Lieutenant Junior Grade Itonia "Nox" Ross
¶ Overview
- Full Name: Itonia Ross
- Aliases: Nox (preferred name)
- Species: Human
- Nationality: League
- Height: 175cm (5'10")
- Born: New Athens, Calysto
- Place of Birth: New Athens (Undercity slums)
- Gender: Female
- Sex: Female
- Sexual Identity: Heterosexual
- Faction: League
A brilliant engineer from the slums of New Athens who survived a traumatic childhood to join the League Navy, only to be manipulated into espionage work that would ultimately lead to her apparent death and resurrection as something far darker.
¶ Physical Description
At five foot ten, Nox has an athletic build with decent curves and a small but manageable chest. She has dark, straight hair with intense green eyes. Her most distinctive features are the scars on her left side from a childhood accident, which have been expertly treated by surgeons over the years. Instead of being disfiguring, they give her an exotic and enigmatic appearance, with discolored skin that looks more like natural patterns than traditional scars. She also has a natural streak of white hair that accompanies the scarring.
¶ Personality
Nox is defined by her survival instincts and deep-seated mistrust of authority figures, stemming from years of abuse and manipulation. She has a brilliant engineering mind and is highly skilled at "working the problem" - finding practical solutions under extreme pressure. Despite her harsh exterior and tendency to lash out, she has a strong protective instinct for those she sees as genuinely vulnerable, particularly people from backgrounds similar to her own undercity upbringing.
She struggles with feelings of being used and discarded by others, leading to defensive behavior and a tendency to expect the worst from people's motivations. Her relationship with her own name is complex - she refuses to let most people use "Itonia," reserving it for those who have truly earned her trust and respect.
¶ Special Abilities
- Engineering Expertise: Exceptional mechanical and electrical engineering skills
- Vehicle Boosting: Expert at hotwiring and modifying various vehicles, particularly aircars
- Undercity Navigation: Intimate knowledge of New Athens' lower levels and hidden passages
- Security Systems: Skilled at bypassing and manipulating both ancient and modern security systems
- Crisis Management: Ability to remain calm and find solutions under extreme pressure
¶ History
Born in the undercity slums of New Athens to Beledona Ross and an alcoholic father, Itonia's early life was marked by poverty and abuse. As a teenager, she became involved with an older boy named Jameson, who manipulated and abused her while using her engineering skills for criminal activities.
The relationship culminated in a tragic incident on her birthday when Jameson murdered a young woman named Melody and forced Nox to help dispose of the body. Realizing the depths of his depravity and facing certain imprisonment, Nox made the desperate decision to crash their stolen vehicle into a restaurant, killing Jameson, herself, and 47 innocent people. She survived the crash but was tried for the incident. Despite evidence suggesting she was a victim of manipulation, she was found innocent but the case was sealed.
Using her father's military connections, Nox was able to attend the League Naval Academy, where she excelled academically despite frequent disciplinary issues. Her instructors described her as a "brilliant engineer with a chip on her shoulder" who bucked authority and got into numerous fights, particularly with students from privileged backgrounds.
¶ Naval Career
Nox was assigned to the LSS Athena as a Lieutenant Junior Grade, where she served in engineering under the hostile oversight of Commander Janus. Despite initial difficulties, she found her footing and began a romantic relationship with Captain Rodney Klein. Her naval career was cut short when she was recruited for a covert mission by the mysterious operative Reaper (Nyana McKenzie).
¶ The New Athens Mission
Following her mother's murder (used as leverage to ensure her cooperation), Nox was tasked with infiltrating a Terran terrorist cell operating in New Athens' undercity. Using her unique knowledge of the city's hidden spaces and abandoned infrastructure, she successfully located their base of operations in a forgotten shipyard.
During the mission, she was manipulated by Commander Janus into believing that Captain Klein was betraying her, while Klein was similarly deceived into thinking she was the traitor. This manipulation led to a confrontation orchestrated by Janus that left both her and Klein mortally wounded. As she lay dying in the ruins of the shipyard, she was discovered by Jonathan Simon.
Since then, Nox has disappeared completely and is presumed dead by both the League and Nyana McKenzie. Whatever purpose Simon had in saving her remains unknown, and what she has been doing since the incident is equally mysterious. Simon has occasionally made cryptic references to having an "apprentice," but no one knows if this refers to her or someone else entirely.
¶ Major Associations
¶ Captain Rodney Klein
- Relation: Former Lover, Tragic Victim of Manipulation
Nox's commanding officer aboard the LSS Athena and romantic partner. Their relationship was genuine on both sides, but was destroyed when Commander Janus manipulated them into believing the other was a traitor. This deception led to their mutual destruction in a confrontation neither wanted, making their deaths all the more tragic.
¶ [Jeremiah Janus][]
- Relation: Superior Officer, Manipulator
The Executive Officer who knew of Nox's sealed criminal history and used it to manipulate her into cooperation with covert operatives. Though initially hostile, Janus ultimately warned her about the dangers she was walking into, though his motivations remained self-serving.
¶ Nyana McKenzie
- Relation: Handler, Failed Mentor
The spymaster who recruited Nox for the terrorist infiltration mission. Despite claiming good intentions, Reaper's methods involved murdering Nox's mother and manipulating her through grief and threats. Their relationship represents another betrayal in Nox's long history of being used by those in power.
¶ Jonathan Simon
- Relation: Unknown
The dangerous individual who found Nox dying and intervened, though the exact nature of what transpired remains a mystery. Since then, Nox has disappeared entirely, and Simon has made only cryptic references to having an "apprentice." Whether this refers to her, and what their current relationship might be, is unknown.