Es'merelda Danen
Smuggler. Pirate. Captain.
Appearance
Es’merelda holds herself with a casual ease. Often times, a lopsided, easy-going smile is spread across her freckle-dusted face, and her green eyes hold a mischievous twinkle to them. Her hair is blonde and grown out so that it brushes along her shoulders and frames her face no matter how many times she pushes it back or tucks errant strands behind her ears.
She speaks with a feminine voice that yearns to be something more than what it is. There is a husk from years of drinking whiskey, shouting over commotion, and laughter. Her accent is light and difficult to place, and her languages beyond Galactic Basic speak of a well-traveled woman. Her frequent use of more vulgar Huttese hints that a lot of her time has been spent on Nar Shaddaa, or perhaps merely around more questionable individuals.
Personality
Much like her easy-going appearance, Es’merelda’s personality conveys the same casual nature. Her body-language speaks of an open person with her arms rarely, if ever, crossed in front of her and a smile almost always on her face. She enjoys hearing about others and listening to their stories. While she is usually one to strike up conversation, she finds equal enjoyment in shamelessly eavesdropping and people-watching. No matter if she is with people or watching people, she enjoys a glass of top-shelf Corellian whiskey in her hand.
She is generally friendly to anyone and everyone she meets, but her loyalty is restricted for her crew and those she considers the closest to her. To these few individuals, she is willing to put aside her slightly-hidden self-serving nature to ensure their safety above all else. To everyone else, new and old acquaintances alike, her charisma is both genuine and manipulative.
History
Born on a space station with no planet of origin, Es’merelda had no father that was present and known to her. Her mother was a spice-addict with no patience or ability to raise a difficult child alone. Es’merelda was sold at a young age to a Hutt named Julga and was placed in child gladiatorial games in the dark underworld circles of Smuggler’s Moon. She continued this harsh life until a smuggler and space pirate purchased her with winnings from a bet.
Desmond Danen employed Es’merelda on his ship, The Blockade Runner, explaining that having a younger member was an opportunity to take advantage of others. In truth, the man was disgusted by the conditions she was in and it did not take long for him – and the crew – to adopt Es’merelda as one of the crew and a daughter of sorts. Although they offered her a way out after long, she chose to remain with the family she had found – or rather, found her.
In Es’merelda’s sixteenth year, Desmond was killed as a result from a soured business deal with a Hutt. This solidified her hatred for Hutts as well as resulted in ownership of The Blockade Runner being passed to her. Taking on Desmond’s last name, she became Es’merelda Danen and continued his work of smuggling and piracy with the crew that remained.
As the Collapse of Peace happened and the Galactic War began, Es’merelda was conscripted as a privateer for the Republic. Along with a Jedi companion that wished to assist in the war, Nayala Bal’ar, the two became close companions and were lead eventually to a private militia for the Republic by the name of the Hydian Expeditionary Outfit (HEO). While Nayala was sent by the Jedi Council to keep an eye on the Grey Jedi aboard the vessel, Es’merelda was hired on as Quartermaster of the Outfit’s warship, The Feldspar II.
Early in her time assisting HEO, she was approached by brothers of a crime syndicate and unbeknownst to anyone save for her original crew, Es’merelda accepted a contract to steal The Feldspar II. Over the next few months, she recruited and hired on mercenaries, manipulated and arranged for key promotions within the organization, and set everything up to be able to take the ship from the inside out. At a key moment after a blistering defeat, when most of the organization was off of the ship and on the surface of Alderaan, Es’merelda made her move and successfully stole the warship.
For months, she retired to the Outer Rim with her crew and remained in hiding. However, the word reached her that the criminals she sold the Feldspar II to were middle men and in fact working for the Hutts. Hatred for the Hutts still present and angry at having been lied to, Es’merelda started to piece together ways to steal the ship back a second time. She was found and approached by a member of the SIS whom had been tasked with finding the ship and bringing it back into the folds of the Republic. With help from the SIS and a Republic senator, she was offered the chance to have her record wiped clean if she were able to steal the ship back for them with minimal involvement from the Republic itself.
Through trials and tribulations as well as a tense reunion with her former companion Nayala, Es’merelda succeeded in re-stealing the Feldspar II, but she held the ship hostage and as her record was wiped clean, she blackmailed both the senator and the SIS member to keep the ship that she had now stolen twice over. Once more she retreated, now with a clean record and now with a war ship all her own.
In the years that have followed, Es’merelda has steadily built a community that works out of the Feldspar II and successfully remained out of galactic conflicts. Calling her new organization the Freelancer’s Pact, it is comprised of like-minded individuals – smugglers, slicers, etc – that may do morally grey things, but only under a want for their own freedom and the freedom of their crews.
Rumors & Hooks
Please feel free to use these as however you think your character might have heard them, depending on what circles your character is part of or how deeply they might have listened.
Common
"Look, whatever name she gave you is a lie, a downright lie, an absolute lie. Swear it! A fella I know knew a girl that knew a guy that said her name was Dany. Or Serra. Or something else. Point is, I wouldn't trust whatever name she's giving ya. Even if it has an ID on it.", Cantina Patron"Fast flier, that one. Fast talker too. I saw the way she pulled into the station. Hoo, she knows what she's doing in a ship. By the way she walks, she knows what she's doing everywhere else too, if you know what I mean.", Dock Worker"She drinks way too much whiskey for her own good. How is she still alive?", Cantina Droid Technician
Uncommon
"That woman is not a shuttle pilot. Or a freight worker. Or whatever she told you. She's a smuggler, and a good one at that. Need something taken across enemy lines? Need something that's hard to get? She'll help you. Maybe. Buy her a drink, whiskey, and it'll help.", Pazaak Player"She was in hidin' for years, y'know that? They says she's got a squeaky clean record, but anyone can see that's stupid, that's what that is. Did somethin', that's what I says. Dunno what, but somethin'.", Unknown"Miss Danen? Oh, she is far too charming for her own good. If you are not careful, you will get swept away. Careful with that, love. Though I do confess, it is fun and oh so tempting.", Cantina Dancer
Rare
"That criminal stole a whole warship. Her record is clean and it's over my head, but no matter how many times you redact information, memories stay. Don't let that face fool you. A whole warship.", SIS Officer"She was married before, you know that? Used that poor man and left him stranded with the rest. Tsk.", Former Crewmember"She don't like Hutts. I asked her once. Must've been drunk enough to talk. She mentioned kids. Kids fightin'. I regret askin'.", Unknown
OOC Information
Limitations
I will play mature content and themes (violence, sexuality, drug/alcohol use) as long as they're logical in a plot-driven encounter. Coarse and excessive language. Temporary injury and incapacitation. Temporary imprisonment. Most walk-up encounters.Ask about long-term and/or permanent injury and disfigurement. Long-term captivity or imprisonment.I won't play permanent character death.
Contact
If you'd like to arrange for some RP with myself and/or my friends, I'm best reached in game (Es'mereldaa) or on discord (Jessipalooza#0508). Discord is preferred! If you are in the SF RP discord, you will not have to add me as a friend in order to send me a DM.