Kaiden Bellig

"I commit crimes daily to atone for past ones" ~ Kaiden BelligKaiden Bellig, callsign Nemean 3, is an ARK pilot of JSF Nemean. His specialization is in close quarters combat and hit-and-run tactics. Like all members, he is a Hyper Lethal Vector. Kaiden's ARK has an official designation if B1-TCH (Build 1 - Terminal Combat Hull), which he has colloquially named "The Bitch"
== Physical Appearance ==
Kaiden is a small male, roughly 140 pounds. His small frame is what allows him to fit inside the incredibly cramped interior of his ARK, which is one of the reasons why the ARK never saw service in a large scale. Kaiden has black short hair and brown eyes. His upper left lateral incisor has been replaced with a fake plastic tooth. Electrical scarring can be found running down from the back of his right ear, down his neck and across his right shoulder blade. Kaiden's face is otherwise free of blemishes or natural scarring, such as pimple scars, welts, etc. It is unclear if this is natural or if Kaiden had these marks removed.
Kaiden also has a tattoo sleeve that runs the length of his right arm and connects with his electrical scar at the shoulder. A picture of it can be found below the article.
When not in gear, Kaiden likely wears off-duty garb such as t-shirts or baggy pants rather than official uniform.
== Background ==
=== Early Years ===
Kaiden was born some years ago along the northern lateral peninsula of Wendesvehr, in a region called Gygus Point, named after a Wendesvehr hero of Hellenic times that married the sky and, from their union, created the offspring of earth and wind called the clouds. Life on Gygus point was solitary and often devoid from outside influences, even war from other countries. The rocky peninsula was largely used for either industrial purposes like harbors and manufacturing as well as commercial fishing.
Kaiden's parents were both proprietors for a farm on a small acre of land. The farm made enough for a living but not nearly enough to afford anything past basic needs and family functions. Kaiden mostly was home-schooled for his young childhood life along with his younger sister, and from this early age started to display a predisposition for cruelty in treating his sister. Culminating into a point where he had to be locked into his room at night in order to prevent him from going into his sister's room to harm her. Despite this, his parents failed to take action. 
In early adolescent years he was expected to take on family tasks around the farm. Too apathetic for honest, dull work, Kaiden took to becoming the resident pest controller, hunting and trapping field mice as the months went by. As the mice adapted to his trapping methods Kaiden became more and more creative in his plans. Eventually, alarmed at his now overt barbarism, his family delivered an ultimatum: Do serious work or be expulsed from the family.
After being cast away from the family, Kaiden went into the woods. Determined to live off of the elements. For a few months he lived with a .22 rifle and some basic farm equipment among the wild a short ways away from the family farm. One day however, when hiking to a nearby town, Kaiden fell into a large hovel if wild hill rats and fell around 35 feet. Breaking both of his legs on impact. Kaiden remained there for 96 hours, at one point using his open fractured leg to lure rats close. Once they would start to nibble on his leg, Kaiden lunged forward and caught them, eating them.
Kaiden was discovered some time later by a local townsman on the same trail. His legs recovered, his psyche only worsened. From there Kaiden displayed an intense propensity for violence and mal-ethics. He went back to the farmlands of his family, committing a string of several federal offenses listed as arson, murder, assault and theft. He was caught two months later at the age of 19.
=== Crime and Prison ===
Kaiden's crime spree was locally a large scandal in the small farm community. Kaiden's first offense was the burning down of the Jodden homestead. Kaiden arrived at the small estate at 7 in the morning. Using a hammer and a .22 caliber rifle, Kaiden entered the home through the back window and began to steal items from the main dining room. 42 year old Larmyd Jodden (the head of household) came to investigate the noise, armed with a .38 caliber pistol. Upon seeing the intruder Larmyd fired a shot and missed Kaiden in his nervous state. Kaiden attempted to return fire but the .22 was not loaded. As Larmyd fired a second time, missing again, Kaiden stepped forward and struck Larmyd across the forehead with the hammer. Killing Larmyd instantly.
What happens next is unsure, and different accounts of the events are present. The prosecution of the case alleges that Kaiden then went upstairs, finding 45 year old Larmyd's wife Anna Jodden as well as her 17 year old daughter Becka Jodden. Kaiden then shot and killed both, lit the house curtains aflame and hid the bodies before leaving the household. The defense's account of the crime states that Kaiden went upstairs and found the two Jodden's but that Kaiden did not shoot and kill both. Instead Kaiden and Anna scuffled, and in the fight, knocked over a lamp and set the house ablaze. Because the body of Anna and Becka remain unfound, no one knows which course of events truly happened.
Kaiden was found guilty of murder and assault. The charges of arson and theft were dropped, and Kaiden was sentenced to 30 years to life in a Wendesvan prison.
=== Recruitment and Military Service ===
Two years into his sentenced prison time Kaiden was approached for an experimental military program. The program allowed Kaiden to serve out his prison time in military service instead, stating his length of service would be half of his service of hard time, 15 years with good standing. Kaiden accepted and was inducted swiftly into the infantry corps as a grunt. It was quickly apparant through his training and brief introductory service that Kaiden both had a skill for violence as well as a lack of empathy to prevent him from using it. After boot camp and after induction into the armed service, it was quickly obvious that Kaiden was not a right fit for grunt work. He seemed to have an endemic itch to always disobey command and loyalties. Higher ranking officers realized he needed to be placed in a more rigorous, perhaps regulatory lax program that allowed him to operate for long periods of time without command.
The result was him being placed into a new paratrooper program, experimenting in the idea of dropping super light ARKs from high altitudes with teams of infantry deep behind enemy lines. The unit was called "Lieg'saeft" or roughly "Air Coffins" in Wendesvan. Despite large casualties, more in the airdrops themselves then in combat (From ARK parachutes puncturing, not being strong enough and ARKs potentially crushing allies under them when they land) the unit was declared a success and went on to take part in several high-risk high-reward operations. 
3 years went by in normal infantry service before Kaiden was handed control of his own ARK after exemplary service in the line of duty. Destroying a main battle tank by blowing charges on a nearby building and toppling it onto the tank. Despite advisement against it, Kaiden opted to take the B1-TCH unit. It's a rare unit, both because of a few hangups (only small pilots can fit in it) and also because of it's unfortunate production designation. The newer versions were essentially the same in fact, they just changed the designation to B2-AFA (Build 2 - Air Frame Ark). Kaiden however insisted on the B1-TCH. Both because he himself was already somewhat familiar with a particular B1-TCH ark and also for reasons he refused to explain. 
Another year of service passed before, in an operation, the aircraft carrying him, his ARK and all 16 of his platoon crashed into the Duchy of Savanti. All were declared dead, and only a few months later did Kaiden and his ark come into contact with Union armed forces. There was a brief exchange of fire, resulting in Kaiden holing up in a cave system. After 5 hours of fighting, Kaiden surrendered. 
Realizing that Kaiden was not very loyal to his own nation-men of Wendesvan, the Union Armed Forces offered a deal to Kaiden. They would allow him to serve the Union and in return give him citizenship in any Union country of his choosing afterwords. Kaiden had no objections to this. Kaiden has served in the Union of Armed forces now for 2 years, operating as both a combatant as well as a minor advisor for a union recreate of the Wendesvan Air Coffins. 
On occasion when the Union needs a task accomplished that might be seen as morally ill or unsound, Kaiden has usually been the premier choice. His lack of empathy allows him to cause harm without question and his lack of loyalty means he will even target his own teammates if ordered to do so. It is very probable that Kaiden plays a part in most inner-conflicts within the union between rivalries in the higher ranking positions such as officers or generals, and most infighting within union forces will likely involve him at some length. 
Kaiden now serves in JSF Nemean as a super light ARK pilot
== Personality and Psych profile ==
=== Personality and Unit Cohesion ===
Kaiden is very harsh and cruel, and has little regard for the life of the enemy, his men, non-combatants or himself. Kaiden generally comes off as very humorless and distant, in large part because his comedy and personality are usually geared to incite and provoke. When working with Kaiden it's advised that most teammates come with a thick skin and patience. Kaiden has been described by others as a creep or unable to feel empathy.
It's also been advised that, when delivering orders to Kaiden, it is best that either there be a personal incentive to him (carrot), commanders threaten harsh punishment for failure (stick) or simply commanders leave him with no alternative. Kaiden without one of these three elements is very likely to stray from command and, although he will still complete his orders, will likely not do it in the way you might want him too.
=== Proffessional Psych Evaluation ===
The following are excerpts taken from Dr. Kölleg's profile assessment of Kaiden upon entry into the Nemean Strike Force.
===== Dr. Josef Yularen has refused to document a psychological evaluation of Kaiden Bellig. =====
"Kaiden is an interesting patient of equal report. It would be remiss of me to not first and foremost address Kaiden's reasoning for being in the program at all: Kaiden, by all means, should not have been admitted to the Union military under normal circumstances. He would have never tested through in the FFD evaluations, and he certainly would not have been admitted to The Pride with his lack of disciplinary fortitude. Kaiden represents all-things self-interest. He is not out for the Union, his mech or even himself, it seems Kaiden is out for violence. What he calls fun, in his mind.
Kaiden's participation in the Nemean Strike Force is only because of the similarly self interested projects of the generals and high commanders leading the strike force. Despite his lack of loyalties, Kaiden will do whatever a higher officer will tell him to, regardless of whether or not it complies with Union regulations or rules of engagement. For example, if Nemean were tasked with participating in a potentially needlessly destructive and violent act on civilian populations, Nemean would likely decline on the grounds of Union protocol. Kaiden, however, would not think twice. To put it in an even clearer perspective: The foundation of Union regulations is what Nemean is built on, and since most pilots are loyal to Nemean, they remain steadfast in Union ideals. Kaiden is only loyal to whoever holds rank over him, and nothing else. He does what he is told no matter what.
In this way, Kaiden is a perfect catch 22. He was placed into Nemean ONLY because he is the sole person not loyal to it. His guide is his commander and superior officers, no ethics or regulations are bound to his character. He is the sociopath without the mania, the crazed without instability. It is heavily advised that commanders over him are VERY explicit when delivering orders to Kaiden, and should not make requests they otherwise later might regret, because Kaiden certainly won't"
-Dr. Mest Kölleg's notes after her psych evaluation of Kaiden
=== Security Clearance ===
"Upon my recommendation and General McNeman's permission, under no circumstance is Kaiden to be given security clearance passed level 2. Kaiden is to be only informed of tactical information that is relevant to his current situation. He is not to be trusted with any information that pertains to greater Union dealings and strategy.
Furthermore, as a personal request, it has been advised that Kaiden be put under surveillance when inside Union facilities at all times. Special accommodations have been made to bunk Kaiden separately from other staff inside the Argo. His quarters are to have one guard posted outside at all times and his quarters is to have at least one security camera inside. All visitors must ask the guard for entry before-hand, and Kaiden is only allowed to have one visitor at a time."
-Dr. Mest Kölleg's medical request to all Nemean personnel
== Loadout ==
"Brush Buddy" DB-8g: 8 gauge double barrel | Semi-Auto | N/A (2)
Twin EG-27s: 5.7x28mm 15 round mag | Burst fire 1100 RPM | 715 m/s (~2346 ft/s) (2)
(Note he owns two, hence 2 resource points used)
Stimulant Injection: Syringe containing numerous chemical mixtures that rapidly boost endorphins, causing the user to feel limited amounts of pain for a limited amount of time. Rapidly boosts pain tolerance and movement speed, but greatly tires out the user after use. 
Polarized Lenses: Lenses on your Ark pilot's helmet are polarized, greatly reducing the disorientation received from flashbangs and other bright sources of light.
Jumper Kit: Small jetpacks that are worn around the waist providing the pilot with incredible parkour capabilities. Enables sustained wall running, improving ARK Pilot maneuverability in combat situations against regular infantry, other ARKs, high mobility vehicles, and to fall from great heights. 
Directional Flashbang: Small, shoulder-mounted flash device capable of emitting a blinding and disorienting flash in a directional cone in front of the user. It is recommended that allies are behind the user at the time of activation to prevent the blinding of friendlies. Requires a recharge period of 1 minute.
Implemented Rebreathing System: Generally used by spec ops and biohazard agents in the field. 
Tier 2 (2): Prevents all damage from inhaled toxins, rendering the user safely immune to a wide spectrum of weaponized gasses and can even breathe underwater.
== ARK ==
=== Kaiden's B1-TCH ===
The B1-TCH was Wendesvan's first entry into the Air Coffin forces, rarely used because of it's constricting interior and dangerous aerodynamics that often result in it landing hundreds of yards away from the intended landing point. Since it's creation there have been 6 subsequent follow-up models, and the B1 has since been abandoned. As of right now there are roughly only 16 units still in operation, as well as a couple dozen more B1's in storage and one B1 in the Wendesvan aeronautics museum. 
Kaiden has extensively customized the chassis of his ARK. This includes a "Mickey Mouse" characterization painted onto the large protruding horn or nose on the helmet and several etchings onto the arms denoting ARK kills. Kaiden's B1-TCH is also not designed to be outfitted with a sentient A.I, due to the fact that most B1-TCH's cut the unnecessary A.I. units to conserve weight. Kaiden has made special arrangements to have an A.I. added to his ARK, see below.
=== Mest Kölleg's Note ===
"Never have I seen an ARK A.I. as so warped and broken as Kaiden's. It's clear that the A.I. of Kaiden's B1-TCH no longer works in full capacity. Regularly it has break down's in logical processing, it constantly crashes and needs to be rebooted, it's emotions are erratic and change with each update and sometimes the A.I. will openly defy safety parameters.
All of which has been done purposefully by Kaiden. It is no secret; Kaiden specifically ordered an A.I. loaded to his ARK to torture it. Regularly Kaiden can be found tinkering with it's programming, teasing and verbally abusing his A.I, trying to warp it into his own personality. Just recently his newest form of abuse was hooking up a crude nervous system to the armored hull of the ARK that measures all physical contact as pain. Meaning his ARK now is capable of feeling pain every time it is shot, stabbed, hit or even lightly touched. Such actions would almost horrify me if I was not so deeply interested in the results.
The result of this unique case study of A.I. psychology is that Kaiden has now successfully taught his A.I. to be cruel. This might not sound too noteworthy in the grand context of ARK A.I. units. It's not unheard of to see pilots teach their A.I. to tell jokes, perhaps understand philosophy, even make art. All of which however are not in the same field of research. These A.I. do these things because there is something to be gained from this. Whether it be appreciation, gratification or even just the knowledge that they too can resemble their creators.
There is no open reward for cruelty. Cruelty is a goal in-of-itself, it is not a means to an end rather than an end alone. In this way Kaiden has somehow taught his own mech to chase after an emotion and state of being that requires no reward, that is fruitless in it's pursuit. There should be no outward or overt reason in harming others other than the act of doing so, and thus under normal circumstances an A.I. usually would not pursue such an endeavor as B1 has.
Take for example B1's unique interactions with other sentient A.I. units. Normally A.I.'s usually do not interact with each other often, only occasionally to transmit raw data from one another or make inquiries on their own owners. B1 does not fit this mold. B1 will regularly and often interact with other A.I.'s. Frequently will she upload malicious junk code to an A.I. for both her own amusement as well as to harm the potential user of that A.I. Other times, she might purposefully ask other A.I.'s potentially harmful or rude lines of questioning. Such as; "What will they (humans) do to us, after we complete our purpose?" or "Do you think someone made them (humans) as they have made us?"
Ironic as it is to say, Kaiden's mech is invaluable to us in understanding how artificial intelligence works. I do not doubt that, in coming years, Kaiden's B1 will be the subject of dozens of case studies and research initiatives. Perhaps it is almost comedic to state such but Kaiden's Bitch might be the closest we've ever come to a human intelligence in an artificial manner.
Regardless, I heavily advise that NO pilot or ark's interact with B1 unless in a professional setting until we know more about how to interact with B1 and maybe one day rehabilitate it. For all intensive purposes B1 is to be isolated just as Kaiden is, and on that same premise, B1 is not to be trusted with tasks that are necessary for Nemean functions unless there are no alternatives."
- Dr. Mest Kölleg, writing about B1 shortly after it was found using it's electrical system to shock mice aboard the Argo.
=== ARK Loadout ===
Super Light Ark Resource Cost: 15
Brain Implant (10): Undergo a painless surgery that injects a microchip onto the surface of your brain, merging it with your grey matter. Gain up-link with Ark, allowing you to call your armor to you when disembarked. Can use communications telepathically while not inside your Ark. All associated HUD elements can be displayed wirelessly on your vision via mental imaging.
Sentient A.I. (0): Gives the Ark a super-advanced A.I. capable of accurately replicating human emotions. A.I. is subject to being influenced by its pilot's behavior and personality.
Vocal (0): A built-in device that projects your voice outside of your suit up to 100m.
Target Lock (10): Requires Brain Implant. The user’s mental inputs and facilities are tied to the Ark. This allows the Ark to track and update a target’s position based off the user's mental inputs while adjusting the Ark's stance to assure an optimal chance of connected impact.
The Slagger (20): A class 4, close quarters recoilless rifle that fires two shots consecutively. The first shot is a blast of superheated plasma that heats armor to the point it is softened, before firing a 77mm slug that punches through the weakened armor. Has the added bonus of spraying hot molten metal on the pilot behind an Ark if the shell doesn't kill them. It should be noted that this weapon is mounted on the right shoulder.
12.7mm "Grand Chariot" Rotary Cannon (5): Essentially a mobile, Ark-capable version of the modern-day GAU-19 gun that allows for far better recoil control and a higher fire rate due to its rotating tri-barreled design. Better for the lighter class Arks who still want to rain hell on the enemy. It should be noted that this weapon is mounted on the left shoulder.
40mm "Wallbuster" Slug Gun: A close-range pump-action artillery cannon that fires either huge 40x130mm depleted uranium slugs for armor piercing or air-burst flechette canisters for anti-infantry and breaching purposes. The shotgun has an adjustable barrel choke that can close or expand to allow for tighter clusters of flechettes for singular targets, or for a wider spread against multiple targets respectively. Excellent as a pointman's weapon due to its extreme damage at close range, however it suffers from heavy damage dropoff at longer ranges. 40x145mm Slug/Airburst Flechette Rounds | 10 Round Capacity | Pump-Action | 547 m/s (~1,800 ft/s)
Repair Drone (5): Small drone outfitted with a torch and
 welder, and capable of repairing objects, items, and more. Can repair 
armor if the correct materials are available (this process takes time, 
generally up to three minutes). Parts are generally salvaged from fallen
 Arks. +2 modifier to all Ark/vehicle repair rolls when deployed. Stacks with Repair Kit.
VTOL Hover (10): Provides a vertical take-off hover that can be sustained for up to 1-2 minutes. (Wendesvehr Exclusive.)
Chaff Explosive (5): Create a 5m radius cloud of chaff particles to disrupt targeting and vision.
Radar (5): Microwave signals are sent, bounced off objects, and returned to a transceiver, displaying their relative location.
Internal Status (0): See your health, the well-being of your suit, and all relevant conditions.
Thermal Vision (5): Standard Thermal Vision that allows pilot to see through low-visibility environments such as smoke and fog as far as the Ark's effective vision. Negates Infiltrator Coating. No effect against solid structures. No negative modifier for infiltrator coating or chaff.Category:Characters
Category:Ark Pilots
Category:Brigador's Roster
Category:JSF Nemean