LEST YOU READERS SHOULD THINK THAT CENSORSHIP IS A THING OF THE PAST FOR BATTLETECHNOLOGY, LET US GIVE THE LATEST EXAMPLE. IN OUR DECEMBER 3050 ISSUE, THE ARTICLES GIVEN HERE WERE NOT PRINTED IN OUR FREE WORLDS LEAGUE EDITION. AN ARTICLE REPRINTED FROM BATTLETECHNOLOGy WEEKLY NEWS TOOK THEIR PLACE. THE CHANGES WERE MADE BY OUR FREE WORLDS LEAGUE STAFF ON ATREUS UNDER THE FORCEFUL PERSUASION OF A UNIT FROM THE FIRST MARIK GUARDS.
Since 15 December 3036, Thomas Marik has ably led the Free Worlds League. Or has he?
Thomas is the first Captain-General who has been able to harness the Free Worlds League's squabbling internal states as a team. He has accomplished this by astute political maneuvers in Parliament, pervasive control of the bureaucracy and, perhaps, with the active aid of ComStar?
Documents exist confirming Thomas' release form ComStar service at the request of his father CaptainGeneral Janos Marik. The elder Marik took this step apparently to provide a competent heir to the Captain-Generalcy; allegedly none of his other children were, in his opinion, worthy of the position. It remains officially unknown where Thomas spent eighteen months recuperating from his injuries in the 1 June 3035 explosion that killed Janos Marik and his son Duggan, whom many had seen as heir-apparent.
The central question is: is Thomas Marik actually a free agent, or is he still under the orders of Primus Myndo Waterly?
In 3029 ComStar began stationing military forces at its various stations throughout the Inner Sphere and Periphery, ostensibly to protect the stations. The ComGuard forces stationed in the territory of the Free Worlds League are the smallest in proportion to the stations they protect than they are anywhere else in the Known Sphere of space. The LCCC (Marik's combined military force command) has had to accept a ComStar military liason (in fairness it must be stated that liasons were exchanged). The LCCC, with one exception, opposed the idea from the first. Only Thomas' forceful insistence led the generals to accept the plan.
Until the advent of Thomas as Captain-General, the Free Worlds League enjoyed only typical relations with ComStar: neutrality combined with intense curiosity about ComStar's inner workings. Since '36, that attitude has dramatically changed. Free Worlds League government dispatches enjoy rapid transmission privileges that are the envy of the other Houses. Only Rasalhague comes close to enjoying the same quality of service. Free Worlds League surveillance at HPG stations has dropped dramatically, and relations between ComStar and the Free Worlds League are at an all-time high.
The question remains. Is Thomas his own man? Thus far, the Free Worlds League has continued to plow its own furrow, but that could change in an instant. After all, Thomas spent many years as a ComStar acolyte and must often look back fondly on those years of quietude.
As an individual, Thomas retains many attributes that are considered to be 'typical' of ComStar personnel. He never publicly gives vent to excessive emotion. Though he is a persuasive speaker, he never uses the bombastic style so typical of his late cousin Duncan, or the somber rhetoric of Janos. He pays far more heed to scientific research for its own sake, much more than any Marik in several reigns. Many of these projects are undertaken with ComStar teams, or have ComStar personnel directly attached to the various projects. This practice is not universally accepted in the League's scientific community; it has caused eminent scientists and engineers to enter the private sector.
It can only be conjectured how much control ComStar exercise over Thomas, if any. During the era since the end of the Fourth Succession War, no crisis has come up between House Marik and ComStar to test the CaptainGeneral's loyalty. The current invasion of the Inner Sphere, with ComStar's insistence upon serving as neutral liason, will probably give the public a clue as to the final loyalties of Thomas Marik.
If, for example, the Lyran portion of the Federated Commonwealth falls, the Free Worlds League is next in the line of invasion, just ahead of the Capellan Confederation. Obviously, Thomas would fight to defend his realm. Suppose, however, that ComStar interdicted service to the Free Worlds League? They've done it before, but hundreds of years ago. The Free Worlds League was ComStar's first test of Interdiction as a potent 'weapon' in their efforts to control through communication. In such a case, would Thomas attack the ComGuard garrison forces? Would he meekly accept the situation? Only the actual event would tell, for Thomas is a very difficult man to read. One thing is certain; his response would astound the Inner Sphere.
We cannot state with certainty whether or not Thomas is controlled by ComStar. We also cannot ignore the very real possibility that he is.
Editor's Note: The author, Ricardo Ortiz, is currently in hiding under an assumed name. Mail to him will be forwarded through our Andurien office.
BATTLE TECHNOLOGY STAFF COME FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WORLDS AND BACKGROUNDS. THEY DIFFER WIDELY IN OPINIONS ABOUT THE REASONS BEHIND THE ACTIONS OF THE LEADERS OF THE INNER SPHERE. JANE METYARD, WHO COMES FROM THE ORIENTE PROVINCE OF T14E FREE WORLDS LEAGUE, DISAGREED WITH ORTIZ.
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