Klara Stratien

Klara Stratien is de hoofd-protagonist van de Lore series.

Klara Stratien was een hartelijke vrouw, ondanks alles. Ze kon ook erg fel zijn.

## Familie en vrienden

### Vrienden

Zelst Svensj, Bahrat Wenner, Osaka Konvoi, Bryan Artes

## Uiterlijke kenmerken

### Tags:

Leader, smart, respected, wounded, go-getter, loyalist

### Early Life

Klara grew up on the old Continent Rhatar as the illegitimate child of a rich landowner. Being rejected, she lived with a person called “Aunt Gerdra”, a sweet woman who raised her to be an independent, smart and respectful young deckhand on one of the navy’s many sailing boats. When the invasion of the Continent by the Unkowns started when she was 17, the Aunt bought her a ticket for the mass exodus of their homeworld in the hope the new start would mean a better chance for Klara in the harsh, caste-built society.

### Adrift

During the great exodus, Klara’s intelligence and experience with sailing played a major role in her ascension within the ranks, something she strived for not for personal gains, but to fulfil the promise made to the woman who raised her. During one night, she single-handedly saved half the fleet by observing Sea Swine behaviour and anticipating aggressiveness during mating season. By the time the fleet found their first new home in 7 BL, she functioned as lieutenant on one of the few military vessels, under the command of Captain Dimitri Huntèrovic, with whom which she started a romantic relationship. Two years later, their child, Edmond Huntèrovic, was born. Initially, Dimitri’s maidens took care of the child due to the occupation of both his parents. When the new world (Honthem) was finally discovered by a small scouting fleet with Klara present, the settlement was immediately moved. This allowed Klara to rise in the ranks even further, becoming Republic Elite due to her excellent service and notable loyalty.

### Republic Service

After rising in the ranks and caste (the latter being extremely rare), the opportunity came to marry her old commanding officer, lover and father of her child, Dimitri Huntèrovic. The first year on the new continent ended with their marriage before their caste’s council. During the first great war a problem arose for Klara; the Inkaza were sea-farers, but most of the war was fought on land with considerable losses, with the exception of some light skirmishes in the oceans. Due to this fact, Klara was recommissioned to the experimental AirFleet by council leader and currently husband Dimitri Huntèrovic in the year 4 AL. This was not frowned upon, because many Republic officials promoted their spouse, and Klara was quickly showing her worth during the successful defense of the Republic front lines. Indirectly, her actions had enough impact on enemy morale, that it resulted in the Inkaza army coming to a complete standstill. After the successful re-taking of the old Marnot lines, she was promoted to Sky Admiral; the highest rank after supreme commander of the Republic’s forces.

### Downfall

During the cold war, Klara became more and more weary of her husband’s political ambitions and dictatorial attitudes towards their son, Edmond. Being more in touch with his father, Edmond almost completely disregarded his mother and saw her as inferior to his powerful and respected father. Klara became weary of the endless struggles she fought, and strived for peace between the two rivalling nations. When the peace-treaty between Ecalta and New Rhatia was signed in 14 AL, frustrations were rising in the Rhathan Solidarity Party (RSP), of which Dimitri was first-in-command. The more xenophobic RSP was antagonized by the Co-Existence Party (CoEP), which was secretly partially led by Klara to promote peace and tolerance. In 20 AL, riots were ever present, which resulted in Klara being arrested for public disturbance. This was kept secret until the end of that year, in which Dimitri found out about Klara’s secret ambitions. Immediately, he confronted her which resulted into a filing for divorce, and attempted murder by two of Dimitri’s assassins. During the second attack, which left her scarred, Klara faked her death and took the name of her former surrogate mother. She continued to work secretly for the CoEP, recruiting multiple weapons manufacturers, bankers and officials to their cause. Klara’s “betrayal” was building more and more rage into Dimitri and Edmond. Eventually, their minds were twisted by hatred in such a manner that they sought the death of their old enemy: the Ecaltans. This resulted in the Ecalta incident, which horrified Klara. After the incident, she initiated the Great Scission with other CoEP leaders, accompanied by CoEP supporters in the airfleet including Bahrat Wenner, Zelst Svensj and admiral Ogilvy, hijacking several transports, freighters and a cruiser and taking them to the now ceded city of Oashisu, losing about 30% of her fleet on the way to Republic defenses. Refusing the request of pilot Zeki "Wolf" Heinkel to go back for the escape parachutes of the shot-down Interceptor class Normandy, which contained his wife and daughter, she laid the foundation for the first conflict within the Centrality's leadership. After the Great Scission, she swore to destroy what she indirectly created, applying for the Centrality Airfleet without giving away her old position.

### Confederate Service

During her service in the newly formed Confederate Navy, she retained her important position in the fleet. She played a major role in the democratic nomination of several admirals, keeping herself as a mere commandeur and previously admiral Ogilvy as her lieutenant to both stay out of sight from the Republic's (and especially Dimitri's) eyes. She became the commanding officer of the first Rondel class frigate and its battlegroup, consisting of the Jose Rondel, 3 patrol class light cruisers and a Rallentando class support ship, with her secret lover, Ogilvy, as deck officer for their fighter squadron so she did not have to deal with Heinkel. Secretly, both she and Ogilvy kept their massive influence in the admirality of the fleet.

## Personality and Traits:

*"Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake, Ensign?"*

*"No, ma'am."*

*"Anyone can make an error, Ensign. But that error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it."*

- Klara Stratien and an unkown ensign

Klara has a calm and analytical mind, which more often than not serves her well both inside and outside of battle. She is limited in expressing emotion, hiding them in the darkest corners of her soul. She feels terribly responsible for the actions of her former husband, and is constantly tormented by guilt, especially since her only son joined his father's reign of terror.

In battle, she is a constant source of motivation, morale and inspiration. In stark contrast to her former counterpart, she rewards creativity and usually does not harshly punish incompetence. She is respected by her men, and envied by many for her ingenious mind which is only rivaled by the likes of Edmond Huntèrovic, Bryan Artes and Bahrat Wenner.

Her combat style contrasts that of her son, the supreme commander of the Republic's elite shadow fleet; she calmly awaits attack and plays a rather defensive game to ensure the survival of important ships in her current fleet. Also, attacks are always planned ahead and contain dummy strikes; attacks that use frigates and patrol cruisers that retreat quickly using whale oil boosters so that no counteroffensive could be performed by the more sluggish Republic capital ships. When countered by Republic frigates, she uses the high speed but poor manoeuvrability of these ships against itself; feigning a retreat, followed by a quick turn of her ships. The adjustable heavy cannons on the José Rondel can then make short work out of the Frigates.

## Het verhaal zover in het Nederlands:

*Het verhaal begint met een reguliere patrouillemissie geleid door onderkapitein Klara Stratien en haar schip de José rondel, en 4 patrouilleboten. Ze worden op een Republieke vloot af gestuurd die gevaarlijk dichtbij de grens komt, en bestaat uit een paar bommenwerpers en een escorte luchtschepen. Tijdens uitlokkingen door de Republiek gebeurt er een heftig ongeluk waarbij Klara gewond raakt, waarna ze afgevoerd wordt naar een medisch centrum.*

*Na maanden fysiek en psychologisch herstel komt Klara weer terug bij de Confederale luchtvloot als luitenant eerste klasse na een ernstig tekort aan ervaren officieren. Haar terugkeer werd niet veel later beproefd in de excursie naar Rhetoria, waarbij Mitoloskji moest worden gevonden voor de Chimaera.*

*In het jaar 57 zien we hoe Klara, na jarenlange dienst, wordt gepromoveerd tot kapitein, waarbij haar patrouille groep in een klap verandert in een medium-aanvalsgolf door de toevoeging van 2 Rondel klasse schepen. Ook komen er drie extra onderofficieren bij: een van haar oude leerlingen luitenant Bahrat Wenner voor de Juan Rondel en luitenant Zelst Svensj voor de Pedro Rondel. Mip Dam wordt de eerste luitenant van het jagerseskader "mug", bestaande uit 6 Valkyrie-jagers.*

*Tijdens haar rol als oprichter van de Centraliteit werd Klara zelfs eenmalig bezocht door Admiraal Bryan Artes, leider van Ecalta en jarenlang haar militaire idool. Hij was erg onder de indruk van haar prestaties, wat haar uiteindelijk motiveerde om ver na haar pensioen door te blijven werken voor de Confederatie.*