Associated Defense

Associated Defense is a Galian Crown-Chartered mercenary Corporation headquartered on the planet of Eohiri, in the system Kasatrix. Associated Defense is a Private Military Company which offers its services to foreign governments, corporations, and wealthy individuals. Associated Defense operates the largest private fleet in the Galian Empire, consisting of more than 9,000 vessels crewed by 2,000,000 personnel, putting it on par with many military fleets. Associated Defense is a highly controversial corporation, with many within the Empire viewing it and its enormous fleet with distrust, and many outside the Empire deriding it as a form of Galian adventurism under only the thinnest veil.

History
Associated Defense was founded 1015/21 (July 17th 3057) on the Galian world of Eohiri. Originally a private security firm which contracted with crown-corporations such as I4, and the Crown Postal Service, Associated Defense quickly gained prominence both for the competence of its crews and for its willingness to undertake both morally and legally questionable assignments. Associated Defense quickly gained the interest of prominent warhawks, particularly amongst the Laelian turncoat House Von Ronsenhain.

Associated Defense saw rapid growth in the 3070's as it began accepting contracts which extended outside of the Galian core systems, with the corporation seeing its first contract in the near shroud in 3076 when received an anti-piracy contract from officials from the shroud trade post Port Aegis. Associated Defense quickly expanded its fleet through strategic investments and quickly came into possession of several Eohiri-class battleships (manufactured on its home world). With the acquisition of capital class vessels, Associated Defense entered into an exclusive group of mercenary organizations which are recognized by the Mercenary Ratings Board as Class-A (or fully mobilized) Paramilitary organizations.

In the modern Era Associated Defense is involved in numerous conflicts, with their vessels and fleets being found across the entirety of the Inner Sphere and Shroud. Especially noteworthy is the organization's involvement in the Fourth Vuater Void Crusade, where Associated Defense serves in a military advisory role for the Aldebaran Vanguard State. In reality this role is a cover, while the organization primarily engages in open warfare against the Vuater Holy Confederacy as a means to bypass the Terran Ultimatum against Aldebaranian aggression. In addition to this conflict, Associated Defense is currently contracted by the Sovaran Government in Exile to assist in the Sovara Intervention against the Republic of Laelia.

Income & Assets
Associated Defense is a wealthy corporation, earning a sizable yearly revenue from services provided to numerous governments, but especially to the Sovaran Corporate State, Galian Empire, and Aldebaran Vanguard State. In addition to these prominent clients, AAD makes a substantial income from Shroud states, and other minor powers. AAD is currently signed on to a $350 Billion Terran Dollar contract with the Sovaran Corporate State as part of its assistance in the Sovara Intervention. In addition to this Associated Defense is estimated to bring in an additional $100 Billion Terran Dollars per year in salvage from the conflict, including numerous Sovaran Capital ships. In addition to this AAD is engaged in a $100 Billion Terran Dollar contract with the Aldebaran Vanguard State, providing military assistance and oversight in the ongoing Fourth Void Crusade.

AAD is in possession of more than $5 Trillion Terran Dollars in assets, mostly accounting for their fleet but also including buildings, hardware, and salvage equipment. In addition to their fleet AAD is in possession of a notable salvage fleet, including dozens of individual salvage craft, bulk freighters, and even a TerraStrat manufactured Warp-Ship.

Leadership
The leadership of AAD can be broken into two sections: Corporate and Tactical. AAD's Corporate Leadership is headed by a board of five individuals namely; Duchess Victor Lalande, Oscar Clair-Ranton, Nicholas Brannon, Ren Iida, Tooru Miyake. These five individuals are collectively responsible for the corporate leadership of AAD, and primarily negotiate contracts, purchases, and manage the corporation's objectives and finances. AAD's fleets, on the other hand, are commanded from a top-down hierarchy, with one individual serving as Lord-Paladin, commanding all three fleets within the corporation. Currently AAD's Lord-Paladin is Volker Raabe, member of a cadet house of the Von Rosenhain, one of Galia's 16 Great Houses.

The five board members are selected by the organizations five largest stakeholders. Victor Lalande and Oscar Clair-Ranton were selected by their respective houses, which represent the first and second largest stakeholders respectively. Ren Iida and Tooru Miyake were both selected to represent House Kozue, whose members include the fourth and fifth largest stakeholders Nicholas Brannon was selected as a representative of Henry Oskar, CEO of the Oskar Corporation and richest man in the galaxy. Oskar, who is currently the third largest stakeholder in the organization, has been seeking to increase his investment in the company as a means of increasing his military power in the Empire during the increasingly tense Imperial Succession crisis.

The command structure of Associated Defense's fleets mirrors that of the Galian navy, with a Paladin being placed in charge of each fleet (Who in turn report to Lord-Paladin Raabe). Paladins typically command their fleets from the bridge of a flagship, typically a carrier like the Karna Fleet Systems Rebirth-class Escort carrier, or a battleship such as the Proxima Starworks Ravener-class. In addition to its fleets, AAD provides professional bounty hunting services, with AAD employees hunting both Blue and Red bounties listed through out the inner sphere, and Near Shroud.

Current Military Engagements
The bulk of Associated Defense's fleets are currently engaged in the Sovara Intervention, against the Republic of Laelia. The conflict began when four Laelian fleets incurred into Sovaran space from a previously unknown warp passage cutting through the Sovaran Nebula. The Sovaran military, caught entirely off guard by the surprise invasion from a nation it prior did not even consider a neighbor, was quickly routed and forced to retreat to the Galia bordering system Runa. While the Galian Empire sought to intervene on the side of Sovara, a close historic trade partner of the Empire, the Terran Federation placed an ultimatum against the Empire seeking to bar it from entering into the conflict. Unwilling to challenge the Terran Federation, members of the Sovaran nobility sought to employ the aid of Associated Defense, as a means of Galian support by proxy. Associated Defense was officially contracted to aid in the conflict by providing two of its fleets, including both an Rebirth-class Escort Carrier, and a Ravener-class Battleship. During the conflict Associated Defense primarily raids supply lines, and engages in attacks of opportunity against individual Laelian fleets.

While Associated Defense is battle hardened, even its own leadership has admitted that the Laelian navy is a far superior military force, and even with the support of the two remaining Sovaran fleets any direct battle with Laelia would end disastrously. Associated Defense also received the rights to all battle salvage (including both Sovaran and Laelian vessels) during the conflict, which has allowed the corporation to expand its fleet greatly, in addition to picking up highly valuable military-grade weaponry and components which are typically blocked from sale. Associated Defense's involvement in the Sovara conflict is widely seen as a form of legally sanctioned looting, with the corporation quickly draining the collapsing state of both its treasury, and military assets. Elsewhere Associated Defense has been contracted by the Aldebaran Vanguard State to provide military advice in their conflict against the Vuater Holy Confederacy. While Associated defense does provide training and expertise to the massive military of the Vanguard State, this is mostly a guise used to cover for the Vanguard's use of the company as a form of extra-legal special forces, allowing them to bypass their own Terran ultimatum. Associated Defense fleets regularly engage in combat within the otherwise uncontested territory of the Vuater Confederacy (Where Terra has excluded the Vanguard State from). This allows the Vanguard State to push the conflict of Vuater's doorstep, rather than containing it in the contested Federatio Ctesiphon.

Lastly, Associated Defense has received an increasing number of contracts from the Near Shroud, and even the infamously reclusive and xenophobic Inner Shroud. Most notably Associated Defense received a two-year contract from the Centauri Collective itself to assist in anti-piracy measures from 1080/1 to 1083/1 (Aprox 3120-3122). This contract was formerly held by the Shroud-Native Carceri Company, which has come into conflict the Associated Defense on several occasions.

Controversy
Associated Defense has been the subject of many controversies throughout its history, both within and without Galia. Outside the Empire, the corporation is viewed with immense distrust, as Associated Defense has garnered a reputation for serving the interests of whomever can provide it with the largest contract. Associated Defense is regularly (even famously, in the case of the recent Sovara Intervention) used as a means to bypass international law, and ultimatums by serving as a non-state participant in conflicts. Additionally the corporation has earned much suspicion in the Inner Sphere thanks to its operations in the Near Shroud, especially in recent years when it has even been employed by the Centauri Collective for anti-piracy measures.

Within Galia the corporation has garnered yet more controversy, being viewed by many as brutish and inelegant mercenaries selling their honor for the highest price. Additionally Associated Defense has broken from the Galian Admiralty's historic prohibition on political activities, as the organization has openly favored certain laws, edicts, and individuals. Most concerningly for many in the Aristocracy, is the organization's recent flirtations with throwing its weight behind the ascendant political career of trillionaire Henry Oskar, who many view as a potential successor to the ailing Emperor Roman Abiret, should his daughter Teresa fail to hold the emerald throne.