Geralk Marik's Lyran Campaigns

[Feb 2455-2459]

[Feb 2455] The Free Worlds League began an offensive with the aim of capturing Alula Australis and Bella I. To break the final resistence of Lyran defenders on Alula Australis, the Mariks made liberal use of heavy artillery and carpet-bombing runs. Under the cover of these artillery and bomb strikes, massed Armored Vehicles moved in, to finish them off

[Aug 2455] The same overwhelming appliance of firepower was used on Bella I, giving Captain-General Geralk Marik the title of `Bloodthirsty Giant'

[2456] LORIC ASSAULT- Elated by the successful taking of Alula Austrialis and Bella I, C-G Geralk Marik decided on another assault, against Loric. The FWLM was able to establish a beachhead, but soon ran into well-commanded Lyran Commonwealth resistence. The Loric Assault turned into a three year battle of maneuver, sniping and hit-and-run tactics. In attempts to draw the defenders out, Geralk condoned many war atrocities

[2459] Marik planned another attack on Loric's southern continent, opening with a dawn artillery barrage. From the smoke and fire layed by the artillery, Lyran BattleMechs revealed themselves for the first time, practically undamaged. Slowly walking forward, the new machines almost instantly created mass panic in the Free Worlds League lines. Geralk ordered immediate concentrated artillery barrages against the on-coming Mechs, with anti-personnel charges having no effect. In a panic strike of his own, Geralk ordered all of his Armored Vehicles forward, covered by armor-piercing artillery shots. Lyran Mechs surged forward at seeing one of their own number go down by a direct artillery hit. A mere 15 minutes later, an entire FWL Armored Vehicle Regiment lay in shreds, to the lost of only one Steiner BattleMech. Despite over 1000 men killed or maimed in a few minutes, the Bloodthirsty Giant did not retreat, nor surrender. Instead, he called in his naval transports to add to what little remained of his offensive firepower. Only with the additional guns from twin ''Pinto''-class Corvettes FWLS Dyson and FWLS Irbid, did the Mechs back off. The Mech commander, Colonel William Hershel, then broadcasted a demand for Geralk's surrender. With a flat-out refusal, the battle waged another hour. The Pintos rained light naval autocannon fire on the Lyran Mechs, until they came too close to Geralk's forces. Both Corvette captains refused to fire when the two forces became entangled, ignoring the screaming demands of the Bloodthirsty Giant. In end, the LC Mechs overran the FWL command post, where Captain-General Geralk Marik was crushed under a Mech's foot.