Ushton was Blake's uncle, his father's brother, who was resident on the abandoned prison planet Exbar with his daughter Inga. Blake was reunited with him when he came to Exbar on hearing Travis was holding Inga hostage. Ushton told him that Travis had arrived six days previous with four crimos and had based himself in a communications tower at the top of an escarpment. He claimed he could not make the journey himself since he had injured his leg falling into a crevice the previous year. In fact, he was feigning the injury and co-operating with Travis. After sending Blake up a back route that supposedly would not be watched, he contacted Travis.