Owen Rees
¶ Overview
- Full Name: Owen Gareth Rees
- Codename: Oberon
- Species: Human
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: Terran
- Height: 168cm (5'6")
- Born: 2638 (Age 57 at death)
- Place of Birth: New Birmingham, People's Republic of Terra
- Died: February 2695
- Gender: Male
- Sex: Male
- Sexual Identity: Heterosexual
- Faction: League
Owen Rees was a career military officer and engineer who served as Captain of the LXS Archigos. A close friend and longtime colleague of Admiral Alastair McKenzie, Rees was known for his engineering expertise, strategic mind, and blunt honesty. Despite his reluctance to teach, he became renowned for training some of the most promising officers in the League through the informal "crucible" program.
¶ Physical Description
Owen was described as a stocky man standing 168cm tall. He habitually carried and twirled a thin stylus made of plastic and metal, often holding it in the corner of his mouth or using it as a pointing device when deep in thought.
¶ Personality
Rees was characterized by his stubbornness, cynicism, and brutal honesty. He possessed an exceptional ability to read people and situations, particularly excelling at seeing through others' facades and calling out their self-deceptions. Despite his gruff exterior and dislike of being seen as a role model, he was fiercely loyal to those he cared about and served as an unofficial conscience for his friends. His bluntness often frustrated colleagues, but his insights were invariably accurate. He had a particular distaste for what he considered "cults" and was skeptical of religious movements, though he respected individual faith.
¶ Notable Abilities
- Engineering Expertise: Described as "a damn competent engineer in his own right"
- Strategic Intelligence: Exceptional ability to analyze complex situations and read people's motivations
- Tactical Planning: Served as McKenzie's strategic advisor and right-hand man
- Leadership: Despite his reluctance, proved to be an effective commanding officer
- Officer Training: Despite claiming to hate teaching and being "shit at it," he became renowned as an exceptional instructor through the informal "Crucible" program, training promising officers who would go on to impressive careers or strategic Naval Intelligence assignments
- Naturally Resistant to Focus: Showed stubborn resistance to Sooni psychic abilities and Focus manipulation
¶ History
Owen Rees served alongside Alastair McKenzie during the early hyperspace experiments, working as his right-hand man for eight months during the development of the Odysseus project. Originally serving as Executive Officer, he later became Captain of the LXS Archigos, a position he was deeply attached to, famously declaring "They'll have to drag my corpse out of the chair to get me off that ship."
During a mandatory teaching assignment at the Academy, Rees met Ty'Sii Circean, then a 15-year-old Lyndri cadet pursuing dual engineering and command tracks. Despite his professed hatred of teaching and his belief that he was "shit at it," their professional relationship would eventually develop into something much more personal and complex.
Rees became central to the informal "Crucible" program, an intensive training regimen for promising officers aboard the Archigos. Under his direct supervision, candidates would be assigned to departments where they were weak, facing grueling work and demanding standards. The program had three potential outcomes: failure led to good but limited career prospects; success accelerated command track promotion but often resulted in recruitment to Naval Intelligence; washing out by request still improved overall competency. The Crucible became legendary for producing exceptional officers, though Rees maintained his disdain for being seen as a role model.
His analytical skills made him invaluable in reading political situations and calling out problems that others preferred to ignore, serving as an unofficial conscience for his colleagues.
¶ Death
Rees was killed in February 2695 by a Zealot assassin just prior to the battle of Tel'Erani. His death came as a shock to his colleagues, as he was not considered a typical intelligence target. The assassination was viewed as a personal attack on McKenzie's inner circle rather than a strategic military action, effectively serving as a declaration of war.
¶ Ships
- LXS Archigos - helped in her construction, and was part of infamous experiment that stranded the ship and crew. Later served as her captain until his head in 2695.
¶ Major Associations
¶ Alastair McKenzie
- Relation: Close Friend, Former Commanding Officer, Longtime Colleague
Owen served as McKenzie's right-hand man during the hyperspace experiments and remained one of his closest confidants throughout their careers. Their relationship was characterized by mutual respect, with Rees serving as an unofficial advisor and conscience to McKenzie. Despite their friendship, Rees was not hesitant to call out McKenzie when he felt the Admiral was making mistakes, particularly regarding his personal relationships and command decisions.
¶ Ty'Sii Circean
- Relation: Friend, Partner, It's complicated
Rees first met Ty'Sii when she was a 15-year-old Lyndri cadet at the academy during his mandatory teaching assignment. Despite his initial annoyance with her persistent and "stupidly fucking insightful questions," their relationship evolved from mentor-student to romantic partners. Their dynamic became increasingly complex as their careers progressed—she initially served as his superior when commanding the Archigos, then was promoted to Rear Admiral, creating tension as their professional and personal relationships shifted. Rees had an exceptional ability to read her emotions and motivations, often pushing her to be more assertive in her leadership role. Despite the complications of their intertwined professional and personal lives, they maintained a deep bond built on years of shared service and mutual understanding.