Jacen Beckett

Jacen 'Modder' Beckett
Biographical & Personal Information
Species	Human
Homeworld	Unknown
Physical Traits & Qualities
Gender	Male
Skin color	pale
Eye color	grey
Hair color	brown
Political & Military Information
Class	Infiltrator
Weapons	M-3 Predator pistol Omni-blade
Equipment	Savant X Omni-tool Tactical Cloak
[Source]

“Big guns count for little when they're not being used right.”

Jacen Beckett, commonly known on Omega as the part-time mercenary and black market dealer Modder, had never been documented by the Systems Alliance or any other organization before his arrival on Omega in 2179. Quickly becoming known as an ammunition broker, he became the top supplier for the Eclipse mercenaries on Omega before enforcers of Aria T'Loak tried forcing him to sell exclusively to her hirelings. He refused, and in retaliation for not obeying her, Aria had him thrown into a gladiatorial pit as an example. However, Beckett survived, drawing a concealed pistol and applying different mods to take down krogan mercs and a famous turian outlaw, among others. Aria let him live and go about his business as a black market merchant, though no one seems to know exactly why.

After the Adjutant attack on Omega, Modder left the station and fled to Council Space, avoiding authorities while selling illegal weapons and mods for a living. While it became more difficult for him as he gained fame for his wares, he was eventually approached by members of the paramilitary group of soldiers, agents, and mercenaries dubbed "N7 Special Ops", and would oversee their logistical requirements, ensuring supplies and ordnance reached teams taking on high-risk missions.

Biography

Life in the Terminus

Before Omega

Beckett's age places his birth somewhere near 2160, although cryogenic freezing may distort that estimation. Undocumented by Systems Alliance records, it's likely he was born on a colony or ship in the Terminus, which are often attacked and leave many orphans. Clearly an experienced gunslinger, Beckett may have been involved in a mercenary or pirate group, but his sense of morality uncommon in the Terminus systems may have been the reason he left. Even most of the Shadow Broker's information on Beckett is extrapolation, simply for lack of evidence.

Arrival on Omega

“My guns shoot more lightning than the next leading competitor!”

—Modder advertising his business.

First docking on Omega on an unregistered civilian shuttle, Beckett started making contacts at once. Meeting with the salarian Eclipse leader Jaroth, he worked out a contract to supply his men with modded weapons in return for a modest sum of credits. With the money, Beckett set up a small business on the border of Gozu and Kima Districts, selling his wares to professional mercs and private citizens for self-defense. While their deal was at first mutually beneficial, before long Jaroth realized the merchant wouldn't depend on Eclipse for business, and in an attempt to control him, demanded Beckett sell to Eclipse at half his usual price. Beckett refused, and Jaroth indifferently dispatched some of his men skilled in torture to make an example of the human. However, Beckett had expected this, and when Jaroth's men arrived, they fell into a trap set by Archangel's team of vigilantes. Rather than lose more men to Archangel, Jaroth left the weapon dealer alone, and Beckett made up for the loss in business by selling at a discount to the turian vigilante.

However, the interference in the balance of power caught the attention of Aria T'Loak. She soon paid him a visit in person,

Reaper Attack and Flight from Omega

Beckett aids in a field mission.

Reaper War

Recruitment by N7 Special Ops

Still wanted by the Systems Alliance Navy and Citadel Security for production of illegal mods, Beckett was forced to keep a low profile. Still, weapons dealing was his trade, and he continued to turn a profit by staying constantly on the move. While able to evade arrest, he wasn't as successful as he had been and missed the relative comfort he'd lived in on Omega, often forced to stow away aboard interstellar vessels.

Battle of Lexington Station

“If we must abandon the station, we will not be leaving empty-handed.”

—Beckett, determined to save as much materiel as possible.

Personality & Traits

“Our lives are made on the deaths of others.”

—Modder, quoting Leonardo da Vinci.

Beckett had a rather pleasant disposition for someone making money on violence. Although to survive in the Terminus he was forced to be wary of any new acquaintance, he was willing to give others a chance to prove themselves trustworthy, and formed his own perceptions. Wise beyond his years, Beckett listened to others' problems and offered sound advice to those who needed it, but would never let anyone learn as much about him in return. Though outwardly cheerful, Beckett seldom discussed his past with anyone, and never in detail. It held many sources of sadness which he kept internalized, and felt acutely because he refused to share the memories or dull them with alcohol or other vices.

Preferring to talk his way out of a fight, Beckett would remain charming up until guns were drawn, and even then was good at defusing situations. When a fight was unavoidable, Beckett would distract and deceive his opponents until he had the advantage, and then strike without mercy. While especially friendly to customers in his time on Omega, he believed what they did with his mods was not his concern. Despite a general "live and let die" outlook, Beckett had been shown to have a conscience, especially when it came to harming innocents. More than once, he drew his pistol on customers that expressed intent to murder indiscriminately.

Powers

The nickname Modder comes from Beckett's primary gift: weapon mods. A master of tuning a weapon's internal systems to whatever specifications were desired, Beckett has surprised many well-equipped or powerful enemies by cutting down shields, armor, and barriers before they were able to respond. Beckett's mods are often more effective at damaging their specifically suited forms of defense than those issued by the galaxy's militaries.

Ammo Powers Armor-Piercing Ammo By firing a larger mass projectile, mass effect weapons can punch through even the toughest armor, and cause catastrophic tissue damage that even if treated by medi-gel, could kill the target without expert medical attention. Cryo Ammo Cooling lasers collapse ammunition into small Bose-Einstein condensate - a mass of super-cooled subatomic particles - capable of snap-freezing impacted objects. Disruptor Ammo Electric or EMP fields take a heavy toll on a target's shielding. Popular with the enemies of Eclipse, and often purchased by paranoid Quarians worried about Geth attack. Explosive Ammo Superheating ammunition to the point of instability results in rapid thermal clip usage, but unmatched force behind a shot. Incendiary Ammo Able to burn through armor and flesh, and wounds are extremely painful. Shredder Ammo Anti-personnel rounds are made with hollow point techniques, and expand on impact making them harmless against armor, but lethal to unprotected targets. Warp Ammo A particular favorite, making use of Beckett's unamplified biotics. Warp-enhanced ammunition cuts through barriers, damages armor, and can cause severe internal wounds to a target.

Other Abilities Omni-tool Beckett has come to rely on his Savant X Omni-tool immensely, his personal tool incorporating many civilian and military features, including communications uplinks, a flashlight, recording equipment, hacking algorithms, scanners, and a field fabrication unit. It could also serve as a weapon by producing an omni-blade. Tactical Cloak With almost anything being available on Omega, Beckett came into possession of a weak tactical cloak. The device offered no bonus damage, but helped him evade his enemies on many occasions. Biotics Beckett was a natural biotic, but was never implanted with biotic amplifiers, making his small talents insignificant in combat. But he was capable enough to effect small objects and fashion Warp ammunition on his own, which was unusually potent.

Notes

• This article uses the image of Alex Mercer from Prototype, whose appearance is somewhat similar to the Assassins of Assassin's Creed. References are likely in the future.
• The author is only semi-active, so authors wishing to collaborate or use Modder in their stories or fics are welcome to do so.