Lieutenant Marcus "Ratchet" Graves
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Rank: |
Lieutenant |
Position: |
DCAG, Squadron Leader, Viper Pilot |
Division: |
Navy |
Posting: |
BS-62 Pegasus |
Birthplace: |
Caprica City, Caprica |
Callsign: |
Ratchet |
Height: 5'7" |
Weight: 150 |
Eyes: Blue |
Hair: Brown |
DoB: 8/18/1978 |
Age: 27 |
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Background
The tale of Marcus Alexandros Graves is not a tale of youth and standard upbringing. The tale of Marcus Graves is far from the standard, bright-eyed life of a young child approaching the world with wonder and years of exploration and learning in his path.
Marcus, since the moment his mother requested permission to take leave from the Navy to mother a second child…has been a prized warhorse.
Born to famous "True Crime" novelist Arlen Graves and Commander Hilary Graves, younger brother to Verris Graves, it was decided by his hard-nosed military mother that he would be the one to carry the torch her and her father, a deceased Lieutenant Commander from the Cylon War, had begun to pass. Substandard grades were unacceptable. Substandard programs were unacceptable. Through a system of positive reinforcement, tactical exposure, and careful pruning, it was made clear to Marcus at an early age that he wasn't worthy of being a B student, and that through achievement and hard work he could be prepared to anything. The rewards for success were many, and the failure for disappointment was soul-crushing.
Naturally…Marcus adapted over time The "youth military" programs from as early as eight were in some ways no different than the "youth communion camps" on fundamentalist Gemenon, only with a military spin and highly supported by the Colonial Naval elite. Normal High-School was set aside for Military Academy. Normal college was set aside for War College. Normal life was set aside for the hunt to one day find himself a CAG and a Battlestar Captain.
His family, a close-knit unit, divided into two parts. Marcus became his mother's legacy, and Verris became his father's scion. When Marcus left for War College, Verris was well along his way to becoming a highly paid criminal prosecution attorney for the Caprican Counties, complete with expensive house and car, and a quaint trophy wife. Marcus received a fixer-upper muscle car and a one-way trip to Colonial service, three-square meals a day, and countless hours of punishing study and training.
Now, a well-decorated pilot aboard Battlestar Pegasus with a clean reputation to match, he finds himself a year into the onset of a new war with the Cylons. The fates of his father and brother are unknown, and the shadow of his mother's love and pressure loom above him. Will he make a name for himself or succumb to the pressure that has forever been upon his shoulders?
Recent Events
Service Record & Medals
- Junior Naval Summer Camp - Blue Mountains, Caprica
- Summer Sessions: 1987-1992 (Unit Captain 1991-1992)
- Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps - Blue Mountain High School (1994-1995)
- Millar Military Academy (1995-1997)
- Caprica University of Naval Warfare (1997-2000)
- Greenwald Flight Academy (2000-2002)
- Carrier Omega (2002-2004)
- Battlestar Pegasus (2004-PRESENT)
- Youth Orientation (JNSC 1987-1992)
- Introductory Survival/Marksmanship/Teamwork exercises
- NROTC (1994-1995)
- The Role of the Navy (NR1001)
- The Role of the Officer (NR2001)
- Millar Military Academy
- Small Unit Training (NR3001)
- Introductory Officer Training (NR4001)
- Caprica University of Naval Warfare (OCS+College)
- Programs and Policies
- Space Naval Warfare
- Engineering and Weapons
- Damage Control
- Naval Orientation and Warfare
- Leadership
- Naval Orientation and Starfaring
- Navigation
- Military Law
- Basic Combat Training and Physical Requirements
- Greenwald Flight Academy (Group Leader)
- Primary Flight Training
- Basic Flight Training
- Advanced Flight Training and Dogfighting
- Carrier Omega
- High-Risk Environment Navigation (HREN) - Tied course Record
- Future Officer Corps Certificate of Achievement (Age 10)
- JNSC Group Captain Certificate (Age 12)
- Blue Mountain NROTC Squad Leader Commendation (Age 15)
- Millar Military Academy "Empire Group" Barracks Jr Ensign (Age 16)
- Millar Military Academy "Sentinels" Pyramid Championship (Age 16)
- PROMOTION: Jr. Ensign (Age 17)
- PROMOTION: Ensign (Age 18)
- Millar Military Academy Dean's "Top 10" Commendation (Age 18)
- PROMOTION: Lieutenant JG (Age 19)
- Caprica University of Naval Warfare "Dean's Top 25" (Age 19-22)
- Various Conduct/Combat certifications (Age 23-24)
- PROMOTION: Lieutenant (Age 24)
- Aerospace/Zero-Gravity Viper Combat Certification (Age 23)
- High-Risk Environment Navigation Certification (Age 25)
Character Quirks/Details
- Calm Under Pressure - POSITIVE - Through close observation and personal tutoring by his mother, Marcus has learned that a calm head and a scalpel for a hand are the best tools to escape troublesome situations. Using everything from timed puzzles to home-made stress tests, XO Hilary Graves and her son have spent many hours together with her sharing down-line her knowledge of breathing exercise and mental drills, and it has paid off.
- In Mother's Shadow - POSITIVE/NEGATIVE - Mother is well-known. Mother is well-decorated and has many powerful friends in the fleet, a status she has gained through the years of being intimidating, soft, and political at all of the right times. Because of this, the name "Graves" in the fleet can be often drawn back to XO Hilary Graves. As a positive? It gets Marcus' feet in the door and gives his word extra weight with Naval entities who know and respect her name and reputation. Some of these people Marcus has even had dinner with and shared box-seats at Caprica Bucks games with. As a negative, however, the shadow of his mother is a heavy thing indeed, often putting Marcus in the line of fire of pressure he never asked for. He is not his mother, and is his own man, and wants his actions to speak for themselves.
- Religious Bias - NEGATIVE - While Marcus knows the names and customs of the Lords of Kobol, he shares his parents' less-than-spiritual views of the universe. Religion was a tool to get people through hard times and explained how to make rain come from the crops, nothing more. He's never seen nor experienced any actual existence of these gods, and doesn't understand why people devote their life so heavily to them. When faced with relying on faith in the Lords of Kobol versus tactic, ingenuity, and strong leadership, Marcus will put his faith in the latter.
- Thoroughbred Child - POSITIVE/NEGATIVE - Being bred for "greatness" is a heavy yoke indeed. His father is famous for his novels and his mother is well-known within the fleet. The "tradition" was not passed down in the form of a comfortable life. It was not acceptable for Marcus to be a "B-grade" student. When his grades slipped below the top marks he was sent to tutoring. He "deserved" a private, invite-only Pyramid team rather than a public, all-access league, and when he started high school it was a must that he make the "A" or "B" squad Pyramid team in the first year (He made B. It was acceptable). High-ranking commanders were in his presence as a child, requiring him to dress his best and have perfect manners at dinner parties. Because of this, as a positive, Marcus' understanding of the promise in accountability, responsibility, and work ethic will never be in question. He was bred to lead and be a prime example of excellence. As a negative, however, Even Marcus understands that ego and entitlement are tools of ruin. He pushes himself far too greatly and is his worst critic. Being from a rich family he's had luxury, fun, and how to be well-liked, but the conditioning has been beaten into him. He must always be faster, he must always be on the top of his game.
- Trustworthy Face - POSITIVE - Either an quality he was born with or something in his aura learned through the years, Marcus has a face that some people trust. Perhaps it's the lack of scars, the slight baby-faced look he has in the right light, or even that he looks like someone from stage and screen known for playing "good guy" roles. For whatever the reason, in tense situations with strangers or when trying to earn confidence in stressful situations, his "Calm Under Pressure" shines through, making him more likely to achieve trust with the right words and management skills.
- LIKES:
- Responsibility/Ambition
- Rock Climbing
- Pyramid (Go C-Bucs!)
- Quiet, solemn places, like libraries
- Outdoor retreats with friends, such as camping or the beach
- Beef-like meat with sides of veg (Steak/Asparagus, Roast Beef/Corn)
- Hallway jogging to clear one's mind
- Murder mysteries and/or crime trivia
- Late-night Triad games
- Competition
- COLOR: Blue
- The Observation Deck
- Muscle cars and auto maintenance
- Low-ceiling, low-swank bars and nightclubs
- Cornbread
- DISLIKES:
- Mashed foods (strange mixtures, casseroles, turkey+something dishes)
- Brownies
- Arrogant behavior
- Sloth as a character trait
- Bullying
- The Picon Panthers pyramid team
- COLOR: Orange
- Having his life decided for him (outside of military command staff)
- FACTOIDS:
- His father has a "museum" of the sorts in a man-cave back home. It contains all sorts of paraphernalia related to his research/investigation support of serial killers and their psychology. It's his favorite thing to show his friends back home
- Owns a Cobalt 667 "Growler" muscle car and, if it has survived the war, is in a garage covered with a tarp
- Fairfax is responsible for the loss of his virginity, as it was Alexander Fairfax who introduced him to Carrie Lohr his first year of Millar Academy. She is believed to be alive somewhere in the fleet.
CMDR Hilary T Graves: To say that Marcus has a positive relationship with his mother isn't an untrue statement. Marcus has a deep affection and love for his mother, equal only to the undercurrent of frustration that he has with her never-ending ambition and how hard she drives him. She is a lioness, demanding excellence from her son with the added element of love. They will survive and they will see to the end of this war, and whether Marcus likes it or not, she will at times decide what is better for him. She knows the military in ways that he does not, and sees a world of potential in him. Some women raise dogs for show. Hilary raised Marcus for show.
LT Carrie W Lohr: Alexander Fairfax introduced Carrie to Marcus Graves during his first year at Millar Academy, and the two dated for a period of eight months. She is responsible for a number of milestone relationship moments for Marcus, and the end of their relationship was heralded by an unspecified breakup when Marcus was 17 years old. She, like Fairfax and Graves, is a Caprica native and has managed to survive the initial wave of the Cylon Holocaust. She is currently working as a member of CIC staff in an unspecified ship in the fleet. (Available for application/play, please see Graves for details)
- TATTOO: - A trail of star clusters in single-needle pockets, running down his spine in intervals. The number of stars in each cluster appears random.
- TATTOO: - A small, single needle rune etched inside of the hair-line at the back of his neck.
Known Associates
Recent Events
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