Damien Kaufmann

Description
Quite experienced in both combat and medicine, though sometimes seems like he isn't completely with you. Often has the thousand-yard stare on him.

Backstory
Damien was born to a well-off family in the Independent Regions. After a sheltered childhood, and an uneventful teenage life, Damien took a course in Medicine as was the standard for his family. Par on the course for what he assumed would be a comfortable life, Damien joined Beatrice R&D as a ship nurse aboard the cruiser "Zheng-He".

However, during an exploratory mission near what is now designated HT4J-L8, the Beatrice R&D cruiser that Damien was aboard came under attack by a Red Dagger raider party. Despite their escorts from Io Security providing a valiant effort, the escort frigates were quickly overwhelmed. The Zheng-He itself was immediately boarded, and with alarms blaring the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship.

Reaching an escape pod, their only destination was an uncharted planet with an unknown atmosphere and wildlife. Rather than be butchered, it was the seemingly smarter option. Of the 278 crew members, only 84 survived the emergency evacuation. Once they had set planetfall, Damien was only able to locate two other crew mates. Stuck with a janitor and a mechanic, it was to be a long four months before rescue.

During his 'stay' on the planet, Damien and his companions braved freezing temperatures when they landed on a tundra. For the first few weeks, they tried to locate other survivors. After a month, they realized that they had landed on a large island. The other two survivors had relied on Damien, with the janitor sustaining an injury prior to planetfall. Despite what medical care Damien could provide, the Janitor soon expired from his wounds while the mechanic dying from the local predators.

Damien would then be rescued by a Blackhawk Elite patrol, one of the ship's crew commenting that he was one of a handful of survivors. It was here that Damien learned of the demise of his family, watching a news report, his entire home system, when unknown ships had razed the system without warning. The pain had nearly overwhelmed him.

With no where else to go, Damien chose to enter the Blackhawks under the Seraph's recruitment program. Despite the brutal training, Damien had passed the selection process. Assigned to a small skirmish team, the combat and camaraderie had helped ease Damien's perception of life.

After countless sorties, Damien had developed a close relationships with his squad mates. However, during an intense battle on the planet Eniwetok which saw an entire company's worth of Blackhawk Elite dying with even more wounded or missing. During the intense fighting against the Fire Legion, Damien's squad had become surrounded and cut off. After two days of near-constant fighting, a counter-offensive finally managed to reach his position. What they found was Damien in a foxhole with five dead teammates and two critically injured. The days ahead would see them drive out the Fire Legion from the planet. Damien would soon be discharged from the Blackhawk Elite with full honors.

Damien soon drifted for a while, exploring space trying to fill the void in his heart after all he had experienced for the past few years. Throughout his travels he had made connections with some Dustkeepers, some who even had trinkets made from his homeplanet. Damien had learned to rely on himself, barely keeping any close relations in fear of more pain.

Personality
Damien is no stranger to conversing and interacting with individuals. With a casual glance, one could determine Damien to be a normal individual who has simply had his fair share of combat. However, beyond his detached and often aloof nature, Damien refrains from closeness or intimacy. Years of losing people that he's cared for has hardened his heart to such things.

Word of advice to those who would hire Damien is not to scare, sneak up on, or surprise him. Such an action might end up with loud cursing and a few broken fingers.

Diplomacy
Damien has an intense hatred for pirates, thinking of them as utmost monsters who deserve nothing but absolute destruction. Damien holds a special loathing for Red Daggers and Fire Legionnaires. He has yet to encounter a Talon or a former member of the Luos Syndicate, but would automatically hold them in contempt.

Damien still has connections with his colleagues from both Blackhawk Elite and Beatrice R&D. Though he has not operated with them for some time, he is quick to lend assistance when needed. While not quick to call for support, he has multiple favors that he may call in.