Iona Plerbe

Iona Plerbe of The Great House of Plerbe is a mythical figure in the military and naval circles of the Empire. She gained widespread recognition as the Captain of The Northern Exaltation, the flagship of Battlefleet Loteria, and later went on to become the esteemed High Captain of Battlefleet Imperial.
As a Highborn, or simply of the noble class, she had very little concern for what many in the imperium considered everyday ha. She was showered in luxury on the daily while being groomed for marriage to another scion of a noble house. As such she was incredibly learned being fully native in an incredible number of languages such as Old Terra, High Eiqina, Low Eiqina, as well as Galactic standard, Standard Imperial, and Standard Sol, with fluency and basic knowledge of two dozen other languages as well.
While her knowledge and intelligence was in no form detracting from the tens of thousands of daily transmissions and offers and suitors it was mostly her beauty that earned her the most attention. Even beauty had even attracted the likes of the Imperial Family as a possible concubine to Aleister Godfrey.
Throughout her career, Iona Plerbe displayed exceptional leadership skills and tactical prowess, earning her the reputation of a living war saint of naval combat. She achieved this distinction by defeating simulations, combat scenarios, and enemy commanders, who fell entire battlefleets, that had remained unbeaten for centuries, if not millennia. Her strategic genius and unwavering determination made her a formidable force on the battlefield, and she became a symbol of inspiration for the Imperial Navy.
One significant aspect of her success is her close relationship with Emperor Aleister Godfrey. The bond between them was immensely strong, founded on mutual respect and trust. His trust in her immense talent contributed to the success of Battlefleet Imperial and solidified its position the foremost fleet in, not only fleet size but also skill of command.
her cheek bears a distinctive scar that starts from the left tip of her lips and extends to her left ear, splitting it in the middle horizontally. This scar serves as one of her most proud possessions, as it is a visible reminder to all of her superiority and importance to her emperor. 
Iona Plerbe's legacy as a skilled captain, a war saint of naval combat, and a trusted ally of the Emperor continues to inspire billions of women and men to join into the Imperial Navy. Her name inflicts upon her enemies a unwavering fear and dread while serving as an immense sense of relief to all ground forces on planets she liberates from blockades and assaults alike.
== History ==
Born in the year 127,518IM, she was to be first born to the new lord and lady of The Great House of Plerbe. Few houses could claim such a title of Great House before The Second Reorganization yet with almost a hundred planets in the Loteria Eye as the houses personal fief few could contest their usage of it. 
As the Firstborn of a Great House she was expected to either marry into another Great House or be the next lady to a lord who married into The Great House Of Plerbe. This was not a uncommon outlook for a firstborn female to a noble house, nor was it a particularly grim one compared to the horrors that the lesser classes find themselves in.
However, it was clear by her incredible desire to learn new things about distant cultures, places, and peoples that Iona had a curiosity not befitting of her station. While troubling her parents they had no desire to stop her from getting tutoring from many exalted scholars and teachers of language, history, and culture even if it was only to make her even more enticing to potential suitors. 
=== The Gala of Pertinence ===
In the year 127,539IM The Great House of Plerbe had gained a opportunity of a era. With the new appointment of Aleister Godfrey as the new lord of the entire greater region that their personal fief so resides in, The Great House played with the idea of inviting him and every important noble in the greater region to a Gala. 
After two years of waiting and preparation the entire highest percentage of the noble class in The Loteria Eye and the surrounding greater regions was abuzz. The most desirable bachelor in the universe, the Crown Prince of the Thoria Empire, was to show to a public gala for the first time in almost 100 years. As the hosting house it was expected of Iona to ask Aleister to a dance as a start of the gala, however, Iona had different plans.
The Gala was started with a imperial procession from the large lush fields that served as a make shift landing port due to the shear size of the imperial ships and procession being too large for the capital cities space port. Parading into the capital city the imperial procession was showered in flowers. following the large imperial procession was the much smaller but more numerous processions from the various noble familes of similar status to the house of Plerbe, finally the most weak and socially simple of families had their small processions. After the entire ensemble of nobles, military and civil officials alike had finally arrived The Lord of House Plerbe gave a short but concise speech.
The starting dance then proceeded, Iona did as expected, Stood up in a manor that was allowed with the extremely uncomfortable dress. walked, as a lady did, towards the crown prince. then to the abject horror of everyone, slapped him. it was almost expected that this entire planet would be cleansed of all life that could possibly had seen such a humiliating event as being slapped by a Highborn.
Instantly guards practically flooded into the ballroom, however, as quickly as they had came they stopped with Aleister's hand raised. praising her for her extreme courage he asked her why she did what she did. whether it was simple sympathy or he had seen her potential, her punishment was to serve as an apprentice to his current High Captain of Battlefleet Loteria. to the surrounding cast of shellshocked nobility he had not only spared her life but also bequeathed a potential future of incredible prestige.
=== Apprenticeship and Schooling ===
Between death and incredible amounts of competition it takes hundreds of years to become a High Captain of even the weakest, smallest, and most unimportant Battlefleet. Thus her instant success was met an equally quick dismissal and hatred from the entire fleet. This was also true of Rydike Purbel The High Captain of Battlefleet Loteria, however, his orders from Aleister had kept such thoughts as just thoughts.
Even though she was placed under Rydike Purbel as his apprentice she was not ready to be taught at such a high level nor could Rydike waste his time teaching basics. thus she was sent to The Inceptium Loteria, the main branch of The Inceptium in the greater region of Loteria. She met immediate success performing in monthly debates and mock battles against both student and professor. It was clear that Aleister originally thought little of the suicidal princess of a lower station than his, however, after personally overseeing some of the most impressive battles seen in the entire history of the branch he placed her under his banner firmly. 
Notably she showed incredible skill in dismantling enemy fleets using inferior number and quality while still maintaining an incredibly low number of losses. Beating simulations that had gone uncontested for hundreds if not thousands of years she had gained recognition across the entire galaxy. In months she learned what would take years for any of her less talented peers, and by the end of her 10 year stay at the extremely prestigious school she had beaten nearly every who had the courage to accept. 
In a unsuccessful assassination attempt during the graduation ceremony of the year 127,551IM she gained her infamous twin scars going from her lip to her left ear while splitting in the middle of her cheek.
After her stint in The Inceptium Loteria, she was finally ready to gain practical experience as The Captain of The Bridgehead. The Bridgehead was a Sidenvis lll B Class Destroyer which was not only larger but more powerful than the other destroyers in Battlefleet Loteria.
Her first battle as a real captain in the Imperial Navy was as Vraw ll. Around the very northern fringes in the Vraw sector layed the main base of a increasingly problematic pirate group only known as Avorb. It was a underwhelming first assignment as the pirate crew only had a single modified Cadiyium Class Frigate flanked by four Skardari Class Corvettes. With her larger Destroyer The Avorb group stood no chance. And in The Battle of Vraw the pirates indeed stood no chance, with complete annihilation via long range cannons she was quick to request another mission befitting her station as a destroyer captain.
Taking nearly 14 months before she was deemed worthy to board The Northern Exaltation as its Vice Captain she had finally, after 12 years, obtained the position given to her by Aleister. 
== Notable Battles ==
* Battle of Vraw - 127,552IM: In her very first military battle outside of simulation and training Iona used her long range Destroyer Batteries to annihilate the enemy pirate group called The Avorb.
* Battle of Tenebris Reach - 127,558IM: In her first major battle as a commanding officer, Iona led Battlefleet Loteria to victory against the rebel forces attempting to seize control of the strategically important Tenebris Reach system. Her innovative but dangerous use of FTL technology allowed the Imperial Fleet to completely circumvent the massive array of space mines thus the fleet caught the enemy off guard, securing a decisive triumph for the Imperial forces.
* Siege of Avalon Prime - 127,562IM: Iona's fleet engaged in a protracted siege of the rebel stronghold on Avalon Prime. With limited resources and facing formidable defenses, she orchestrated a series of calculated strikes and feints, ultimately breaking through enemy lines and liberating the planet from rebel control.
* Skirmish at Nebula's Edge - 127,567IM: Iona's fleet intercepted a renegade faction attempting to smuggle advanced Shielding and Plating schematics through the treacherous Nebula's Edge and into the Servile states. In a high-stakes battle amidst the nebulous environment, she expertly navigated her ships through hazardous obstacles, neutralizing the enemy and securing the valuable contraband.
* Defense of Solaris IV - 127,572IM: Iona's fleet was dispatched to defend the vital Solaris IV outpost against a surprise assault by a ruthless advanced party from the Sidour Federation. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, she coordinated a fierce resistance, utilizing her much more numerous number of fighters to exploit the the enemy's weaknesses, ultimately forcing them to retreat.
* Battle of Iona Belt - 127,581IM: Iona led Battlefleet Imperial in a grand confrontation against a Vreladoran Republic Armada, who was shredding inward past the border in a suicide mission, in the now renowned Iona Belt region. The battle raged across multiple star systems as the Republican armada desired to create as much damage as possible before utter death, with Iona showcasing her strategic brilliance and adaptability, outmaneuvering the enemy, who was quick to retreat, and securing total victory.
* Operation Thunderstrike - 127,586IM: Iona spearheaded a retaliatory operation for the immense damage the Vreladoran Armada had caused Five years prior. it was a mission aiming to permanently disable the enemy's primary shipyard facility which serviced thousands of ships in the Constant border skirmishes. Despite encountering formidable defenses, she orchestrated a surprise attack, crippling the shipyard and severely hampering the enemy's production and repair capabilities in that region.
* Liberation of Eridani Prime - 127,590IM: Iona coordinated a joint operation with ground forces to liberate the occupied planet of Eridani Prime. Facing fierce resistance from entrenched enemy positions, she executed precise orbital strikes, providing crucial support to the ground troops and paving the way for a successful liberation.
* The Blitz of The Hyperion Rift - 127,596IM: Iona led her fleet through the dangerous Hyperion Rift, a treacherous and unpredictable region of space. this incredibly dangerous mission would allow the encirclement of an entire sector from the Sidour Federation. However, Fearing all out war the mission was changed to cause as much damage as possible forcing the Sidour Federation's elite legions to push back lest they be annihilated. Despite numerous navigational hazards and intermittent energy storms, she skillfully guided her ships and blitzed down towards the border destroying countless space stations and planetary installations with orbital bombardment while also fending off enemy ambushes, ensuring her fleet emerged victorious on the other side.
* Raid on Blackthorn Outpost - 127,601IM: In a covert mission, Iona orchestrated a surprise raid on the notorious border outpost, home to a massive rouge faction from The Gramish Techno-Theocracy in the Blackthorn Nebula. It had been stripping down the entire planet to build hundreds of trillions of new robots and ships. Utilizing stealth and precision strikes, her fleet neutralized the orbital fleet, dismantled their ground forces with total extermination. Considering that she was outnumbered 100 to 1 her lose ratio of only 50% was considered monumental.
* Battle of Nova Terra - 127,606IM: Iona led Battlefleet Imperial in of a group of religious zealots who had turned the Yollo System into a new, terraformed, copy of Terra. Facing a relentless onslaught of zealot controlled ships, she instantly noticed their hyper aggressive nature thus eh easily devised a brilliant counter-strategy, exploiting their over zealous nature with traps and ambushes.
* The Battle at Crimson Cluster - 127,611IM: Iona's fleet encountered a unique and rare marauding alien species known only as the Blerb. their ferocity and scale in the Crimson Cluster quickly overwhelmed her small battlegroup, however, in a desperate struggle for survival, she rallied her forces, utilizing hit-and-run tactics and exploiting the aliens' overconfidence, ultimately repelling their assault and retreating in Imperial Space to regroup and prepare to reassault the group with more of Battlefleet Imperial.
* Defense of Arcanis Station - 127,616IM: Iona was called upon to defend the vital Medical station at Arcanis, which was under attack by unidentified party who seaked to destroy the facility thus killing tens of millions of injured soldiers. Despite the station's limited defensive capabilities, she coordinated a valiant defense, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy at the cost of the station being partially destroyed.
* Battle of Helion Prime - 127,622IM: Iona engaged in a large-scale battle over the planet Helion Prime, where an ancient artifact believed to hole immense power had been discovered. Competing factions in the very north east of the Praefectura Praetorio Temparium sought to claim the artifact, leading to a chaotic conflict. Through turning the Vreladora republic and the Sidour Federation against each other, Iona ensured that her fleet gained acceptable losses while totally annihilating the enemy thus gaining the historically important artifact.
* Skirmish at Ydrillia V - 127,634IM: While traveling to The Crimson Cluster Iona's fleet intercepted a Enemy battleship intent on unleashing a devastating superweapon upon the heavily populated planet Hive world of Ydrillia V. In a race against time, she coordinated a relentless pursuit, engaging in a fierce battle to prevent the weapon's deployment and ultimately destroying the enemy vessel.
* The Second Battle at the Crimson Cluster - 127,640IM: Once again Iona's fleet had fought at The Crimson Cluster, however, this time it was against a group of pirates seeking to forage and scrap the imperial and alien ships that were in various degrees of fracture. The region was notorious for its electromagnetic disturbances, that she already knew, thus she deployed special bouy that she had isntalled into the ship. These sensors instantly detected thousand of smaller fighter craft that could have annihilated the fleet as it was. Although the brunt of the suprise was taken away the fleet still suffered major loss. 
* Battle of the Shattered Expanse - 127,653IM: Iona commanded her fleet in a brutal engagement in the Shattered Expanse, a region littered with debris and wreckage from previous conflicts. Utilizing hidden Auxiliary forces she devestated the enemy with long range bombardment on two fronts thus securing a resounding victory.
* Defense of Citadel Station - 127,668IM: Iona was tasked with defending Citadel Station, a vital communications hub under siege by a relentless mercenary forces with the Sidour Federation's main fleet and forces quickly descending upon the Sector. Despite facing waves of enemy assaults, she maintained a defense, effectively coordinating her forces and repelling the mercenaries, ensuring the uninterrupted flow of critical information.
* Final Stand at Aegis Outpost - 127,687IM: Iona found herself at the forefront of a last-ditch defense at Aegis Outpost, a remote installation under siege by an overwhelming enemy force. Outnumbered and outgunned, she rallied her fleet and inspired her crew, fighting against insurmountable odds until reinforcements arrived, turning the tide and emerging victorious.
== Ships Served On ==
* The Exaulibaunt - A Sidenvis lll B Class Destroyer, was the very first ship she commanded.
* The Ilibaunt - Ebon Class Minorum Dreadnaught, The ship she commanded as Vice Head Captain of Battlefleet Loteria
* The Eribaunt - Orpheus Class Mandatum Dreadnaught, The ship she commanded as Head Captain of Battlefleet Loteria
* The Northern Exaltation - Chalacta Class Mandatum Dreadnaught, The ship she commanded as Vice Head Captain and Head Captain of Battlefleet Imperial
* The Yilibaunt - Aeternus Class Battle Cruiser, The Ship she commanded during any missions outside of Battlefleet Imperial