House Liao: The Capellan Confederation (1988)

From the back cover:

"Maximilian Liao offered Anton Marik two things: his daughter in marriage and the assassination of Anton's brother, Captain-General Janos Marik. To win the throne, Anton agreed, and the Free Worlds League plunged into a devastating civil war...

His work done, Maximilian Liao just sat back and smiled.

Although perceived as the weakest Successor State, House Liao's Capellan Confederation is still a wily, treacherous, and formidable foe. Ruthlessly dominated by the cunning Maximilian Liao, the Confederation schemes to pick up the pieces of the shattered Inner Sphere and declare itself leader of a new Star League.

From their tremendous library containing the knowledge of the universe, ComStar has compiled this dossier on House Liao and the Capellan Confederation. Included are dozens of full-color illustrations depicting Confederation personalities, daily life, and military regalia. Classified documents on Confederation armed forces, the Warrior Houses, military structure, and political intrigues are also provided. In addition, the large history chapter stretches from Franco Liao's unification of the Confederation to Maximilian Liao's devious plotting to control the Inner Sphere.

The rulers of the other Successor States do not consider Liao a threat - Maximilian Liao just sits back and smiles."