Saul Kassam

Saul Kassam is a character played by Arbiter. He was created in January of 2007. Saul Kassam is currently aboard the Solace as co-pilot and gunslinger.

Appearance & Equipment
Saul is approximately 6'1" and 200lbs with a toned body. He has black short hair, usually greased back, and wears a beard varying from shadowed to bushy depending on the day. He wears a short-cut black leather jacket and leather pants and has several buttoned shirts ranging in colours and patterns, which he prefers to tuck into his pants. He wears his pistol in a quick-draw on his left hip.

Saul carries a leather sack with basic survival gear (sleeping bag, fire kit, beacon, knife), his flight certification (outdated & unregistered), a short-range communication device, a bottle of whiskey, clothes and a music player. Saul is armed with a Decker Arms Grizzly Revolver (w/quick-draw holster)and Commando Assault Rifle.

Known History
Saul was born on Boros in 2480 into a merchant family dealing in ship parts and salvage, an integral part of Boros and its relation with its satellite colony Ares. When war broke out early in the 26th century, his family originally aligned with the Independents, who had assumed influence over Boros. At the time Saul was attending flight school on Persephone and representing his family's interest to junk dealers closer to the Core. When the war front pushed close to the border of Boros space, his family decided to sympathize with the Alliance, who's capital wealth could better support a Boros shipyard economy. The news of his family's defection infuriated Saul, who in his youthful immaturity was attracted to the revolutionary ideas driving the Independence movement. Being well within the military influence of the Alliance however, Saul could not join with the Independent forces and, driven by his own foolishness, escaped into the criminal underworld of Persephone upon completing his flight certificates in 2506. Piloting vessels for various crime lords within the Core, Saul rose to a level of considerable prominence and reputation while remaining outside the grasp of Alliance hands. Now, one year following the Peace, Saul has detached himself from the Alliance crime syndicates to pursue prospects in the Rim, and perhaps return home.

Extended History
In truth, Saul's foolishness has forced him to the outer rim. Much of the wealth he has left is borrowed from creditors in the Core, who are now eager to find Saul and exact punishment on him. Additionally, in the last year of the war, Saul engaged in a high risk operation to raid a merchant convoy heading from the Alliance front back to the Core. This was one of the first convoys to be re-established with the Core following the Alliance's conquest of these planets and merchants were eager to move their products and business back to the profitable inner planets. While the raid was a success, and Saul and his patron won a great deal of loot from the operation, it came to Saul's attention that one of the vessels was owned by his family. This loss of capital certainly damaged if not destroyed his family's business, although he could not be certain which, and he had not contacted them directly since except through two letters to assure them he was still alive. Saul not only fears returning to his father and business, but is ashamed of his actions.

Personality
Saul is extremely truthful and forward about his feelings, often harming others with his words. He distances himself from people to avoid relationships but is not beyond analyzing and criticizing other's personal problems and feelings. Saul is sometimes overconfident but his instinct and perception helps him evaluate people and situations. It also makes him suspicious of many, and isolated from all.

Underlying Personality: Saul may not be lonely, but he lacks the wisdom of relationship experiences. Saul is frustrated by his own inability to connect with others but hides the truth from himself by offsetting blame on everyone else. Saul can be jealous of those who exceed his own abilities, and dismissive of views which differ from his own.