Lt. William Mowett
Name: William Mowett Age: 21 Nationality: British Ranking: Third Lieutenant, H.M.S. Surprise Description: Tall and sturdily built, Mowett�s face-admittedly a bit scarred by his naval career-is normally relaxed in a cheerful expression, as befits his nature. Slightly on the heavy side, he is nonetheless quite strong and quick on his feet. He has curly brown hair completed by lengthy sideburns, accented by clear blue eyes in relatively tanned skin from constant exposure to the sun. History: Born at a country estate to a wealthy family, William spent his first few years in comfort and content, growing up well-educated and never going without. His father, Admiral George Mowett, who rarely was present for most of his only son�s upbringing, arrived suddenly one stormy March afternoon and announced that he was taking William back to the squadron to enlist him as a midshipman. Still disconcerted and with absolutely no idea how to behave in his new ranking, the fourteen-year-old was signed on to a small frigate acting as a scout ship that was only loosely connected to Admiral Mowett�s division, supposedly to �toughen him up� in a short period of time. Will hated the new development soon after his arrival on board. The captain was cruel, the crew near mutinous-overall an unhappy ship. At the next port, Midshipman Mowett forged himself certain papers, jumped ship, and promptly took the next merchant vessel to Portsmouth and signed himself on into Lord Nelson�s squadron shortly before the Nile. On board his assigned ship, the seventy-four Challenger, Will met Thomas Pullings, and they soon became best friends, causing general yet mostly harmless mayhem off duty and learning much together while at sea-a place where he also discovered his love of poetry. Three days before the Challenger and the rest of the squadron left for the Nile, Admiral Mowett learned of his missing son�s whereabouts and took him forcibly back to their estate. The only reason he was not court-martialed for deserting was allegedly because Katherine Mowett, William�s strong-willed mother, had forbidden her husband to arrest his own son and had created a story for him to follow that the orders Will had written for himself had in fact been from Admiral Mowett and were therefore legal. Once in the privacy of home, both furious Mowett men proceeded to have the argument that climaxed to the result of George refusing to speak to his son. Outraged, William left not an hour afterwards and moved temporarily into a boardinghouse near Portsmouth�s wharves, waiting for the fleet to return. After officially signing back aboard the Challenger, William completed his nautical training and left at seventeen with Pullings to seek another position elsewhere, as they were both studying for their lieutenancy exams. They signed aboard the Sophie under the command of Jack Aubrey a few months later, both still inexperienced for master�s mates but eager and ambitious. Since then, William has remained with Aubrey and his new command the Surprise, passing for lieutenant within a year of meeting the captain and leaving only at the news that his father had been severely wounded in battle. However, Admiral Mowett, stubborn to the last, refused to see William in his final hours, sending him back his ship despite his adament protests with the words, �If you could not do your duty to your father as a child, you will do it now for your country at least, by God!�
