Anastasia Kerensky

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Anastasia Kerensky
File:Anastasia Kerensky.jpg
Personal
Born3105[1]
DiedN/A
AffiliationClan Wolf
Profile
ProfessionMechWarrior of Clan Wolf

Anastasia Kerensky (born 3105[1] - died N/A) is a MechWarrior in the Dark Age era. During her career she would lead the Steel Wolves, invade both Terra and Northwind, found the Wolf Hunters mercenary company and eventually join Clan Wolf as a bondsman. She is described as "strikingly beautiful", with red hair and green eyes. She has a slight German accent.[2]

Character History

Early Life and Career: 3105 to 3132

Anastasia is trueborn[3] and originally from Clan Wolf-in-Exile. She was born on Arc-Royal in late 3105.[4] Her gene-father is unknown but her gene-mother is Natasha Kerensky.[5][6][7] There are many similarities between the two and it is a heritage that has certainly influenced Anastasia's career.

In her youth on Arc-Royal, Anastasia was branded a rebel. Her Crusader sentiments, disregard for Clan protocol, and confrontational style did not endear her to leadership. She would go on to obtained the rank of Star Colonel but her reputation would banish her to second-rate commands.[8] In many ways it is these contrasting traits that define her, an internal struggle between what she is and what she is supposed to be. One part of Anastasia believes in the ascendancy of Clan culture, the other is frequently ensnared by it. Further, when events turn against her, Anastasia can become frustrated, impulsive and prone to dark moods. It was during one of these dark episodes that she decided to leave Arc-Royal and set out on her own.[9]

To escape the burdens of the Kerensky bloodname and vent her frustrations, Anastasia would create the alias of Tassa Kay.[10] Where Anastasia is the expression of all things Clan, Tassa is her personal Spheroid, unbound by rules and capable of fulfilling whatever urges she desires. She would come to use this alias on many worlds, sometimes exclusively, forgoing any pretense of being Anastasia.

The Dark Age: 3132 to 3143

During her late twenties and thirties Anastasia would serve in conflicts on numerous Republic worlds after the collapse of the HPG network caused that nation to fall into a destructive civil war. The chaos was good for her and it did not take long for Anastasia to start building a fearsome reputation. On Dieron and Achernar she acted as a free agent and aligned herself with Republic forces but before long she returned to her roots and joined the Steel Wolves on Tigress. She would wrest control of this faction away from Kal Radick in May of 3133 after killing him in a Trial of Possession.[11] Just two years later, in 3135, Anastasia would sunder the Steel Wolves to form the mercenary Wolf Hunters.[12] Finally, by 3143 when she is made a bondsman of Clan Wolf, Anastasia Kerensky has changed. She has transformed from a warring fire brand into something much different.

What follows is a synopsis of Anastasia's actions during the Dark Age era. The timeline for some of these campaigns are not especially clear. They are assembled here in loose chronological order.

Marfik

According to her military codex Anastasia was involved in a military operation on the Republic world of Marfik before she arrived on Dieron.[13] She was last seen in the vicinity of Wolf holdings in August of 3132 so it is likely that this conflict occurred later that year.[4] Little else is known about this event or why Anastasia was involved.

Dieron

Anastasia was on Dieron sometime between August 3132, when she was last seen in Wolf occupation zones,[4] and 11 February 3133 when she arrived on Achernar.[14] Her purpose for being on Dieron are not known. She does provide a vague account of what occurred. She landed on Dieron in the middle of a broad multi-factional conflict, involving, "Dracs, Fists, Foxes, pro-Republic and anarchists" forces. She reports spending the "first week" with a hastily pieced together mercenary company in order to survive. Amidst the fighting they encountered the Republic Exarch. Anastasia and the Exarch made an agreement in which she would help him re-take a local spaceport. She promptly left afterwards, headed for Northwind before arriving at Achernar.[15] In return for her service, it seems she was awarded a "verifax," a note with the Exarch Damien Reburn's holographic seal woven into it. This note, addressed to Tassa Kay, allows her and her Battlemech to travel with "all possible courtesy".[16]

Achernar

Anastasia was on Archernar between 11 February 3133[14] and 18 March 3133[17] She joined the Achernar militia to help repulse the Steel Wolves invasion but had an ulterior motive. The novel, "A Call To Arms" suggests that she had prior knowledge that the Steel Wolves would be on Achernar. Anastasia says, "I wanted to test the Steel Wolves, and test myself against them"[3]. How she anticipated the Steel Wolves arrival on Achernar is a mystery. Anastasia played a key role in defeating both the Wolves and Swordsworn forces on Achernar. In the process she acquired one bondsman, Yulri,[18] from the Steel Wolves after she disabled his Black Hawk in battle.[19] Finally, after forfeiting her verifax to Raul Ortega,[20] she strong-armed the Steel Wolves off planet by revealing her military codex to Star Captain Nikola Demos. The codex included her genetic history, rank as Star Colonel and the record of Anastasia winning the Kerensky Bloodname.[13]

File:Anastasiakerensky.jpg
Anastasia Kerensky

Tigress

Anastasia arrived on Tigress in April of 3133[21] but her reputation and bloodname had already preceded her. Despite being a newcomer, she demanded and received an audience with Galaxy Commander Kal Raddick, leader of the Steel Wolves.[22] Her meeting with Raddick and her testing of the Wolves on Achernar taught her two things: the Wolves would serve her plans against the failing Republic and Kal Raddick Would not be leading them.[23]

Her rank of Star Colonel gave Anastasia a place in Raddick's command structure but it didn't guarantee a fit. Similiar to her experiences on Arc-Royal, Anastasia found herself an outsider. She would participate in three batchalls but was outbid every time by Raddick's loyalists who were allowed to bid recklessly low in order to win. As a result, all three of these attacks which occurred between April and May of 3133, would require reinforcements from Raddick who was quick to bail out his Colonels. The operations on Ruchbah[24] and a second undisclosed world would ultimately succeed[25] but the third on Quentin[26] resulted in an honor-staining route. It is not clear if Anastasia was a combatant on any of these worlds but she resented Radick's attempts to undermine her efforts.

She quickly decided to change the course of events. On 10 May 3133 she charged into a fourth batchall and challenged Ridick to a Trial of Possession for the Steel Wolves. He accepted and was subsequently killed by Anastasia who now set the Wolves sights on Northwind.[27]

Other

She was part of a coalition of troops fighting against the invasion of former Prefecture IX by Clan Wolf. During this time she captured Star Colonel Alaric Wolf, keeping him as a bondsman for one month.[28] There she briefly made him her student until she allowed herself to lose in a trial, thus releasing him to a rival star colonel. She wanted to instill fear of her into Alaric.

On February 17th 3143, Alaric would return the favor. On the planet of Smolnik in the Buena Military Province of the Lyran Commonwealth, both warriors would meet again; Alaric leading his Shadow Wolves of Clan Wolf's Beta Galaxy and Anastasia Kerensky her Wolf Hunters. After invoking the ritual of Zellbrigen, Alaric defeated Anastasia Kerensky and made her his bondsman.[29] In 3145 she appears to be a full fledged warrior in the new Wolf Empire.[30]

BattleMech

She originally was noted for piloting a customized Ryoken II[31] she obtained from somewhere within the Lyran Commonwealth.[32]

On Achernar she also utilized a militia Legionnaire after her Ryoken II sustained heavy damage.[33]

She later piloted a MNL-V1-H Mangonel that was affectionately named "Alpha".[5]There is little information on this model. It is a version seen only in Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction sources. The model number matches that of other Mangonels from the Mechwarrior collectible miniatures game.

After the formation of the Wolf Hunters, she would acquire a Mad Cat Mk IV from Clan Sea Fox. Anastasia is among one of the first MechWarriors to ever use one. On Smolnik this BattleMech was described as having a Wolf Hunters paint scheme; gunmetal gray, with a red cockpit and matching red paw print on the chest. It also had a red Alpha symbol on its right leg and an Omega on its left.[34]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Battletech Era Report: 3145, p. 107, "Anastasia Kerensky"
  2. ↑ "A Call To Arms", p.23
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Call To Arms, p. 204
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dark Age Republic of the Sphere, p. 30, "Anastasia Kerensky"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Mechwarrior: Dark Age, Dossiers And Pilot Cards", p.258
  6. ↑ "Era Digest: Dark Age", p.19
  7. ↑ Technical Readout: 3145, p. 152, "Notable Units"
  8. ↑ "Era Digest: Dark Age", p.19
  9. ↑ A Silence in the Heavens, p.95
  10. ↑ A Silence in the Heavens, p.76
  11. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens'", p. 116
  12. ↑ Historical Wars of the Republic Era'", p. 16
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 A Call To Arms, p. 295-296
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 A Call To Arms, p. 13
  15. ↑ A Call to Arms p. 108-109
  16. ↑ "A Call To Arms", p.25-26
  17. ↑ A Call to Arms p. 289
  18. ↑ A Call to Arms p. 140
  19. ↑ A Call to Arms p. 120
  20. ↑ A Call to Arms p. 293
  21. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens p. 77
  22. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens p. 80
  23. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens p. 87
  24. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens p. 90
  25. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens p. 94
  26. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens p. 106
  27. ↑ A Silence In The Heavens p. 116
  28. ↑ Battletech Era Report: 3145', p. 106, "Alaric Ward"
  29. ↑ A Bonfire Of Worlds Chapter 14, 17 February 3143. This title is a digital book with no page numbers.
  30. ↑ Battletech Era Report: 3145', p. 107-108, "Anastasia Kerensky"
  31. ↑ Record Sheets: MechWarrior Dark Age I, p. 66
  32. ↑ A Call To Arms", p. 22 and 58
  33. ↑ A Call To Arms", p. 267
  34. ↑ A Bonfire Of Worlds Chapter 12, 25 May 3141. This title is a digital book with no page numbers.

Bibliography

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