Bio.

GENERAL INFO.

Full Name: Katarina Arturivna Neschadymenko
Aliases: Mercy, Kat, 1st Lieutenant Neschadymenko
Gender and Pronouns: Cis Female; She/Her
Place of Birth: Lviv, Lvivshchyna, Central-West Ukraine
Heritage: White Ukranian
Date of Birth: August 7th, 1939
Age: 42
Parents:

Siblings: N/A
Children: N/A
Other Family: N/A

Allergies: N/A
Addictions: N/A
Mental Conditions/Disorders: N/A
Physical Conditions/Disorders: N/A

APPEARANCE INFO.

Features: Gaunt, tired features with strong cheekbones, a prominent, arched nose, and fuller lips. Katarina has notable shadowing and baggage around her eyes, as well as a cluster of sunflowers tattooed along hher left arm/upper torso over her heart.
Voice Claim: Olga Kurylenko
Eye Color: Amber
Hair Color: Red, honey-like brown
Hairstyle: Short, mostly straight bob with messy but blunt bangs.
Build: Athletic, on the lean side, with a long torso and broader shoulderse.
Height: 5 feet and 4 inches (approx. 160 cm)
Weight: 120 pounds (approx. 54 kg)

SOCIAL INFO.

Connections:

Relationship Status: Single
Sexuality: Asexual Lesbian (Closeted)

MISC. INFO

Katarina's characterization pulls heavy inspiration from the Ace Combat series, in addition to Project Wingman and Battle Fairy Yukikaze. There may be a time in the future where dedicated verses within these medias are made.

Katarina's aircraft is a modified Sukhoi Su-27, designed with heavy aircraft ordnance, sophisticated avionics and high maneuverability. Its primary purpose, in line with her role within the resistance, is to establish and maintain air superiority. She and her crew have dubbed it The Alkonost, inspired by the Slavic folklore creature. Her pilot's patch can be found HERE!

The Alkonost (creature) is a mythical bird-woman depicted wit a woman's head and a bird's body. It is the inspiration for both Mercy's name and pilot emblem. The Alkonost is known for her enchanting song that "brings joy and peace, but can also cause listeners to forget everything and desire more." As such, she exists as the counterpart to the Sirin. Popular interpretations state that the Alkonost's song is so powerful, that it could stop wars. This belief, in tandem with Katarina's flight style, are why the jet has earned the name.

Speaking of, Katarina is regarded by peers as a highly aggressive aerial fighter. Rumor has it that she's calculating and lethal, to the point of positioning her plane to deflect missiles away from critical components if she knows she's going to be hit (even if it sacrifices her targeting of the enemy). Likewise, she's noted to have a strong bond with her plane, regularly personifying it, speaking for its maintenance as if she were discussing a sick relative, and allegedly trusting it more than her own two eyes at times.

BACKGROUND.

Born in the fifth-largest city in Ukraine, Lviv, Katarina saw the ghosts of World War 2 in her young childhood. The Soviet Union annexed the region in 1939, the same year Katarina was born, then the region was taken by the Germans during the initial stages of Operation Barbosa in 1941. The evacuating Soviets enacted mass murders in the city prior to their retreat, and Katarina was just old enough to remember the widespread population transfers (massacres) of Poles between Communist Poland and Soviet Ukraine. This new regime would be the cause of much hardship in Katarina's youth, especially as a non-Galician Ukranian (which were viewed as "more aryanized" by the German Nazis). Even still, her childhood was much easier than that of her neighbors, especially her Jewish ones.

The core of her memories, though, lie during the Soviet re-occupation of Ukraine during the success of the Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive of July 1944. The Red Army's leadership was welcomed by her parents, especially in the later 40s after the cessation of World War 2 and full re-integration back into the Soviet Union. The transition was tough on Katarina, especially as many families she remembered did not come back during the resettling of Polish individuals, but she remained hopeful given her own's enthusiasm. This was, of course, until she began to grow up and opened her eyes to the world. Being raised with a very strict, uni-lingual education, it was only as Katarina entered her post-secondary education that she was exposed to the works of Polish, Jewish, and other groups impacted by the Nazi and Soviet occupations. Her studies may have revolved around engineering and data processing, but this did not stop her from taking several literary and historic electives. At some point, she even joined a student union that was centered on organizing and spreading independent ideals. This, naturally, landed her in a lot of trouble with both her family and the government. For a brief time, she kept her head down so that she could pursue a career in aeronautics. This would result in her finding a role within the Soviet Army as a technician, and earn her back in good graces with her family.

Unforuntately, once more, this did not last. Direct exposure to the Red Army opened the floodgates into the examination of human rights abuses. While much of the attention was, understandably, focused on Russian atrocities, Katarina knew that those ideals would spread dangerously, especially with talks of going beyond the Iron Curtain. Thankfully, though, she wasn't alone. Many people in her personal and professional life would express uncertainty at the growing crusade for European dominance. Katarina would find herself back in contact with her student union friends, and would begin to outwardly participate in anti-Soviet protests and demonstrations both in and out of uniform. She would be arrested several times throughout her 20s, with her final sentence being dealt after she'd helped intercept and sabotage munitions shipments. This time, her sentence seemed indefinite. Yet fortune was in her favor.

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THE COLD WAR

The prison she and her conspirators were sent to was fairly isolated; a converted military base that maintained some equipment for alternative forms of transportation. Not done fighting, this crew would end up meeting other prisoners who were part of a unified, armed resistance group and captured during their operation. Together, Katarina and others staged a prison riot and managed a narrow escape through stealing several worn-down jets. This would be the first time that Katarina flew after obtaining her pilot's license, and the freedom that came with it was intoxicating. Since that day, she has become a major name in the group's anti-aircraft missile defense forces, often flying in and out of areas surrounding the Vinnytsia Oblast. As such, she would eventually cross paths with an equally big name: Jason Hudson.

See, Hudson had a crew of multinational (primarily CIA) agents pursuing a man by the name of Perseus. Having heard the name circulated in rumors, Katarina spoke up and persuaded her commanding officer that a deal like this could get them the resources and funding they need to really bolster their operations. This, and it would deal a major blow to the Soviet Army. Reluctantly agreeing, a deal was struck and the resistance would become an extended arm of the crew. Katarina would often accompany her commanding officer to meetings with Hudson and his associates, and would meet Russell Adler and his protégé, Bell, many times prior to their raid on Solovetsky.

And that mission would be the last she heard from them, as the CIA would walk back on their deal and burn the bridge.