Sgt. Rock

Role: Roots in the Void Security, Ceres
Relationship: Old comrade of Kyle Chen

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Overview

The security sergeant whose beat includes Roots in the Void. Took the Rave incident personally — people were fucking with his crew — and ran the investigation that followed with exactly as much civilian involvement as he could be convinced was due diligence. Amused by Zure's banter up of "Appropriate Professional Qualifications"; satisfied by it, too.

Deputized Zure (zero pay, "assemble your own team from your own assets") when the trail led to a bomber and an active telepath beyond Ceres Security's resources — and when Zure grinned, it was with "thought you'd never ask" energy on both sides.

A man who takes things seriously and says them plainly. When the evidence locker came up empty and his people came up missing, he sent detectives, then stronger forces. When the climate made UEF reinforcement deeply unwise, he found another way. When the audit comes — and it is coming — double agents will find his branch an unprofitable place to have worked.

Kyle

Rock and Kyle met twice in one week, because the left hand didn't tell the right: Rock on a Peacekeeper mission, Kyle on Fleet Intel business, and Rock nearly shot him before they straightened it out. They finished both missions together.

After that: a string of unofficially joint operations. "Hey Chen, I gotta go crack some heads in Taiwan, you in?" "Hey Rock, I have an urgent need for distracting things to happen on the East Coast of North America — got any plans this weekend?" Comrades. Drinking buddies.

Then Rock left the Peacekeepers, and Kyle isn't Intel anymore, and the years went by — until a balcony in a Ceres gallery, where Rock spotted his old friend coming down from above and gave him shit for being easy to see. Zure recorded it. Kyle will never live it down. Rin's delighted emoji response was immediate.