It appears this week is my week. My name prior to AGATE was "Quincy Vershaft", but after intake, they assign all students new names to foster a meritocritous environment, and thus my first name and chosen name is now "Arrow". So, Arrow Quincy Vershaft.

My service record, such as it stands:

I was hatched in Genesis Plus (GP) 380. My parents were both of low-high standing, and the social pressure of Terra Buteo nations focus heavily on independent achievement with or for the state. The pressure I was under was thus very high. And in early schooling, a lot of my classmates were more ruthless than me at advancing themselves.

In GP 392, at risk of being considered a complete washout, I was sent to the Advanced Gmelin Academic and Technical Education program (AGATE). AGATE is what you might consider a 'military academy' that isolates its students from the pressures of normal life by moving them to Gmelin, an uninhabitable outer moon of Terra Buteo. Converted from an obsolete listening post/communications relay, it's a modern state run academy.

With no cultural influences, and the best teachers in the system, I thrived in the sink-or-swim meritocracy of the place after some effort, and spent 4 years there, primarily in the Technical track education, before returning to Terra Buteo in 396.

The AGATE program prepared me well, and now with a head start on the already fast education system of Terra Buteo, as well as being an AGATE grad as its own feather in my cap, I spent 2 more years in schooling, before transferriong to an orbital shipyard in 398 and working there as a systems technician on starships under repair and maintenance for 2 years.

After that, I decided I was done with education for now, and went into the military field. My first assignment was on an independent mercenary starship which I won't name. Now, AGATE grads are considered a resource by Terra Buteo, and they are monitored well after their schooling ends, even if working outside Terra Buteo's sphere proper. There's a reputation to maintain, you see. Unfortunately, the culture shock of being outside of Terra Buteo for the first time caused it to become a constant endurance exercise to avoid throwing away all I built.

I did make friends there, and eventually I transferred to independent ship The Cause in GP403 when a friend's inherited carrier came out of drydock. It wasn't in serviceable condition, and he needed a systems officer. I called in a lot of favors and managed to get transferred there. Since then I've worked on the Cause as it's systems officer, am thriving, and couldn't be doing better.

Now I understand you all have questions for me, so you can go ahead now. One at a time please, we will get to everyone over the next week.

(Artwork by John Fell, Jakkal, and Shiro)

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