The truth however, is far more complex.
He wasn't born in an unremarkable corner of the Galaxy. He was born on the forgotten third moon orbiting the worthless fifth planet of an unremarkable corner of the Galaxy. The child of two Imperial geological surveyors who were two years into a survey of the world which was predicted to take twenty, it was not what most would call an exciting childhood. The boy's chance to get off the moon came through his studies. A keen natural intellect, sharpened by intense boredom, and babysat by the Imperial Holo-Library resulted in a studious, patriotic teenager who petitioned for entry into the Empire's Sub-Adult Group Education program as a way off the isolated little moon.
He took well to the indoctrination, finding tremendous comfort in a sense of belonging to a greater whole after a largely isolated childhood. A zealous true believer, his standardized test scores were high enough to warrant recruitment into the massive Surveillance department of the ISB. Like many such enthusiastic recruits, his skills were sorely lacking, but unlike many of his youthful fellows, he learned voraciously, finding a calling in the work of ferreting out enemies of the Empire that would dominate his adult life.
Entering as a zealous and ineffective 16 year old, the next nine years saw him gradually grow into a zealous, and increasingly capable member of the Surveillance department, until the young man's dedication and effectiveness overrode his undistinguished origins. He gradually rose in responsibility within Surveillance until he was directing the efforts of lower ranking informants, analyzing their findings, and making recommendations to his superior officers as to how further surveillance should proceed. He rose to the rank of Captain (significantly lower in prestige than an equal rank in Investigations) over the course of his fourteen years in Surveillance.
Judged capable enough to serve the ISB in a larger role, he was officially transferred into Investigations after turning thirty. Initially serving as a liaison officer between Military command and a more experienced ISB Director in the Arkanis Sector, after a period of adjustment his expected standard of excellence was delivered. Three more years brought him to the apex of his career: a Major assigned to Arkanis Sector Investigations, reputation built on long years of effective, pitiless service in opposition to the 'Republic'.
His parents both having passed away over a span of fifteen months ('Dead of boredom, no doubt' he is said to have remarked), the strict officer had arrived at a new plateau in life. After nearly twenty years in uniform, he had reached a point wherein he regularly interacted with military personnel, rather than working primarily through superiors. The sense of choosing his own objectives, rather than simply achieving the specific tasks ordered to him had the effect of forcing him to consider larger threats and challenges facing the Empire. Even those who knew him (as well as anyone did, that is) were hard pressed to explain the sudden change, as without warning and without explanation he assisted in- and soon after joined- the mass defection of the Specter Wing from Imperial service, throwing his lot in with Ian Inrokana and being hunted as a traitor for it.
Twenty years of field experience were barely enough to keep him alive when the machinery of the ISB was directed after him. A close call with an explosive had the renegade at the edge of death for several days, and cost him his right arm. Necessity, grievous injury and limited funds required a shoddy cybernetic limb be used in a back alley operation to save his life. He couldn't risk checking into a hospital, and he continues to lug around the consequences to this day.
