Lieutenant Para Ventura
Description
Roboticist, enlisted with the toughs because she wanted "out" [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-03-28%7C2008-03-28]]]. She is about four and a half feet tall, lightly built, and has tan skin. She has purple hair, done up in a ponytail. Doing the math, Para is eighteen years old: Tagon is 49 [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-10-01%7C2008-10-01]]], and Para says that Tagon is thirty-one years older than she is [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-04-21%7C2009-04-21]]].
Bio
She had a reputation on the //Morokweng, as evidenced by the instant helpfulness of the drydock 'bots working on the Touch-and-Go [[[@http:www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-03-30|2008-03-30]]]. Hired on as an ensign, she was soon promoted to Lieutenant [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-02-09%7C2009-02-09]]]. She has a green belt in Shotokan Karate, a skill she combines with her powered armor to devastating effect [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-01-24%7C2009-01-24]]]. She has occasional attacks of [[1]] [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-02-06%7C2009-02-06]]] , [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2011-07-14%7C2011-07-14]]].
During the Toughs' expedition to Haven Hive, she suborned the Sanctum Adroit tar-bots with a dental implant similar to Max Haluska's [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2011-10-20%7C2011-10-20]]], thus turning the tables both on Max [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2011-09-18%7C2011-09-18]]] and on Major Murtaugh's force [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2011-10-09%7C2011-10-09]]].
It was revealed during the [[Oisr�|Oisri]] incident that Para was an agent of UNS Internal Affairs Intelligence [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2012-08-22%7C2012-08-22]]]. After the insane Tagii destroyed the Morokweng, Para activated a kill-switch to disable Tagii [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2012-12-24%7C2012-12-24]]].
Para was rehired by Tagon as a coxswain during the mission to Eina-afa [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-03-29%7C2013-03-29]]], since Bristlecone would take orders only from her [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-03-28%7C2013-03-28]]].
Affiliations & Relationships
- Civilian contractor for the UNS aboard the //Morokweng [[[@http:www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-03-28|2008-03-28]]]
- Currently enlisted with Tagon's Toughs [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-03-30%7C2008-03-30]]]
- Creator of LOTA [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-06-22%7C2008-06-22]]]
- Programmer of Tagioalisi and creator of her personality [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-04-22%7C2009-04-22]]]
- Former agent of Int-Aff-Int [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2012-08-22%7C2012-08-22]]].
Appearances
First appearance
Ventura's first appearance was on [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2008-03-27%7C2008-03-27]]]
Author's Note
[This space is reserved exclusively for Howard!]
Speculation
Possibly the 'Ventura' for which the HV scale for AI intelligence is named, or related? [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-03-13%7C2001-03-13]]]
"Per Avventura" in Italian, or "Por Aventura" in Spanish, could be translated as "by or through chance/hazard/adventure"
Name may have been inspired by [[2]] (meaning "on a par with Celsus"), in reference to the Ventura of the HV scale. The lieutenant is a bit young to have had the AI scale named after her, and if it was, she would not be likely to have been a civilian contractor on the Morokweng.
If you take into account her technical background, she would have been able to give far more specific intelligence on the beach-head cage. If she is an agent for UNS she is possibly a double agent for Petey. The strip on [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2012-02-04%7C2012-02-04]]] may well just indicate a UNS agent on Parnassus Dom. That should surprise nobody considering the wide range of sophonts seen strolling around, and the probability of assorted embassies.