Duncan Marik

Duncan Marik
Personal
Born	2986
Died	4 February 3037
Affiliation	House Marik
Profile
Profession	Captain-General of the Free Worlds League
Family
Parents	Sylvia Marik (mother)
Children	Carlos Marik

Duncan Marik (2986 – 3037) was the nephew of Captain-General Janos Marik. He assassinated his uncle and briefly seized the throne of the Free Worlds League in 3035.

History

Early Life and Military Career

Duncan was the only son of Janos' sister, Sylvia Marik, who died in childbirth. He showed a natural aptitude for both piloting a BattleMech and military command, and quickly went through the ranks of the FWLM. By 3025, he was the Supreme Commander of the Marik Militia regiments.

Despite his successes (or perhaps because of them), Janos never looked at Duncan as a potential heir, seeing too much of Janos' rebellious brother, Anton Marik, in his nephew. Duncan never bothered to conceal his ambition for the throne.

In 3019, he gave a speech in Parliament supporting his uncle's decision to hire Wolf's Dragoons after Anton's Civil War.

Andurien Succession and Ascension

The 19 March of 3035, Janos Marik was fully recovered from his stroke and well enough to resume the Captain-Generalcy. Thomas Marik's strategy of slowly isolating the Duchy had done its job and the time seemed right for the Free Worlds League to go on the offensive and return its rebellious Duchy back under League control. On 1 June a strategy meeting was held on Atreus, with Janos, Thomas, Duncan and Duggan in attendance. A little after thirty minutes in to the meeting, after Duncan was called away on important news, a bomb hidden in portable holotable exploded. The Janos and Duggan Marik were killed instantly; Thomas' body and those of several others in attendance were never found but presumed dead. Though himself injured in the blast, Duncan was first to start digging through the rubble to try and find survivors. A battered and still-bruised Duncan was the one to announce the Captain-General's death, winning him much sympathy among the masses, and with none of the other surviving Mariks to dispute his claim Duncan Marik was nominated and confirmed the new Captain-General on 18 June. Nine days later, Duncan announced incontrovertible evidence that it was Andurien forces responsible for the bombing and declared that the time for diplomacy was over: the invasion of Andurien would begin.

Almost as soon as he had assumed the Captain-Generalcy, Duncan Marik began moving FWLM units in position for the expected assault on Andurien. It was almost just a quickly that Parliament, ever eager to quarrel even in a crisis, began to hamstring his efforts. In the proceeding years of regency Thomas had been able to use diplomacy to get what was needed, but the authoritarian Duncan rubbed many MPs the wrong way. While only Regulus and Oriente could actually deny the Captain-General their provincial military forces under the new Internal Emergency Act, the other provinces provided the requested units but not the logistical support for them, forcing the federal government to foot the bill. The Captain-General's initial request for a blank check caused consternation for many MPs, and it was only through the diplomatic maneuverings of Speaker Stewart and the Duke of Oriente that sufficient funding was secured.

3035

As soon as he could escape the "petty matters of politics," Duncan left for the front line, selecting Mosiro to serve as his base of operations and, as the disparate forces of the FWLM shuffled in, ordering war games take place on El Giza and Kwamashu so units could become acclimated to working with each other. However, the last months of 3035 would be spent raiding the Duchy to gather intelligence and prepare for the inevitable assault, as well as to keep the Federated Commonwealth and Capellans off-balance. FedCom forces would launch counter-raids in response to these incursions, though with little success. The piratical Circinus Federation launched its own raid to try and take advantage of the situation, only for their attack to be rebuffed and a counter-raid on Clayborne II succeeded in destroying military equipment and leveling a petty-lord's keep.

Duncan began the invasion in full with the targeting of seven Duchy worlds in 3036, most of which were seen as easy conquests. That complacency was quickly disabused on many of the worlds, with FWLM forces bloodied and bruised against surprising opposition. Perhaps the greatest surprise of the campaign however did not come on the battlefield: on 5 December, Thomas Marik presented himself before Parliament, worse for wear but clearly alive. Thomas reported that he had been pulled from the rubble by ComStar and undergone rehabilitation on Terra, all the while keeping abreast of the situation. He revealed that ComStar's own investigation into the bombing revealed no participation by Andurien, and while not outright saying so suspicion quickly fell on Duncan as the culprit. After a battery of tests proved Thomas' identity (and, perhaps most importantly, a lack of any bionic enhancements), Parliament took the unprecedented step of voting Duncan out of office and bestowing the title of Captain-General on Thomas. Duncan, however, remained in the field and in command of the forces attacking Andurien, leading to a potentially precarious situation for the League.

With Thomas Marik having returned and won the unyielding support of Parliament, Duncan Marik was a desperate man. The former Captain-General was convinced there was only one course of action left if he was to regain everything he'd lost: win the war decisively and quickly. Casting his previous strategy aside, Duncan gathered his forces for a bold attack on the important world of Xanthe III. Unfortunately that same boldness would cost him his life.

Death

Duncan's Orion was destroyed in a battle against the Andurien forces. He managed to eject, and attempted to surrender an Andurien Warhammer, but the pilot instead opened fire with the Warhammer's machine guns, killing Duncan.

Family

He had one son, Carlos Marik, born in 3034. Due to his parentage, Carlos had a difficult life, but managed to rise to the rank of Captain in the 25th Marik Militia. He later considered leaving the military for politics after repeatedly being passed over for further advancement.

Notes

Duncan was a MechWarrior and was known to pilot an Orion BattleMech.

Portrait Gallery

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  At Age of 39

Bibliography

• 20 Year Update
• Historical: Brush Wars
• House Marik Sourcebook
• Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook)