Corporal Jace Rourke
Name Jace Rourke
Position Marine
Rank Corporal
Character Information
| Gender | Male | |
| Species | Human | |
| Age | 26 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 6'1 | |
| Weight | 205 | |
| Hair Color | Dark blond / light brown | |
| Eye Color | Blue | |
| Physical Description | Jace Rourke has the build of someone who has spent most of his adult life training for combat rather than trying to look impressive in a mirror. Broad through the shoulders and chest with a lean, athletic frame, he carries himself with the relaxed confidence of someone who knows exactly what he is capable of. His dark blond hair is usually kept within Marine regulations, though rarely much neater than regulations require. He typically keeps short facial stubble when duty standards allow it, giving him a slightly rougher appearance than the average Starfleet crewman. Rourke's face is expressive, usually wearing either a crooked grin or the unmistakable look of someone about to say something he probably shouldn't. A small scar cuts through his right eyebrow, earned during a training accident he insists was "more impressive than it sounds." Despite his casual posture and sense of humor, there is an obvious physical readiness about him. When situations become serious, the easygoing Marine disappears quickly, replaced by someone alert, focused, and constantly aware of the space around him. |
Family
| Spouse | None | |
| Children | None | |
| Father | Marcus Rourke | |
| Mother | Elena Rourke | |
| Brother(s) | Daniel Rourke Age 32. Jace's older brother. Works in agricultural systems and environmental management on Earth. Daniel is dependable, practical, married, and generally considered the "responsible one" in the family. He and Jace constantly give each other a hard time, but they are extremely close. |
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| Sister(s) | Maya Rourke Age 29. Jace's older sister. Works as a civilian flight systems specialist and shuttlecraft test pilot. Maya shares considerably more of Jace's adventurous personality than Daniel does and was usually the sibling encouraging him to do something stupid when they were younger, then somehow avoiding the punishment herself. |
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| Other Family | Thomas Rourke, paternal grandfather. Retired Starfleet Marine Gunnery Sergeant. Thomas served for more than three decades before retiring to Montana. He was one of the biggest influences on Jace's decision to enlist in the Marine Corps instead of pursuing Starfleet Academy. |
Personality & Traits
| General Overview | Rourke is confident, sarcastic, competitive, and fiercely loyal. He jokes often, speaks his mind, and has little patience for people who hide behind rank. Under pressure, however, he becomes focused, dependable, and exactly the kind of Marine people want beside them when things go wrong. | |
| Strengths & Weaknesses | Rourke is loyal, courageous, quick-thinking, and highly capable under pressure. He is a strong fighter, natural leader, and adapts quickly when plans fall apart. His biggest weaknesses are his impulsiveness, stubbornness, smart mouth, and tendency to take unnecessary risks, especially when protecting someone he cares about. |
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| Ambitions | Rourke wants to make Sergeant and continue building a career as an enlisted Marine. More than anything, he wants to prove that one bad decision does not define the kind of Marine he is. | |
| Hobbies & Interests | Rourke enjoys activities that involve competition, speed, loud noises, or at least a reasonable possibility of making a questionable decision. He has a particular fascination with old Earth motorcycles and internal-combustion vehicles, despite their complete impracticality in the twenty-fourth century. Growing up in Montana also left him with an appreciation for mountains, camping, hiking, horseback riding, climbing, and generally being outdoors whenever he can get away from bulkheads and recycled air. He enjoys competitive shooting, physical training, poker, shuttle racing, tactical holodeck programs, and any competition where bragging rights are involved. Rourke is also a social drinker and has developed a particular appreciation for Klingon drinking culture. Somewhere during his previous assignments, he learned several Klingon drinking songs and will enthusiastically join in after enough bloodwine, bourbon, or replicated whiskey. His pronunciation is surprisingly good. His understanding of what he is actually singing is considerably less reliable. Rourke maintains that this does not matter because: "If the Klingons are singing louder than you, you're doing it wrong." He has been known to spend an evening drinking with Klingons, loudly singing songs of glorious battle and honorable death, and then wake up the following morning having absolutely no idea why everyone is calling him "Brother Rourke." Musically, he gravitates toward old Earth rock, country, blues, and anything loud enough to irritate neighboring quarters. He is the type to have music playing while cleaning weapons, working out, playing cards, or doing almost anything that could otherwise be accomplished quietly. He is also an enthusiastic but inconsistent cook. Rourke insists his chili is excellent. His fellow Marines generally agree that it becomes excellent after approximately three drinks. |
| Personal History | Jace Alexander Rourke was born in 2370 in Bozeman, Montana, Earth, the youngest child of Marcus and Elena Rourke. Growing up near one of the most historically significant locations in human history meant Starfleet was never particularly distant from his childhood. The legacy of Zephram Cochrane, First Contact, and Earth's transition into an interstellar civilization surrounded the community. Rourke appreciated the history. He had considerably less interest in becoming the sort of polished Starfleet officer usually associated with it. Much of his interest in military service came from his paternal grandfather, Thomas Rourke, a retired Starfleet Marine Gunnery Sergeant. Thomas rarely discussed his career in heroic terms. His stories were usually about long deployments, terrible food, incompetent officers, good Marines, and the responsibility that came with bringing people home alive. Jace listened to every one of them. By his teenage years, it was obvious that he was intelligent enough to pursue Starfleet Academy if he chose. He didn't. Rourke had no interest in spending four years preparing to become an officer. At eighteen, he enlisted. Marine training suited him almost immediately. The physical demands came naturally. He excelled with weapons, small-unit tactics, and field operations. He demonstrated strong spatial awareness during shipboard combat exercises and quickly became interested in breaching and close-quarters operations. His instructors also discovered his mouth. Rourke accumulated several minor disciplinary actions throughout training, usually involving sarcasm, unauthorized improvisation, or the phrase: "Nobody told me I couldn't." Despite those issues, his performance was strong enough that instructors consistently recommended him for advanced tactical training. Over the following years, Rourke developed into an experienced young Marine with qualifications in infantry operations, heavy weapons, tactical breaching, EVA operations, combat survival, and shipboard tactical response. He earned promotion to Lance Corporal and later Corporal. By his mid-twenties, he was beginning to be considered for greater responsibility. Then he met Elena Vance. Rourke initially had no idea she was married to Rear Admiral Malcolm Vance. When he eventually discovered who her husband was, he continued seeing her anyway. That decision eventually resulted in Rourke being discovered by Rear Admiral Vance himself. No classified material had been compromised. No duty regulations had been seriously violated. Elena Vance was a civilian and the relationship had been consensual. Nevertheless, the situation created enough embarrassment that keeping Rourke within the Admiral's sphere of influence was no longer considered practical. A transfer was arranged. Rourke received orders assigning him to the USS Chimera, NCC-80118, while the ship was on shore leave. |
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| Service Record | 2370 Born in Bozeman, Montana, Earth. 2388 Enlisted in the Starfleet Marine Corps at age eighteen. Completed Marine basic training with high marks in physical readiness, weapons handling, small-unit tactics, and combat reaction exercises. Received several minor disciplinary remarks involving attitude and unauthorized improvisation. 2389 Completed advanced infantry qualification. Qualified with standard Starfleet Marine small arms, squad support weapons, field survival, close-quarters combat, and basic combat medicine. Assigned to his first operational Marine unit. 2390 Completed shipboard tactical operations and boarding qualification. Received additional instruction in zero-gravity and EVA combat operations. Promoted to Lance Corporal. 2391-2392 Participated in multiple shipboard security deployments, anti-piracy operations, and Federation installation defense assignments. Completed advanced tactical breaching certification. Cross-trained in combat demolitions and forced-entry operations. Received commendation for actions during an emergency extraction involving civilian personnel during a pirate attack. 2393 Promoted to Corporal. Began serving periodically as assistant fire-team leader. Received favorable evaluations for tactical judgment under fire, weapons proficiency, and leadership potential. Also received formal counseling regarding insubordination and inappropriate communication with a superior NCO. 2394-2395 Continued operational assignments involving boarding actions, anti-piracy patrols, installation security, and expeditionary support. Completed advanced close-quarters combat training. Recommended for future Sergeant consideration pending continued professional development. 2396 Became involved with Elena Vance, civilian spouse of Rear Admiral Malcolm Vance. Relationship discovered. No criminal charges filed and no major disciplinary conviction entered into his service record. Administrative reassignment subsequently ordered. Transferred to: USS Chimera, NCC-80118 |