Commander Janus
¶ Overview
- Full Name: Jeremiah Janus
- Original: Seánús (SHAH-noos)
- Species: Sooni
- Gender: Male
- Sex: Male
- Sexual Identity: Demi/Pan sexual
- Faction: League (cover identity), Anti-Focus Sooni Cell
A Sooni operative masquerading as a League Naval officer, serving as Executive Officer aboard the LSS Athena while secretly orchestrating events to further his personal vendetta against his brother Zaine and other powerful Sooni.
¶ Physical Description
Janus presents as a thin, severe, sallow-faced human commander with dull, pale green eyes and thin, straw-colored hair. He maintains his cover identity through careful presentation, his unremarkable appearance helping him blend into League military structures without detection. Though his true Sooni nature grants him capabilities beyond those of his apparent species.
¶ Personality
Janus is calculating, manipulative, and driven by deep personal hatred rather than ideology. Unlike other Sooni factions with grand political goals, his motivations are intensely personal - he simply wants to see his brother Zaine suffer. He views loyalty as a luxury he cannot afford and operates by exploiting others' weaknesses and desires.
Despite his manipulative nature, Janus maintains a certain twisted professionalism and even shows reluctant respect for worthy opponents. He recognizes talent and potential in others, though always through the lens of how they might serve his purposes. His background as a "worthless reject" among the Sooni has left him with both a chip on his shoulder and a drive to prove his worth through cunning rather than raw power.
¶ Special Abilities
- "Shattered Stone": Unable to complete the traditional Sooni Focus training, marking him as a "worthless reject" among his people. While he possesses the basic Focus abilities inherent to all Sooni (enhanced reflexes, accelerated healing, extended lifespan), he cannot reassemble his training stone and is considered fundamentally limited in Focus mastery
- Deep Cover Operations: Expert at maintaining false identities over extended periods
- Manipulation and Recruitment: Skilled at identifying and exploiting others' vulnerabilities, compensating for his Focus limitations through cunning
- Intelligence Gathering: Access to sealed records and classified information through various networks
- Strategic Planning: Ability to orchestrate complex, long-term operations using intellect rather than raw power
¶ History
Janus is the brother of Zaine, one of the most powerful Sooni. Unlike his brother, Janus failed the fundamental Sooni training ritual - he was unable to reassemble his shattered training stone after breaking it with his Focus. This failure marked him as a "shattered stone" or "worthless reject" among their people, fundamentally limiting his standing in Sooni society regardless of his other capabilities.
This rejection drove Janus to seek alternative paths to power and revenge. He grew up "on the streets" and experienced being "looked down upon by everyone" and "seen as lesser," creating a deep resentment that would shape his adult motivations.
¶ Anti-Focus Sooni Cell
Janus leads a small group of disgruntled Sooni who share his anti-establishment views, though their motivations vary. The cell includes operatives like Robert Tillis, a Sooni with loose allegiances who uses multiple false identities. Their goals are loosely defined but generally anti-Focus, seeking to either eliminate powerful Sooni (an "eat the rich" mentality) or find technological ways to democratize Focus abilities.
For Janus personally, these broader goals are secondary to his desire to make Zaine suffer. Any action that serves this purpose is acceptable to him, regardless of collateral damage or broader consequences.
¶ LSS Athena Operations
As Executive Officer of the LSS Athena, Janus maintained careful operational security while pursuing his agenda. He had access to sealed criminal records, including Itonia Ross's classified case files, which he used to manipulate her into cooperation with covert operations.
Janus orchestrated events to position various pawns, including Captain Klein and Lieutenant Ross, ultimately manipulating them into destroying each other. He convinced Klein that Nox was a traitor while simultaneously leading her to believe Klein was collaborating with terrorists. This manipulation served his agenda against Zaine while eliminating potential complications to his plans.
¶ Ascension to Command
Following the deaths of Captain Klein and other officers during the New Athens incident, Janus assumed command of the LSS Athena. He celebrated this promotion with Klein's personal brandy while reflecting on his successful manipulation of events. Despite his manipulative nature, he showed a measure of respect for Itonia Ross, acknowledging both her potential and the tragedy of her circumstances.
¶ Major Associations
¶ Zaine
- Relation: Brother, Primary Target
Janus's relationship with his powerful brother drives everything he does. Years of being dismissed as a "worthless reject" while Zaine rose to prominence among the Sooni created a burning desire for revenge that supersedes all other considerations.
¶ Itonia Ross (Nox)
- Relation: Manipulated Subordinate, Sacrificed Asset
Janus recognized Nox's potential and orchestrated her recruitment into covert operations, ultimately manipulating her into believing Captain Klein had betrayed her. This deception led to their mutual destruction, which served Janus's purposes while eliminating a potentially powerful but unpredictable asset.
¶ Captain Rodney Klein
- Relation: Unwitting Pawn, Victim of Manipulation
Janus systematically deceived Klein into believing his lover Itonia Ross was a traitor, while simultaneously convincing her that Klein was collaborating with terrorists. This manipulation led to their tragic confrontation and mutual destruction, serving Janus's larger agenda while eliminating Klein as both an obstacle and a witness.
¶ Robert Tillis
- Relation: Subordinate, Fellow Conspirator
A fellow Sooni operative working within Janus's anti-Focus cell. Tillis serves as a useful asset for operations requiring multiple false identities and loose ethical standards.