Luca Pavone is a Greaseheart Badass, working for the Phoenix Team as their leader and Captain, and formerly of the United Defence Directive's Emergency Assault Division. He came from a mountain town in Nonna, and lived in Sargasso for his adult life, and currently resides there permanently.

	Captain Luca Pavone (AKA: Codename: Phoenix, The Man in Red)
Race	Human Greaseheart	Age	Mid-20s
Weight	80kg (176lb)	Height	183cm (6'0“)
Affiliations	Unity Protocol, Phoenix Team
Occupation	Badass	Organisation	Phoenix Team
Rank	Captain	Home	Sargasso
Theme	Lazerhawk - King of the Streets

• Face and Eyes - Luca's face is long, sporting a prominent browline, an aquiline nose, a slightly pointed chin which compliments his sideburns, and deep-set brown eyes. Out on the field, he isn't seen smiling unless he's knocking skull.
• Hair - Luca has dark brown hair in a spiky pompadour with a high hairline. He also sports a pair of bushy sideburns which could poke an eye out. His eyebrows are also thick and pointy, making his brow seem bigger.
• Body - From years of working on the farm, then going onto combat training, Luca has a strong build. He is 6'0” tall, and weighs around 80 kilograms. He also has a hairy chest, arms, and legs; Perhaps cultivated from growing up in the cold.
• Voice - Voice Sample: Troy Baker as Action Bastard.

Psychology: His thought process can be described as procedural without appearing chaotic. Sometimes, he forgets to state his intentions and acts on his impulses, a carryover from having to make snap-decisions under duress on the field. His way of tactical thinking¹⁾ proved to be his brightest asset when he left the United Defence Directive to lead the Phoenix Team, setting it above the local competition.

Further analysis by the UDD and the Units showed he had the aptitude to become a low level psionic, but he refused to take the treatments, implants, or training necessary. Some people suspect that this latent talent is responsible for his instinctual affinity towards firearms, toughness, charisma, and his ability to stay calm under pressure. Others believe it was his upbringing in a rural-agrarian society, and a very pragmatic and practical thought process. Though, his allies reckon its his diet of action movies during downtime and a penchant for mischief and hard headedness. Recently, his psionics were shocked awake by the sight and spell of an unspeakable thing, and he's in the midst of processing what this means for his future.

• Likes: Freedom to move, action movies, heroism, danger, acoustic guitars, improvisation, wind rushing in his hair, motorcycles, mountains, fighting, popping bubble wrap, doughnuts
• Dislikes: Quiet areas, open areas, people who avoid simple questions, his ramen noodles being too soft, tentacles, bureaucracy, deserts, slime, mopeds, bears
• Goals: Make the Galaxy a better place, and have a nice fight.

Luca does not know any spells or rituals, and has no interest in learning any.

Personality: In casual conversation, Luca is noticeably straightforward, observant, and very dry if irritated. He's known to incorporate loanwords²⁾ from the different species he works alongside. He also has a strong sense of justice - though people like it to an archetypal action hero's personality, except played with enough self awareness to remain personable, and even goofy. He finds himself drawn to fights and fighting, and will eagerly suggest a fight if a conversation looks to be heading that way and the targets are some manner of trouble.

Luca was formerly affiliated with the Unity Protocol's Emergency Assault Division, and later split off on good terms to found his own group to deal with problems abroad: the Phoenix Team. During his time in the UDD, he encountered with a wide variety of different species on peaceful occasions, giving him a broad spread of who's who around the Unity Protocol, even with some questions and visits from the Unit Avatars.

His role in the repel of the Hostile Polygons on Sargasso's Ferros Block tower earned him the nickname of a superhero around Sargasso for a while. Now living in Sargasso, he is a local celebrity and they don't mind the Phoenix Team's presence. He is a citizen of Sargasso.

Luca is enemies with a splinter group of former agents and staff of the Emergency Assault Division, after surviving their betrayal when the scandals of the organisation's wrongdoing broke loose. On the one hand, Luca was on the side which helped put an end to the use of EAD as a political tool, shaking up the foundation by exposing the wrongdoers.

On the other, all of the naked corruption laid out caused an uproar in the news media and throughout councils in the Unity Protocol, and extensive collateral damage and swathe of trials and reviews soured the Protocol's palette for letting nonstandard soldiers into the UDD with so much free reign. Luca himself showed up in a handful of illicit operations, but was vindicated by his actions. He knows the murkier elements of his past missions will catch up to him eventually, and recent violent actions of former EAD's have put the topic back in the spotlight.

Some elements of Sargasso's media and political elite - especially anti-vigilante politician Dianne Proctor - think the actions of Phoenix Team is an irresponsible way of ensuring peace. Proctor is quick to point out Luca's chequered past with the EAD. Luca doesn't worry over it - it's just hot air.

He has also made an enemy of Yttrium's debtors and former employers, a medical corporation called Gruppen Tanhauss from Noir. The ethically unsound company made plans to move its business machinations into Sargasso; but now now that they have not one, but two lucrative bounties residing there.

Luca initially considered the attention of the company a nuisance when they beat him up in a parking lot, but when they ramped up with a hit squad, all bets were off. This emboldened Luca to hit back at the company and figure out what was worth killing over - and it turned out to be something more sinister than he imagined. What better than to bust it wide open with his friends, just like old times?

Luca speaks Basic, and a local dialect in his previous hometown on Nonna. He otherwise understands bits and pieces of local alien languages - particularly signals and directions, numbers, and combat orders.

Luca was born in an icy village up on the colony of Nonna. He spent his formative years working as a farmhand for his family and the village. Living a sheltered and homogeneous existence, he rarely saw aliens or other species come by his village, except during the tourist seasons. Luca made efforts to try and learn more, but his home's resources were limited.

When he came of age, he made the effort of organising himself. He got on his motorcycle and left his home, enlisting himself with the United Defence Directive, since it'd give him the quickest access to a spaceship, and to see the world as the advertisements said. What he got was to see more of the planet he lived on, and a lot more people, starting at academy and boot camp. After passing, he proceeded onto the Directive proper. There, his skills were much further advanced, displaying practicality and a cool head in changing situations.

Most of Luca's time in the UDD consisted of resolving small fights between members of Councils, fending off pirate raids, investigating unknown arrivals to the system, and repelling invaders alongside the Units. Some of his exploits through improvisation and combat tactics bought him a bit of notoriety as a tough nut and loose cannon in his usual post of the City of Sargasso. His rise to fame was involved in a first-contact with a hostile sect of Polygons, who had engulfed Ferros Block with non-euclidean geometry. Of the first-response squad he was assigned to, he and three other UDD Soldiers managed to break through the barriers and destroy the core, sapping the Polygons of a leyline and allowing the UDD reinforcements repel the threat.

Following recovery and a very thorough debriefing by both Units and UDD Brass, Luca was assigned to UDD's upcoming Emergency Assault Division - a team responsible for dealing with the more serious problems which beset Unity Metropolis from beyond Traveller, and the Aleph Cluster. His initial thoughts on the unit drew parallels to 'superheroes', but the Units thought that was only a bit of a stretch - they were just a special forces cell. That said, EAD was responsible for routinely dealing with large threats, including counter-terrorism, repelling monstrous alien invasion, space pirate fleet raids, and taking out external threats to Unity Protocol. Luca didn't like how showy the image seemed, but he settled in.

In time, Luca stood out in the Emergency Assault Division for not standing out on first glance. He wasn't an obvious cyborg, mage, psion, ki user, or supersoldier; Nor did he display any extraordinary abilities - he didn't appear to bring any advantage to the team over his peers initially, and he was met with disdain and derision. The opinion changed when it manifested in battlefield experience, backed up with gadgets and cutting edge weaponry, making him a formidable combatant and nothing but that, able to outgun and outwit mages, psions, and most frequently monstrous aliens.

Then, someone turned on him from within. During a routine defence against a pirate fleet invading a Unity commercial space station, his squad was cut off and stranded inside by a treacherous squad member who was sold over to the pirate's cause. It didn't stop there though - Luca pursued the traitor's source, and discovered it to be high-ranking Council Members of Unity Prime, whose requests begun to look like politically motivated attacks, eliminating political rivals in the crossfire. EAD's political moles turned on Luca, and he fought back using every trick in the book, while having to explain everything to the Units who were trying to make sense of the friendly fire.

After this incident Luca quit EAD out of disgust. He was offered an honourable discharge by the UDD and commended for attempting to stamp out corruption, but never felt rewarded by it. Using resources, knowledge, and connections he'd picked up through the years in Sargasso, as well as his hazard pay, he pooled his resources to create his own group, renting a warehouse in Sargasso's Barrier Island. He had a wellspring of initial support from Sargasso, but he now has to find something to do with their goodwill and make a difference.

He has so far managed to find himself more chaos and mayhem after rescuing a crude gynoid called Yttrium from her debtors. Shortly afterwards, he was contacted by Sargasso's mayor to investigate and clean up the local sport of Drill Tanks. However, a large explosion caused by Yttrium derailed the operation, and her debtors moved in on Sargasso to apprehend her and Luca after they took the man responsible for messing up the Drill Tanks back to the warehouse for interrogation. After bringing in extra assistance since Yttrium was incapacitated, the mechanic's phone would be decrypted by an expert bought in by the mayor, and Luca called the mechanic's bluff that he had friends who used to be in the UDD, dropping him off in the middle of Witchwood with a sack over his head.

Since then, Luca has realised with Yttrium's debtors here to stay, he will have an ongoing source of trouble to deal with around town with his own two hands, instead of taking orders from the mayor.

Having been bought up in the country, honed in the city, then tempered in space and abroad, Luca's skills put him head and shoulders above the average soldier in a battlefield.

Any vaguely firearm-like device and any tactics and skills required to use them effectively are second nature to Luca. He has a preference for revolvers, shotguns, laser pistols, and launched explosives in particular.

He knows boxing, judo, and wrestling. Luca greatly enjoys punching things with the aid of the Grapple Stunner, and countering his opponent's attacks. He prefers to get his fights over and done with quickly - no tactic or move is too underhanded so long as he walks away. The Phoenix Punch is its own beast, and requires a hard read!

Physical fitness throughout life and within the Defence Directive's ranks and beyond keep Luca agile, durable, and strong. He maintains this through a eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and having plenty of opportunities to put his physique to the test.

He can call in a favour from a friend easily, and lead people. In addition, he can figure out the strengths of people under his command by watching them, and utilise them effectively to lead combined attacks.

Luca enjoys riding dual-sport motorcycles, dirtbikes, and similar two-wheeled transports. He can perform stunts, keep up in a car chase, and maintain or modify bikes in a garage. He also has a good understanding of four wheeled vehicles.

Able to look after his gadgets and use them to their maximum effectiveness involves some technical know-how, quick wits, an understanding of their limitations, and a bit of imagination. In particular, he knows how to get results from hardlight projection systems, and cord/cable reels.

Though he's not known for his subtlety, Luca has a rounded understanding of staying hidden in hostile territory, eliminating targets quietly and discreetly, setting up ambushes, and using misdirection to divert enemy attention.

• Animals - Comfortable around creatures. Likes dogs especially.
• Humanities - Knows a bit about the world around him, but not everything.
• Explosives - If it ticks, has an LCD display and a lot of wires, or it is round and has a pin and spoon, it's probably a bomb and the enemy should worry about it.
• Medicine - Knows basic first aid procedures, but don't expect him to reattach a severed arm.
• Piloting - Can pilot aerospace craft and knows the liftoff/landing procedures, but isn't his best suit. He also applies the principles to flying with the Phoenix Wings.
• PSI - An attack from a strange creature from the Weald³⁾ brought Luca's latent psionics to the forefront in self-defence from a breaking speech. He has no formal training or means to focus, so he utilises what he can feel out to leverage his martial skills.

Theme: Martial, Gadgets, PSI

• Gadgets - Constructed by fans of his, the Phoenix Team, or carry-overs from his UDD days and given his own personal touch, his gadgets give the otherwise ordinary man the edge in combat over stronger foes. They are powered by Graphene batteries.
  • Grapple Stunner - “Be seeing you.” Twzzzt-Klink! woosh - This piece of armour attaches to Luca's right arm. It is often mistaken for a cybernetic limb by onlookers, but it is constructed like an elbow-length gauntlet and bracer. It contains a mass-driven grapplegun with an electrified line, and a concussive power fist by means of a blank mass-driver launch called the Phoenix Punch. Other additional functionalities can be built into it and hot-swapped with existing components as need be, and a supply of spare reels is on hand in case one snaps. The Grapplegun's cable can also tether itself to a clip hidden in Luca's shoulderpad, letting him keep his hands free while he hangs from something.
  • Battle Jacket - “The best defence is a good one. Being stylish helps too.” - A suit of unpowered armour which appears to be a biker's leathers and pants. Underneath the leather jacket is layers of armouring including Hellenium chainmail, quilted ballistic weaves, and wool. Beneath the jacket is a segmented breastplate, made of replaceable trauma plates. Integrates seamlessly with the Grapple Stunner and Phoenix Boots. Also included for tougher situations is a helmet which resembles a riot policeman's, and a crested, transparent hellenium visor with an outer lining, and a scanning and targeting software installed.
  • Phoenix Boots - “KICK! JUMP! DROP! DASH!” - These winged boots allow Luca to dash with jetskates, perform fiery kicks, leap from wall to wall, and survive long drops. They also allow him to make an air recovery and right himself if he is sent flying. In a rhythm and in tandem with his other gadgets, he can traverse long distances in only hours.
  • Phoenix Wings - “It's so peaceful from up here…” - With the Grapple Stunner, the Battle Jacket, and Phoenix Boots worn in tandem, Luca can create a Hardlight parachute or wings for gliding. The functions are handled inside of Luca's shoulderpad, and the emitters are dotted across the shoulder-blades of his jacket, underneath his arms, and in his boots to turn the man into an aerofoil.
  • Concussion Grenades - “Consider this!” - Luca gets these delivered by the boxful from Johnny Longhands; In his words you don't need a license to buy them in Acala System. They incorporate a flash from a magnesium-oxidant charge, a low-pressure explosive for the bang, a metal body designed not to break under the explosive force, and a plastic outer shell to help the grenades bounce and roll. The grenade is activated by pulling a pin and releasing the spoon, then its three-ish seconds until bang. Luca finds them used against people to stun and deafen targets for non-lethal takedowns, as a timely distraction⁴⁾, or a tripwire-activated trap when he's on the defensive.
• Martial Skills - Years of fighting in many varied and intense battlefields and abroad have honed Luca's combat skills with guns and his fists.
  • Gun Nut - “Groovy~” - Having been around Greasehearts and other soldiers from around the Protocol for most of his life, he shares their keen interest in firearms. Any firearm or firearm-like device that comes to hand is figured out in seconds, as well as modifications. He also has no problem carrying the ammo, or swapping between multiple firearms on his person.
  • Adrenaline Booster - “I ain't got time to die!” - Added to him via the United Defence Directive's soldier improvement program, this piece of hardware allows Luca to stretch his perception of time to line shots up, and continue fighting when injured. In drastic cases, it can release a pulse keep his heart beating when the rest of him has failed - buying time for medical extraction.
  • Quick Draw - “Too slow.” - Fast hands mean Luca can swap between firearms and reload guns quickly. In addition, he can draw his preferred revolver lightning fast.
  • Cool Head - “If a plan ain't working, ditch it and move it!” - Luca doesn't have the time to feel fear after seeing what war could throw at him. No matter how hairy the situation gets, Luca is not subject to panic or fear effects in combat. This also allows him to find solutions to problems where brute force is not the appropriate way - or simply needs to be applied differently.
  • Taunt - “C'mon! You waiting for an invitation?” - While Luca is familiar with the benefits of stealth, he's got a penchant with drawing attention to himself and away from his companions at opportune moments, and an arsenal of shit-talk for his foes. Once in the target's sights, Luca embarks on a campaign of speed and evasion, kiting the taunted quarry and leading them away from their allies.
  • Human Projectile - SMAAAAAAAAAASH! - When propelled at significant speed through use of jet-skates or sling-shotting himself with the grappling hook(Or being thrown by a companion!), his attack options boil down to a running shoulder bash suited to bowling targets over, a devastating flying knee strike to a single target, or a forceful slam into/through a ceiling, wall, door or floor.
• PSI - Luca has only recently learned Psionics, having had it teased out from the back of his head and into his conscious thought by something really weird. He isn't very good at it, but he's figuring it out as he goes.
  • Aura - Luca emits glowing, ghostly orange flames around his upper body when he's fired up in a life-or-death situation, now. He isn't sure how to control this, and figures he'll need a focus installed somewhere on his jacket.
  • I Hit Harder! - When Luca's aura is aglow, he hits harder. Or he feels like he hits harder. Its in his head, regardless.
  • I Think Faster! - When Luca's aura is aglow, his reactions become quicker. Or, it feels that way. He's not sure yet.
  • It's getting weirder! - Luca now notices weird things more often.

Weaponry

• Odan .40 Pistol
• Mark 8 Laser Pistol
• Big Kill
• 12ga Lever Shotgun
• 6.8x45mm Service Carbine
  • With attached 40mm grenade launcher

Apparel

• A distinct orange scarf
• Combat Gear - See Abilities.
  • Battle Jacket
  • Grapple Stunner
  • Offhand Stunner
  • Phoenix Boots
• Casual Clothing - Casual jeans, white t-shirt, red hooded jumper with a pocket in the middle, and sand-shoes/sneakers
• Relaxing Outfit - Tropical-patterned shirt, khaki shorts, sandals, sunglasses and a straw hat
• Sharp Suit - Three piece suit that fits him well, and polished leather shoes. Goes nicely with a tie
• UDD Uniform - Battle-dress uniform, helmet, armoured vest and over-wear, radio suite, boots, medals and tags

Vehicles

• Motorcycle, Wheeled, Dual-Sport, Heavily Modified
  • Black and crimson bike with white accents. Has the number 72 written on it in white.
• One-Stop Fantail

Property and Spaceships

• Two Bedroom Apartment 7-02 in Sargasso's Ferros Block (Owned, Paid Off)
  • Furnished comfortably, co-habited by Yttrium
• Warehouse in Sargasso's Barrier Island
  • Contains meeting area, lockers/secure storage, a basic workshop, vehicle bays, a bunkroom, and a hangar for the Fantail

Luca currently lives comfortably with a payout from the United Defence Directive. The money needed to keep the Phoenix running day to day comes from itself by task payouts. He usually has Johnny manage the strategic finance decisions.

Long running character is very long running.

• Space Adventure Cobra - Opening Theme
• F-Zero GX - James McCloud's Theme
• Shatterhand - Area B Remix - GuitarWanker90