Let's face it. When you're flying a dropship you are a sitting duck, just waiting to be shot down. So you need protection, if possible, from the ground fire or
anti-aircradt missiles. Usually this protection came in a form of fire breathing gunships, flown by pilots like J.B.. He was one of the best gunship pilots,
if not THE best... young hothead, yes, but he had (and still has) that natural talent and killing instinct. When you had Sol flying the "slick" (as unarmed troop
transport were called) and J.B. covering Sol's ass, troops just knew that it's going to be a good day – one that you will survive to fight and die another day.
J.B.'s flying & fighting style is impossible to describe, it's a cross between art and skill, with every move so well calculated and executed in surgical precision.
A samurai with a sword, slashing through the enemy ranks... that comes closest to it. Not surprisingly JB's ship was, and still is, is named ”Tombo” - meaning
”The dragonfly". To the samurai of the gone era, Tombo was a symbol of bravery, and never giving up until victory is achieved. Tombo actually literally translates to
"victory insects".
So J.B. Is good, no question about that – but that doesn't make him bulletproof. He got a bullet through his throat, ripping his neck and vocal chords to pieces. With the help of skilled emergency field surgery, he lived. It took two days before anyone noticed that J.B. didn't talk – he wasn't that talkative person, more of an introvert. Talking is sadly required while flying, and everyone wanted to get him up in the air as fast as possible. He got a standard army cybernetic speech generator unit, tailored to his voice more or less. And it actually was a lot less... the unit was faulty. His voice was originally thin and squeaky, but now he sounded like a cursing sailor, with a scotsman accent. He liked it, so that stayed... to this day he has not bothered to fix it. Ten? Only ten drones? That's too easy... I can take them down flying only with my left hand. That's all you got?
He is short for a man, and likes to wear too big jackets, mirror aviator glasses... and generally speaking dress like a teenager. To Sol he was always like a kid brother, one that he tried so hard to train to be more open and extrovert, and how to act with women. Sol's efforts were met only with limited success, J.B. Wasn't really that interested in boozing, gambling or even women. Or so he said.
Today J.B. is a Ronin, a Samurai without a Master after leaving the army. But his skills are much sought after, and he can ask big piles of galactic credits for his services. He flies an almost identical ship to Sol, same model, just more shiny looking. But there are differences, Ms Piggy has far better armor, sensors and shields, but Tombo wins on bad-ass armament and being light and agile. Tombo and J.B. are a perfect escort vessel combo, to get those less armed cargo freighter convoys through the Pirate infested routes.