Killzone 2: Meet the ISA Alpha Squad
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SERGEANT SEV
Military Profile
Full name: Tomas Sevchenko
ISA Security #: 021-332-3390-99
Service: 6 years
Rank: Sergeant First Class
Psychological Profile
“The subject is obviously intelligent, testing 84/100 on the Hyland-Ebel Scale. Subsequent tests indicate subject is somewhat antisocial and unusually contemplative for a combat veteran, probably due to the traumatic loss of close family members at the outset of the Helghast invasion of Vekta. However, this has not impaired his capabilities – indeed he has flourished in all theater operations and continues to have a distinguished, even remarkable career. In short, perfect for special duties and fast-track command.”
Key Traits
Quiet, thoughtful, professional, resourceful, courageous
Appearance
Gender: Male
Age: 33
Height: 6’2
Weight: 215 lbs
Eyes: Dark, volcanic blue
Hair: Black (but shaven headed)
Distinguishing marks:
Scar on right cheek
Theater tattoo from Arcturus ‘69 on palm of left hand
Biography
Born to a solid, respectable family in the northern city of Vekta, Sev enlisted in the army against his parents’ wishes, seeing it as his patriotic duty to defend the homeland against Helghast aggression. This youthful idealism acquired a more personal edge when members of his own family suffered during the Helghast invasion, an incident which still plagues Sev with nightmares. Despite this, Sev displays a responsible, by-the-book approach to his duties and the mission.
He is not as well-educated as his friend Garza, with whom he fought numerous battles on Arcturus, but he is intelligent, observant and a fast learner. He is also a natural leader and by the time of the Helghan deployment had led units of up to a hundred men, earning mentions in dispatches and attracting the attention of Colonel Templar himself. Templar saw something of himself in Sev and followed his rise through the ranks, until a fatality in Alpha opened up the position of second-in-command to Rico.
MASTER SERGEANT RICO VELASQUEZ
Military Profile
Full name: Ricardo Velasquez
ISA Security #: 021-332-4130-55
Service: 12 years
Rank: Master Sergeant
Psychological Profile
“Subject resented examination. Tested 70 out of 100, well within limits for command. However, his experience in the military may allow him to game such tests. More troubling was the clear evidence of anger issues bordering on pathology towards the enemy, motivated in part by guilt over his own past actions. While this undoubtedly can be harnessed to considerable effect in theater, it needs to be monitored and may require correction. Until then, Command’s faith in Master Sergeant Velasquez cannot be endorsed unequivocally by this analyst.”
Key Traits
Honorable, unsophisticated, vengeful, loyal, selfless
Appearance
Gender: Male
Age: 38
Height: 6’1
Weight: 240 lbs
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
Skin: Dark Brown
Distinguishing marks: Scar from KZL
Biography
Coming from a large family in the poor industrial south of Vekta, Rico was a born fighter, first with his older brothers, then on the streets. He found himself drifting into petty crime before enlisting in the armed forces to escape trouble. The military swiftly became his first true home and he never looked back. His naturally combative nature was honed by training and numerous battles, turning him into a superbly effective soldier.
After his squad was wiped out by Helghast, Rico fought alongside Captain (now Colonel) Templar during the SD platform crisis, becoming a national hero. However, during the battle to free Vekta from occupation, he was captured by the Helghast and tricked into betraying his own side by the ISA traitor General Stratson. He is still coming to terms with these events.
Despite this, Templar personally entrusted him with command of the crack Alpha squad, including Sev, a promising young officer whose progress he has been following. Initially unsure about these decisions, Rico trusts Templar’s judgment and is determined to give it his best shot…
LANCE CORPORAL GARZA
Military Profile
Full name: Dante Garza
ISA Security #: 021-332-4110-20
Service: 6 years
Rank: Lance Corporal (sniper specialist)
Psychological Profile
“The subject appears well-balanced and is clearly highly intelligent (testing 89 on the scale), though his manner seems calculated to conceal it. The tendency to treat everything as a joke has less to do with a rebellious attitude than a desire to win approval and obscure his relatively privileged background. This has the potential to be problematic, especially where it overrides better judgment or direct orders. But there is no doubt that Lance Corporal Garza is a loyal, likeable and effective ‘team player’.”
Key Traits
Smart-ass, optimistic, willing, totally loyal
Appearance
Gender: Male
Age: 31
Height: 5’11
Weight: 180 lbs
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
Skin: Light brown
Distinguishing marks: Theater tattoo from Arcturus ‘69 on palm of left hand
Biography
Having dropped out of numerous schools and colleges, Garza was sent by his well-to-do family to a military academy to ‘straighten him out’. Instead he found his niche there, discovering in military camaraderie the warmth and appreciation lacking from his rigid upbringing. Though he still sends messages to his kid sister, he can relate to the way in which Rico made the military his home and his fellow soldiers a family, despite their wildly different backgrounds.
The same generation as Sev, with whom he bonded during several bloody campaigns before being picked for Alpha, he is entirely comfortable to serve with him as second-in-command of the squad, the pair forming a natural foil to the more seasoned Rico and Natko. Alpha squad’s sniper specialist, he is valued for his sharp eyes and technical skills, which make him an ace at fixing things in the field.
CORPORAL NATKO
Military Profile
Full name: Shawn Natko
ISA Security #: 021-332-4130-55
Service: 10 years
Rank: Corporal
Psychological Profile
“Subject was openly hostile to examination but tested solidly nonetheless. He claimed inside knowledge of the testing process, but this fits with a wider pathology towards mordant rumor and contrarianism. Otherwise subject seems well-adjusted for combat, personally invested without significant psychological issues. An occasional tendency to insubordination should be easily managed by a confident commander.”
Key Traits
Cynical, pessimist, rumor-monger, sometimes sloppy
Appearance
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Height: 6’5
Weight: 220 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Red
Distinguishing marks: wears a mustache and beard
Biography
Like Rico, he is older than Sev and Garza and comes from a relatively humble background, enlisting with many others when the Helghast first appeared to threaten the peace of the colonies. He is an experienced and highly capable soldier with no aspirations to command, having risen through the ranks as high as he would wish to go before being picked by Rico as a founder member of Alpha.
Having survived life on the road as a kid during the Grand Depression and subsequently worked the terranium rigs, he is Alpha’s best hand-to-hand fighter and demolitions expert, relishing close combat. Rumor has it that he was once married and his wife walked out on him, but this is the one rumor Natko refuses to comment on. He has no other close family ties, but for what it’s worth, Vekta is still home.