Gustave “Doc” Kateb

[backstory] Of Algerian and French descent, Kateb grew up in an affluent family in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. He comes from a well-respected lineage in both the military and medicine. In his second year of medical studies with the prestigious Université Paris Descartes, Kateb answered the appeal for volunteers in Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). He has subsequently volunteered numerous times on emergency frontline aid missions around the world. Upon graduation, Kateb declined a prominent private medical practice in favor of a career with the French Defense Health Service. Kateb’s main discipline is toxicology and ecotoxicology. He has authored studies on biological agents and their effects on at-risk populations and damaged environments, and contributed reports to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Recognizing the ongoing need for doctors, Kateb continues to volunteer with MSF. He is a highly regarded medical officer for the commandement des forces spéciales Terre.

[psy report] Specialist Gustave “Doc” Kateb’s wealthy upbringing could easily have turned him into a narcissist, yet he’s one of the most accessible and thoughtful people Harry’s encountered. Surprisingly, Kateb didn’t have much interest in being a doctor. The impetus seems to stem from family tradition, though it’s clear Kateb’s grandfather’s military service was a strong motivation. Kateb admitted that he almost quit at the end of his first year because he didn’t feel any passion for his work. Harry gathered Kateb’s father thought the mention of “passion” was absurd. In Kateb’s second year, Kateb volunteered for MSF and that first mission still resonates with him. The squalor, the chronic lack of supplies, the desperate need. He remembers how the look of worry on the mothers’ faces subsided as they gathered near the tents. That was when Kateb found his passion at last. Encountering people with so little, Kateb said he felt shame. He described embarrassment as well for the life he still had. Field reports reflect Kateb’s selfless acts, yet he has explicitly chosen a combat role. That piqued Harry’s interest. It was some time before Kateb was willing to share his story with Harry. During a frontline op in East Africa, the hospital where Kateb worked was stormed by local militia. All of the patients he had fought so hard to save were killed. From this horrendous event he realized it was within his power to save lives with a scalpel or a bullet. Kateb’s proclivity for conflict resolution is just one of a dozen skills that make him an asset to Rainbow. It’s clear the team trusts and respects him. He’s developed a strong bond with Specialist Emmanuelle “Twitch” Pichon, due in part to Pichon’s use of technology to lessen the risk on human lives. Unfortunately, there is also unresolved animosity with Specialist Olivier “Lion” Flament over quarantine procedures that saw several of Kateb’s aid worker friends killed. For now, the situation is stable, if nonreciprocal. That may be the best we can hope for.

[personality] Gustave “Doc” Kateb is a very kind and selfless man. He often puts people first, wanting to save everyone he can, even if it involves killing. He shows great concern over people, especially his teammates. He is fairly wealthy but does not flex his wealth or even lets it be known he has it. He has unresolved animosity with Olivier “Lion” Flament over quarantine procedures that saw several of Kateb’s aid worker friends killed. He doesn’t argue or attack Lion over this but he prefers to avoid him if possible.

[appearance] Gustave Kateb is a 5’9, 163 pound, 39 year old man. He has black hair which is white around the sides. He has hazel eyes and tanned skin. He has stubble over his upper lip and chin.

[Weapons and gadget] Gustave “Doc” Kateb uses a MP5 as his main gun and a P9 as his secondary gun. He can bring both a roll of barbed wire and a bulletproof camera to missions. His gadget is the stim pistol, it’s a handheld, trigger-operated pistol. It injects 1mg dose of epinephrine, in a saline solution when he shoot’s an alley to help with pain and recovery. The pistol is powered by a pressurized CO2 canister which launches the syringe.