John Smith began his life as John of the Smoke Jaguar of the Furey bloodline. Early in his childhood, he excelled in his combat training among the other children in the trueborn creche�. As he grew older, his boldness and brash attack nearly got him killed when he detonated an ammunition dump in a live-fire exercise in his Sibko training. To this day, the fear of burning alive lingers in his mind, but as a trained warrior, he does not show it. John persevered and passed his Trial of Position which granted him a posting as Mechwarrior in the Smoke Jaguar touman.

In his first battle experiences, he fought against raiders from the Draconis Combine on regular occasions. It was good battle experience to face the Dragon�s own samurai. However, over time, John became seduced to the ways of the Inner Sphere. The new experiences without the rigid social caste system were too tempting too ignore.

Ultimately, Operation Bulldog began and with it the death of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Early in Bulldog, John was captured by a contingent of Donegal Guards. According to Clan law, he became their bondsman, but due to mistrust, he was not allowed to prove himself against his former clansmen.

Relegated to a garrison post in the Isle of Skye, he stewed and chafed under the decadent Lyrans, until fate once again intervened.

During a patrol route, an entire lance of Skye separatists ambushed his 'Mech while on point for the Donegal Guard garrison force. Outnumbered and surprised, the Wolfhound he was piloting was easily destroyed. During the quick, but pitched battle, the Donegal Guards left him to die in the field. John spent long years as an unofficial prisoner of war before he made his escape. Fortunately for him, he was able to liberate a prototype Skye-built Hatchetman. The exposure of the new 'Mech design did not sit well with the District Margrave in Skye who had been trying to keep its existence under wraps. Now, his entire weapons program is in jeopardy and his link to the Skye separatist movement has been exposed to the Lyran government.

Slowly, John made his way back to the District of Donegal, where he lived in self-imposed isolation as an independent mercenary.

From then on, he was known as John Smith, forever forsaking his ties to his former dead clan. John began taking missions solely against the Donegal Guards, who left him in the field at the mercy of Skye rebels. His viscous attacks on the Guards and their support structure earned him the nickname �Blight� from the Lyrans. Eventually, John Smith was arrested for assault in a provincial town in the District of Donegal. Once he got out of jail, he took his 'Mech and made his way to Outreach, looking for new employment.