Editing Melissa Steiner (31st c.)

{{Otheruses|the thirty-first-century Archon|the thirty-second-century Archon|Melissa Steiner (32nd c.)}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Melissa Steiner-Davion.jpg
| caption             =
| name                = Melissa Arthur Steiner
| birthdate           = [[3010]]<ref name=ER3052-66>''Era Report: 3052'', pp. 65–66: Melissa Steiner-Davion Profile</ref>
| died                = 19 June [[3055]]
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Steiner]]
| rank                = 
| title               = [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]]
| position            = 
| profession          = Noble
| parents             = [[Arthur Luvon]] (father)<br/>[[Katrina Steiner]] (mother)
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = [[Hanse Davion]]
| children            = [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Victor]]<br/>[[Katherine Steiner-Davion|Katherine]]<br/>[[Peter Steiner-Davion|Peter]]<br/>[[Yvonne Steiner-Davion|Yvonne]]<br/>[[Arthur Steiner-Davion|Arthur]]
}}

'''Melissa Arthur Steiner''' was the daughter of [[Katrina Steiner]] and [[Arthur Luvon]] and the wife of [[Hanse Davion]]. She was the ''Landgräfin'' von Bremen of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] and became thirtieth [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]] of the Lyran half of the [[Federated Commonwealth]]. She was nearly universally beloved by friends, allies, and even enemies.

==History==
===Early Life===
Melissa was born in [[3010]] at the Royal Palace of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] on [[Tharkad]]. A voracious reader possessing a strong thirst for knowledge, Melissa became fluent in three languages (English, German, and French) and was learning at university level while still only fifteen. Shy around others, she loved to leave the confines of the Triad (the government complex) and wander in the wilds surrounding Tharkad City, either on foot or horseback.  She became skilled at games of chance and an expert at using a bow.<ref name=HSTLC151>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 151</ref>

However, she showed little aptitude in piloting a [[BattleMech]] or [[aerospace fighter]]. Therefore, unlike most previous Archons-Designate, Melissa Steiner instead trained as an infantry commander, where she displayed considerable skill in small weapons tactics.  In general though, young Melissa showed an aversion to war and the military.<ref name=HSTLC151/>

Growing up in the Triad, Melissa did not have many friends her own age. She had only two close friendships: [[Misha Auburn]], the future court historian, and [[Egan Telosa]], son of the palace chef and future leader of the [[One Star Faith]].<ref name=HSTLC151/> Melissa and Egan also attended a Lutheran Sunday school together as children.<ref>''Interstellar Players'', p. 77</ref>

Melissa was present at the signing of the [[FedCom Accords]] between the Lyran Commonwealth and the [[Federated Suns]] at [[ComStar]]'s [[Hilton Head]] complex on [[Terra]] in [[3022]].  Intrigued at the time by the idea of marrying [[Hanse Davion]], she consented to the match, which would take place once she came of age.  When [[Ardan Sortek]] was recuperating on Tharkad after the [[The Sword and the Dagger|events]] surrounding the battle at [[Stein's Folly]], she took the opportunity to question him at length about Hanse.<ref name=HSTLC153>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 153</ref><ref name=HW39>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 17</ref>

While exchanging communications over the years and joking that Hanse would "get a wife who could command the household infantry while he ordered 'Mechs about," Melissa knew it was important to meet him in person before making the final decision to get married.  Arrangements were made for her to secretly travel to the Federated Suns, both for her own safety and the secrecy of the marriage plans.<ref name=WEG25>''Warrior: En Garde'', ch. 25</ref>

===Kidnapping===
{{main|Silver Eagle Incident}}
In [[3027]], Melissa surreptitiously boarded the passenger [[DropShip]] ''[[Silver Eagle]]'' under the alias "Joana Barker" while her double, [[Jeana Clay]], stayed on Tharkad. She was bound for [[New Avalon]] to meet her future husband with one of the heroes of the Federated Suns, [[Leftenant]] [[Andrew Redburn]].  Elements within the Commonwealth which opposed the union of Houses Steiner and Davion arranged to have her kidnapped while en route, thereby precipitating a crisis within both realms.  She was actually captured by operatives from [[Heimdall (organization)|Heimdall]], a covert organization that often found itself at odds with the [[Lyran Intelligence Corps]] but was fiercely loyal to Katrina Steiner.  When the [[Draconis Combine]] discovered her location and sent forces to capture her, Heimdall swore to protect the Archon-Designate from harm.

Raised on Tharkad and within the confines of the Lyran court, Melissa was concerned about her ability to lead. She did, however, ably coordinate the defense of the [[Styx]] mining base against a coordinated assault by both [[ISF]] forces and the ''[[Genyosha]]'', an elite 'Mech force commanded by [[Yorinaga Kurita]]. Thanks to efforts by the [[Kell Hounds]] [[mercenary unit]] and in particular the sacrifice of [[Patrick Kell]], the Archon-Designate was rescued and arrived on New Avalon safely.

===Marriage and Creation of Federated Commonwealth===
On 20 August [[3028]], [[Hanse Davion]] married Melissa in the presence of all of the [[Successor States|Successor Lords]] of the [[Inner Sphere]], which like the Accords signing took place at the Hilton Head complex on Terra. At the reception following the ceremony, Hanse gave Melissa an extraordinary wedding present: the [[Capellan Confederation]].  A massive invasion of the Confederation, the [[Fourth Succession War]], had been arranged to coincide with the wedding and caught the rest of the Inner Sphere off-guard.  The day after the ceremony, Melissa "officially" returned to the Commonwealth with her mother, but in truth stayed on New Avalon while Jeana took her place (and gave her life in saving Katrina Steiner from an assassination plot).<ref name=HW39/>

Melissa Steiner-Davion bore many children in the years after the Fourth Succession War.  The last, Arthur, was born on 15 March [[3039]], the same date her mother Katrina Steiner stepped down and Melissa assumed the role of Archon.  Many feared that the shy, pensive Melissa would be easily overshadowed by Hanse, but she soon proved them wrong with her self-confidence and fierceness, unafraid to take a stand against her own husband much less their enemies.  Melissa and Hanse jointly ruled the Federated Commonwealth until his death in [[3052]] at the end of the [[Clan Invasion]].<ref name=HW39/><ref name=20U>''20 Year Update'', p. 82</ref>

Melissa ruled the Federated Commonwealth as both Archon of the Lyran half and her capacity as Regent of the Davion half until her eldest child Victor could come of age.  She loved the Federated Commonwealth and put her full effort into overcoming the divisions that threatened to tear it apart.  In turn she was beloved by all in both realms, and not even the most hardline conservatives dared to oppose her publicly.  Melissa Steiner-Davion almost single-handedly rallied the two realms to rebuild the Federated Commonwealth after the Clan Invasion and was poised to lead it into a new renaissance.<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 13</ref>

===Assassination===
The Lyran people in particular loved her dearly, which is partially why at 7:21 PM, on the 19th of June, [[3055]], during a banquet on Tharkad she was attending, her assassination — broadcast live across the Inner Sphere — shocked all. The broadcast reached into [[Clans|Clan]] space, where [[Phelan Ward]] learned of Melissa's death, along with the death of his own mother and the maiming of his father via the same bombs.

The actual bombs used for the assassination were constructed from four flower pots housing flowering ''[[Mycosia pseudoflora]]'' plants (genetically engineered versions of the ''Mycosia'' blossoms which Hanse Davion had shipped to Terra for his and Melissa's wedding, years before). After their surprise appearance at Melissa's wedding, she adopted them as her favorite, seldom appearing in public without some token reminder of the blossoms. The pots themselves were made of clay explosives, activated remotely and detonated by a water absorption timer: the timer was activated by the plants being watered and set to go off during her speech.

The assassination was carried out by the individual who went under the alias [[Dancing Joker]]. He had been hired by [[Ryan Steiner]] and Katherine Steiner-Davion.

==Marriage and Family==
Melissa Steiner bore five children with Hanse Davion:
* [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Victor]], as the eldest, inherited both thrones. His political ineptness kept him from keeping those thrones, however, and he later became the [[Precentor Martial of ComStar]], then a [[Paladin of the Republic|Paladin]] of the [[Republic of the Sphere]] following the [[Jihad]].
* [[Katherine Steiner-Davion|Katherine]] was the chief architect of Victor's downfall, eventually usurping both his thrones, which led to the [[FedCom Civil War]]. Following the war's end, Katherine was allowed exile to [[Clan Wolf]], where she became a member of the Warrior Caste.
* [[Peter Steiner-Davion|Peter]] became the Archon of the [[Lyran Alliance]] after the end of the FedCom Civil War.
* [[Yvonne Steiner-Davion|Yvonne]] became the ruler of the Federated Suns following the end of the FedCom Civil War.
* [[Arthur Steiner-Davion|Arthur]] was believed to have been assassinated, the spark that officially began the FedCom Civil War, though no body was ever recovered.

==Traits and Personality==
Even at the age of 15, Melissa Steiner was regarded as a great beauty by people across the Commonwealth, but while she was aware of the effects it had on men and women the young Archon-Designate was too shy to exploit her looks.  In informal, comfortable settings she could be quite animated; in large gatherings or in the presence of people she greatly respected, Melissa was more reserved.  Her introspective nature meant she could often be found brooding deep thoughts, while her scholarliness prevented her from making many friends her age, with the exceptions of [[Misha Auburn]] and [[Egan Telosa]].  However she greatly enjoyed games of chance and even at a young age was an expert at judging probabilities.<ref name=HSTLC153/>  As she reached her age of maturity, Melissa was already of the same height as her mother and could carry her lithesome form with regal bearing.  While her steely grey eyes marked her as a Steiner, her blond hair was a shade darker thanks to her father.<ref name=WEG25/>

Though it was feared she might be overshadowed by her husband, Melissa quickly grew in assurance and assertiveness and developed the skills needed to be a leader; by the time she assumed the Archonship, she was already a better politician and administrator than Hanse.  Her greatest strength though was her ability to recognize her weaknesses, and so in terms of military matters had no trouble delegating to those with greater experience, whether it be her husband or her aunt General [[Nondi Steiner]].  She also lost none of her beauty as she grew older, but never flaunted it or used it to manipulate others.<ref name=HW39/><ref name=20U/>

As was the Lyran custom, Melissa wore light blue eyeshadow which extended out in a feathery pattern from the corner of her eye and curled down to her cheekbone.<ref name=WEG25/>

==BattleMech==
As a young woman, Melissa showed no interest or aptitude in becoming a [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]], training instead to become a [[Jump Infantry]] officer.  However, Melissa recognized that it was tradition for the Archon to be a 'Mech pilot, and so upon taking the throne (and despite the protests of her husband) she entered the [[Nagelring]] Academy.  After graduating, she took the blue ''[[Warhammer]]'' once driven by her mother, but would claim to be only a passable pilot.<ref name=HW39/><ref name=20U/>

==Behind the Scenes==
In [[MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries#Legend of the Kestrel Lancers|''MechWarrior 5: Legend of the Kestrel Lancers'']], Melissa Steiner was voiced by [[Lucy Christian]].<ref name=MW5Mc>''MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries'', closing credits</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Melissa Steiner HSTLC.jpg|''Melissa Steiner'' at age 15 (c. [[3025]])
Melissa Steiner HDTFS.jpg|''Melissa Steiner'' at age 15 (c. 3025)
Melissa Steiner - Christopher Rush.jpg|''Melissa Steiner'' (date unknown)
Melissa Steiner (2).jpg|''Melissa Steiner'' at age 29 (c. [[3039]])
Melissa-steiner-40.jpg|''Melissa Steiner'' at age 40 (c. [[3050]])
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3052]]''
* ''[[FedCom Civil War]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Davion]]''
* ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]''
* ''[[House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)]]''
* ''[[Warrior: En Garde]]'' (novel)


[[Category:Archons|Steiner, Melissa]]
[[Category:Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Steiner, Melissa]]