Ilya Severa Zaratyr

Ilya is the current Imperial Army Commander in the Carpathia Sector, and one of the most renown Army officers of the 31st Century.

Basic Information

 * Full Name: Ilya Severa Zaratyr


 * Species/Race: Emperians


 * Homeworld: Aquillon


 * Birth: 5.Auctorius.2959IC


 * Death:


 * Allegiance: The Emperian Empire


 * Service: Imperial Army 2976-3040; 3056-Ongoing

Early Life
Ilya was born on Aquillon in the Acarus Sector on 5.Auctorius.2959IC to Tymos Severa Zaratyr and Lylis Astel Ere'pire. Ilya's mother was the Planetary Governor of the nearby planet Menesphone; while, Tymos was in the Imperial Aerospace Force as a Wing Commander.

Ilya's childhood was a contrast of lavish balls and lifestyle due to her mothers wealth, and the harsh discipline of her father who espoused traditions of simplicity and efficiency. Truly Ilya did find the lifestyle of her own mother to be excess and boring, and found the dangerous adventure of her fathers military history more to her liking. That and the knowledge of the Severa House having always had at least one member in the military at any given time drove her to a final decision upon completing primary and secondary schooling in 2976IC. Graduating with honors Ilya enlisted in the Imperial Army as a common trooper on Aquillon.

Ilya described her early life as ordinary, and surrounded by a small circle of close friends that would accompany her throughout life.

Career
Enlisting at the age of 17 in the Army as a trooper and served in various campaigns from Oguin invasions to repelling raiders across the Acarus Sector and beyond. Becoming a Sergeant at the age of 21, and a Lieutenant by age 28. By age 30 Ilya had participated in 14 separate campaigns, and lost several friends to enemy actions that marked her deeply.

At age 35, after attending officer training school on Balian VI, at the illustrious Kalasar Academy Ilya attained a commission as a Captain in the 7th Menesphone Mechanized Regiment.

In 3015 the Regiment was moved to the newly founded Carpathia Sector. There, it would face several grueling wars against rebels, inssurectionists, xenos, and the like. Through attrition Ilya was first promoted to Major, and then to Colonel of the Regiment. Of course by then the 7th was at 37% strength and recalled to Menesphone for rest and refit. Ilya, however, did not join them and instead opted for a transfer to continue immediate service.

Transferred to command the newly formed 6th Carpathian Line Infantry Regiment in Novahzan, 3033IC. The 6th participated in the guerrilla conflict known as the Gorhal Rebellion.

Gorhal Rebellion

On 22.Zertian.3034 the planet Gorhal having recently been settled a couple years prior rose in revolt. Instigated by poor management and frequently subject to higher tax levies due to the system being a primary route between the core systems of the Carpathian Sub-Sector and the Gilliad Sub-Sector going through its first phase of colonization.

The planet only had a few thousand Terrestrial Defense Force troops and a gunship squadron of System Defense Force strength. However, both had been compromised into inaction and fractious fighting due to the complex and non-centralized nature of the rebellion. The 6th Carpathian was deployed as part of Taskforce Cheti. The Taskforce consisted of several Navy ships and a Division of Imperial troops consisting of Carpathian Regiments.

Arriving in system on 16.Asvilr.3034 the Taskforce quickly disbursed and accepted the surrender of the SDF gunships. Making a planetary drop of the Division during the night of the 16th/17th. Once on the ground the Division quickly secured the star port: Gorhal Central Dock; The Capital Gorhal City; and the main TDF Base just to the East. Yet, by the 19th the Division was beset on all fronts by Anti-Imperial forces and battle raged for several days until the Imperial breakthrough occurred around the Capital. Aerospace and Naval support proved vital in breaking up the rebel siege and allowed the fighting to move into the countryside, both disbursing; but, condemning the Division to months of guerrilla warfare. Victory only arrived after the rebels both exhausted in manpower, assets, and morale surrender by 25.Oktabram.3034.

The 6th, being composed of 20,000 personal had suffered 2,298 casualties and reportedly dealt tens of thousands of enemy losses. Winning several citations and many awards the unit was upgraded to a Heavy Infantry Regiment and Ilya led her refitted Regiment on several later engagements.

Retirement
In 3040IC Ilya retired after 63 years of service, and retired at the still very young age (by Emperian standards) to Carpathia. Buying a small farm the now retired Colonel was given the honorary title of Vice-General in a move to glorify many early Sector military leaders and instil unity across the increasingly diverse and powerful regions of the Sector.

This was not to last as tensions flared during the Sector wide recession that arrived in mid-3056. Rebellion, more organized and radical by Human religious elements erupted in the Kormorant Worlds.

Kormorant Rebellion
The Kormorant Rebellion lasted from 3056 till 3058 and while only lasting not even two complete years proved to exasperate the already inter-species and ethnic tensions among the Human population. Ilya assumed the role of the 7th Carpathian Armored Regiment and was deployed on several worlds throughout the campaign. The 7th performed admirably and received many commendations from the military top brass in the Sector. Allowing Ilya to attain the rank of General on the first day of Alpharon, 3059IC. Except Ilya was requesting for a final and permanent retirement.

D'Lauzie, however in need of strong figures to make up for his own lack of support by various strata of society denied her request. So Ilya assumed the role of a reserve general officer on her farm until 3065 when she received the well expected promotion to Lord Marshal.

Kharadon War
As of 3067IC Ilya is the overall Commander of the Imperial Army in the Carpathia Sector. A charismatic and noble leader who owns the loyalty of many officers and enlisted personal due to her fiery rhetoric and care for the common soldier. After organizing the Imperial Counter-offensive alongside Naval Admiral Hershon Erenthes in late 3067 Ilya initially proposed a full invasion of the Kharadonese Empire. A proposition denied by D'Lauzie who only allowed the liberation of Imperial territory and its defense. This indecisive ineptitude left Ilya chained to a limited theatre and crutched command and control. Never the less the Lord Marshal sanctioned the 52nd Shock Army and ordered its deployment in Operation Dawnstrike and Gravendon.

The Gravendon Campaign was allowed due to the fact that the 52nd was not an ordinary Imperial Army formation and thus not entirely under the Lord Governors supreme authority to veto orders from Zaratyr. These successes finally convinced the politicians on Carpathia that a direct offensive would be required to end the war.