Mercenary

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"Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid. I'm in it for the money."

―Han Solo, toLeia Organa, outlining the common views of mercenaries and their work^[1]

Amercenary (merc for short), sometimes also calledsoldier of fortune,hired gun, orfree lance, was asoldier who fought or worked in other ways (mostly in those involving violence) for any faction in exchange for a desirable amount of money.

Sometimes, the wordmercenary was used as a derogatory term for someone who valuedcredits over other things, such as ideals or kinship.^[1]

Characteristics[]

"You were a stormtrooper?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't stand taking orders, so I jumped ship first chance I got."
"Smart move."

―Mercenary talking with his ex-stormtrooper colleague about his past^[2]

Mercenaries served mostly astroopers orpilots for hire, but also asbodyguards and enforcers. They worked in other military assignments^[3] as well, for example in those involving testing the equipment,^[4] liberating abducted people^[5] or retrieving, transporting and protecting valuable goods or items.^[6] Some evenoutfitted other beings with devices and equipment they may need. They appeared in all known eras, being especially active when conflicts erupted.^[3] Mercenaries were often said to be opportunistic and concerned only on profits and "survival to fight another day". Mostly they had "neutral" affiliation and were hired by many fighting forces without actually joining them. In some cases though, they grew sympathetic to their clients, such asKyle Katarn orHan Solo, who eventually joined theRebel Alliance. Many mercenaries were also defectors from armies or ex-soldiers, often fromspecial forces, thus having versatility and abilities very useful in their occupation.

Mercenaries always were equipped with weapons, often they also carried personalarmor and multiple devices allowing them to fulfill their employer's demands.

Many civilizations were specialized in mercenary business. TheMandalorians have served the galaxy as mercenaries for thousands of years. Having complicated history behind them,Mistryl Shadow Guard dedicated themselves to serve as mercenaries to save their people. Due to their incredible brute strength and low intelligence,Gamorreans were often employed as mercenaries for less demanding. ManyRodians,Trandoshans,Ubese andWeequay were working throughoutthe galaxy as mercs. Due to their strong military traditions,gungans were also highly regarded as mercenaries.^[7]

History[]

A mercenary receives orders from a — A mercenarycaptain receives orders from aSeparatist commander

"It's far better to be a freelance mercenary in a war than to be a soldier for a losing side."

―Ergeron^[8]

Mercenaries from several factions (likeEchani,Iridonians andMandalorians) were employed in theJedi Civil War by bothSith andGalactic Republic forces. Prior to the splitting of the Mandalorians into two factions, they were among the most famous and skilled mercenaries inthe galaxy. During theClone Wars, theSeparatists often hired mercenaries to perform special operations and other services that required more finesse or creativity than could be found in their droid army. The Republic was not above hiring mercenaries for many of the same reasons. Under the rule of theGalactic Empire, powerful mercenary organizations were either employed by the Empire or hunted down and wiped out,^[9] although many mercs were defectors from the Imperial service.The Rebel Alliance hired severalprivateers in theGalactic Civil War.

Mercenary organizations[]

Only few large mercenary organizations existed in the galaxy. The forces of the galaxy tended to pull such organizations into conflict too regularly for mercenaries to exist in organized companies. Instead, individual mercenaries formed brotherhoods, that often existed as loose networks of contacts and contract makers. These brotherhoods provided some measure of camaraderie amongst the members of this otherwise very lonely business. Occasionally, members of the brotherhoods found themselves employed by opposite sides of armed conflicts, forcing them to fight against each other. But when the contract was over, the brotherhood took precedence. The largest of these brotherhoods was theBrotherhood Mortalis, founded during the final years of the Old Republic.^[9]

Mandalorian mercenaries[]

"So what's wrong with being a mercenary? Is your war worth fighting? If it is, then why does it matter who fights it for you? Aren't we imbued with the righteousness of your cause when we take up arms for you? Would you rather your own men and women died to make the point? And if your war is so noble, so necessary—why aren't you fighting it for yourself? Think of all that before you spit on us,aruetii."

―Jaster Mereel^[10]

Mandalorian mercenaries, known informally as Mandalorian Mercs,^[11] were regarded as some of the finest soldiers-for-hire in the galaxy, greatly due to their warrior-based culture, providing the combat training to its members even when they are very young.

A small group of Mandalorian mercenaries

After the Mandalorians were defeated by the Galactic Republic during theMandalorian Wars in the year3960 BBY, theJedi Knight Revan disarmed and disbanded the Mandalorian Clans, and allowed them to scatter in disheartened groups across theOuter Rim Territories. There, devoid of leadership and honor, they degenerated. A fewMandalorian Neo-Crusaders survivors returned to theMandalore system, but many veterans, includingCanderous Ordo, humbled their pride and became mercenaries for hire.^[11]^[8]

The skilled Mandalorian Mercs became highly sought after in the aftermath of the Mandalorian Wars. During theJedi Civil War and theDark Wars, they gathered onKashyyyk,Dantooine,Nar Shaddaa,Manaan, and many other worlds where they hired themselves out to theSith, the Republic, and various criminal organizations such as theExchange.^[8]

Canderous Ordo returned to the former Mandalorianheadquarters ofDxun and began to rebuildClan Ordo. Through skill in arms and sheer cunning, he rose to the rank ofMandalore and began to gather the remaining Mandalorian Clans.^[12] While journeying with theJedi Exile during theFirst Jedi Purge, he was able to convince several groups of Mandalorian mercenaries to give up their independence and join themselves to his cause.^[13]

It is unknown how many Mandalorians Canderous eventually managed to recruit, but in any case, Mandalorian mercenaries became a traditional part of Mandalorian society and they continued to operate for millennia.

Jaster Mereel, a later Mandalore, would later try to purge the dishonorable brigandage adopted into their society by superseding theirold code with theSupercommando Codex, bringing honor back to their society. TheDeath Watch, a splinter group, opposed such change and fought theTrue Mandalorians in acivil war to determine their future.

A later group called theMandalorian Protectors, formed byMandalore the Resurrector, would revive mercenary traditions and prior to theYuuzhan Vong War, Mandalorians were once again in high demand.^[14]

List of mercenary units[]

"We're soldiers. We don't ask questions. We supply answers. With an entire corporate world about to sway over to the New Republic, and the New Republic unable to openly confront the Pentastar Alignment, you need someone else to fight the battle. We are that someone else."

―Sully Tigereye^[5]

Mercenaries worked either as freelancers or as members of some larger military unit or mercenary guild. Some of them included:

Behind the scenes[]

A mercenary in the . — A mercenary in theCold War.

Most Star Wars mercenary units are interstellar versions of real-worldprivate military companies, a mercenary-type, privately owned paramilitary organization that provides security detail and military support. As with Aurodium Sword, PMCs often employ retired ex-Special Forces veterans.

"The Merc" was one of the original twenty-four character templates used by theStar Wars: The Roleplaying Game, first published in thefirst edition rulebook.^[15]

The mercenary is an advanced class for the bounty hunter class in theStar Wars: The Old Republic MMO video game. This advanced class specializes in dual-wieldedblasters, missile launchers, and dealing damage in battle as well as healing. The Republic counterpart for this archetype is theCommando.^[16]