| “ | If he's so good, why is shipped around the fleet as a replacement pilot instead of in charge of a squad like J. T. ? | ” |
| Yuri Stavrogan | |
|---|---|
 Yuri Stavrogan, Commander of Fox Squad | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Terran |
| Faction | Exo-fleet |
| Position | Squad Commander
|
| Appearences | {{{Episodes}}} |
Voiced by Scott McNeil.
Introduction[]
A hot headed replacement E-frame pilot, he has little respect for authority and even less for rules. Frequently acting like a hot shot and getting younger pilots in trouble because of it, Stavrogan was shipped around the Exo-fleet as a replacement or temporary pilot.
While his skills as a pilot are substantial, and his instincts sharp, his attitude toward authority is one of disrespect and near-contempt. Constantly at odds with officers, Stavrogen has few friends in the higher ups.
Part way through the war, Stavrogen was assigned to Able squad to replace Torres while she was on earth duty with the resistance. Latching on to Kaz Takagi, he filled Kaz's head with ideas to show off and conform to his way of thinking. Because of his influence on Kaz, a temporary rift between J.T. Marsh and Takagi formed, and Marsh trusted Stavrogen that much less.
Following the operation to retake Mercury Stavrogan was shipped off to O'Hare's E-frame repair unit.
History[]
Battle for Mercury[]
Yuri's first appearance was in the episode The First Step. In the beginning, he and Kaz Takagi were joy riding their e-frame and Exofighter through Port Chaos, which earned them a reprimand from JT Marsh. Marsh was clearly irritated when Yuri recalled that as an ensign, Marsh himself indulged in joy riding too.
Following Admiral Winfield's briefing on the Exofleet/Pirate invasion of Neo Sapien occupied Mercury, Bronski and Takagi were discussing their plans to shoot down as many Neos as they could. Yuri warned them that a legendary Neo pilot called Thrax was a lot better than them and his blood red e-frame (an EL-909 Y-wing) would certainly signify his presence. Marsh reminded the squad that their main mission would be to support the jump troops invading the Mercury base rather than 'chasing legends.'
Yuri suggested that he and Takagi team up to shoot down Thrax, which the latter agreed to. During the first clash between Exofleet and Neo e-frames over Mercury, Yuri and Takagi teamed up to pursue Thrax, with Takagi going so far as to disobey Marsh's to return to their original mission by faking communications problems.
Thrax was able to evade and outmanoeuvre Yuri and Takagi before Marsh chased him off. On returning to their exocruiser baseship, Marsh confronted Takagi about his insubordination but Yuri covered for Takagi, repeating the lie about his comms system being shot out.
When the Exofleet e-frames were called out to meet Glycon (the Mercury base commander)'s counter attack on the jump troops, Takagi was grounded by Marsh who was not convinced that Takagi’s comms was damaged in battle. Stavrogan tried unsuccessfully to console Takagi, promising to bring back a piece of Thrax’s Y-wing.
While the majority of the available e-frames were defeating Glycon’s forces on the Mercury base, Thrax led a counterattack on the Exocruiser. Takagi shot down some of the Neos with his Exofighter but attracted the wrath of Thrax when he killed his comrade Sharos. Stavrogan, returning with Marsh and Able Squad to the Exocruiser helped Takagi to shake off Thrax’s pursuit by scoring a glancing blow on the latter’s Y-wing.
After the battle, Stavrogan visited Takagi, (who had been shot down but spared by Thrax) in the infirmary to bid his farewell as he was being transferred to an e-frame repair unit. Apparently Marsh and Stavrogan had also resolved their differences, acknowledging each other politely as the latter departed.
Mission to destroy the Neo Warrior Breeding Complex in Antarctica (Trial by Combat; The Perfect Warrior)[]
Stavrogan eventually got his first command (on screen) as leader of Fox Squad. Along with a company of jump troops, the mission was to destroy a Neo Warrior breeding complex which had been located by Earth resistance in Antarctica.
Meeting no resistance, Fox Squad and the jumptroops stormed the facility only to find it empty. However, Neo Warriors which had set an ambush quickly overran and wiped out the jumptroops and Fox Squad, who had no means of escape when the evacuation shuttle was destroyed. Stavrogan was the only survivor of the disaster…. But was eager to avenge his lost comrades when Able Squad was tasked to locate the complex for a renewed jump troop assault, which the resistance insisted was still active. Personal feelings aside, Stavrogan was a natural choice to join Marsh’s squad since he had been to the area before and would be familiar with the terrain.
While planting sensors to track Neo movements around the complex’s suspected location, Marsh was abducted by Neo Warriors. When Takagi (who was with Marsh but was left behind to die by the Neos) was rescued by the rest of Able Squad, he was eager for them to split up and look for Marsh. Stavrogan – who by now was more measured and less hot headed than in the past – overruled him, emphasizing that their mission was to find the breeding complex. Also, it would also be wiser to allow the emplaced sensors to pinpoint the complex’s location and not to stumble around a blizzard at night. Despite their desire to retrieve Marsh, Nara Burns and Rita Torres reluctantly agreed with Stavrogan’s reasoning. For the first time Stavrogan and Takagi disagreed openly, with the younger trooper accusing his friend of losing his nerve while the former threatened to ground him.
The following day, Marsh eventually made contact with Able Squad after surviving and escaping the Neo Lords. Flying Takagi’s impounded Exofighter, Marsh planned to destroy the complex from within and leave his comms open so that the jumptroops could pinpoint its location.
Stavrogan, along with Able Squad assisted Avery Butler’s platoon in clearing the Neo Lords from the complex’s perimeter. Marsh revealed that he would use the fusion pak in the Exofighter to demolish the complex, even though Stavrogan reminded him that Alec DeLeon would be able to track the exofighter without an energy signature. Although Marsh insisted that Stavrogan should evacuate the jump troops and Able Squad without him, Stavrogan disobeyed by leading DeLeon into the complex through a steam vent while leaving Marsala to guard their entry point. Stavrogan’s e-frame arrived just in time to save Marsh, who the Neo Lord had dropped into the chasm leading into the now burning geo-thermal generator.
While Able Squad and the evac shuttle bearing Butler’s platoon departed the Antarctica complex, Marsh thanked Stavrogan for looking after his squad in his absence.
Search for Phaeton’s bunker (A Night Before Doomsday; Abandon Hope) []
During the campaign to liberate Earth, Stavrogan and Professor Algernon joined Able Squad in their search for Phaeton’s Doomsday Device in the vicinity of the Great Slave Lake. During their entry into the suspected superweapon’s location, he and Marsh battled various Neo Warriors, with the Able Squad leader remarking that he’ll hate to lose his old wingman so close to the end.
It was determined by Algernon that the antimatter for the doomsday device had already been moved to Phaeton City. While Marsh was reporting this development to Winfield, Neo e-frames sprang an attack. During the battle, Stavrogan moved into recover Nara Burns who was temporarily incapacitated by Albrecht Ketzer’s experimental injections on her but was struck directly by Shiva’s fire. Stavrogan’s e-frame crashed into the lake where he tried but failed to spring open his emergency escape. By the time Takagi – who himself had survived being shot down – reached his e-frame, Stavrogan had already succumbed to his injuries. With great sadness for his lost friend, Takagi built a funeral pyre which he lit before Marsala brought him back to the Exofleet.