Garrison Varundle was a Human male political activist and politician from the Expansion Region planet Borel III. Garrison, like his friend Fredrico Borek, was born in the planet's capital city Chicagwa. He was a major figure of Borel, because he fought in the Borellian Civil War and became the planet's first President. He helped, along with Fredrico Borek, establish a Constitutional Republic following the defeat of the Absolutist's in the Civil War. He is also the blood ancestor of future galactic politician and Chancellor Kellen Varundle.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Garrison was born to a strong Democratic family, and because of that upbringing he also became a strong democratic advocate in his early life. He grew up following politics and how it worked in his hometown of Chicagwa. He went on to enroll in the Political Branch of Chicagwa University, majoring Political Theory and Consensus Democracy, he started to diverge from his original political stance and move toward a stance that involved a Consensual Democracy. After he graduated he met and married his wife Malena and had a son also named Holt. He spent the next 5 years evolving and changing his political views until a Civil War broke out between the Rebel Absolutists and the incumbent Democratics.
He was hesitant of joining the Democratics, but relented to joining them once he realized the ramifications of the Absolutists winning the war. He was assigned to 300th "Screaming Eagle's" Division of the Army. There he met and befriended Fredrico Borek, the two combined for the two highest mission success rates and lowest casualty counts in the war according to statistics kept by the Borel Defense Department.
Operation Downfall[]
Garrison along with Fredrico participated in Operation: Downfall. The mission was to infiltrate the Absolutists bunker beneath the city of Rothana, they were to get through the waterfall entrance and capture or kill the leaders of the rebels, while the main section of the Eagles engaged the enemy away from the battle. The plan was a relative success in the eyes of the loyalists, only Fredrico and Garrison survived the mission, though they both almost were killed approaching the entrance.
They wound up killing the Field Marshal of the rebels and capturing their dictator. The war ended, but not without their lasting impact on the surviving major participants of the war and the system of Borel III.
Reason for Treason[]
The dictator was captured and put to trial. After the trial he was sent to a cell and questioned further by Garrison and Fredrico. The next day the dictator/terrorist was executed. Garrison thought deliberately and cautiously and took a measured approach to form his political stance and ideals. Some of his philosophies drew upon the terrorists rants and teachings. He slowly absorbed some of the ideas of the pleading dictator into a new philosophy for the government, his ideas evolved into a Constitutional Republic, led by a President.
Politics[]
After the success of the war and his resulting fame on Borel, he was elected to a committee to determine the next leader and possibly the next composition of the new democracy. He, Fredrico and a cabinet of officials decided upon a Constitutional Republic to run the federal government, while a Consensus Democracy would run the individual cities. After the decision, Garrison was named the President of the new government and named Fredrico the General of the Army. Many of Garrison's opposition took evidence of Garrison's interaction and conversations with the terrorist and tried to give examples of his corruption in order to oust him and pump their new ideas in place. Each time they failed as he was re-elected each term.
Just before he retired, he imposed term limits on the office in order to prevent a dictator from taking control of the government and from causing political upheaval. Many of his political adversaries labeled this as the last act of a tyrant in servants clothing. They said this was a selfish act caused by a man that could not bare to see another politician match his longevity and impact. Garrison said he only took the office without term limits to guide the government to stability and would have gladly resigned if his backers and supporters asked him to. He retired because of his assurance that the government was stable and imposed the limits he had wished for at the start.
Legacy[]
Garrison Varundle was known as an honest, dedicated and fierce loyalist that only wanted to preserve the freedoms of his people and to ensure stability for the future. He was often said to be the greatest leader of men by his friend, and future general, Fredrico Borek, a man known for his leadership and strategy.
As a politician he has been known as Borel's first and greatest leader imposing many big government limitations to prevent total control and tyranny among its leaders. He enacted many laws and acts that promoted freedom and economic prosperity, including opening up relations and membership into the Galactic Republic. He allowed free trade which accelerated growth and power for the system. He also addressed the concerns of activists for the environment by land-marking many important locations and placing its native species under over hunting protection. He was most prominently known for guiding Borel into an era of stability that allowed it to become one of the largest population centers in the galaxy and a key planet in its region.
Behind the scenes[]
Garrison's first name was originally the surname of Kellen Varundle, his eventual descendant. The division he enlists in when he joins the army, is actually the nickname of a real life military division. This character was also partially based on real life world leaders George Washington, Adolf Hitler, Lenin and Napoleon, all of whom had been elected or rose to power after successful military campaigns. The name of the university he attended was influenced by the author's hometown of Chicago and University of Chicago. He was portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.