No one has forgotten her tattoo either. The infamous cerberus ravager - depicting a Chalauran mid hunt, prowling around the outside of a ship - that curled around her bicep, ink the colour of a twilight sky. After she passed, the tattoo became her symbol and many have since tried to replicate it - particularly those in the
Ravager Programme.
History
Before she made her legacy in Tau Cerberi, Astrid was a humble girl with humble beginnings. Her parents - Adrian and Mabel Ziegler - were working class citizens, but Astrid had always dreamed for more. As soon as she hit 18 she signed up to be a pilot for the ITI. She almost failed her entrance exam, but that near failure only made her work harder and climb higher until eventually she would become one of the ITI’s best pilots.
At 21 years old, she would take the Captains exam and pass with flying colours. She would captain the Rising Dawn for a year before stepping into the role of Captain on her old ship - the Hercules V.
She was considered for the first relay jump because of her passion not only for travelling space, but to make something more for herself. That drive, alongside her instinct and her impressive performance during the Captains exam, earned her a spot on the first jump over hundreds of other contenders.
After the jump, Astrid continued to impress. She helped to negotiate a peace between her fellow Terrans and the Osiryx Federation. As one of the signatories on the Sol-Cerberi Concordat, Astrid gained a lot of support among the people as a tried and tested leader and also forged a few lasting bonds with the higher ups in the Osiryx Federation.
Remnants of a Bitter Legacy
A lot of people believe that Astrid shared Jonas Sinclair's views on the Osiryx Federation. In reality, Astrid just wanted what was best for her people. Her hate was for the Federation’s values, not it’s people, but many people over the years have forgone that in favour of making it seem like Astrid’s views were the same as their own. It has left a bitter taste on her legacy; one that quite a few of the Cerberus Fleet’s current generals would rather get rid of than let fester.
Eventually, after a continuous battle of push and pull for extra ground or exemptions for certain activities, those bonds she shared with the Federation soured. She became disenchanted with the Federation. Before long every conversation became an uphill battle, one that Astrid was tired of losing.
Her continued efforts to better Terran lives in Tau Cerberi were met with awards and promotions. The former were something that Astrid often claimed she didn’t care about, whilst the latter allowed her to make real strides in her goals to create a new life for all Terrans in Tau Ceberi.
When she was promoted to General in 5313 UGY, she was given the opportunity to run the newly rebranded Cerberus Fleet. Initially she was excited by the promotion, but as with all things in her later years, the OF came to ruin it for her. Under the Sol-Cerberi Concordat, the Terrans couldn’t officially claim that the Cerberus Fleet was part of a military sector. Try as she might Astrid could not get the OF to rethink their stance on the matter. Not even her friendship with Hin-Alkor C'Tando would help, and their failure to help Astrid led to the final ties of their relationship being buried.
... Accessing Message Transcripts ...
The following file contains the last recorded messages between General A. Ziegler and Hin-Alkor C'Tando.
A.Ziegler > C’Tando, as much as we may disagree, you know that I am right in this. The Osiryx Federation has been unwilling to give any leeway to my people and I can only quell their anger for so long. We have done as the OF have asked, time and time again. We have given so much of ourselves when they refuse to. If you would just seek an audience with the OF and explain this to them, perhaps they will be more willing to change.
C’Tando > Astrid, I apologise, but even I only have so much sway. My time as Alkor has long since passed and, as much as they value my opinion, they will remain steadfast on this. The more you ask of them, the more they will punish you for it. And I tell you that as a friend.
A.Ziegler > Do you not understand? My people have come too far for the OF to punish them for their exploration. If we don’t gain ground now, we never will, and the generations that come after us will pay for our mistakes.
C’Tando > I understand. I promise you, I do. But my hands are tied.
At 35 years old, Astrid married fellow general Henrich Carlton. They would have two children, Aldrich and Mabel, the latter of whom Astrid named after her own mother. Aldrich would build upon her legacy in the Cerberus Fleet, whilst Mabel would go on to gain a seat on the Novus Council. Her family would create the foundation of every Terran's legacy in Tau Cerberi, working in most instances towards a better and brighter future.
She retired at 61 years old and would live out the rest of her years on the planet Solstriene.
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