Gregory Kelswa-Steiner

Gregory Kelswa-Steiner
Character Profile
Affiliation House Kelswa-Steiner
Title(s) Duke of Skye[1]
Duke of Porrima
Duke of Tamar (title only)
Position Lord Governor of Prefecture IX[2][1]
Planetary Governor of Skye[1][3][4]
Profession Noble
Parents Robert Kelswa-Steiner (father)
Siblings Margaret Steiner (half-sister)[5]
Children Jasek Kelswa-Steiner[1]

Gregory Kelswa-Steiner was a military officer within the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces and the illegitimate son of Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner.[6]

History[edit]

Relatively little was known about Gregory Kelswa-Steiner prior to the Jihad, and much of the public information about him comes from an internal intelligence brief produced by General Motors and posted widely by the mysterious Starling in 3077.[6]

Gregory is known to have joined the Skye Guards at the age of 17, a decision that led some to compare him to Nondi Steiner. Apparently benefiting from seasoning at the hands of Maria Esteban, Gregory's time in the Skye Guards proved him to be tactically competent, although not outstanding, with a competent grasp of strategy and the planetary and interplanetary level — although the latter was not an ability tested to any particularly great extent prior to the Jihad.[6]

During the Jihad Gregory served under Robert Kelswa-Steiner, and was assigned to the same task group for Operation SCOUR, the allied coalition campaign to liberate the Word of Blake Protectorate. The decision to appoint Gregory to the Lyran Task Group was apparently made by figures in the allied coalition senior to Duke Kelswa-Steiner, implying that Gregory's presence within the task group was either a reward or a reminder to focus on the success of the operation. Gregory's position within the task group made him the de facto third-in-command of the Lyran task force, behind Duke Kelswa-Steiner and the saKhan of Clan Wolf.[6]

While serving as Commanding Officer of the Lyran front of Operation SCOUR, Duke Kelswa-Steiner was critically injured during the battle for Phecda in January 3078, which led to him passing command of the front to Gregory. Prior to this point Gregory was perceived as being highly motivated to perform well and justify his position as Duke Kelswa-Steiner's heir in defiance of his illegitimate birth.[7]

On 14 February, after Group IV had completed the conquest of Phecda, Duke Kelswa-Steiner gave an interview to Marlena Stockheart of SBC; the Duke made a point of highlighting that Gregory's performance to date and his grasp of matters such as logistics and strategy as a part of Operation SCOUR had attracted praise from many quarters, including saKhan Ivan Kerensky, the Duke's second-in-command. Robert also discussed the loss of his leg, evading the question of whether he would ultimately obtain a cybernetic replacement, and confirmed his reasons for stepping down from command of the Lyran front while pointing out that he would remain a part of the command staff.[8]

Gregory is noted as appreciating the finer things in life, a trait perceived as being common to those of the Steiner lineage; however, it was noted that he was nowhere near as extreme or profound in his leisure tastes and activities as the late Caesar Steiner.[6]

Gregory would eventually assume the role of planetary Governor of Skye for the Republic of the Sphere.[4]

Marriage and family[edit]

Gregory eventually married his first cousin, an unnamed daughter of his stepmother's sister. Together they had one child, Jasek Kelswa-Steiner. While this marriage shored up the legitimacy of Gregory's claim to the Duchy of Skye, the death of Gregory's wife exacerbated the political divide between the pro-Stone Gregory and his son, who sought to rejoin the Commonwealth.[9]

Political Beliefs[edit]

Unsurprisingly, Gregory was noted as being a supporter of greater autonomy or independence for the Skye region of the Lyran Alliance.[6]

BattleMech[edit]

Duke Kelswa-Steiner piloted an Atlas with the snarling face of a grizzly bear painted on its head.[10]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Flight of the Falcon, ch. 9
  2. Dark Age: Republic of the Sphere, p. 5
  3. Dark Age: Republic of the Sphere, p. 20
  4. 4.0 4.1 Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130), p. 226: "Skye"
  5. Technical Readout: 3067, p. 14
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 19 - "Who Is Gregory Kelswa-Steiner?"
  7. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 58 - "The Jihad in Review"
  8. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 65-66, "Phecda: Tragedy And Triumph"
  9. Era Report: Dark Age, p. 20
  10. Flight of the Falcon, p. 242

Bibliography[edit]