Maria Grimaldi
| Maria Grimaldi | |
|---|---|
| -2667 | |
 | |
| Callsign | Minx |
| Place of death | Ayer's System |
| Allegiance | Terran Confederation, Society of Mandarins |
| Service/branch | Terran Confederation Space Force |
| Years of service | -2667 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Wild Eagles Squadron |
Maria Grimaldi was a Terran pilot of the Terran Confederation during the Terran-Kilrathi War. Unbeknownst to her superiors, she was also an agent for the Society of Mandarins. She went by the callsign "Minx".
Maria Grimaldi served during the Terran-Kilrathi War and attained the rank of Captain by 2667. During that year, she was assigned to the Wild Eagles, an elite combat squadron commanded by Major Todd "Maniac" Marshall. The squadron was composed of four test pilots flying the Morningstar heavy fighter, at the time the most powerful starfighter in the Confederation Space Force.
During her new assignment, Grimaldi and her squadron were assigned to the TCS Concordia as part of the squadron's initial duties. During a routine test flight, Grimaldi was left stranded after her fighter failed to make a jump, a persistent technical defect seen in the first Morningstars. She abandoned her craft and ejected after activating the self-destruct device, but her team could not retrieve her due to the lack of a tractor beam. Fortunately for Grimaldi, she was later retrieved by Colonel Christopher Blair.
Later, Grimaldi flew a routine patrol alongside Colonel Jeannette Devereaux in the Canewdon System, only to find themselves overwhelmed by an enemy strike force. Devereaux ordered Grimaldi back to the Concordia while she fought a delaying action to prevent the Kilrathi from capturing a Morningstar prototype. Blair, shocked at what he thought was a brazen move by Grimaldi in abandoning her wingman, set out to retrieve Devereaux, who held off the enemy long enough for Blair to bring her back.
During continued operations in Canewdon, Grimaldi revealed her true allegiance when she informed Chief Technician Janet McCullough that she was to fly the Morningstar on her latest mission, when in fact she was not assigned to any mission at that time. Pilots Jeffrey "Talon" Burkheimer and Markham "Crossbones" Colt discovered her activities, and attempted to prevent the launch. Grimaldi anticipated this move and detonated a series of explosives she had planted on the flight deck. The resulting explosion killed Colt, injured McCullough, and left Burkheimer permanently disabled, allowing Grimaldi to make a quick escape. Despite all attempts to capture her, Grimaldi eluded the Concordia pilots and fled to Ayer's Rock, the secret headquarters of the Society of Mandarins.
Upon arriving at Ayer's, Grimaldi delivered the Morningstar, which the Mandarins intended to give to their Kilrathi allies. Grimaldi then met Major Zachary Colson, Blair's rival and one of the most wanted men in the Confederation. She soon entered a romantic relationship with Colson, unaware of his sadistic and manipulative nature.
Grimaldi continued to serve the Mandarins and the Kilrathi faithfully in the days that followed. The Confederation eventually tracked her down to Ayer's, and a Special Operations Team led by James Taggart and Colonel Blair arrived to destroy the Mandarin network. They were eventually successful in destroying Ayer's Rock, but Colson and Grimaldi fled beforehand. However, Minx was forced to eject when her fighter absorbed too much radiation, and she was left for dead by Colson, who fled in the Morningstar. Dying from radiation exposure, Minx signaled Blair and begged him to kill Colson for her before she finally succumbed to her injuries.
