Aurora Adair-Levine is an independent Pilots' Federation Commander and the current Squadron Commander of mercenary corporation "TITAN Contractors". She previously served the Federation as a black-ops operative under the personal callsign of 'Foxhound', though she has heavily dissociated herself from this past.
Receiving her Commander license on the 9th of August 3307, Aurora simultaneously rose to the position of Squadron Commander after inheriting executive command over the TITAN Contractors squadron, their flagship fleet carrier, the Solaris, and over 20 billion credits in assets - though a fair portion of that belonged to the squadron itself. Prior to this inheritance, Aurora had been hired by the squadron as a combat specialist, allowing her to serve in TITAN's private army, Centurion SF.
While not as experienced as some Commanders, Aurora has adopted a bold approach to her new leadership, often getting directly involved in squadron affairs rather than handling it completely remotely. This has frequently led to her being injured on occasion, or subjected to dangerous situations against hostile forces targeting the squadron, but the extensive combat training provided by CSF distinguishes her - something that she only uses when necessary due to her past.
A combination of controversial galactic events between the superpowers, her traumatic experience working for Federal mining company 'Obi Dredgings', as well as being forced into serving with the 'galaxy's strongest navy' by her parents, has all led Aurora to loathe her Federal citizenship, vastly preferring her independent status as a Commander, and as a result she hardly ever talks about her origins.
On the 30th of January 3308, Aurora officially announced that she was in a relationship with Commander Isabella Adair-Levine - her close friend and now romantic partner - since the 20th of December 3307. The duo were subsequently married on the 3rd of May 3309, supported by the squadron and carried out at an independent resort on an Earth-like world. After being married, the two opted for a 'double-barreled' surname to preserve their unique last names.
Later, Aurora became a Triple Elite Commander through a rare transfer of accolades, in which her father's achievements were granted to her following his death and the end of the EMBER conflict. The machinations of her father, although responsible for dragging her into a deep conspiracy, ultimately granted her a new start - and a new life.
Early Life
Born in 3283 in Sol to Isaiah and Lauren Adair, Aurora lived aboard the Li Qing Jao starport with both her parents and her two older siblings, Joshua and Raya, all of which had served in the Federal Navy at some point - placing an expectation upon Aurora already at an early age. While she shared a fascination with all things military and space-related, she loathed the idea of being tied down by service in the Federal Navy. Despite that, she found an interest in her father's work - who was still actively serving the Navy as an Admiral at the time.
Quickly, in a bid to try convince Aurora that serving the Federation was the 'honourable thing to do', her parents began to condition her, starting with firearms training at a very young age. By 13, Aurora could shoot a firearm and operate it safely, but was still too young for the responsibility placed upon her. This continued for a while, and by the age of 18, Aurora showed promising potential in her ability to utilise firearms and military equipment. In one particular circumstance when she came along on a work day with her father, she challenged one of his personal guards to a shooting competition and won with exceptional accuracy and handling, much to her father's amazement.
However, for Aurora, serving the Federal Navy was not the life she wanted. At 19, Aurora secretly took a private security job with a high-profile mining company to try avoid being pressured into service by her parents, but it ultimately ended up requiring her to obfuscate most of her background and hide the truth from her parents, who paid no mind to what Aurora got up to after her school work, convinced that they had given her the toolset that would encourage her to serve with the Federation.
A year later, when Aurora hit 20 years old and finished school, she began to be pressured by her parents into serving with the Federal Navy, but was able to avoid it by revealing that she was already employed as a private security contractor. This was not taken very well by her parents, who were practically ashamed of Aurora for lying, as well as for not following in her family's footsteps, an opinion largely outspoken by her mother.
This eventually led to several family problems, as her parents were afraid Aurora would be injured on the job, amongst other things, and she eventually ran away from home and moved starports, staying in a temporary, rented apartment - and effectively cutting ties with her parents and siblings entirely.
Quickly, in a bid to try convince Aurora that serving the Federation was the 'honourable thing to do', her parents began to condition her, starting with firearms training at a very young age. By 13, Aurora could shoot a firearm and operate it safely, but was still too young for the responsibility placed upon her. This continued for a while, and by the age of 18, Aurora showed promising potential in her ability to utilise firearms and military equipment. In one particular circumstance when she came along on a work day with her father, she challenged one of his personal guards to a shooting competition and won with exceptional accuracy and handling, much to her father's amazement.
However, for Aurora, serving the Federal Navy was not the life she wanted. At 19, Aurora secretly took a private security job with a high-profile mining company to try avoid being pressured into service by her parents, but it ultimately ended up requiring her to obfuscate most of her background and hide the truth from her parents, who paid no mind to what Aurora got up to after her school work, convinced that they had given her the toolset that would encourage her to serve with the Federation.
A year later, when Aurora hit 20 years old and finished school, she began to be pressured by her parents into serving with the Federal Navy, but was able to avoid it by revealing that she was already employed as a private security contractor. This was not taken very well by her parents, who were practically ashamed of Aurora for lying, as well as for not following in her family's footsteps, an opinion largely outspoken by her mother.
This eventually led to several family problems, as her parents were afraid Aurora would be injured on the job, amongst other things, and she eventually ran away from home and moved starports, staying in a temporary, rented apartment - and effectively cutting ties with her parents and siblings entirely.
Obi Dredgings
While her job at Obi Dredgings was fairly safe, with minimal incidents, a large incident at the mining facility resulted in the base being attacked by mercenaries. Aurora was the first individual to confront the attackers, and reportedly was shot almost point-blank with a plasma shotgun. Luckily, although she was still critically wounded, her armour absorbed most of the rounds. Thanks to the extensive combat training the company provided her, Aurora was able to react and defend herself, killing two of the attackers before other security guards arrived.
A large firefight erupted between the large attacker group and the security forces of the mining settlement, but finished just as quickly as it started. While the incident was scary and almost cost Adair her life, she didn't suffer any permanent physical damage and was able to keep working - with little recollection of what actually happened. This led to her having frequent nightmares and paranoia - made worse by the fact that she couldn't remember what actually happened to her, outside of the fact that she was shot, and that she thinks she fought back against her attackers.
The incident was proved to be falsely reported later on, as detailed below:
After reportedly working for the same company for another three or so years to try make ends meet, Aurora finally quit her job and was convinced by her father to join the Federal Navy - something she had loathed her entire life.
A large firefight erupted between the large attacker group and the security forces of the mining settlement, but finished just as quickly as it started. While the incident was scary and almost cost Adair her life, she didn't suffer any permanent physical damage and was able to keep working - with little recollection of what actually happened. This led to her having frequent nightmares and paranoia - made worse by the fact that she couldn't remember what actually happened to her, outside of the fact that she was shot, and that she thinks she fought back against her attackers.
The incident was proved to be falsely reported later on, as detailed below:
Later, after becoming Squadron Commander, an investigation performed by the squadron revealed that the incident report suggesting Aurora was able to fight back and kill two of the attackers was false. The investigation was performed to identify whether or not Adair had a history of corruption and if her historic actions could explain current events, with the TITAN Contractors squadron itself suffering harsh times when she had become its leader.
A false security log implied Aurora turned off the alarms, but this was later found to not be true when it was realised the settlement had a novel biometric authorisation system that was later replaced by the current galactic standard, and that Aurora didn't have a high enough authorisation to disable the alarms. The attackers, who had jammed the alarms, were able to enter the power centre, where Aurora was guarding, with the goal to gain control of the reactor and disable the settlement.
The deeper investigation that obtained crucial information towards the case concluded that when she was confronted by the attackers, the shot was so powerful, and at such a close range, that Adair immediately fell unconscious, in shock, and was then stabilised by the attackers so they could take her hostage along with some of the other security personnel. After restraining them within the settlement, they subjected them to assault and abuse before they could be rescued.
Aurora's case is particularly egregious, as she faced sexual harassment and vulgar comments while restrained to a structural element, which she barely remembered at the time. The only part of the incident Aurora initially remembered is the fact that she was shot, but the investigation performed by the squadron suddenly allowed her to recall this trauma as the details have been exposed - forcing her to come to terms with the true nature of the incident.
After reportedly working for the same company for another three or so years to try make ends meet, Aurora finally quit her job and was convinced by her father to join the Federal Navy - something she had loathed her entire life.
The Red Hunters
Exploiting her vulnerable state, Aurora was inducted into the Federal Navy by her father and passed her basic training with flying colors. She became distinguished within the Federal academy, although hid her true identity and face after shaving her hair. Stationed in the system of Nanomam, she was trained at a confidental military training facility known as 'The Anvil Academy'. Though public records do not expand on the facility's purpose outside of it being a military base, the Anvil is particularly notorious for being one of several facilities responsible for conditioning Federal special forces.
With an exceptional display of skill and talent once provided with the necessary tools, Aurora was inducted into the 'Red Hunters', a black operations squad focused on morally dubious operations to safeguard the Federation, during the ongoing galactic turmoil with the Thargoids at the time. Purely driven by the hatred of her situation, Aurora thought little of her future and herself as she often opted to adopt lone-wolf tactics - a weakness that was soon to be exploited by the Federation.
As the Red Hunters did not operate in a conventional matter, self-sufficiency and lethality were particular highlights of each operative. Tasked with the objective of counter-terrorism, Aurora was deployed on her first operation with the Red Hunters in January 3304. While the Second Thargoid War sparked, the Red Hunters focus on stabilizing the core Federation by force, snuffing out dissidence wherever it may be.
The exact records of the Red Hunters is not entirely complete or available publicly despite their later destruction, but it is believed they have played a part - along with other Federation black-ops teams - in major galactic events, such as the League of Reparation and the Far God Cult arrests. In an interview, Aurora was not willing to detail the complete extent of her involvement in all Red Hunter operations.
Despite their dubious origins, the Red Hunters soon became aware of a plot they had been placed in by the end of 3304. Believing they had been involved in counter-terrorism operations, the Red Hunters discovered through Admiral Isaiah Adair - Aurora's father - that they had been covering up a Federal conspiracy. Rather than striking defected settlements who supposedly violated the Federal Accord, the Red Hunters had systemically hunted down defectors of the conspiracy, who threatened to uncover it.
Shocked by the news, the Hunter's three primary leaders - Captain Samson Hunt, Lieutenant Kohen Vance, and Lieutenant Jaco Sawyer - met with Admiral Adair to discuss the situation. Realizing that they had become aware of this conspiracy, Isaiah pleaded for the team to act normal and not raise any suspicions, so as to allow him to continue his work gathering evidence and further information.
Believing Isaiah to be lacking the strength and speed to take action, the Hunters ignored his request and collectively discussed their plan to defect and uncover the conspiracy themselves. Aurora, fearful of becoming a fugitive, contested the decision and aimed to defect entirely, leaving the Federation and the Hunters behind. Although hesitant, the three leaders and her father agreed to keep her identity a secret, and to wipe any traces of her along with the rest of the Red Hunters prior to them defecting.
With any identifying information wiped in a swift strike in December, the Red Hunters abandoned the Federation at the end of the year. Leaving her home system, Aurora abandoned her previous life and fled to a distant backwater system. Renting an apartment with what little money she had left, Aurora suffered the most devastating period of her life, finding herself completely alone and broken with the guilt of what she had done. The Red Hunters, renaming themselves to the Crimson Venators, begin their futile efforts to expose the conspiracy, and Aurora is left to struggle alone for three years.
By the start of 3307, she is tracked down by her father and convinced - with significant difficulty - to meet with him. Agreeing with much hesitation, Aurora discovers that her father has opened another avenue with her - a more standard, independent job with a mercenary squadron. Considering her options, Aurora ultimately agrees to accept his help, and so begins her next chapter as she signs up to TITAN Contractors and takes her new position as a contracted mercenary.
With an exceptional display of skill and talent once provided with the necessary tools, Aurora was inducted into the 'Red Hunters', a black operations squad focused on morally dubious operations to safeguard the Federation, during the ongoing galactic turmoil with the Thargoids at the time. Purely driven by the hatred of her situation, Aurora thought little of her future and herself as she often opted to adopt lone-wolf tactics - a weakness that was soon to be exploited by the Federation.
As the Red Hunters did not operate in a conventional matter, self-sufficiency and lethality were particular highlights of each operative. Tasked with the objective of counter-terrorism, Aurora was deployed on her first operation with the Red Hunters in January 3304. While the Second Thargoid War sparked, the Red Hunters focus on stabilizing the core Federation by force, snuffing out dissidence wherever it may be.
The exact records of the Red Hunters is not entirely complete or available publicly despite their later destruction, but it is believed they have played a part - along with other Federation black-ops teams - in major galactic events, such as the League of Reparation and the Far God Cult arrests. In an interview, Aurora was not willing to detail the complete extent of her involvement in all Red Hunter operations.
Despite their dubious origins, the Red Hunters soon became aware of a plot they had been placed in by the end of 3304. Believing they had been involved in counter-terrorism operations, the Red Hunters discovered through Admiral Isaiah Adair - Aurora's father - that they had been covering up a Federal conspiracy. Rather than striking defected settlements who supposedly violated the Federal Accord, the Red Hunters had systemically hunted down defectors of the conspiracy, who threatened to uncover it.
Shocked by the news, the Hunter's three primary leaders - Captain Samson Hunt, Lieutenant Kohen Vance, and Lieutenant Jaco Sawyer - met with Admiral Adair to discuss the situation. Realizing that they had become aware of this conspiracy, Isaiah pleaded for the team to act normal and not raise any suspicions, so as to allow him to continue his work gathering evidence and further information.
Believing Isaiah to be lacking the strength and speed to take action, the Hunters ignored his request and collectively discussed their plan to defect and uncover the conspiracy themselves. Aurora, fearful of becoming a fugitive, contested the decision and aimed to defect entirely, leaving the Federation and the Hunters behind. Although hesitant, the three leaders and her father agreed to keep her identity a secret, and to wipe any traces of her along with the rest of the Red Hunters prior to them defecting.
With any identifying information wiped in a swift strike in December, the Red Hunters abandoned the Federation at the end of the year. Leaving her home system, Aurora abandoned her previous life and fled to a distant backwater system. Renting an apartment with what little money she had left, Aurora suffered the most devastating period of her life, finding herself completely alone and broken with the guilt of what she had done. The Red Hunters, renaming themselves to the Crimson Venators, begin their futile efforts to expose the conspiracy, and Aurora is left to struggle alone for three years.
By the start of 3307, she is tracked down by her father and convinced - with significant difficulty - to meet with him. Agreeing with much hesitation, Aurora discovers that her father has opened another avenue with her - a more standard, independent job with a mercenary squadron. Considering her options, Aurora ultimately agrees to accept his help, and so begins her next chapter as she signs up to TITAN Contractors and takes her new position as a contracted mercenary.
Employment with Centurion SF
On the 8th of February 3307, Aurora Adair was hired by TITAN Contractors as a combat specialist in Centurion Special Forces, the squadron's own highly-trained private army. Her previous experience at Obi Dredgings (and unbeknownst to the squadron - the Red Hunters), while not exactly the most pleasant memory, gave Aurora a slight head start, allowing her to quickly learn the protocols and ways the squadron performed tasks.
Out of 600 personnel initially when CSF was formed, Aurora was inducted into TITAN's Cobra marine force, serving as a combat specialist which helps expand her skillset and knowledge even further. In CSF, the role is largely versatile - as specialists are expected to be able to undertake numerous tasks, and to potentially do it solo - ironically similar to her service in the Navy. Combat specialist training in this case includes the deployment and utilisation of special tactics, heavy weapons, explosives, tactical equipment, hacking devices or combat vehicles.
Alongside her combat specialist training, Aurora also received the typical 'basic training' that all CSF soldiers undertake, which included endurance and mobility training, non-lethal and lethal weapons training, basic medical training, zero-g mobility and combat training, as well as a large-scale non-lethal team versus team combat exercise at the end. Thanks to the extensive training and significant private funding, most CSF soldiers can be compared to the average special forces operative - highly trained, well-armed and motivated.
Only around 500 personnel passed the full training, Aurora being one of them. While it could be a testament to her perseverance and skill, it is something she hates to flaunt around, leading to her hardly talking about it. Undeniably, however, it is Aurora's extensive skillset that has allowed her to walk out of some dangerous situations - regardless of what she may think.
When Centurion SF had finished its training on the 23rd of February 3307, Aurora officially became a Combat Specialist, and served TITAN Contractors for five months, before yet another plot unfolded... one that centered around her, and so began the largest struggle she would ever face. Following the previous Squadron Commander's sudden death in an attack, Aurora finds herself abruptly becoming the squadron's second Squadron Commander when a will mentioning her name is left behind, in mysterious circumstances.
Out of 600 personnel initially when CSF was formed, Aurora was inducted into TITAN's Cobra marine force, serving as a combat specialist which helps expand her skillset and knowledge even further. In CSF, the role is largely versatile - as specialists are expected to be able to undertake numerous tasks, and to potentially do it solo - ironically similar to her service in the Navy. Combat specialist training in this case includes the deployment and utilisation of special tactics, heavy weapons, explosives, tactical equipment, hacking devices or combat vehicles.
Alongside her combat specialist training, Aurora also received the typical 'basic training' that all CSF soldiers undertake, which included endurance and mobility training, non-lethal and lethal weapons training, basic medical training, zero-g mobility and combat training, as well as a large-scale non-lethal team versus team combat exercise at the end. Thanks to the extensive training and significant private funding, most CSF soldiers can be compared to the average special forces operative - highly trained, well-armed and motivated.
Only around 500 personnel passed the full training, Aurora being one of them. While it could be a testament to her perseverance and skill, it is something she hates to flaunt around, leading to her hardly talking about it. Undeniably, however, it is Aurora's extensive skillset that has allowed her to walk out of some dangerous situations - regardless of what she may think.
When Centurion SF had finished its training on the 23rd of February 3307, Aurora officially became a Combat Specialist, and served TITAN Contractors for five months, before yet another plot unfolded... one that centered around her, and so began the largest struggle she would ever face. Following the previous Squadron Commander's sudden death in an attack, Aurora finds herself abruptly becoming the squadron's second Squadron Commander when a will mentioning her name is left behind, in mysterious circumstances.
Rise to Squadron Commander
For a few months, the squadron had been plagued by a terrorist group, whos motives were unknown at the time. While the attacks were ramping up in aggressivity, security teams seemed to be dealing with it somewhat effectively, and with the help of Commanders, some attacks were outright prevented. For the five months Aurora served CSF, she made herself a small name in the squadron, namely due to the fact that she helped win CSF's last TvT initiation exercise, as well as helped make crucial progress against the terrorist group that had began to attack the squadron out of the blue.
Despite this, Aurora felt helpless, unable to help stop these attacks more effectively, and began actively considering applying to the Pilots' Federation for a Commander license, which she eventually did with the help of a Centurion SF pilot. The squadron at this time was led by Commander Quinton Marshall, but with one incident on the 10th of July 3307, a particularly chaotic month, the end of the terrorist attacks were punctuated with one compact explosive - placed on the bridge of Quinton Marshall's personal craft, killing him when he attempted to take off for routine duties. A terrorist group only known as 'EMBER' claimed responsiblity for these attacks, but were believed to be 11 members - primarily made up of disgruntled Solaris crew members and a few hired mercenaries.
While the terrorists did not disguise their movementrs, allowing them to be found and arrested, the damage they did to the squadron would leave a mark for a while - and with no more Squadron Commander, the future seemed bleak for TITAN. This changed when an encrypted will was found in Commander Marshall's quarters, and after a short debate, Commanders assisted Mantis Analytics with decrypting the will.
The will decrypted by Commanders contained instructions on how to perform the legal transfer of all Quinton Marshall's assets, including the squadron, to an individual of his choice - Aurora Adair, who had now coincidentally just finished her Commander evaluation with the help of a CSF Eclipse Captain and a virtual flight simulator.
At the time, there was no consensus as to why Quinton chose Aurora, as they had only ever met once and did not personally know each other. Some operations members criticised Quinton's choice, citing Aurora as young and naïve, whilst others praised new leadership. Slightly overwhelmed by the news, Aurora eventually made the final decision on the 9th of August 3307, the same day she received her PF license; to step up to the mantle, and assume the responsibility of Squadron Commander.
However, since becoming Squadron Commander, balancing her personal life and emotions with 'work' has been incredibly difficult for her. After Quinton Marshall's death, the squadron continued to be plagued by terrorism, throwing Aurora into the deep end as she has tried to keep the squadron afloat - not knowing why she was chosen for the position anyway. Against seemingly impossible odds, Aurora has led TITAN Contractors against an unknown enemy while trying to set her personal life aside as much as she can. Pursuing Hivemind - the fanatical cult the EMBER terrorist cell claimed to be associated with - she has frequently abandoned her post aboard the Solaris to take things on in the field, despite this posing a threat to herself.
In several instances, Aurora has been injured - and at one time, voluntarily captured with another Commander - in her quest to stop Hivemind. However, her hyperfocus on protecting the squadron led her to ignore her mental health, which created a flashpoint for her later.
Despite this, Aurora felt helpless, unable to help stop these attacks more effectively, and began actively considering applying to the Pilots' Federation for a Commander license, which she eventually did with the help of a Centurion SF pilot. The squadron at this time was led by Commander Quinton Marshall, but with one incident on the 10th of July 3307, a particularly chaotic month, the end of the terrorist attacks were punctuated with one compact explosive - placed on the bridge of Quinton Marshall's personal craft, killing him when he attempted to take off for routine duties. A terrorist group only known as 'EMBER' claimed responsiblity for these attacks, but were believed to be 11 members - primarily made up of disgruntled Solaris crew members and a few hired mercenaries.
While the terrorists did not disguise their movementrs, allowing them to be found and arrested, the damage they did to the squadron would leave a mark for a while - and with no more Squadron Commander, the future seemed bleak for TITAN. This changed when an encrypted will was found in Commander Marshall's quarters, and after a short debate, Commanders assisted Mantis Analytics with decrypting the will.
The will decrypted by Commanders contained instructions on how to perform the legal transfer of all Quinton Marshall's assets, including the squadron, to an individual of his choice - Aurora Adair, who had now coincidentally just finished her Commander evaluation with the help of a CSF Eclipse Captain and a virtual flight simulator.
At the time, there was no consensus as to why Quinton chose Aurora, as they had only ever met once and did not personally know each other. Some operations members criticised Quinton's choice, citing Aurora as young and naïve, whilst others praised new leadership. Slightly overwhelmed by the news, Aurora eventually made the final decision on the 9th of August 3307, the same day she received her PF license; to step up to the mantle, and assume the responsibility of Squadron Commander.
However, since becoming Squadron Commander, balancing her personal life and emotions with 'work' has been incredibly difficult for her. After Quinton Marshall's death, the squadron continued to be plagued by terrorism, throwing Aurora into the deep end as she has tried to keep the squadron afloat - not knowing why she was chosen for the position anyway. Against seemingly impossible odds, Aurora has led TITAN Contractors against an unknown enemy while trying to set her personal life aside as much as she can. Pursuing Hivemind - the fanatical cult the EMBER terrorist cell claimed to be associated with - she has frequently abandoned her post aboard the Solaris to take things on in the field, despite this posing a threat to herself.
In several instances, Aurora has been injured - and at one time, voluntarily captured with another Commander - in her quest to stop Hivemind. However, her hyperfocus on protecting the squadron led her to ignore her mental health, which created a flashpoint for her later.
The War Against Hivemind
During the war against Hivemind, Aurora encountered a mercenary, who later came to be known as 'Orion Drake'. At this time, TITAN had also begun receiving communications from an enigmatic individual known as 'AC', who claimed to represent Hivemind, and tried to 'negotiate' with the squadron several times.
None of these negotiations were fruitful, and the war against Hivemind continued - with Aurora being captured alongside another Commander close to her, Alexis Bright, in order to try enable a meeting between AC and her. However, the meeting turned out to be false and jeopardized their lives as well as squadron safety - but they were both subsequently rescued by the same mercenary as before, Orion Drake - who had claimed that he was monitoring Hivemind and wanted to take them down as well.
However, Aurora continued her journey to try take down Hivemind - and on the 18th of October 3307, she obtained a plausible lead that led her to the leader of Hivemind - the Herald of the Final Chapter - located in a Thargoid surface site in HIP 18117. However, it is here where she made several massive discoveries; the primary one being that Hivemind never started the war. Previously, around the 13th of October, several squadron carriers were attacked, and the majority of the attackers belonged to a covert black-ops group known as Paladin Interstellar, wanted for heinous warcrimes in federal and imperial jurisdictions. After interrogating the Herald of the Final Chapter, Aurora realized that it was Paladin's proxy war, caused by 'AC' that started all this.
Before she could continue further, the Herald was suddenly killed after it turned out Aurora was not alone at the site. Orion Drake, the same mercenary Aurora thought she was working with to take down Hivemind, had arrived, and killed the Herald. After injuring Aurora and revealing himself as 'AC', he presumably escaped, and went dark. However, Aurora - angry at this betrayal and expressing a hatred towards Paladin Interstellar - lied in log #074 of her personal log recordings.
As it would turn out, Orion Drake never left the site alive. His arrogance allowed Aurora the opportunity to grab her sidearm and kill Drake. Instead of reporting his death and preventing a war with Paladin, Aurora hid Orion's body and took his PDA - planting signals in Quince to imply that Drake was still alive, buying her time to start a war against Paladin and bring them to justice for all the suffering they had caused, for both her and the squadron. However, this lie almost destroyed Aurora emotionally - its tipping point coming after an incident at a settlement known as 'Navarro's Hold', where several Commanders close to her assaulted the settlement in an attempt to help TITAN's private army, CSF, fight against Paladin.
The Navarro's Hold raid went horribly wrong and almost resulted in the death of Commander Isabella Levine, and several injuries to the three others involved. While Aurora didn't ask for them to attack the settlement, nor were they even allowed to thanks to CSF's interstellar war permit, she still blamed herself - bottling it up with her other emotions. The guilt and regret she felt for hiding the nature of Drake's death eventually caused her to breakdown and admit it, much to the disappointment of the very people she was trying to protect. Orion Drake's body was recovered and the full nature of the story came out.
To her surprise, people forgived her sincere apology fairly easily - albeit with some turbulence. Considering her parents had shunned her from their life so easily over a fairly mild revelation, she believed that there should be some kind of severe repercussion for what she did - however nothing came, which conflicted with what she felt like she deserved. Aurora continues to lead the squadron to the best of her ability, still guilty of the trust she broke - wishing she could, like most people, change what happened and 'fix everything' - though that is not realistic.
Unfortunately for Aurora, despite the squadron's efforts, a plot unknown to her continued to stir... and Hivemind was but a proxy made to confuse and misdirect TITAN's attention.
None of these negotiations were fruitful, and the war against Hivemind continued - with Aurora being captured alongside another Commander close to her, Alexis Bright, in order to try enable a meeting between AC and her. However, the meeting turned out to be false and jeopardized their lives as well as squadron safety - but they were both subsequently rescued by the same mercenary as before, Orion Drake - who had claimed that he was monitoring Hivemind and wanted to take them down as well.
However, Aurora continued her journey to try take down Hivemind - and on the 18th of October 3307, she obtained a plausible lead that led her to the leader of Hivemind - the Herald of the Final Chapter - located in a Thargoid surface site in HIP 18117. However, it is here where she made several massive discoveries; the primary one being that Hivemind never started the war. Previously, around the 13th of October, several squadron carriers were attacked, and the majority of the attackers belonged to a covert black-ops group known as Paladin Interstellar, wanted for heinous warcrimes in federal and imperial jurisdictions. After interrogating the Herald of the Final Chapter, Aurora realized that it was Paladin's proxy war, caused by 'AC' that started all this.
Before she could continue further, the Herald was suddenly killed after it turned out Aurora was not alone at the site. Orion Drake, the same mercenary Aurora thought she was working with to take down Hivemind, had arrived, and killed the Herald. After injuring Aurora and revealing himself as 'AC', he presumably escaped, and went dark. However, Aurora - angry at this betrayal and expressing a hatred towards Paladin Interstellar - lied in log #074 of her personal log recordings.
As it would turn out, Orion Drake never left the site alive. His arrogance allowed Aurora the opportunity to grab her sidearm and kill Drake. Instead of reporting his death and preventing a war with Paladin, Aurora hid Orion's body and took his PDA - planting signals in Quince to imply that Drake was still alive, buying her time to start a war against Paladin and bring them to justice for all the suffering they had caused, for both her and the squadron. However, this lie almost destroyed Aurora emotionally - its tipping point coming after an incident at a settlement known as 'Navarro's Hold', where several Commanders close to her assaulted the settlement in an attempt to help TITAN's private army, CSF, fight against Paladin.
The Navarro's Hold raid went horribly wrong and almost resulted in the death of Commander Isabella Levine, and several injuries to the three others involved. While Aurora didn't ask for them to attack the settlement, nor were they even allowed to thanks to CSF's interstellar war permit, she still blamed herself - bottling it up with her other emotions. The guilt and regret she felt for hiding the nature of Drake's death eventually caused her to breakdown and admit it, much to the disappointment of the very people she was trying to protect. Orion Drake's body was recovered and the full nature of the story came out.
To her surprise, people forgived her sincere apology fairly easily - albeit with some turbulence. Considering her parents had shunned her from their life so easily over a fairly mild revelation, she believed that there should be some kind of severe repercussion for what she did - however nothing came, which conflicted with what she felt like she deserved. Aurora continues to lead the squadron to the best of her ability, still guilty of the trust she broke - wishing she could, like most people, change what happened and 'fix everything' - though that is not realistic.
Unfortunately for Aurora, despite the squadron's efforts, a plot unknown to her continued to stir... and Hivemind was but a proxy made to confuse and misdirect TITAN's attention.
The EMBER Conspiracy & the MARS Project
Despite eliminating Hivemind and continuing to chase down the remnants of Paladin Interstellar, the squadron came no closer to halting the attacks against itself. More violent incursions became more common, and even with its initially strong stance, TITAN had begun to weaken significantly. Disrupted and caught from all directions, the squadron continued to battle against the shadows of a covert enemy... before the name 'EMBER' returned, and became increasingly relevant.
It would ultimately be revealed that Hivemind, Paladin and even the Crimson Venators, had all been duplicated and used as proxies by a powerful syndicate, who were responsible for developing an illegal, hybrid superweapon - known as the EMBER Syndicate, or the 'Syn Group' or simply 'EMBER'. Although dismantled now, this fatalist terrorist organization was responsible for the creation of the PROTOFNEX-02WRD33 'MARS' Project, a superweapon utilizing hybrid human/Thargoid technology.
The organization originates from a defunct Federal weapons research group codenamed Ophidian, previously composed of only researchers and technicians. However, over the years, EMBER's strength and power has grown exponentially, despite its relatively small size. An exact date for the formation of EMBER is unknown, but it is presumed to be around 3302, two years after the official cancellation of the MARS Project. Previously, the weapon was being prototyped and actively researched within official Federal bounds, however the ethical concerns of the project complicated its development - something that would haunt the project even after its departure from the Federation.
Ophidian's original goal was to research interactions of alien technology, and later weaponizing it. The remit of their research was particularly placed on the infrasonic and electromagnetic effects of Thargoid devices, which later became a core part of the MARS Project - the first prototype weapon incorporating Thargoid technology. However, many Admirals and researchers assigned to the project did not agree with the existence of the weapon after witnessing its effects in testing.
The project was defunded in 3300, and its personnel reassigned to other experimental projects. However, the Admirals originally responsible for authorizing the project silently disagreed with the Federation's supposed 'cowardice', believing that a weapon such as the MARS Device would give them a superior edge over their enemies. Three high-ranking Federal officers - Admiral Zamaya Ambrose, Rear Admiral Gideon Serrano, and Rear Admiral Reuben Darien Keaton - agreed to continue the project in secret, enlisting many of the original research personnel.
Unsurprisingly, these personnel were likely tricked into working for EMBER, unbeknownst to the fact that they were leeching resources from the Federation to continue research and development of the MARS Device. Zamaya's status in the navy likely eased the process and kept suspicion to a minimum, but it did not take long for infighting to start within the group over the project's moral qualms. This reached its breaking point when several of the original researchers split, fleeing into Federal space with whatever data they could. Blackmailed and effectively held hostage, a large majority of the research team remained, and EMBER began to use its growing shadow influence within the Federation to manipulate assets into maintaining their secret.
Most notably, this is where the Red Hunters were brought beneath EMBER's wing, unknowingly tasked to hunt down these fleeing researchers, eliminate them, and wipe any intel they stole regarding the MARS Superweapon. Numerous Federal settlements that agreed to harbour these fleeing researchers were suppressed and branded terrorists by the Federation, all due to EMBER's manipulation and plan to wipe them out. Around this time, it is suspected that EMBER was acutely aware of those who had tried to expose its existence, such as Admiral Isaiah Adair, which may explain why they particularly picked the Red Hunters. It is likely that - once the Red Hunters had finished their task - they plotted to wipe out the squad, along with its newest member, Combat Specialist Aurora Adair, to ensure Admiral Adair could never fulfill his goal and involve more people in his plan to expose EMBER.
However, EMBER failed to anticipate the Red Hunters realizing what they had been dragged into early, and the group was able to defect before they could be stopped. With Aurora Adair disappearing into hiding, and the rest of the Red Hunters becoming the Crimson Venators, EMBER had to pick its next moves carefully. It is unknown how much they knew of Admiral Adair's efforts, but it was presumably enough for them to figure out that he had involved independent mercenary corporation TITAN Contractors, after reaching out to its leader at the time due to a family link. Despite this, it was not until much later that Admiral Adair was assassinated by EMBER, who played the long game, waiting and observing his futile attempts before delivering a decisive strike.
By enlisting Commander Quinton Marshall's help, the Admiral hoped to utilize his daughter as a contingency to uphold TITAN, as a way to alternatively wipe out EMBER if they failed. To try stop this, EMBER handpicked a private military company that it could manipulate - named Paladin Interstellar - which had a history of carrying out criminal operations against the Federation. Its size was suitable for the scale of EMBER's operations, and its expertise a perfect match to the task at hand. Using Paladin as a proxy, EMBER was able to fund and guide Paladin into attracting the attention of the Crimson Venators.
What occurred next is unknown, but it is believed that the Crimson Venators were led to Paladin via breadcrumbs planted by EMBER, though it is strongly believed that several of the Crimson Venators were actually plants by EMBER to guide their plans perfectly. Agreeing to assist Paladin, the Crimson Venators followed these same breadcrumbs that would ultimately lead them to TITAN Contractors. Information planted by EMBER allowed them to learn of the hidden datapad and plan set by Admiral Isaiah Adair, which would promote Squadron Commander Aurora Adair to the owner of TITAN. At this point, the Crimson Venators had likely devolved so far into their mercenary operations, that there was little remaining concern of the goal they had tried to attain. The majority of their members were now in it for the money or infamy, and those who remembered what they had originally set out to do were either silenced by fear or were consciously complicit.
Regardless, the Crimson Venators were manipulated carefully to prevent information cross-over, and were led by Paladin in beginning a conflict with TITAN. The goal of this conflict was to originally assassinate the first Squadron Commander, Quinton Marshall, however he was able to successfully learn of the impending attack under Admiral Isaiah Adair's guidance, and faked his death. This set in action the contingency plan, placing his daughter into the position of Squadron Commander. It was hoped that her leadership would be able to protect the hidden datapad, which contained both the will as well as encrypted data partially exposing EMBER. However, the importance of the datapad was never made clear, and as such this effort failed.
Throughout the intensive conflict against Paladin, the squadron's private army, CSF, emerged victorious and neutralized Paladin in its entirety. However, TITAN had been left vulnerable, granting an opportunity for the Crimson Venators to steal the datapad aboard the squadron flagship. This datapad once again exposed Admiral Adair as the sole whistleblower of information, and - under covert pressure from EMBER - the Venators were tasked to assassinate him.
After murdering Isaiah Adair aboard his home starport in Sol, EMBER contracted a seperate assassin to clean up any traces of the Crimson Venators, as well as ultimately assassinate Commander Aurora Adair. It is assumed that the datapad was either destroyed or fell into enemy hands, but regardless the information could no longer be obtained and used by the squadron. With their usefulness expended, a large majority of the Venators were caught off-guard and succumbed to the assassin sent after them, except for two who managed to escape. However, the assassin did not complete their objective, and instead refused to kill Commander Adair - believing that she did not match the profile of the war criminals he was sent to kill.
This assassin, who remains anonymous, went to assist TITAN, but EMBER's alternate plan was quick to expose Commander Adair's prior involvement in the Red Hunters, by exposing an old file that had been withheld by their leadership and saved from being wiped. This led to the squadron turning against her, and prompted her to flee, leaving the squadron exposed. Throughout this all, EMBER had continued to develop the MARS Project behind the scenes, constructing it aboard an unregistered fleet carrier known as The Black Edge T4J-64F. With the squadron's leader disavowed, EMBER took advantage of the spreading mistrust and paranoia among TITAN's crew, and used it to successfully deploy the MARS Device against the T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N, intercepting the carrier as it performed a jump.
The weapon's full-scale deployment was successful, resulting in a catastrophic failure aboard the Solaris's Frame Shift Drive that almost tore the carrier apart. Emergency failsafes were able to wrench the carrier out into an empty system, but havoc had already overtaken the carrier. Extreme damage had spread throughout the Solaris's interior, and thousands of crew perished in the failed jump. Thousands more had been left injured, and as the squadron struggled to pick up the pieces, EMBER moved to finish TITAN off.
However, the assassin previously tasked with killing Commander Adair, opted to trail after her. He learnt of the failed jump, alerting Aurora of the news. In an desperate effort to return to the carrier and assist, they were caught in the second activation of the enemy weapon. Shattering an already mentally broken crew, the weapon's primary effect against human targets struck, inflicting violent psychosis within a significant portion of the Solaris survivors. The squadron turned against itself, leaving only a small group of survivors to fend off a rogue horde of crew that had turned incredibly violent and unpredictable.
Only a little over 400 crew survived the endeavour, leaving the squadron's divisions in ruin with only approximately 100 CSF soldiers left to protect them. Several Commanders and command personnel did survive the second activation, as well as Commander Adair herself, but her sudden return did not exactly inspire trust. Pledging to bring down and expose their enemy, she revealed that - after fleeing the squadron - she had returned to Sol, and infiltrated the Li Qing Jao starport undetected. Returning to her parent's home, she was able to uncover a second databank left behind by her father, although no trace of the rest of her family was found.
With the databank in their possession, the squadron went on to follow a trail left behind by Admiral Isaiah Adair. Throughout EMBER's active and constant interference, TITAN was able to repair the T.O.C. Solaris flagship and slowly recover four keys crucial to unlocking the databank. Upon application of these four keys, the squadron unlocked the databank and made a shocking discovery - an entire information repository had been left behind by Aurora's father exposing EMBER, the MARS Device and their operations.
In a last-ditch attempt to win, the squadron utilized this information and drew in the attention of EMBER, who was desperate to prevent TITAN from releasing the information. Attempting to draw the resources of the Federation, TITAN provided a copy of the data to Federal authorities, but pure digital information was cited as little physical proof as to EMBER's existence and functional superweapon. With no options left, the squadron entered a final stand, rallying all of its resources to clash against the syndicate directly. On the 16th of November 3308 - after days of fighting - the squadron finally intercepted The Black Edge carrier, and launched a final assault.
However - unable to anticipate the full strength of EMBER's weapon - the squadron was caught off-guard by a powerful electromagnetic pulse mid-assault, caused by the enemy intentionally overloading the MARS Device. The weapon scrambled and disabled all nearby vessels and squadron carriers, wreaking havoc in the surrounding area before The Black Edge promptly retreated, and escaped into the black. The entirety of the squadron's combined arms force that had boarded the carrier in an attempt to stop it, including several Commanders and the squadron's leader, was lost.
With barely any crew left and no military remaining to protect itself, the squadron mothballed its operations and complied with a Federal investigation. For two weeks, the squadron ceased its functions and relieved its crew of its duty, allowing them to return to their family. However, an interstellar distress signal was soon detected near the Elephant's Trunk Nebula, prompting Commanders to investigate. Upon searching the area, independent pilots stumbled across a transponder signal matching The Black Edge T4J-64F. Recon indicated that the carrier was idle and drifting - as well as completely out of fuel.
Rescue teams and scouts that later arrived at The Black Edge soon announced that the enemy carrier had successfully been captured by friendly forces, and the MARS Superweapon destroyed. After the enemy carrier fled, the squadron's combined arms force was able to push through and break the enemy's forces, neutralizing what remained of EMBER's mercenary force. Unfortunately, several casualties had been sustained, including Squadron Commander Aurora Adair, who sustained a life-threatening injury. An emergency operation to refuel The Black Edge completed in record time thanks to the assistance of Commanders, and the carrier was soon returned to the bubble.
The remnants of Centurion SF, the Commanders and militia forces they had rallied, were rescued and brought aboard the T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N. The carrier, serving as sufficient evidence for the Federal investigation, was provided while medical teams triaged the casualties and brought them aboard the squadron flagship for treatment. The squadron had officially emerged victorious - but at an immense cost.
Ultimately, the Federation ruled that The Black Edge served as proof of EMBER's operations, and the MARS Superweapon's existence. Data obtained aboard the enemy carrier pointed towards several EMBER cells that had been thrown into disarray, following the effective dismantling of their main headquarters. CSF forces had managed to successfully apprehend two of the Admirals responsible, Zamaya Ambrose and Reuben Keaton, who were promptly arrested by FIA authorities. The efforts of TITAN had not gone unnoticed, and soon the Federal investigation concluded, along with a full pardon of TITAN Contractors, the Crimson Venators, its Commanders, associates, as well as Squadron Commander Aurora Adair herself.
With EMBER dismantled at last, the Federation - having no use of The Black Edge - left it in the squadron's control, and declared the case closed. With such a massive victory obtained, the squadron and its crew ultimately shared an empty feeling over such a pyrrhic battle. Despite their sacrifices, and the trials they had faced over months, EMBER was effectively gone in less than two weeks. Thousands of innocent lives had been lost, all to destroy a prototype superweapon.
With this chapter closed at last, TITAN Contractors has struggled to its feet once more, and begun to rebuild. Squadron Commander Aurora Adair was able to survive her life-threatening injuries, along with many more of the injured casualties. The Black Edge was seized as a squadron asset after being factory reset, and the squadron began to refactor and improve its operations. While the situation served as a testament to the squadron's perseverance and foundation, one can never forget those who had been lost, and the damage that had been sustained.
In memory of those taken by EMBER, the squadron pledged to grow stronger, and larger, than ever before.
It would ultimately be revealed that Hivemind, Paladin and even the Crimson Venators, had all been duplicated and used as proxies by a powerful syndicate, who were responsible for developing an illegal, hybrid superweapon - known as the EMBER Syndicate, or the 'Syn Group' or simply 'EMBER'. Although dismantled now, this fatalist terrorist organization was responsible for the creation of the PROTOFNEX-02WRD33 'MARS' Project, a superweapon utilizing hybrid human/Thargoid technology.
The organization originates from a defunct Federal weapons research group codenamed Ophidian, previously composed of only researchers and technicians. However, over the years, EMBER's strength and power has grown exponentially, despite its relatively small size. An exact date for the formation of EMBER is unknown, but it is presumed to be around 3302, two years after the official cancellation of the MARS Project. Previously, the weapon was being prototyped and actively researched within official Federal bounds, however the ethical concerns of the project complicated its development - something that would haunt the project even after its departure from the Federation.
Ophidian's original goal was to research interactions of alien technology, and later weaponizing it. The remit of their research was particularly placed on the infrasonic and electromagnetic effects of Thargoid devices, which later became a core part of the MARS Project - the first prototype weapon incorporating Thargoid technology. However, many Admirals and researchers assigned to the project did not agree with the existence of the weapon after witnessing its effects in testing.
The project was defunded in 3300, and its personnel reassigned to other experimental projects. However, the Admirals originally responsible for authorizing the project silently disagreed with the Federation's supposed 'cowardice', believing that a weapon such as the MARS Device would give them a superior edge over their enemies. Three high-ranking Federal officers - Admiral Zamaya Ambrose, Rear Admiral Gideon Serrano, and Rear Admiral Reuben Darien Keaton - agreed to continue the project in secret, enlisting many of the original research personnel.
Unsurprisingly, these personnel were likely tricked into working for EMBER, unbeknownst to the fact that they were leeching resources from the Federation to continue research and development of the MARS Device. Zamaya's status in the navy likely eased the process and kept suspicion to a minimum, but it did not take long for infighting to start within the group over the project's moral qualms. This reached its breaking point when several of the original researchers split, fleeing into Federal space with whatever data they could. Blackmailed and effectively held hostage, a large majority of the research team remained, and EMBER began to use its growing shadow influence within the Federation to manipulate assets into maintaining their secret.
Most notably, this is where the Red Hunters were brought beneath EMBER's wing, unknowingly tasked to hunt down these fleeing researchers, eliminate them, and wipe any intel they stole regarding the MARS Superweapon. Numerous Federal settlements that agreed to harbour these fleeing researchers were suppressed and branded terrorists by the Federation, all due to EMBER's manipulation and plan to wipe them out. Around this time, it is suspected that EMBER was acutely aware of those who had tried to expose its existence, such as Admiral Isaiah Adair, which may explain why they particularly picked the Red Hunters. It is likely that - once the Red Hunters had finished their task - they plotted to wipe out the squad, along with its newest member, Combat Specialist Aurora Adair, to ensure Admiral Adair could never fulfill his goal and involve more people in his plan to expose EMBER.
However, EMBER failed to anticipate the Red Hunters realizing what they had been dragged into early, and the group was able to defect before they could be stopped. With Aurora Adair disappearing into hiding, and the rest of the Red Hunters becoming the Crimson Venators, EMBER had to pick its next moves carefully. It is unknown how much they knew of Admiral Adair's efforts, but it was presumably enough for them to figure out that he had involved independent mercenary corporation TITAN Contractors, after reaching out to its leader at the time due to a family link. Despite this, it was not until much later that Admiral Adair was assassinated by EMBER, who played the long game, waiting and observing his futile attempts before delivering a decisive strike.
By enlisting Commander Quinton Marshall's help, the Admiral hoped to utilize his daughter as a contingency to uphold TITAN, as a way to alternatively wipe out EMBER if they failed. To try stop this, EMBER handpicked a private military company that it could manipulate - named Paladin Interstellar - which had a history of carrying out criminal operations against the Federation. Its size was suitable for the scale of EMBER's operations, and its expertise a perfect match to the task at hand. Using Paladin as a proxy, EMBER was able to fund and guide Paladin into attracting the attention of the Crimson Venators.
What occurred next is unknown, but it is believed that the Crimson Venators were led to Paladin via breadcrumbs planted by EMBER, though it is strongly believed that several of the Crimson Venators were actually plants by EMBER to guide their plans perfectly. Agreeing to assist Paladin, the Crimson Venators followed these same breadcrumbs that would ultimately lead them to TITAN Contractors. Information planted by EMBER allowed them to learn of the hidden datapad and plan set by Admiral Isaiah Adair, which would promote Squadron Commander Aurora Adair to the owner of TITAN. At this point, the Crimson Venators had likely devolved so far into their mercenary operations, that there was little remaining concern of the goal they had tried to attain. The majority of their members were now in it for the money or infamy, and those who remembered what they had originally set out to do were either silenced by fear or were consciously complicit.
Regardless, the Crimson Venators were manipulated carefully to prevent information cross-over, and were led by Paladin in beginning a conflict with TITAN. The goal of this conflict was to originally assassinate the first Squadron Commander, Quinton Marshall, however he was able to successfully learn of the impending attack under Admiral Isaiah Adair's guidance, and faked his death. This set in action the contingency plan, placing his daughter into the position of Squadron Commander. It was hoped that her leadership would be able to protect the hidden datapad, which contained both the will as well as encrypted data partially exposing EMBER. However, the importance of the datapad was never made clear, and as such this effort failed.
Throughout the intensive conflict against Paladin, the squadron's private army, CSF, emerged victorious and neutralized Paladin in its entirety. However, TITAN had been left vulnerable, granting an opportunity for the Crimson Venators to steal the datapad aboard the squadron flagship. This datapad once again exposed Admiral Adair as the sole whistleblower of information, and - under covert pressure from EMBER - the Venators were tasked to assassinate him.
After murdering Isaiah Adair aboard his home starport in Sol, EMBER contracted a seperate assassin to clean up any traces of the Crimson Venators, as well as ultimately assassinate Commander Aurora Adair. It is assumed that the datapad was either destroyed or fell into enemy hands, but regardless the information could no longer be obtained and used by the squadron. With their usefulness expended, a large majority of the Venators were caught off-guard and succumbed to the assassin sent after them, except for two who managed to escape. However, the assassin did not complete their objective, and instead refused to kill Commander Adair - believing that she did not match the profile of the war criminals he was sent to kill.
This assassin, who remains anonymous, went to assist TITAN, but EMBER's alternate plan was quick to expose Commander Adair's prior involvement in the Red Hunters, by exposing an old file that had been withheld by their leadership and saved from being wiped. This led to the squadron turning against her, and prompted her to flee, leaving the squadron exposed. Throughout this all, EMBER had continued to develop the MARS Project behind the scenes, constructing it aboard an unregistered fleet carrier known as The Black Edge T4J-64F. With the squadron's leader disavowed, EMBER took advantage of the spreading mistrust and paranoia among TITAN's crew, and used it to successfully deploy the MARS Device against the T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N, intercepting the carrier as it performed a jump.
The weapon's full-scale deployment was successful, resulting in a catastrophic failure aboard the Solaris's Frame Shift Drive that almost tore the carrier apart. Emergency failsafes were able to wrench the carrier out into an empty system, but havoc had already overtaken the carrier. Extreme damage had spread throughout the Solaris's interior, and thousands of crew perished in the failed jump. Thousands more had been left injured, and as the squadron struggled to pick up the pieces, EMBER moved to finish TITAN off.
However, the assassin previously tasked with killing Commander Adair, opted to trail after her. He learnt of the failed jump, alerting Aurora of the news. In an desperate effort to return to the carrier and assist, they were caught in the second activation of the enemy weapon. Shattering an already mentally broken crew, the weapon's primary effect against human targets struck, inflicting violent psychosis within a significant portion of the Solaris survivors. The squadron turned against itself, leaving only a small group of survivors to fend off a rogue horde of crew that had turned incredibly violent and unpredictable.
Only a little over 400 crew survived the endeavour, leaving the squadron's divisions in ruin with only approximately 100 CSF soldiers left to protect them. Several Commanders and command personnel did survive the second activation, as well as Commander Adair herself, but her sudden return did not exactly inspire trust. Pledging to bring down and expose their enemy, she revealed that - after fleeing the squadron - she had returned to Sol, and infiltrated the Li Qing Jao starport undetected. Returning to her parent's home, she was able to uncover a second databank left behind by her father, although no trace of the rest of her family was found.
With the databank in their possession, the squadron went on to follow a trail left behind by Admiral Isaiah Adair. Throughout EMBER's active and constant interference, TITAN was able to repair the T.O.C. Solaris flagship and slowly recover four keys crucial to unlocking the databank. Upon application of these four keys, the squadron unlocked the databank and made a shocking discovery - an entire information repository had been left behind by Aurora's father exposing EMBER, the MARS Device and their operations.
In a last-ditch attempt to win, the squadron utilized this information and drew in the attention of EMBER, who was desperate to prevent TITAN from releasing the information. Attempting to draw the resources of the Federation, TITAN provided a copy of the data to Federal authorities, but pure digital information was cited as little physical proof as to EMBER's existence and functional superweapon. With no options left, the squadron entered a final stand, rallying all of its resources to clash against the syndicate directly. On the 16th of November 3308 - after days of fighting - the squadron finally intercepted The Black Edge carrier, and launched a final assault.
However - unable to anticipate the full strength of EMBER's weapon - the squadron was caught off-guard by a powerful electromagnetic pulse mid-assault, caused by the enemy intentionally overloading the MARS Device. The weapon scrambled and disabled all nearby vessels and squadron carriers, wreaking havoc in the surrounding area before The Black Edge promptly retreated, and escaped into the black. The entirety of the squadron's combined arms force that had boarded the carrier in an attempt to stop it, including several Commanders and the squadron's leader, was lost.
With barely any crew left and no military remaining to protect itself, the squadron mothballed its operations and complied with a Federal investigation. For two weeks, the squadron ceased its functions and relieved its crew of its duty, allowing them to return to their family. However, an interstellar distress signal was soon detected near the Elephant's Trunk Nebula, prompting Commanders to investigate. Upon searching the area, independent pilots stumbled across a transponder signal matching The Black Edge T4J-64F. Recon indicated that the carrier was idle and drifting - as well as completely out of fuel.
Rescue teams and scouts that later arrived at The Black Edge soon announced that the enemy carrier had successfully been captured by friendly forces, and the MARS Superweapon destroyed. After the enemy carrier fled, the squadron's combined arms force was able to push through and break the enemy's forces, neutralizing what remained of EMBER's mercenary force. Unfortunately, several casualties had been sustained, including Squadron Commander Aurora Adair, who sustained a life-threatening injury. An emergency operation to refuel The Black Edge completed in record time thanks to the assistance of Commanders, and the carrier was soon returned to the bubble.
The remnants of Centurion SF, the Commanders and militia forces they had rallied, were rescued and brought aboard the T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N. The carrier, serving as sufficient evidence for the Federal investigation, was provided while medical teams triaged the casualties and brought them aboard the squadron flagship for treatment. The squadron had officially emerged victorious - but at an immense cost.
Ultimately, the Federation ruled that The Black Edge served as proof of EMBER's operations, and the MARS Superweapon's existence. Data obtained aboard the enemy carrier pointed towards several EMBER cells that had been thrown into disarray, following the effective dismantling of their main headquarters. CSF forces had managed to successfully apprehend two of the Admirals responsible, Zamaya Ambrose and Reuben Keaton, who were promptly arrested by FIA authorities. The efforts of TITAN had not gone unnoticed, and soon the Federal investigation concluded, along with a full pardon of TITAN Contractors, the Crimson Venators, its Commanders, associates, as well as Squadron Commander Aurora Adair herself.
With EMBER dismantled at last, the Federation - having no use of The Black Edge - left it in the squadron's control, and declared the case closed. With such a massive victory obtained, the squadron and its crew ultimately shared an empty feeling over such a pyrrhic battle. Despite their sacrifices, and the trials they had faced over months, EMBER was effectively gone in less than two weeks. Thousands of innocent lives had been lost, all to destroy a prototype superweapon.
With this chapter closed at last, TITAN Contractors has struggled to its feet once more, and begun to rebuild. Squadron Commander Aurora Adair was able to survive her life-threatening injuries, along with many more of the injured casualties. The Black Edge was seized as a squadron asset after being factory reset, and the squadron began to refactor and improve its operations. While the situation served as a testament to the squadron's perseverance and foundation, one can never forget those who had been lost, and the damage that had been sustained.
In memory of those taken by EMBER, the squadron pledged to grow stronger, and larger, than ever before.
The Aftermath of the EMBER Conflict
Afflicted by a life-threatening injury from the final fight aboard the carrier, Aurora is placed in recovery aboard the T.O.C. Solaris with her partner, Isabella Levine. The duo had come close to making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives, in an attempt to destroy the MARS Superweapon... only to discover that the enemy never had any intention of allowing it to fall out of their control. In a last stand aboard the Black Edge, EMBER catastrophically sabotaged the weapon, and attempted to take Commander Adair and Levine down with them.
Luckily recovered by CSF teams and the help of the mysterious assassin, the Black Edge was recovered along with the casualties. While Aurora survived her injuries, she was left with a crippling injury that had paralyzed her from the waist down, taking away her ability to walk. Commander Levine was able to escape with a simple broken leg, leaving the two very much distraught as they struggled to imagine what their futures may hold.
Yet, the two managed to overcome their difficulties once more, and Aurora had eventually recovered enough to make usage of a customized mobility exoframe. This technology, created by PANDORA and BLUSTAR engineers aboard the Solaris, utilized a subdermal implant near the base of the neck - and coupled with sensors on the exoframe - reliably restored her ability to walk temporarily. While barred from field work, Aurora was able to have some of her independence back, which she most definitely spent in the loving company of her partner.
But having returned to a normal life, the two had aimed to honor a commitment they had made. Having proposed to Isabella on the 26th of January 3308, Aurora and Isabella committed to finally getting married, after their first attempt in Colonia was thwarted by the reveal of Aurora's path. Supported by the squadron, the duo were married on the 3rd of May, 3309, on the beach of a luxury resort they had once visited. The ceremony was officiated by the squadron's very own Chief of Operations, Avery Ramirez.
Now a married couple, Aurora and Isabella continued to live their life in relative peace, what with the flashpoint of the Second Thargoid War. The two were later reunited with the surviving members of Aurora's family, who revealed they had been taken into Federal custody after Aurora's past had been exposed. While the relationship was inevitably a bit strained, Aurora had managed to reconcile with most of her family, introducing her wife to them who was welcomed with open arms.
This also led to the discovery of further information being left behind by her father and kept by her mother - as one final wish before he had passed. Granting the information to Aurora, it was later revealed to be the final key for the databank containing all information regarding EMBER, which at the time still had one last locked partition. With the assistance of the squadron, she was able to reveal her father's final wish - the legal transfer of his Commander accolades, navy permits and remaining assets to her possession.
While an extremely rare and typically disallowed transfer, Aurora was uniquely granted this opportunity due to her father's influence. As such, she not only sports his Triple Elite badges, but also auxiliary navy ranks with both superpowers - equivalent to the actual military ranks held by her father. This inheritance also included souvenirs of suits and equipment salvaged by her father from across the galaxy, which Aurora has used to customise and enhance her own equipment.
Since then, Aurora has continued her life with her lovely wife, Isabella Levine, and continues to play some part in the squadron's operations - though vastly prefers to leave it to the operations crew for the most part. While her position does occasionally play on her imposter syndrome and guilt, Aurora's efforts and achievements continue to be respected by the squadron and its personnel - even if she feels she may not deserve it.
Luckily recovered by CSF teams and the help of the mysterious assassin, the Black Edge was recovered along with the casualties. While Aurora survived her injuries, she was left with a crippling injury that had paralyzed her from the waist down, taking away her ability to walk. Commander Levine was able to escape with a simple broken leg, leaving the two very much distraught as they struggled to imagine what their futures may hold.
Yet, the two managed to overcome their difficulties once more, and Aurora had eventually recovered enough to make usage of a customized mobility exoframe. This technology, created by PANDORA and BLUSTAR engineers aboard the Solaris, utilized a subdermal implant near the base of the neck - and coupled with sensors on the exoframe - reliably restored her ability to walk temporarily. While barred from field work, Aurora was able to have some of her independence back, which she most definitely spent in the loving company of her partner.
But having returned to a normal life, the two had aimed to honor a commitment they had made. Having proposed to Isabella on the 26th of January 3308, Aurora and Isabella committed to finally getting married, after their first attempt in Colonia was thwarted by the reveal of Aurora's path. Supported by the squadron, the duo were married on the 3rd of May, 3309, on the beach of a luxury resort they had once visited. The ceremony was officiated by the squadron's very own Chief of Operations, Avery Ramirez.
Now a married couple, Aurora and Isabella continued to live their life in relative peace, what with the flashpoint of the Second Thargoid War. The two were later reunited with the surviving members of Aurora's family, who revealed they had been taken into Federal custody after Aurora's past had been exposed. While the relationship was inevitably a bit strained, Aurora had managed to reconcile with most of her family, introducing her wife to them who was welcomed with open arms.
This also led to the discovery of further information being left behind by her father and kept by her mother - as one final wish before he had passed. Granting the information to Aurora, it was later revealed to be the final key for the databank containing all information regarding EMBER, which at the time still had one last locked partition. With the assistance of the squadron, she was able to reveal her father's final wish - the legal transfer of his Commander accolades, navy permits and remaining assets to her possession.
While an extremely rare and typically disallowed transfer, Aurora was uniquely granted this opportunity due to her father's influence. As such, she not only sports his Triple Elite badges, but also auxiliary navy ranks with both superpowers - equivalent to the actual military ranks held by her father. This inheritance also included souvenirs of suits and equipment salvaged by her father from across the galaxy, which Aurora has used to customise and enhance her own equipment.
Since then, Aurora has continued her life with her lovely wife, Isabella Levine, and continues to play some part in the squadron's operations - though vastly prefers to leave it to the operations crew for the most part. While her position does occasionally play on her imposter syndrome and guilt, Aurora's efforts and achievements continue to be respected by the squadron and its personnel - even if she feels she may not deserve it.
The full history of the squadron can be read on these pages:
TITAN Contractors - Meet Our Storycast & Factions
TITAN Contractors - Lore
You can read the biography of TITAN Contractors' first Squadron Commander, Commander Quinton Marshall, below.
Quinton Marshall's Biography
Quinton Marshall, colloquially known as CMDR TheRealFlame, was an independent freelance pilot, and squadron commander of the mercenary corporation "TITAN Contractors". Born in 3280 to Adrien and Myra Marshall, a lower-class single-wage family in the Holo system, a rather unremarkable childhood followed Quinton up to the age of 10. A fascination with engineering, astrophysics and piloting ironically led to poor performance in school, as these topics had nothing to do with common schoolwork. Living in Kafka Observatory, a planetary outpost in the system of Holo, Quinton would often skip school and accompany his father to his mining job, much to his mothers disapproval. His father, however, saw it as the perfect medium to teach his son about real jobs and real experience.
Adrien worked a fairly low-class job - assembling and maintaining automated mining extractors on the outer perimeter of Kafka Observatory. Teaching Quinton how to maintain the dangerous equipment safely, the two would often examine the beauty of the galactic skies from the safety of their EVA suits. Were it not for the limitation of oxygen and suit power, the two would stand there for ages. Unfortunately, in 3300, Adrien was killed by in a pirate attack while out on the job. Pirates in SRVs raided a small mining camp on the outskirts of Kafka Observatory, where Quinton and his father were present, with a few other workers. During the attack, a high-speed SRV rolled through the camp centre, colliding with Adrien Marshall, who was killed immediately upon impact.
Cut off due to the chaos, 19-year-old Quinton watched his father die at the hands of the pirate SRV. A narrow escape was afforded to him as security forces arrived, causing the pirates to abandon their raid mid-way and retreat. The death of Adrien single-handedly destroyed the Marshall family. With no way to pay the bills anymore, and living in the bare-minimum conditions, Quinton attempted to support his mother, Myra, who was slowly dying to a terminal disease. While it could be treated by modern medicine, it was impossible for them to afford it at the time. Desperately trying to finish his education so he could apply to the Pilots' Federation in an attempt to make ends meet, Quinton exited his tertiary pilot education at the age of 20. His mother died to the disease in 3301, a year before Quinton was granted his Commander license.
Despite such a rough childhood, Quinton perserved, and began his career as a freelance mercenary pilot. Slowly working his way up into a Cobra MK3, Quinton made a name, albeit a small one, in Holo, by hunting down the same pirates that were responsible for the ultimate unravelling of his family. Spending years as a bounty-hunter and eventually coming to terms to the loss of his family, Quinton pursued a lucrative career option. This was responsible for his rapid-rise to multi-millionaire Commander, which soon lead to the creation of a mercenary corporation uniting independent Commanders all under one banner - TITAN Contractors.
It is said that TITAN Contractors was an outlet for all the injustices the galaxy had done him, which he aimed to repeal by providing humanitarian aid and security by creating the group. Over the years, however, TITAN Contractors has grown to a much larger size with a more official stance, and with many more Commanders, - always ready to lend a helping hand.
Quinton Marshall was killed on the 10th of July 3307 when multiple terrorist attacks plagued the squadron. A compact explosive was planted under the pilot seat of his ship by the terrorists and detonated at 15:00 UGT prior to him departing the squadron's flagship carrier. The squadron had grown big enough to act independent without a squadron commander, but the blow was still severe. He was 27 when he died, and has since had a memorial service held by his squadron.
Shockingly, however, on the 14th, it was revealed that Quinton had, in fact, not been killed in the terrorist attack. In actuality, Quinton feigned his death and avoided the explosion aboard his Krait Phantom, where he thereafter disappeared into the shadows, presumed dead. The reveal occurred during a meeting between Quinton and Aurora after her father was killed by the Crimson Venators. Quinton made this reveal to explain to Aurora his involvement - and subsequently his own father's involvement - in hiding the sensitive information regarding the Federation, and why Aurora's father and him decided to utilise her as a contingency plan by promoting her to SC permanently.
Since then, Quinton has relinquished his Pilots Federation license and fully willingly allowed Aurora to maintain all his assets and authority as Squadron Commander, citing that 'she is the only one he would trust to be in the position'. It is unknown what Quinton operates as now, but it is assumed he took a large portion of his balance prior to his death, in order to retire comfortably once the Crimson Venators had been dealt with - and his father avenged.
