Emma Centrella
Sarna News
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
Biography
Early History
Born on Luxen 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, while at the same time learning from Kyalla the skills need to play the game of politics and court intrigue.[2][3] 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 the Magistracy Armed Forces.[2]
Canopian-Andurien Alliance
In 3030, Emma had steadily climbed the ranks of the MAF. She was caught up in her mothers political workings, however, when Kyalla revealed she was to marry Duchess Catherine Humphreys' fifth son, Richard, as part of a political alliance with the Duchy of Andurien. Emma protested against both the alliance and the marriage, knowing of Richard's hedonistic ways and rejecting him as a suitor.[4][5] When the Andurien Crisis began, Kyalla ordered Emma transferred to the 2nd Canopian Cuirassiers, which had spearheaded the assault into the Capellan Confederation at the head of Task Force Duo. Despite her continued public opposition, Emma served with distinction during the conflict.[6] When the war turned against the Magistracy and its forces were in retreat from New Roland, Emma fought in the rearguard and helped saved Task Force Duo from being destroyed by Warrior House Dai Da Chi and Kamakura’s Hussars, allowing it to escape in February 3035.[7]
While Canopian forces had returned home to recover from their failed campaign against the Capellans, the conflict was not completely resolved. On 17 May 3035, a reprisal raid consisting of two battalions of the 4th McCarron's Armored Cavalry arrived on Canopus IV's doorstep, surprising the defending forces. Only through the efforts of Emma Centrella, who personally organized the counter-assault, were the elite Liao mercenaries forced to withdraw after three days of fighting.[8]
Ascent to the throne and the fall of Kyalla
As an early critic of and one of the few heroes to emerge in what increasingly was an unpopular war, Emma's popularity increased among the people of the Magistracy and she increasingly became the focus of opposition to her mother Kyalla.[9][4] With the war ended though, Emma chose to quietly return to her role as Duchess of Luxen, neither lending her support to the opposition nor using her popularity to support her mother publicly. Resentful of her daughter's popularity and lack of support, Kyalla increasingly saw Emma as a threat to her throne.[10]
In April 3039, an assassination attempt was made on Emma's life. While she in a side room, the killer had snuck into Emma's bedchambers and shot both of her lovers in her bed, thinking one of them to be the Duchess, before in turn being killed by Emma.[4] Though no evidence directly linked them, it was popularly believed that Kyalla was responsible for the attempt on her daughter's life. Given the situation, Emma fled to Hardcore and rallied supporters to her, giving Kyalla the pretext she needed to order the Magistracy Royal Guards to arrest her and bring her back "in chains." Those sent to arrest her however were secretly in league with Emma, giving her a chance to confront her mother. On 8 May 3040 Emma arrived on Canopus IV under guard and restrained and was escorted directly to the throne room. As Kyalla began to harshly criticize and gloat over her daughter, Emma calmly removed the unlocked chains, and when the Magistrix ordered her Royal Guards to execute the "traitor" they instead took her into custody. The next day, Emma made a public announcement that, after examination by several psychiatrists, Kyalla Centrealla was declared clinically paranoid and unfit to rule. The Canopian electorate quickly ratified Emma’s ascension to the throne, becoming the 17th Magestrix.[10][11]
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.[10]
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.[12]
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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15]
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.[16]
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.[17]
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.[18]
In October 3068, the Word of Blake assaulted Canopus and managed to capture Emma and her Senior General, Haji Doru.[19] 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.[20]
Personality and Traits
Emma was a small woman, with a dusky complexion, grey eyes and long, curly black hair. She kept herself in excellent physical shape with a special exercise program she designed herself, including fencing, and her stamina became legendary among friends and acquaintances. Highly intelligent, Emma was known to be aggressive and self-directed but could also be warm and friendly regardless of the person's class or gender. Her assertiveness and honesty won her tremendous domestic support within the Magistracy, while she used her beauty and charm to become one of the most accomplished diplomats in the Periphery.[2][3][21]
Marriage and family
Emma Centrella married Major Nicolas Ramilie, son of Colonel Newton Ramilie of Ramilie's Raiders, in 3041. By 3050 it was reported that they had six children, but their marriage was strained by frequent separations.[21] Shortly before 3059, Nicolas left the royal residence, taking his only son Nicolas Ramilie II with him.[22] The two departed with Ramilie's Raiders when the mercenary unit left the Magistracy's service by 3067.[23]
The names given for Emma's six children were Sandra, Joseph, Mitchell, Newton, Albert, and Carol.[21] However, these were assumed names used to protect the children from political threats. Later it was clarified that Emma had only one son, Newton II, and five daughters.[22] The real names for three of her daughters were Danai, Naomi, and Erde. However, given the heavy security measures taken to protect her children, it is unclear if the other two children ever existed.[24]
BattleMechs
During the Andurien war, Emma Centrella piloted a Vulcan.[25]
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"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Periphery, p. 102
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Shattered Sphere, p. 124
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 20 Year Update, p. 74
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 57
- ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 32
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 66
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 67
- ↑ Historical: Brush Wars, p. 84
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Handbook: Major Periphery States, pp. 43-46
- ↑ Era Report: 3062, p. 82
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 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
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 20 Year Update, p. 86
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 79
- ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries Revised, p. 96
- ↑ Battletech Writers signal what is known about canon children.
- ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 74