Post by James Ennis on Sept 18, 2014 1:06:34 GMT
Character
Name: James "Headhunter" Ennis
Faction: Titans
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Birthday: 6/5/0055 UC
Blood Type: O
Ethnicity: Half Irish-descent Earthnoid, Half Scandinavian-descent Lunarian
Character Paradigm: Guardian
Specialty: Gunslinger
Description
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 165lbs
Hair Color and Style: Blonde with a few grey hairs, kept short
Eye Color: Blue
Identifying Marks: A few scars on his limbs and torso from the OYW
Skin Tone: Pale (too much time in ships and cockpits)
Build: Lean
Clothing: Usually Titans uniform, complete with campaign tabs for the OYW. Civilian dress is often plain, blue-collar-ish pieces, often along with an old Saberfish pilot's jacket or the piloting jacket from the Stallion
Family
Mother: Mary Ennis
Father: Thomas Ennis
Siblings: n/a
Personality
Serious on the job and brutally strict with new pilots under his wing, a friendly brother in arms to those who make the grade, and a near-maniacally persistent enemy when you cross him.
Ennis takes his duties seriously and has something of a reputation as a slave driver among green pilots, but at the same time is known for sitting down for a friendly drink and being on an informal basis with many of his comrades. He had quite the temper when he was younger, and while it has been mostly buried it still flares up with the right stimulus. And while not precisely arrogant he does have the extra helping of self-confidence that should probably be expected of a mobile suit jockey.
Get a few drinks in him and/or ask the right questions and there's a certain amount of melancholy there as well.
Sometimes to his chagrin he never really shook off the way he enjoys an actually challenging fight, a vicious grin on his face and laughing taunts on his lips.
History
He wanted to fly. And the Earth Federation Space Forces could give him the best wings with the biggest sky he could ask for. It was as simple as that.
Maybe if he hadn't dreamed of being a pilot, hadn't enlisted at 18, then some amount of tragedy could have been avoided. Then again, it is the Universal Century, so maybe not.
In any case the CV for one James Ennis ended up more like a history report on the OYW. One of two survivors from his squadron at Side 4 (0079.01.03). Only survivor of a new squadron at Loum (0079.01.15). Continued combat ops in space throughout the stalemate, flying his Saberfish in commerce raids, including the failed Operations Hellion (0079.05.22) and Cactus (0079.09), with his unit's casualties for that time period reaching 300%. Establishing a rivalry with the Zeon ace known as the 'Harpy of Space'. On a personal note Ennis refused to get close to anyone, assuming they would just die the next mission; he was often right. And his hatred and bloodthirst for Zeon continued to grow every time he was. They started calling him "Headhunter" for his practice of going after squad leaders and ships.
He was barely human, back then.
But he got lucky. Things started to change. In-between missions he was given mobile suit training, and he was told that he was being eyed for an '11th Autonomous Corp'. Names and details started crossing his desk, and then he flew his fighter one last time at Odessa (0079.11.07), before being sent to Jaburo to meet the growing squadron of pilots.
They got their test of fire when the Zekes tried their drop operation (0079.11.30), and Ennis got his first taste of MS vs. MS combat. The 11th was assigned, after the successful defense, to join the forces pursuing the Zeon forces back to California Base. Ennis isn't entirely sure, to this day, who said something about 'sweeping those Zeke bastards all the way to the coast and right off the planet'. Might've even been him. But in any case it stuck, and the 11th Corp took the name 'Sweepers' when California Base fell to Federation forces (0079.12.15).
From there, it all seems simple on paper. Flying from the SCVA-74 Stallion the Sweepers went on to fight at Solomon (0079.12.24) and A Baoa Qu (0079.12.31). They took casualties along the way but saw the war to its conclusion. And then they parted ways.
And along the way they saved James Ennis. By the end of the war he once again had connections to people, he made peace with some of his enemies, and he even gave up on his hatred. The Sweepers didn't just help win the war; pilots like Eddy Lenoir reminded Ennis of how to live.
0080 was a rough year; he'd grown to depend on the Sweepers for emotional support, and their absence left few for him to talk to and fewer to help keep the nightmares away. But he survived, kept himself out of a bottle, and even helped a few old faces along the way. Once he'd gotten through the worst of it Ennis moved on with living in the hard-won peace. He test-piloted the RX-81Ls, took the Advanced Mobile Tactics Course alongside such pilots as Jim Anderson, rose through the ranks and began teaching new pilots.
He was on Konpeitoh itself, his latest squadron of rookies outside for the naval review, when the GP02's nuke hit.
After the deaths of most of his 'kids' and the brutal pursuit of Operation Stardust he was quick to join the Titans, sick to his stomach at the thought of letting something like Stardust happen again.
Now, he's weary but determined. He's done good work with the Titans, saving innocent lives and ending dangerous ones, and his recent posting to command of the 15th Tactical Mobile Suit Squadron with a mandate to hunt pirates seems like more of it. But he's acutely aware of the attitude that many new Titan pilots have towards spacenoids in general and Zeon in particular; they remind him far too much of himself before the Sweepers.
He largely dismisses the rumors of Titan involvement at 30 Bunch, and discourages gossip among his people. Privately, however, he remembers seeing Salamis cruisers burning under the Solar System II commanded by one Bask Om, and wonders if what he sees as the Captain's 'cruel incompetence' had anything to do with the rumors.
Still, the rise of the AEUG has him concerned. Known Zeon pilots have been spotted among the ranks of the rebel group, and Ennis knows full well that Axis is out there, biding its time. He worries that the AEUG is a fifth column for Axis, paving the way for a second all-out war with Zeon and using disaffected Federation personnel to do it.
Life hasn't been easy since January 0079 and doesn't look to get easier any time soon, so for now Ennis is keeping his head down and focusing on getting the 15th ready. Whatever else is going on, pirates need hunting and killing, and they'll make a convenient outlet for his worries.
Notes
Got the dates from the OYW from here. Mostly because some folks are looking for a timeline for the Sweepers and partly because I like timelines.
As a disclaimer, some have met James Ennis before. This is actually his third incarnation, so I'd like to assure those who have met him that pretty much everything is up in the air with him. Version #2 did not much resemble Version #1, and I expect the same will be the case this time around.
Name: James "Headhunter" Ennis
Faction: Titans
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Birthday: 6/5/0055 UC
Blood Type: O
Ethnicity: Half Irish-descent Earthnoid, Half Scandinavian-descent Lunarian
Character Paradigm: Guardian
Specialty: Gunslinger
Description
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 165lbs
Hair Color and Style: Blonde with a few grey hairs, kept short
Eye Color: Blue
Identifying Marks: A few scars on his limbs and torso from the OYW
Skin Tone: Pale (too much time in ships and cockpits)
Build: Lean
Clothing: Usually Titans uniform, complete with campaign tabs for the OYW. Civilian dress is often plain, blue-collar-ish pieces, often along with an old Saberfish pilot's jacket or the piloting jacket from the Stallion
Family
Mother: Mary Ennis
Father: Thomas Ennis
Siblings: n/a
Personality
Serious on the job and brutally strict with new pilots under his wing, a friendly brother in arms to those who make the grade, and a near-maniacally persistent enemy when you cross him.
Ennis takes his duties seriously and has something of a reputation as a slave driver among green pilots, but at the same time is known for sitting down for a friendly drink and being on an informal basis with many of his comrades. He had quite the temper when he was younger, and while it has been mostly buried it still flares up with the right stimulus. And while not precisely arrogant he does have the extra helping of self-confidence that should probably be expected of a mobile suit jockey.
Get a few drinks in him and/or ask the right questions and there's a certain amount of melancholy there as well.
Sometimes to his chagrin he never really shook off the way he enjoys an actually challenging fight, a vicious grin on his face and laughing taunts on his lips.
History
He wanted to fly. And the Earth Federation Space Forces could give him the best wings with the biggest sky he could ask for. It was as simple as that.
Maybe if he hadn't dreamed of being a pilot, hadn't enlisted at 18, then some amount of tragedy could have been avoided. Then again, it is the Universal Century, so maybe not.
In any case the CV for one James Ennis ended up more like a history report on the OYW. One of two survivors from his squadron at Side 4 (0079.01.03). Only survivor of a new squadron at Loum (0079.01.15). Continued combat ops in space throughout the stalemate, flying his Saberfish in commerce raids, including the failed Operations Hellion (0079.05.22) and Cactus (0079.09), with his unit's casualties for that time period reaching 300%. Establishing a rivalry with the Zeon ace known as the 'Harpy of Space'. On a personal note Ennis refused to get close to anyone, assuming they would just die the next mission; he was often right. And his hatred and bloodthirst for Zeon continued to grow every time he was. They started calling him "Headhunter" for his practice of going after squad leaders and ships.
He was barely human, back then.
But he got lucky. Things started to change. In-between missions he was given mobile suit training, and he was told that he was being eyed for an '11th Autonomous Corp'. Names and details started crossing his desk, and then he flew his fighter one last time at Odessa (0079.11.07), before being sent to Jaburo to meet the growing squadron of pilots.
They got their test of fire when the Zekes tried their drop operation (0079.11.30), and Ennis got his first taste of MS vs. MS combat. The 11th was assigned, after the successful defense, to join the forces pursuing the Zeon forces back to California Base. Ennis isn't entirely sure, to this day, who said something about 'sweeping those Zeke bastards all the way to the coast and right off the planet'. Might've even been him. But in any case it stuck, and the 11th Corp took the name 'Sweepers' when California Base fell to Federation forces (0079.12.15).
From there, it all seems simple on paper. Flying from the SCVA-74 Stallion the Sweepers went on to fight at Solomon (0079.12.24) and A Baoa Qu (0079.12.31). They took casualties along the way but saw the war to its conclusion. And then they parted ways.
And along the way they saved James Ennis. By the end of the war he once again had connections to people, he made peace with some of his enemies, and he even gave up on his hatred. The Sweepers didn't just help win the war; pilots like Eddy Lenoir reminded Ennis of how to live.
0080 was a rough year; he'd grown to depend on the Sweepers for emotional support, and their absence left few for him to talk to and fewer to help keep the nightmares away. But he survived, kept himself out of a bottle, and even helped a few old faces along the way. Once he'd gotten through the worst of it Ennis moved on with living in the hard-won peace. He test-piloted the RX-81Ls, took the Advanced Mobile Tactics Course alongside such pilots as Jim Anderson, rose through the ranks and began teaching new pilots.
He was on Konpeitoh itself, his latest squadron of rookies outside for the naval review, when the GP02's nuke hit.
After the deaths of most of his 'kids' and the brutal pursuit of Operation Stardust he was quick to join the Titans, sick to his stomach at the thought of letting something like Stardust happen again.
Now, he's weary but determined. He's done good work with the Titans, saving innocent lives and ending dangerous ones, and his recent posting to command of the 15th Tactical Mobile Suit Squadron with a mandate to hunt pirates seems like more of it. But he's acutely aware of the attitude that many new Titan pilots have towards spacenoids in general and Zeon in particular; they remind him far too much of himself before the Sweepers.
He largely dismisses the rumors of Titan involvement at 30 Bunch, and discourages gossip among his people. Privately, however, he remembers seeing Salamis cruisers burning under the Solar System II commanded by one Bask Om, and wonders if what he sees as the Captain's 'cruel incompetence' had anything to do with the rumors.
Still, the rise of the AEUG has him concerned. Known Zeon pilots have been spotted among the ranks of the rebel group, and Ennis knows full well that Axis is out there, biding its time. He worries that the AEUG is a fifth column for Axis, paving the way for a second all-out war with Zeon and using disaffected Federation personnel to do it.
Life hasn't been easy since January 0079 and doesn't look to get easier any time soon, so for now Ennis is keeping his head down and focusing on getting the 15th ready. Whatever else is going on, pirates need hunting and killing, and they'll make a convenient outlet for his worries.
Notes
Got the dates from the OYW from here. Mostly because some folks are looking for a timeline for the Sweepers and partly because I like timelines.
As a disclaimer, some have met James Ennis before. This is actually his third incarnation, so I'd like to assure those who have met him that pretty much everything is up in the air with him. Version #2 did not much resemble Version #1, and I expect the same will be the case this time around.