Colonel Gellert R. Thuraya is the commanding officer of the USS Xantara. Begining as an enlisted marine at the age of eighteen, Gellert served as a shuttle technichian at Marine One Squadron for the President of the Federation. Several months after his promotion to Corporal he was accepted into Officer Canidate School. Upon graduating as a Second Lieutenent, he reported to his new command to be a fighter pilot. Serving in many major battles and excursions as a pilot, earning awards and picking up in ranks, now Capt. Thuraya was ready to     take on a new job assignment as Commander of a fighter squadron.

    

    Leading several hundred marines into combat, the Captain won many       conflicts, loosing minimal casualties and equipment. When he was promoted to Major a year after taking command of the squadron, Thuraya was sent to be the first Marine Second Officer on board the USS Pegasus. Durring his first tour in a command position, the XO of the Pegasus was killed in action and Thuraya took his place. Winning the admiration of the captain and the crew throughout their missions, the captain and command felt that Gellert Thuraya was deserving of a promotion.

Liutenent Colonel Thuraya was kept as the XO of the Pegasus for almost a year when he was asked to help in a top secret project known as "Galactic" where he was to learn command procedures of an experimental vessel. When the project was over and declassified from top secret status to general knowledge, Command asked Thuraya if he wanted to command the newly commissioned, all marine, USS Xantara. He accepted the position along with his new rank of full Colonel.

Colonel Thuraya is played by Adam Crum. Adam has played many characters since his first game on the USS Behemoth in the Utopia Fleet.  He has played almost every rank including Fleet Admiral in the Risian Allied Forces Fleet, with several ships, a space station, and a coloney.  In real life, Adam is a United States Marine.