Athena Sideris

Deirdre "Athena" Sideris is the protagonist of Neon Heat. At the start of the show she is 29 years old, 6 feet in height, built lean and only slightly muscled. Her hair is long and dark, typically tied up in a ponytail, and her eyes are yellow-orange with vertical cat-slit pupils. Her complexion is pale, and she has two slash scars over her long nose, they reach up just below her metal circlet. She has a tattoo wrapping her upper right bicep, a thick yellow line with dots underneath. She is a Linked individual with proclivities towards metalwork and electricity.

Born in Caldonyx and raised by her parents, Val and Clint Sideris. Through her childhood she lived in a multigenerational home with her maternal grandparents as well, Hilda and Franc Calris. She saw her paternal grandparents, Cressida and Darius Sidella, and her aunt Fiora Sidella very sparingly growing up due to strife between them and her father. Though she physically resembles her Vel father more than her Ori mother, she inherited her mother's Linked proclivities and underwent vocational training to be a Siphon in Caldonyx's kori mines until she was 14 years old. As a school student she interfered in a chase between Proctor Johl Shin and the thief he was pursuing, Chappy Dusnik. This encounter planted the seeds of her interest in becoming a Regulator and also introduced her to Shazaad.

Athena and best friend Sekka Pahvi both decided to go into the Academy to become Regulators, and were partners on the force once they made it into the ranks. Athena worked closely with Johl as his informal apprentice for several years. She also became an Shazaad Aspirant, and enjoyed success and failures there as her persona "The Conduit".

After Johl's retirement party, Athena ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses Johl's apparent murder by the hands of his peer, Oculus Jex Davoth. Seeing the top brass of Regulation present in the room, and several mysterious cloaked figures, she doesn't know who is involved in this conspiracy nor how deep it goes. She flees the city in a panic, and starts her seven year stint on the surface. Six months after her flight she meets Eisek Russo, who becomes her partner and they go on to found Pantheon (a mercenary networking website). She utilizes Pantheon to keep herself sharp, tracking down nefarious people with the codename Artemis.

Seven years after she left Caldonyx she is tracked down by Pahvi with the help of hacker Thelassica. Athena agrees to return home with Pahvi, as she's recently manifested a mind-tamper blocking augment in the form of her circlet (her main reason for staying away was that she suspecting Johl was being mentally manipulated, and she didn't want to fall prey to prying minds). Pahvi assists her tying up her last surface loose end she's been pursuing, Dietrich Strickland.

At Strickland's manse Athena is able to fend off the mental intrusion of Strickland's lieutenant Benitia, and runs her through as she's attempting to break through Athena's circlet defense. Together Athena and Pahvi make quick work of Strickland and part ways as the manor burns down. Athena makes a deal with Thelassica on her way back to Caldonyx and owes her a favor in return for keeping surveillance on her apartment, to have a safe place to discuss and plan.