The Ironclad Compact

Leader

Marshal Theodora Veyne

Structure

Military corporation. Veyne commands with help from a General Staff of six. Companies of 200 each, led by Captains. Strong internal culture -- members call themselves Compactors, not mercs.

Goals

Maintain the most capable fighting force on the frontier and charge accordingly. Long-term: achieve enough wealth and political capital to guarantee their own neutrality legally -- recognized as a sovereign armed force.

Philosophy

Professional soldiers are cheaper than wars. They market themselves as a stabilizing force; the argument is not entirely dishonest. They take contracts from any faction but have a tiered pricing structure -- wars of aggression cost triple.

Limits

Will not take contracts for ethnic cleansing, genocide, or attacks on hospitals. These are published terms, not whispered policy. They've turned down high-paying contracts publicly and advertised the refusal.

Rivals

• Cheaper competitors that undercut their pricing
• The Remnant Senatewants them nationalized
• Any client who has tried to void a contract -- Veyne always collects