The Humans

Alexander Horatio Jardin, Ensign Second-class, third-seat helmsman aboard Bellarmine, and now impromptu ambassador to the Loroi Empire on behalf of humanity.

Alex was born on December 17, 2140 in Redding, California. He graduated with Salutatorian honors from the Terran Colonial Authority Aerospace Academy at Hellas Planitia, Mars in 2159 before being accepted into the Scout Corps and posted to ECS-154 Bellarmine. Alex is a skilled pilot and a talented tactician (he was academy chess champion), but his propensity for getting into trouble cost him Valedictorian honors at the academy, and later resulted in disciplinary action aboard Bellarmine (and the temporary reassignment to damage control duty that ultimately saved his life).

Ellen Kirkland, Ensign Second-class, junior electronic warfare officer aboard Bellarmine. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Alex's academy pal, although almost two years Alex's senior, Ellen graduated with honors in the same "TeeCee triple-A" class as Alex, and was posted together with him to Bellarmine in 2160. Like Alex, Ellen is one of Earth's best and brightest, and was selected for participation in the Scout Corps' crucial Alien Contact Mission despite her young age and relative lack of experience.

Carl Hamilton, Captain of the Earth Scout Corps long-range scout vessel ECS-154 Bellarmine during the Alien Contact mission in 2160. Hamilton is the most highly decorated of active Scout Corps captains, holds the current record for first-jump system explorations, and was involved in several successful deep-space search and rescue operations. Assignment to his command was a greatly coveted honor among Scout Corps officers.

The Loroi

Teidar Pallan Leinnol (Fireblade), marine major in charge of security aboard the Loroi command ship Tempest. As a member of the Teidar or "Unsheathed" caste, Fireblade possesses formidable telepathic and psychokinetic abilities, amplified by the headpiece she wears. Born on Seren in 2135 (the same year that the war began), Fireblade has never known a time without war. She graduated from the Teidar Academy in Toridas, on the Loroi capital of Deinar. As is customary among the Unsheathed, Fireblade rarely speaks, preferring to use telepathy exclusively.

Listel Tozet Eilis (Beryl), senior tactical analyst aboard Tempest. Beryl's eidetic memory, emblematic of the Listel or "Observer" caste, enables her to fulfill her role as a telepathic data repository as well as a data analyst. Beryl was born aboard the cruiser New Moon in 2146 during the Battle of the Tasinei Ways. She was subsequently raised on the desert world of Mezan in the Deinar system. Earnest and inquisitive, Beryl is eager to wring every possible nuance of information that she can out of every situation.

Mizol Parat Sedel (Tempo), senior intelligence officer aboard Tempest, responsible for diplomatic and flag-level communications. Mizol tend to be powerful telepaths, and Tempo is no exception. Though her abilities lack the raw amplified force of an Unsheathed, she makes up for this in the subtlety of their use. As a diplomat, Tempo excels in spoken communication, a talent rare among the telepathic Loroi. Tempo was born on Perrein in 2106 and was trained locally at the Mizol academy there.

Torrai Lashret Dellasoni (Stillstorm), captain of Tempest and commander of Strike Group 51, the Loroi fast-attack fleet that recovered Alex. She was born on the island of Beleri on the ocean world of Taben in 2035. One of the few captains to have survived twenty-five years of almost continuous front-line fighting, Stillstorm is a living legend, but such experience has come at a terrible personal cost.

Tenoin Arrir Nesin (Talon), flight leader of the Tempest's interceptor squadron. Also from Taben, Talon was born in 2147. Though only thirteen years old (Loroi maturing much more rapidly than humans), Talon is the most senior of the two surviving members of her original squadron of twenty, deployed to Strike Group 51 less than one year ago. She has been temporarily reassigned to shuttle pilot duty in an attempt to keep her alive long enough to train the next batch of replacement pilots.

Torrai Torret Bilosin (Ashrain), captain of the war cruiser Black Razor of Strike Group 51. Thirty-fourth grand niece of Emperor Greywind, Ashrain is foremost among a new breed of fast-rising young captains born since the start of the war. Born in 2135 on Deinar. Formerly assigned to the Emperor's own Imperial Guard fleet, Ashrain requested and was granted transfer to the fighting lines, in an effort to demonstrate her quality.

The Aliens

Rigai Mozin, Barsam captain of the Agumo courier vessel Prophet's Reason. Though fearsome in size and appearance, the Barsam are a peaceful people, and seek to support their Loroi allies in ways other than direct force. Born on the mining colony of Dorlov in 2108, Mozin is a member of the Agumo Conference, a coalition of private starship operating firms that could be described as the closest thing the Barsam have to a mercenary network. Mozin contributes to the war effort aboard his swift, elusive vessel as a scout, courier, and provider of "special services."

Historian Emissary, a virtual personality construct sent on behalf of the mysterious Historians to communicate with other races and collect information. Remarkably flexible as to what kind of hardware it can inhabit, the Emissary transmits itself from device to device as the situation demands. Unsure of the full capabilities or motives of such constructs, the Loroi are careful to restrict access of their own computer systems.