Post by Betty on May 21, 2011 21:00:04 GMT -7
Disclaimer: The following character(s) are based in the Halo universe. I only own the character concepts. All references to the Halo franchise are used for entertainment purposes only. The images used to portray my character(s) do not belong to me. No money is being made!
Name: Leeloo Zahra
Approximate Age: 30
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 11"
Approximate Weight: 166 pounds
Hair Color: Brunette
Eye Color: Cerulean blue
Relationship Status: Single (Divorced)
Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia
Race: Human
Faction: UNSC, Marines, Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST)
Outfit: ODST Battallion - 57th Overlanders
Rank: First Lieutenant
Call-sign: Phoenix
Ship/Station: UNSC - Illustrious, under the command of Major El’Musharif.
WEAPON OF CHOICE
Sidearm:
M6C Magnum - "Rita"
Main:
CAWS Shotgun - "Veronica"
Secondary Main:
MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle - "Bambie"
Melee:
Jungle Machete - "Pauley"
Military Combat Knife - "Jenna"
Bullets pelted the wall behind her, turning the marble slab into Swiss cheese. A mounted gunner was bombarding the area, pinning her down behind said wall. Faster than she could formulate an escape scenario, there was an unexpected explosion that caused the firing at her back to cease. The loud blast was accompanied by a deafening shout from her earpiece.
“Kaboom, motherf-” The last part of ‘Wild Man's’ curse fizzled out over her com when an R.P.G. blasted a hole in the side of a building about twenty meters to her right. The structure was mostly rubble now.
Sounding completely calm, which seemed almost out of place in their current situation, Zahra shouted into her comm, “Ya still in one piece over there, Wild Man?” The ease in her voice belied the slight-panic in her chest. That blast had been awfully close to where Bill, aka Wild Man, her demolitions expert, had taken cover.
There was a brief pause before a distinctly Jerseyan accent spoke in her ear, “A little close fa comfort, doll, but I’m five by five. Though, can’t say da same about the udder guy! Goddamn Innie basta’d. Don' worry ‘bout me none, L-T.”
Zahra checked the radar on her HUD where she saw four bright yellow dots bleeping back at her. The sight put her mind at great ease. They had all gotten a little separated in the drop, but then again theirs wasn't the only team down here. There were a couple other Marine teams assisting them, but that still didn’t help easy Zahra's worry. In fact, sometimes having the Marines around made it worse.
Before she could think too much on it though, another RPG came hurtling towards the earth almost smack in the middle of the space between her and Bill. “Goddamn it!” She cursed loudly as she shook off the rubble and debris that had fallen on top of her. “Pretty Boy, what’s your twenty?” She questioned her sniper.
“Ah'm already on it, love," came Gavin's silky reply, making her roll her eyes at him, despite his inability to see her do so. Leave it to Pretty Boy Farnsworth; even in the middle of a firefight he never laid off the charm. “Where are ya, ya yellowous bast- Ah! ‘ello there, mate.” His tendency to talk to himself in whispers when he was searching the battlefield for his targets wasn't always smart, but it was, on occasion, amusing. “G’bye.” He said with a tone of finality before a deafening gun shot echoed through the abandoned city streets; this echo had the added benefit of making it near impossible to pinpoint where the shot had come from. Now the only question was, had the shot counted?
“Direct hit,” Farnsworth answered her unspoken question. “Chest shot; little more right ‘an I’d like, but beggahs can’t be choosahs... ‘e’s not gon' be gettin’ back up anytime soon. Or evah for that mattah.”
“Good work, Gunny.” She checked her radar again where it appeared as if one of the dots had disappeared. “Shaman? Where’s Doc?” When there was no answer from either party in question, a slight tinge of panic actually made its way into her voice “Shaman?!”
“Hush, chere,” he whispered over the team's link. “Boy’s here wit’ me. But dere's a whole mess o’ bad comin’ dis way.” His voice was so low she could barely hear him.
At that point, Wild Man being the sneaky s.o.b. that he was had converged on her location and took up the duty of watching her back. Pretty Boy hadn’t moved an inch from his hiding spot; he was waiting for her orders before taking the risk of giving up his nest; fortunately, he wasn’t that far away.
Zahra visualized the map of the area in her head and quickly formulated a plan. She made a few hand gestures and signals to Wild Man before checking the ammo in her rifle and signaling him to move out. “Sit tight, Shaman,” Zahra spoke with a firm resolve in her voice. “We’re comin’ ta you.” These insurrectionist ass holes had another thing comin' if they thought they could corner one of her men and live.[/left]
Heavenly Helljumpers, 2524:
~As one might think, very few women tend to make the cut to join the ODST ranks. Even fewer, as you can imagine, would qualify as 'pin-up' worthy. So naturally most of the girls chosen were featured in several shots...
Name: Leeloo Zahra
Approximate Age: 30
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 11"
Approximate Weight: 166 pounds
Hair Color: Brunette
Eye Color: Cerulean blue
Relationship Status: Single (Divorced)
Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia
Race: Human
Faction: UNSC, Marines, Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST)
Outfit: ODST Battallion - 57th Overlanders
Rank: First Lieutenant
Call-sign: Phoenix
Ship/Station: UNSC - Illustrious, under the command of Major El’Musharif.
WEAPON OF CHOICE
Sidearm:
M6C Magnum - "Rita"
Main:
CAWS Shotgun - "Veronica"
Secondary Main:
MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle - "Bambie"
Melee:
Jungle Machete - "Pauley"
Military Combat Knife - "Jenna"
General Description/Appearance:
At almost six feet tall, weighing in around 72 kilos, with a lady's size 12 boot, Zahra can hardly be called a scant little woman. Built like an Amazon, her typical dress size is a 12, but even then is known to fluctuate from a 10 to a 14 depending on different circumstances; i.e. that time of the month, whether or not she’s maintained a strict workout regimen, or how long she’s been in the field.
Despite how many have tried to joke around about her, there is nothing fake about Elizabeth Black. Though she does have an hourglass figure, 36-32-38 to be exact, and can fill out a d cup naturally, Zahra hates playing up her sexuality. In fact, for the most art she tries to look as unappealing as possible. She even confines her bust with constricting undergarments and such. Though, theoretically speaking if the occasion did call for it, she cleans up rather well.
Her hair is a natural coppery red colour, though shaved up the sides with still a bit of mass left to hang in waves to just above the middle of her back. She always wears her hair up and out of the way, though, per company standards. Zahra has a slightly pointed nose, average in size, but not overly large; lets just say it fits her face. Her eyes are twin hunter-green orbs evenly spaced below her brow. All in all she isn’t some bombshell knockout which is probably what makes her stand out the most; because her beauty isn’t so starkly obvious.
In full ODST battle armour, Zahra can be rather intimidating. Her suit is mostly camouflaged in grays and blacks and the visor on her helmet has been polarized an icy blue. Apart from the slight sway of her hips and the obviously feminine call-sign plastered on her helmet and chest plate, one would never be able to tell her apart from the guys. When not suited up for battle, she can usually be seen sporting her UNSC fatigues, or other types of casual and formal uniforms, depending on the occasion/situation.
When on leave or the rare p-day Zahra’s fashion choice is usually a 'rockabilly' or southern belle type style. Her typical wardrobe includes any variation of capri jeans and pants, mini skirts and dresses, tight fitting blouses and t-shirts, wide waisted belts, corsets and bodices. Her favorite colors to wear are green, violet, red, black and the occasional girly touch of pink or yellow.
Apart from her height and her hair colour there's not much else that would distinguish Leeloo Zahra from any other woman, save for a few battle wounds she's gleaned over the years. She has a scar through her left eyebrow, and another on the right side of her jaw that trails from about an inch away from the corner of her mouth, to just below her right ear. She also has several bullet wounds; one in her right shoulder, another just below her rib cage on her right side, one near her left hip in front and back where the bullet went all the way though and one final gunshot wound on her left thigh. Some scars are old and faded, other still carry a touch of red or pink indicating their more recent afflictions. Clearly she’s seen a fair amount of action in her day.
Her most distinguishing feature, however rarely visible, would have to be the artistic tattoo of a Phoenix on her upper back, that spans the distance of her shoulder blades, and has bioluminescent ink accents so it glows naturally in the dark.
PERSONALITY
Strengths:
Zahra’s strongest aspects would be her uncanny gift with engines and mechanics. Machines have workings and they just seem to talk to her. Such is her skill that she was once approached about branching off to the engineering sect of the UNSC, but she turned them down flat. The way she saw it, working on engines and such was a passion and a love; if she started doing it as a job it might take all the fun out of it. Besides, she preferred the battlefield anyhow. Engines and things, they were easy; battle and survival? That was a challenge.
Zahra also has a very high sense of intuition and charisma. She can usually feel when something has or will go wrong. This aspect makes her a little paranoid from time to time, but it has also saved her and her squad’s hides on a number of occasions. She is also very good at talking her way into and out of many different situations.
Zahra is very dedicated and devoted to the UNSC and ODST, but more specifically to her unit, this tends to lead way to a superb leadership quality. Most of the men who serve with her, who actually take the time to know her and don’t just straight up judge her off the back, tend to look up to her. She inspires a high sense of loyalty in those she works with. She is very hard not to like and she hates hen games. Though cock-fights she can take on any day of the week!
Of all the forms of combat, Zahra excels at hand-to-hand fighting best. Due to her years of Ballet instruction she was already fit, nimble, agile and extremely flexible, but add martial arts and combat training on top of that and she was nigh untouchable in a close combat fight; excluding perhaps a strong Elite or Spartan. She’s never tried to take one of them hand to hand fight and she’s never really gone looking for one either.
Weaknesses:
Some of Zahra’s weakest aspects would have to be her bad temper- she can be very quick and easy to anger depending on the circumstance. Hot-headed is usally the term. Don’t even get her started on the link between her temper and her hair-color. She gets enough ginger jokes as it is!
Though Zahra is trained with firearms, she doesn't have the best aim; which is normally why she prefers her shotty, for its wide spread, or her machete. She might have to be a little too close to make it count, but it's very hard to miss when it does.
Zahra can also be very overprotective or ‘mother hen’ like with those she cares about; she tends to view her fellow ODSTs like family and has often put herself on the line to protect and defend them. This has occasionally been a bad thing because it may prevent a rookie or even a veteran from learning a dangerous, yet valuable lesson. Let alone the personal risk she takes by putting her neck on the block.
Only a few short months into her basic training Zahra picked up the nicotine habit like many of the rest of her fellow Marines. She’s one of those pack a day smokers now. The smoking itself isn’t necessarily a weakness, but the shit that’s built up in her lungs definitely could be. If she’s forced to full out run for long periods of a time, she tends to get extremely winded.
Another unfortunate weakness, and one that can seem uncharacteristic given her background in dance, is that if Zahra’s not completely focused on what she’s doing she can be somewhat of a klutz at times. Despite her grace on and off the battlefield, if Zahra isn’t completely focused on what she’s doing she has been known to trip on air walking down an empty hallway.
Being a Country Girl that she is, Zahra loves to drink. Mainly rums and other types of hard liquors or mixed drinks. She doesn’t mind beer, it’s just not her drink of choice. She never could get used to its taste. Zahra loves to go drinking with the guys, the only problem there being that she gets inebriated very easily. I believe the coined phrase is usually “cheap date.” There’s typically two sides of drunk Zahra; she can either become extremely klutzy and goofy, or she’ll get all melancholy and start reminiscing about her difficult childhood and the darker events what spurred her escape to the military and then ODST. All of these being reasons why she never drinks alone, and tends to only willingly get drunk around her squadmates, whom she knows she can trust to a) not try to take advantage of her(though she still has a few suspicions/doubts about Pretty Boy) and b) she knows they got her back in a brawl.
Likes:
Zahra can be a bit picky when it comes to what she likes. For instance: She only smokes a specific type of cigarette; Parliament 100’s for anyone who wanted to know. The only music she listens to is either Celtic Folk Rock, or Classical. Anything else she tends to plug her ears to. She prefers blades to guns, though she’s skilled with both. She loves snakes, but hates lizards. She gets excited when it’s raining, but she hates lightening.
She loves to dance, hunt and box(she’s even competed in a UNSC sanctioned match or two). She can’t get enough of really lame jokes. Lastly, although she doesn’t have the best bluffing face, that never stops her from joining a good game of poker. Hold’em is her favorite. She also loves to drink, and starting or ending a good bar brawl.
Dislikes:
Despite Zahra’s naturally flirtatious spirit, unless she is the instigator - beit through eye contact, body language or speech- she tends to take offense if someone tries hit on her first. Zahra’s one of those people that would rather go a year or even longer without sex than shack up with some random stranger. Sometimes a good fight, a really long shower or an intense workout can be enough to relieve any built up tension as a result of this choice.
Zahra is nothing if not a proud woman and there's little else she hates more than being underestimated, especially when someone tries to take advantage of her just because she’s a woman.
Zahra does not abide cheating or cheaters in any circumstance, beit a game of cards, or in a relationship.
There are only really four types of people in this world she can’t stand; Doctors, Politicians, people who play mind games and people who talk at the theatre. No matter all the good they like to think or pretend they’re doing for mankind, most of them are just really annoying or are only out for themselves.
Fears:
Zahra’s not afraid of much. What she is afraid of, however, still tend to give her nightmares.
Though she hates to admit it for the weakness it makes her feel, her ex-husband is still sometimes the source of a few of her bad dreams. Granted, she’s much stronger now than she ever was when she was with him, however the trauma he caused still haunts her to this day. Especially because she worries and fears that she may never be able to have children of her own anymore.
Another one of her greatest fears is failure; failure on her part that is. The fear that someday something she’ll do, a decision she’ll make as a leader that might cost the lives of her company and others. It’s a dumb fear, but it’s one she worries about often, though it’s a thought that makes her strive even harder to be a good leader; to think before she acts. She also has a terrible fear of hospitals and needles. They only remind her of hurt, and pain, and loss, and death, and tubes, and very bad things all around.
Lastly, for all her big bad courage and bravery as a Helljumper, show her a little tiny spider and you never knew she could scream like that.
NPC’S
Sergeant Major Frederique “Shaman” Leclair – Heavy Weapons Specialist:
His Great-Great Grandparents were New Orleans natives and some of the first settlers on Harvest. He speaks Creole French fluently and is a practitioner of Hoodoo folk magic, both skills learned from his parents and grandparents.
If the air of mysticism that seems to surround him weren’t enough to intimidate a person, his appearance definitely would. He stands about 6’ 3” tall, his body is ripped to the core from extensive workout and training, his skin is so dark it’s almost literally black, and he’s covered in ritualistic tattoos, from his feet to his head which he shaves bald. If that weren’t bad enough, he tends to carry the biggest and scariest firepower, though not out of any sort of need for compensation. He’s just one of the few who can lug around the heavier equipment with practical ease.
Shaman is about two years Zahra’s senior and they enlisted around the same time. They went through basic together. In fact it was mainly his encouragement that gave Zahra the drive and dedication to succeed. The two became fast friends and have been through practically everything together. They became official “blood brothers” their second year of service when they were both hit by the same bullet, that had grazed Shaman's side, but hit Zahra square in the shoulder.
They’ve served together in the same unit for over eight years. It was Zahra that had pulled him through his hardest time when Harvest was glassed and his entire family slain. He almost lost his mind with rage towards the Covenant and the whole damn war.
On one particular mission where they had been sent in to help hold back a Covie threat, he eventually separated himself from his unit “accidentally” and tried taking on an Elite in melee combat, armed with naught but his remaining sidearm and a machete. Much to Shaman's regret, however, Zahra and the rest of her squad found and saved his ass before the final killing blow.
He had been extremely bitter at Zahra at first for not letting him die. It took lots of down time in the infirmary and some extremely heavy intervention and serious threats on Zahra’s part to jog him back to a resemblance of the man and soldier he’d once been.
It had mainly been Zahra’s tears that had jarred him the most, because despite the long years he’d known her, the shit they’d endured and the wounds she’d sustained, he had never once seen her cry. When she was teased almost mercilessly in the start, when she’d take a fall, get shot, break a bone, need stitches, some things that would bring a man his size to tears, she had never shed a single one; at least not openly. Yet there she’d been, sitting in his hospital room, balling her eyes out into his shoulder because he’d flatlined twice and had barely made it out of the ER.
He was the closest thing she had to family anymore and she couldn’t believe he would try to just up and leave her like that. Fred realized that though his blood family was gone, they would want him to continue this fight; to not make their deaths in vain. Zahra and his fellow ODSTs were his family now, and in fact had been for some time. Zahra and he shared part of their blood. She was his blood family now.
Shaman and Zahra are best friends and can sometimes be considered the big brother and sister of their squad. Some have questioned the extent of their relationship, whether it verges on the physical or not, but the two have never ‘been together’ in the carnal sense of the phrase.
(‘Shaman’ portrayed by Djimon Hounsou.)
First Sergeant William “Wild Man” Macy – Demolitions expert:
Born in Jersey City, Will grew up only a couple blocks from the Atlantic City boardwalk where his father managed a casino and that was where he spent most of his youth.
When he barely graduated High School with no promising career leads on the horizon, he didn't want to get involved with the mob that had their hooks in his dad, so he enlisted in the UNSC. It seemed the easiest and most logical option. When he was initially asked by an evaluator why he wanted to join the Marines Special Ops, his only response was that he wanted to “blow shit up.” Less than a year later he got his wish.
He became somewhat of an explosives savant. He can make a big bang out of nearly anything. Ask him to tell you the capital of New Mombassa, however, and you’d have better luck squeezing water from a rock than Bill answering correctly.
Bill will definitely surprise you. He’s nothing spectacular to look at, standing only about 5’ 5” tall, with a crooked lip and short legs, but he definitely knows how to handle himself in the field. Whether a fist fight or a firefight, the man’s got skills. Plus, he’s a right sneaky little bastard to boot.
Mainly based around the circumstances in which he grew up, Bill is positively addicted to gambling, women and cigars; though he has a tendency to foul up with the first two, but that never stops him from trying. He’s served with Zahra for six years and tends to think of her like one of his seven older sisters back home. Because of this, he is fiercely loyal to her and would stand up to even a Spartan-II to defend her honour.
(‘Wild Man’ portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix.)
Gunnery Sergeant Gavin “Pretty Boy” Farnsworth – Marksman/Sniper:
24 years old. Australia descended, born on Reach. His fourth great grandfather on his mother’s side ran a plantation in Melbourne, Australia.
He got his name for being more ‘pretty’ than handsome. He’s got those typical surfer-boy, charming good looks; blonde hair-slightly curly, ocean blue eyes, gorgeous smile with the dimples to back it up, fairly nice body, very fit, if not a little on the lean side, Aussie accent.
He is an extremely heavy drinker, but call him an alcoholic and you may find yourself laid out on the floor before you know what hit ya. His accent tends to grow exaggerated when he’s drinking. He’s a shameless wiseass and a flirt, and he very rarely takes anything seriously, save for the security of his unit.
He’s served along side Zahra for four years and has had the biggest crush on her from day one. Though she constantly turns down his advances, he is relentless and will never stop trying. It’s sort of turned into a game the two play.
(‘Pretty Boy’ portrayed by Simon Baker.)
Sergeant Sadek “Doc” Abrams – Medic:
Descended from a large, wealthy Jewish family, he grew up on Jericho VII surrounded by food, family, prayer and sermons. He was always smart for his age, but extremely shy, which had earned him a ‘nerdy’ reputation growing up and had made him a bit of a loner, despite his GQ-esque good looks.
He graduated high school almost four years early and pursued a degree in medicine. When his father was indicted for Tax fraud, however, and sentenced to serve ten years in prison, they’re family lost everything.
Doc had to drop out of college to try to find a way to help support his family. So at the age of 20, he enlisted in the UNSC gearing towards their medical training. After basic, he was assigned to Zahra’s squad as their glorified Medic in the field. He’s been with them for two years now.
(‘Doc’ portrayed by Sean Maher.)
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY
Growing up, Zahra was just like most girls, excepting the fact that she was more on the tom-boy side of things, preferring the activities of boys. Such as hunting, fishing and working on cars and engines.
Her father was a political entrepreneur and for most of her childhood was the mayor of Austin. Her mother was a socialite and by her teenage years, Zahra’s mother tried turning her from her tom-boyish ways to make her one of the states top debutantes. She even forced Zahra to learn Ballet, in hopes one day her mother might be able to get her into one of the top arts schools in the world. Her mother had dreams of stardom and worship for her daughter. This was done highly against Zahra's will and she tried rebelling against her parents as often as possible. A few months into her lessons, however, she began to actually enjoy herself. The art of Ballet was challenging, and she felt complete freedom when she was on stage.
At fourteen, her first year of high school, she met a boy named Jeffrey Harris, Jeff for short. Their families ran in many of the same circles so their courtship had been encouraged. Jeff was two years her senior and quote, unquote, a "bad boy" to most, though he was good at hiding it from parents and the like. It was the part of him that Zahra had fallen hardest for.
Long story short, a few weeks after her High School graduation and a "surprise proposal" by Jeffrey, she found herself pregnant. Her mother’s dreams of a Prima Ballerina for a daughter were harshly dashed.
The two were rushed into a "shotgun" wedding of sorts by their parents. Zahra thought she was in love so she was actually excited about the prospect. She knew she was young and that it would be hard, but it was an adventure she looked forward to.
Their marriage had been good at first. Jeff had even been excited about their coming baby and their new house. He already had a successful career in his father's company, and Zahra got used to the homemaking side of being a woman. They were both still very young, however, and a few months into their union, things became... strained.
Before long Jeff started drinking to numb the stress, and Zahra started getting slapped around. At six months pregnant, the abuse escalated from a slap here and there to full out punching. She might have been in love with him and tried to help him through but she liked to believe that she was a stronger woman than that. There was also no way she was going to keep risking the safety of her unborn child.
So, one fateful night while Jeff was working, Zahra packed her bags and left. She went to her parents and tried to explain the situation, but her father told her she was just exaggerating. Simple hysteria brought on by her pregnancy and high hormonal state.
Against Zahra's pleas, they called Jeffrey and told him what Zahra had been accusing him of. An hour later he showed up freshly showered, shaved, dressed to impress, and on his best of behavior. Not even a hint of alcohol on his breath. Zahra figured he must have spent at least fifteen minutes brushing his teeth. She begged her parents not to fall for the act, but Jeff was far too charming and convincing. He'd hidden that side of himself far too well over the years. Everyone, especially adults, loved "Jeffrey Harris"; whereas Zahra, on the other hand, was known to rebel against her family. By the end of the night Jeffrey had even managed to turn Zahra's own parents' feelings against her. Her father even apologized to Jeffrey, saying that he was a strong and patient man to put up with Zahra’s "antics."
To this day, Zahra still cannot recall everything from that night. She remembers it had been a long and eerily tense ride home where she had been completely overcome with fear, not only for herself, but her baby. When they stepped through the front door, the beating immediately began. She had never seen him so furious or out of control. He called her a slew of terrible names as he beat out his anger on her.
The last thing she really remembered was wishing for it all to end, then being thrown into a wall, then nothing. Everything was black and gray until she woke up in a hospital bed... nearly two months later. As a result of his violence, Zahra had lost her baby. That more than anything had broken her heart. The damage had been extensive and the doctors said she may never be able to bear children again. She was only eighteen... That news had been the most devastating to her.
Jeffrey was later sentenced with 25 years on a count of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Physically, mentally and spiritually traumatized, Zahra was overcome with a desire to get as far away as possible from Austin, Texas and the family who had deliberately fed her to the wolf. Therefore, when a UNSC recruiter came through her town less than a month later, she took it as a sign; her chance to start fresh, to get away from her old life and to finally forget Jeffrey Harris and anything to do with him. So in spite of her parents’ protestations, she joined the UNSC with heavy interest in their ODST program. It looked the most challenging and promising... Not to mention they were bound for deep space.
Despite how things had ended up, her parents still could not believe that Zahra hadn't caused it in some way. They even accused her of instigating it. Her parents were idiots and she didn't think she could ever forgive them for their behavior. Both of them were far too obsessed with their own lives and afraid that this "accident" as they had called it would cast a negative spin on her father's career and their social standing. Their ignorance had cost her the life of her child and almost her own life as well. She didn't think; she knew she could never forgive them. When her father told her he would no longer consider her his daughter if she left, she didn’t even turn or bat an eyelash or shed a single tear when she accused him of never being a real father in the first place. After that, she never looked back.
The most promising future was ahead of her now. Through the ODST program she would be able to work herself free from most of her demons. Starting from her training, Zahra completely absorbed herself in the work. She pushed herself harder than most of the men, wanting to prove to herself more than to them that she could handle it. She willingly learned several forms of hand to hand combat, which gave her a sense of empowerment over her fears from being a battered woman. Almost immediately her drive and her skill had impressed her superiors and they honoured her request to try for the ODST program.
In the beginning she was harassed almost constantly because of her sex, and because she happened to be what they liked to call “contraband material”. Most men just couldn't understand why a “well-bred” woman like her would choose this life. But that was exactly it. It was her choice, and she thrived in it.
Less than a year into the program she was approached about being in a promotional calendar for the ODST program. Hadn’t she just been complaining about the boys teasing her for having tits, and here it was they wanted her to show them off? Well maybe not literally, but... She wanted to tell them where they could stick their calendar until they showed her the paycheck. With the kind of cred they were offering she’d be able to buy and put together the parts for the chopper of her dreams and still have a little cushion left over. So, with dollar signs in her eyes and regret in her head, she agreed.
“Heavenly Helljumpers" was released that year with herself featured on the cover and a few other prints of her inside, posing in various slinky outfits with all manner of old-Earth style hot rods and the like. The calendar had later been deemed as contraband, just like she dreaded, however every now and then a photo or two might surface among the ranks, to her utter shame and embarrassment. She supposed she did have the benefit that not many outside her close circle of friends and comrade knew it was her. Especially with how much she downplays her looks.
The worst part about the entire thing, though? Are the times if she happens to run into some of the guys(or gals) who were around when the Calendar was first issued. If they recognize her or her name, they almost always insist on telling her how they had her image in their bunk and would ‘think of her’ during their ‘private time.’ As if it was some sort of honour they were giving her and not some creepy mental image that made her shudder to think about. She supposed that it was her own damn fault though. She was still kinda vain and naïve then and didn’t really have a concept of the repercussions for turning herself into a glorified UNSC ‘pin-up.’
During and even after basic training, Zahra continued to train and fight with a tenacity and spirit very few of her commanding officers had seen, especially from a girl. Zahra always seemed cool under fire during practice and in live combat. She was calculating; strategic in battle, with a born-in leadership quality that greenhorns tended to lack. She inspired loyalty and kept up the morale in her fellow soldiers. Even some of the veterans who'd been doing this for years began to admire and respect her. She took her licks and kept on comin’. She was a fighter.
It had taken a few years and a gain in rank or two for most of the gender bashing to finally cease. The occasional rookie still tends to make the mistake of trying to joke around at her for being a woman, but her fellow Helljumpers who've fought and served with her, who’ve bled with her and had their asses saved by her, are usually the ones to squander those remarks right off the bat.
Planet jumping, not to mention taking down those Insurrectionist and Covenant ass holes became a part of Zahra’s life that she lived for. As a Helljumper, she thrived. In the company of the ODSTs, Zahra has found the closeness, camaraderie and family she'd always wanted through the members of her squad. Though memories and old hurts from her past may sneak up on her now and then, usually she just loses herself in her training and in her duty.
Combat History:
In 2554, only a Private First Class at the time, Zahra's squad had been assigned to serve under Lieutenant Colonel Aboim on Tribute in the Epsilon Eradani system. Her company, then led by Staff Sergeant Lee Gavin, was one of the special warfare squads chosen to try to infiltrate the insurrectionist base near Casbah City.
Zahra had smelled a trap from the start, but she was still 'fresh meat' as it were and the other team CO's who had been serving in the system longer didn't feel like taking the notions of a woman rookie as any sort of advice. An entire team of marines and soldiers had been killed as a result of their ill prepared advancement.
Thirty-eight civilians, at least half a dozen Marines and two rebels were killed in the resulting bombing that followed. Of Zahra's squad, only six of them survived; herself and her best friend Freddy Leclair fortunately counted among them.
After Tribute, her squad was reassigned to serve the inner colonies in the Epsilon Eradani system, mainly focused near Reach, to try to stop the growing insurrectionist threat head on. Over the next few years, her squad would prove to be an asset to Operation: TREBUCHET.
During the glassing of Harvest her squad was still mainly focused on the Insurrectionist threat and had been responsible for a great deal of reconnaissance and destruction of several Innie outposts in the system. Though, they weren’t always met with success they still soldiered on.
Through her eight years of service Zahra has been harshly wounded at least a dozen times, almost fragged a half dozen more, and almost lost an eye once or twice. She’s seen at least twenty of her fellow Marines fall to the enemy, which is why she is so protective and close to the squad she serves with now.
Most recently, after her squad's successful take down of a small Insurrectionist base near Reach, her team was reassigned ship-side to the UNSC - Illustrious under the command of Major Sharan El’Musharif. She was actually pretty stoked about the thought of serving aboard the Illustrious. The ship had a reputation, and she was thoroughly excited to be a part of it. She liked a change, and this one may just prove to be for the better. The only thing she really worried about was all the peacocking and showboating that usually fell hand-in-hand with a re-assignment and new squadmates. No matter all the centuries and years of progress and civil and women’s rights movements, the instinctual Homosapien thought of women as the weaker sex tended to be the hardest one for the male part of their species to let go of. She was used to it by now though, and definitely had no problem proving her cajones if she needed to.
ROLEPLAY SAMPLE
[/u]At almost six feet tall, weighing in around 72 kilos, with a lady's size 12 boot, Zahra can hardly be called a scant little woman. Built like an Amazon, her typical dress size is a 12, but even then is known to fluctuate from a 10 to a 14 depending on different circumstances; i.e. that time of the month, whether or not she’s maintained a strict workout regimen, or how long she’s been in the field.
Despite how many have tried to joke around about her, there is nothing fake about Elizabeth Black. Though she does have an hourglass figure, 36-32-38 to be exact, and can fill out a d cup naturally, Zahra hates playing up her sexuality. In fact, for the most art she tries to look as unappealing as possible. She even confines her bust with constricting undergarments and such. Though, theoretically speaking if the occasion did call for it, she cleans up rather well.
Her hair is a natural coppery red colour, though shaved up the sides with still a bit of mass left to hang in waves to just above the middle of her back. She always wears her hair up and out of the way, though, per company standards. Zahra has a slightly pointed nose, average in size, but not overly large; lets just say it fits her face. Her eyes are twin hunter-green orbs evenly spaced below her brow. All in all she isn’t some bombshell knockout which is probably what makes her stand out the most; because her beauty isn’t so starkly obvious.
In full ODST battle armour, Zahra can be rather intimidating. Her suit is mostly camouflaged in grays and blacks and the visor on her helmet has been polarized an icy blue. Apart from the slight sway of her hips and the obviously feminine call-sign plastered on her helmet and chest plate, one would never be able to tell her apart from the guys. When not suited up for battle, she can usually be seen sporting her UNSC fatigues, or other types of casual and formal uniforms, depending on the occasion/situation.
When on leave or the rare p-day Zahra’s fashion choice is usually a 'rockabilly' or southern belle type style. Her typical wardrobe includes any variation of capri jeans and pants, mini skirts and dresses, tight fitting blouses and t-shirts, wide waisted belts, corsets and bodices. Her favorite colors to wear are green, violet, red, black and the occasional girly touch of pink or yellow.
Apart from her height and her hair colour there's not much else that would distinguish Leeloo Zahra from any other woman, save for a few battle wounds she's gleaned over the years. She has a scar through her left eyebrow, and another on the right side of her jaw that trails from about an inch away from the corner of her mouth, to just below her right ear. She also has several bullet wounds; one in her right shoulder, another just below her rib cage on her right side, one near her left hip in front and back where the bullet went all the way though and one final gunshot wound on her left thigh. Some scars are old and faded, other still carry a touch of red or pink indicating their more recent afflictions. Clearly she’s seen a fair amount of action in her day.
Her most distinguishing feature, however rarely visible, would have to be the artistic tattoo of a Phoenix on her upper back, that spans the distance of her shoulder blades, and has bioluminescent ink accents so it glows naturally in the dark.
PERSONALITY
Strengths:
Zahra’s strongest aspects would be her uncanny gift with engines and mechanics. Machines have workings and they just seem to talk to her. Such is her skill that she was once approached about branching off to the engineering sect of the UNSC, but she turned them down flat. The way she saw it, working on engines and such was a passion and a love; if she started doing it as a job it might take all the fun out of it. Besides, she preferred the battlefield anyhow. Engines and things, they were easy; battle and survival? That was a challenge.
Zahra also has a very high sense of intuition and charisma. She can usually feel when something has or will go wrong. This aspect makes her a little paranoid from time to time, but it has also saved her and her squad’s hides on a number of occasions. She is also very good at talking her way into and out of many different situations.
Zahra is very dedicated and devoted to the UNSC and ODST, but more specifically to her unit, this tends to lead way to a superb leadership quality. Most of the men who serve with her, who actually take the time to know her and don’t just straight up judge her off the back, tend to look up to her. She inspires a high sense of loyalty in those she works with. She is very hard not to like and she hates hen games. Though cock-fights she can take on any day of the week!
Of all the forms of combat, Zahra excels at hand-to-hand fighting best. Due to her years of Ballet instruction she was already fit, nimble, agile and extremely flexible, but add martial arts and combat training on top of that and she was nigh untouchable in a close combat fight; excluding perhaps a strong Elite or Spartan. She’s never tried to take one of them hand to hand fight and she’s never really gone looking for one either.
Weaknesses:
Some of Zahra’s weakest aspects would have to be her bad temper- she can be very quick and easy to anger depending on the circumstance. Hot-headed is usally the term. Don’t even get her started on the link between her temper and her hair-color. She gets enough ginger jokes as it is!
Though Zahra is trained with firearms, she doesn't have the best aim; which is normally why she prefers her shotty, for its wide spread, or her machete. She might have to be a little too close to make it count, but it's very hard to miss when it does.
Zahra can also be very overprotective or ‘mother hen’ like with those she cares about; she tends to view her fellow ODSTs like family and has often put herself on the line to protect and defend them. This has occasionally been a bad thing because it may prevent a rookie or even a veteran from learning a dangerous, yet valuable lesson. Let alone the personal risk she takes by putting her neck on the block.
Only a few short months into her basic training Zahra picked up the nicotine habit like many of the rest of her fellow Marines. She’s one of those pack a day smokers now. The smoking itself isn’t necessarily a weakness, but the shit that’s built up in her lungs definitely could be. If she’s forced to full out run for long periods of a time, she tends to get extremely winded.
Another unfortunate weakness, and one that can seem uncharacteristic given her background in dance, is that if Zahra’s not completely focused on what she’s doing she can be somewhat of a klutz at times. Despite her grace on and off the battlefield, if Zahra isn’t completely focused on what she’s doing she has been known to trip on air walking down an empty hallway.
Being a Country Girl that she is, Zahra loves to drink. Mainly rums and other types of hard liquors or mixed drinks. She doesn’t mind beer, it’s just not her drink of choice. She never could get used to its taste. Zahra loves to go drinking with the guys, the only problem there being that she gets inebriated very easily. I believe the coined phrase is usually “cheap date.” There’s typically two sides of drunk Zahra; she can either become extremely klutzy and goofy, or she’ll get all melancholy and start reminiscing about her difficult childhood and the darker events what spurred her escape to the military and then ODST. All of these being reasons why she never drinks alone, and tends to only willingly get drunk around her squadmates, whom she knows she can trust to a) not try to take advantage of her(though she still has a few suspicions/doubts about Pretty Boy) and b) she knows they got her back in a brawl.
Likes:
Zahra can be a bit picky when it comes to what she likes. For instance: She only smokes a specific type of cigarette; Parliament 100’s for anyone who wanted to know. The only music she listens to is either Celtic Folk Rock, or Classical. Anything else she tends to plug her ears to. She prefers blades to guns, though she’s skilled with both. She loves snakes, but hates lizards. She gets excited when it’s raining, but she hates lightening.
She loves to dance, hunt and box(she’s even competed in a UNSC sanctioned match or two). She can’t get enough of really lame jokes. Lastly, although she doesn’t have the best bluffing face, that never stops her from joining a good game of poker. Hold’em is her favorite. She also loves to drink, and starting or ending a good bar brawl.
Dislikes:
Despite Zahra’s naturally flirtatious spirit, unless she is the instigator - beit through eye contact, body language or speech- she tends to take offense if someone tries hit on her first. Zahra’s one of those people that would rather go a year or even longer without sex than shack up with some random stranger. Sometimes a good fight, a really long shower or an intense workout can be enough to relieve any built up tension as a result of this choice.
Zahra is nothing if not a proud woman and there's little else she hates more than being underestimated, especially when someone tries to take advantage of her just because she’s a woman.
Zahra does not abide cheating or cheaters in any circumstance, beit a game of cards, or in a relationship.
There are only really four types of people in this world she can’t stand; Doctors, Politicians, people who play mind games and people who talk at the theatre. No matter all the good they like to think or pretend they’re doing for mankind, most of them are just really annoying or are only out for themselves.
Fears:
Zahra’s not afraid of much. What she is afraid of, however, still tend to give her nightmares.
Though she hates to admit it for the weakness it makes her feel, her ex-husband is still sometimes the source of a few of her bad dreams. Granted, she’s much stronger now than she ever was when she was with him, however the trauma he caused still haunts her to this day. Especially because she worries and fears that she may never be able to have children of her own anymore.
Another one of her greatest fears is failure; failure on her part that is. The fear that someday something she’ll do, a decision she’ll make as a leader that might cost the lives of her company and others. It’s a dumb fear, but it’s one she worries about often, though it’s a thought that makes her strive even harder to be a good leader; to think before she acts. She also has a terrible fear of hospitals and needles. They only remind her of hurt, and pain, and loss, and death, and tubes, and very bad things all around.
Lastly, for all her big bad courage and bravery as a Helljumper, show her a little tiny spider and you never knew she could scream like that.
NPC’S
Sergeant Major Frederique “Shaman” Leclair – Heavy Weapons Specialist:
His Great-Great Grandparents were New Orleans natives and some of the first settlers on Harvest. He speaks Creole French fluently and is a practitioner of Hoodoo folk magic, both skills learned from his parents and grandparents.
If the air of mysticism that seems to surround him weren’t enough to intimidate a person, his appearance definitely would. He stands about 6’ 3” tall, his body is ripped to the core from extensive workout and training, his skin is so dark it’s almost literally black, and he’s covered in ritualistic tattoos, from his feet to his head which he shaves bald. If that weren’t bad enough, he tends to carry the biggest and scariest firepower, though not out of any sort of need for compensation. He’s just one of the few who can lug around the heavier equipment with practical ease.
Shaman is about two years Zahra’s senior and they enlisted around the same time. They went through basic together. In fact it was mainly his encouragement that gave Zahra the drive and dedication to succeed. The two became fast friends and have been through practically everything together. They became official “blood brothers” their second year of service when they were both hit by the same bullet, that had grazed Shaman's side, but hit Zahra square in the shoulder.
They’ve served together in the same unit for over eight years. It was Zahra that had pulled him through his hardest time when Harvest was glassed and his entire family slain. He almost lost his mind with rage towards the Covenant and the whole damn war.
On one particular mission where they had been sent in to help hold back a Covie threat, he eventually separated himself from his unit “accidentally” and tried taking on an Elite in melee combat, armed with naught but his remaining sidearm and a machete. Much to Shaman's regret, however, Zahra and the rest of her squad found and saved his ass before the final killing blow.
He had been extremely bitter at Zahra at first for not letting him die. It took lots of down time in the infirmary and some extremely heavy intervention and serious threats on Zahra’s part to jog him back to a resemblance of the man and soldier he’d once been.
It had mainly been Zahra’s tears that had jarred him the most, because despite the long years he’d known her, the shit they’d endured and the wounds she’d sustained, he had never once seen her cry. When she was teased almost mercilessly in the start, when she’d take a fall, get shot, break a bone, need stitches, some things that would bring a man his size to tears, she had never shed a single one; at least not openly. Yet there she’d been, sitting in his hospital room, balling her eyes out into his shoulder because he’d flatlined twice and had barely made it out of the ER.
He was the closest thing she had to family anymore and she couldn’t believe he would try to just up and leave her like that. Fred realized that though his blood family was gone, they would want him to continue this fight; to not make their deaths in vain. Zahra and his fellow ODSTs were his family now, and in fact had been for some time. Zahra and he shared part of their blood. She was his blood family now.
Shaman and Zahra are best friends and can sometimes be considered the big brother and sister of their squad. Some have questioned the extent of their relationship, whether it verges on the physical or not, but the two have never ‘been together’ in the carnal sense of the phrase.
(‘Shaman’ portrayed by Djimon Hounsou.)
First Sergeant William “Wild Man” Macy – Demolitions expert:
Born in Jersey City, Will grew up only a couple blocks from the Atlantic City boardwalk where his father managed a casino and that was where he spent most of his youth.
When he barely graduated High School with no promising career leads on the horizon, he didn't want to get involved with the mob that had their hooks in his dad, so he enlisted in the UNSC. It seemed the easiest and most logical option. When he was initially asked by an evaluator why he wanted to join the Marines Special Ops, his only response was that he wanted to “blow shit up.” Less than a year later he got his wish.
He became somewhat of an explosives savant. He can make a big bang out of nearly anything. Ask him to tell you the capital of New Mombassa, however, and you’d have better luck squeezing water from a rock than Bill answering correctly.
Bill will definitely surprise you. He’s nothing spectacular to look at, standing only about 5’ 5” tall, with a crooked lip and short legs, but he definitely knows how to handle himself in the field. Whether a fist fight or a firefight, the man’s got skills. Plus, he’s a right sneaky little bastard to boot.
Mainly based around the circumstances in which he grew up, Bill is positively addicted to gambling, women and cigars; though he has a tendency to foul up with the first two, but that never stops him from trying. He’s served with Zahra for six years and tends to think of her like one of his seven older sisters back home. Because of this, he is fiercely loyal to her and would stand up to even a Spartan-II to defend her honour.
(‘Wild Man’ portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix.)
Gunnery Sergeant Gavin “Pretty Boy” Farnsworth – Marksman/Sniper:
24 years old. Australia descended, born on Reach. His fourth great grandfather on his mother’s side ran a plantation in Melbourne, Australia.
He got his name for being more ‘pretty’ than handsome. He’s got those typical surfer-boy, charming good looks; blonde hair-slightly curly, ocean blue eyes, gorgeous smile with the dimples to back it up, fairly nice body, very fit, if not a little on the lean side, Aussie accent.
He is an extremely heavy drinker, but call him an alcoholic and you may find yourself laid out on the floor before you know what hit ya. His accent tends to grow exaggerated when he’s drinking. He’s a shameless wiseass and a flirt, and he very rarely takes anything seriously, save for the security of his unit.
He’s served along side Zahra for four years and has had the biggest crush on her from day one. Though she constantly turns down his advances, he is relentless and will never stop trying. It’s sort of turned into a game the two play.
(‘Pretty Boy’ portrayed by Simon Baker.)
Sergeant Sadek “Doc” Abrams – Medic:
Descended from a large, wealthy Jewish family, he grew up on Jericho VII surrounded by food, family, prayer and sermons. He was always smart for his age, but extremely shy, which had earned him a ‘nerdy’ reputation growing up and had made him a bit of a loner, despite his GQ-esque good looks.
He graduated high school almost four years early and pursued a degree in medicine. When his father was indicted for Tax fraud, however, and sentenced to serve ten years in prison, they’re family lost everything.
Doc had to drop out of college to try to find a way to help support his family. So at the age of 20, he enlisted in the UNSC gearing towards their medical training. After basic, he was assigned to Zahra’s squad as their glorified Medic in the field. He’s been with them for two years now.
(‘Doc’ portrayed by Sean Maher.)
HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY
Growing up, Zahra was just like most girls, excepting the fact that she was more on the tom-boy side of things, preferring the activities of boys. Such as hunting, fishing and working on cars and engines.
Her father was a political entrepreneur and for most of her childhood was the mayor of Austin. Her mother was a socialite and by her teenage years, Zahra’s mother tried turning her from her tom-boyish ways to make her one of the states top debutantes. She even forced Zahra to learn Ballet, in hopes one day her mother might be able to get her into one of the top arts schools in the world. Her mother had dreams of stardom and worship for her daughter. This was done highly against Zahra's will and she tried rebelling against her parents as often as possible. A few months into her lessons, however, she began to actually enjoy herself. The art of Ballet was challenging, and she felt complete freedom when she was on stage.
At fourteen, her first year of high school, she met a boy named Jeffrey Harris, Jeff for short. Their families ran in many of the same circles so their courtship had been encouraged. Jeff was two years her senior and quote, unquote, a "bad boy" to most, though he was good at hiding it from parents and the like. It was the part of him that Zahra had fallen hardest for.
Long story short, a few weeks after her High School graduation and a "surprise proposal" by Jeffrey, she found herself pregnant. Her mother’s dreams of a Prima Ballerina for a daughter were harshly dashed.
The two were rushed into a "shotgun" wedding of sorts by their parents. Zahra thought she was in love so she was actually excited about the prospect. She knew she was young and that it would be hard, but it was an adventure she looked forward to.
Their marriage had been good at first. Jeff had even been excited about their coming baby and their new house. He already had a successful career in his father's company, and Zahra got used to the homemaking side of being a woman. They were both still very young, however, and a few months into their union, things became... strained.
Before long Jeff started drinking to numb the stress, and Zahra started getting slapped around. At six months pregnant, the abuse escalated from a slap here and there to full out punching. She might have been in love with him and tried to help him through but she liked to believe that she was a stronger woman than that. There was also no way she was going to keep risking the safety of her unborn child.
So, one fateful night while Jeff was working, Zahra packed her bags and left. She went to her parents and tried to explain the situation, but her father told her she was just exaggerating. Simple hysteria brought on by her pregnancy and high hormonal state.
Against Zahra's pleas, they called Jeffrey and told him what Zahra had been accusing him of. An hour later he showed up freshly showered, shaved, dressed to impress, and on his best of behavior. Not even a hint of alcohol on his breath. Zahra figured he must have spent at least fifteen minutes brushing his teeth. She begged her parents not to fall for the act, but Jeff was far too charming and convincing. He'd hidden that side of himself far too well over the years. Everyone, especially adults, loved "Jeffrey Harris"; whereas Zahra, on the other hand, was known to rebel against her family. By the end of the night Jeffrey had even managed to turn Zahra's own parents' feelings against her. Her father even apologized to Jeffrey, saying that he was a strong and patient man to put up with Zahra’s "antics."
To this day, Zahra still cannot recall everything from that night. She remembers it had been a long and eerily tense ride home where she had been completely overcome with fear, not only for herself, but her baby. When they stepped through the front door, the beating immediately began. She had never seen him so furious or out of control. He called her a slew of terrible names as he beat out his anger on her.
The last thing she really remembered was wishing for it all to end, then being thrown into a wall, then nothing. Everything was black and gray until she woke up in a hospital bed... nearly two months later. As a result of his violence, Zahra had lost her baby. That more than anything had broken her heart. The damage had been extensive and the doctors said she may never be able to bear children again. She was only eighteen... That news had been the most devastating to her.
Jeffrey was later sentenced with 25 years on a count of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Physically, mentally and spiritually traumatized, Zahra was overcome with a desire to get as far away as possible from Austin, Texas and the family who had deliberately fed her to the wolf. Therefore, when a UNSC recruiter came through her town less than a month later, she took it as a sign; her chance to start fresh, to get away from her old life and to finally forget Jeffrey Harris and anything to do with him. So in spite of her parents’ protestations, she joined the UNSC with heavy interest in their ODST program. It looked the most challenging and promising... Not to mention they were bound for deep space.
Despite how things had ended up, her parents still could not believe that Zahra hadn't caused it in some way. They even accused her of instigating it. Her parents were idiots and she didn't think she could ever forgive them for their behavior. Both of them were far too obsessed with their own lives and afraid that this "accident" as they had called it would cast a negative spin on her father's career and their social standing. Their ignorance had cost her the life of her child and almost her own life as well. She didn't think; she knew she could never forgive them. When her father told her he would no longer consider her his daughter if she left, she didn’t even turn or bat an eyelash or shed a single tear when she accused him of never being a real father in the first place. After that, she never looked back.
The most promising future was ahead of her now. Through the ODST program she would be able to work herself free from most of her demons. Starting from her training, Zahra completely absorbed herself in the work. She pushed herself harder than most of the men, wanting to prove to herself more than to them that she could handle it. She willingly learned several forms of hand to hand combat, which gave her a sense of empowerment over her fears from being a battered woman. Almost immediately her drive and her skill had impressed her superiors and they honoured her request to try for the ODST program.
In the beginning she was harassed almost constantly because of her sex, and because she happened to be what they liked to call “contraband material”. Most men just couldn't understand why a “well-bred” woman like her would choose this life. But that was exactly it. It was her choice, and she thrived in it.
Less than a year into the program she was approached about being in a promotional calendar for the ODST program. Hadn’t she just been complaining about the boys teasing her for having tits, and here it was they wanted her to show them off? Well maybe not literally, but... She wanted to tell them where they could stick their calendar until they showed her the paycheck. With the kind of cred they were offering she’d be able to buy and put together the parts for the chopper of her dreams and still have a little cushion left over. So, with dollar signs in her eyes and regret in her head, she agreed.
“Heavenly Helljumpers" was released that year with herself featured on the cover and a few other prints of her inside, posing in various slinky outfits with all manner of old-Earth style hot rods and the like. The calendar had later been deemed as contraband, just like she dreaded, however every now and then a photo or two might surface among the ranks, to her utter shame and embarrassment. She supposed she did have the benefit that not many outside her close circle of friends and comrade knew it was her. Especially with how much she downplays her looks.
The worst part about the entire thing, though? Are the times if she happens to run into some of the guys(or gals) who were around when the Calendar was first issued. If they recognize her or her name, they almost always insist on telling her how they had her image in their bunk and would ‘think of her’ during their ‘private time.’ As if it was some sort of honour they were giving her and not some creepy mental image that made her shudder to think about. She supposed that it was her own damn fault though. She was still kinda vain and naïve then and didn’t really have a concept of the repercussions for turning herself into a glorified UNSC ‘pin-up.’
During and even after basic training, Zahra continued to train and fight with a tenacity and spirit very few of her commanding officers had seen, especially from a girl. Zahra always seemed cool under fire during practice and in live combat. She was calculating; strategic in battle, with a born-in leadership quality that greenhorns tended to lack. She inspired loyalty and kept up the morale in her fellow soldiers. Even some of the veterans who'd been doing this for years began to admire and respect her. She took her licks and kept on comin’. She was a fighter.
It had taken a few years and a gain in rank or two for most of the gender bashing to finally cease. The occasional rookie still tends to make the mistake of trying to joke around at her for being a woman, but her fellow Helljumpers who've fought and served with her, who’ve bled with her and had their asses saved by her, are usually the ones to squander those remarks right off the bat.
Planet jumping, not to mention taking down those Insurrectionist and Covenant ass holes became a part of Zahra’s life that she lived for. As a Helljumper, she thrived. In the company of the ODSTs, Zahra has found the closeness, camaraderie and family she'd always wanted through the members of her squad. Though memories and old hurts from her past may sneak up on her now and then, usually she just loses herself in her training and in her duty.
Combat History:
In 2554, only a Private First Class at the time, Zahra's squad had been assigned to serve under Lieutenant Colonel Aboim on Tribute in the Epsilon Eradani system. Her company, then led by Staff Sergeant Lee Gavin, was one of the special warfare squads chosen to try to infiltrate the insurrectionist base near Casbah City.
Zahra had smelled a trap from the start, but she was still 'fresh meat' as it were and the other team CO's who had been serving in the system longer didn't feel like taking the notions of a woman rookie as any sort of advice. An entire team of marines and soldiers had been killed as a result of their ill prepared advancement.
Thirty-eight civilians, at least half a dozen Marines and two rebels were killed in the resulting bombing that followed. Of Zahra's squad, only six of them survived; herself and her best friend Freddy Leclair fortunately counted among them.
After Tribute, her squad was reassigned to serve the inner colonies in the Epsilon Eradani system, mainly focused near Reach, to try to stop the growing insurrectionist threat head on. Over the next few years, her squad would prove to be an asset to Operation: TREBUCHET.
During the glassing of Harvest her squad was still mainly focused on the Insurrectionist threat and had been responsible for a great deal of reconnaissance and destruction of several Innie outposts in the system. Though, they weren’t always met with success they still soldiered on.
Through her eight years of service Zahra has been harshly wounded at least a dozen times, almost fragged a half dozen more, and almost lost an eye once or twice. She’s seen at least twenty of her fellow Marines fall to the enemy, which is why she is so protective and close to the squad she serves with now.
Most recently, after her squad's successful take down of a small Insurrectionist base near Reach, her team was reassigned ship-side to the UNSC - Illustrious under the command of Major Sharan El’Musharif. She was actually pretty stoked about the thought of serving aboard the Illustrious. The ship had a reputation, and she was thoroughly excited to be a part of it. She liked a change, and this one may just prove to be for the better. The only thing she really worried about was all the peacocking and showboating that usually fell hand-in-hand with a re-assignment and new squadmates. No matter all the centuries and years of progress and civil and women’s rights movements, the instinctual Homosapien thought of women as the weaker sex tended to be the hardest one for the male part of their species to let go of. She was used to it by now though, and definitely had no problem proving her cajones if she needed to.
ROLEPLAY SAMPLE
Bullets pelted the wall behind her, turning the marble slab into Swiss cheese. A mounted gunner was bombarding the area, pinning her down behind said wall. Faster than she could formulate an escape scenario, there was an unexpected explosion that caused the firing at her back to cease. The loud blast was accompanied by a deafening shout from her earpiece.
“Kaboom, motherf-” The last part of ‘Wild Man's’ curse fizzled out over her com when an R.P.G. blasted a hole in the side of a building about twenty meters to her right. The structure was mostly rubble now.
Sounding completely calm, which seemed almost out of place in their current situation, Zahra shouted into her comm, “Ya still in one piece over there, Wild Man?” The ease in her voice belied the slight-panic in her chest. That blast had been awfully close to where Bill, aka Wild Man, her demolitions expert, had taken cover.
There was a brief pause before a distinctly Jerseyan accent spoke in her ear, “A little close fa comfort, doll, but I’m five by five. Though, can’t say da same about the udder guy! Goddamn Innie basta’d. Don' worry ‘bout me none, L-T.”
Zahra checked the radar on her HUD where she saw four bright yellow dots bleeping back at her. The sight put her mind at great ease. They had all gotten a little separated in the drop, but then again theirs wasn't the only team down here. There were a couple other Marine teams assisting them, but that still didn’t help easy Zahra's worry. In fact, sometimes having the Marines around made it worse.
Before she could think too much on it though, another RPG came hurtling towards the earth almost smack in the middle of the space between her and Bill. “Goddamn it!” She cursed loudly as she shook off the rubble and debris that had fallen on top of her. “Pretty Boy, what’s your twenty?” She questioned her sniper.
“Ah'm already on it, love," came Gavin's silky reply, making her roll her eyes at him, despite his inability to see her do so. Leave it to Pretty Boy Farnsworth; even in the middle of a firefight he never laid off the charm. “Where are ya, ya yellowous bast- Ah! ‘ello there, mate.” His tendency to talk to himself in whispers when he was searching the battlefield for his targets wasn't always smart, but it was, on occasion, amusing. “G’bye.” He said with a tone of finality before a deafening gun shot echoed through the abandoned city streets; this echo had the added benefit of making it near impossible to pinpoint where the shot had come from. Now the only question was, had the shot counted?
“Direct hit,” Farnsworth answered her unspoken question. “Chest shot; little more right ‘an I’d like, but beggahs can’t be choosahs... ‘e’s not gon' be gettin’ back up anytime soon. Or evah for that mattah.”
“Good work, Gunny.” She checked her radar again where it appeared as if one of the dots had disappeared. “Shaman? Where’s Doc?” When there was no answer from either party in question, a slight tinge of panic actually made its way into her voice “Shaman?!”
“Hush, chere,” he whispered over the team's link. “Boy’s here wit’ me. But dere's a whole mess o’ bad comin’ dis way.” His voice was so low she could barely hear him.
At that point, Wild Man being the sneaky s.o.b. that he was had converged on her location and took up the duty of watching her back. Pretty Boy hadn’t moved an inch from his hiding spot; he was waiting for her orders before taking the risk of giving up his nest; fortunately, he wasn’t that far away.
Zahra visualized the map of the area in her head and quickly formulated a plan. She made a few hand gestures and signals to Wild Man before checking the ammo in her rifle and signaling him to move out. “Sit tight, Shaman,” Zahra spoke with a firm resolve in her voice. “We’re comin’ ta you.” These insurrectionist ass holes had another thing comin' if they thought they could corner one of her men and live.[/left]
Heavenly Helljumpers, 2524:
~As one might think, very few women tend to make the cut to join the ODST ranks. Even fewer, as you can imagine, would qualify as 'pin-up' worthy. So naturally most of the girls chosen were featured in several shots...