Stringer (striŋɘr)
Still very work-in-progress; regardless of the text itself, there are a fair few pictures planned, they will be here over the course of... uhh, time, I suppose.
Stringer Ventan
Stringer is a major character in the main story and the prequel. Within the main story, he serves as the one who starts it up, as well as Quaken's mentor of sorts and the leader of the main gang, for a time. Within the prequel, he is the main character, along with Mad. Incredibly good at fighting and a lot more stuff; one of the best duelists in human history.
Prequel Stringer
Enormous spoilers for the main and prequel stories, Stringer being a major character in both.
History
Early life
Born in the early 24th century in the recently conquered by the Cellean autocratic space city of Tican, Fenon, Stringer lived a fairly ordinary life for a time. He got married to a woman named Gabriela and had two children, in his thirties, Falanshin and Maria. He lived with his family, raised his children, and eventually, once they were well into their twenties, decided to enlist in the Cellean military. He was accepted into the navy, into the 27th Cellean Fleet, and would rise up the ranks in the next thirty or so years of the campaign, eventually reaching the highest level of leadership in the fleet; an Admiral-Captain of Cellea. He would not long after return to Cellea, and would be crowned Champion of Cellea. There, after the ceremony, a certain Sapient Synthetic would challenge him to a formal duel: an Admiral-Captain himself, one Martte Silkkanen, commonly known as Mad.Admiralty
The duel ended in a draw, but would begin the two's long friendship, and mutual respect for one another. They ended up deciding to join their two fleets' into a single effort, and conquer new territories more effectively. They would then conquer system after system, installing new Cellean systems in place and moving on after. Neither was a stranger to heavy-handed action against resistance, though they went about it differently, Stringer preferring to just destroy important regions from orbit. Eventually, over the century or so since they started, all the warfare, mostly the subjugation of independent states and cultures, often violently, would sour Mad's opinion of the Cellean empire even more over the years, and would culminate in the The Omega-Delta Disaster, in the early 2500s, the setting for the prequel and ending point of both Admiral-Captains' friendship and positions of power.
Prequel Stringer
Prequel Stringer by MadToxin
Stringer, during the events of the main story
As an Admiral-Captain, Stringer was noticeably divergent when it came to wearing his uniform. Instead of the standard for humans of the laurels on the head, jacket closed, and the fairly tight, black pants, Stringer instead did none of these things. He wore the laurels around his neck, the jacket draped on his shoulders, and a completely different pair of pants. He also wore crocs for shoes, and grew out a beard, another violation of the dress code. Operating so far from Cellean space and being the highest authority in his fleet, the only other person who could tell him off for these violations was Mad, who was even worse when it came to following them.
"Come on, Mad. Would it kill you to do something properly according to code for once?"
"You and I both know that's not happening. Not that you really care, Mr. Laurels-on-neck."
-Stringer and Mad
Skills and education
As an Admiral-Captain of Cellea with more than a century of experience, Stringer has accrued a wide range of skills, relevant to the job. Most notably, he is an exceptional strategist, commander, and leader, as well as very capable at diplomacy and managing people in general. He has fought and won a decent number of difficult battles, and has had education from very varied sources as well as plenty of experience.
But the Cellean empire, being a very militaristic state, encourages martial skill and combat ability as well. Most high-ranking people among its ranks are highly skilled in melee combat. Stringer is no exception. While rarely getting involved in the front lines himself, he has taken on a number of duels requested by various leaders, a not-uncommon convention in the region. As with his more command-related skills, he has been taught by more than a few mentors, and has underwent the highest levels of training permitted by Cellean technology, and has very consistent combat experience, from both real duels and sparring with, say, Mad. His rivalry with him has also been a major motivation to improve.
Physical condition
Being in such a high-up position in a technologically advanced state, Stringer has had access to both high-quality physical training as well as extensive augmentation, organic and cybernetic. Most are combat-focused, like faster reaction times, denser musculature, reinforced bones, but many are also for command purposes as well as general convenience. For example, an augment filters out most poisons, including ethanol, before they reach his stomach, and another allows him to fall into what is essentially a coma in exchange for being able to stay awake for days in a row without any meaningful fatigue. He is also in very good physical condition as a whole. He's strong, agile, and has a lot of endurance, while still not being particularly large, though still noticeably very muscular.
Weapons
Stringer, at this time, carried two main weapons. His main combat weapon was a sword; the Swift Stroke, Deadly Blade, a very high-quality Layered Chain Blade styled after a medieval European longsword. In addition, he also has a simple, albeit very high-quality, coilpistol.
SSDB goes here
Personality
As an Admiral-Captain, Stringer has to be somewhat stern and formal. That said, like his general approach to his leadership, it's more lax than would be ideal. Still, he is a very competent leader, and is charismatic and can adjust his personality to a given situation. He's also very dedicated to the Cellean autocratic space and its ideals.
A notable aspect of his personality is also his remarkably unshakeable focus. In most situations, he will remain perfectly calm and collected, with the same slightly smug smirk on his face, regardless of circumstances. He also has a tendency to levy quick quips and one-liners during situations, and especially fights, mostly as a genuine tactic to bother his opponent, but also because he finds it fun. That said, him behaving like that doesn't change a thing about how serious he is at a given moment; he's just that goodtm.
Prequel Story Proper
The prequel takes place largely during the The Omega-Delta Disaster, though somewhat before it as well. Stringer's role in it begins with him emerging from cryosleep aboard the The Orator of Ten Thousand Glorious Victories, woken up ahead of the fleets' arrival to Omega-Delta 452, Desterat's star system, to assess preliminary data and what to do with it from there. After managing those, going back to sleep, and waking up later, this time for the proper arrival, he arranges a meeting with the five Captain-Commanders of the 27th Fleet, Mad, and the five Captain-Commanders under him.
Eventually, they arrive, and relatively shortly after, Stringer decides to move in and engage the enemy forces, the Dragon's Hoard Cluster's defensive fleets. Mad instead elects to stay behind, citing engine issues from the six-year transit with some of the larger ships. Stringer moves onward, engages the enemy fleets, and is in a generally good position in the battle. It's looking to be another fairly easy victory, until Mad's fleet shows up.
It engages Stringer's fleet. This leads to quite a mess for a week or two, and eventually, the 27th fleet is nearly completely routed, and the Orator ends up on Desterat's surface... somehow (still under development). After a time, Stringer comes to, having suffered some damage but also inhaled a lot of smoke and literal fire, heavily damaging his vocal cords. He makes his way out of the wreck, and comes face to face with some of the 28th fleet's soldiers, looking for him. He takes them out and gets the relevant information out of them, and then moves on. Eventually, he encounters, the then 19-year old Anni, who attacks him. He easily takes her down, scarring her face and taking an eye out, right after which Mad shows up and demands a proper duel to the death. After some arguing and debating morals, they duel.
"What the hell are you doing, Mad?! Attacking my fleet and me, siding with the enemy, what the fuck do you think you're doing?! This is high treason and a betrayal of my trust!"
"I'm doing my part in taking the Cellean empire down, starting with removing these two fleets from the picture. I would rather not have done this to you, but I know you'd never side with me on this. Still, I'm giving you an opportunity to join me here, and failing that, allow you the chance to die honourably with a duel. It's the least you deserve."
"But attacking me? Couldn't you have just, well, left?! We're friends, brothers in all but blood, even! For more than a century! I wouldn't have blamed you if you had called it off and left on your own! I get your reservations and doubts, I do. But the Cellean Autocratic Space has brought so much good to so many, even despite the horrible things it has done. It's been worth it. Even if it wasn't, you still have no right to attack me and my fleet like this!"
"This wasn't a sudden decision. It's been a long time coming. The Cellean empire deserves to die, and I will do my part in it. I hate to do this to you specifically, but I know you'd continue on without me just as well, and I will not allow an opportunity like this to slip away.
It's precisely because of our relationship that I'm allowing you this chance. I could've destroyed this plateau from orbit any time, but I did not. Whatever the correct sentiment toward the Cellean empire might be, it does not matter now. What matters is that you duel me. To the death."
"Fine. So be it. By my authority as Admiral-Captain of the 27th Cellean fleet, and Champion of Cellea, vested in me by the Cellean Highest Lord, I hereby declare you guilty of high treason for assault against a fellow Admiral-Captain, divest you of your admiralcy and sentence you to death.
This is the end, Mad. Even if I fail, I will hunt you down to the ends of the galaxy."
"I'd expect nothing less of you."
What followed was an intense duel. Two combatants, with centuries of experience, exceptional training, and superhuman ability, fighting for what must have felt like hours. Realistically, it took maybe five minutes or so. Blow after blow, dodged or parried, leading to another one, never connecting. Two people, functionally evenly matched, pushed to their incredibly high limits in a fight to the death. Over the course of it, both would land some strikes, none save a few anything but scratches. Mad manages to stab through Stringer's side, a largely harmless hit for a man so augmented as Stringer is, and in return, he nearly chops off Mad's jaw, and kicks it clean off soon after. Eventually, over an intense, yet relatively short period of time, Mad has driven Stringer near a cliff. Then, suddenly, an explosion rocks the Orator, and the cliff Stringer was on collapses. In the heat of the moment, Mad levies a strike at him, which he blocks. It forces him back, however, and he plummets down the cliffside.
As he falls, Stringer thinks fast, and elects to stab his layered chain sword into the side of the cliff, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter. It slows him down ever so slightly, but he's still accelerating at speeds lethal even for someone like him. And so, he only has one chance. Once he's near enough to a small outcrop in the cliff, he turns off the layered chain generators. This stops his fall nearly completely. Of course, stopping it so fast means he experiences a lot of force, specifically into his arm. Even his reinforced musculature can't handle such a sudden stop, and his entire arm is torn off, from the shoulder. But it still stops his fall, and he stumbles down onto the outcrop largely intact, save for the arm. A moment of intense pain later, and his pain-mitigation cybernetics kick in, reducing the agony into a gentle ache at most. He then seals his wounds, gets up, and starts to look for a way to hide out of Mad's sight, as well as safe place to protect him from the inevitable orbital bombardment that will be initiated upon the Orator's remains.
Interim
The gap between the prequel and main stories is about 350 years or so. During that time, Stringer would embark on all sorts of adventures and such to hunt down Mad, occasionally managing to find him, and taking down whatever endeavour he was up to, usually another criminal organization, forcing Mad to flee, and rinse and repeat for eighteen times. All sorts of things happened during that time. Some of the organizations collapsed on their own, sometimes Stringer worked with a group, sometimes alone. FTL travel was invented, Stringer got a cybernetic arm, had a little separate adventure with Anni, Mad's daughter, lost his sword, got it back, got a new pistol, more and better augments for combat, and the like. Three hundred years of travels is far too much to succinctly summarize here.
Eventually, in the year 2875, Stringer would find Mad once again, on a remote world by the name of Ochtotne Prime. After a year and a half or so of planning and observing, he would meet one Skejon, and would begin to put his plans into action.
Main Story Stringer
Stringer Portraits by MadToxin
Stringer by MadToxin
Stringer, during the events of the main story
Having been completely ousted from his position of admiral a good 300 years ago, Stringer has next to none of that attire left. Not only was it mostly destroyed along with the Orator, it is also far too recognizable in an area with a distinctly poor history with the Cellean Autocratic Space.
Instead, this, his combat gear, is a largely practical outfit with a stain-proof jacket, cuirass, and armour sections here and there. He also has his old Shoulderpad from Cellean days, the only element of his old gear to have survived. Outside of combat situations, he wears a simple outfit of a t-shirt, loose pants, and crocs (because of course he does). Ochtotne Prime is fairly cold, and so he also wears the jacket while outside, just without the armour elements. He has also let his beard and hair grow out somewhat, and keeps them largely messy, though clean. They are also noticably graying.
Skills and education
Stringer's skills have not diminished in the slightest since the Omega-Delta Disaster. In fact, they've only improved, now that he has even more live combat experience, and in more diverse situations. While his strategic skills have seen far less use, they're still there, largely unaffected. Very few people, alive or dead, can rightly claim to be a more competent fighter than this man.
"Stringer... is my equal. Without a doubt. I may be superior in raw strength, reach, and durability, but he has the advantage of agility and less weight, as well being a smaller target. Our skills are roughly the same, however. Stringer exists on the same plane of superhuman power as I do. Anyone can see it. His stance, his posture, every minor movement, even his gaze. They all scream of his absurd experience and combat prowess. They are all born of a life of combat, and are honed to near-perfection. Everything he does in a fight has meaning and purpose. There may well be a fighter elsewhere in human space, perhaps old Cellean space or the Core Worlds, who surpasses me or Stringer, but I have yet to meet someone like that. I doubt I ever will.
During our duel, every swing of his sword, every blow and strike, every kick he used against me, put the fear of death into me for a moment. Each spelled 'death' engraved within them. This is how any real duel between equals goes, naturally. I'm sure he felt the exact same way toward my attacks. It's a dance of sorts. Every strike must be evaded one way or another as not a one is ignorable. They all have the intent and ability to kill. That fight pushed my to fight at my fullest and most concentrated I've been since our previous fight before that. That is why I fight him, and why he fights me. It's exhilarating, having an equal match to go all out against."
- Mad
Physical condition
As long a time as it has been, Stringer still keeps his augments from his Cellean days. He has more, in fact. Most are minor and for convenience, but something like his enhanced musculature has only been strengthened, both with the advance of technology and just getting more. His physical condition is also as good as ever, and he is just as visibly in shape as he's ever been. He is also visibly very old and scarred. Unlike most people as old as he is, like Gvanhla, he has not opted for any but the most important correction surgeries for the imperfections of his life-extension medication. They're not perfect, but most people fix those errors. Stringer does not, leaving him looking somewhere in the 60-70 year-range of age.
Aside from those, he also has a red cybernetic arm in place of his right arm, having lost it far in the past. It has strength roughly on par with his other arm, and so he can use it to the exact same level of efficiency as he would if he had not lost it.
Weapons
Stringer still carries his Swift Stroke, Deadly Blade. It is the same as it was back 300 years ago, and has not degraded in the slightest, thanks to regular maintenance. His pistol, however, was lost sometime in that interim period. He now has a replacement, a Colt M2611-model coilpistol, designed to be a homage and coilgun replica of the iconic M1911 pistol. It is fairly high-quality, and was likely built in the Core Worlds, and somehow made its way to the rim regions.
gun pic go here
Personality
After 350 years of travelling through human space, not rarely in less prosperous and troubled areas, Stringer's personality has naturally changed, though not to a drastic extent. That, and he's also a lot wiser, of course, having lived for that long. He's still very laid back, in damn near every situation, but if need be, he can easily take it seriously. His age and sheer experience in life allows him to deliver some precise and incredibly poignant arguments, points, or insight, if necessary. That said, he prefers to keep an aloof and unconcerned attitude.
His mentality is reminiscent of his old Cellean days; If need be, he will kill nearly anyone in his way, innocent or not. If sparing them is more difficult than not, he will often not bother with it. To him, most people are largely expendable, even allies, though less so.
He also has a cat, by the name of Lavran. At some point during his time in Lanfal City, he got lonely, I suppose, and adopted the cat.
"Those guys over there that we left you with... did you kill them? Why? What's the point? It's not like they would've been a threat in the future, and I really don't think they had any real intention or desire to kill you."
"I don't really care, Quaken. It doesn't matter. It takes more effort to not kill them, and I wasn't intending on wasting time with them."
"But was it really necessary? They're still people, with lives of their own."
"I've got the blood of millions of people on my hands already. What's a few more drops into an ocean?"
- Quaken and Stringer
Main Story Proper
Stringer first shows up in the main story having a meal in a noodle shop. Skejon introduces Quaken to him, and not long after, they include Jon and Tarno in the plans. Stringer strikes all of them as somewhat suspicious, but they go along with him anyway as they all have something against Mad's Organization.
So, Stringer then introduces them all to the plan, goes through the major parts; the generals, the structure, and plan of approach. Then he decides to gauge the main gang's ability to fight, one by one, and determines that Quaken is really the only one especially lacking, and so, he decides to teach him in the space of about 10 days before the plan needs to start. And so, the main gang disperse for a time, while Quaken spends most of his time in Stringer's house.
"Don't go mistaking my preference with a sword for a lack of hand-to-hand skills, Quaken. I've accrued more than a few skills over my centuries of life."
"About that... You keep bringing up your age being near the 500-year mark... That, and how much you mention stuff about Old Cellean space, makes me feel there's something off. Skills like yours and the advanced cybernetics you have aren't something the average person can really get, is it? The time, the place, these conditions, and even your name, would all line up to a specific conclusion...
You wouldn't happen to be Stringer Ventan, Admiral-Captain of Cellea, would you?"
"Exceptional deduction! You know your history. Unfortunately, I am not giving you an answer until after today's training is done. You'll get them, just do well against me now. "
- Quaken and Stringer
Over the ten days of training, Stringer would teach Quaken various things about combat and how to get better and so on. The rest of the main gang also do various things during it, from practicing their own skills to just lazing about, usually some of both. Highlights include: Quaken and Stringer having a big spar at the end and Quaken managing to land a decent hit, unknowingly using Synthetic Battery Overdischarge, Tarno coming over and having a drink with Stringer, the gang in general going for a walk or something, and other, very casual activities. This helps them get to know each other and strengthens their bond.
After all that, the plan is enacted, and the main gang along with Stringer leave for New Suterr, taking an RV to drive in. An amount of time later, they arrive at the Dertii Mountain Range, where Stringer decides to go to sleep using the sleep augment he has, essentially putting him into a coma for the next day or so. He wakes up in a completely different vehicle, a Sandskimmer, well into Suterr's Flatland. Turns out, Tarno and Quaken are injured and Quaken can use SBO.
The main gang now arrive at New Suterr, and get their weapons confiscated, mostly. After a few days getting Quaken and Tarno fixed up, they head to where the plan will commence; a small semi-industrial section of the city. Here, the main gang split up and end up facing a fair bit or resistance, and eventually Stringer finds Mad himself, having just beaten up Jon and Tarno. They then begin to fight, unarmed, and go at it for a while. Neither gets particularly injured, but Mad ends up dipping on an effectively-helicopter off out of the city, leaving the gang behind and Stringer quite disappointed.
The gang then rush back to Lanfal City, formulate a quick plan, and within a day or two, assault Mad's base directly. During the trip, Stringer's past as an Admiral-Captain of Cellea is revealed, Quaken having known prior. This takes the main gang somewhat aback, but they go with him regardless. Stuff happens, they split up, make their way through the inexplicably big underground maze-compound, and eventually meet at Mad's big meeting room, where Mad and his four generals are all gathered, thinking up a response to the situation. And so, the duel of the ages begins; Stringer and Mad, once more, now with everything at their disposal.
The duel is as momentous as any other one of theirs; as so many times before, it is two practically superhuman duelists constantly going for the kill, against an opponent they can easily go all out against. Each strike matters, and each step taken can be the end. They make no significant mistakes, no significant strikes land, only useless scratches and glances. For Mad, these are superficial; the steel and graphene of his Form-plating is thick enough that no meaningful circuitry is damaged. Same applies to Stringer; his blood, filled with nanomachines, seals the wounds in seconds. They both have incredible endurance, and the frankly absurd skill of both ensures the duel continues for several minutes at full intensity.
Over time, the two do slow down however, but at roughly the same pace. Mad has to slow down to prevent overheating, and Stringer's muscles tire and his lungs' efficiency decreases. Even still, they keep at it, all the same. Enjoying every second, focusing on nothing else, all the while aiming to kill. Yet eventually, it must come to an end. Left uninterrupted, the two would likely have kept going until they could no longer, at which point the main gang and the generals would have gotten them out, fought each other, or whatever else. But ultimately, it was a man from a planet across, Tarno, who interrupts the duel.
Tarno hated the Cellean empire with a burning passion. The Flight of the Halven, something that defined his people's history, was directly caused by it, and thus, he extended that hatred to all who served it, now including Stringer and Mad. Of course, he had grown to be rather fond of Stringer over the last few weeks, and had deliberated and thought on this decision for those long days since the revelation. Now, however, he has made his decision. He draws his revolver, and fires a regular bullet towards the two. Being a gunpowder-based firearm, neither duelists' Predictive Analysis Interfaces pick it up, and it lands, striking Stringer's leg, causing him to lose his focus for a moment and stumble. Mad, of course, takes this opportunity, slashing Stringer deep across the torso, cutting up his body from head to waist. He then stabs Stringer right through his heart.
This, of course, does not kill Stringer. His wounds are slowly sealing, and his secondary heart is still beating. Still, he recognizes the end. Mad will take this opportunity to properly finish him. He gives some words of farewell to the main gang and Mad, makes a plea to Mad to let the gang go, and then decides to stop hanging on, and collapses, unconscious. Mad then takes his sword, and jams it into Stringer's neck, severing his spine and destroying his throat.
Stringer Ventan, former Admiral-Captain and Champion of Cellea, de facto leader of the main gang and a mentor figure to them, a man with five and a half centuries of life behind him, is dead.
Prequel Stringer by MadToxin
As an Admiral-Captain, Stringer was noticeably divergent when it came to wearing his uniform. Instead of the standard for humans of the laurels on the head, jacket closed, and the fairly tight, black pants, Stringer instead did none of these things. He wore the laurels around his neck, the jacket draped on his shoulders, and a completely different pair of pants. He also wore crocs for shoes, and grew out a beard, another violation of the dress code. Operating so far from Cellean space and being the highest authority in his fleet, the only other person who could tell him off for these violations was Mad, who was even worse when it came to following them.
"Come on, Mad. Would it kill you to do something properly according to code for once?" "You and I both know that's not happening. Not that you really care, Mr. Laurels-on-neck."
-Stringer and Mad
Skills and education
As an Admiral-Captain of Cellea with more than a century of experience, Stringer has accrued a wide range of skills, relevant to the job. Most notably, he is an exceptional strategist, commander, and leader, as well as very capable at diplomacy and managing people in general. He has fought and won a decent number of difficult battles, and has had education from very varied sources as well as plenty of experience. But the Cellean empire, being a very militaristic state, encourages martial skill and combat ability as well. Most high-ranking people among its ranks are highly skilled in melee combat. Stringer is no exception. While rarely getting involved in the front lines himself, he has taken on a number of duels requested by various leaders, a not-uncommon convention in the region. As with his more command-related skills, he has been taught by more than a few mentors, and has underwent the highest levels of training permitted by Cellean technology, and has very consistent combat experience, from both real duels and sparring with, say, Mad. His rivalry with him has also been a major motivation to improve.Physical condition
Being in such a high-up position in a technologically advanced state, Stringer has had access to both high-quality physical training as well as extensive augmentation, organic and cybernetic. Most are combat-focused, like faster reaction times, denser musculature, reinforced bones, but many are also for command purposes as well as general convenience. For example, an augment filters out most poisons, including ethanol, before they reach his stomach, and another allows him to fall into what is essentially a coma in exchange for being able to stay awake for days in a row without any meaningful fatigue. He is also in very good physical condition as a whole. He's strong, agile, and has a lot of endurance, while still not being particularly large, though still noticeably very muscular.Weapons
Stringer, at this time, carried two main weapons. His main combat weapon was a sword; the Swift Stroke, Deadly Blade, a very high-quality Layered Chain Blade styled after a medieval European longsword. In addition, he also has a simple, albeit very high-quality, coilpistol.
SSDB goes here
Personality
As an Admiral-Captain, Stringer has to be somewhat stern and formal. That said, like his general approach to his leadership, it's more lax than would be ideal. Still, he is a very competent leader, and is charismatic and can adjust his personality to a given situation. He's also very dedicated to the Cellean autocratic space and its ideals. A notable aspect of his personality is also his remarkably unshakeable focus. In most situations, he will remain perfectly calm and collected, with the same slightly smug smirk on his face, regardless of circumstances. He also has a tendency to levy quick quips and one-liners during situations, and especially fights, mostly as a genuine tactic to bother his opponent, but also because he finds it fun. That said, him behaving like that doesn't change a thing about how serious he is at a given moment; he's just that goodtm.
The prequel takes place largely during the The Omega-Delta Disaster, though somewhat before it as well. Stringer's role in it begins with him emerging from cryosleep aboard the The Orator of Ten Thousand Glorious Victories, woken up ahead of the fleets' arrival to Omega-Delta 452, Desterat's star system, to assess preliminary data and what to do with it from there. After managing those, going back to sleep, and waking up later, this time for the proper arrival, he arranges a meeting with the five Captain-Commanders of the 27th Fleet, Mad, and the five Captain-Commanders under him.
Eventually, they arrive, and relatively shortly after, Stringer decides to move in and engage the enemy forces, the Dragon's Hoard Cluster's defensive fleets. Mad instead elects to stay behind, citing engine issues from the six-year transit with some of the larger ships. Stringer moves onward, engages the enemy fleets, and is in a generally good position in the battle. It's looking to be another fairly easy victory, until Mad's fleet shows up.
It engages Stringer's fleet. This leads to quite a mess for a week or two, and eventually, the 27th fleet is nearly completely routed, and the Orator ends up on Desterat's surface... somehow (still under development). After a time, Stringer comes to, having suffered some damage but also inhaled a lot of smoke and literal fire, heavily damaging his vocal cords. He makes his way out of the wreck, and comes face to face with some of the 28th fleet's soldiers, looking for him. He takes them out and gets the relevant information out of them, and then moves on. Eventually, he encounters, the then 19-year old Anni, who attacks him. He easily takes her down, scarring her face and taking an eye out, right after which Mad shows up and demands a proper duel to the death. After some arguing and debating morals, they duel.
"What the hell are you doing, Mad?! Attacking my fleet and me, siding with the enemy, what the fuck do you think you're doing?! This is high treason and a betrayal of my trust!" "I'm doing my part in taking the Cellean empire down, starting with removing these two fleets from the picture. I would rather not have done this to you, but I know you'd never side with me on this. Still, I'm giving you an opportunity to join me here, and failing that, allow you the chance to die honourably with a duel. It's the least you deserve." "But attacking me? Couldn't you have just, well, left?! We're friends, brothers in all but blood, even! For more than a century! I wouldn't have blamed you if you had called it off and left on your own! I get your reservations and doubts, I do. But the Cellean Autocratic Space has brought so much good to so many, even despite the horrible things it has done. It's been worth it. Even if it wasn't, you still have no right to attack me and my fleet like this!" "This wasn't a sudden decision. It's been a long time coming. The Cellean empire deserves to die, and I will do my part in it. I hate to do this to you specifically, but I know you'd continue on without me just as well, and I will not allow an opportunity like this to slip away.What followed was an intense duel. Two combatants, with centuries of experience, exceptional training, and superhuman ability, fighting for what must have felt like hours. Realistically, it took maybe five minutes or so. Blow after blow, dodged or parried, leading to another one, never connecting. Two people, functionally evenly matched, pushed to their incredibly high limits in a fight to the death. Over the course of it, both would land some strikes, none save a few anything but scratches. Mad manages to stab through Stringer's side, a largely harmless hit for a man so augmented as Stringer is, and in return, he nearly chops off Mad's jaw, and kicks it clean off soon after. Eventually, over an intense, yet relatively short period of time, Mad has driven Stringer near a cliff. Then, suddenly, an explosion rocks the Orator, and the cliff Stringer was on collapses. In the heat of the moment, Mad levies a strike at him, which he blocks. It forces him back, however, and he plummets down the cliffside. As he falls, Stringer thinks fast, and elects to stab his layered chain sword into the side of the cliff, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter. It slows him down ever so slightly, but he's still accelerating at speeds lethal even for someone like him. And so, he only has one chance. Once he's near enough to a small outcrop in the cliff, he turns off the layered chain generators. This stops his fall nearly completely. Of course, stopping it so fast means he experiences a lot of force, specifically into his arm. Even his reinforced musculature can't handle such a sudden stop, and his entire arm is torn off, from the shoulder. But it still stops his fall, and he stumbles down onto the outcrop largely intact, save for the arm. A moment of intense pain later, and his pain-mitigation cybernetics kick in, reducing the agony into a gentle ache at most. He then seals his wounds, gets up, and starts to look for a way to hide out of Mad's sight, as well as safe place to protect him from the inevitable orbital bombardment that will be initiated upon the Orator's remains.
It's precisely because of our relationship that I'm allowing you this chance. I could've destroyed this plateau from orbit any time, but I did not. Whatever the correct sentiment toward the Cellean empire might be, it does not matter now. What matters is that you duel me. To the death." "Fine. So be it. By my authority as Admiral-Captain of the 27th Cellean fleet, and Champion of Cellea, vested in me by the Cellean Highest Lord, I hereby declare you guilty of high treason for assault against a fellow Admiral-Captain, divest you of your admiralcy and sentence you to death. This is the end, Mad. Even if I fail, I will hunt you down to the ends of the galaxy." "I'd expect nothing less of you."
The gap between the prequel and main stories is about 350 years or so. During that time, Stringer would embark on all sorts of adventures and such to hunt down Mad, occasionally managing to find him, and taking down whatever endeavour he was up to, usually another criminal organization, forcing Mad to flee, and rinse and repeat for eighteen times. All sorts of things happened during that time. Some of the organizations collapsed on their own, sometimes Stringer worked with a group, sometimes alone. FTL travel was invented, Stringer got a cybernetic arm, had a little separate adventure with Anni, Mad's daughter, lost his sword, got it back, got a new pistol, more and better augments for combat, and the like. Three hundred years of travels is far too much to succinctly summarize here.
Eventually, in the year 2875, Stringer would find Mad once again, on a remote world by the name of Ochtotne Prime. After a year and a half or so of planning and observing, he would meet one Skejon, and would begin to put his plans into action.
Stringer Portraits by MadToxin
Stringer by MadToxin
Stringer, during the events of the main story
Having been completely ousted from his position of admiral a good 300 years ago, Stringer has next to none of that attire left. Not only was it mostly destroyed along with the Orator, it is also far too recognizable in an area with a distinctly poor history with the Cellean Autocratic Space.
Instead, this, his combat gear, is a largely practical outfit with a stain-proof jacket, cuirass, and armour sections here and there. He also has his old Shoulderpad from Cellean days, the only element of his old gear to have survived. Outside of combat situations, he wears a simple outfit of a t-shirt, loose pants, and crocs (because of course he does). Ochtotne Prime is fairly cold, and so he also wears the jacket while outside, just without the armour elements. He has also let his beard and hair grow out somewhat, and keeps them largely messy, though clean. They are also noticably graying.
Skills and education
Stringer's skills have not diminished in the slightest since the Omega-Delta Disaster. In fact, they've only improved, now that he has even more live combat experience, and in more diverse situations. While his strategic skills have seen far less use, they're still there, largely unaffected. Very few people, alive or dead, can rightly claim to be a more competent fighter than this man."Stringer... is my equal. Without a doubt. I may be superior in raw strength, reach, and durability, but he has the advantage of agility and less weight, as well being a smaller target. Our skills are roughly the same, however. Stringer exists on the same plane of superhuman power as I do. Anyone can see it. His stance, his posture, every minor movement, even his gaze. They all scream of his absurd experience and combat prowess. They are all born of a life of combat, and are honed to near-perfection. Everything he does in a fight has meaning and purpose. There may well be a fighter elsewhere in human space, perhaps old Cellean space or the Core Worlds, who surpasses me or Stringer, but I have yet to meet someone like that. I doubt I ever will. During our duel, every swing of his sword, every blow and strike, every kick he used against me, put the fear of death into me for a moment. Each spelled 'death' engraved within them. This is how any real duel between equals goes, naturally. I'm sure he felt the exact same way toward my attacks. It's a dance of sorts. Every strike must be evaded one way or another as not a one is ignorable. They all have the intent and ability to kill. That fight pushed my to fight at my fullest and most concentrated I've been since our previous fight before that. That is why I fight him, and why he fights me. It's exhilarating, having an equal match to go all out against."- Mad
Physical condition
As long a time as it has been, Stringer still keeps his augments from his Cellean days. He has more, in fact. Most are minor and for convenience, but something like his enhanced musculature has only been strengthened, both with the advance of technology and just getting more. His physical condition is also as good as ever, and he is just as visibly in shape as he's ever been. He is also visibly very old and scarred. Unlike most people as old as he is, like Gvanhla, he has not opted for any but the most important correction surgeries for the imperfections of his life-extension medication. They're not perfect, but most people fix those errors. Stringer does not, leaving him looking somewhere in the 60-70 year-range of age. Aside from those, he also has a red cybernetic arm in place of his right arm, having lost it far in the past. It has strength roughly on par with his other arm, and so he can use it to the exact same level of efficiency as he would if he had not lost it.Weapons
Stringer still carries his Swift Stroke, Deadly Blade. It is the same as it was back 300 years ago, and has not degraded in the slightest, thanks to regular maintenance. His pistol, however, was lost sometime in that interim period. He now has a replacement, a Colt M2611-model coilpistol, designed to be a homage and coilgun replica of the iconic M1911 pistol. It is fairly high-quality, and was likely built in the Core Worlds, and somehow made its way to the rim regions.
gun pic go here
Personality
After 350 years of travelling through human space, not rarely in less prosperous and troubled areas, Stringer's personality has naturally changed, though not to a drastic extent. That, and he's also a lot wiser, of course, having lived for that long. He's still very laid back, in damn near every situation, but if need be, he can easily take it seriously. His age and sheer experience in life allows him to deliver some precise and incredibly poignant arguments, points, or insight, if necessary. That said, he prefers to keep an aloof and unconcerned attitude. His mentality is reminiscent of his old Cellean days; If need be, he will kill nearly anyone in his way, innocent or not. If sparing them is more difficult than not, he will often not bother with it. To him, most people are largely expendable, even allies, though less so. He also has a cat, by the name of Lavran. At some point during his time in Lanfal City, he got lonely, I suppose, and adopted the cat."Those guys over there that we left you with... did you kill them? Why? What's the point? It's not like they would've been a threat in the future, and I really don't think they had any real intention or desire to kill you." "I don't really care, Quaken. It doesn't matter. It takes more effort to not kill them, and I wasn't intending on wasting time with them." "But was it really necessary? They're still people, with lives of their own." "I've got the blood of millions of people on my hands already. What's a few more drops into an ocean?"- Quaken and Stringer
Stringer first shows up in the main story having a meal in a noodle shop. Skejon introduces Quaken to him, and not long after, they include Jon and Tarno in the plans. Stringer strikes all of them as somewhat suspicious, but they go along with him anyway as they all have something against Mad's Organization.
So, Stringer then introduces them all to the plan, goes through the major parts; the generals, the structure, and plan of approach. Then he decides to gauge the main gang's ability to fight, one by one, and determines that Quaken is really the only one especially lacking, and so, he decides to teach him in the space of about 10 days before the plan needs to start. And so, the main gang disperse for a time, while Quaken spends most of his time in Stringer's house.
"Don't go mistaking my preference with a sword for a lack of hand-to-hand skills, Quaken. I've accrued more than a few skills over my centuries of life." "About that... You keep bringing up your age being near the 500-year mark... That, and how much you mention stuff about Old Cellean space, makes me feel there's something off. Skills like yours and the advanced cybernetics you have aren't something the average person can really get, is it? The time, the place, these conditions, and even your name, would all line up to a specific conclusion... You wouldn't happen to be Stringer Ventan, Admiral-Captain of Cellea, would you?" "Exceptional deduction! You know your history. Unfortunately, I am not giving you an answer until after today's training is done. You'll get them, just do well against me now. "Over the ten days of training, Stringer would teach Quaken various things about combat and how to get better and so on. The rest of the main gang also do various things during it, from practicing their own skills to just lazing about, usually some of both. Highlights include: Quaken and Stringer having a big spar at the end and Quaken managing to land a decent hit, unknowingly using Synthetic Battery Overdischarge, Tarno coming over and having a drink with Stringer, the gang in general going for a walk or something, and other, very casual activities. This helps them get to know each other and strengthens their bond. After all that, the plan is enacted, and the main gang along with Stringer leave for New Suterr, taking an RV to drive in. An amount of time later, they arrive at the Dertii Mountain Range, where Stringer decides to go to sleep using the sleep augment he has, essentially putting him into a coma for the next day or so. He wakes up in a completely different vehicle, a Sandskimmer, well into Suterr's Flatland. Turns out, Tarno and Quaken are injured and Quaken can use SBO. The main gang now arrive at New Suterr, and get their weapons confiscated, mostly. After a few days getting Quaken and Tarno fixed up, they head to where the plan will commence; a small semi-industrial section of the city. Here, the main gang split up and end up facing a fair bit or resistance, and eventually Stringer finds Mad himself, having just beaten up Jon and Tarno. They then begin to fight, unarmed, and go at it for a while. Neither gets particularly injured, but Mad ends up dipping on an effectively-helicopter off out of the city, leaving the gang behind and Stringer quite disappointed. The gang then rush back to Lanfal City, formulate a quick plan, and within a day or two, assault Mad's base directly. During the trip, Stringer's past as an Admiral-Captain of Cellea is revealed, Quaken having known prior. This takes the main gang somewhat aback, but they go with him regardless. Stuff happens, they split up, make their way through the inexplicably big underground maze-compound, and eventually meet at Mad's big meeting room, where Mad and his four generals are all gathered, thinking up a response to the situation. And so, the duel of the ages begins; Stringer and Mad, once more, now with everything at their disposal. The duel is as momentous as any other one of theirs; as so many times before, it is two practically superhuman duelists constantly going for the kill, against an opponent they can easily go all out against. Each strike matters, and each step taken can be the end. They make no significant mistakes, no significant strikes land, only useless scratches and glances. For Mad, these are superficial; the steel and graphene of his Form-plating is thick enough that no meaningful circuitry is damaged. Same applies to Stringer; his blood, filled with nanomachines, seals the wounds in seconds. They both have incredible endurance, and the frankly absurd skill of both ensures the duel continues for several minutes at full intensity. Over time, the two do slow down however, but at roughly the same pace. Mad has to slow down to prevent overheating, and Stringer's muscles tire and his lungs' efficiency decreases. Even still, they keep at it, all the same. Enjoying every second, focusing on nothing else, all the while aiming to kill. Yet eventually, it must come to an end. Left uninterrupted, the two would likely have kept going until they could no longer, at which point the main gang and the generals would have gotten them out, fought each other, or whatever else. But ultimately, it was a man from a planet across, Tarno, who interrupts the duel. Tarno hated the Cellean empire with a burning passion. The Flight of the Halven, something that defined his people's history, was directly caused by it, and thus, he extended that hatred to all who served it, now including Stringer and Mad. Of course, he had grown to be rather fond of Stringer over the last few weeks, and had deliberated and thought on this decision for those long days since the revelation. Now, however, he has made his decision. He draws his revolver, and fires a regular bullet towards the two. Being a gunpowder-based firearm, neither duelists' Predictive Analysis Interfaces pick it up, and it lands, striking Stringer's leg, causing him to lose his focus for a moment and stumble. Mad, of course, takes this opportunity, slashing Stringer deep across the torso, cutting up his body from head to waist. He then stabs Stringer right through his heart. This, of course, does not kill Stringer. His wounds are slowly sealing, and his secondary heart is still beating. Still, he recognizes the end. Mad will take this opportunity to properly finish him. He gives some words of farewell to the main gang and Mad, makes a plea to Mad to let the gang go, and then decides to stop hanging on, and collapses, unconscious. Mad then takes his sword, and jams it into Stringer's neck, severing his spine and destroying his throat. Stringer Ventan, former Admiral-Captain and Champion of Cellea, de facto leader of the main gang and a mentor figure to them, a man with five and a half centuries of life behind him, is dead.- Quaken and Stringer
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Official Positions:
Admiral-Captain of the 27th Fleet (former)
Champion of Cellea (former)
Rough list of notable titles and nicknames, back in Cellean days
The Lord of Ten Thousand Glorious Victories
Eradicator of Realms
The Might of Martial Skill
Unmatched Master of Strategy
Doom of Maras-Chie
Hero of Colchid 49-Escart
Swift Wind of Steel
Scion of the Triumvirate
Previously Held Ranks & Titles
Date of Birth
24.7.2322
Date of Death
12.6.2876
Life
2322 CE
2876 CE
554 years old
Birthplace
Fenon
Place of Death
Mad's Throneroom
Children
Current Residence
Outskirts of Lanfal City
Sex
Male
Eyes
Blueish-green
Hair
Black, somewhat graying
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Somewhat tanned, otherwise beige-ish
Height
186cm
Weight
~110kg
Owned Vehicles
List of major augments at the time of the main story
Comments
Author's Notes
Big thanks, once again, to User51's article on how to accordion spoilers; this article would've been way less without it. Containers are a Grandmaster+ thing apparently, so I had to do something else, and that was what I ended up with.