Editing Anson Marik

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| name                = Anson Marik
| birthdate           = 
| died                = 5 June [[3138]]<ref name=TLCc29>''The Last Charge'', ch. 29</ref>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Marik-Stewart]]
| rank                = [[Captain-General of the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth|Captain-General]]
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = Noble
| parents             = 
| siblings            = [[Philippa Marik (32nd c.)|Philippa Marik]]<ref name=BT:Lp166>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 166</ref>
| spouse              = [[Irene Dwyer]]<ref name=TEP>''The Eagle's Plunge''</ref>
| children            = [[Kenyon Marik (32nd c.)|Kenyon Marik]]<ref name=TEP/>
}}
'''Anson Marik''' was a [[thirty-second-century]] leader of the [[Marik-Stewart Commonwealth]] who was a direct bloodline heir to the throne of [[House Marik]] and the [[Free Worlds League]]. He was descended from [[Captain-General of the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth|Captain-General]] [[Corinne Marik]], the last leader of the united League before its collapse during the [[Jihad]].

==Character Description==
Anson Marik was a large man who was prone to angry outbursts and abusive language. He used verbal abuse to vent his frustrations while using his "victims" as sounding boards for his ideas.

His fiery personality was well known and dreaded. Like the other nobility of the shattered Free Worlds League, he competed with other member states for dominance of the former League realms. His most hated rival was [[Jessica Marik]], Captain-General of the [[Oriente Protectorate]]. As she began to expand her realm after the fall of the Republic, he was forced to ally himself with rival [[Lester Cameron-Jones]], the Captain-General of the [[Regulan Fiefs]], in an attempt to thwart Jessica's plans to re-form the league in her name.

His greatest achievement was the re-formation of the vaunted [[Silver Hawk Irregulars]] regiment. His efforts enabled the unit to outlive him after fall of his Commonwealth to Lyran Commonwealth invasion.

==History== 
In March of [[3135]], he granted [[Christopher Marik (32nd c.)|Christopher Marik]] entry into his realm to ski K20, a mountain on [[Autumn Wind]] standing twenty kilometers high.

Anson later attended the funeral of [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] in May of 3135. There he encountered his rivals from the League and fell to bickering endlessly with them. He and Lester met Jessica's daughter [[Nikol Halas-Hughes Marik|Nikol Marik]] at a grand ball, attempting to gauge the possible heir to Jessica's throne.

Anson began to form his overall strategy for shoring up his realm's defenses against the coming Lyran invasion after hearing reports from his undercover SAFE agent, "SnowLilly", placed in the Lyran royal courts. Among other preparations, he began to secretly assemble a new Regiment of fighters to aid him in coming fight with the Lyrans, only revealing this to his leading commanding officer and confidante General Daniella Briggs. He also secretly moved his capital from [[Marik]] to [[Atreus (FWL)|Atreus]] in preparation for the invasion. He left General Briggs in charge of the defense of Marik, using the world as a trap for the future Lyran invasion.

However, his old capital world of Marik was invaded in October by [[Spirit Cats|Clan Spirit Cat]]. The Marik-Stewart reinforcements Anson had sent were delayed by Oriente Protectorate aerospace forces. The bitter nine month conflict for Marik ended in June [[3137]] with victory for Clan Spirit Cat, [[Clan Sea Fox]] and their "allies", the Oriente Protectorate. General Daniella Briggs was killed in the fighting. His closest advisor, [[Cole Daggert]], chief tactical advisor to Anson, repeatedly tried to resign from his position due to the mounting failures of the Commonwealth's defense forces. Anson refused his resignation each time without explanation.

In early May of 3137, Anson announced the re-formation of the Silver Hawk Irregulars to the public. An expensive project, he planned to use the Hawks to inspire his people to resist enemy occupation. Per Anson's instructions, the Hawks began the training of planetary civilians and militia forces in guerrilla tactics. In June, the Lyran invasion hit the Commonwealth and as planned the Silver Hawk Irregulars forces planted on various worlds provided the military with reinforcements.

In early [[3138]], he successfully bargained with [[Clan Sea Fox]] to allow [[Stewart]] to become part of the Commonwealth. Anson and various members of Commonwealth's parliament traveled to Stewart, making it the Commonwealth's new capital world. The citizens of Stewart held antiwar protests directed solely at Anson to his considerable frustration. At one point his motorcade arrived directly at a rally of aggressive protesters. Anson's security team were forced to chase him as he ran into the crowd, and ultimately used a tazer on him to pull him back to safety. He later held a televised conference with the people of the Commonwealth in the parliamentary hall on Stewart. Anson tried rally his subjects to fight the Lyrans but was met with vociferous protests from his powerless prime ministers in the audience. With Anson's approval, Chief Tactical Adviser Cole Daggert ordered the Silver Hawk units to [[Helm]] in an attempt to distract Lyran forces from attacking the capital. 

By May, the Lyran invasion was joined by [[Clan Wolf]] forces at the [[Battle of Helm (3138)]]. The Clanners stormed Helm's capital city of Helmdown. The Silver Hawks were able to fight off the initial offensive against the city using an elaborate trap. However, the Hawks were subsequently recalled to Stewart and left behind only a few light companies to fight to the death against the invaders. Their commanding officer was killed, further leaving the Hawks in disarray. This led some of the Silver Hawk forces to attempt a surrender, but they were quickly slaughtered by Clanners. Anson received word that 50 to 100 personnel (military and support alike) had been slaughtered, which was later labeled the ''Helm Massacre''. This event shocked Anson, causing him to become withdrawn and ignore almost everyone. Daggert tried to stir him into action to rally his troops and people, but only when Daggert mentioned that the world of [[Ariel]] had asked protection from "Captain-General" Jessica Marik did he stir and give a fiery response. However, unlike before, his tone was less aggressive and instead seemed more grief-stricken. Anson finally confided to Daggert that he continually refused his general's resignation because he was he only person Anson could trust to give him the straight truth. Reanimated, Anson inspired Daggert to come up with an unlikely solution that would give him a form of "victory". The two men set about creating an elaborate trap on Stewart as part of a secret plan to save all Marik people from their Lyran oppressors and give them a new hope for the future.

On June 5th, Lyran-Wolf "coalition" forces arrived and invaded Stewart. Anson ordered only a few companies of the Silver Hawks to remain in the capital city of New Edinburgh. The city was surrounded by mines and dug-in militia forces. Anson and Daggert planned to deceive the enemy into thinking Anson would attempt an escape to a nearby temporary DropShip port, while in reality the remaining Silver Hawks had been secretly sent to the MacDonald City DropShip port and ordered escape to [[New Hope]]. Daggert successfully lured the enemy into the city who were attracted to a motorcade of limos moving towards the temporary DropShip port. Leading elements of the invasion force attempted to capture the motorcade while battling Silver Hawk defenders. [[Vedet Brewster|Duke Vedet]] and his command lance cornered the motorcade only to fall victim to a powerful explosion that nearly killed the Duke. Anson ordered Daggert to flee with the remaining Silver Hawks.

===Death and Legacy===
Making a final stand in New Edinburgh palace, Anson Marik and some selected guards fought to the death to defend the building. Anson chose to remain to behind and die fighting to preserve the Silver Hawks. His death satisfied the invasion force and removed the need for the Lyran forces to hunt the fleeing Silver Hawks down and continue the war against other Marik-Stewart worlds. His last moments were covered up by Lyran government officials in an attempt to cow the captured population into submission, as they had resisted the Lyrans on other worlds.
Anson's death was one of the key points of Operation Hammerfall. Perceived as the end of his Commonwealth, and by the Lyrans as a major victory that would end the supposed "threat" of the Free Worlds League remnants, in reality his death removed the last obstacle to the League's reunification. 
The unprovoked attack from the Lyrans caused the former League states to set aside their differences and reunite in a reborn Free Worlds League under Jessica Marik's rule. The remnants of the Commonwealth were absorbed by the League.

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[BattleTech: Legends]]''
* ''[[The Eagle's Plunge]]'' (short story)
* ''[[Fire at Will]]'' (novel)
* ''[[The Last Charge]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Pandora's Gambit]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Sword of Sedition]]'' (novel)

[[Category:Free Worlds League Characters|Marik, Anson]]
[[Category:Captains-General|Marik, Anson]]