ESPION - the game of spies

The following are the agents of ESPION currently active:

Elzbieta “Elz” Olesia Taszyck [handled by Bobitron]
Marcus Rewi [handled by Tonguez]
Carl Archer [handled by Festy Dog]
Jason Paquin [handled by shadowbloodmoon]

Elzbieta “Elz” Olesia Taszyck
Age: 29
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 110 lbs.
Nationality: Dual citizenship, United States and Poland

History:

Elzbieta Olesia Taszyck was born in Warsaw in November of 1975, in the midst of the cold war. Elz’s father, Artur, was a diplomat serving in the communist Polish government, which at that time was dominated by the Soviets. The Polish government was comparatively tolerant and progressive when compared to other satellite states, and the Taszycks enjoyed a good life. Elz studied in one of Warsaw’s finest private schools, and then attended language courses around Europe; visiting England, France, Russia, Spain, and others in a whirlwind of travel. She had little difficulty with her schooling, proving an excellent student, if a bit unchallenged by the tedium of text learning. Her father trained her even as a child to recognize the small signs that a person was lying; a clenched hand, and sideways glance, or even the blinking of the eyes could clue Elz into a falsehood. He was proud of her progress, and after her graduation, Elz was expected to take a position serving as a liaison between Poland and the Soviets. She secretly held reservations about her father’s choice of a career path for her, but kept silent to please her parents. Elz lacked the patience and calm demeanor that her father possessed. She had an addiction to the excitement of travel and fresh experiences, and knew she would be stifled in the diplomatic corps of Warsaw, a conservative and staid group of old guard conformists.

By 1990, the independents had swept the majority of the communist presence from the parliament and presidency, and her father lost his cushy job in the party. The Taszycks fell on hard times. Artur Taszyck’s party benefits were stripped away. Elz was pulled out of the expensive Warsaw University, and suddenly the family was destitute. There was little support amongst the new administration for a traditionalist like Artur. He went into an early retirement, living off the scraps of the network of ex-communists scattered throughout the nation. Elz was left to find her own way, and suddenly had the added responsibility of helping provide for her mother and father.

The new Polish Army was looking for educated young people, and Elz joined in 1993, hoping to learn a trade as a doctor. She trained in the medical field for nearly a year before her skills in language and quick mind were noticed by a superior outside the medical corps. She was quickly transferred to the recently established GROM (Operational Maneuver Reconnaissance Group), intended to serve as a translator and linguist. After 3 years of training, Elz so impressed her officers, she became one of Poland’s first female combat operatives, serving in an assault squad specializing in hostage rescue and counterterrorism. Elz was first deployed in Bosnia, hunting war criminals in during UN peacekeeping operations. She assisted in the capture and interrogation of eight persons eventually convicted of genocide and war crimes, and was unofficially involved in the killings of a few others that never made it to trial. Her expertises was then employed in Algeria, helping the government root out and destroy extremist militias that continue to operate since the Islamic Salvation Army disbanded in 2000. She was then called upon in Morocco, assisting the Moroccan Security Forces in their efforts to crack down on Islamic extremists illegally moving into Europe through Spain. Elz then led a team of assault specialists in Iraq, partaking in direct action against extremists in urban areas and training the new Iraqi Special Forces. When Poland announced was withdrawing its troops from Iraq, Elz was furious at the lack of commitment. She had made many comrades within the US and Iraqi forces, and felt that pulling out was a betrayal of her personal commitment. Her hot temper led to a misplaced argument with GROM’s senior officer in Iraq. Furious at Elzbieta’s lack of restraint, GROM placed her on suspension. Elz pulled all her strings to get a new assignment that would get her back in the field. The Polish government finally assigned her to a new international covert task group known as ESPION, organized by the United Nations. Little information has been given regarding the new assignment, but Elz has been given US citizenship and a sizable allowance to live in Washington DC until her activation. While Elz still holds the rank of Porucznik (1st Lieutenant) in GROM, at this point it is largely a formality.

Appearance/Personality:

Attractive and slender, Elz is fit and resilient from years of military service, rarely troubled by illness or fatigue. While she is too slight to have the strength of many of her comrades, she is able to use her fast reflexes to her advantage in combat, surprising her opponents with speed and grace. She was the object of much affection while in school, and still carries herself with the knowledge of what her stunning looks can do to a man. Elz prefers to let others lead if a strong personality is in charge. She still holds a deep affection for her father, even though he has become withdrawn and insular since his fall from power. On one hand, Elz is grateful that the communist regime was ousted from power. It has given her the opportunity to do the things she truly loves. Adventure, travel, and excitement are part of her daily routine. On the other hand, her father, whom she visits often, has been destroyed by the new world order.

Excitement is the primary motivation for Elz. She despises inaction and gets bored very easily. Her position in GROM ‘saved her soul’, as she puts it. A life of boredom as a low-ranking diplomat or doctor would have slowly drained her spirit, and she relishes every moment of her new life as a soldier. She is still angry with the Polish government and GROM for the lack of commitment in Iraq, but in the back of her mind, she knows her anger is due to the fact that she was to lose her fix for excitement and action, not because of any devotion to the cause.

Specialties:

Counter-terrorism/Urban Assault: Elz has trained extensively and seen direct action in her deployments, mostly tracking down and taking out terrorist cells around the world. Elz is widely regarded as Poland’s premier Close Quarters Battle expert.

Gunplay: Elz is an expert shot with small arms, particularly pistols. Her training has been reinforced with plenty of real world experience over the last eight years.

Contacts: Years of working in the special operations and counter terrorism world has given Elz a network of contacts and acquaintances throughout all the places she has served, including Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. This is further reinforced with a list of ex-communist allies scattered throughout the world, mostly friends of her father. Few of them are in positions of true power, but they are always willing to help, and often possess secrets from days long past, including the information about Soviet support of various organizations in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Cold Read: Elz is an expert judge of character, often able to ‘read’ a person and quickly determine their relative experience, expertise, and intent. She has a near supernatural ability of sensing a person’s true motives and whether or not a person is lying. Instilled by her father, a career diplomat, this ability has been honed to a razor’s edge after years of investigation and interrogation.

Hubris:

Rash: Elz often tends to leap into action sooner than her allies expect, and makes snap decisions, especially in combat. She feels the initiative must be taken to succeed, and waiting to react is a sign of weakness. This has led to conflict within GROM; many of her superiors feel she lacks the respect for the chain of command that makes a good soldier. Her record is full of reprimands and chastisements, but the results speak for themselves, in Elzbieta’s opinion. She gets the job done, often without regard for the consequences of her actions and it is a rare moment when Elz looks back on her actions with regret. It is with this self-righteousness that she acts decisively and without doubt that her decision is the right one, and will defend her choices adamantly as long as the goal was met.

Equipment:

-Twin HK Mk23 SOCOM pistols with integrated laser sights/illuminators, slide locks for silent operation, and detachable Knights Armaments sound suppressors. They are worn under a long jacket in tactical holsters on her thighs.
-Glock 26, worn in a concealed holster in the small of her back.
-2 slim fighting knives
-Passport with Polish and American citizenship
-Concealed/restricted weapons permit
-Washington DC and EU driving license
-PDA with encrypted satellite phone, Bluetooth equipped
-Black ’00 BMW M3 European with DC plates

Marcus Rewi
Age: 38
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Nationality: Citizenship, New Zealand - NZ Maori Ex-Airforce AEOP, Ex-SAS, Ex-Farmer

History:

Raised on a dairy farm in the central North Island of New Zealand Marcus Rewi had a happy childhood helping with farm duties, hunting and fishing and all the other activities of a rural childhood. He excelled at school and was a good athlete competing in a number of interschool triathlons and cross country events. Eventually he joined the Royal NZ Air Force initially wanting to be a pilot (doesn't everyone?) but eventually gravitating towards Air Electronics Operator learning advanced radar , computer communications and electronic/acoustic surveilance and tracking.

As AEOP Marcus was part of a number of relief operations throughout the Pacific and Asia and the occasional Search and Rescue in New Zealand often involving parachute drops into difficult terrain. He soon learnt to break his falls and to land safely despite the terrain difficulties or occasional misjump.
In these scenarios his rescue training merged well with his childhood hunting experience and his ability in the wilderness was acknowledged with promotion. He was eventually approached to join the NZ Special Air Services (SAS) where he was trained for CSAR missions.

In the SAS he honed his survival talents and further developed skills in camoflage, tracking and stealth sometimes remaining days in the bush undetected. His further ability to be unobtrusive and blend in to the crowd around the world eventually had him sent to China as part of a joint effort with the Australian SIS.
Here he was teamed with an M16 agent Lydia Hardy and sent to run reconaissance on a military target involved in interrogation in a remote village.

After tapping into a call to the target that seem to indicate an escalation in events Lydia pushed for her and Marcus to make a preemptive move. Marcus was relunctant but after further insistance from his partner was persuaded to go into a direct tracking through the market. However Marcus got distracted by a pair of street performers leaving Lydia to forge on ahead of him - he never saw her again. By the time he caught sight of her she had been arrested and was being driven away in a military vehicle, when next he heard of Lydia she was dead a crash during transport.

MArcus was severely reprimanded for this event and after some diplomatic wrangling to get him back to New Zealand he chose to retire from active service.
He eventually rejoined civilian life as a sales rep working for a Farm Supplies distributor. This allowed him to get back to his rural roots, travel the country and also involve some training in safe handling and dangers of the industrial chemicals the firm imported (he was put into the dangerous chemicals division due to his military background). Most of the training was warnings about the dangers of mixing the wrong combinations of substances, or results from contact with water or air, but it was easy to extrapolate (especially with help of the internet) how those same chemicals could be used to make acids, poisons and even explosives.

It was a good break from military service but then one day an old ex-SAS freind told him about contracts being offered for protetion services in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. The money was lucrative and so Marcus signed up initially in a few escort jobs.
However when he and his client were kidnapped things become more complicated. Marcus found himself in an abandoned warehouse in the custody of terrorist. He was thus able to call upon his knwledge of chemicals stored in the warehouse to create enough sulphide gas and then an explosion to allow himself and his client to escape where they were picked up by Espion agents sent to recover them. After this meeting he became interested in Espion and eventuall joined...

It is from this 'Contract Protection work' (he avoids the word mercenary) that he comes to Espion

Appearance/Personality:

Marcus is tall man with an athletic build and a big smile. He is reasonably handsome though not outstandingly so and as a New Zealand Maori with a European grandfather he has the complexion and features that could pass for middle eastern, mediteranean, latino or even asian in the right circumstances. Marcus has a keen mind and is friendly but he can be slow to act as he ways up the various possible outcomes that might result from his actions.

Specialties:

Unobtrusive: Marcus has a complexion and features that could hail from anywhere in the world and thus whereever he maybe he is able to blend in and not draw attention to himself

Breakfall: As a parachute specialist Marcus has learnt to control his falls

Electronic and Acoustic Surveilance: Skilled in radar, and other electronic and acoustic Surveilance systems

Survival: Knows how to survive in most environments, including the ability to move undetected and to use his surroundings as camoflage

Chemical Engineering: Marcus can identify and safely handle many chemicals (including industrial chemicals). He may even be able to mix chemicals to create acids, smoke fumes and even dangerous explosives!

Hubris:

Indecisive: Marcus spends too much time considering the possible consequences of his actions and this can keep him from acting quickly, at its worst it manifests as procrastination.

Jason Paquin
Age: 31
Hair: Bald
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 184 lbs.
Nationality: Citizenship, United States of America

History:

Jason Paquin was born to a wealthy family who's money came from importing weapons for the government. Ever competing for attention from his mother and father with his older brother Mark, Jason wanted to study the business so that he could take over for his father instead of Mark, who was being groomed for the part. Because of this fact, Jason was never allowed anywhere near anything that had to do with the business. He was stuck at home, learning from tutors and spending time learning the ins and outs of high society life.

Being a young ambitious boy, Jason didn't let the rules get in the way of his dream however. He would spend his free time sneaking into his father's office, listening in on telephone conversations and even going so far as to steal his way into warehouses where the weapons were stored. He made it his goal in life to know everything about what his father was doing, even though his father didn't want anything to do with him. He was too busy with business or grooming Mark for the business.

This piqued an interest in learning about military weapons and technology. On visits to the library, instead of stories, he would check out reference material, up to and including the world famous Jane's Encyclopedias, then read them cover to cover. This interest followed him throughout his life.

It wasn't until Jason was fourteen that he realized that what his father was doing was illegal. He had found out quite accidentally. On one of his forays into a warehouse, a few government agents had showed up. Jason presumed it was to pick up or deliver some weapons. Instead, the agents were investigating his father for international arms smuggling. They were shot dead on the spot.

Horrified that the father he wanted to be like would deal in such activities, Jason wanted out. All the pent up rage and jealousy of his brother combined with a new confusion and his now raging teenage hormones added together. He managed to keep it under control long enough to devise a way out. Figuring that it would be easier to not let his family know that he knew what was going on, Jason petitioned his mother to be allowed to travel. When asked where, he didn't have a reply. He hadn't thought of that. It was decided that he would simply travel the globe. Given a spending account and a ship ticket, he was on his way. As far his family was concerned, this accident was taken care of.

Jason's travels started in Europe. Spending a year travelling across that continent, he learned new languages and customs, and even cultivated an interest in boxing when he caught a match on a French wharf. Upon investigating further, he was told that it was actually Savate that they had been practicing. Intrigued, Jason stayed with the group a few months before becoming bored with it and moving on. All the while, he continued to feed his interest in weapons and other military hardware, expanding to include aircraft, ships and
tanks.

His travels then took him to the Middle East, mostly Egypt and Syria where he learned that simply being a foreign tourist made you a target for just about any kind of trouble. Staying here for an entire year, Jason had signed on with an archaeological group simply to get free travel across the nations. In Europe he was starting to develop the knowledge that he would need to survive on his own and that the money he was given would eventually run out. In the Middle East he put that knowledge into practice, learning how to get what he needed without expending more of his resources than he had to.

Eventually growing bored with the Middle East, Jason travelled to India, where he again practiced his getting without giving. It was here in India that Jason had thought he had found something he could live with. Something to help him forget why he was running. He found love. Or at least he thought he did. She came in the form of a princess of the ruling government of India. Jason couldn't tell the difference between love and hormones at the time, and so felt that she was the one for him. Apparently she reciprocated this feeling because their secret affair went on for over a year before it ended rather abruptly. The girl's father would never have approved of the relationship, so she asked Jason to keep it a secret. Their clandestine activities found him evading palace guards, police and even military escort. It was rough going, but Jason felt it was worth it. At least until the girl was married to a military man as was predetermined by her father. Choosing duty over freedom, she cast Jason out, going so far as to tell her father that he was a stalker that had been pestering her for some time. Outcast, broken hearted and in need of a place to hide, Jason was off to a new destination.

His ship brought him to China. He travelled the Chinese countryside via posing as a hired worker with various groups. It had started to become a game to him, seeing how long he could go without being discovered. His pain of rejection, both by his family and the girl he thought loved him, eventually caught up with him. A tavern brawl started with him being insulted by a local and his rage getting the better of him. A passing traveller picked up his broken body and brought him to the local temple to be looked after.

Having nowhere else to go, the temple helped him heal not only his recent physical wounds, but his emotional ones as well. As time went on, Jason became Wing Shai Lung, Little Lost Dragon. He began to fully embrace the Buddhist teachings at the temple and the physical exercises the monks taught him. He began using his money to donate to the temple, helping to keep it taken care of as well as keep importing books so that his now fetish with military hardware could be satisfied. After eight years, Wing Shai Lung nearly forgot his former life, until he received a letter from his brother Mark. Their father had died and left the business to Mark. The money that Jason had been given was being revoked, with interest. Old wounds being reopened, Jason's new outlook told him that vengeance and anger would only lead to more of the same. Privately grieving for a father he thought he knew, Jason ignored the letter.

His brother wouldn't let him off that easily however. On a pilgrimage into the city to pick up new books, Jason was attacked by members of a Tong gang that had allied with his family's organization. His exercises with the monks kept him alive and he returned to the temple to tell them he would have to leave for a while. When he returned, the decision had already been made for him. The temple had been reduced to ashes.

Fury beating down the walls of his Buddhist teachings, Jason used the last of his money to book a flight home. Knowing full well that simply walking up and confronting his brother was out of the question, Jason contacted the FBI. After a battery of questions, they had enough to go in and verify Jason's claims. He also found out that the CIA wanted them for trading in government secrets. When all was said and done, the family enterprise was all but destroyed. Jason's brother however, escaped. Knowing that Mark would seek vengeance after rebuilding, the agent he worked with offered to put Jason in relocation. Deciding that hiding from his past never got him anywhere, Jason instead surprised the agent by telling him he wanted to join them.

After some preliminary tests and other checks as to Jason's history, he was accepted to Langley and began training to be a CIA operative. Jason's inborn hatred for his brother pushed him to exceed expectations and he soon graduated with honors as a field operative. His missions at first were stimulating, exciting, and kept Jason going. However, through the next three years, he eventually returned to his real reason for joining. He wanted to track down his brother. This obsession burned in his mind to the point that his missions were starting to suffer. His superiors noted this and decided it was time for him to move on. Their last assignment was an infiltration one. He was to infiltrate the fractured pieces of his brother's organization, make his way to the top and bring it down from the inside. Permanently.

Creating a new identity and background for him, Jason's superiors arranged for him to start at the bottom of the ladder. He began working in one of his brother's new warehouses. It didn't take him long to work his way to the top of that branch, his knowledge of his work, his skill at evasion both physically and in speaking, as well as his ability to get what he needed through subtle persuasion helping him to succeed. Years later, Jason knew that eventually he would be going through the hardest part. He had to get close to his brother without being recognized and end the illegal arms trade for good.

As it turned out, Mark had planned for the whole thing. He allowed Jason to get close to him so that he could take out his last remaining competition. In the last accounting, Jason survived the encounter, his brother's dying words cursing him to an early death. Jason promised him that it would never happen. Returning to the CIA, they deemed Jason too much of a liability now with his closeness to criminal organizations and needed to relieve themselves of him. His superiors recognized his talent however and recommended him for the ESPION project.

Appearance and Personality:

Jason is of non-descript height and build, being somewhat average in each. He keeps his hair and face completely shaved. Jason usually wears loose fitting clothes, liking comfort more than anything. He prefers subdued colors, in grays and other darks. Jason has a tattoo of a stylized cobra on the back of his neck, when asked about it, he simply shrugs and says "I don't remember."

Jason is generally a nice person, his Buddhist ways showing in all he does. When asked how he could allow himself to do what he did with his brother or to kill in general, he goes quiet, simply ignoring the questioner. His hubris prevents Jason from getting close to anyone however, so much so that anyone he works with is simply a business opportunity and nothing more. Being practical, he will cut ties with anyone he deems unnecessary. Whether he knows it or not, Jason has been allowing a Taoist philosophy to intersperse with his Buddhism, throwing his beliefs into chaos, sometimes bringing him to indecision. The biggest thing that anyone will notice about Jason is that he trusts no one. He will double check everything to make sure it is right himself before believing anyone. This creates a distance between him and anyone he works with, due mostly to the confusion of how he feels.

Specialties:

Military Equipment Knowledge: Jason knows this stuff inside and out and can identify easily any model weapon, vehicle, ship or aircraft with ease.

Hand to Hand Combat: Jason's time in France and China gave him access to numerous combat skills that he relished in learning. His training with the CIA only furthered his already tremendous skills.

Evasion: Starting when he was a boy and continuing into adulthood, Jason has always had
to hide from others. This skill is so inborn in him that it's difficult for him to be noticed even when he wants to be.

Underworld Knowledge: Jason's constant exposure to organized crime has given him an indepth knowledge of all things criminal in nature, from structure to actual activity. He could run his own small crime gang if he wanted to.

Scrounging: Jason has a knack for finding what he needs in any situation. Whether it be a place to stay in a foreign city or simply a new tire in a village, Jason can somehow find it and get it.

Hubris:

Mistrust: Jason trusts no one, going so far as to rely only on his own senses to tell him what is right or wrong. This can debilitate him on a team mission when he wants to check on his teammates' work to make sure it is right. It has led his superiors to not let him know when they are including backup, further deepening his mistrust.

Equipment:

Jason was never much for equipment, figuring he knew enough about the hardware he was dealing with to use almost anything. When on team missions, he will take what is assigned to him and nothing more, again prefering to procure what he needs in the field. If choosing is required, Jason prefers light weapons, something easily concealed and preferably quiet. His other equipment should be the same, i.e., no loud or large electronic devices, heavy armor or anything of that nature. If he needs something like that, he will use what he can find on a mission.

Carl Archer
Age: 33
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 161 lbs.
Nationality: Citizenship, Australia

History:

Carl Archer knew what he wanted and devoted his life to achieving his one desired goal: to become a spy, one of the best there ever was. Born to a middle class Australian family and being a relatively bright child, he felt he was special and yet not special in such a way that would make him suitable for espionage. Directly after high school he enrolled in university, and spent six years there getting a masters degree in psychology and learning a few languages on the side. Japanese being the exception as he learned it not through his degree but as a fan of anime. He could have used the degree to get a stable (and better paying) job as a psychologist, but his heart was set on what he wanted. Six years of learning about the human mind had given him what he wanted, an ability to read and manipulate people.

Immediately after graduation Carl sought out employment with ASIS. Throughout his degree he had pondered upon whether he should devote time to getting military experience. It troubled him to enter the intelligence industry without competent martial training, as he felt killing would ultimately play a part in what he wanted to do, and he didn't want to be lacking in the field. What Carl wanted was spec-ops training, and although he would have preferred to serve with the Australian SAS, it would have taken too long to work his way into such an elite force. The French Foreign Legion seemed like an appropriate alternative. They were largely apathetic as to who joined their ranks. There he could perfect his French, perhaps work his way up faster to elite training than at home, and ASIS wouldn't frown upon experience overseas. But on the other hand, an organisation who had discarded their paramilitary aspect may not be interested in someone with military experience, and ASIS may not look kindly upon someone who'd so willingly go into the service of a another country. Carl came to the decision that if he wanted that kind of training he'd have to gain it from within ASIS, and in order to do that he'd have to resurrect the shamed ASIS paramilitary, something he didn't expect to be easy.

ASIS employed him and after his initial training he was placed in Indonesia. Every now and then he would fall off the radar for a couple of months before emerging with what his superiors wanted. This would arouse a mixture suspicion and concern but they came to trust what he was doing, and after a couple of years in Indonesia he was moved about to wherever he was needed for another twelve months. After that he spent two years in North Korea, which was a turbulent experience. After the previous five years of quality work he had easily proven himself. They decided to let him try his luck at working in China. A dangerous ordeal, not unlike Korea, but they felt Carl would perform well.

After successfully completing his first assignment in Indonesia, he came home and celebrated by buying himself a gun. Carl shows a preference for German firearms, and though it set him back a staggering amount of money, he bought himself a combat model Korth revolver (.357 magnum) with a blue plasma finish, deluxe walnut grips and a number of other fancy (and expensive) extras, including but not limited to the barbed wire motif engravings and plantinum inlays. Although the weapon is of brilliant workmanship he hasn't ever used it in actual service, only on occasion at the firing range. He considers it a practical work of art. Aside from his taste for German workmanship he likes to carry .40 S&W for actual service. This would mean his ideal weapon was a USP40 but he isn't terribly fussy, and in the end he works with what he's given.

Around 2000 Carl was in North Korea. He had inserted himself into the military there in order to assess their capabilities, and determine anything he could about WMD's they may have in the country. While searching one facility though it was hit by a particularly well orchestrated terrorist attack. It was apparently the objective of these terrorists to secure a WMD they suspected would be in there. They were right, the facility did contain WMD's, but at that same time Carl had infiltrated the WMD storage areas to get information on what was stored there exactly. When the terrorists breached the part of the facility Carl was in he realised he had a problem. He would almost certainly be found where he shouldn't be, and that would put his cover at risk. If he wanted a chance he had to take on the terrorists. As one person he couldn't do much, but he slowed them up enough for reinforcements to arrive in time to finish the job.

The reinforcements unfortunately took longer to arrive than he had hoped, but that only helped his cover story in that he had followed the terrorists into that part of the facility to keep them pinned until he had help. There were a few small holes in his story which were thankfully ignored in the wake of the attack. Carl was asked to investigate the attack, as he often took up investigory roles, and came back with his conclusion that someone on the inside had to have helped them. With this news though another investigator was called in, a rookie agent of the Internal Affairs department, who worked with Carl for the remainder of the investigation. The mole was located, but in that time the Internal Affairs agent had gotten a weird feeling about Carl, particularly from his story of the terrorist incident, and had decided to take a closer look. For the remaining year that Carl was in North Korea he and the Internal Affairs operative played a game of cat and mouse. In the end, both of them disappeared. Carl had quickly left the country after he was forced to kill the young Internal Affairs operative, whom he had considered a friend after the investigation. The Internal Affairs operative turned out to be talented enough to almost figure Carl out, which was both too talented and not talented enough for his own good. Carl lamented the loss.

During his time on Australian soil Carl took steps to reestablish the ASIS paramilitary. Naturally he faced a lot of opposition. In some people's minds the training incident at the Hilton was all too recent to consider investing in paramilitary again. This was only just the beginning though, and at every given opportunity Carl worked hard to convince ASIS that paramilitary would be a wise investment. He insisted that ASIS couldn't rely on it's bigger siblings (MI6 and CIA) to do its dirty work for them. In the post-2000 years Carl finally had what he needed to convince ASIS, though by the time his argument had sunk in, he had already had been given enough training by the governments he had infiltrated and seen enough real combat in those countries to not really need the paramilitary training he had argued for.

For a brief period, after his assignment in Korea, he oversaw and took part in paramilitary training in order to determine whether it should be reintroduced as part of ASIS training. It was during this time he earned the nickname amoung his colleagues of 'Ferret', due to his style of combat. Though by this stage he didn't really need the training, he wanted it for his colleagues. After the initial dozen test participants had completed the training it was found that while Carl had been correct in his argument, they simply lacked the funding necessary for such an endeavour.

Over time Carl had accumulated a number of tattoos. He got his first during the ASIS paramilitary training, which was 'Ferret' written across his left wrist (although he is actually right handed) in small text with a bit of space between each letter. The next two tattoos were inspired by his ancestry: a celtic cross on his upper right chest, and an inch thick celtic pattern encirling his upper right arm. On his upper left arm he got a rather elaborate looking yin-yang tattoo, where the symbol was slightly obscured by hanging vines. His final tattoo was a phrase written across his upper back, just behind his shoulders. It reads 'Who watches the watchdogs?'.

Once Carl had set foot in China he could have been considered a virus. His movements were subtle and effective, with the use of an iron clad fake identity he would latch onto officials and they would provide him with everything he needed without them even realising it. Eventually he worked his way into Chinese national security, allowing him to become privvy to Chinese interrogation techniques and ways to also resist them. This had become a strange hobby of his as he travelled about. He would learn the interrogation techniques of a region while he was in it, then intergrate them into his knowledge of psychology and techniques from elsewhere. Having crept his way into national security circles was a golden opportunity, and he was always willing to walk the blurry line between being considered friend and foe. It got to a point where his movements were even more blurred, untrackable, and ambiguous than the norm. Were not still relaying information back to his superiors in ASIS they would have thought he had gone native, and even then they were still iffy. ASIS's niggle of distrust was not what caused the incident though.

Over the course of what was nearly three years now Carl had tied himself into the national security of China. Now an invisible player within the corrupt system, and an invaluable source of information for ASIS. A source whose secrecy they protected fiercly. Carl himself had by now survived a number of attempts by parties within the Chinese government to get rid of him. There were those who couldn't prove he was a spy, but wanted to remove him anyway, and those who just didn't like him or saw him as a political obstacle. Carl would ally himself with his enemy's enemies, protecting himself by plunging deeper into what was soon to become a problem.

Soon enough he had begun to witness a rift developing in the Chinese government. Something which had begun long before he became involved was gathering momentum, but at the same time local MI6 had found themselves a strange key player in the behind the scenes motions of the Chinese government. ASIS had never informed MI6 of Carl's situation and status, so MI6 had no qualms in adding this Australian fellow to their hit list as he was seen as a rather dangerous individual. Meanwhile, with the possibility of civil war, Carl saw an opportunity to tople the old system in the hope of creating a better one. Communism was always good in theory, but was too easily corrupted. ASIS would not endorse one of their own trying to start such a conflict, so in order for Carl to get away with this he needed to sever communications for a short while.

It was not long after Carl broke off contact with ASIS that MI6 came to them with a request for information on Carl. They had gone to the CIA, but their intelligence efforts were focused elsewhere at the time, and anything MI6 could have told them would have been news. Their interest had been piqued by what MI6 had told them had been happening in China, but they weren't in a position to make a move at that time. MI6 systematically went to ASIS seeking an exchange for information. It was this meeting that heralded the beginning. ASIS was concerned about the loss of contact, but when MI6 came to them speaking of what they believed to be a threatening individual they came to the conclusion that he must have finally gone native. ASIS explained Carl's actions in China thus far, up until they had lost contact. Someone that skilled defecting was seen as a serious problem. Plans were laid out for the neutralisation of the rogue agent.

At the same time, Carl was getting close to who he saw as the key government official whose actions he believed had the best odds of starting the war. This critical official was of the kind fueled by greed, and this greed was hopefully enough that if he believed he could gamble what he had on a civil war and come out the better for it he'd gather some allies and give it a try. Obviously Carl had no intention of letting any aspect of the current government benefit from it, but nonetheless he began sowing the poisonous seeds of overconfidence required to get the great wheels of war turning.

MI6 and ASIS sent people in to start trying to get close to Carl in an effort to set up the assassination. They hurried themselves too much though, someone slipped up and ended up being caught. The joint operation was frozen until the situation had been resolved. On the other side of the story, Carl took it upon himself to interrogate the captured MI6 agent. He had established himself as an interrogater that worked alone, so it was not difficult to get unobserved access. He explained to the MI6 agent that he was with ASIS and would make an effort to help her out. The MI6 agent obviously didn't trust him, despite his best reasoning. Carl was getting some strange feelings about the situation, and as much as he didn't want to he felt he had to use his interrogation skills. The MI6 agent was taken unawares by Carl's sudden change in character after a long period of silence. Carl removed a piece of canvas from a bench in the interrogation room, revealing an array of unpleasant devices. He then explained he didn't need them, and that he would get the agent to say everything he wanted to hear without drawing a drop of blood. He put the canvas back over the devices and went to work.

Six hours later the MI6 agent was a sobbing mess in the chair and Carl knew they wanted him dead. He would have time though, as the operation would be put on hold after something like this happened, if not cancelled. He had to make his move. He had the MI6 agent moved to a small government facility in a remote location, although he had everything he needed he wanted the agent left alive, he would return for her later. Carl circulated information that the agent had died in a car crash before talking and resumed his previously planned schedule. With any luck, he believed that ASIS and MI6 would resume their plans as well. Tomorrow evening he had a meeting planned with his critical official. He changed the arranged meeting location to the small government facility he was keeping the agent in, and waited. The bait had been laid.

The following evening the official met Carl, and the two of them strolled through the hallways towards the facility's holding cells. The official was surprised when he found the MI6 agent to be still alive, but he never had opportunity to ask why as when he turned to speak Carl shot him in the face. With that action he had smothered the spark of political change, and what for? He couldn't really be sure, but perhaps the chance of political change was ended when his employer had organised to have him killed. Surely if he was not around to ensure neither side won the civil war then there would be no room for the new and better political regime that would hopefully rise from the ashes. The war was pointless bloodshed without the potential for a change for the better.

Carl wasn't sure whether he'd survive the next few hours, but he took the startled MI6 agent out of her cell and dragged her along with him as he started to move about the small facility. He was intent on making sure she lived at least. At the same time, the joint MI6 and ASIS paramilitary operation started, and they breached the facility easily. The skeleton night crew in the disused facility was unable to muster any resistance. Carl planted explosive charges throughout the building, trying to predict the movements of the paramilitary forces as he went. Once he was outside, he waited with the MI6 agent next to him. When the would-be assassins found him they didn't expect to see the captured agent alive. Carl released the agent into their custody, and gave a brief explanation of what happened before erasing the government facility from the map.

There was confusion within the Chinese parliament in the wake of the bombing, but without the volatile influence of the greedy politician and the Australian, who were both assumed to have died in the explosion, a civil war never happened. There were many theories circulating for a while, the greedy official and his new Australian friend did not have many friends themselves. The closest theory to the actual truth was made by a perceptive but not very high standing member of parliament. He had theorised that the double assassination was made by ASIS as they had caught on that the Australian was intending to start a civil war by manipulating a critical politician. The Australian government did not want to have anything to do with a civil war in China, and so while cleaning up their own problem they had also killed any decent chance of a civil war happening any time in the near future.

The internal politics within ASIS that followed in the wake of these events resulted in Carl's forced resignation, something which did not come as a surprise for him. He had planned to start working in the private sector but was surprised when ESPION made him an attractive job offer. He eagerly accepted, but after a year in their employment he is still uncertain as to how much they know and their motives for employing him.

Appearance/Personality:

Carl isn't an ugly fellow, but he's not exactly notable either. In fact, he's pretty bland, an easily forgetable face. Brown hair, dull blue eyes, coppery facial hair. Aside from that though, when attention is payed to him he appears to be a nice, trustworthy fellow, probably in his early thirties. Carl is of conveniantly average build and height, but has exceptional physical fitness. It's believed he has a number of tattoos but they would appear to be concealed by his (usually quite covering) clothing, save for one which seems to be a single word on the inside of his left wrist. Although he is somewhat average in appearance, he appears to possess a mild streak of vanity, as he always makes an effort to look good.

Specialties:

Psychology: Carl has a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and is able to make detailed and precise psychological assessments of people he comes into contact with.

Interrogation: Carl is trained in all manners of interrogation, both with positive and negative reinforcement.

Disguise: He is proficient in the design and use of make-up and prosthetics to alter his appearance, as well as a solid understanding of vocal acting to change character.

Sincerity: Carl's poker face and psychological understanding allows him to not only lie convincingly enough to fool lie detectors, but is almost a living lie detector himself.

World Politics: By keeping up-to-date on world news on a daily basis, Carl is aware of the political situations in most of the first and second world nations and can draw informed conclusions on any of these countries he might visit.

Hubris:

Loyal: Though undoubtedly skilled, Carl is far from perfect. He is loyal to a fault. In the past he had discarded his own personal goals in favour of his loyalty to his comrades. He didn't know the captured MI6 agent, but he felt a responsibility to help her as a fellow intelligence agent. This loyalty he feels for other members of his occupation is also extended to enemy intelligence agents. This causes him to generally have a friendly demeanour towards them, should there come a mutual recognition of one another's status. So unless they have actually made an attack against him on a personal level, he prefers not to leave even an enemy agent in a bind. Carl believes that just because they're on the other side doesn't make them bad people, he might have to kill them at some point, but it wouldn't be personal. On the other hand, if they ever got into a bad situation Carl would feel obliged to help them, assuming he didn't actually have good reason to want them dead. He's more likely to save someone from extended suffering than to save someone from death. A bullet isn't a bad way to go in his opinion, but getting locked in a cell for a few decades isn't something he would wish upon an honourable foe.