The Harbingers
Overview
The Harbingers were a relatively small mercenary outfit until taking a contract to fight on White Reach, picking up a half-dozen new recruits and a copious amount of equipment in the process. Over the last eight months, they have expanded and acquired quite a lot of extra personnel and materiel to the point they are a legitimate threat to almost any similarly-sized force.History
Early Operations
The Harbingers' early operations are difficult to find information on, as most records are not available to those who are not aware of where to look. The Harbingers are the remnants of a previous outfit which had been known as 'The Four Horsemen', who had been active in territories belonging to the Federated Suns during the tail end of the Third Succession War. A contract which went sideways inside the Draconis Combine caused the outfit to scatter and regroup, only to discover most of their comrades had been lost along the way. Adamant Dupree took command of what remained and spent time gathering up what resources remained in order to found The Harbingers.White Reach Operations
Commander Dupree was interviewed to undertake a mission to White Reach, and in August of 3031 his mercenaries touched down on the outskirts of the capital city. As they were attempting to get their bearing, Priam Company landed nearby and both mercenary outfits began a battle inside the Third Ward. Following this, Commander Dupree quietly released his liaison to the Federated Suns and swore to do things "his way" from then on. The Harbingers relocated to a position near the Lind Badlands on Orenn, and clashed with Pryde's Crucible for dominance in the area. The Harbingers chased out the other mercenaries and took over their base of operations, a lull in activity following and allowing them to repair and focus their attention on their goals.It took four months for the Harbingers to rehabilitate Calderon Firebase for their needs, and they soon acquired vehicle support for their BattleMechs. Once they were ready in February of 3032, the Harbingers began scouting the region around their base and encountered the Sanglamore Training Battalion's advance scouts. After the hostilities, it was clear the Lyran forces would not soon forget the problem. However, other combat operations kept the Harbingers from pursuing the matter; they became aware of contracts being issued by the High Senate to filter out those who would be helpful to the locals, and Commander Dupree saw it as a chance to acquire funding to build up his forces.
During March, the Harbingers unknowingly hammered Auburn's Lancers into collapsing and inadvertently encountered the Robinson Special Training Company. Due to a mistake in communications, shots were fired and the Harbingers pursued the Robinson forces to their DropShip. After combat had ceased, Commander Dupree offered to take on any members who felt they wanted to join the mercenary life. When the Knight-Errant DropShip lifted off White Reach, a significant portion of non-combat personnel remained behind with the Harbingers. This act caused their contract to be voided, and left the Harbingers in need of both a goal and transportation off the planet. Elisane Kreiss, operator of Andan Exports approached Commander Dupree about getting accurate data of resources on the planet, rather than relying an outdated survey report over a hundred years old. Her intentions were unclear, but she offered to pay handsomely and put the Harbingers in touch with a Union-class DropShip to assist them.
As this was going on, Kommandant Valdane had assembled a force to assault Calderon Firebase and set it loose. This sparked off a series of intense battles between the Harbingers and the Lyrans, leaving both forces battered. However, the Lyran battalion lost their commanding officer while the Harbingers seemed to only be picking up steam. A few more contracts were taken with the High Senate's approval, but matters between the Lyrans and mercenaries were at a tense standoff. When Kommandant Harvey of the Twenty-Second Skye Rangers arrived to assume command, he began pressuring the Harbingers and preventing them from deploying more than small portions of their forces for any contract.
It was not until late July when matters changed, due to Priam Company drawing attention away from the Harbingers' troubles. Commander Dupree found himself pusing back against Kommandant Harvey's attempts to entrap his outfit, and after a series of engagements the Harbingers pushed the Rangers off the planet. Shortly afterwards, they delivered their survey information to Kreiss and received payment for their completed contract. As they were celebrating finally having achieved success, an "interested third party" left a message for Commander Dupree and his officers regarding Elisanne Kreiss' loyalties and motives. She had not been representing the Free Worlds League as inferred, but rather the separated Duchy of Andurien. Specifically, Kreiss was buying salvage from many parties operating on White Reach and sending it to the Duchy to help keep them armed.
The Harbingers undertook a swift campaign to shut down this business, also taking their time to capture three Leopard-class DropShips from pirates who had remained on White Reach. As August of 3032 closed out, the Harbingers had finished their obligations and were preparing to leave White Reach for good. A significant portion of their personnel stayed behind or left, as Commander Dupree considered what the future would bring.
Type
Military, Mercenary Group
Training Level
Semi-professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
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