Danielle Freeborn

"It's a preferable alternative to death. I did the same thing you did honestly and as you said yourself you're not stupid. Well, neither am I. I was spared the death penalty in favor of this but unlike you, I didn't have an option for going to a labor camp. It was death by hanging or death on the frontline. At least the frontline I can do something about. But onto your other question; why are you in my squad? I personally requested you be here and before you ask why I'll tell you. I know who you are as does everyone here. You trying to hide who you are does no favors. Orientail is not a common last name and the the leader of the entire military is your father. You may as well have a bright red stamp on your forehead screaming 'HERE I AM'. I know what crimes you committed as I can just go ask the processing clerks and they'll give me the info. After all, the more of their work I do the less they do and they are more than happy to acquiesce. Anyway, I digress. There are two reasons. First: You're misguided. Like many of the women in the group you have a bright future ahead of you. You just need the proper guidance. Second, and this is personal, if I keep you alive and give you that second chance then maybe I can get mine." - Danielle giving Angie some backstory as to why things are the way they are.Danielle Freeborn is an AcDragonian woman and soldier who is consigned to the 3rd Broken Talons. Her formal unit name is the 3rd Broken Talons, 1st Vanguard, 2nd Squad. Informally the squad is known as Dani's Degenerates. This unit was created after Danielle ascended the ranks to Sergeant and was given permission to create her own squad of penitent soldiers. Given the nature of penal battalions in the AcDragonian army, High Command figured the less they had to manage with them the better. She was given the squad basically to keep her and those in it out of the hair of command. Her call sign is "Last Chance 1-Actual". Danielle's squad is all female.
Danielle was sent to the penal battalions after she was convicted in court for beating her attempted rapist, his getaway driver and his brother to death in a fit of rage, even though the latter two had nothing to do with the actual crime. Because they were accomplices however, they spared her a death penalty and gave her the option to serve out time in a penal battalion in the military. She opted for this and had to spend 15 years in the military as a result of her crimes.
As a Penitent Soldier, she had no real amenities, outdated weaponry and equipment as command didn't want to waste good equipment that good soldiers can use on the likes of her or her team. She expected this and just had to make due. The biggest shock was that she was given a M32 combat rifle from the Dragonian Civil War and it showed as much. She wasn't trained on the weapon as she trained with the M8A1 in basic. She had a habit of going above and beyond, and while that didn't mean much in the scope of her duties it did score her points with command as it meant that there was less work they had to do and she proved trustworthy, meaning they could delegate more to her without too much worry.
When Danielle formed Dani's Degenerates, command gave her the pick of the penitents to form her group and she chose the troubled females in the battalion who ended up there out of victims of circumstance; those who had crimes on their record that could be forgiven such as misunderstood youth who stole one too many things, people in situations similar to hers, women who had no where else to turn so they committed crimes to be thrown into the penitent battalions as no other recourse, etc. Danielle also personally requested that Angela Orientail be put in her unit believing that if she guided Angela through her time as a penitent soldier, she could possibly get her sentence reduced.
Danielle, due to her age, is referred to as "Momma Danielle" by her troops as most of them are at least 8 years younger than she is. Strangely enough, even people outside the unit refer to her as this. Owing to the moniker, Danielle is seen as a hard ass sometimes, driving her group forward as much as physically possible. It's all for their own good however, and she believes that a sense of family, purpose and duty is what the women need to get back on track. She has one goal; rehabilitate as many people in her squad as she can with the aim of getting them out early or allowing them to transfer to normal units should they want to stay in.
Category:Supporting Character
Category:Person of Interest