Gabriel Crwydryn

The son of a member of the Olympus hierarchy, Gabe chose to join the military rather than follow in his parents' footsteps. Though they disapprove of his choices, and their relationship is strained, it does have its perks. Although by no means a spectacular soldier, he still considered the chance to try a new technology to be one to pass up, and signed up for the piloting evaluations without a second thought.

Appearance
Standing at only 5'3", Gabe doesn't cut an impressive figure. With a mess of short, if unkempt, brown hair, equally dark eyes and expression, it's easy to overlook him. Despite his size, Gabe is no slouch in the physical department, fairly well-rounded in terms of muscle mass thanks to military work and at least a small effort to maintain it. His hands are somewhat worn and rough from mechanical work, and there are some noticeable bags under his eyes at times that grow far more pronounced under stress. His skin is fair, though it doesn't burn as easily as one might imagine, and he makes an effort to keep clean shaven when he can.

Has a tattoo that circles around his right armpit that represents his former squad, the "Frost Giants". The tattoo is of the rune 'Thurisaz', meaning 'giant'.

Personality & Interests
While outwardly guarded and grouchy, it takes only mild effort to see the passionate, defiant, competitive and mischievous side underneath, particularly around those who encourage such traits. He prefers to shoot straight when dealing with people, rather than hide any mutual dislike under niceties and polite conversation.

His prickly attitude aside, in a good mood, Gabe can be quite the troublemaker in his own right, often getting into dumb situations thanks to either his friends' whims or his own. When he isn't causing trouble and following the first impulse to keep himself entertained, he's often forced to be the voice of reason, though that's not saying much at times.

Interests
Music is of course important to any pilot, though unlike many he prefers not to listen to anything while on a mission. His favored genres include rock and pop, though Sean as given him a begrudging appreciation for Flamenco. While not an avid gamer, he does play a little if invited, but is bad at learning new games. He's a big fan of western-style movies, the cheesier and more stereotypical, the better. He refuses to acknowledge if it's ironic or not.

In his own personal time, Gabe's a fan of tinkering and building. At home, he spent a lot of time building what model kits he was allowed to have, and even now, he often likes to take things apart just so he can put them back together again. If he's feeling more like tiring himself out, he'll also visit the gym to make sure he stays in shape. Alternately, he does play most sports, although none with any kind of real focus or favoritism. He does have a preference for soccer, though only somewhat.

Skills & Abilities

 * Gearhead: Gabe follows the philosophy that one should always know how something works if you're going to be piloting or using it for a long period of time. Coupled with demolitions work, he's amassed a good amount of technical knowledge which he uses on upgrades, maintenance, and repairs for tanks, and hopefully an equal if not greater amount for AAs.


 * Brawler: Not counting the requisite CQC training any soldier has, Gabe's been in a fair number of fights, picking up some nasty tricks to account for his lack of size. Nothing is considered too dirty for Gabe to use in a fight, which can leave someone expecting less in for a world of hurt.
 * Gunner: By no means a sniper, Gabe's skill at operating mounted weapons or aiming while piloting is notable, and has aided him well in adapting to piloting the new AAs and working in the sims.
 * Demoman: Gabe's specialty lies in all things explosive, be it demolition charges, missile launchers, or otherwise. In his own words, "If I can't blow it up, nobody can."

The Martian Heir
Born to Malcolm and Edwina Crwydryn on Mars, Gabe lived a life of relative luxury. His parents had maintained a position of importance within the budding Olympus Inc. and had hoped to lead their son to follow in their footsteps. Though strict, the two did their best to raise him in a nurturing environment, keeping him protected, loved, and the best education Mars could provide. They encouraged his interests, particularly in the mechanical, and

At first, Gabe was all too happy to follow behind his parents, as many younger children are wont to do. Though there was some news of the Six-Month War coming through, at his age, Gabe only paid some attention to that. What was more obvious to him, though, was the more obvious anti-Earth sentiment his parents were  happy to share. Over time, the idea seemed obvious. Earth was not to be trusted; Mars was the only home he would need to even consider.

But over time, their stifling desire for control became more confining than  comforting, and adolescence became a time of arguments, harsh words, and harsher action. Gabe lashed out in what ways he could, from getting in fights at school, to simply staying out for days on end. But even then he was not truly free. Olympus had a great deal of control over his life even when his family itself did not. He knew freedom was something he could never truly have on Mars. But there is a saying about the enemy of one's enemy...

Military Life
At 20, Gabe had saved up what money he could, done his research, and hitched a ride to Earth. Soon after his arrival, he was enrolled at Valley Forge Academy. The military was brutal, but Gabe was stubborn enough to succeed when it seemed impossible for him. He did not earn many friends during his time there with his gruff attitude and tendency to cause trouble, but there were some who made the time bearable for him. He found himself drawn once again to the mechanical classes, and found a particular home with demolitions, eventually graduating with near-top marks in both sets of classes.

Though he received solid marks in his classes, particularly in mechanics, he found himself with few postings that called to him, before finding a place in the frigid wastes of Norilsk, Russia. There, he would work under First Lieutenant Sean Roland. After some brief butting of heads, the two became inseparable partners, though at a glance it was sometimes hard to tell. Sean was the one to push for signing up for the new Martian AA program. Gabe was reluctant, but at the same time couldn't resist the call of new machines to work on, and a chance to try some new weaponry and get a change of scenery.

Russian Front
((Summary of Chapters 1 - ???))