3rd Imperium Universal Personality Profile
Appearance
Penelope is a pretty, hazel-eyed teenager in good shape due to active lifestyle and moderate regular exercise. Growing up on a high-tech, low-g world that relies heavily on grav plates in populated areas, she is taller than average and with a slender figure, and has long golden blonde hair kept naturally loose and straight.
Penelope grew up on a cold, military-rule world with active anti-Imperial terrorist groups. Fashion was mostly kept for special (indoor, heated) events and so she is naturally inclined to wear comfortable clothing. Because she is accustomed to a colder climate than most, it is common to see her wearing lighter clothing than others in typical situations, and is the first to complain about it being too warm in a room that most find comfortable. Not having a lot of opportunities (and less finance) for fancy clothing, she is accustomed to wearing common affordable clothing from megacorp brands - but delights in opportunities to be able to wear things out of the norm. Now that she is no longer on a cold world and actively trying to avoid bringing attention to herself, she is enjoying experimenting with new styles and fashions, and looks forward to opportunities to "dress fancy."
Penelope is fond of make-up, and it is rare to see her without it. She states that make-up was one of the few luxuries she was able to have growing up, and as a teenager is image-conscious. She juggles different colour schemes and styles to match what she is wearing and what she will be doing, generally applying "natural make-up" style for the most part, with more striking (usually darker) styles when she wants to stand out more (e.g. an event) or if moody (which, as a teenager, is often).
Biography
Background
Penelope was born in secret on Kidashi, the issue of a tryst between Stana Beckett a secret psion agent working for a shadow organisation, and Korben Stryker (Traveller), an IISS espionage agent who would not learn about his daughter's existence for many years. Because of her mother's forced occupation, and Zhodani natural psionic aptitude, her mother feared that if discovered Penelope would be forced to become a shadow agent like her - and so hid her existence from her superior for many years, hiding her in a world she knew would be hard for Commodore Norbury's spies to learn about or track her.
Her mother stole the identity of a dead woman (Penelope does not know if the identity was picked because the woman was already deceased in circumstances Stana could exploit, or if her mother arranged her death to steal her identity), taking the Kidashi identity of Imogen Pendergrass, an unemployed loner with social anxiety issues, which allowed Penelope to be born with official Imperial identity as Imogen's daughter. Whilst her mother visited or contacted as often as she could, Penelope grew up mostly cared by others - boarding schools, private carers and in her teen years, two psion allies of her mother who Penelope would come to think of as uncles or aunts.
Penelope was an intelligent girl with an inquisitive nature, and grew up asking many questions about why they had to live such a low-key background, why her mother kept having to leave, and so understood the reality of the situation and appreciated that her mother was doing her best, but inevitably many arguments occurred between mother and daughter regarding what Penelope felt was a restrictive and dead-end life. Imogen promised her daughter that when she was an adult and had learnt to control her psionic talents, that things would get better.
Pre-Career Education: Underground Psionic Institute
Penelope was educated in secret in Kadashi by three people. There are several basic psionic talents which are the most commonly found in psionics, with most psions knowing a couple of them. Some psions, with training, develop advanced psionic talents. Penelope was discovered to have both high psionic strength, and the ability to learn all the basic psionic disciples, as well as one advanced talent.
She was initially tested and principally trained by Arlen Glaver, a member of the Psion Underground Network, and assisted by Lexie Leigh a psionic healer and doctor who helped educate Penelope in the sciences as well as some psionics. When she was able, Stana added her own skills (psionic and otherwise).
At present, Penelope has completely essential training in all the base psionic talents of Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Telekinesis, Awareness and Teleportation, as well as the advanced talent of Personal Enhancement. In which direction her psionic abilities will develop or be focused, only the future will tell.
Current Activities
Whether to be true to her word, or out of necessity because she knew Norbury was close to catching her once it became clear she had gone Rogue, Stana/Imogen and Penelope's father managed to get Penelope and Lexie off-world, although Arlen died in the escape attempt. Shortly after, she was left in her father's care for her own safety and well-being as her mother left to unknown parts, intent on keeping Norbury's attention on her, and thus away from Penelope.
Whilst Penelope is upset over the death of her "uncle", and the likelihood of possibly not seeing either her "aunt" or mother again, she has an official Imperial identity, her relation to her mother unknown to Norbury, and is with her father on his tramp trader. For the first time in her life, her life is her own, and has a brighter future.
Personality
Penelope appears to have inherited her mother's wry sense of humour and being a teenager doesn't help. She is used to having to conceal things, keeping people distant for fear of discovery, yet blending in. As such she has quite a tough personality, and whilst easy to get along, takes time to trust others; notable sarcasm, dry humour and "whatever" exterior shield the lonely and repressed person underneath.
Penelope has an incredibly inquisitive personally and this is obvious in her love of experimentation and discovery for things outside her realm of experience. She loves to travel (or at least loves the thought of it), see new things and take part/witness social or cultural events. When having new experiences her shell breaks down and it is possible to see her happy, smiling, and full of life.
This inquisitive nature does come with a side-effect... used to being unsure who could be trusted or not, and being naturally curious, Penelope has a habit of using her Telepathy to read people's minds. Something her mother tells her is quite rude to do unless there is a specific self-preservation need to do so. Whether her father will encourage her to restrain these abilities for similar reasons, or to take advantage of them for their own benefit, also remains to be seen.
Other Notes
Penelope has a love for art - perhaps because art allows expression of feelings, or allows creation of fantasy that could not be achieved in her sheltered upbringing. She had recently started a degree in New Kovac University studying Visual Media with Computing - and although this has been abruptly abandoned due to leaving the planet for good, has made good progress in the time possible, and hopes to pursue this interest further. Her Personal Enhancement advanced talent, when focused, empowers her artistic ability and creativity.
Combat Style
Penelope was trained in gun combat and melee as a precautionary requirement of her upbringing, but other than the occasional teen school fight, has never been involved in proper combat until the day she left Kidashi. As such she has not yet developed a combat style, but has shown herself to be brave and clever. So far, she would do as she has been trained and keep under cover, and (if given a weapon) fire at any direct threats.
With her psionic abilities, she has the potential to be a game-changer in combat by bringing unexpected and unorthodox tactics (at the risk of revealing her abilities) - but no such situation has occurred as yet.
Social Style
The key word to dealing with Penelope and gaining her trust is patience. Repressed for so long, she has an innate desire to want to experience things, make friends, fall in love, and enjoy life - but is slow to trust; the instinct to avoid undue attention and not trust others is a muscle reflex too her, and patience is needed long-term for an alternate reaction to a person to replace this instinct.
As a teenager, she can be moody and sarcastic, but she is a good person at heart and her mood swings are expressions of her frustration. Attempts to restrain or chastise her are likely to work badly and build resentment or mistrust. Guidance, direction, protection and genuine affection over long-term are likely to yield results.
Penelope plays the long-game when it comes to trust, and naturally mistrusts any short-term social attempts.
Augments
None known.
Signature Equipment
- Personal Psi Battery - This elegant necklace made of white gold and adorned with jeweled filigrees and bezeled gemstones from black diamonds and blue sapphires, with a large opalescent quartz doublet that glows with a bright intensity is perfectly crafted to allow Penelope to store Psi energy during rest periods; which can be used to fuel psionic talents when needed without causing strain or loss of Psi strength.
- Mobile Comm [TL8] - running Translator/0 when needed.
- Diplo Vest - worn underneath normal clothing
- Autopistol - given to her (from the ship's locker) by Afira so she can protect herself if needed.
- Environment suit - Penelope's homeworld is exceedingly cold, and this was required anytime out in the open.
Signature Quotes
- "I've lived all my life in New Kovac... you really think I've never learnt to fire a gun?"
- "It's ok you don't need to tell me... I read your mind. Sorry, I got curious."
