Katherine Steiner-Davion

Katherine Morgan Steiner-Davion (3032- ) was the second child of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner. She ruled the Lyran Alliance from 3057-3067 and the Federated Commonwealth from 3060-3067. She was named after Katherine Steiner, who brought the Steiner family to power in the Lyran Commonwealth and Morgan Hasek-Davion, who became the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth's Marshal of the Armies.

Biography

Early Life

Like all of the Steiner-Davions except for Victor, Katherine was raised on both Tharkad and New Avalon. She attended the New Avalon Institute of Science and seemed set to take her place as regent of the Federated Suns on New Avalon when Victor's court was on Tharkad. Her father died in 3052 and her mother privately offered to step down so that Victor could become Archon-Prince, but he refused and Melissa Steiner ruled both halves of the nascent Federated Commonwealth.

Seizing Power

Katherine made a series of long-term moves to ensure that she would be more than her older brother's regent half of the time. She became an ally of Ryan Steiner and Galen Cox's lover. She then contracted an assassin to kill her mother, which he did by means of a bomb in 3055. Katherine attempted to subtly implicate Victor and ascribe to him the motivation that he wished to become Archon-Prince. This did not play well with the few who knew the truth about Melissa's offer to abdicate, such as Morgan Kell. She was also able to manipulate her brother Peter into moving into a monastery on Zaniah.

Katherine's next step came with the Skye Rebellion led by Ryan Steiner. Victor had Ryan assassinated, but he left the Lyran half of the nation in the hands of Katherine, while he permanently moved his court to New Avalon. This move was especially ironic considering that Victor was raised on Tharkad and highlighted his lack of political acumen. Simultaneously, Katherine began to publicly play up her Lyran heritage and downplay her Davion half, often leaving the "Davion" of off her surname. She also took upon herself her maternal grandmother's name of "Katrina," leading to much confusion over which Katrina Steiner was being discussed. During the FedCom Civil War, this became a quick way to tell apart supporters of her and her brother Victor. The former would call her Katrina, the latter would call her Katherine.

Implicated in her mother's assassination, Katherine sought to supplant her elder brother, Victor as the ruler of the Federated Commonwealth. Katherine eventually succeeded in assuming control of the Lyran Commonwealth during the Marik-Liao invasion of 3057, she renamed it the Lyran Alliance and proclaimed it separate from the Federated Commonwealth. She later took control of the Federated Suns' half of the Federated Commonwealth when Victor Steiner-Davion left for the Clan homeworlds, by misleading and then deposing her younger sister, Yvonne. When she had attained her goal, she proclaimed herself the Archon-Princess.

This action led to the FedCom Civil War, when her brother Victor, having returned from the Clan homeworlds, sought to reclaim the throne from her, following the murder of Arthur Steiner-Davion and Victor's presumption of her guilt. After five years of fighting, Katherine and her loyalist forces surrendered to Victor's Allied forces on 20 April 3067.

Following her removal from power, Katherine was handed over to Khan Vlad Ward of Clan Wolf for his promise not to attack the Inner Sphere.

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