Michael McHugh

Contact: DeamonV @ aol.com

Template: Imperial Fighter Ace

Species: Human

Age: 38

Gender: Male 

Description: Stands at a fairly short stature, only around 5'5", with an average build, weighing in at around 160 pounds. Has short, slightly curly, black hair with light grey eyes and sports a short mustache and goatee. While not wearing the standard Imperial fighter pilot vacuum suit, tends to wear a loose-fitting beat up leather jacket, a beat up slouch hat, faded black pants, and dingy boots with a cigarra hanging out of his mouth and either a glass of alcohol, some type of sporting equipment (usually a golf club), or a book in hand. The only other distinguishing feature is a tattoo of a silver-colored eagle on his right forearm.

History: Michael McHugh was born on Churba 14 years before the Battle of Yavin. He was an only child, the son of Sean and Margaret McHugh. Michael was born into a very wealthy family, his father a former Old Republic senator, and from a long line of Republic senators, who remained loyal to the Empire at its rise and retired to local bureaucracy when the Senate was disbanded. Being born into this very affluent family, Michael was able to live with a silver spoon in his mouth. He went to the best private schools, took classes in just about everything, soaking up every bit of knowledge he could get his hands on. Over time, it became apparent that he, like his father, was becoming a rather strident supporter of the Empire.
He applied to the Academy at age 17, around the time of the Battle of Hoth, and was accepted the same year. He graduated with honors four years later, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Imperial Navy Air Corps, and placed in an Interceptor squadron working out on the rim. Michael quickly made a name for himself, racking up kills during Thrawn's campaign, at which point he was transferred to an elite squadron, and then racking up more kills after that. At only twenty six years of age, a mere 5 years after graduating from the Academy and 8 years after the Battle for Endor, Michael had achieved the rank of Captain, was the head of an elite squadron, the 146 Fighter/Bomber squadron, and was considered to be one of the top aces in the Empire.At the rate at which he was going, he could have easily been a General, maybe even one of the top Generals, before he turned 40.
However, it wasn't to be. Those who were close friends with Michael would testify that he began to act very differently after he became the squadron leader. He had continued successes as a pilot, and was a very well-organized and capable leader, but he still began to act very differently. He ordered the exterior of the TIE Avenger he used to be painted blood red. He began to smoke and drink on a regular basis, and was often seen walking down the halls of the ship he was based on talking to himself. He also made it literally impossible for the high command to reward him for his services.
If they attempted to promote him to Major, he would simply refuse, and would continue to go around with Captain's insignia until the command would simply give up and let him stay Captain for a while longer. If they tried to transfer him out of his squadron, usually up to command of a wing, he would again simply refuse. If they forced him to move, he would create such a fuss that the command would decide that they would be able to live in peace if they simply kept Michael at squadron level, but only because they were too short on highly qualified flyers to discharge him on the grounds of mental insanity, plus it wouldn't look good to discharge an officer they just tried to promote. The procedure would be repeated every few months. The high command would try to promote Michael to Major and bring him up to wing command. Michael would refuse to wear the Major uniform, and continuously lodge complaints until they demoted him to Captain and returned him to his squadron. Up through the raid on Coruscant, 12 years after taking command of the 146th, he's still at the same rank in the same squadron, just because he wouldn't let anyone remove him.

Possessions: His most cherished possessions include his blood red Avenger (an upgraded Avenger model used by many squadrons now), his Academy class ring, the somewhat ragged clothes he wears off-duty, his cigarra case, and his golf clubs

Abilities: Can easily be considered one of the best fighter pilots in the Empire. Very intelligent, well educated, and capable of learning things at a rapid rate. Good athletic ability, and able to play well in most sports (although he has a particular fondness for golf, a sport which, ironically, he has mediocre skill in at best).

Personality: Carries self a majority of the time with some sternness. Considered by some to be walking the fine line between sanity and insanity, and considered by others to be far into the realm of insanity. Other people even consider him dangerously sane. Generally considered unapproachable, although he sometimes has the tendency to stop people he passes by and strike up a conversation with them. A majority of people are absolutely terrified of him.

Objectives: Your guess is as good as anyone's.

Quote: Michael's boss: "How long are you going to insist staying a squadron commander?"
            Michael: "As long as I'm in the military."
            Michael's boss: "How long are you going to stay in the military?"
            Michael: "As long as I'm the squadron commander."

Miscellaneous: People sometimes get the impression that Michael McHugh is almost divinely protected. They can't picture him at the end of the war with so much as a scratch, much less dead. Has a weakness for sour foods, particularly citrus. At every spaceport his squadron stops by, there's a crate of lemons waiting for him, and he doesn't use them up until he arrives at the next spaceport the squadron happens by.