Nicholas Saiga

Nicholas Saiga is one of raz's player characters.

	Nicholas Saiga 「雑賀 ニコラス」
Saiga-chusa, Hime no yōjinbō Saiga1), The Terror of Hyulughflar
General Information		Physical Characteristics
Species:	Geshrin	Age:	35
Gender:	Male	Height:	190.5cm (6'3“)
Organization:	Star Army of Yamatai	Weight:	98kg (217 lbs)
Occupation:	Command/Intelligence	Eyes:	Emerald Green
Rank:	Taisa	Hair:	Black
Current Assignment:	SAINT Chief of Task Force 282

Saiga is a tall, athletic Geshrin with pale skin and shaggy black hair that he wears pushed back. He has a handsome face dominated by vivid emerald green eyes. While he is clearly of Yamataian stock, the Nepleslian ancestry handed down by his father shows through in Saiga's rectangular jaw and refined, slightly turned-up nose.

Despite his good looks, most people have trouble remembering Saiga's face, leaving him easily forgotten to those not paying attention. This quality has proven itself a boon to the Geshrin's intelligence career. He bears a traditional Yamataian irezumi tattoo sleeve that covers his right arm with oriole feathers and manifestations of ancestors and fortunes.

As all Saiga men, Nick carries a paired katana and wakizashi daisho. These weapons usually remain stowed in whatever quarters he is assigned, though he has been known to utilize both swords when on mission. His preferred sidearm is the same Type 28 submachinegun he's carried on a shoulder sling since his days as a heisho on the YSS Goban.

Although Saiga comes across as somewhat haughty due to his patrician upbringing, he is a generally compassionate and trusting person, if not a stern commanding officer. Although hardened by the Second Mishhuvurthyar War, he began his career as an enlisted recruit and has traveled throughout the sector and beyond in the ten years since. He values all the universe has to offer and seeks to protect it when possible. Like all members of the Saiga Clan, he is a fanatical Imperial loyalist.

Saiga is always confident in his own skill, but only brags when challenged and is modest when praised. Any duty bestowed upon him is pursued with the utmost determination until he is relieved of it. Now a chusa, he has fulfilled his dream of becoming an officer and of serving with Star Army Intelligence.

He enjoys a good Nepleslian whiskey or Tatianian sake from time to time, but is no drunkard. Saiga is also very discreet with regard to romance and relationships, and dislikes others knowing about his interpersonal exploits. An avid reader and scholar, he is skilled at analysis and playing war games, though practices real military strategy more often these days. Rarely, he can be found studying old star maps for hours and learning about far off and scantly known star systems on the edge of known space. Due to his strict courtly upbringing, Saiga knows Yamataian Imperial etiquette well and usually addresses others with the proper Yamataigo honorific.

Saiga is a Chusa who joined the Star Army of Yamatai in YE 28. Since enlisting as a communications technician, he has risen through the ranks and served as First Officer and Captain. He was inducted into Star Army Intelligence at the outbreak of the Second Mishhuvurthyar War and was trained as an Star Army Intelligence Operative then. Today, he commands a team of elite Nekovalkyrja soldiers.

• Communications Technician, YSS Destiny (YE 28)
• Communications Technician, YSS Confidence (YE 28)

• Communications Technician, YSS Mikomi NS-S4-95 (YE 28)

• Communications Officer, YSS Goban (YE 29)
• Communications Technician, YSS Yugumo NJ-X5-01 (YE 29)
• Communications Officer, YSS Senbu NR-X1-10 (YE 30)

• Communications Officer, YSS Senbu NR-X1-10 (YE 30)

• First Officer, YSS Senbu NR-X1-10 (YE 30)

• First Officer, YSS Senbu NR-X1-10 (YE 30)
• Commander, 482nd SAINT Strategic Operations Battalion (YE 31)

• First Officer, YSS Hokorimasu NF-S8-01 (YE 33)

• Chief of Staff, Eighth Fleet (YE 33)

• Captain, YSS Protector NS-S8-02 (YE 34)
• Captain, YSS Asamoya NJ-X1-10 (YE 34)
• SAINT Liaison, Tenth Fleet (YE 35)
• Command-level training duty, Kyoto War College (YE 36)
• First Officer, YSS Eucharis NG-X1-408 (YE 37)
• Field Commander, SAINT Special Operations Fire Team (YE 38)
• Operational Instruction Officer, YSS Eucharis NG-X1-408 (YE 39)
• Transuniversal Intelligence Liaison, YSS Kaiyō II NG-X1-501 (YE 40)
• Special Deployment Force Team Leader, YSS Kōkatsu (YE 41 to YE 45)

• SAINT Chief for the Uesureyan Theater, Task Force 282 (YE 45 to present)

Nicholas Saiga was born into a traditionalist noble household on Yamatai in YE 09. His father was Fálki Saiga, a stellar cartographer and explorer for the fledgling Yamatai Star Empire. His mother is Dr. Sakiko Saiga, a clinical psychologist and genetic researcher who worked with PNUgen Corporation during the creation of Ningyô Heiki series synthetic lifeform. Fálki died when Nicholas was six years old, leaving the boy, clan leadership, and the family's estates on Yamatai and Tatiana to Sakiko until Nicholas came of age.

The earlier part of Saiga's life was spent living on Yamatai. In YE 24 the clan leadership's permanent residence changed to the Tatiana estate. On both worlds, was schooled by various tutors and eventually came under the tutelage of a distant cousin named Saiga Ruri. Only four years his senior, she was responsible for Nicholas' pre-military studies and became a close friend.

Rather than taking up the Saiga Clan's daimyoship when he became an adult, Nicholas enlisted in the Star Army. Although this angered many prominent clan members and Geshrin tributes, he did not want to waste his life on an idle pursuit that was bequeathed to him. Upon enlisting, he was assigned to specialize in flying small craft, such as torpedo bombers and shuttles, but was transferred to communications soon after he began his pilot's training because of the rapidly advancing state of power armor technology and his refusal to upgrade out of his birth body.

Saiga's first Star Army assignment was on the YSS Destiny. Only hours after he reported for duty, the ship was ceded to the newly formed Nepleslian Star Empire. In the turmoil that followed, he found himself quickly reassigned to the YSS Confidence under the Destiny's former commander, Arild Bard. On the Confidence, Saiga participated in the actions against a mutinous contingent of ships while with the Fifth Expeditionary Fleet at Taiie.

Saiga's tenure aboard the Confidence would be brief. He was once again transferred, this time to the YSS Mikomi. While aboard the Mikomi, the ship was sent to investigate an unexplored world called Bowhordia. Upon entering the planet's atmosphere, the ship came under attack from an unknown enemy. In the battle that ensued on the planet's yellowy, desert surface, several of the crew were killed and the mission was abandoned. In the aftermath of the battle, Saiga was promoted to nitô hei.

When the Mikomi returned to port, Saiga was once again ordered to another duty station. He was again promoted. Now a nitô heisho, the Geshrin served as the chief communications technician on the YSS Goban, a transport ship with the Third Expeditionary Fleet. He would find this title was somewhat extravagant, as he was the only communications technician assigned to the vessel. Still, he was happy to finally be assigned to a cozy rear-echelon ship where he could find plenty of time to relax.

Immediately after a skeleton crew had been assembled, the ship was ordered to deliver cargo from SAFD Nataria to NovaCorp headquarters at Kohana. As soon as the mission began, Saiga found that his duties would be far from mundane or relaxing. After the Goban was attacked by a pirate ship and boarded, Nicholas found out that the ship had a secret mission. Inconveniently, this meant squaring off against two rogue NH-X Nekovalkyrja and their war droid. The Goban was subsequently stolen by the two Nekovalkyrja.

Making their way back to Yamatai aboard an ironically stolen shuttle, the Goban's crew was ordered to find their missing ship. Shoi Ozaki Kyosuke, the Goban's commander, requisitioned a Ketsueki-class Escort, hastily dubbing it the YSS Adauchi. From there, Saiga and the rest of his friends set out amidst the confusion of Taiie's destruction.

Some time after they were underway, a message from Ann, the Goban's artificial intelligence, came through space and gave coordinates to its location. Upon arriving at the scene, they found the Goban hanging lifeless in the black ocean of space and were attacked by two Mishhuvurthyar Ghullfrashirv-class destroyers.

Following a quick and desperate battle with the Mishhu, in which the Goban—along with the Adauchi—was knocked out, Saiga found himself and fellow crew members prisoner aboard one of the enemy ships. Surprise and relief overcame the young Geshrin upon the realization that he wasn't dead yet, but that feeling wouldn't last.

Saiga and his comrades, including the later-legendary Luca Pavone, managed to escape their horrifying confines and proceeded to make their way through their captor's vessel, dodging patrolling Mishhu at every turn. However, all was not as it seemed. As the disoriented crew of the YSS Goban frantically scurried about the bio-organic corridors, it would be revealed that they were not on a Mishhu destroyer at all, but a simulated environment overseen by soldiers of First Fleet Intelligence. Given the most rudimentary explanation as to what had happened to them, Saiga and the others were debriefed and quickly given new assignments.

Although Saiga had applied for admittance into the Kyoto War College, he was denied the opportunity and sent to the YSS Yūgumo in the Fifth Expeditionary Fleet. He was assigned a bunk and performed his first, very short duty shift aboard the vessel. He was re-assigned off the Yugumo shortly thereafter — prior to its destruction — leaving Saiga waiting for a new posting once again.

Following a lengthy period waiting for a new assignment, Saiga was eventually placed on the YSS Senbu in the First Expeditionary Fleet. Upon arrival, he interviewed with the ship's commanding officer, then-Shosa Shizuka Endo. The Lioness was so impressed (and smitten) with him that he was given the honor to serve as her elite power armor wing's operations officer.

The Senbu's first mission was to to rescue students and personnel aboard the training vessel YSS Takemitsu (YS-870501). It'd been heavily damaged following a battle in the Nataria System, and the Senbu was sent to help the crippled ship. During the operation, the Senbu and Takemitsu were attacked by a pirate Ge-L3-1A - Vampire-Class Patrol Craft and its wing of AIR and AIR2 power armors. For his performance, as well as a consideration of his prior service record, Shizuka promoted the Geshrin to Shoi Kohosei with plans to train him as her XO.

He served with distinction in his capacity as first officer, and had, by now, formed an intimate relationship with Shizuka. He received promotions to taii and shosa and was on track for others until the outbreak of the Second Mishhuvurthyar War. The Senbu—and the shuttle Saiga was aboard while returning to the ship—were caught in the surprise attack at Nataria Fleet Depot. The shuttle was apparently destroyed in the opening volley of the war, and with no Soul Transfer backup, so was Saiga's life.

Saiga had not died. He was inducted into Star Army Intelligence and served as an operations handler and field commander in charge of surgical strikes against the Mishhu war machine. On his first mission after passing Operative Indoctrination, he led the 11th Squadron in a partially failed attempt to scuttle the shipyards at Sbuhfaba. He would later go on to command the 482nd Strategic Operations Battalion in covert battles against the Mishhuvurthyar.

In YE 34, after years of fighting the Mishhu threat with SAINT, Saiga was assigned by the powers-that-be to the new Eighth Fleet's flagship YSS Hokorimasu. He was reunited with Shizuka, now on track to become a taisho, and was himself promised a position in her admiralty as the fleet's first officer. During the force's formative months, he was promoted to chusa.

War and love don't mix well, however, and their relationship came to a crashing halt so soon after it was rekindled. Instead of a quick ascendancy to fleet command shosho, he voluntarily accepted command of a Nozomi-class in the Eighth’s command escort group. With his aspirations at a dead end, he assumed that he'd be sent to retire as the fleets demobilized following the war.

But the fortunes smiled upon Saiga once again and he was selected by SAINT for service aboard the Black Knights. For his demonstrated loyalty, he was rewarded with a fresh start. His mission: serve on Princess Kotori's crew and watch for any signs that she might betray the Empire. This assignment would prove shorter than expected. Though Saiga was the ship's captain in name, Kotori-hime left little space for a second leader. Following a survey of the Blue Rift Expanse, Saiga was assigned to the Yugumo Cluster.

The Geshrin commander would serve as the Tenth Fleet's first SAINT liaison at the pleasure of Morioka Naoko-taisho. In June, YE 36, about a year after he arrived at Leo Star Fortress, he was assigned to the Kyoto War College for advanced studies in emerging security threats, leadership, and power armor tactics.

Following his completion of courses at the War College, Saiga was briefly stationed as the famous YSS Eucharis's first officer under Shôshô Hanako.

Today, Saiga commands Special Operations Fire Teams as a SAINT officer. Drawing from his experience with the 482nd on Hyulughflar (SC-2), he has proven to be a hands-on leader and usually coordinates operations in the field. Special Operations Fire Team Tanuki falls under his tactical control.

In in YE 39, he was temporarily placed aboard the YSS Eucharis once again with orders to reform its armor team in line with Special Operations Fire Team doctrine. Unexpected attrition of the ship's infantry soldiers may make his assignment less temporary than he expected, though.

Saiga's long, eventful career has left him with a chest full of ribbons to wear on his Class A Star Army Duty Uniform, Type 35. At this point, he's definitely the most decorated Geshrin currently serving in the Star Army of Yamatai²⁾, not to mention one of the most decorated officers of any species — not that anyone at SA-PERSCOM is keeping track.

Ribbon	Award Name	Citations
	Service Award	13
	Combat Award	6
	Secret Ops Award	5
	Command Award	4
	Exploration Award	3
	Notable Career Award	2
	War Medal	2
	Tomoyo's Kikyo	2
	Starship Award	1
	Survival Award	1
	Good Conduct Award	1
	Combat Lifesaver Award	1
	Experience Award	1
	Distinguished Career Award	1
	Training Award	1
	Recruiting Award	1
	Kuvexian War Service Ribbon	1
	Third Battle Of Nataria Defense Medal	1
	Glimmergold Star	1
Order of Precedence

• Communication
• Information Technology
• Knowledge
  • Intelligence Analysis
  • History of the Kikyo Sector
  • Laws of the Kikyo Sector
• Fighting and Physical
  • Pistols
  • Type 28 SMG
  • Unarmed Combat
  • Kenjutsu
• Rogue
  • Subterfuge (SAINT)
  • Manipulation
• Starship Operations
  • Helm
  • Navigation
• Mathematics
• Leadership
  • Starship Command
  • Small Unit Tactics
  • HUMINT Operations
  • Ambush Tactics

Ke-M2-4 Series "Mindy" Armor

In the case raz becomes inactive:

Can this character be used as an NPC by a GM or FM? NO.

Can this character be adopted after I've been gone for a year? NO

Saiga bought a damaged Nozomi-class Scout Ship in YE 43: [SYNC] Second Chance Salvage: Derelict Purchase

• Nicholas Saiga with the other Gobaners by Luca
• Gallery's third image by Catriona Laird