Marshall Rock Shepard

Colonel Marshall Rock Shepard commands Petrochem's mighty military forces. He is a skilled and experienced military leader,with battle credentials ranging from Eastern Europe to South America to Central and Western Africa. Shepard was wooed to Petrochem in 2011, after the corporation's defeat in die South China Sea. The company felt it was time for new military leader-ship, and Shepard was tapped to replace Adm. Casey Sawyer, who had resigned in die aftermath of die SovOil debacle.The board decided to bring in an outsider rather than promoting someone from inside the corporation because it was felt that a whole new perspective was necessary to revitalize Petrochem's worn-out military forces.

Shepard is a native of Liberia, and he cut his military teeth in one of that country's innumerable civil wars. Growing disenchanted with the petty differences of Liberia's warring factions, he went abroad to seek more diverse experience. As a roving mercenary, he served in an enlisted position in the Congo, Egypt, and Zimbabwe. The British intervention force in Zimbabwe recognized his leadership talent and sent him back to England for officer training, but he soon abandoned Britain to seek independent work again. As an officer, he lead forces for Brazil and Yugoslavia, and briefly, for Orbital Air. Orbital Air sent Shepard to the elite Lazarus Military Institute where he learned advanced leadership and strategy techniques. Petrochem made him an offer he couldn't refuse shortly after graduation, and he has been there ever since. His stay at Petrochem marks his longest tenure with any one employer.

Shepard is forty-six years old. He has been a soldier since he was sixteen. All of his non-military education has come in fits and starts between military employments. Shepard is a rather stout black man with short, graying hair and a neatly trimmed beard. A physical powerhouse, he is soft spoken and intelligent. Popular with his troops, he has never been able to overcome his discomfort at dealing with executives and boardrooms. Shepard is trying to remain impartial in the face of the boardroom power struggle, but his command of the army is a desirable asset, and he expects to bed ragged into the conflict eventually.

Skills
Combat Sense 8, Strength Feat 6, Resist Torture/Drugs 5, Leadership 9, Awareness/Notice 6,English (Native), French 6, Spanish 5,Shadow/Track 3, Wilderness Survival 6, Education and General Knowledge 4, Expert Military Strategy 8, Expert Small Unit Tactics 5, Special Operations 7, Expert Naval Warfare 3,Driving 6, Handgun 5, Rifle 7, Submachine gun 4,Melee 7, Heavy Weapons 5, Stealth 3

Cyberware
Basic Processor, Sandevistan Speedware, Chipware Socket, Interface Plugs, Smartgun Link, Data Term Link, Muscle and Bone Lace, Skin Weave, Basic Cyberoptic, Image Enhancement, Low Lite™, Infrared, Times Square Marquee, Targeting Scope, armored left Cyberarm and right Cyberleg with reinforced joints and thickened myomar.