Background
Rick Johnson is your fighter pilot jockey with too much time on his hands; cocky, self-centered, and egotistical, Johnson has more pride in his party nights, one night stands, and bar hopping nights on his R&R tours then he does with time in actual combat flying hours in a TIE/In Space Superiority Starfighter. His live by the edge of your seat motto has done little to gain favoritism with those that determine his career in the Imperial Starfighter Corps.
Despite his glaring authority issues, Rick Johnson is a natural at the sticks and his natural flying ability is undeniable. He's a maverick with the tools under almost any vehicle or vessel and has a uncanny ability to jury rig just about anything to make it work, even if just temporarily.
Professional History
After graduation from Flight School, Rick entered service aboard the Darkest Night, at the start of Operation Clean House (3 BBY). Attached to a TIE Fighter squadron, Bad Love, Johnson has seen little in the way of actual combat, instead seeing endless patrols, escorts, and reconnaissance missions.
Traumatic Experiences
Growing up in the deserts of Tatooine, Rick's father was killed by during a raid of Tusken Raiders when Rick was nine years old. While both his mother and sister survived, Rick watched his mother fall into depression, alcoholism, & drug use over the years, while Rick found himself more and more taking care of his younger sister.
To make ends meet and feed her drug addiction to spice, Rick's mother racked up a unhealthy debt to the Hutts on Tatooine. Eventually, the Hutts came to collect and both Rick's mother and sister were sold off into slavery. During the raid by the Hutts, Rick---then 18 years of age and working as a mechanic---was at work. Despite several attempts to gain his sister's and mother's freedom through paying off the Hutts, Rick failed to gain their freedom. Eventually, he gained enough credits over the years to hire several mercenaries and with their help, Rick stormed Jabba's Palace in a daring stealth night operation fit for the holo-vid movies. However, during the firefight back out of the Palace, both Rick's sister and mother were killed in the crossfire.
Fleeing Tatooine shortly-there-after, Rick sought out a new life with the Galactic Empire. He doesn't talk about his past life (before the Empire) and shields his emotional turmoil over his family's death through a exterior of egoistical behavior that borders on a dying wish to be rid of the emotional pain.