Michael MacNish

## Mad Michael

> "*He's only 17- and he just waltzed into a firefight with Londinium's best, unprepared and using only the supplies in the buildings around him he took out the Black Feet? What the hell is his name again? Michael? You're mad, Mitch. Mad Mitch.*"
> ― anonymous resistance fighter
>
>

Michael MacNish is the current dictator of Corillia. He is incredibly popular with the population for his daring antics, adventures and exploits against Londinium when he was only 15 years old.

His actions in the Rebellion of the Colonies earnt him one of the highest positions in the new Corillian government and army despite being only 19 and the memoirs he published depicting the incredible feats and journeys he made for the sake of the war effort made him a hero in the people's eyes as well as a steady income- giving him all the time he needed to work on his political theories and climbing even higher up the ranks of Corillian leadership.

### **The Beginning of the Rebellion of the Colonies**

Michael's father had always been very anti-Londinium, going so far as to start an illegal club where likeminded individuals could meet and discuss revolution.

When the Rebellion began, Michael's house was almost immediately attacked by Londinian forces under Brigadier-General Bernard Stokes-Kitchener. His entire family was killed, save for himself. He managed to escape by hiding up the chimney of the house, thanks to his small stature.

It wasn't long till he gathered his father's secret stash of weapons and munition and began his great journey of revenge.

### **Revenge**

Michael was at first dead set on punishing Bernard Stokes-Kitchener for what he had done. The Brigadier-General was infamous for his awful terror tactics and brutality when dealing with the Corillian rebels.

He set out against entire squads of Londinian soldiers and loyalists, killing many but capturing few. Those he did capture he beat information out of before disposing of them, gaining all the information he needed to find the location of Bernard Stokes-Kitchener.

### **The Ambush at Friedrichsville and the birth of Mad Mitch**

Perhaps the most famous and heroic encounter Michael had with Londinian forces was at an ambush in Friedrichsville (Now Michaelsville) in 1897. Local resistance fighters were attacked suddenly by The Black Feet- Stokes-Kitchener's elite special forces, who wore steel boots painted pitch black for their namesake.

Mitch was travelling through the area when he heard the gunshots. After observing the conflict, it was clear that the fighters were hopelessly outnumbered and out-skilled by the Black Feet warriors. However, instead of leaving he jumped into the fray. The Black Feet meant Stokes-Kitchener was nearby- they were his personal bodyguard. To knock them out now would severely weaken the Brigadier-General and give Michael his best shot at revenge in a year.

The fighting that ensued was intense- The resistance fighters weren't expecting an attack, and had not properly equipped themselves. Mitch managed to convince them to stay inside of nearby buildings while he takes on the elite Black Feet- by himself. What would normally be a suicide act.

Using his incredible marksmanship and tact, Michael managed to pull off the greatest feat of the Rebellion of the Colonies in any theatre on any continent. He singlehandedly took out the entire Blackfeet using only an automatic hot-weapon, position of mirrors to confuse his foes and flashlights by his side to make it harder to see where he was.

His amazing victory earnt him fame not just in Corillia but all over the independence movements, from Terra Australis to Nessia.

It also earnt him a nickname which stuck- One of the resistance fighters present infamously called him "Mad Mitch" for how crazy he was to do such a thing- especially at such a young age as 17.

### **The Death of Brigadier-General Bernard Stokes-Kitchener and Victory in the Rebellion**

Nobody is quite sure how Mad Mitch managed to get to Stokes-Kitchener or how he killed him but we know for sure that he did get his revenge soon after the Ambush of Friedrichsville. It was a detail he seemingly for no reason missed in his memoirs, though perhaps it was too personal to share with anyone else.

Two year after the Brigadier-General's death, in 1899 the Treaty of Londinium at Panum would be signed, officially granting Corillia's independence.

Mad Mitch had made himself known around all of Corillia. He had traveled all over the nation helping the local resistance and defeating Londinian patrols. When the New Corillian Army (NCA) was founded, General Benson Innocent offered Michael one of the highest positions in the NCA as a member of the General Staff and an advisor to the first elected president of Corillia, Conán Ó Cadhla.

### **Role in the Londo July Days and the Martial Law**

In July of 1915, the Londo Uprisings began when the significant Londonian colonists in the region leftover from the independence of Corillia rebelled against the government, with the revolution being sparked by the assassination of General Innocent, President Ó Cadhla and other senior officials by car bombing.

These assassinations put Mad Mitch as the chief-of-staff of the NCA and the country in anarchy as the government collapsed on itself.

He used his new powers to declare martial law and place himself as the President-General of Corillia- a move opposed by few. The July Days, as the Londo Uprisings were later known as, had low support even among the Londonian colonists and quickly ended thanks to the tactics used by Mitch. However, the July Days had impact on Corillian history forever when Mad Mitch made the decision to make his place as dictator permanent.

To this day, Mad Mitch MacNish remains the head of state of Corillia and it seems as if he will not be giving up his position. He is incredibly popular amongst the nation, and is often informally referred to as the Ceannaire Saor in Aisce- Corillian for the Freedom Leader. His face is that most associated with Corillian independence.

Whatever Michael does, his people will follow him with a glad smile on their faces. Whatever the future for Michael holds, it is bright for him and his nation which he loves so much.