Mercenaries

"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."

• Mark Antony, Julius Caesar – William Shakespeare

Mercenary in all times

 

Soldiers of fortune, dogs of war, hired guns, private military companies, contracted warfighters—no matter the term used, mercenaries have been around for as long as humans have waged war. The names may change or fall out of favor, but a mercenary is still a mercenary. Whether paid in precious metals, promises, or spoils of war, they have always served for compensation, from the earliest conflicts to when Croesus struck the first coin. Their allegiance is rarely to the person, faction, or government that hires them; their loyalty belongs to the payment promised. As humanity reached the stars and war followed, so too did mercenaries.
From small agricultural colonies hiring protection from pirates to the vast unification wars, mercenaries have played a pivotal, though often uncredited, role in shaping human history. They don’t seek glory; they seek payment, sometimes at the cost of their own blood or lives. Mercenary work is dangerous, and the success or failure of a mission is often decided the moment a contract is negotiated and signed. With few resources beyond their own skill and the people they hire, mercenaries face capricious and unreliable employers. Even the lawyers who write and negotiate contracts can be untrustworthy. Many solar nations hire mercenaries as "deniable assets," using them for high-risk missions where they won’t risk their own forces—or for operations they can later disavow, leaving the mercenaries unpaid. Many have been betrayed or outright killed by treacherous employers. This led to the creation of the Mercenary Bonding Guild, established to broker and arbitrate contracts, offering mercenaries a more equal footing.
Today, the mercenary profession is heavily regulated and widely used, forming one of the largest industries in the human sphere. The mercenary sector generates nearly 600 billion CRID annually, with demand for both material and manpower growing. The Bonding Guild has evolved into the Mercenary Arbitration and Bonding Authority, wielding such power that most mercenaries won’t operate without a bonded contract. However, in the Outworlds—those far beyond the core world's influence—the Bonding Authority’s power diminishes, making for some intriguing interactions between those on the fringe and the mercenaries they desperately need. While core worlds or major solar nations may hire mercenaries for frontier work, logistical challenges and other complications often arise, placing greater importance on the negotiation skills of the mercenary unit’s commander.
Despite the increased regulation, the use of mercenaries in conflict continues to be a topic of debate. Some argue that their involvement undermines the legitimacy of nation-states and the rule of law, potentially leading to human rights abuses or war crimes. Others contend that mercenaries provide a necessary service, particularly in regions where conflicts arise quickly and traditional military forces are not readily available or suitable.

 

Ethics

 

As a neutral observer, it is important to acknowledge the complexities and nuances in the employment of mercenaries. Decisions to hire such forces should be made with careful consideration of both the potential benefits and risks, as well as a commitment to ensuring accountability and oversight. The impact of their use in armed conflict is significant and multifaceted, and any action taken should be weighed with full awareness of the consequences involved.