Mercenary (Earth-7149)



"The creed is greed."

- - Frank Elgyn

A mercenary, or simply a merc, is an individual who takes part in armed conflicts for money. They are occasionally hired by governments and corporations to hunt down or kill other criminals for money, as well as performing assignments that would be too controversial for a major organization to undertake in public.

Structure
"Most mercs, they keep it simple: within the law. They do bounty work, the odd war, but they always answer to an organization."

- - General Martin Perez Because humanity lacks a centralized government or authority, vast regions of space are ruled by whatever entitity is the most powerful or that have claimed the territory before, either being military forces or megacorporations. Duo to the different and unstable political conflicts, the power balance is in constant flux, although the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the United States Colonial Marine Corps tend to be the most powerful by the 26th century. The ever-changing landscape makes true loyalty unwise, and thus grant mercenaries a new golden age, giving them the necessary flexibility to change loyalties whenever they deem necessary. Mercs generally provide whatever specialized service a powerful entitity as long as they are well paid. These mercenaries have varying backgrounds, from pirates, to prison guards, and bounty hunters. Aside from local governments and corporations, mercenaries can either operate their own ships or be hired to work aboard large warships or scientific vessels to provide security. Captains of ships dictate their own rules, which varies widely from individuals; Frank Elgyn, captain of the Betty, had no qualms in capturing both criminals and civilian colonists to sell them to the highest bider.