[Bixir] Alexei Stukov {Starcraft}

”The die is cast.”




General Information
Name:
Alexei Stukov
Alias:

Age:
Fifty-two
Origin Game:
Starcraft {1998}
Homeland:
The Nebula
Faction:
The Guardians (Special Tactics and Reconnaissance)
United Earth Directorate
Gender:
Male
History:

Alexei Stukov was raised on a world far from Amalgamos, strangely removed from the myriad developments there. He was born and raised on Earth, a world much simpler than the former, yet at once much more complicated. For one, it was a united world, one where such petty divisions had been done away with, replaced by a steadfast duty to the glory of mankind and its advancement across the stars. .. mostly. Like many of his peers, Alexei shared in this dream with great passion, longing to put an end to the last gasp of insurrection and usher in peace for all mankind. Alexei rapidly rose through the ranks alongside his friend Gerard DuGalle, the two becoming fast friends, in military service as well as in brotherhood. Where DuGalle focused his efforts in conventional warfare and grand strategy, Stukov pursued top-secret research more often than combat service in the line of duty. He became fascinated with the burgeoning development of cutting-edge technology and archaeology to give the UPL an unnatural edge in warfare. Though Stukov became something of an eccentric in the UPL for his interests, those very interests helped claim victory for their cause.

Given the near-fascistic pride and relentlessness of the newly founded United Earth Directorate and everything that it stood for, one would think that its encounter with the Guardians in deep space would have spelled certain doom between the two entities. However, due to a number of factors owed to cosmic fortune, among which was Stukov’s role in the expeditionary fleet that made first contact, an accord was struck between the two groups. Stukov was enamored with the Guardians’ purpose, made no less eminent by the enemies that they faced: hordes of inhuman machines and criminal syndicates, all begging to be put to the proverbial sword by the rightful arbiters of justice in this ever-expanding Nebula. More to the point, this arrangement would give Stukov and his associates unfettered access to the Guardians’ untold stores of research and technology, the likes of which the UED had never seen before. Stukov had no intention of selling out the UED’s new partner, nor was he about to leave the UED behind… though it did not take long for Stukov to become the foremost UED representative among the ranks of the Guardians.

The primary culmination of the UED-Guardian partnership was the institution of the Ghost Program. Combining UED covert ops discipline and the Guardians’ ken with latent psionics, they were able to begin training generations of psychic super soldiers, one of many new additions to the Guardians’ arsenal in their multi-pronged war against the ills of the universe. Though he did not enlist in the program itself, it became apparent that Stukov possessed an uncanny will that bordered on the superhuman. It was only a matter of time before he was hand-picked for the Spectres, perhaps the highest honor most Guardians could ever hope to achieve. For a man like Alexei Stukov, such an accomplishment would not be enough.

Stukov’s ambition never outgrew him at any point in his life, and that has only proven to be the case over the past several years of his career. He has continued to work closely with the Council to push research & development in more abstract and experimental ways, more frequently rubbing up against their sense of ethics and restraint, wary of becoming too much like their enemy. Stukov has been careful not to push and prod too much, learning how far to take his obsession with the ultimate praxis… through official channels, anyway. Word has begun to spread that Stukov is assembling a private expedition, intending to travel into some of the most treacherous corners of the vast Nebula in pursuit of a yet unclear prize that will ensure the destruction of their most sinister nemeses once and for all.


Drive: Crippling the infrastructure of the Guardians' many enemies. Alexei Stukov is nothing if not a pragmatic man, and an ambitious one at that. Though his reputation within Special Tactics and Reconnaissance is storied to say the least, he is moved by an uncanny vision to see that his legacy is marked by an inconsolable blow against the enemies of freedom in the Nebula. He will settle for no less than not only the complete humiliation of these groups, but to do so with their knowing who was responsible for such a triumph.

Visuals
Image:

Visual Appearance:
Alexei Stukov is an older man, unafraid to show the scars of time and the fruit that his endeavors have borne. Despite his best years being firmly behind him, Stukov is no less of a fit soldier, still well in the same prime as when he first arrived on Amalgamos. He has aged rather gracefully, with a short military cut about his scalp and a finely kept goatee that accentuates his sharp wit and dogged charm. He is more lean than strong, his narrow frame often underscoring how few of Stukov’s peers could truly take him in a fight.
Clothing/Armor:
Alexei Stukov is as sharply dressed as you can get as a member of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. His style of dress is reminiscent of military regalia centuries in Earth’s past, rather at odds with the rather avant garde fashion sense of the Guardians’ officer corps. Stukov’s uniform uses predominantly darker colors, causing its golden accoutrements and red accents to stand out that much more, to say nothing of his admiral’s cap when he bothers to wear it. Alexei Stukov the Spectre is a different story, wearing the familiar vermillion colors of the UED in a custom Spectre armor.





Personality
Alexei is a proud, aloof man. He hides nothing about himself or what he does, wearing his vainglorious heart on his sleeve. Alexei is viciously plain-spoken, speaking with a distinct Russian accent. He is glad to regale others of his brutal military lifestyle and how it has dominated his life ever since he was a child. Similarly, he makes it abundantly clear when you have slighted him or his peers, the man’s demeanor often flourished with a venomous smile. He has something of a fatalistic look on life, adhering to his lifestyle with a devil-may-care attitude and an alcoholism to rival a Krogan’s. Though he believes wholeheartedly in the cause of the UED (and more importantly, that of his own legacy), he has come to think poorly of the Nebula’s future, intent on living out this doomed universe for as long as it permits him to live. Alexei is a smug, righteous prick, the kind you would take care to avoid running into during a reunion. Once he has begun something, he is not liable to stop, savoring every moment of whatever he is doing at any given moment. Alexei is a man who, at the ripe age of fifty-two, is far from finished living life to the fullest. God permitting, he will continue living to the fullest until his stubborn body finally gives out several decades from now. Whatever fate eventually meets Alexei Stukov, it is certain that he will do so with a smile on his face.

As a leader, Alexei is similarly relentless. He will treat every infraction as a direct attack upon his character, however minor. A paragon of the United Earth Directorate, Alexei is obsessed with order and control, and will go to any means to reinforce it under his command. His morals are as fluid as his means, so long as they serve his ultimate ambitions. This is not to say that Alexei would ever go so far as to betray the UED or even the Guardians, but that most rules that contradict his own methods are guidelines at best, and direct obstacles at worst. Needless to say, those who actively undermine his authority will suffer the consequences. Especially if they’re aliens. Though Alexei does not openly tout xenophobia, it is implicit in his actions, not the least of which is his adherence to the UED’s philosophy of human supremacy. It has colored much of his motivations towards opposing the criminals and abominations in the Nebula. Though Alexei does not necessarily hide his animosity from his peers, he does not wield it like a cudgel until he deems it necessary to do so.


Weapons/Items

C20-A Rifle
The C20-A rifle is the latest in Terran assault weaponry, having come a long way from the early C-10 canister rifle. It uses gauss mechanics, continuing the canister munitions system of the C-10. However, the C20-A no longer uses 25mm rounds. Though the scale of the payload is similar, each shot is concentrated energy. This rifle is also modular, meaning that it is capable of deploying different modes for different purposes: an assault rifle, a grenade launcher, and a sniper rifle. While these weapon types are distinct from another, they all function similarly on a basic level. The grenade launcher’s munitions include:


Hellfire Shotgun
A brutal close-ranged weapon that detonates miniature explosives in its internal systems, funneling the total blast as a vicious projectile attack. This weapon is typically used to stop charging abominations. More often than not, this is Stukov’s weapon of choice against his personal enemies.

Monomolecular Blade
An experimental psionic weapon co-developed by Protoss and Sangheili engineers. The user manifests their psionic power as an energy sword whose edge has been honed to a single molecule. It is more than capable of shearing the limbs of metal behemoths, to say nothing of organic targets. Alexei seldom uses this weapon, as he considers it to be in poor taste.

Combat Knife
A standard U.E.D. combat knife that Alexei carries on his person for simple, subtle close combat, when his other means of engagement are too obvious or “impressive”. It is not much, made of a unique nanosteel that allows it to pierce thick power armor.

Tactical Nuke Launcher
A device entrusted only to the most privileged Spectres. Before it is attached to a C20-A rifle, the launcher must be primed. After it is primed and attached, the user must attune the device with the nuclear silo that will be firing the missile, up to and including from a planet’s orbit. The device paints a red laser point on the target for several seconds, after which the nuclear missile is launched and en route to the target. While the target is painted, the user's focus is entirely on pinpointing the device, and is vulnerable to attack. In Alexei’s case, he launches nukes from the OSS Aleksander’s silo.



OSS Aleksander
The OSS Aleksander is the pride and joy of the United Earth Directorate fleet. It is a Gorgon-class battlecruiser, virtually unparalleled among Terran ships and that of many others across the Nebula. Originally commanded by Admiral Gerard DuGalle, he relinquished command to Alexei Stukov, the one man he could trust with such a great responsibility. It is one of the finest capital-class ships in the Guardian Navy, though Alexei has been adamant about maintaining complete sovereignty over the vessel and its arbitrary status in the navy as one of “their” ships. Despite its more than formidable capabilities, the OSS Aleksander has been explicitly reserved for Alexei Stukov’s personal operations, however minor or grand. Carrying a crew upwards of eight thousand, the Aleksander is a city unto itself, completely at the will of its stern commander. The ship’s capabilities are:\



Abilities/Powers
Vice Admiral
First and foremost, Alexei Stukov is a Vice Admiral of the United Earth Directorate fleet. He is a man defined by the Directorate’s rigorous discipline and military order. With decades of service, Stukov is one of the Directorate’s most decorated veterans. His sense of tactics, on the ground, in the air, and most of all, in the vast reaches of space, are among the best that the Guardians have to offer. Furthermore, Stukov’s unique position within the Directorate affords him considerable authority that he can leverage to his advantage. As the Directorate’s liaison with the Guardians, Stukov has access to resources that few others do, and has clearance that many of his superiors in the Guardians do not have: an ideal position for a Spectre.

Spectre
Alexei Stukov is certainly not the first human Spectre, but he is the first human Spectre that originates from another world. That in itself has afforded Stukov a certain reputation, to say nothing of his seeming political responsibilities as a bridge between the United Earth Directorate and the Guardians. He has taken well to the additional training as an agent of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, building off of what had already been ingrained into him through his service under the U.E.D.

Roleplay Sample



The man took a long drag of his cigar, taking care not to savor the smoke too much. The office was a pristine space, full of bright, warm colors that washed over the eyes like a cool breeze. Green, yellow, and especially the blue, refracted through the window, the nearby planet’s surface glistening even from here. The desk itself, separating the two men, was a bright color, not even made of a material that Alexei recognized. To a man like Alexei Stukov, who dressed exclusively in blacks and reds, it was all rather garish. Much like the bald, blue wallhe was coming up against.

The former Vice Admiral stared at his cigar, with more attention and care than he had just given his not so fearless leader a moment ago, before eventually returning his attention to the fool in question. "We would not be in this predicament were you to be decisive for once. If we do not strike out against the hordes soon, there will not even be gates for them to come crashing upon."

He scowled. It wasn't like this was his home. Was it anyone's? "All this talk of bleeding and burning. These things will be the least of our worries if you keep this up, Zavala. If men like me cannot lead unto the breach, what are we here for?"

The Titan sighed, before pressing a few buttons on his desk. In an instant, a stellar map had appeared behind him, illuminating the room in a blue glow that cast Zavala's face into shadow. Another button press brought up little readouts on the map, each marking the disposition of various military forces.

"And where would you draw these forces from? We're barely holding against the Grineer as it is. We have too little manpower to man the majority of the ships committed. We can barely even patrol what space we do control and the Pirates are appearing in ever greater numbers as if they can produce a new ship within minutes." A brief flash of a holo-screen popped up between the two men - a message arriving, barely enough time for the header to be legible to both men - 'HIDDEN IN PLACE' - before Zavala swiped it down. "I understand. We are on the back foot, and have been for a long while. A victory - a decisive, important victory - is just the sort of thing that would rejuvenate our forces. But trying to force the situation is not the way to go about it."

He held the gaze of Stukov for a long moment, before sighing and sitting down in his chair. "I have lived a long time Alexei, and I have seen many lead themselves to ruin grasping at the first slim chance they see. I respect your ability, and I respect the skill of those under your command. Bu-" Another message. 'WE ARE GO' this time. Zavala let this one sit, before leaning forward and tapping a button. He had forwarded the message to Stukov. "Had I your trust, and you mine, I would have informed you of this sooner. We need a fleet to cause some chaos. There's no particular timing on this, you operate on your own judgement, Can I trust you with this?"

From Alexei's cross expression, it seemed that he had a rebuke prepared, regardless of what Zavala was going to say to his grumbling. Just as Zavala's face became a shadow in light of the display, so too did Alexei's countenance retreat into a grimacing shadow. And again, when Stukov was ready to speak once more to this nonsense, Zavala cut him off, this time directly. He narrowed his eyes, his frown hesitating with surprise and wonder. This wasn't what he had expected to get out of this chat... but he would take it.

"Why, Zavala, that is exactly what I came to you for, did I not? You see? This is what happens when we talk to one another. Perhaps if you were not so obstinate, we could have avoided this altogether! Hah..." He chomped at his cigar, exhaling a new puff of smoke. It danced around the map in front of him, repulsed by the hyperlight construct. Alexei plucked it from his mouth, letting the thing dangle between his fingers.

"Just like old times, eh? Yes, Zavala, you can trust me. Alexei Stukov is just the man for the job. You know me. You know my talents, my... "specialties", hmm? I will put together a team. Outsiders. That way, you need not concern yourself with resource problem. I will handle the details. The only thing I need..."

As the display faded, and returned form to their faces, Alexei was leaning forward across Zavala's desk, grinning from ear to ear. "...is a target."