Astraea Mehrkuri

Astraea Mehrkuri Barrina (2158 CE - 2223 CE) was the late Primarch of Digeris and wife of Antraxes Partinax. In 2224 CE she lead a rebellion against Primarch Desolas Arterius II of Palaven, singlehandedly throwing the Aurelian Empire into a brief but bloody civil war. She was also responsible for ordering the political assassinations of a large majority of Desolas' highest-ranking allies, in an event known as The Night of Martyrs. 
Astraea was finally captured on the field of battle by Desolas' daughter, Sarena, with the aid of the Prothean Javik. She was publicly executed by Desolas for her crimes on the steps of Cipritine's Signis, who ordered that her body be cremated as vengeance for the murders of his mother and cousin - a decision that would act as the catalyst for Desolas' eventual ousting from power and the murder of his daughter. Astraea is one of very few primarchae in history to have been tried and executed for treason. 
== Birth and childhood ==
Astraea was born in Apparatus, the capital city of the turian colony of Digeris, in 2148 CE. She was the first child of Castella Mehrkuri and her husband, Asterion Barro. She had two younger siblings; a sister named Caeistia Mehrkuri and a brother named Maxim Mehrkuri. Both of her parents were distinguished naval commanders in the Digerian Navy, her mother being the highest ranking of the pair with the rank of admiral. Her father was a captain. Despite marrying for politics, her parents were very close with one another, having been friends before their marriage. The family was a very close unit, Astraea and her siblings grew up wanting for nothing. 
At the age of fifteen, as dictated by turian law, Astraea enrolled in Bootcamp on Digeris. Like both her parents before her, she was a model student. Her aptitude scores ranked her as one of the top cadets in her class, particularly in the categories of leadership skills, tactics and strategy, and battlefield awareness. When interviewed by her commander Astraea expressed a fervent desire to serve in the navy, as it was tradition for the firstborn children of House Mehrkuri. She made an impassioned speech about how it was her familial duty to follow in the footsteps of her ancestors, dropping the names of three of particular: Fidericus Mehrkuri, who had broken the Siege of Digeris during the Krogan Rebellions; Pallax Natanus, who had been the first turian to travel through a mass relay; and her house's founder, Valeria Mehrkuri, who had stood at Aurelion Imperator's side during the Unification War as the admiral of his fleets. Moved by her dedication, her commander forwarded her file to the Digerian Navy who accepted her into their ranks. For Astraea it was a time of great celebration, her family publicly praising her for her achievement. 
== Naval career ==
== Marriage ==
== Children ==
Astraea is something of a tragic figure with regard to her children. Of her seven pregnancies, only two produced healthy children. The rest were either miscarried or stillborn. While she refused to speak of her trauma to anyone besides her husband, each loss cut a little deeper into Astraea's heart, hardening her to the outside world. She notably forbade her subjects from celebrating any news of her pregnancies, for fear that such joy was premature and thus tempted fate. 
All of Astraea's children - living and dead - were named by her husband, to whom she presented each child after their birth. 
Children 	Born 	Died 	Notes
Miscarriage 	N/A 	21st January 2202 CE 	
Erinia Mehrkuri 	22nd April 2205 CE 	2240 CE 	Killed in a duel by Sairus Arterius (Victus), aged 35. No issue.
Valerio Mehrkuri 	22nd October 2208 CE 	22nd October 2208 CE 	Stillborn. Named for his paternal uncle, Valerio Partinax.
Miscarriage 	N/A 	16th April 2213 CE 	
Miscarriage 	N/A 	20th September 2215 CE	
Lidia Mehrkuri 	12th May 2217 CE 	12th May 2217 CE 	Stillborn.
Astraeus Mehrkuri	20th February 2223 CE	N/A 	Named for his mother. Had issue.
== Civil War ==
=== The Night of Martyrs ===
Before instigating her invasion plan, Astraea began to orchestrate a plot to destabilise the empire, with the help of her husband. Using Antraxes' old Blackwatch contacts, a list of targets was drawn up, all of whom were either close confidants of Desolas or high ranking military leaders loyal to the Primacy of Palaven.
==== Victims ====
Name 	Age	Status
Cadmus Quentius 	50 	DECEASED
Poisoned after drinking brandy deliberately contaminated with the lethal phytotoxin known as Titan's Wrath. Pronounced dead at the scene.
Cassian Arterius 	26 	SURVIVED
Received deep lacerations to both palms while wrestling his attacker for control of a bladed weapon, in addition to neural scarring from biotic-inhibiting damping technology. Killed his attacker by stabbing them in the throat with their own blade. Required stitches and a neural splint.
Castis Vakarian 	98 	DECEASED
Exsanguination after throat was severed. Pronounced dead at the scene. Additionally, the palm of the deceased's right hand received third degree burns, likely caused by deliberate weapon overheat on the part of the killer.
Concordia Coronati	35 	SURVIVED
Survived unscathed. Alerted to the presence of poison when her husband Janus' colleague, Cadmus Quentius, began choking on his own blood. Attempted to help Janus save Cadmus' life but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Eulia Valen 	69 	SURVIVED
Survived unscathed. Killed her attacker by crushing their throat with her biotics, saving the life of her bondmate, Marion Cailus.
Fidellion Victus 	37 	SURVIVED
Received stab wounds to the back and lacerations to the arms and face in defence of his wife, Sarena Arterius. Killed the attacker by snapping their neck in the ensuing scuffle. Required stitches.
Gaius Abrudas 	70 	DECEASED
Exsanguination after receiving 23 stab wounds to the chest. Pronounced dead in hospital, several hours after the attack.
Garrus Vakarian 	68 	SURVIVED
Received minor cuts to the hands and face, caused by broken glass from the shattering of a nearby window. Saved the life of his sister, Solana Vakarian, by throwing her out of the line of fire when he noticed the tracer beam from a sniper rifle hovering upon her chest.
Idus Valen 	 	
Irix Coronati 	82 	SURVIVED
Received gunshot wounds to the right shoulder and thigh. Required emergency surgery. Killed the attacker by stabbing them through the chest with a ceremonial mexta.
Janus Arterius 	35 	SURVIVED
Survived unscathed. Alerted to the presence of poison when his colleague, Cadmus Quentius, began choking on his own blood. Attempted to save Cadmus' life but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Javik 	Unknown
(50,000+)	SURVIVED
Survived unscathed. Assassins were apparently better trained in his cycle.
Maea Abrudas 	100	DECEASED
Exsanguination after throat was severed. Pronounced dead at the scene.
Marion Cailus 	72 	SURVIVED
Received a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Required emergency surgery.
Minin Resverix 	76 	DECEASED
Poisoned after taking prescribed anti-depressant medication that had been deliberately contaminated with the lethal phytotoxin known as Titan's Wrath. Pronounced dead at the scene.
Nihlus Kryik 	83 	SURVIVED
Received non-fatal strangulation wounds, which triggered a cerebral haemorrhage. Required emergency surgery and admission to an intensive care unit for several weeks, followed by longterm physiotherapy.
Sarena Arterius 	31 	SURVIVED
Received several stab wounds to the chest and lacerations to the face. Required emergency surgery. Attacker was killed by Fidellion Victus, who snapped their neck in the ensuing scuffle.
Sedia Erax 	91 	DECEASED
Fatal cranial trauma after receiving a single gunshot wound to the back of the skull.
Solana Vakarian 	63 	SURVIVEDReceived minor cuts to the hands and face, caused by broken glass from the shattering of a nearby window. Was saved by her brother, Garrus Vakarian, who threw her out of the line of fire when he noticed the tracer beam from a sniper rifle hovering upon her chest.
Category:Characters
Category:Turians
Category:Females
Category:House Mehrkuri
Category:Duarchs
Category:Primarchs
Category:Digerian Primatial Family of Astraea Mehrkuri
Category:Tria nomina