Codename: Reaper
Hi all - Finally, Reaper joins Vertigo, Jackal, Hotshot and Carrier as the final member of the New Republic Commando's Nexu Squad. It's been a long time coming. I can't say I'm not glad to be done with them :). I noticed as I was researching his background, that I may need to go back and adjust the timelines for the others, in relation to Lt. Page & the Katarn Commandos. Reaper's backstory, however, fits much better into info. I have been able to find realting to Page. Profile: Hal Grim served the Rebel Alliance army as an infantry soldier at least as far back as 8 B.B.Y. His memories prior to that date were very fuzzy and incomplete, but told him he had reason to blame the Empire. Though he could not recite specifics, he often recalled brief images of pain, operating tables, and bacta tanks. His body, however, exhibited no signs of anything ever having been done to him. Grim, as an averaged sized human male, was physically unremarkable. However, he possessed above average strength and reflexes, high tolerance for pain, and never seemed to fall ill. He was a very quick thinker, had uncommon skill with computers and technology and was one of the most precise shots among Alliance ground forces. Grim was very good natured and upbeat, even when situations such as harsh climates and demanding missions soured attitudes in the best of soldiers. He often became an unofficial morale officer for his team-mates. All in all, he was viewed by superiors and comrades as an ideal soldier that could be counted on under any circumstances. His service record eventually earned him the rank of Sergeant. Despite this, others felt there was an indefinably odd quality about the man. As a result, Grim never cultivated close relationships with his fellow troops. Grim served with distinction throughout the Galactic Civil War, including Toprawa, Yavin, Hoth, and Endor, often alongside Bren Derlin and Judder Page. Usually satisfied to live in the moment, he never gave much thought to his missing history, until a flesh wound during the Battle of Coruscant, in 6 A.B.Y., started bringing pieces of the puzzle together. In his years of service, Grim had never come before a medic for anything more than a simple physical exam, which he always passed easily. The wound he suffered on Coruscant was minor, but enough to require medical attention. He was treated and released, but months later, the area around the wound still had not recovered. Subsequent exams showed no infection, but did reveal the area to be growing. Medics had trouble classifying the symptoms, stating that the area was not gangrenous, but rather clinically dead. Aside from this, Hal Grim seemed to be in perfect health. Concerns and requests for biopsies and more complete examinations, filed by the medics involved, eventually made their way up the New Republic chain of command. As some of the detailed exams began to uncover bizarre and alarming results, New Republic intelligence officers became involved, and shut down the investigation into Grim’s ailment. Before rumors could spread, it was revealed to Grim and the involved medics that he was actually a prototype Human Replica Droid (HRD); a product of the aborted Project Decoy. Grim’s existence had begun in 21 B.B.Y., during the Clone Wars, as an Armortech Cybersystems Gunnery Droid, serial number G-R1M.54. His chassis and positronic brain had been highly modified and developed in the very early stages of Project Decoy. He was placed into Alliance service where the project coordinators could monitor his performance and ability to blend in with humans. It was also explained that his memories of Imperial torture were purely programming, designed to entice loyalty to the Alliance. Some of the very traits which alienated him socially over the years, such as a tendency to answer complex questions too quickly and accurately, and a certain lack of fluidity of movement, were what had stalled out and eventually canceled Project Decoy thirteen years earlier. Sgt. Grim and the medics involved were sworn to secrecy. However, they were given the information required to properly diagnose and repair the HRD. All of his internal systems were given a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, however, his synthflesh epidermis proved to be slowly failing; the medics and technicians unable to reverse the process. Grim remained active with his unit for three more years before his epidermal infliction could no longer be covered by his uniform. Despite his continued effectiveness and vitality, he was slowly taking on the visage of walking death. By the campaign against Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grim was almost completely alienated and shunned by his fellow soldiers, who feared contamination by Grim’s unknown ailment. Regardless of his intelligence, skills, and physical assets, he could no longer operate effectively as part of his unit. New Republic intelligence was ready to deactivate Sgt. Grim and close the books on their experiment. Lt. Page had learned of Sgt. Grim’s origin, based on the HRD’s potential as a commando asset. He interceded and arranged to have Grim reallocated to the Katarn Commandos. Page, who recognized both the assets and liabilities Grim would bring to the tight knit group, thought it best to inform the unit of Grim’s history. Ironically, the fact that they knew who and what he was, and the reasons for his gaunt appearance, helped him gain more acceptance than he had ever known among regular soldiers. They understood his exacting speech and movement patterns, and were not put off by his appearance. In addition, Grim became proficient with disguises and impersonations, which helped him not only fulfill his original programming, but also blend in socially outside of the unit. Even as Page honed the effectiveness of his core Katarn Commando group, he began to organize them to be broken down into smaller self sufficient squads, each named for a fierce predator. As Page and Ciaria Racksala created Nexu Squad, they realized there were gaps in the group’s specialist skills. As they began combing the ranks for slicers, marksmen and shadow operatives, it became increasingly apparent that there was one who could fill all of the roles superbly. Sgt. Grim became the final member of the original Nexu Squad roster, and remained active for the life of the unit. As a side note: Once Project Decoy had been resurrected, and once information on other more advanced HRD’s became available, New Republic technicians suggested fitting Grim with upgrades. For reasons known only to Grim, and backed by his commanding officer, he summarily refused.