Description:
David Leroy Hamilton
Aka: ‘Sledge’ Hammer, Andrew “Andy” Wayne McConnor
Born and raised in Houston and 6’8” and 337 lbs., David exemplifies the saying; “They grow ‘em big in Texas.” Besides his massive, muscular body his most striking features are his eyes – flat gray orbs with a gold skull over crossed red scythes – similar to the skull and cross-bones of a Jolly Roger. The design is also carried over to a tattoo on his right upper arm – a unit ‘patch’ of the 34th A.I.A.G. An ironic sense of humor marks his personality. His routine activities include a daily Tai Chi routine, three gym workouts a week and building plasticast scale models of VTOL aircraft.

Background:
Fifteen years in the C.A.S. Army, 34th Airborne Infantry Assault Group to be precise, toughened a man, and Sledge Hammer was as tough as they come. Sometimes, life was tougher…

Hammer used to work as a contractor for Astella, a small subsidiary of Fuchi. After Astella was liquidated he started an offshore 'Independent Consultant' business – Keys Security (tax-shelter/money laundering) for himself and his partners. The price of the Aztechnology extraction cover-up, bribes, medical attention, equipment replacement, etc. has left the consultant corporation nearly bankrupt and Hammer looking for employment.

When asked (by the right person) about the Azzie extraction, he has this to say:

"Look, it ain't my fault that Corp decker got geeked! You probably know more about it than I can tell you. But, since you asked, here's what I heard:

The Johnson on that circus was a fella by the name of Sam. He contracted me an' some of my mates from Keys Security an' a bunch of other blokes for a low-profile extraction. We had every angle covered.

Then the drek hit the ventilator.

One-armed Bandit and TuJacks was doin' overwatch when the van got EMP'd then hit with missiles or explosives, I found out later that by that time the entire backup team was dead or dyin'.

I was in Alpha team, and things couldn't have been sweeter – we penetrated the enclave, located the principal, and quietly got out without a challenge. We headed out convoy style for Foxtrot where we'd split up and shake any tails the Bandit couldn't dissuade.

The first sign of trouble was when we got a garbled trans from Bravo team on our radio net, then Bandit an' TuJacks missed the radio check-in. We was discussin' splittin' up early, car one to provide support for Bravo, car two proceed to Golf an' switch vehicles and car three to assist at Bandit's van, when car one gets
t-boned by a garbage truck. I was in car two an' our driver tries to get around this mess when we take a rocket to the driver's compartment. Before th' car quit rollin' I was draggin' this whinin' Suit towards the remains of one 'cause it busted through the wall of this warehouse - we took some autofire from above an' I had ta carry this guy but we made it inside. Three got fragged by a rocket but I capped that guy, he was on the roof across the street.

I was firing from the cover of the warehouse an' the back of one when a rocket hit, blew me back an' when I got back up I saw someone in the car tryin' ta get out, they was on fire. The Suit was down, took some shrapnel an' autofire - I gave him a Trauma patch, I was hit pretty bad an' could see their mop-up team comin'. I found a floor drain an' dropped the Suit through, then climbed down myself. I launched a grenade into a stack 'o crates an' they collapsed on top of th' drain. The water was deep an' cold.

I'm told when they fished me out of the sewer I had a Trauma patch on an' was nearly dead, the Suit wasn't so lucky.

Two Merc's from three made it out alive, we split the costs of covering up the backtrail an' found out that someone on Mr. J's side 'o the operation had rolled.

I was at Our Lady 'o Mercy waitin' for a new spleen, kidney an' two an' a half meters o' small intestine when they found what was left 'o Sam Johnson - I didn't have nuttin' ta do with it.

The 'Star report said that his driver lost control 'o that Nightsky an' they found the remains of several go-gangers nearby. Huh, who'd think gangers would be in THAT neighborhood?

So, now that we got that straight, ya mind if I use this 'sniffer before we get down ta business?"

History

Daniel townsend “Downtown” to his friends goblinized at 11 years old. He lived in the slums of Atlanta Georgia. 3 years into high school the quiet, shy ork was very good at avoiding his fellow schoolmates. Who made a practice of beating the crap out of him whenever possible. Unbeknownst to Daniel he was using his adept abilities to avoid the beatings. Once on the way home he was unable to avoid the 5 gangers who were pursuing him. He was in the local mall when he saw the Recruiting station for the CAS army. He ducked in because he figured he would be safe. He talked to the recruiter and found out a lot about the army and himself. He could join without parental consent at 17 (which he was) at the moment he also did not need to complete high school. He thought about the offer on the way home. Which is probably why the gang was able to find him. They beat the hell out of him. The next day he joined the CAS army.

He picked 11-Bravo (Infantry) as his specialty, more because he felt after infantry training he would never get beat up again. During indoctrination his magical nature was revealed to him. He was pulled aside while waiting in one of the many lines. He was told what he was and what his potential was. And if he chose, the Army could help him unlock it. So far they had done nothing but help him, so he signed. 14 weeks later Daniel Townsend graduated Basic Infantry training a changed ork. Strong, agile and full of confidence. During the 12 week Advanced Infantry course it came out that Daniel was very good with a rifle, incredibly so. Immediate after he graduated Advanced school he as loaded on a bus and went to the other side of the Fort. For the next four weeks he trained at the Airborne Infantry School. Upon completing his 5th jump he graduated and wore the red barrette. But not for long. David was assigned to the 6th infantry division, 123rd battalion in Florida. He served there for 6 months. Shortly after being promoted to PFC he received orders to attend the Air Assault course at Fort Polk Louisiana. Over the three week course he learned how to jump put of helicopters. After completing the course he was held there and assigned to the 3rd Battalion headquarters to work as an armorer. He was stationed there for 6 months and then sent to PLDC school in Virginia. He graduated the 8 week Non commissioned Officers course at the top of his class. After only a year in the Army he was on the shortlist for Sergeant. David had found in himself a depth of loyalty, courage, honor, and patriotism he had never know. Loyalty, duty, honor were not just words to him.

After PLDC school he was flown to the Joint Training Command in Honolulu Hawaii. Where the Path Finder school taught him how to survive and fight in almost any situation. He stayed on as a Corporal at PF school to be a adjunct instructor for two years. His original enlistment was coming to a close and David was offered some choices if he chose to re-enlist. He picked Sniper school and the CAS was glad to give it to him. On the beginning of his 4th year in the CAS army David attained 2 things. The black rifle in a sniper scope on his chest (next to the wings with a parachute, and the wolfs head) and the rank of e-5, Buck Sergeant. It was at this point the David earned the nick, Downtown. For his amazing ability with a riffle to put a bullet anywhere he wanted it. After achieving sniper school David was assigned to the 181st Airborne division stationed in Italy. He spent two years there as a sniper. He was often put on “Leave”. He was tasked by the NAC for special ops. He was out in the field more than he was in the base. He shared a barracks with the 181st, but he usually was on assignment in Germany or Russia.

8 years after joining the CAS army Daniel attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and graduated from Ranger school in Fort Benning Georgia. His acceptance to SF was dependent on him successfully completing Ranger school at Fort Benning.

SF training started rather roughly at FT. Brag where he spent the first few days in the REC. Downtown was arrested by the MP’s for belting a officer in the jaw at a local bar. Luckily the officer was not wearing a uniform, nor did he identify himself. After that minor altercation DT got up and running in the SF program. Like all of the schools before him the strong willed ork put his back to it and excelled. The shooting wasn’t a problem, nor was electronics. He had a tough time learning the languages of his region, Eastern Europe and the middle east. He did well enough to pass though and before his 9th year was up he found himself stationed at the 1st special forces command at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

A year after he joined the elite SF units Danny, and his unit, was deployed to a small country called Basarah. It hid itself in the shadows of the larger Arabic countries and tried hard to stay out of the way. The CAS was trying to promote a change in government do to the high traffic of illegal narcotics that flowed from the small country strait into the CAS. The SF’s mission was to aid locals in raiding shipments as well as teach them tactics. Unfortunately the rebels were little better than the government they were trying depose. Instead of destroying the drugs like they agreed to do in exchange for help, they stockpiled them, and sold them to finance the rebellion. When Danny’s unit showed the evidence to the CAS there controllers turned a blind eye. When the rebels started executing locals who wouldn’t play ball, Downtown had enough.

On a windy day in the middle of the desert Downtown set his trap. He was on a hill over looking a small village the rebel leader was do to ‘visit’. Danny had used his access to the comm. Gear to over hear that the leader was planning on giving the village a choice, “send all your men to fight, or we kill you ourselves.” The leader arrived onsite at the specified time. When the man exited his vehicle, a 7.62 round exited his skull. To all the bystanders it was as if his head simply exploded.

While they were unable to prove that it was Downtown who pulled the trigger there was sufficient evidence to pull him out. Disgusted with his government Danny asked to ETS and exit the service. Danny now freelances out of the Seattle area as a merc for hire.

Dawson Jude joined the UCAS Marines right out of high school at the tender age of eighteen. After five years and obtaining the rank of Staff Sergent he applied for OCS - Officier Canididate School - and otained the rank of 2nd Leiutenent and given the prestigious job of Marine Recon. His six years leading men through the active engagements both forign and domestic sharpened him to a perfect edge. Arriving at the rank of Captain he was head hunted by personal from the Central Intelligence Agency and brought in to be trained as an agent.

The marine made weapon was again schooled in espinoage and counter-intelligence. He learned alot more about handling people with a softer hand then a harden fist to the mouth. Though the fist to the mouth still gets results from those who laugh at the soft hand method. The young black man reinvented and evolved himself from the rough gung-ho marine to the sauve sophiticated spy helping out the UCAS against other spies and playing odds against dangerous entities. Dawson has dedicated himself to be the best of the best, doing it first and with superior efficincy.

Another five year stint took Dawson all over the world and into parts where a CIA man ususually is not welcomed with open arms. Daswon enjoyed the work, somtimes taking on cases from the NSA that needed to be finessed. By the time of his departure from the CIA, he was heading up small operations into the Mexico and the NSA lands, bringing in the information about the movements of these on-again, off-again, enemies. Dawson started to chafe under the buerucratic bongling of one particular superior which made him reflect on his work. It was good work of course, and he helped alot of people, but the people who called the shots were the ones benefiting from his work. Too many times had a promotion come up that Dawson was skipped. It eventually doned on him that he was going to be mover in the Company, not a shaker.

With this reliziation Dawson finished up his current missions, requsted a stateside assignment and turned in his resignation. It was time to work for himself, it was time to see what being a professional merc would do for him. Deacon Bullet is not shy about his views on Shadowrunning, its a dumb job for dumb people. It dosen't mean he wouldn't do it out of boredom, but Johnson has learned not to trifle with Dawson, especially after he suppossedly gutted the last Johnson that tried to screw him over.

'Fool me once, shame on you,
Fool me twice, shame I'll have to rip your intestines out now.'