Kalisha Una Midnum

Kalisha, full name Kalisha Talaya Alana Una Midnum, is an accomplished sharpshooter and lauded graduate of Izina's only military academy.

Due to her social anxiety, Kalisha happily let her best friend and mentor soak up public attention throughout their education. Nanshe's refusal to follow through with a period of expected military service, however, forces Kalisha to abandon her role as humble "sidekick" and enter the spotlight as a proper leader.

Personality
Kalisha is intelligent, reliable, and courageous in the face of genuine danger -- but she has always suffered from social anxiety.

She spends most of her free time in the wilderness with close friends, which makes her feel secure and comfortable. Urban life, with its large groups of strangers and unpredictable social interactions, has always made her uneasy.

Like all Midnum, Kalisha was raised to value honor and duty above all other things. Her word is as good as gold, and she is easily offended when someone backs out of a promise.

Kalisha has always been the voice of reason and rationality within her group of friends. She prefers to support others from the sidelines and shies away from recognition or excessive praise. This created an ideal "hero-sidekick" relationship between Kalisha and Nanshe, her best friend and mentor. Their relationship begins to crumble after Nanshe walks away from her responsibilities, leaving Kalisha in charge -- a position that she's never wanted.

Early Life
A soldier from birth, Kalisha is the only daughter of two Midnum commandos who met after relocating to Izina. They separated a few decades after her birth, and she remained in the custody of her mother. Kalisha was a quiet child and became anxious in large groups. This turned into a problem at school, as she would shut down and refuse to speak if called upon in class. Once teachers pulled her aside into small work groups, they discovered that she had a gifted mind. Kalisha spent time with several school counselors to build up the social confidence necessary to interact in everyday situations.

Like all Midnum children, Kalisha also went through physical conditioning and survival training as a child. She fell in love with nature on her first overnight camping trip in the wilderness. She felt at peace in open, wild areas. This new sense of comfort allowed Kalisha to dominate her training courses. She quickly mastered basic survival skills and, once introduced to firearms, demonstrated a tremendous talent for precision shooting. Her sharp eyes and steady hands allowed her to shoot with the skill of a seasoned adult. The Midnum immediately put her through advanced marksmanship training.

Nanshe and the Pack
Kalisha was not the only one who preferred the wilderness to the city. Classmates mentioned an Iduz girl named Nanshe, who was making a name for herself as an avid adventurer. A mutual friend introduced the two. Kalisha was awe-struck by Nanshe's confidence and wished to tag along on one of her backpacking trips, but she was too shy to ask. It took her a great while to build up the courage. Nanshe was happy to have Kalisha join her.

With their mutual disdain for pretentious city life and their passion for adventure, Nanshe and Kalisha became close friends. They would spend all of their free time together -- discovering unexplored places on Izina and getting into countless misadventures. Other outdoor enthusiasts would join them over time, establishing a close-knit group that Kalisha considered family.

Nanshe was their charismatic leader -- a source of courage and inspiration. Kalisha was the dutiful second-in-command. She kept everyone in line with her rationality and work ethic. The two had a complimentary balance, not unlike a hero and a sidekick.

While Kalisha performed well at school, her true devotion was given to Nanshe and their pack. She knew, however, that duty would soon separate them.

Education
As a member of Urum Midnum, Kalisha would be required to serve in the military before she could be considered a legal adult. There were two options available to her. She could wait for her conscription notice and join up like any other grunt, or she could attend Izina's only military academy and begin her mandatory service as an elite operative. With most of her friends already attending the academy, and with her family legacy to consider, she opted for the latter choice.

Nanshe was already an honor student when Kalisha began attending. Their work dynamic at school was similar to their arrangement with the pack -- Kalisha willingly did her work in the shadows while Nanshe stood in the limelight. Instructors underestimated Kalisha's abilities due to her reclusive nature. Nanshe had to continually push her to promote her talents to superiors.

Kalisha focused her studies on special reconnaissance and sharpshooting. An accomplished marksman, her skill with a coilgun was unmatched. Impressive academic scores increased her standing even further. Upon graduating, the local Midnum infantry offered her a career as an elite scout sniper. She accepted.

Nanshe had promised to enlist with the Iduz, intending to live out this life phase with her. At the last minute, however, Nanshe backed out of her promise and decided to continue her life of hedonism. A wedge was driven between them. Kalisha was furious that her best friend had betrayed her, and Nanshe was stressed from the pressure of obligation.

After an intense argument, the two parted ways. Nanshe went on an extended backpacking trip with the rest of the pack, and Kalisha began her military service.

The Breaking of the Treaty
Life was quiet, if not dull, following Kalisha's entry into the Midnum armed services. Without any genuine threats on Izina, most soldiers spent time doing drills and training exercises. Kalisha was largely cut off from her friends due their retreat from society. Lonely and bitter, her negative feelings only grew worse over the next few months.

Circumstances changed when a cargo capsule landed just outside of Aria. Kalisha was one of the soldiers called in to investigate the situation, as any unscheduled landing on Izina was a potential crisis due to the strict transit laws that were designed to protect all neutral planets. A crew of gun smugglers, or so it was thought, was unloading the capsule when soldiers arrived. The criminals opened fire with military-grade weaponry. Taken by surprise, military casualties were high until the remaining soldiers could unleash a proper counter-attack. All criminals were eliminated in the skirmish.

Kalisha landed several difficult and important shots in the conflict, eliminating the gunner of an anti-personnel cannon that had been responsible for the majority of military deaths. Her actions won the attention of the representative of all Midnum on Izina. Kalisha was relieved of regular duty and reassigned to guard the representative during the tense weeks that followed.

Her new role would lead her to come back into contact with Nanshe, causing further sparks to fly between them. As the political situation on Izina grows worse, the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive the growing crisis.

Nanshe
Bound by their mutual hatred of crowds and city life, Kalisha and Nanshe have been close friends since adolescence. Kalisha grew up admiring Nanshe's overwhelming independence -- her ability to go against convention without a care in the world. Their souls are cut from the same cloth, and they have always shared their deepest thoughts without reservation.

Things became more complicated as they got older. While many relationships would crop up between the girls and their close friends, Kalisha and Nanshe were effectively the group's "alpha couple." Kalisha harbored deep feelings, but Nanshe was terrified of settling down with anyone. This became an early point of contention between the two, and their relationship would begin to shift wildly from romance to rivalry to friendship and back again. While this would create temporary drama, they were always able to remain on good terms.

Their relationship hit a rough patch following their graduation from Izina's joint military academy. Both had made plans to enlist with their respective armed services. Nanshe backed out at the last moment in order to continue living a life of responsibility-free hedonism, which subsequently isolated Kalisha from their regular group of friends. Kalisha found these actions immature and reckless.

The pair is later reunited after the violation of Izina's neutrality treaty. As the situation on Izina deteriorates, Kalisha is forced to accept more responsibility in the absence of Nanshe's leadership, and the two find themselves in reverse positions -- Kalisha as the leader, Nanshe as the subordinate. Tempers flare as the world crumbles around them.

The Pack
Due to her shyness, Kalisha rarely socializes outside of her established group of friends. As a result, she has a very tight bond with every permanent member of Nanshe's "pack." Kalisha is seen as the more responsible big sister -- someone who will listen to problems and offer rational advice. She is protective of her companions and becomes irritated whenever she feels that Nanshe is luring them into unnecessary (if amusing) danger.

Aya is an endearing source of feminity in the group, and Kalisha sees her as a cheery younger sister. Urien is steadfast and relaxed -- always good at keeping things mellow. Rassir's biting humor can cause problems in public, but Kalisha has always appreciated his blunt honesty.

Nanshe's Family
Kalisha is effectively considered part of Nanshe's extended family. Although she doesn't necessarily consider Nanshe's relatives to be "friends," more like honorary in-laws, Kalisha has always gotten along with them.

She attended many classes with Kora at Izina's only military academy. While she respects Kora's tenacity, Kalisha has learned that staying out of her way causes the least amount of drama when they're on some kind of mission -- arguing is pointless when Kora latches onto an objective. Kalisha would not associate with Kora by choice, as their clashing personalities leave her feeling uncomfortable in one-on-one situations.

Nanshe's parents have always made her feel like part of the family, inviting her to all major functions, and Kalisha has the utmost respect for them. She admires their stable relationship. Although Kalisha is often too shy to discuss serious matters with them, she genuinely loves them.

Physical Appearance
Taller than most women -- though of average build for a Midnum -- Kalisha stands at just under six feet tall. She is slender, athletic, and long-limbed. Her hair is pale brown, bordering on gray. It is straight and hangs just below her shoulder blades, though it's often tied back when on duty. Her eyes are bluish gray. Her skin is light brown, bordering on white.

Although she often appears stern, the soft curves of her face and her full lips are considered quite attractive.