Gerald Marik (29th c.)

This article is about one of several characters named Gerald Marik. For the others, see Gerald Marik.


Gerald Marik II
Character Profile
Born 22 April 2801[1]
Died 3 March 2861[1]
Affiliation House Marik
Rank Captain-General
Parents Charles Marik II (father)[2]
Siblings Philippa Marik[2]
William Marik II[2]
Garth Marik[2]
Children Maxwell Marik[2]

Gerald Marik II became the thirty-seventh Captain-General of the Free Worlds League in 2854.[3]

History[edit]

Early Life[edit]

The eldest son of Charles Marik II, Gerald served on the front lines during the middle years of the Second Succession War, though the death of his brother William prompted his recall to Atreus in 2843. There, Gerald's place as successor to his father was cemented with the League Parliament.[4] In 2853, Gerald spearheaded a largely successful campaign aimed at Shiloh, although Lyran defensive strongpoints enabled House Steiner's troops to prevent the offensive from being a total success. Upon receiving news of Charles Marik's death in 2854, he returned to Atreus to assume the Captain-Generalcy.[5]

Reign as Captain-General[edit]

A veteran military officer, Gerald remained on Atreus for only nine weeks before electing to return to a field command, leaving Speaker of Parliament Joost VanCamp to manage the rear-echelon logistical work. Despite repeated offensives on the Lyran front, Gerald was unsuccessful in securing a total victory; instead, his efforts led to two salients of contested territory that would lead to renewed hostilities between Houses Marik and Steiner after his death.[6]

Against the Capellans, Gerald Marik's operations proved more successful. League troops, already advancing, accomplished even more when Gerald himself raised morale by visiting his soldiers and leading assaults. By 2861, the Free Worlds had reclaimed much of what had been lost during the ComStar War and even advanced beyond that border, although stiffening Capellan resistance and Parliamentary wrangling hindered the League advance. Nonetheless, Gerald Marik refused to heed advocates of a ceasefire, declaring that no peace was possible until all League territorial losses from the ComStar War had been recovered.[7][8]

Death and Legacy[edit]

In 2861, Gerald died suddenly of a heart attack while at his command post on Andurien; he was succeeded by his sister Phillipa who immediately, though ultimately unsuccessfully, commenced peace overtures with the League's neighbors. Initially, the death was accepted as being from natural causes, but soon rumors began circulating that more peace-minded elements of Parliament may have arranged for Gerald's death in an effort to end the war. Though nothing was ever proven, the conspiracy theory persisted.[9][1][8]

Gerald fathered a single child, Maxwell Marik, who became a Precentor in service to ComStar. Maxwell's serving ComStar over the League ensured that the two were not close, and so Maxwell's death during his father's reign did not have a great emotional impact on Gerald.[2][10][2]

Notes[edit]

House Marik (The Free Worlds League) and Second Succession War give conflicting dates for Gerald's death in 2861. The House Marik sourcebook states that Gerald died in December that year, while Gerald's biography in Second Succession War puts the date at 3 March.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Second Succession War, p. 91: "Gerald Marik II"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 House Marik (The Free Worlds League), foldout (p. 171 in PDF): "The Captains-General Line of Succession and Partial Marik Family Tree"
  3. Handbook: House Marik, p. 90
  4. Second Succession War, p. 66: "A Family Affair"
  5. Second Succession War, pp. 69–70
  6. Second Succession War, p. 70
  7. Second Succession War, pp. 70–71
  8. 8.0 8.1 House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 35
  9. Second Succession War, p. 72: "A Convenient Demise"
  10. Second Succession War, p. 71

Bibliography[edit]