Background
Zlad originally served in Alpha Company within the 23rd Imperial Infantry division, beyond the dozens of other platoons he was frequently juggled between. Alpha Company acted as a spear during the Battle of Endor, for which Zlad took point for his platoon-- meaning he would be the first into any subsequent firefight. When skirmishes began on the moon's surface, Zlad bore witness to more than half of Alpha Company's sudden and fiery demise at the hands of Rebel strafing runs and ambushes.
In the following weeks, Zlad-- along with a handful of other scattered storm troopers-- watched as the second Death Star was laid to waste. Zlad's sister served on the massive space station, and it became her final resting place. Those who remained of the ruined Imperial platoons were shadows of their former selves, but became decorated individuals for their bravery under fire. This resulted in a massive shift in Zlad, where he became significantly more withdrawn-- focusing entirely on his duties as a soldier.
After being promoted to a superior position within the Imperial Marines, Zlad suffered frequent manic episodes. Often, he'd loudly and frantically blurt out details of his time in combat, as if reading from a script. Other times, he'd carry out conversations with himself, or shout at others who stood right next to him-- as if they were fifty yards away. Marines serving with and/or under Zlad do their best to look past these unusual tendencies, while the medical staff continue to wonder when he might finally snap.
Motivation