Hannah Crescentia Rothschild-McGrady, 2nd Duchess of Nieuwvaalia, 2nd Countess of Rothstein, 10th Baroness Rothschild of Rothstein, 29th of Hertford, 33rd of Waidhofen GCMT DCGE OM (born 25 April 3243), better known by the diminutive form of her middle name Zenzi Rothschild, is a Terran spacer noblewoman, socialite, writer, civil servant, businesswoman, and politician who is the current government Secretary for the Occupied Territories. She is the eldest daughter of noted politician and nobleman, the late George Rothschild. She is the incumbent Chief Magistrate of Nieuwvaalia, the second holder of the second creation of the dukedom of Nieuwvaalia as a peer, and previously held the courtesy title Countess of Martenstad as her father's heiress. By courtesy she holds the titles Duchess of Wallerstein and Countess McGrady.
Zenzi is also married to esteemed State Security forces commander William McGrady. Prior to her marriage to General McGrady, she was a soldier in the Terran Imperial Army and later an agent of the Imperial Strategic Intelligence Agency. Since her retirement, she has acquired several government posts and civil service appointments, has become a prolific author and literary critic, and is actively involved in high society life on Earth.
Early life and education[]
Zenzi Rothschild was born on 25th April, 3243 to George Francis Rothschild, 9th Baron Rothschild of Rothstein, and his wife Deborah Rothschild. Both of her parents were Jewish, and being born the day before Passover was seen as fortuitous. Baron Rothschild poured a great deal of resources into his eldest daughter's upbringing. In interviews and in her autobiography, she has referred to her father as "firm" and her upbringing as "Spartan" compared to other children of her station and social class. Her father pushed at an early age to excel in school and extracurricular activities.
From age 5 to 10, she attended Wallerstein Girl's Hebrew School, and the Wallerstein Catholic Academy of St. Francis and St. Claire from age 10 to 18. It was at the Wallerstein Catholic Academy that she first met William McGrady. Both were members of the National Humanist Youth League office at the Academy, campaigning for students to join the party and become involved with politics. She participated and excelled in various sports, including archery, swimming, track and field, football, lacrosse, polo, horseback riding. She additionally chaired several school clubs, student associations, and participated in the Academy debate team, chess team, and the student government. She was also noted as a computer programmer and technology enthusiast. Upon matriculation, she graduated valedictorian and received numerous grants to pursue further education.
After secondary school, Rothschild applied for the Wallerstein police academy, joining the colonial police force in late 3261 as a recruit officer. She pursued higher education through correspondence courses in Justice Administration, earning an Associate of Arts degree after a year of intensive study. During this time, she received regular patrol duties as a young law enforcement officer. However, in November 3262, she tendered her resignation from the police force and enlisted in the Terran Imperial Army.
Military career[]
Army service[]
Rothschild enlisted on 2 November 3262 into the Imperial Army. She received preferential selection due to her education and skills into the illustrious Cavalry Corps. She shipped out for boot camp at Bittrich, the Inner Colonies provincial training depot in early February. She graduated basic combat training in April and continued onto Infantry School and Harsh Environment Training until May. She pursued further training as a combat engineer until July. Promoted to Specialist, her first posting was in a reconnaissance unit in the Outer Colonies with the 200th Cavalry Division, but she was transferred soon after to the 12th Guards Cavalry Division upon the mobilization of the 12th in 3264. She served in the police actions in the Perseid Frontier, assigned to a rifle squad with Specialist McGrady in the 1st Platoon, 505th Dragoons Battalion. Her role in the squad became that of a combat engineer and squad communications officer. At the colony world Nausicaa, she and the other members of the squad were key to foiling the terrorist siege of the Windy Heights Academy school building, with herself and SPC McGrady infiltrating the school building. However, the crisis was viewed as a debacle due to several dozen civilian deaths and injuries.
In September 3265, the Great War began and the 12th Guards Cavalry was mobilized for immediate deployment. The division first saw action against the Soviet Republic in December as reinforcing ground forces at the battle for Kalabaska, a large, hot terrestrial planet with vital industrial infrastructure and orbital installations. Almost the entirety of 1st Platoon was wiped out in the orbital shuttle drop, with Rothschild's squad being the only survivors; this earned the squad the moniker "Lonely Hearts". Rothschild was decorated with the Close Combat Badge during the course of the Kalabaska campaign.
The 12th Guards Cavalry was garrisoned at Kalabaska from March to August 3266. For eight months afterwards, they were redeployed for policing duties on various other worlds in the end-stages of capture. In May 3267, they were deployed as part of a large task force to capture the Khoz System. Along with two Marine divisions, and another fourteen reinforcing Army divisions, the 12th Guards Cavalry were landed on the surface of Khoz Prime. The Battle of Khoz turned out to be one of the largest battles of the Great War, with Khoz Prime being the locus of the battle. The fighting lasted six months, during which the 12th Guards Cavalry at first encircled Soviet forces but then themselves became encircled. Rothschild served eight eight consecutive days on the front lines, earning several decorations including the Close Combat Badge in Silver, the Infantry Assault Badge, and the Silver Star. At the height of the battle, she and the Lonely Hearts were dispatched on 4 November to re-establish communications with the 503rd Artillery Battalion.
Along the way, they assisted Army forces in City Zone 231 in breaking through Soviet patrol lines. However, half of the squad died in the city, including Staff Sergeant Pepper. Rothschild was injured along the way during an encounter with dangerous wildlife. The Lonely Hearts joined the 503rd Battalion's assault on a Soviet fortification, and Rothschild again distinguished herself during an infiltration of the fort's powerplant in her expert sabotage of Soviet machinery and equipment which rendered the fortress vulnerable. Upon return to base on November 9, Rothschild was awarded along with most of the other surviving squad, earning the Distinguished Service Cross and the Iron Cross as well as the Close Combat Badge in Silver and the Infantry Assault Badge in Silver. She was further decorated with two Wound Badges and recommended for discharge. Alongside William McGrady, she was discharged from Army service in January 3268.
Intelligence service[]
Rothschild enlisted in the Imperial Strategic Intelligence Agency the same day as her discharge from the Army. She served in the 9th Joint Special Forces Brigade as an ISIA field agent. The unit was tasked in 3268 with domestic security in support of the war effort, combating insurrection and treason through direct action and unconventional warfare. She attended leadership courses and was commissioned as an officer in July 3268, and worked with the ISIA until 3270 when it became part of the Imperial State Security Department. She became an inactive reservist in the Security Forces with the rank of Major.
Political career[]
After becoming a reserve officer of State Security, Rothschild entered into a political career. She had long been a member of the National Humanist Imperial Labor Party, and had held rank in the National Volunteer Force while serving in the ISIA. With the dissolution of the Party and the NVF in 3275, upon the creation of the Republic, she became an organiser with the Society of the National Revolution. She was appointed by her father to be his Deputy Governor of the planet of Nieuwvaalia, which she largely managed during his tenure as Vice Foreign Minister. She resigned the Deputy Governorship in 3280 to take up a post in the Ministry of the Interior as administrator of the Inner Colonies' civil defence organisation.
She served in this office until 3286, when she returned to Nieuwvaalia as Acting Governor after her father's death. She departed the office in 3288 when an actual Proconsul was appointed. She received an appointment in 3290 to the Ministry of the Interior as chief deputy to the Under-Secretary for the Occupied Territories, and director of the department's State Security liaison office. In 3296 she was appointed as Under-Secretary. As the general administrator of the department, she coordinated with the Ministry of State Security to police and control the occupied colonies in the Milky Way and the growing occupied areas in the Magellanic Clouds. She has also coordinated with other departments to encourage settlement and colonisation in the occupied territories.
As Duchess of Nieuwvaalia since 3286, she has held a hereditary seat in the Central Galactic Congress. She sits on the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and the Standing Committee on Alien Affairs.
Writing career[]
In between government appointments, Rothschild wrote prolifically and contributed to national publications as well as publishing books. She wrote an authorised biography of Dr. David McGrady in 3279. Much of her writing has been in film and literary criticism. Her critics have referred to her as the "chief propagandist" of House McGrady, but Rothschild has rebuffed such allegations.
Summary of Army and Paramilitary career[]
Enlisted in Wallerstein Municipal Police as an enforcer of the law on 1 May 3261. Went to Wallerstein Police Academy 5 May to 30 June 3261. Commissioned a Police Patrol Officer 1 July 3261. Assigned to patrol beat 1 July 3261 to 1 November 3262. Resigned from Wallerstein Municipal Police 1 November 3262.
Enlisted in the Terran Imperial Army on 2 November 3262. Went to Basic Training from 1 January to 2 March 3263, Infantry School from 12 March to 12 April 3263, and Harsh Environment Training 15 to 30 April 3263. Assigned to 1st Platoon, 505th Dragoons Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade of the 12th Guards Cavalry Division from 8 May 3263 to 1 January 3268.
Honourably discharged from Army service on 1 January 3268.
Enlisted in the Imperial Strategic Intelligence Agency as a field agent on 1 January 3268. Attended Political Training and Leadership Course from 21 June to 20 July 3268. Commissioned an Officer of Imperial Intelligence 21 July 3268. Commissioned a Reserve Officer of the State Security Forces 3 November 3270.
Dates of rank[]
Army[]
- Recruit (E-0) 28 October 3262.
- Private (E-1) 1 January 3263.
- Private First Class (E-2) 1 April 3263.
- Specialist (E-4) 9 May 3266.