Ulysses' parents wanted a son, as is painfully evident by her unfortunate first name. They eventually had the heir they hoped for, but it was a long time coming: several siblings were stillborn. In the meantime they doted on their daughter, who was unusually tall and strong for her age and gender.

At age 5, when she was finally permitted to go to sea with her father and mother, Ulysses climbed all over the rigging, insisted on going up to the crow's nest, and was caught with a piece of pie that she had stolen from the mess. One of the crew, amused with her antics, called her "Kat." ("Rhymes with brat," muttered the steward.) Anyone thereafter foolish enough to call her by her given name was immediately sorry and nursing a bruised shin.

Kat worshipped her father, who taught her everything he knew about navigation. From the crew she learned sea chanteys, knots and other practical sailor skills. Kat's mother despaired of ever teaching her daughter womanly arts such as needlepoint, but used the girl's love of singing to persuade her to learn some musical instruments. She also managed to squeeze in sewing lessons when repairing torn sails.

Kat enjoyed an idyllic childhood, much of it spent at sea. She became a voracious reader and consumed many volumes written about the great explorers. Like her father, she began keeping a log of their journeys. She intended to become an explorer herself, though her parents secretly planned her marriage to the son of a fellow merchant.

When Kat was 13 and her younger brother Hannibal III was 3, the Katherine was overtaken by a British Navy ship in the South Seas. A corrupt and evil British Navy captain occasionally boarded merchant ships to fund his gambling and drinking habits. This captain and his crew never took prisoners, so there were no witnesses to refute his reports of pirate attacks. Kat, her mother and her baby brother hid during the fighting. It was purely God's mercy that Kat did not see her father die. However when the smoke cleared and all was quiet, her brother's fearful cries led the attackers to them. Kat's mother ordered her to stay still just before the invading crew found her and Hannibal III.

Kat will not say what happened after the sailors found her mother and brother, except that her mother is dead and her brother's whereabouts are unknown. Kat stowed away on the evil captain's ship and found her way back to London, where her uncle -- Hannibal's eccentric unmarried brother Hadrian -- took her in. Hadrian had heard the gossip about the evil navy captain and he believed Kat's story. He kept his niece's whereabouts secret for fear that the captain would discover a surviving child of Hannibal Fairbanks. He cropped her hair short and dressed her as a boy.

Kat left her uncle's home at the age of 16, still posing as a lad. She crewed on merchant ships here and there, then met Captain Fletcher T. Moone while "between crews." It was in a pub (of course) where he loudly proclaimed her a girl on sight and she gave him a bloody nose for it. They had a drink, then another, and then lost count... she told him her story and he invited her to join his crew. Now Kat roams the seas on The Running Soar looking for new territory, riches, her brother, and the captain who killed her family. She wants to decorate her fingers with his rings and the end of her sword with his severed head.

Her murderous rage is only directed at that evil captain, however. Kat actually despises killing of any kind. She often annoys the Pyrates Royale with her demands that no one be killed when they attack a ship.

Despite (or perhaps because of) her dark history Kat loves nothing more than a good joke, a good tale, a rousing song and a stiff drink. In fact such things come in handy when the memories become a burden. Men can be a distraction, too, although she hasn't the foggiest notion how to flirt or play the cocquette. Kat is just "one of the boys," after all. If she punches you in the arm, that probably means that she likes you a lot. Just don't call her you know what.