Commander James Diaz, 674ADD, Navy, five terms terms, Computer 5, Engineering 1, Foil 2, Mechanical 1, Pilot 2, Pistol 0, Vacc Suit 1. Languages: Spanish, Swahili, English, Portugese, Mandarin. Marquis of Ravenscar. Deceased.

James Diaz was a youth possessing of more brains than brawn. Lacking any obvious career prospects he signed up with the Navy, a relationship that would last all of 20 years and 5 tours of duty.

His intelligence quickly recognised, Diaz was given a commission and set to work in the computer core of a capital ship. Over the years, Diaz's skill with a computer grew, helping him rise through the ranks to the position of Commander, a position of some authority. However, when considering assigning the 38 year old a command of his own, the review board realised that Diaz had actually never been in a battle, fired a shot or commanded any men in the field. Instead, all of his promotions had come from being unaccountably first on the promotions list ahead of men that had done all of these things and more. Realising that something was wrong, the navy ended Diaz's naval career and dumped him at the nearest space-port with some cash and a handshake. However, refusing to be fobbed off with such a weak golden parachute, Diaz set to work suing his naval paymasters, citing his suddenly astonishing record of heroism under fire. Rather than admit that Diaz had repeatedly breached their computer systems, the Navy ennobled Diaz, granting him the tile of Marquis in return for dropping the court cases.

Initially delighted, Diaz was then disappointed to learn that his now hereditary fiefdom was nothing more than x-32746/D, a medium-sized asteroid with no mineral or strategic value in the disputed zone. Not to be deterred, Diaz changed the name of the asteroid to Ravenscar and signed up with Jose Chavez as his engineer and computer geek.

Diaz, now known simply as "The Marquis", is as tall and wiry as you would expect of a man who has spent his life in space. He has black hair pulled back into a poney-tail, blue eyes and an intricately groomed, pencil-thin moustache. He wears a foil when it is legal and wears a flamboyant red and yellow flight-suit tailored in the Naval style and emblazoned with symbols of rank, sashes denoting position and the ribbon bars associated with the medals he awarded himself for his legal battle against the Navy.

Diaz lives much of his life in a dream-like state. From a young age he had a clear aptitude for computers and a willingness to use them to advance himself and create an easy life for himself. He has an easy, laid-back charm, an informal manner and strives to be immaculately tailored but his expensive tastes do not translate into any real drive or ambition putting him at odds slightly with the hard-bitten and mercenary attitudes of many spacers.

DEAD - killed in the process of capturing a band of smugglers.  Has since had a spaceport named for him and a statue erected in his memory.