Ben Nightshade

Ben Nightshade
Military Information
Callsign:	"Venom"
Rank:	1st Lieutenant
Position:	Flight Member (Saint 7)
Squadron:	128th Imperial Interceptor Squadron
Wing:	120th Imperial Starfighter Wing
Division:	Navy
Affiliation:	The Imperial Dominion
Physical Description
Gender:	Male
Hair Color:	Brown
Eyes:	Brown
Biographical Information
Species:	Human
Homeworld:	Dantooine
Age:	27
Languages:	Basic, Huttese
Occupation:	Interceptor Ace
Hobbies:	Reading
Nickname:	Little Bear
Naval Certifications
First Certification
Special Warfare Combatant
Cert 1.1:	TIE Interceptor Pilot
Cert 1.2:	TIE Avenger Pilot
Cert 1.3:	TIE Defender Pilot
Second Certification
Third Certification
Fourth Certification
Ship Captaincy Certification
Ancillary Skills
Ancillary 1:	Advanced Fighter Maneuvers
Ancillary 2:	Gunnery
Ancillary 3:	Astrogation

“	The majority of the Saints choose not to form friendships, but those two are the exception. Their piloting skills are, individually, mediocre, but their teamwork is nothing short of stunning. They might as well be brothers.	”
—Talanis "Trophy" Heckmann, about Ben Nightshade and Jerris Samick.

Current status

• Rank: 1st Lieutenant (Flight Lieutenant)
• Position: Saint 7 (Besh Flight)

Biography

Appearance

Looking at Ben Nightshade, one wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alleyway. His head is clean shaven and he does not sport any facial hair whatsoever, displaying his strong jaw and prominent chin. His heavy brow is usually furrowed in a determined frown, as if deep in thought. His face is lined with the horrors he has seen in two of the least pleasant careers in the galaxy, but his brown eyes are strong and bright - it is clear that he is the master of his experiences, and not the other way around.

He is tall - able to stand eye-to-eye with some shorter Wookiees, and his muscular arms and neck (carefully maintained by many hours in the gym and sparring room) are covered in intricate, detailed tattoos. Despite his naturally intimidating appearance, he seems to be able to "switch off" the scary with only minimal effort, revealing a patient and kind side to him that is a rarity amongst the jaded individuals of The Saints, though this is usually only directed to his wingmate Jerris, and 'The kid' - Tannis Soladi.

Personality

From his tall, muscular physique to his natural affinity with all forms of combat, Ben Nightshade appears to be little more than muscle, a creature born to scare people and break bones. The sad irony of Ben Nightshade's existence is that, growing up, he absolutely abhorred violence and even as a Bounty Hunter always endeavoured to try and capture his targets alive. He's a kind soul at heart, whom just happened to be born during the beginnings of a galactic-scale civil war, and with an undeniable talent for fighting.

He is calm, collected, thoughtful and quiet, even for a Saint; he is at his happiest curled up in a chair with a good holobook. Though he looks like brute muscle, he has a keen mind and actually has a philosophy degree from the Alderaanian Academy of Thought. He has a lot more time for people than most Saints, and his greatest strength (and weakness) is his loyalty. Though frankly he doesn't much like war and death, he has remained a member of The Saints for almost ten years purely because of his loyalty to his best friend, Jerris Samick.

He is an excellent team player, and his wingmate manoeuvres and on-the-fly teamwork with Jerris is the stuff of legend, making him one half of the 'Super Team' of the 128th. He is also the Saint's chosen diplomat and mediator, and has the exhausting job of trying to keep a bunch of jaded, self-destructive people from tearing each other apart. So far, he's done remarkably well.

History

Ben has an extremely interesting past - he grew up as a farmboy on Dantooine, before he recieved a scholarship for the Alderaan Academy of Thought, wowing the galaxy with his musings on the dualism between the material world and the fabled Force. Of course, after Alderaan was destroyed, his hopes of becoming a lecturer at the Academy were shattered, and he instead took to Bounty Hunting with his good friend Jerris, the Academy's shuttle pilot

He ended up joining the Empire purely by chance - captured by an Imperial patrol, he was about to become a victim of the Empire's heavy-handed judicial system before his street-savvy partner Jerris bribed the local Captain into instead sending them to the Imperial Academy, where he graduated with honours. He's served ever since - if only because there's still technically a warrant on his head, and the moment he retires, the Imperials will collect.