Courtney Act

Bio:
Courtney comes from a small outpost destroyed by Thargoids, of which he is terrified but also has much anger.

All family lost except possibly a brother Davin Act, who he seeks for in every star port, asks for clues and looks into leads but no leads yet only rumours

Survived aboard a rescue ship. After home destroyed left alliance for a new life in the empire, as a young adult ready for adventure.

Worked a Merc and odd job pilot for Empire, but fell foul of the imperial justice system and after narrowly avoiding becoming an indentured slave holds no loyalty to the empire as a whole. Exception for Aisling duval, whose anti slavery stance represents the best of Imperial civilisation without the dark side.

Whilst searching for his lost brother made pilgrimage to the ancestral home world Earth. Enchanted by its beauty and tragedy decided to remain in the area and help with the pirate and outbreaks in the area, but mainly reducing the pirate scourge which seems to be overwhelming the nearby systems.

Loves the culture and science of Sirius

Loves the peaceful friendly vibe in Hel, when they're not fighting wars with each other.

Hates the tourist trap gawdiness of Robigo and the money grabbing Sothis route tourism agents, although did make some coin there.

Kept his head down, but was fascinated with the culture and freedom of the pirates in Euribia, and the ladies are so friendly to pilots passing through...

Brothers story : Darin - older brother and fierce combat pilot, killed many thargoids in the battle for their home world. Ship never recorded destroyed, or escape pod recovered, and one drunken pilot reported seeing him jump into hyperspace before the main battlefield was overrun with Cyclops and all our ships burned. Still no one has seen or heard of him until years later a type 6 pilot I met told me he'd seen him in a bar in Euribia. He was laughing with the owner about a successful massacre mission, then they spoke in low tones about some lost treasure, and there was talk of Colonia.

Still it's a very long way to fly for a rumour.

Later that year a science project in Colonia offers a big score for travellers who bring them rare pod tissue samples from remote points in the galaxy.

Resolved to meet the call and hit the big time Courtney headed to the Trifid Nebula, 7k ly out in a Python adapted for long haul science trips - the Cathemeral Foal.

Her Courtney meets Reza, a deep space scientist and carrier pilot working on the same contract.
The mysterious seed pods emit a hypnotic sound, which transfixes Courtney.
A pirate has followed the signals too and gets the better of Courtney and Reza while they are drilling the pods. The Cathemeral Foal is blown apart.

After the disastrous run in with pirates Reza rescues Courtney's escape pod and helps recover and repair the Cathemeral Foal, and after collecting the pod samples offers a space aboard carrier the Thargod. Courtney accepts, at least until they come to Colonia and fulfil the science contract, after which Courtney plans to make further enquiries after his lost brother.

After a long and relatively uneventful trip they arrive at Colonia. The contract is met, pods sold for a tidy profit.
Courtney starts to make enquiries, takes a few small jobs and makes some allegiance with the local faction officials. He asks after his lost brother all the while and finds not a trace, until one conversation in a mining colony links his brother to another name - Jaques.
As the mysterious story of Jaques is told Courtney realises why his brother came to this distant outpost, and maybe why he left and where he may have headed too. Devin may have gone chasing deep into the galactic core after the Jaques mystery.
Not wanting to give up but Courtney is out of ideas. He returns to the Thargod to recover some ship modules and take a brief moment to rest.

When he wakes he finds the Thargod has shipped out in the night - he's nearly 10k ly from Colonia, and close to another Pod group, and to the mysterious void hearts - legendary space treelike structures which glow from within.
Courtney flies out and finds Reza collecting more pod tissue samples. He learns the science institute contract had a clause for further profit to be made if more samples are brought by the deadline, 2 days hence. Time is tight and Courtney joins the efforts, collects a new batch of pod samples and makes friends in the crew.
Before leaving Courtney travels to visit the nearby Void Hearts. Their glow is hypnotic, like the sound from the pods before, but Courtney isn't caught this time. After a close encounter Courtney returns to the Thargod and they begin the chase back to Colonia to cash in before the science institute dead line.

Man overboard!
Mid journey disaster falls. Whether it's the hypnotic noise of the pods or some other interference isn't clear but Courtney wakes between jumps and finds the Thargod empty and Comms channels fallen silent. He waits but seems totally alone. Worried he takes flight to look around and scan the system for signs of the crew. He finds nothing but when he looks back the Thargod has gone.
Far from the Thargod and from any known system the Cathemeral Foal is stranded. No fuel scoop on board the range is far too small to catch back up to the Thargod.
Courtney powers down systems and jury rigs the Comms system for a super long range superluminal mayday signal to call out to the Thargod.
Reza hears the call, but can't easily get back to the Foal to recover the lost ship.
Courtney strikes out as far as the fuel in the small ship will carry it, which is just inside the range of the distant Thargod. With fumes left in the tank the stricken ship limps back onto the Thargod and is recovered.

Back in Colonia for some well earned shore leave Reza mentions his next project - a search for clues to the Jaques mystery, and a trip to the centre and beyond.
Perhaps Davin's trail isn't as cold as Courtney thought…