Editing Maximilian Liao

{{Update Needed|[[Handbook: House Liao]]}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Maximimilian Liao.jpg
| caption             = Maximilian Liao
| name                = Maximilian Liao
| birthdate           = [[2964]]
| died                = 21 April [[3036]]<ref name=H:BWp14>''Historical: Brush Wars'', pp. 14–15: "Maximilian Liao"</ref>
| othernames          = The Diablo
| affiliation         = [[House Liao]]
| rank                = 
| title               = [[Duke of Liao]]<br/>[[Duke of Sian]]<ref>''BattleTech Third Edition'', p. 46: "House of Liao"</ref>
| position            = [[Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation|Chancellor]]
| profession          = Noble
| parents             = [[Tormax Liao]] (father)
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = [[Elizabeth Jordan (Capellan Confederation)|Elizabeth Jordan]]
| children            = [[Candace Liao]]<br/>[[Romano Liao]]<br/>[[Tormano Liao]]
}}
'''Maximilian Liao''', nicknamed "The Diablo," was Chancellor of the [[Capellan Confederation]] during its darkest days in the [[Fourth Succession War]].<ref name=HLMax>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 51: "Maximilian"</ref><ref name=HLCoK>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 55: "Concord of Kapteyn"</ref>

==History==
===Early life===
Born on [[Capella]] as the son of [[Tormax Liao]], Maximilian was the nephew to [[Chancellor]] [[Ingrid Liao]]. In [[2980]], Ingrid died without issue, and Tormax became Chancellor with Maximilian as his heir. These were dark times for the Confederation, with House Liao surrendering territory on nearly every front.<ref>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', pp. 50–51</ref> This was the setting in [[2990]], when Maximilian orchestrated a coup of his father's throne, luring his father off of Sian by staging minor religious rebellions on various key worlds and winning the support of the [[Red Lancers]] and the [[Warrior House|Warrior Houses]].<ref name=HLMax /> Maximilian had his father assassinated by poison in [[2992]].<ref name=H:BWp14/>

===Chancellor===
Early on, Maximilian imposed a number of successful military policies early in his reign, placing greater authority in the hands of regimental commanders. This gave the [[Capellan Confederation Armed Forces|CCAF]] the tactical flexibility it needed to properly defend a domain the size of the Confederation. He also expanded the number of Warrior Houses from four to eight. These elite units would be loyal solely to him. Finally, he increased recruitment to the [[Death Commandos]], an even more fanatically loyal unit.<ref>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 51: "Warriors vs. Regulars"</ref><ref name=H:BWp14/>

As early as [[2997]], he began allocating tremendous resources towards the [[Maskirovka]], with the goal of undermining the [[Federated Suns]] with special projects ranging from minor global rebellions to sabotage to damaging their scientific community through kidnappings and assassination.<ref name=HLDQ>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', pp. 53–54: "The Davion Question"</ref><ref name=H:BWp14/>

In [[3014]], Maximilian supported [[Anton Marik]] in the latter's attempts to usurp his brother, [[Janos Marik]], as [[Captain-General]] of the [[Free Worlds League]]. Maximilian contacted Anton in [[3003]]. To that end, he transferred the contract to the elite [[Wolf's Dragoons]] regiments to Anton's control, and provided financial support as well. Some reports indicate he had even promised Anton the hand of his daughter, [[Candace Liao]], should he have been successful. In the end, Anton failed in his bid and was killed. Nevertheless, House Marik had been weakened and distracted, and it would take time for them to recover. This served Maximilian well, allowing him to focus his attentions elsewhere.<ref>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 52: "Dealing with Marik"</ref><ref name=H:BWp14/>

In [[3020]], he began dealing illicitly with [[Michael Hasek-Davion]], Duke of the [[Capellan March]] and a rival of [[First Prince]] [[Hanse Davion]]. From that point on, Hasek-Davion began covertly supporting the Confederation with information.<ref name=HLDQ /><ref name=HLBio>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 123</ref>

In [[3024]], in direct response to the [[Federated Commonwealth|FedCom Accords]], Maximilian met with [[Takashi Kurita]] and his old enemy, Janos Marik, as they signed the [[Concord of Kapteyn]]. This was an agreement of mutual support against their common enemies, [[House Davion]] and [[House Steiner]]. Though some back-and-forth raids would continue between the Confederation and the Free Worlds League, his borders became more stable than they had been in decades.<ref name=HLCoK />

===Operation DOPPELGANGER===
The leader of a nation continually at war with [[House Davion]] and the [[Federated Suns]] after the dissolution of the [[Star League]], Maximilian Liao almost managed to substitute a mind-wiped double for Prince [[Hanse Davion]] of the Federated Suns in [[3025]], a plan dubbed [[Operation DOPPELGANGER]]. Only ingenuity on the part of [[Ardan Sortek]] and the security system on Hanse's ''[[BattleMaster]]'' allowed Hanse to reclaim his identity and kingdom. Hanse later used this act by Maximilian Liao to justify the [[Fourth Succession War]].<ref>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 53: "Cloning Hanse"</ref>

===Marriage and children===
After the accidental death of his first wife, he married the ambitious Lady [[Elizabeth Jordan (Capellan Confederation)|Elizabeth Jordan]].<ref>''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 126: "Elizabeth Jordon Liao"</ref> He had three children: [[Candace Liao|Candace]], [[Romano Liao|Romano]], and [[Tormano Liao|Tormano]].

===Fourth Succession War===
On 20 August [[3028]], Maximilian attended the wedding of [[Hanse Davion]] and [[Melissa Steiner]] at [[ComStar]] Headquarters on [[Hilton Head]], [[Terra]]. At the newlywed couple's wedding reception, as Hanse fed Melissa a piece of their wedding cake, Hanse announced the immortal words:

{{quote|Wife, in honor of our marriage, in addition to this morsel I give you a vast prize. My love, I give you the [[Capellan Confederation]]!}}

Maximilian, along with everyone else present, was absolutely shocked by this revelation. Then Maximilian did the unexpected: he jumped to his feet, gathered up the dishes that he used for the wedding feast, and began screaming insults at Hanse.

A bewildered [[Candace Liao|Candace]] then tried to calm down her raging father, to no avail. [[Justin Allard]], who was sitting at the same table, paid no attention to Maximilian's ranting. He calmly picked up his wine glass and raised it in a toast to Davion, congratulating him not only for his marriage to Melissa, but also for instigating the [[Fourth Succession War]], and humiliating Hanse's (and secretly, Justin's) already mentally deranged enemy (i.e. Maximilian himself). Hanse further enraged Maximilian by completely ignoring him, instead lifting his wine glass and calmly returning Justin's toast.

Once Maximilian wound down, he angrily stormed out of the ComStar "cathedral" and led his delegation back to their [[DropShip]], immediately departing for the Confederation.<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', p. 236</ref><ref>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 9</ref>

Hanse Davion launched the Fourth Succession War as a punitive measure against Maximilian. Liao's realm was crushed by the Davion onslaught; the [[Capellan Confederation Armed Forces]] was barely one third the size it was at the beginning of the war. Two of his three children defected from the Confederation. By the war's end, Maximilian was no longer mentally capable of acting as Chancellor.<ref>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas'', Vol. 2, pp. 92–93: "End of the War"</ref>

===Death===
The Fourth Succession War broke Maximilian's mind and he was committed to an insane asylum. Though technically still Chancellor, his daughter Romano ruled in his stead. In [[3036]], he died of an apparent suicide, though it was speculated he had been assassinated.<ref name=H:BWp14/>

==Personality and Traits==
Though history would remember him as the madman he became during the Fourth Succession War, Maximilian was an extraordinarily clever planner and manipulator. He reversed what had been a collapsing military, ultimately achieving a position of surprising strength. He secured his throne by playing various sides against each other, and later secured his borders by playing the same game on a [[Inner Sphere|Sphere]]-wide level. He was even willing to play such games between his children, demonstrating a cold ruthlessness. For most of his reign, he was quite successful despite possessing considerably less resources than his rivals. His grandson, [[Sun-Tzu Liao]], would use similar tactics decades later, reversing most of the losses that had broken Maximilian. Despite this, Maximilian was considered a megalomaniac and manic-depressive in the best of times. This helped to allow [[Justin Allard|Justin Xiang]] to win his complete trust, with devastating results. The complete failure in the Fourth War was too much for his mind to stand, and he fell into complete insanity.<ref name=HLBio /><ref name=H:BWp14/>

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''It is obvious to me that most despotic forms of social organization are suitable for inert men such as we rule today. Our peoples are satisfied with the static station life has given them. For them, even the most abstract, the most symbolic forms of freedom are enough. Just keep in mind that your job is to keep them blissfully ignorant at all times, happy without exciting their senses to the point where they actually start thinking for a change.''|Private letter from Maximilian Liao to his daughter Candace<ref name="HL(TCC)p51">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 51: "Recent History"</ref>}}

{{Quote|''Treaties? Don't talk to me of treaties. Scraps of paper can never stand against a fully charged laser...Still, I'll use any weapon I can find.''|Maximilian Liao to Tormano Liao<ref name="HL(TCC)p51"/>}}

{{Quote|''I own the state.''|Maximilian Liao, Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation, ca. [[3020]]<ref name="HL(TCC)p58">''House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)'', p. 58: "The Chancellor"</ref>}}

{{Quote|''“Send him in. It has been too long since I have eaten a Davion envoy alive. This I shall enjoy.''|Maximilian Liao, upon hearing of the engagement of Hanse Davion to Melissa Steiner, 15 October [[3027]] <ref name="W:Rpch2">''Warrior: Riposte'', ch. 2</ref>}}

{{Quote| ''"Gather up the plates! They’re military intelligence! They show the worlds he means to conquer!"''|Colonel Morgan Kell, paraphrasing Maximillian Liao's reaction to Hanse Davion's declaration of the Fourth Succession War via commemorative plates at his wedding reception.  21 August [[3028]] <ref name="W:Rpch42">''Warrior: Riposte'', ch. 42</ref>}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Maximilian-liao.jpg|Maximilian Liao, Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation
Maximilian Liao HDTFS.jpg|Maximilian at age 61 in [[3025]]
Maximilian Liao (2).jpg|At age 66
Maximilian-Liao MechWarrior.PNG|From ''[[MechWarrior, First Edition]]''
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|FedCom Civil War]]''
* ''[[Historical: Brush Wars]]''
* ''[[House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)]]''
* ''[[NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2]]''
* ''[[The Sword and the Dagger]]''
* ''[[Warrior: Coupé]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Warrior: En Garde]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Warrior: Riposte]]'' (novel)
{{div col end}}

[[Category:Capellan Confederation Characters|Liao, Maximilian]]