Free Worlds League Military (FWLM)
Mercenary Units
Historically, the Free Worlds League has relied on mercenary units to fill out its ranks for military operations. After assuming the position of Captain-General, however, Thomas Marik began to scale back the League´s use of mercenaries and seems determined to continue that course.
Though the Captain-General initially hired a considerable number of mercenary units to bolster the League´s defenses against the Federated Commonwealth he seems to have developed strong anti-mercenary views in past years. The Captain-General apparently believes that the use of mercenaries promotes "negotiable loyalty," a characteristic that makes such troops unreliable soldiers and unsuitable role models.
Despite the Captain-General´s views, the League made extensive use of mercenaries during the actions in the Chaos March in 3057. Shortly after hostilities there ceased, however, the Captain-General began to terminate his dealings with mercenary units. He transferred some mercenary contracts to Capellan Confederation Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao (most notably the contracts of Langendorf´s Lancers and the Always Faithful) so that his then-future son-in-law could consolidate his gains in the Chaos March. Other mercenary units left under less pleasant circumstances. For example, the 21st Centauri Lancers terminated their contract with the Free Worlds League following a dispute stemming from Operation Guerrero, only to find themselves enmeshed in the Word of Blake´s scheme to liberate Terra. Smithson´s Chinese Bandits, devastated during the fighting of Operation Guerrero, also broke their contract after that campaign and fled the Free Worlds League. Finally, Carson´s Renegades, always considered unreliable by SAFE, sided with the rebel forces on Zion and were subsequently destroyed by League forces sent to recapture that province.
Currently, the Free Worlds League is not hiring mercenaries at all. When the realm does hire mercenaries, however, a single representative offers employment and then presents an effectively non-negotiable contract. The League offers good pay and fair rights and has given few units cause to complain in the past.
The following listings describe all the major mercenary units currently under contract to the Free Worlds League.
The Bad Dream
The mercenaries of Colonel Harry Bortman´ Bad Dream unit have spent the past twenty-three years performing garrison duty along the League´s Periphery border, either on Landfall, or their current station, Kendall.
The Blackhearts
During Operation Guerrero, the Blackhearts served on Capolla, where they helped Liao supporters defeat the planet´s Lyran garrison before returning to the League. The unit sustained only light casualties during the campaign and is satisfied with the pay it received for the mission. Like other mercenary units, however, the Blackhearts find the Captain-General´s growing anti-mercenary sentiments increasingly disturbing.
Kristen´s Krushers
Founded by the Captain-General´s late half-sister, Colonel Kristen Marik, the Krushers are one of the few League-based mercenary units that have prospered under the Captain-General´s reforms. The Quartermaster Corps, not wishing to offend the Captain-General, has proved extremely prompt and generous when responding to the Krushers´ requests.
Legion of the Rising Sun
No information is currently available on this unit.
Romanov´s Crusaders
Captain-General Thomas Marik himself created Romanov´s Crusaders to accomodate a large group of foreign MechWarriors who traveled to Atreus in response to the Captain-General´s call in 3055 for MechWarriors who believed "that a warrior should be … bound only by the ideals of his profession" to join his newly created Knights of the Inner Sphere. Unwilling to incorporate such a large number of troops into the League military, the Captain-General authorized Sir Krispin Romanov, a respected member of the Knights, to form a single unit for these volunteers. Thus was born the Crusaders, a virtual "foreign legion" of troops dedicated to the chivalric ideals espoused by the Captain-General and the Knights of the Inner Sphere.
Technically, the near-regiment-sized unit serves the Free Worlds League as a mercenary force. The LCCC, however, considers the Crusaders fanatically loyal to the Captain-General.
Swann´s Cavaliers
While performing duties on Elgin during Operation Guerrero, the Cavaliers destroyed retreating members of the Second FedCom RCT that had fled to the planet.