Emma Centrella
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Emma Centralla | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Born | 3008 |
| Died | 3071 |
| Affiliation | House Centrella |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Magestrix |
| Family | |
| Parents | Kyalla Centrella (mother) |
| Spouse | Nicolas Ramilie |
| Children | Danai, Naomi, Erde, Newton and two others |
Emma Centrella (b. 3008[1] – d. 3071, aged 63 years) was a Periphery noblewoman and MechWarrior whom later rose to the position of Magestrix of Magistracy of Canopus in 3040.
Contents
Character Description
Emma is a small woman, she kept herself in excellent shape with a special exercise program.
She has a dusty complexion, with gray eyes and curly hair.
Chracter History
Early History
Born on Luxen in the palace of Diana by her mother Kyalla Centrella, Emma became the holder of the title of Duchess of Luxen. Her father, (Kyalla’s second husband) died by order of her mother for treason. Though her father was guilty of attempting to overthrow his wife, Emma knew her mother’s infidelities drove him to such extreme measures. Her mother’s actions forced Emma Centrella to keep her animosity hidden behind a facade of loyalty to her mother. Her mother taught her the skills of games of politics and how handle the court.
At age 15, she began training to become MechWarrior and to serve with the Magistracy’s Royal Guard. By age 17 she had earned the rank of Ensign in MAF's military.[2]
During this time, she made inroads with political circles and military personnel, thus establishing herself as a force in Canopus's government.[3]
Canopian-Andurien Alliance
In 3030, Emma had steadily climbed the ranks of the MAF. She however, caught her mothers political workings when Kyalla revealed she was to marry Duchess Catherine Humphreys' fifth son, Richard, in political alliance with the Duchy of Andurien. Emma knew of Richard's hedonistic ways and rejected him. Her mother was upset with this, so she transferred Emma to command the newly formed 2nd Canopian Cuirassiers which was stationed on the Liao/Canopus border.
When the Andurien-Canopus War began late that year, the 2nd Canopian lead Task Force Duo contained two other RCTs as part of the Canopus first wave of the War. First striking the world of Repulse, the task force defeated elements of the Kincade's Rangers. However, a majority of the unit started its guerrilla war against the 2nd Capanius and its allied forces through assassination, bombing and other things to rouse its Emma's forces paranoia.[4]
Emma was noted for saving her task force from destruction at the end of the War on New Roland. With her forces she fought against House Dai Da Chi and Kamakura’s Hussars for three months until they withdrew from the planet in February of early 3035.[5]
Taskforce Duo withdrew to Canopus IV to recover from their failed campaign against the Capellans; however, the conflict had not been completely resolved. In May, a reprisal raid consisting of 2 battalions of the 4th McCarron's Armored Cavalry aka "Leo's Demons" arrived on Canopus's doorsteps, surprising the defending forces. Emma managed to organize a counter-assault against elite Liao mercenaries which forced the mercenaries to withdraw after only three days of fighting.[6]
Ascent to the throne and the fall of Kyalla
After the war, Emma became more vocal about her mother's actions that lead to the war. During this period, she became close to Ramilie's Raiders Mechwarrior Nicholas Ramilie. Their relationship flushed into family, which was kept secret from her mother.
By 3039, she had become very popular with the public which did not like the light that current Magestrix had cast on the Magistracy.[7] With her paranoia ever growing, Kyalla ordered her daughter’s arrest and attempted assassination. Emma was saved in time and fled to the world of Hardcore. There her allies gathered to formulate a plan to take the throne from the standing Magestrix. One their allies arrived with orders to arrest her, instead giving them an opportunity to confront Kyalla. In May, 3040 Emma arrived under escort to her mother's chambers in chains, secretly unlocked. Her mother gloated over her and Emma simply removed her chains; her mother ordered the "traitor" to be shot, but Emma’s guards turned and arrested Kyalla instead. After Kyalla's arrest and several psychiatrists’ exams, she was declared paranoid and unfit to rule. The Canopian electorate quickly ratified Emma’s ascension to the throne, becoming the 17th Magestrix.[8][9]
First efforts as Magestrix
After assuming the throne, she began work on her nation's economy. She initially started by expanding their existing traditional trades. She allowed all forms of non-violent forms of industries (ranging from gambling, pleasure circuses, to medical science) to flourish. Her actions payed off, and the Magistracy's economy became second to none in the Inner Sphere. By 3048, the Canopus's economy had fully recovered and was producing profits.[8]
During the Clan Invasion, Emma proposed a defense pact among the Periphery states so that they could pool their resources. In 3051 her proposal failed, because the Periphery nations didn't feel threatened by the Clan invasion. The Marian Hegemony's, Caesar Sean O’Reilly, called for attacks on Canopian trade vessels traveling between his realm and the Lothian League.
Frustrated by her diplomatic failings, Emma turned to her intelligence agency, the MIM for help. She gave them orders to gather information on the new Clan invaders (the only Periphery nation to actively do so). The MIM used a loose network of Errants MechWarriors to gather intelligence; the lone MechWarrior protectors were hired to scout out the invaders by going worlds near or in path of their invasion. The information gleaned from these intelligence efforts gave insight to Emma of the basic Clan strategies and their conquest. However, they were unable to salvage much of any technology since the Clan invaders rarely lost. Magistracy intelligence agents were able to acquire some bits of reverse-engineered technology that the Draconis Combine had.[10]
The Bull and Liao
Also, individuals from Taurian Concordat began talks through what was described as back channels. Being impressed by Emma's efforts to form an Alliance to protect the Periphery, the Heir-apparent Jeffrey Calderon who served with Marshal Haji Doru of the Taurian Guards formed a friendship with Emma, which lead them to contact the Magistracy of Canopus. They also began secret talks with Sun Tzu Liao.[10]
In 3056, Protector Jeffery Calderon convinced Emma to sign the Treaty of Taurian, which strengthened the militaristic and economic ties between the two nations. The treaty brought a new wave of colonization in the area between the two nations. In 3058, however, Emma was meeting with Sun Tzu Liao on Canopus IV, where he appealed to her in an effort to forge an alliance with her Periphery nation. During this time pirate raids had increased dramatically, and three world governors are assassinated by these raiders who were rumored to be backed by the Word of Blake. These assassinations had sent the worlds of Gambilon, Palladix and Marantha into riot/panic. After the assassinations, Sun Tzu, along with her daughter Naomi, lead Capellan forces to root out local Word of Blake operations. Emma reconsidered her position on the treaty and later agreed to ally with Sun Tzu.[11]
At the end of the year, Emma signed the Trinity Alliance Treaty, in which her nation would provide troops in exchange for aid in colonizing the New Colony Region. Emma signed the treaty in hopes that the Taurian Concordat would sign on as well.
After signing the treaty, Emma received an angry response from Jeffery Calderon, who didn't want the great houses to intrude in the periphery. Emma attempted to calm him down, and arranged a meeting on the Colony Region world of Detroit.[12]
Detroit Summit
In December 3060, Emma and her Taurian ally Protectorate Calderon arrived on Detroit, and eagerly awaited the arrival of Chancellor Liao.
However, Colony President Serman Maltin of the New Colony Region arrived with a force of Marshalls and took Emma and Jeffery hostage. Maltin had "regretted" to resort to doing this but felt only way for his "people" have freedom and solve their problems. With Emma and Jeffery hostage, their respective nations were unable to act in fear of killing them.
In February 3061, Emma's daughter Naomi headed a rescue effort with Capellan forces to free them, and in June, Emma was liberated; however, Protectorate Calderon died in the process. His appointed replacement, Lord Grover Shraplen, was envious of Calderon's achievements was likely to sign the Trinity Alliance treaty.[13]
The Trinity Alliance
Later, Emma received word that Danai died fighting in the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty. Though she was wounded emotionally from the loss, her prospects for peace with House Liao improved.[14]
Emma attempted to manage both the colony region and Liao demands for more troops. Protector Sharplen, signed the August of 3062, did not live up to his end of the treaty by not providing enough troops, and instead concentrated on a "Davion threat". The Canopus-Concordat alliance began to fade in the later 3060s with the Liao's conflict in St. Ives growing more brutal. Seeing pirate activity increasing in the New Colony Region, she dispatched the 1st Magistracy Highlanders to Detroit. They garrisoned the planet under Canopian protection and tried to hold off raids against new the newly refurbished 'Mech factory there.
When Sun-Tzu elevated the Taurian Concordat to a provisional member of the new Star League, Emma gave a calculated protest for not letting the Canopus joining the Star League. In a response, she pulled out all MAF troops from Capellan operations in 3064 in an effort to remind Sun-Tzu how much they depended on them. Emma returned the troops a year later, but its effects were felt for years to come.
In 3066 she decided to recognize the Fronc Reaches as a nation. When her Taurian Concordat ally protested, she pointed out that there weren't enough forces to police the colonies, which forced him to recognize the region as nation.[15]
The Jihad and death
In November 3067 Emma Centrella did not attend the Fourth Whitting Conference on Tharkad, where her nation was to be made a member of the Star League. Her Trinity Alliance ally, Sun-Tzu Liao, sent a recorded message denouncing the League as a hollow alliance.[16]
In October 3068, the Word of Blake assaulted Canopus and managed to capture Emma and her Senior General, Haji Doru.[17] While in captivity, the Canopian resistance grew against the Blakist forces. In August 3071, her son's mercenary force, Ramilie's Raiders, assaulted Canopus. While Newton Ramilie engaged the 34th Division and elements of the 41st Division a special detail of lances covered the escape of Doru. Regardless of the effort, Emma's son and a majority of his unit were wiped out. It is unclear what exactly happened to Emma Centrella, but there is speculation of her death by fire bombings by Blakist forces.[18]
Marriage and family
She had six children with mercenary Nicolas Ramilie; her daughters were Danai, Naomi, and Erde. All three of them were under assumed male names during the reign of her mother in order to protect them from political threats. She had one son, Newton Ramilie II, who joined his father's mercenary unit when it departed ways with MoC.[19] It unclear if the later two children existed due to the heavy security measures taken to protect her children.[20]
Character Notes
In the 20 Year Update, Emma originally had a total of six children named Sandra, Joseph, Mitchell, Newton, Albert, and Carol.[21] Danai, Naomi and Erde were the assumed names of her children, but it is unclear what the other three were.
Positions and titles
Portrait Gallery
Emma Centrella at age 17
Emma Centrella at age 42
Ca. 22 years old on the cover of novel Gier (apocryphal)
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References
- ↑ Era Report: 3062, p. 82, "Emma Centrella Profile"
- ↑ The Periphery, p. 102
- ↑ Shattered Sphere, p. 124
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 54
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 66
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 67, 138
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 84
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Handbook: Major Periphery States, pp. 43-46
- ↑ Era Report: 3062, p. 82
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Handbook: Major Periphery States, pp. 57-58
- ↑ Handbook: Major Periphery States, pp. 57-58 - Highlights of Treaty of Taurian and dealings with Sun Tzu
- ↑ Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 60
- ↑ Shattered Sphere, p. 112, 115
- ↑ Shattered Sphere, pp. 117-118
- ↑ Handbook: Periphery Major States, p. 69-71
- ↑ Dawn of the Jihad, p. 25
- ↑ Dawn of the Jihad, p. 116
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 58
- ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries Revised, p. 96
- ↑ Battletech Writers signal what is known about canon children.
- ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 86