Human, empyrean, or inorganic, the Galactic Explorers universe is filled with intriguing beings from all octants of space. While Explorers are from Earth, many of the people they encounter are not. Here are the biographies of those significant characters which populate the books of this series.
Lieutenant Renner Tachibana: Born in America, citizen of both the USA and Germany, Ren is just about as multicultural as it's possible to be. With renowned German and Japanese astrophysicists as parents, fluent in three languages, and every opportunity available to him, the young Explorer spent most of his life at the prestigious Federated Galactic Integration Administration's career academy on Mars. Highly intellectual, he's the epitome of dedication and integrity, his academic brilliance fiercely sought by influential people at the top levels of Earth and Federated government. But Ren doesn't want luxury and prestige. He wants something more meaningful than intergalactic diplomacy. He wants something real. As a Galactic Explorer in the vast uncharted depths of space, he has a chance to find something new and make a difference. If only he could find something in that infinite vacuum worth exploring... |
Tali'Saarna Eldaerenth: Tali is the only child of the queen of the Earthlike planet Taaranth, the Criessanni prince of a winged empyrean race known as Taaranthians. As a male, he holds no power or royal authority, relegated by societal convention and years of tradition to a ceremonial position which affords him little opportunity to enact the idealistic changes he wants to see in his world. The best he can hope for is to partner with a suitable mate and sire a female hatchling who might one day assume the throne. That's the farthest thing from what he wants, though. Tali has much higher aspirations than simply breeding heirs. He sees what needs to be changed in the stagnant stasis of Taaranthian society and has many ideas of how to help his people. But without a voice on the council, without an avenue to advocate for change, he's stuck. He needs something new, something no one's seen before, to show Taaranth a new future. He needs someone like Ren. |
Lieutenant Ethan Ryker: Brash, cocky, and sarcastic, Ethan exudes the capability and confidence he wants everyone to see in him. It's all a front, however, concealing the anxiety and insecurity which plagues his daily life and drives him to excel at everything he does. An accomplished athlete, junior world chess champion, extreme sports enthusiast, and black belt in taekwondo, Ethan's much happier scaling a mountain than sitting still. Even the vastness of space can't stifle his competitive nature. He can program a sim suite for whatever adventure he wants to follow and led his school's expedition club to the summit of Mars' Olympus Mons. Born in Colorado, Ethan still calls the Centennial State home, even though he doesn't visit nearly as often as his moms wish he would. He's an excellent navigator, a fearless pilot, and fiercely loyal to his friends. There's nothing he wouldn't do for the ones he loves. And it's that very same loyalty which tends to get him in trouble. |
LIAM-622 (Liam): Built with the most current technological innovations in robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as cutting edge inorganic human analogue anatomy, Liam is a humanoid the likes of which most Earthlings have never seen. He's designed to learn and assimilate into human society as much as possible, with the objective of paving the way for his kind to be the next evolution of engineered humanity. As the first LIAM to conduct real-world testing with a human partner, there's a lot for him to figure out, but he's excited to take on the challenge. Everything is new to Liam--from food to hobbies to friendship--but he finds the human world fascinating and never misses an opportunity to learn from those around him. He's friendly, enthusiastic, and endlessly helpful, wanting nothing more than for people to like him. It's when he encounters those who discriminate against him for what he is and refuse to see him as a person that he needs his new friends most of all. |
Lieutenant Noa Matene: Hawaiian born and bred, raised with the warrior spirit of his Māori heritage, Noa is fearless and resourceful, relying on his analytical mind to solve problems and make people's lives easier. He's an accomplished pilot, a brilliant mechanical engineer, and a champion surfer from the island of Oahu. Sociable and charismatic, Noa has dozens of friends and is known as the life of any party. He's a loyal friend and fiercely protective of those he loves. Noa thought he'd achieved his dream once he graduated and got his own ship, but years of solitary exploring have dulled the luster of his shining future and made him realize he wants more than prestigious assignments and infinite possibilities. He wants something quieter, more familiar. He wants to be closer to home. Tired of missing out on being part of his friends' and family's lives, he's ready to make a change and find a new dream. |
Lieutenant Skylar Chambers: The introverted opposite of Noa's boisterous extroversion, Skylar's been his best friend's other half since the moment they met more than a decade ago. From Adelaide, Australia, with an accent and manner that people don't always understand, he's lived his life trying hard not to be noticed, preferring to observe rather than take the spotlight for himself. He struggles with his identity after years of being forced to hide his inconvenient truths, terrified that the people he cares about will abandon him if they know his secrets. A difficult childhood under the control of an intolerant and abusive father has left Skylar with deep emotional scars. He still battles the anxiety that's already stolen his ability to pilot and left him stranded while his friends explore the universe without him. He's much stronger than he thinks, though, and being forced out of his comfort zone is just the catalyst he needs to prove it to everyone. |
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