Nondi Steiner is former Archon Katrina Steiner’s sister. The two never really saw eye to eye, with Nondi not supporting her sister from the very start of her actions against Alessandro Steiner. Her entire life was punctuated by her inferiority complex towards her sister and lack of motivation towards her work, which ended with a direct conflict with the rest of her family.

Early Life

Military Career

Fourth Succession War

Nondi considered retiring in 3025, prior to the Fourth Succession War, as she didn’t see a way forward in her career. As a gesture of goodwill, Katrina Steiner appointed her sister as Margrave of the Tamar Theater. When the orders came through for Operation RAT, Katrina relied on Nondi’s military knowledge to command Operation GOTTERDAMMERUNG on the front while she also planned operations from Tharkad. The Operation first wave, mostly planned by Katrina, was a resounding success, but as the day-to-day operations and further waves began, Nondi was more in charge. While the results of the second wave were still positive, the invasion bogged down afterwards due to “old Steiner practices”. Nonetheless, Nondi Steiner was decorated and rewarded for afterwards, improving her confidence in her abilities.

Ronin War

While Nondi was not directly involved in the Ronin War, she initially opposed her sister’s plan to recognize the Free Rasalhague Republic. This position was seen as reasonable by most analysts as Nondi was Margrave of the Tamar region. Nondi was unhappy with losing most of the gains she had made during the Fourth Succession War, along with supporting her local lords and ladies. She did not directly support Selvin Kelswa financially or militarily, but financial records tied Nondi and Ryan Steiner to the Tamar loyalists in the region.

War fo 3039

During Operation WINTERSCHNEE, Nondi Steiner placed all her friends and close allies in positions of power to ensure they would be rewarded for their actions. This somewhat backfired when the War of 3039 started going sideways. Nondi was injured on Vega by DEST strike teams after taking the world, forcing her to retreat and recover. She had appointed Vanessa Bisla to head the attack on Dieron, which also was a failure due to failure in planning combined with Theodore Kurita’s cunning. Nondi’s replacement as command of the commonwealth forces on the Kuritan front, Kathleen Heany, had also been appointed by General Steiner and had been found wanting in her capacities.

Rumor has it that Katrina Steiner was to meet with her sister after the events of the War of 3039, where she would have requested, she retire to “spend more time with her family”. Nondi had been recalled to Tharkad right before the Archon’s untimely death, leading credence to those rumors. Melissa Steiner, the new acting Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, trusted her aunt to do the right thing, and kept her as the Lyran State Command and General of the Armies.

Clan Invasion

As General of the Armies, General Steiner felt the brunt of the strikes from the Clans during the invasion. She quickly grew impatient with her Federated colleagues due to what she viewed as lack of support on the front, always asking for more assistance. The massive losses in the Tamar region were very bitter for Nondi, especially the death of Duke Selvin Kelswa at the hands of Clan Wolf. This bitterness was exploited by Ryan Steiner, who was hoping to drive a wedge between Nondi and Melissa.

Rebellion against the Federated Commonwealth

Things came to a head after the Truce of Tukayyid, but especially with the retirement of Hanse Davion due to health issues. Nondi first approached her niece to get her to “focus on the Lyran state” and have her break from the Federated Commonwealth. Melissa rebuffed her aunt and advised her husband of the situation, which led to Alexi Mallory of MIIO to deploy additional guards to Melissa, while the Lyran’s Loki directly stopped three murder attempts by “taking proactive reactive kinetic action”.

The next step in the ploy was to approach Katherine Steiner-Davion and appeal to her pride and ambition. While Katherine originally react well to her great-aunt’s approach, Hanse Davion’s mind was still faster than Nondi’s. Katherine was recalled from Tharkad to New Avalon to “prepare for her upcoming wedding”, which nobody had expected or knew of until the order came through.

Ryan Steiner and Nondi did keep agitating Lyran patriots against the Federated Commonwealth crown, however. During the early days of the Truce years, there was a significant level of discontent amongst the Lyran population towards New Avalon, which was exploited by the conspirators. As with most things, the Isle of Skye was where the whole affair started.

Revolt in Skye

Ryan Steiner was the triggering element of Skye Revolt of 3056, using his influence in the media to depict the new First Prince, Victor Steiner-Davion, as an anti-Lyran despot. The local militias and some nobles regrouped to oppose “unjust Davion rule” and attempted to secede. With limited recourse, Victor Steiner-Davion had to send the AFFC to mitigate the damage while his brother Peter would take care of the humanitarian and diplomatic part of the management.

Through the assassination attempt against his brother and the action of the Gray Death Legion, Victor learned of his great-aunt’s involvement in the Free Skye movement. While Ryan Steiner died in an accident while the AFFC was trying to apprehend him, Nondi fled from Gallery with her command staff. She was stripped of her command, but this did not deter her.

Head of the Alliance

While anti-Davion sentiment was still high in some regions of the Lyran realm, mostly on the Clan front, Nondi worked on establishing an influence network to counteract her niece’s and grand-nephew’s work. She had inherited a lot of Ryan Steiner’s contacts, which did give her a leg up. She was, however, now hunted by MIIO and the Lyran Intelligence Corps. Pulling all resources she could, she formed the “Lyran Freedom Alliance” and kept on the move to prevent her arrest.

Initially, Nondi believed she could find allies near the Clan front, especially in the Tamar region, but she had not expected Hanse Davion’s deviousness to already be operating against her. Even though crippled, The Fox had positioned some of his best assets in the region in the form of Bishop Sortek and Jackson Davion, while also gaining Adam Steiner’s loyalty. Nondi tried pulling her old friend Vanessa Bisla, currently second in command in the Robinson March, into her ploy, hoping a revolt in the Draconis March could happen due to the ties between Victor Steiner-Davion and Omi Kurita. In her position, Marshal Bisla did not betray her country or her friend, keeping her position as second-in-command of the Sandoval forces but not openly opposing Nondi either.

By 3061, Nondi had amassed a group of ardent followers, mostly from the upper levels of the Lyran society. The ongoing Fifth Succession War gave her some cover from intelligence assets but also improved the popularity of the Davion crown with the Lyran subjects. As no other major figures of the Steiner family supported Nondi’s Alliance, she was isolated. In a bold move, she took military forces loyal to her and invaded the Rim Collection, quickly eliminating local pirate lords. She then called upon all “loyal daughters and sons of the Lyran Commonwealth” to join her. With the AFFC fighting on 3 fronts in a Succession War and with constant pressure on the Clan front, Victor Steiner-Davion could not afford to move against his great-aunt.

The New Collection

From 3062 onwards, Nondi no longer was leading the “military” of her Alliance, which passed on to her son Richard. The former General of the Armies now concentrated on keeping her new nation together. A lot of the population were of the upper crust of the society, who now needed to “rough it” in former Rim Worlds Republic territories. Never being a real politician, Nondi had to work far more than she ever expected to keep things going.

In late 3066, the Head of the Alliance fell ill with an unknown disease “from the periphery”. Her condition quickly deteriorated and she died on 23^rd of February 3067. Her two sons, Ivan and Richard, took up the leadership of the fledgling nation.

Personal Life

Nondi’s entire life has been colored by an inferiority complex, primarily towards her sister Katrina. While she never expected to be power or close to politics, Nondi still resented her sister for being “better” than her in almost everything. From Katrina’s quick rise through the ranks, her natural charisma, beauty and love life, Nondi had nothing her older sister had had. She opposed her sister’s deposing of Alessandro Steiner but went back to support her afterwards. During the peace proposal and peace talks with the Federated Suns, Nondi once again opposed her sister’s wishes and was hostile to any alliances brought forward.

Nondi had little love for her niece Melissa and served the Federated Commonwealth out of a sense of duty more than a filial relationship. When Ryan Steiner approached her, she was quick to flip against the Federated Suns, which she already blamed for the losses during the Clan Invasion. It is likely her own complexes had more to do with these actions than rational thinking.

General Steiner was a non-practicing Lutheran. She was extremely demanding of her own children, forcing them to a standard beyond what was reasonable. Her husband, Jack Milby, had been estranged from her since 3045 and rallied behind Melissa during Nondi’s actions against the crown. Her daughter, Lisa, inherited her title as Duchess of Gallery after her death, with an unsure future due to her mother’s actions.

Nondi Steiner’s BattleMech

Nondi Steiner piloted a Zeus for most of her career, with upgrade kits being frequently applied.

Clan Watch Report

“The Watch originally expected the death of Nondi Steiner to spell the end of her ‘Lyran Alliance’, but her son Richard appears to have taken the reigns now. It is apparent that most of Nondi’s support came from the upper echelons of the Lyran society, which allowed her to have significant military backing along with economic power. The categorical refusal to assist her rebellion by key elements of the Lyran Command (especially Caesar and Adam Steiner) is probably the main reason why she could not take the Archonship for her own.”