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Jack Lepari
Agent of S.C.O.R.P.I.O.
Player: @As I Fade to Black
SCORPIO Intel
Division:	Spec-Ops
Rank:	Private
Origin/AT:	Natural/Blaster
Security Level:	50
Agent Personal Data
Real Name:	Jacqueline Abbey Lepari
Known Aliases:	"The Black One"
Species:	Human
Age:	26
Height/Weight:	5'6"/156lbs
Eye/Hair Color:	Blue/Black
Citizenship:	Dual Canadian-American citizenship
Current Residence:	Founders' Falls, Paragon City, RI
Marital Status:	Single
Known Relatives:	Taylor Lepari (brother, deceased) Mackenzie Lepari (sister)
Known Powers
N/A
Training / Abilities
Scout Sniper (USMC)
Equipment
• Wrist comm unit • Head-Up Display, or "HUD" • MediPort beacon • Barrett M82A3 Sniper Rifle • M-45 MEUSOC pistol • KA-BAR fighting knife • S.C.O.R.P.I.O. uniform • Various field gear
Footnotes
Has several tattoos, including the words "Swift, Silent, Deadly"

Quotation

"A man fires a rifle for many years. Then he goes to war, and afterwards, he turns the rifle in at the Armory. He believes he's finished with the rifle, but no matter what else he might do with his hands--love a woman, build a house, change his son's diaper--his hands remember the rifle." --Excerpt from Jarhead

Summary

Sgt. Jack Lepari is a Scout Sniper with the Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, the ground combat element of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Along with five others, she was chosen by Vanguard for a Top Secret mission, the details of which are only recently coming to light. Although it is apparent that she's been through a traumatic encounter, she rarely, if ever, so much as alludes to her past experiences.

Personality

Jack Lepari is generally known as a person with a steady hand, and a calm mind. She is very intelligent and has a photographic memory, a skill she puts to use during her reconnaissance missions, and while painting in her downtown apartment. Her sense of humor is well-known, both to her close friends and people she works with, and she is usually the first person to start up a conversation.

Although she is routinely put into instances of high-stress, she almost always finds ways to unwind after a tough assignment. However, after her latest mission, she seems to be profoundly changed, and is suspected to be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Early Life

Jack Lepari was born in Montreal, Quebec, to an American father and a French-Canadian mother. She had two older siblings, Mackenzie and Taylor, although it was almost immediately apparent that she and her brother Taylor had a special bond. Growing up she was a tomboy in every sense of the word, and took every available opportunity to be out getting her hands dirty with "the boys." Although her parents were silently disapproving of her lifestyle choices, they supported her in every way possible.

When she was young, her father's job demanded that he return to the United States. After much discussion, the decision was made to bring along Jack and Taylor, Mackenzie having already decided to go to school in Canada. Both were enrolled in school in Richmond, Virginia, where they first encountered children outside of their neighborhood. While they were teased for "talking funny," neither took much notice, instead choosing to stick together.

Moving in with their uncle, the children were first exposed to game hunting in the Virginian woodlands. Through years of study, Jack and Taylor learned to anticipate the movements of the animals, and became accustomed to waiting long periods of time before taking a single shot. Jack purchased her first scoped rifle at the age of 16, and from that point on was allowed to stalk through the trees unaccompanied, watching and waiting.

Military Career

From the time she was a small girl, Jack always knew that she wanted to join the military, and specifically, the Marines. She devoted every waking hour to studying military history, and memorized every Marine Corps battalion by number and size. Her older brother Taylor shared her interest, and the two made a pact to enlist together when Jack was old enough.

Sgt. Lepari has gone on to have a successful and decorated military career, earning the trust and respect of the men and women she leads. Although many would see her out of her Scout Sniper position, none can argue her proficiency with her weapon of choice, the Barrett M82A3. She and her Spotter have consistently recorded kills in excess of 1,800 meters, with suspected kills of up to 2,150 meters.

It was this proficiency that led to her recruitment by Vanguard, to what has become known as the "Vanguard One Operation." Although few details exist, it is known that her rifle accompanied her on her classified mission, and kills of unknown origin are documented in her black book.

Basic Training

Jack signed up as a Marine the week after her 18th birthday, along with her brother Taylor. Both were sent to the United States Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, and from there were split into separate battalions. Basic training was everything Jack had expected it to be, and then some; from the moment she stepped off the bus, she knew she had found her calling. After a quick phone call home and a haircut (one she secretly admired), she was given her M16A4, which she soon came to love as much as the rifle she had purchased for herself years earlier. While the other recruits fought off sleep deprivation, she spent her first three days learning to service her weapon by heart, much to the approval of her Drill Instructors.

Jack consistently demonstrated strong leadership qualities, earning her the respect of Drill Instructors and peers, alike. Although she had always been small, she soon developed into a well-built woman, earning her the envy of her fellow recruits. Jack scored above average on her Initial Strength Test, setting a course record of 6:01 in the 1.5 mile run. She took to physical exercises remarkably well, earning her tan belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts program on her first try, as well as continuing to beat record after record on the obstacle course.

During her second and third week of training Jack came into her own as a marksman, earning nearly perfect scores at 200, 300, and 500 yards, in the process earning a trophy for her platoon. It was around the mid-way point of boot camp when she learned that Taylor had been injured during a live-fire practice, and would be forced to return home. Although dismayed, she continued on with re-doubled efforts, more determined than ever to make it into the Corps.

While working on Basic Warrior Training, Jack learned the fundamentals of combat, as well as camouflage, low crawling, land navigation, basic squad tactics, and rappelling. Jack was the first of her platoon to enter the gas chamber, and the last to leave; although it was subsequently discovered that her mask had a leak, confining her to the medical bay for nearly a week.

Chosen to lead her squad during the Crucible, Jack successfully guided her team through obstacle courses, day and night assaults, land navigation, and countless patrols to complete the 54-hour course without a single member lost.

The day Jack officially became a Marine was one of the proudest of her life. Having managed to survive the grueling course, she was oddly numb when it came to graduation, as noted by her brother, who managed to see her during Family Day. While the two had set out to accomplish the same goal, only Jack had succeeded, a fact she would continue to feel guilty about for years to come.

Reconnaissance Training

As she neared graduation, it became steadily more apparent to those around her that her skill with a rifle was uncanny; at the top of every class, both in grades and proficiency, it was far beneath her potential to simply remain in the infantry. While journaling during her free time, she was approached by her commanding officer, and the subject of becoming a Scout Sniper was brought up. Initially doubtful, Jack was given time to think about it while on leave, and upon her return decided to take him up on his offer.

The process would not be easy; beginning with the screening board, Jack would be tested physically, mentally, and emotionally and pushed to her breaking point as she trained. On the last Thursday in April, Jack arrived for training at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for the two-day event that would begin shaping her into a Reconnaissance Marine. There she and her fellow recruits began combat water aerobics, beginning with the 25-meter underwater swim and deep water rifle retrieval. Following that was the 25-foot jump in full combat gear, as well as 30-minutes of treading water and a timed 500-meter swim, which Jack finished in record time. Jack next completed a series of physical fitness tests, earning a 1st Class Score. The obstacle course provided little challenge to her, thanks in part to her intellect and photographic memory. Not even the weight of her ruck sack slowed her down, as she was still able to complete the 8-mile course in record-shattering time.

During her interview, it was easily determined that Jack would be an ideal candidate for Scout Sniper training. However, as it was a male-only occupation, it would first require a hard-fought legal battle, and the recommendations of all of her commanding officers. That out of the way, Jack was free to complete her training, although now the hopes of many rested squarely upon her shoulders.

The Recon Indoctrination Platoons gave her further instruction in patrolling, amphibious reconnaissance, communications and land orientation, warming her up before she began attending the rigorous and demanding Basic Reconnaissance Course. The 13-week course, designed to introduce her to amphibious reconnaissance, was easily completed by the young Marine. Day and night Jack learned how to operate far behind enemy lines, often without sleep. Her courses included surveillance and reconnaissance skills, field sketching, and insertion and extraction techniques, in addition to more specialized parachutist and combat diving qualifications. All told, she received training in just about every course offered, from advanced radio communications to over-the-horizon warfare, and every skill in between.

Graduation saw her at the top of nearly every class, and once more her brother was present to see his sister accomplish the dream the two of them had once shared.

Scout Sniper Training

Jack began Phase 1 of Scout Sniper Training, Marksmanship and Basic Fields Craft, with the Known Distance Range; there she also received further classes on skills such as camouflage, individual movement, weapons systems, observations, and field sketches. Here she became adept at shooting at distances of 300, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000-yards, placing 34 out of 35 rounds on the black during her qualification.

During Phase 2 of her training, Unknown Distance and Stalking, Jack learned the fundamentals of engaging targets at unknown distances by way of range estimation and range cards. It was this that brought back memories of her days with her brother and uncle, hunting game in the Virginian woods; to her, there was little difference between the moving steel targets placed out at 300-yards and the deer stooping by the river for a drink of water. Not unexpectedly, she became even more proficient in this skill than she had been with the Known Distance course, earning honors for her and her Spotter, as well as breaking long-held course records.

Having finally accomplished what many would have said was impossible, Jack took pride in finally being able to call herself a Marine Scout Sniper. It was during her graduation that she finally allowed herself time to cry, tears that her brother was there to wipe away.

The Rikti War

Sgt. Jack Lepari was assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit during Operation Enduring Freedom when red disks first began appearing in the skies over Afghanistan. Radioing back to command HQ, she received orders to stand-by and await further instruction. As the hours passed and day turned to night, the sinister purpose behind the glowing red disks was finally revealed.

Dozens of Marines lost their lives in the initial assault, including Jack's long-time friend and Spotter. As individual units scrambled for cover, small-scale skirmishes erupted in the village streets; fighting was in-close, and each yard was paid for with countless lives.

Screaming into the radio for air support, Jack was initially denied, due to the proximity of friendly forces. She then took matters into her own hands, hefting her rifle in the direction of the advancing Rikti, and slamming into their power armor with .50 caliber rounds. Although horrendously outnumbered, she and a number of her men were able to hold their position for three days before being evacuated by helicopter.

Joining Vanguard

Finding herself once more on American sovereign territory, she and a number of hand-picked Scout Snipers provided overwatch while heated discussions among the top brass raged in the decks below. It was a few days more before representatives of the newly-formed Vanguard approached her unit with an offer: a classified joint-operation mission deep into enemy territory, with the aid of super-powered Heroes. Jack knew too well that supers were dying almost as easily as her men in the field, and didn't need to be told that it would be a suicide mission. Nevertheless, she was the first and only to volunteer.

The following 48 hours were a blur, being whisked from a black SUV to a black helicopter, and from one bunker into the next. She found herself in a darkened room with five other men and women, whom she guessed knew no more than she did. Three of the five were military of some sort or other, while the others had no obvious uniforms to mark them as such. She took an educated guess that they were the supers she'd been told about, and smirked despite herself.

All six stood in silent contemplation as the minutes ticked by, while Jack tried to imagine what the situation was like topside. Distantly she could hear the dampened rumble of artillery of some kind, and the hum of the Rikti fighters that ran constant patrols over the city. After what felt like forever, she was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps. She and the three others snapped to attention as the door opened, while the two supers made an effort to look like they hadn't been bored to tears a moment before.

The woman they would come to know as Lady Grey stood in front of them, a bevy of Vanguard personnel crowding into the room behind her. She regarded each of them with shrewd eyes, before finally speaking. "I have a mission for you, guys. You six are going to save the world."

The Mission

The mission was deceptively simple; Jack and the rest of the team, codenamed Vanguard One, would act as an advance boarding party for Omega Team, and secure a position on the surface of the Rikti Homeworld. Of course, it was infinitely more difficult, and a guaranteed suicide mission. But then again, it hadn't been the first suicide mission she'd been assigned to, nor would it likely be the last. And with that in mind, Jack signed her life away on the dotted line--as did everyone else in the room.

Vanguard One would have 24 hours to prepare, before insertion into the tenuous portal between the worlds. They would be free to write letters home, if they so chose, which most of them chose to. In an equally dark room towards the rear of the Compound, Vanguard One and the Omega Team met for the first (and possibly last) time. The moment was oddly uneventful, as each side shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. For having nearly 60 people in the room, one could have heard a pin drop...

(To be continued, hence the stub classification.)

Coming Home

An exhausted Jack Lepari was found in the Point du Hoc sector of the Rikti War Zone by patrolling Vanguard Operatives. At first suspicious of her weaponry and manner of dress, after radioing her information back to the Compound, she was brought to the office of Lady Grey for debriefing. Jack presented her black book, and began the arduous task of recounting her story. While exactly what was said is still unknown, the news of her return proved to be bittersweet. A memorial was made for the fallen members of Vanguard One, although Jack was notably absent during the ceremony.

Honoring her commander's last wish, Jack boarded a plane to Kentucky, where she was finally able to deliver his letters to his mother. Graciously inviting her in, Jack sat in silence as the woman read each letter aloud, recalling in vivid detail the circumstances behind every carefully chosen word. Jack promised to return when she was able, and made good on her promise on the one-year anniversary of Hickory's death. The two remain in close contact to this day.

Current Life

She now lives in a studio apartment in downtown Founders' Falls as a registered superhero, though she spends most of her time painting landscapes of the Rikti Homeworld. Although she has been approached by literally dozens of art collectors, she would as soon part with her portraits as with her trigger finger. And while she has sworn to put her rifle down more than once, Jack still finds time to hone her skills, turning her sights on the Crey Special Agent Sharpshooters that line the rooftops of the quaint suburb.

Jack has since started working on two books simultaneously, both based on her experiences with Vanguard One. There is no word yet of a release date, although it has been confirmed by anonymous sources that the first published copy of each will be dedicated "to NEC HM-8427 (DV/FMF/PJ), with love."

Joining the Vanguard Reserve

On a quiet morning in April, Jack received a call that would bring her in close contact with the Rikti yet again. The caller was a young Lieutenant Colonel named Rebecca Black, founder and overall commander of the Vanguard Reserve, and her words were potent enough for the Sergeant not to hang up, which was truly saying something. Although both younger and less experienced, Lt. Col Black spoke with a passion that she hadn't experienced since her days in the Corps.

Her proposition was a simple one: she wanted Jack to spearhead a program for new recruits that would teach them everything they needed to survive in the War Zone. Her immediate reaction was to refuse, but she knew enough about the woman from their conversation to realize she wasn't asking. And besides, she'd insisted, there wasn't a better qualified person this side of the Homeworld who knew as much about Rikti as she did. With a sigh, Jack reluctantly agreed, and was sworn into the Vanguard Reserve as an honorary Operative.

Today, she can be found stalking through the rubble of the War Zone with a small band of recruits in tow, and Barrett M82A3 in hand. It is not long after that Rikti begin disappearing from view, while their peers scramble for cover. If it can be said that the Rikti have learned anything, it is this: to fear the name of The Black One, and to always watch their backs.

Joining S.C.O.R.P.I.O.

It was raining. It always seemed to be raining in the Rikti War Zone, these days. Jack mentally sighed, sweeping the horizon once more. The Rikti were beginning to learn; after the first half dozen guards had gone down, they'd stopped posting them on the rim of the Mothership. Even U'kon seemed to be casting a weary glance over his shoulder, every now and again.

Footsteps behind her disturbed what had been near perfect silence. Although she would normally have ignored them, their distinct lack of subtlety intrigued her--no one who had survived long enough to get to this point would be that obvious. Slowly working a cramp out of her neck, she allowed her eyes to close for the first time in hours. It was only then that she realized how tired she was, as she stifled a yawn; morning would be here within hours, and her apartment in Founders' Falls was calling her name.

Returning her attention to the person behind her, she inclined her head, indicating that they should speak. For a few moments more silence remained, and she returned her eye to the scope of her Redding.

"My name is Dark Justicar."

Jack nodded. She'd heard that name in her travels, before. A Headman Gunner poked its head over the lip of the Mothership, drawing her attention like a cat to a darting mouse. Re-adjusting her tired limbs, she carefully dialed the knobs on her rifle.

"I'm with the Strategic Command Objective for Research, Protection and Interdictive Operations."

Jack nodded again. She'd heard her share of rumors about S.C.O.R.P.I.O. That they were ghosts, that they didn't exist, that they had the resources to make powerful people disappear. Not unlike the rumors that circulated about herself, actually. The thought brought a faint smile to her lips, as she lined up the Rikti within her sights.

"I'd like to invite you to join us."

A crack split the silence that followed. A mile away, the Rikti spasmed and jerked, its body dead before it hit the deck. Jack watched as its comrades dragged it out of sight, and she silently chalked up another kill in her black book. Closing it back, she slowly straightened to her full height, stretching her arms above her head.

For the first time, the two stood face-to-face. The woman was less imposing than her voice suggested, though she carried herself with the grace of a cat ready to strike. Jack found herself straightening her posture despite herself, reminded momentarily of her old Drill Instructor. Never again would she take threats from short women lightly.

In the distance she could hear faint shots, the echoing reports of her students' own rifles. They were clumsy and rushed, not at all like her own; she would have to go over her lessons again, when they were next together. Come to think of it, that would be in the next--she checked her watch--ten minutes. Already one or two were gathering up their gear, preparing to make their way over to her. If she was going to give an answer, now would be the time.

"I'd be glad to come aboard."

She surprised even herself, with that. How long had it been since she'd promised her services to the Vanguard Reserve? She couldn't even remember. Lt. Commander Black would be furious to learn that she would have to share, but that wasn't high on her list of concerns, at the moment.

Dark Justicar smiled, and Jack returned it despite how tired she felt. This would be good; she'd be able to hone her skills on something other than Rikti, for a change. And perhaps--Jack shook the thought away. No, it was far too soon, for that.

Looking back towards the horizon, Jack let out a soft sigh. God only knew when she would be making it back here, if she ever would. Perhaps it would be better, if she never saw the War Zone again. As she half-turned back, she saw that the woman had vanished, and she chuckled.

It was going to be one hell of a long day.