Dirk Wright
Dirk Wright is a Terran pilot from the Terran Confederation.
History
Dirk Wright grew up in the Terran Confederation during the Terran-Kilrathi War. He eventually enlisted in the Terran Confederation Space Force as a pilot, citing his desire for the adrenaline rush that came with combat. At some point in his career, assumed the callsign "Stingray" and established himself as a lethal and determined pilot.
Wright was marked by his severe hatred for the Kilrathi as a race, and was eager to destroy as many of them as he could. He heard many stories about Colonel Christopher Blair, who was accused of abandoning the TCS Tiger's Claw when that vessel was destroyed in 2656 by the Kilrathi at K'tithrak Mang. Wright believed these stories to be true and developed a strong disdain for "The Coward of K'tithrak Mang".
By 2665, Wright was assigned to the TCS Concordia with the rank of Captain. During that year, the Concordia was ambushed by the Kilrathi at Gwynedd, and was only saved by the swift intervention of disgraced Terran ace Christopher Blair of Caernarvon Station. Wright and Blair immediately found themselves on bad terms with each other, with Wright consistently reminding Blair of his alleged betrayal. Blair was reassigned to the Concordia when he did not have time to return to Caernarvon Station. From that point on, Wright and Blair would regularly exchange insults, and Wright would be reprimanded numerous times for refusing to fly on Blair's wing.
During operations at Niven, Communications Specialist McGuffin was shot dead in the Concordia's communications room by a Terran traitor who was relaying classified intelligence to the Kilrathi. To cover up his involvement, the traitor planted Wright's pilot wings in McGuffin's hand for the Concordia personnel to find, making Wright the prime suspect in the murder. Although he was not imprisoned, Wright remained closely watched by Confederation personnel for the duration of the campaign.
During his service on the Concordia, Wright also shared a rivalry with pilot Ralgha nar Hhallas, also known as "Hobbes", whom he dispised simply for his being a Kilrathi. The two fought on several occasions, and engaged in a fist fight that sent the two pilots into sick-bay for several cuts and bruises. The two of them were removed from the flight roster a number of times for their disruptive altercations.
In Novaya Kiev, Wright was forced to eject from his starfighter after sustaining too much enemy fire. Blair and Etienne Montclair rushed to his aid and saved Wright from certain death despite orders to return to the Concordia to ward off a Kilrathi attack. Wright attempted to thank Blair for the rescue, but Blair rejected the token of goodwill due to Wright's previous accusations against him.
Wright fought hard during the Enigma Sector Campaign and played a role in the defense of the Concordia on numerous occasions. He also aided in the defense of Olympus Station at Ghorah Khar. He would eventually have a change of heart over Blair and Ralgha after seeing their loyalty to the Confederation, and became more civil in the months that followed.
Wright participated in the final battle to capture K'tithrak Mang, the headquarters for the Kilrathi fleet in the Enigma Sector. During that campaign, it was revealed that Major Zachary Colson was the traitor of the Tiger's Claw and had set up Blair to take the blame. He also confessed to framing Wright for McGuffin's murder. Colson was captured after a failed escape attempt and once his treachery was made public, the hostility between Blair and Wright vanished.
Wright continued to serve on the Concordia and once again aided in the defense of Ghorah Khar during the Kilrathi's prolonged effort to retake the system. He would continue his service on the flagship through to 2668.
Wright was a survivor of the Concordia's destruction in 2669 after the Battle of Earth, as he was not present on the vessel during its untimely fall at Vespus. He ultimately survived the Kilrathi War and continued his military career through the 2670s.
During the Nephilim War of the 2680s, Wright held the rank of General and became famous for his actions against the invading Nephilim at the Third Battle of Warsaw. By 2701, he retired as a General to live a quiet life, but eventually returned to active duty service as a pilot, believing that "you are never too old to fly".