Engineer: Mechanic – Making Things Go

MECHANIC-MAKING THINGS GO

Virtually no Alliance military unit can function without a competent Mechanic, due to the constant wear-and-tear on the mechanical and technical assets the unit relies upon to do battle. Mechanics do everything from minor tune-ups and adjustments to massive overhauls and repairs. They are both the gears of the Alliance machine and the grease that makes it run smoothly.

Mechanics gain four additional career skills—Brawl, Mechanics, Piloting (Space), and Skullduggery. They gain a free rank in two of these (as long as this is the first specialization chosen). Tough and pragmatic, Mechanics tend to be able to take care of themselves in a fight, and they know the best places to get what they need when normal supply chains fail. They’re also usually capable of flying or driving whatever they fix.

Most Mechanics are definitely “in the field” types. While they prefer to have a good place to work where they can keep their tools, they don’t want to be too far away from the unit they support to do any good. A military-minded Mechanic always has a solid, portable kit for his tools and is ready to go into the line of fire to get a desperately needed tank or heavy cannon back up and running before the enemy overruns the position.

Many Alliance commanders are loath to promote their Mechanics, but this isn’t due to a lack of confidence in a Mechanic’s abilities or a failure to follow orders (though Mechanics in the Rebellion do have a reputation for being a surly, independent lot). Instead, such commanders fear that promotion will lead to their unit’s loss of the service of a highly valued member of the team. Fortunately, most Mechanics have little use for rank, and even less use for the paperwork and bureaucracy that upper-echelon types have to deal with. They’d much rather take wrench in hand and get to work.