Rewritten: 6/27/18
Identification/Statistics
Name: Leon Kadeem
SEX: Male
Birth: February 7th, 2189
Birthplace: Dakar (Senegal)
Zodiac: Aquarius
Age (Currently 2218): 29
Nationality: Senegalese
Origin: Senegal
Race: African
Languages(s): French
Religion: N/A
Height: 6'2"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Occupation (Before AG-Pilot): Fisherman / Amateur AG-Pilot
AGRL IDF: KADE0207.2189
Team: Assegai
Position: Secondary Pilot
Pilot Rank: Professional
Region Reputation: African Nations
Squad Teammate: Gabriel Khumala / Tonya Kanyanta
Team Loyalty: Medium
Allies: Clara Bellerose (FEISAR)
Rivals: Piranha
Medals: Gold: x1, Silver: x2, Bronze: x5
Sponsors: Arial, Mr. Somo, 2ND SKIN
Favorite Events: Single Race
Favorite Track: Gemini Dam
Leagues Competed: FX400 to FX500
Character traits: Responsible, Determined, Polite, Confident
Skill
Awareness: 8/10
Aggression: 7/10
Reaction/Reflexes: 8/10
Consistency: 7/10
Leon was born on February 7th, 2189 on the tip of Dakar Senegal. During the events of the 2170 depression and throughout time, the country was slowly dying out with its low economy and food resources. Not just Senegal alone, but most of the African Nations. However, what kept Senegal alive was its high rate of fishery, but even that was a struggle as other countries around and outside took most of the fishing grounds, even more so with advanced technology. Leon was once a fisherman when he was a teenager, along with his father and siblings, independently fishing in the areas on a small boat. Unfortunately, despite knowing good areas to catch fish, they mostly came very scarce. Days of trying to catch a good amount to sell or even take home, their number of catches were just a couple fish. It didn't help that larger and more advanced boats were around their areas, taken most by a hover boat labeled by Mr. Somo, a food corporation. As Leon and his family saw the boats catching larger nets of fish out of the ocean, they simply call it a day, with just very little on their small boat.
The family lived outside of the big city of Dakar, not living among the densely populated areas or most of AG-Transportation in the air surrounding them. Leon again lived with just his mother, father and 2 siblings, only to go with his father and two brothers out in the ocean, only to come back with just little earnings from selling their fish and bringing a couple home. The family struggled mostly with food than money, even so not able to afford much. In 2208, Leon would get engaged at age 19. But having his wife also living with them didn't help much with a family of 5 in terms of food. However, despite some struggles and labor out in the ocean, Leon did have one special hobby out in the grasslands in the middle of the country.
Out in the dry savannas of central Senegal laid a flat surface of ground almost perfect for a small AG-Race craft to fly on. Leon, along with his brothers, traveled to the area where they kept a shack storing a very crude, but small working AG-Craft. It was once just an AG-car striped with just one seat and made to look like the professional AG-Craft from the AGRL using welded metal from the car itself. The brothers had created their very own craft to fly around in the savanna, only to now attach a small jet fueled engine that was many years old founded in a junkyard in their hometown. Though the three took turns flying their craft, as the engine was bolted on, none of them thought they should fly it, knowing it will go too fast or for the engine to malfunction, possibly exploding during flight. Despite the risk, this didn't faze Leon in any way. He decides to go for it, being the oldest of his brothers. He would strap himself to the craft's seat with just a seat-belt rather than an over the shoulder restraint like the professional AG-Craft. Wearing only a bike helmet as he lifted off the ground, one of his brothers still had second thoughts, telling Leon of not being sure to take off. But Leon thought nothing bad will happen, as the other brother turns on and lights up the engine with a blowtorch. The two stood away from the heat of the engine, taking shade from the hot sun. Leon throttles the engine as he immediately zooms off, leaving his brothers behind.
Leon was going faster than before with the small jet powered engine, going at least under 300mph (Vector Class Speeds). The craft zoomed around the savanna, as animals take notice of the dust cloud forming across the land. He was able to still turn with the craft, performing very well for a crude makeshift machine. His two brothers lose track of him only to see the dust plume come towards them and stopping nearby, seeing that Leon had made it in one piece. He gets off with a big smile on his face of how amazing the craft performed. Just immediately, Leon thought about the AG-League, if it was that easy to pilot a makeshift craft, then it's possible to pilot a much larger, professional one. He was optimistic about it, yet his brothers thought it was too expensive to travel down to South Africa to train at the main headquarters of Assegai Developments. All Leon could do was teach himself on his craft, despite having very little jet fuel to use rather than long lasting Plasma energy like an actual one.
Eventually, the rest of his family knew what he and his brothers were doing in the Savanna. Not knowing that they had and were piloting their AG-craft, the father got kind of upset with Leon for not telling him, but oddly became impressed by his experience and amateur skill controlling it, despite how dangerous his craft was. Leon became confident that he could race with Assegai in the professional AGRL. But as he suspected, his family couldn't afford him to enter the Headquarters to go train with the team, or his journey down to South Africa. Leon could only dream on as his hopes of competing may not ever happen, only to be approached by his father again a year later.
In 2209, throughout the year also improving his makeshift craft with his brothers now stored in their home garage, Leon's father would come in to show something to him, following his father in his bedroom to a small safe holding a bag, giving it to his son. Inside the bag shocked Leon. A big wad of cash was given to him in order to get in the headquarters of Assegai to now train himself to become a professional AG-Pilot. Leon's first thought was about his family, throughout the year struggling with food, his father kept the money all this time only to help him go to South Africa. With Leon's hard work out in the ocean, and work to his craft, his father thought he deserved to go. While doing so, if successful, he could really help out the family. It was then his brothers, mother, and wife found out about the news. Leon was heading south, heading to a nearby airport to take a commercial aircraft over.
Saying goodbye to his family and wife, wishing good luck to him, Leon was on course to the Assegai headquarters south of Africa. Arriving at the HQ, some anxiety kicked in when Leon entered the facility. Heading at the front desk, showing his resume/information, the person at the desk then says there were no slots available for recruiting. Assegai had given much of their craft to African and European pilots since the FX350 that their lineup was pretty much full, that and stopping production of the current gen FX400 model, continuing their research on their FX500 prototype. The front desk suggested the waiting list, only for Leon to beg for a spot on the team, waiting a couple days for an answer. At last, with luck, one craft was available to lend over, but being as one of their only remaining AG-craft they have for the racing league, they urge him not to have it destroyed or critically damaged during races. Leon would begin his training north of South Africa in a test track out in the Savanna once again.
Taking half a year on improving his skills with the main Assegai craft, Leon was eligible for Venom class events in the FX400 league, setting course first at Gemini Dam in Morocco. His first race was against other Assegai pilots, a quarter which coming from Europe. Leon would excel coming in a podium position against the other team pilots, having a good start to soon compete along with other teams in the AG-racing capital of Makana in the Pacific Ocean. However, things would only get tougher with the opposing teams around the world for Leon, facing such teams like Piranha Adv. His racing skills were good, but not up to par, coming mostly in the mid pack in single races. It was not much of a good start in the world stage, but by the ending year of 2210, looking for squad-mates for team events, he would get assigned to experienced Assegai pilot, Gabriel Khumala.
Leon would eventually become Gabriel's trusty wingman in the AGRL, being unaccepting at first when he was introduced to him. Throughout two years of racing, despite a couple medals earned while racing alone, Leon would still earn a good number of sponsors while racing in team events, earning recognition by Assegai's main sponsor, Arial, including secondary sponsors by 2ND SKIN, and Mr. Somo. Leon would recognize the Mr. Somo logo since he was a teenager, remembering that big boat that took most of his catch years ago. His given objective from the company was to win a podium spot in any standard tournament in his career. But instead of money from the company, Leon wanted food instead, promising the deal as long as he could earn one tournament medal without Gabriel's support.
In 2213, coming to a closing season of the FX400 league, Leon would fail to at least come in third in any of the tournaments in Makana. That was until one generous female pilot from the FEISAR team had approached him after one final event. French female pilot, Clara Bellerose, would take bronze on one of the last remaining tournaments, followed by Leon taking fourth place. Clara was just an amateur in her AG-Career as a FEISAR pilot; though this was her first tournament she had competed by herself, Clara would make a comeback in this event, catching up with Leon for third position. This would become an upset for him as he failed to complete Mr Somo's objective, thinking he had let down his family back home. Surprisingly though, the French pilot would come up to him, speaking to him with the same French language. She was small compared to Leon being 6'2" ft, as she looked concerned seeing him upset about the podium lost.
Being a good willed person, Clara talks to him in the French language. "Don't be so down on yourself, maybe next season you'll win a medal."
Leon Responds: "It's not winning that I care about. …My family would have expected me to bring something home to them, if I only did make it to third place, I could have helped them a lot for this."
Clara answers to him feeling bad: "Oh…Well I'm... Sorry that I took this from you then."
Leon: "No, no, you earned your place. I'm just not sure how I can feed my family and my wife from here on. I've just hoped I could have earned food from my sponsor by completing this tournament. I'm just wasn't fast enough."
Clara knew what he was talking about, considering she was also sponsored by Mr. Somo. Taking out her paycheck from her bronze win, she thought she could split it for Leon to afford food back home.
Clara offers: "I can split this check for you, just this once so you could afford food."
Leon replied: "But.. This is your money, you've earned it. You don't have to…"
Clara interrupts: "Please? I know your nation's people are struggling with this. I at least want to help you with yours. I insist. Let me split this check with you just this once to help your family back home."
Leon: "I.. I can't."
Clara: "You need it more than I do. …Please, just take the whole check. I don't want it anymore knowing I'll be starving a family with it" (Looks at him in plead)
Leon was grateful: "Y.. You are too charitable. If only there were more people like you in this world of greed, back in the day. (referring to F9000 era and depression) I..I… I don't know how I'll ever repay you. Thank you, thank you for this. This will help my family a lot. I promise I'll pay this back to you next season."
Clara: "No need. I know you'll do better next time."
Leon: "I will never forget this. Again, thank you for your kindness."
Clara: "BonneChance." (Good Luck)
Leon would still keep his promise to Clara by paying her back. With the money by Clara helping Leon's family back home, he was motivated to become a better AG-Pilot on his last seasons of the FX400 league, continuing in the newly installed FX500 racing league in 2215. Leon steps up his game by finishing third or better in most of the events he competed in the new league, able to complete Mr. Somo's objectives in the open tournaments of his racing career. Eligible for Flash and Rapier class events in the league pairing with more skilled pilots, the competition gets much faster and aggressive, challenging Leon throughout his seasons of racing. Still a secondary pilot to Gabriel Khumala, he was still able to handle himself while also finishing for Khumala in a couple team events. As for Clara, while not meeting much in races due to different skill divisions, they sometimes bumped into each other outside the race events. Leon also pays back Clara now with success in his career, including helping his family back home in Senegal. Soon after, Leon and his wife were now living on their own moving out of his family's house. Eventually, he returns for the new season.
Unfortunately a year later, Clara would retire from racing in 2216 as Leon never saw her again in later seasons. Around this time however, his squad would receive a new pilot, supposedly replacing their backup pilot, Angelica Martinez, who had transferred to their rival team, Piranha Adv. Angelica was a Mexican AG-pilot; while she could pilot an Assegai craft, she was restricted to race in team tournaments due to her nationality. Still, she was mostly an independent pilot, only to have interest in racing with a squad but was not officially a wingman for Leon's group. Angelica would leave the team entirely back in 2215, only to be replaced the year before by Kenyan pilot, Tonya Kanyanta.
Tonya had been an Assegai test pilot for only two years entering her first season in 2214 going into her third. Already mastering the new Leopard craft for the FX500 league, she became exceptional on her first year of racing. As for their lead pilot, Gabriel Khumala, he was suddenly influenced to race more violently in these new events. Since his debut in the FX300 league, he had always been a more precision pilot racing purely with Assegai against his opponents. However, as years went on he would slowly become aggressive by the middle of the FX400 league, almost now resembling his deceased father, Omarr Khumala from the F9000 era. Gabriel would almost go rogue during the 2216 FX500 season, only to now abandon his squad in favor of going alone in events and becoming violent with teams like Auricom and Piranha. By 2217 he would also leave Assegai entirely in favor of supposedly Qirex-RD, and was around the time a war had been going on in the league between allies of Qirex and the Belmondo Foundation teams. Though Assegai stayed neutral from the fighting/eliminations including Leon and Tonya, the team would still tease a war with Piranha in most combat events, not including eliminator. Overall the squadron opposed aggressive racing including eliminating their opponents.
In the current year of 2218, Leon is now lead pilot of his squad of two. Already a professional pilot, he will continue to hold his own in events along with support of Tonya in team events. Though a good pilot, he has only earned 9 medals in 7 years of racing with just one gold medal received during a Vertigo team tournament in 2215 along with Gabriel Khumala. (1G/2S/5B) Leon hopes to succeed in more team events with Tonya using her combined skill level to reach the top 3 placed finishes. Above all he still races for his family back home, including his new family with his wife and new child. It's expected that his new son would race in the AG-league someday, following the footsteps of his father and continuing the Kadeem name in the near future, possibly away from Earth.