Born on the planet of Corellia, Janson Zu-Sayn Wittgenstein was named after the famous Rebel pilot of the same name, who, though not as famous as the likes of Wedge Antilles or Luke Skywalker, had certainly done his part for the Rebellion and then the Alliance, and who had saved his father's life a year earlier. Earmarked for military service at a young age, he was sent to the Imperial Academy as soon as he was eligible, where he met a young upstart by the name of Dante Mitchell, callsign: "Stryker". Janson and Stryker became brothers in all but name, working their way through the Academy with seeming ease.
Then, disaster struck: Janson's addiction to painkillers was revealed to the Academy and he was thrown out in disgrace. Before he could be brought before a tribunal, Janson stole a Lambda-class shuttle and fled. Stryker was ordered to lead a flight of other Academy trainees to bring him back, but he found himself unable to shoot on the man he thought of as a brother. Stryker joined the attack, but purposefully missed the shuttle. Using his shields and mass to his advantage, Janson managed to fend off the other trainees, though not without sustaining major damage. Quickly, he patched his hyperdrive unit back together, bade Stryker goodbye and blasted into hyperspace.
Almost immediately thereafter, Janson was recruited by the Rebel Alliance - once they were sure he was not an Imperial spy, and he saw his first combat mission several days later. That mission he gained his ace status, shooting down 4 TIE Fighters and ramming a fifth. In his next mission, Janson was on a routine patrol when he and his wing leader were attacked by 6 TIE Fighters. Receiving the all-clear, Janson attacked and quickly killed two TIEs with two quick bursts of fire. Looping around, he saw that his wingman had destroyed another two and was taking aim on the leader of the TIE pack, whose fighter had two lightning bolts on the solar panels - Stryker's insignia. Before he knew what he was doing, Janson quad-linked his lasers and pulled his trigger, sending a blast directly into the back of his partner and frying his engines. The other TIE quickly finished the job, but not before the Rebel pilot had a chance to transmit Janson's betrayal. Recovering from his shock at his action, Janson quickly killed the TIE Fighter who had just killed his wingman, leaving only Stryker and Janson still alive. For a long moment the two stared at each other from their cockpits, and then Janson turned his fighter back for his base.
Arriving at the base, Janson was immediately placed under arrest. Knowing he was facing a serious sentence, Janson jumped when an officer approached him about joining another squadron and having the slate wiped clean, even though he was told the squadron would be facing serious danger and he likely would not live very long, if he even made the squadron at all. But Janson accepted, knowing it was his last chance. In the simulations his skill shone through, and after extensive psycho-analysis to ensure his treachery had been totally involuntary, Janson was accepted to the ranks of Wraith Squadron, to begin his pilot career once more.