Private Military Company

Private military Companies (PMC) are private business entities that deliver to consumers a wide spectrum of military and security services. Under international law the practice is commonly defined as "the Commercial act of physically protecting a person place or thing." PMCs typically refer to their personnel as contractors.

PMCs operate on hundreds of worlds across the Orion Arm, engaged in both internal and external security operations. Contractors may be used to train and equip clients, or serve as force multipliers in conflicts, offering unique, or more advanced capabilities. Some PMCs have carved out niches by specializing in particular environments or forms of warfare.

Broad questions remain about the legality of PMCs despite their expanding role across the Orion Arm. Many now rival the armed forces of small or middle powers in size and capability. Supporters argue they provide cost-effective solutions and point to notable successes, while critics highlight persistent issues of fraud, waste, and abuse. Though many governments regulate PMCs under specific frameworks, others ban their use outright, forcing these firms to operate in legal grey zones. The wider ramifications of the PMC industry remain under-researched, including how such organizations continue to influence the Cold War.

Major Types

Mercenary Companies

Private armies able to conduct autonomous military campaigns, offensive operations and force projection.

Military Enterpriser

Raise armies rather than command them. Train, equip, and field units to fight for their clients or develop military infrastructure and doctrine.

Primary Services

Private military companies typically offer services grouped into ‘support’ or ‘active'.

Support

• Backend capabilities such as training, advisory roles, and logistical assistance.
• Help smaller powers professionalize their forces, develop doctrine, or expand capacity.
• May also include intelligence analysis, technical maintenance, or the construction and management of military infrastructure.

Active

• Direct participation in combat operations on land, sea, air, and space
• Offer advanced capabilities or force-multiplying roles.
• May include expeditionary/orbital drop capability.

• Niche specializations in difficult environments such as deep space, underwater, arctic, or urban warfare.

Legal Status

White

White PMCs operate legally and are openly affiliated with a national government, megacorporation, or non-state actor as an official extension of that organization. Their operations are sanctioned under international law, granting them access to greater funding, equipment, and logistical support.

Grey

Grey PMCs operate under the guise of autonomy but are widely understood to function with the clandestine support of a government, megacorporation, or other powerful backer. While officially private, they often benefit from discreet access to funding, equipment, and recruitment pipelines that would otherwise be unavailable to private firms. This ambiguous status allows their patrons a measure of plausible deniability, even as these companies act as their de facto proxies on the battlefield.

Black

Black PMCs are truly independent, lacking sponsorship from any state or major institution. Operating completely outside of any legal framework, they are most often found on the Far Frontier, where oversight is limited and opportunities exist for free agents. With fewer resources than their state-backed counterparts, they typically field less sophisticated forces. Their independence however grants them far greater freedom in choosing clients, contracts, and methods.

Examples

Flag/Insignia	Name	Type	Services	Backer	Notes
White Status
	Rangda Peacekeeping Action Team	Mercenary Company	Mixed	Sphere	International anti-piracy contingent deployed to the New Canaan Corridor.
	Byakko Logistics	Military Enterpriser	Mixed	Japan	Administers security contingents responsible for protecting facilities operated by the Kusari Group.
	Ravenwood	Military Enterpriser	Support	United States	Subcontracted by the United States Army to provide security for occupation authorities and allied VIPs in high-risk areas. Functions as a heavily armed protective service in both terrestrial and orbital operations.
Grey Status
	Tenth Legion	Mercenary Company	Mixed	Italy	Operates extensive ground, aerospace, and interstellar forces, staged from forward-deployed starbases for sustained operations in disputed theaters. Officially based in Argentina, though widely suspected to be financed through Italian proxies.
	Ala Centauro	Mercenary Company	Active	Brazil	Wings of aerospace craft with pilots and crews made up nearly exclusively of ex-Brazilian military personnel. Known to favor contracts targeting fascist aligned interests. Currently has a large number of its assets deployed to conflicts in the Elysian Fields.
	White Guard	Mercenary Company	Mixed	Germany	Active along the Antares Gap, trains Axis-aligned states in asymmetrical warfare and Insurgency operations while under occupation; suspected of operating corsair fleets implicated in multiple attacks on COMINTERN forces.
	Flying Tigers	Mercenary Company	Mixed	United States	Renowned mercenary company noted for its superior dogfighting ability, even when flying last-generation aerospace craft. Famed for operating from remote and austere hidden bases, it has become one of the most storied private aerospace forces of the Cold War.
	Holy Rollers	Mercenary Company	Active	United Kingdom	Tank and armored fighting vehicle company with experience fielding full regiments in multiple peer-to-peer conflicts. Specializes in breakthrough operations and large-scale armored engagements, with particular expertise in tank-on-tank warfare.
	Condor Legion	Mercenary Company	Mixed	Germany Spain	Combined-arms mercenary company fielding a sizeable interstellar fleet and terrestrial army. Experienced in training and professionalizing Axis-aligned militaries, with a strong record in advisory and support roles. Maintains a substantial intelligence wing.
Black Status
	Torchfire	Mercenary Company	Active	N/A	Formed from remnants of the Commonwealth Army that emigrated to the Far Frontier in the aftermath of the Second Solar War. Later fought as a volunteer force in The Corporate War. Specializes in terrestrial special operations, assassinations and bounty hunting.
	Queen Mary's Revenge	Mercenary Company	Active	N/A	Stolen military cruiser repurposed as a privateer-for-hire on the Far Frontier. Operates independently, contracting with frontier powers and non-state actors for raids, escort, and interdiction