Post by Ysmir on Aug 20, 2019 15:05:46 GMT -5
  "When we fight, it isn't for ourselves. It's for something bigger." - Commander Storm Full Name • Commander Alston Storm Race • Balmorran (Human) Birthplace • Balmorra Age • 38 (born 3630 BBY) Gender • Male Sexuality • Heterosexual Faction • Galactic Republic Concept • A veteran Republic Commando, special operations Captain, and squad Commander (Rank 3) who has served dutifully for two decades, born into war and never having quite escaped from it. His loyalties lie strictly to the Republic and its people, though the toils of battles won and lost and the sacrifices made wear on him. Languages • Basic, Huttese, Bothese Assets •
Appearance  Face Claim • Chris Evans Height & Weight • 6'0", 222 lbs. Overall Looks • Strong and sturdy with a well-proportioned and sculpted physique, Alston is the spitting image of his late father. He has chestnut brown hair that he wears at medium length, swept back across his head in neat and tidy waves. His almond-shaped eyes are a deep, cerulean blue that offer a somewhat more innocent appearance to his otherwise masculine and rigid features. Such features include his prominent square jawline and recessed cheekbones that create a straight, but wide facial structure. His face is relatively free of blemishes and wrinkles despite his occupation, save for those along his forehead that form whenever Alston is deep in thought or, more rarely, surprised. He generally maintains a neutral disposition befitting of an authority figure, but is known to sometimes wear his emotions more openly, certainly at a degree higher than your average soldier. His skin is a light tan tone. He wears a full beard at almost all times against the grain of standard military procedure. Alston stands at six feet even, though still can appear somewhat stocky for his above-average height due to his physique. He is thick muscled and brawny, a result of both genetic factors and intense training undergone for most of his adult life. Even when not in the gym or training his martial merits, Alston is usually on the battlefield or behind enemy lines, ensuring that his strong frame remains that way. However, this muscle is not just for show; Alston also emphasizes greatly the Echani aspects of sound body in all ways. His agility and coordination are two areas of focus outside of pure strength, and are plainly visible in the grace and effortless manner with which he moves about. Personality Profile  Honorable and committed to a fault, Alston is the shining example of patriotic devotion to the cause of the Republic's mission in the galaxy, as well as the guiding moral compass to which all soldiers who know of his exploits seek to follow. Never one to falter in the face of adversity, Alston has been characterized throughout all of his life as an individual who can be counted upon to always make the right decision no matter what the personal cost. This tenacity and sheer will seems to almost eminate from his figure in an aura, spurring his allies forward and demoralizing any would-be foes. Alston is, likewise, incredibly stubborn and single-minded whenever one attempts to deter him from his goal or his mission, refusing to abandon any cause he has put his heart into even if the odds are against him. A quitter is something he has never fancied himself, and most likely never will. Despite his commitment to the agenda of the Galactic Republic, Alston is more commonly known for his reverence and care for the troops under his command and all the Republic's citizens. Although a soldier through and through, Alston is first and foremost a leader by nature. He feels for and worries about the well-being of all he seeks to protect, and to this end takes attacks on civilians or his own squad personally. While the mission objective might well appear to be the most important thing to Alston, it is in reality the safety of those around him. Alston is not at all above turning back to rescue a fallen comrade in need, even if it means Alston himself may not escape with his life. This devotion to singular lives has earned him a reputation as something of a guardian angel throughout the ranks of the Republic. The deaths of those under his command weigh heavy on his psyche, and Alston often takes personal blame for any numbers lost despite the circumstances usually proving otherwise. However, the same vigor with which he pursues the Republic's mission is also apparent in his ability to mask his insecurity and pain. Alston rarely, if ever, openly shows any negative emotion, acting as a pillar of strength in situations that require it. While devoted and loyal, Alston is nonetheless ruled almost entirely by his own personal beliefs and morals. Although he has fought and killed in the name of the Republic and her people throughout the years, he will never strike down an unarmed or surrendering enemy, and expects the same of troops under his command. He would much rather take prisoners than lives, and will always offer the enemy a chance to walk away from a conflict unharmed if they choose to cooperate. Unnecessary and wanton violence is something Alston disdains, and he holds nothing but contempt for those who revel in it. To this end, the Sith Empire is, unsurprisingly, one organization that he holds significant negative feelings toward, believing it to be one of the Republic's chief objectives to silence their tyranny once and for all -- even in spite of their temporary treaty. Additionally, Alston trusts whole-heartedly in the judgement of his superiors, but is known for often going against the grain and disregarding direct orders if he believes that he knows a better solution. For this, Alston has received almost as many commendations as he has disciplinary measures; were it not for his maverick and unconventional methods, he would most likely be commanding his own fleet by now. However, Alston prefers the field to a desk any day. Although a relatively low rank in terms of hierarchy (the equivalent of a Captain), Alston's track record affords him a level of freedom from the traditional chain of command in that he often picks and chooses his own assignments rather than having them handed down the line to him. In his personal life, Alston maintains a calm and composed demeanor at almost all times. He is kind and cordial to all he meets unless he has a reason not to be, and expects the same level of respect in return. He dislikes the niceties of "small talk", often preferring a comfortable silence. Because of the nature of his status in the Republic and his almost obsessive need to serve, Alston maintains very little of what one might call a social life. He lives and breathes for duty, believing the lack of interpersonal relations to be more of a strength than a weakness when it comes to the enemies he deals with almost daily. Regardless, Alston holds what few friends he has close to his heart. Overall, Alston is a willful, spirited, good-natured soldier who does what he does not out of a sense of pride, but a sense of duty, sacrificing his own freedom in the name of others. Background Father • Alaric Storm, 50, Republic Master Sergent (Deceased) Mother • Unknown Siblings • N/A Other Important Connections • Horst Stellar, 48, Republic General & close ally Jarthik Fell, 60, Mentor Troy Celest, 29, Squadmate (Deceased) Overall History • Chapter 1: Early Life The son of a Republic soldier and an unknown woman from another world, Alston is uncertain of his birthplace, but was raised from a very early age on the factory world of Balmorra, an important centerpiece of Republic space throughout all of its history. Often left in the care of close family friends and professional sitters during his infancy and early adolescence, Alston grew up idolizing and romanticizing the tales of his father whilst dividing time between schooling and wandering the crowded industrial streets of Bin Prime. His fascination and awe in the face of the Galactic Republic was only compounded when he gained further knowledge of the manufacturing that went on in the city's many factories, where some of the most iconic and advanced weaponry and battle droids were produced on a massive scale. His father would soon find himself injured during a tour of duty and put on an extended medical absence during a crucial period in Alston's development as he began attending school in his teenage years. Taught the values of common courtesy, patience, determination, morals, and strength of character by his father, Alston would gain an almost mythical status among his peers as a defender of the downtrodden; physically unimpressive in his early years, Alston nonetheless put himself in the firing line whenever those he knew -- or even complete strangers -- found themselves the target of ruthless bullies and general antagonizers. While his teachers respected his efforts, they did not agree with the violence his staunch beliefs would often incite. Despite their many communications with Alaric, his father, the man did absolutely nothing to cease his son's one-man crusade against injustice in his local school system. He was proud of it. Alston's school career was otherwise unremarkable; he displayed extreme attentiveness and aptitude, but a distinct lack of interest in any subject matter beyond military history and, oddly, combat technology. Perhaps the greatest upheaval of his life would occur on the eve of his seventeeth birthday when his father became extremely ill, a result of complications with his prosthetic replacement leg. He passed away just three days later, leaving Alston an orphan. This would not last long, however. Chapter 2: Military Beginnings In 3612 BBY, at the age of eighteen, Alston enlisted in the Galactic Republic Army. During his training, Alston received numerous positive reports for his morale, skill with a blaster, intrepid attitude, and willingness to serve. He made fast friends in boot camp with the rest of his squad, eventually earning the right to be named Squad Leader during training exercises. As he began to shed the identity of his former civilian life mentally and emotionally, a number of physical changes followed suit; he experienced a sudden and profound growth spurt when put on a new diet and training regiment, resembling his father more than ever as he grew from a lost teen into a determined young man. It was here that Alston first met Lieutenant Jarthik Fell, a seasoned officer who took the young recruit under his wing and taught him more of the intricacies of war. He would graduate from Republic Training Camp with honor and distinction, and was selected as a new recruit in the Ackley's Maw. A new soldier who was green-as-grass but ready to serve, Alston inherited somewhat of a paltry reputation granted to him by his membership in the Ackley's Maw. The squad, consisting mainly of delinquent and unruly troops who were known for failing to gather any positive results from assignments, had fallen further than ever before. Pessimisstic of his chances of ever seeing real difference in the galaxy at large because of this, Alston's spirits were rekindled through the arrival of who would become one of his closest friends later in life; Captain Horst Stellar, the leader of the Ackley's Maw who arrived around the same time that Alston did. Under his leadership, with Alston his staunch supporter, the Maw eventually rose to become one of the Republic Army's finest combat units. During his five years of service with the Ackley's Maw, Alston saw a rapid rise to the rank of Corporal, and the beginnings of his storied bravery and determination even in the face of impossible odds soon began to become prominent. While the Maw itself and Captain Stellar were legendary for their turnaround, Alston remained in the background -- where he was most comfortable -- as the unsung bearer of his peers' worries and fears, refusing to ever let such things hinder their progress. It would be later, in 3607, when the turning point of Alston's career came. Chapter 3: The War Encouraged by Stellar himself, Alston left the Ackley's Maw per his own request to pursue a further venture into special operations, spurred by a desire to take more direct action in the defense of others. Alston was indoctrinated as a member of the Republic Navy 925th Special Demolitions and Strike Division, commonly referred to as the Urban Rancors. Accompanied by a promotion to Sergeant, he would assume a second-in-command position under Stellar. The next five years were characterized by a staggering increase in production on the part of the unit, who relentlessly and tirelessly hunted pirates, slavers, traffickers, and other ne'er-do-wells to the ends of the galaxy and back in the name of the Galactic Republic. Through a combination of espionage, tactical accumen, and effectiveness as a unit, they would all soon become nothing less than fire-forged friends through hundreds of days spent fighting side-by-side. One such friend of Alston's was Corporal Troy Celest, a soldier one year Alston's senior who would always elect to fight by Alston's side as his point man. The two were inseparable, often exchanging in bouts of philosophy on the nature of war and politic when they weren't busy carrying out missions or assignments. However, as with all good things, the dream was not meant to last. Caught off guard and far from any sort of assistance while on a distant journey, the Rancors were stuck in the middle of a roving Imperial battalion just hours after the Empire's official declaration of war on the Republic. Nearly one hundred of the company's members were killed in the quick and decisive battle, among them Horst's good friend Giog and Troy himself. Alston was among the few survivors, escaping the doomed fleet in a pod alongside his mentor. Left only momentarily disillusioned by the sudden shift in the balance of power, Alston refused to allow himself to be shaken to his core. With Horst resigning from the military to pursue paths unknown in his own personal quest against the Empire, Alston remained heavily engrained in the special forces of the Republic Military. Without hesitation, he put his name forth on the ever-growing list of potential leadership necessary for a full-fledged conflict. Alston was promoted to the rank of Captain in Horst's stead, taking control of a platoon of soldiers that would come to be known as "Captain Storm's Skyburners". The Skyburners fought bravely and valiantly across the galaxy over the course of the war's development. Dispatched to many locations and presented with the task of holding entire lines against overwhelming Imperial forces, the unit and Alston himself gathered a reputation for pulling off nearly impossible comebacks against superior numbers. At times, the Skyburners were directly responsible for the recapturing or liberation of lost worlds, and the squad would grow ever larger as more and more soldiers sought to earn the right to serve in what soon became the Republic's premiere fighting force. Mirroring the actions of his mentor and old friend, Horst, Alston became something of an icon and figurehead to the Republic's military forces, despite not wanting such attention and simply desiring to serve. Regardless, his humble demeanor only served to further deepen the mythos surrounding the man and his exploits. Perhaps the unit's most memorable moment happened in 3595 BBY at the Battle of Coruscant. The Empire, which had pushed itself deeper than ever into the Republic's territory through a series of rapid military conquests, sought to snuff out the rebellious flame once and for all by striking at their core world. Responding immediately to the assault, Alston and his Skyburners began their counterattack in the skies, singlehandedly disabling no less than two Empire supercarriers while the Republic's infantry held their position on the ground. In the ensuing confusion and with the lack of established communications, the Empire began falling back into deep space to recuperate and deal with their devastating defeat. Although exhausted and with many injured, Alston was among the first officers to rally his troops into pursuing the even more exhausted Empire. In a matter of weeks, the Republic had successfully reclaimed almost all of its territory in a counter-attack the likes of which the Galaxy had never seen. Chapter 4: The War's End & Current Events Although thoroughly defeated, the Empire would not be so easily destroyed. While many of the Republic's military leaders, Alston included, knew that the Empire was in a significantly weakened state and open to dissolution, this would not come to pass. Treaties were passed and signed, and by the beginning of 3594 BBY, an official ceasefire had been declared. For the first time in almost a decade, the Republic was no longer at war. After granting himself and the Skyburners a month's leave of absence to see their families and celebrate, it was back to business as usual; Alston took full command of his unit once more. However, before this, he became one of the very small number of living recipients of the Republic's Cross of Glory in recognition of his exploits and storied actions throughout the course of the war. Taking the role of Commander, Alston would begin a campaign of clandestine operations throughout the galaxy to lessen the impact of the war's influence on less fortunate worlds and colonies. Now, in 3592, Alston remains one of the Republic's most experienced and seasoned veterans of war. Upon the revelation of the Archeri Chorus and the threat they pose to all life in the Galaxy, Alston immediately switched the core mission of the Skyburners toward protecting the Republic and its citizens -- at any cost necessary. With the conquest of Nal Hutta and the newly announced shaky alliance with the Sith Empire, Alston faces his most challenging chapter of his life yet. |
