THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE HAMMER’S SLAMMERS THE CRUCIBLE RULES SYSTEM HANDBOOK

Background: continued Jean Paul Barthe was a Colonel in the LSS until – in 320 – he tried to resign his commission over a disagreement with the way his unit had been treated. He was forced by his commanders back into service with his troops for a punitive mission back on Pyrenea but, on the way to that planet, his transport ship, with all of his troops and equipment went missing, believed destroyed in a space accident. As an aside, in 322TW a new mercenary company made itself available for hire with its own transport ship and some support vehicles. Eventually the Aurorean government put two and two together but by then it was too late… After some years, however, the Auroreans realised that having a totally independent – and therefore deniable – “French leaning” mercenary force that could be hired out to other governments, was a big advantage. There are some that speculate that this was Colonel Barthe’s – and even the Aurorean government’s – plan all along. At any rate what it meant was that the Aurorean military could now field a standing army with a lighter, well trained mercenary force as and when the situation was required. Since the formation of the Compagnie de Barthe, at least three other ‘Frankish’ mercenary companies have been formed: the Alaudae, the Phenix Moirots and the Division Legere have sometimes worked together as some of them did in the forests of Kobold fighting against the Slammers... In addition, all four mercenary forces have all been used to supplement the Auroran Regulars – sporting by the late 330s some of the latest technology – to form a truly formidable Frankish leaning military power capable of defeating most armies or mercenary companies ranged against them.

Auroran Regular Army - Post 332TW