Name: Nickolas Mercier
Callsign: Stardust2x4
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Partnered with Ms. Indyra Pashvati since 2947, married since 2950
Relative: Richard Mercier (Father, Retired Navy Officer), Suzannah Mercier (Younger Sister, Flight Attendant for Intergalactic Airlines), Isabella (Younger Sister)
Age: Born on December, 18th, 2914 on Goss III, Nickolas is currently 36 years old.
Legal Status: Having neither served in the military, nor having comitted outstanding public efforts, Nick´s legal Status is currently considered as “Civilian”. So he may vote for Goss´ planetary and municipal Governments, may own property and – logically has to pay taxes for it. But that was it, yet.
But Nick isn´t that sad about his second-rank-public status. Neither does he want to own a multi-system company, nor does he show significant interest in becoming a political figure. And both would require being a legal “Citizen” of the UEE. For his personal life planning it is enough to be a competent and professional commercial pilot. Logically, it is more or less unlikely, that Nick will ever show significant efforts for gaining citizenship (See Writer´s Guide II)
Social Background: Being the only son of an United Empire of Earth´s (UEE) Navy Officer and a Nurse in Goss III military hospital, Nick somehow personalizes the educated, good situated middle-class guy. Having enjoyed a good education, including a respectable College Diploma, he joined United Empire of Earth Imperial Carography Center (ICC) in 2931. He stayed there for around 15 years, mostly participating in survey and mapping missions.
Due to his mother´s death Nick left ICC service in 2946, working as Freelance Pilot for roughly 2 1/2 months until ensigning as Cargo Pilot for Intergalactic Airlines (IGAIR), followed by Atlas Air Transportation and Extensive Enterprises.
Physical Description: Nick is 6 feet tall and slender. Practicing athletics in his younger years, he is still well-trained. His hair is dark blond. Although he formerly had a strong dislike against mustaches or full beards, he carries now a well trimmed circle beard. His eyes are of blue color with a small childhood scar at the left eye-brow. His overall complexion carries a sun-kissed tan.
Quirks: Nickolas former career reflects his strong interest in Astronomy, Astrography, Aerospace Studies and Planetary Science. His ship’s cabin is filled with pictures and souvenirs from his travels – from a poach of sand from Goss III, over a dried wild flower from Terra, to a shattered crystal from Tarranis. Additionally, Nick developed an extreme Passion for Aerospace History and Engineering, literally becoming an intellectual capacity in this area. Next to his studies at Goss Polytechnics, Nick also works as Flight Instructor for Nelson Airfield Junior Aviators Club since February 2950, currently earning a standing as good and passionate trainer.
Morality: As most things in life, Nick has a pragmatic approach to morality. Recognizing that some people have their own approach to manners and being good or bad, he prefers tolerance, at least as long as nobody is harmed. His mood can rapidly change, when confronted with cruelty and injustice. Yet he still carries a strong pragmatic approach even there, following the slogan: “Let’s see how we best can get the things out of this misery.”
Personal Strengths/Weaknesses: One of Nick’s greatest virtues is his rational approach. He likes to decide things basing on facts and not on impulsive reflexes. His weakness is his rather calm personality. Nick neither is an outgoing, nor excentric being. He does not talk very much and if so, he carefully analyzes what he says.
Skills: Nick grew up with a faible for scientific literature and documentations, ending in a personality that knew everything a bit, but nothing in depth. Logically, he is pretty much a generalist concerning science and education. If you need a partial information about a star system, he is the guy, who could tell… Or at least the one, who could give you a hint, where you can find the stuff you are looking for. This side in Nick´s Personality is contrasted by a highly-detailed and -specialized knowledge in Aerospace sciences. Nick can tell you everything, from Bernoulli principle in Aerodynamics up to Liang-Thi´s quantum Jump Theorem. Additionally, he has a pretty deep-rooted interest in astrophysics, astronomy, planetography and astronavigation, making him an excellent navigator on a Multi-Crew-Vessel or a pilot in a single-seater.
Education: Thanks to his well-situated parents, Nick enjoyed a good education. With 10 years of age he joined High School at Goss III, followed by College Equivalency eight years later. With 21 he ensigned Scout Service, carrying his service ribbons and uniform with pride.
Languages: English, French, German, as well as small traces of Xi´An.
Likes/Dislikes: Although Nick received multi-purpose-spaceship-training at the ICC, he took a big passion for historical air- and spacecrafts with him. This also accompanies him right into his private life, since he is currently working on a reconstruction of Manfred von Richthofen´s “Red Baron” Albatros D.III together with his Dad and a close friend. Additionally, Nick is an enthusiastic pilot, putting as much efforts into aviation in his private life, as in his job. Next to his job as captain in civil transportation and his studies of Aerospace Engineering, he also works as flight instructor for Nelson Airfield Junior Aviator Club, earning a reputation as a competent teacher for those who want to join spaceline flightdeck service later.
Childhood/Backstory: Nickolas Mercier was born in 2914 on Goss III. His father being a Navy Officer and his mother being a Nurse at the system’s Military Hospital Facilities, he enjoyed a rather romantic childhood with relatively few troubles and problems. Living in New Brunswick – One of the dandy-like officer suburbs – he developed a personality that mirrored his social strata and living conditions.
Being sly and educated, well-mannered and strategic-minded, he grew up in one of the lovely condos of Goss III, first visiting high school and then joining college and leaving both with excellent results in Astronomy, Astrography, Physics and Mathematics. Strongly inspired by his father, Nickolas also learned astronavigation and small spacecraft handling already with 16 years of age. Normally one would think, he would have had best chances to become a fighter pilot.
Yet Nick lacked some vital qualities necessary for his dream profession. Although he learned aeronautics pretty early, Nick showed no sign of evidently necessary combat pilot qualities like intuition, agressivity and tactical focus. So he failed his Navy Combat Pilot Ensignment Test in 2935.
But anyway, what can be a lack of qualities in one branch, can be a benefit in another one. So he sucessfully passed his conscription test for United Empire of Earth´s Imperial Center of Cartography just in the same year, joining Exploration and Survey branch in 2935. Initially he was destined and trained for pilot flying on a Terrapin vessel, ending his basic training in 2937.
What followed were some Survey and Cartography duties on UEE’s eastern frontier, that gave him a reputation as a discrete and reliable pilot. Consequently, he received multi-purpose spaceship training in ICC with only 25 years and was promoted to captain’s rank with 28 years.
Anyway, Nick’s time was still to come. In 2942 he was awarded to Navy Cross-Training due to good services in ICC, where his hands were placed right at a 21st Recon Squadron Sabre’s flight stick. Assisted by his well-founded knowledge of Astrography, Astronavigation, Sensor Management and Small Spacecraft Handling he passed the training with excellent results as well as a letter of recommendation from the training squad.
Being rated as an excellent Pilot even by the Navy, Nick returned to Scout Service again in 2942, this time taking place at Pilots Seat Positions on UEES Aristotle, a Constellation Class Exploration and Survey Ship. Purpose of his missions was mostly charting Nebulas and Asteroid Systems for hazardous areas, consequently redrawing traveling lanes and – especially – getting prepared for a permanent command position.
Anyway, in 2946 things started not to run well for Nickolas and his family. Early in this year, Nick’s mother died on cancer, leaving his Dad and his three younger sisters literally on their own. Being strongly tied to his folks, Nick left ICC service abruptly, to assist his father and his sisters coping with their loss.
Anyway, he never took up work in Cargo Branch. Instead he was shifted to Transit Department in midth of 2946. Connected to it, was a shift in his Ship Certification. Already owning ratings for the Terrapin, the Sabre and the Constellation, it was now considered to introduce Nick to Genesis and 890s Training. Surprisingly, Nick made a fast career in the Airline, being skipped to transit department in late 2946 and being promoted to manager position in the same year. In 2948 he also was also promoted to flight instructor.
2949 brought a slightly different wind for Nick. Feeling more or less unlucky with the Intergalactic´s internal climate and being more and more interested in aeronautical foundations of flying with all it´s techniques and procedures, he started looking for a change. He found it in various direction. On the intellectual side, Nick decided to continue his studies of Aerospace Engineering and joined Goss Polytechnic University in 2949 for a telestudying program next to his job.
Connected with it was a change of employers. In June 2949 he left Intergalactic and changed to Atlas Defense Industries, again as Transportation Pilot. He remained there for roughly 8 month and then moved back to a career as classic civil transportation pilot for Extensive Enterprises in 2950.
On the private side he started leaning stronger to his girl friend Indira Pashvati, knowing her from his earliest days as a Civil Transportation Pilot for Intergalactic Airlines. Both moved together in 2948 already and got engaged in December 2949. Just a year later, in Summer 2950, their official marriage followed.
Due to his expertise in Starline Management, late 2950 brought another opportunity for Nick, when he got appointed as Interim Operational Manager by UEE department of finances. Although not being happy about his new, additional job Nick was put in charge of guiding a small, semi-bancrupt starline called Swift out of their financial misery. Within four month the company achieved a consolidation in the Starline´s Finances and cautiously managed to reshape the companies flight plan. In late 2950 the traffic lanes to Pallas and Thal were re-opened; just three month´s later the airline achieved to take up their routes to Hadur again.
What does your character do to earn a living? After leaving scout service, Nick made a fast career through various Starlines – first advancing at Intergalactic Airline to Flight Instructor, then Atlas, and now Extensive Enterprises as Chief Pilot. After getting announced to Operational Manager by UEE Department of Finances Nick took another step up in career scale, that suits his mentality – the desire and the will to shape things.
Relationships: Nick’s twelve years lasting service in UEESS hardly left any possibilities for a deeper relationship or partnership. In fact his loyalities became tied to his family and his team mates from the ICC service. Additionally, it produced a personality that highly appreciates freedom and independence. Anyway, even here things changed with Nick´s career at IGAIR. During his Airline Customization Traing he got friend with a young flight attendant called Indira Pashvati. Starting with a secret liaison in 2947, the outed themselves as couple in 2948, moving together in the same year. In 2950 both married, more or less spontaneously in Sicily, Earth, Sol-System.
Location: Due to his job, marriage and family issues, Nick currently prefers to stick to Goss-System, where he could easily take care of his dad and family affairs. But anyway, his love for exploration and traveling are still strong, and Nick already feels an immediate urge to leave his home’s boundaries and expand his travels and flights to the systems beyond Goss.
Religious Beliefs: Nickolas innate Rationality hardly left few room for religiosity, except for the believe in an existing divine being, a life after death and a not necessarily small moral standard. Even if Nick seems to be to sober to believe in something except science, he still believes in a given fate, as well as a role somebody has to fulfill. Moral standards are estimated high by him as well as loyality ties, family obligations and friendship.
Political Affiliation: Nick isn´t a very political person, nor is he extremely interested in foreign or domestic politics. Of course, he can be seen reading or watching the most important news, but he rarely discusses them open and publicly. His main preference is to keep out of diplomatic sector.
Anyway, when speaking with close friends, a tendency for conservative viewpoints can be seen, smelt or felt, making him seemingly to be a distant Centralist Party Affiliate with their focus on good old earth. (See Writers Guide II)
On the other hand, Nick does not match that well with Transitionalist view points due to their focus on a seemingly “good future”. Nick is too rational and analytic to join the choir of those cheering “With us, everything will be better soon” (See Writers Guide II)
Fantastical Traits: None.
Goals: Caused by his natural curiosity and interest in science, Nickolas is driven by a classical will to explore the stars and space. Next to that he has some more mundane ambitions. He likes comfort and lifestyle, as well as economic safety, putting aside the money for it.
Stardust2x4´ s Guide through the Verse 