"The true Soldier fights not out of a desire to destroy, the true Soldier fights to protect "
General: Like many orphans in the Federation Helen grew up in an environment where loyalty to the Federation and discipline are the foundations of a healthy spirit.
Helen has since the beginning of the Insurgency grown distant from the Federation and considers the well-being of her fellow colonists her first and last concern despite the Federation's "we are all part of one nation" attitude to its colonists.
Helen is still a believer in the cause of the federation and has on numerous times been called an indoctrinated fool by Insurgency supporters, regardless as a member of the Garrison Helen makes sure the Law of the Federation is obeyed while looking after the well-being of the locals.
Helen is a reserved personality but she is not a calm or quite one; Helen likes talking to just about anyone and has a genuine interest in what most people have to say, on the other hand Helen especially during these turbulent times is tired, nervous and afraid.
Helen knows that in such a state the chances of her making a mistake are far greater than in the past and thus questions almost her every action.
This hesitancy when noticeable does not have anyone apart from Helen concerned and that fact alone causes Helen even greater fears over the trust others have in her leadership.
With a full blown insurgency on the Guard's hands Helen knows she has no choice but to assume a leadership role, Helen fears more than anything making a mistake that will get further guards and locals killed.
Privately Helen is beginning to think that the war against the insurgency is turning from a suppression of an armed rising to a battle of self-preservation of the Guard and locals who still support it and the federation.
From a young age Helen did what she considered to be right however since her sudden promotion due to the near complete destruction of the NSG Helen lacks the self-confidence she once held and feels overburdened with the responsibility entrusted to her.
Helen believes in leading from the front (leading her force into combat from the front lines) and has been at least partially responsible for the Guard's change of tactics in the aftermath of the Insurgency, A change which improved the organization and moral among the troops.
Helen knows that the rate of casualties among the officers of the guard has increased but also notes that the causality rate for the guard is currently greater than the overhaul reinforcement rate.
Helen feels that too much has changed too quickly and has seen her sense of security burn like her hand however Helen tries not to display her concerns.
Helen views her work in the guard as beyond mere soldiering and has actively been involved in her local community, so much so that Helen is seen by some as a future political leader.
Helen despite her hesitations feels in her heart that her future lies with the betterment of the community, maybe even as a leader outside the field of battle.
Likes: peace and quiet, being involved, her homeland, the guard, 8 hours sleep (rare luxury) driving, camping, Traveling in New Sydney, talking to local people, knowing what tomorrow will bring.
Dislikes/Phobias: events outside her control and understanding, destruction, death and desperation.
Quirks/Idiosyncrasies: plays with her army knife when thinking about something on occasion, (will update)
Helen owns little else other than an extra uniform along with the one she currently owns and the few weapons the guard can lay its hand on at this time. As the commanding officer of the 1st armored battalion Helen on paper seems to be in control of a powerful combat unit, this assumption has one major problem; the guard hardly has any tanks, gunships or other heavy equipment left. With only 6 serviceable tanks along with a few dozen armored cars and two close air support gunships under her command Helen can only afford raid like offensives against the Insurgents. The 1st armored also suffers from a crippling lack of combat ready soldiers and a dire supplies shortage, unless the Federation sends aid soon the unit will be unable to survive for long.
Brief Background History:
Helen grew up among the unfortunate victims of early colonization efforts, her family most likely died from one of the many plagues which struck early human settlements In New Sydney before the time in which further colonists where given a vaccine to counter the effects.
As in many cases Helen was moved from one place of care to the next until like many before her she found her way to one of the many new Federation orphanages which had been established as a direct result of the growing number of Orphans.
Helen unlike others like her remained on New Sydney; the place of her birth which had its own Federation Orphanage opened by the then military governor after a particularly bad year (before local civilian administration was elected)
Life was a strict affair in the orphanages but Helen and was treated fairly and given as much as a state run establishment can give; Food, shelter, education even a reason to exist in the universe after the extensive upbringing to have faith in the Federation cause.
The orphanages could not give the young unfortunate children the family stolen from them by the ever changing fortunes of destiny but In Helen's case it wasn't as bad as others who unlike her remembered the life stolen from them.
Helen's grew like many orphans taken in by the Federation accepting the fact that the time and effort spent by the Federation to raise her and others like her did not come free and that one day Helen would have to fight for the federation to repay the debt.
Such subtle and not so subtle indoctrination was the business of the federation orphanages and while some remained skeptical of the outright cases of federation propaganda most accepted the fact that they had a duty to the federation just as the federation had a duty to them.
Helen was specially selected by the Federation Military testers who periodically came to the orphanages to become an officer and upon reaching seventeen years of age was sent along with others of her "brood" to the recently created Federation Officers Academy to complete her training and eventually become the core of the newly forming New Sydney Garrison.
Helen at first an anxious teenager looking for her place in the universe adopted Areca as her home and sought to belong in the fast developing colony.
As she began to receive her first duties Helen began involving herself personally in the well-being of the locals she increasingly considered her own community and who likewise accepted Helen as one of their own. At 18 years of age shortly before completing her training Helen was formally adopted by Admiral (retired) Jefferson Mellanby and his wife with whom she had established a relationship during her training.
Helen's military career was mainly uneventful until the beginning of insurgent activity's in the area a few years ago, In fact Helen had began studying law thanks to the special deals offered by the Federation Military to its officers .
During the great insurgency Helen was not an active member of the guard and thus escaped death unlike many of her fellow officers who where not as lucky, she was recalled to military service as a captain and was part of the counter attack against insurgents in the battered city of Areca.
The attack caused the destruction of most of Areca's Guard forces along with the loss of many guard units in other areas of new Sydney thanks to mutiny's within the guard and numerous acts of insurgence.
Helen was badly burned in her right hand and leg when her own tank suffered a direct hit by Insurgent mines. Eventually Areca was retaken by the guard however it was truly a pyrrhic victory (a victory so costly it's not really a victory at all) and many units of the guard following the reorganization of its forces were forced to merge in order to retain even a shred of combat effectiveness.
Helen due to her actions on the day, her part in the reorganization, the fact she was among the few officers to survive the initial attacks was promoted to Major and now in the wake of renewed Insurgent attacks is the officer in charge of coordinating the Federation efforts against the Insurgency with the special forces being sent and is awaiting the Salient's arrival.