Hillbilly

[Stoat]

Born and raised in a quiet backwater on Denver, William Blue Wainwright was an unremarkable child. The 6th son of a family of 13, he ducked school, ran riot and quickly earned a reputation for petty criminality.

What was noted was a dedication to his family which leaned towards psychosis. He came to see himself as the protector of his siblings and cousins, and would seek bloody revenge on anyone that attacked his family either verbally or physically.

His preference would be to use some possession of the perceived wrong-doer to inflict his revenge. He is quite prepared to spend extensive amounts of time and effort in order to carry out his revenge in what he believes to be a suitable fashion.

Examples include the beating to death of local landowner Jean LaGyarde, his wife and three young children, with Jeans own silver cane, for the attempted seizure of Wainwright family land and for calling Paw Wainwright a low down, dirty, moonshine running scumbag (it is unclear as to which was considered the greater crime in Williams eyes), and the hit and run deaths of Grame Carty, Hank George and Billy-Bob Thorn for the bullying of Williams younger sister, Elly.

The surface transport used in the incident had originally belonged to Hank Georges father, but was purchased by William using a fake identity and money made from the dealing of Cardamine to rich school children at an exclusive school some 30 miles from the Wainwright small-holdings. It is believed that William obtained the Cardamine by skimming an amount from the monthly supply that was sent through to his Aunt Maybelline, who has been an addict for the past 25 years.

These two extreme reactions happened by the age of 17, although the authorities were never able to press charges due to the lack of surviving witnesses and various members of the extensive Wainwright family always providing alibis for the volatile young man. These are by no means the only atrocities carried out by William, but are the only ones that the authorities are fairly sure lie at Williams feet.

Paw Wainwright is a known associate of the Outcast and Junker factions operating within the Colorado system, taking payment in the form of monthly deliveries of Cardamine for his sister Maybelline, a long time addict. Increasingly worried that the actions of his son would soon come back to haunt the family, he arranged for his son (at the age of 19) to start working on a Junker ship. Williams cousin, James Masters, was 1st mate aboard the ship and was given the unenviable task of keeping William under control. As it turned out, William revelled in the freedom he now found, and his more anti-social behaviours receded. After 10 years William was captain of his own ship and along with James flew frequent missions from the Rochester and Beaumont bases. But Williams new-found happiness was not to last.

Engaged in a daring raid on Planet Hamburg, James Masters ship was shot down by the Rheinland authorities. James was able to escape back to Texas, but a deal struck between the Rheinland police and the LSF meant that James was shortly recaptured and shipped off to Planet Hamburg for trial. It was at this time that Williams more unsavoury side began to re-assert itself.

Upon hearing of his cousins recapture he immediately took off to Rheinland space, determined to break him out. His first attempt ended badly, his CSV being completely outclassed by the Rheinlander police vessels around Planet Hamburg. Badly damaged, and smarting from the beating, he barely managed to escape, fleeing deep into Rheinland territory. Eventually he made it to Kreutzberg depot and was able to get his battered ship repaired.

During the trial of James Masters, William began planning a more daring raid to free his cousin. Pirating the trade lanes of New Berlin and Dresden swiftly provided the necessary finances to purchase and outfit a Crow heavy fighter from the Red Hessians at Vogtland, a ship suitable for the attempt that was to come.

James Masters was convicted of criminal damage, attempted grand larceny and GBH for his part in the raid on Planet Hamburg, and taken for holding at Vierlande prison, pending sentencing.

Liberal distribution of funds to the various factions passing through Kreutzberg soon provided William with the date and time that James Masters was to be shipped from Vierlande back to Planet Hamburg for sentencing.

Laying in wait within the Sudheide asteroid field, Williams long range scanners soon picked up the police convoy. William leapt to the attack, relying on brute force rather than surprise. The ferocity of his attack broke the police forces and he was able to get his cousin off the disabled transport before the police reinforcements arrived. He then battled his way to the trade lanes, opting for speed of escape, and headed back for Liberty space. Breaking his way through police and military forces at Altona and Planet Hamburg, he was finally intercepted by the RNC Weser. Suffering a broadside from the gunboat as he entered the jumpgate to the Bering system all but finished him, the ship somehow holding together.

Freeport 2 refused access to their facilities, so William headed for Planet Houston in the Texas system. A risky move considering the previous agreement between the LSF and the Rheinland police, and so it proved as he was intercepted only 3k from the Houston docking ring. Desperately trying to hold his failing ship together, he was unable to avoid the attentions of Guardian pilot Sam Hurrell. Williams ship was destroyed, William barely able to eject the escape pod in time.

A passing Junker ship tractored in the pod before the LSF could locate it. William survived, having sustained horrific injuries, but his cousin, James Masters, was pronounced dead upon arrival at Beaumont base.

It took William six months to recover sufficiently to leave Beaumont, and when he did, he vowed not to return to Liberty until he was able to take his revenge upon the LSF for killing James. Local legend on Beaumont base told of him scouring Sirius, hunting for fabled weapons lost in battle, and a ship worthy of his rage.

That was two years ago. Rumour now tells of Williams return with a ship named Hillbilly.

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