Darkwater Industries

**Dev. Status** | Conceptual

*"Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,*

*with the cross of Jesus going on before.*

*Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;*

*forward into battle see his banners go!"*

- "Onward, Christian Soldiers", a 19th-century hymn
The **Darkwater Industries**, or just **Darkwater**, is a Quantum minor faction.

## At a Glance

 **Basic Look** | Modernized Teutonic Knights

## Background

### Paid to Kill, Not to Die

Mercenaries have played an integral part in warfare for a long time now. From the first glorified mercenaries being knighted by medieval nobles to the independent soldiers present paid for by the Allies, and even the remnants of the Gurkhas from Nepal, there have been always soldiers who aren't motivated by ideology or creed espoused by the nations that hired them. These are the ones who treat war as a business, only exchanging bullets instead of shares and gaining profits from kill counts instead of products sold. And much like every business, there are couple of big names in the war industry as of today.

The head honcho PMC is none other than Legion Security, which are essentially smaller mercenary forces absorbed into one. Emphasizing ruthless efficiency from a range, their legionnaires are the *de facto* corporate police of the Syndicate, patrolling their Sprawls to uphold the law (or whatever passes as laws in those places) and the disdain of the megacorporation for potential competitors in their home turf. Warlords and generals in the world shell out most of their profits just to hire these contract soldiers for one mission, with much to spend more just to keep them loyal to their side.

In spite of their technological inferiority against the Legion, International Incorporated prides itself as the PMC anybody can hire mercenaries and purchase vehicles from. Under the helm of Andrei Orlov, II enforcers are hired for a cheaper price than legionnaires and Scorpion tanks can be used by practically any faction with enough money, testaments to their cost-effective means of production in places where the II are operating. The forces that employ II's services are a diverse lot that includes poorer governments, startup militia, and terrorist cells, although they have to check the loyalties of their latest buyers if they are for the latter.

Unlike the other two, Darkwater Industries, LLC is fairly new to the PMC scene, possessing almost nothing of interest other than their own exo-suits that are not technologically savvy as Syndicate cyborgs, and 'heat rays' commonly described as outclassed by spectrum cannons and Japan's own wave-force tech. Coupled with their unconventional criteria for who can pay for their services, Darkwater is estimated to not last long as II and the Legion, its fate either being overshadowed by both of them or assimilated to the latter. Unbeknownst to them, nonetheless, this company takes its orders from and for a faction unbeknownst by many.

They are ordered by the Order of the Talon.

### Venerated Sellswords

Today, however, the Talon is now on its last legs, in the eighth century of their shadow war against the Black Hand. Gone were the days of heavily-armored templars hacking through cultists in open battle, now their assassins and spies have to kill cult agents in the shadows through manipulation of pieces in the political chessboard. A factor that chessboard more difficult to play is that the enemy has hidden itself within *almost* every military on earth, particularly even using II tanks as the rooks. To escalate things, a new player has arrived; the most powerful PMC in the world as the private army for the most influential megacorporation.

What's not helping is their small size. Although the Talon holds sway over high-profile figures from the Americas to Australia, the truth is that their forces are even more stretched out worldwide than the Allies; meaning the Talon is struggling to prevent *every* suicide bombing by desperate GLA members who know of their location. That doesn't even mention the many hired killers paid by either GLA warlords or Cult apostles in attempts to flush local cells out. So, after a lengthy (and controversial) argument by Banneret Canavan for the proliferation of mercenary usage within the Eternal Crusade, it was decided that in order to level the mercenary field, they need to possess a mercenary force of their own.

Through corporate and military-industrial contacts, the startup Darkwater Industries was formed immediately announced itself as yet another PMC to the world, but having peculiar traits that made them dissimilar to their precursors. Firstly, they would not partake in contracts considered overtly immoral by Triumvirate standards. They would also not do business with those touched by "unwholesome interests" (i.e. Syndicate-affiliated governments) which proved to be a very contentious decision judging from the outrage of executives wanting them out of the competition. While countries earnestly pay mercenary services, the Darkwater's usage of heat ray technology and their tendency to act far from prescribed orders have been quite an issue for their employers.

When one looks deeper into Darkwater, the PMC are just glorified fall guys for the greater Talon. Making sure the chosen contracts coincide with Crusaders' interests, it doesn't come off as a surprise for those "in the know" when the PMC often clash with Humanitarian Guard forces in Central America in the guise of "independent actions". Or when yet another cadre of legionnaires end up dying from fourth-degree burns in a failed expedition to the Vatican, meaning that the clubbies' assertions of Darkwater nothing but the militant wing of the Catholic Church is far from implausible. But as for the torchbearers themselves? As long as they are paid handsomely for doing the Lords' will in the world, and there are more honorable positions waiting for them when they are devoted enough, then they're happy to fight and kill for anybody.

## Fighting the good fight, for 16,500 credits

### Structures

 File:IconDarkwater.png | Dewdrop | Dewdrop Turrets are used to protect areas and bases from unauthorised activity. Equipped with a Heat Ray system, it is highly effective at stopping enemy infantry.

### Deathmatch Reinforcements

**Holy Hands Congregation**

***In hoc signo vignes***

 File:IconDarkwater.png | Revelation Heavy Tank | Built on the chassis of the Paladin tank, the Revelation is equipped with a sweeping Heat Ray system that is effective against all ground targets. Its built-in cloak generator allows it for ambush operations.