Foster Harman
Squadron Leader Foster Harman (a.k.a. Micah Corey)
I served under him during that war, you know. Though he was not gentle, he was... like a home in a storm. You could rely on him. He saved our lives more times than I think we could ever know, just by breaking through the chaos and reminding us of our duty. Hell... If he hadn't appeared during that battle, I would've been done for.Foster Harman was a famous pilot of the SIDF, serving during the recent war. Predominantly known under the name "Micah Corey", his heroic actions during the war saw him be awarded a Distinguished Service Medal at its conclusion. However, subsequent revelations have caused his medal to be posthumously revoked.
I... I never suspected this, for a second.
History
Harman was raised on a planet far from the frontier, but was just as enamoured with the 'glory' of the SIDF and opportunities it would provide as those far closer. He was initially unable to attend the system's best pilot school due to his family's finances, but his results were so impressive he was eventually offered a scholarship. This proved fortuitous, as his parents' deaths only a year later would have seen him drop out if not for the school's support. While attending this school, he met and befriended Micah Corey, who had similarly earned a scholarship shortly before family tragedy. The two were close, though Corey's results were never quite as impressive as Harman's. Despite this, when the two graduated, Corey had been promoted directly to Corporal in a frontier post, while the higher-ranked Harman was a mere pilot in a "inland" post. Friends reported Harman's distress at this posting, but he nevertheless went out to celebrate Corey's achievement and imminent deployment. Shortly after Corey was deployed, Harman "disappeared".Military Career
Corey's frontier position was thrust into prominence far quicker than anyone expected, with an attack being launched on his station only a few months after his arrival. When an order from SIDF Command instructed everyone to evacuate, Corey insisted on securing the retreat and covering for the pilots under his authority, even returning to the station when he realised one of them had been unable to safely launch their ship due to a malfunction. He was able to escape the attack with his colleague on-board his ship, and though he was reprimanded for his recklessness, it earned him the respect of many on base. This attack marked the start of a war which lasted a few years, and in which Corey consistently proved the merit of his appointment. He was promoted several times, at his height reaching the rank of Squadron Leader. In this capacity he fought in multiple engagements, and is the first pilot recorded to have successfully executed an FTL Jump while docked to another ship - an act now known as the "Micah Manoeuvre". Though he was demonstrably talented, he could not outrun danger forever. When, in the Battle of Kapteyn's Star, Officer Lucija Mlakar was left without engine power, he saw to it that the enemy focused all their attention on him instead of his stuck comrade. When Mlakar successfully retreated on reserve power he attempted to follow, but his ship was struck in the cockpit with such force that he was knocked unconscious immediately. Before any effort could be launched to retrieve him, his ship was blown up, killing him.War Hero, Except
Corey was given a hero's memorial in the wake of the battle, being awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for the sacrifices he had made. His pilots spoke glowingly at his funeral of his hard work, and many stories were told of how he'd saved each of them in turn. Articles about his service were posted throughout allied systems. It was then that confusion emerged. Individuals who had known Corey prior to his deployment posted bewildered messages online about how he looked radically different, or of how the news must have used the wrong pilot's photo. Meanwhile, those who had known Harman were distraught to see what seemed to be the first sign of their friend in several years, attached to the wrong name. A journalist by the name of Rashida bint Anwar looked into it further, and collated as much information on the matter as she could. Her article, published a few weeks after the initial ones about Corey's memorial, came to the conclusion that Squadron Leader Micah Corey was, in fact, Pilot Foster Harman. She backed this up by finding a photo of both Corey and Harman together that both men had posted, as well as older student files and online profiles that identified which man was which in those photos. Given Harman's supposed disappearance, she proposed instead that Micah Corey was the missing man. This led to a search warrant being executed on Corey's apartment, which had remained in his ownership during his deployment. Inside the apartment's wardrobe, a body was found, wrapped in several bags inside of a box. With the aid of what little biometric info they had for either man, the body was tentatively identified as Corey's. The SIDF swiftly revoked "Corey's" Distinguished Service Medal, and symbolically awarded one to the real Micah Corey in recognition of the commander he would have been. His memorial plaque remains, though with an addendum identifying him as Foster Harman and paying tribute to the original Corey.
Life
302
329
27 years old
Circumstances of Death
During the Battle of Kapteyn's Star
Children
Snub
Though Harman's results in many of his assessments were some of the best in his cohort, and certainly better than Corey's, the man was nevertheless passed over for the prestigious post. When questioned about this many years later, his teachers and friends spoke of his reckless demeanour during flight tests, and of his poor teamwork skills. Believing both of these traits would make a poor commander of him, his teachers chose to recommend him for a 'low ranking' position that would force him into shape, as it were.If you had told me 8 years ago that Foster would go on to be a war hero, an icon, a genuinely selfless man by all accounts? You'll have to forgive my candor, but that would have sounded fucking absurd. That it only happened because of Micah's death...
Murder
Little is known of what occurred on the night Harman and Corey went out together. From security footage, it's believed they had an unremarkable evening and went home together, presumably to Corey's apartment. The lack of autopsy report - apparently at the request of Corey's next-of-kin - only leaves more questions for those fascinated by the case. The most common theory is that a furious Harman killed Corey once they were alone together, and assumed his identity so he could get the post he felt 'belonged to him'. Another one, proposed by a friend of Harman's who spoke to him the next afternoon, is that Corey's death had been entirely accidental, or not Harman's fault at all. In this version, a drunken argument ensued after the two made it home, and Corey died after hitting his head on the slick kitchen floor. A panicked Harman then hid the body, correctly assuming the death would be blamed on him. This theory doesn't account for what prompted Harman to then assume Corey's identity, however.Aftermath
While the most obvious result of the Harman revelation was the rescinding of his Distinguished Service Medal, another did arise - a change in how the identities of SIDF members were verified. This is because, supposedly, Harman had tricked the SIDF by simply hacking into Corey's profile and changing the attached picture to his own. Now, in order to enter an SIDF transport or base, a person must undergo a biometric test - usually done by taking a few drops of blood. These are run through an extensive database aided by system governments, and an individual is only let in when their identity is confirmed.I'm glad they only take blood at the door - that pinprick hurts like a bitch, and man, I'd hate to be anemic or scared of needles if we had to do those all the damn time.
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