L. C. Vallandigham

Appearance
A stout man hailing from Alliance core world Londinium, Vallandigham looks very much the part of the southern aristocrat with a tight fitting coat, close trimmed bear and no mustache. Heavyset and having a penchant for filibustering, Vallandigham is a natural born orator. He lacks a distinct accent, not sounding like a stereotypical 'browncoat' or a silver spoon Alliance man. He speaks a tad more slowly than most common folk, but this is a speaking technique to keep people listening than any sort of lack of intelligence on his part.

History/Background
Vallandigham was born and raise on Londinium, one of the core worlds of the Union of Allied Planets, or the Alliance for short. He prefers to speak english as it was his common tongue growing up, but he can easily switch to Chinese and keep the same eloquence and theatrical grandeur that comes from a major in Drama and Theatre, and a supporting minor in politics and psychology. Raised the son of a third generation politician, L.C. never lacked for the essentials. It was only natural that he follow the family footsteps and enter the military.

Military Service - After his sophomore year in college L.C. enlisted and joined with the 116th Infantry Regiment, the New Shiloh Saggitars. L.C. went through basic training and later entered the Officer Corps and gained the rank of Major, serving under Col. Dennis St Clair. St Clair had the dubious honor of commanding roughly 1/3rd of the Alliance forces that would later fight at Serenity Valley. After eight years in the military, L.C. gained his discharge to engage in a new career in politics. Even though Vallandigham had not seen any actual combat, he was familiar with the day to day life of soldiers and several times his unit was moved on station to defend against possible Reaver attack.

Political Life - Vallandigham won his first election by a small margin. His opponent was a slight man, but was running to keep his seat. Tired of old blood, the electorate put the fresh-faced Major into his first major office. Facing the larger body of the Alliance House of Representatives, Vallandigham was a minority, hailing from a political and military background, while many of the other representatives instead came from either strong political lobbies, or from corporate interests. Playing the 'Man of the People' card, Vallandigham won his re-election and slowly started to rise among his party as a man to be watched and followed as he was destined for some greatness.

The Unification War - Rumbling began in the government and troop build-ups began, more ships were budgeted, and even more were moved from reserves into active service. Most expected Vallandigham to support the Unification Effort since he was a former military man. Rather, he opposed the effort and decried the Unification as nothing more than the ambition of the Alliance President wrapped in nationalism. The warhawks in the government eventually won out despite the protests of Vallandigham and his small group of Sidewinders, as the anti-war faction was called. Once the war began, C.L. staged several public protests and filibustered as long as he could against extensive and expensive campaigns against independent worlds. At the start he spoke of the Pioneer Spirit, the right of humanity to be the agent of it's own destiny, but after serving six months in prison for Acts of Sedition, he changed his platform.

The Mighty Dollar - Letting patriotism fall away, Vallandigham embraced a new podium for his outrage. Instead of freedom, he called on the government to stop it's rampaging war and reckless spending. He demonstrated the the Alliance was spending more credits securing minor moons and planets than those worlds would generate in tax revenue in decades. The most famous of his speeches, 'Spending Dollars to Buy Dimes' he demonstrated that the campaign to capture and subjugate Terra-Theed would not be repatriated for at least 80 years, given an oppressive tax reparation of 40%.

In-Absentia - Following his last speech, Vallandigham was forced into exile or face criminal charges. Operating from an unknown world, he ran for his forth re-election and won by a slight margin. This happened in tandem with the Battle of Serenity Valley and the end of the Unification War. During the sweeping Acts that followed the war, Vallandigham was evicted from his office, publicly censured for seditious activities and fined.

The Present
Once again in office, Vallandigham is currently a leader of the small but vocal Apologist Faction within the Alliance government. He is involved with a number of fringe factions, but is able to keep his connections hidden and unnoticed, and is likely to work through his contacts in the military sector as well as through Alliance members who opposed the Unification War.

Special Equipment
As an Alliance Senator, Vallandigham has access to his own private courier ship, and his rank in the military grants him honorary command of a Frigate or Destroyer in the service of the Alliance Fleet. While his doesn't go marauding around in his toy gunboat, he is not above using it if the situation arises. The now Senator also has an extensive network of covert personnel and sympathizers who work with ex-Browncoats, victims of reparations, as well as privateers, smugglers, and other ne'er-do-wells.

Roleplaying Notes
Vallandigham plays the role of the Benefactor in the Space Opera. Hailing from the victorious side, he opposed the war, and now offers covert assistance to those who lost the war. This ranges from public prosecution of war crimes against his own side to getting wanted rebels out of sight. This can range from setting up a safe base, to computer espionage and the like. He wants to help as much as he can, but he is limited by the terms of his office, and how much he can get away with without being noticed.

Intended for use in a Firefly/Serenity game.