Lyons Russel

== Lyons John Russel ==
"I call it... mercy."
Lyons John Russel is an American strategist and military leader who was instrumental in the rise of Seaboard. A chosen favorite by Michael Sisk, Russel previously acted as head of security for Seaboard, as well as a bodyguard and close advisor to Sisk. Russel serves as a major antagonist in The Seaboard Element.
After the collapse of the United States Federal Government, Seaboard became prominent in the Northeast. Lyons Russel was initially head of security, however he quickly was shifted in role. Sometime earlier in 2019, Russel was made a Colonel and placed in control of certain Western forces in Colorado under Grand General Gardiner. While there, he was responsible for overseeing the hunting, capture, and execution of various pre-Jinan executives who were not aligned with Seaboard's mission.
After his brief excursion in the west, Russel returned east to work on the front lines pushing back Appalachian forces. Working under Commander General Sherman, Russel celebrated many victories in New York, from the Adirondack Mountains to Albany, the capitol. Once Harrisburg was captured by Commander General Sherman, Colonel Russel was put in charge of a defensive around Niagara Falls. While initially successful, Russel and his forces were unable to hold their position against the regrouped Appalachian offensive, now backed by the Canadian Military.
Under special orders, Michael Sisk had Russel retreat from the fight. After his departure, territories from Niagara Falls to Batavia fell nearly immediately. Michael Sisk did not blame Russel for the defeat, but rather his lead strategist- Brigadier General Wei Zhi. Between this time until the Second Battle of Harrisburg, Russel fought on the sidelines, and away from the front lines.
Sometime after the death of Commander General Sherman, Russel was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. Once again given offensive capabilities, he proved to be effective in repelling the northwards expansion of the Appalachian Army under the Harrisburg Committee. Commanding the Eastern Continental Army, Russel was directly responsible for defeating the Appalachian Army in the Occupation of Cobleskill. On November 20th, 2021, General Russel's forces routed and trapped the battalion invading the area. In doing so, General of the Appalachian Marine Corps Nathan Krauss was captured and executed immediately. This defeat halted any further offensive into the North for years.
== Early Life ==
Lyons Russel was affiliated with Sisk and Seaboard years prior to the outbreak of the Jinanvirus. He was born in Amarillo, Texas, to an unmarried couple in a lower-middle class neighborhood. He had one older brother and a younger sister. His father left abruptly, and him and his mother moved to Lubbock when he was only a few years old.
In Lubbock, he lived with his mother and grandparents, his grandfather being a World War II veteran and longtime military officer. As Russel grew up, his grandfather grew suspicious that he was involved in criminal activities with gang members. He made the decision to relocate the family to New Hampshire. Russel was irritated with the decision, but had no choice but to conceed. He graduated and at 18, and joined the Army before being stationed in Fort Devens, Massachusetts.
At 19, in 1991, Russel served for a year in Iraq during and after the Gulf War. He was injured, but vouched to stay in the Army. He returned to Fort Devens, staying as an enlisted soldier for two more years. Becoming increasingly dissolusioned with his purpose in the Army and the objectives of the institution, he was discharged and did not seek to stay in service.
== Introduction to Seaboard ==
Russel started his own security company with a couple of other Army veterans he served with, and quickly became a very specialized service for many wealthy or influential targets in New England. Many boasting that Russel and his men were highly effective as well as being social and comfortable to be around, which made them a prime choice for many executives. Among these, the COO and CFO of Seaboard Technologies began recruiting Russel and his employees.
In 2000, Michael Sisk became interested in Russel and how he did business. He met with Russel, and offered to buy him out, and have him as the Chief Security Officer. Russel declined, however, still offered to keep Seaboard as a major customer. Secretly searching for persons of interest who would make effective military strategists, Sisk instead hired Levi Sherman Frazier as his CSO.
Russel became aggitated with the state of the country, especially so following the September 11th attacks and the national response. Heightened security measures, new wars, and a changing economy caused Russel to distrust the government highly. He began using his profits to purchase and stockpile weaponry, acquiring large portions of land in New York that he used as "doomsday bases". Levi Frazier had men secretly keeping an eye on Russel's suspicious activities, and in 2006, he confronted him about it. Russel learned that instead of seeing his actions as strange, Sisk and Sherman sympathized with his decisions. Russel agreed to integrate with Seaboard, where he began programs to buy weaponry and armaments in mass.
Using his prior corporate connections, Russel struck a deal with German firearms manufacturers. They developed a modified G36 assault rifle, chambered for 9mm that they took to calling the "G39". Russel determined the rifle to be effective and cheap, as well as using widely available ammunition. He authorized the bulk purchase and storage of grain, food, and other resources. In 2009, Sisk had Joseph Eastman organize and authorize programs related to planning for the Great Collapse. Russel became responsible for ensuring the security and confidentiality of initiatives taken in preparation of the Great Collapse. He formed his own corporate gestapo, even going as far as to stage deaths of employees who he viewed to be a security threat.
Russel continued to act as the head of security, and often the personal bodyguard to Michael Sisk, who he was very close with.
In 2015, leaked documents which the tech security department were unable to contain came to bring legal troubles to the company. Russel sought to minimize damages, while Sisk found and hired Jared Coleman, a corporate defense lawyer from Chicago. Due to the renowned abilities of Coleman, legal damage to the company was minimal. He vouched that the company attained licenses to build and produce military weaponry, even if they didn't sell it. Russel was opposed to this, believing their secrecy was their strength. He eventually conceed, however, without much of another choice.
When the Jinanvirus was nearing release time, Russel tracked down and found a Chinese military specialist by the name of Wei Zhi. The operative had attempted to infiltrate the ranks and tech servers of Seaboard, being highly inquisitive of their plans on behalf of the Chinese government. Seeing the Chinese operative as the highest level threat, he apprehended him and his apprentice. Between Russel and Sisk, Zhi became interested in joining their cause. He slowly gained the trust of Russel, and Zhi suggested that he return the Jinanvirus to China, and deploy it in secret.
Russel authoritized the actions, and by the time of the start of the Jinanvirus, was working as head of security in Connecticut for Seaboard.
== Return to Leading the Eastern Army Corps ==
After his triumphant time as commander of the Northern Army Corps in upstate New York, Russel was transferred to command the Eastern Army Corps again as the battle became more centered around the regions of New Jersey and southeast New York. He often stayed in Hartford, however, managing internal affairs regarding security and military cohesion from the territory's capitol where the Eastern Army Corps was based out of.