Written
and Created by: Ian Schue
Copyright ©1997-2003, All Rights Reserved
The crew of the ThorHammer is the main focus of the ThorHammer stories, and together are our doorway into this realm created. With a skilled bounty-hunter as captain and his mercenary crew of two Blackfox, an eager wolf, an oversized Leviathan human, and one talented panther mechanic. Stanton “acquired” this crew when his brother, Jacob, died in combat. At first, Stanton was against the idea of having a crew, being a strictly solitary man in the past. However, he found himself trying to help them gain a foothold in the galaxy (without getting killed themselves) and soon found himself not only accepting thier presence, but attached. A man who has been through some very rough times lately, dealing with some hard emotions and experiences, Stanton discovered new purpose on the first mission with his new crew. Still a bounty-hunter at heart and practice, Stanton tries to rub off as much of his knowledge onto the crew as possible, turning them into a mercenary group (at their request). Much of ThorHammer involves this plot, but we soon find that while Stanton is teaching them how to survive in an often-brutal galaxy, the crew is teaching him how to live again as a person. Without each other, they are nothing.
Index
Ian (Redhawk) Stanton
Tenkin
Kiir
Kaylen
Benson
ElizabethGo Back to the Characters Page
Name: Ian Stanton (Red)
Pronunciation: Stan'ton
Species: Human, Male
Age: V=30, A=Unknown
Height: 6 foot 2 inches
Eyes: Brown, human eyes
Description: Brown hair, brown eyes, white skin. Broad shoulders, muscular build. Somewhat square jaw. No facial hair except for eyebrows.Most commonly seen in complete head-to-toe armored suit, which is dark-red with a faceless helmet. There are no markings on the armor, the model is unknown.
Occupation: Bounty Hunter. Although Stanton currently resides as the leader of a group of mercenaries, he has made no notification on any circuit that he has left the bounty hunting circle, (if it could be said that he was ever in it.) Stanton operates as a lone individual by most accounts; a rarity among his occupation.
Author's Comments: Stanton is your typical knight in shining armor...strong, dependable, cunning, brave, and very much the gentleman, but also with a dark history. On one hand, he's a bloodthirsty warrior with an unstoppable mean streak, a nasty temper when crossed, and very skilled in the art of bounty hunting. On the other hand, he is a loving, affectionate, and charming individual.Stanton's past is about as vague as you can get. Even his closest friends, of which he'll deny he has any, know little about him. They know he's human, he's kind to those he likes and hauntingly deadly to those he doesn't, he's a very skilled warrior, and he's been around for a while; although he doesn't look it and claims that he's only 30.
Stanton spent some years in the presence of the Amar'I people, particularly under the ruling body. He is highly skilled in the ways of Amar'I warfare and politics, and even holds a high-status title among them. It is a very unusual relationship, since the Amar'I include him as one of their own, yet there are no humans in the Amar'I Empire, neither in the past nor present. He is in close personal favor of Nila'Sann, Dharken of the Amar'I Empire, as well as good friends with the Ra'Dharken. His Amar'I mentors and perhaps closest friends in the Empire, are an albino tigress named Shala, and an albino snow leopard named Ceitah. He is also in close friendship with all of the Amar'I royal guards, although he has made it known he holds little feeling for the Amar'I Grand Council, which he refers to as "spineless fools."
Also known about Stanton is that he has the tendency to disappear completely from the galaxy. Although he is no performer of magic, from time to time he has been known to leave the area and be totally un-findable for long periods of time. No one knows where his travels take him. All anyone knows is that the Thorhammer, Stanton's ship, is incredibly fast and can achieve high-speed-transport speeds, which means he could get very far, very fast.
Stanton's reputation as the notorious bounty hunter, Redhawk, has earned him both respect and fear in the eyes of all. He's a person not to be tangled with, and he has a history of successful undertakings that seals the fate of anyone on his list. His ship of choice is the infamous Thorhammer, a massive 400 foot long ship of unknown make that has the handling of a star fighter, the weapons of a small cruiser, and a speed matched only by the fastest high-speed transports in the galaxy.
Although this ship sticks out like a sore thumb at any docking area, Redhawk's reputation provides for a lot of privacy. Those not looking for trouble are quick to turn a blind eye and hope in earnest that the ship and its master will not stay long. The galaxy is a cold enough place without one stirring up more trouble than they can handle. As deadly as its master is, the Thorhammer seems to be built to be just as deadly, with a highly advanced AI unit and more weapons than a small super-fortress.Stanton leads a rather split lifestyle. He was once more or less totally a bounty hunter, that much is known. However, with the oncoming of a permanent crew, Stanton reveals a side of him that is very unlike the cold bounty hunter lifestyle he leads. He shows great affection for those he cares about, is forgiving, a good friend, and a complete gentleman. His enormous network of contacts and "friends," as well as his extensive experience with the galaxy, make him a constant source of amazement and excitement. He's quick to lend a hand, and guards his friends as if they were his dearest possessions; for they truly are.
Name: Tenkin
Pronunciation: Ten'ken
Species: Gray Wolf, Male
Age: V=26, A=28
Height: 5 foot, 11 inches
Eyes: Brown, standard canine eyes.
Description: Well built, predominantly light gray throughout coat with some variation in the chest and tip of tail where fur is a bit lighter.
Occupation: Second in Command on the starship Thorhammer, although he is really in training for the position, since most often the real job falls to his good friend, Kaylen, who is another member of the crew. Aside from his position, Tenkin is a member of the mercenary team, specializing in rifles.
Notes: Tenkin currently is romantically involved with the notable and noble Amar'I guard, Kiene`.Tenkin is often referred to as "the ugly rat," because of his often scruffy look and his almost constant lack-of-information. As leader of the Thorhammer crew, under Stanton, he finds himself grossly out of place. He's learning though, and with help from Benson and Stanton he's fast becoming a good leader. He is young at heart, which is a good combination with his best friend Benson. Tenkin has found new ability to be calmer and more refined, in his deep love for the Amar'I Royal Guard, Kiene`. Kiene`, an albino wolf of the same species as he, is unable to speak and thus must communicate through means of hand sign-language and simple muzzle sounds such as whimpers. Because of this, Tenkin has learned to pay attention more and he has learned he must be calmer to understand her. Kiene` is currently teaching him her sign language, and besides Stanton, Tenkin is the only member of the crew that can understand what she signs. Her calm attitude and her way of communication is proving to be just what Tenkin needed to bring out the leader in himself.
Tenkin has no relatives which he keeps contact with.
Tenkin's weapon of choice is assault rifles. His role as crew leader means he can't just wander off into a fight, he has to coordinate and keep an eye on everyone. For this, he prefers to use light automatic rifles that he can move quickly with.
Author's Comments: Tenkin is your aspiring leader, bogged down by his slight immaturity and his desire to just have fun. He sharpens up quickly, but there's no taking the boy out of him. He tries so hard to be the center of leadership-attention, but he just doesn't have that needed command-presence. Tenkin's ideal life would be somewhere in the woods, doing what he used to do when he was young, which is basically hunting and fishing and camping. He's adapted well to starship life, but he has to develop instincts for it, each step of the way.
Tenkin's surprise love with Kiene`, well, is interesting at the least. Love at first sight. Those two came together like butter and bread. Tenkin gets a little depressed that Kiene` is nobility and he is not, meaning HE can't propose to her, and that they are likely to have to be far apart when they reach Kahmin, Kiene`'s home planet. Knowing Kiene` though, she won't let her wolf go that easy.
Name: Kiir
Pronunciation: Keer
Species: Blackfox, Male
Age: V=30, A=30
Height: 6 foot
Eyes: Brown, standard canine eyes.
Description: Kiir is well built for a Blackfox, with typical male-Blackfox markings. A mixture of black and light gray, Kiir is gray on the chest and lower head, while the rest is completely black.
Occupation: Kiir has many responsibilities as a crewmember of the Thorhammer, the ship he travels on. He is in charge of navigational operations, cargo management, piloting duties, and port relations. Kiir's extensive experience working on the sailing ships of his home planet, Tarth, makes him a very valuable asset to a starship crew, as the Thorhammer often goes on long voyages. Kiir's combat specialty is handguns.
Notes: Kiir is currently courting Kaylen, a female Blackfox member of the Thorhammer crew.Kiir is the passive member of the crew. Growing up on Tarth and spending most of his young-adult life as a fisherman on fishing vessels, he knows his way around a ship and how to handle himself, but he shows no desire to take charge of the crew or be a captain. Even though he is much more skilled at leading and getting around than Tenkin, he chooses to let Tenkin lead the crew.
Kiir has two relations he keeps regular tabs with. His father, Dean Atkins, who is Dean of Tarth University of Marine Biology and Planetary Governor of Tarth, and his sister, Saelee, who is a professor and director at the same university.
Kiir's weapon of choice is a pair of small handguns. He prefers to be the gear-man for excursions from the ship and from his time aboard ships at sea he has learned how to defend himself in close-quarters and in situations where bigger weapons are harder to use.
Author's Comments: Kiir acts, more or less, as if he's just along for the ride and nothing else. He's real relaxed about everything, but he's not a bum. He likes his work, likes doing work, and likes seeing the galaxy. As long as he's with his friends, he doesn't care about pay or where he's sleeping next. In a way, he's a lot like me.
Kiir's one regret is that he didn't ask Kaylen to be his mate years ago. He loves that vixen with all his heart and would go anywhere with her. There's talk that he may one day move in with Kaylen, but for now they are both having fun dating. It's something they never got to do.
Name: Kaylen
Pronunciation: Kay'len
Species: Blackfox, Female
Age: V=28, A=30
Height: 5 foot 6 inches
Eyes: Brown, standard canine eyes. Both genetic replacements, making past retinal records still valid.
Description: Average Blackfox female appearance. Black and white coloring covering entire body. Chest, face, underarms and inside of legs, are white. White tail tip. The rest of her body is solid black. Once had long black hair, but is now with a natural length. Dark pink nose.
Occupation: Doctor and Mercenary aboard the Thorhammer. Among her duties to the crew's health and as a part of the mercenary team, she acts as a mediator between crew members. Kaylen's combat specialty is light repeaters, field medicine, and surprisingly, shotguns.
Notes: Kaylen is currently in courtship with Kiir, another member of the Thorhammer crew.Kaylen leads a life of trying to fit in with the boys while keeping feminine at the same time. She knows how to hang with the boys, yet she wants to be feminine and expects to be treated as a lady. Growing up in an area dominated by males, she has learned to be rough and tough when needed, but is always a vixen sweetheart the rest of the time. She dearly wishes for a female friend aboard the Thorhammer and for a short time had the friendship of a female fox. However, that fox left the ship un-expectantly, leaving Kaylen once again alone. She loves her mate, Kiir, dearly, but finds she would like to have a woman to talk to and do things with.
The only relation Kaylen has kept ties with is her uncle Jeryl, who lives on Wylar. She used to write to him often when on the Midnight Hunter, but now traveling with Stanton on the Thorhammer, she has to limit her transmissions to avoid risking the Thorhammer's detection. Stanton has the encryption abilities to let Kaylen send all the messages she wants, but people on his level of bounty hunting know how to find hidden transmissions and he doesn't want to risk them one day figuring his codes out and leading them to Kaylen's uncle. So, whenever they are in port or on a planet, Kaylen brings several messages with her to send using public channels.
Kaylen is the ship's doctor, a role for which she is definitely suited. Growing up, she always had a fascination and desire to be a doctor, and taught herself much of what she knows from books and files given to her by her uncle Jeryl. She wishes she could attend a real medical school, but wouldn't like leaving her dear friends, so she continues to teach herself. She is also considered the ship's mediator, often acting as a go-between for the crew and Stanton, as well as being the one that keeps everyone from fighting. This mostly comes from her instinctive vixen curiosity, which she applies almost fully towards trying to figure Stanton out. It makes her extremely angry when she struggles to gain just one thread of information about him, while he effortlessly skirts all her questions with false-truths and lies.
Author's Comments: Kaylen is probably one of my favorite characters in the crew, if I can even say that. I like all my characters. If this were a tale about a group of people in a small town somewhere in the States, Kaylen would be your town-sweetheart. Yer country-bumpkin. She's the kind of girl who's drop-dead sexy, but doesn't really know it, and she's mastered the vixen art of being sweet. After going through an expensive operation to restore limbs she lost shortly after joining the crew, she's been left with some rather peculiar traits. For starters, her left ear doesn't seem to want to stand up. It does from time to time, but mostly it's lopped down, and it gives her a bit of character that makes her even that much more cute. Second, she has to wear sunglasses, since her new eyes (lost when she lost her limbs) are still very sensitive to light.
Kaylen has always had a thing for Kiir, but not until recently did the two of them come together. I think their relationship is very strong and Kaylen loves Kiir very much. She's said, at least once, that if she ever settles down, she would like to have some foxlings by him.
Name: Carl Benson
Pronunciation: Karl Benson
Species: Human, Male
Age: V=35, A=Unknown
Height: 7 foot
Eyes: Light Blue, Human eyes
Description: Benson is a mammoth of a human, with large, broad shoulders and a very muscular build; a literal giant. His short, military cropped blond hair, light blue eyes, square-ish jaw, and his unmistakable accent, are clear evidence of his Austrian background.
Occupation: Benson is currently in charge of weapons systems aboard the Thorhammer, as well as providing the bulk of firepower as part of the mercenary team. Among other duties, Benson's size and strength make him a valuable asset when those qualities are needed.
Notes: Carl Benson, just known as Benson to the crew, has a past almost as obscure as Stanton's. What is known is that he is from Leviathan, and was an officer in the Leviathan army.The Leviathan Army was a very advanced, very powerful army. The Leviathan people, who derive their ancestry from Germanic backgrounds, are generally strongly built and very tall. Benson sticks out in a crowd with the Thorhammer crew, but back on Leviathan he would have been just your average guy.
The Leviathan Army was perhaps considered unstoppable, but they never advanced outside of their own territory. To attack the Leviathan Empire, small as it was, was no short of suicide. Their starships were fast and strong, and their ground forces were unstoppable. They are most noted for their battle armor, and their highly advanced tanks which were built to enormous size and intelligence. It was said that a Leviathan tank was as smart as a military officer and could conduct a whole battle with little to no instruction from a biological mind. Most famous of the Leviathan weapons was the rotary needler cannon, which was carried by every troop in battle and was devastating on the field.
Sadly, the Leviathan Army fell years ago due to a betrayal at the highest levels of their government, which was a military government. Before anyone knew the severity, nearly the entire star-fleet was wiped out and the ground forces were isolated and picked off one by one. The fighting was bloody, but short, as with the betrayal being up so high on the intelligence ladder, any forces were found out easily and trapped. Of the entire Leviathan Empire, only a few hundred persons managed to escape. Benson included.There are reasons why Benson wishes to keep his past a secret. For one, his people are still being hunted by various parties. Secondly, the fall of the Leviathan Empire weighs heavy on his heart and mind and it is painful for him to think back on it. He recently has joined up with another friend from the Leviathan Army, Cooter, who runs an orbital shipyard near Tarth.
Benson is very young at heart and likes to fool around, although never to the point of getting in serious trouble. He stands by his friends is very kind to them all.
Benson's weapon of choice is anything heavy which makes a big noise and big explosions. He likes heavy weaponry, but his favorite weapon is his rotary needler cannon which he managed to rescue when fleeing from the aftermath of the Leviathan Army collapse.
Author's Comments: Benson, as he likes to be called, is an all-around nice guy. He's got some hidden issues that I don't think everyone in the crew knows about, though. Rather more like a career soldier turned free, Benson likes to get his hands on any sort of weapon that's big and makes lots of noise, and his massive frame lets him do just that. His military career and lifestyle leaves him perfectly happy to wait for orders. He likes to fool around, but never at anyone's expense, and the best compliment you can give the man is "Good job." That's all he wants from anyone. Benson will go to the ends of the galaxy for his friends, but he's perhaps not as savvy in the galaxy to do that if need be. Not like his captain, at least. I'll also note that you'd better watch your food around Benson, as his enormous body craves food 24/7, and aside from the fact that he won't take your food without asking, he WILL empty the cellars before you get there.
Name: Eli'Deseloro Paladascious, (Elizabeth)
Pronunciation: Ely Dessay-Lorroh Pala'day'see'us, (El'is'uh'beth)
Species: Mountain Panther, Female
Age: V=29, A=31
Height: 6 foot 1 inch
Eyes: Yellow, Standard Feline Eyes
Description: Elizabeth is tall, muscular, with light-tan fur. She has identical black markings on the left and right sides of her muzzle, just below the eyes, and a black tail tip. The tips of her ears are black, as with panthers, and her nose is a dark pink. Due to defects in her nervous system and skeleton, caused by the Fixace plague, she is incapable of walking or sitting up without the assistance of advanced motor-assist and electro-stimulus braces, which extend from her lower back to her feet.
Occupation: Ship's Mechanic for the ThorhammerAuthor's Comments: Elizabeth is a very nice girl, with good ambitions, if only in her head, and she has a level head on her shoulders. Well, she is very hard on herself, almost dangerously so, but she does her best to keep out of trouble. She spent most of her life working in the mines of Teth, and as a starship mechanic. She started working at an extremely young age, and has never stopped. As an underclass citizen of Teth, she lived a harsh, limited life, with the constant threat of being fired. In her position, in the slums of Teth, being without work was a near guarantee of never getting a job again, not to mention having no food or place to live. Elizabeth's condition, not being able to walk, meant that if she lost her job, she was as good as dead. She would not be able to defend herself, and the slums of Teth are much like being in the wild. If you can't keep what you got, someone will take it. This lifestyle has left Elizabeth with a deep psychological fear of being fired, even when she has been told she wouldn't be, (in this case with her being employed on the Thorhammer.) She would rather work herself unconscious than risk even the chance of her employer being unhappy, which on Teth would mean she'd be fired. There would have been a thousand other people ready and able to take her place.
Her life started to take a slight turn for the better when she was temporarily moved to a racing facility where she was made to work on the incredibly expensive and complex racing machines there, under the employment and supervision of a man named Jed Sasson, a famous Slammer racer. Elizabeth, with her keen mind and natural talent for mechanical things, managed to rework part of Jed's Slammer racer, providing him with a considerable advantage over the other racers, and thus giving him one of the most successful wins of his career. He was so delighted, that he bought Elizabeth her first leg braces, giving the panther her first experience of walking since she lost the ability to the Fixace plague. Elizabeth, formally confined to a wheelchair, also experienced the first bit of reward she had ever been given.
The braces weren't perfect, but they did allow her to walk for a few hours each day. At least as long as the power cells held up before having to be recharged. This new ability allowed her to secure a slightly better position at the shipyards, and she was able to rent a cramped alley between two buildings to live in. Making a home out of discarded engine crates and steel cases, she had enough money and security to actually buy food, even if it was hardly enough to fill her. Still, it was a step up from scrounging.
About two years passed when Elizabeth was assigned to assist a large mercenary ship with repairs. That ship was The Shadow Hunter, captained by Kentira Rushard, and Elizabeth's life would never be the same. Developing a friendship with Kentira, Elizabeth was treated better and was able to work in clean situations for a change. Completing the job ahead of schedule, she was upset to see Kentira go, but found an extra Sled in her pay and Kentira didn't leave before giving her a gift, (a very valuable one, although Elizabeth didn't know it at the time.)
Elizabeth was presented with two never-before-seen A.I. processors, which Kentira didn't say anything about, but when Elizabeth used them in two droids, Peter and Chester, she found they were more advanced than anything anyone had ever seen. Kentira only said one thing, that the two units were from someone very special to her, and that maybe one day they would lead her to that person. Elizabeth has yet to find that person.
With her two new droids, and her ability to walk, Elizabeth climbed the ladder of success in the mechanic world. Well, she didn't make it out of being considered under-class, but she was paid enough now that she could afford some things for herself. She spent the money, of course, on making sure she had a job. She took the extra money and saved up for better tools and improvements for her braces. By the time she was abruptly expelled from a transport she was traveling on for work, she was able to walk all day, and had an almost complete range of motion and ability.
We have yet to see if Elizabeth will ever overcome herself and her past, but I think it's safe to say she's in a good place for now.