Frank Flaherty, a.k.a. Silver Star

Game Date: Pre-Campaign Start Date

No one except maybe a few Grand Empire researchers or a couple of Grand Empire Lords knows when Frank Flaherty was born, not even Frank himself.

Frank started life as an experiment in a Grand Empire laboratory. The Grand Empire wanted better agents and Frank was the latest stage of the program. The donors of the sperm and egg had been chosen very carefully after much testing. The surrogate mother was subjected to many of the same tests for she not only needed to carry the child but would be subjected to many serums designed to improve the fetus as it developed within her womb. The Grand Empire spent an untold sum of money on the program. If successful a new order of man would be created. Then the Grand Empire and its new army would take its rightful place at the head of a new world order.

Fortunately for Frank, the experiment succeeded beyond the researchers' wildest expectations. Unfortunately for the Grand Empire, John Battle found the lab several weeks after Frank was born.

After defeating the agents guarding the facility trashing the laboratory in the process, John found a child crying underneath the wreckage of a computer console. Miraculously the child had been lying in the exact spot where a hollow spot in the console had fell, leaving him unscathed.

Unable to recover more information as to the experiments being conducted at the facility, John Battle called the FSS. He then took the child and left the lab before the authorities arrived.

John Battle gave the child to a friend, Albert Flaherty, and his wife Mary Elizabeth. The couple had been trying unsuccessfully to have children and doctors had pronounced Mary Elizabeth infertile. Albert and Mary Elizabeth named their new son Frank William Flaherty.

Albert had met John Battle while serving in Vietnam. After his time in the Army, Albert had returned to his hometown of San Jose, California and married his high school sweetheart. Albert worked as a broker for his father before winning a council seat on the San Jose city council.

A year after Albert and Mary Elizabeth adopted Frank, Albert was elected to the California State House. The next year, Mary Elizabeth gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Mary Frances Flaherty.

Albert Flaherty served eight years in the State House before being elected to the United States House of Representatives. Albert served three terms in the US House before being elected to the United States Senate. Albert had a distinguished career in politics. Both his career and his life were cut short when he and Mary Elizabeth were killed in an automobile accident in 1996.

Frank had a relatively easy childhood. He did well in school, excelled in athletics and was a social marvel. There was even some talk in some circles about him living in the White House one day. All in all, he made his parents very proud.

The only dark spot on his childhood, at least from Frank's point of view, is the time at camp when another camper jealous of Frank's natural ability, found a nest of spiders and put it into Frank's sleeping bag. The spiders were mildly poisonous and he was bitten several times. Although Frank was not sick for very long, the sight of a spider still makes him somewhat queasy.

Frank and his sister were very close growing up. Frank is very proud of his sister's success in politics. He even thinks that she may have a chance at being the first woman President.

After his parents death, Frank took it upon himself to personally investigate the tragedy. His investigation did not turn up any evidence other that what the official police investigation found. Although he can't prove it, Frank believes that there was foul play involved.

Luckiest Man in the World's Luck Runs Out

Dateline: 03.31.2001 - San Francisco Examiner

Frank William Flaherty, the so called "World's Luckiest Man," died Friday in an auto accident. Flaherty apparently lost control of the stolen car he was driving and ran off of a cliff. Flaherty, the five-time winner of the California Lottery, is survived by his sister Deputy Mayor Mary Frances Flaherty. Frank Flaherty was 33.

At least that was what the papers and human-interest news stories were saying.

"Maybe its a good thing that I'm dead," Frank thought.

It had started about six months ago after he had turned down yet another scientific study. Frank had finally gotten used to scientists wanting to poke and prod him to find out why he was so lucky. Just because he had won a few contests and had became a multi-millionaire playing the stock market as well as walking away from several deadly crashes with out serious injury, he was called lucky. It had become painfully obvious to Frank that everyone else wanted a bit of luck for themselves. The more superstitious the person was, the more they wanted his luck.

Criminals, paranormal and otherwise, were the worst of the lot. On several occasions, Frank had been approached by shady individuals trying to get him to be part of some scheme or another. Some had threatened violence. Some had even kidnapped Frank to force him to be party to their plans.

Through it all, he had managed to stay clear of entanglements and live life on his own terms. Now things had changed. It was no longer his crazy luck, good or bad, that he was dodging but deliberate attempts on his life. Frank didn't know who was behind it but he was going to find out.

He had been on the run for the last couple of months. The nightmare had started when his house had been blown to bits. Frank had done his best to stay low and out of sight. Yet, some how the press had been able to track his every move. Well maybe not every move he made, but it sure did seem like.

Every time Frank thought he had ducked his pursuers and could breath easy for a bit, fate would intervene. If he was lucky, a camera and microphone wielded by some nosy reporter, would be stuck in his face. The few times he hadn't been lucky it had been a maniac with a gun, lightning bolt or bomb suddenly showing up to wreak havoc on Frank and his surrounding.

Good luck had been with him yesterday. Frank had been hitchhiking to San Francisco to talk with his sister before losing himself to his investigations. A guy in a VW Rabbit had stopped and picked him up. Frank had no way to know that the car had been stolen. After a few miles the guy had pulled a gun, taken Frank's wallet and forced him out of the car. Maybe the brakes failed or maybe the accelerator stuck, Frank did not know which as he watched the guy speed off then suddenly swerve off the road and over the side of the cliff.

Apparently the only id found on the guy had been Frank's wallet, so naturally the press jumped to the conclusion that would sell the most papers.

Frank smiled as he re-read the Examiner's story about his death.

"Yeah, maybe its a good thing that I'm dead," Frank thought.

He finished his breakfast, paid the bill and started walking south towards San Francisco. His sister was certainly going to be surprised to see him.

After walking a few miles, Frank saw a highway patrol cruiser headed his way. Not wanting to lose the newly found freedom that his "death" had given him, Frank avoided the patrol car by taking a side road towards the coast.

He soon arrived at the gates of an estate. The plaque on the gate read, "North Bay, Property of the Alcatraz Foundation."

Frank smiled and walked through the open gates. As he headed down the winding tree lined drive, Frank stumbled over a crack in the pavement. After he had regained his balance, Frank looked up to see John Battle hiding in the trees.

He called out to the old friend of the family and identified himself. John Battle smiled and said that it great to see that the reports of Frank's death were a bit premature. The two walked to the main house.

After talking for a while John agreed to let Frank stay at the estate and get things sorted out.

Frank sorted things out and after passing an "audition" that John Battle insisted upon, he joined the Alcatraz Foundation Wardens on April 15, 2001. Silver Star's adventures with the Wardens are chronicled in the Wardens Chronicles. He left the Wardens on January 1, 2003 to take on a new mission with the Warders.