Like most Aquarians, Marcus was a son of a single parent, his mother enjoying far too much of one Summerfest and he was introduced to the world nine months later. An amicable sort as a child, he was a natural with string instruments, in particular the violin - this would become his own form of barter in the social utopia that is Aquaria, a song for a snack. Or a toy. Or even fresh strings or a song for a new bow. Knowing that he wanted to do more than just live at home and play for his breakfast, lunch, supper and clothes, Marcus was easy to recruit into the Marines. After all, it was free food, free clothes and they'll teach you a skill? His scores on his tests were not the best ever, but his presence of mind and ability to defer and negotiate opened him to a scholarship to the Military Academy.
Instead of going to one of the service academies for pilots, instead he chose to attend the Marine Academy on Scorpia. It was really an easy choice for him. The lonliness of a Viper wasn't his style. The rumble and shake of a Raptor made him nauseous. No, he was a team player and that's exactly what he wanted to be - and the Marines were the best team on a planet without a Pyramid team to call it's own. Taken in as a Midshipman, Marcus majored in Electrical Engineering, hoping to parlay his skills to working on electronics back into a business when he returned to Aqauria in making solar farms and greenhouses.
His training was intense, and he had to learn to quell some of his more open habits to learn to walk the straight and narrow of the Marine life. Accepting it as just a whole new family to learn about, he quickly realized that within its ranks was it's own barter system - trading tutoring for a shoeshine, helping each other out. Even when he could close the door in his Firstie year, he tended not to just to enjoy the company of anyone that would drop in while he was playing his violin.
After graduation, Marcus' scores on his final exam was hoping to put in for a duty station on Aquaria. This was not meant to be as his scores at graduation were well enough that he were to be assigned to 'Jolie Point' (CAKS-36) for the Joint Task Force NOMAD mission as one of it's original officers. Assigned to one of the officer groups assigned to overseeing the conversion of the 'Jolie Point' from ship to Marine Base and refitting the former massive engines of the ship to become the power plant for Sheridan, Marcus has not seen any of the combat that many of the Marines that are assigned to Orion have. However, as work has been completed on the initial builds of the electrical grid of the base, Ensign Petropoulous was promoted just a few weks ago to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Along with this promotion came a new assignment - a return to the Infantry units of Orion.
While not the well trained and groomed officer of many Marines, Marcus knows to rely on his NCOs and Platoon Sergeant and Squad Leaders not to lead him astray as he tries to quickly adjust to the idea that he's no longer going to just be planetside, but will be out in the field and actually leading missions as assigned.