Darren Leone: Difference between revisions

At the tail end of the [[Human-Covenant War]], the ''Dark Was the Night'' was part of a chain of vessels responsible for taking the [[Spartan-III]] super-soldier, [[Kevin-A282]], back to [[Earth]]. The last transmission from command recived by the ship let those aboard know that [[Reach]] had [[Fall of Reach|fallen]]. The ''Dark Was the Night'' came under fire from the [[Covenant]] and was forced to make an emergency [[slipspace]] jump. Kevin saved Darren's life at that time by hauling him to safety when an airlock was blown open during the violence. Although the got away, damage sustained to the ship was catastrophic and it wasn't long before a death spiral of critical malfunctions, including the loss of [[Rosarita|its A.I]], put the lives of everyone onboard in danger. Darren took control of piloting the vessel and managed to crash-land it on the [[Outer Colony]] named [[Losing Hand]]. Impressively, he avoided putting it in the ocean or flattening it against a chain of mountains. The ship touched down on a landing strip but in the process the wind farm providing a nearby township with power was destroyed. The cargo tender's long-range communication capability and its drives were irreparably broken amidst all of this. The ''Dark Was the Night'''s command crew had been gutted in the wake of the attack and subsequent struggles, leaving Darren to take over as captain. One of his first decisions was to make [[First Lieutenant]] [[Maher]] his [[executive officer]]. He also gradually slackened the rules as far as disciplinary matters were concerned, given the crew's situation. To make up for the loss of the colony's source of power, Darren worked out a deal with the colonists whereby the cargo tender's power core, powered through solar energy, could provide heat and light to the town in exchange for a steady supply of food for his crew. In addition, when the UNSC personnel put a drone satellite into orbit, Darren agreed to allow the civilians unfettered access to it. A month after their landing on the planet, Kevin wandered off on his own and when Darren sent people to find him, they were unable to.

As it turned out, both Ryan and Darren were learning the same thing: the drone satellite's sensors had detected a ship on an intercept course with the colony. Though it was broadcasting an old UNSC recognition code that announced an intention to land, it was clearly a {{Class|DAV|light corvette}}. Aghast at this development, Ryan blamed the UNSC for bringing this apparent doom on them.

As of the important events of [[2553]], Darren had grown a graying beard. His fingers were permanently scarred from frostbite he sustained when the [[Spartan]] had to drag him through freezing decompression. When he first took over the captaincy of the ''Dark Was the Night'', Darren tried to solve all the problems the ship and crew faced partially out of guilt but also out of a sense of responsibility to do so and a dedication to the ideals of the UNSC. As time wore on, however, he found himself doing things simply because someone had to. His work caused him to lack sleep often. He took pride in the ship that was under his command and damage done to it angered him. He could also be easily annoyed by what he perceived to be an inability of the civilians on Losing Hand to understand what the ship meant to those that arrived on it. Despite his dedication, Darren still usually felt like an imposter in his position. The crash weighed heavily on him and he thought about it every day.

Darren typically wore his naval uniform, emblazoned with the UNSC crest, and donned a heavy weather parka when it was necessary. He carried an [[M6 series|M6 magnum]] on his hip.