Snowflake

Note that this bio is not public knowledge, and certain areas are only available to those who would have been in the RAS military or intelligence, unless being told by a fellow player.

The Public Story
An enigma on the ground, while a phantom in the sky. However, that doesn't cover the rest of his usually unspoken life.

Snowflake was an unwanted child, who never got the hugs that he deserved growing up. Not to mention receiving a terrible name that he doesn't utter outside of official business, preferring to rely on the name of Snow, Snowy, Mr. Snow and finally Snowflake.

He was born to a happily married couple. Well, they were until he was born. His mother was a veterinian and his father was an engineer for a logging company. Snowflake wasn't actually born in a hospital, but rather a doctor's clinic in the small remote township in which his parents worked and lived.

It took a while for both of his parents to accept him, and they never really did. When he was old enough, he was shipped away from the township of Kakoda Memorial and undertook his education at a boarding school in New Darwin, a small city that isn't quite controlled by the Australians and not quite by the RAS either.

Due to bullying, he became somewhat withdrawn and started to rely on a dry wit to help him through. He wasn't gifted at sports, though he wasn't too bad at mathematics. He was a spoiled trouble maker when he first attended, until he was scared into line by one of the matrons. He never questioned authority figures after that.

After nagging his parents over the phone from his 12th birthday onwards, he finally got his first taste of flying at the age of 14. He managed to pick up his glider certifications first time through, and it only fueled his fire to learn how to fly something with an engine. He continued this as a hobby, until he reached 17, and managed to log his hours up and obtain private certifications, as well as instruments and multi-engined aircraft.

It was near the end of his senor year of high school when he attended a seminar to join the RAS' Army. It dwelled in the back of his head for a bit, before he decided to try enlist. It took some effort, but he managed to get accepted as a Pilot and was sent off for training at the military academy.

He did his time and somehow managed to bypass transports aircraft, before being assigned to transport helicopters. It didn't take him long before he managed to gain skills to be able to show up some of the more experienced pilots. Unfortunately, these qualities also saw him being a pilot that people didn't want to fly with. It was during this stage that he first encountered Rio Martinez as a recruit, though the two never spoke to each other.

After several complaints were issued and no problems, Snowflake was crash posted to attack helicopters. He had trouble finding a co-piloting willing to fly with him. He only stayed there for a year, before being crashed posted to a fighter squadron because of complaints and no breaches of duty found. He actually seemed to mesh well with those who shared his mentality.

Unfortunately, something that was meant to be a lesson seemed to only drive Snowflake harder. He quickly picked up the handling of a fighter jet and seemed a natural. Within two years, he was rated among one of the best fighter pilots in the RAS. He stayed with the squadron and the RAS Army, much to the dislike of the Commanding Officers he had. However, at 156, all references to the pilot known as Snowflake cease, both in military and civilian paperwork.

The Agency Story
Despite being one of the best, Snowflake still felt there were challenges out there for him. Unknown to him, he'd managed to gain the attention of the RAS' intelligence service and without asking him, they arranged for another crash posting. This time he wasn't flying run of the mill fighter jets, but stealth aircraft spoken about in the depths of the intelligence communities and conspiracy circles. He was also taught extensive foreign languages and survival training.

He ended up flying several flights a female agent, and a close friendship blossomed between the two. Snowflake ended up being her chosen pilot, up until the time of her untimely death. But sometimes people don't stay dead, and she delivered a warning to Snowflake. It was something that conspiracy theorists would have a field day with, and he didn't pay heed until it was too late.

Things happened, and that part of the story will be revealed in time.

Life After Death
After spending 2 weeks adrift in a life raft, Snow found himself a guest of a Chinese freighter. He was badly dehydrated and starting to suffer the effects of malnutrition. Either the same conspiracy played its part again, or the ship really did have a steering failure.

Snowflake, however, was not the best of health. An ordeal such as this ended up taking a heavy toil on him mentally.