Profile: 2nd Lieutenant Alden Verrick
Second in command to Garris. A stern and unyielding commander, known for his cool demeanor in the face of danger. He is also a devoted family man with young twins, a son and a daughter. Though he’s stern is is level headed and logical and was chosen specifically for his ability to communicate with and oftentimes balance out or otherwise reign in Garris’ more hot headed tendencies.
2nd Lieutenant Alden "Cyclone" Verrick was born on a central planet within the Elytrian Ecliptic, directly under the governance of the Grand Coalition. From an early age, he was instilled with exceptionally pronounced values of discipline, responsibility, and ethical conduct. As he grew up, Verrick was naturally drawn to roles that required leadership and coordination, participating in community and extracurricular activities that sharpened his inherent skills. One thing that was readily apparent was Verrick’s natural inclination to not only involve himself in the lives of those he cared about but to enrich them. Verrick was cheerfully relentless in his pursuit to do everything he could to create an environment where those he cared about felt loved, safe, and happy.
When he joined the Grand Coalition military, his qualities of level-headedness, sound judgment, and effective communication were immediately apparent. He excelled during training and his early assignments, which included missions to secure high-risk Rift Nexuses in the outer Frontier as well as collaborations with Rift Nexus Operations (RNO) teams that had him coordinating civilian and military assets in joint operations. After serving only one year as a Rift Terminal Attack Controller (RTAC) Verrick was approached by Krayd Altega, then commander of the SOF group known as “Fireteam Vandal”. Verrick was quick to accept, recognizing the impact that he would be able to make in such a position, not just locally, but across the entire Elytrian Ecliptic.
Verrick was accepted into special forces training, where he quickly became a standout candidate. Five years of special forces training culminated in a two-week combat/survival test where SOF candidates were dropped onto a remote planetoid with basic equipment and graded based on their performance during the mission that simulated real-world combat and survival scenarios. Generally, candidates were placed based on one of three outcomes: mission failure lead to additional training where candidates were allowed to evaluate their performance, analyze their failures, and make an additional attempt. One more Failure of the mission resulted in failure of the program. The second outcome was survival. Depending on the specifics of this outcome candidates would be placed in their units though, depending on the specifics of how they completed the mission and to what degree it was successful, they may or may not end up in an SOF unit within the Coalition Military. Most often Successful completion of the mission led to assignment within the Coaltion SOF due to the unparalleled level of difficulty: with more than 10,000 annual applicants the program had a pass rate of .02%. Of that .02% three candidates will die in training on average.
Verrick not only reached the extraction point successfully, he completed the mission within the scenario and did so in record time. Upon graduation, He caught the attention of Petty Officer Garris Agayle and was immediately inducted into the most elite SOF unit in the entire Ecliptic, Fireteam Vandal.
Two additional years of specialized training followed, a time during which Verrick would meet his eventual wife.
Verrick’s selection and acceptance as a Vandal, as he would find out, have bus to do with the results of his training, and more to do with his levelheadedness and rational decision making. Garris Agayle was well aware of his temperament, and knew that the personality traits that made him as effective as he was, could also be extremely compromising. Verrick’s ability to make rational decisions and communicate effectively made him an ideal counterbalance to Garris' more impulsive and hot-headed tendencies. In his role with Fireteam Vandal, Alden has become an instrumental force in ensuring that the team's actions are well-considered and strategic. His nickname, "Cyclone," reflects his ability to bring calm and order to the often chaotic circumstances of battle.
On the personal front, Alden faced devastating loss when his wife passed away from leukemia shortly after giving birth to their twins. This tragedy had a profound impact on him, making him even more resolute in his commitment to creating a stable and safe future within the Elytrian Ecliptic, not just for his children but for others as well. Now five years old, his twins serve as a constant reminder of what he's fighting for and add another layer of depth to his sense of duty.
Despite the significant responsibilities of his military role and the challenges of being a single parent, Alden has managed to find a balance. He is a devoted father and ensures that his children are well cared for while he is away on missions. The experience of loss and the responsibilities of parenthood have further sharpened his sense of duty and his resolve to excel in his military commitments.
In summary, 2nd Lieutenant Alden "Cyclone" Verrick is a multifaceted individual. He is a highly competent and dependable military officer, whose skills in leadership and communication make him an invaluable asset to Fireteam Vandal and the Grand Coalition at large. His life experiences, marked by personal loss and the joys and challenges of parenthood are major defining factors in who he is, how he conducts himself, and has given him a unique perspective that he brings to his role. Alden stands as both a counterbalance to Garris Agayle's more volatile leadership style and as a steadfast, guiding force within the team, motivated by deeply personal reasons to ensure the Grand Coalition's mission of peace and security is successful.