Name: Zargan Groth (Zar)
Archtype: Scout Troop Leader (First Sgt.)
Race: Human Age: 25 Height: 6’2" Weight: 245
Physical Description: Heavily muscled from years of playing slamball spiker, Zar has curly dark hair, ice blue eyes, and a military posture and demeanor.
Daily Routine:
0430 Awake, hit the weight room (resistance training) and watch the morning news holos.
0530 roust the troops
0540 NCO mess
0600 PT with the men
0700 military tactics class teaching
0830 strategy briefings w/ XO (executive Officer)
0915 post daily schedule and assign duties
0930 training rotation 3
1200 mess
1230 training rotation 5
1600 disciplinary PT
1700 dismiss troops for DAILY inspection
1800 mess
1900 inspection
1920 dismiss troops, retire, read holos or socialize
2100 lights out for troops
Goals and Drives: Zar has a strong sense of morality and ethics. He is respected by his men because he cares passionately about them. He is eager to teach the "newbe" troops how to survive rather than waiting for those who live through the first month of combat to toughen up. His troops have the highest survival rate but are also constantly near the top in kill ratio.
One of Zar’s drives has always been to best his father who is still a career soldier for the Republic. His father is a highly decorated Top Sgt. with the Elite Republican Guard. Zar has rapidly moved up the chain of command and has been recommended for a field promotion to Limited Duty Officer for his fearless leadership and combat savvy. He has already outclassed his father by winning the coveted Empire Star for Valor along with several other combat medals and commendations.
His long-range goal is to retire to his home planet (Deneb 4) after a distinguished career and form an elite mercenary force.
Vision: One of Zar’s most frightening visions is of becoming a cripple and a burden to his family. He is also concerned that he will die before he is able to realize his goal of having a son to carry on the family tradition.
He spends as much leave time as possible with his wife of 3 years and his little girl on Deneb 4.
His wife, although resigned to Zar’s military career, persistently worries about his safety. She is constantly after him to switch to a less dangerous assignment. Zar has indicated that he will when he achieves the rank of Top Sargent (which he must do anyway once he achieves that rank.) Unknown to Kammy, he is hoping to receive a coveted "Limited Duty Officer" slot, which will allow him to remain in the scout troops until he becomes an O-3. (Obviously Zar keeps a lot from her.)
Favorites: troops that LISTEN, warm, slightly humid weather, Scarlet (it covers up the blood), Ryocian Blue (a strong frozen drink) His wife’s Denubian Bison pie, Denubian folk and classical music.
Dislikes: cold planets, dirty or poorly maintained equipment, 30 day wonders (instant officers from school.(They get you killed), HUAW (hurry up and wait), his planet’s second class status, Ventarian music, anything containing Altarian vegetables, The Denubian Corporate Party.
Acquaintances and friends: Other than the cadre of senior NCOs, Zar’s closest friends are those he knew on Deneb 4. While his father was one of the Denubian Ambassador’s body guards Zar was able to attend most of his military prep school years on one planet. Most of Zar’s friends did not attend his military academy but were from his neighborhood.
His best friend is Darny Ob, a brainy, rascally, totally irreverant kid whose father is on the Ambassador’s office staff. He was the first person to welcome Zar to Dennub 4 and, only half-jokingly decided that Zar could be his body guard and campaign manager when he ran for student body president of his political prep school. Since Zar was from a different school, was fairly good looking and athletic, and since Darny was the class "creative pranks expert" and well liked, Darny wound up as president, winning by a landslide. It was Darny who first noticed Kammy Alexia, who would later become Zar’s wife. When Zar’s first girl friend broke up with him, Darny remembered Kammy from one of his political sociology classes and thought that she and Zar would make a great couple. Darny has never dated the same girl for more than a month or two, but still manages to find himself a beautiful date whenever he needs (or wants) one. Darny is now a political assistant to the ambassador.
His first love, Zaida Fain, was one of the few women in his school and they are still close. He got to know her because her name usually came just before his on class rosters so they often sat together in class. During class discussions they found that they had a lot in common and soon started dating. He, Zaida and Darny were known as the "terrible trio" with their zainy points of view and harmless pranks. Zaida is the realist of the group. She was intelligent enough to know that two people who planned to be active military had little or no chance to lead a normal married life and called it off half way through their Sophomore year. It was she who first talked Kammy into dating Zar, although it took very little to get them together. Unfortunately, in her senior year Zaida shattered her knee in a class training accident and couldn’t pass the physical to get into the service. She married the physical therapist who taught her how to walk without a limp. She is now a military ethics teacher at the school from which they graduated.
Whenever Zar is "on planet" Zaida, her husband, Darny and his girl and Zar and his wife often go out together.
.
Tav’van Tranan, is one of the only aliens that Zar has ever befriended. Zar is drawn to Tav’s intelligence and his knowledge of technological wizardry. Besides he makes Zar laugh.
[Jen], once a member of Zar’s squad, caught his eye because she was so squared away. She has a driving desire to make it in the military without resorting to playing politics. Her personal demeanor was always by the book and her leadership potential had Zar promoting her to assistant squad leader much earlier than he would normally have done.
Family:
Pany Groth nee: Wilset is Zar’s mother. She was a raven-haired beauty in her teens and twenties and is still able to turn heads in her late 40s. That was what attracted Zar’s father to her, but what made him stay was her devotion to him and his career. She is a perfect military wife. She more than holds her own at social functions and unconditionally supports whatever Zeth decides.
Zeth Groth, Zar’s father, has always been a strict, by the book soldier and father. On the few occasions that Zar, Zaida and Darny were caught pulling one of their numerous pranks, punishment was harsh and inevitable. Through-out Zar’s life Zeth has been someone Zar attempted to emulate and best. One of the high points in Zar’s life was when he started as a freshman in Denubian Slamball thus becoming a 4 year letterman. (his father had also been a star but had started as a Sophomore.)
Zeth is nearing the end of a distinguished military career.
Kammy is Zar’s wife a beautiful well-bred lady with a talent for gossip and pleasantries. She was raised in sight of the Imperial Governor’s mansion, and is constantly invited to the social functions of her friends who are all acquainted with the rich and powerful of Denub 4. She does have her earthy side however. Since she was a captain on the slamball team and first slider, it was no surprise when she and Zar began dating in their Junior years. She is an avid (and knowledgeable) slamball fan and she and Zar always manage to take in one or more Slamball games while he is home.
At first it was rough going because Kammy’s parents didn’t feel that she would be happy with Zar. In many ways Kammy now sees that her parents were right. Often she is lonely and she resents having to raise their daughter by herself. What amazes Zar is her ability to be both mother and father to his daughter during his many absences. When Zar is home, however, it is quite obvious how perfectly they complement each other. They both love dress-up dinners and nights on the town just as much as sports. (This of course necessitates a new outfit, usually of Solarian crushed silk or some other exotic outfit that Zar brings her from his military travels)
Lista is a precocious 3 year old. She has taken a decided fondness for Astid and refuses to go to bed without him. She is already showing hints that she will be as beautiful as her mother and Paternal grandmother.
Astid, Zar’s Antiluvian pumbum is a furred serpent from Hoth and favorite companion when Zar gets enough leave time to get home. The telepathic purring is a comfort when his wife starts on one of her tirades about a safer branch of the service.
Hobbies, interests and collections: When Kammy and Zar aren’t entertaining socially or going out to dinner they both love Slamball matches. Although Zar was probably good enough to become a minor league Slamball player be realized that his true talent rested in military service. He still fanaticizes about becoming a pro and has an extensive collection of Slamball holo cards. Zar’s other collection is in storage at present because of space limitations. (It is a collection of holed shields from the planets on which he has served.)
Media Bias: Zar reads news squirts from home passionately. He also gets the Military Review and watches the Slamball Holo and the military history channel. His political information comes from The Republic Daily.
Main Zar page
Top