This is the second in a new series of posts dedicated to Phantoms of Vendôme – a first introduction to the members of Richard’s underground army of “Apollo’s Wolves”.

The pilots and mechanics of Richard’s once-famous and unstoppable “Wolf Flight”, now fallen and disgraced alongside their flight leader, continue fighting to restore their military honor and expose the true enemies of France.

This week’s post is all about François, an aviation mechanic in the infamous Wolf Flight, who dreamed of being a pirate since childhood. An orphaned boy of mixed Algerian, Spanish, Chinese and French descent, he found no place he could fit in but the docks of Marseilles, a port bustling with sailors and travelers from all over the world.
His chances of survival would have been slim had he not been adopted by a crew of Corsican pirates, who occasionally fed him and frequently initiated him into the secrets of their trade. And so, young François grew up almost entirely lacking in basic moral values and hungry for success and glory.

Even the periodic loss of some of his mentors to the gallows couldn’t turn Francois from his destiny.

Surprising even himself, Francois came dangerously close to becoming a solid citizen when drafted into the French army at the start of WWI. But he chose to see this as only a temporary lapse. Even the loss of his right arm in the War couldn’t deter him from pursuing his dream career as a true pirate. He now works tirelessly and ingeniously on perfecting his mechanical arm, adding new features and experimenting with special enhancements daily. He is certain to become the world’s greatest cyborg pirate.

All he needs now is to restore his honor, stolen by the mysterious traitors who framed him and his flight during the War. François is determined to be an honorable cyborg pirate, after all.

If you missed the tragic story of Guillaume the Toy Maker and his gallery of marvelous shrapnel art last week, you can catch up right here – Guillaume the Toymaker. Wolf #1.