Horizon Group / HRZNG

Founded: 2947
Headquarters: Orison, Crusader — Stanton System
Designation: Private Military Contractor (PMC)
Motto: “Forward is the only bearing.”

Origin:

Horizon Group began in 2947 as a cooperative of independent haulers and ex-military pilots. After a series of pirate ambushes along the Crusader–Hurston trade corridor, several small freight captains formed a defensive alliance to share escorts and intelligence. The founding crew — veterans of the UEE Navy’s logistics corps — called themselves Horizon, after a simple rule they lived by: “Always look ahead.”

When the insurance payouts stopped covering the mounting losses, the group began offering protection services to other civilian traders. Within months, Horizon went from a handful of cargo pilots flying beat-up Cutlasses to a registered security contractor with its first corporate client — a refinery outfit on Aberdeen.

Expansion (2948–2952)

Horizon Group formalized operations under Crusader’s commercial charter, establishing hangar space and a modest command office on Orison’s Industrial Platform. The org recruited heavily from discharged UEE service members and freelance pilots with clean records, trading bureaucracy for freedom and fair pay.

During this period, Horizon’s identity shifted from “haulers who shoot back” to a full-scale security and recovery contractor. They provided:

• Convoy protection across the Stanton trade lanes

• Extraction and recovery during industrial disputes on Hurston

• Security patrols for small research teams near microTech’s poles

• They built a reputation for competence without bravado — professional, but not sterile.

The Greyline Conflict (2953)

Horizon’s defining moment came during the Greyline incident: a month-long conflict between a rogue security outfit and multiple industrial claimants near Hurston’s orbit. Horizon was contracted as a neutral stabilizer. Despite limited numbers, their disciplined coordination helped end the fighting with minimal civilian loss.

The operation earned them both respect and attention — particularly from Crusader Industries, which later issued Horizon a provisional license for “expanded defense contracting.”

Present Day (2955–)

Now operating as a mid-tier PMC, Horizon Group runs structured detachments across Stanton’s four major worlds. Their focus spans:

• Tactical escort and defense

• Asset and personnel recovery

• Strategic reconnaissance

• Lawful intervention and counter-piracy support

The group maintains an official stance of neutrality, refusing to affiliate with any megacorp or faction directly. Off the record, they’ve become known as the quiet professionals of Stanton — the crew you call when discretion matters as much as firepower.