Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Dec 30, 2019 10:59:05 GMT -8
Name: General Emargine Cerola, aka Colonel Azure
Species: Tuffle Clone
Age: 32 (Biologically), 103 (Mentally)
Gender: F
Appearance:
General Cerola is well-built for her height of 5'7", with curves in the right places. She has long, icy blue hair that matches her eyes, and a "winning" smile that occasionally reveals itself when she's feeling particularly wrathful. While normally dressed in a peculiar white military uniform of some sort, she occasionally dresses down for undercover purposes.
Personality:
General Cerola has a thousand faces, proverbially speaking. While hailing from a heroic military background, her uploaded mind was supplemented with various deep cover training and information, allowing her to fake pretty much whatever personality is needed at the time. For the most part, however, she has defaulted to something of an honourable (if ruthless) soldier persona, given her current mission as head of a crack mercenary unit known as Azure's Dragoons, a commander who takes care of her men. At the end of the day, however, she will do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of her people, no matter how damning the consequences.
History:
Non-Spoiler Version:
General Emargine Cerola was one of the Tuffle Kingdom's top military commanders, a master of the field of Aerospace-Mobile Warfare. When the Saiyans conquered planet Plant, she and a number of other survivors were preemptively evacuated by the government as part of a much larger contingency plan, Project CONTINENT. Her memories were preserved on disk, and her genes were stored for future use.
She died of old age with a bitter hatred against the Saiyans.
Spoiler Version:
Emargine Cerola was born and raised during peaceful times on Planet Plant... at least, the last few decades of such that would be so. She grew up in one of the more successful Polar Settlements with a loving, patriotic nuclear family, and learned the traditional Tuffle ways.
At the age of 10, she signed up as a cadet for the officer program at the esteemed Yarvind Military Academy. This was not exactly anything surprising, as Tuffles tended to mentally mature at a very rapid pace, speaking within a few months of birth and completing the equivalent of a high school education by age 10. The Tuffle military was highly experimental, falling more under the purview of their peace-loving, science-empowered society, rather than any history of savagery.
Much in the same way that some governments built weapons to protect against threats from space, like asteroids, the technologically advanced Tuffles were familiar with the threats emanating from the wider universe. In particular, their deep probe networks picked up on the heinous world-breaking, world-shaping, and world-selling activities of the Arcosian-led Planetary Trade Organization and its ruthless enforcement arm, the Cold Force.
Desiring to protect their peace, the Tuffles prepared for the possibility of war. In Age 254, the Tuffle King established the Tuffle Armed Services to deal with the seemingly inevitable threat of the Cold Force.
Cerola signed up at a time when the TAS was beginning to mature into its own entity, with nearly a century of having tested which training, strategies, logistical systems, combat doctrines, and technologies, were best suited to their people. As such, it was easy for her to select a major, and by the time of her graduation, she fit quite well into the rapidly evolving military environment.
Throughout her career, she distinguished herself as a commander and specialist in the area of Mobile Warfare, directing elite units of Powered Aerospace-Mobile Shock Troopers in campaigns against various malcontents polluting the Plant System and its immediate neighbours, such as pirates, smugglers, rebels opposing planetary governments they had diplomatic relations with, and the occasional giant space monster. For the Tuffles, however, cleaning up their local interstellar neighbourhood was only practise. The Cold Force was a completely different animal altogether.
As part of its mandate, the TAS sought to improve their chances against the Cold Force in any way possible. And it wasn't long before Project Lemonade was conceived an executed. The justifications for this operation, the mass covert abduction of Saiyan women, children, and elderly, for scientific experiments, was myriad. Some said it was because the safety of the Tuffle race was foremost and they needed to do everything they could to prepare for the Cold Force. Others said the Saiyans were "savage primitives" who didn't even know how to use the technology of their ancient colony ship, anyway. Why care about them?
And still, a few very brilliant minds in the TSE, including foremost scientists Dr. Lychee and Dr. Aspic, explained that they had been watching the Saiyans' movements over the past few years and deduced that they were building up manpower and logistics in preparation for war. And since they had no spacefaring capability, that could only mean war with the Tuffles.
Whatever the reason, Cerola saw the survival of her people as paramount. And so over the next few years, she personally led a significant number of operations under Project Lemonade and like a predatory beast, abducted Saiyan women, children, and elders, who were sufficiently isolated from the rest of their pack. With the Tuffle EyeSat Network turning their powerful sensors at the Saiyan badlands, finding targets was easy.
At age 41, Colonel Cerola found herself at the forefront of a cold war that finally ignited. Leading her elite Iron Dragoons, they performed raids deep into Saiyan territory and disrupted supply lines, struck command centres, and generally did everything to destroy the new enemy's organization. For the first time in its history, the TAS would truly be put to the test.
As the war went on for two decades, Cerola would rise to the rank of General and put her valuable experience to work in improving training, strategy, and tactics. Serving as one of the TAS' primary consultants for counter-Saiyan strategic development, she pushed for a number of advancements in mobile armoured technology based on the Dragoons' experiences on the field. This rear echelon position was not a guarantee of safety, however, as the Saiyans eventually reached her home town and razed it in minutes with ki blasts.
News of how her family was vaporized instantly stoked a bitter hatred of an enemy that, until just then, was nothing but an unfortunate victim of the circumstances, a foe she hoped they could ultimately find peace with in the future. That day, she devoted herself to protecting the rest of her people, even if it meant annihilating every last Saiyan.
On the eve of the Full Moon that would signal the fall of the Tuffle Kingdom, General Cerola, now 61, boarded one of the flotilla of ships and escaped with a thousand others, the few chosen to ensure the revival of the Tuffle race. CONTINENT, as the program was called, would bide its time as they hid in a vast network of bunkers built on many worlds across the galaxy. With them, they carried the genes and memories of every Tuffle who was still alive prior to the evacuation, preserved on the Master Index and awaiting future revival via cloning.
Ten years later, as she died of old age, General Cerola decided to pursue their plans to the end, and so uploaded her mind and genes into the Master Index.
Hundreds of years would pass before she could get such an opportunity.
At the age of 10, she signed up as a cadet for the officer program at the esteemed Yarvind Military Academy. This was not exactly anything surprising, as Tuffles tended to mentally mature at a very rapid pace, speaking within a few months of birth and completing the equivalent of a high school education by age 10. The Tuffle military was highly experimental, falling more under the purview of their peace-loving, science-empowered society, rather than any history of savagery.
Much in the same way that some governments built weapons to protect against threats from space, like asteroids, the technologically advanced Tuffles were familiar with the threats emanating from the wider universe. In particular, their deep probe networks picked up on the heinous world-breaking, world-shaping, and world-selling activities of the Arcosian-led Planetary Trade Organization and its ruthless enforcement arm, the Cold Force.
Desiring to protect their peace, the Tuffles prepared for the possibility of war. In Age 254, the Tuffle King established the Tuffle Armed Services to deal with the seemingly inevitable threat of the Cold Force.
Cerola signed up at a time when the TAS was beginning to mature into its own entity, with nearly a century of having tested which training, strategies, logistical systems, combat doctrines, and technologies, were best suited to their people. As such, it was easy for her to select a major, and by the time of her graduation, she fit quite well into the rapidly evolving military environment.
Throughout her career, she distinguished herself as a commander and specialist in the area of Mobile Warfare, directing elite units of Powered Aerospace-Mobile Shock Troopers in campaigns against various malcontents polluting the Plant System and its immediate neighbours, such as pirates, smugglers, rebels opposing planetary governments they had diplomatic relations with, and the occasional giant space monster. For the Tuffles, however, cleaning up their local interstellar neighbourhood was only practise. The Cold Force was a completely different animal altogether.
As part of its mandate, the TAS sought to improve their chances against the Cold Force in any way possible. And it wasn't long before Project Lemonade was conceived an executed. The justifications for this operation, the mass covert abduction of Saiyan women, children, and elderly, for scientific experiments, was myriad. Some said it was because the safety of the Tuffle race was foremost and they needed to do everything they could to prepare for the Cold Force. Others said the Saiyans were "savage primitives" who didn't even know how to use the technology of their ancient colony ship, anyway. Why care about them?
And still, a few very brilliant minds in the TSE, including foremost scientists Dr. Lychee and Dr. Aspic, explained that they had been watching the Saiyans' movements over the past few years and deduced that they were building up manpower and logistics in preparation for war. And since they had no spacefaring capability, that could only mean war with the Tuffles.
Whatever the reason, Cerola saw the survival of her people as paramount. And so over the next few years, she personally led a significant number of operations under Project Lemonade and like a predatory beast, abducted Saiyan women, children, and elders, who were sufficiently isolated from the rest of their pack. With the Tuffle EyeSat Network turning their powerful sensors at the Saiyan badlands, finding targets was easy.
At age 41, Colonel Cerola found herself at the forefront of a cold war that finally ignited. Leading her elite Iron Dragoons, they performed raids deep into Saiyan territory and disrupted supply lines, struck command centres, and generally did everything to destroy the new enemy's organization. For the first time in its history, the TAS would truly be put to the test.
As the war went on for two decades, Cerola would rise to the rank of General and put her valuable experience to work in improving training, strategy, and tactics. Serving as one of the TAS' primary consultants for counter-Saiyan strategic development, she pushed for a number of advancements in mobile armoured technology based on the Dragoons' experiences on the field. This rear echelon position was not a guarantee of safety, however, as the Saiyans eventually reached her home town and razed it in minutes with ki blasts.
News of how her family was vaporized instantly stoked a bitter hatred of an enemy that, until just then, was nothing but an unfortunate victim of the circumstances, a foe she hoped they could ultimately find peace with in the future. That day, she devoted herself to protecting the rest of her people, even if it meant annihilating every last Saiyan.
On the eve of the Full Moon that would signal the fall of the Tuffle Kingdom, General Cerola, now 61, boarded one of the flotilla of ships and escaped with a thousand others, the few chosen to ensure the revival of the Tuffle race. CONTINENT, as the program was called, would bide its time as they hid in a vast network of bunkers built on many worlds across the galaxy. With them, they carried the genes and memories of every Tuffle who was still alive prior to the evacuation, preserved on the Master Index and awaiting future revival via cloning.
Ten years later, as she died of old age, General Cerola decided to pursue their plans to the end, and so uploaded her mind and genes into the Master Index.
Hundreds of years would pass before she could get such an opportunity.
32 years ago, General Cerola was cloned in Command Centre ISLET, a clandestine undersea fortress located somewhere beneath the depths of the vast ocean surrounding the Southern Islands, which serves as the global heart of ISLET's operations. Her new body was not completely identical to her original. This one was spliced with a number of synthetic genes based on centuries of research, enabling her to use advanced psionic powers.
For the next 16 years, as her new body grew up, and she learned to use her new abilities, Cerola was updated on current events pertinent to their present situation, and trained in a new set of skills: espionage. She was given a specific directive to serve as the head of a new forward deep reconnaissance and observation unit on the mainland.
At the age of 18, she embarked on her mission. Cerola gathered a number of Tuffle recruits among the populations in the Southern Island bunkers. Their first priority was to provide themselves with a plausible background cover story. To this end, they made their way into the chaotic Southlands and split into small groups. ISLET Intelligence provided them with a mission goal that served their purposes: to infiltrate an organisation known as the Golden Gate Army, an attempt to resuscitate the Red Ribbon Army by a number of descendants of the original faction, under their charismatic leader General Gold.
Assuming the identity of "Azure", Cerola and her unit slowly trickled into the Golden Gate Army's membership via their various recruitment avenues. It didn't take long for them to prove themselves. The Southlands were chaotic, particularly the regions near the southern dark kingdoms, and there was no shortage of enemies to face.
Over time, "Azure" and her men grew in rank and influence, and built up a loyal base of subordinates and supporters centred on them. This base eventually evolved into a battalion-sized unit known as Azure's Dragoons, built around crack airmobile strikes, much like her previous life. Thanks to their discipline and ruthless efficiency, the Dragoons gained a favourable reputation with the higher echelons of the Golden Gate, who gave them access to their highly restricted stock of "Golden Guard" power armour, a more compact, streamlined version of the original Battle Jacket built by the Red Ribbon Army as a superweapon. A scarce resource somewhere between the unique Battle Jacket and mass production, each suit was crafted by extremely rare precision manufacturing tools over the course of a month before becoming fully operational.
Cerola's tech specialists modified these suits with advanced Tuffle technology to enhance their performance, nanomachines disguised as paint so as to not raise suspicion. With these improvements made, the Dragoons became even more fearsome, eventually becoming one of the few powered units known to have taken down ki users and martial artists while suffering minimal casualties.
Twelve years passed, and the Golden Gate Army grew in power. It was only a matter of time before it would be able to carve a larger territory for itself. However, this all came crashing down when General Gold was assassinated by an unknown assailant. Without his charisma to unite them, the Golden Gate broke up into a number of splinter units under their specific commanding officers. Each one held their own agenda and those with enough power and resources retreated to their own bases, camps, and bunkers to fortify them against their now unrestrained internal rivals.
Throughout the chaos, Cerola performed an investigation, and soon led a raid into the bunker of Brigadier Bronze, one of the more powerful Golden Gate commanders, after discovering evidence implicating him in the assassination. Colonel "Azure" captured the Brigadier, and livestreamed to the entire Golden Gate Network as she broke him slowly, methodically, until he finally confessed to have been behind General Gold's assassination. The truth revealed, The Colonel then executed Brigadier Bronze with the same ruthless efficiency that she would any enemy.
Cerola laid claim to the contents of Bronze's bunker, and informed the GGN that once her men were done picking the place clean, anyone was free to move in. She announced that Azure's Dragoons was done with the political infighting, and and was now leaving the carcass of the Golden Gate behind to pursue a purer avenue to engage in warfare.
As soon as the transmissions ended, the Dragoons looted the bunker, taking all sorts of assets with them, from supplies, to armaments and munitions, to vehicles, technology, secrets, zeni, and raw materials. They headed north to Central City and established a two-year security contract with the World Government. It was a good contract, and while there was initial mistrust due to their origins in a Red Ribbon revivalist organisation, their strict professionalism and adherence to the terms of their contract soon softened the walls.
When the contract expired, "Azure" assured the King that they would honour the Azure Clause (see below). With this, they parted ways, and Azure's Dragoons packed up to roam the Southlands for further employment.
So far, so good. The mission to learn more about the world's armed forces by fighting alongside them is well under-way.
Azure's Dragoons
The Azure's Dragoons Emblem
A Dragoon, clad in the unit's standard Tuffle-enhanced Golden Guard Power Armour, hefting a minigun for suppression. | An Auxiliary, clad in the unit's own variant of the Golden Gate Tactical Gear and wielding the G-42 Assault Rifle. |
A thousand-strong battalion of former Golden Gate soldiers, support personnel, and officers under the command of Cerola's persona, Colonel "Azure". Many of these personnel are also ISLET operatives who are aware of their true mission, and form the true core of this organisation. Azure's Dragoons are a mercenary force specialising in airmobile assault and powered infantry combat, with their most elite troops fielding Power Armour and delivered to battle via dropship. Auxiliaries pilot vehicles, perform recon, garrison camps, and carry out other support roles. As far as a base of operation goes, they are nomadic, and rely on a number of mobile command vehicles taken from Brigadier Bronze to serve as decentralized bases scattered around the periphery of their current employer's city.
The Dragoons are well equipped and operate with ruthless efficiency, in some ways even moreso than their Red Ribbon "predecessors". And yet, this is tempered by a bizarre sense of discipline, professionalism, and honour, as they serve with distinction and without abuse. Their performance from their time supplementing Central City's defence forces has given them some good rep.
Azure's Dragoons are most distinguished, however, by what they call the Azure Clause, a specific section of the Dragoon contract that prohibits their current employer from deploying them against their immediately previous employer. In this way, they hope to avoid being lumped in with other mercenary groups who have no problem attacking anyone at any time for the right price, even someone they just finished a contract with.
The Dragoons follow their own specific code, intended to set them apart from the more traditional military conventions of the Golden Gate Army. They do not salute, display rank, nor address their superiors as 'Sir', defaulting to the use of 'Boss' if they don't bother to come up with their own verbiage.
Lieutenant Colonel Teal
Executive Officer of Azure's Dragoons. Flamboyant and larger than life, a gung-ho soldier who enjoys the thrill of battle, but doesn't let that fact get in the way of accomplishing the mission. In the field, he usually leads Alpha Company and its Dragoons from the front if the Colonel isn't available, but his main job is managing the day to day organisation and administration of the Battalion. His competency with automatic weapons has earned him the role of beta tester for the experimental XG-101 Optical Rifle. In person, he makes it a point to know each and every soldier under his command, leading most personnel to refer to him as 'Bro'. He refers to the Colonel as 'Chief'.
Major Carnation
Cerola's adjutant. A laid back aficionado of Wild South films who speaks with a badly affected drawl, and tends to speak her mind unfiltered, especially when the Colonel seems to be up to something counter-intuitive. She has terrific aim with a shotgun, which she will load with special depleted kablamium slugs when facing against a ki user, and enjoys horse riding. Her job mainly boils down to assisting her superior with administrative duties such as human resources. If someone wishes to speak to the Colonel, they have to go through Major Carnation first. She refers to the Colonel as 'Hoss'.
Major Grey
Formerly the Chief Sniper Instructor for the entire Golden Gate Army, this ace marksman requested a transfer to the Dragoons due to their impressive work ethic. Now he leads the Dragoons' Advanced Recon and Tactical Support (ARTS) Platoon, which is technically a demotion, but he wouldn't have it any other way. This platoon, of course, includes snipers, amongst other things. Major Grey is a quiet, thoughtful individual, who is usually seen with his head in the clouds while not deployed. He is likely to go off on navel gazing tangents, but when out on the field, his focus is second to none. He refers to the Colonel as his 'Liege'.
RP Sample:
"I see that the good doctor has also decided to make use of you," the little girl with icy blue hair picked up her carton of milk and sipped from the straw. Though she looked five, she spoke with the depth and gravity of an adult. "Tell me, Colonel, was your incubation term full-growth, or natural growth?"
Colonel Attis Weetsop set down her spoon and fork and took a sip from her glass of water, immaculately wiping her mouth with a table napkin before addressing the apparent child sitting across the table from her. Around them, the buzz of the mess hall caused a drone of a background that she didn't much care for, but the view of the ocean floor outside the transparitanium window more than made up for it. "Full-growth, General," the uniformed woman answered. "I believe this has been my fifth incarnation as part of the Planet Aspic - or rather, the Planet Earth - Network. So far, I've proven valuable enough that Dr. Aspic has placed me indefinitely in charge of anti-Saiyan operations. I don't know why he's chosen anybody else to take my place this whole time, but I wouldn't have it any other way." She smirked.
Though they had served in different units throughout the war, Colonel Weetsop and General Cerola were well acquainted with each other, perhaps due to their shared trait as efficient commanders who did their work without any nonsense in between.
"Five incarnations, now?" Cerola set down her milk carton and dug into the mashed potatoes and peas with a certain hunger. "The good doctor definitely understands how the Master Index works, then." She chuckled as she wiped her mouth with her own napkin.
Weetsop raised an eyebrow before answering. "I beg your pardon, ma'am, but I don't quite understand what you mean."
"Data on the Master Index is not static," the general pointed out matter of factly. "You remember your past four incarnations here, as well as your original incarnation, do you not?"
"That's right." This was common knowledge, of course. Otherwise, why would they agree to upload their memories into the Master Index if they didn't understand that the knowledge was cumulatively updated. "But we all know that."
"Yes, we all do. But the good doctor has put this concept into application." Cerola cut into her steak before continuing. This was a crucial thing to remember, of course. Eating steak at five years old was potentially problematic. If the steak was too tough, it might cause damage to her little milk teeth and affect the growth of her true teeth. Fortunately, this one was cooked with her in mind, and was unbelievably tender. If she had to guess, she would say that ISLET employed clones of Planet Plant's top chefs. The general savoured a mouthful of absolutely tender meat, swallowing with relish as she carried on. "The reason he has incarnated you five times now is because you already have five lifetimes' worth of knowledge and experience in not just dealing with Saiyans, but Saiyans on this planet specifically. Perhaps the first time you were selected, there might have been other, equally qualified personnel. But you proved yourself the first time. And now, you are the single most qualified Tuffle on this planet for that job."
Weetsop nodded, taking in these thoughts as she picked up her utensils and resumed eating her pomodoro pasta. "Then, if I may ask, General, why do you think you were chosen by Dr. Aspic for incarnation here and now?" Even here on this new world and in this new life, they presided over separate matters. That much, she knew. The specifics, not so much. She was plenty aware of the general's reputation. Perhaps that was something they were in need of now...
The general in the body of a five year old flicked her long blue hair to the side. "There is one thing I truly excelled at in life, Colonel. I'm sure you know that very well." She spooned up a glop of mashed potatoes and turned the utensil into a catapult, flicking the yellow-white substance across the table and over the colonel's hat. It landed on the next table, right on top of an unaware soldier's pile of mashed potatoes. "I bring death from above. A rain of fire and steel."
The colonel discreetly turned around to see if that poor grunt suspected anything at all. What she saw was him happily digging into that meal, none the wiser. His buddy across their table, on the other hand, was giving him a worried look, but then paled once he saw a high ranking officer watching them. That was probably going to be enough to shut them both up. Weetsop turned back to face her superior in order to continue her earlier line of questioning. "What about the PGCs you've received?" Psionic Gene Clusters, synthetic genes capable of imbuing advanced psionic capabilities into their recipient. A number of other SGCs existed among the TSE's repertoire, providing various other abilities to their users. Many of ISLET's people saw this as taking a necessary step in accomplishing their long-term mission.
As if just waiting for such a cue to demonstrate how much she had already mastered, Cerola waved a finger, and the spoon began to float in midair, scooping up another fresh glop of mashed potatoes and depositing it in her mouth. So long as she held up her finger and moved it like a conductor in a particular pattern, it would repeat this action. "Something about requiring it for advanced recon," the general shrugged. "I've already learned some basic functions, such as telekinesis and telepathy. Those will be useful for sure. But I'm quickly finding out that there are far more interesting things under Psionics. Things like TP and TK Programs, clairvoyance, and the like." She paused in a moment of brief contemplation, the spoon setting itself down into her meal. "If I'm not mistaken, I've seen you a few times training with ViscoDones in the PSICON Section. Your form and technique is impressive."
"I've had Psionics since my first incarnation, ma'am," Weetsop said matter of factly, "That's simply experience passed along several lifetimes... though activating the PGCs has to be done by lab with each incarnation. Hurts every time, but you can use it as easily as ever once it's done."
"I look forward to such a time..." The general smiled and went back to her food.
Weetsop watched silently as she finished her own meal. This conversation was more or less over. Cerola had only been in this incarnation for five years. Understanding how Command did things with its long term planning, it only made sense that she had yet to form a complete picture of her mission. That would come with enough time, though. In a few years, she would be ready to act in accordance with those above. And then she would serve her purpose in this plan to eradicate the Saiyan menace...
WC: 1163
Referred by:
Konja's Alt