Todd Marshall
| Todd Marshall | |
|---|---|
| February 7, 2631-???? | |
| File:Wc1maniac.gif Todd Marshall | |
| Callsign | Maniac |
| Place of birth | Leto, Proxima Centauri IV |
| Allegiance | Terran Confederation |
| Rank | Major |
| Relations | Arnold “Boomer” Marshall (Father) |
Todd "Maniac" Marshall was one of the greatest fighter Pilots of the Terran-Kilrathi War. Despite some early setbacks and disilusionment, his career saw him fight instumental battles in the end of the War, be a key contributor to the resolution of the Black lance affair, and a star player in the Nephilim conflict.
History
Todd Marshall was born in 2631, on Leto, Proxima Centauri IV. Todd’s father was Arnold “Boomer” Marshall, a star college athlete who was drafted into the Marine corps during the early days of Kilrathi War and served as a platoon leader, reaching the rank of captain. Todd is the youngest of Arnold’s four sons.
Todd was exceptionally good at sports and was accepted into the Confederation Academy on an athletic scholarship. His grades were good and he kept a clean disciplinary record, excluding a couple of demerits for borderline insubordination. Todd’s marksmanship and simulator scores were the highest in his class, but earned the callsign “Maniac” for his flying style.
Maniac and Christopher “Maverick” Blair were classmates at the Academy. They were rivals in every way, even chasing the same girl at one point. Maniac and Maverick were the only aces in the Kilrathi War top 40 list to enlist after Custer’s Carnival. Upon graduation, Maniac and Maverick were posted to the TCS Tiger’s Claw.
Early Career
On 2654.135, Maniac and Maverick launch in Scimitars from the Tiger’s Claw to patrol the Brimstone system in the lead-up to a Confederation invasion. The next day, they fly again to escort an Exeter-class destroyer to the Claw. On 2654.137, Maniac and Maverick launch in Scimitars again to destroy a Kilrathi Dorkir transport.
On 2654.271, Maniac and Maverick escort a Venture-class corvette to a jump point in the Cairo system, protecting it from a Ralari en-route. A week later, they fly a three-point patrol around the Cairo system.
On 2654.280, Maniac accidentally destroys a transport with a heat-seeking missile during an escort mission in the Rostov system. All fourteen of the crew are lost. Maniac is cleared of all charges relating to the accident.
During this time, Maniac suffered from depression, and by 2655.239, the stress from the Vega sector campaign and Operation Thor’s Hammer weighed so heavily on Maniac that he had to be taken off the flight roster and put into Sickbay. He was put back on the Tiger’s Claw flight roster on 2655.278 since all pilots were desperately needed, but remained mentally unstable.
On 2655.293, Maniac and Maverick launch in Raptors from the Tiger’s Claw to fly a three-point patrol in the Firekka system, clearing a path for her retreat. Later, they launch again in Rapiers to defend the Claw against several waves of Kilrathi fighters.
Maniac’s mental condition eventually culminated in a nervous breakdown – he is put into hospital for several months, and so survived the eventual destruction of the Tiger’s Claw.
On 2666.135, Maniac considers the TCS Tarawa a “transport scow and a death trap”.
Test Pilot
Maniac’s most spectacular exploit was in the Deneb sector. Leading a wing of light fighters on routine patrol, he encounters two heavy Kilrathi battleships. With no torpedo bombers available, Maniac somehow managed to manoeuvre the battleships into a fatal collision with each other, and is reported to save an entire strike fleet as a result. After this incident, Maniac was promoted to major, and given command of the Wild Eagles, a group of test pilots testing prototype Morningstar fighters. Maniac designed some of the special features of the Morningstar, such as its Mace nuclear missile payload.
On 2667.098, Maniac and his Wild Eagles arrive on the TCS Concordia. The Morningstar is plagued with random jump failure, so Maniac performs a test jump in the Canewdon system with Maverick in a Sabre recording the jump.
On 2667.099, Maniac flies with Maverick and two members of his Wild Eagles on a Morningstar test patrol, with Maverick in a Broadsword. The patrol encounters some heavy resistance including a wing of Strakha stealth fighters.
On 2667.100, Maria “Minx” Grimaldi steals a Morningstar prototype and flees the Concordia, setting an explosive to cover her escape. It take 25 minutes to repair the flight deck before Maniac and Maverick can launch and pursue her. This delay, along with a co-ordinated enemy presence, allows Minx to escape to the Mandarins with the Morningstar.
Later, Maniac and Maverick transfer to James “Paladin” Taggart’s Special Operations division. They leave Canewdon in Morningstars, with Paladin in the Grimalkin, a captured Dorkathi transport. Maniac and Maverick escort the Grimalkin to the Ayer’s jump point, but dock with the Grimalkin for the jump since the Morningstar is still susceptible to random jump failure.
On 2667.101, Maniac and Maverick launch in their Morningstars from the Grimalkin to intercept and destroy wings of Mandarin fighters before they can report to their base, Ayer’s Rock. On the same day, Maniac and Maverick launch to escort the Grimalkin to the nearest jump point in the Ayer’s system. They destroy two Fralthra cruisers en-route. Later, they launch again to destroy the Mandarin base of Ayer’s Rock, along with two Kamekh corvettes, and several Mandarin Sabres.
While the Grimalkin is on its way back to the Concordia, Maniac and Maverick launch to attempt to locate and kill Zachery “Jazz” Colson, who escaped Ayer’s Rock before it was destroyed. Maniac’s Morningstar breaks down shortly after launch, however, leaving Maverick to find Jazz on his own.
War's End
Over the last decade of the Kilrathi War, Maniac rotated between combat and test piloting before Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn assigned him to the TCS Victory. Maniac had been the executive officer on the Victory under wing commander Dulbrunin before Maverick was also assigned there. Maniac was also commanding officer of Gold squadron aboard the Victory until Maverick replaced him with Ralgha “Hobbes” nar Hhallas.
On 2669.203, Maniac still held the rank of major.
On 2669.217, Maniac and three other pilots from Gold squadron fly to an area where Maverick and Hobbes had earlier been ambushed, and destroy ten Dralthi, a light cruiser, and a supply depot hidden in a large asteroid.
On 2669.225, Maniac flies off on his own chasing a Kilrathi fighter while leaving his wingman to defend the Victory without him.
On 2669.266, Maniac flies with Maverick to Kilrah as part of Lancelot Flight, his Excalibur is labelled Excalibur 304. Maniac is forced to eject and is taken prisoner by a Kilrathi dreadnought. He is “interrogated” viciously for several hours, but after the destruction of Kilrah, Maniac is given medical treatment and a ceremonial release.
After the Kilrathi War, Maniac resumed alternating between combat and test piloting for the Confederation.
By 2673.217, Maniac still holds the rank of major and serves on the TCS Lexington. He holds the opinion that Maverick becoming a farmer on Nephele II is disgraceful. Nevertheless, he goes to Nephele II to recall him to active military service under Emergency Decree 394A. Maniac and Maverick leave Nephele II for Orlando depot in Hellcats.
Maniac had a habit of sleeping with an armed blaster pistol under his pillow, and also liked to kiss his fighter before flying a mission.
Post War
On 2673.224, Maniac briefly becomes a lieutenant colonel and wing commander on the BWS Intrepid, after Captain Eisen departs for the Confederation. On the same day, the Intrepid jumps to the Peleus system to investigate system-wide jamming. Maniac picks up an ejected Black Lance pilot, who leads the Intrepid to the jamming device. Maniac leads a squadron to the jamming device and, together with the remainder of the Intrepid’s fighters, they destroy it.
In 2673, Maniac is promoted to colonel and given command of the light carrier, TCS Kiev. He is sent to police the border.
Maniac accepted his posting to the TCS Midway as “a personal favour to Senator James Taggart”. He flies in the Black Widow squadron aboard the Midway, but has returned to the rank of major.
On 2681.011, Maniac achieves his 2000th and 2001st kills by shooting down two armed smugglers during a routing sweep of the Hawkins system.
Maniac recorded five kills during the raid on the Demon’s Eye pirates in Valgard. As of 2681.022, Marshall is the highest-ranked ace on the Space Forces flight roster and is rated the fourteenth highest-scoring ace in Space Force history.
After the Midway’s retreat to the H’hrass system, Maniac’s bluster and apparent disrespect for the dead irritates Lance Casey to the point of he and Maniac having a fight.
While the Midway was in the T’lan Meth system, Maniac is promoted to commander of the Black Widow squadron. He is relieved “after all these years to finally have my own squadron”. However, Maniac is distraught after having a pilot go missing-in-action in T’lan Meth and losing another two rookie pilots in the G’mar system. Maniac voluntarily steps down from his post as squadron commander of the Black Widows by the time the Midway reaches the H’rissith system.
Todd married twice during his career - one relationship lasting three years, and the other 22 days. He had no children. Maniac retired from active duty to become a consultant and test pilot for a civilian defence contractor. During that time He also wrote his autobiographical memoir “Me: The Life and Battles of “Maniac” Marshall.”
