'Papa' Stefano (original surname unknown) was born sometime in 3251 or 3252 in the agrarian colony of Fafner in the Jotun system. He disappeared in the Thargoid massacre of 3253, and resurfaced unexpectedly nearly sixteen years later. This gained him some interstellar celebrity at the time, and Stefano remains circumspect to this day about the circumstances of his survival and reappearance. The combination of his very young age and the great devastation made it impossible to definitely determine his surname. Stefano has said that he didn't want to take another name that he hadn't earned.
Although there are no records of Stefano receiving any formal education in any engineering disciplines, he gained notoriety in the field of propulsion engineering as co-designer of Lakon Spaceways' Type-7 transporter's hyperdrive sub-system. Design decisions attributed to Stefano are said to be responsible for that vessel's unusually tall form factor and the reason why it is not allowed to dock at most open-space outposts.
In 3297 Stefano gained further notoriety when, collaborating with Sirius Corporation, he assumed a prominent role in the manufacture of the revolutionary Frame Shift Drive. When questioned about the source of his inspiration, he has sometimes said somewhat sarcastically that "I learned from my mistakes" or "I had to pay my debt to humanity." At this time he'd already been given the descriptive sobriquet of 'Papa' by his colleagues, which quickly became even more familiar to the public than his given name Stefano.
In 3300, he severed his ties to the Sirius Corporation and began to largely avoid the public eye. He has offered the explanation of having won a C-Classed Zorgon Peterson freighter from a box of caramelized popcorn, although investigative reporters cast doubt on this claim. Nonetheless, he is known to have joined the Pilots Federation on June 3rd, 3302. Subsequently, he has registered a substantial and growing fleet of personal ships, and is reported to have accumulated a formidable personal fortune. There have been antecdotal reports of his vessels appearing to enter witch space and then reappearing again in inexplicably distant systems. When questioned about these reports, he has mysteriously answered by saying "never question the power of friendship."
In 3304, Papa Stefano has often been spotted in Cubeo, the home system for the Prismatic Imperium - their goal is to produce materials and support Aisling Duval's bid for Empress. When asked about his intentions, Papa Stefano again answers mysteriously by responding "real news needs to travel faster than fake news." What do you think? Leave your comments below.
