The introduction to my Jaguar character, Shaka. Shaka is a demolitions expert who fights for the rebels in :usersteinwill:'s setting after defecting from a brutal regime black-ops team. His design has changed a bit going forward too and I've developed his character along a rather dark arc.

Shaka was a street orphan who became radicalised when a reptile murdered his older brother. Seizing on his hatred and realising that there was no-one left in his life to ask awkward questions, he was taken in by the fascist regime who pushed him into one of their most extreme special forces units (the sort where you're locked in a cage with another recruit and forced to fight to the death on day one). His mind almost completely broken, Shaka was trained extensively in the use of explosives and became a deadly and unquestioning pawn of the regime for many years. Finally being ordered to commit a completely unnecessary atrocity awakened his repressed conscience and he broke through the conditioning.

Realising what monsters him and all his comrades were, he set a charge that destroyed their barracks, killing all of them and slipping off into the night in the ensuing chaos. After wandering aimlessly for several weeks and making multiple failed suicide attempts, Shaka decided to try to defect to the rebels, surrendering himself to their judgement. Seeing the jaguar broken and with nothing left to lose, the rebel commanders accepted him into their ranks, offering him a chance to earn his redemption.

Today he fights with unswerving loyalty to the rebel cause and with the courage of someone who values the lives of his comrades far above his own. Although riddled with PTSD-related anxiety, self-loathing and social awkwardness around camp, once the bullets start flying or something needs to be blown up, his training kicks in and there are few that those who have seen him in action would rather have watching their backs.