Katya Chaffee
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Katya Chaffee | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Affiliation | Federated Commonwealth |
| Profile | |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Profession | MechWarrior Intelligence Officer |
Katya Chaffee was a MechWarrior who was seriously wounded during the Clan invasion, afterwards becoming the Thorin militia's intelligence officer. She was linked to some of the dissident groups on Thorin during Katherine Steiner-Davion's rule over the Lyran Alliance. She eventually was assigned as XO of Archer's Avengers and was crucial to their operation.[1]
Contents
History[edit]
Clan Invasion[edit]
As a Mechwarrior, Katya was gravely injured after a cockpit hit to her 'Mech on Tukayyid. She suffered from severe neural feedback damage, causing balance issues when using a neurohelmet. Due to her injury, she could only pilot a 'Mech for short bursts. Though her days as a Mechwarrior were over, she continued to serve as an intelligence officer until the end of the Clan invasion, after which she became a militia reservist on Thorin.
FedCom Civil War[edit]
Thorin[edit]
In October 3062 the First Battalion of the Fifteenth Arcturan Guards were posted to Thorin. This placed Thorin militia commander Lieutenant Colonel Archer Christifori and his militia under the command of Colonel Felix Blucher. Friction between the Guards and the native population occurred almost immediately. Archer's sister Andrea Kendrick Christifori was one such person, and penned several planet-wide editorials critical of Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion's policies and fitness to rule. During a "house call" at Andrea's residence, ostensibly to ensure mutual understanding and "cooperation", the Guard's XO Luther Fisk shot Andrea to death, claiming to have mistaken a letter opener she had picked up for a knife and deadly intent, though he was a good distance away from her. At Andrea's funeral, Katya handed Archer his sister's final, unfinished editorial criticizing the Archon and calling for liberty for Thorin. This editorial was an important factor in Archer's ultimate decision to revolt.
After Luther Fisk escaped justice due to political favors extracted by his father Count Nicholas Fisk, Katya let Archer know that the militia was firmly behind Archer, even if it meant civil war. Katya was a close friend of Archer's and she was instrumental in organizing the effort to rid Thorin of the Arcturan Guards and Katherine Steiner-Davion's rule.
Katya was Archer's main sounding board and one of the few people whose counsel he valued. She and Felix Blucher talked Archer down from murdering Luther Fisk by crushing him with his Mech's foot during a joint training exercise between the Thorin militia and the Arcturan Guards. Katya connected Archer with various elements of Thorin's underworld, allowing him to (mostly) unite and direct a guerilla element in his personal war against the Guards on Thorin. She helped plan and execute Operation Little John: stealing the Guards' payroll and distributing it to the people of Thorin.
After being taken for questioning and jailed by the Guards, Archer broke her and others out of prison using his Penetrator 'Mech. Later, during the defense from the Guards' attack on the militia's hidden base within the University of Thorin ruins, Katya was knocked unconscious and again taken prisoner by the Guards. During this time, Darius Hopkins filled in as the militia's intelligence officer. Since Prince Victor Steiner-Davion had previously recognized the Thorin militia as the First Thorin Regiment of Archer's Avengers within the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns, she was entitled to protection as a military prisoner under the Ares Conventions rather than being treated as a terrorist. Colonel Blucher, though not acknowledging this commission, did not execute nor mistreat Katya during her capture.
After Christifori defeated Blucher and his Guards, Katya was released and returned to duty with the newly-christened Archer's Avengers at the rank of Captain (the Fed Suns' equivalent of her former Lyran rank of Hauptmann.)
Alcor[edit]
By the time Archer's Avengers arrived on Alcor to liberate the planet from Katherine Steiner-Davion, Katya (code name "Brain") served as the XO of Archer's Avengers, in addition to her intelligence duties. She helped develop the plan to defeat the Alcor Home Guard and received a field promotion to Major. [2]
Odessa[edit]
On Odessa Archer's Avengers were tasked with convincing Rhonda Snord and her Snord's Irregulars to switch to Victor's side after the end of their contract with Katherine's Lyran Alliance. Incidentally, the planet was ruled by Count Nicholas Fisk, father of Luther Fisk. Aware of the Avengers' intentions, Nicholas Fisk planned a false flag attack on both units that had them at each others' throats; smashing any chance of success in wooing the Irregulars. Katya was one of the first in Archer's command to suspect the attack on the Avengers was not all it appeared to be, and eventually found proof showing that the Irregulars were not responsible for the earlier ambush. Using further evidence gathered by Katya and Anton Gramash that proved the Avengers did not ambush the Irregulars, Archer was able to convince Tasha Snord to join forces against Colonel Feehan and his Wolverton's Highlanders.[3]
In the ensuing engagement, at the behest of Tasha Snord, Katya surprised herself and Archer when she piloted a Hunchback into the battle that won victory for Archer's Avengers and Snord's Irregulars.[4]
Operation Audacity[edit]
By 3064, Katya had been promoted to Colonel and CO of the First Thorin Regiment in Archer's Avengers. She also served as XO for Archer's Avengers under now General Christifori.[5]
New Avalon[edit]
Katya participated in the Avengers' diversionary assault on New Avalon by piloting a Daishi painted to resemble Victor Steiner-Davion's Prometheus. She succeeded in drawing Katherine's attention and her 'Mech was disabled by a head hunter unit. She was wounded in the fighting.[6]
Post–Civil War and death[edit]
After an unsuccessful attack on Jade Falcon-occupied Baker 3 in 3069, the remnants of Archer's Avengers chose to become mercenaries, joining the Knights of St. Cameron prior to their disappearance in November of 3076. It is unknown if Katya was among them.
References[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
- Call of Duty (novel)
- Measure of a Hero (novel)
- Operation Audacity (novel)
- The Longest Road (short story)