Editing Gerald Marik (27th c.)

{{Cleanup|reason=review needed|date=September 2023}}
{{otheruses|one of several characters named Gerald Marik|the others|Gerald Marik}}

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| name                = Gerald Marik
| birthdate           = [[2632]]<ref name=HMTFWLpLOS&FT>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', foldout (p. 171 in PDF): "The Captains-General Line of Succession and Partial Marik Family Tree"</ref>
| died                = January [[2703]]<ref name=HMp23>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 23: "Like Father, Like Daughter"</ref>
| othernames          = The Avenger<ref name=HMTFWLpLOS&FT/>
| affiliation         = [[House Marik]]
| rank                = [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]]
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = 
| parents             = [[Liam Marik]] (father)<ref name=HMTFWLpLOS&FT/>
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = [[Andrew Marik]]<ref name=HMTFWLpLOS&FT/><br/>[[John Marik]]<ref name=HMTFWLpLOS&FT/><br/>[[Elise Marik]]<ref name=HMp23/><br/>[[Oliver Marik]]<ref name=HMp23/>
}}
'''Gerald Marik I''' was a Military Commander, Politician, and the twenty-eighth [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]] of the [[Free Worlds League]].<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 88: Captains-General in History / Gerald Marik - Character's age and status as leader of the League and name used for him</ref>

==History==

===Early Life===
Son of Captain-General [[Liam Marik]], Gerald was not a politician as his father was.  He married and had four children, Andrew, John, [[Elise Marik|Elise]], and [[Oliver Marik]].<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 171 (PDF edition): Gerald Marik's parentage of his four children, two who were killed in Scourge bombing</ref>

In his early career he would join the [[Free Worlds League Military]] and rise up through the ranks to become a [[general]]. When his father died, he was not chosen to take control of House Marik, this responsibility was past to his cousin, Terrence Marik. His last military command that he had served was with the [[Third Marik Militia]] until [[2678]].<ref name=HMTFWLpLOS&FT/><ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 26, 87–88: The Scourge of Death & Captains-General in History - pre-Captain-General history of Gerald mentioned briefly and from his father and cousin's mini-profiles</ref>

===Captain-Generalship===

====The pursuit of Scourge of Death====

In October 19th in [[2678]] on [[Marik]], Gerald was among family attendees at gathering of entire Marik Clan. Gerald's world would violently and utterly change when a bomb planted in his cousin's estate's library exploded. Thirty Nine member of his family would be outright killed in the blast, including his cousin, the sitting Captain-General Terrence Marik and his entire family.  Gerald would nearly have died as well if wasn't for remarkable feat of medical science.  His condition was questionable, as his family's priest gave him the "[[w:Last rites|Last Rites]]."  With efforts of [[Star League]] and Free Worlds League's medical science he would survive and recover within a month of the blast that took his family's lives.  He was fitted extensively with mechanical enhancements known as [[w:Bionics#In medicine|Bionics]].<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 23, 26–27: Backlash & the Scourge of Death - Economic problems that led to terrorist acts that killed him and majority of his immediate family</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 87–88: Kernath Marik & Terrence Marik - Terrence's background given more detail than previous published, while Kernath's profile reveals the location of the Dormuth place is on the planet Marik</ref>  Investigators during Gerald's recovery would discover on the estate cache supplies and survival gear for surveillance. A police investigator would discover a hidden tree house hidden among one of the nearby trees near Marik estate. From this vantage point is where the Agent working for the terrorist watched Gerald's family gathering and determine when to trigger the bomb.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 21 (PDF edition): The Heat of the Moment - Investigator memoirs tells tale how police discovered the assassin's means of killing the Marik family</ref>

Upon his recovery, Gerald was supported by the Free Worlds League's general population, Parliamentarian members, and rival nations such as [[Lyran Commonwealth]] and the [[Capellan Confederation]]. He would use every bit of this goodwill so he could get to seek out the murders. In one of his first acts he would dispatch his military and his intelligence agency, SAFE on the trail of the terrorist.  In course of the pursuit, civil liberties of the general population would be set aside for his pursuit.  However, speculation began to build, as Gerald would seem to be eliminating potential political rivals and have forces cross interstellar borders of the Star League member states hitting various targets in what he termed "police actions". These border crossing sometimes in the form of military strikes that were targeted against terrorist by the League's military forces in their efforts to seek out terrorist cells.  While doubt began to build over Gerald's actions, a revelation would be discover on [[Westover]], in the form of uncovered computer files. SAFE Agents would reveal that these allegedly files belonged to the Scourge of Death terrorist cell. The data files would list out to one group's backers, the ruling family of [[Principality of Regulus]], [[House Selaj]].<ref name=H:HMp26-27>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 26–27: "The Scourge of Death"</ref>

====War with Principality of Regulus and House Selaj====
The discovery on Westover would turn the pursuit for terrorist into armed conflict between political rival. Gerald would rule the Princes and D’mir of Regulus were guilty of treason and order their deaths for the killing in a mock trial on October 1, [[2679]]. Speculation of the truth of the guilt of the three Selaj Princes began to be questioned, but Gerald pushed ahead to pursue his prey anyway.

On hearing Captain General's order to submit, the three Princes of House Selaj would refuse Captain-General's authority, which they would order their Regulus Hussars regiments to stand by for repulse federal forces.

With revelations of possible conflict emerged, the Star League Defense Forces deployed additional troops to the region. The Captain-General would travel to Star League Naval Base on [[Oriente]], convince Star League regional commander. While not known for being an orator, Gerald gave emotional appealed to SLDF commander in the League, Admiral Millard Crichton, this was internal matter that justice must be done.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 22 (PDF edition): On the Trail of the Scourge and A Father's Plea - Gerald Marik's emotional plea with SLDF Admiral Crichton allow him to avenge his family and son without SLDF interference. Details of him traveling to SLDF base on Oriente</ref> The Admiral would be swayed by Gerald words and agreed not to interfere. Crichton instead deployed his troops on standby to provide humanitarian aid where it was need in what would be coming "civil war" between the two ruling families.<ref name=H:HMp26-27/> Admiral's forces, in the form of the SLDF Navy would remain outside of the Principality while Captain-Gerald's Federal forces engaged Prince Selaj's forces.  Battle between Gerald's forces begin on [[Hellos Minor]], where his force would engage the Hussars forces led by Prince D’mir Selaj’s in nearly a 4 week battle for control of the planet. However, the grind of combat would cause many of the Hussar soldiers to defect to Gerald's forces. Eventually, Marik's forces would rout Regulans from Hellos Minor, Prince D'mir would commit suicide as Gerald's force were about arrive at his estate on planet.

The Marik fleet would stream further into the Principality, where two weeks after fall of Hellos Minor, [[Harmony]] would soon fall to Gerald's Forces. Now closing in on Regulus itself by late December, many of House Selaj's troops would continue to defect. Believing they would not win war against Marik, Princes Puraj and Rajneesh would gather family, billions of monetary funds, their personal guards and flee to [[Magistracy of Canopus]] in January of [[2680]].  In their wake, Gerald Marik would turn his anger on the Princes associates that they left behind by imprisoning and executing them.<ref name=H:HMp26-27/><ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 22 (PDF edition): Gerald Marik's war with Principality of Regulus, including some details the war which are not mentioned in Handbook, like certain actions of the military campaign</ref>

====Later Years and Paranoia====
After the conflict had concluded, Gerald was not satisfied with its outcome. He found that he could not declare the Selaj menace had passed. He would expand mandates he given [[SAFE]] and the organization would retain their expanded budget to undertake the Captain-General's orders. His concerns would become paranoid, seeing threats from House Selaj from every turn. In his paranoid state of mind, he would expanded policing powers of SAFE watch the League's citizens and render Free Worlds League into a de facto [[w:Police state|police state]].<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 27: The Scourge of Death & Descent - Gerald's paranoia continues as he turns the League SAFE into secret police force and renders the nation into a de facto police state</ref>  However, general citizenry were largely unaffected and SAFE's activities would concentrated towards political members of Parliament and other ruling factions.

One notable later event during Gerald's rule was in [[2695]]. Frustrated trade unions in the Principality of Regulus would vote to undertake a series of work stoppages/strikes, disrupting the economy. Sensing his old enemy a foot, Gerald would go to the Parliament and state that the worker strikes were backed by Selaj influenced separatists.  He would appeal to them to seek authority to suppress them. The Parliament would grant him the authority with little resistance to act on his notion. In turn the Captain-General would suppress the uprising with bloody results, but however his people would find no evidence Selaj influence among the striking unionist.

Over the remainder of his rule, a professor named Thomas Menke of Western Merak Medical College briefly got notoriety for stating Gerald's bionics rendered him a nonliving individual and that he should resign his office.  Professor Menke's fame did not last long, with allegations that SAFE investigating his financial grants would lead back to corporations in Canopus space. However, the subject of Gerald's bionics would continue far past his rule as Captain-General.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 22: On the trail of Scourge - Past mentions police state not affecting the nation only politicians and individuals criticizing him like Professor Menke</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 27: Descent & Anti-Bionics Sentiments - Professor Menke's criticism of Gerald Marik updated and legacy.  Gerald's later info of his rule</ref>

====Death and Legacy====
In January of [[2703]], Gerald would die, leaving his daughter Elisa as his heir to the throne. Her devotion and love for her father, would influence her reign with even more paranoia that even Gerald himself had. Despite medical examiners ruling that Gerald died due to sustained injuries from bomb blast of 2678, Elise would announce as she was sworn in as Captain-General, that her father's death was suspicious and it was murder.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 23: Like Father, Like Daughter - Gerald's paranoia would influence his daughter Elise to out shadow his own fears of sedition. His children would end up fighting each in [[Marik Civil War (28th c.)|Marik Civil War]] due to his paranoia influences</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 27: Descent - Elise's influence of her father, accepting his paranoia as facts, would make her more monster than her father was</ref>

Due to his recovery with heavy use of bionics, the Free Worlds League in the centuries to come would grow considerably more anti-bionic/cybernetics due to his legacy of leadership and the hardships that followed in Civil War in [[twenty-eighth century]].<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 27: Anti-Bionics Sentiments - With addition to Professor Menke's opinions of Gerald Marik and Captain-General's reign, he would end up creating negative image of the use of bionics and cybernetics</ref>

Centuries later, it documents of his rule, would reveal that some of his heavy-handed purges were not just paranoia, but rational thoughts on dealing with future political problems. Using the leverage he had gained in seeking vengeance for his slain family.<ref name=H:HMp88>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 88: "Captains-General in History - Gerald Marik"</ref>

==Notes==
* Gerald was also known as "the Avenger" on House Marik's family tree for ruling the Free Worlds League. His moniker differentiated him from his descendants, who would be named for him with "II" and "III", respectively. He was also originally noted for being the XXVI (26th) Captain-General of the Free Worlds League,<ref name=HMTFWLpLOS&FT/> but later sourcebooks would list him as the 28th.<ref name=H:HMp88/>
* It should be noted, that the term "bionics" is not often used in BattleTech. The word is largely supplanted by the term cybernetics.<ref>''A Time of War'', p. 28: Universe Terms - Cybernetics term described</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Handbook: House Marik]]''
* ''[[House Marik (The Free Worlds League)]]''

[[Category:Captains-General|Marik, Gerald (27th c.)]]
[[Category:Free Worlds League Characters|Marik, Gerald (27th c.)]]