OBT Forum

Thanks to Veterans Day, now is the turn of Kenyon Marik.

My main sources are House Marik Sourcebook (HMSB), Handbook House Marik (HHM) and the Star League Sourcebook (SLSB).

So what do we know about Kenyon Marik?

I would say that we know a lot about him or some of his ways to rule.
Why? Because he was the man behind a crucial change in the way the League is governed.

But let's go first for some facts.
Kenyon Marik is the son of Ewan Marik and was born in 2734.
He became Captain-General in 2763 and died in 2804.
His stats in The Succession Wars Game are Combat 1, Military 1, Administration 3, which would indicate an able politician but a bad military leader.


He received a formation as an officer as at 15, he was in his third year and he acted as a staff officer for General Kerensky around 2756 “Kenyon had served as a staff officer with Kerensky seven years before taking office as Captain-General.” (HMSB)
His military formation and his actions as staff officer led him into “troubles” or “embarrassments”, words that might far from the truth. “During his days at the military academy, Kenyon experienced more than his share of embarrassments.” (HHM) or “Kerensky called on Kenyon to acknowledge his role in the bloody disaster and submit to a tribunal for punishment.” (HMSB)

Following his clash with General Kerensky, he became his enemy and the one of the Star League too.
“When he became Captain-General in 2763, the young Marik immediately began to pursue a course of non-cooperation with the Regent, obstructing Star League military activities, publicly questioning the validity of Kerensky’s public acts, and even using SAFE to infiltrate the General Staff, in hopes of finding evidence of impropriety or treason.” (HHM)
He refused to help him during the Periphery uprising and Amaris' Coup, denying the Star League Defense Force the use of any Free Worlds League facility and being on the verge of defending them with his guns “Outraged, the Marik readied his own army, preparing to squash the Regular Army fleet. When he finally jumped into the system, however, the Star League fleet had forged on to Carver V. Kenyon disbanded his army, but never forgot the insult.” (HHM)

He seems to have been a reasonably good strategist as he first focused against House Liao, having found out that House Steiner would be busy with House Kurita.
Unlike in his youth and his formative years at the Academy “They had finessed Kenyon’s troops in a simple, strategic retreat, and now had them surrounded” (HHM), he knows when to stop “Then, 2783, the Marik’s momentum ground to a halt when Liao’s 21st Centauri Lancers attacked Anegasaki, totally destroying the 4th Marik Militia. Suddenly realizing that the Capellans could still mount effective attacks of their own, the Marik scrambled to hold the line that he had spent years attaining. The drive had succeeded beyond the high command’s expectations, and they spent months reassigning Battalions to new locations and restructuring logistics.” (HHM)

He is the first one to throw away the Ares Conventions blaming it on the Lyrans.
“Though his own forces began the escalation, Kenyon declared the Ares Conventions abrogated by the Lyrans and himself free to respond as he saw fit. His action set a devastating precedent.” (HMSB)

As could be expected from his attitude with Kerensky, he is not above vengeance, even against civilians.
“Partly to disrupt the flow of reinforcements to Wazan and Corey and partly to avenge the destruction on New Delos, Kenyon ordered bombing attacks on several Liao planets. Ingersoll, New Canton, Outreach, and Hall were firebombed throughout 2789, but Barbara Liao still effected a blockade of the Corey and Wazan” (HMSB).

On the inner front, he was the one that manages to pass the Rule of 75 on the release of state documents and Resolution 288 giving the Captain-General discretionary powers “for the duration of the crisis”.

Now that we had a better knowledge of what he did, what can we learn from it?
As with John Davion, the lines below are merely my opinions and as such can be wrong, ignored and so on.

First, he was trained as an officer (we know one of his sons and one of his grandsons were 'MechWarriors but nothing about him) as illustrated by his training “These “war games” have always been a basic part of training for military commanders, not to mention invaluable training for combat troops.” (HMSB) and his appointment as staff officer under General Kerensky, probably in charge with  Operations.
Otherwise, there is no way, he could have ordered the Star League Defence Force units “to evict protesters from the government compound they had occupied, he triggered a violent confrontation that left more than a dozen people dead.” (HHM)
This could explain his low Combat ability in The Succession Wars Game.
However, I have to disagree with his lack of strategical abilities as he efficiently planned the first years of the 1st Succession War.

When faced with the Parliament, he is a clever politician using the end of an era to pass several key laws enabling him to lead the war.
“In addition, the planets of the former Terran Hegemony lay ripe for the taking, an opportunity the Captain-General feared the Free Worlds might miss if the bureaucrats were allowed to get in his way. To counter this possibility, Kenyon first manipulated Parliament into repealing the Rule of 75 that governed the release of state documents. He then presented Parliament with a draft bill that gave the Captain-General far-reaching discretionary powers “for the duration of the crisis.”
Panicked by the looming collapse of the old order, Parliament voted for this legislation that essentially established the Captain-General as the sole real power in the League. The act entered Free Worlds League law on December 19, 2784, recorded as Parliamentary Resolution 288. Though the balance of power between Parliament and the Captain-General has remained fluid in the years since, Resolution 288 remains a cornerstone of Free Worlds League politics.” (HHM)
Before the Parliament could react, his power was ensured.

He seems to have been arrogant even in his young years “Raising the Marik standard over the fortress, Kenyon began to make a speech about courage, triumph, and destiny, when the opposing forces counterattacked.” (HMSB) and even later “Marik forces romped through Capellan space. Rumor has it that the Marik, supremely confident that he could take any Liao planet, resorted to throwing darts at a wall map of the Inner Sphere to choose his army’s next objective. However, he gave first priority to taking the Andurien systems. Capellans thought the attack was so obvious (Kenyon had even sent a personal letter to Barbara Liao stating that he intended to take the region), that they assumed it was a trick and diverted forces to protect worlds close to Sarna and Capella. Andurien itself fell first, followed by Ingonish and Ryerson.” (HMSB)
One could think that he intended his letter to be seen as a trick but this is not House Liao or the Fox.

He thought highly of his rank and privileges attached to it “Kenyon refused, and then went further. He told Kerensky that the “upstart Russian peasant” wouldn’t dare punish him, the son and heir of the current Captain-General and the designated successor to the Free Worlds’ Star League Council seat.” (HHM) and this is probably why he pursued Kerenksy of his hatred for years, trying to find something to tarnish his reputation and rejoicing at his misfortunes (“When the Periphery world of New Vandenberg erupted in revolt, Marik was glad to see Kerensky depart.” (HHM)).

In this respect, he is probably closer to the young Richard Cameron than we could imagine at first.
“General Kerensky: You mentioned yesterday about "the nobility of the spirit." What did you mean?
Lord Richard Cameron: Nobility...You know, that something people are born with that makes them either good or bad, rich or poor.
General Kerensky: Born with? Can someone start out common but become noble?
Lord Richard Cameron: I don't think so.
General Kerensky: Could you be a friend to someone who had committed a crime, or was poor?
Lord Richard Cameron: I doubt it.
General Kerensky: No hope of redemption for the weary sinner, eh?
Lord Richard Cameron: I don't follow.
General Kerensky: Never mind. Look out there, your Highness; what do you see?
Lord Richard Cameron: The Aegis about a klick to port, the Michigan to starboard. Several destroyers and a few Dropships.
General Kerensky: And what do they represent to you?
Lord Richard Cameron: The might of the Star League, the force by which the League can smite its enemies and create justice.
General Kerensky: Justice can be created?
Lord Richard Cameron: Of course.
General Kerensky: How? Justice is justice. It is the indefinable purpose of God we look for in life. It's not something we can create.
Lord Richard Cameron: Don't be funny, Aleksandr. Everyone knows that justice is one of the spoils of victory.
General Kerensky: Might is right?
Lord Richard Cameron: It is the noble way, isn't it?
General Kerensky: According to whose definition?
Lord Richard Cameron: Lord Amaris. He says that nobility is often just blind confidence.
General Kerensky: And when you believe you are right, then anything you do is right?
Lord Richard Cameron: Exactly. Why do you shake your head that way?” (SLSB)

This could explain also him being the first to throw away the Ares Conventions as unlike John Davion the Idealist, Kenyon Marik seems more adept of “the end justify the means” approach.