Melissa Nin
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Melissa Nin (Born 2804 – Died 2845) was the wife of Marcus Steiner and became Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth upon his death. At five months, her reign was the shortest in Commonwealth history, after Claudius Steiner deposed and executed her.[1]
Contents
Character History
Marriage and Children
Melissa was married to Marcus Steiner, but produced no children before his death, leading to her assumption of the Archonship.
Archonship
In November 2843 Marcus contracted a virulent strain of meningitis on Loric[2][3] while campaigning on the Free Worlds League front. Marcus returned to Tharkad,[2][3] undergoing treatment at the Martin Luther Memorial Hospital,[3] but in February 2844 he slipped into a coma.[2][3] Melissa had not produced a heir and her husband had not appointed a successor, triggering an immediate power struggle in the Commonwealth for the position of Archon. Melissa believed she should become Archon-Designate while Marcus's younger brother Claudius[4] - then a Leutnant-General and commanding officer of the Second Lyran Guards[2] - automatically assumed the Archonship should be his, sending a brief and threatening communique to Tharkad that there was no doubt it should pass to him.[4][3] The Estates-General assumed authority over the government and began debating the succession while General of the Armies Miles Kempec assumed control of the military.[2]
The Estates-General ultimately selected Melissa despite her lack of political experience and Claudius's open threat,[4][3] with the General Speaker of the Assembly, Harlan Dinesen,[2] confirming her as Archon-Designate in December 2844. When Marcus died only a few short months later[4] on the 13th of March 2845,[2] Melissa took the throne immediately.[4][3]
Death and Legacy
Her reign lasted a mere five months before Claudius staged a coup beginning with an assault on Tharkad on the 20th of August 2845,[2] dropping units loyal to him onto Tharkad City and defeating elements of the defending Third Lyran Guards. After taking control of the capital, Claudius publicly executed Melissa Nin and Speaker Dinesen for treason and disbanded the Estates-General indefinitely.[2][3]
Bloodthirsty, sadistic and cruel, Claudius accepted no opposition to his will or rule, focusing on consolidating his control of the Commonwealth and eliminating his internal enemies to the exclusion of external threats such as increased activity along the Draconis Combine border, losing valuable worlds and units. [4]
Positions
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 97, "Lyran Leadership Profile"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 41, "Timeline: The Commonwealth and the Second Succession War"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 42, "Dark Succession"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 59, "Claudius the Cruel"