Deep Space Merc

Deep space mercenaries are a common profession. Most are ex-military with some ex-police (usually weapon specialists). Some are freebooters, some have links to mega-corps, and others linked t ospecific off-world colonies. All are seen as outsiders, with such a job being seen as both dangerous and rewarding financially secure. A few are seen as just outsiders at best, psychopathic at worse.

Career

Qualifications

Nearly every deep space merc has to be from a military or police force background with training in weapons, armour and deep space ship use. They don't need a completely clean criminal record or an Honourable Discharge, though alcoholism & drug use is at the least frowned on if not a barrier.
Each must be in some shape and no major psychological issues are sought. This is to prevent the merc causing a problem down the line.
Specialists are the best qualified. Every mercenary organisation is constantly calling out for these. It can range from engineers & IT specialists, medics, to pilots, and trackers / hunters, and a strong knowledge of basic laws.

Career Progression

Nearly all start at the basic infantry level until they prove themselves. This ca nrange from carrying out a specific mission or set of missions to carrying out specific actions within the scope of a mission. Uusually a number of missions is expected and then they move up and have the follwing ranks:

• Sergeant
• Lieutenant
• Major
• Colonel
• General.

Each mercenary group is usually controlled by an enclave of Generals and they either accept jobs from outside, or answer directly to an outside group such as a mega-corp.
Each level works by the member being a member of a squad or leading one as a Sergeant. After that they start to lead a number of squards, then a battlion, and after that a full division evenutally being able to call upon as many mercs in the organisation as they feel is needed.

Payment & Reimbursement

Most are paid by job and length of the job. This vaires considerably and can take in payment with foodstuffs, equipment (whether weapons, armour, medical supplies, ships or other materials), and other items the merc bosses deem as appropriate.
Each stadard merc will get the same and increased amounts by rank, again depending on what the contract stipulates. When the job is finished then payment is generally made, unless specific elements such as ship parts or ammunition is needed to carry out the job. This can lead to payment appearing smaller, though any unused items can be kept instead of being handed back.
In the case of a merc dying the payment is either written off and unpaid or sent to the their family. In a few instances it may be split between the remaining members or held & used by the company as a whole.
In instances of a merc being injured, there may be a clause that such injury is treated at the expense of those who hired them in the first place.

Other Benefits

The use of deep space mercs is relatively common. Not all colonies, megs-corps or governments can afford or generally have the manpower to go to war, defend territories and carry out other military objectives.
This gives the mercenary companies surprising leeway when applied to the battlefield. It allows them to also demand payments in materials & money that a standard military would not be able to have access to. It works for many of their employers too, who can supply them with many experimental equipment to test in the field. Thiscan range from bioenhancements & cybernetics, to weapons, and to vehicles. If these work, it can be used by more conventional forces.
The mercs also benefit by being employed to areas where they are left to their own devices to carry out missions without much oversight, especially by those that might object to the mercs methods. It slao gives employment to those that may be escaping from law enforcement, or from a life of menial work at the bottom of society.
Many of the colonies that these mercs are generally drawn from are usually glad too. They get a temporary reprieve from those who may be troublesome within the colony, and when they return they can bring in extra cash, experience and items the colony may benefit from.

Perception

Purpose

Deep space mercs fill in for military, police and protectors in regions of space that such organizations may be thinly spread or non-existant. There they fill these roles at a price, and hopefully give a place for those not generally wanted in society.
Also, those that are affiliated to organizations such as mega-corps, act lke muscle where needed and with plausible deniability. Any time something goes wrong, the mercs can find their left to their own devices. Most of the mercs view this as a necessary evil, knowing the organizations that back them will happily pay for their services again in the future.

Social Status

Generally thought off as scum compared to the government & mega-corp employed troops, they are seen by many as a necessary evil. They are usually split between two types, those that live in society with their heads down until called up to serve, and those that are kept at arms length from the central areas of society.
Most of the mercs don't care either way.
Surprisingly many young children in the outer colonies aspire to become on as the thought of getting of-world and see other worlds is appealing for the young. When some are seen on worlds, the adults try to keep the kids away, but the young follw around the mercs asking all sorts of questions about what they've seen, their weaponary, their tattoos, their strange accents etc etc.

Demographics

Found throughout all of society, they are much more common the further one travels from the Sol System. Most of the border regions of human space have a large number of deep space mercs used to combat external threats & control outer colonies without word getting back to the major powers.
Most members join up after terms of service and need a job & career where they can put their skills to use. There is always a number of those people willing to sign up for it.
A few sign up having little other options due to the society they grew up in and no chance of getting a job otherwise, or options.