Full Name: Colton Nathaniel West
Familiar Name: Cole
Call Sign: "Hero"
Rank: Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Position: Viper Pilot
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Ht: 5' 7"
Body type: Lean
Hair: Dark, wavy, wild
Eyes: Brown
Other Physical Characteristic: Scar tissue running up and down his left leg, near the knee.
Portrayed By: Johnny Depp

Place of Birth: Arachne, a major city in Scorpia
Home Colony: Scorpia
Education: Athena's Grace School for Troubled Youth
Zephyr Military Academy of Scorpia


Personality: With a cock-sure swagger and arrogant smirk, Cole West comes off to most as the archtypical brash Viper jock. He's quick to make light of even the most morbid situation and typically deals with most difficult situations through humor and wit. He's known to speak before he thinks and his insubordinate tongue is what's kept him from progressing beyond the rank of Lieutenant (J.G.), despite having over a decade of service to the Colonial Fleet.
The truth is that Cole is a deeply disturbed, distrusting, angry man. All he's known his entire life is disappointment and loss. From the difficulties with his family to the losses in the recent past, he's had everything taken away from him. For most of his twenties, Cole kept the anger buried. He blamed the gods, and in a way he still does. He's realized that the only thing he's got in this world is himself. No one else can really be counted on so he uses humor as a way to keep everyone at a distance. Only when he's alone, or after a few too many drinks does this dark, angry side of his personality emerge.

Family: He's made occasional mention of his family, though he's quick to change the subject when folks tend to press into his personal life. He apparently has or had an older brother named Morgan, and a sister nearly twenty years his junior named Lydia. His parents Captain and Mrs. Conrad West are well respected members of the Colonial Fleet stationed at Scorpia. Captain West is known for his unwavering patriotism and rigid sense of duty. Though he was respected professionally, Cole has insinuated on several occasions that his father was far less honorable than he appeared to be in the public eye.


Career or Military History: Despite being the son of a well-respected officer in the Colonial Fleet, it wasn't Cole's choice to enter the service of the Colonies. That choice was made for him by a judge when he was only seventeen years old. It was military service or a penal colony. To this day, the details of exactly how he reached that ultimatum are a point of secrecy for Cole. What is known is that once he entered Zephyr he showed an extraordinary instinct and aptitude behind the stick. After sixteen weeks of OCS (Cole spent two weeks in the brig when he "accidentally" struck another recruit during an exirsize) he graduated among the top five men in his division and left for flight school. To the surprise of many, Cole's time in flight school was without discinplinary incident. He remained focused on his studies and his training and graduated among the top 5% of the school's recorded graduates.

Other Personal History: Cole doesn't talk a whole lot about his past, except to brag about his abilities behind the stick or in the sack. He's quick to say that the past should be live for today, and leaves it at that.

Interests: Cole is a reckless gambler and a vivacious guitar player. His most prized posession is this acoustic guitar upon which he is quick to strum a lively spanish-styled tune (as is Scorpia tradition). Though he's not quick to reveal it, Cole is also a skilled dancer - from the waltz to the tango.

Callsign: "Hero." Cole earned his callsign in flight school after hotdogging during a live simulation of a combat engagement. He successfully shot down six enemy fighters, but by leaving his wingman he inadvertantly got both his wingman and two other jocks killed. His flight instructor very nearly struck Cole, saying that regardless of how good Cole was as a pilot "Being a hero does nothing but get an honest soldier killed."

Relations with other Characters: Cole has recently been transfered from the Pacifica to the Avalon at the request of Commander Narbo. Other than his reputation as a general braggart and ruffian, he's had little interaction with the crew of the Avalon.