Augustus Station Crew Manifest

NAME: Oto Syrano Nakir vin Toyo, Will also accept Mr. Syrano
DEPARTMENT: Other
RANK: Civilian
POSITION: Civilian
SPECIES: Pallucia
AGE: 72
GENDER: Pallucia are hermaphroditic
ORIENTATION: N/A
BIRTHPLACE: City of Toyo on Pallucia
HEIGHT: 7’3”, 218cm
WEIGHT: 100lbs, 45kg
HAIR: No body hair
EYES: First pair of eyes are grey, second pair are black.
FACECLAIM:
WRITER: GuinusPiggus

INTERESTS: Fine alcoholic beverages, gardening, literature, conversation
EDUCATION: Degree from Toyo University, private tutoring

SERVICE RECORD: N/A

DECORATIONS: Oto Carwyl

BIOGRAPHY: Syrano was born into a generally noble family known for their alcoholic drinks, at that time the surname Nakir vin Toyo was the gold standard for Carwyl drinks for over 150 years. He was the first heir to a sizable financial empire encompassing everything from the fields in which the kir’te plant grew to the corporate offices located in his home city of Toyo. He learned to walk, talk, and act like the shrewd, sometimes severe peers of his parents, all business people just like them. Some of his first childhood lessons were that of social survival in the fish-eat-fish world of Toyo. As a child, Syrano was tutored privately in the family estate. He came to appreciate fine literature in his youth, thanks to the myraid of tutors that all impressed on him the importance of worldliness through literacy. Other subjects he excelled in were statistics, marketing, economics, and finances. Needless to say, he was quite the family jewel.

As an adult, Syrano would not be able to take over the family empire until his parents were no longer able to do so themselves. In the meantime, he managed to find himself in a cushy position as the CEO of a sister company to the Nakir vin Toyo Carwyl company. The UMMC was a special interest organization that acted in unison with other alcoholic beverage companies to lobby representatives in the interest of their respective industry. For about 50 years, Syrano became a rising star and one of the organization’s best lobbyists. He became an incredibly persuasive individual. During this time, he was awarded the title of Oto Carwyl by his guild for mastery in the industry of Carwyl-making.

Roughly five years years before the start of the story, Syrano was one of about 70 civilians chosen to go on a most unique cruise through space, following the footsteps of an earlier expedition craft. His role on the craft was mostly business, with some enjoyment thrown in. He is not clear on what happened, he rarely speaks of the matter, but at some point during this time he drank too much Carwyl with a group of business associates. He then either said or did something so heinous that the associates, and soon the rest of the ship saw it fit to put him to trial soon after. He was found guilty, and his punishment was to be left stranded on an abandoned station a handful of parsecs off the cruise’s course.

So Syrano was left, very alone.

At first, he struggled. The station was humid, but water was not present in enough quantity or at the right salinity to keep him alive. On top of that, he found himself with a broken leg not even a full month after arriving. It was only thanks to the Lienati that he was able to stay alive during this harsh learning curve. They taught him how to survive.

It would be almost a year before Syrano found himself able to return any favors. Eventually, some of knowledge of kir’te cultivation came in handy, and he was able to tame some of the plantlife into a garden of sorts. He would frequently offer cooked meals and services to the Lienati when he could. Although he maintained good relationship with the natives, he found himself alone more times than not. He’s said before that he spends much of his time ‘mourning’.

When Octavian group arrived, Syrano was one of the last to know. He had spent his time dwelling in Deck 02’s water tank and the immediate surrounding area and did not know until four days after the initial arrival, when he went out for a walk and met the group himself. He offered his limited knowledge and volunteer help in exchange for one thing: his living space was to be left alone unless otherwise specified by him.

And thus, he has remained the station hermit, his living space left unseen by those not close to him. He gardened, he swam, came out for walks, and he distilled the fruit growing on the station into Carwyl. On some level, it seemed he had made a new life for himself in exile...

PERSONALITY PROFILE: Syrano was a serious, stoic man. It was hard to get him to react with strong emotion to most things. Despite this, he was often described as sad or morose by those who knew him well. He did much to keep others at bay, whether out of fear or habit was hard to tell. He still retained much of his diplomatic skills, but rarely left his dwelling, nor did he care enough to use his skill for the Octavian group.

Beneath his exterior, Syrano was a man once made of steel, and then laid low. He had a difficult time dealing with his exile. He did not trust others easily because he was raised in a world where such vulnerability was an automatic attack. He found it difficult to think of things in anything other than profit and losses, so sometimes struggled to build relationships. He felt heavy guilt that he dealt with by accepting his exile as it was.

Syrano appreciated much of the fine things in life. He came to acquire a taste for music and talk shows after the Octavian group came. He appreciated his Carwyl so much that he built a distillery right in his living space. He admitted a few times that he believed he had an alcohol problem.

PHYSICAL PROFILE:
Syrano, like all members of his race, had a unique appearance that changed over time with his diet. On land, he stood at roughly 7’3” tall, not counting his cerata. He was mostly white and grey, with a black edge around his skirts and hues of blue near the edges. His cerata started behind his forehead and continued all the way down his back and his skirts until it reached the tail end of his body. They were somewhat transparent with some white outlining, but occasionally would become more opaque due to diet and hormonal changes. He had a long, narrow face with similarly narrow eyes, and did not smile much. His shoulders were boney, and the rest of his arms were typically left covered by folds that began just below his shoulders. He did have legs, but they were brittle and broke often. He made a point to keep these concealed behind his skirts as often as possible. He, like most members of his race, did not wear clothes.

Syrano’s cerata did not sting during his first few years on the station, as his diet did not consist of anything that could sting. With the proper diet, they could sting again. Syrano had also mentioned before that he used to be more vibrant in color, with purples, blues, and whites. Such a dramatic color loss was considered unusual and unhealthy.


SPECIAL NOTES
Oto Syrano roughly stood for Master Syrano, but since there was no differentiation between master and mister in Sellarian, he accepted either. Oto Carwyl was a title that could roughly translate to ‘drink-master’ or ‘wine-master’.

Carwyl was a type of alcoholic beverage that was similar to wine but typically had a lower proof. They tended to be dry and spicy, and were frequently used in mixed drinks. His personal distillery was used to make primarily Carwyl, but the alcohol content of his personal Carwyl was double that of the standard Carwyl on the market.

He used a carved walking stick to help him on his short walks. He hoped to strengthen his legs sometime in the future so that he wouldn’t need such crutches.

Syrano did not actively choose the pronoun ‘he’ when he first introduced himself to the Octavian group. The translator did not have a corresponding word for the Sellarian pronoun ‘ie’, which was a neuter pronoun. He personally did not care either way.

NAME: Squawk Falconclaw Haakon Timothy Aetosson aka Squawk McCall
DEPARTMENT: Medical|Science
RANK: Lieutenant
POSITION: Science Officer, Nurse
SPECIES: Maytalon
AGE: 33 years old
GENDER: Male
ORIENTATION: Heterosexual
BIRTHPLACE: Eagle Eye Eyrie, Wingspyre Peninsula, Maytalon
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 150lbs
HAIR: White
EYES: Pale Yellow
FACECLAIM: James Acaster
WRITER: Drei

INTERESTS: Cooking, The Arts, Sciences, Archaeology, History, Mass Communication, Keeping Options Open, 23rd Century Earth Media, Birding

EDUCATION:

2388-2390: Crane Myna's Nursery School, Wingspyre
2390-2394: Featherbeak School, Wingspyre; Pre-preparatory
2394-2399: Cockfosters School, Beakshire, with private tutoring; Preparatory
2399-2404: The Aquilan College of Owl Lady of Ibon besides Wingspyre; Flight, Arts, History, Animal Husbandry
2404-2407: Owlpoint University; Nightingale Program, College of Nursing and Nesting, Minor in Archaeology
2407-2408: Aquilan Military Academy, Maytalon; Officer Program
2410-2413: Union Point Academy, Earth; Science Program
2413-2414: Union Point Academy, Earth; Medical Program
2417-2417: Culinary Arts Training Certificate, Springfield Community College, Earth

SERVICE RECORD:

2407-2408: Aquilan Military Academy, Maytalon Aquilan Defense Force (MADF), Maytalon; Officer Cadet
2408-2409: Aquilan Medical Ship (AMS) Nightingale, Aquilan Air Force (AAF); Lieutenant
2409-2410: AMS Nightingale; Lieutenant Commander, AAF
2410-2413: Union Point Academy, Earth; Cadet
2413-2414: Union Point Academy, Earth; Ensign, Medical Officer
2415-2417: Eagle Eye Eyrie, Wingspyre; Commander, AAF Medical Corps
2417-       : Aquilan Air Force; Commander.
2417-2419: Special Ambassador; Calabanangibon-Earth Parliamentary Delegation
2419-       : Augustus Station, Nurse (OIC), Science Officer; Lieutenant

DECORATIONS:

2410: Aquilan Kite Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Warbler.
2410: Partridge Medal for Singular Service
2415: Extra Kite of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Pteryx.

BIOGRAPHY:

Early Life

Squawk McCall was delivered by Stork to the Aquilan Residence, Eagle Eye Eyrie in the Wingspyre Pensinula on (Earth date 2386 January 9) as the first son of Haakon Aetosson, then Lord Coturnix, and his wife Falcorina, the Lady Coturnix.

Given the full name "Squawk Falconclaw Haakon Timothy Aetosson" and born into the Aquilan House of Aetosson, Squawk understood the life of privilege and duty he was born into at a very early age. However, he also felt a call to adventure, a pull towards a greater something.

Sent to prestigious schools at the age of two, Squawk developed a myriad of skills based on both his interests and the interests of the Maytalon people. Learning flight was second nature to the Maytalon people but Squawk had a special affinity for it, and he gained a reputation for his aerial acrobatic ability.

While a student at Ibon, he attempted to do the Kestrel Run in his racing air pinnace "The Monthly Osprey." Squawk's keen eyesight spotted what turned out to be the long missing tomb of the ancient Maytalon ruler Dodo I, hidden partly by foliage and partly by a parking lot.

The ensuing exploration of the ancient Aquilan complex planted a seed that grew into a more than passing interest in Archaeology, boosted by his existing enthusiasm for History and for the Arts. His writings on the subject were published on "The Monthly Osprey," a bi-monthly newsletter printed by an anonymous publisher. Due to the similarity in name to the famous Aquilan racecraft, it was rumored that the paper's publisher was Squawk himself.

University and Advocacy

As he was about to enter University, a natural disaster rocked a large portion of the main Maytalon continent's western coastal areas. As a member of the Aquilan family, Squawk visited many of the survivors to provide both aide and comfort. Seeing health care professionals in action sparked a change in university plans.

Squawk decided to pursue a degree in the medical field. Squawk, however, still opted to take a minor in Archaeology. Upon admission into the Nightingale program - a program advised by the very Stork that delivered him, Dr. Bill Duckman - Squawk stated that doing so continues his "family's tradition and vocation of service to the Maytalon people."

Squawk's parents knew they could not dissuade their son from pursuing a different line of work, unable to argue that their son should answer a higher calling. They agreed that it would be a more than worthy form of service - if temporary.

Dr. Duckman suggested that Stork's schedule of obligations and hobbies might not be able to accommodate training to become a doctor, much less actual practice. However, a nursing program would be shorter and perhaps even more in keeping with Squawk's intention of being closer to those in need of help and healing.

Squawk was able to complete the Nightingale program while still intense and demanding of both time and concentration, and Squawk's therapeutic communication style was heavily documented by journalists and other forms of press. It was during this time that he formed an advocacy and charity that focused on sending nurses to those in need of their care, the "Squawk Aetosson Nightingale Trust."

Maytalon Military Service

Upon graduation, however, Stork signed up to the Aquilan Military Academy Officer Program as was family tradition. With his skills and training as a pilot and as a nurse, Squawk was given an assignment to the Aquilan Air Force aboard the hospital ship AMS Nightingale. It was suggested that the statistics involved in the name recurring in his life were "staggering."

Serving as a flight medic and pilot of medical shuttles, Squawk was deployed to both military operations and as part of occasional relief efforts. With attacks by the Enemy on the Maytalon home planet becoming less frequent, most missions were for humanitarian aide related to occasional severe weather phenomena.

Squawk was made a Kite Companion in the Order of the Warbler on his 24th birthday by his grandfather, Aquila Philip X, leading to some speculation that he would assume more ceremonial duties instead of more dangerous military activities that sometimes sent him to the borders. However, "Lt. Aetosson," continued to fly missions in space.

After executing a particularly dangerous rescue operation that almost led to his death, Lt. Squawk was promoted to Lt. Commander. He was awarded the Patridge Medal for his heroic actions and the government opted to send Squawk to Earth as an Exchange Officer.

Told it was an opportunity to spread Maytalon's wings in the inter-planetary community and that he would gain additional experience and education, Squawk accepted the assignment with no comment. However, he understood that his government and his family likely wanted to make sure Squawk did not do any more heroic things that could endanger the continuation of the Family Tree.

Exploration of new things - Squawk liked that, they likely figured.

Union Point and Planetary Union Service

As a Cadet/Ensign at Union Point Academy Medical Program, Squawk led a relatively peaceful life. He enjoyed eating the Terran meatballs at the Academy cafeteria, though he was unsure why it came with fruit jam. He liked it, however.

Due to his previous education and training, while not in an official credential bridging program, Squawk was able to focus on learning more of the cultural aspects of the Union. However, he still paid attention to the actual classes because that was the point of Union Point. He was allowed to participate in research teams even while technically a first year cadet, and due to his experience, was asked to talk to other students about what it was like as a nurse and as a pilot on a ship in an actual war zone during battle conditions.

He also described and contributed the "Falcon Swoop Maneuver," where a small, quick shuttle-craft is used to swiftly grab an ailing vessel via tractor beam and quickly removed from the field for treatment of its occupants. Squawk also contributed the "Falcon Punch," a beverage that is still prepared in the nursing department faculty lounge during the end of academic year party, and almost every weekend on the roof of the C3 building just outside of campus.

However, before being deployed to a Union ship as an Ensign serving as a junior nurse in the Union Fleet, Squawk's grandfather was killed. The Enemy was able to infiltrate the Maytalon homeworld defense line and the protracted battle claimed the life of Philip X who was on the Maytalon flagship the AES Golden Eagle One.

This caused the Maytalon government to recall Squawk from the exchange program. The stability of the Eyrie in that sad and dangerous period was paramount.

Return to Maytalon

After the initial period of mourning and a upon stabilization of the Maytalon leadership, war was declared on the Enemy. Squawk was appointed Commander of the AAF Medical Corps, the previous commanding officer having also perished on the Golden Eagle One. Squawk was very, very stressed out. However, he did his duties with ability and dedication. The few opponents of his appointment grew silent as letters from rescued troops and civilians inundated the Owls of Parliament expressing support for the young officer.

A minor scandal broke when a tabloid critical of Squawk reported that at his investiture to the Order of the Pteryx, he was overheard telling Haakon VIII "I could, perhaps, use a quick nap. Just delivering a baby might be really nice." However, the scandal was not as the paper anticipated: letters of support for the young commander told the publishers that they should be ashamed of themselves and the paper's readership plummeted.

Other publications opined that no one would mind if Squawk took a break. Offers came in from expecting parents saying they were open to altering their birthing plans.

The Third Maytalon-Calabanangibon War and The Planetary Union

Both sides of the conflict were civilizations the Union saw as potential new members. Maytalon's "Enemy", the Calabanangibon Synod, claimed that the feud was instigated by the Maytalon leader Dodo I thousands of years before.

The Planetary Union's leadership decided on a policy of passive intervention so as not to alienate both potential member states reasoning that it was a long-standing regional matter. The Union only provided aid. The aid came in the form of food and medical supplies. The Planetary Union also sent diplomats as a form of aid. Their mission was to try to find a peaceful resolution and end the devastation to either side.

One Union diplomat, Lt. Hubert Smith, and classmate called upon Squawk McCall - the name Squawk Aetosson adopted on Earth (the name Steve was taken) - to help reach a cession of hostilities or armistice and, perhaps, gain lasting peace when both sides eventually find commonality in the Union.

Despite the "Enemy" killing his own grandfather and countless numbers of his people (Squawk knew a heartbreakingly exact number of casualties and he just believed 'countless' was a more bearable adjective), Squawk agreed. He was, after all, a historian, a medical professional, and a leader of his people.

If he could end the war and stop the deaths and begin the healing, he was going to do it. Then, he thought, he would take a very quick nap and perhaps even retire - perhaps learn to play a musical instrument. He had been thinking about cooking lessons, too.

Squawk convinced the Aquilan leadership to consider peace talks arbitrated by Union representatives. Maytalon formed a delegation. The Union diplomat, Lt. Smith, was also able to convince the Calabanangibon to meet with Maytalon on neutral grounds. During the diplomatic proceedings, the talks nearly broke down on numerous occasions. While the ceasefire reminded everyone of the benefits of peace, it seemed there was too much history. However, during a short exchange, Squawk noted that something a Calabanangibon delegate said did not match with information they had recently learned from the Tomb of Dodo I. He conferred with other historians and this new information, shed new light on the instigating incident. While skeptical, the Union arbitrators were able to convince the Calabanangibon delegation to at least consider sending their own researchers to confirm this new version of their shared history.

Squawk secured approval to allow Calabanangibon scientists to land under a banner of truce on the Maytalon homeworld to enter an Aquilan tomb. Squawk offered to both protect and escort them. A tentative armistice was reached. While the action was initially unpopular, it appeared that Squawk had just enough social and political capital for Maytalon to not riot.

The Calabanangibon research team left with their findings and the peace held while they analyzed their data. The Union eventually convinced both parties to sign a Peace Treaty.

Squawk Aetosson McCall soon after requested he be released from being Commander of the Medical Corps and to be placed on inactive status. He cited that he would otherwise, as chief medical officer of the armed forces, write a letter forcing the Commander of the Medical Corps to take a prolonged medical leave of absence. Nobody disagreed.

Return to Earth

As part of the Treaty, both sides of the conflict were to send delegations to Earth. The idea was to find more things in common, try to heal very old wounds, and study the feasibility of both or neither joining the Union as full members.

Squawk was sent by Maytalon along with several Junior and Senior Owls - who were experienced parliamentarians - to ostensibly be part of the delegation as it was reasoned that he had the most experience with Earth and dealing with the Calabanangibon. However, it was also understood that his true main purpose was to recover from the experiences of wartime medical and military service and command.

After contributing the idea that the path to peace involves a need to find a new way to refer to the Calabanangibon that was less offensive than "The Enemy" but that was easier than "Calabanangibon" (as well as a brief, three hour briefing package - there was a slideshow and a mnemonic rap), he submitted a letter to the delegation requesting he be allowed to come up with this new name. This was all part of the plan and the Owls accepted: the only way for Squawk to have his much needed vacation without unintended legal jeopardy was to use archaic parliamentary rules. Squawk would be allowed to form an exploratory sub-committee to come up with this new term for the hopefully former "Enemy" and he may conduct it however he wished.

Squawk found a small town called Springfield and enrolled at their local Community College culinary program. He learned, among other things, how to properly chop onions for catering service. The sub-committee met at the Community College Library under the code-name "the study group."

The Sub-Committee Calls Special Hearings, Initial Time on Augustus Station

It was while at Springfield Community College that he saw a posting looking for workers at the recently discovered ancient solar orbiter now generally known as "Augustus Station." The bulletin said that the corporation needed, among other things, cooks. The hiring agency said they believed cooks were needed either because government regulators and archaeologists were preventing installation of modules like the food synthesizers or because the corporation was being very cheap and employees cost less.

Combining his interest in archaeology, space and flight, cooking, and being on unofficial vacation from actual responsibility, he applied for the job under a false name - Huey Guzman, a human with ear issues. He sent a letter explaining the need for the sub-committee to potentially learn forgotten words that might be appropriate at the ancient megastructure.

Upon finally arriving to Augustus Station, Squawk quietly explored and befriended various people. He cooked, and when he wasn't cooking, he explored. He was still an archaeologist, after all, and this was an archaeological discovery of a lifetime.

While he yearned for a simple life, he still needed the thrill of adventure. Sneaking around a space station so as not to be seen or discovered was enough to fulfill this goal. He mentally made a list of terms for Calabanangibon while chopping vegetables or making sauce.

True Identity Discovered

Unfortunately for "Huey Guzman," Squawk also formed a new and sudden interest in publishing videos to the "cloud." This interest was spurred by the old terminology for the information network. It reminded him of his beloved skies. Actual viewership led to his cover being compromised. Initially, nobody mentioned anything as he was unofficially on vacation and it was understood that he was sometimes "unconventional."

However, he soon discovered that his obscurity was not quite so definite.

When the Union reached an agreement with Octavian and established its presence, several Union officers who were being reassigned said goodbye to their tall friend from the kitchens.

One of them, a Union archaeologist, accidentally said "Goodbye, Ambassador Squawk." before he covered his mouth, his eyes widened, and the doors closed.

Alas, all this time, the Union had known who he was and his identity had been part of their briefings. Squawk McCall immediately left the station and let those who had no idea why he was doing so believe it was because they were bringing in synthesizers and he was being made redundant.

He returned to Earth just in time as the Delegation was preparing to return home. It had been decided that they would continue their peace and that neither side may join the Union unless both sides were joining the Union. Squawk, as the Sub-Committee, submitted the recommendation that they refer to the Calabanangibon as "The Synod," "Party B" (Whereas Maytalon would be Party A except for on documents drafted by "The Synod",) or - with some effort - "Calabanangibon."

The Delegation thanked him as they returned to Maytalon without him, as he said he would be concluding some business before returning.

However, his plan to return to Maytalon was shortlived as Hubert Smith, now a Lt. Cmdr., contacted Squawk about Augustus Station.

Return to the Union Fleet
The Union had requested Squawk's commission in the Union fleet be reactivated. The Delegation, unknown to Squawk, had been given permission by Haakon VIII to authorize Squawk's duty exchange.

The Union needed people who might be able to help on the Station mission. Maytalon agreed, Haakon believing it would be a good way to transition Squawk back into duty as well as give Squawk more time away from his inevitably frenetic life back on Maytalon.

"Squawk McCall" was given a commissioned rank of Lieutenant in the Science Division. Squawk had requested an archaeological research posting as he said he may not be ready to return to medical service. However, he could not disagree to 'helping out' if needed. He had, after all, taken an oath multiple times as a medical professional.

Due to personnel shortages, Lt. Squawk McCall agreed to at most a Nurse reliever assignment - a condition he requested to avoid a return to command responsibility.

However, he found that he could be the de facto OIC-Head Nurse or the regular Nurse: the wait for permanent officers to be assigned seemed to be taking quite a while. Those in command would surely not wish to hamper archaeological efforts by monopolize his time in the infirmary.

PERSONALITY PROFILE:

Squawk Aetosson might be described as eccentric, eclectic, confident, and curious. He might also be called weird and flighty. He exhibited an understanding of duty at an early age. He, however, also discovered he could take on more than one duty at the same time.

Not a great multi-tasker, Squawk otherwise chose to take on multiple tasks. Full of compassion, Squawk chose to learn skills that could help others. Full of passion, Squawk chose to have hobbies that others thought were "too many."

Though others believed Squawk is unable to commit to one thing, it was said in certain circles that Squawk's problem was that he is able to commit to way too many things.

A natural at leadership and command - perhaps owing to his lineage and the expectations it came with - Squawk was able to succeed in the things he set his mind to doing.

Those who did not know him may have believed he could be insubordinate. However, the opposite was true - Squawk had a strong belief in trusting authority. However, he might have had ideas about where authority lied, especially when it came to Maytalon affairs.

Outside Maytalon space and while in Union service, however, Squawk could likely identify and followed the chain of command.

This might be because of his experience as a commander. Though those experiences caused an amount of hesitance assuming responsibilities approaching command again, the very same experiences imparted in Squawk an understanding of why good command and respect of command was important.

His multiple extracurriculars do a good job of providing a plausible reason to be middling (though generally competent) at everything he is doing. His personal history could indicate a conscious attempt at not being expected to do more than his present job description prescribes. This implied that his interests were meant to fill his time and act as a subtle suggestion to others that he was simply too busy to be asked to do more than he was doing.

Though he would present a carefree and what sometimes might seem an almost buffoonish outward personality, more might lie beneath the mask. He has, after all, taken improv classes.

PHYSICAL PROFILE:

A humanoid species, the Maytalon had similar anatomy and physiology to humans from the planet Earth (or any other planet that they may have colonized and embarked from) albeit with several notable differences.

Squawk has pale yellow, raptor-like eyes. Like all Maytalon, Squawk's ears appeared covered by their hair. This "hair," upon closer inspection, appeared similar to Terran avian feathers. Maytalon people, however, did not have external cartilaginous auricular protrusions and this hair merely extended to where human ears would approximately be located.

Squawk was tall in stature though, as a function of attempting not to appear tall, may have appeared to look gangly and oddly postured. He had a somewhat light, almost pale complexion, accentuated by the general near whiteness of his "hair."

What appeared to be odd skin pigmentation transitioning to the color of his head feathers were speculated to be cosmetic, though this was only sometimes true.

The bridge of his nose was decorated by what appeared to be nose studs. However, they were deemed culturally significant exceptions to the Union dress code due to their actual function as both attachment points for Maytalon traditional masks which identify their position, family, affiliation and/or affinity. They also functioned as local area hard-light projectors that displayed a quick version of their "beak."

Squawk's displayed beak appeared to match those of a bird of prey, specifically those of the Bald Eagle. Squawk's feet also featured similar raptorian modifications which were surgically nano-implanted by Stork post-delivery. The hard-light emitters were able to project very sharp talons from his feet.

Squawk generally chose to not wear or holo-project his beak and talons casually while in Union service. However, the projected beak had practical non-combat applications, especially the modes used for flight, space, and for medical practice.

Squawk activated his beak for use as a procedure mask, atmosphere filter, and emergency air supply. The beak and talons, however, automatically activated when it detected other Maytalon people or their ancient "enemy." Squawk activated them when communicating in any non-face to face medium as he was not able to determine who would see said communication.

Due to his wartime service record from his pre-Union service as well as due to his early adventuring, Squawk had some scars. They were generally obscured by clothing. Squawk has categorically denied whether he corkscrewed in either the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, as he had succinctly stated that he is "Not a duck."

SPECIAL NOTES

The Maytalon had somehow adopted a culture loosely based on Earth's avian population and their assorted stereotypes, symbolism, and iconography. Famous Owl Astrophilosophist Neoscientist Doctor Barn E. Xyzal theorized that what humans called the "morphogenetic field" was somehow involved.

While not actually birds (Maytalon are more similar to mammalian species in Earth terms), the Maytalon had adopted bird based identities and qualities. Their leaders appeared to be birds of prey. A general feeling of ill-will was felt towards Humans by the Corvids, who recognized humanity as the species that often devastated bird habitats. However, due to not being actual birds, they understood humankind had changed and accepted friendship, especially when they saw that humans had many shiny things as well as bird documentaries.

A member of the Maytalon ruling class and family, Squawk never tried to distance himself from his birthright, his duties, and responsibilities until recently. This decision, however, gained popular support given what he had already done for his people. Maytalon felt that Squawk did indeed deserve "a quick nap." They also believed Squawk would somehow get into shenanigans that could only help the Maytalon people while he is off-system as that is just the sort of luck he has demonstrated having. They believed that he would return when they needed him and until then, the Aquilan Family Tree would be in good hands.

Squawk had an assortment of beaks and talons, many decorative but all with practical use for combat and other applications.

Maytalon convention refers to individuals by their "first" or "given" name. While their family name is Aetosson, Squawk is referred to as Squawk, or <Title/Rank> Squawk. However, he accepts being called by his adopted Earth last name. It is unknown why he does not go by Timothy, one of his given birth names.

His name is an approximation made by universal translator technology. The Maytalon might hear something that sounds something like an actual squawk to human ears. Many Maytalon names sounding weird are a function of their translation into English by the universal translator.

Squawk sometimes had a drone camera that followed him. He was said to be creating some form of documentary. He would be seen talking to no one in particular due to this. However, upon closer inspection, one would realize he was talking to this camera. Others speculate that it was due to his nature as a scientist, explorer, historian, archaeologist, and medical professional (he however, follows regulations regarding privacy) and the Maytalon's fondness for bird documentaries, especially those about penguins. However, when asked, Squawk said he was "vlogging," an old Earth activity which was similar to flight as it involved putting one's self in the "cloud." His "vlog" became a popular "channel" on Maytalon and as such, the Union allowed it to continue (with restrictions based on Squawk's own honor) due to its cultural importance to his home planet. One of his more popular series was a show where he cooks various Earth food, especially those made from some of the very birds some Maytalon identify with.