Mykael Novak

Mykael "Misha" Novak is a Tactical Admiral in the Earth Republic Star Navy, and former CO of the ERS Gorgon until his promotion to admiral in 2150. He is an accomplished tactician and a great reader of history, a reenactor of historical battles, and a lover of historical miniatures, recreating in small several famous battles and artillery over the years. He served as XO on the ERS Hydra for a short time before the Gorgon was launched, serving there with his Academy schoolmate Søren Kuromoto.

The Novaks are Eastern Orthodox, a tradition which is rapidly disappearing, and they refuse to become members of the World Church.

Mykael got married and had children comparatively later in life, waiting until his late thirties. After meeting a young legal advocate during a complicated mission, he began seeing and then dating Zadya Seong, who would become his wife. She gave birth to their sons Jaesan and Kaehon, who are fifteen months apart. Both sons were placed in military boarding schools while Zadya climbed the ranks at JUDCON and Mykael became CO of the Gorgon. Jase and Kae both made it into Star Navy Academy at Annapolis, entering the Cadet Program, and graduated in 2149 and 2150 respectively. Both sons graduated near the tops of their classes, and both received excellent commissions--Jase to the ERS Fomorian and Kae to the ERS Umibozu.

Kae's life was tragically cut short in 2151, when the Umibozu was destroyed during the First Praezorian War, in a battle that took both the Umibozu and the Gorgon. The family fragmented and fell apart after Kae's death. Jaesan became suicidal, only saved by the mentorship of his captain, Jean-Baptiste Davis. Zadya withdrew entirely into her work, while Mykael reached out to her and to his son frantically, receiving little reply. Falling into a deep depression, he ultimately separated from Zadya and became estranged from Jase, until Captain Davis reached out to Mykael and told him what was happening. Mykael and his son thankfully found one another and learned to lean on each other for support during this period.

Mykael and Jase climbed the ranks in the Star Navy between the Praezorian Wars, the Liberator War, and the Z War. Jaesan became XO of a V-class, and then received the plum position of XO aboard the flagship, the ERS Titan, after the Battle of Black Star in 2155. Mykael became a Tactical Admiral the same year and was transferred to Earth to work on high-level navy strategy and to lecture in tactics at the academy.

In 2156, after months of being posted at the blockade at Delta Pavonis, Jaesan and the Titan went missing during the Howl attacks and the destruction of the fleet. Mykael was plunged into depression again, until the miraculous return of the Titan, and news that Jaesan--though he had been crushed on the destroyed bridge--had been frozen and was being sent to Indoc 4's Murphy Meilin Center for Cybernetics for revival. His recovery was long, difficult, and uncertain, and Mykael took a long leave of absence while Jaesan went through it. Though Jaesan has visibly struggled, Mykael sees his survival as a miracle and a gift from God, and he has redoubled his religious commitment, causing some strain with his son.