Nero Theban

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	Dominion reaper, Colonel Nero

"The money from the haul is important too, but there's certain kinds of power money can't buy. The kind you have to take into your own hands"

- Nero Theban^(src)

Nero Theban
Physical
Race	Terran
Gender	Male
Hair	Black
Eyes	Brown
Political
Affiliation	Kel-Morian Combine United Earth Directorate sympathizer
Occupation	Salvager Captain of the Magpie

Captain Nero Theban was a Kel-Morian Combine scavenger, and leader of the crew of the Magpie. He had strong sympathies with the United Earth Directorate.

Biography

Captain Theban and his crew operated through the Koprulu Sector, salvaging ships but rarely moving into Terran Dominion space. However, some time after the Second Great War, Theban and his crew had a dry spell of runs with low profitability but his break came when they discovered a derelict protoss ship. In secret, Theban was after the ship's gunnery power cell to use as a weapon for his own ends. Theban told his crew they were hired to salvage technology from the ship. He met with his crew, who all volunteered to board the ship.

However, after the meeting, Theban took Kyra and Orry, two of his crewmembers, aside, asking if they could trust the newest hire, an engineer named Caleb with their secret sympathies with the United Earth Directorate. Kyra didn't know, and Theban said that if they could not he could be replaced.

Theban and his crew boarded the protoss ship, with Theban going alongside Kyra and Caleb to find the power core, but with the ship's orbit decaying they had a limited timetable. They followed the power conduits of the ship, discussing the protoss and zerg conflicts, when Theban got a distressed communication from Orry, saying she was being attacked by a shadowy assailant. Communication was then lost with her.

Theban order the mission proceed anyway, and had Caleb loot the weaponry power core. However, more crew members had their communications cut, so he ordered the scavengers come together. He stated they could not fight whatever was attacking them, so they needed to return to the Magpie. This caught the ire of Gene, but Caleb then suggested arming themselves against the threat and coming back to find survivors, which Theban agreed on. On the way back, his crew began to gradually be snatched by the attacker, causing them to have to double time. However, when they got to the ship door, they found it sealed. Theban activated the manual override, and entered, knowing something was inside.

In their ship they found weapons, but discovered their bridge door was jammed shut. Knowing they didn't have much time before the protoss ship entered the atmosphere's orbit, Theban ordered Caleb to release the docking clamps, but before he could the scavengers heard footsteps. A flash grenade blinded Theban and his crew, and when they came to they were surrounded by Terran Dominion marines under Captain Barlow, who stated they were under arrest.

Gene opened fire on them, which lead to a small shootout that killed one scavenger and wounded Grace. Theban ordered the group surrender, and Barlow took aside Caleb for questioning, with him agreeing to cooperate much to Theban's anger. The scavengers were taken to the prison cell of the marines' Liberator, and they tried to stabilize Grace's wound.

Later, Caleb was sent back down to their cell, with Theban and his crew angry at him for betraying them. But as the door opened Caleb turned on the guard, knocking him down and allowing the scavengers to pin him as Kyra shot him. Theban told Caleb that he didn't know whether he had planned it or had a change of heart, but to never do something like that again. Caleb told them they were preparing to destroy the Magpie.

The scavengers stole a number of weapons and stormed the Liberator's bridge, catching Captain Barlow by surprise. However, Davis was able to activate the liberator's Concord cannon, destroying the Magpie and the protoss ship. Enraged, Kyra shot her and pounded her face into a bloody mess, until Theban calmed her down. With the Dominion dead Theban ordered Grace to take control of the ship, as they still had the firing mechanism they wanted. However, a protoss voice them spoke from the corpses of the Dominion marines, saying they would soon all be dead.

Theban ordered his crew to shoot all of the marine corpses, silencing the protoss. He then let slip his loyalties to the UED, which shocked Grace, who insisted he should have told them. In his rage, Theban shot and killed her, saying she would slow them down. Caleb suggested venting the ship to stop the protoss, but the unhinged Theban stated that he wanted to see the protoss dead with his own two eyes, and set off to kill it personally. He and Gene stalked the Liberator's corridors, but the Nerazim stabbed and killed Gene. Theban met with Caleb and Kyra, and Caleb warned him the Nerazim was behind him. The warning came too late, however, and Theban was decapitated.

The spectre of Theban haunts Caleb

After Theban's death, his headless body would haunt Caleb in his memories and nightmares, in his dreams often appearing to blame Caleb's weakness for his death.

Personality and Traits

Theban had a strong loyalty to his crew, and saw them as his family. However, he was willing to sacrifice them should it accomplish his goals. Theban was a strong believer in the United Earth Directorate, and believed when they returned they would wipe the protoss and zerg from the Koprulu sector. His scavenging operations were to aid them in some way, and he maintained their strong hatred for aliens. Theban was strict and sometimes cruel, willing to spend the lives of even those close to him. Under extreme pressure, he became violent and unhinged, killing crew members who disagreed with him.