Character History
Oskar Berlinetta first comes to the attention of Orion Assante, the leader of UNOW (a coalition of countries in the future), as the officer in charge of the Grendel Corps guarding the Grendel’s Palace casino. Grendel’s Palace is an internment camp holding most of the world’s vampires.
The vampires are angry and constantly rioting. Berlinetta gets permission to do whatever is necessary to keep them under control. He puts the prisoners under enormous pressure, torturing Kierch with a sun lamp, and regularly turning on water sprinklers and sun lamps in the main living spaces. He almost manages to catch Pellon Cross, even getting off a shot at him. The prisoners manage to mount a large escape, but in general he is successful, and is promoted.
He eventually becomes commander of UNOW’s army in Africa. They wage a huge war, based on Sherri Caniff‘s previous kidnapping there. It later turns out that Great Japan, not Africa, was behind the kidnapping, but by the time Orion finds out, they are already at war with Africa.
Berlinetta turns out to be a very aggressive and glory-hunting leader. He wants to take over Africa and then move straight on to Asia and capture China. Orion thinks this is ridiculous and out of character for UNOW. Berlinetta is successful at his battles, however, and ends up moving towards China anyway. The battles cause huge casualties and the people of UNOW are less supportive of the war than before.
Assante orders Berlinetta to say within his orders. Then Orion’s partner, Sherri, dies, and he goes into hiding in grief. Great Japan threatens the UNOW with nuclear weapons. Fadi, Orions’ assistant, has to take over while he’s away. Berlinetta puts great pressure on her to support his invasion plans, or to use nuclear weapons themselves. Fadi resists him.
Berlinetta can tell Orion is missing even though Fadi won’t admit it. Berlinetta basically says he’s going to do whatever he wants if he doesn’t hear back from Orion himself. Finally Orion returns. He orders Berlinetta to stay put, and destroys their enemies with a new technology, the Sun Disc. Berlinetta is stripped of his command and put on trial for treason.