Liberty City Royals

MRBC Update 01-01-3145

(This report is a little out of date. I've done some digging and managed to update it where possible - Nikola)

Liberty City Royals Insignia

History

Even by the often strange standards of the Mercenary trade, the Liberty City Royals have an unusual origin. The Royals were originally a gang in Dronane, the capital city of Liberty, who had risen to prominence after a bloody turf war that had decimated their rivals. It also prompted a harsh crackdown by the authorities, one that the Royals managed to evade. As police swooped on their hideouts, the Royals were leaving the world with most of their wealth, having apparently been tipped off and having plenty of time to prepare.

The group vanished before re-emerging several months after the Blackout as a small mercenary unit. Initially composed mostly of IndustrialMechs and light vehicles, the Liberty City Royals (having retained their old name) found employment in the erupting conflicts in Prefectures III and IV. Several early successes (now believed to have been in the employ of Bannson's Raiders) allowed the unit to grow, adding BattleMechs and Battle Armour to its force. By 3136, the Royals had become a professional mercenary force, albeit one that retained its original gang "flavour".

Unexpectedly, the Royals disappeared for several months in late 3136 to early 3137, re-emerging with several internal changes to its command structure but no indication as to where they had been or the source of the apparent bloodletting. What was known was that several older members of the unit, dating from its original gang days, were no longer around, while others had been promoted in their place. While no explanations were offered (or forthcoming) the Royals returned to the mercenary market undeterred.

Over the next few years, the Royals worked for several different employers as raiders, obstinately for targeted attacks on specific objectives. In truth, the unit would often take on a pirate-like approach, engaging in broad looting wherever possible. While controversial, the Royals managed to consistently achieve results for their employers.

However, recent events have cost the Royals, both in terms of equipment and manpower, as well as their reputation. In late 3144, the Royals accepted a contract on Tybalt for the AFFS, using it as a base for possible raids against the Cappelan advance. Unexpectedly, once on-world, the Royals abandoned their post and moved towards the planetary capitol of Macbeth just as a CCAF raiding force hit the world. The Royals were caught in transit and mauled by the Cappelans before reinforcements arrived. In the aftermath, the damaged Royals were charged with breach of contract by the AFFS and dismissed from their contract, leaving them with a damaged reputation and a need to rebuild.

(Apparently the Royals did a round of pirate hunting for the Lyrans in an effort to beef up their exposed flank. This did net them a fair amount of salvage, as well as making them look good to the Lyrans. That might be why they landed this contract - Nikola)

Force Strength

The Royals are nominally a combined-arms battalion, although the unit is still recovering from its losses on Tybalt. Rebuilding has focused on the BattleMech assets, bringing King Company back up to full strength, but at the cost of their other units. Duke Company, made up of tanks, remains under strength, but has been helped by an influx of new recruits, while Baron Company’s battle armour assets are at half strength (which has the upside of reducing the burden on their depleted transport assets). The unit's aerospace and VTOL assets have also been rebuilt, but again suffer from a shortage of quality pilots.

(The Royals are equipped mostly with post-Jihad to modern 'Mechs, and have a little bit of Clantech scattered around - Nikola)

In addition the Royals employ several support units made up of conventional infantry and trucks that are used in their "raiding" operations, rather than for direct combat. These are backed up by a lance of SecurityMechs that are used to "enforce" their operations and add firepower for use against any local security units. Poorly trained and often made up of lowest-quality recruits and hopefuls from Galatea, these units are of only questionable combat value at best.

The Royals prefer brutal, close-quarters fighting, and many of their warriors have a marked preference for physical attacks. The unit is particularly capable in urban combat, their gang roots showing through in their exploitation of their surroundings.

Support

While the Royals have only ever had a mediocre technical support core, the unit's technicians have often worked with their "looting" teams to procure supplies and are expert scavengers. The damage suffered by the unit on Tybalt has also had the side effects of reducing the unit's overheads and maintenance requirements. As a consequence, the unit is well-off in terms of supplies and equipment as well as having surprisingly strong financial reserves.

(I'm looking into the source of those reserves. They bounced back surprisingly fast after Tybalt, and seem to have been able to splash around a bit of cash to keep themselves in shape - Nikola)

Transport

The Royals are equipped with a pair of dropships that currently suit all their reduced transport needs. The Halton Gardens is an ancient Union-class dropship that is in poor condition; while adequate to serve as a transport, its ability to defend itself is limited. Their second ship, the Intruder-Class Bohan, is similarly dubious; converted into a cargo ship after the Jihad, the ship has been crudely reverted back to its original use.

Colours and Insignia

The Royals’ insignia depicts a silhouetted city skyline with a superimposed coronet, although several variations of this design have been seen on different units. The unit’s ‘Mechs and vehicles are painted in the Royals’ old gang colours of green and white, with many of them sporting graffiti-like details. Some ‘Mechs have a gold “crown” on their heads; this is a reward for a member of the unit who has either scored five kills or performed exceptional duty for the unit.