Disclaimer: I share with other fan writers on WipEoutzone, so acouple of the characters and events mentioned here were ideas from them. Keg_11, Light Buster, and Challenger #001 are all writers I referenced from, you can check them out on WipEoutzone for their own fan stories which also feature some of my pilots in theirs.
Also for those who came from a link on Youtube, I'm still making updates or changes to the chapters, so the versions from the videos may be different than the ones written here currently. Either way I'm continuing the stories through 2218 and making changes with the inclusion of Van Uber and Tigron.
Rewritten/Updated: 06/22/18
Identification/Statistics
Name: Katsu Sasaki
Japanese Name: 勝佐々木
SEX: Male
Birth: September 23rd, 2177
Birthplace: Kyoto (Japan)
Zodiac: Libra
Age (Currently 2218): 41
Nationality: Japanese
Origin: Japan (Father) / Korea (Mother)
Race: Asian
Language(s): Japanese / some English
Religion: N/A
Height: 5'11"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Occupation Before AG-Pilot: Joy Noodles Employee
FX300 IDF: SASA0923.2177
Team: AG-Systems
Position: Lead Pilot
Pilot Rank: Veteran
Region Reputation: Global
Squadron Teammates: Viona De-Jong (Retired 2214) / Sean Cooper / Sofia Rossetti
Team Loyalty: High
Allies: Auricom
Rivals: Xavier Chaffin (Triakis)
Medals: Gold: x27, Silver: x19, Bronze: x14
Sponsors: Joy Noodles, ICOM, Mindcorp, AG-Systems, Anti-Gravity Development, Good Smile Racing, Belmondo Foundation
Favorite Events: Tournament Events
Favorite Track: Metropia
Leagues Competed: FX300 to FX500
Character traits: Precise, Dependable, Talented, Expert, Confident but slightly Cocky
Skill
Awareness: 9/10
Aggression: 7/10
Reaction/Reflexes: 9/10
Consistency: 10/10
During the years of the FX300 league, AG-Systems were seen somewhat as an up and down team at the time. While it wasn't their ships that caused most of their inconsistencies like the past leagues long ago, it was instead coming from their pilots. AG-Systems struggled to receive good pilots since the inauguration of the FX300 league in 2197 only to end up with average to mediocre results in the championships. Their refounding team principals, Sakura Tanaku and Inatu Itsua were just starting out on what was an ambitious opportunity, resurrecting a very well-known name in the AG-Race Commission that developed between the FX150 Amateur league. Pilots chose to join to represent the AG-Sys name, but most were average at best and were not up to par with other teams like FEISAR, Qirex, etc. It certainly didn't help much when making contract deals with one of their main sponsors despite it getting them off the ground during the league literally/metaphorically. The Joy Noodles company was responsible of choosing pilots for the All-Star Championships, most of which were popular figures in Japan. Pilots like Chiaki Hitomi, Aiko Kuroda, and Toru Kuroda, started out disastrous for the team during the first 3 years of the FX300. It was only then they needed a saving grace to get AG-Sys back as one of the top 5 teams. They would soon get their wish coming from their lineup of pilots.
One of the pilots that would make a change for AG-Systems was Japanese pilot, Katsu Sasaki. Born in the suburbs of Southern Japan on September 23rd, 2177, Katsu was just a regular boy living under a family relationship with his two only parents. He always had a love for racing, and as a child he would always race with his childhood friends on state of the art hover-bikes and going past around neighborhoods competing with one another. Katsu was only 6yrs old when the amateur FX150 league began around parts of the world. He dreamed to be able to pilot the fast and large race craft of the FX league, only to be obsessed with drawing AG-race craft on his notebook during middleschool. When he turned 17 in 2194, he bought his very own AG-vehicle by spending most of his money saved by his part time job at a Joy Noodles Bar for over a couple of years when he was still a boy. He started at age 13, only to volunteer as a bus boy or janitor, though usually they were occupied by robots in the restaurant. Eventually working as a cashier and cooking, Katsu was paid slightly more by the end of the week, working overtime just to earn an extra yen. He had saved his money ever since and eventually he received his first craft.
His craft was very cheap though, only to have it travel to certain places. Unfortunately, his obsession with racing led him to race in certain parts of town illegally with other street pilots. Despite his bad judgments, he raced surprisingly well, only to have his license for a couple of weeks and winning against modified craft in legal tracks of the FX150. He proved to be very skilled piloting just a modified type of craft which gave him ideas to go to Anti-Gravity Systems for a career in the FX league, not having to sacrifice the rules on the semi-road or air and use his love of racing on a professional track. The facility was kind of far out northeast where he lived in the city of Tokyo. Graduating from high school by that time, Katsu enrolled himself at the AG-Sys academy in 2194 for a career in the AG-Racing League.
Entering the academy for the first time in the facility, Katsu was eager to get behind the stick of a cockpit, being the cocky teenager he was. When interviewed by Sakura Tanaku first hand she didn't seem impressed by his amateur background of hover racing. As Sakura explained to him. This was much different than what he was used to, getting into multimillion dollar AG-Craft that were much faster and on a close course requiring a lot of skill to master if he was going to compete for the upcoming professional FX300 Racing League 3 years from now. Katsu was going to need those 3 years to train in the facility's academy in order to enter the inaugural season. Despite her non-first impression with Katsu, Sakura recruited him to the team, expecting him to come the next day for procedures on his health and getting to work on the sim before getting on what was a prototype of the AGS-150 race craft. Katsu showed to be in good shape to pilot a craft only to spend a number of weeks on a simulator flying a craft as well as taking part on zone mode. His results showed to be promising by instructors of the facility, shown to Sakura at her front desk in somewhat a surprising look. "Maybe this pilot does have potential" As Sakura looks over his zone mode record with a good enough speed class and control. Meeting with him again, she now gives him permission to enter the main hangers of the academy to meet up with the other trainees in line. Inatu Itsua would introduce him to the main AG-craft before putting him with an instructor.
Katsu gets a glimpse of the craft for the first time up-close, unpainted and limited to a number of pilot trainees still growing the company. Only a few pilots could take the race craft out on the test track as most were on a waiting list, sometimes waiting a day to get a chance to fly. Katsu would take part on the waiting list, but that didn't stop him from spectating out of the hanger bay checking out the trainees. The pilots were set on a Vector speed class, but even at slower speeds for the first timers there was still some struggle in consistency by the pilots themselves. Instructors give them time taking laps around the course to gain experience, but as usual it would take the whole session until being brought back to the hanger for refueling till the next day. Eventually Katsu had a turn to pilot one of the craft, wanting to prove he could do better than the others. The instructor leads them out to the track once again with Katsu in back of the other pilots. They set out on the course; coincidentally, Sakura was looking out of her office window looking at the test pilots out on the test track, not knowing that Katsu was part of the group until seeing a craft passing and outrunning the others on each lap. Sakura wanted to see who it was going down to the hanger bay, waiting for the pilots to come in and park the craft. As the team principal asked the instructor for the pilot with the fastest lap, Katsu was called out of the lineup. He was promoted to a higher speed class that day.
Three years pass as Katsu continued to not disappoint. By 2197 at age 21, he was one of AG-Systems best young test pilots, if not the best they had received in recent years. He became eligible to compete in the inaugural FX300 league, racing only as a secondary pilot at the time. Other pilots on the team soon respected him, wanting to learn his racing techniques. Katsu wasn't too much of a teacher however, but as he started to give tips to his team pilots, it became second nature to him to teach trainee pilots in the league. Other skilled pilots began to rise up along with Katsu for AG-Systems coming from foreign countries such as, Jason Croshaw, Andrew Dekka, and Viona De-Jong. The irony however was AG-Sys' Japanese pilots as they showed little to mediocre progress during the first few seasons of the league. Due to Joy Noodles' sponsor contract, AG-Systems had no control choosing pilots for the All-Star Championships with Joy Noodles choosing pilots for mainstream Japan. By the end of the century, the contract deal would soon be completed as the Team's favored pilots got a chance to compete for the championships. Thierry Caluroso, a new young pilot joining AG-Sys in the early 2200s replaces Shiaki Hitomi in championships. And Andrew Dekka, descendent of F3600 pilot, John Dekka chooses Katsu and Viona for his squad at the time, making Katsu his secondary pilot. For AG-Systems with Sakura now choosing her most loyal and skilled pilot for the ASC, it became a tough decision. Katsu made some incredible turnouts in the regular tournaments of the league, but Andrew showed the most recognition to AG-Sys fans with the same number of medals as Katsu. Despite the enthusiasm, Katsu unfortunately does not get chosen for the ASC in favor of Dekka, including in later leagues by the years. However, he would still get a lot of recognition by AG-Fans in the Alpha/Beta series events of the FX300. As such, with his almost elite status, confidence and growing leadership/maturity, Sakura would give Katsu a promotion to become lead squad pilot for later leagues, making his Dutch partner Viona as his own secondary pilot. Katsu accepted the offer.
The partner relationship between Katsu and Viona also grew during the later years of the FX300. Beforehand they never talk much with eachother, mostly due to their different languages. With Katsu becoming familiar with the English language, he teaches Viona some key English words to understand when outside of racing, leaving only the voice translators on their ships to easily cooperate. Getting to know Viona, she was a faithful individual under her Christian religion, yet knowing about her backstory was pretty depressing. She had no parents or at least they had gone missing during the economic depression by the F9000 collapse when she was still a baby living with her godparents. Her purpose in the AG-League was to find her parents with her recognition, but mostly she just had a liking to the sport in general. They were the best of teammates; with both training together on tracks before race days, they perfect their racing lines and enter Speed Trap events to improve their lap times. Pilots they race against from other teams don't stand a chance by their precise racing including the aggressive. However, pilot aggression would still come across them, more specifically by their team's arch rival, Triakis Industries. Katsu and Viona would meet their opposite matches.
Triakis, a newcomer to the FX300 league pose as a tough, brawling contender to teams in the seasons as their militaristic inspired craft showed potential dominance over the weaker teams. The Anne I Elizabeth craft proved to be impenetrable to track weapons and a floating tank by its heavy weight surpassing heavy ships built by Qirex and Tigron. One of their designers however, is currently racing in the FX300 league. Their most aggressive pilots, Xavier Chaffin and Matilda Rotthier were Triakis' choices for the tournaments of the league, including their answers to Katsu and Viona of AG-Systems. Xavier and Matilda on their end have won many medals in individual events, until matching up against the two AG-Sys pilots post 22nd century. The rivalry intensifies in league tournaments on close finishes between the four pilots. Katsu would take the upper hand of most medals against Xavier in races with Xavier being more hostile towards the more precise pilot. While these two pilots developed their rivalry every season, Viona and Matilda were another story. Their rivalry began few years before the inaugural FX300 season at a FEISAR academy located in France. Viona was forced to challenge Matilda on the facility's test track which they were not allowed to do so as instructors stopped them before heading out there. Due to Matilda's hostile behavior even to other trainees in the academy, FEISAR would suspend her from the facility only for Triakis to find her later on. Meeting again few years later, Matilda wanted to finish what she started with Viona despite her forgiveness, viewing the AG-Sys pilot as weak & passive. Viona would have no choice but to defend herself in races even if Katsu was on her side, dealing with his own problems towards Xavier. As for the teams in general, the arch rivalry was also feud by close race finishes not just by the 4 pilots. This would escalate during the last season of the FX300 in 2206 over a controversial case that brought Triakis' reputation including Xavier to a standstill.
For the first time in the league, AG-Sys would win the 2206 Season Final Championship. Unfortunately though, it was over a courtroom rather than on a track. Triakis was disqualified when it was found out that the team had an illegal component installed to their ships to help maneuver in turns without slowing down. AG-Sys pilot, Thierry Caluroso, who replaced Andrew Dekka during the championships was given the gold medal who placed 2nd behind Triakis' Vincent Stephenson in 1st. Katsu was actually shocked when the verdict came to AG-Sys' favor. In some sense when racing against Xavier he had also been racing with the RIDS (Reverse-Inertia Deceleration System) in the league tournaments. Seeing how he took advantage of beating the RIDS in races proved Katsu and Viona to be much skilled pilots over Triakis as well as the other competing teams. The two were also promoted a speed class and rank by the end of the season. As the proving grounds of the current FX350 took place, Katsu was given elite rank, racing borderline between Rapier and phantom class as well as racing on an updated ship. Standing next to Dekka and Caluroso during the opening ceremony taking place at the Amphiseum in America, they became the top three best AG-pilots of AG-Systems that following year.
Throughout the FX350 lasting for 3 years as a ship development league, Katsu was now testing/racing AG-Systems' new ship model, the AGS-300/350. Similar to the 150 model, more handling/speed was put in place as well as having easier controls for the pilot. While the craft went through 2 versions in the FX350, the AGS-400 model was the official new craft for the upcoming FX400 racing league in 2207. Katsu was able to buy his own model, personalizing it with his own AG-Sys brands/colors leaving it almost similar to his old livery of his craft from the FX300 league. His new livery would be recognizable throughout the FX350 leading over to the next. While many Japanese fans admired his level of racing throughout the race events, one in particular who also admired him grabs his attention.
During an All-Star Championship event taking place back at the Amphiseum, Katsu was out at the tenting areas located in one of the parks inside signing autographs and meeting fans. Right near him was a dancing stage which hosted the event's live AG-Queen performances. What drew crowds in were the ballet/gymnastic inspired dancing involving tracing lights and high BPM trance music performed by female dancers representing any of the league's AG-Teams. While the dancers were young adults, so were teenagers, especially since their trend founder was a teenager herself. A new young dancer was about to perform on stage, representing AG-Sys as Katsu decided to see the performance himself. The dancer was a young Italian AG-Queen, giving one of the most beautiful performances on the stage so far and giving all she got in front of everyone. Katsu watches in amazement, impressed by the teenage girl dancing for his team. What followed after was a huge applause as she bowed down to the crowd. Katsu wanted to meet her on stage for her impressive performance as she looked shocked and excited to meet him. She knew who he was, watching his races during the season. She was also a big fan as he offered her a signed hologram photo as a camera drone was there to take it and given to her. Being a VIP in the league she was allowed to come see him in the hanger bays during race events if there. It was then where Katsu learned her name, only to not hear it again until years later. Her name was Sofia Rossetti.
Aside from Sofia being his biggest fan, he had gain lots of attention by many other AG-Systems fans as the FX400 league continued on and was widely regarded to be the #1 AG-pilot in all of Japan. Many sponsors were given to him, but he was mostly targeted by AG-Systems' main sponsor, Joy Noodles, having him to make a lot of racing deals, including commercials. While it seemed like a great offer at first, Katsu was never too fond by his main sponsor, but already signing a contract he couldn't quit away from the company. This became stressful for him, and it was ironic since he use to volunteer and work for Joy Noodles years ago. While trying to find a way out of the contract, he immediately finds a loophole stating that he couldn't decline his sponsor unless his team approves of it. Unsurprisingly, AG-Systems were not too fond with Joy Noodles either; seeing how they chose such inexperience pilots for the first few FX300 ASCs in the past, Sakura Tanaku gave him some slack and declined the sponsor's contract for him. Katsu was free from his contract, only to still be paid by them while placing first in any race. Already a large company/manufacturer with many pilots racing for them, Sakura was not going to take Joy Noodles too lightly for controlling their pilots and her choices. Chiaki Hitomi was still an embarrassment back in 2197 to 2200. While currently still racing she was still an amateur pilot during the FX400 despite going through lots of training. Only once had she won her first gold medal in the league that was only given to her on a trial event in Metropia, having been practicing on that track in her home country on venom class. Having no experience in other speed classes, AG-Sys turned out to be better off without her racing in the ASCs. "The championship was not meant for a Pop Celebrity" Sakura thought. "I rather hire an AG-Queen performer for an AG-Pilot". Sakura won't realize that her quote would become foreshadow later on.
While nothing else marked his history by 2211, Katsu continued on in the FX400 League now ranked as a veteran pilot. Viona De-Jong still remained in his squad becoming a veteran herself, only to become independent in League events on that same year. During closed seasons now with AG-Systems establishing an academy with FEISAR & Goteki on the island Makana, Katsu would get involve as an AG-Instructor part time teaching new pilots on the island as well as younger pilots on the JX350 division. What soon followed was meeting a new pilot coming from the Canadian city of Vancouver, Sean Cooper. Katsu taught Sean whatever he needed to know in order to succeed during racing. He would soon meet up again with Sean as his new secondary pilot by 2214, and both pilots would eventually make a friendly partnership while on the track. He also made an alliance with ally pilots Tyrrell Byron and Rachel Vega from Auricom, uniting together in supporting Pierre Belmondo's ideologies. However, while still keeping allies, so were keeping rivals. Xavier Chaffin still posed as an aggressive threat to Katsu as well as wanting payback towards AG-Systems for his team losing the 2206 ASC. No matter what came up, Katsu and Sean would still become victorious leading on the team along with other elite pilots around the world stage of the FX400. Unfortunately for Katsu by that same year, his FX300 partner, Viona, would retire from racing leaving for personal reasons only to leave with a rare smile on her face. Katsu would also leave out from events as Sean would take his place, having the mastery to race by 2215. While he didn't retire completely, Katsu still worked along with trainees at the Makanian AG-Academy as an instructor for everyone at AG-Sys with Sean as his assistant. However, while looking over the test site during the afternoon one day, Katsu would get an unsuspecting visit by a familiar person.
Not seeing her for almost 7 years, Katsu was visited by the AG-Queen he met back at the Amphiseum, Sofia Rossetti. Still her petite size but woman-like features, Katsu was surprised to see her again as a young adult, only this time she was interested in becoming an AG-Pilot for AG-Systems. Wondering why as she tells her reasons, he was overall happy to make her his teammate along with Sean. Unfortunately, Katsu wasn't able to meet up with her for training in the academy, leaving Sean to train her as well as being her lead pilot for the established FX500 league. By mid-2215, Katsu decided to give a go on another season, now competing in the FX500 piloting the new AGS-500 model craft that he himself test piloted back at the Makanian AG-Academy/Test track. He would once again team up with Sean in league tournaments in parts of the world leaving only Sofia to take on events herself back in Makana. Before that however, Katsu, Sofia, including Thierry would get invited back to Japan to meet team principal Sakura Tanaku by introducing themselves to a group of teen pilots working their way towards the JX350 junior league. Calling themselves "Friends In Speed' the three FX pilots would become their lead pilots/demonstrators for their division including Sofia earning permission to compete for the FX500 league in 2215 by Sakura herself. Katsu would get his hands full between leading the junior team and competing in the 2215 season. With Sofia also branching off on her own, it was only Thierry that would take his place with the 'Friends In Speed', continuing on in the FX500 possibly for the next decade.
Katsu Sasaki is considered to be one of AG-Systems best and successful pilots ever, proving his talents on the track for almost 20 years. In 2217, Katsu continued to race in the FX500 racing league, only to be involved in an AG-Race War between new Qirex team principal, Nadia Elenova and a coalition of teams against the teams supporting the Belmondo Foundation that started back in late 2215 and escalated. To Sean & Sofia, Katsu becomes a mentor to both of them as they would become the next generation of pilots leading along AG-Systems as they join the fight along with the Belmondo supporting teams. Overall during Katsu's career, he has received around 60 medals and counting, earning 27 gold, 19 silvers and 14 bronzes. He still makes the top 3 current AG-Sys pilots once again with Caluroso and Dekka. As the league continues on, Katsu would still be one of the remaining veterans that will continue on without any signs of slowing down.
However, the return of the infamous Tigron Enterprises in current 2218 would unfortunately become his last season. After being eliminated a number of times and losing consistency of his longevity, Katsu would announce his retirement from the AGRL, leaving it up to his squad to face off in this fight for survival as things become hectic with Tigron entering the mix. The team's fate will rest in their hands.