OF MERCENARIES
The mercenary industry is a shambling tatterdemalion of its pre-Jihad condition. Involved on the front lines of the worst fighting in the Jihad (and on all sides), it is no surprise that mercenaries often bore the brunt of the casualties on many worlds. From the annihilation of most of Wolf’s Dragoons on Outreach and Mars, to the blockaded Northwind Highlanders emerging unscathed after years of conflict, there are myriad tales to tell and many more that will never be known of mercenary courage and chicanery in equal amounts. The following are the briefest of summaries of some of the better known commands and how they fared
during the Jihad, as well as several lesser-known forces that either formed during the war or rose to greater notoriety in that time.
HIRING HALLS HIRING HALLS
The loss of legitimate hiring halls on Outreach and Galatea has damaged the mercenary industry greatly. While many lesser halls—including rebuilt halls on Galatea—remain available for the gathering of professional soldiers and employers alike, the guiding hand of the MRBC is almost nonexistent. True, the organization still exists, but without the powerful Dragoons backing up its edicts, the Commission lacks the authority to oversee contracts and arbitrate disputes. It is doubtful that any other neutral entity will be found to fill the loss, since none will trust any form of ComStar oversight, nor would any House affiliation be accepted. A resurgent MRBC is a possibility, but it is just as likely that some proliferation of smaller realm-based hiring halls will facilitate contracts between mercenaries and the host state only.
If the latter happens, it may result in effectively neutering the mercenary industry, resulting in two likely outcomes: either mercenaries will be subject to worse treatment than before through lack of employment options, or mercenaries will gravitate toward one or more “trusted” employers at the expense of the rest.
ALLIED MERCENARY COMMAND ALLIED MERCENARY COMMAND
Founded by the Wolf’s Dragoons, this assemblage of mercenary commands stood alone in sounding the
alarm against Blakist expansion. Despite the Houses ignoring their call to arms, the Word focused its early actions on these forces and showed no mercy in their pursuits. Aside from the
Northwind Highlanders—who found their aerospace
forces seized or destroyed, and their
world blockaded for years, all of the other AMC member commands sustained no less than fifty percent losses through the Jihad, with most suffering far more. The Dismal Disinherited, Lindon’s Battalion, Always Faithful, Grim Determination, and the Arcadians were all completely wiped out. The Dragoons themselves lost over eighty percent of their entire command, as well as their entire fleet and base world of Outreach. What remains of the once-greatest mercenary brigade is now a demoralized core of die-hards, many still traumatized by the horrors of the Jihad.
KELL HOUNDS KELL HOUNDS
The Kell Hounds were two full regiments strong before the Jihad. Now they can field just over a company of ’Mechs and struggle to support them with the shreds of their auxiliary forces. Jade Falcons killed the Hounds’ commanding officer, Daniel Allard, in 3069, after which command fell to Akira Brahe.
The Crescent Hawks Company, a semi-autonomous part of the Hounds, parted ways with them after helping to liberate Tharkad, and was spared much of the eventual carnage the Hounds experienced—including the death of Christian Kell later in the war. During the deathtrap of Cairo, on Terra, almost all of the surviving Kell Hounds fe ll trying to dislodge the Word of Blake ROM forces. With just four ’Mech lances remaining, the surviving Hounds are def iant nevertheless, and intend to rebuild so they might defend Arc-Royal into the future.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
WHAT LIES BENEATH
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NORTHWIND HIGHLANDERS NORTHWIND HIGHLANDERS
The Highlanders were blockaded on their homeworld of Northwind when the Blakists caught their entire JumpShip fleet during the elections for new Clan elders. Trapped, and with no means to communicate with other systems after the Blakist WarShip captain obliterated both the planetary HPG station and the Highlanders’ aerospace transports, the Highlanders maintained their readiness level but gave up all hope of escape until they were liberated by a Combine force.
As thanks, the Highlanders took part in the Combine thrust against the Word of Blake, including the final clearing of Dieron. On Terra, the Highlanders made up a significant portion of General Lee’s Sydney assault force, where their superior numbers and condition helped them escape the meat grinder there with half the losses of other allied troops.
Now rebuilding, they already have raised enough qualified warriors to man replacement ’Mechs. Meanwhile, their few Dispossessed are providing training to the students at the Northwind Military Academy, delivering pointed instruction in the modern integration of combined arms and the limited defenses against WMDs. Since Northwind has its own factories, we expect the Highlanders to return to full strength in months not years, but they have responded enthusiastically to our overtures, and thus may not remain a mercenary force for much longer. After all, with Northwind itself under Republic control, the Highlanders now see the RAF as a viable means to ensure their homeworld is never again threatened. THE CONDEMNED
THE CONDEMNED
Many mercenary outfits willingly took part in the Blakist Jihad, some even gleefully using WMDs in their attacks against both military and civilian targets. A great number of these rogue mercenaries have already been hunted down and exterminated. Few of them chose to surrender, knowing they would be convicted of war crimes and likely executed for their actions. Those that are confirmed as wiped out include the Fifty-First Dark Panzer Jaegers, the Broadsword Legion, Wannamaker’s Widowmakers, Bronson’s Horde, Carson’s Renegades, Fist of Mokal, Hannibal’s Hermits, Bullard’s Armored Cavalry, Gray’s Ghosts, the Martian Cuirassiers, and the Stealthy Tigers among many others.
Of the few Blakist mercenaries known to have escaped the Protectorate, warrants and bounties have been issued for their capture or death. Various hunters have already collected some of these bounties. Of these bounty hunters, a few have been offered membership in the RAF for special operation services. Our thinking is that these promising individuals may forge a foundation for some of our future covert forces.
PERIPHERY PERIPHERY
As in the Inner Sphere, the mercenaries employed in the Periphery saw their share of combat, though typically at a much lesser magnitude than in the Successor States. All the same, many of these mercs demonstrated extraordinary courage under fire, while others casually broke their contracts to pursue other ends. Among those worthy of note are Ramilie’s Raiders, who actually represent both categories noted above. Though they abandoned their duty station in the Fronc Reaches, they were instrumental in saving the underground on Canopus IV. Their selfless attack on the Forty-first Shadow Division allowed the leaders of the uprising to escape, though very few of the Raiders lived to join them. Among those who merely broke their contracts
are Longwood’s Bluecoats, who were so disgusted by Taurian neglect that they also went so far as to join Hansen’s Roughriders in the process.
NEW FACES NEW FACES
The Jihad saw dozens upon dozens of famed mercenary units wiped out across the Inner Sphere, while others were shattered to the barest shreds of their former strength, yet clung to life through sheer tenacity. Lesser-known outfits surprised everyone by surviving the conflagration and appearing little the worse for the experience, though these “tough nuts” were few indeed. As a rule, most mercenary survivors of the Jihad were less than a regiment in size, with access to their own transportation assets. By not posing a serious enough threat, and retaining their own mobility, these commands were often overlooked by their would-be assassins, and could stay mobile to avoid being destroyed. E xamples of these include Deliah’s Gauntlet, Gannon’s Cannons, Holt’s Hilltoppers, the Flying Buttresses, Rianjamin’s Avengers, and The Foul-Tempered.
Many other new mercenary commands were spawned by the war throughout the Inner Sphere and Periphery. Some died just as quickly as they appeared but others managed to survive and even thrive in the brutal war. As with most of the established forces that escaped extermination, smaller outfits were generally ignored while larger commands were easier to hit. This has created an influx of company-sized (and smaller) commands in today’s market, while very few of the multi-regiment mercenary commands—like the Highlanders, Illician Lancers and Crater Cobras—now remain. This is a boon to employers, as a smaller command is more economical and easily transported. TheKouki no Otakebi and Thompson’s August Warriors are just two of these new faces in the post-Jihad industry.