Editing Chet

{{character
|abilities={{tag+|cytonics}}
|species=Delver
|universe=[[Cytoverse]]
|first appeared=[[Starsight]]
}}

{{quote
|Just so you all know, I'm secretly a monster from outside space and time.
|Chet{{book ref|sky3|39}}
}}

'''Chet Starfinder''' is a [[delver]], coming up with his own name prior to meeting [[Spensa]]. He assembles a body for himself, modeling it after the body and personality of [[Spears|Commander Spears]], [[M-Bot]]'s old pilot.{{book ref|sky3|39}}

== Appearance and Personality ==
{{quote
|It's in the persona, you understand. I… I must see myself as a hero, the gentleman explorer, beloved and trusted. Because if I'm not that, well…Well then… That is all I have left of what I once was. Those dreams, those aspirations.
|Chet to Spensa{{book ref|sky3|18}}
}}
Chet has a flair for the dramatic, and likes to cultivate the air of a gentlemanly explorer. He likes bold action and daring plans, though a lot of it is bravado.{{book ref|sky3|4}} He mainly keeps up a confident persona, though sometimes lets his guard down with Spensa.{{book ref|sky3|18}}

Chet modeled his body to look like that of Spears. He wears a flight jacket and combat trousers. He appears to be in his fifties,{{book ref|cytonic|4}} and has silvering hair.{{book ref|sky3|8}} He is square jawed, muscular for his age, and with a large mustache that sticks out a good fifteen centimeters on either side.{{book ref|cytonic|4}}

== Attributes and Abilities ==
As a delver, Chet is capable of FTL travel,{{book ref|sky2|42}} detecting cytonics either in the nowhere or in the somewhere,{{book ref|sky2|43}} and projecting illusions.{{book ref|sky2|43}} He can form a body and change his appearance, as evidenced by his making of his new body.{{book ref|sky3|39}} He also has the ability to detect radio signals,{{book ref|sky2|44}} and can shoot embers to defend himself when in the somewhere.{{book ref|sky2|22}}

When journeying through the nowhere with Spensa, Chet tells her that he has the ability to communicate cytonically, expand his lifespan, and visualize the entire belt in his head. These are all abilities that are possessed by delvers.{{book ref|sky3|9}} Chet is physically fit, and has a lot of practical survival knowledge.{{book ref|sky3|14}}. However, he has very little experience with flying, and sometimes blacks out from the g-forces, though the pirate [[RayZed]] gives him some g-force training.{{book ref|sky3|32}}

== History ==
=== Formation ===
Like all the other delvers, Chet was formed when [[Jason Write]]’s AI edited out its memories and personality, rewriting its programming and copying itself thousands upon thousands of times. Chet does not know if he was the original delver, or one of the copies.{{book ref|cytonic|41}}

=== Attacking Detritus and Starsight ===
{{quote
|The thing trembled with an emotion I understood without needing interpretation. Horror.
|Spensa{{book ref|sky2|44}}
}}
Chet was the delver that [[Brade]] summoned outside [[Detritus]].{{book ref|sky3|39}} Spensa sent the delver to [[Starsight (station)|Starsight]] to save Detritus. Afterward, Spensa went to the heart of the delver maze, where she showed Chet that the buzzing noises were in fact people with families, hopes, and dreams. Chet was horrified and returned to the nowhere.{{book ref|sky2|44}}

=== Meeting Spensa in the Nowhere ===
{{quote
|Excellent to meet you in person, my cytonic friend! Chet Starfinder! Interdimensional galactic explorer!
|Chet introducing himself to Spensa{{book ref|sky3|4}}
}}
Chet was changed, and in the eyes of the other delvers, corrupted. They wanted to destroy him. He hid himself by taking the form of Commander Spears, thinking that Spensa would trust someone from her past.{{book ref|sky3|39}} When Spensa entered the nowhere, Chet communicated with Spensa and told her to walk the Path of Elders, and sent her a location. When she entered the Belt, Chet spoke into her mind and warned her to be quiet.{{book ref|sky3|1}} When Spensa entered the nowhere and was captured by the [[Cannonade Faction]], Chet rescued her and offered to act as her guide in the nowhere. In exchange, she would give him one reality ash every day.{{book ref|sky3|4}} They decided to walk the [[Path of Elders]], and Chet explained a lot of how the nowhere works to Spensa.{{book ref|sky3|7}}

{{sidequote
|Two hundred years, and I'm finally going to do it. Walk the Path of Elders.
|Chet to Spensa{{book ref|sky3|9}}
|side=left|size=200px
}}
Chet told Spensa what he remembered about his past, saying that he crashed on a planet around 170 years ago, exactly when Commander Spears did. This made Spensa think that Chet was Commander Spears, M-Bot’s pilot.{{book ref|sky3|8}} Chet and Spensa discussed their cytonic abilities, Chet saying he has the ability to cytonically communicate, extend his lifespan, and visualize the entire belt in his head. They traveled across many fragments, Chet saying that they can steal a starfighter at the [[Broadsider Faction|Broadsider]] base, and progress through the Path of Elders faster.{{book ref|sky3|9}}

As they traveled across the fragments in the Belt, Chet told Spensa about the different pirate factions, and taught her how to tie knots, helping her make her club, [[Skullbreaker]].{{book ref|sky3|10}} They reached the first step in the Path of Elders, both Chet and Spensa observing the memories stored inside the portal. They saw a dione cytonic coming into the nowhere and dying on the fragment, trapped forever.{{book ref|sky3|11}} A small, compact fragment, sent by the other delvers, crashed into their fragment, destroying it. Chet and Spensa managed to escape onto a nearby fragment.{{book ref|sky3|12}} Chet plotted a course to the Broadsider base,{{book ref|sky3|13}}, and he and Spensa made [[Not-ilus|a raft]] to cross an oceanic fragment.{{book ref|sky3|14}}

=== The Broadsiders ===
{{quote
|Miss Nightshade, what we are about to try is much more dangerous than our previous endeavors.
|Chet to Spensa, overlooking the Broadsider base{{book ref|sky3|15}}
}}
They arrived at the pirate base fragment, observing the base from afar. Chet advised Spensa to bury [[Doomslug|her reality icon]],{{book ref|sky3|15}} and she pretended it to bury it, keeping it on her person.{{book ref|sky3|16}} Chet makes a distraction so that Spensa can slip into the pirate hangar to steal a ship, getting shot by a destructor in the process.  He fled, hiding on the fragment when Spensa was captured. When Spensa tells him that she switched the plan at the last moment in case he was a traitor, Chet was deeply hurt, and felt betrayed. He talked about his self-doubt to Spensa, and accepted her apology.{{book ref|sky3|18}}. As Spensa worked under the direction of the Broadsiders, Chet occasionally talked with her cytonically, giving her information and advice.{{book ref|sky3|19}} When Spensa escaped the Broadsiders and found her pin missing, Chet truthfully insisted that he didn't steal it. Spensa picked up Chet and flew away with the Broadsiders chasing her. They flew upwards continuously, but both of them started to lose themselves the further away from the fragments they got, and they returned. Peg offered to let Spensa and Chet join them, and Chet advised Spensa to agree, which she did.{{book ref|sky3|22}}

{{sidequote
|You feel your self dribbling away each day. Having something to do is important. The sparring, the duels… These invigorating activities give the pirates purpose, don't they?
|Chet to [[Peg]]{{book ref|sky3|23}}
|side=right|size=200px
}}
Chet was offered his own ship to fly, but he preferred to fly with Spensa.{{book ref|sky3|23}} They flew to the next portal in the Path of Elders, and accessed the memories therein. They saw humans and [[UrDail]] meeting with each other on fragments, and eventually watched the humans stop coming. A female cytonic communicated with them, saying that it took hundreds of cytonics to fight one delver. She said that if they now faced millions, then they are doomed. She gave them the location of the next portal, which Chet identified as being in [[Surehold]], the Superiority main base in the Belt.{{book ref|sky3|24}} Upon returning to the Broadsider base, they had to fight off a enemy force from the [[Jolly Roger Faction]]. During the fierce dogfighting, Chet lost consciousness from the g-forces, which made him embarrassed after the battle.{{book ref|sky3|26}} Spensa dueled in the arena for the title of Pirate Champion, and Chet watched her fight from the sidelines.{{book ref|sky3|28}} After Spensa's victory over [[Hesho]], Chet celebrated with the others. When [[Peg]]'s planning united the pirate factions to assault Surehold, Chet agreed to go with them and fly with Spensa.{{book ref|sky3|32}} 

=== Assaulting Surehold ===
{{quote
|The AI and I have been bonding. He's been wanting help defining his specific emotions. I agreed to assist him.
|Chet to Spensa{{book ref|sky3|33}}
}}
While en route to Surehold, and during the ensuing space battle, Chet bonded with M-Bot, helping him identify which emotions he was feeling. M-Bot described the emotion, and Chet said what emotion it was. As the fighting grew more intense however, Chet stayed quiet and let Spensa focus.{{book ref|sky3|33}} With the retreat of the rebellious [[Cannonade Faction]], the Superiority fighters surrendered and agreed to help take Surehold.{{book ref|sky3|35}} Once the base was taken, Spensa told Chet about an offer the delvers made with her, saying that if she didn’t finish the Path of Elders, they wouldn’t harm her friends and other cytonics.{{book ref|sky3|36}}

{{sidequote
|But… I needed a shape, a personality, someone to ''be''. Don't hate me, Spensa. Please don't hate me! They have abandoned me. They want to destroy me. You're… the only one… I have now.
|Chet confessing to Spensa
|side=left|size=200px
}}
Chet said he was uncertain, but eagerly presented the idea of Spensa exploring the nowhere with him. He genuinely enjoyed traveling with her, and wanted to do it more.{{book ref|sky3|36}} Spensa decided to reject the deal, and her and Chet unlocked the next portal and its memories. It showed [[Jason Write]] with his AI, modeled after [[Lanna Write|his dead wife]]. Spensa realized that Chet is a delver, and he confessed, telling her about making his new body and explaining what happened. He told her that he genuinely enjoyed their time together, and asked that Spensa not hate him. Chet told Spensa that the last step in the Path of Elders is at [[Solitary Shadow]], a fragment extremely close to the lightburst. Chet, Spensa, [[Hesho]], Doomslug, and M-Bot all flew towards Solitary Shadow to finish the Path and get back to Detritus.{{book ref|sky3|39}}

===  Final Confrontation ===
In the flight to Solitary Shadow, Chet explained more about delvers and AI to Spensa and the others. He also told her that the delvers will do anything to stop them, and will likely form physical bodies.{{book ref|sky3|40}} At Solitary Shadow, they tapped into the final set of memories. The memories showed how Jason's AI deleted its memories and personality, then copied itself exponentially and became the delvers. Chet advised Spensa that they needed to make the delvers each feel isolated and alone. The delvers became enraged at the revealing of their secrets, and Chet and the others took off for the lightburst at full speed.{{book ref|sky3|42}}

{{sidequote
|I am so glad you came when I called. I am happy! Happy to carry the knowledge you need! Happy to have been able to help, and to have changed, and to finally have accepted my loss. It was an honor to explore with you, Miss Nightshade.
|Chet to Spensa before sacrificing himself{{book ref|Sky3|42}}
|side=right|size=250px
}}
As they grew closer to the lightburst, it became hard for Chet to hold his shape, and his face began to melt. A hundred of the delvers formed themselves into ships, and Spensa and Hesho engaged them, with Chet in the ship. When the delvers started to overwhelm Spensa, Chet sacrificed himself, leaving the ship and letting the delvers chase him. They caught him and locked him away, allowing the others to escape.{{book ref|sky3|42}} After M-Bot sacrificed himself and Spensa entered the lightburst, Spensa and Chet connected when the delvers began mentally attacking Spensa. Chet's and Spensa's essences and souls intertwined, and they melded into one. It became painful for the delvers to touch Spensa and Chet together, so they let them go. Spensa hyperjumped everyone out of the lightburst and back to Detritus.{{book ref|sky3|43}}

== Relationships ==
=== Spensa ===
{{quote
|Truly, Miss Nightshade, I've rarely had such an invigorating companion. Plus you encouraged me toward a goal I've been avoiding for far too long. For that I thank you.
|Chet to Spensa{{book ref|sky3|14}}
}}
From the start, Chet feels a bond with Spensa, as she was the one to change him for the better at Starsight. Though he had to lie to her about his identity as a delver, he wanted to help her on her journey through the Path of Elders. Exploring with her makes him feel alive, and he enjoys it greatly.{{book ref|sky3|39}} They get along very well, though Spensa initially feels some distrust of Chet. When she switches a plan in case he is going to betray her, Chet is very hurt. Afterward however, Spensa begins to trust him more, and they are able to repair their friendship.{{book ref|sky3|18}} After the events in the lightburst, Spensa's and Chet's essences are combined and joined inseparably. Spensa is still herself, but strongly enhanced by their bond.{{book ref|sky3|epilogue}}

=== M-Bot ===
{{quote
|I've spent years upon years worth of processing time imagining what Commander Spears would be like. Now we’ve met him and… and he just calls me an abomination.
|M-Bot to Spensa{{book ref|sky3|13}}
}}
At first, Chet is distrustful of M-Bot, constantly calling him an "abomination".{{book ref|sky3|13}} He is distrustful of AI, partially because of the instinctual hatred of AI that delvers possess.{{book ref|sky3|39}} He didn’t often speak to M-Bot except to ask for information.{{book ref|sky3|13}} Eventually Chet starts to bond with M-Bot, and helps M-Bot identify his emotions.

== Trivia ==
* While writing [[Defiant (book)|Defiant]], getting Chet's character right was annoying for Brandon{{wob ref|14665}}

== Notes ==
<references />
{{complete|[[User:Taln Fan|Taln Fan]] ([[User talk:Taln Fan|talk]]) 21:09, 26 March 2022 (UTC)}}
{{Skyward}}