Kalet Steale

Professor **Kalet "Oceanus" Steale** is a Leonis Chapter astronomer and nanotech scientist. Originally a soldier participating in the Third Mining War, Kalet was dissuaded by the death of his younger brother, Byron, and enamoured by the Calan species. After leaving his post towards the end of the warfare, he enrolled in the Starrise Academy under the tutelage of Professor Yousef Ramezani and graduated with a speciality in nanotechnology. During this period, he became a close ally of Llywydd Cyson Tywysydd, leader of the Calan race, and joined Undergrowth following an initiation process on Sylfaenydd.

On his return to E'blanche, the Professor became a good friend of concurrent Administrator, Xavier Bernard, who helped fund the construction of the Crin Astronomy Base, situated at the top of Crin Peak. In this facility he personally designed the first interstellar communication satellites, U2-Alpha and U2-Fly, that would serve the entirety of the Leonis Chapter.

## Biography

### Third Mining War

Some time during the war, Kalet lost his younger brother Byron Steale. This along with his personal feelings ultimately led to his desertion from service.

### Return to E'blanche

At some point, Kalet took a young Syd Lawrence up a mountain to look at the stars.

### Crin Astronomy Base

In OA19,654, one of the Professor's personal inventions, U2-Fly suffers a malfunction and crashlands back to E'blanche's surface.

During a snowstorm, Kalet drinks with Sir Elis Newman in his apartment in Napoleon Heights. They discuss the new appointment of Administrator, Dominic Drindlock, whom Kalet is reticent towards, due to their past history of corruption and association with the Flametraders Syndicate. They are interrupted by a communication from the Crin Astronomy Base, where the aforementioned new Administrator has surreptitiously arrived unnanounced, much to his assistant Harissa Silva's, surprise. He borrows a ST-snowspeeder to reach the Base in quick time. Upon arrival, U2-Alpha is revelaed to also have dropped out of orbit. The Professor meets with Drindlock, who threatens to remove financial backing should the situation around the Base's malfunctioning satellites worsen. The Professor accuses his superior of attempting to exploit his failing projects and gain advantage for himself. The Administrator ultimately gives him a week to sort out the problems, which Kalet knows is far from enough. Later, Kalet listens to a visual message sent by Llywydd Cyson Tywysydd of the Calan. They ask the Professor to play their part in promoting the Calan in an upcoming Gathering, in which the fate of the Asylum can be discussed and decided. In addition, the Llywydd claimed the satellite interference had been caused deliberately by the Scorpion Chapter.

Following the Base's loss of funding, and close to his journey to Castell for the summit, Kalet continued to work on satellite repairs by himself, with only Harissa Silva and Gregon Bowers left to assist. He informs Silva of his reservations about working the Calan, though he has been loyal in the past. In addition, he reveals his time with a young Captain Syd Lawrence, a victim of the Asylum, whom he regrets allowing to join the E'blanche Military Force. A few days later, he left on the provided Leviathan cruiser to attend the Gathering.

### The Gathering

Aboard the Leviathan cruiser, Kalet awakens to find a message from Harissa concerning confirmation of King Taio Swindlehurst's involvement in knocking their satellites out of orbit. In addition, she has found his mother to be alive and well, and is not a victim of the Disappearing. Wandering the spaceship, Kalet meets with Baroness Edwina Norwood playing tennis. She offers advice to Kalet on his ministrations at the Gathering and warns him that his association with the Calan means he is less trustowrthy to the general public. Threateningly, she also alludes to her knowledge of Kalet's affections for the Mayor of Crin, Sir Elis Newman.

On approach to Castell, the Professor meets with the foreign secretary of E'blanche, Renée Truffaut, who asks him about his affiliations with the Calan and whether he believes the Leonis Chapter can trust them. Kalet reaffirms his previous view, that the Calan's only intentions are to help Humanity's Chapters. Boarding Castell, Kalet joins a private meeting with Llywydd Cyson Tywysydd, Gobeithiol Ysbryd, Prif Siaradwr, Empress Kun Chao and Stacey Boseman. He warns the group of his Chapter's new leader, Drindlock, who may have influence at the Gathering. After hearing of Carlos di Gunga's ailment on Arena, he hopes Ysbryd can provide him the support he desperately needs. The Calan informs him that they should never have abandoned Humanity to their fates, and the Gathering is a way of reentering the fold. Speaking to Ysbryd about his motivation for being there, Kalet confesses about the loss of Syd Lawrence, who he thought of as the son he never had.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chapter Three, Calan: Volume I
2. ↑ Chapter One, Calan: Volume I
3. ↑ Chapter Nine, Calan: Volume I
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter Thirteen, Calan: Volume I