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Sanglamore Class of '49


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#1 Joseph Mallan

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 10:53 AM

This was a back story I wrote for the BattleCorps Legion fanfic. It's Joe's back story.

Sanglamore Academy
Parade Grounds
Skye, Skye Province
May 14th, 3049

The Sanglamore class of '49 threw their tasseled green caps up to the incandescent sun and basked in the glory of freedom as they rained back down. The cluster of former students, all bent at the waist, scrambled along the ground looking for their hats like mothers chasing toddlers. As they came up for air, all of them holding a hat (whether it was theirs or not), an aura of pride radiated from them like a protective force-field. The aura caught a breeze, mingled with the sharp scent of fresh-cut grass, and carried their yelps and laughs into the distance to warn the world that Sanglamore ‘49 was coming. They did it. Whatever trials and tribulations the future held, the past was finished and the now was sweet. A parade of shiny young smiles broke apart and joined their respective families and loved ones.

Three graduates moved through the vast crowd, resplendent in their academy dress uniforms as their green sashes swayed in unison with their exuberant stride. Hans Jorgenssen was the tallest of them. He was a colossal Norwegian with long blonde hair and a close shaved beard that framed his square jaw. His eyes were blue like the early morning and belied his tough exterior.

Walking to his right (and a full head beneath him) was Xando Parapasu, a lean young man with Terra Cotta eyes that seemed to never stop scrutinizing their surroundings. The warm sun glistened off his bald head as he strolled alongside his friends.

Joseph Mallan, a happy medium of his two friends, had rich chestnut hair cut high over the temples with a thin long braid and a full mustache—right on the pulse of high MechWarrior fashion. His eyes were greenish grey with specks of brown and his smile bore a guile that could warm the most frozen of Ice Queens.

Joe was leading the trio towards the Military Science Building. A large fortress-like edifice built with large blocks of Avalonian granite. The pale grey/white stone added a feel of stately calm to the vast building. At the bottom of the grand stairs of the venerable building was a hastily erected 'bulletin board' a sign atop the long board proclaimed "The LIST" it was covered with alphabetic listings of all the graduates and their deployment units. Hundreds of former students were already milling in front of the board.

"Come on guys, don't you want to know where we're going?" Joe ribbed his friends. He ran a hand over his braid and struggled to tame his smile.

"Joe, with your scores you probably got posted as one of the Capellan Chancellor's personal bodyguards,” Xando quipped.

Joe winced and chucked Xando’s shoulder. "Look at the quick wit on Xando,” he said, nudging Hans. “I told you I could teach him to have a little fun."

"Gee, Joe, are you sure he's kidding? I saw your score, too, and you'd be lucky to get a posting on Timbuktu," Hans chuckled in his deep baritone.

"Yeah…I know, top ten percent of the class doesn’t get you what it used to," Joe said somberly.

"Especially when you scored lower than us," said Xando, and followed it up with a return jab to Joe’s arm.

Joe brushed off the weak punch and shot a wink at Xando. He would never say it, but the comment stung a little. Besides, while technically true, it was a cheap shot.

"Aw, come on Xan, Joe can't help it if he can't jump. He's from Furillo!"

"Um…Hans?"

"Yeah, Joe?"

"Furillo has high gravity. I jump better than most of you," he reminded his large friend.

Hans cuffed Joe on the shoulder, nearly knocking him to the ferrocrete. "I know that, but you still can't jump in a 'Mech."

"Hey guys, congratulations!" said a red headed young man standing in front of the posting bulletin board. He was pencil thin and his frame was roped with long thin muscles.

"Oh hey Pentel, how're you doing?" Joe asked.

"Awesome!” Pentel beamed. "I got Tenth Guards!"

Joe whistles long and low, "Nice, they get to groom Archon-Designates sometimes—sweet posting."

"Where are we going?" Xando asked, worming his way around Pentel so that he could see the list.

Pentel scooted out of the way.

"Odin's eye," Hans bellowed, silencing the throng of graduates nearest the quartet. "I got Tenth Guards, too!"

"Me, too," said Xando. He had to lean an arm against Hans to prop himself up because a sudden rush of faintness washed over him. “I actually made it. I made Tenth!”

”How about you, Joe? Three for three, or what?” said Hans. “Joe?”

Joe looked as if he had been gut-punched. “First Royal," he grumbled.

The three men's heads swiveled, but they dared not speak. Joe deserved a moment of silence. Pound for pound he was the best pilot out of all of them. Hans knew it. Xando knew it. Pentel knew it but would never admit it.

"I tried so hard,” he said, tears forming in the back of his throat. “Two years of busting my *** and they stick me with those boot licking *** kissers in First Royal? What a load of ****. You know what the worst part is?”

The three men looked to the ground and muttered a jumbling of quiet Whats.

“The worst part is,” said Joe with rage shooting from his eyes and hate pouring from his throat. “The worst thing is that you guys are all idiots…I'm goin' to the Tenth too!" A devil's smile played over Joe's face.

The three friends looked over the list themselves and just as they turned to pummel Joe, a rich voice boomed from behind them.

"*** save the Commonwealth. Joseph Mallan is going to be a Lyran Guard."

Countless hours of drills caused the quartet to snap to attention, but they immediately relaxed when the speaker proved to not be one of their former instructors.

"Hi, Dad," Joe said, stiffening a little.

"Hello, Joseph. Is that any kind of proper hello for your mother and me?" Benjamin Mallan chided his son.

"Mom, Dad, this is Xando Parapasu,” he said, pointing around. “Hans Jorgenssen and Pentel Scripto. Guys, this is my mom and dad, Lady Estelle and Sir Benjamin Mallan." He kissed his mother’s cheek and hugged his father.

"So, you and your friends are coming into my guard?" Joe's father asked.

Joe rolled his eyes playfully, but his pride was obvious. “My dad was in the Tenth LG, he even served under Melissa Steiner. He was knighted for service above and beyond the call of duty."

Joe's friends knew that he had been cut from the same cloth as his father. Both were tall with broad shoulders, but Joe had inherited his mother’s warm smile, dark hair and unique eyes.

"The Mallan family has been loyally serving the Commonwealth for ten generations, and we have our fair share of honors to prove it." Mr. Mallan announced.

"Did you pull some strings to get me in?" Joe asked. Only a microbe of bitterness could be detected.

"I helped get you into this school. You did the rest." The jab hurt, but the sadness that threatened to overtake the elder Mallan's eyes was pushed aside by pride.

"Well guys, I guess we'll be making the universe safe from Snakes in a few more weeks," said Joe.

"Sorry, Joe, I have to wait a few months. I have to go to OCS," Xando said.

"Well don't that beat all? Xando's going to get some butter bars," prodded Joe. "Guess we're going to have to start calling you 'Sir' Xando."

"I can get used to that," Xando said with a smirk.

"Well don't," growled Hans as he grabbed Xando in a headlock and began rabbit punching his forehead.

Mr. Mallan walked over to his son and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "You have good friends, Joseph,” he whispered. “Watch over them."

"I will, dad. Thanks."

Edited by Joseph Mallan, 04 November 2011 - 11:12 AM.


#2 Mikhal Rain Longcut

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Posted 24 November 2011 - 07:34 PM

Good start are you going to continue the thought or just a short story? Cause you could do alot with this one.

#3 Joseph Mallan

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Posted 19 December 2011 - 08:51 AM

Thank you and I had wanted to carry this on, but my muse took off to parts unknown.





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