Mercenary

A Mercenary is an individual who serves in a military capacity primarily for the purposes of personal gain, and for multiple clients. Mercenaries are a legally recognized profession in the Inner Sphere, and are regulated by the Terra-based Mercenary Ratings Board (MRB). In the Shroud, and Outer Sphere the legality of Mercenaries vary by jurisdiction, with many systems recognizing the MRB, others operating their own regulatory bodies, and even some outlawing the profession wholesale.

History
In the wake of early interstellar colonization efforts the nascent unified government of Earth found itself increasingly spread thin, struggling to maintain its own grip on the increasingly independently minded colonies on Venus and Mars respectively while also battling domestic instability and nationalism. With few military assets it could expend to defend its far flung colonies in systems such as Procyon, Sirius, and Tau Ceti, and reeling in the wake of the Centauri Disaster, the government on Terra began to commission private businesses to act on the behalf of the state as a local police force. These early mercenary commissions would act as both private police, and private military for the Terran government, and would become increasingly vital in the coming years.

With the creation of the first Warp-Drives, the people of Terra rediscovered the lost colony of Centauri, which in the absence of Terran support had heavily militarized itself, and embedded heavy defenses across its system. The discovery of a new, hostile, and heavily militaristic power just one parsec away from the Terran heartland inspired great fear amongst the Terran populace and government, and sparked the beginning of the immense cold-war which would come to dominate the next millennia. With the advent of warp technology which would allow for the Terran military to better disperse itself among its many colonies, the original charter mercenaries quickly lost their purpose. Without the universal constant of government contracts, the many dozens of mercenary charters began offering their services to the many increasingly powerful Terran Megacorporations, and quickly garnered a grim reputation for their nonchalant attitudes towards violence, and the widespread destruction left in their wake.

In response to this the Terran Government opted to regulate the industry, requiring all Mercenary Corporations in Terra register with the newly established Mercenary Ratings Board. Further the Terrans required any organization operating in, or even passing through Terran space to register as well. Though initially many foreign corporations refused, fearing the Terrans would use their diplomatic powers to regulate foreign competition into the ground, the Terrans found a compromise, by releasing the MRB as a private corporation, not directly under Terran control. Despite the MRB's massive success (And its near universal recognition in the inner sphere), many Mercenary corporations in the Outer Sphere and Near and Deep Shroud remain unlisted, preferring to operate out of sight.

Today the Mercenary trade has flourished, as conflicts and civil-wars are numerous throughout the immense breadth of human space. Further, the growing influence and power of the Shroud Pirate Lords has forced many near and deep shroud systems to hire mercenaries to defend themselves against the cyclical pirate raids that can so heavily drain the economies and livelihoods of the relatively defenseless independent shroud systems.

The Mercenary Ratings Board
See also: Mercenary Ratings Board

Established in 2742, the Mercenary Ratings Board serves as the primarily regulatory body throughout most human space. Officially recognized by all eight great powers, including the Centauri Collective and the majority of the Inner Shroud, the MRB's influence stretches to the reaches of the known galaxy, and includes members from all corners of colonized space. For a mercenary corporation to operate across national boundaries in the Inner Sphere, they must first register with the MRB, who assign the corporation two ratings - a Classification (Representative of their scale), and a Confidence rating (Representing the MRB's confidence in said companies trustworthiness, and competence). Mercenary corporations which go 'unlisted' are only legally allowed to operate within the boundaries of their host nation, and further are not eligible to apply for contracts hosted by the MRB. In addition to classifying and regulating mercenary corporations, the MRB acts as an official middleman for the majority of contracts, determining the legality of a contract, and holding payment in reserve to prevent non-payment.

Class
Might be useful: MRB Class Calculator

A Classification is a rating assigned to a registered mercenary corporation by the MRB, and is meant to represent the corporation's ability to perform tasks of a certain scale. The rating is calculated from the total assets of the corporation, including combat personnel, equipment, hardware, and void craft up to and including capital ships. Corporations are only allowed to take on contracts of a class at or below their own rating. It is important to note that the classification rating is not an indication of the corporation's quality, only the amount and variety of assets at its disposal. Class ratings are in descending order: S, A, B, C, D, E, F.

Confidence
A Confidence rating is assigned to a registered mercenary corporation by the MRB, and represents the board's trust in the corporation to faithfully, and skillfully fulfil its given contracts. Though the exact means through which the MRB calculates confidence ratings is classified, the following is known: A corporation's initial confidence rating can range from E, D, C, or B, with the average being D. Factors which improve an initial rating range from transparent leadership, a proven track record prior to listing, and having few or no criminal contractors. Corporations may improve their confidence rating over time by completing listed contracts above expectations, or improving corporate transparency. Confidence ratings are in descending order: S, A, B, C, D, E, F.

Bounty Hunting
See also: Bounty Hunter

Bounty Hunting is another major form of regulated combat. In the Inner Sphere the MRB is responsible for regulating the bounty hunting trade, with all legal (Blue Market) bounties being placed with the MRB, who maintain the right to refuse any listing should it not meet their standards. The MRB maintains that any listed Blue Market 'Apprehension Warrant' bounty must be for an individual considered a fugitive from the law in at least one inner sphere state, or to be wanted by any state for at least one of a list of potential crimes considered by the MRB to be appropriately delinquent to warrant an international arrest warrant. Blue Market bounties may occasionally be listed with a 'Kill Warrant', making the killing of the target and or any individuals in posse with the target to be legally permissible when in commission of the bounty. Kill warrants are typically only issued for criminals known to be dangerous, and typically result in a reduction in the amount of payment, excluding cases where the target is considered sufficiently dangerous that a non-discriminatory kill warrant is deemed appropriate.

Blue Market bounties may also be listed for seeking information, rather than apprehension or execution. Such bounties, typically seeking contact information, medical welfare checks, or the serving of a warrant or retrieval of stolen goods are listed with the MRB as low risk, low pay 'Investigation Warrants'. In addition to those bounties listed on the Blue Market, there is a thriving illegal bounty hunting trade, which is far more extensive than the largely regulated mercenary trade. These "Red Market" bounties often pay more, but are higher risk, and involve complicated or black legal and moral issues. Since the Centauri Collective, and the Shroud in general do not recognize the MRB's authority over the Bounty Hunting trade, all bounties in these regions are considered to be Red Market bounties.

List of Mercenary Groups
* Indicates the organization is unlisted by the MRB.