Southern Cross Who's Who - Gabriel McManus

Personality

In an earlier era Gabriel's generally depressive demeanor, lanky frame, short black hair, and dull eyes would have categorized him as "Goth". Gabriel's misfortunes in life have left him suspicious, even of those he would call friends. Not the most sociable of people, he can often appear nervous, and has been known to exhibit occasional childish, or at least socially immature behavior. Deep down he hopes to find love again someday, but despairs at it ever happening. He frequently develops unrequited crushes, most recently on teammate Karen Davison. His one constant comfort is his music, and while he appreciates nearly all forms, his personal preferences tend towards darker, depressive alternative, new wave and electronica music.

Biography

Gabriel's life has not been a good one. From his birth in a refugee camp a few months after the near annihilation of humanity through to his military career, misfortune has followed him. Gabriel grew up in the Great Lakes Refugee Camps, located outside of the settlement that would become New Detroit City. He had few friends and was frequently picked on, but young Gabriel did find one solace - music.

The young Gabriel would spend hours searching the nearby ruins for music recordings of any kind. Cassettes, records, CDs, even ancient 8-track tapes - Gabriel would take any he could find, no matter how old or what genre. He would also scrounge up any stereo equipment he could find - old record players, Walkmen, up through high-end recording equipment salvaged from the ruins of Old Detroit. Gabriel would patch up the equipment and use it to clean up damaged recordings, make custom albums, even re-mix materials. One of Gabriel's teachers noticed the boy's keen ear and talent with sound and took him under his wing, teaching the young man about radios and acoustics.

As a teenager, Gabriel is still nervous and withdrawn. As a means of expression he starts up a pirate radio station - playing a wide variety of music from his now extensive private collection. The station also lets Gabriel speak his mind on many topics - among them the crime and oppression he sees all around him in the camps. These broadcasts anger some of the local criminal element, and one particularly violent gang targets Gabriel and his family. Gabriel's parents are forced to go into hiding while Gabriel himself escapes the camp with the help of one of his few friends, Sam Foster. Sam had been like a big brother to Gabriel and had gone off the join the Southern Cross. Sam recruits Gabriel into the army as well, and Gabe's radio and acoustic talents lead him to specialize in communications. He even goes as far as to sign up for mecha combat training, following a fellow cadet he develops a crush on. The girl, Laurie Williams, does not return his feelings, but the two wind up friends and Gabriel becomes part of the Alpha Tactical Armored Corps as a hovertank pilot and communications specialist.

On his first assignment, Gabriel finds love for the first time and, against general regulations, he begins dating a fellow hovertank pilot, Jenny Carver. Still insecure and nervous, Gabriel becomes insanely jealous when any other man shows interest in Jenny. The jealousy becomes a point of friction in the relationship, and also proves to be a distraction to Gabriel's duties. In an effort to deal with the problem, Gabriel's commanding officer, Capt. Stephanie Warren, has Jenny transferred to another unit. Tragically, a few months after the transfer, Jenny is killed in combat during one of the earlier skirmishes of the N.W.O. conflict. Jenny's death drives Gabriel into rage and, blaming Capt. Warren for sending Jenny to her death, he attacks and tries to kill her. Gabriel is stopped before he can kill Capt. Warren, but he is arrested and sent to military prison for the attack.

Prison for Gabriel is just like being back in the refugee camps. He had no friends and was constantly under threat from the other inmates. Once again, Gabriel retreated to the sanctuary of music and radio. When the Robotech Masters arrived, Gabriel managed to intercept and decipher some of the alien transmissions using only the radio equipment he was permitted in his cell. This impressed Lt. Col. Carson Riley of Southern Cross high command in Monument City, who arranged for Gabriel's early release. Gabriel was then assigned to the 403rd Home Guard, a civil defense hovertank squadron in Monument City. The assignment was due to the efforts of the squad's medical specialist, Charles Caplan-Somerset, who also had connections to Lt-Col. Riley. Somerset had learned about Gabriel's predicament from the Lt. Colonel and had sympathized with Gabriel's motives for attacking his C.O., as Charles had recently lost his lover as well. It was Charles that suggested Gabriel be assigned to the 403rd and thanks to this the two became friends. It was Gabriel who provided Charles with the Mozart recording that provided comfort to the medic in the chaos following the end of the war.

Gabriel, Charles and the science specialist Karen Davison were the only members of the 403rd to survive the final battle of the Second Robotech War unscathed. Their top sergeant also survived, but was crippled when his hovertank was destroyed. The trio stuck together and helped maintain order among the survivors and refugees living in the ruins of Monument City. When Col. Wolfe arrived a year later and offered to save the families of any soldiers who signed on with him to defend Earth against the coming Invid threat, Gabriel and his friends agreed. He, Charles and Karen were then assigned to the 21st A.T.A.C. hovertank squadron.

Call Sign: The 403rd Home Guard did not use call signs and Gabriel has yet to take one on since joining the 21st. It is not known if Gabriel had a call sign from his original assignment before being sent to prison, but if he did he has chosen not to share it with his current teammates.

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