Danai Centrella-Liao

Danai Centrella-Liao
Danai Centrella-Liao
Personal
Born6 June 3108[1][2]
AffiliationHouse Centrella-Liao
Career
RankSang-shao[3]
Title(s)Duchess of Castrovia[2][4]
ProfessionMechWarrior,
Arena Gladiator
Family
ParentsDaoshen Liao (father)[2]
Ilsa Centrella (mother)[2]

Danai Centrella-Liao was the daughter of Daoshen Liao and his sister Ilsa Centrella. This information was kept from her until she was in her late twenties. Until that time, she believed she was the third child of Sun-Tzu Liao and Naomi Centrella.

History[edit]

Early life[edit]

When Danai was only three years old, she met her cousin Kai Allard-Liao on the planet of St. Ives. Kai sensed a form of kinship with the young Danai which he put in his will that she would be given possession of his famous 'Mech, Yen-Lo-Wang.[5]

Danai was raised on Canopus by her aunt Erde Centrella because Danai's mother had little interest in her.[5]

Solaris VII[edit]

In 3127, when she was only nineteen, she disappeared from the Capellan Confederation to reappear following Kai's footsteps as a warrior on Solaris VII piloting the famous Yen-Lo-Wang.

One of her first fights was against Darla Westin in The Jungle. Darla did not know who was fighting, and was surprised when she was to face her own Centurion OmniMech called Shishi and with a configuration similar to the original Yen-Lo-Wang. Both 'Mechs squared off, but the crowd was clearly set against Westin from the beginning. Regardless of how well Westin fought, she could not bring herself to destroy her inspiration. Instead, she gave the audience a good show and let her 'Mech succumb to Danai's attacks.[6]

In 3132 she was one of the contenders in the Grand Tournament.[7]

She won the first round, and for the second round she was paired to fight against Yulenka Kaiser in The Jungle. The fight was a series of brutal point-blank range attacks where Kaiser's Hatchetman was unable to get past the Capellan scion's heavy shield of her Centurion and never even landed a solid blow on the Cenotaph favorite finally losing to her.[7]

For her third match, she had been paired against Reshad "Razor" Michaud in the Boreal Reach Arena, a fight she won.[8]

For her fourth match, she had been paired against "Fantastic" Phoebe Itasha under Ishiyama's Stone Mountain, a fight she won.[9]

For her fifth fight match, she was paired against Shayne "Shockwave" Kirkpatrick piloting a modified Phoenix Hawk in the Jungle. Because of the thick growth of the Jungle minimizing her range advantage, Kirkpatrick was forced into contact range with Danai several times, close enough even for a few good swipes from the Centurion's hatchet. But maneuverability soon saved the day as Kirkpatrick's gift for jumping fire ate away the Centurion's shield and tore away its right leg. Disabled, Centrella-Liao lit off her surrender flare, ending the match.[10]

Though she did not have the skills to become a champion in the arena, she was still devastated when her father, Daoshen Liao, recalled her to Sian to join the CCAF. She joined the 2nd McCarron's Armored Cavalry and soon rose to command the third battalion.[5]

On Terra[edit]

In 3135, she joined her brother on Terra for the funeral of Victor Steiner-Davion. On the journey there, she unexpectedly met with Caleb Davion. They were traveling on the same JumpShip and initially chose to hide their identities from each other. They flirted off and on during the journey to Terra. They kept their distance from each other once they discovered the real identity of the other.

During a ball held by the Republic of the Sphere government, she became very good friends with Oriente Protectorate noblewoman Nikol Marik when she rescued Marik from the unwanted attention of Frederick Marik.

Proving herself[edit]

Danai was later recalled to fight on New Hessen, engaging in a three-way battle for control of the planet between her own Capellan forces, the Federated Suns and the Republic of the Sphere. In one fight, she lost her 'Mech in an encounter with Caleb Davion's M1 Marksman tank and a Republican BattleMech. She was able to rescue Caleb from the battlefield and both were on the run for a couple weeks. During this time Caleb turned on her and raped her. She managed to escape him and recover her precious Yen-Lo-Wang. She was mentally haunted by the experience of Caleb's betrayal. She never shared the knowledge of this experience with anyone but her aunt and later, her best friend Nikol. Since then, she suffered a mild case of post-traumatic stress disorder, which manifested often in outbursts of emotion, hypervigilance, and an obsessive need to control her personal space.[11]

Once she arrived on Liao to report in she was promoted to Sao-shao and given the command of the Second McCarron's Third Battalion in 3136. She traveled to Sian where she received a new mission to conquer the worlds of Aldebaran and Zurich, as well as to secure a treaty with the Oriente Protectorate. She succeed in all three of the tasks.[12]

Danai fought at the battle of Marlette against Julian Davion in 3146 and when victory became impossible, she brokered a truce with him that Daoshen reluctantly signed, effectively establishing an armistice.[13] That peace only lasted two years. When Julian broke it with his launching of Operation CERBERUS which succeed in retaking New Syrtis, Danai lead three Capellan regiments to the world. She led a headhunting attack targeting the Prince and managed to cripple his 'Mech. In the end, however, she failed to kill him due to the sacrifice of Malerie Faulkner. Danai broke an arm during the fighting. The invasion failed to retake New Syrtis as well. After the battle ended, Julian and Danai brokered another truce and she returned to Sian.[14][15]

Duchess[edit]

After the New Syrtis campaign and during her trip back to Sian, she undertook physical rehabilitation. Before she arrived on Sian her father informed her of their cousin Ki-linn Liao's suicide. Once on the capital, Danai defended her decision and had the support of other key officers. However, Daoshen didn't approve her peace treaty and informed her that he would assign her a tutor.[16]

On 4 November Danai met her tutor, Lady Wilhemina Liao, her cousin from the Capella Liaos, who had volunteered to teach her the duties which went along with being a member of the Sheng nobility. Lady Wilhemina also informed Danai that she had been named Duchess of Castrovia, a position usually reserved for the Chancellor's heir.[17]

When the Fortress Wall fell, Danai led her regiment and others to the Republic world of Hall, accompanied by her cousin. There, the defending battalion of the Fourteenth Principes Guards killed the Capellan administrators. Danai and Wilhemina had to take on the task of establishing a nascent Capellan government.[18]

As part of their efforts both convinced the former Knight Themba Olatunde to join their efforts to integrate Hall into the Confederation. The on 6 June, when both Wilhemina and Olatunde where killed during a RAF attack, she was devastated. When the guerrillas resurfaced Danai ignored all urgings of caution and personally led the hunt for the culprits. During this push she fell into an ambush. After receiving orders to depart the planet, Danai used her authority to ensure that the new governor followed her instructions to integrate Hall.[19]

Later, Danai participated in the reclaiming of Liberty, fighting Stone's Fury before being recalled to Confederation space. There, after a meeting with Xavier McCarron, she had a meeting with her father where she advised him to exercise caution before blindly attacking Terra.[20][21]

BattleMech[edit]

Danai's traditional 'Mech was Kai Allard-Liao's Centurion, Yen-Lo-Wang, which she fought with almost all her career both as gladiator and a Capellan officer. However, at the urging of her officers, after the Liberty campaign she replaced it with a heavier 'Mech. Despite expectations for her to pilot a typically Capellan Mech, she chose a BL-18-KNT Black Knight which she named Julian.[22]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ MechWarrior: Dark Age Dossier
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 BattleTech: Legends, p. 158
  3. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 57
  4. ↑ Blood Will Tell, ch. 7
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Era Report: 3145, p. 87: "Danai Profile"
  6. ↑ Technical Readout: 3145, p. 116: "CN11-O Centurion"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Dark Age: 3132-3134 INN, p. 283: "3132 Solaris VII Championships Season Review (Part 2)"
  8. ↑ Dark Age: 3132-3134 INN, p. 287: "3132 Solaris VII Championships Season Review (Part 3)"
  9. ↑ Dark Age: 3132-3134 INN, p. 288: "3132 Solaris VII Championships Season Review (Part 4)"
  10. ↑ Dark Age: 3132-3134 INN, p. 293: "3132 Solaris VII Championships Season Review (Part 6)"
  11. ↑ Battletech: Legends, p. 158
  12. ↑ Principles of Desolation, pp. 99–278
  13. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 23
  14. ↑ A Splinter of Hope, p. 69
  15. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 57
  16. ↑ Blood Will Tell, chs. 1–5
  17. ↑ Blood Will Tell, ch. 7
  18. ↑ Blood Will Tell, chs. 11–16
  19. ↑ Blood Will Tell, chs. 21–26
  20. ↑ Blood Will Tell, chs. 29–32
  21. ↑ Battletech: Legends, p. 158
  22. ↑ Battletech: Legends, pp. 158–159

Bibliography[edit]

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