Editing Michael Steiner (25th c.)

{{Update Needed|[[BattleTech: Proliferation Cycle Pack]]}}
{{otheruses|the Archon during the Age of War|other uses|Michael Steiner}}

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| name                = Michael Steiner
| birthdate           = [[2447]]<ref name=HSLCft>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', foldout: "The Lyran Commonwealth's Line of Succession and Partial Steiner Family Tree"</ref>
| died                = [[2476]]<ref name=HSLCft/>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Steiner]]
| rank                = 
| title               = [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]]
| position            = 
| profession          = Noble
| parents             = [[Alistair Steiner]] (father)<br/>[[Phillipa Kelswa]] (mother)
| siblings            = [[Steven Steiner]] (twin)<br/>[[Tatyana Steiner (25th c.)|Tatyana Steiner]]
| spouse              = [[Regina McQuiston]]
| children            = [[Rutger Steiner]] <ref name=HSLCft/>
}}
'''Michael Steiner''', was a [[Age of War|Age of War era]] House Steiner nobleman, military officer, and the fifth [[Archon]] of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]].

==History==
===Early Life and Military Career===
Elder son of [[Alistair Steiner|Alistair Marsden Steiner]], Michael was the [[heir apparent]] to the throne.  Unlike his father, when Michael joined the [[Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces]] he was mysteriously reassigned to a new post when he was supposed to go into combat. He participated in the [[Long March Offensive]], where he was part of the task forces attacking both the [[Draconis Combine]] and the [[Free Worlds League]].<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 22: Jump - Michael Steiner's early actions aboard a DropShip heading to the war front during the Long March Offensive.</ref> However, his military career was cut short when he was recalled to [[Tharkad]], with word of his father's apparent assassination in June, [[2467]].<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', pp. 21–22: "Trial of Duke Reynolds" - Michael's father is assassinated, Michael is sworn as Archon.</ref>

===As Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth===
====Trial of Duke Reynolds====
On his arrival with his brother Steven from the front lines of the war between the two Succession Houses, Michael was sworn in as [[Archon]].  Steven then took command of the Lyran Commonwealth's military forces, while Michael attempted to overcome the paralysis of his government from the shock of his father's assassination.

His first task as Archon, Michael set forth to look into the charges of his uncle Reynolds being responsible for the death of his own blood kin.  Michael, who loved and admired his uncle, found the evidence quite damaging.  Despite this, he refused to believe he could do such a thing.  Circumstances forced Michael to announce to the general public that the evidence pointed to the Duke in the late Archon's death. He then had the Duke incarcerated for the crime.  As violence broke out between opposing groups feuding over the Duke's guilt,  Michael began investigating his uncle's history, dispatching  LIC agents to [[Fatima]].  They grilled the youths who committed the deed, finding the students had been duped by former Fatima nobleman, [[Graf (noble title)|Graf]] [[Alfonse DeSimon]].  LIC agents learned from them that DeSimon wished to get revenge on Duke Reynolds.  DeSimons was captured and confronted with the evidence. He confessed to the crime before cameras broadcast to the masses.  With Duke Reynolds now free from jail, DeSimon and his brainwashed students were executed for the murder of Alistair Steiner.<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', pp. 24–25: "Trial of Duke Reynolds" - Archon Michael investigates his father's murder and discovers the truth.</ref>

===Leading the Commonwealth in the Dark Times===
Infighting among political parties plagued Lyran politics, allowing the Archon's foes to finally catch up with the technology race of the [[BattleMechs]]. By [[2463]], Lyran forces, now facing opponents with their own BattleMechs, caused Michael's forces to give pause as their enemies were setting up to retake worlds lost in the Commonwealth's Long March Offensive.

In [[2471]], the Archon had a double wedding with his brother. Michael married the Duchess of Skye, Regina McQuiston, the last of the original Skye founding family.  His brother Steven marries an LCAF regimental tank commander, named [[Margaret Olsen]]. The marriage ceremony, which was to be seen as a festive and happy event for the Commonwealth is almost derailed by news of their younger sister Tatyana's suicide.  Michael, determined to carry on with the ceremony, did not allow the darkness of their sister's illness to cripple their future.

A month after his marriage with Regina, an earthquake struck Tharkad City, destroying the [[Tharkad#The Triad|Triad]] and damaging the palace.  Michael's bride, Regina was killed in the quake along with a number of Lyran Representatives.  Michael was grief-stricken by her death. He opened the palace up to the survivors of the quake to give them a place to stay.  Many Steiner nobility tended to the refugees by manning kitchens and leading rescue efforts.<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 25: "Order of Magnitude" - Events of Michael Steiner from 2463 to Earth Quake on Tharkad.</ref>

====Resignation and Death====
The quake of 2471 gave the Draconis Combine an opportunity they long sought to invade the Commonwealth.  
Archon Michael announced his resignation as Archon citing he was too grief-stricken to continue governing the nation, but he was still able to fight.  Giving up the Archonship to his brother Steven, Michael took command of regiment troops to fight off the invasion of [[Nox]].

Michael led the fight during the [[Battle of Beckvern Hill]], in the Inner Sphere's first large-scale BattleMech vs BattleMech combat. There, his force of a company of BattleMechs and a regiment of tanks clashed with Kurita's Sword of Light regiments, which consisted of an equal number of units.  His troops managed to break into the enemy's rear lines where he broke up his forces into lance-sized forces and destroyed the enemy supplies and communication centers.  Michael's command lance made it to Sword's regimental headquarters where they succeeded in killing the Kurita regiment's command staff at the cost of the former Archon's life.

After the battle, Michael's body was returned to Tharkad and was entombed next to his father, under the floors of the new Throne Room of the palace.<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', pp. 25–26: "Order of Magnitude" - Post Earthquake event, his retirement and death on Nox fighting the Draconis Combine.</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Handbook: House Steiner]]''
* ''[[House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)]]''

[[Category:Archons|Steiner, Michael (25th c.)]]
[[Category:Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Steiner, Michael (25th c.)]]