James Hunter

From FEInfobase

James Hunter was a marine fighter pilot who joined the Corps in 2378. He rose quickly through the early ranks and established himself as a skilled pilot, though also as an officer uncomfortable with command. Hunter was transferred to the Fleet in 2381 and was involved in the development of a new Klingon fighter in the early 2380s. He was held responsible for the deaths of a number of Starfleet officers during the final battle of Outpost 5004, and arrested. He subsequently escaped and is listed as a fugitive.

Early Career

At the age of twenty, Hunter graduated as a marine officer and was assigned to the Galaxy Refit-class, USS Paladin as a starfighter pilot. Due to a shortage of officers in the outlying sectors, Hunter was placed in command of a fighter formation, and quickly proved himself to be an adept field commander, both skilled in combat and knowledgeable regarding contact procedures. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant within his first year of service and shortly afterwards was promoted to squadron XO.

Towards the end of his service on the Paladin, Hunter was given the field rank of Captain and assigned as commander of the vessel's 300 strong marine force. The vessel was not involved in any tactical situations during his command of the unit, and though his peacetime command seemed to be sound, the young officer was uncomfortable being 'cut off' from his friends who were still flying fighters outside of the ship's hull. In 2380, Hunter took a leave of absence from the position (causing his rank to return to 1st Lt.) in order to travel to Earth where his mother, an admiral at Starfleet Medical had been involved in a terrorist attack.

Following his LOA, Hunter was assigned to the 3rd Corps of Alpha Centauri, and given a mid-level operations posting. The heavy load of paperwork involved in the position led quickly to frustration for the pilot and he requested a transfer.

In late 2381, he was issued new orders. He had been transferred to the Fleet as a junior grade Lieutenant and ordered to report to SB 828. Upon arriving, he was informed that his new posting was the Klingon armoured station in orbit of Klach D'kel Brakt where he would function as the lead Federation officer in the project to equip the Empire with a new starfighter, similar in capabilities to the new Starfleet Valkyries. This assignment was explained by citing Hunter's skills as a pilot and the fact that he would also function as the fighter's test pilot, though the assignment of a junior officer with little engineering experience to the project was a sign of Starfleet's reluctance to help the Empire develop offensive weaponry following the conclusion of the Dominion War.

Wartime Service

When the Borg War broke out, Hunter continued to serve aboard KDB until 2385 when the system was attacked and conquered by the Borg. Following the battle, he was reassigned to a Starfleet task force as a starfighter wing leader, stationed aboard the Concorde-class Zeus. He continued to serve aboard the carrier until 2393, when the vessel was destroyed in combat whilst defending Outpost 5004. The now Lieutenant Commander Hunter was the most senior military officer present at the time, and had taken command of the forces on the planet. Before long, a new task group arrived in orbit and command of the sector was controlled by others, but Hunter retained command of the ground forces and flight sqaudrons.

In 2394, 5004 was attacked and taken by the Borg, as the few remaining starships in orbit of the planet (including the Paladin) either sought to delay the enemy's advance or evacuate the ground forces. Towards the end of the evacuation, Hunter disobeyed orders and assigned remaining fighters to attack the Borg ground troops which had landed on the planet and were advancing on the base, specifically the medical centre which still held wounded crewmembers. The attacking fighters were destroyed in their assault, and a number of crewmembers were still lost on the planet as the fleet evac'd. Aboard the flagship of the Starfleet force, Hunter was arrested whilst charges of insubordination and treason were compiled. During its retreat however, the task force was attacked by the Borg, and the containment fields in the brig failed. Following the conclusion of the battle, Hunter was nowhere to be seen. He is currently listed as a fugitive though limited resources cannot allow for a comprehensive search to take place, and such fugitives are large in number.

Elisabeth French

Major Elisabeth French was a close friend of Hunter's for many years, following their introduction to each other at the academy. The two were involved in a romantic relationship at the time, but later broke it off for "professional reasons." The pair remained good friends and served as co-pilots and wingmen aboard the Paladin following graduation. Their relationship was strained when Hunter became French's superior officer, and the two did not speak for some time when the senior marine went on a LOA.

The two were reunited in 2394 at Outpost 5004, where French had entered the system as the Paladin's squadron commander. Early into combat, her fighter had been shot down and she had spent a number of months recovering in the medical centre on the planet, where Hunter visited regularly. It is unknown whether French was transported off the planet or not - the attack on the retreating task group combined with general personnel logistic problems throughout the war, meant that many records were incorrect or lost. She is currently listed as missing in action. It was theorised by some officers who served with Hunter at 5004, that his decision to break rank and defend the medical complex was largely driven by a desire to protect French though without a Court Martial hearing, this theory was never put to the former marine.