The Origin of Armitage Free Company

Before the Fall

Before the Fall of the Orion System in 2712, the Armitage Trade Company was a premier trading and manufacturing company in the UEE outer rim. The Armitage Trade Company started out in the newly established colony of Armitage, but soon grew from its small upstart to a leading trade and manufacturing company in the frontier surrounding the Orion system.

Due to the hazardous nature of the UEE frontier, the Armitage Trade Company employed the services of Peacekeeper Security Company to ensure that valuable cargo made it to its clients around the UEE outer rim. Armitage was a bustling developing world in the UEE outer rim, and the Armitage Trade Company was earning its fair share from trade of the precious metals from the asteroid belt around the Orion system.

However, this all changed on August 9, 2681 when a Vanduul raiding party attacked the main post on Armitage, slaughtering the local colonists. The interest in the Orion system declined heavily in the following weeks and the business of the Armitage Trade Company declined with it.

Over the next few decades, the Armitage Trade Company worked hard to rebuild its strong position in the Orion system. In the early 28th century, the Armitage Trade Company merged with Peacekeeper Security Company and the newly merged company would be known as the Armitage Company. This tied well in with the fact that over the past decades, the personality of the Orion system had also changed. It had become a waystation for soldiers, mercenaries and pilots looking for a chance to test their mettle with Vanduul raiders. The Armitage Company started focusing a lot more on manufacturing arms, ammunition and providing supplies for these mercenaries, pilots, and soldiers.

The Fall of Armitage

On February 16, 2712 this would all come to an end. A Vanduul fleet appeared with a force larger than anything the population of the Orion system had ever seen.

The local UEE Navy garrison scrambled to mount a defence and together with the local mercenaries and militia, it attacked the Vanduul fleet. Like many other companies, the Armitage Company sent its best ships to help fend off the Vanduul fleet, whilst everyone was waiting for UEE reinforcements. The losses were heavy, especially for the local militias and companies who lacked the newer and stronger ships of the UEE Navy. However, despite the heavy losses, the defenders started slowly pushing back the Vanduul towards the jump point – but then the tides of the battle suddenly changed…

A massive Vanduul capital ship appeared. It was unlike anything the UEE had ever seen and would later be known as a Kingship. At nearly three thousand meters long, the ship dwarfed any remaining ships in size. Being too close to avert their course, the human defending fleet was decimated by the Kingship’s initial attack. The commander of the local UEE Navy garrison called for a retreat to Armitage to regroup – but having little resistance, the Vanduul fleet picked off the retreating defenders one by one.

Realizing this, the leader of the Armitage Company forces, John Roland, did something that would later be known as the Roland Shield. John Roland ordered the Armitage Company ships to turn back towards the Vanduul fleet and form a big protective line, with ships closely positioned next to each other. He knew these ships wouldn’t last long, but they would be able to form a ”shield” that would block enemy fire just long enough for the remaining retreating forces to get out of range of the Vanduul fleet. John Roland knew it was crucial as Armitage would need to be evacuated and they would need as many ships as possible to do that. Only by forming this ”shield” of ships would they ensure that as many of the retreating forces as possible made it back to Armitage.

The ”shield” of Armitage Company ships didn’t last longer than a few minutes. But even when the ships forming the shield were destroyed, their debris would act as a hindrance for enemy fire trying to reach retreating ships that were still within the range of the Vanduul fleet. John Roland and his fellow Armitage Company captains and crew members all died – but their manoeuvre was a success. It ensured that the majority of the retreating forces made it safely back to Armitage so that an evacuation could begin.

The Vanduul fleet had no further interest in pursuit and the UEE called for a complete evacuation of the entire Orion system in an attempt to protect the remaining survivors. The image of UEE fighters escorting a lengthy chain of transport ships away from the system remains ingrained in many memories. In addition, many of the survivors would never forget the heroic deeds of John Roland and the Armitage Company ships – their brave sacrifice ensured that many survivors could be safely evacuated from the Orion system.

Creation of the Armitage Free Company

The remaining survivors of the Armitage Company would later form the Armitage Free Company (ARMCO) that we know today in honour of John Roland and the brave defenders. Its goal would be to form a shield and protect the citizens of the UEE outer rim, when others cannot, while providing a safe place for merchants, miners, salvagers, and explorers alike.

The story of John Roland and the Armitage Company ships has been passed down from the survivors of the Orion system to their descendants and while most citizens of the UEE have forgotten these heroic deeds – there are still many amongst us who have not.