Free Worlds League Information Centre
Free Worlds League
Free Worlds League
The Free Worlds League was formed in 2271 by the Treaty of Marik, which united
the Marik Commonwealth, the Grand Duchy of Oriente, and the Principality of
Regulus. This was a loose organization of states, and they began to expand into
the surrounding systems. In 2293, Juliano Marik annexed the Stewart Commonality,
and was designated Captain-General. Since then, House Marik has held the post of
Captain-General until the present day. Beginning in 2398, the Capellan
Confederation declared war on the League in an attempt to annex Andurien and
it's surrounding systems. This began the 150-year period known as the Age of
War. During the Age of War, the Terran Hegemony developed the first battlemechs.
In 2556, Ian Cameron, leader of the Terran Hegemony, negotiated the Andurien
Peace Treaty, ending the Age of War, and setting the foundations for the
creation of the Star League. The Star League lasted for roughly 200 years, of
which 150 were a time of unprecedented growth and discovery for all of mankind.
After the Civil War against Stefan Amaris, the Usurper, Aleksandr Kerensky left
the Inner Sphere with approximately 80 percent of the Star League Armed Forces.
Minoru
Kurita and John Davion both seized the opportunity and declared themselves First
Lord of the Star League shortly after, and Kenyon Marik followed suit in 2786,
and the First Succession War began. The First, Second, and Third Succession Wars
saw little change in the Inner Sphere, except for the tremendous loss of life
and technology. Soon, the Ares Conventions were established, governing the
conduct of warfare, and war became a way of life in the Inner Sphere. Each
successive Captain-General since Kenyon Marik has invoked Resolution 288 upon
taking office, which allows the Captain-General certain powers in time of war or
crisis. The Fourth Succession War began with the wedding of Hanse Davion to
Melissa Steiner. The Capellan Confederation lost a large portion of their
territory, and the Free Rasalhague Republic was created, along with the St. Ives
Compact. The Free Worlds League remained out of most of the conflict, losing
several worlds near Terra to a Tikonov offensive towards the end of the war.
While the other Inner Sphere Houses were exhausted from the war, the Free Worlds
League remained completely intact, ready to exploit the economic boom after the
peace was signed. League Traders began to do business with all the major Houses,
and the Free Worlds League soon had one of the strongest economies in history.
In 3030, the Duchy of Andurien seceded from the League, and allied itself to the
Magistracy of Canopus, precipitating the War of Andurien Secession. The war
dragged on for years, and Captain-General Janos Marik was killed in a bomb blast
in 3035 that also severely injured his son Thomas. Thomas was taken to Terra and
rehabilitated by ComStar in secret, until his return in 3036. He assumed the
post of Captain-General and League forces quickly forced Andurien into
submission. Thomas has since been instituting reforms in the League to break
some of the diplomatic gridlock that paralyzed it for so long, keeping it from
being an effective and unified force.
The
poor performance of the Free Worlds League military during the Fourth Succession
War left Captain-General Janos Marik in a precarious political position. His
many opponents in the League Parliament began to draft legislation aimed at
either removing him or reducing his powers. Derick Cameron-Jones, spokesman for
the Principality of Regulus and opposition leader, was confident that his
movement could raise enough support to overthrow Marik rule.
The
secession of the Duchy of Andurien in September 3030 and its subsequent alliance
with the Magistracy of Canopus dashed the opposition's hopes. Janos, aided by
his son Duggan and his nephew Duncan, quickly seized the initiative and severely
weakened the opposition by comparing their "unpatriotic" behavior to the
Andurien defection. Marik pressed his advantage further by forcing passage of
the Internal Emergency Act of 3030 stripping the League's member states of most
of their sovereignty for the duration of the emergency. The Duchy of Oriente and
the Principality of Regulus were exempted from the act, the former for its
long-time support of Janos Marik and the latter because Janos feared that the
Regulans would go over to the Andurien-Canopian alliance if he tried to
interfere with their sovereignty. Theoretically, the Internal Emergency Act was
supposed to be invoked in times of danger to the League, but like Resolution
288, the Act empowered the Captain-General to decide what constituted a crisis
and when it had passed.
Janos
Marik suffered a life-threatening stroke less than a month after passage of the
Emergency Act. Duggan Marik, the Captain-General's eldest son, tried to assume
control, as did Duggan's first cousin Duncan Marik even though Janos had
appointed Thomas Marik as his heir to the Captain- Generalcy. Duke Halas of
Oriente contacted Thomas, who was serving in the Lyran Commonwealth as Precentor
of ComStar's station on Son Hoa.
When
Thomas came before Parliament in January 3031 producing documents written by
Janos that named him as Heir-Designate, the struggle between Duggan and Duncan
died down. For the next four years, Thomas ruled in his father's name with a
measured hand, despite continued rivalry from Duncan and Duggan. He took several
steps to mollify the MPs, who no longer represented semi-sovereign crovinces,
but mere cultural regions.
Thomas
Marik's success in filling his father's shoes sorely troubled Duncan, Duggan,
Duke Halas, and ComStar. The Duke and ComStar had supported Thomas because they
believed he would be easy to manipulate. Now Thomas was proving to be his own
man, and ComStar was especially dismayed to see its influence over Thomas
waning.
Then
came the news that Janos Marik had recovered enough to resume control of the
League.
On
June 1, 3035 Janos Marik called a meeting to discuss ways to bring the Duchy of
Andurien back into the League. Present were Thomas, Duggan, and Duncan Marik, as
well as several representatives from the diplomatic corps. Not long after the
meeting began, a bomb hidden in a portable holotable exploded, killing the
Captain-General and apparently everyone else in the room. Only Duncan Marik
narrowly escaped death after being called from the room on an urgent matter just
minutes before the blast.
Duncan
Marik assumed the Captain-Generalcy by right of rank and experience. By order of
succession, Paul Marik, Duncan's shy older brother in the Ministry of
Intelligence, should, technically, have taken the reins of power -- and there
were many who hoped he would -- but Paul supported his younger brother.
After
the quickest of investigations, the new Captain-General announced that Andurien
agents were responsible for the assassination, and he declared war on the Duchy
of Andurien. Despite his experience as commander of the Marik Militia, Duncan's
hope for a quick and glorious conquest soon became mired in a series of costly
battles with no clear winner.
On
December 5, 3036, Thomas Marik made an appearance before a stunned Parliament.
Though his body was not found after the explosion, everyone assumed that Thomas
had died along with his father and brother. Thomas had been seriously wounded,
but he survived the blast. With the room in flames and Thomas lying bleeding and
unconscious near the door, two rescuers arrived. They were Li Mann, a close
friend of Thomas's since childhood, and a member of the palace guard who was
really a ROM agent. Realizing that Thomas was critically injured and also still
in danger from whoever planted the bomb, the two rushed Thomas to the ComStar
station and let the room burn. ComStar Kappa personnel tended to Thomas's
extensive burns until they stabilized his condition. Thomas was later
transferred to the ComStar medical center on Terra, where he recuperated for a
year.
During
that time, Thomas Marik received reports on the political situation in the
League from ComStar, which hoped to regain its influence over Thomas so that he
would be their pawn after returning to power on Atreus.
The
League government and the Parliament greeted Thomas's miraculous appearance with
joy. Duncan had been a harsh leader, with little tact or diplomacy. With Duncan
at the helm, government officials had been fearing an outbreak of civil unrest.
Duncan had earned Parliament's hatred, too, when he refused to give even the
pretext of consulting them on major issues.
When
Duncan Marik received the news of Thomas's return and the massive show of
support for him, he was in the field with his troops in the Duchy of Andurien.
Now that he was no longer the Captain-General, he knew that he could be arrested
at any moment for killing Janos and Duggan. Duncan felt that his one slim hope
of survival was to win a major military victory against the Anduriens. He threw
himself into an ambitious, but ill-planned, offensive.
Meanwhile,
Thomas used the shock of his reappearance to pass the Addendum to the
Incorporation, further centralizing political power in the Marik family. The
Addendum also eliminated the Home Defense Acts, which had paralyzed the League
military for so long.
Duncan
Marik died on February 4, 3037, while leading an attack against Andurien 'Mechs
on Xanthe III. His death and the poor planning for his final offensive left the
League's invasion of Andurien in danger of collapse. Realizing that this would
be his chance to show his mettle as a leader, Thomas announced that he was
leaving Atreus to lead the League forces.
In
a series of well-planned attacks, Thomas Marik conquered the Duchy of Andurien
and captured the aging Dame Catherine Humphreys in 3040. The Duchess of Andurien
was stricken with a fatal heart attack while awaiting trial on charges of
treason. As a gesture of reconciliation, the Captain-General pardoned Andurien
political and military leaders for their roles in the civil war.
In
the past few years, Thomas has passed more laws stripping both the Duchy of
Oriente and the Principality of Regulus of their sovereignty.
Thomas
created the League General Accounting Office in 3043. This department had little
inherent power, but Thomas assigned loyal family members and friends to key
positions. The LGAO quickly assumed control over the League bureaucracy and
began to flex its muscle by manipulating the flow of money to ensure that
pro-Marik companies with no provincial affiliation got all the important
contracts, redrawing the bureaucratic boundaries to dilute the power of
provincial governments, and creating the Marik Scholarship Fund for loyal young
men and women who want to enter the fast track into government or the military.
Perhaps
the strongest basis for Thomas Marik's rule comes from the Addendum to the
Incorporation, which he wrote and had passed in 3037. The Addendum gives him the
power to bypass the formality of seeking approval from the League's provincial
governments except in matters deemed "culturally significant" to a particular
region. However, Clause 9 of the Addendum states that "the Captain-General can
veto any law that interferes with the will of the Captain-General while
Resolution 288 is in effect." This gives him absolute veto power over any law
the provincial governments try to enact and allows him to exercise this power
without Parliament's approval, reducing that body to little more than a public
forum. Clause 9 also did away with the Home Defense Act.
When
the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere in 3049, the Free Worlds League was well
removed from the threat. The invasion corridor was on the other side of the
Inner Sphere, so the League stayed neutral in the conflict. When it became clear
that the only way to defeat the Clans was by inter-House cooperation, Thomas
Marik reluctantly agreed to help supply the other Houses with parts and even new
Battlemechs to help fight the Clans. In exchange, Prince Hanse Davion offered to
treat Thomas's son Joshua for leukemia at the New Avalon Institute of Science.
Since Joshua's illness, Thomas has recognized his illegitimate daughter Isis as
his heir should Joshua not recover. Isis is now engaged to be married to Sun-Tzu
Liao, Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation. After the Battle of Tukayyid and
the truce, the Free Worlds League has begun increasing factory production to
prepare for the resumption of the war. The 33rd Marik Militia traveled to what
is left of the Free Rasalhague Republic to engage in operations against the
Clans. On their first and only operation, they fought against Khan Natasha
Kerensky's Wolf Spiders, and the unit was destroyed. Since then, The Free Worlds
League Military has increased training operations in an effort to train
themselves to fight the Clans more effectively. Thomas has promised to send
direct military aid to the Free Rasalhague Republic and the Draconis Combine to
enable them to better withstand Clan assaults when the offensive resumes.
The
Free Worlds League also got a boost after the ComStar Schism, when a portion of
ComStar broke away, forming the Word of Blake. Thomas Marik, having been a
ComStar Precentor before assuming the Captain-Generalship, gave the Word of
Blake dissidents safe haven inside the Free Worlds League, and allowed them to
set up their headquarters on the planet of Gibson. Word of Blake now controls
all hyperpulse communications within the FWL, and they have nominated Thomas for
the position of Primus-in-Exile. Thomas has not yet accepted or declined the
nomination. Word of Blake brought with it several regiments of former Com Guard
Battlemechs, and approximately 3/4 of ROM, the ComStar Intelligence Agency. Word
of Blake 'mechs now are a large portion of the defensive garrison on Gibson.
Despite
the recent erosion of his powers, Duke Halas of the Duchy of Oriente remains a
supporter of Thomas. As he is not likely to harbor further hopes of dominating
the Captain-General, it is possible that he supports Thomas Marik out of simple
admiration for his policies.
The
Ducal President of the Regulan Free States is another strong supporter. In
appreciation of the Addenduml which freed the Regulan Free States from the
bullying of the Principality of Regulus, the Stimson family, hereditary Ducal
Presidents counsel their six MPs to back the Captain-General in policy
discussions.
The
Principality of Regulus remains a staunch opponent of the Marik government.
Though Princes in name only, the Cameron-Jones family still has considerable
political and economic power with which to fight the Captain-General. The
current Prince of Regulus is Lynn Cameron-Jones. He has a terminal case of
Regulan blood poisoning and is not expected to live much longer.
His
son, Kirc Cameron-Jones, might prove to be cut from a different cloth, however.
Kirc was a fighter pilot with the First Regulan Hussars during the war with
Andurien. As an MP, his good looks and fiery rhetoric have already won him the
position of Opposition Leader. Recognizing the young man's potential, Thomas
Marik offered him a high post in government, but Kirc refused the offer.
There
has been a growing, but apparently undirected flurry of negative rumors
concerning Thomas Marik. Most say no one could have survived the blast that
killed his father and six others. The rumors accuse ComStar medics of making
bionic repairs on the Captain-General, which many League citizens would find
abhorrent.
Despite
the political changes that have reshaped the realm, the Free Worlds League
economy did not suffer greatly. The typical League business remains as
aggressive and active as any Lyran company, with most League businessmen seeing
the shakeup in laws as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. A good example is
the dissolution of the provincial borders, which is a boon to League industries.
Though
most firms had no real loyalty to a particular province, those of the interior
worlds of the former Principality of Regulus did suffer because of the economic
sanctions the Marik government took against them. Some of those companies
survived, while others were gobbled up by competitors.
Interstate
trade has changed since the war. Competition with the Lyran Commonwealth is
still quite strong, reducing trade between the two realms. The union of the
Lyran Commonwealth with the Federated Suns also has cut into the League's
profitable trading with New Avalon, the St. Ives Compact, and the Sarna March.
Trade with the Draconis Combine has grown during the last five years, in keeping
with the warm-up of relations between those two powers.
The
Free Worlds League has taken a stronger interest in the affairs of the Inner
Sphere in recent years. Sir Timothy Halas, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs
and son of the Duke of Oriente, is increasingly willing to send and receive
ambassadors and diplomats from all the other states, including those of the
Periphery.
Relations
with the Federated Commonwealth are cool. The loss of traditional markets in the
Federated Suns and Sarna March has left Marik bitter.
Relations
with the Capellan Confederation are virtually nonexistent, mainly because of
Chancellor Romano Liao's reputation for political opportunism through unsavory
means. Captain-General Marik apparently senses that the new stability he has
given the Free Worlds League would be jeopardized by a close relationship with
Romano Liao.
Relations
with the Periphery have improved. The new leadership in the Magistracy of
Canopus has attempted to reestablish relations with the League after the failed
alliance with the Duchy of Andurien. Among other initiatives, an exchange
program of medical personnel is underway between the two realms. As yet there
has been no exchange of ambassadors.
To
the Captain-General, the Draconis Combine represents the most promising prospect
for an alliance. Cultural differences between the two realms, once a point of
serious contention, have lessened because of recent social and political changes
in both realms. The only major drawback to any serious negotiations is that the
Captain-General cannot be sure whether it is Coordinator Takashi or Kanrei
Theodore who runs the Combine.
Captain-General
Marik's most important ally is certainly ComStar. With his former membership and
his ComStar training, the Captain-General and the Primus must find themselves in
agreement on most issues, though the Marik consistently refuses to become her
tool.
The
Addendum, which swept away most provincial powers, has allowed Thomas Marik to
achieve what the Mariks have dreamed of for hundreds of years: to build a
single, unified fighting force. Taking a lesson from the Federated Commonwealth
regiments being raised in our realm, Thomas has begun to develop Free Worlds
League Legions, a collection of regiments loosely based on the RCT principle
used so successfully by the Federated Suns.
The
first League Legions were anchored by the elite 'Mech regiments from the
existing military, but only after their loyalty was assured. Since the end of
the civil war, five new 'Mech regiments, the Legionnaires, have been raised,
with the best equipment and services. Some of the 'Mechs for the Legionnaires
came from the Defenders of Andurien regiments, which were disbanded after their
conquest by Thomas Marik.
Armed
with new powers and controlling a more unified realm, Captain-General Marik has
used some of the proceeds from the economic gains to bolster his defense against
the Federated Commonwealth. In the past ten years, the Free Worlds League has
doubled the number of mercenary units in its employ.
The
new League military has been successful on the field, but certain internal
troubles must be cause for the Captain-General's concern. Most pressing are the
regional and social prejudices that some older members of the military have
evidenced, even leading to a number of incidents and deaths.
In
3048, the Draconis Combine and the Free Worlds League opened negotiations. The
Combine apparently offered the League military information about their common
enemy, the Federated Commonwealth, as well as an exchange of military
technology. This offer interests most of the generals of the League military,
but as of this writing, there has been no word of acceptance by the
Captain-General.
The
changes that have peppered the last two decades of Free Worlds League history
have reshaped a perpetually quarreling and fragmented realm into a potent and
efficient state.
While
Janos Marik gets credit for most of the changes, his son is a man apparently
able to slice through the personal interests and regional prejudices of the
older politicians and get to the heart of the problem, which he then solves.
This has won him strong support from his people.
He
has stimulated the economy with his programs and reawakened the desire of many
to become actively involved in the politics of the Inner Sphere. If relations
between the League and the Draconis Combine continue to improve, it is entirely
possible that one day our Federated Commonwealth will face an enemy alliance
equal to our own political, economic, and military power.
At
the moment, all that stands in Thomas' way is the network of older leaders who
still secretly yearn for the power they and their provinces lost. In time, these
people will simply pass from the scene, leaving Thomas's way clear.
(Deployment as of 3054)
House
Marik contributed no military forces to the fight against the Clans, instead
offering significant economic and industrial support to the combined forces of
the Inner Sphere. The League's role as the primary logistics support for the
combined defense called for increased arms production that continues, and now
benefits their Liao allies. The Free Worlds League-Capellan Confederation
alliance is particularly dangerous to the rest of the Inner Sphere because of
Thomas Marik's ties to the renegade Word of Blake, whose Precentors have
provided Marik with ComStar manufacturing techniques that will be used to
produce an impressive new line of BattleMechs.
Free Worlds Legionnaires
Commander: General
Calderon "Silent Cal" Benge
Aide: General Dean KcKeown
Regular Mech
Strength: 5 Regiments
Mercenary Mech Strength: 0
Regiments
Unit Name | Experience | Regiments | Homeworld |
1st Legionnaires CO: General Tracey Fenton |
Veteran | 1 | Andurien |
2nd Legionnaires CO: General Alice Denichuk |
Veteran | 1 | Sadurni |
3rd Legionnaires CO: General Pierre Mondou |
Veteran | 0.66 | Leyda |
Veteran | 0.33 | Umka | |
4th Legionnaires CO: General Adiss Sullivan |
Regular | 0.66 | Miaplacidus |
Regular | 0.33 | Marik | |
5th Legionnaires CO: General Misha Orloff |
Green | 1 | Lopez |
Unit Name | Experience | Regiments | Homeworld |
1st Guards CO: Colonel Dana Briggs |
Elite | 1 | Berenson |
2nd Guards CO: Colonel Kamps Stattun |
Veteran | 1 | Bella I |
3rd Guards CO: Colonel Duane Hanson |
Regular | 1 | Zion |
Unit Name | Experience | Regiments | Homeworld |
Atrean Hussars CO: Colonel Reber Bennundo |
Regular | 1 | Ling |
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld 1st Dragoons Regular 1 McKenna (CO: Colonel John Orzehoskie) 11th Dragoons Regular 0.66 Matheran Regular 0.33 Calloway VI (CO: Colonel Evelyn Panfili) 12th Dragoons Veteran 1 Vanra (CO: Colonel Kelian Brackley)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld 1st Militia Veteran 1 Fletcher (CO: Colonel Howe Wilmarth) 2nd Militia Green 1 Hassad (CO: Colonel Alva Gierke) 4th Militia Green 1 Park Place (CO: Colonel Kenneth Gunderson) 5th Militia Regular 1 Les Halles (CO: Colonel Lavern Henden) 6th Militia Veteran 1 Holt (CO: Colonel David Kyster) 9th Militia Regular 1 Carbonis (CO: Colonel Theodore Kauk) 10th Militia Veteran 1 Bernardo (CO: Colonel Cindy Meyer) 13th Militia Regular 1 Irian (CO: Colonel Lloyd Reissing) 15th Militia Regular 1 Berenson (CO: Colonel Nancy Rezac) 18th Militia Green 1 Connaught (CO: Colonel Jerome Merz) 20th Militia Regular 1 Concord (CO: Colonel Jerome Stewart) 23rd Militia Green 1 Keystone (CO: Colonel Hazel Ward) 25th Militia Green 1 Dieudonne (CO: Colonel Anita Webel) 30th Militia Regular 1 Wing (CO: Colonel Stephen Harter) 31st Militia Green 0.66 Uhuru Green 0.33 Amity (CO: Colonel David Sloane)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld Ducal Guard Elite 1 Tamarind (CO: Colonel Fannie Halas) 1st Brigade Elite 1 Griffith (CO: Colonel Roy Chapman Potemkin) 2nd Brigade Veteran 1 Maxwell (CO: Colonel Donald Angstead) 3rd Brigade Veteran 1 Promised Land (CO: Colonel Lionel Ansuelo) 4th Brigade Regular 1 Oriente (CO: Colonel Charleen Day) 5th Brigade Regular 1 Thermopolis (CO: Colonel Jerry Wagner)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld Iron Guards Regular 1 Bordon (CO: Colonel Virgil Ridgeway) Steel Guards Green 1 Kosciusko (CO: Colonel Marilyn Stroud)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld 1st Lancers Green 1 Savannah (CO: Colonel Ginny Ebaugh) 2nd Lancers Regular 1 Augustine (CO: Colonel Davis Csencsics) 3rd Lancers Green 1 Shiloh (CO: Colonel Sally Hoffman)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld Falcons Green 1 Dubhe (CO: Colonel Glendon Lorch) Gryphons Regular 1 Kalidasa (CO: Colonel Toni McIver)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld 1st Hussars Veteran 1 Trellisane (CO: Colonel Roger Harsila) 2nd Hussars Regular 0.66 Oriente Regular 0.33 Shiro III (CO: Colonel Arthur Rivernider) 3rd Hussars Green 0.66 Ipswitch Green 0.33 Dalton (CO: Colonel Simon Dumoss) 4th Hussars Regular 1 Atreus (CO: Colonel Sherrie Dragoo) 5th Hussars Green 1 Sierra (CO: Colonel Keith Kruchoski)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld Home Guards Veteran 1 Stewart (CO: Colonel Virginia Nash) Juggernaut Regular 1 Payvand (CO: Colonel Leonard Stewart)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld 1st Grenadiers Regular 1 Vanra (CO: Colonel Douglas Hoppe) 6th Grenadiers Regular 1 Cerillos (CO: Colonel Patricia Loge) 8th Grenadiers Regular 0.66 Lesnovo Regular 0.33 Tematagi (CO: Colonel Sandra Relph)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld 1st Hussars Elite 0.66 Regulus Elite 0.33 Wallis (CO: Colonel Mark Brandhauber) 2nd Hussars Regular 1 Avior (CO: Colonel Janet Simmons) 4th Hussars Veteran 0.66 Tiber Veteran 0.33 Mackenzie (CO: Colonel Falco Palmero) 5th Hussars Veteran 1 Chertan (CO: Colonel Thomas Orrfelt) 9th Hussars Green 1 McAffe (CO: Colonel Melvin Stone)
Unit Name Experience Regiments Homeworld Always Faithful Regular 1 Conquista (CO: Colonel James Burrill Reil) Bad Dream Veteran 1 Kendall (CO: Colonel Henry Bortman) Barrett's Fusiliers Veteran 1 Shuen Wan (CO: Colonel Nikita Barrett) Blackhearts Regular 1 Cronulla (CO: Colonel Marcus Johnson) Carson's Renegades Regular 0.33 Suzano (CO: Colonel Mark Mead) Crater Cobras Veteran 1 Megrez (CO: Colonel Stephan Prynne) Regular 1 Cascade (CO: Colonel Richard Burr) Dragon's Breath Regular 1 Rochelle (CO: Colonel Pete Tate) Greenburg's Godzillas Veteran 1 Nockatunga (CO: Colonel Ivo Greenburg) Hermann's Hermits Regular 1 Thurrock (CO: Colonel Hermann Aufkopfen) Kristen's Krushers Regular 1 Claybrooke (CO: Colonel Kristen Marik) Langendorf Lancers Regular 1 Colfax (CO: Colonel Gregory Milsey) Redfield Renegades Veteran 1 Harsefeld (CO: Colonel Edward Redfield) 1st Smithson's Chinese Bandits Veteran 1 Kyrkbacken (CO: Colonel Ada Gubser) 2nd Smithson's Chinese Bandits Regular 1 Asuncion (CO: Colonel Ester Schomberg) Stealthy Tigers Regular 1 Ventabren (CO: Colonel Yuri Rauschenbusch) Swann's Cavaliers Veteran 1 Galisteo (CO: Colonel Edmund Repplier) 21st Centauri Lancers Elite 1 Nestor (CO: Colonel Evelena Haskell)
Perhaps the most important event in the years after 3056 was the death in that
year of Joshua Marik, heir to the Free Worlds League's Captain-General Thomas
Marik. For years the young heir had remained at the Federated Commonwealth's New
Avalon Institute of Science for treatment of his leukemia, an arrangement that
had prevented Thomas Marik from launching any type of military action against
the Federated Commonwealth. When the heir died, Prince Victor Steiner-Davion
inserted a double in the boy's place. Capellan Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao learned
of this deception the following year, and proposed to Thomas Marik a joint
Marik-Liao invasion of the Sarna March that would simultaneously punish
Steiner-Davion for his treachery and recapture former Marik and Liao worlds.
In
3057, Marik and Liao forces invaded the Sarna March. The Liao invaders quickly
captured many former Liao worlds, aided by Marik-backed mercenaries. Marik
forces enjoyed wide success as well, taking several former Free Worlds League
planets. Almost immediately, Katrina Steiner-Davion announced the formation of
the new Lyran Alliance, declared Lyran neutrality in the invasion, and called
for all Lyran military units to withdraw from Federated Commonwealth possessions
in the March. Marik took advantage of this development to settle for a separate
peace with Katrina.
The
Free Worlds League is currently the largest employer of mercenaries in the Inner
Sphere. The League's current position of strength in the Inner Sphere has made
it more attractive to the many merc commanders who previously shied away from
League contracts because of the realm's seemingly inherent instability.
Currently, the League is using most of its mercs to hold the worlds it retook
from the Federated Commonwealth until regular forces can be shifted to those
planets.
Thomas Marik's posture of non-aggression toward the Lyran Alliance, as well as his partnership with the Capellan Confederation, has secured most of his borders. The only missions the League assigns within the Chaos March are garrison duty and pirate hunting; the steady increase in pirate raids in the March has made the latter particularly important. The Free Worlds League is currently uninterested in additional conquest of the Chaos March, though that may change.