Starfinder Society Profile
- Known Name: Portia Ching
- Birth Name: Melissa Yang
- Race: Human
- Age: Early 30s
- Height: 5'4"
- Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
- Affiliations: Free Captains (The Red Sun Fleet)
- Belief: Besmara, The Pirate Queen
- Theme: Space Pirate
- Character Class: Solarian
- Place of Origin: The Spike (later King Kurney's Kasbah, The Armada), Absalom Station
- Player: NPC
Appearance
Portia does not fit the stereotype image of a space pirate and if in a place where she is not identified, is easily mistaken for a businesswoman or traveller. She favours clothing that is comfortable but stylish, usually in darker shades of red or purple - though this can vary quickly as she typically wears reconfigurable clothing. She has exotic features that indicate some ancient-Tian heritage and naturally has dark brown hair and eyes; but via use of her morphic skin magitech augmentation is typically seen with blue eyes and hair, but this changes at her whim. She looks like a woman in good physical shape, but her eyes reflect a lifetime of hardship giving her the impression of being older than she actually is. Most of the time she can be found wearing her Freebooter Armour, even (if not especially) when on her well-protected asteroid base, and her trusty elite pistol is always by her side.
Background
Portia has now-vague recollections of once being called Melissa Yang and leading a relatively normal, albeit spartan childhood of always scraping by and enduring her parents arguing a lot - until one day her mother just didn't turn up any more. Father seemed more angry than upset about this, but she never did find out if her mother left or died. Her father was a cargo pilot in one of the Spike's docking bays, but a regular at King Curney's Kasbah - which, especially after his wife's departure, led to a drug and gambling problem that put him in way over his head. Heavily in debt to King Kasbah after a good run of bad luck on the gambling tables, which were only compounded by "consolation" drugs and prostitutes, he found himself in dire straits when being drug-withdrawn on the job caused him to crash a shuttle, damaging supplies, injuring some workers and costing him his job. Unable to pay his debts to King Curney and afraid of joining the legendary collection in Curney's private chambers of the conscious severed heads of clients who failed to repay their debts, Melissa's father managed to settle his debts by selling the pretty young Melissa to King Curney, who immediately put her to work as the latest attraction in his brothel. Her father died a few months later, stabbed to death by a low-level drug dealer in the Spike who he ended up crossing - a death Melissa feels is better than he deserved.
Whilst to most this would be a horrendous life, and for sure King Curney was a vile man, he was also a cunning businessman who knew that caring well for his assets earned more money in the long run and so, asides from being prostituted regularly to the Armada's most unsavoury characters, her years at the Kasbah were overall quite pleasant. Melissa learned quickly that clients were loose-lipped during pillow talk, and that she could use and sell the information she learned to her benefit, as well as the regular gifts and contacts made with her regular clients who, overall, treated her well. It was with one abusive client that her solarian powers manifested themselves for the first time - a blade-like weapon of red energy manifesting from her hand, enabling her to quickly put a permanent end to the client's predations. Fortunately Melissa suffered no real repercussions other than a warning not to make it a habit, as King Curney (who usually was compensated for this client's "misbehaving") decided he could take advantage of this to give the occasional reminder to his clients that damaging his property (unless that had been previously agreed to) would have serious repercussions, feeding his reputation for being unforgiving.
She found a new life when she agreed to marry one of her regular clients, a Diasporan Free Captain named Jaha Ching who saw in her great cunning and potential, on the condition he took her as a partner and not a trophy wife. Jaha bought Melissa from King Curney, who was willing to part with Melissa since she was now older and less profitable anyhow. Melissa changed her name to Portia and took her husband's surname, and found the pirate life agreed with her and their fortunes rose together. Whilst she was taking some time out to train in her Solarian abilities at the Cosmonastery of the Empty Orbit on Absalom Station, Jaha was killed during a skirmish with Hellknights. Although she could have easily stepped out of the life a rich woman, she instead quickly consolidated her power and took over as Captain of the Rasa (although this required some "persuading" and "removal" of those who sought to claim the position for themselves or support her rivals). Since then she has far exceeded her husband, becoming a famous and respected Free Captain. Equally feared for her ruthlessness but respected for her honour, her reputation quickly spread and victims knew that if they capitulated they would usually be spared, but resistance would brook no quarter. In time she earned the title of Pirate Lord, built a fleet flying under her personal sigil, the "Red Sun Fleet" and earned her way to becoming one of the youngest members of the Pirate Council.
She now operates out of the Red Sun Asteroid in the Diaspora overseeing her growing empire and attempting to steer the growth and direction of the Free Captains in what she feels is the best direction (she is criticised for not being as ruthless as many of the Pirate Lords, but those who attempt to take her down ultimately discover she is as ruthless as she needs to be to maintain her power) and therefore often operating at Broken Rock. She likes to remain in the field as she does not want to lose her edge or the respect of her men and still carries out operations on the Rasa such as smuggling illicit goods, black market weapons or illegal Eoxian Necrografts to Absalom Station and Akiton.
Personality
Those who have managed to get to know her speak highly of Portia. Many years as a courtesan in a brothel have taught her how to be charming and as a pirate she has found those social skills to be just as relevant, especially since becoming a member of the council. She is known to be a good and loyal friend to those who have earned her trust and friendship, who have even reported that Portia is capable of great acts of kindness and mercy. This is not a side most people ever see of her. Most who encounter her see either the unbending businesswoman or the ruthless pirate lord. She drives hard bargains without giving any quarter, and when in command of her starship is cunning and merciless. It is known that she is a woman of her word - often promising potential targets that they will be spared if they capitulate, and then keeping to her word, but being utterly merciless to those that do not or betray her. She considers breaking a promise to be a form of treachery, which is the greatest sin and as a result comes with the greatest punishment. Whilst many pirates appear to enjoy both combat and the spoils of victory to indulge their sadistic tastes, Portia keeps a tight reign on her crew and the punishment for disobedience is incredibly harsh and typically fatal. Her crew know that disobedience usually means death, but loyalty is greatly rewarded.
Other Notes
Although Portia has a fleet under her command and can commandeer any ship as required, her personal ship is the Tabula Rasa. This is the second ship to bear that name, the first being her deceased husband's ship upon which she began her pirate career. After his death at the hands of the Hellknights - in a battle which the Tabula Rasa only managed to escape due to the daring and risky efforts of an ysoki engineer and space goblin pilot - Portia gathered a crew of the best of her most trusted pirates and undertook a dangerous mission into Hellknight space to enact vengeance. In the risky mission she intercepted, assaulted and ultimately captured the Infernex Interdictus-class cruiser Chains of Mardinus, slaughtering all the crew but one - to serve as witness. Although she was disappointed that her intended target Hellknight Commander managed to escape during the battle, taking as her own the ship that destroyed the Tabula Rasa from the commander who killed her husband both satisfied her sense of honour and need for revenge, as well as cementing her position as a worthy successor to her husband in what would be the first of a series of actions that would make her own legend. The formerly all-black ship was renamed the Tabula Rasa, painted blood-red and black, and now carries the Red Sun emblem proudly. The ship that formerly was used by the Hellknight Order of the Chain to capture pirates is now used by the very pirates it once hunted - a mark of shame that Hellknight Commander Vox has never forgiven, nor forgotten.
Combat Style
Portia is versatile but cunning. She is a highly competent shooter and typically engages using her elite semi-auto pistol but unless the odds are stacked greatly against her inevitably moves in for close combat which she is most skilled at, unsurprising for a pirate used to fighting predominantly in the tight confines of starship corridors. In close range, she grabs her photon crystal and forms her solar blade, which she then uses along with her pistol in classic pirate sword-and-pistol style to deadly effect, easily able to take on multiple typical combatants at once. So skilled is Portia at combat that asides from the glowing red energy blade she uses, it is easy to forget she is a solarian and can bring her solarian abilities to bear for a great variety of effects. Enemies are often fooled into believing they have her outnumbered and surrounded only to find her turning into a fireball and burning all the enemies with solar energy - as her allies hung back and then move in to finish off the survivors; or her opening wormholes to allow herself and her allies to immediately move to otherwise-impossible to reach strategic flanking positions.
Social Style
Strange as it sounds for a pirate, honesty (though not naiveté) and keeping one's word are the best ways to deal with Portia. Unlike many pirates she does not appear to believe herself better than others because she is a pirate (the fact she is a Pirate Lord and member of the council simply means she is in charge of and responsible for more men), nor does she dislike or hate law enforcement or rival criminals. She sees both the Stewards and Hellknights as "Yings to her Yang" (pun intended for those who know her true identity) and criminal organisations such as the Golden League as "distinguished rivals" that at times could be allies of mutual opportunity and benefit, or sometimes clash. But it is all business to her, and not personal. She respects those who stand up for themselves and deal honestly ("honestly" does not necessarily mean "nicely" - she considers intimidation and bluffing a perfectly valid way to "haggle" - as long as ultimately the business is fairly done; many have never quite understood this) and dislikes those who attempt to deceive, lie or cheat her. Those who betray a promise or deal made with her find themselves with a very angry enemy in the little time they have left in this life.
Signature Equipment
Armour & Weapons
- Freebooter Armour III (with Deflective Reinforcement, Infrared Sensors and Mk 1 Thermal Capacitor upgrades)
- Elite Semi-auto Pistol (with Vorpal fusion)
- Standard Photon Crystal (for her solar weapon)
Augments
- Basic Morphic Skin (can change basic shape and minor features)
- Mk 1 Synergizing Symbiote (Dexterity)
- Mk 2 Synergizing Symbiote (Strength)
- Pressurized Lungs (can ignore effects of vacuum and hold breath for up to 1 hour)
- Mk 1 Solar Overload Conduit (can overload solar weapon crystal to cause critical hits)
Magic Items
- Ferocity Blazon (personal sigil which enhances her role as ship captain)
- Resilient Jacket (functions as travel outfit and increases likelihood of surviving physical hazards)
- Mk 2 Mindlink Circlet (allows her to telepathically communicate with any creatures within 100 ft with which she shares a language)
Technological Items
- Personal Comm unit
- Reconfigurable clothing
Other Posessions
- Has a trained pet Squox named Rusty which is usually with her when she's not anticipating danger (and always with her on her ship and station), typically by her feet or sitting on her shoulder.
Signature Quotes
- "Accept the fact: we're taking your cargo and anything else we want. The question is: do you desire that we take your life in the process?"
- [when asked about her interests] "Oh you know, girl stuff. Scented candles, ammunition... guns."