Beauregard Waylon Burke was born on the Isle of Leucothea, one of over a hundred barrier and tidal islands off the coast of Thales in Aerilon's southern hemisphere. His family was a large one, with four brothers and three sisters born to his parents Wayne Lee and Mary Louise Burke - proving the old adage that there really isn't all that much to do on Aerilon.
Leucothea was about as far from a population centre as one could get, and the infrastructure on the island was almost non-existent. For the most part, its people grew or hunted their own food, made what they needed and had almost nothing to do with the world beyond their shores. They knew about it, of course, but they were poor and nobody had the kind of money to introduce things like plumbing or electricity. Before long, they stopped talking about the things they couldn't have.
One thing they did have on Leucothea, however, was a plane. During the Cylon War, a civilian light aircraft had been shot down and crashed in the woods. The Burke family had claimed it as their own and, over the years, tinkered with it until they got it working. It was their plane, which they turned into a crop duster to deal with pests that plagued their farms, which necessitated dealing with the mainland. Beau was flying as young as thirteen, when he, his father and his two older brothers would fly to the mainland to pick up a few bare necessities such as fuel.
As time wore on, a few more modern conveniences came to Leucothea - including cars. Beau loved cars from the moment he first laid eyes on one, and even went so far as to take a menial job on the mainland in order to purchase one. He earned enough for a beaten up old Picon Motors Challenger, a car which he lovingly restored throughout his teenage years and turned into a fine piece of machinery. While he lacked academic learning, Beau had an exceptionally sharp mind and was a quick learner. He found that things like repairing his car, and even the plane - something he had no formal training in - came easy with a little observation as well as trial and error.
Beau was twenty-two when the bombs fell on Aerilon, but while the raiders occasionally flew overhead the war did not reach Leucothea straight away. The Burkes initially resolved to stay and defend their land against whatever invader had come, but the radiation made them sick and they were no match for the Cylons when they finally arrived. Beau was one of the few who managed to get out alive, taking his Picon Challenger and sticking to the back roads. He drove for days without any real inclination as to where he was going or what he was going to do. It was sheer luck that he came across another party of survivors and luckier still that they were rescued. The real tragedy was having to leave the Challenger behind.
Beau adjusted to life in space as part of the Fleet's increasing civilian population, but his desire to always be doing something led him to quickly seek out work. His experience with flight was considered a great plus (despite being equated to knowing how to ride a bike and expecting to drive a Formula One race car) and while his accent was almost too thick to understand at some points he was accepted as a nugget. He made his way through flight training, picking it up easily due to his exceptional analytical abilities, and was eventually commissioned as an ensign.
Immediate Family
Beau comes from a large family, a testament to the lack of television reception on the Isle of Leucothea. As well as the immediate family listed below, he has almost countless cousins who live all over the Thalassa Islands, Thales and beyond.
Name
Relationship
Status
Notes
Wayne Lee Burke
Father
Deceased
58. Former Colonial Marine and Sheriff of Leucothea, died of a heart attack in 2038.
Mary Louise Burke
Mother
Presumed Deceased
61. A housewife and surprisingly gifted educator.
Wayne Lee Burke, Jr.
Brother
Deceased
36. Sheriff's Deputy and alcoholic, died in a car accident in 2034.
Leroy Burke
Brother
Presumed Deceased
39. Oddball conspiracy theorist and electrician.
Mary Jane DuPont
Sister
Presumed Deceased
37. Married to Dr. Emmett DuPont, resides in Thales with three children.
Harland Burke
Brother
Presumed Deceased
27. Student at Wolcott University studying engineering.
"First and foremost, Breakout, you were a prisoner aboard the Areion. And you dutifully held fast, did not abandon your ship nor your shipmates, and managed to escape - all during a time of war. For this, I am authorized by command to present to you the Colonial Fleet POW Medallion." - CPT Khloe "Poppy" Vakos (Honors To Your Service)
Fleet Commendation Medal
"Second, due to actions above and beyond what is expected of an Ensign - especially a crash-course pilot like yourself - I am authorized by command to present to you a Fleet Commendation Medal." - CPT Khloe "Poppy" Vakos (Honors To Your Service)
On April the 15th of the 2042nd year After Exodus, during the Kepner Mutiny and captivity of myself and the other leaders of the Fleet from captivity on the Areion, you fought with valor during our escape and in the hangar bay, and never showed less than good conduct and courage despite having been shot down and captured mere hours before. Further, you displayed daring and initiative by repurposing a Viper from the Areion's hangar deck and using it to join your fellow pilots in the space battle. You showed yourself to be a credit to your ship, your comrades in arms and this Fleet, and you have my personal thanks.
We ever find a lake to put down next to, I owe you a fishing trip.
Beau did not get to talk much to the CAG before they were both imprisoned by Commander Kepner. He just attempted to teach her an old song and had a very brief talk about his perceptions as a newly-minted member of the Air Wing. The next time he saw her, she was unconscious in a cell aboard the Areion. When she showed up at the party aboard the Elpis to decide his callsign, however, she cemented her place in Beau's mind as a great CAG. He considers her to be wise, skilled and tough - all qualities he respects and admires.
Beau likes Devlin because he's friendly, chatty and an ensign just like him. Devlin might have more experience than Beau does, but Beau still recognizes that the lowest heads on the totem pole need to stick together. Beau has only had a handful of conversations with him, but he has the feeling that he would be good friends with his fellow ensign if they were to talk more.
Beau does not know much about this Raptor pilot, although Evandreus was part of his fateful first CAP. He seems like a nice enough guy, and one very passionate about peace from what Beau hears. He can’t help but agree with him. It would be a whole lot better if they weren’t living in a perpetual warzone.
Beau has a handful of idols aboard the Cerberus and Fiasco is doubtlessly one of them. Ever since he first encountered him armed to the teeth and shouting ‘Woooo!’ as part of the rescue team that saved him and the Department Heads from Kepner’s clutches, Beau eagerly hangs off his every word.
Pallas was Beau’s first ever wingman following his commission as an officer and a non-nugget, the first person he flew CAP with and the first person he flew a combat mission with – all rolled into one and on the same mission to boot. Beau likes him and considers him to be a friendly enough sort, remaining especially grateful for that same mission when Pallas fought adamantly to keep Burke from being taken prisoner by the mutinous Evocati.
Shiner is a nugget much like Beau was, and one of the few military people aboard the Cerberus who happens to be younger than he is. Nevertheless, Burke finds it difficult to play the 'wise elder' role that he'd very much like to play with Shiner due to the fact that the guy is so damned cocky! He isn't the greatest fan of Shiner's 'bring the fight to the Cylons' attitude, considering it a great way to get people killed, but is certain that the midshipman means well. One day, Beau reasons, Shiner will mellow out and make a fine officer (or at least get to make out with a fine officer).
This ECO is one of the toughest guys Beau has ever encountered and he certainly believes the rumors that Trask did his duty as an ECO with his guts being held in by duct tape during the Kepner Mutiny. Beau is a little nervous about approaching him to show his admiration, however, and is for the moment quite content to appreciate the toughness of Cap'n Bootstrap from a distance.
Beau practically worships this man, having watched him kick so much behind as well as take one heck of a licking and keep on ticking. He watched him take bullets, bear the brunt of explosions and save the day twice in the course of a few hours. Not to mention he kind of talks like Beau, even though he is from Aquaria. Nevertheless, if Beau were a commanding officer, Pewter is the kind of officer he would want to be like. He may call a lot of people boss, but as far as Beau is concerned, Pewter is the Boss.
TBA.
TBA.
Ginny is Beau's cousin from Thales. They are about the same age (he is older by a few months) and even closer friends now since they discovered they were the only (as far as they knew) surviving members of their 'clan'. Although Ginny is a civilian and lives aboard the Elpis while Beau lives and works aboard the Cerberus, he still makes time to go over and visit her and (although he doesn't tell her this much) to keep an eye on her. He knows some of the folks who ended up as part of the civilian portion of the Fleet aren't the most honest individuals, and he'll be damned if he lets them lay a hand on his cousin.
Motor Enthusiast: Beau could talk your ear off about anything Picon Motors, although his knowledge tapers off around 2015 AE.
Listener: Beau is willing to listen to stories told by anyone at almost any time. He's got a profound interest in how other people live and finds even the most mundane details of everyday life from 'strange, distant places' supremely interesting.
Apt Guitarist: Beau brought a guitar with him when he was rescued from Aerilon and he can play it. He's had no lessons and is adequate at best, but he enjoys playing and doesn't mind lending the beaten up old instrument to others if they ask.
Tales of Keith: Beau likes to tell stories, particularly stories about a friend he had back home on Leucothea. These stories range from youthful hijinx to downright unbelievable tales that even the most gullible would have trouble believing. All the same, they're usually quite fun to listen to and he's got a million of them.
Thick Accent: Beau has an exceptionally thick accent native to the Thalassa Islands off the coast of the Thales region on Aerilon. He drops letters left and right, uses grammar that would make a spellcheck cry and occasionally drops in words that seem to make no sense. He can be tough to understand.
Not Military: Beau wasn't military before the bombs fell, he wasn't even remotely close to being military. While he knows the basic 'salute this, call that sir' protocols, the finer points of military life seem to elude him. From time to time, he can use a little instruction on how what might be appropriate back home is not appropriate on a Battlestar.
No Swearing: Beau never swears. It is something about the way he was raised. Even extreme circumstances have failed to get him to cross that line. The closest he'll ever come, usually, are words like 'dang' and 'shoot'. In fact, he's only sworn once - when Colonel Andrus Pewter blew a man's head clean off with a shotgun.
Ellie May
2004 - 2041
Ellie May was born in Auburn City, Picon at the Picon Motors Assembly Plant in 2004 AE. From there, her and thousands of others just like her were shipped throughout the Colonies, predominantly to the richer worlds, but Ellie May and some of her ‘sisters' found their way to Aerilon, specifically Wolcott.
Ellie May was owned and operated by a number of owners until, worst for wear, she was sold and moved down to the Southern Hemisphere with her latest owner. She changed hands throughout Allegheny and Thales before she came to languish in a junkyard. It was here that Beau found her and rescued her from perdition.
After that, Beau and Ellie May were inseparable. Beau replaced her engine with a Picon FirePower engine shipped all the way from Auburn City. He gave her a new paint job and tricked her out in every possible way he could think of and afford. He won more than a few races with her and, no matter what, Ellie May always seemed one-hundred percent reliable.
Beau travelled for over a thousand miles in Ellie May after the bombs fell on War Day, escaping a Cylon attack on Leucothea and even evading all the perils along the road. When the rescue finally came some time later, Beau was forced to abandon Ellie May on the roadside. He didn't have the heart to destroy her, but he did fashion an impromptu tombstone out of some old planks of wood.
Now, all Beau has to remember Ellie May by is an old photograph. He takes it with him wherever he goes, treating it as a good luck charm.
Note:Ellie May is a 2004 Picon Motors Challenger, not a person. Although one would be forgiven for not realizing this after hearing Beau talk of 'her'.
Ellie Sue
April 15, 2042 - Present
Ellie Sue is a Viper Mark 7.5 that Burke discovered aboard the CEX Areion and flew into battle during the Kepner Mutiny. He's not entirely certain when the craft was fabricated or customized, so in terms of her 'birthday' he just goes with the day she left the evil service of the Areion and joined the righteous cause of the Cerberus.
Ellie Sue does not fly easy, customized for a pilot who may, for all Burke knows, be dead. He's only flown her once and afterwards turned her over to the deck crew to do with as they please. Nevertheless, he has a strong interest in Ellie Sue and her wellbeing. He's not beyond asking to take part in the work that needs to be done on her, bent on making Ellie Sue comfortable in her new home.
Ellie Sue is, strictly speaking, a replacement for Ellie May - Beau's lost Picon Challenger. In space, owning a car is problematic but caring for and piloting a Viper is not. He knows he cannot fly her yet and he doesn't attempt to, but he considers Ellie Sue to be an incentive to fly better, sharpen his skills and eventually be worthy of sitting in that pilot seat.
Of course, Ellie Sue may be given away to someone else or destroyed in the meantime. Burke prefers not to think about that. Instead, he keeps a photograph of Ellie Sue with him right alongside his photo of Ellie May as another good luck charm.
One of the few things Beau brought with him when he was rescued from Aerilon was an old, battered guitar which he has certainly made his mark on. Along with the slogan 'THIS MACHINE KILLS CYLONS', he's also applied a 'Battlestar Cerberus' sticker and set about getting anyone and everyone he could to sign it.
Over time, people have contributed various things to the guitar.
Note: Rather than a testament to Burke's character, which is almost universally sunny and optimistic, the songs below are rather an example of the sort of music he plays and writes:
Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks.
You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly.
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain.
You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion'
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud.
You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins.
How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do.
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul.
And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead.
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right
I'm an alligator, I'm a mama-papa coming for you
I'm the space invader, I'll be a rock 'n' rollin' bitch for you
Keep your mouth shut,
you're squawking like a pink monkey bird
And I'm busting up my brains for the words
Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream oh yeah!
Don't fake it baby, lay the real thing on me
The church of man, love
Is such a holy place to be
Make me baby, make me know you really care
Make me jump into the air
Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream oh yeah!
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you ?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone ?
You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but know you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone ?
You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone ?
Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone ?