Commander Callam Lero

Callam Lero (677B84) is from Dlan (A8D3ADE-F), a high technology and capital world for the Dlan subsector in the Ilelish sector. He grew up in an impoverished family, the fourth son of eight children. He avoided the gangs that fought for control on the streets, while his parents worked multiple jobs to keep the family with a roof over their heads and food on the table—meager food, made from the fungus farms and processed to look like something resembling meat.

His parents prized education, believing that it would, eventually lead to their children improving their lives, so Callam studied. His elder brother, Cannik, encouraged him in the practice, knowing he himself lacked the intelligence. Cannik did not avoid the lure of the gangs. After he was killed in a gang shootout, Callam doubled-down on his efforts to break free of poverty.

He applied to attend the University of Dlan, and by all rights, he should have been accepted. His scores were excellent, and his teachers had given him glowing recommendations. Instead, he was rejected to ensure enough places for the children of the large contingent of noble families residing on Dlan, many of whom scored lower than Callam on the entry tests. Callam’s grandfather, Sergiv, then suggested Callam apply for the Istvan Naval Academy. Sergiv had spent a number of years in the Imperial Navy, participating in numerous anti-piracy actions along the edges of the Trojan Reach.

Callam took Sergiv’s advice, applied, and found himself accepted. He was placed in an officer track immediately. While he failed to graduate with honors, Callam distinguished himself otherwise. Sergiv in particular was proud of his grandson, and upon Callam’s commissioning, Sergiv gave him his service pistol, which he had used in an intense boarding action in a battle in the Dolberg system.

Callam chose Flight as his main service branch, knowing that it was a primary path to command. He also knew he would get no favors and no help from noble families pushing for key assignments. Callam’s experience on Dlan, with his university rejection, and with his observations in the academy and navy fortified in him a by-the-book mentality, a rather rigid sense that he felt enforced equality. Violations of the Code of Navy Conduct merited the same disciplinary action regardless of social status. Do the job correctly. Do it right. Do it well.

First, of course, he had to succeed himself. Ambitious but knowing he needed the proper experience to be an excellent commander, Callam started with learning to pilot small boats and craft in his assignment in the Tobia subsector of the Trojan Reach. Due to an incursion of pirates in the Boulder system, who had conjured up significant bravado to operate so closely to Imperial space, a portion of the Ilelish sector fleet was sent to show the flag and conduct routine policing actions. That is how it was intended. Instead, the incursion turned into a significant, albeit long-winded, battle between a heavily armed, disorganized pirate armada against a small, well-armed, well-trained Imperial Navy task force. During the last engagement with a pirate force of three capital ships, Callam was backing up the damage control teams when a beam laser punctured the engineering section of the INS Jialaru, a Fer-de-Lance class Destroyer Escort, which knocked out the main power system. He assisted restoring bulkhead integrity and then repairing the system. As a result, he requested to be temporarily assigned to engineering to learn more about the power systems.

He eventually was promoted to the chief pilot of the INS Battle of Three Stars, then serving out its last days on diplomatic missions in the Solomani Rim. During negotiations on the ongoing autonomy of the Vegan Autonomous District, he met then First Lieutenant Izbeth Bishop (she is now a Lieutenant Colonel), which was the beginning of their long friendship, which has included mutual assignments.

A captain encouraged Callam to be more social to help with his promotion opportunities, inviting him to a game of Martle Stud Poker. In that game with several captains and commanders, Callam lost credits but gained an appreciation of the politics of promotion and command. He vowed to play by the book but knew that he needed to extend his methods of leadership.

Callam was promoted to sub-lieutenant and given chief piloting duties of the INS Broadpoint, a Kinunir-class Vanguard cruiser, assigned to patrol the Jewell subsector. During a brief skirmish with Vargr corsairs that had managed to work their way into the Mongo system, Callam experienced a computer failure due to the aging software that temporarily set the Broadpoint into a locked path that left the ship exposed to Vargr attacks. Callam swiftly found the software issues, wrote up a quick script, and unlocked the software, ensuring the Broadpointcould fight the corsairs and ensure their defeat.

Callam’s last assignment before being promoted to Lieutenant Commander and given the INS Deimoswas a treaty negotiation with a band of pirates in the buffer space between Zhodani and Imperial space. He served as the XO. As he awaited the official diplomatic efforts to finish, he became acquainted with Petty Officer First Class Frin Kols, whom he hopes to recruit for the diplomatic mission he is about to undertake.