Joachim Mornstein-Montfort
“…in front of me there are intelligent enemies; behind me there are incompetent allies. I must fight both simultaneously. Besides, I am not entirely reliable either.”
- Tanaka Yoshiki
Background
Joachim Benedikt Aemilius Mornstein-Montfort (Born 5276 AE) is a Jardin admiral and the present Commandant of the Republican Guard, as well as the de facto leader of the Phoenix Democracy Movement and its military wing, the Phoenix Republican Navy. Formerly a Phoenician nobleman and rising star in the Imperial Guard Fleet, he defected to the Jardin with the forces under his command in the wake of the Empire's victory in the Second Battle of Luxor. He is presently well-known in the Republic for his former association with the then future Empress Miziuru-Saria, and for his role in leading Jardin forces to victory in battles against the Pirate Queen Hrang and the alien Ur-Real Hierarchy.
Montfort was born on Luxor; the only child of Vice-Admiral Aleksandar Benedikt Amadeo Mornstein-Montfort and renowned salon hostess Nezihe Dominika Mornstein-Montfort. Neither of his parents lived to see their son's tenth birthday; Nezihe was amongst the unfortunate bystanders killed during the explosive end of the Esfahani Affair in 5282 AE, and a heartbroken Admiral Aleksander was killed in battle during the Third Gravette Encounter less than three years later. The young heir's upbringing and education fell to his paternal grandfather, former Imperial Guard Deputy-Commandant Marjan Mornstein-Montfort. The old flag officer ensured that his grandson would carry on with the family's traditions and did not pass away himself until after seeing Joachim reach the rank of Major in the Guard.
As a member of the Imperial Guard, Montfort's career was not especially remarkable. With no rapid advancement through the ranks possible in peacetime, he appeared to be largely content to slowly but steady advance his career while spending his considerable free time frequenting the innumerable coffee shops and salons of the Imperial Capital. As paterfamilias of the Montfort Family, he showed little interest or energy toward reversing the family's long decline into relative obscurity, leaving the family's estate on the island of Maclou to a few caretakers and rarely visiting its holdings on the frontiers. All indications where that Montfort would simply carry on with petty intrigues and good living until making flag rank in due time, and retiring comfortably to pursue his own devices.
Any chance of that largely unremarkable future was brought to an end by events preceding the outbreak of Mugombe's Rebellion, which saw Montfort promoted into what would become a position of some power and influence following the loss of Luxor to rebel forces. Always near the center of the Empire's politics during the course of the conflict, by then Commodore Montfort served as a close associate of Duke Feril and the Princess Miziuru-Saria before running afoul of some internal conflict with the two victorious leaders in the wake of Luxor's recapture. Ahead of expected orders for the arrest of both him and his associates, Montfort's squadrons made a daring escape from Luxor and set out on the road to Jardin and destiny.
- Virtue: Dedicated
- Vice: Hubris
- Rank: Noblesse Ancienne
- Allies: The Phoenix Democracy Movement
- Enemies: Miziuru's Empire, Galactic Pirate Hrang
- Ostensibly Conservative
- Ostensibly Militarist
- Ostensibly Religious
- Skills:
- Coffeehouse Patron: Expert
- Guard Fleet Officer: Professional
- Imperial Politics: Professional
- Essayist: Layman
- History: Layman
- Portraiture: Terrible
Attributes and Skills
Attributes
- IQ: 6
- Wits: 4
- Charm: 5
- Cunning: 5
- Durability: 2
- Physical: 2
Skills
- Horse Trading: 1
- Chummy: 3
- Bureaucracy: 1
- Speech: 4
- Plotting: 6
- Ship Command
- Helmsmen: 2
- Gunnery: 2
- Leadership: 3
- Squadron Command
- Maneuver: 2
- Formation: 2
- Command: 3
- Fleet Command
- Maneuver: 2
- Formation: 3
- Command: 3
Allies
- Colonel Prezan
- Formerly known as Varyns Captain
- Assume all other attributes and skills at base 2
- Attributes
- IQ: 5
- Wits: 4
- Physical: 3
- Skills
- Plotting: 3
- Squadron Maneuver: 3
- Rifkon Tuk
- Dependable Cyborg Rifter
- Head Maid
- The Head Maid
- Joint Operations Headquarters Chief (Ret.)
- Former HQ Chief