Role: The mechanic
Name: Solia Kleopas
Nickname: Occasionally, Sol.
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Height: 5â7â
Weight: 120 lbs
Nationality: Moljin
Appearance: Standing at 5â7â, Soliaâs build is naturally slight, though she put on a fair amount of muscle during her stint in the military. Now, she could be more accurately described as sturdy. Her lifestyle keeps her from accumulating any extra body fat, as calories are burned at a lightning-fast pace whilst hurrying about the ship and sweating in the engine room, where most of her time is spent. The large amount of time she spends in the artificial light of the engine rooms has, thankfully, kept her from too much sun, but sheâs still tanned and occasionally burnt. Slightly olive toned, sheâs acquired a permanent tan that pairs well with her dark hair.
Her hair has finally begun to grow out of the short pixie cut she wore in the military, and thankfully passed the stage where it pointed every which way, making her look like a disheveled duck. The naturally curly dark brown locks now fall to her neck in waves, which she never bothers to style. A quick brushing and the occasional shower is the only care her hair ever gets, and so it is often messy. When working in the engine room sheâll tie a bandanna around her head, both to keep the curls from falling in her face and the sweat from her eyes.
Because of the amount of time Solia spends in the engine room, sheâs rarely completely clean, and can often be seen with grease smudged on her face and dirt smeared on her arms. An unavoidable part of her life, it rarely bothers Solia, less she is teased by another for it. The dirt also finds its way to her clothes, which consist of t-shirts, sleeveless tops, and loose pants, as well as the occasional piece âborrowedâ from a crewmate when sheâs in a hurry. Youâll never find anything but steel-toed boots upon her feet- as Solia is quick to point out, a dropped tool may be a big deal if youâre wearing sandals, but little can get through thought leather and metal. Her physical appearance isnât a big deal for Solia, so she puts no thought into what she wears, favoring practicality and comfort.
Quick and always moving, Solia is constantly fiddling with something, be it a tool or mechanical part, or just pencil twirled between her fingers. Sheâs often got a tool belt slung about her waist or tossed over her shoulder. Whenever she leaves The Jackal she wears a handgun at her hip.
Abilities: Soliaâs most remarkable skill is her ability with engines, vehicles, and things with moving parts. She learned most of what she knows from her father, a fairly skilled mechanic, and the rest while she was enlisted in the military. In the service, she worked as a mechanic, repairing mostly tanks, but the occasional landship. The only vehicles that can stump her are air vehicles and the occasional custom piece. And while she is skilled, she's not a miracle worker- if something's completely busted, its not like she can make it work with some toothpicks and duct tape.
Of course, being from the military, she also knows how to fire a gun. Best with handguns, she canât wield anything too large for the recoil. She is now also proficient with the cannon atop The Jackal. Sheâs also got an uncanny knack for throwing wrenches at moving targets, and has bruised more than one of her crewmates with an unexpected projectile.
History: Born to a large family in Moljin, Solia knew love from the moment she opened her eyes. Though the task of raising five children had to be a difficult one, particularly for middle-class laborers such as her parent, the pair doted on every child they were blessed with. After long work days, when the children were home from school, the small home would glow with joy and laughter. Though they didnât have much, they had enough.
With four older brothers, it shouldnât come as much of a surprise that Solia grew up fast, and she grew tough. She was more likely to be found wrestling with her brothers than playing with dolls, climbing trees than drawing, playing catch than playing dress-up. Sheâd broken her arm twice by the time she was ten- though thatâs nothing on her brother Elisio, who broke both arms, twice, and his little finger, by the time he was seven. And though her brothers might not flinch at beating on their little sister, they were a tight-knit group, and if any one of them were threatened, the others would jump into action. Itâs just how they were raised.
When she was thirteen, Solia, like all of her brothers before her, began to help her father in his garage. A mechanic, he repaired cars, bikes, motorcycles, the occasional hovercycleâŠif it had an engine, Mr. Kleopas could repair it. And he taught his sons and daughter to, as well. That summer was the happiest of her life. Running around in her brotherâs hand-me-downs (usually at least a size too large) with her hair all over the place and her skin tanned from being outdoors, helping in the shop in the evenings, she was content. No boring, useless classes, no problems at home, surrounded by family- it was all she could ask for, and more. Their money was finally starting to stretch a bit farther, and that year she got her first pair of actual girl pants for her birthday! What more could she want?
The next summer, though, was different. Solia and her closest brother, Raph, were helping her father out in the shop, same as always, and the next two brothers were working in local businesses for the summer, but Giorge, the eldest and now 18, had joined the military. He was on border patrol, which, at that point, was not a terribly dangerous post, but stillâŠ
The summer after that there were two Kelopasâ in the military. And another that fall. Slowly, the house was shrinking, collapsing in on itself as the people who used to hold it up trickled out, one by one. The empty space was taken up by fear as the political tension rose and the threat of war loomed higher. The next summer, Raph turned 18, and joined in his turn. Not to be outdone by any of her brothers, and ignoring her parentâs pleas and tears, Solia too took her turn and enlisted when she graduated from school.
Solia did fairly well for herself in basic training. Sure, she wasnât the strongest in her class, nor the fastest, but she was unflinching as she tackled task after task, and trained as hard as any other. After all, she would give anything she tried her best shot. No one could accuse Solia Kleopas of being a quitter! She proved her worth as a mechanic, and that was her post once she left training. Soon after, though, war broke out as it had been threatening to do for years. The Western Alliance against The Coalition of Brinn. And Solia, and all of her brothers, were in the middle of it.
Dear Elisio, who had broken all those bones so many years ago, was the first to fall, gunned down in the early fighting. One by one their brother's followed, each one killed in action. Finally, only little Solia was left, her parents having been killed in an air raid. Her story is far from unique, as many were left without family after the war, on both sides of the fighting. Like many so devastated, Solia had difficulty coping, and her thoughts turned to revenge and joining the rebellion in Iskadale once the war ended.
Her mind made up, she promptly left the service and made preparations to head for Iskadale. The trip was a hard one- areas that were once farmland were now empty wastes haunted by people no one would wish to encounter. Large cities, once sparkling, turned shady and grim, filth lurking in the corners, waiting to pounce. And so, when Solia came across a stranded landship, the engine spewing black smoke at the sky, Solia did not hesitate, but struck a deal- if she could repair the ship, they would give her a ride as far east as they were going.
Of course, once aboard the ship, the engine working once more, it was not like her to loaf around. And so she helped out, puttering around in the engine room and fixing loose gears and bolts, exploring the gun deck and learning to navigate. When The Jackal turned north, she stayed. Even when they finally plotted a western course she stayed, though she hasnât admitted to anyone why, or even that she doesnât plan to leave anytime soon. When pressed, she either says, âIâm still going! I just didnât want to enter from that border!â or, âIf I leave, you guys are just gonna get stranded again. And if something happened to you, itâd all be on me. So Iâll leave when one of you learns how to fix this hunk of junk!â
In reality, Solia is becoming convinced that seeking revenge as she was was stupid. She knows that if she were to join the rebellion, sheâd probably be killed without accomplishing much, and that thought is causing her trouble. Though she outwardly acts like she wants to actively oppose Iskadale, she doesnât get passionate about it anymore, and the rest of the crew has noticed. Sheâs lost her cause, so to speak, and this has led to self-doubt and uncertainty. Sheâs not completely sure who she is anymore, and it scares her.
Soliaâs grown close to her crewmates and her captain, and absolutely adores The Jackal, though sheâs fond of cursing it, calling it names, and punching it when itâs not preforming as it should. If someone else is abusing the ship, however, she has no problems expressing her opinions toward them and their ancestors, and quite frequently refers to the ship as âhers.â On the ship, Solia spends much of her time in the engine room or on the bridge. Sheâs the one that keeps everything, from the great cogs of the engine to the stove in the galley, working. She also operates the top cannon when The Jackal is under attack.
(Will add relationships with other crewmembers later)
Loyalty: She sides with the Western Alliance, not only because she is a native of Moljin, but also because her brothers were killed fighting against the Coalition of Brinn. She has plans to join the rebels in IskadaleâŠeventually.
Personality: Normally even-tempered, there are few things that can make Solia truly angry- someone abusing The Jackal, or some perceived injustice. She harbors a fervent desire to help others, and will not hesitate to verbally defend someone else. Rarely will she get into physical confrontations, as she isnât a naturally violent person, but she will fight if pushed, and defend herself if threatened. If someone were to seriously attack her, though, her gut reaction would be to run.
Solia can be rather rough-and-tumble, and if insulted, her reaction is to punch the offender- not seriously, but she doesnât hold back either. Sheâs a little rough around the edges, and acts more like one of the boys than a lady. This is her biggest source of contention with herself- she wishes she could be dainty or ladylike, but itâs just not in her skill set. Sheâs loud, and messy, and she knows it. Pointing out her unladylike behavior is the fastest way to tick her off and earn yourself a black eye, or at least a verbal lashing. After that, she mopes about, and she easily gets jealous when presented with a more âwomanlyâ person.
Though she never gave up on anything she tried for most of her life, recently, thatâs been changing. Maybe sheâs just getting a little wiser, but her recent abandonment of her goals has left her unsure of who she is. Sheâs started doubting herself, and wishes she were more determined to see her goals through. Solia thinks that itâs a personal failure to leave the path she had set out upon, and canât reconcile that that may not be such a bad thing. She wonât confide in anyone about this, though, and takes great pains to hide it from others.
When under stress, Solia canât sit still. She gets agitated, and if thereâs something she can do to help alleviate the stress, sheâll do it. She hates being idle, and canât stand laziness in others. She gets frustrated easily when attempting to reason with others or convince them of something, and people skills are not her strong suit.
Family: She had four older brothers, all of whom are deceased. Her parents and grandparents are deceased, as well. She has some surviving aunts, uncles, and cousins, though she is close to none of them.