Frontier Defense Service

Conceived mid YE 39 the Frontier Defense Service was founded to make it easier for the Frontier Service Corporation to organize a paramilitary defense force and at the same time make it easier for mercenaries to work for FSCorp. It provides a hub for any private military contractors who wish to join that eases the process of finding work, purchasing equipment, and most importantly securing payment. Parties desiring to hire mercenaries via FSC will have to pay in full before services are rendered, at which point the job will be made available to the mercenaries most qualified for the assignment. These jobs are carefully considered so as to avoid work that would potentially create tensions with major factions and generally involve defensive operations.

FPS was not only intended to serve parties in need of paramilitary services. It has a particular interest in serving the paramilitary contractors as well. Not just anyone with a big stick has what it takes to be a true mercenary, bodyguard, or bounty hunter. A certain amount of qualification is needed before one may identify himself as a licensed paramilitary contractor, and further qualification is demanded before a contractor is even considered for intricate jobs involving hostages, political or commercial fallout, or civilian presence.

The jobs have fantastic payouts but often carry a great deal of risk. The greater the risk, the higher the paycheck. However, this is not a job that simply makes one rich in a month's time. There is a certain amount of hardware needed to successfully pull off a job. Weapons, armor, transportation, and other expenses make the life of paramilitary contractors marked with substantial expenses to work against his income.

Howard Station is the official home for the office, however the station is still under construction forcing the office to keep moving

FDS reserves hangars and bays throughout the station as needed and keep their headquarters mobile by using unmarked civilian vehicles to house mobile office centers. Various safe houses are scattered throughout the station and after the attack on Jack Pine by agents of Psychopomp LLC new safe houses have been established nearby VIPs including Uso, Jack Pine and his family, and strategic locations. Various other vacant safe houses lay scattered throughout Osman City and the nearby suburbs to offer refuge to members that need a place to lay low, regroup, or rearm.

Every safe house is maintained by a team of Mimic Computer androids that simulate a husband and wife that follow a fairly generic protocol, yet develop their own unique twists that cause them to be indistinguishable from human beings, even simulating a variety of ailments over time. These androids are extremely dangerous as their singular focus is to defend the safehouse. To do this they have advanced programming in martial arts and tactical combat.

Each house is equipped with an advanced surveillance system suited to the location and keeps at least one vehicle that is ready for usage at all times, along with a selection of weapons and body armor.

The service has two distinct categories, administrators and contractors. Administrators manage the legalities, finances, and meet with clients. Contractors get the job done. They handle tasks like security, combat, rescue, and other related duties.

• Commander: Essentially a Branch Manager, but the Commander of FPS is not a paper pusher. He is responsible for making decisions for the entire service and ensuring that FPS contractors uphold The Creed.

• Admiral: Director of the FPS fleet, makes decisions regarding the placement and usage of aerospace naval assets directly owned by FSCorp.

• Captains: Highest ranking members of a starship crew. There is only one acting captain on a ship at any given time.

• Contractor: a contractor is the individual paramilitary operator. Every contractor is incorporated for themselves as legal protection, which makes them employees of a corporation they own. Therefore, should a lawsuit be filed against them it will bankrupt the contractor's corporation, leaving the contractor free to form a new corporation and continue on as a military contractor for FPS. The simple answer is that every FPS mercenary is a contractor.
• Company: A company is formed from a group of contractors. Companies can be formed and dissolved at will, with many companies only running one job before dissolution. A company is an easy way to pool the licensing of multiple contractors to meet the qualifications needed for intricate jobs. This serves as further legal protection for the contractor as each contractor's personal Corporation is now working for yet another corporation, the aforementioned company.

• Fleet: Like a company, but consisting of multiple Aerospace vessels that require crews of more than 3 people on each ship or have any dimension greater than 30 meters. They often transport companies in need of Transit.

Before receiving work a contractor must first qualify for the job. This is where having a license is important, no license means no access to the FPS network and no work.

Licensing contractors also helps FPS to gauge how suitable a contractor is for specific jobs. For example, a job focusing on cyber security would not be offered to a contractor that is licensed only as a mecha pilot.

The career and life of a mercenary can be short, thus five grades of each paramilitary license exist. Green, Red, Silver, Gold, and Black. A Green license clears it's holder for jobs that require only basic experience within the corporation only, generally qualifying the holder for positions as guards and other base personnel on corporate property only. Upon completion of more advanced testing the license is now promoted to Red clearing the holder for missions sponsored by FSCorp.

Also known as a journeyman, any mercenary that holds a Silver license has proven themselves to be both proficient in their field and self sufficient. They are now qualified to take work offered by foreign sponsors which puts them in a new league of mercenaries who make considerably more money than Greens and Reds. Gold license holders are distinguished in their profession as a license may only reach Gold status upon impressing the Commander. The contractor is awarded with a Gold license which offers 50% discounts on all FSCorp services and products and first choice of incoming jobs in their field.

A Black license is mythical. Only issued by the founder of FSCorp, Candon Suites, these license holders are the most dangerous, notorious, and talented men and women FPS has to offer. They have authority to use any FSCorp resources they need to accomplish a mission and often handle assignments that are critical to the operations of FSCorp.

• Starship Operations License: An SO license is required for any paramilitary crew involved in the operations of a starship over 30 meters in length. Testing covers subjects such as astro-navigation, engineering, communications, and more.

• Aviator License: There are two grades for this license, civilian and paramilitary. A civilian license is needed before taking the test for a paramilitary license. FMS will not sell an aerospace fighter to an independent pilot without a paramilitary aviator license.

• Mecha License: There are two grades for this license, civilian and paramilitary. A civilian license is needed before taking the test for a paramilitary license. FMS will not sell a weaponized mecha to an independent pilot without a paramilitary mecha license. Furthermore, operating a mecha at altitudes of over 30 meters requires a paramilitary Aviator License.

• Powered Armor License: FMS will not sell combat grade power armor to an independent buyer without a PA license.

• Explosive Ordinance License: Only contractors with an EO license may purchase or recieve work involving high grade explosives from FSCorp branches.

• Cyber Warfare license: A CW license is quite difficult to acquire. The test requires serious skill along with a comprehensive knowledge of computing systems to complete. It is common for people to fail the test multiple times before earning the license. A contractor may only take the test twice a year, thus contractors spend more time preparing for this test than any other. Furthermore, a yearly reevaluation is held for those who have already acquired the license to ensure the holder is educated in the latest equipment, software, and techniques.

• Covert Operations License: Leaving without a trace is the name of the game. Training for this license involves learning techniques involving concealment and minimizing one's impression on the scene of a mission. It also covers lessons in Intel acquisition and hiding within a populace.

• Hostage Control License: This controversially named license is the only way to receive work that involves civilian lives. It involves training in securing hostages and taking control of civilians by the contractor's presence, volume, and demeanor. Training practices similar to police forces are taught along with psychology courses to teach a student how to take control of situations before the exam is given. Only two tests are given in a year and testing has the most rigid parameters of all the tests. Requiring a score of 95% or higher to be issued the license makes it extremely difficult to acquire.

• Bounty Hunter License: A licensed bounty hunter is given authority from both FSCorp AND the USO to place those within their respective territories under arrest and, in some of the worst cases, use deadly force. Because of the direct interaction with civilians the Hostage Control License is required along with three consecutive jobs within the populace without injury to the public. It is the most difficult license to acquire, making many licensed bounty hunters notorious to the point that many wanted criminals surrender without a fight.

In service to Frontier Banking Service contractors are currently being used as enforcers to keep prices at retail stores and suppliers normalized with threat of 'hostile takeover' if they fail to comply.

Along with FSCorp's plans for going interstellar FDS planning the formation of a Nepleslian and Yamataian office.

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