Editing Marik Civil War (28th c.)

{{InfoBoxConflict
| conflict = Marik Civil War (28th c.)
| partof = [[Star League Era]]
| image = 
| caption = 
| date = [[2729]]
| enddate = [[2733]]
| place = 
| planet = 
| faction1 = Loyalists of the [[Free Worlds League]]
| faction2 = Rebels of the [[Free Worlds League]]
| commander1 = [[Captain-General]] [[Elise Marik]]
| commander2 = [[Oliver Marik]]
| forces1= 
| forces2= 
| result = Free Worlds League stabilized
| environment = Standard
| conditions = Normal
}}

The '''Marik Civil War''' (also known as the '''Free Worlds League Civil War of 2729''')<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 32: Civil War, Again - Alternate name of conflict given in section reflecting on this conflict.</ref> of the late [[Star League Era]] was a conflict between two factions of the Marik family. The conflict was over control of the leadership of the [[Free Worlds League]].

==Known Military Units Involved in the Conflict==
*[[Atrean Dragoons]] - Loyalist<ref>''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', p. 9: Atrean Dragoons - 1st Dragoons mentioned having being damaged in the Marik Civil War, but unspecified which side they fought for''.</ref>
*[[Defenders of Andurien]] - Rebels<ref>''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', p. 17: Defenders of Andurien - "the Brigade supported Oliver and Boris Marik during the Marik Civil War''.</ref>
*[[Marik Guard]] - Loyalist<ref>''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', p. 13: Marik Guard - "Sole Brigade regiment served with future Captain-General Bertram Marik during Marik Civil War.</ref>
*[[Marik Militia]] - Unspecified individual regiments fighting. Split between Loyalist and Rebels.
*[[Regulan Hussars]] - Loyalists<ref>''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', p. 16: Regulan Hussars - Regulan Hussars noted fighting for the Loyalist.</ref>

==History==
===Developments Leading to the Conflict===
The seeds of the conflict were planted by the ascendance of [[Captain-General]] [[Gerald Marik I|Gerald Marik]], who during his reign conducted a number of political purges which ended in conflict. The root of the purges was due in great part to the hideous assassination of his father in [[2678]].  The terrorists used a powerful bomb, which wiped out Gerald's family and left him severely wounded.  Surviving the bombing, he would undergo serious medical treatment that altered his body with extensive [[bionics]]. The bombing made him the senior survivor member of the Marik ruling party, and the rules of ascendance would grant him the leadership of the Free Worlds League. The bombing was conducted by the terrorist organization named the [[Scourge of Death]], which led Gerald to conduct political purges and the limiting of civil liberties in pursuit of those who assassinated his family.  This undertaking changed the League into a de facto police state. Gerald's relentless pursuit for justice and the aftereffects of his injuries would make him become paranoid and drive him to eliminate any perceived threat to himself and the League.<ref>''Handbook: Marik'', pp. 26–27: Scourge of Death & Descent - "Gerald Marik reign paves the way to Marik Civil War of 2729".</ref>

After Gerald Marik's death, his daughter [[Elise Marik]], would assume the role of [[Captain-General]] and Council Lord on January 15th, [[2703]].  Originally Gerald's death was judged by medical examiners as being the result of wounds inflicted by the bombing attack from decades earlier. Elise however felt her father's death was suspicious and declared it was an act of murder.<ref>''Handbook: Marik'', pp. 26–27, 31: Descent and Timeline: Serpent in Eden - "Elsa decides her father's death was murder. Timeline say murder in year 2703".</ref>  She began a series of larger scale purges starting with the dismissal of hundreds of soldiers serving with regiments posted along the [[Capellan Confederation|Capellan]] border. [[2704|A year later]], Elsa's brother [[Oliver Marik]], who was a representative of [[New Delos]], spoke out against her political actions which he saw were causing harm to the League.  He was forced to flee the Free Worlds League with his family, including his son [[Boris Marik|Boris]] to [[Terran Hegemony]] for safety.

For the next 25 years, Elise Marik (with the aid of [[SAFE]]) would continue to undertake purges of more individuals which included members of Parliament of the Free Worlds League after they tried to remove her from power in [[2729]]. Later that year, she would take her personal guards and announce to the political ruling class that she was dissolving Parliament. She directed her people to arrest a third of Parliament's members who voted against her.  This would be the final straw for Oliver, who was reluctant take action against his sister.  Now due to his law-abiding and honorable nature, Oliver could not stand see his nation fall into this dismal condition due to his sister's insanity.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 24: Oliver the Usurper - "Older text gives actual year, Parliament declared Elise was insane, her action in dissolving FWL Parliament.</ref> On March 23rd he would travel back to the Free Worlds League to the winter palace of the Duke of Oriente on [[Calloway VI]] where he would convene Parliament-in-Exile and declare himself the representative to the [[Star League]], naming his son, Boris, as 28th Captain-General of the Free Worlds League.<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 27, 29: Descent - "Events leading to the Free Worlds League Civil War of 2729."</ref>

Joining Oliver Marik's rebellion were the Dukes of [[Duchy of Oriente]], [[Kalidasa]], [[Duchy of Andurien|Andurien]], and Duke of [[Carbonis]].  Captain-General Elise's forces would include: [[SAFE]], the [[Stewart Commonality]], and Principality of Regulus. House Schenk owed Elise's father for installing them to the throne of Principality after House Selaj had been purged.<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 31–32: Scourge of Death - "House Selaj, the original ruling family of Principality of Regulus.''</ref><ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 22: On the Trail of the Scourge - "Details of Gerald Marik's campaign to wipe out House Selaj for their alleged involvement in assassination his family.</ref>

===Military Actions===
Throughout the League, planetary defense forces fought one another.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 24: Oliver the Usurper - Noted only in the original sourcebook, that planetary defense forces fought among themselves during the fight.</ref> The first major action of the Civil War was in May of 2729, when Elise dispatched an expeditionary force of her Loyalist-aligned Marik Militias to attack the rebel leadership located on the world of [[Oriente]]. However, the attack was repulsed by Oriente's defense forces. The initial invasion would end up compelling the rebel forces to attack.  In a two prong attack led by Oliver's son Boris and the Duke of Andurien, Martin Humphreys, the rebel forces would strike at the Principality of Regulus, invading [[Avior]], Regulus, and beginning a siege the world of [[Harmony]], where they blockaded one of the world's [[Jump Point|Jump Points]] and landed forces on the planet. The Captain-General's forces would be forced to quit Oriente in July and move to the undermanned Principality warfront.

Nearly a year would pass with neither faction able to muster enough troops to tip the scales of the conflict to their favor; it would not be until spring of 2730 that Elise's forces would make a targeted move to try to change the status quo. Loyalist forces would move to conduct a planetary assault on the rebel held world of [[New Praha]]; while this was underway, Elise was forced to dispatch forces from [[Atreus (FWL)|Atreus]] to handle an uprising on [[Hellos Minor]].  With its normal defenses undermanned, [[Atreus (FWL)|Atreus]] became the target of rebel forces led by Oliver Marik. Once on planet, they would engage Atreus's undermanned defense forces in a 36-hour battle, leading to capture of Elise Marik and her guards. Oliver's strategy was to capture his sister, leading to the conflict's end. While his father captured the Captain-General, Boris would order the rebels to hit [[New Olympia]].

The outcome of the Captain-General's capture, however, did not turn out as Oliver had hoped. His hope for the end of the war would end up fading as Elise's son, Bertram Marik, continued the war against his forces.  Bertram's leadership would help bring victory to the Loyalists on [[Ariel]] and meanwhile his fellow loyalists would move to undertake an assault against the rebel-held world of [[Dalton]].

After Elise's capture, the war became a stalemate with few notable actions turning the tide for either side. Among the few noted battles would be for the Loyalist whom had landed on Dalton in [[2731]]. These forces would end up failing to capture the Duke of Carbonis and would take significant casualties for their efforts.<ref>''Era Report: 2750'', pp. 32–33: Civil War, Again - "Major actions of the Marik Civil War, with some details not mentioned in other sources.</ref><ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 27, 29–30: Descent - Civil War covered with other details Era Report: 2750 is missing.</ref>

===War's End and Aftermath===
It would not be until the summer of [[2733]] when tide began to turn. The Loyalists' aerospace forces would finally break the Siege of Harmony and bring ground reinforcements to cripple Rebels forces. While on [[Avior]], Rebel forces on the ground would end up surrendering after taking heavy losses.

The final major act of the war would be Bertram's liberation of Atreus in February of 2734. There he would lead Loyalist forces on assault on the Rebel-held capital and ultimately free his captive mother. Unfortunately, her mental health over the years had deteriorated despite her good treatment in captivity, and she was no longer fit to rule.

After Atreus's capture, Bertram would be promoted to the official leader of the Loyalists, and he knew despite his recent victories that further bloodshed would not benefit the League in the long run. He sent messages to his 70-year-old uncle asking to parlay to discuss an end to the conflict. Oliver Marik — who was tired of war and with declining health — soon responded. He contacted the [[Star League]]'s First Lord [[Jonathan Cameron]] and petitioned for his government to mediate a deal between his Rebel forces and the Loyalists.

The two leaders traveled to [[Tiber (FWL)|Tiber]], where they negotiated the end of the war. In May, the Treaty of Verona would be signed. The agreement would broker for Oliver and Boris's combatant forces, their regional dukes and Parliament MPs which sided with them and acted under their command to be pardoned for their actions in the conflict. As part of the agreement, the two Rebel Mariks would surrender formally and be put on trial. Oliver would be found guilty and executed for sedition, while his son would be sentenced to prison and die in 2733. The Treaty would confirm Bertram as the legal Captain-General and Council Lord for the Free Worlds League. Bertram, after being sworn in, would publicly acknowledge his mother's failings that led to the conflict.<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', pp. 27, 29–30: Descent - End of the war, pardon of the dukes who served Oliver and Boris Marik.</ref>

Despite their treason to the Free Worlds League, the two now-deceased Mariks' efforts to restore the nation to its former self had succeeded. The League's Parliament and its historical decision-making abilities had been restored. Captain-General Bertram restricted SAFE activities to focusing its efforts towards outside threats as per the Treaty.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 24: Oliver the Usurper - "Treaty details given, which aren't completely mentioned in later publications.</ref>

In the aftermath and his ascendance to leadership of the Free Worlds League, Bertram would voice his outrage at the Star Lord's lack of action to end the conflict. This strain in relations between [[House Marik]] and [[House Cameron]] would set into motion the distancing the two factions and the discord would ultimately lead to end of the Star League.<ref>''Era Report: 2750'', pp. 32–33: Civil War, Again - "End of the War and its outcome. With the beginning of the discord between Lord Cameron and Bertram Marik</ref>

==Notes==
The number of regiments fighting the war varies from early sourcebooks to later publications. In ''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', the Marik Militia was noted only having 10 of its 12 regiments fighting on the Loyalist side during the Marik Civil War. However, in ''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', the Marik Militia section mentions that there were nineteen regiments in service with several involved in the conflict.

The [[Orloff Grenadiers]] and [[Fusiliers of Oriente]]'s Grand Duke sided with the Rebels, however the brigade was never called in to serve the Rebels during the conflict.<ref>''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', pp. 14, 19: Both Brigade are noted being part of the rebel forces, but were not called to fight for them.</ref> While the [[Stewart Dragoons]] did not participate in the conflict, the brigade was prepare to join the fight with the Loyalist if Captain-General Elise had called for them to serve.<ref>''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', p. 18: Stewart Dragoons - "It's noted the Dragoons were Loyalist, but did not get called to serve in the war.''</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Era Report: 2750]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: SLDF]]''
* ''[[Field Report 2765: FWLM]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Marik]]''
* ''[[Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1]]''
* ''[[House Marik (The Free Worlds League)]]''
* ''[[The Star League]]''


[[Category:Free Worlds League]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[Category:Rebellions]]