Jacques Desmond

Virtue: True Believer in the Jardin Way
Vice: Obsession
Rank: Rear Admiral
Allies: His Ever-Faithful Staff Officer Irina Polikarpov, the rest of the Desmond family, the ever-enabling Admiral Blanche's faction of the admiralty. (who is his mentor in the navy and probably getting something from Desmond's antics himself)
Enemies: That Goddamn Rifter, A Certain Space Pirate (Cavalry Officer? Is there even a difference bar the gilding?), the rest of the Desmond family, he sort of wishes that he could claim Le'Reinnes here but they don't really seem to care enough for that.
Aspirations and Goals: To see the Republic become great once again and to unlock the secrets of the exodus from Milky Way. Not necessarily in this order.
Religion: A fascinating subject of study, certainly. Religion has always been a great keeper of history.
Economy: Social Capitalism. Proper organisation and freedom of enterprise is necessary to create wealth, but the economy serves the people. We shouldn't be comfortable with creating just another kind of nobility.
Politics: Jardin Republic is in need of a reform to once more serve the needs of its people, not oligarchs.
Class: The equality of all is a cornerstone of the Republic. We cannot afford to finally become a second Empire.

Skills:

Ancient History: Expert

Shady Plans: Expert

Command: Professional

Not Dying: Professional

Jardin Politics: Layman

Gourmet: Layman

Damage Control: Layman

Personal Combat: Terrible

Handling Love Matters: Terrible

Handling Rubik Cubes: Terrible

For-Now-Informal-Version: Jardinist commander with a battleship and a plan. Kind of unhealthily obsessed with ancient history. Saw the elephant through a pair of red spectacles. A gourmet. Considered kind of an odd duck of the Jardinian admiralty, is probably far more on the ball than he appears to be though. Comes from a rich and powerful family that hasn't been doing so hot since the Guitler Plot; they're not on amazingly with Le'Reinnes and this filters down to him in unfortunate ways. Might be a honest-to-goodness true believer in Jardinian ideals, despite pretensions to cynicism. Has a rather suspicious-looking moustache.

Personally led the rescue of a merchant convoy hit by commerce raiders - ended up wrecking his eyes and getting a limp; although technically fixed, he kept the cane he had to use for some time as a memento. Also rescued Irina Polikarpov in the process of getting said bodily damage, his pocket-sized current staff officer slash bodyguard, who has mastered a wide variety of unhealthy lifestyles and habits in the service of her saviour. (and who is a bit of an unhealthily obsessed killing machine, which is probably for the best given all the trouble Jacques keeps getting into, although he remains consistently oblivious to her kind of dangerous affection. God help us all if dueling ever becomes legal in Jardin, though) The raider captain escaped and remains at large, a score to be settled.

His greatest rival is a certain highly suspicious silver-haired Rifter captain, who consistently frustrates his operations around and within League's borders. (some of which are, admittedly, more related to Jacques pursuing historical shinies than anything else and not really all that officially approved) Jacques lost a space axe duel aboard a burning cruiser falling into a gas giant with him last year, in part because Jacques is really no good at space axe duels. Which has not stopped him from sharpening his axe and already planning a rematch. (Desmonds can be really stubborn at the worst of times)

Rumours say that he had - perhaps still has? - an Imperial captain as a lover out there in the lawless space in his youth, far away from clear-cut frontlines, but the idea appears rather spurious and the sources are highly dubious; a cheap shot by someone trying to suck up to Le'Reinnes, surely. Which has not stopped Officer Polikarpov from sharpening her axe and already planning a beheading.

The less said about his idiot older brother, the better.

Attributes and Skills

Attributes

IQ: 7

Wits: 5

Charm: 2

Cunning: 4

Durability: 4

Physical Action: 2

Skills

Blackmail: 0

Horse Trading: 0

Chummy: 1

Bureaucracy: 3

Legal: 1

Speech: 2

Plotting: 3

Ship Command

Helmsmen: 1

Gunnery: 2

Leadership: 2

Squadron Command

Maneuver: 2

Formation: 3

Command: 3

Fleet Command

Maneuver: 2

Formation: 3

Command: 3