Okay, decided it's finally time to take the wraps off these guys...well, most of them at least! I've had Terran Expeditionary Force customs completed for a couple of years now, even commissioned two dios from Cap to pose them on, but have never really shared them.
Quick bit of background: around the end of the 21st century Earth shifted from being several sovereign governments to a single world government in hopes of putting an end to years of wars, famine, plagues and poverty. Space exploration became a major goal and the need to colonize new worlds and easy the crowding on Earth were driving factors.
To this end, the Terran Expeditionary Forces were born. Consisting of a Research arm, which handles exploration, coloniization and diplomacy, and a Military wing, which handles all defense, be it terrestrial or spaceborn, the TEF set out to establish once and for all, mankind's dreams of populating the stars.
Over time, they did just that; colonies were established, new materials were found, technologies advanced, though not without strife. Currently there is peace, and in the midst of that the TEF has launched it's largest research and exploration vessel ever, the massive
Darwin. Heading off into areas of space that have yet to be explored in full, the Darwin is escorted by the light carrier
Peregine and several support vessels. What it will find and where remains to be seen....
Credit for the concept of the
Darwin goes to Cap, BTW.
And with that, my TEF "crew" so far:
Commander Asad Khermani, 51st Cobra Legion Commander
Parts Used:
Head: ST Duke
Remainder: VvV Cobra Commander
10mm RapidPulse Pistol: Star Wars
Bio:
Real Name: Khermani, Asad
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran (Middle East Coalition, Earth)
Asad Khermani was born in the early days of the Middle East Coaltion, a time when decades of constant tribal warfare and long-stemming hatreds had finally ceased and the various countries of the region had begun to work together to form lasting peace, and in turn, earn their place in Earth’s one-world government. Being born in this time allowed Asad to grow up without prejudice, to learn well and to strive to become all he could, which for him meant the stars.
As a boy he showed an aptitude for piloting atmospheric craft and was accepted into the TEF’s Flight Academy at the age of sixteen; he would grow to become one of the most skilled and renowned pilots during the war with the Free Worlds Coalition. He is known not only for his heroics as a pilot but his skill as a leader, a man who considers the well-being of those who follow him as equally as he does his own.
Now in his fifties, he has attained the rank of Commander in the Terran Expeditionary Forces military wing and continues to fly as a pilot, while serving as first officer aboard the escort ship Peregrine and full commander of the 51st Cobra Legion pilots assigned to her. When not flying combat duty he equally enjoys flying survey craft along with pilots from the Darwin on planetary survey missions; to him being behind the stick is a joy like no other.
He is a friendly, open man that has gained plenty of attention from the ladies for his looks, but his heart belongs to only one, his beloved wife Shireen, a professor at Tehran University back on Earth.
In his free time this daring pilot can often be found in the terrarium aboard the Starship Darwin, where he indulges a lifelong interest in botany.
Captain Wulfgang Gerhardt, Commander of the
TEF Peregrine
Parts Used:
Head: ST Dr. Mindbender
Remainder: VvV Cobra Commander
Bio:
Name: Gerhard, Wulfgang
Birthplace: Wiesbaden, Germany (European Union, Earth)
Wulfgang Gerhard is the Captain of the escort ship Peregrine, charged with overseeing the safety of the Starship Darwin. He is an old soldier, one of the first to join what is considered the “modern” TEF fleet and an original member of the 51st Cobra Legion; a skilled pilot and tactician whom age has barely slowed, even if it has mellowed him some. He cares little for niceties and prefers to get to the point of any discussion, yet is not a man who lets his own ego trample over the thoughts or advice of others. A bit of an eccentric, he frequently wears a monocle over his right eye, a family heirloom that reportedly dates back almost two centuries to an ancestor who was a brilliant tactician in the Prussian army; Captain Gerhard refers to it as his “good luck” charm.
Captain Gerhard particularly relishes his new duty, which some see as mere “babysitting”, in hopes that it might allow him to pit his skills against a new and dangerous foe as yet unknown to mankind.
Ensign Monica Davenport, Xenobiologist:
Parts Used:Head, torso: SW Arena Escape Padme Amidala (non AA version)
Arms: SW Endor Celebration Princess Leia
Legs, skirt: POTC Liz Swan preview figure
Stun Pistol: Star Wars
Bio:
Real Name: Davenport, Monica
Birthplace: Cap Cod, Massacheusetts (North American Union, Earth)
Monica Davenport is among the youngest members of Starship Darwin’s crew and is the youngest to hold an officer rank. A child prodigy, Monica graduated college at the age of 12 with multiple degrees in biology and graduated the TEF Academy of Science at 17. After a one year absence to pursue a private research project she accepted her commission to ensign and was posted to the Starship Darwin, where she works as a xenobiologist, studying various alien flora and fauna discovered during the Darwin’s many explorations.
Though she often comes across as aloof and serious, those who take the time to get to know this young woman find her surprsingly funny, warm and caring; years of having to hold her own against a much-older crowd have left her little time for interacting with peers, and it has become somethings he craves; unfortunately her social skills are a bit off, and she often inadvertently ends up alienating the very people she tries to befriend.
TEF Naval Security Officer:
Parts Used:
Head: VvV Link Talbot
Torso: ST Red Spot
Arms: ST Tunnel Rat
Waist, legs: VvV Ace
Helmet: ST Duke
10mm RapidPulse Rifle: Marauder, Inc.
Bio:
Every TEF vessel—warship, explorer, freighter, what have you—has its own contingent of these high-trained, close-quarters combat and security specialists. Armed with 10mm RapidPulse fletchette guns (firing a round that will turn to harmless powder on impact with anything other than most body armors and soft tissue) they oversee all onboard ship security operations, guard prisoners, handle transfers and repel boarding parties. Their armor is light and flexible, with nano-weave fibres that react instantly to harden on impact, allowing them to withstand most small-arms fire; the suits themselves are flame "LASER BLAST" and can withstand vacuum up to 10 minutes thanks to nano-weave insulation and instant-sealign closures. The helmets they wear feature flip-up blast visors and a built in HUD linked both to ship security systems (audio, video) and their personal weapons.
TEF Marine:
Parts Used:Head, torso: ST Gung-Ho
Arms: VvV Stalker w/Bbi hands
Waist, upper thighs: Unsure
Lower legs: Coil Crusher
Helmet: Modified SW Clone Trooper helmet
12mm RapidPulse Rifle: Marauder, Inc.
Bio:TEF Marines serve primarily as shock troops and quick reaction forces planetside; they are trained for warfare in a variety of environments and equipped for each as well. Body armor is composite pieces with nano-weave capable of deflecting most small arms fire; they can resist vacuum up to 30 minutes and are radiation, cold and heat resistant; with the helmet in place they are also resistant to toxins and infectious agents. The helmets themselves are equipped with a full range communications suite, built-in air recycling, multi-range vision (all light conditions and zoom in/out capability) as well as a HUD that links to their weapons and allows them to call in airtstrikes or view tactical maps as needed.
Every Marine carries a 12mm HeavyPulse rifle with a 20mm grenade launcher built-in.
TEF Sniper
Parts Used:
Head: VvV Hi-Tech
Torso, arms: VvV Dusty w/PTE hands
Waist, legs: ST Red Spot
M98 Gauss Rifle: Star Wars
TEF Snipers are drawn from only the most patient and stable members of the TEF military wing, put through intensive physical and psychological testing, then must undergo several weeks of training involving stealth, survival, and learning to use a variety of specialized longarms before being put in the field; the failure rate is high, but those that do make it are exceptional individuals in their own right. Unlike their Old Earth counterparts, Snipers tend to work alone, relying on spotters that use satellites and other recon technology to alert them to threats.
Snipers are equipped with a specialized suit that serves to mask body heat and camouflages itself to blend in with the terrain around it. Dampers in the suit muffle the sounds of breathing and heartbeat, and a nano-wave frame built into the very fabric serves to warm, cool and administer treatment to sustained wounds, stimulate circulation, as well as handle the recyclying of waste. All of this allows he sniper to remain stationary for sometimes days at a time, often in hostile alien enivronments and with rarely any contact save micro-burst transmissions from their spotters.
The typical Sniper rifle is the M98 Gauss Rifle, a near-silent electromagnetic rifle that fires tungsten slugs at up to 3 miles with no loss of accuracy, and are able to penetrate nearly all known body armors and as well as some light vehicle armors. The M98 is equipped with holographic sites that enable to sniper to magnify a target up to 3 miles distant or accept instantaneous feed from a satellite.
And last but not least, a
Goblin:
Parts Used:
Head, torso: VvV Coil Crusher
Arms: Chap Mei Police Force figure
Waist, legs: VvV Link Talbot
Shin guards: Spy Troops Gear
Axe: Chap Mei Firefighter Set
Pistol: ST Baroness Grenade Pistol
Bio:
When mankind first began serious exploration of space, the idea of mining asteroids for much needed raw materials took off like a shot; there were almost as many mining companies taking it on as there were means to do it. The most effective method ended up being the oldest—good old fashioned human labor.
The problem was, hiring miners to work the mines meant paying high salaries, providing not only for the miners, but their families back home, establishing safety nets in the often unstable asteroids—it drove many companies to bankruptcy, particularly when they had to compete with the Cheney Mining Corporation. Cheney, known for practicing “questionable” business methods, had secretly taken their mining methods one step further…
The process itself was both simple and sinister. Miners were hired, mostly men without families or anyone home to miss them, offered lucrative salaries and benefits in the deal, then shipped to a Cheney space station facility inside the Free World’s Coaltion, outside the range of the Terran government regulators. Once there the men were exposed to a nanotechnological mutagen that altered them both physically and mentally, resulting in what would come to be called Goblins. The mutation resulted in enhanced strength and endurance, exceptional night vision (at the cost of extreme light sensitivity), a body that could work for long stretches with very little nourishment and could function at oxygen levels far below what normal humans neeed to survive, and a mind that was easily controlled and focused to a single task. The Goblins were then deposited in various asteroid mines to strip them clean, and then moved on to the next. Any who died were simply hauled away and often left behind, without fear of the survivors taking notice and threatening strikes or sabotage against the company itself, as was too often the case with normal human miners.
Eventually though, something went wrong. A pirate raid on a lightly defended Cheney mine led to the uncovering of the Goblins, many of whom were “captured” and taken back to the pirate base; medical and scientific people in their employ studied these Goblins and figured out how to alter the changes done to the brain, turning the strong-but-docile workers into an easily directed fighting force, suitable for boarding and raiding ships—saving the pirates from having to risk their own lives. Of course this eventually caught the attention of the TEF, who raided the Cheney mines and liberated most of the Goblins—but not all, many others having fallen into the hands of pirates, raiders and petty warlords all seeking their perfect slave army. Those the TEF saved were unfortunately beyond hope and spent the remainder of their lives working, albeit more humanely, in Terra-controlled mining facilities; the others were turned into whatever their new “owners” decided, while the Cheney Corporation opted to stop making them, and instead sold the technology to whomever would pay—meaning that whole new generations of these poor souls are even now, being cranked out…
I'm not content to narrow myself down just to one or two, there's just too much potential out there to be realized.