Ethan Paulus

Ethan Paulus is written by Admiral Ackbar.

Biography
Ethan’s father was a civilian transport pilot, and Ethan had spent considerable time in the cockpits of both planes and ships since he was old enough to walk and talk. His dad taught him how to use most of any ship’s controls as a young boy, and by the age of 13, he went on his first solo-flight. Although it took place without the permission of his father (or anyone else for that matter), the flight was a success.

At the age of 18, Ethan enlisted in the CEF Navy, something that he spent his adolescent years dreaming about doing. It didn’t take long for his superiors to realize that Ethan was a special recruit—his natural affinity for acquiring and processing information, as well as his very diligent work-ethic, made Ethan one of their best young pilots, and he rose through the ranks of the CEF rather quickly.

He piloted missions of various types during the interplanetary war—espionage, combat, and reconnaissance. Shortly before his inevitable promotion to Lieutenant Commander, and during the last year of the war, however, something went wrong. Ethan’s miscalculation resulted in a failed mission, the wrecking of his ship, and the death of many of his squadmates. Shortly afterwards, Lieutenant Paulus retired from the CEF navy. After a year spent back at his parent’s home on Earth, Ethan was ready to do pilot’s work again. He looked for what he thought to be very low-stakes civilian jobs, and was quickly hired by a transport company. He is the current pilot of the Nightshade.

Physical Appearance
There was a time when Ethan Paulus looked exactly like any other run-of-the-mill CEF soldier—and not much has changed since that time. Ethan’s height measures 5’10 ½ and he has an average-sized frame wrought with neat, trim muscle.

Though he’s let it grow slightly longer since his time as a CEF naval pilot, Ethan’s dark brown hair is still relatively short: it stays neatly trimmed behind his neck and, like any good soldier, it’s never so long on the sides as to touch the base of his ears. His face, true to his professional manner, stays clean-shaven at all hours of the day. Even his brown eyes seem to convey some sense of serious professionalism. The only thing about his countenance that seems out-of-place is a half-inch long, almost unnoticeable scar that sits on the top left corner of his forehead. All the same, Ethan would most likely be described as a fairly good-looking fellow, although it probably wouldn’t hurt the guy to loosen up and smile more.

Staying true to his military background, Ethan tends to dress professionally for most occasions. He wears light, protective armor underneath a grey military coat, a black shirt, and khaki slacks—on most days.

Personality and Traits
“What a nice, polite young man,” is a phrase many would use to describe Ethan. It’s true: Ethan is a very mild-mannered person who takes great care to remain polite and soft-spoken, though it’s probably true that he takes too much care in this regard.

He’s also a very serious soul. On duty, he treats everyone with the same sense of level-headed professionalism. Off-duty, that truth remains the same. Although it’s not impossible to see Ethan cutting up or joking around, it’s certainly unlikely; he’s usually very quiet. Ethan also lacks the assertiveness and boldness that is found in most people throughout the solar system. In fact, sometimes he can be quite the doormat. He also has a tendency to sell himself short, although he’s rarely ever self-pitying or what anyone would term to be depressed. Although he can be very well-spoken and is also incredibly bright, he keeps a majority of his opinions to himself.

Primary Combat Style
Like most good naval officers, Ethan keeps a reliable 9mm sidearm close at hand. He knows how to fire effectively enough to defend himself, though he is no high-class marksman. At his waist sits a well-decorated nano-bladed cutlass. The countless hours he devotes to practicing its use and maintaining his own physical fitness has made him a very adept fencer and swordsman. Ethan rarely sees much practical application of such skills; he is a pilot, and doesn’t see much in the way of physical combat.