"Captain" Ambrose Zeplin.
"Captain" Ambrose Zeplin is a former gunboat commander and pilot. His military career was cut short while in the service of a locally hired security force on a distant planet, crushed by a well-equipped coalition of local pirates and war-lords funded by illegal sales and smuggling operations. Deciding that outer-planet politics often led to shortened life-spans, "Captain Ambrose" hired out his piloting skills, eventually earning enough to buy part interest in an old-model freighter. "Captain Ambrose" enjoys a more peaceful life of long, boring freight runs between systems, spending just enough while in port to keep things interesting and his old ship flying. His business partner handles the contractual and legal arrangements for only legitimate cargo, and "Captain Ambrose" complies willingly and enthusiastically to keep his ship and his nose clean. Nobody seems to mind the occasional case of contraband liquor or "salvaged" medical supplies the "Captain" finds odd nooks and crannies for in the aging ship. Even the rare pirate that runs across his ship finds more humor in Ambrose's manner and in the old bucket he pilots, especially when lubricated by a fine case of that great liquor or when patched up with those medical supplies. Such favors have saved Ambrose more than once, as both pirate and customs officer alike allow Ambrose the most valuable commodity in the galaxy - Benefit of the Doubt.