J. Strang was the cook onboard the UMS Vortex Rikers. After the ship crashed onto the planet Na Pali, he managed to escape the ship with a couple other crew members. The crew attempted to send a distress signal after the crash to no avail. However, they did receive word from the ISV-Kran (which was another ship lost in the area about 3 months before) and figured they needed to gain control of the Skaarj Mothership to escape the planet. They setted up a small camp at a nearby abandoned Nali house as the Vortex Rikers' hull was too unstable. Strang managed to acquire an Automag at some point during his travels. The members of the camp were picked off each night by Lesser Brutes.