Freelance TravellerArka Kaelech
Arka Kaelech E78876 Age 42 Merchant Captain 6 Terms Cr100,000
Electronics-3, Jack-of-All-Trades-2, Mechanical-2, Pilot-2,
Streetwise-1, Bayonet-3, Shotgun-1
Owner of Exploratory Trader Hel.
Arka Kaelech is the captain of a light exploratory trader, the Hel, out of Jewell. A frequent traveller into Zhodani space, Arka has made money on both sides of the border, even during time of war. Arka's specialty is smuggling people and small, high demand items. Through connections established by his First Officer (who is also his wife), the Zhodani and Imperial intelligence forces "allow" him to operate under the terms of an unofficial gentleman's agreement. Arka will not smuggle drugs or weapons. He perceives himself to be "above politics", and is a party to any job solely for the money. He also does not view himself as a "hero" under any circumstances, and takes a dim view of people who actually believe in causes or political ideals. A strict professional, he does not ask too many questions, but expects honest answers when he does ask.
Arka's homeworld is not known, not even to his wife. Some suspect that he was born on a high gravity world, but this has not been confirmed. He appeared in the Jewell system approximately 12 years ago, as a crewman on another merchant ship.
There are two great loves in Arka's life - his wife and his ship. They are childless, by choice. Arka's wife was the daughter of the Imperial Ambassador to Zhodane, and they met when she was attending university on Jewell. Much to her father's chagrin, she fell in love with Arka, and they have been inseparable partners ever since. Rather than become an obstacle to their happiness, his father-in-law is both a mentor and a patron to them both. Their ship, the Hel, is a light exploratory trader marginally larger than a Type S Scout ship. His father-in-law guaranteed the loan for the ship when Arka married, and the ship was paid off two years ago. In addition to profits from current activities, Arka is receiving 6000 cr/year from his investments on Jewell. If one explores his personal finances, there will be no obvious trace to any Zhodani or Imperial intelligence agencies - all the books are clean, and all appears as if he was moving ordinary cargo from one point to another in minor, but successful, speculative trading. The two own a modest villa on Jewell, where they stay when not travelling. They also have a small office at the orbital high port, and a condominium at one of the orbital resorts.
Arka appears stocky and massive, though he is not any taller than the average man. This stockiness comes from his massively muscled shoulders, arms, and back, a product of his constant weight training. Even in a vacc suit, it's easy to tell him apart from the rest of his crew. This also influenced his choice of shipboard weapons, the bayonet. Although he keeps a military police model shotgun with a full length stock aboard ship, it is fitted with a bayonet. This is not to say that he doesn't often favor using the butt of the shotgun as a weapon - it's part of the whole bayonet drill.
The only person Arka has killed was a former crewman. This took place aboard ship, and is not a matter of public knowledge. The crewman was thrown bodily into the airlock, and jettisoned into jumpspace.
The wrinkles are just beginning to show on his forehead, but his jet black hair has not grayed. He wears a small, neat moustache and goatee. When not aboard ship, he dresses in a non-descript, but businesslike gray or black sport jacket and pants.