Coraline Briar

Early life
Coraline Briar was born in the city of Iron Harbor on Olea in the year 700 M41. The city is a major fishing port and so she grew up in a family that had worked in one of the many processing plants within the city. They were never wealthy but never really poor either but that would change when she lost her father to an industrial accident and she needed to enter the workforce at age 14. She would later note that working at that job gave her a lifelong skill with knives and taught her more about fish than she would ever want to know. 13 years into her job, one she grew to hate more and more with each day, she had finally had enough. She would leave the plant behind and sign aboard one of the fishing fleets. It was during this time that she met and married a fellow deckhand Simon Garnett. The couple had one child, their daughter Gretchen. He would leave them shortly after her birth in 730 and was killed less than 2 weeks into Imperial Guard service. She struggled to make ends meet for the next 18 years doing whatever it took to care for her daughter, she never remarried, one man was enough to convince her that marriage was not for and would only bring her more pain.

Imperial Guard service
'' “I’ve always taken care of myself Gretchen. You should focus on you. Repay my efforts in raising you by living your own life''”- her reply to her daughter’s officer to join the guard and send her money home. Women were already beginning to take charge of Olea at this time and by the 740s there were already discussions in the higher echelons of power about forming all female regiments and when the news of this reached Green Harbor Gretchen Birch signed up, seeing a chance offworld and a solid career. She would do the same- much like “Mama Cass” of the 3rd Light Infantry she received command of her own regiment when she found her own recruits from Iron Harbor and the surrounding cities. Her daughter Gretchen did get her chance to serve, acting as the XO of the 6th Light Infantry. The name “Beautiful Thorns” came from a comment someone made toward her. They remarked that while in her youth she had been a rose her hard life had made her “more of a beautiful thorn.” The nickname stuck.

While they were sent offworld and fought in various battles in the Kanye Cluster it was Rocks Fall that made her and her unit famous. While the male Olea soldiers were initially unsure and almost afraid to fight alongside female soldiers they were proven wrong. While the Ork WAAAGH was large it was also slow. The heavier units better suited to standing and fighting did while they tried to slow it down further by targeting its leaders and vehicles. With the arrival of Battlefleet Medici and descent of the WAAAGH into infighting they kept that fighting going, using their speed and mobility to assassinate aspiring warbosses and keep them fighting. With the completion of the campaign they were sent to other battlefields against other foes.

Personality and appearance
In her youth she was something of a beauty- with thick black curls. however age and stress drained the color from her hair turning it gray. Her life also knocked any sense of humor out of her leaving her grim and focused. However the difficult times of her life did not remove her caring. When her daughter grew up she transferred her maternal instincts to the women in her unit, seeing them as the daughters she never had. As such she was an incredibly careful commander, always weighing the risks and not committing her command unless the risks were worth the rewards. So far it's served her well.

Gear
She favors the Olea Combat Shotgun and fighting knife, alongside a collection she brought from home. like the women under command and the Olea light infantry as a whole she also wears Ishtar pattern armor.

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''Do I worry? Of course I worry every mother does. do I want Gretchen as my XO not necessarily but what can I do? if something happens to me I'll finally have found peace. Something happens to her I'll be at the Emperor's side right behind her.''