| Sal Handrew Polaris | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biographical & Personal Information | |
|
Species |
Human |
|
Homeworld |
Citadel |
| Physical Traits & Qualities | |
|
Gender |
Male |
|
Skin color |
White (Permanent pale tone) |
|
Eye color |
Formerly silver (Turned fully white after receiving eye implants) |
|
Hair color |
Black |
| Political & Military Information | |
|
Weapons |
Omni-blade |
|
Affiliation |
|
| [Source] | |
Sal Polaris, or Sal Handrew Polaris, alternatively called Sal Handrew Polaris T'Nola by step-mother and father and also named Saal'Kazah or Quarian Defender by the quarian race, and represented as "The Fractured Shell" in Mass Effect: Destination, is a local human living on the Citadel and an agent of the Citadel Security Special Forces. He also serves as the pivotal character of Mass Effect: Destination and it's predecessor story's.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Sal was born in 2169 CE, as the son of Rami Polaris, and his father, Hunnigan Polaris, who was not present during the birth. Sometime after, Rami was notified of Hunnigan's death consequently leaving her as the sole parent. For the next 2 months, she struggled to raise her son along with the impending financial issues. Her problem was eventually solved when she was approached by Aliana T'Nola, an asari who offered to take care of him until Rami's current status improved enough for her to care for her own son. Aliana was given full custody of Sal and raised him as her heir to the T'Nola fortune after she herself was given it in accordance to her grandmother's will. Throughout his childhood until the age of 14, Aliana cared for her only son away from the influence of her family who she deemed corrupted to raise him around. When at a certain age, she and him traveled to Thessia where he was secretly given the family mark, making him worthy of the T'Nola name.
Eezo Exposure[]
When 10 years of age and while playing with friends, a ship carrying eezo-filled cargo, crashed. The eezo, in dust form, was exposed to the nearby area through a ventilation duct. Sal inhaled massive amounts of eezo because he was sprinting, in turn caused him to breathe harder including the other children he played with. After this, he started experiencing a fever and fainted from exhaustion. His step-mother rushed him to a hospital after his symptoms started worsening. Doctors were able to reveal he inhaled eezo which could have killed him. Knowing he will develop biotics and in fear it will endanger him, his step-mother bribed the staff 5 million credits to keep the matter confidential.
Training[]
Influenced by a hand-to-hand combat demonstration after a visit from his biological mother, Aliana used her wealth to hired several close-combat experts from around the galaxy to train her son self-defense. However, all of his live combat exercises would be simulated.
Battle of the Citadel and Personal Quest[]
The Battle of the Citadel was a pivotal moment of Sal's life that would define his future to a great extent. During a close-encounter with a husk, he discovered his biotic powers, much to his surprise. Helping his close ones escape, he stayed behind to find his friends or any other survivors. Looking in the market section, he stumbled upon Yana'Naaman nar Qwib Qwib, who was looking for safety and temporarily took Sal under her safety unaware of his combat experience. During their search, by accident, came across a geth patrol and Yala was shot in the stomach area as a result, puncturing her stomach lining and enviro-suit. Sal, in vain, tried to stop the bleeding but could not save her and as a result of her death, seriously traumatized him then eventually drove him to kill any geth by mutilating them and writing several phrases in synthetic fluid. After Citadel forces retook the Citadel, Sal personally carried her body to the Migrant Fleet to honor her commitment to him during their escape.
Following the emotional scarring of her death, Sal was placed back the care of his birth mother after her near 14 year separation. Shortly he was purposed a place within the Citadel Security Special Forces as the first human to join by Mira T'Gosa, a surviving C-Sec member to which he refused at first but took the proposal after discovering a photo of his mother and a man he never met before, taking the lack of any emotional support from her since coming back, as a justification to defy her. Sal was escorted to Vayla Demrega to be given a psychological evaluation, giving her some much needed details on his actions.
Becoming the Quarian Defender[]
- “You just missed it, officer. Those three men over there got beaten up by a kid in a white robe. Sure was fast.”
- —Bystander talking to a C-Sec officer after Sal had saved a quarian from being assaulted
Sometime after his psych evaluation, Sal had gained a renown for protecting any quarians anywhere on the Citadel from those who would harass, threaten or even utter a single racist remark would be met out with personal retaliation. Eventually, pilgrims who were spared the social abuse would tell their people of a 'defender' among the council races.
Reaper War and the Aftermath[]
In Russia and enjoying the view of St. Basils Cathredral, Sal spots a reaper descending down and destroys the Cathredral instantly. He rushes for the village to warn them, only to be too late. Sal goes through the destroyed village and manages to find Vayla. At the same time, Kurlo is seen running from a reaper about to shoot it's laser. Sal watches helplessly as Kurlo is killed and begins to experience a more serious toll on his mentality. Meanwhile, the surviving villagers and remaining nearby Russian military forces, hide in a nearby underground Cold War bunker outfitted with current-gen technology. Sal commands the operations along with the Russian forces remaining commander. Then several transmissions are recovered and are revealed to be Mark Petcher and Wade Valen, along with an unknown signature. Because of the emotional toll of Kurlo's death, Sal stays awake for 4 straight days.
After Sal is forced to sleep to ensure he is prepared for the coming retaliation to retake Earth, Wade Valen and Mark Petcher are killed and the next day, Nephamus, an awakened collector, is killed when a piece of falling debris drops on him.
On the day of retaking Earth, with the help of the SSV Stuttgart, Sal damages Eternal, a reaper. But he loses his grip on trying to make the finishing blow and is tossed out into space. Desperately trying to stay afloat in space after being caught in the Earth's gravity, he is hit by a piece of debris which knocks him unconscious. Suddenly waking up in a garden, he finds a quarian planting flowers who turns around reveal herself to be Yana'Naaman, without her suit. Following his question if he is dead, Yana affirm's him he was founded by an alliance ship after they were given secret coordinates to his location while drifting in space. Before leaving, she expresses one last hug before Sal re-awakes back on Earth. Thinking of last her words before her death, Sal speaks to himself "She said that to me once. And she was right."
Rannoch Residence[]
In 2192, Sal received a request to "visit" Rannoch by Admiral Zaal'Koris for his honesty for bringing the body of Yana'Naaman to the migrant fleet after she died, a rather very rare eulogy to find among the council races. Several preparations were undertaken to cultivate him into quarian society such as, changing his name along with a household name, curing any side-effects left by his sickness which then would lead to the removal of his interface suit and the implanted nodes, and offering him a home. Despite the welcome by the quarian people, however, Sal was still left unchanged by the emotional toll set on him 9 years before his arrival.
Appearance[]
Sal has taken it upon himself to wear the armor given to him, wherever he goes. It is one of two sets of apparel he wears to conceal himself, with the other being a white robe.
- “Patient keeps continuing to conceal shreds of revealed skin. Cutting up pieces of his only blanket in order to shroud himself.”
- —Vayla Demrega's assessment on Sal's appearance
Sal is the normal height of a simple teenager and bears a different appearance than normal teenagers by skin tone, eye color, and personality. His skin tone has turned into a sickeningly pale tone with short to long trails of veins appearing marked evidently across his entire body and currently remains unknown on the exact cause of it, his eyes became fully white following surgery on them, and his forehead bears a black-colored asari republic emblem.
When not wearing his armor, he is often seen in a more concealed appearance. Wearing his white robe that covers his entire body from neck to toe including hands. In order to conceal his face from others who may contempt him, he wears a white hood with a mask to cover it.
Personality[]
Before the attack on the Citadel, Sal was formerly a sympathetic, out-going, and giving human. He was kind to anyone that could be his friend as well as free spirited often believing he could change anything should he give enough devotion to it as his mother stated to him. After the attack on the Citadel and the death of Yana'Naaman, Sal came from a good kid to a depressed, inactive, non-talkative teenager who suffered frequent outbursts of anger if no one helped him with his emotional issues.
The only surviving personality trait, which is rare to find from people in the galaxy, is Sal harbors a deep care for quarians, choosing never to express common racism to any one of them he meets rather greeting them in a kindhearted way. He will take it upon himself to defend the rights of quarians everywhere by counteracting any forms of racism against them with the full extent of his power regardless of the outcome or trouble that tends to befall him.
When it comes to taking off his robe or mask, Sal will refuse to do any in fear he will be rejected because of his altered appearance.
Skills[]
Sal is very flexible and strong for a teenager his age given the conditions he has experienced. His strength is considered to be in the adult level despite the young age. Since the attack on the Citadel, Sal has shown to have a serious strength level when either agitated by someone harassing a quarian or when someone close is in danger.
Biotics[]
Due to his exposure to eezo at age 10, Sal developed biotics through his childhood, unknown to himself as they developed. During the Battle of the Citadel, Sal discovered his biotic potential and performed with impressive skill but soon began to re-act the practice, unsuccessfully. The extent of his biotic skill go into his acrobatics. Being able to launch himself into the air or towards a specific target. The power of his biotics can be amplified with his high anger levels (Most notably around his feelings for quarians) but at the cost of being unable to properly control them which can lead to destructive outcome.
Family[]
- Rami Polaris - Biological mother
- Hunnigan Polaris - Biological father
- Kani Polaris - Grandmother
- Aliana T'Nola - Step-mother
- Stark Anthony - Step-father
- Shessiba Theran - Aunt
- Gal Kinerai - Cousin
- Esara Kinerai - Cousin
- Ypran T'Nola - Second step-father
- Vayla Demrega - Temporary guardian
- Roane T'Nola - Step-grandmother
- Lenas T'Nola - Step-uncle
- Many unamed cousins in the T'Nola family
- Anoska'Jakkan - Wife
- Ifan'Kazah - Daughter
Trivia[]
- The word "Polaris" is actually a star, also known as the North Star. It is the brightest star in the castellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star.
- The adjective for this character is (PO-LAYR-RUS)
- The name "Sal" may refer to actual people: Is also a nickname for Salvatore, a common Italian name.
- Sal's confinement in his armor and that he has pale skin can be correspondent to the quarian race. As he is always in it, and is always wearing it wherever he goes in addition to his ocular implants that made his eyes fully white, can be seen through his helmet visor.
- Sal is one of the four of the Destination characters to have a emotional issue regarding the loss of a close friend or family member, joined by Vayla Demrega, Dail'Kanaar and Caelus Derolus.