Nathaniel Durane

Nathaniel Durane
Biographical Information
Race	Alderaanian
Homeworld	Alderaan
Born	Year -10 Day 252
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Height	1.83 meters
Coloring	Brown hair
Eye Color	Blue
Political Information
Affiliation	Galactic Empire

Nathaniel Durane was born on Alderaan to a small family. As he grew up he was always fascinated with the stars, and hoped to one day fly amongst them. That dream came true on his eighteenth birthday when his father, now too old to be a freighter pilot anymore, passed his ship, the YT-2000 Luscient Assayer, onto his son. With his family comfortable and secure financially, Nathan was able to set off on his own adventures, traveling as a freelance pilot and ship's captain for transport services.

On Year 10, Day 224, while stopped on Naboo, Nathan was struck by a passing speeder and suffered serious injuries. By the time he was hospitalized he was in critical condition, and at one point the medical staff almost lost him when he suffered a cardiac arrest and ceased upper brain activity. He was brought back from the brink, however, and a couple days later he stabilized.

He was released from the medical center on Year 10, Day 245, after having spent three weeks out of commission, and set forth for his home immediately to ensure his family that he was alright. He arrived home a week later, just in time to celebrate his twentieth birthday before heading out to explore once again.

Krayt Station

After leaving Alderaan Nathaniel set off for the furthest he could go and didn't look back, exhilarated at the thought of what was lying in wait for him. He eventually made his way to a trading station in the Ruuria system called Krayt Station, where he met a young woman by the name of Relena Vercet. He and Relena seemed to get along quite well, and he eventually found himself working alongside her to deliver goods around the galaxy for people. It was a small business by the name of Durane Shipping and Transportation, but it was profitable and Nathaniel soon saw himself holding more money than he ever thought he would.

With the growth of his small business, as well as the amount of credits he had stockpiled in the bank, Nathaniel soon started looking to bigger goals. The station he frequented was starting to fall into disarray as the owner grew disenfranchised with its operation, and Nathaniel saw this as a perfect opportunity knocking on his door. He went into talks with the owner of the station, outlying his long-term plans of acquiring it with the capital he was raising through his business, and the owner seemed to be impressed with the amount of work Nathaniel was putting into this.

Over the course of a year Nathaniel continued to run his business and gather the money needed to complete the transaction, while the station owner held up his end of the deal by stopping the station from falling into a further state of disrepair. Finally on Year 11, Day 236, Nathaniel returned to Krayt Station with all the required paperwork and finances. The station was transferred over in ownership to him and he set about hiring workers to bring the facility back up to a high standard. The refurnishing was completed on Year 11, Day 261, just over a week after his 21st birthday.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

After finishing up with his work in Ruuria, Nathaniel set off with some basic deliveries to Banrock Station where he ran into Relena again, as well as a man by the name of Ness Shine and a woman, Adri`ana Salvatore. Before anything more than brief introductions could be made, however, Ness and Adri`ana were apprehended by the owners of the station, Alexander Fel and Mekum Campbell. Adri`ana later told Nathaniel that Ness, now revealed to be Tnsumi Shine, bargained with the safe release of her and her Imperial friend Coral Dayton, though Alex and Mekum were adamant on the Imperial being taken captive. Eventually Tnsumi gave himself up to them in order to protect the others, but asked for Adri`ana to seek out himself and Relena.

Nathaniel was confused by this as he didn't know Tnsumi at all, but agreed to help nonetheless. Weeks passed and no one could find anything about the man, though Nathaniel felt it necessary to stay on Banrock Station and work with his own station from afar. When the group returned to talk about what they had found, or the lack thereof, Mekum stormed the room with guards and demanded they come with him. Nathaniel begrudgingly acquiesced, knowing he would not do well to struggle, and the three of them were taken to a small, hidden room inside the station. Within, Tnsumi was found bent over the lifeless body of Alexander, instigating Mekum into a fury which eventually led to the whole group being placed on their knees for execution.

Their deaths were staved off, however, by the sudden appearance of another man by the name of Jamie, who killed Mekum before he could dispatch of them. The guards were taken out by Tnsumi, however one of them remained conscious long enough to take a shot at Relena. Nathaniel saw this and pushed her out of the way at the last second, taking the blasterbolt to his abdomen. The shot was lethal and Nathaniel collapsed quickly into unconsciousness.

He felt the same as he did before on Naboo, like his life was passing before him backwards on viewscreen, however this time when his memories reached the first accident, it was as if they split into two separate screens overlapping; one of his memories of his own childhood and upbringing on Alderaan, while the others were foreign to him, and involved Adri`ana and Tnsumi far more frequently, as if he were with them often. They felt nonetheless very familiar to him, however before he shut down completely he was abruptly brought back to consciousness by Tnsumi, having used the Force to mend his stomach.

Everyone seemed exhausted over the ordeal and they retired for the evening, though the questions swimming through his mind were endless. He felt largely the same, and yet somehow there was a slight difference inside him, as if someone had uploaded a new piece of history into him directly. These questions would persist until the next day, when Tnsumi explained to everyone what he had discovered through his dealing with The Project, and how it related to everyone else. For Nathan, it seemed that Tnsumi's son had died near him at the same time, and the young man was strong in the Force; enough so that his spirit sought out a way to continue existing and found it in Nathaniel's temporary lack of life on Naboo. The spirit had gone dormant inside and was not even noticed until Nathaniel's second near brush with death, which awakened Jason inside and caused his essence to merge with Nathaniel.

In the end, it changed very little. Nathaniel had a new perspective on life, and new memories with which to derive experience from to guide his decisions, but that was all. He was no more sensitive to the Force than he was before, and he was still entirely himself, albeit with some of Jason's quirks rising through the memories of him. His relationship with Relena, however, did take a turn for the better as she had her own past revealed, and was shown to have been close to Jason before. What they chose to do with his new information remained in their hands from this point, and they bid farewell to Tnsumi as he decided to finally settle down and disappear from the galactic spotlight for good.

The Galactic Empire

Nathaniel eventually started to understand that he was rather powerless against the aggression of others, due to his inherently peaceful Alderaanian nature. His memories of Jason showed a much stronger, more confidant young man, and one capable of fighting if need be, and Nathaniel wanted to be able to emulate that persona to some degree, to protect himself and those around him. He also understood that his 'father' Tnsumi, and his 'mother' Murrue were both Imperials, though he did not know why, and his curiosity drove him into seeking enlistment with the Galactic Empire to discover more about them. Specifically he choose the Imperial Army as he was already a proficient pilot, but his understanding of combat was at best minimal. He and Relena spoke at length about this decision and in the end she decided to join him as well. They sent in their papers soon after reading up on the rules and regulations and on Year 11, Day 291, Nathaniel was accepted into the Imperial Academy as a new Recruit.

Nathaniel pushed himself hard during his time in the Academy and graduated on Year 11, Day 301, at the rank of Private in the Imperial Army. However, due to the changes happening with the ascension of a new Emperor some of the questions were outdated, leading to a mix up in his answers. These were rectified in the end, however, and Nathaniel was promoted to the rank of Corporal on Year 11, Day 308.

Imperial Army

Third Imperial Legion

Time Immemorial

Just after exiting the Academy, Nathaniel was assigned to an operation in the Fornax system, alongside another academy mate, Edward Canfield. It was a joint operation between the Navy and Army involving a criminal syndicate being led by one Salak Radmir from a stronghold in the deserts of planet Fornax itself. The Army forces, led by Lieutenant General Graeda L'Annan, were tasked with assaulting the stronghold, neutralizing the enemy forces within, and securing the criminal leadership alive. This would be the very first time Nathaniel had ever been in a combat situation, and in a way he was relieved to be thrown into the midst of conflict quickly, as opposed to waiting for the inevitable day.

The operation itself ended up running smoothly and no major casualties were taken by the Imperial forces. The stronghold was routed successfully and after several small firefights the syndicate leadership was apprehended and taken into custody. Nathaniel himself was present for several of the firefights and found a resolve he was unaware of before, able to stand his ground and fight the enemy. This new-found strength of his was startling at first, but as the firefights wore on his quickly became accustomed to it and ended up as a valuable asset to the assault.

Operation PANDORA

Following the operation in the Fornax system and his promotion to Corporal, Nathaniel quickly found himself on assignment again, this time heading to Ansion for what was meant to be a simple infiltration and capture mission. Op PANDORA was issued to subdue a cultist uprising on Ansion, who were believed to be involved in genetic testing on innocent civilians that had been disappearing off the streets. It took a sharp turn for the worse when the freighter carrying the imperial soldiers was struck by incoming missile fire, killing dozens and scattering the remaining forces across the target city. The ship had been close to the ground when it was struck and Nathaniel was thrown free from the craft, suffering minor injuries. He managed to gather eight other nearby survivors and they collected inside one of the buildings still standing, but soon came under fire from a dozen cult members intent on gaining entry to their new shelter.

The ranking soldier at the time was incapacitated, leading to Nathaniel taking charge of the group when no one else stood up to the task. He quickly formulated a basic firefight tactic and began pushing back against the monks, hoping to engage in a counter assault and drive them from the position. The monks, however, dug in during their own assault on the building and began taking cover, extending the firefight out; they were nonetheless cut short when Gunther Rall and his soldiers arrived opposite Sandy Griffen in the road and engaged the enemy in a cross-fire. Nathaniel took the chance they provided him to conduct a frontal assault of the monks, disorienting them with stun grenades before pushing out into the streets, himself at the lead of the charge.

Eventually the group of soldiers on the mission did regroup after the initial firefights subsided, paving the way through to the main objective and successfully subduing the cultist uprising. Nathaniel himself was noted for his quick actions in getting his squad under control despite his inexperience leading, and returned to his unit unscathed and with the majority of his squad having survived. This would be the fire steps in Nathaniel's career as a leader in the Imperial Army.

Operation DARKSTORM

Nathaniel was reunited with Arek Lindemann, a sniper specialist from his Brigade, when the two of them were assigned to yet another capture mission. Deep in the arid regions of Bimmisaari, Op DARKSTORM was a Combat Team mission led by Athrun Zala overall with Josef DeLaurel in command of the ground forces against a positively identified compound with minor rebel leadership present. Their reunion would be brief by the very nature of Arek's job keeping him independently operating from the Platoons, while Nathaniel was tasked as a Section XO due to his experience and skills displayed in his previous combat missions. Nathaniel helped the Section Commander, a Sergeant, maintain high morale and drive amongst the soldiers as the attack progressed, however mortar fire soon pinned down all but his section.

While the other forces were pounded by the incoming rounds, Nathaniel's section successfully made it to the compound wall and, upon a breach from friendly Artillery fire, pushed in once the Platoons had become coordinated again. His section was at the fore of the firefight the entire battle and cleared several buildings inside the compound itself, including the one with the rebel target. In the end, thanks especially to the Sergeant in command of the section, they suffered only minor injuries and one major wound, with no deaths, and the successful capture of the rebel leadership.

Exercise SHADOWSTEP

Nathaniel was given a short amount of time to wind down after the conclusion of Operation DARKSTORM, however it wasn't long before he was back to the frontlines. This time it was only an exercise in which he was to participate, however, conducted by Legion Command. Ex SHADOWSTEP was to be a training confirmation of Brigade-level tactics and coordination, pitting two Brigades against one another before they would be allowed to step up to more complex training involving Legion-level operations and coordination.

Initially Nathaniel was assigned to headquarters as an assistant to Alleria Shepard, the overall commander of his Brigade's mission. He showed incredible promise in his leadership capabilities during this time and eventually assumed command of the mission himself when Alleria had complications. For his own part in the successful establishment of an initial plan, as well as recognition for his previous display of leadership and skill, Nathaniel was field promoted to Sergeant effective on Year 11, Day 348 and officially made mission command.

The exercise kicked off without a hitch and Nathaniel found himself assisted by Arek yet again, this time calling in fire missions with the planetary defenses against the opposition fleet that had amassed overhead. The fleet, unable to penetrate the shields and taking massive damage to one of their destroyers, pulled back from range, removing any orbital assets allocated to the other Brigade. Unfortunately, during this time Dante Wehr, the Exercise Commander, had decided to pay the brigades an unannounced visit, and Nathaniel neutralized the shuttle without hesitation due to the tactical scenario. The weapons systems were firing blanks, but the Commander was hardly pleased nonetheless.

Operation WOUNDED

Ex SHADOWSTEP came to a premature halt when the Legion was ordered to make for the Sacor system immediately. The planet of Sacorria had been attacked by the New Republic, who were intent on liberating the planet from CorSec. The Imperial Army was deployed in response to this aggression against an ally, with Nathaniel's Legion arriving within days of the distress call going out. By the time they arrived it was ultimately too late, as the New Republic had gained too much of a foothold to counter effectively, however multiple battles raged across the planet nonetheless.

Nathaniel was involved in a large firefight against approximately sixty soldiers, with a confirmed twenty-eight neutralized before he was recalled. The Operation overall did not manage to repulse the enemy assault, but the Imperial Army saw it as a victory for their forces, being able to react as quickly and efficiently as they did. For his own part in the operation, Nathaniel was awarded the Army Activity Medal.

Operation SANTA CLAWS

The first major break in Nathaniel's career came with Operation SANTA CLAWS, where instead of combat he was relieved to find the Brigade would be tasked with scanning the Fakir Sector for any unusual activity. Over the course of the holiday season Nathaniel found himself piloting a TIE/sr Starfighter, having little more to do than keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, and he both loved it and hated it at the same time. On the one hand it was finally a break from all the constant adrenaline of the past few months, but on the other he found that he oddly missed being in the thick of all the action.

One notable event that stood out from the rest of the operation was when Nathaniel was called back to headquarters on Year 12, Day 30, and promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant. No longer just a Squad Commander, he was now the Sergeant Major of the Brigade's Stormtrooper detachment under the Executive Officer.

Second Imperial Legion

Nathaniel's career in the Third Imperial Legion was cut short when he was taken aside by Josef, now working at Legion Command for the Second Imperial Legion. He had been taking note of Nathaniel's career to date and wanted him at headquarters with himself. Nathaniel agreed and on Year 12, Day 48, only 18 days after his last promotion, he was officially transferred to the Hellhounds under the Legion Communications Coordination Officer. His new position brought with it a promotion to the rank of Command Sergeant, now as the Sergeant Major of the Legion's Headquarters Battalion Stormtrooper assets.

Nathaniel's work was taken notice of quite quickly and his superiors soon saw him as a potential candidate for commissioning. He had shown himself to be a capable and extremely hardworking soldier during his short time in the Empire and the Army. His new position was no different, and he threw himself into it with an enthusiasm his superiors had rarely seen. He displayed a strong capability of handling the pressures of being a leader in the Army, and some saw him as a shining example of an Imperial soldier.

His commission to the rank of Second Lieutenant was made official on Year 12, Day 113, marking Nathaniel as one of the few officers in the Galactic Empire to have risen through the ranks into the officer corps before receiving his first set of duty bars.

5th 'Inferno' Brigade

Nathaniel was transferred out of the Legion's Headquarters after serving for several months as a staff officer. With the onset of the Imperial Army transformation two new Brigades were established within the Legion, and Nathaniel was placed in the 5th Brigade under the Brigade Commander in the 8th Heavy Armour Battalion. This was a massive change of pace for the infantryman and placed him back on the battlefields once again, albeit under much thicker protection. It was at this time that Nathaniel learned Relena, whom had been rising through the ranks steadily herself, had been transferred from the Third Imperial Legion over to the Second, and was performing a similar role to his own now in the 2nd Brigade. The two of them were both promoted at the same time, Nathaniel to First Lieutenant, and Relena to Command Sergeant, on Year 12, Day 198.

For several months Nathaniel worked within the Battalion of AT-ATs attached to Brigade Headquarters as a Platoon Commander. His superiors saw his potential immediately as a future leader and pushed him constantly harder, for which he tackled each new task even more fervently. Throughout Operation FROSTBITE he worked within Mission Command aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer I Bakfiets, ensuring orders were drafted and sent out to the proper channels well within the needed time frame, and using his initiative to get tasks accomplished when ambiguity or a lack of direction arose. On Year 12, Day 236, Nathaniel was commended for his efforts with a promotion to the rank of Captain, signed off by the Army Commanding Officer himself, Lord General Seele, and with it a rise to the position of Company Executive Officer.

Ranks

• Recruit [E-1] - Recruit

Imperial Army

• Private [E-2] - Legionary
• Corporal [E-3] - Legionary
• Sergeant [E-4] - Brigade Executive Officer
• Master Sergeant [E-5] - Brigade Executive Officer
• Command Sergeant [E-6] - Legion Communications Coordination Officer
• Second Lieutenant [O-1] - Legion Signals Officer
• First Lieutenant [O-2] - Brigade Commanding Officer
• Captain [O-3] - Brigade Commanding Officer

Awards

Empire

• Letter of Commendation 2
• Imperial Duty Bars - 6 Months

Army

• Army Activity Medal

COMPNOR

• Imperial Academy Honors Graduate

Quotes & Notable Dialogue

• "When it comes to war, it's not the bullets with your name on it you need to worry about. It's the ones labeled 'To whom it may concern.'"
• "As much as battle strengthens a man's resolve, so too does the thought of a tactical scenario and its reprecussions keep the blade of a man's mind sharp."

Trivia

• Nathaniel is 6'0" tall, with wind-swept brown hair and deep blue eyes. He is somewhat sleek in shape, though physically attractive nonetheless. He has no distinguishing features beyond this.

• Nathaniel is extremely courteous for a young man, and has a strong respect for authority figures. He tries to be polite as a matter of principal rather than force it, and has been known to keep calm during tense situations. He finds brute strength to be unsettling, preferring to handle dispute resolution with his words and not his fists, though he also understands that sometimes there is no choice but to fight. Even so, he considers those who enjoy the thrill of combat to be somewhat barbaric. His worst hardship is his passive nature, which is seen by many as a weakness. He is working to overcome this however, and be able to protect those who are close to him in the future.

• Nathaniel is a bit of a book worm and an intellectual. He doesn't mind the odd ale, however he has not been known to drink to the point of complete inebriation before. As with everything he does, he holds himself with an air of calm confidence.