Thom Solo founded the nation of Solostar and ruled as Grand Duke for the length of its existence. He was also their representative to the Legion and served in the government of that alliance.
History[]
Though he was born in the Carolinas, Thom Solo's parents moved to Jackson, in what is now Solostar, when he was 2 years old. He grew up there, and after college he joined up with a political activist group, Friends for the Restoration of Enlightened Equality (FREE), which strove to bring about government that truly listened to the people. Eventually the old political structure decided that FREE was a threat, and had most of their leadership arrested; several were "shot while trying to escape/resisting arrest." Solo was visiting family back east when the purge began, and quickly made arrangements through underground connections to avoid capture. While the old regime crumbled, he was preparing and finally the moment came to proclaim the new Republic of Solostar, in the heart of Jackson.
It was a slow start, but the new nation grew and soon ran into growing pains, as many of the Republic's leadership could not handle the pressures of running a nation. At the same time, an attack by the nation of Cromland took them by surprise. Solo reached out through diplomatic channels and found welcome among the nations of the Legion, while marshalling Solostar's military to stand firm against the foe. He soon found himself being proclaimed emperor, king, president-for-life, and any number of other titles; he settled on Grand Duke, because he liked the sound of it, and helped guide Solostar into the greater world.
His participation in the Legion's government led Solo to considerable achievement, but in the end he made some extremely poor choices that resulted in the downfall of his Cabinet, his nation, and his reign as Grand Duke. Recognizing that this was his own doing, he currently lives in exile, writing his memoirs and reflecting on both the mistakes and good calls that he made. Though some have asked, he has no intention of returning to the role of leading a nation, and is quite happy just fishing.