Hugo Bonnet

Hugo Bonnet (pronounced: Bon-ay) was a player-controlled character from Kerbilization: Steam and the Stars. He was the military dictator of the Serrano Empire from the time of his regime's founding until his death. Bonnet was a cruel and brutal man who cared only for his own survival. He was also depicted as being extremely cocky, often having more faith in the skill of his leadership than was at all reasonable. Bonnet ultimately committed suicide to avoid being captured by Thovelian forces when they besieged his citadel.

Life and Career
Hugo Augustus Bonnet was born on an unknown date about forty years before the start of Steam and the Stars. It is unknown where exactly he was born but it can be assumed that Bonnet grew up on the central continent of Serrana. At some point as a young man, Hugo Bonnet staged a coup to overthrow the former ruler of Serrano.

As a ruler, Bonnet was notoriously brutal and unforgiving. He was generally hated by his subjects for clamping down on their personal freedoms and generally not caring about their well being. Several underground movements (many of which began around the time of Steam and the Stars) attempted to force Bonnet out of power over the course of his rule. Although none were successful, the constant attempts to end his rule made Bonnet suspicious of almost everyone he encountered. As a result, Bonnet stopped trusting his aids and advisors, attempting to run the country almost entirely by himself.

Foolishly, when Thovelum broke the centuries-old stalemate between them and the Serrano Empire, despite possessing far inferior technology and equipment, Hugo Bonnet diverted the entire nation's industrial output into making more outdated weapons of war instead of suing for peace. As a result, Thovelian forces decimated the forces of Serrano and captured most of Bonnet's territory. Despite having a considerable portion of his nation razed, Hugo Bonnet refused to capitulate, vowing to fight to the bitter end.

Death and Legacy
In only a few months, Bonnet's army had been completely eliminated by the Thovelians. Hugo Bonnet retreated to his citadel and sealed himself inside, refusing to be captured. Realizing that his reign was about to come to its inevitable end, Bonnet shot himself in the head with a revolver, killing himself instantly.

Bonnet's right-hand man, Gideon Widgeon, took control of Serrano after his death. Widgeon unconditionally surrendered to Thovelum just days after Hugo Bonnet's suicide. Ultimately, Serrano became a vassal of Thovelum and Widgeon stayed on as the state's governor. Hugo Bonnet's regime was completely dismantled after his death and nearly all of his life's achievements were undone by Widgeon.

Hugo Bonnet was buried in an unmarked grave near his citadel. The exact location of this grave has been lost to history.