NAME AND RANK: Captain Vosca 'Dagger' Tarix.

SQUADRON: The Black Hydras.

AGE: Late twenties/early thirties.

HEIGHT: Average.

HAIR COLOUR: Brown.

ACTOR LIKENESS: Kari Wührer.

HOME COLONY: None (having been born on an orbiting station), but had spent several years on the world of Tauron, immediately prior to military service.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY: Mother, two cousins and elder brother, whose deaths led to her later career choice. Never knew her father.

PERSONALITY:

Some pilots, particularly the overconfident, use raw passion and initiative to gain as many kills as possible before burning out, both figuratively and literally. Others, such as Captain Tarix, have a distinctly harder edge to their interaction with friend and foe like. A serious student of tactics and avionics, Vosca's coldly analytical style might not be the sort which wins headlines, but and she did not receive the call sign of 'Dagger' for nothing: Wearing opponents down until they get bored or do something stupid, then making the kill.

It is this machine-like quality of flying which has won her the somewhat dubious distinction of serving as Cylon OPFOR in simulated 'Red Flag' training engagements. Indeed, one of her few pleasures in life seems to be in verbally tearing strips off younger recruits, for even the slightest deviation from regulated flying tactics.

By now quite militarised, she does, however remain far more of a tactician than a strategist and leaves the 'bigger picture' up to superiors. With respect for the chain of command, she keeps quiet when seeing the likes of Starbuck executing some death-defying combat stunt and leaving younger pilots in awe, although will express private disdain for it, if asked for her opinion. She might not be able to deny that such a style has achieved results, but even so, considers it dangerous and detrimental to the good of the fleet.

Former, casual friendliness has long since been replaced by something of a stern exterior, fuelled by a constant search for security through order. An iron glove, as she sees it, is required for some situations and one will not find her expressing sympathy for those experiencing trouble with the messy ethics of warfare. Not that the humanity has been snuffed out of her completely, by any means, but an earlier need for retribution erased much of her former willingness to compromise.

The old adage, of violence never solving anything, holds no water for Captain Tarix. On the contrary, she sees few situations which military force is unable to solve. More ruthless than most, she is not sadistic and regards any breaking down in recognised military protocols as a disaster, but has come to possess a 'whatever it takes' viewpoint, almost to the exclusion of anything else. Vosca is not the typical sort of pilot who glories in adrenaline rushes and heroics, but instead the variety who enjoys the job for the sake of it, rather than being competitive with kill tallies or war stories. However, what Vosca lacks in personal skills, she more than makes up for in practicality: Ask her to take an intuitive leap of faith and she'll tell you to forget it, but give her a designated sector, combat inventory and willing crew and she could turn even the most luxurious yacht into a fighting vessel, fit for use in the Colonial Navy.

Some say she just needs a good fracking. Others, with a malicious sense of humour, that her Cylon kills could almost be viewed as fratricide. Most seem to agree, however, that regardless of her often cold manner, she remains a valuable asset to have in war.

CIVILIAN HISTORY:

A serving member of the Colonial Navy, things largely uneventful for the majority of Vosca's life. A decent job in piloting supply transports was hers and ambitions were no loftier than the next citizen's. One particularly tragic day changed all that and has guided her behaviour ever since.

Awaiting the arrival of several family members, their transport became a victim of piracy and was eventually commandeered, although not before it could transmit a distress call of its own. The local patrolling garrison responded immediately, driving off the intruders at the cost of just one ship of their own. Unfortunately, it was too late for Vosca's relatives, who had been killed in what was later found to be a botched hostage-taking attempt. With news footage seen of the incident that evening, Vosca alternated between depression and need for revenge, eventually swearing to discover precisely who was responsible for the attack and spend whatever cubits it would take to ensure retribution. In the ensuing weeks, grief gave way to bitterness and Vosca found herself verbally lashing out at one friend with an outspoken dislike for capital punishment, before subsequently disowning him entirely. What she wanted was revenge, clear and simple and there seemed to be only one option which could give her that.

Vosca was having to confront the reality of lacking the kind of emotional compensation she needed, knowing that it was time to do her part and make a difference. To force the issue. She was already knew how to fly. Why not put those skills to a decidedly more relevant use?

And so, Vosca Tarix willingly recruited herself into the Colonial Navy.

MILITARY CAREER HISTORY:

Enlisting was an easy process, even if what would follow was not, but Vosca soon found herself among comrades and a similar mindset, albeit not quite as resolute as her own. A perspective was now held which she might not have previously agreed with, yet now seemed to be the obvious solution. Passing her qualifying test, Vosca attended and graduated from the academy with flying colours, starting a full and promising career as a combat pilot.

For understandable reasons, Vosca's motives for joining up guaranteed that she had a particular tenacity for seeing through operations dealing with the prosecution of criminals. Indeed, Ensign Vosca seemed to often take particular enjoyment in disabling such prey, leaving it helpless, before angling back for a more decisive kill.

Volunteering for one particular strike mission gained Vosca a notoriety for ruthless mission execution and command: Saving two wingmen, Tarix held no qualms about annihilating what remained of the opposition. Namely, an otherwise defenceless shuttle, whose crew was already pleading to surrender. A deadly streak was revealed in full force, fuelled by the knowledge that these were the very last members of the criminal organisation who were responsible for the murder of her family.

Eventually working her way up to Lieutenant, Vosca was to transferred to the battlestar Vulcan. She may have satisfied the most immediate need for revenge, there would always be more like them. Others who would seek to overturn the rule of law and descend the colonies into anarchy. For that reason, Vosca Tarix would strive to dedicate the rest of her life to a professional military career.

But life had other plans and no sooner had she arrived on board, than news was received of those very colonies in fire. Mankind was being savagely, systematically, wiped out from existence by an old and tireless enemy. No longer was Lieutenant Tarix facing lowly pirate vessels or uneventful patrols through secured space. These were remorseless killers on a campaign of extermination.

So, with humanity culled to the brink of extinction, Vosca found her calling as an unlikely protector of what was left. The remnants were not much, but with a protective fleet and hope of finding a new home, she had a job to do which might just bring salvation to a race of nomads, purged of chaos and order alike.

OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES:

Being only a member of the Avalon since the Vulcan's destruction, combined with such a ruthlessly militarised perspective, has meant that Vosca is only just starting to become known for her she is, rather than just a very authoritarian voice in the midst of battle. Tends to respect and thus side with by-the-book personalities, rather than the fleet's more relaxed characters and, as such, has garnered a reputation for being a 'challenging' pilot to get along with, outside of work, since she never gives the impression of ever truly being off-duty.