Difference between revisions of "Company Store"

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The '''Company Store''' ploy is a long-term gambit by the employer of a [[mercenary unit]] (or individual mercenary) to financially bankrupt the unit in question. The intended goal is to force the mercenaries into either selling most, often all, of their equipment (especially [['Mech]]s) to the employer to pay of their acumulated debts, or to enter the employer's service permanently. Several states maintain military units that used to be independent mercenary commands who were taken over in this way.
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The '''Company Store''' ploy is a long-term gambit by the employer of a [[mercenary unit]] (or individual mercenary) to financially bankrupt the unit in question. The intended goal is to force the mercenaries into either selling most, often all, of their equipment (especially [['Mech]]s) to the employer to pay of their acumulated debts, or to enter the employer's service permanently. Several states maintain military units that used to be independent mercenary commands who were taken over in this way. <ref name=HKTDC-63>''House Kurita (sourcebook)'', p. 62 "History - Second Succession War - Snakes and Sneaks"</ref> <ref name=HHK-45>''Handbook: House Kurita'', p. 45 "History of the Nation - The Second Succession War - Mercenaries and the Dragon"</ref>
  
Historically, the [[Draconis Combine]] and the [[Federated Suns]] are known to implement Company Store policies more than other [[Successor State]]s, but all powers use the Company Store concept to some extent.
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Historically, the [[Draconis Combine]]<ref name=HKTDC-63/> <ref name=HHK-45/> and the [[Federated Suns]] are known to implement Company Store policies more than other [[Successor State]]s, but all powers use the Company Store concept to some extent.
  
 
==Methodology==
 
==Methodology==
 
Almost all mercenary units require support from the employer in the form of space transportation, repairs and often even simple maintenance as well as supplies&mdash;ammunition, spare parts, fuel, food and other consumables. These services are paid for by the mercenary outfit and under normal circumstances the regular pay is more than enough to cover the bills. A side-effect is that the support and the supplies have to follow regular channels. This means that requests are handled by the bureaucracy and provided through regular supply lines.
 
Almost all mercenary units require support from the employer in the form of space transportation, repairs and often even simple maintenance as well as supplies&mdash;ammunition, spare parts, fuel, food and other consumables. These services are paid for by the mercenary outfit and under normal circumstances the regular pay is more than enough to cover the bills. A side-effect is that the support and the supplies have to follow regular channels. This means that requests are handled by the bureaucracy and provided through regular supply lines.
  
In a Company Store scenario, the employer typically offers the mercenaries direct access to the military's quartermaster service on a cash-and-carry basis, with an increase in their pay to offset the price of supplies and services. The catch is that the price of the supplies and services is also increased, whether openly or surreptitiously, to the point where the unit's regular income is too small to pay the costs. This forces the unit to undertake supplementary contracts in order to cover its debts. Such missions typically consist of dangerous raids, which often encounter fierce opposition, resulting in heavy combat damage which requires more costly supplies (mainly replacing expended munitions and repairing damage) and repairs, thus incurring even more debt. This vicious cycle continues until the debt becomes overwhelming, at which point the mercenaries are forced to renegotiate their contract to pay off their debts. The new contracts are heavily biased towards the employer; more often than not the mercenary unit is either permanently bound to that employer alone, or in the most egregious cases outright absorbed into the employer's regular armed forces. Some mercenaries are sometimes simply stripped of their equipment and left destitute.
+
In a Company Store scenario, the employer typically offers the mercenaries direct access to the military's quartermaster service on a cash-and-carry basis, with an increase in their pay to offset the price of supplies and services. The catch is that the price of the supplies and services is also increased, whether openly or surreptitiously, to the point where the unit's regular income is too small to pay the costs. This forces the unit to undertake supplementary contracts in order to cover its debts. Such missions typically consist of dangerous raids, which often encounter fierce opposition, resulting in heavy combat damage which requires more costly supplies (mainly replacing expended munitions and repairing damage) and repairs, thus incurring even more debt. This vicious cycle continues until the debt becomes overwhelming, at which point the mercenaries are forced to renegotiate their contract to pay off their debts. The new contracts are heavily biased towards the employer; more often than not the mercenary unit is either permanently bound to that employer alone, or in the most egregious cases outright absorbed into the employer's regular armed forces. Some mercenaries are sometimes simply stripped of their equipment and left destitute.<ref name=HKTDC-63/> <ref name=HHK-45/>
  
 
The only other alternative is to break contract and to flee the inevitable punishment. Such acts concern the [[Mercenary Review Board]] which will nearly always lower the ratings of the mercenary unit if they are found to have breached their contract. Some units simply desert and becoming [[pirates]].
 
The only other alternative is to break contract and to flee the inevitable punishment. Such acts concern the [[Mercenary Review Board]] which will nearly always lower the ratings of the mercenary unit if they are found to have breached their contract. Some units simply desert and becoming [[pirates]].
  
 
==Notable cases==
 
==Notable cases==
*One famous example of "company store treatment" is the [[Paul Bunyan Regiment]] once employed by [[House Kurita]], which accepted increased pay in exchange for access to [[DCMS]] procurement channels, but was systematically undermined by price-hikes and the need to supplement their income with secondary raiding contracts (which consumed more supplies and increased their debts). In [[2825]], the situation came to a head. While the Paul Bunyan Regiment was stationed on [[Zlatous]], the DCMS outright stopped their pay, citing a need to cover their debts. In response, the regiment mutinied, seizing several warehouses to obtain food and other necessities.  Declaring them a rogue unit, the DCMS destroyed the regiment's [[DropShip]]s and deployed the [[5th Galedon Regulars|5th]] and [[9th Galedon Regulars]]. After two months of fierce fighting the majority of the Paul Bunyan Regiment was destroyed. A handful of survivors mamange to escape in a captured DCMS DropShip, fleeing into the [[Periphery]].
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*One famous example of "company store treatment" is the [[Paul Bunyan Regiment]] once employed by House Kurita, which was one of a number of units who accepted increased pay in exchange for access to [[DCMS]] procurement channels in [[2822]], but was systematically undermined by price-hikes and the need to supplement their income with secondary raiding contracts (which consumed more supplies and increased their debts). In [[2825]], the situation came to a head. While the Paul Bunyan Regiment was stationed on [[Zlatous]], the DCMS outright stopped their pay, citing a need to cover their debts. In response, the regiment mutinied, seizing several warehouses to obtain food and other necessities.  Declaring them a rogue unit, the DCMS destroyed the regiment's [[DropShip]]s and deployed the [[5th Galedon Regulars|5th]] and [[9th Galedon Regulars]]. After two months of fierce fighting the majority of the Paul Bunyan Regiment was destroyed. A handful of survivors managed to escape in a captured DCMS DropShip, fleeing into the [[Periphery]]. The DCMS learned from this response to make their future "company store" efforts more subtle, taking longer to bear fruit but also making it harder for units to realize what was happening. <ref name=HKTDC-63/> <ref name=HHK-45/>
 
*At one point in their employment by House Kurita, [[Wolf's Dragoons]] suspected that [[Warlord]] [[Grieg Samsonov]] was attempting to use the Company Store gambit as part of a campaign to seize direct control of the Dragoons.  
 
*At one point in their employment by House Kurita, [[Wolf's Dragoons]] suspected that [[Warlord]] [[Grieg Samsonov]] was attempting to use the Company Store gambit as part of a campaign to seize direct control of the Dragoons.  
 
*The [[Northwind Highlanders]] nearly became victims to a Company Store attempt by the Federated Suns in [[3057]]. Adamant defense of their independence and the political instability caused by [[Operation Guerrero]] led to armed conflict that ultimately made [[Northwind]] a free state.   
 
*The [[Northwind Highlanders]] nearly became victims to a Company Store attempt by the Federated Suns in [[3057]]. Adamant defense of their independence and the political instability caused by [[Operation Guerrero]] led to armed conflict that ultimately made [[Northwind]] a free state.   
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==References==
 
==References==
 
<references />
 
<references />
*''House Kurita (sourcebook)'', p.62
 
  
 
==Bibliography==
 
==Bibliography==
 +
*''[[Handbook: House Kurita]]''
 
*''[[House Kurita Sourcebook]]''
 
*''[[House Kurita Sourcebook]]''
 
*''[[MechWarrior: The BattleTech Role Playing Game]]''
 
*''[[MechWarrior: The BattleTech Role Playing Game]]''

Revision as of 18:41, 20 September 2015

The Company Store ploy is a long-term gambit by the employer of a mercenary unit (or individual mercenary) to financially bankrupt the unit in question. The intended goal is to force the mercenaries into either selling most, often all, of their equipment (especially 'Mechs) to the employer to pay of their acumulated debts, or to enter the employer's service permanently. Several states maintain military units that used to be independent mercenary commands who were taken over in this way. [1] [2]

Historically, the Draconis Combine[1] [2] and the Federated Suns are known to implement Company Store policies more than other Successor States, but all powers use the Company Store concept to some extent.

Methodology

Almost all mercenary units require support from the employer in the form of space transportation, repairs and often even simple maintenance as well as supplies—ammunition, spare parts, fuel, food and other consumables. These services are paid for by the mercenary outfit and under normal circumstances the regular pay is more than enough to cover the bills. A side-effect is that the support and the supplies have to follow regular channels. This means that requests are handled by the bureaucracy and provided through regular supply lines.

In a Company Store scenario, the employer typically offers the mercenaries direct access to the military's quartermaster service on a cash-and-carry basis, with an increase in their pay to offset the price of supplies and services. The catch is that the price of the supplies and services is also increased, whether openly or surreptitiously, to the point where the unit's regular income is too small to pay the costs. This forces the unit to undertake supplementary contracts in order to cover its debts. Such missions typically consist of dangerous raids, which often encounter fierce opposition, resulting in heavy combat damage which requires more costly supplies (mainly replacing expended munitions and repairing damage) and repairs, thus incurring even more debt. This vicious cycle continues until the debt becomes overwhelming, at which point the mercenaries are forced to renegotiate their contract to pay off their debts. The new contracts are heavily biased towards the employer; more often than not the mercenary unit is either permanently bound to that employer alone, or in the most egregious cases outright absorbed into the employer's regular armed forces. Some mercenaries are sometimes simply stripped of their equipment and left destitute.[1] [2]

The only other alternative is to break contract and to flee the inevitable punishment. Such acts concern the Mercenary Review Board which will nearly always lower the ratings of the mercenary unit if they are found to have breached their contract. Some units simply desert and becoming pirates.

Notable cases

  • One famous example of "company store treatment" is the Paul Bunyan Regiment once employed by House Kurita, which was one of a number of units who accepted increased pay in exchange for access to DCMS procurement channels in 2822, but was systematically undermined by price-hikes and the need to supplement their income with secondary raiding contracts (which consumed more supplies and increased their debts). In 2825, the situation came to a head. While the Paul Bunyan Regiment was stationed on Zlatous, the DCMS outright stopped their pay, citing a need to cover their debts. In response, the regiment mutinied, seizing several warehouses to obtain food and other necessities. Declaring them a rogue unit, the DCMS destroyed the regiment's DropShips and deployed the 5th and 9th Galedon Regulars. After two months of fierce fighting the majority of the Paul Bunyan Regiment was destroyed. A handful of survivors managed to escape in a captured DCMS DropShip, fleeing into the Periphery. The DCMS learned from this response to make their future "company store" efforts more subtle, taking longer to bear fruit but also making it harder for units to realize what was happening. [1] [2]
  • At one point in their employment by House Kurita, Wolf's Dragoons suspected that Warlord Grieg Samsonov was attempting to use the Company Store gambit as part of a campaign to seize direct control of the Dragoons.
  • The Northwind Highlanders nearly became victims to a Company Store attempt by the Federated Suns in 3057. Adamant defense of their independence and the political instability caused by Operation Guerrero led to armed conflict that ultimately made Northwind a free state.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 House Kurita (sourcebook), p. 62 "History - Second Succession War - Snakes and Sneaks"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Handbook: House Kurita, p. 45 "History of the Nation - The Second Succession War - Mercenaries and the Dragon"

Bibliography