Joseph Cameron (27th c.)

Joseph Cameron II
Character Profile
Born 2600[1]
Died 2641[1]
Affiliation House Cameron
Position Director-General
Profession MechWarrior
Parents Nicholas Cameron (father)
Lydia Petersen (mother)
Siblings Deborah II
Judith II
Mitchell II
Spouse Josephine Franks
Children Michael Cameron II


Joseph Cameron II was the son of First Lord of the Star League Nicholas Cameron.

History[edit]

Early life[edit]

Joseph Cameron had, by any and all accounts, a wonderful childhood. Despite being the son of First Lord Nicholas Cameron, Joseph was incorrigible from a young age and would remain so throughout the duration of his life. During the latter of his teenage years, Nicholas sent Joseph on a tour of the Star League with several prominent men and women of the realm. The hope was that Joseph would be influenced by these figures, and that with a little guidance and direction, they could convince him to abandon his rebellious and uncooperative ways. This was, unfortunately, not the case. Upon return, the sixteen-year-old Joseph Cameron seemed worse than the way he'd left, and his parents threw up their hands.

Turning him over to the SLDF, he was sent to what was then the newly built War College of Mars as a cadet. His parents had given the college staff strict orders not to give their son any modicum of preferential treatment due to his name, and his father had decreed that, if anything, the college should give the boy an extra-strong taste of reality so "he'll learn that foolish actions can lead to serious consequences." Joseph's true self nature, it seemed, could not be broken, however.[2]

Marriage and children[edit]

His mean streak, vain attitude, and devious nature survived the academy, but Joseph had become skilled in the art of deception during his time there, and had learned how to put on the facade of a suave, courteous military man. Only a year after leaving academy, he married a young officer named Josephine Franks, who was one of the reasons why Joseph almost became the gentleman he pretended at. On the battlefield, however, Cameron allowed his true nature to be at play, and he had earned a strong reputation as a savage, nasty fighter that preceded him.

Amid several minor scandals, Joseph quickly rose in the ranks of the SLDF, and by his twenty-ninth birthday, he had made colonel in command of a Royal regiment. That same year, Josephine would give birth to Michael Cameron, and this was finally enough to convince Joseph’s father Nicholas that his son had changed his ways. He then awarded Joseph the rank of Director-General of the Terran Hegemony in 2630.[3]

Controversy[edit]

This was not the case, as approximately a decade later, the Mhan-Gradium scandal broke. Evidence had surfaced from investigative journalists that had tied the director-general to the kickbacks and bribes from Mhan-Gradium Light Conductor Industries after they had secured a lucrative government contract that had given them virtual dominance in their field of light pathways for computers in 2641. For months after the story went public, Joseph denied the allegations despite mounting evidence, calling it all lies and scheming by one of his many enemies. The blame for the mysterious, sudden death of a reporter claiming to have important new evidence to reveal was aimed at none other than the director-general himself. At this, First Lord Nicholas Cameron stripped Joseph of his rank until the investigation(s) were complete, and then reactivated Joseph's commission in the Regular Army, having him shipped off to the backwaters of the SLDF as the commander of the Wargame Arrangement and Planning Commission.[3]

Death and afterward[edit]

During a training accident with the 112th Royal Hussar Regiment, his 'Mech stepped on an improperly set Vibrabomb that blew its leg off. As Joseph attempted to eject, the seat's rockets fired before the canopy could fully open, and he was killed instantly. The accident occurred just as the investigation into the death of the reporter that had promised to bring new evidence to light in the bribery/kickback scandal involving Joseph was leading to his arrest.[3]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Star League, p. 183
  2. The Star League, p. 55
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Star League, p. 56

Bibliography[edit]