IMPERIAN MERCENARIES

THE IMPERIAN MERCENARIES ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A BAND OF EX-SOLDIERS THAT ARE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR WHOEVER PAYS THE MOST. THEY SOON ESTABLISHED THEIR FEARLESS, BOLD, AND GRUESOME STATUS AMONG THE OLD-EARTH NATIONS. USING THE PAY, THEY WERE QUICKLY ABLE TO EXPAND THEIR ARSENAL AND RECRUIT MORE INDIVIDUALS. OVER TIME, THE MERCENARY ORGANIZATION BECAME INDEPENDENT, AND STARTED TO PILLAGE NEARBY NATIONS WHEN THEY ARE NOT RECRUITED. 

NEWS OF VAST RESOURCES IN THE OCEAN DISCOVERED BY THE NAUTICONS REACHED THE LAND, AND IMPERIANS WANTED A PIECE OF THE PIE. CONFIDENT THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DEFEAT THE NAUTICON FEDERATION, THEY PURCHASED A LARGE ARMADA AND TOOK OVER A REMOTE ISLAND, USING IT AS THE BASE OF OPERATIONS. THEY FOUGHT BITTER NAVAL WARFARE WITH NAUTICA, AND LATER OBLIVIANS, FOR DECADES.

AFTER A DEVASTATING DEFEAT TO THE NAUTICONS AND LOSING THEIR CAPITAL, THE IMPERIANS ESCAPED INTO SPACE USING THE OLD OBLIVIAN SPACEPORT. THEY TRANSPORTED MOST OF THE ASSETS INTO SPACE AND CONTINUED THEIR PIRACY OPERATION OVER LOW EARTH ORBIT. THEY FORCED NATIONS TO PAY RANSOM TO GAIN SAFETY FROM PILLAGING, AND ANY FACTION THAT REFUSED TO DO SO HAD THEIR SATELLITES RUTHLESSLY DESTROYED BY THE IMPERIAN ARMADA. THE NAUTICON FEDERATION FINALLY PUTS AN END TO THIS IN THE 2400S, DRIVING THE IMPERIANS DEEPER INTO THE VAST SPACE.

NOWADAYS, THE GROUP KNOWN AS "IMPERIAN MERCENARIES" IS ONE OF THE WEAKEST OUT OF THE 4 MAJOR POWERS, BARELY SUSTAINING ITSELF WITH ITS OWN HOLDINGS. THEY CURRENTLY EXIST AS A PARASITE, ALBEIT A POWERFUL PARASITE CAPABLE OF SPRINGING BACK UP FROM THE BRINK OF DEFEAT. 

EVEN NOW, ANY SHIPS THAT DARE TO VENTURE THROUGH THE EMPTY SPACES BETWEEN THE SYSTEMS ARE ALWAYS UNDER THE THREAT OF IMPERIAN PIRACY. ALTHOUGH SMALL AND BATTERED, THE ARMADA CONTINUES TO STRIKE FEAR INTO SPACEFARERS, OLD AND NEW ALIKE.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THE IMPERIANS ARE STILL RELATIVELY UNITED. WHILE THERE ARE MANY INFIGHTINGS, THEY STILL WORK TOGETHER IN MANY OF THEIR RAIDS MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF THEIR VICTIMS. HOWEVER, IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS TRUE THAT THEY SPLINTERED AFTER THE SPACE WAR WITH NAUTICA AND BECAME SMALLER GROUPS OF PIRATES. IT ALL CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS WHEN ONE OF THE LARGER FLEETS OF IMPERIANS BEGAN SUBJUGATING THE OTHERS. DRAWING IMMENSE STRENGTH AND PERSONNEL FROM DESERTERS AND STEALING FROM THE OBLIVIANS, THIS FLEET SOON GREW AS IT ABSORBED THE OTHER FLEETS. THIS EVENTUALLY LED TO THE IMPERIAN MERCENARIES AS A WHOLE TO REGAIN A MAJOR PRESENCE ONCE MORE.

THE CURRENT LEADER AND UNIFIER OF THESE CRAZED FIGHTERS IS THE MAN KNOWN AS DICTATOR CYRANO. ONCE A MERE LANCE CORPORAL, HE ROSE TO PROMINENCE VIA BRIBES, BLACKMAIL, ASSASSINATION, AND MORE. TRUE TO HIS NATURE AS AN IMPERIAN, HE SLEW HIS CAPTAIN AND TOOK CONTROL OF HIS WARBAND. LEADING THIS GROUP TO PROFITS AND GLORY, BROUGHT THEM MUCH INFAMY ACROSS THE KNOWN SPACE REGIONS.

AS RAIDERS, THERE IS LITTLE NEED FOR IMPERIANS TO ESTABLISH PERMANENT BASES. IMPERIAN RAIDERS OFTEN ROAM AROUND THE REMOTE, LESS SECURE REGIONS, LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL PREY.

IMPERIAN RAIDERS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR DEVASTATING OFFENSIVE CAPABILITIES AND MOBILITY, ABLE TO DELIVER A HEAVY BLOW AND RETREATING FAST BEFORE THE OPPONENT CAN RETALIATE. MANY OF THEIR OPERATIONS INVOLVE A SUDDEN ALPHA STRIKE TO INCAPACITATE THE ENEMY IN ONE FELL SWOOP, OR IMMEDIATELY RETREAT IF THEY BITE OFF MORE THAN THEY CAN CHEW. SUCH ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE HAD CAUSED HEADACHES TO MOST TACTICIANS FROM OTHER FACTIONS. 

DESPITE THEIR STRONG, SUDDEN ATTACKS, THEIR DEFENSES LEAVE SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED. WITH LITTLE TO NO ARMOR FOR IMPERIAN TROOPS AND VEHICLES, THEY CAN OFTEN BE DISPATCHED WITH A SINGLE WELL-AIMED SHOT. DESPITE THIS, ARMOR WAS NEVER THE MAIN FOCUS FOR IMPERIANS, WHO BELIEVED THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR BURDENSOME HEAVY ARMOR WHEN YOU CAN OUTRUN YOUR FOES. MANY SOLDIERS OF OTHER NATIONS REMARKED ON HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO HIT THE INCREDIBLY MOBILE IMPERIAN FORCES, WHO OFTEN USE TERRAIN AND WEATHER TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.

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