Name: Jociam Geist (though he has a middle name, it is a closely guarded secret)

Rank: Major

Race: Human

Age: 51

Height: 1.8 m

Weight: 71 kg

Homeworld: Coruscant

Ship of Choice: TIE Defender, Modified Tyderian Shuttle "Anabell"

Weapon of Choice: Custom combat armor with short lightsabers on each wrist. It is currently unclear whether he captured the armor or built it, though he lacks the knowledge to assemble a lightsaber.

Background:

Jociam Geist was born and raised on Coruscant by his father. His mother had died in an airspeeder accident when he was very young, leaving him and his father to cope alone. Geist's father, a successful weatherman (so successful at predicting weather that he was banned from all casinos on Coruscant, because he was too lucky), sent his son to the Imperial Academy. Though young Jociam placed eighth in his class and was commisioned an officer in the Imperial Army, he was hampered his entire career by a tendency to speak his mind, as well as an aparent natural talent for harnessing the force, a talent he never developed. These "faults" blacklisted Geist, and he spent years languishing in virtual exile commanding a squad of soldiers patrolling Coruscant's lower levels. Though Geist was not idle during these years, learning all he could about small unit operations and urban combat tactics, he nonetheless seemed likely to fade into obscurity, Then fate (or perhaps chaos incarnate) intervened in the form of Amon Nezumi.

Nezumi was an unstable sometimes agent of the Emperor. For reasons unknown, Nezumi harbored a grudge against Jedi in general and the Emperor in particular. After years of planning and preperation, he made his move to strike. He broke through security in the Imperial Palace and managed to get to the throne room; however, he did not find the Emperor, who had already left for Endor and the second Death Star. His presence detected at last, Nezumi fought his way out of the Palace and into the lower levels of Coruscant, where he stumbled, badly wounded, into Luietenant Geist's squad. The squad managed to subdue Nezumi after a vicious fight, and brought him to the nearest detention area.

That was precisely what Nezumi wanted. The stormtrooper at the detention area turned out to actually be one of Nezumi's operatives. He made short work of the remainder of Geist's troops, and Nezumi drove a shard of durasteel into Geist's gut.

Geist was taken aboard Nezumi's ship, where he woke up a time later. Then he learned from Nezumi that the Emperor was dead. Nezumi then gave him a choice. He could return to Coruscant and his life as an imperial officer, or he could join Nezumi's band. Disolusioned with the Empire, and with no desire to join the rebellion, Geist agreed to join Nezumi.

For the next few years, Geist served admirably in Nezumi's band of mercenaries. His skills soon lead him to the position as Nezumi's right hand man. However he became unsatisfied with his life. He had nothing to really believe in. Though he earned more than enough income in Nezumi's employ to live anywhere he desired, he still wanted something more. He found it one day when he met a semi shadowy figure named Ardan Sortek.

At the time, Sortek was recruiting personel for a regiment of the Intruder Wing Planetary Operations Division. Unwilling to rely on the "near automatom" stormtroopers, he sought unconventional military minds to fill the ranks of his unit. Geist, with his spotty military career and his ability in unconventional combat tactics, fit the bill admirably. Sortek offered him a position as captain in the 2nd Heavy Infanty Regiment at once.

Geist had never lost his loyalty to the ideals of the Empire, and quickly agreed. He severed his ties to Nezumi and was soon billited with his company on the world of Trifid. He soon recieved his first assignment when elements of the regiment's third battalion (at the time known as "A Good Kind of Crazy") began a riot in response to being posted on garrison duty. Geist's unit, as well as a number of local militia units, quickly restored order before property damage got above 30,000,000 credits. However, the implication was clear, the 2nd Heavy Infantry was an assault unit that chafed at garrision duty. They soon recieved the assault they desired, as part of the force assigned to re-take Eridani.

In days of brutal fighting the 2nd Heavy Infantry suffered nearly 70% casualties. Geist's unit was shattered during the final rebel assault, down to about 10% effectives, but their inovative traps and ambushes accounted for a disproportionately high kill ratio. In the end, with Geist himself badly wounded, the unit abandoned the planet with the rest of the POD.

Geist did not recover from his wounds fully until after the battle of Erebria. He was assigned to Dream Squadron at the rank of Major (he learned fighter piloting and combat tactics while working for Nezumi) and was later named XO of the reformed Planetary Operations Division.

Character:

Jociam Geist has the persona of the old hand. His years of experience, first as the "law" in Coruscant's lower levels, then as a mercenary, finally as a serving line officer, give him a broad understanding of many things. Combined with this is a strong sense of personal responsibility, and a tendencey to be brutally honest with those around him.