Darik Mason was the first of three sons born to a Midwest, working-class couple.  Even from a young age, it was evident that Darik was an exceptional athlete.  Heading into his secondary education, he was offered a partial athletic scholarship to Cobb Academy, a prestigious East Coast boarding school.  His parents, thrilled by the opportunity for Darik, sent him off, sacrificing nearly everything to do so.

After paying his dues as a freshman, Darik made the varsity rugby squad as a sophomore, helping the Crusaders to their first winning season in four years.  (The name “Crusaders” had, for awhile, been the subject of mild controversy, but has been allowed to remain due to the school’s long and proud athletic tradition.  As a compromise, the old “cross-on-shield” logo was changed to a rather generic-looking “C.”). (Read More…)

 

The Origin of Dex’s Call Sign:

Few Angels know the story behind Dex D’Felco’s call sign—even fewer know that he originally had a different one.  It was the night before his first Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API) exam.  The exam was the first step in sending a student down the Naval aviator pipeline—do well on the exam, and a student would continue on the fighter track, do poorly, and a student could look forward to a career parking cargo transports. (Read more…)

 

Kirrone Jenkins’s grandfather founded JenKore, but it was Kirrone’s father who grew it into a rapidly expanding, inter-system corporation.  Kirrone’s father, of course, hoped that one day he would run the company, and from an early age, Kirrone showed much promise—he was intelligent, good-looking, and had a natural charisma.  However, business did not interest Kirrone in the slightest.  Rather, he coasted aimlessly through his late teens.  By his mid-twenties, having grown bored of the playboy lifestyle, Kirrone left the extravagant comforts of home and traveled the stars. (Read more…)