Mercenary Econ 101

A staple of the Third Imperium is the 800 dTon Type-C Mercenary Cruiser, personified by the Broadsword class.

In Book 2 it's MCr445.95.  That's a monthly payment of Cr 1,858,125.

In GURPS: Traveller, it's more affordable, MCr 222.912 with a Cr 928,800 payment.

In both versions it can carry about a platoon.

The problem surfaces that a platoon, in garrison duty, pulls about Cr 60,000 plus expenses, and your ship payment is not a valid expense.

Because Broadswords have 4x3 Beam Laser and 4x3 Missile turrets, they're pretty decent at ortillery (orbital artillery) and the two modular cutters allow a fast insertion of the platoon from orbit.

To make book the owner of a Broadsword is going to have to do a lot more than garrison duty.

The cruiser title is misleading.  While there's an age of sail definition for cruiser that simply means that it can operate unsupported and autonomously, a Type-C is really a corvette.  It's jump 3 and nearly 3g of acceleration (in GT) mean that while it can't keep up with The Fleet, it's fast enough to get where it's needed in a minimum amount of time.

It's got enough armament to stand off against a Type-T Patrol Cruiser, maybe two or even a System Defense Boat.  Clever selection of cutter modules could add some fighters to the mix as well.  For an extreme example one troop module, one weapon module and two small craft modules gives enough to land the platoon in one cutter, a spare cutter for support with a turreted weapon and four Iramda fighters.

Striker and Commando tickets pay best and are "success only" paid on completion.  What you need to do is find conflicts that require multiple tickets over a short period of time.  Most of these tickets pay salary plus a bounty, which is between Cr 200,000 and Cr 300,000.  So four or five of those a month should do to make the payments.

The thing is, these things aren't really bought and paid for new on credit.

As it says in LBB Supplement 9, "The [mercenary] cruiser design was specifically commissioned by the Imperium, and examples are used by independent military organizations operating with Imperial approval."

First of all that means there's surplus and used ships available.

Second, they're likely subsidized much like a Subsidized Merchant or Liner.  50% of the profits go to the Imperium for 40 years, they make the monthly payment for the full 20.  The owner pays other expenses and maintenance.  Good thing longevity is common in Vilani stock, is a dominant gene, and there's been lots of interbreeding with Solomani descended Imperials.

You'd think that mercenaries operating inside a nation is something a government couldn't tolerate, but the Imperium has a long stated policy that it only owns the black.  The worlds are left to govern themselves and can squabble among themselves rather freely as long as traffic is not unduly disrupted.  Licensed mercenaries tend to discourage the expense of a standing army, after all, why pay a continuous price for maintaining an army when you can rent one for a lot less?

Mercenaries tend to be more highly skilled and better equipped than local armies as well.

Traveller Tuesday officially belongs to Erin, I'm just dangling from her coat tails on the idea.