Leland Barton was the captain of the United Nations Interstellar Settlement Corps exploratory vessel UNCSS Typhoon, and the husband of ship's pilot Anne Bowers. In 2186, Barton was in command of the Typhoon during the UNISC's Great Mother Mission, and was infected by a dangerous alien pathogen after the vessel landed on a remote moon.
Biography
Encounter on Arzu
As of 2186, Leland Barton was captain of the UNCSS Typhoon, a Magellan-class J Scientific Exploratory Vessel under the flag of the United Nations Interstellar Settlement Corps. In that year, the Typhoon was attached to the UNISC's Great Mother Mission to reestablish contact with the Far Spinward Colonies, which had been isolated from the Middle Heavens in 2110.[1]
During the expedition, Barton and his crew were tasked with surveying Azizo and Arzu, two of the moons orbiting the gas giant Palmyra in the KOI-2702 System. Upon landing on Arzu, the crew were immediately attacked by the Fulfremmen, an ancient race, and collaborators from the Xenomorph–worshiping cult the Children of the Two Divines. While the Typhoon managed to escape the moon, it was boarded by several Fulfremmen and infected with their Proto-Hive contagion. The crew evacuated; Barton and several crewmembers took one lifeboat, while his wife, pilot Anne Bowers, took the other. While Bowers' lifeboat reached the relative safety of Azizo, Barton's crashed back on Arzu.[1]
A grim alliance
Navigator Petronella Edouard, prospector Sargis Narene, and science officer Ji-Hye Suk were killed after returning to Arzu; meanwhile Barton, counselor Gráinne Shields, and guard Azad Rukmini were taken to the remains of an Engineer Juggernaut ship by the cultists. Believing that his wife had been killed, Barton chose to submit to the Fulfremmen, and both he and Shields were infected with an especially dangerous strain of a mysterious alien pathogen. The two were taken to a chamber within the ship, where they were placed under the watch of cult member Mother Ma'Kayla, her devotees, and several Proto-Xenomorph Deacons.[1]
Ma'Kayla entrusted Barton with securing the cooperation of any UNISC personnel who might come to investigate, so as to secure a vessel for the Children of the Two Divines and the Fulfremmen. Shortly after, the UNISC vessel UNCSS Solovetsky Island landed on Arzu to investigate the downed lifeboat, and its crew were led to the Juggernaut by the Typhoon crew's Personal Data Transmitters. In the ensuing incident, Barton was informed that Bowers had survived the landing on Azizo, and rejected the Fulfremmen to assist the Solovetsky Island crew in escaping the wreck with Shields' datapad—which contained coordinates to an ancient Engineer device—in tow.[1]
Personality and traits
Leland Barton was an authoritarian; skilled in the fields of manipulation and command, he also had talents in piloting and close combat. Barton was deeply attached to his wife Anne Bowers, and was entirely willing to ally with the Fulfremmen and become infected when he believed her to be dead. Upon learning of her survival from the crew of the Solovetsky Island, however, Barton dedicated himself to assisting them.[1]
Equipment
Barton wore a torn flight suit while on Arzu.[1]
Behind the scenes
Leland Barton appears in the 2023 reference book Alien: The Roleplaying Game — Building Better Worlds and serves as a non–player character in the fifth campaign mission, "Against a Sea of Troubles". As a pathogen infectee, Barton can contaminate player characters if he is touched. While informing Barton of Bowers' survival is optional on the part of the players—as is Barton resultantly assisting them afterward—this article assumes that the exchange takes place. Barton's fate after that is uncertain and, as a result, this article cannot definitively report it.[1]