Post by Phaethon Kosta on Jul 19, 2013 16:12:03 GMT -5
Phaethon Kosta
The Basics
Full Name: Phaethon Kosta
Call Sign: “Helios”
Nickname(s)/Alias(es): Helios, Phae (pronounced “FI”)
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Age: 33
Birthday: April 18, 1970
Birthplace: Caprica
Occupation: Viper Pilot
Rank/Title: Lieutenant
Physical Appearance
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 170 Lbs.
Build: Athletic
Hair: Brown and short
Eye Color: Blue
Distinguishing Marks: Just a few scars here and there
Possessions, Equipment, Belongings: Picture of his family back in 1980.
Other:
Play- By: Michael Fassbender
Friends, Family, and Other Relationships
Mother: Clymene Kosta (Died in ’82 at 35)
Father: Unknown
Siblings: Heliades Kosta (Half Sister) (Disappeared, presumed dead in ’83 at 16)
Significant Other: N/A
Children: N/A
Other Notable Persons: Drake Wolfe
Personality
Likes:
- Flying – Duh! He’s a Viper pilot after all. He was born to fly and really he has nothing else going on for him. His entire identity is being a pilot. That and there’s nothing like soaring through the vast nothingness with your engines on full burn.
- Military Camaraderie – Phaethon’s family life growing up was… lacking. The military has very much become his replacement family. The other pilots in his squadron are his brothers and sisters. A lot of people say that, but it’s a bit more literal and less figurative when it comes to Phaethon.
- Good natured jokes and pranks – The crew is his family, and he intends to have fun with his family. Beyond just good experiences, he enjoys to make his own and laugh at others jokes. He’s also likely to be a member of any pranking group, though rarely the instigator or leader. There is never anything malicious about it though. He’d be the first to stop laughing if someone was getting picked on or if a prank were to cross the line.
- Uniforms – Hells yeah. For a kid who grew up mostly in thrift store clothes, donations, and occasionally rags the fancy uniforms of the Colonial Fleet, particularly those of the officers, are like living in a fairy tale. Phaethon will generally wear the uniform perfectly and is typically the last to choose a more “dressed down” style like switching from Blues to BDUs or taking off one’s overshirt. He doesn’t do this because he’s a tight-ass by-the-book Nazi. All these years later he still greatly appreciates the uniform and to him it’s very symbolic of his own personal uplifting from the streets. They’re great clothes for someone used to nothing but they are also representative of the Colonial Fleet itself, the ideals behind their service. Big words and ideas coming from such a simple man.
- Ship Food – Yes, Phaethon’s probably the only guy who actually likes what they cook up in the mess. It’s all perfectly edible, even that lumpy brown goo they serve on Thursdays. Everyone else was just spoiled in civilian life. You’d think that after years of eating it, the others would get used to it too.
- Pyramid and other sport – Phaethon is fairly active outside the cockpit and quite the athlete for a man who has never played on an organized anything. Pulling Gs while inverted in a Viper is apparently pretty similar to a spin-shot on the goal.
- Hyperion – What’s not to like? The ship has everything! Good food, good people, you get to see the worlds, you fly Vipers nearly every day, and it’s got just about all the amenities of a small city.
Dislikes:
- Sexual Promiscuity – Phaethon isn’t prudish or a
biblesacred scrolls thumper. He was born as a result of a one-night stand. His parents were so well acquainted that his mother doesn’t even know his name and can hardly remember his face. His mother had a hard life until the day she died and it wasn’t much easier for her two children. Phaethon wouldn’t wish that on anyone. - Anything higher than a Fifth Grade reading level – Phaethon’s education was practically nonexistent. Although he’s gotten past that “illiterate” phase of his life, letters certainly aren’t his strong suit. He knows some “techno-babble” from work as a deckhand and then as a pilot, but for the most part he’s not a fan of big words.
- Hot shots and show offs – Most Viper pilots are loud and ambitious, but there are those that cross the line from competitive into reckless and occasionally boastful into annoying. Those are the kinds of guys who get themselves (or worse, others) killed.
- Live Combat (against humans) – Training, drills, and war games are all fun and Phaethon excels and enjoys getting “kills” in these fake battles. Some pilots can’t wait to “see the real thing” and loathe boring missions where there is no “action”. Not so with Phaethon. One might say he doesn’t have an angry bone in his body. Forget revolutionaries, he’s not even happy about having to fight pirates and terrorists. He’ll do it (it’s his job) but he won’t like it and will probably lose sleep over it.
- Public Speaking/Leading – Phaethon would probably make a good leader if he was ever forced into the position but he has no desire to lead. He also lacks confidence as to his ability to lead. Sure, he can lead by example as a skilled senior pilot, but he’s not going to be the one lecturing the nuggets on proper 1-on-1 dogfight techniques or Viper maintenance 101.
- Drinking – He might be the only one in the squadron of alcoholics. He enjoys spending time with his buddies at a bar but he doesn’t partake in the alcohol consumption (can you imagine Phaethon saying that?). He doesn’t particularly like the taste. He doesn’t understand why anyone would want to “get hammered” in the first place. He doesn’t want to impair his faculties (both for concerns about military readiness as well as not wanting to ruin his social life while drunk). Finally he just never grew up drinking. Booze is expensive and he didn’t come from the kind of place where such luxury was possible.
Fears:
Strengths:
- Flying – Phaethon has what many call a “gift” for flight. For some reason he was just born to be in a cockpit and it was mostly by chance that he ever actually found this calling. Maneuvers and tactics just come naturally to the man. He can do nearly anything in the cockpit and what he can’t do he’ll endeavor to learn and improve upon until he can.
- Physical speed and agility –Outside his Viper, Phaethon is both fast in general and also quick on his feet. He can make his Viper dance in the black and then he can get out and dance circles around you on the ground (whether it be in a fight, on the Pyramid court, or a nice young lady and you’re actually dancing).
- Perception – Phaethon can often see what others don’t or at the very least he’ll be the first to see it. Maybe it’s that tiny glimmer of an enemy craft over 25 km out in the distance or that flare from an incoming missile just at the periphery of your vision during an intense firefight. It gives him an edge both as part of a larger squadron as well as an individual pilot in battle.
Weaknesses:
- Education – Not only did Phaethon never go to an Academy, he never went to highschool… or middle school… or really even grade school. What little education he has had was through the kindness of his fellow soldiers as well as programs offered through the military. Thus, Phaethon isn’t a strong reader, he knows very little outside of his personal life experiences and military specialties (i.e. he’d do horribly on a trivia game show), and he has about zero understanding of science and math aside from basic algebra and what he has learned over the years about how a Viper works.
- Self-confidence/modesty – He lacks self-confidence when it comes to new things and he’s incredibly modest about what he knows he’s good at (goes beyond the cockpit too). He’s never one to really speak up or take the lead on anything, at least when he’s “in the zone” and completely confident in the seat of his Viper.
- Fighting outside his bird – Phaethon knows the basics of hand-to-hand and shooting a gun, and he’s also not afraid to defend himself, but he’s pretty bad at both considering the company he’s with in the military. He has very little drive to improve upon either and what skill he does have is offset by his own good nature and reticence to fight.
Aspirations:
- Fly for as long as possible
- Stay with his military “family” for as long as possible
General Personality: Like most pilots, Phaethon is confident in his abilities and generally itching to get out and fly. However, Phaethon differs from the stereotype in that he is rather quiet and reserved. His confidence does not cross the line into overconfidence nor does it ever stray to insubordination. In fact, what strong confidence he has in his proven abilities are masked by a very humble personality and what potential he has yet untapped is hidden behind a double layer of modest and self-doubt.
Phaethon is respectful of the chain of command when it comes to his superiors but not overly so with all the regulations in the book being pulled out to give proper honors… and not just because Phaethon never read “the book”. Going the other direction, Phaethon doesn’t require or expect any serious deference just because of the pin on his collar. He comes from humble origins (both in civilian life and originally being enlisted) and generally he’s just more of a simple person who really just does not care about saluting and such.
It wouldn’t be fair to call Phaethon shy but he’s certainly not as gregarious as most other pilots. He’s a very kind and fun loving man, always ready to be helpful even if he personally doubts how much help he could possibly be. He’s honest and genuine. If asked for advice or input he’ll typically be the voice of reason advocating realistic approaches and caution over reckless bravado.
The military is not just a second family, but an only family for Phaethon. He never had much to begin with and what was left of his family died or disappeared years ago. He is thus dedicated to his ship and his comrades more than most. It is the only home and the only family he has.
Phaethon is deeply religious and it is not uncommon to see or hear him praying to the Lords of Kobol. He, however, doesn't truly understand his own faith or the history of the religion, another part of his lack of any education. Since joining the military he has progressed far enough to read at a middle school level but his education hasn't strayed outside of reading and writing or Vipers. He is a master of the one field but largely ignorant of everything else from history to basic sciences.
The Backstory
History: Phaethon was born to a single mother in Phoebus, Caprica. He never knew his father, never even knew his name. Life was tough growing up. His mother was low class and uneducated to begin with. Getting saddled with the burden of two children and no husband or even extended family to assist with the burden really brought her down further into poverty. To top things off, her health began to decline as she worked as hard as she could to try and make ends meet.
Phaethon and his older sister Heliades worked odd jobs from a very young age to provide what their mother couldn't. As a result, the two kids spent much more time "on the street" than in school. It was a wonder the authorities never came looking for them, but apparently they didn't care much about their education just like they didn't care about their economic plight.
Clymene eventually died at the young age of 35 when Phaethon was only 12. The kids were shipped away to a crowded foster home across town. In many respects it was better than how they had been living. Phaethon was put back in school but joining middle school and not knowing much more than the alphabet didn't make education all too easy or appealing for Phaethon. He skipped school frequently and when he was there he never learned because he had no foundation to build on.
Meanwhile, Heliades at 16 had slipped into a life of drug abuse and by association crime. Good thing their mother was not alive to see it. Clymene herself had suffered such vices and had given them up for her children. Heliades, however, never had the chance to try and turn her life around. Her new way of life soon led to her early death a few months later. Phaethon was 13 and alone in the world.
But the gods took pity on young Phaethon. By chance one day the fates saw fit to have Phaethon meet a young Drake Wolfe, a boy one year his senior. Phaethon and Drake went to different schools (not that Phaethon really went to school) but lived somewhat near each other in Phoebus. The two became fast friends for the next four years.
When Drake finished highschool, he applied to and was accepted to the Caprican Military Academy. He wanted to be a Viper Pilot more than anything. It was a rather sad farewell. Phaethon too wanted to fly and of course he wanted to be with his friend. But it's not like Phaethon had a shot at the Academy or anywhere else for that matter. He was happy for his friend, but that was little solace.
Shortly after Drake had left for the Academy, Phaethon decided to join the Colonial Fleet. In truth, he had no other real options. He was uneducated, had no job or job prospects, had no family or real friends... save for one who was headed to the Fleet anyway. The military would feed, clothe, and house him. In the end it would also be as close to flying as he'd ever get.
In '88 Phaethon found himself as a new deckhand aboard the Battlestar Mercury. Kosta was not an exceptionally gifted mechanic but he loved the Vipers. That combined with his good nature and helpful personality saw him advance up to the rank of petty officer second class. Just around that time, in '92, the fates saw fit to once again intervene in the world of mortals. His old friend, Drake Wolfe, now a newly minted ensign and Viper pilot, was assigned to his very ship.
Despite the new rank differential and over four years of silence, the two reunited as if they were teenagers again. Phaethon shared what he'd learned in four years aboard the Mercury to help Drake settle in from ship locations and schedules to unwritten policies and the personalities of certain superiors. Drake shortly thereafter took it upon himself to repay that friendship with an even greater gift, giving Phaethon the opportunity to become a pilot.
He and a few others aboard the ship began to tutor Phaethon in their down time. With personal drive, the concern of his instructors, and a specially tailored lesson plan, Phaethon began to pick up what he should have learned a decade and a half ago. PO2 Kosta took a pilot aptitude test and was accepted. No one was more surprised by the positive results than Phaethon.
He was shipped off from the Mercury to OCS and then Flight School on Picon in '93. His written scores were still awful, but his skills in the simulator and later in the real thing were phenomenal, prodigious some even said, and that was quite a lot coming from some instructors that also taught at neighboring NSAWC. With the help of some more helpful and compassionate friends made along the way, Phaethon managed to earn his commission and then his wings.
Phaethon returned to the Mercury in '94 and joined his friend, now LT JG Wolfe, in the air wing. Only a few months later the Battlestar Mercury joined the powder keg that was the Sagittaron Revolt. Although a bit "late to the party" they still flew for much of the bloody first month of fighting. Phaethon was paired as Drake's wingman for most of it, and together the young men put their training to the test. During that first month, Phaethon tallied three kills. The Mercury was still on station for much of the rest of the war, but those missions were largely simple air-to-ground strikes, escort, and recon. Looking back it was all very exciting but after what was very much a life-or-death first month, those later missions were mundane to the young pilots.
Following their "war", Phaethon was promoted to LT JG and transferred to the Triton in orbit over Caprica. This posting was... dull to say the least. Phaethon, however, made use of the time to continue his education and meet the military standards for an officer through an amazing level of effort and some very sympathetic bureaucrats that might have fudged some numbers here and there to help him out.
In '97, Phaethon was transferred to the Solaria. His two years there were a little more exciting but pretty routine for the peacetime Fleet: a patrol of the armistice line and a short campaign against some pirates filled out the bulk of the experience. Phaethon did manage to add two more kills to his tally giving him a total of five and making him an ace. Other than that, the only thing of real note was his promotion to full Lieutenant.
In late '99, Phaethon was surprised to learn that he'd been selected for a transfer to the newly constructed Battlestar Hyperion. Better yet, Drake Wolfe, now Captain Wolfe, was going to be transferred to the new ship as the CAG. It was just like old times again.
Phaethon has been with Hyperion ever since. He flew those tense missions over Tauron in '02 but fortunately never had to fire a shot in anger. Later in that same year he flew with the air wing in crippling the defenses of the Pallas installations and paving the way for a ground assault. It was the most intense and well choreographed five minutes of combat he'd ever seen. And in mid '03, Phaethon was right there in the Erobos campaign. Three pirates found themselves trapped in his sites during those months.
Anything Else?:
The Player
Name/Alias: Roger
Experience: I’m not as old as Sidney.
How you found Battlestar Hyperion: Founding member.
Other characters: Roger
Contact via: PM to Roger
