[center][big][color=white]Natasha Tatiana Lidochka[/color] [color=black]|[/color] [color=white]Volk Team Leader [/color][color=black]|[/color] [color=white]Mechanical Frame Pilot[/color][/big][/center]
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[quote][color=gray]"From the snowy wastes of the antarctic to the dark side of the moon and beyond, conflict knows no borders..."[/color][/quote]
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[color=white][big]At a Glance[/big][/color]
[i][color=white]"Lieutenant Lidochka, reporting for duty."[/color][/i]

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[color=gray]Natasha Lidochka, Tactical Name: Edelweiss, is a mechanical frame pilot serving in the naval branch of the United Eastern European State's armed forces. Originally assigned to Strike Team Volk, she is now the only original member of the team who's still alive today. Withdrawn and cold to her comrades, Natasha never spends much time socializing, and much prefers to sit alone in her room quietly reading or listening to music before she's inevitably pulled back into action. But that's simply the nature of things. Time and time again Natasha has plunged into battles where all the odds are against her, and emerged the sole survivor. As such, she's made a bit of a name for herself, and is considered to be the pride of the U.E.E.S. armed forces.
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[color=white][big]Mechanical Frames[/big][/color]
[i][color=white]"A missing link between infantry and artillery."[/color][/i]

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[color=gray][i]"The Mechanical Frame is to war as the microchip was to computers. Never before has the world seen such a revolutionary new technology take hold of war in such a way, this surpasses even the invention of the airplane."[/i] -Viktor Nikanor, Supreme Commander of the U.E.E.S. armed forces, 2149.

[i]"There comes a time in every man's life, where he must ask himself: 'Am I doing what is right for myself, am I doing what's right for my country?'. That time, for me, is now. I believe the Mechanical Frame program will give us, and our friends in the U.E.E.S., an edge over the villains of this world, who would seek to rob us of our livelihood. And I hope you'll accompany me in giving our full support, to the young boys and girls who will pilot these amazing weapons."[/i] -Adam Wells, President of the Pacific Federation, 2151.

Mechanical Frames are massive robotic war machines, driven by an operator who is somewhere inside it's protective armored shell. Mechanical Frames come in many different shapes and sizes, varying from massive, bulky powerhouses, to sleek and dexterous warriors. They came about sometime between 2145 and 2148, as a joint project between the United Eastern European States, and the Pacific Federation. Designed to be the next step in futuristic warfare, the "missing link between infantry and artillery" were made to fight in all four areas of combat: Land, Air, Water, and Space. The majority of Mechanical Frames are simply mass produced, and very cheap, due too the short life expectancy of the young pilots, though some are made personally for their pilot, and as such are much better designed and constructed.

Mechanical Frame Operators, or "Pilots" as they're casually referred to, are trained at a young age for their job. This is due to the fact that children are more receptive to the Mechanical Frame's neuro-connection, allowing for better control and reaction times. Although some adults have shown an aptitude for using Mechanical Frames, it is few and far between. Some would say it's unethical to take 10, or 11 year old children, and train them to kill. But defenders of the Mechanical Frame program insist that no child joins the program against their will, and they are treated well once they join.

It should be noted, that Mechanical Frame Pilots who start out at the age of 10, are never expected to survive past the age of 15.

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[color=white][big]Natasha's Early Life[/big][/color]
[i][color=white]"Those bright blue skies never change."[/color][/i]

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[color=gray]Natasha was born in the early 2150s, near the border of the United Eastern European States and the European Union, in the city of Lviv. Her mother worked in a bakery, while her father worked for Sukhoi Aerospace Designs, a branch of the airplane manufacturer that dealt in space-oriented weaponry. Natasha was always a quiet girl, one who sought out little conflict and usually tended to go unnoticed by others unless she started speaking up, at which point her oddly smooth and light voice caught their attention.

Shortly after her 11th birthday, war was declared by the European Union on the U.E.E.S., and her home became the front lines of many early battles. Though things seemed bleak for the people of Lviv, despite the constant bombing and enemy assaults, Natasha kept on a brave face for her parents. Unfortunately, several months later, both her parents were killed when a fighter jet crashed into their house, leaving Natasha as the only survivor. Returning home from school early, Natasha saw the burning wreckage of her home and the paramedics attempting to dig her parents out of the rubble. With nowhere to go and panic overtaking her, Natasha fled off into the streets of Lviv, where she was picked up by a military officer, who was surprisingly from the Pacific Federation, and was on his way out of the city. Feeling bad for the young displaced girl, he brought Natasha along with him, and eventually convinced the young girl to join the still at the time top-secret Mechanical Frame program - if only so she'd have a permanent residence in the military.
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[color=white][big]The World as it Stands[/big][/color]
[i][color=white]"The more things change..."[/color][/i]

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[color=gray]The time for smaller nations has long since passed. In their place rise super countries, powerful empires that span from coast of one continent to the coast of another, and far off into space. The dreams of a united and peaceful Earth, that was popularized so much during the 21st century has all but disappeared. And now only conflict and war remains, while what alliances that stand are made mostly out of convenience, more so than any desire to not do harm.

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The Nations of the World!
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The United Eastern European States
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AKA:The U.E.E.S.
The U.E.E.S. includes what was formerly: Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Belarus, Georgia, Romania, Serbia, Budapest, Czech Republic, Moldova, and Uzbekistan. It also includes a portion of the moon, and quite a large bit of Mars and Mercury.
The Capital city is: Moscow
The U.E.E.S. is a Republic, electing a Prime Minister every 15 years, and High Council members every 10. The country is extremely militarized, and every able bodied male and female over the age of 21 is required to take 5 months of military training, in the event they need to be called into service should a war break out. The city of Moscow spans for miles and miles, it's sky scrapers pushing higher than ever. It's a model modern city, designed to reflect the nation it's at the helm of.

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The Pacific Federation
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AKA: The Federation
The Pacific Federation includes what was formerly: The United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, some parts of Indonesia. It also includes a large portion of the moon, and several fortress cities on Mars, and Venus.
The capital city is: New Washington, founded in what was formerly Alaska.
A republic, the Pacific Federation elects a new President every 10 years, and every citizen over the age of 18 is entitled to vote. Along with the President, Senators and Congressmen are elected as well, all of these officials take office in New Washington, a mega-city that encapsulates most of what used to be Alaska.

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The United African People
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AKA: Africa, The U.A.P.
The U.A.P. includes what was formerly: the continent of Africa.
The capital city is: Pretoria
The U.A.P. is an Autocratic nation, ruled by three High Generals. When one General retires, or is unfit to continue his command, the other two place a new High General in his place. A very undeveloped nation, the U.A.P. does not have any holdings on the Moon or other celestial body, though they are developing a space program that may one day rival that of The Federation.

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The European Union
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AKA: The Union, The EU.
The EU includes what was formerly: The United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Iceland, Switzerland. It also includes: Several fortress cities on the moon, and a large part of Venus.
The capital city is:London
The European Union is an autocratic jointly run group of countries. Each nation has a leader who sits in the House of Councilmen in London, and appear before the High Chancellor, the head of the EU. They are rivals of the U.E.E.S., and when not battling it out politically, they take to the battlefield.

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The Theocratic People of South America
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AKA: T.S.A., "God's Chosen"
The T.S.A. includes what was formally: All of South and Middle America. Several Fortress Monasteries on Mars.
The capital city is: New Jerusalem
The T.S.A. is a nation of religious fanaticism taken to the max. They are lead by the High Pope, a man said to be immortal, and the son of God. He is never seen in public, and instead his Cardinals carry out his commands. They are constantly at odds with The Federation, and tensions run high.

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The Asia Collective
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AKA: T.A.C.
The T.A.C. includes what was formerly: China, Hong-Kong, Korea, India, Mongolia, Vietnam, and the rest of South East Asia. It also includes: Several massive foundry cities on Mars.
The capital is:Beijing
The Asia Collective remains very neutral during the many conflicts that plague the world. A nation of business men and engineers, architects and scientists. They prefer to produce the weapons of war, as opposed to using them.

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[color=white][big]The Orion Incident[/big][/color]
[i][color=white]"A brush with death is sure to get anyone motivated."[/color][/i]

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[color=gray]Massive super-nations, futuristic weapons of mass destruction, a world in conflict, things were not always like this. Like with most world-changing events, it started with a simple shift that in turn tore down the old world order.

In the year 2094, a massive meteor named Orion X009 was struck by a passing comet, and it's course became aligned with Earth. The nations of the world, still acting independently, were slow to come to agreement on what to do. Bickering and arguing filled the U.N.'s chambers as diplomats and heads of states demanded or begged one another to assist them in coming up with a solution. With only 3 months until impact, several large railgun and missile platforms were constructed around the world, a last minute effort that had finally been agreed upon. As the meteor entered firing range, the railguns all fired in unison, and the missiles blew the meteor apart. While Earth was saved from an extinction event, the ensuing shower of smaller meteorites caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages all around the world. The countries, fearing complete financial and societal breakdown, quickly banded together to form larger super nations, hoping that a more centralized and authoritative government could lead to political and societal stability.

North America had gotten through the incident fairly unscathed, and the U.S. was actually one of the first nations to propose unifying to better make use of resources when it came to rebuilding destroyed infrastructure. Forming a treaty with Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Australia, the Pacific Federation was born, and acted as the basis for all of the other unified nations to follow.
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[color=white][big]In Conclusion[/big][/color]
[i][color=white]"Just end it already."[/color][/i]

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[color=gray]Natasha has seen conflict in Europe, Asia, America, the Moon, Mars, Venus, and even a brief deployment into Antarctica. And even now the war with the European Union shows no sign of slowing down, even as the combined armies of the U.E.E.S. and the Pacific Federation continue to assault them.

But Natasha doesn't mind that at all. Conflict has been drilled into her, it's part of her, it's in her nature to do battle and she wouldn't have it any other way. Broken bones just make her feel alive, and the flurry of emotions she feels as she dives headfirst into combat gives her a rush like nothing else.

Though most importantly, Natasha is well beyond her 'expiration date' by now. And every time she enters a battle her chances of not emerging rise higher and higher.
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