HISTORY

Perhaps the greatest challenge to Orion Sholes' nominal leadership of the Belters is "Black Hand" Lennox. Lennox - formerly a military pilot who was drummed out of the service for blasting a squadron rival out of the skies - has had a very successful career as a pirate . . . though unlike Sholes, he is highly prone to violence. Target vessels are hulled and seized, as the crew suffocates or explosively decompresses. In addition, he hates GigaCorp and the Coalition and mounts frequent assaults on them just to blood his troops and bloody the noses of his enemies.

While many Belters find Lennox's methods deplorable, it is hard to argue with his success. Lennox is very wealthy, and shares this wealth quite equitably with his crew. The more lawless, anarchistic members of Belter society are drawn to Lennox; consequently, his troops are much more ready to fight than most Belters (who mainly want to be left alone).

Lennox has not made a serious bid for control of Belter space because he tends to be a tactical, rather than a strategic thinker, which has allowed Orion Sholes to outmaneuver him, at least for the time being.

Lennox is a true sociopath, but a genuinely entertaining and personable one. He appears to be the picture of the dashing, gentleman pirate, and he frequently behaves in a grotesque parody of courtly behavior. But when angered, his rage is fearsome indeed. Many of his pilots have seen Lennox decimate a colony asteroid with little or no provocation and have only remained in his service out of fear. Others, however, revel in the violence and conflict that surrounds Lennox.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Lennox is broad, stocky, short and muscular, and given to wearing rather elaborate clothing (the better to look the part of the pirate king). He has long blond hair, a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee, and carries a pair of pistols on each hip. He is quick to anger, quick to laughter, and especially quick to violent fights.