Author Topic: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War  (Read 5383 times)

Archangel

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Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« on: 13 May 2017, 00:54:47 »
According to Mercenaries Supplemental Update (p35) the Blackstone Highlanders successfully raided the JF OZ during the FedCom Civil War and then spent several years simply rebuilding and training new warriors in relative peace that was broken only by the occasional pirate raid supposedly on Inarcs.

My issue with that is that FedCom Civil War has elements of the Seventh Crucis Lancers seizing Inarcs in early 3063, fighting off the Ninth Lyran Regulars in late October/beginning of November 3063 (p87) and them ultimately surrendering to the Neerabup MTM on Oct. 27, 3065 after holding them off for six weeks during which they crippled the Blackstone Industries plants which remained out of commission until mid 3066 (p148). 

At no time is there any mention of the Blackstone Highlanders ever participating in any of the combat action on Inarcs during the FCCW in either the FCCW or MSU so were the hell were they?  Personally I would think the owners of Blackstone Industries would be more than a little upset that the Highlanders didn't prevent their factories from being crippled.



[Sidenote: FCCW (p87) also has the Ninth Regulars CO Jeanette Scarlett being killed by a gauss rifle shot during their attack on Inarcs but Operation Audacity (ch11) has her miraculously recovering and leading her unit against the Falcons the following year.  Guess eating your veggies and drinking milk really does help huh?  ;D]
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Death by Lasers

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #1 on: 13 May 2017, 07:57:35 »
  Makes a short post on Wolvertines Highlanders and after the fact realizes you are talking about the Blackstone Highlanders.  Doh! Nevermind, got my merc units mixed up.

  So I flipped through FM: Lyran Alliance and could find no mention of the Blackstone Highlanders being in the service of the Lyran Alliance as of 3061.  Looking over Mercenaries Supplemental their is no mention of their existence before the FC:Civil War.  Now corporate security forces are frequently glossed over in sourcebook materials as part of a planets militia/defence forces. 

  My guess is that they Highlanders only came into existence as an offensive/mercenary force during the the FedCom Civil War and therefore entered the radar for the source material.  Perhaps they started raiding the JF Occupation zone sometime in 3066.

 
[Sidenote: FCCW (p87) also has the Ninth Regulars CO Jeanette Scarlett being killed by a gauss rifle shot during their attack on Inarcs but Operation Audacity (ch11) has her miraculously recovering and leading her unit against the Falcons the following year.  Guess eating your veggies and drinking milk really does help huh?  ;D]

  To be fair she wasn't the only person to be presumed dead by a Gauss slug to the cockpit and survive during that war ;)
« Last Edit: 13 May 2017, 08:52:09 by Death by Lasers »
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Tai Dai Cultist

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #2 on: 13 May 2017, 08:45:49 »
It's not hard to rationalize: defending the campus just wasn't in their contract.  Such oversights are not unprecedented... the whole FRR factional hate for mercs goes back to incidents where mercs didn't leap into combats they weren't contractually obligated to enter.

Given the story given in the OP it's not clear if the Steiner or Davion forces holed up in the factory complex, but either way one could also rationalize that the defending House forces declared some kind of "planetary emergency" that provided a legal construct that forced the mercs to stand aside or allowed them a loophole to exploit to permit them to stay out of combat w/o breaching contract.

Death by Lasers

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #3 on: 13 May 2017, 10:54:51 »
  Lets make a theoretical timeline for the Blackstone Highlanders using the evidence.  Looking over the timeline it seems my first guess that they came about after 3065 won't work as I will show below.

  First, we know they went on raids against the Jade Falcons hitting Twycross (and other JF worlds) which was according to FM: Mercenaries Supplemental defended by the Jade Falcons.  We know Twycross would become a Diamond Shark enclave in April 3065 so the Highlanders must have hit the world sometime before then.  We also know they did these raids during the FC Civil War so they must have been started after 3062.  FM Mercenaries supplemental then says that after losing over half their mechs Twycross they rested and recuperate on Inarcs until at least Sept. 3067.

  As you have pointed out from FM: FC Civil War the 7th Crucis Lancers seize Inarcs in early 3063 and are pushed off the world in October 3065 with no mention of the Highlanders either in Mercenaries supplemental or FM:FCCW.  This brings up a tricky timeline that depends heavily on if they are pro-Vic, pro-Kat, or Neutral.  My first guess is that they are pro-Kat since the 7th Crucis had the seize Blackstone for Victor.  However, it looks like the planet may have surrendered though without a fight since the <S> (surrender) icon is used under the Crucis Lancers move to Incarns in the FM:FCCW deployment table without any battle damage being shown for the 7th.  This suggests that they may have been neutral.  Maybe Patriots and Tyrants mentions something.

  If they are Neutral than they make mechs for Katherine until the 7th Crucis arrives and with a superior Davion force on planet they then switch to producing mechs for Victor.  Either before or during the 7th Crucis' occupation the Highlanders set out on their series of raids against the Jade Falcons.  Not wanting to jeopardize their neutrality the Highlanders sit out the fighting for Inarcs and the factories.  Given that at the time the factories are damaged the Highlanders are probably still recovering from their losses on Twycross they are probably at less than 2 companies in strength. 

  If they are neutral removing themselves from the conflict is the best option.  Yes the factories are damaged in the fighting but that cant be helped since their neutrality is far more important to Blackstone then protecting their assets.  In one scenario the family/corporation looses a year or two of production, in another they loose their rights to their business all-together.

  If they are pro-Katherine things get trickier.  My best scenario is that they were raiding the Jade Falcon territories when the 7th Crucis struck and during the 9th Lyran Regulars counter attack.  This would put them out of communications with Inarcs for the duration of their raiding campaign.  They only return to the planet in 3065 as either an auxiliary to the Neerabup MTM or after the fighting is over.  It should be remembered that by this point they are probably close to 2 companies in strength and would be easy to omit from the record.  From here they spend the rest of the war recuperating. 
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Colt Ward

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #4 on: 14 May 2017, 21:55:05 »
Well . . . IIRC from the story where Archer's Avengers dropped on Odessa to speak with Snord's Irregulars . . . and Fisk used Wolverton's Highlanders, which had been bought out (or their debt bought up, same thing) by Colonel Blackstone and his Highlanders . . . it gets more curious, IIRC Wolverton's was wrecked by both the Avengers & Irregulars, survivors dispossessed and turned over to the AMC or such for justice.  WITH IIRC supposition that Snord's and Archer could make claims against Blackstone Highlanders & their assets.

I want to say this happens, '63 to early '64 before the events in Operation Audacity.
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Archangel

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #5 on: 15 May 2017, 00:45:56 »
  If they are Neutral than they make mechs for Katherine until the 7th Crucis arrives and with a superior Davion force on planet they then switch to producing mechs for Victor.  Either before or during the 7th Crucis' occupation the Highlanders set out on their series of raids against the Jade Falcons.  Not wanting to jeopardize their neutrality the Highlanders sit out the fighting for Inarcs and the factories.  Given that at the time the factories are damaged the Highlanders are probably still recovering from their losses on Twycross they are probably at less than 2 companies in strength. 

While it isn't mentioned how large a force seized Inarcs by the first battle only a single 'Mech battalion from the Seventh Crucis supported by two armor battalions and the 405th Federation Interceptor Wing was stationed on Inarcs.  By the second battle, only two reinforced companies of 'Mechs and a single battalion of armor remained (no mention of aerospace support).

Quote
  If they are neutral removing themselves from the conflict is the best option.  Yes the factories are damaged in the fighting but that cant be helped since their neutrality is far more important to Blackstone then protecting their assets.  In one scenario the family/corporation looses a year or two of production, in another they loose their rights to their business all-together.

It is implied that the damage to the factories was caused by sabotage rather than combat damage ("the six-week delay had given the Lancers time to cripple the Blackstone Industries plants", FCCW, p148).

Quote
  If they are pro-Katherine things get trickier.  My best scenario is that they were raiding the Jade Falcon territories when the 7th Crucis struck and during the 9th Lyran Regulars counter attack.  This would put them out of communications with Inarcs for the duration of their raiding campaign.  They only return to the planet in 3065 as either an auxiliary to the Neerabup MTM or after the fighting is over.  It should be remembered that by this point they are probably close to 2 companies in strength and would be easy to omit from the record.  From here they spend the rest of the war recuperating.

Possible.  Unfortunately, MSU states that the Blackstone Highlanders spent "four years of relative peace, broken only by the occasional pirate raid, enabled them to rebuild to full battalion strength with ease."  While they might have spent part of those four years on Inarcs after the survivors from the Seventh surrendered where did they spent the other two years?  The BH rely on Blackstone Industries for most of their income not to mention new machines/parts  and with the FCCW raging on it would be a seller's market with most new production already sold to one of the participating factions so rebuilding without direct access to BI's factories would not be easy.

So where were they?  Arc-Royal?  While a relatively new mercenary world, they would likely have difficulties acquiring new machines and they certainly wouldn't engage any pirate raiders (assuming any were foolish enough to attack the homeworld of the Kell Hounds and Clan Wolf-in-Exile one or the other would handle raiders).  Same goes for Outreach.  Galatea?  For most of the first half of the FCCW Galatea was in chaos with various factions forming, fighting amongst themselves, breaking apart and forming new factions.  Not a world one would go to to rebuild.
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Archangel

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #6 on: 15 May 2017, 01:01:47 »
  My guess is that they Highlanders only came into existence as an offensive/mercenary force during the the FedCom Civil War and therefore entered the radar for the source material.  Perhaps they started raiding the JF Occupation zone sometime in 3066.

Per FM Merc (p39), the Blackstone Highlanders were created sometime in the late 30th century and while originally created "to defend the Blackstone family's industrial holdings on Inarcs", there is also mention of them acting as field testers for 'Mechs created by BI after it opened in 3053 and "a long-standing contract for pirate hunting in the Coventry province as well as a two-year contract with ComStar's Explorer Corps to map the anti-spinward deep Periphery.

The raiding into Falcon territory had to have started before 3066 if they spent "four years of relative peace" rebuilding before the Jihad broke out.
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Archangel

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #7 on: 15 May 2017, 01:17:36 »
Well . . . IIRC from the story where Archer's Avengers dropped on Odessa to speak with Snord's Irregulars . . . and Fisk used Wolverton's Highlanders, which had been bought out (or their debt bought up, same thing) by Colonel Blackstone and his Highlanders . . . it gets more curious, IIRC Wolverton's was wrecked by both the Avengers & Irregulars, survivors dispossessed and turned over to the AMC or such for justice.  WITH IIRC supposition that Snord's and Archer could make claims against Blackstone Highlanders & their assets.

I want to say this happens, '63 to early '64 before the events in Operation Audacity.

Katherine encouraged the Blackstone Highlanders to absorb Wolverton's Highlanders making them partially responsible for Feehan's actions.  As a result when the MRBC ruled against Wolverton's Highlanders and determined their punishment and financial penalties, the Blackstone Highlanders would be responsible for paying any remaining penalties after Wolverton's Highlanders remaining assets had been assessed and tallied.  While Rhonda Snord implies they would be bankrupted, the Blackstone Highlanders' relationship with Blackstone Industries would likely have prevented that from happening if the financial penalties were that high.
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Frabby

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #8 on: 15 May 2017, 04:31:54 »
So where were they?  Arc-Royal?  While a relatively new mercenary world, they would likely have difficulties acquiring new machines and they certainly wouldn't engage any pirate raiders (assuming any were foolish enough to attack the homeworld of the Kell Hounds and Clan Wolf-in-Exile one or the other would handle raiders).
If you're going by the (apocryphal) German-only novel Sturm auf Arc-Royal then Arc-Royal indeed came under attack from a irregular Lyran force in mid-3065. After the attackers were defeated, Katherine Steiner-Davion disavowed their actions and called them rogues, i.e. retroactively marked them pirates. And it's implied had to pay boatloads of reparations to Kell and the Wolves-in-Exile, plus the defenders got to keep a lot of salvage. (Only problem is, the novel doesn't mention any other forces besides Kell Hounds and WiE - but there certainly is wriggle room for a subcontractor merc unit...)
« Last Edit: 15 May 2017, 04:33:30 by Frabby »
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Colt Ward

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #9 on: 15 May 2017, 08:30:33 »
Why would the industries bail out a failed venture?
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Death by Lasers

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #10 on: 15 May 2017, 09:57:56 »
  The plot thickens...

Quote
Possible.  Unfortunately, MSU states that the Blackstone Highlanders spent "four years of relative peace, broken only by the occasional pirate raid, enabled them to rebuild to full battalion strength with ease."

  From Sarna MSU is set in 3071 though.  I don't own MSU so unless a later line fleshes this statement out some more taken as is that means they spent 3067-3071 on Inarcs recuperating.  This fits with the Pro-Katherine timeline.  Also the fact that Kathrine could recommend they absorb the Wolvertine Highlanders also suggests they had Pro-Katherine leanings.

  *decides to break out the Ocam's Razor*  Now from FM: Mercenaries they were un-contracted and based on Outreach in 3059.  So sometime during the FC:CW but before April 3065 they set out from Outreach on a long raiding campaign against the Jade Falcons loosing half their mechs on Twycross.  Sometime after October 3065 they return to Inarcs.  They spend four years recuperating (3067, 3068, 3069, 3070) on Inarcs by the point FM:MSU is written.

  It is interesting to note that after the FCCW Blackstone kept the Highlanders close to Inarcs for the duration of the Jihad while before the Highlanders typically galavanted months away from the planet either in the deep periphery working for the Explorer Corps (FM:M), raiding the JF occupation zone (FM:MS), or waiting for contract on Outreach (FM:M).  Apparently the sabotage of their factories during the war convinced the company they needed them close to home since afterwords they stayed glued to Inarcs even going so far as to deny a request for help from the Blue Star Irregulars for help on Black Earth in 3068.
 
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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #11 on: 15 May 2017, 10:32:49 »
[Sidenote: FCCW (p87) also has the Ninth Regulars CO Jeanette Scarlett being killed by a gauss rifle shot during their attack on Inarcs but Operation Audacity (ch11) has her miraculously recovering and leading her unit against the Falcons the following year.  Guess eating your veggies and drinking milk really does help huh?  ;D]
She must've used some Edge.
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Archangel

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #12 on: 15 May 2017, 15:44:05 »
If you're going by the (apocryphal) German-only novel Sturm auf Arc-Royal then Arc-Royal indeed came under attack from a irregular Lyran force in mid-3065. After the attackers were defeated, Katherine Steiner-Davion disavowed their actions and called them rogues, i.e. retroactively marked them pirates. And it's implied had to pay boatloads of reparations to Kell and the Wolves-in-Exile, plus the defenders got to keep a lot of salvage. (Only problem is, the novel doesn't mention any other forces besides Kell Hounds and WiE - but there certainly is wriggle room for a subcontractor merc unit...)

Becoming a subcontractor to the Kell Hounds would send a clear message to Tharkad that your unit was pro-Victor regardless of the unit's actual stance.  There were several neutral commands that Loyalists forced into Victor's camp simply because they couldn't accept the fact that they didn't want to fight in a civil war.  Just look what Katherine tried to do to Snord's Irregulars who refused to take sides.  Rather than simply accept their neutral stance and post them to the Clan border (thereby possibly freeing up a more loyal unit) she demanded they either support her wholeheartedly or be destroyed.
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Archangel

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #13 on: 15 May 2017, 16:04:34 »
Why would the industries bail out a failed venture?

First, it is a family venture after all.  Second, to continue to have a military unit at their beckon call.  Third, technically Blackstone Highlanders didn't fail, it was Wolverton's Highlanders that did.   ;)  The BH were still a perfectly viable unit.

Of course we are never told how much, if anything, Blackstone Highlanders had to pay in penalties for Feehan's actions.  Edit:  And, of course, we can't forget about Blackstone Industries' legal team who would have been hard at work trying to reduce any penalties Blackstone Highlanders/Industries had to pay.
« Last Edit: 15 May 2017, 16:30:38 by Archangel »
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Archangel

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #14 on: 15 May 2017, 16:26:00 »
  The plot thickens...

  From Sarna MSU is set in 3071 though.  I don't own MSU so unless a later line fleshes this statement out some more taken as is that means they spent 3067-3071 on Inarcs recuperating.  This fits with the Pro-Katherine timeline.  Also the fact that Kathrine could recommend they absorb the Wolvertine Highlanders also suggests they had Pro-Katherine leanings.

"Four years of relative peace, broken only by the occasional pirate raid, enabled them to rebuild to full battalion strength with ease. With the start of the Jihad, this factor left the people of Inarcs in the enviable position of having a well-trained, well-supported, and well-equipped mercenary force devoted entirely to their home world's defense--even in the face of universal war." (MSU, p35)

My interpretation of these two sentences is that the Blackstone Highlanders were at full strength going into the Jihad and those 'four years of relative peace' happened before the Jihad started.  How would you interpret them?  Besides if they were still rebuilding when the Blue Star Irregulars were calling for aid then it is doubtful that the outcry would have been as bad as it was if any was raised at all.
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Death by Lasers

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #15 on: 15 May 2017, 17:19:25 »
"Four years of relative peace, broken only by the occasional pirate raid, enabled them to rebuild to full battalion strength with ease. With the start of the Jihad, this factor left the people of Inarcs in the enviable position of having a well-trained, well-supported, and well-equipped mercenary force devoted entirely to their home world's defense--even in the face of universal war." (MSU, p35)

My interpretation of these two sentences is that the Blackstone Highlanders were at full strength going into the Jihad and those 'four years of relative peace' happened before the Jihad started.  How would you interpret them?  Besides if they were still rebuilding when the Blue Star Irregulars were calling for aid then it is doubtful that the outcry would have been as bad as it was if any was raised at all.

  Like I said I don't have MSU, but yeah, with that wording it looks like the Highlanders spent four years recovering before the Jihad started, meaning they should have been on Inarcs starting around late 3063.  Strictly speaking FM:MS doesn't say they spent all that recovery time on Inarcs although it heavily implies it.

  Maybe the neutral timeline makes more sense. So...

3059: The Highlanders are on Outreach and un-contracted.
3063 (early): Inarcs taken by Davion.
3063 (late): After raiding Clan Jade Falcon the Highlanders return to Davion held Inarcs under strict neutrality.
3065:  Katherine loyalists retake Inarcs.  In order to maintain their neutrality the Highlanders sit out the fighting and are unable to prevent the sabotage of the factories by the retreating 7th Crucis Elements. 
3067 (late):  Having spent 4 years recovering the Highlanders are at almost full strength at the start of the Jihad.
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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #16 on: 16 May 2017, 20:21:11 »
If there is no mention of Blackstone Highlanders then they are simply garrisoning their Factory. Remember, there is no PROFIT fighting in the Jihad. With all the chaos with Marik and the Estates thing, leaving home would be too risky.

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #17 on: 16 May 2017, 21:58:08 »
If there is no mention of Blackstone Highlanders then they are simply garrisoning their Factory. Remember, there is no PROFIT fighting in the Jihad. With all the chaos with Marik and the Estates thing, leaving home would be too risky.


Says who?  If you're a mercenary, there's profit to be had anywhere there's fighting.
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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #18 on: 16 May 2017, 23:40:38 »
If there is no mention of Blackstone Highlanders then they are simply garrisoning their Factory. Remember, there is no PROFIT fighting in the Jihad. With all the chaos with Marik and the Estates thing, leaving home would be too risky.

It has been well-established that the Blackstone Highlanders garrisoned their homeworld during the Jihad.  THAT and their refusal to aid the rest of the Lyran Alliance/Commonwealth or the Blue Star Irregulars is what put them in hot water with the Lyran government.  The question is where were they during the FCCW?

While Victor's people may have been more tolerant of neutral units, they wouldn't have been foolish enough to allow the Highlanders to take up position where they could stab them in the back if they felt it was in their (or Blackstone Industries) best interests.
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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #19 on: 17 May 2017, 00:10:46 »

Says who?  If you're a mercenary, there's profit to be had anywhere there's fighting.
Why fight when you have cushy garrison contract?
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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #20 on: 17 May 2017, 17:23:11 »

Says who?  If you're a mercenary, there's profit to be had anywhere there's fighting.

Only if you win. Only if you live. Frankly, a civil war is way worse than any Jihad. Staying home is far more intelligent.

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #21 on: 17 May 2017, 20:01:58 »
Only if you win. Only if you live. Frankly, a civil war is way worse than any Jihad. Staying home is far more intelligent.
For a mercenary that's always a risk.  There's no profit in staying home.
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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #22 on: 04 June 2017, 12:24:40 »
For a mercenary that's always a risk.  There's no profit in staying home.

There is if you own the factory. A lot of profit as you won't need to pay other people for security.

Archangel

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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #23 on: 04 June 2017, 15:23:53 »
There is if you own the factory. A lot of profit as you won't need to pay other people for security.

But Blackstone Highlanders don't own the factory, the Blackstone family does and for legal reasons the Blackstone family doesn't officially own Blackstone Highlanders (Lyran laws governing/limiting private military forces and limiting the company's financial exposure to any debts the mercenary unit might build up).  As for the savings it is the company that is saving money not the mercenary unit which still needs to meet payroll, maintain/repair/replace their equipment, pay loans, etc.
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Re: Blackstone Highlanders during the FedCom Civil War
« Reply #24 on: 25 June 2017, 16:08:30 »
But Blackstone Highlanders don't own the factory, the Blackstone family does and for legal reasons the Blackstone family doesn't officially own Blackstone Highlanders (Lyran laws governing/limiting private military forces and limiting the company's financial exposure to any debts the mercenary unit might build up).  As for the savings it is the company that is saving money not the mercenary unit which still needs to meet payroll, maintain/repair/replace their equipment, pay loans, etc.

That's all weaselly Lyran law talk.  "Those mechs?  They aren't my house troops.  They're (wiggle fingers)mercenaries.(/wiggle)"   [legal]

If Katherine suggested the absorption, the suggestion might have come with financial aid.  And if not, I think the family would take care of the bills.  Because of the excellent past service of their (wiggle fingers)mercenaries (/wiggle).  [legal]

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