Biography of the Santiago family

[Laerethe]

The Santiago Family

The Santiago lineage can be traced back to The Hispania; currently residing in New Costa, the family is known for a wide range of activities. Specialists in many subjects can be found in this prodigious family, although the main few are combat and tactics, diplomacy, philosophy and commerce.

As a result, the current members are very varied in their interests. The family has good relations with several other Corsair giants, most notably the Barbarossa and Ximanez families, and is a founding member of the Corsair splinter group, the Centinelas del Cielo( [CC] ).

Rumours have been spread of close ties with the Inteligencia of the Centinelas, especially in regards to Enzo. Notable ones include puppetry and conspiracy, conspiracy to ally with other disapproved factions. All have been denied, but Enzo’s presence is undeniable. What is unclear is his foothold in the Inteligencia, and whether or not it is politically motivated, or perhaps even paternally…

Enzo Santiago

The patriarch, Enzo Santiago is First Sentinel of the Blanco (white) fleet of the [CC] Armada. Captain of the Dreadnought ‘Tormenta’ and childhood friend of ‘Steve’ Ximanez, he is a guiding light in the darkness and oppression of our conspiring foes. A prodigal pilot, he spent much of his younger years in competition with ‘Steve’ Ximanez and Gervasi Santiago, his brother; this led to perfection of piloting skills and drinking, after these sessions. Strong both mentally and physically, only the finest dared challenge him, and all submitted. Such a strong record and relationship with the aforementioned led to his leadership at the genesis of [CC]. He was partnered with his childhood sweetheart, Rosita; however, she recently died to a long-term debilitating disease.

Enzo spent a vast amount of time educating his children, Evita and Hermanus; both however, took different interests in Corsair affairs.

Recently, Gervasi advised Enzo to build himself another battleship, notably Osiris class. The reasoning for this is that the Legate often proves unwieldy when navigating asteroid fields; since both the Malvada cloud and Omega-41 are full of asteroids, pilots can find it difficult to consolidate Corsair dominance, and repel any attacks from the slightly more viable Jormungand-class battleships, and Bounty Hunter Threshers.
Enzo decided to ask Hermanus to acquire the resources; Hermanus came through strong, his new interests providing plenty of capital, and metals. However, this took several months to collate. After consulting Corsair engineers at Rhodes and Tripoli, he contracted them to build him an Osiris, with a special request for extra armour. This cost handsomely, but the engineers were excited to be building something different.

The result was spectacular; christened the ‘Ira’, it has proved itself countless times to be a first-class warship. Being able to navigate asteroids whilst dodging enemy antimatter, all the time returning heavy fire led to dominance in Omega-41 and humiliation of Red Hessian fleets. Enzo adores the capabilities that the ship’s agility gives him; rarely is he seen piloting the ‘Tormenta’ simply due to his effectiveness in ‘Ira’.

Gervasi Santiago

Gervasi Santiago, the younger brother of Enzo struggled in Enzo’s shadow for many years; their parents, Andrés and Leona preferred the physical dominance and power of Enzo to the slighter, more thoughtful Gervasi. Despite being the only viable match for Enzo in combat, he soon grew tired of the pointless conflict and sought another role. He became a tactician.

His advice proved invaluable to the Corsair fleets; collaboration between himself and Evita Santiago (his niece) led to not only innovative individual piloting tactics, but fleet manoeuvres and targeting. One of Gervasi’s greatest successes was his investigation into Outcast capital ships; this investigation took several years to complete, due to obvious barriers. However, the result was revolutionary. An extreme weakness in the Outcast ship designs was discovered, the weakness being general lack of belly-hull defence.

Gervasi informed the Armada and briefed the fleets on relevant tactics. Consequently, his standing improved and he gained the respect that he had always been lacking.
These tactics weren’t used for a number of months; Outcast activity was low, and little more than a few skirmishes between patrols were reported. However, a sudden strike of multiple Outcast capital ships (classes Sarissa and Storta) occurred in Gamma during the rest period on Crete; this attempt to defeat Crete almost succeeded.

However, the Armada was scrambled; few had forgotten the tactics briefed, and performed their tasks with surgical precision. Outcast battleships were isolated, struck from multiple angles simultaneously; the weakness was exploited by hurling antimatter from underneath. The Outcast fleet was destroyed, the pilots captured and humiliated and the Armada victorious. Such a victory set a new age for the Armada’s military status.

Gervasi can usually be found in his Praetorian or Praefect, both kitted to destroy enemy capital ships with ease, matching his tactics. His brother Enzo always has an ear for him, if needed. Gervasi takes a sizeable role in the training of the fleet. He is currently a bachelor with no known descendants.

Recently, Gervasi has taken a particular interest in the Imperator and its application in fleet warfare. Its lack of agility often led to neglect amongst Corsair, in favour of the smaller Titan, or larger Praefect. However, Gervasi is certain that with the right set-up, and increased armour plating, it could reclaim its place as a hugely effective instrument of death. As a result, he is currently testing weapon load outs in his quest to find the most viable.

Hermanus Santiago

Hermanus, the only son of Enzo Santiago and his wife, the late Rosita, didn’t turn out as expected. Something of a misfit among the Corsair society, he placed little value in the actual conflict; he understood the reasons and value of it, but wished to take no part himself. Instead, he decided to dedicate himself the upkeep of the Armada, supplying the engineers of Ximanez with the capital they require to maintain and innovate. The value of his service is undeniable; the funds he generates through management and innovation of the Artifact trade are vital to the survival of the Centinelas. In addition, he created a nexus of supply routes and deals, along with the diplomatic aid of the Inteligencia, supplying the entire Corsair society. In respect for his services, the Centinelas gifted him a custom-built Titan, complete with classified weaponry, contracted by the Ximanez family. He is well equipped to defend his family and comrades should the need arise, much to the pride of his father.

Recently, under the guide of his peers, he seems to have delved into the trade of legal commodities, guiding legitimate businesses to share some of their funds with the Corsairs. However, it appears that this is not abject piracy, but rather complete control of the targeted business, adverse to normal Corsair stereotypes.

Regardless of the details, it seems to have doubled, or even tripled the income of the Centinelas; such acts are invaluable. With this increase in status, he has recently felt the need to hone his fighting skills, so as to protect himself from any opportunists.

Evita Santiago (MIA)

The daughter of Enzo, Evita wasn’t treated quite as well as her brother. Due to various issues during her childhood, she was not offered a direct military role. However, her interest in diplomacy and keen intellect led to a desire to take an intelligence role in the Centinelas. Unfortunately, she was denied for unknown reasons. She spent much of her time on expeditions funded by her brother; however, during one of these expeditions charting the Nomad worlds, her party went missing. Presumed killed by Nomads, she has been mourned for some time by the family and acquaintances.