Throughout the halls of power at the UN Headquarters in New York, there are few staffers with sharper minds, more cunning strategies, or more raw force of personality than Layla al-Battani. With a ferocious dedication to her people, she can usually be found cajoling, corralling, and/or steamrolling UN. Representatives into working together for the betterment of their constituents, and the whole of humanity.
Lore[]
From TerraGenesis' Instagram account.
As the first research vessels began to land on Mars and the Earth's environment further declined, many Earthlings believed they were on the verge of being abandoned. And as with all critical moments in history, leaders of nations tended to be heavy on rhetoric, but light on solutions. The most effective governing bodies always needed a secret weapon, a behind-the-scenes operative willing to bargain, persuade and even threaten to forward their agenda. Such was the case for the UNSA's ascendance, with Secretary General David Muñoz inspiring the populace and Deputy Chief of Staff Layla al-Battani turning words into action.
Her swift appointment to Muñoz's first administration was met with a mixture of skepticism and audible groans. While many confused her for a political outsider since she'd so long avoided the spotlight, those in the know recognized Layla as the unyielding hand behind Muñoz's pre-UNSA political career. Her colleagues feared her appointment meant that heads would roll in the organization, and that previous political promises would soon go cleverly compromised. What happened instead is that al-Battani successfully gathered up the world's greatest experts in sociology and governance, and built their loyalty around not just Muñoz, but an ideal: the advocacy of human life over profit, and the preservation of Earth and its people as a condition of the UNSA's growing space program. Of course, those who disagreed were quickly dismissed from Layla's inner circle, with no shortage of colorful language.
Throughout their decades-long political careers, rivals sought to blame both Muñoz and al-Battani for Earth's continuing decline. But those with an eye towards facts knew that Layla's decisive hand had repeatedly steered the planet away from true disaster. And when a time of immense crisis known as The Sundering occurred in an instant, her peers recognized that there was no one else to turn to. Though she cleverly avoids the headlines and is unafraid of making enemies, few are willing to deny that al-Battani, the true force behind the UNSA, could be humanity's best hope.
Trivia[]
- She is Deputy Chief of Staff of the United Nations Space Administration.
- She is most likely named after Al-Battani (البتاني), a famous Arab astronomer and mathematician.
- Her first name, Layla (ليلى), means “night” in Arabic.