My name is Steve 'Stryke' Jones, here is my story so far.
I don’t know much before the age of twelve except that my mother got taken away by a group of people brandishing the insignia of the mantis. To this day my dad hasn’t told my why these people took her. That time is a time I’d rather forget.
From the age of twelve I was alone in the most part with my dad. He was a cold man after mother left, yet he was caring and compassionate to me. In the earliest part of my teenage life he introduced me to the charioteers on Leagueheim of which I was later inducted. After being inducted into the charioteers guild, around fifteen I learned how to do basic repairs to space craft engines and later how to fly space craft through the academy. During this time and many late nights I discovered energy drinks which helped me to stay awake now I have to drink them quite often to stop my self from loosing touch. These devilish drinks cause me to sometimes say things that I should not. At the age of twenty one I was fully versed in the operation of space vehicles. I made my way to the rank of ensign when I entered into my first major contract, With the Decados. I can’t believe that I worked for those bastards during the emperor wars, what a horrible mistake.
As I quickly moved up in rank to commander with in the space of a couple of years, I was moved into black ops with the Decados. I have never actually seen a Decado the contract was signed by proxy, my father had arranged it. In these black op missions we struck barbarian and Hawkwood worlds many times. During one mission against House Hawkwood I met a fellow charioteer, an ensign. She called her self Ruylee Masc, a charioteer who was forced onto the Decados ship. On the way to our target we discussed many things. We developed a very close relationship in which we volunteered many personal thoughts. The night before we arrived at Leminkainen I talked about the abduction of my mother, about the people who took her and their insignia. She stared at me for a moment and the proceeded to tell me about the people who took my mother. It was the Decados, I was very upset, Have I been working for the people who took my mother was a question I asked my self that night, then, she said something else. She asked, “Do you want these wars to continue, do want there to be more death and destruction, to preserve the power of the few”. I of course said no to her, she proceeded to talk about the notion of an open and free life for all. She talked about the movement for the third republic. I told her that I would need to think it over.
On the day of arrival I felt the most disgusting feeling as I committed my final act for the cruel house Decados, tactically bombing a site on Hawkwood’s world Leminkainen. This site was of significance to both houses and many innocents died, however it was bound under my contract to bomb this site and keeping true to the charioteer’s principals, I did. After the mission I told Ruylee Masc that I would join the third republic movement. Once she heard this she gave me an Eruptor Pistol which contained the secret insignia of the Third Republic movement, altered slightly and to maintain individuality. A month later Emperor Alexius seized power and my contract with the Decados was resolved.
After the ascension of Alexius I have kept fulfilling contracts as part of the charioteer’s guild. This went on for about four years. I have also maintained close ties with Ruylee Masc. We actually got quite close for a while until she got killed a year ago by one of the Houses in the vicinity of Grail. Since then I have been searching for her killer and it has lead me to Rampart to find answers there, along the way I have helped old friends with odd jobs and other small things.