Tanner Malone is a human from Michael in the Archangel system. He possesses a deep tan common to many of its inhabitants along with short dark hair. During the events of Poor Man’s Fight, he is just shy of twenty years old.
Tanner joins the Archangel Navy after accruing a huge amount of school debt as a result of flunking the Union Academic Investment Evaluation (informally known as "The Test".) He is smart and bookish, and shows talent in close-quarters combat. He earns top scores and is favored for being honest and diligent in his tasks. This all comes to an end after graduation when he has to prove himself to older, more experienced soldiers who underestimate him at every turn.
“Applicants must qualify for Epsilon security clearance and provide character recommendations from their command.” — Spoilers for Rich Man’s War follow.
After the events following the destruction of the St. Jude, Tanner is assigned a position in the honor guard before being re-assigned as a crewmember of the Joan of Arc.
Tanner applies for the Master-at-Arms rating—traditionally a law enforcement role in ships—to attain the security clearance necessary to begin a personal unsanctioned investigation of a seemingly non-descript Archangel warship that was seen in combat.
After leaving the navy amid revelations of conspiracy among the upper echelons of the Archangel government that were spurred by his investigation, Tanner applies for asylum at Fremantle. He starts attending the University of Fremantle as a student.
Personality[]
Tanner is a smart and kind person. He is a helpful individual and has a keen sense of duty.
“How many more dead people you want on your conscience, kid?” “Don’t try that bullshit with me! You’re the one pulling that trigger [...] That’s all on you. And I know I can’t save everyone… but if you get away, you keep doing this shit. As long as you’re stranded here, the number of people you can kill has a finite limit.”
— Casey and Tanner, during their fight, Poor Man’s Fight, chapter 15
“He didn’t want to affect the battle; he wanted to kill.”
— Christina Walters, interview, Rich Man’s War
In combat, Tanner can sometimes act cold and pragmatic. He prefers to solve situations efficiently and effectively with the least amount of damage, though that does not mean he is afraid of the possibility; he is perfectly capable of choosing actions that may result in multiple deaths just to prevent an even greater tragedy. This, plus his talent with combat, is often miscontrued as irrational cruelty or bloodthirstiness by the media and public.
“Admiral, I should advise you this situation will most definitely escalate.”
— Admiral Todd Branch to Fleet Admiral Divya Khatri, when they discover Tanner’s presence on Minos, Last Man Out
Tanner has developed a reputation for finding himself in situations that escalate beyond their normal scope—irrespective of whether he's the one responsible—to the point that even high-ranking officials take note.