Name: Stepan Maximilliovich
Rank: Sao-Wei, Gatekeepers
Pilot Handle: Lord Jops
Age: 22
Birthplace: Unknown, vaguely within the Draconis Combine. Raised on Joppa.
Mech Preference: Medium Close Support and Hunter-Killer.
Stepan Maximlliovich was born on the southern fringe of the Capellan Confederation in a major city on Joppa in 3028. Stepan never knew his father, and was raised largely by his mother, Natalia. His father, an ethnic-Ukranian immigrating form the Draconis Combine, served as an infantryman in the 1st Capellan Defense Force in order to secure Capellan citizenship for himself, his wife and unborn child. He was killed during his first tour at the beginning of the 4th Succession War during an engagement with the 1st Kittery Borderers. Details are scarce due to the general confusion and high casualty rate of the battle, but official records note that Stepan's father was killed in action with more than two dozen of his comrades when the supply depot was overrun by a mixed infantry and armor brigade.
Life on the border was difficult for Stepan and his mother after his father's death. Upward mobility on Joppa was virtually nonexistent, and Stepan's widowed mother was forced to toil at an industrial complex producing battletech grade alloys under the employ of Laio (communist) district #278. This required a two hour round trip by hopper each day. Stepan enrolled in primary school #4 for the entirety of his education and due to personal perceptions about his father's death and Laio oriented propaganda at his school, was raised with a particular loathing for house Davion and the St. Ives Compact.
Although Stepan had a strong desire for military service from a young age, poor grades and an even poorer social status prevented him from applying directly to Laio Conservatory of Martial Arts. Fate, however, smiled upon Stepan when his mother began a romantic relationship with Francis Delaney, a veteran of the 4th Succession War and former House Liao MechWarrior. Delaney was a stern but good natured man, and agreed to sponsor Stepan to the Liao Conservatory for the spring semester of 3045 under the condition that Delaney be allowed to formally adopt Stepan upon marriage to his mother.
With the ink still wet on Franic and Natalia's wedding certificate, Stepan shipped out from Joppa and began his combat studies at the conservatory. Stepan was an eager cadet and while he did not excel at mathematics and logistics, his superiors noted a natural coordination and battle-sense that set himself apart from his class peers. As a result, Stepan was quickly assigned cadet leader of his training unit. This attention from his instructors did not help Stepan make friends at the Conservatory. His classmates assigned him the moniker "Lord Jops", an ironic reference to his lowly birthplace (Joppa) and generally impoverished upbringing.
Stepan distinguished himself during a training excercise in 3046. Mercenaries (presumably hired by the Federated Suns) ambushed his training unit, killing his instructor instantly in a missile barrage. Stepan quickly took command and organized his classmates into a defense line that allowed for the controlled retreat of civilian personnel from the area. Despite heavy fire, Stepan and his classmates managed to kill three veteran mercenaries (including the mercenary leader) while sustaining minimal casualties of their own (2 ejections, 1 KIA). The mercenaries were forced into retreat.
"Lord Jops" currently serves with the House Liao Gatekeepers. Already a veteran of the Late Succession War, he plans to distinguish himself in the coming Clan Invasion.
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