Vortex is my OC, inspired by the other Alpha ARCs, particularly A-17. The designation Alpha-71 was never officially claimed (as far as I am aware) and thus, along came Vortex. I have featured him in a number of fics (most recently No Regrets - ask for more details). His story line isn’t strictly canon-adherent, nor is it specifically canon-divergent. I am more than open to AUs and entertain a number of them - many involving Vortex - on any given day.
I will be creating a rules page, but I do ask for patience as this is is my first RP blog. I can’t promise consistent updates, but I will do my best.
Name: LT Alpha-71 (”Vortex”)
Aliases: A-71, 71 (he never took a last name - “Fett” would draw too much attention)
Species/Gender: Male human
Romantic/Sexual orientation: Asexual
Affiliations: Grand Army of the Republic (loosely) with vague ties to the Rebellion post-war; considers himself a Mandalorian despite never entirely aligning with any specific clan or faction
Physical: Somewhat slighter build than some of the other ARCs but overall fairly similar in terms of general appearance, left eye is paler than the other and somewhat clouded, several scars on his face (including one over his left eye) and in various places on his body, weathered black and gold Mandalorian beskar’gam after the Clone Wars, often wears a ragged cloak and an old beskar knife
As a child, very reserved and wary. Because he was born blind in his left eye, the Kaminoans often singled him out for experiments and testing that separated him from the rest of his batch. This led to a divide between him and the other Alphas (at least in his eyes) and he was often scared of attempting to bridge that gap. Despite this, he had a deep empathy for his brothers, even if he rarely showed it. He adapted quickly to his impaired vision and excelled in close-combat training.
As an adult (before the end of the Clone Wars) Vortex is not at peace with himself and his past. He often disguises this under a levelheaded, guarded facade. On a deeper level, he has an impulsive streak a mile wide and a gallows sense of humor. He is notoriously bad-tempered, and like many of his Alpha brothers, has little regard for rank. While he is not very vocal about his opinions, he often makes snap judgments that don’t always work to his advantage. He is not particularly loyal to the Republic, but he would gladly die for his brothers. He does not often socialize with others, as he is naturally taciturn.
As an adult after the war, Vortex is beginning to approach some level of acceptance with himself. (As noted in a long-running story I have been working on with him: “He prided himself on his fearlessness, but he knew when it came down to it, he could only be fearless for so long. When the ghosts caught up with him, his courage crumbled.”) It’s a very gradual journey that he doesn’t intentionally embark on in the first place - he’d much rather leave the past where it is. Still, he is starting to understand that the painful experiences are part of him, even if he’d rather not remember. He still hides this development under sarcasm and dark humor. Even now he doesn’t often mingle with others, not necessarily because of a particular fear but because he simply prefers to be alone.
Skills: Aside from his considerable combat prowess, Vortex is also a decent strategist; he does possess some leadership capabilities, but he rarely puts himself in situation in which they would be necessary; was often deployed as an assassin during the war, as he proved to be a highly capable solo operative.
Background: Like the rest of his generation, Vortex was created in 22 BBY. The Kaminoans noticed his impaired vision early in his childhood; instead of terminating him, they saw this as an opportunity to study aberrations in the genetic material. He was often separated from the other Alphas during the Kaminoans’ testing. This isolation and the testing both had psychological consequences later in his life. Although these experiments meant he was removed from training for periods of time, he still excelled as a soldier.
Vortex was activated from stasis to defend Kamino from a Separatist assault alongside the other Alphas. His knack for stealth and ambushes proved useful in the ensuing battle. After the Separatist forces were repelled, he was sent to Coruscant under the jurisdiction of General Arligan Zey, director of the Republic’s special forces. Vortex was later deployed to several hot spots throughout the galaxy, often to destabilize the enemy through undercover attacks.
After an operation led by the *81st Attack Battalion, Vortex was captured by the Separatists for roughly a week and a half. However, he was able to escape when the prisoners were being transported to a larger Separatist stronghold. He never returned to the Republic; he fled to Tatooine and became a bounty hunter. However, he eventually returned to the Inner Rim when the Empire was in power in order to help disrupt an Imperial campaign on the agricultural world of Nakadia.
Vortex never claimed to be a part of the Rebellion, nor did he ever fully join a Mandalorian faction. Still, he often assisted both groups at various periods of time.
*The 81st isn’t official by any means; I needed the number for another OC of mine, battalion commander Kiska, formerly of the 41st Elite Corps.
