Sascha

A Harat-Shar tigraine, one of Reese Edding's employees on the TMS Earthrise.

Appearance and Personality

Just like Irine, but a guy. Dark amber eyes, sometimes described as yellow. Shares tiger stripe patterning with Irine.

Witty, pragmatic. Observant about people. Inseparable from his twin, whom he cannot imagine living without. "I never feel the depth of excitement she does, but once I’m committed I focus a lot more easily than she does. We make a good team that way. She keeps me enthused and I keep her determined." Not fond of his homeworld, not because he dislikes the people or the climate, but because it doesn't feel like home to him. "It’s one of the few things Irine and I used to fight about—she wants to have babies on Harat-Sharii where the train can help raise them. I want to go somewhere else."

Biography

Born on Harat-Sharii in the port city of Zhedeem, an off-worlder-friendly city that encouraged cosmopolitan attitudes toward aliens and other Pelted races. The twins' family is well-off, with what amounts to an estate with multiple buildings, gardens, and fountains, and with servants to tend the family. Studied to be a pilot, in part to get off the world.

Most of the crew of the TMS Earthrise were hired 3 years before the start of the book Earthrise. Sascha was the first or second to be hired by Reese, she hired the twins first.

While visiting Harat-Sharii with Reese and the crew, studied to be a mechanic.

During the Solstice Vigil, he was given a heated blanket from Reese, feathers from Bryer, cinnamon oil from Kis'eh't, a wooden box with a dagger sheathed in leather and ivory from Hirianthial, and from Liolesa, notice that Soly's hold is to be detached to Escutcheon for at least a year for Narain to be with Sascha and Irine.

After the coup/insurrection, he becomes Hirianthial's equerry. This evolves into work as his assistant when he's acting as Lord of War; he serves as an interface between the Fleet intelligence assets and the Eldritch council (mostly because of his relationship with Narain), and ends up in many of Hirianthial's meetings, taking notes. Hirianthial also set him to learning formal fighting (from Olthemiel and the Swords), more in his office as squire than as a defense secretary's aide: an Eldritch squire should know the sword, and Sascha figured as long as he was learning dueling, he should probably learn scrapping from anyone who'll teach him street-fighting.

Family

Seventeen siblings other than his twin; their father had seven wives.

• Irine - twin sister
• Zhemala - one of Irine and Sascha's mothers (though not their birth-mother), and first wife to their father
• Mascher - Irine and Sascha's father

Trivia

• Swears by the pantheistic religion: "Angels," "Angels-blessed," "Battlehells."
• Calls Reese "Boss" (or "captain" when he's being serious), and Kis'eh't, "Manylegs." Hirianthial got 'doc', initially.
• Apparently speaks an "exotic language." Possibly Meredan, since the Harat-Shar don't have much of one.
• Pilots naked. Because Harat-Shar. Is squeamish about injuries to his own body but can handle them in anyone else, including Irine.
• Drinks kerinne and is a good cook (the best of the Earthrise's original crew)

Quotes

• In response to "Time is always precious": "Only if you fill it with something,” Sascha said. “Otherwise it’s marking the hours."
• "You Eldritch. You think you’re magic just because you have the potential to outlive us ten times over. But that doesn’t change that it’s just potential. You know how often people realize their potential, arii? And that’s over things in themselves they can control.”
• Hirianthial: "And how did you get so wise?" Sascha: "By loving."
• Kis'eh't: "She's stealing your lines." Sascha: "She's my twin. Everything I have is hers anyway."
• "I'm not really into cruelty. Different wiring, I didn't get it."