Editing Nikol Halas-Hughes

{{Update Needed|[[Shattered Fortress]]|[[Hunting Season]]|[[Empire Alone]]|}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Nikol Marik EmpireAlone.jpg
| caption             = Nikol Halas-Hughes
| name                = Nikol Halas-Hughes
| birthdate           = [[3110]]<ref name=ER3145>''Era Report: 3145'', pp. 95–96: "Nikol Marik profile"</ref><ref name=EAp97>''Empire Alone'', p. 97</ref>
| died                = 
| othernames          = Nikol Marik
| affiliation         = [[House Halas-Hughes]]
| rank                = [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]]
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = Noble
| parents             = [[Philip Hughes]] (father)<br/>[[Jessica Halas]] (mother)
| siblings            = [[Janos Halas-Hughes|Janos IV]]<br/>[[Julietta Marik|Julietta]]<br/>[[Elis Marik|Elis]]<br/>[[Christopher Marik (32nd c.)|Christopher]]
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}
'''Nikol Marik''' is a [[thirty-second-century]] noblewoman, and later [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]] of the [[Free Worlds League]].

==History==
===Early Life===
Nikol was the fifth and youngest child born to [[Jessica Marik]] and [[Philip Hughes]].<ref name=PGpp>''Pandora's Gambit'', Prologue</ref> During her youth, people often remarked at how closely Nikol resembled her mother at her age.<ref name=ER3145 />

Growing up as the fifth in line to throne of the [[Oriente Protectorate]] gave her the freedom to choose her own way in life. She used that freedom to become a warrior, training as a [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] and a battlefield strategist.<ref name=ER3145 />

=== Grooming ===
The unfortunate death of her older brother Janos, and her siblings being catapulted into situations away from the throne, made Nikol her mother's preferred successor. Fate decided that instead of a warrior, she would become the heir of the Oriente Protectorate.

When the funeral for [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] was going to take place on [[Terra]] in [[3135]], Nikol's mother insisted that she join her on the trip.  On the trip, Jessica began to test and educate Nikol in the ways of diplomacy which would help her in the future as Captain-General.  Before reaching Terra, they made a quick stop on [[Asellus Australis]] where Nikol witnessed firsthand her mother's efforts to persuade Asellus Australis and the neighboring system leaders to join the Protectorate.

While at the funeral on Terra, Nikol had a chance to meet young nobles from all of the [[Inner Sphere]] [[Great Houses]], as well as attendees from the Clans.  During the event she first met [[Danai Liao-Centrella]] and they quickly became great friends.  In addition to the meet and greet, she was able to see her mother's rivals for the throne of the Free Worlds League, [[Anson Marik]] and [[Lester Cameron-Jones]].  She also was present at a secret meeting between her mother and [[Daoshen Liao]] which centered on plans for how both of their nations would be able to take worlds from the [[Republic of the Sphere]].{{Citation needed}}

In [[3136]], Danai arrived on [[Oriente]] for a diplomatic mission, however, Jessica Marik acted harshly toward Danai, due to the actions that [[House Liao]] had taken in violation of the unwritten agreement they had agreed upon on Terra.  Nikol, not agreeing with how her mother was acting towards her friend, reached out to Danai.  Danai confessed to Nikol that she was raped by [[Caleb Davion]]. Nikol was a witness at the treaty negotiations between the [[Capellan Confederation]] and the Oriente Protectorate, formalizing the arrangement between Daoshen and Jessica on Terra.{{Citation needed}}

==== Military Command ====
To expand the border of the Protectorate, Nikol was given command of her mother's elite [[Eagle's Talons]] battalion to conduct a campaign to conquer surrounding independent worlds. When the campaign started in January [[3137]], her forces were quick to annex three worlds: Asellus Australis, [[Oceana]], and [[Angell II]].  Her forces were also able to intercept aerospace assets of the [[Marik-Stewart Commonwealth]] which were on the way to relieve the beleaguered world of [[Marik]]. When her task force arrived in the Marik system, they found that their actions allowed the [[Spirit Cats]] to take control of the planet which is now under the domain of both the Cats and [[Clan Sea Fox]].

She would return to [[Oriente]] with her older sister Julietta, who was an envoy to the Spirit Cats. When they arrived on world, her family suffered an assassination attempt which resulted in the death of Janos. Jessica speculated that the assassin was sent from a rival leader who wanted to prevent her attempt at reforming the Free Worlds League.

==== Relief Mission ====
In [[3138]], Nikol was detached from the Eagle's Talons and given a new assignment from her mother. Her new position was to create "Liberation Units" on the former worlds of the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth in an effort to incorporate them into the Protectorate's government. In addition, she was instructed to find any forces from the Commonwealth that survived during the [[Operation HAMMERFALL|Lyran-Wolf invasion]] and convince them to join the forces of the Oriente Protectorate.

During her travels, she was able to make contacts on [[Clan Wolf]], [[Lyran Commonwealth]], and other non-Oriente worlds.  She became more and more dedicated to helping the people by delivering humanitarian aid and gave herself the unofficial title of [[Minister-General]].<ref>''To Ride the Chimera'', p. 221: "Nikol explanation on her self-made title"</ref>

Her travels brought her to [[New Hope]] where she found the [[Silver Hawk Irregulars]]' base.  She was able to convince them to join the forces of the Oriente Protectorate, as well as support her mother's bid to reunify the Free Worlds League. At the same time, her mother married [[Thaddeus Marik (32nd c.)|Thaddeus Marik]] in a political arrangement to become a true "Marik" and have the weight of the name to recreate the League. Nikol and her siblings were formally adopted by Thaddeus, which made them a part of the "Marik" family.

=== Rebirth of Free Worlds League ===
When the [[Free Worlds League]] was resurrected, Nikol's mother wanted to get her ready for when she would take the throne.  To do this, Nikol was given the position of Minister-General in July [[3139]].  As Minister-General, Nikol's job was to preside over the [[Free_Worlds_League#Parliament|parliament]] of the rebuilt government, as well as handling all of the domestic affairs within the League. After her mother was assassinated in the [[3148]], Nikol succeeded her as Captain-General of the League.<ref>''To Ride the Chimera'', p. 314: "Thaddeus Marik explains Minister-General & Warden-General’s primary responsibilities"</ref><ref name=ER3145 />

On 21 March [[3148]], Parliament passed [[Resolution 39]], allowing Nikol to be both Captain-General and Warden-General "[f]or the duration of the crisis now confronting the Free Worlds League".<ref name=HSch25>''Hunting Season'', ch. 25</ref>

=== IlClan Era ===
At the dawn of the [[IlClan Era]], Nikol oversaw the integration of the Regulans into the League and maintained a fragile peace with the Capellan Confederation, but refused to send help to face the Marian Hegemony invasion of the Tamarind-Abbey province. The presence of RAF forces on [[Talitha]] allowed her to relocate the [[Second Covenant Guards]] and the [[Fourteenth Atrean Dragons]] to other fronts.<ref>''IlClan (sourcebook)'', pp. 115–117</ref>

Nikol was visiting the planet [[Marik]] in June of [[3151]] when she received an unexpected visit: a convoy, carrying all the surviving [[Wolf's Dragoons]] from the [[Battle of Terra (3151)|Battle of Terra]]. Their new leader, Colonel [[Henry Kincaid]], requested a meeting, and on 13 June, Nikol met him and his ''aide'', Captain [[Haya Tetsuhara]], on Marik's Nadir recharge station. Kincaid told her of Clan Wolf's victory, and offered her a full report, along with several Republic ''[[Ares (BattleMech)|Ares]]'' 'Mechs, in exchange for the Dragoon having use of [[Nockatunga]] recharge station as a transshipment point. Nikol guessed the Dragoons planned to attack the Empire, and said she wanted to keep the peace with the Wolves. Kincaid corrected her, telling than the League wasn't at peace, but instead in a strategic pause. Nikol reluctantly accepted the deal.<ref>''Redemption Rites'', p. 33</ref>

On 2 June [[3152]], Nikol and General [[William Arnold]] attended a meeting on Atreus with [[SAFE]] agents who informed them that the fight between the Empire and one of the League's provinces had died down. After dismissing the agents, Nikol discussed the League's security situation with the general. Despite her efforts, several League provinces had invaded the Empire and took Wolf planets easily. She had even lost her dear friend, [[Makeda Kay]] which deeply affected her. Considering this, Nikol realized that Kincaid had been right and there was nothing to gain by waiting, so she ordered Arnold to plan a full invasion of the Empire and to attempt to contract the Dragoons. [[Clan Sea Fox]] had offered to broker a truce in the region in exchange for repairing inactive [[HPG]]s, but she rejected it.<ref>''Redemption Rites'', pp. 269–270</ref>

==BattleMechs==
* Nikol was a noted [[BattleMaster#Variants|BLR-5M ''BattleMaster'']] pilot.<ref>Pandora's Gambit, ch. 22</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Nikol Marik ER3145.png|Nikol Halas-Hughes at age 35, ca. [[3145]]
Nikol Marik EmpireAlone.jpg|Nikol Marik at age 42, ca. [[3152]]
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[Hunting Season]]'' (novel)
* ''[[IlClan (sourcebook)|IlClan]]''
* ''[[Pandora's Gambit]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Principles of Desolation]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Redemption Rites]]''
* ''[[Sword of Sedition]]'' (novel)
* ''[[To Ride the Chimera]]'' (novel)

[[Category:Free Worlds League Characters|Halas-Hughes, Nikol]]
[[Category:Captains-General|Halas-Hughes, Nikol]]