Name: Marcus Leitman
Aliases: Marq, Marc Katergarus, Mr. Luxhomme, Gene Klament (birth name)
Affiliation: Founder and leader of Juno
Species: Human
Apparent Age: Mid-40s (actual age over 500 years, thanks to amortality treatment)
Notable Trait: Born too late to truly appreciate Van Halen
Profile:
Marcus Leitman is one of the most enigmatic and dangerous figures in the Compact Universe—a shadow architect of chaos, political manipulation, and ideological engineering. With centuries of influence and multiple alias identities, Leitman plays the long game, believing himself humanity’s rightful evolutionary guide—even if that means inciting wars, toppling colonies, and rewriting the moral framework of entire star systems.
He is the founder of Juno, a secretive organization aimed at transforming the Compact through covert control, gene-culture manipulation, and strategic upheaval.
Background and Identity:
- Leitman’s real name, Gene Klament, was erased as he built an elaborate chain of legally distinct identities through the Thulian legend system.
- Under the alias Marcus Leitman, he rose to prominence as a Compact delegate and deputy secretary-general after working underground to launch his covert crusade through Juno.
- He shares a century-spanning rivalry with Tol Germanicus, his ideological opposite and oldest adversary. Despite their mutual hatred, both men understand that exposing the other would collapse institutions they depend on.
Philosophy and Goals:
- Leitman believes humanity must evolve or die, and that peace and democracy are insufficient. He advocates for amortality, extreme population control, and centralized ideological regulation.
- Views the Compact not as a political entity, but as a vehicle to mold the species. He sees Gelt, sapient lycanths, and even Juno followers as tools—or obstacles—in that mission.
- His approach is ruthless: He has manipulated planetary invasions, corrupted noble families, and orchestrated mass death for narrative control.
Key Actions in Storming Amargosa:
- Supplied Lucius Kray with a fusion weapon and planned to blame its detonation on human rebels, seizing power as a savior.
- Seduced and manipulated Tessa Dasarius, using their relationship to monitor Dasarius Interstellar and push JT Austin toward martyrdom.
- Feuded with Germanicus, making wagers on planetary outcomes. He promises to vanish if Amargosa is liberated—but expects to rule if Kray holds it.
- Targeted Tishla and Ellie (Chapaan) as threats to his mythos. Both are marked for elimination after surviving and leading mixed-species resistance efforts.
- Was foiled by President Baker ibn-Aziz, who refused to be conned by Leitman’s machinations as he’s pushed into the presidency.
Personality and Traits:
- Charismatic but calculating: Projects warmth and wisdom but is a master manipulator behind closed doors.
- Ruthlessly pragmatic: Believes sacrifice—including entire populations—is a necessary cost for progress.
- Unsettlingly amused by devotion: Finds Jez Salamacis’s desire to immolate herself in his name “excessive,” but secretly admires her loyalty.
- Culturally sterile: Though well-versed in history, Leitman was born too late to truly appreciate Van Halen, a detail Tol Germanicus mocks him for.
Legacy:
Marcus Leitman is the ultimate puppet master of the Compact Universe—more dangerous than any single warlord or admiral because he plays entire civilizations like pieces on a board. He is a warning of what happens when immortality meets ideology, and when control becomes its own religion.
Appearances: Gimme Shelter, Storming Amargosa