivalent)
Age: biological, 35/ chronological, 119(@24 on anagathics, 60 in lowberth).
Race: Solomani-Human
Birthplace: Hefry/Regina-Spinward Marches Sector
Birth date: 305-1085 (November 26th)
Career Path:
1083-1100- childhood
1101-1104- undergraduate school, Regina Subsector capital
1105-1106-IISS service, Fifth Frontier War. Wounded; Highly decorated; discharged.
1106-1109- Undercover Agent, IRIS (Dingir/Solomani Rim) promoted. @
1110-1113-Undercover Agent, IRIS (Terra/Solomani Rim) promoted. @
1114-1117-Undercover Agent, IRIS (Warinir/Daibei), Grad. School, promoted. @
1118-1121-Undercover Agent, IRIS (Warinir/Daibei), Psionic Institute, promoted. @
1122-1125-Undercover Agent, IRIS (Warinir/Daibei) promoted. @
1126-1129-Undercover Agent, IRIS (Deneb/Deneb) promoted. @
1130-1190- Lowberthed during Virus & Collapse.
1190-1201- Free Trader aboard SS TeBiRoCaMon (3 terms).
1202-Present- RCES Remnant "advisor" (heads up the counterintelligence section, called "The Admiral's Men"). "Officially", teaches at Aubaine University, Dept. of History.
Skills: Languages 10 (Vilani 2/11; Aslan 2/11; Droyne 2/11; Vegan 1/10; Sol-Gaelic 1/10; Sol-Chinese 1/10; Sol-German 1/10; Sol-Japanese 1/10); History 5/18; Research 3/16; Investigation 5/14; Instruction 3/12; Intrusion 6/17*; Interrogation 3/12; Streetwise 8/17; Gambling 8/17; Gun combat 11 (Slug pistol 9/18; Slug Rifle 2/11) Disguise 6/16; Computer 6/19; Env. Suit 4/13; 0-Gee Env. 4/13; Melee (Unarmed Combat) 6/17*; Act/Bluff 8/18; Communications 3/16; Ship's Engineering 1/14; Ship's Weapons 2 (Missiles 1/14; Energy 1/14); Ship's Gravitics 1/14; Robotics 1/14; Electronics 2/15; Navigation 4/13; Pilot (Interface-grav) 3/14*; Will Power 6/14; Medical 4 (Trauma aide 2/15; Diagnosis 2/15); Persuasion 3/13.
Psionics (8): Telepathy ( Telempathy 8/16; Probe 4/12; Shield 4/12).
Martin Rourke was born the seventh son of a seventh son in a line-marriage family on Hefry in 1083. He had four fathers, and five mothers and was raised among twenty-seven other siblings. He was a prodigy child, completing his Pre-college exams at age 17, entered into the University of Regina on a scholarship. Looking at the job market for a History Degree after graduation, he joined the IISS turning 20, and was assigned to the Long-Range Surveillance Detachment (LRSD) S-3.
His unit saw action in the 5th Frontier War against the Zhodani, his particular outfit was wiped out down to two men, himself, the Comm-operator/ medic, and his CO, whom he carried off on his back some 13km. The betrayal of their unit by an Imperial Admiral to the enemy was captured on Rourke's Comm-gear. They were both decorated, Rourke receiving the Starburst for Extreme Heroism. He later stole off the hospital ship, ISS Rhylanor's Mercy, to Duke Norris' flagship, confronted the traitor, and shot her dead in front of the assembled Admiralty. He was arrested, of course, and discharged, into a Military Prison (Imperial Official Secrets Act of 992, edited these events somewhat). He was recruited there by IRIS (Imperial Regency Intelligence service), at the Duke's behest and, "for the safety of the Imperium, and the Imperial Navy", be sent, "far away from the Marches for an indefinite period."
His first tour of duty was to the Solomani Rim Sector, as cook's mate aboard a Sylea class BB-15, based out of Dingir. His second tour put him up against the likes of SolSec, the Solomani Confederacy's Intelligence agency, operating on old Terra. He was transferred to Warinir, the capital of Daibei Sector, as a graduate student watching for Pro-Solomani agents in the academia haunts of the Sector University (managing to get his Master's Degree was a side benefit).
The Dulinor assassination, Imperial rebellion, and the subsequent Solomani Invasion of 1117 put Daibei-IRIS section on a war footing. In early 1118, Rourke was "on detached duty", and sent to the secret Psionic Institute on Warinir, and maintained his cover as a History Professor (without tenure) at Warinir's Sector University (department of Ancient History). Duke Craig Anton Horvath seceded from the Imperium, defending his region from raiders from Dulinor, the Solomani, and out of Reaver's Deep Sector, Aslan Ihatei fleets, that same year, denying Emperor Lucan his remaining 12 of sixteen original Imperial fleets, and a like number of reserve and colonial fleets. Then Duchess Margaret of Delphi, & the Tukera Lines LIC. fortune (by wedded bliss), also seceded from the Imperium during this time frame.
It was a time of divided allegiances, no less for IRIS-Daibei. The Director of Sector Intelligence (DSI), Travis Hendricksonn was killed in a mysterious shuttle accident later in 1118, along with 123 other poor souls, and the new ambitious DSI, Erich Grimes swiftly began making personnel changes to suit his tenure. The head of the IRIS Directorate, Garran Trainor Hughes was up to his elbows with the Duke of Sol repelling the Solomani Navy in the Solomani Rim, and as long as Grimes made his reports, nothing he did made waves, save locally.
Martin was suddenly on the "outside", and soon afterwards, had only his old chess partner Avraam Sonderscheim, chief cryptologist for IRIS-Daibei as someone who he knew and could trust. Sonderscheim's Psi skill was in the Arcana, a computer empath, who encrypted his data into Holo-plays. He and Martin maintained contact disguised as a Rabbi and a Priest of the Galanglic Thrice Reformed Catholic Church (GTRC ), meeting in an open-air park, every Sabbath. Sonderscheim was in his off duty time, a rabbi of his synagogue, so this was not hard for him to pull off. Martin for his part, at least had been an altar boy in his youth, and a Navy Ship's chaplain's assistant in his second tour in the Rim. The other passion they shared, besides chess, was the works of the Ancient Terran playwright William Shakespeare.
Martin placed himself in the anonymous role of "Agent Hamlet", code name for the man responsible for keeping a watch on the Sector Duke with a bit of help from Avraam, and stayed on the payroll, even after DSI Grimes had him removed for his "Post traumatic Stress syndrome" detached leave, and forcibly "retired" for "medical reasons". Even DSI Grimes had no idea who "Hamlet" was, only that he/she was IRIS, and had eyes/ ears to the Sector Duke, and maintained strictest confidence/ communication via the Chief Crypto man of the Sector Station (Sonderscheim), who also had never met with any of these agents. Orders appointing them came from Hughes' Directorate alone. The DSI received his reports duly from him/her, and never questioned them, as it appeared he/she was a "team-player" in Grimes' side of things.
There were three more such shuttle accidents from 1122 to 1125, and evidence was accumulating for Martin that someone was selectively killing all aboard to hide the specified killings of old-guard IRIS personnel known to Hendricksonn, and a few Federal Navy of Daibei personnel as well. Two were identical to the first: clear weather, no malfunctions, pilots in good health, shuttles with a long detailed history of A-starport class rated maintenance. No bombs, or flight recordings of terrorists hijacking them. They just up and slammed into the barrier reef of the coast of the Ernaix/Tri-cities, killing all aboard, shortly after takeoff. The third went down descending from the orbital starport, but during a fierce storm. But the pilots of Warinir's Shuttle Union had hazard weather ratings on their licenses, and ground control reported no deviation from their beacon until three minutes from landing when the ship veered steeply into the sea, three miles shy of land.
The threads came together on 003-1126, three days after the ISS Arrival Vengeance & its diplomatic mission arrived from Archduke Norris' Domain of Deneb. Avraam discovered a once secret file, "project MacBeth" while compressing database files. A project he had worked on, before the 5th Frontier War and had been field tested during it. "MacBeth" was an electronic warfare virus that attacked a ship's telemetry sensors, and caused it to read them in reverse, or the most hazardous way possible. Out of five attempts, three Zhodani warships had been destroyed; all made to look like complete pilot error or judgement. One of the vessels had been unaffected; the fifth made a forced landing under manual control and averted the fate of the other three. This followed on the heels that a SolSec agent had been allowed to nearly assassinate Duke Craig at student's protest (riled up by the Anti-Imperial ranting of Dr. Ilelik Kuligaan), and the trail led back to Grimes' allowing the fellow planetside in the first place. Avraam sent word by system datanet to Rourke but was killed before they could physically meet on Sixday, 006-1126, by two of Grimes' "wet-work" thugs, named Hannover and Caldwell.
Martin Rourke went to his funeral the following day, 007-1126, and met (from the Arrival Vengeance) another of Avraam's old friends (and former DSI-Deneb), Ms. Megan Janvis, who was part of the entourage of the Marquis of Fulacin, Baron Logan Drak (ADM, INI, 212th Fleet, ret.), leading the mission across the Shattered Imperium. Hannover and Caldwell exceeded orders shadowing the two of them to Martin's favorite dinner establishment; run by the sons of the man whose life he saved. "They were separated, and sorted", Rourke recalled in his memoirs, and left painted blue and in the buff for the police to find in a motel in the red-light district of Ernaix the following morning, unable to remember anything useful, save that Rourke was alive and well, and running. They made for Avraam's place, as a grav biker chick giving a poor old priest a lift to his friend's house, found his files, wiped his personal computer, and activated his "dead switch" worm-virus, eradicating all traces of Avraam Sonderscheim from the planetary nets, as well as Rourke's. This allowed them to use one of five identities the two had assembled since 1118 and DSI Hendricksonn's death.
It took two weeks to crack Avraam's codes, and a chilling detailed plot unfolded to kill the Sector Duke, and a coup d'etat in the Admiralty to seize the 12 Fleets and send them off to Lucan's Imperium "to finish off" Dulinor, "once and for all", and blame the Denebian delegation in the process. Rourke narrowly avoided getting killed three times, and finished off Caldwell and Hannover and their hired muscle, but by aiding the Arrival Vengeance, and with their aide, this course of events was averted. Grimes was imprisoned, VADM Vincent Seward, FN of Daibei COO of INI was found dead by his own hand, as were two-dozen other conspirators in either suicides, or freak accidents. On 026-1126, Martin Francis Rourke left Daibei with the Arrival Vengeance.
On his voyage, he witnessed the surviving polity of the "Duchy of Oases" in Zarushagar Sector; the filth and squalor of the Doomed traders in Massilia Sector; the indentured servitude of Margaret's megacorporations for those lucky enough to flood into her "Safe" domain; and her treatment of those veterans with 50% or more cybernetics as None-persons. They skirted the edge of Lucan's dominion, and bested a confrontation between three Starburst-class light cruisers in a fierce boarding action. He saw firsthand the Black War's horrors in Dagudashaag & Gushmege Sectors before they reached Usdiki, Strephon's factional capital. They returned to a heroes welcome in 1128.
Martin returned to service working for the Deneb-IRIS chief directorate, married Ms. Janvis and another shipmate from the Arrival Vengeance, Sensors Operator Nova Astriid Sunstar, and another line-marriage of Rourkes began. He was tasked in late 1129 to take the J-6 Trans-Imperiallines look-alike ship ISS Back in Black across the Reft and retrieve IISS & Imperial documents from Usdiki. They were there when Virus struck, and misjumped in mid 1130.
In the fall of 1190, he was revived by the Tapmazali Dr/Steward of the SS TeBiRoCaMon, a Solomani Sundowner-class Far Trader from lowberth, and discovered both loss and joy. His two wives were dead, killed by the Ship's Virus. His twin daughters, born ex-vitro by the ship's Med bot, and trained by the Ship's AI-virus, were now grown women in their mid twenties, thanks to SLOW Drug dosages aboard. The rest of the crew had been systematically killed by the Ship to keep the two youngsters in line, save two others: The AI-pseudo biological AKS-16 robot they'd picked up at Usdiki, had brought the Virus aboard, but had assumed Megan & Astriid's memories from their personal files & affects, calling herself "Akasha Sechzehn"; and the tough as coherent-bonded superdense Star-Merc, Josh McCaen. The three of them (Megan, Nova, and Akasha) had disabled the ship's engines (not hard to do after sixty years of not having proper maintenance & neglect), and hailed a passing starship. The ISS Back in Black was salvaged to the Duchy of Oasis, after first up grading the Sundowner's weapons, sensors, and MFD's. Rourke could have retired then on his share of the credits, but chose not to.
They traveled through the Wilds of the coreward edges of Diaspora & Zarushagar Sector between what was left of the polity of Duchy of Oases and the Covenant of Sufren amongst these Free Traders. His eldest daughter, Megan Janvis Sunstar-Rourke rising to become the Captain of this ship, her twin, Nova Astriid Sunstar-Rourke, to be its chief engineer. Here in the wilds, Rourke saw the dark side of the Diasporan Starfarer's Mercantile Guild up close and ugly, a repetition of the worst excesses of the Doomed Trade, petty dictatorships (TEDs), and slavers running their human and chirper cargoes to backwards agrarian societies.
With several Free traders, in what would become called the FTL, or Free Trader's league, he advocated a break with the Guild's High Admiralty board. In early 1202 he made contact with the RCS Belladonna enroute to Sufren, and decided after yet another attempt on his life by Guild paid assassins, it was time to move onwards. He arrived in June of 1202 with his daughters and Akasha, billing her ostensibly as an imperial remnant herself, "The Baroness of Esalain." McCaen hired on with the local Star Merc organization, "The Battle Angels" of the Reformation Coalition, and given command of his own ship.
But all was not bliss. Celebrity has its price: Dr Ilelik Kuligaan (himself revived in 1200 by the early Reformation Coalition from lowberth) upon hearing of the Rourke's tale, demagogued him and his children as "imperialists of the worst kind, etc." An old fashioned man, Rourke defended himself in a CINET interview, and blasted back at Kuligaan's role as Dulinor's chief spy, who KNEW Dulinor was off to kill Emperor Strephon, his wife and daughter and did nothing to stop Dulinor or warn the Emperor. Kuligaan's personal attacks ceased like a snow shower in summertime, but it didn't win Martin any good PR with the Hivers either, and his application to teach at the Hiver Technical Institute was denied. The SS TeBiRoCaMon went to work with a group of RC salvagers and traders, calling themselves "Jumping-Jack-Flash Interstellar Salvage, & Mercantile", Ltd.
In search of a job after this blacklisting, Professor Rourke applied at the Aubaine Sector University, and teaches courses in Pre-collapse history, runs a part-time Self-defense course off-campus, and is an assistant director of the University of Aubaine's Theatre (primarily Shakespearean plays). In late July, he was summoned by Sid "Papa" Papagoulis of LoROG, the Long Range Planning Group cell of RCES INTEL, and offered a job. Counter Intelligence. Rourke seized upon it at once, and formed from his classes, recruits, as well as other remnants, and some ne'er do wells the group known as "The Admiral's Men".
Motivations:
Spades (Ambition)-Ace. Rourke is a charismatic likeable rogue, and honestly feels the Reformation Coalition needs his help, and would give it freely, save it doesn't pay the bills. If they ever got over their hypocritical sanctimony of the Third Imperium, and acted like a real pocket Empire pulling together instead of apart, things would go as they (the Arses) planned. He tries to believe the best of folks, until proven otherwise.
Hearts (Sociability)-King. Rourke is an old fashioned man of his word, and holds his personal honor very high. He values highly, and judges another by their character and integrity. That doesn't apply to people he's at war with (like Solee) in the spy vs. spy "game". He's still fond of the ladies, and is a bit anachronistic, kissing hands, bowing, opening doors for them. "The Imperium maybe stamped out of the universe, but its stamp on me remains," he admits.
Clubs (Violence)-Ace. Rourke is a natural 'War Leader, he plans ahead, anticipating his enemies' moves. He is no stranger to killing, having done so even barehanded on occasion. He inspires confidence, complete obedience, and brings out the best in people around himself. His initiative under combat is 6. He never panics, and being an optimist, always seeks the silver lining in even a reversal.
Diamonds (greed)-Ace. Rourke is a generous man. He has invested his credits from Zarushagar & Sufren in the Reformation Coalition's nascent Stock market, but his daughters are the beneficiaries. Rourke does not give away money for posturing, but because he can, and does so anonymously due to his high political profile. He is still a practicing GTRC-rite Catholic, and supports their charities and mission work.
Appearance:
Martin Francis Rourke appears to be a male human, approximately 5'10" tall, about 83kg, all of it muscle. Has black hair, cobalt dark blue eyes. His mouth seems perpetually upturned at the right corner as if permanently amused at the world's doings; a faded bullet crease scar runs from his left eyebrow across his temple at a steep angle ("when I was slower, and sillier," he explains it.); he appears to be 35 (biologically yes, he's been naturally aging since 1190). He wears a black TL-14 Ballistic Weave trenchcoat with numerous pockets, keeps a meerschaum pipe in the left breast-pocket, and an old gold pipe lighter with the IISS emblem on it, with 33 names monogrammed upon it (his old Scout Unit, killed in the 5th Frontier War. The pipe belonged to the man he saved. Martin doesn't smoke it, nor does he let it out of his sight.). As a practicing martial artist, he prefers loose dark clothing (browns, greys, and blacks). He never wears the Black RCES body suit ("makes me feel like I'm in a body-condom," he complains).
Contacts/relationship
I. Imperial remnants
A. LTC Josh McCaen, "Battle Angels StarMercs" / old friend from Warinir, fellow passenger on ISS Arrival Vengeance & ISS Back In Black survivor. " As tough as coherent bonded superdense, loyal as any hound, and as big a heart for wee small children ye wouldnae imagine. Hell on wheels when the blood's up though."
B. BG Cori Sterns, CIC "Battle Angels Star Mercs"/ "A close personal friend", and mind yer manners!"
C. RCN CDR Maria Ulianov Petrova (JJFIS&M skipper of RCNRS Osprey)/ "A fellow Daibei-Navy veteran. Tries to reconcile Old Kuligaan and I every time we meet in public, bless her heart."
D. Dustiin Miller, former Belter low berth remnant/ "The best explosives expert and jewel thief the New Era has ever known. Deathly afraid of horses; the best of men in the worst of times."
E. CPT Daniel "Iron Hands" O'Connor (of the FTL ship SS Dublin Forever)/ "The man who would break the Grip of the Diasporan Guild. A born leader, and an honest merchant."
F. Khalid Kentaro (imperial remnant from Clersor-anagathics)/ "The darker side of myself. 'Remembers things even I've forgotten to jot down."
G. RCES CPT Couer d'Esprit (Lucan's Imperial Scout Service remnant, of RCS Hornet)/ "Fine lass, and damned fine Scout. Not all of the Brat's folks were rotten, contrary to old curmudgeons' tales."
H. "The Admiral's Men" Special Agent Jake Speed (imperial Jeddel remnant, Psion)/ "The lighter side of me."
II. Coalition Folks
A. CPT Saffron "Old-Ghost" Ghulz (RCN Reserves, JJFIS&M)/ "Someone from Oriflamme with an eye to what needs be done for the good of the Coalition."
B. Mr. "Wolf" (Ithklur Marine, 6 termer, "retired")/ "Laughs like a Giant, strikes like the thunderclap. Thank God he's on my side. The right hand I never had."
C. Sid "Papa" Papagoulis (RCES LoROG COO)/ "A decent man trying to his decent best with a shoestring budget, a bureaucratic watchdog government, and the bravest lads and lasses to throw themselves into the fray since the fall of Ancient Rome."
D. Ilelik Kuligaan (Remnant/ Speaker for the Reformation Coalition)/ "I knew him when he was a small time crook."
E. Assemblyman from Aubaine Sean "Lucky-Dice" Egan (JJFIS&M, CPT. RCN reservist)/ "About time one of those who's seen the Wilds up close gets to drive the bus! Make a great son-law, 'cept he's already married."
III. Wilds/Free Trader Folks
A. Her Grace, Duchess Victoria Olesnos (Ruler of the Duchy of Oasis PE/ Zarushagar)/ "A grand fine lady maintaining the torch of the best of the Imperium."
B. The Clan of Chanur (Aslan starfaring merchant ladies from Sufren)/ "Wily as they come and more honorable than most human merchants one is like to meet. Glad to know them meself."
C. Chancellor Christina von Ahrtal, (Prime Minister for the new government on Mueller/Shenk-Old Expanses)/ "A widowed lady who has already given more than her fair share to the New Era, trying to raise two kids, and lead her world towards Representation in the RCSA."
D. Branu Stigmann (CPT of the FTL ship, SS Bonchance")/ "The son I never had; might amount to something someday if he ever settled down with one or two women."
