Banderas, Antoinette.
Supreme Councillor Toinette Banderas
'Toinette Banderas (as she prefers to be known) was the Q5 High Council representative for the capital world, Marti, where she was born in 3153 ago.
Unusually in the Martian political system, with its long tradition of separation of civil and military powers, Banderas has a military background herself, having served in the Martian Marine Corps, where she achieved the rank of Major, and distinguished herself for bravery on numerous occasions, particularly the hunting down of the infamous cyborg pirate Thogan DeVix in Quadrant 8. However, her independent nature made her ill-fitted for the strict discipline of the Martian military, and in spite of her achievements she eventually found herself cashiered for refusing to obey orders during a terrorist attack on In The Clear.
Banderas returned home to Marti to a hero's welcome, however, and after the mandatory five years had elapsed from her leaving the Marine Corps, she was persuaded to stand for office as Mayor of New Jack City, the largest on Marti. She swept to power on a platform of slimming down government and 'red tape', combined with pro-gun legislation (the 'Banderas Bill' mandated the owning of firearms by MAFC citizens of voting age). Her slogans: "an armed society is a polite society" and "I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six" (pallbearers), became catchphrases throughout the Quadrant. Election as Quadrant 5 Regional High Council representative for Marti soon followed, and then the formality of electing the capital world representative as Q5 Supreme Councillor.
Her unorthodox, straightforward and uncompromising style, and a string of affairs with up and coming young actors and athletes, proved popular with the tough frontier worlds of Quadrant 5 and the tabloid press respectively. She is one of the rare breed of Martian politicians able to command significant support away from her own homeworld, and possibly even heal the growing rift between Q0 and the Martian frontier provinces.
More details of MAFC politics can be found here: http://www.mafc.info/index.htm
