Author: Commodore Brand. Posted At: 12/17/2007 at 06:27 PM
Character Name (Full): Marx Cornelius Brand
Character Name (Short): Max Brand
Age: 32
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 210 lbs
Hair: Short cropped, dark brown
Physical Description: Fit and trim, with muscles, although not excessively noticeable, on his shoulders, arms, abdomen, and legs. Is short, but appears at first to be tall with somewhat thin and trim profile. Has broad shoulders and chest, but stomach downwards is of normal size. Eyes are a hazel blue, with no facial hair present. Body hair is of a minimum. There are no body decorations or deformities, save for a single scar slashing diagonally across his right cheek. The cut is not deep, and isn't even noticeable except under bright lighting.
Preferred Attire: Uniform, olive green colors with black gloves and boots. Black belt as well, with a single pistol holster. Standard Imperial naval officer uniform, basically.
Affiliation: The New Order
Years of Service: 7
Home Planet: Corulag
Family: Sister; MIA. Mother: nursing home, Coruscant. Rest of family; MIA, but highly presumed dead.
Status: Single
Sex: Male
History:
Marx Cornelius Brand was born into the family of Haddicus Brand and Mary Brand at a time when their home planet of Corulag was in turmoil. A violent coup'detat had unseated the current local government and a dictator had taken over, seizing power by any means needed. His father being a powerful local political figure, he knew that his time was marked. He attempted to flee with his family off word, but TIE Fighters shot down their shuttle. Marx was one of the few survivors. Although most of his family was listed as being killed in the shuttle crash, no records of their bodies being recovered exist.
The Imperial dictator, who had lost his own son to a disease many years earlier, adopted brand. He was raised with an iron fisted attitude, and came up strong willed and intelligent. But his biological traits also taught him caution, something that his foster father had never taught him to be. For that reason, when the New Republic invaded Corulag, Brand stood in the backgrounds, using his intelligence to help direct the defenses and evacuation, while his foster father charged off to his death. Brand was captured by the invaders and held in prison.
He was released sometime later when it was determined that he had committed no war crimes during his service to the Empire, unlike his father who had been wanted on several counts of mass murder and other atrocities. At first the Republic tribunal wanted to bring him up on his fathers crimes, but at this time Corulag residents who had known his true father stepped forward and revealed the truth about who he really was. The charges were dismissed, leaving a shock Brand to try and find out whom he was really supposed to be and what had happened to his true family.
He had learned that his true family had mostly died in the shuttle crash, although their bodies were never recovered. He still holds some hope that they somehow survived, and are off hiding somewhere. The only people who are confirmed to have survived the crash was his mother, who was rescued at the crash site by resistance fighters and whisked away into hiding. His sister, whom the fighters had missed, was captured by Imperial soldiers and taken to the palace, where non-destroyed records indicated that she was sold into slavery.
Despite the acts of cruelty committed against him, Brand could not shake off the fact that the Imperial dictator had still raised him from being a boy, and had been told that his brother had died from cancer at an early age many years ago. Now knowing that this was not the case, as he had no brother, but he knew that there was still a boy that had died, and the Imperial dictator, cruel was he was to his enemies, had still raised him from an infant, son of an enemy political figure, into a powerful and capable man.
Eventually Brand left Corulag, to try and rejoin with the Galactic Empire. By this time however, it had fallen, only to be replaced by the New Order. Brand was pleasantly surprised to see the many changes that had been made, and signed on immediately. Using the knowledge and tactics his father had given him, although minus the more barbaric parts, Brand rose swiftly through the ranks. Had he been more daring, he may have become a great admiral. But the caution in him had deprived him of great chances and great victories.
Instead, Brand had eventually reached the rank of Commodore, and had served in the Mid-Rim Protectorate, under the command of Governor and Vice-Admiral Park Kraken. Brand was a dedicated and loyal officer under his command, and as he came to know the governor personally, his respect for the man grew. They became close friends as they served together in many campaigns against the Galactic Coalition and Outer-Rim Sovereignty. Max became one of his closest advisors, and was slated to become his replacement; something that would have become a reality when the governor and his family died in a shuttle crash startlingly similar to the way his own family had died.
But Brand would not accept the reigns of leadership, believing that he was not ready. Instead of the title of governor would be taken by Vaseli Zokolev, and Brand, now somewhat scorned by his fellow commanders, would head off into the back reaches of the Empire, until now, when he is coming back into active service, with new invigoration, new ideas, and new life.