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The Ariete Division - 302 to 317TW

The Ariete Division were a mechanised mercenary company using what was, at the time, state of the art tracked vehicles and remote vehicle drones. All vehicle models and figures are by Ground Zero Games. Formed at a similar time to Wrangel’s Legion, the Arietes were formed in the early years of the fourth century TW. General Carlo Alberto Diaz formed the Ariete Division from various local militias in the Aldoni system. Peoples from the Italia-Swiss Confederation originally settled the Aldoni worlds (in actuality one primary world with its large inhabited moon). Finding, after some years, that recruitment in their home worlds was becoming ever harder, Diaz looked for willing troopers from other systems. He succeeded and the Ariete Division grew in both size and capability. Some fifteen years after its formation, at what it transpired was the peak of their power, the Division were hired by rebels on Paley to fight the PRA (the Paley Republican Army - a tough, well trained, regular force). The Arietes fought well but suffered over 30% casualties both in the fighting and subsequent aftermath: Republicans massacred over 15,000 mercenary prisoners after hostilities had ceased. The peoples of Paley ultimately paid an enormous price for its savagery as trade embargoes caused its culture to fail catastrophically in subsequent years. After the Terran Authority enforced sanctions against the Republicans, some of their vehicles and kit was returned to the Division and so - following Paley - the Ariete Division managed to stay in the mercenary business but as a much smaller unit.