Samantha Byrne

Private Samantha "Sam" Byrne, also called "Duchashka" or "Lovely Duchess" by the Gorasni, was a female Gear soldier that fought in Delta-One during the Stranded Insurgency, the Lambent Pandemic, and the Swarm War. She is a supporting protagonist in Gears of War 3 and Gears of War 4, and a minor character in Gears 5.
When the Coalition of Ordered Governments collapsed and was forced to abandon Vectes, Sam chose to go on the CNV Sovereign as part of the rapid response force that could assist several different settlements the COG remnants had set up. Sam was of the daughter of a Kashkuri liaison to the COG army and a Tyran Gear. She participated in the Locust War and saw it's end after Adam Fenix used the imulsion countermeasure weapon, and started a relationship with her fellow teammate, Damon Baird. Sam and Baird returned to assist Marcus Fenix and his son to fight against a new threat, the Swarm.
She is voiced by , who also voiced Chloe Frazer from the Uncharted series, and Cassandra in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
==Biography==
===Early Years===
Samantha "Sam" Byrne was born in 17 B.E. on Anvegad, Kashkur to Samuel Byrne, a Coalition of Ordered Governments officer, and Sheraya Olencu, who was of Kashkuri origin. Her father was killed during the siege of Anvil Gate while fighting against the Union of Independent Republics, but Samuel was given the chance to flee with his family from the area. Samantha grew up with stories of how Anvegad was burned down during the siege by her mother, who had to raise her daughter alone. Despite the destruction of Anvegad, Sheraya and Samantha stayed there, and went through difficult times during the last years of the Pendulum Wars. She survived the events of E-Day, when the Locust Horde attacked the world. After reaching the right age, Samantha joined the COG and became one of the few frontline Gear women during the Locust War.
===Locust War===
Serving the COG, Sam participated in the second wave of Operation Hollow Storm alongside Clayton Carmine, and later witnessed the sinking of Jacinto City to stop the Locust from taking the city. After the sinking of Jacinto, Sam stayed with the COG during the Stranded Insurgency, where several stranded started a guerilla war against the armies. Byrne became a member of Delta-One, and would banter with fellow member, Damon Baird.
===Gears of War 3===
During the Bloom era, Sam was part of Cole's team to retrieve supplies from Stranded settlements, and managed to do so because of Cole's fame as a thrashball player. After helping the Stranded fight against Lambent, Marcus contacted the group to help him fight off the Leviathan that was attacking the Sovereign. Sam and the team assisted Marcus by using a crate of tickers to destroy the Leviathan, which also called the Centennial bridge to collapse. Sam and the team reunited with Marcus, Dom, Anya Stroud and Jace Stratton to help Chairman Richard Prescott, who had returned with vital information. Before Prescott died from his injuries sustained during a counterattack, Prescott gave Marcus a key to a disc that Hoffman had taken from him. Marcus then asked Sam what was the quickest way to reach Anvil Gate, and Byrne responded that they could travel through the Deadlands.
Sam and Anya managed to put together several convoys to head to Anvil Gate, but found that it was attacked by the Locust Horde and Lambent. Sam and Anya worked with Marcus and Cole to battle against a Lambent berserker, but ran to safety with Anya and Bernadette Mataki while the other gears eliminated the creature. Shen then met with the gears to see the message that Baird decoded with the key, seeing a message that revealed Azura's location that was defended by a adaptive system. Colonel Hoffman advised the group to take the CNV Adamant so they could reach Azura, and have Dizzy fix it so the could travel under the barrier. When they needed fuel to use the submarine, Dom suggested they travel to Mercy to obtain fuel, which was also his late wife's hometown. 
Sam traveled to Mercy with Marcus, Dom and Anya and found the town deserted, but were then confronted by humans who were infected with Lambent. When the group were cornered by the creatures, Dom sacrificed himself to save them so they could the threat of the Locust and Lambent. Sam mourned his death, but continued on with the team to Char when they ran out of fuel, where they dealt with Aaron Griffin. Afterward, Sam and the team managed to breach Azura, which was actually a secret island that was for the rich and wealthy of the Coalition. She participated in the battle of Azura, where Adam Fenix used the Imulsion Countermeasure to defeat the Locust and the Lambent, ending the war.
===Post War===
After the war against the Locust Horde, Sam entered a romantic relationship with Baird, but the two never officially married. Over the years, Sam assisted Damon in creating DB Industries, and helped rebuild the new capital, New Ephyra. It's assumed she stayed in contact with her allies, and would also be present in the anniversary of Victory Day.
===Gears of War 4===
Sam first appears during the 25th anniversary of Victory Day, where she attended alongside Cole and Hoffman, celebrating their victory over the Locust. When the Swarm emerge, Sam assisted Baird in helping Marcus and his son, James by piloting a King Raven gunship. 
===Gears 5===
Though Sam doesn't appear physically in Gears 5, her voice is heard by assisting the Fenix's, Kait Diaz and Del Walker by transporting them to Azura. She was reinstated into the COG Army to fight against the Swarm, and helped the group reach Azura to reactivate the Hammer of Dawn.
==Gallery==
88999_T_CharPortraits_COG_sam_normal.png|Sam in Gears of War 3.
Sam-GOW4.png|Sam in Gears of War 4.
==Trivia==
*Sam's voice actress, Claudia Black, originally was suppose to be casted to voice Bernadette Mataki, but was later swapped.
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