The only child of humble parents in a theocratic Federation system, Raynor was born with a genetic defect that meant his lifespan would be seriously curtailed. But fortune chose to smile on him.

Rumour of a potential cure, developed by researchers in the Empire, gave hope to his parents. But they were poor. How could they afford the procedure?  By strange coincidence, it transpired that Raynor was a descendant of a wealthy space pilot, Edward Rodriguez, also known by the nickname 'Edrek'.
Rodriguez had left a substantial sum of money in a fund for his descendants, and Raynor was entitled to a share of that money; the cost of his treatment would be covered.

None the less, it was still risky. Technically, simple - the injection of an experimental form of progenitor cells (Charaka cells), which possessed some viral properties.  Even the scientists who had developed them couldn't be sure of the long-term effects.

The procedure went ahead, and although the infant Raynor spent several months in intensive care, it turned out to be a success.

As his parents waited at the starport for his return, a robed and cowled figure - a priest of the ruling theocracy - approached and declaimed loudly that they had defied the will of God, that the child should have been left to die, as was its fate. The priest then produced a sword and fatally wounded Raynor's parents. It was a matter of some controversy that the starport security did nothing and the attacker left the scene unopposed. When the ship carrying the child docked and the pilot learned of what had happened, she refused to hand the infant over to the authorities, and promptly took off again before anyone could stop her.

There followed several months of legal negotiation over the child's status. The pilot transported him back to the Empire, but obviously he was a Federation citizen.  Eventually, he was returned to Federation territory and adopted, in a system a long way from his birthplace.

As he came of age, Raynor found work hard to come by in the terrestrial settlement he lived in. So when the opportunity for a job on the orbital facility came up, he went for it.

Years passed, and Raynor grew up a quiet, intelligent man, often regarded as a loner but liked by those who did know him. And being on a space station, he would often watch the vessels coming and going.

Then one day, he recieved a communication that offered him a starship...

Years of plying the space lanes, exploring and combat have made him a wealthy man, but also deeply cynical and world-weary.  He has come to loathe humans as a race, yet he will go out of his way to help those in need where possible.