IC
Name: Cain (real name is "Alexei")
Canon: Starfighter
Canon point: Ch 5, pg 75 (right after being shot and losing consciousness)
Age: 22

History: There are five finished chapters of the Starfighter comic by HamletMachine, which you can find here: http://starfightercomic.com/. Wiki is here: http://starfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Cain. As that link doesn't cover much of the actual plot, I've written a detailed version.

Little is known of Cain before he becomes Abel's partner, team of the starfighter Reliant for the Federated Alliance fleet. Part of the story is driven on this mystery of who Cain is, and especially who he was prior to joining the program as a fighter. Some details can be scraped from the narrative, however, despite its focus on Abel's limited perspective. We know the Alliance is a human military force in a desperate battle against Colterons, insect-like aliens hellbent on domination. Within the Alliance is a special program of elite soldiers, where units are divided into teams of fighters and navigators. The fighter-navigator pair operate the starfighter together, relying on this bond to survive. Think Pacific Rim, but with more arguments and less mind-melding (and they have sex). The fighter attacks by using the starfighter's weapon systems, while the navigator takes control of the ship, piloting and directing the fighter.

The Alliance's goal is to defend Earth, as well as Earth's many different colonies. The story takes place in a highly futuristic setting. Cain himself comes from one of Earth's colonies on Mars, glimpsed in a dream to be an extremely cold, wintry place with few comforts. He is enlisted into the fighter-navigator program after an incident -- it's described that he was "in over his head in the colonies," and later it's found that he was arrested and incarcerated on a trespassing charge. Thus, Cain is forced to join the recruitment program on a special task given to him by his direct commander, Bering. As of chapter five's reveal, the gritty details of Project Thebes have gained clarity. We know he is supposed to "seduce" his assigned navigator in order to form a close relationship, wherein the navigator will want to protect Cain during battle and activate the Colteron technology embedded in the ship. Basically, a honeypot mission with extra sci-fi. Cain has two navigators before Abel is assigned to him. The first immediately rejects him, while the other is injured and receives medical leave. Abel is Cain's last chance—if he isn't successful, he will be sent back to prison in New Volga.

The story follows their relationship from the moment they meet. Cain attacks Abel with violence, scarring his lip to show that Abel belongs to him. This doesn't put them off to a good start. They quickly face their first mission, which is successful only when Abel pulls a risky move to save another starfighter in the battle. At the end of the fight, Abel catches Cain masturbating from the thrill of survival (lol). This sets their dynamic into motion, because soon after that encounter, they have sex. It's pretty clear Cain is seducing Abel, but in the end Abel is just as willing to be seduced. After this, Abel wakes up in bed alone because Cain is reporting to Bering. He declares that he was successful in his seduction efforts.

The relationship between Cain and Abel becomes gradually more complicated. They've established a physical relationship and although Abel is still wary of him, they have sex again later in the Reliant. Meanwhile Cain is using Deimos, another fighter, to spy on whatever Abel is doing when they aren't together as a way to ensure Abel doesn't make connections with other people and jeopardize his secret mission. When he discovers that Abel spoke to Praxis, a fighter with a crush on Abel, he engages him in a fight. Cain pulls a knife on him but they're interrupted before it can go further. He doesn't tell Abel what happened, and he soon learns that Abel has volunteered them for a new assignment (which Cain calls a "suicide mission") against the Colterons.

Later story shows Cain and Abel getting closer and more familiar, though Cain still doesn't share anything about himself. They both have to adjust to life on the Sleipnir with their reassignment. Cain spends most of this time fighting and proving himself to the other fighters, as well as speaking with Bering about his secret mission. Cain and Abel are once again thrown into a battle, and this time Abel fulfills his potential when he unknowingly uses the special Colteron technology to trigger the "jump drive" in the engine—seen when the Reliant disappears after an explosion and reappears unharmed. To celebrate their victory, Cain and Abel naturally have sex, although this time there is intimacy and trust involved.

In the final chapters, the plot gets more involved with the supporting characters in the story. It's uncovered that Cain is only participating in the mission to seduce and lie to his navigator in order to serve the Alliance with the hope of clearing his record and returning home. He tells Abel that it was "me or you," although he claims his motivations have changed since actually getting to know Abel. The weapon created by their bond is said to be fueled by an intense passion to protect. Originally it comes from the Colterons, who powered it using their religious fervor, but the first human fighter/navigator couple were lovers. When one of them died, the weapon became useless. This explains the Alliance's motivation to find (or force) another pair of lovers so it would be possible to use the Colteron technology in the war once again. This is all revealed to Abel from two secondary characters, not from Cain himself. Once Abel realizes he was used, the two of them have an argument prior to a large battle, and Abel tells Cain he's done with him.

Cain will come directly after this moment under the assumption that he's failed his mission and Abel has ended their relationship due to his deceit. They are in the middle of treason when Cain is shot.

Personality:

violent - Aggression and violence define much of Cain's personality as a fighter born out of the colonies on Mars. Cain shows no hesitation getting rough with people, highlighted when he pulls a knife on Praxis, or when he's in physical disputes with other fighters. He tends to try to solve many of his disagreements this way, such as wanting to punch Phobos in the cafeteria or as he's handling Deimos' clinginess. This lends toward recklessness and poor planning in many situations.

crude - The sexual elements of Cain are vivid from the moment he's introduced in the comic. He is not afraid to get into people's personal space, not afraid to masturbate in the cockpit while Abel is there, and almost relishes in acts of obscenity. His language is coarse with a lot of cursing involved. He calls Abel a 'slut' early on during his fight with Praxis, and in general he tends to make people uncomfortable with his foul mouth.

duplicitous - Due to the nature of the task assigned to him, Cain reveals a fairly duplicitous and manipulative side. Granted, some of it was under duress, but Cain is not only seen manipulating Abel. He also uses Deimos for his own gain to spy on Abel, heedless of the fact that Deimos cares about him. He lies to the other fighters and plays up an 'act' to get them to back off. Up until the point he begins to develop feelings, he is extremely good at this deceitful persona, which may be one reason why he was chosen for the project.

thoughtful + At odds with his rough and tumble nature, Cain does have a thoughtful and considerate side, though it may be subtle. One great example is when he rescues Deimos from a group of fighters, showing concern for the other fighter despite the fact they'd never met before that moment. Another is when he's beginning to become attached to Abel and goes out of his way to set up a romantic 'picnic' in the storage bay. He's a decent(ish) guy beneath all of his defensive and destructive tendencies.

affectionate + This side of Cain is revealed as he begins to open up and develop a genuine attachment to Abel. A lot of Cain can be read through his actions and body language, since the story is not told through his perspective, so much of his affection is illustrated during their intimate moments. He becomes worshipful and praises Abel, wants to sleep close together, and even appears to be a cuddler. While he may not be able to communicate how he feels well, he does show it through his treatment of Abel in the final chapters.

dedicated + Cain puts himself 100% into what he does. After boarding the Sleipnir, he works long and hard hours to prove himself to the other fighters, and he is constantly seen in the training pods. It's obvious he takes pride in his skill, but he also puts in the effort to improve. He lets nothing stand in his way and will do anything to achieve his goal of returning home.

Powers/Abilities: Cain has no special or supernatural abilities. However, he is an extremely skilled fighter, which is remarked upon several times. In fact, he's considered the best fighter in the entire program. This means he's talented in hand-to-hand combat as well as using the weapons system on the starfighter ships. He fights like he's trying to survive and isn't afraid of playing dirty. His street smarts are an important asset in this respect, most likely attained during his time in the colonies. He also speaks Russian. Otherwise, he is just a normal human.

Regret: Cain's regret is getting arrested, because it led to his forced enlistment into the Alliance military and took him away from Mars. He wants nothing more than to get back home.

Suitability: In a sense, Cain is especially well-suited for Ximilia team/station life because it is what he has already been doing. Granted, his prior team was much more limited with only Abel helping him pilot the starfighter 'Reliant' in an intergalactic war, but it still applies. The greater group of fighters and navigators who worked on the Sleipnir were his comrades. Cain is used to cooperating with others, because as a soldier enlisted in the Alliance military, he has to. He doesn't have a choice if it means returning home. The same motivation applies here: In order to see his home colony on Mars again, Cain will work hard to be an asset to his team members and achieve their goals on a mission. He is a person who is extremely focused on survival, since it's what he's been doing for most of his life and this hasn't changed. Additionally, he's noted as having a charismatic personality that draws in the other soldiers, allowing him to make easy friends—at least when it's what he wants to do. He is trained in hand-to-hand combat, versatile with most weapons (but especially guns), and has some skills in the maintenance and repair of spaceships. Cain is accustomed to missions, secret missions, spacefaring life, and war or battle, so he will be right at home.

Inventory: Ruined flightsuit; a gun. Nothing else.