Margaret Olsen
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Margaret Olsen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Also known as | Margaret Olsen-Steiner |
| Born | 2441[1] |
| Died | 2515[1] |
| Affiliation | House Olsen |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Duchess of Gallery Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth |
| Family | |
| Spouse | Steven Steiner |
Margaret Olsen-Steiner (b. 2441 - d. 2515) [2] was a Lyran Noblewoman, military officer, and the sixth Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth.
Contents
History
Early Life
Born on Tharkad to a minor noble family, Margaret Olsen was raised as a girl of class. At age 16 she was struck by a fever of unknown origin. The illness caused her to hear voices that advised her actions. By 18, she was committed to a psychiatric hospital where she underwent extensive psychotherapy and was treated with a powerful psychoactive medication. After a year in therapy, she was deemed cured and discharged from the hospital. Shortly after being discharged she joined the LCAF Armor Corp where she rose up the ranks to become a Colonel in the 1st Royal Guards Armor Brigade. [3] [4]
During her military career, she met Steven Steiner, who fell madly in love with her. Many of Steven's friends and colleagues advised against the relationship as they knew about her past. Steven disagreed and claimed that she had been "cured" of her illness. Nevertheless, her personality was odd.
Marriage & Insanity
In 2471 she married to Steven in a double wedding with his brother Archon Michael Steiner and his bride. Prior to being married, Margaret was pregnant with Steven's child. Unfortunately, she was forced to have an emergency abortion at six months due to life threatening complications. This trauma caused her to start speaking to her "spirit guides" once more.
Archon Michael Steiner advised his brother to have her recommitted to the hospital and again undergo treatment for her disorder. However, this conversation took place just days before a devastating earthquake struck the capital. The quake killed a number of politicians and the Archon's wife, which devastated him. Distraught, Michael then turned over the Archonship to Steven, making Margaret the new consort & wife to the Archon.
During her time at Steven's side, Margaret wielded considerable influence over him, using her mysticism and consulting the zodiac regularly. His indecisiveness was partially blamed on Margaret’s growing insanity, which was concerning to the Estates General. During the Loki Incident of 2488, her "mystical" advice to her husband led to the death of Loki Commandos held on Vega.
Duke Samuel Natesh of Tamar & Duke Connor Gilderoy began to influence Margaret's decisions. Through her they managed to convince Steven to abolish the restrictions placed on nobility that prevented them from not having a personal army larger than Commonwealth's own forces on their respective planets.[5]
Archonship and Civil War
In 2501, when Steven Steiner died, Margaret declared herself Archon despite her nephew being the apparent heir. However, at time of her declaration of the Archonship, no one in the Commonwealth protested her ascension.[6]
During her brief rule on Tharkad, the Throne Room of the Palace became a carnival of mystic seers, card reading and other occultists. During this time, the Dukes of Skye and Tamar secretly kept Margaret in power, while they were truly in charge of the Lyran Commonwealth. The only resistance to her officially being named Archon, was from the Estates General.[7] The members of the Estates General and military departed to search for Steven's nephew, Robert.
In light of the possibility of her nephew Robert threatening her power, Margaret informed the Estates General that, as an illegitimate child, he has no claim to the throne.
However, by 2503, her nephew Robert Steiner arrived on Tharkad at the head of several Regiments. Margaret fled the capital with Skye Duke Connor Gilderoy. This began the First Steiner Civil War where Margaret was on the run from her nephew's forces. Once on Tharkad, his claim to the Archonship was confirmed; having an illegitimate heir was deemed better than having a mad woman on the throne.
In 2504, Margaret was nearly cornered on Skye, but house units of Tamar managed to buy enough time to allow her to escape with the Duke. Five months later, her allies nearly trapped Robert on Tamar's rocky and barren Sahara continent. Trapped on a peninsula, things were looking grim for Robert and his soldiers. But just as the battle was about to be joined, a space cutter carrying an envoy from the Terran Hegemony arrived, requesting a cease-fire in hostilities. Despite near victory, Margaret and her allied Duke reluctantly agreed to meet with the envoy. The overnight negotiations for cease-fire failed. By morning, Margaret and her allied Dukes returned to their forces and prepared to deal the final blow of the Civil War. However, forces belonging to Duke Nels Reynolds arrived to turn the tide of battle in favor of Robert's forces.[8]
Margaret and her allies were captured and tried for high treason against the state. Due to her insanity, she was found not guilty and sentenced to exile and imprisonment to a mountain fortress on Gallery.[9][10]
Personality
Plagued by insanity and her slightly off-kilter personality, Margaret grew steadily unstable after her abortion of her only child with her husband.
Titles and Positions
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), "The The Lyran Commonwealth's Line of Succession and Partial Steiner Family Tree"
- ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth) Map/Steiner Family Tree Page - In Published book only - Margaret Olsen birthdate & reign listed.
- ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth) p. 27 - The Tharkan Witch - Early character history not in later publications.
- ↑ Handbook: House Steiner p. 21 - Bad Owens - Margaret's LCAF rank and unit she was assigned to is revealed.
- ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth) p. 27 - Dukes of Tamar & Skye take advantage of unstable Margaret and has her convince her husband to allow the Dukes to have larger armies.
- ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth) p. 27 - The Tharkan Witch - Margaret proclaims herself Archon on her Husband's death.
- ↑ Handbook: House Steiner p. 21 - Civil War - Estates General refuse to confirm her as Archon.
- ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth) p. 28 - Repaying Old Depts - Brief events of Margaret's near victory, but soon defeated Duke Reyonds with reinforcement.
- ↑ Handbook: House Steiner p. 23 - Aftermath - Margaret Olsen-Steiner's fate.
- ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth) p. 29 - Repaying Old Depts - More detailed information fate of Margaret Olsen-Steiner.