Xandra Li

(Before LiS)

Xandra Li was the only child of two wealthy and well-respected medical researchers on Ariel. She had a happy child-hood, growing up in a high-society Alliance family. However, just before her twelfth birthday, as the War for Unification loomed on the horizon, both her parents were found murdered. Rebel Independants were blamed, but the truth behind the horrific assasination is still unkown.

Xandra was enrolled into an Alliance Academy, a school for the elite. At first Xandra loved her new home. She found the accelerated programme of classes challenging, but immensely enjoyable. She excelled in the physical programme, demonstrating a natural ability for stealth and infiltration, as well as a "ready and willing" attituded towards following orders. However, it soon became apparent that the people running in the school were only interested in creating soldiers and experimenting on the children. The Alliance were hoping to create an army of extremely intelligent child coldiers, with psychic abilities. They used a range of new drugs on Xandra to improve her intelliagence, and invasive surgeries on her brain to try and induce psychic abilities. When she failed all her tests as a psychic, when she did not perform academically at the standard of the other child prodigies (despite still being very smart for her age), the only reason she was kept alive was because of her outstanding performances in physical trials. She was a good natured child, generally happy and unassuming; she was perfect to become an assasin for the Alliance.

But, when Xandra realised the truth of the Academy, she decided she had to escape.

During her time at the Academy a behavourial specialist and child psychologist, Dr. Green, became close to Xandra. Her job was to guide Xandra emotionally, manipulate her so that she would never question the orders of the Alliance. However, due to events in Dr. Green's personal life and Xandra's caring nature, Dr. Green decided to help Xandra escape.

At the age of fourteen, after more than two years of emotional abuse and physical experimentation and testing, Xandra was free. Not long after she escaped, Xandra managed to talk her way onto a ship named Jezebel, filled with a motley gang of Mercenaries. One of them, named Jay, strangely developed a brotherly liking for Xandra, and took her under his protection. For two years Xandra served as a cook on the Jezebel, becoming like family to Jay. For the first time in her life, Xandra experienced freedom, travelling the black, getting into all sorts of dangerous adventures.

Unfortunately, this happiness could not last. At the age of sixteen, the Unification War was in full swing and the Alliance was looking for Xandra. They tracked her down, and recaptured her. The Alliance officials alluded to the fact that Jay sold her out, but Xandra refuses to believe that.

Back at the Academy, Xandra was certain it would not be long until Jay found her and rescued her. But he never came. The Academy itself seemed to have recaptured her simply to keep her locked up, as Xandra's days were spent in a small, lonely cell or for a few precious hours in the yard with other children. She didn't have classes, or physical trials, or anything - that she knew of. In reality, she was being 'activated' and sent off on 'jobs' for the Alliance, assasinating Independant leaders or Alliance officials certain people didn't want in power anymore. After every mission however, Xandra's memory was wiped clean as she was 'deactivated'.

During the few times a week Xandra was allowed in the Yard, she became friends with a girl named Chloe and a boy named Declan. After another year in the Academy, Xandra was seventeen, and began to think that something must have happened to Jay since he had not come for her. So, with Chloe and a reluctant Declan, she formed a plan to escape once more. Declan died in the attempt, but Chloe and Xandra made it out. They decided that for their own safety they could never contact one another again, and so Xandra and Chloe went their separate ways, free once more.

It was then that Xandra found work aboard Goliath. After meeting by chance in a cafe with Jonny Argyle, with whom she felt an instant attraction, and Dr. Jedikiah Rembo, with whom she formed an instant friendship, the three of them joined Captain Tyson Hazard, Theda Bara, Joshulus and Kat aboard the Iron Giant, Goliath.

(During LiS)

Xandra quickly came to love Goliath and it's crew.

An explosion which caused a severe hit to Xandra's head released fragments of memories from the second time she was in the Academy, though Xandra has yet to figure out what the random pictures in her dreams actually mean.

When pilot and first mate Theda Bara left Goliath, Captain Hazard asked Xandra to fill in as pilot and become his second in command. Xandra didn't want that kind of responsibility, but she accepted, and is trying her best to balance the role of leader with the role she wants to play, of friend and carer to the crew.

Her relationship with Jonny has flourished, she is completely and utterly in love with him. It is a quiet, naive and optimistic love - an unflickering, long-lasting candle as opposed to a blazing fire. Although the first time they consummated this love was under the influence of drugs that had been slipped to them by their supposed employers, Xandra's love for Jonny is pure and honest.