Solomon Kane

Solomon Kane was a Human male who lived in the late 23rd century. He was ex-Starfleet officer turned pirate.

Starfleet Officer
Solomon Kane was born in the doomed Simka Colony on Karion VII. However, he was nominated for enrolment in Starfleet Academy by a Federation Council delegate (who was later indicted for several crimes, including corruption and selling influence). Kane entered the Academy as an unknown, but he scored high on the entrance examination and performed well in his studies. He passed his cadet cruise with Honors, after serving on a Galaxy Exploration Command vessel.

Thereafter, he seemed a talented officer and rose swiftly in rank, including a tour of duty on the USS Hood (Constitution class). But he then spent four years as a supply officer on a starbase near the border with the Orion worlds; later allegations suggested that Kane had arranged the posting himself. At age 35, Kane was promoted to the rank of Commander and given command of the USS Cortes (Nelson class), with the mission of patrolling a region not far beyond Orion space. However, after four years, the ship had the surprising distinction of never encountering a single Orion privateer. Kane had spent both postings selling contraband cargos and taking bribes to look the other way.

Shortly after returning from that cruise, Kane visited Tiros II. Here, it was claimed, Kane arranged to purchase a large quantity of Curial Dust, a narcotic drug, from a pair of merchants. When the deal fell through, Kane stabbed one merchant and stole the drugs for himself. The surviving merchant later stepped forward to report the crime. A local court tried Kane for murder, but after the mysterious disappearance of the merchant and a number of other irregularities, he was acquitted. Sometime after, two of the three judges involved were jailed for accepting bribes. It was a high profile case, and Kane’s career was ruined. He resigned from Starfleet in disgrace, soon disappearing from public view.

Pirate
He returned to Orion space to retrieve the hidden fortune he'd made while he was a supply officer and commander of the Cortes. His personal wealth rose to nearly 3,000,000 credits. He chose to use that money as a down-payment on a spaceship, the Werewolf. To lay his hands on the rest of cash he needed, he persuaded a number of Orion merchant princes to grant him loans. The Werewolf was constructed and launched with Solomon Kane as its captain.

For over twelve years, Kane and the Werewolf travelled around Federation and Orion space, and along the Klingon Neutral Zone, engaging in piracy, smuggling and other shady business dealings. Using the proceeds and loot, Kane made regular payments to his Orion creditors. Their fortunes changed in reference stardate 2/14 (circa 2273), however, when many of the smuggled cargos were intercepted and potential piracy targets were escorted by Starfleet warships (thanks to the efforts of undercover Starfleet Intelligence operative Alexander Soloviev). Kane and the Werewolf escaped several close calls in one sector that had threatened to put an end to their activities.

Urgently requiring a new source of cash to pay off the Orion investors, some of whom had a reputation for impatience and harsh treatment of those defaulted on their loans, Kane agreed to work for InstellCo, itself a corrupt corporation. In stardate 2/1410, operating under the name Illusion, the Werewolf visited the Orion Colony world of Daros IV, with the aim of negotiating a trade agreement between InstellCo and one of the Five Families, by any means necessary.

Kane and his first mate Jack Corrigan spent five weeks unsuccessfully negotiating with Merkos Kerav of the Kerav Family, who refused any fair contract. Eventually they switched their attentions to Imri Keros of the Keros Family, who had more interest and negotiations were opened. These were threatened by the arrival of the Eridani Star from rival corporation TransSolar, which could outbid their smaller rival IntellCo and was interested in Keros. Kane and his crew would do whatever they could to disrupt the Eridani's negotiations, from intimidation and robbery, to sabotage of their goods, spying, to attempted murder and a piratical raid.

Description & Personality
In reference stardate 2/1412 (circa 2273), Solomon Kane was aged 54, 6' tall and weighed a little over 170 pounds, appearing fairly slender. He had short, gray hair and Asian features. He spoke very quietly, forcing others to listen more attentively to what he had to say.

His personality seemed cold, reserved and aloof, even emotionless, but not without arrogance. Kane had a number of vices, but he was driven primarily by greed and the need to ensure his own safety, and he had no loyalties to anyone but himself. He had a strong capacity for hatred and vindictiveness, but he was particularly cautious; he would seek revenge for any offense or damage, even if had to wait many years to do so in sufficient safety.

Though he couldn't afford to be picky about choosing his crew, as captain of the Werewolf, Kane secured the loyalty and obedience of the "Wolfen" by several means, such as ensuring a supply of Adrenalane to drug-addicted Ernst Metz, and ample threats to keep Skevar in line, and generally providing enough loot and violence to satiate them. He also bribed others, such as servants of the Keros Family for information.