Douglas Haynes

Douglas "Firebear" Haynes was a prominent United States Marine fighter pilot during the Seaboard-American Civil War. He played a critical role in establishing connections between the Confederate States of America and the Appalachian Republic. Despite being captured by Seaboard forces, he managed a daring escape and returned to Harrisburg, providing vital intelligence on Seaboard's activities. Known for his exceptional piloting skills and military leadership, Haynes made significant contributions in aiding efforts against Seaboard during the civil war.

Born in Alabama, Haynes served as an enlisted Marine for two years. He later became a pilot and a Captain, and in the early 2010s, was chosen as a NASA test pilot candidate. However, he was excluded from the final astronaut group as another pilot with a more significant degree was chosen.

## Early Life

Douglas Haynes was born on 15 March, 1982, near Huntsville, Alabama to Richard and Elizabeth Haynes. Coming from an upper-middle class, military household, Haynes was inspired by his father. Richard Haynes, born in 1955, was an Air Force officer and pilot who flew B-52 bombers. A year after his birth, Haynes' family, including his older sister, were relocated to Louisiana as his father was stationed in Barksdale Air Force Base. Richard Haynes served as a pilot for the Air Force Global Strike Command.

In 1991, while returning to Barksdale AFB after piloting a mission in Iraq, Richard Haynes' aircraft suffered a severe fault. The bomber crashed, but not before Haynes' was able to buy enough time for his crew to bail and be rescued. The cause of the accident was chalked up to combat damage that was not recognized at first. The death of Douglas Haynes' father had a serious impact on his life, even at a young age. He grew to idolize his father and view him as a martyr. At the same time, his mother was highly opposed to Haynes' interest in following his father's footsteps. The two had a falling-out, and Haynes, without financial support, joined the Marine Corps at 18.

## Service to the Marine Corps

Haynes served as an enlisted Marine for two years, but decided he did not like it. He was able to leave active duty and pursue and education, majoring in Aerospace Engineering. He completed flight school, and was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, in South Carolina, as an F/A-18 Hornet pilot. He was promptly assigned to a Naval carrier in 2006. During this time, he first saw combat experience in Iraq. After being promoted to a First Lieutenant, Haynes began combat flights in Afghanistan.

Despite being considered an excellent pilot, Haynes was often held back by what his superiors believed to be a lack of discipline in his flight style. He constantly pushed safety margins, using what he considered to be his own "tricks" that were flagged as major safety concerns. While respected for his boldness by his flight squadron, his commanders saw this as problematic. After receiving a few awards for missions he flew, Haynes was promoted to Captain. However, this also came as his squadron was reassigned to Iwakuni, Japan, and Haynes no longer was assigned combat missions. He took the transfer personally, believing his commanding officers had a certain vendetta against him. In 2012, Haynes continued flying, leading a flight squadron in Japan. Because he was responsible for the safety of his junior pilots, Haynes began to dial back his flying style. This opposed his initial reasons for being a fighter pilot, because no actions he took risked the lives of others unlike the position his father held as a bomber pilot.

## Civilian Career

In 2012, Haynes met who would become his wife in Iwakuni, Japan. As he slowly transitioned to test-flights and instructing, Haynes grew less interested in his military career and more interested in his personal life with his girlfriend. Despite facing a promotion to Major, Haynes instead was voluntarily discharged from service. Having a certain liking of his hometown, Huntsville, Haynes moved there and married his girlfriend. He quickly took a job offer being a civilian test pilot. Later in 2013, Haynes' son was born.

In 2015, Haynes became employed by NASA as a test pilot, returning to an experimental F/A-18 platform. He also flew various experimental aircraft. As a test pilot, Haynes appreciated the role, as he could utilize his skills and stayed thrilled by the experimental nature of his flights. In 2016, Haynes was reached out to about the potential of being selected as an astronaut candidate. While never considering himself for such a position previously, he was open to the idea. However, he was not selected for the finalists of the astronaut group that year. The chosen pilot had a more extensive education than Haynes, while having just as much experience flying. Haynes was not bothered by this, however, viewing his family as being more important.

## Life During the Great Collapse

In 2017, the Jinanvirus began to spread throughout the world. Haynes and his wife, a biologist, felt threatened by the virus despite its status being downplayed by the US Government in the beginning. Haynes hoped to prepare for the worst, however, he had a hard time liquidating his assets. In the end of 2017, Haynes lost his job, and his wife's position was suspended as the university she worked for closed for the virus. The two feared they would be unprepared, and these fears came to life in the beginning of 2018, when the family contracted the Jinanvirus. Haynes' son, who was predisposed to immuno-deficiencies, succumbed to the virus. Not long after, his wife committed suicide, unable to cope with the loss of their son and the collapsing country. Despite contracting the virus, Haynes was plagued with guilt he would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Following the death of his family, Haynes spiraled into an extreme depression. His lack of certain survival skills and will to live made the coming months particularly challenging for him. He continued to live on his land outside Huntsville, often hunting frogs or small animals as food and foraging naturally-growing fruits and nuts. Halfway through the year, with the federal government officially collapsing, Haynes no longer believed society would recover from the virus, and didn't care to.

In September, Haynes caught wind of a visit of military officials who were offering supplies downtown. He was met with a long line of folks who were turned away, and upon speaking with the leader of the operation, he realized it was a screening for individuals of high-value and not for any form of aid. Haynes pitched that he was a Marine Corps Captain and pilot, however, the officer was uninterested in his credentials. Shortly after, a firefight broke out between the locals and the visiting military members. Haynes fled, but was perused by the Major in charge of the detachment, Benjamin Krauss. Major Krauss explained that their pilot was killed, and Haynes' experience would be required. Haynes agreed to help the Marines. After vouching to let more civilians on board to be helped, Krauss threatened him and demanded he flew the crew out immediately. He did so.

After displaying striking skills in an aircraft he'd never flown, even in moments of panic and confusion, Krauss took a liking to Haynes. Initially, the two shared a mutual understanding that despite saving the crew and the sourced civilians, Haynes might still be turned away by officials in Norfolk. Benjamin Krauss explained that he owed him, and would do all he could to not let it happen. Working together, Haynes fabricated many details of his life, including his roles in leadership and levels of education so that he may be seen as more valuable. Because of this, he was allowed to stay in Norfolk in exchange for joining the Confederate Marine Corps.

## Involvement with the Harrisburg Committee

In 2019, Douglas Haynes was assigned to a well-planned mission as an emissary of the CSA. Though he was in the dark about many details, he had speculations that were often true. The CSA saw the Great Lake States and the Harrisburg Committee as potential territories to claim. To gather information on them, Haynes believed his mission was of a more honorable purpose in helping reach out to connect the governments. These plans took a sharp turn with Haynes' arrival in Cleveland, Ohio. The Harrisburg Committee was engaged in a conflict with the Great Lake States, and based on the little information he knew of both, he decided to defend the Appalachian-controlled airbase.

After this, Haynes was seen as a hero by the people of Cleveland, and his actions immediately spurred a positive interest in the CSA. Haynes, while deployed in Cleveland, met Kyle Wald, finding the young man interesting. Between his missions, Haynes and Wald worked together to discover certain truths about the Great Lake States, including their attempts to assassinate Wald. The two believed it was because of an alliance between Seaboard and The Great Lake States. While partially doing it for Wald, Haynes also understood that being able to prove this claim would be vital for CSA intelligence.

In the fall of 2019, Cleveland came under attack in by a large, Seaboard-supported force from the Great Lake States. Haynes did what he could to defend the base, including engaging with enemy aircraft. Despite his accomplishments, he was shot down and forced to eject, where he landed unconscious in Lake Erie. Wald singled out and rescued Haynes, bringing him to safety. Without being able to communicate with his commanders in the CSA, he was left to improvise. As Appalachian Forces retreated, they had many aircraft that could not be taken with them because of their lack of personnel. Among them was an F-35 fighter jet. Haynes split from Wald, vouching to take the aircraft and return it to their closest defensible air station. In reality, he planned to fly the jet to Norfolk. However, Haynes shifted his choice, and was alerted to enemy aircraft attacking retreating Appalachian forces on Lake Ontario. Haynes cornered an attack helicopter targeting a Canadian ferry, requesting it to depart. Instead, the helicopter attacked Haynes, severely damaging his aircraft. Despite his engine stalling, he was able to destroy the helicopter. While gliding towards land, Haynes realized ejecting into the water would be a death sentence. Once over land, he was too low to eject. Instead, he crash-landed in a field in New York, and was captured by Seaboard authorities briefly after.

## Capture and Escape from Seaboard

For nearly two years between 2019-2021, Haynes was held hostage as a military captive by Seaboard. Where he was kept changed. Due to his value, Lyons Russel saw to interrogating Haynes. Despite his attempts, Haynes provided to be of little value, mostly due to his own knowledge being limited as the CSA understood that his capture was a possibility. Regardless, methods used against Haynes became more intense as time went on. Eventually, he was kept in solitary confinement, and Seaboard used him as a test subject to find if they could implant certain ideas in his head that would later resurface, not unlike sleeper cells. Despite long periods of drug-fueled solitary confinement, they were unsuccessful, except at breaking Haynes' mental state completely.

In 2021, however, Haynes was questioned again, and had a transfer planned. While being flown out of his location, he managed to attack his captors and take control of the helicopter he was flown in. Once out of enemy territory, Haynes ditched the aircraft and resurfaced in the Appalachian Republic. He was returned to Norfolk, where he underwent various treatments and questionings. Despite the rugged conditions he faced in captivity, Haynes was able to collect himself again, now with a newfound disdain for Seaboard. Once he was cleared and seen as mentally fit, he returned north, leading a flight squadron and airmen team with Major Benjamin Krauss.

## Deployment in Harrisburg

After the Appalachian Republic and Confederate States worked out military treaties, Haynes worked out of Harrisburg. While stationed in the city, he hoped to find Kyle Wald. He was deferred to Maria Burnett by Daniel Pierce, and visited the clan's home in the city. Despite not having any leads on Wald, Harper Brooks, the head of the household while Brian Burnett was away, offered for him to stay. He begrudgingly accepted the offer, not wanting to overstay. Despite this, he became attached to the family, especially Harper and Zoe Brooks, the latter who he took a parental-like care for.

During the period, Haynes oversaw various combat missions against Seaboard. At the same time, he and Harper Brooks became romantically entangled, despite her official relationship with Dakota Taylor, unknown to Haynes initially.