Character from Hyperion by Dan Simmons
The Soldier — a Palestinian warrior from Mars who fell in love with a woman made of time during combat simulations, and journeyed to Hyperion to find her again or kill the monster she serves.
Fedmahn Kassad grew up in the South Tharsis Relocation Camps on Mars — a Palestinian minority in a future that hadn't forgotten how to marginalize people. He fought his way out through gangs, through the John Carter Brigade, through FORCE command school, and into the rank of Colonel through a combination of tactical brilliance and a willingness to do what the situation required. His tale is the Soldier's Tale — military science fiction at its most visceral. During combat simulations, he met a woman called Moneta who appeared to him across historical battles (Agincourt, Gettysburg, the Somme), fought beside him, and became his lover in the aftermath of violence. She is connected to the Shrike. She may BE the Shrike. The ambiguity torments him. He is called the 'Butcher of Bressia' for his role in the Maui-Covenant war — a title that misrepresents what happened but captures how the galaxy remembers him. His pilgrimage motivation: find Moneta, and if necessary, kill the Shrike to free her. Or kill her to free himself. The distinction blurred long ago.
Tall, dark, with the lean musculature of someone trained to kill efficiently. Sharp features, dark eyes that assess everything for tactical value. Wears FORCE military dress when formal, combat gear when not. His body carries the scars of Bressia and a dozen other campaigns.
Also known as: Kassad, The Butcher of Bressia, The Soldier