The Krushers

Kristen's Krushers was founded by Kristen Marik, daughter of Captain-General Janos Marik and his second wife (Ana Stewart), after she served a stint in Langendorf's Lancers under an assumed name. Janos' death left her with a large sum of money, in addition to her landhold as Duchess of Augustine. Kristen used her inheritance to fulfill the dream of founding her own mercenary unit. From the beginning, Kristen's Krushers was a family affair, with her husband Jiri Rousset as the Executive Officer, her oldest child Ana Marik a battalion commander, and her middle child Janos Rousset-Marik a company commander. Her youngest, Alys Rousset-Marik, entered Princefield Military Academy in 3059 to carry on the tradition.

The unit spent most of its history in the Free Worlds League, as Thomas Marik did not want to see his "baby sister" leave and endanger herself. Eventually, however, Thomas could not persuade Kristen to stay and she moved her Krushers to Coventry under Lyran employ. It was here that the The Federated-Commonwealth Civil War found them.

Kristen's Krushers garrisoned the important factory world along with the new Coventry Jaegers and Coventry CPM (Coventry Province Militia). The pro-Katherine commander of the Jaegers ordered the Krushers to attack the pro-Victor CPM. The Jaegers contributed a token force, forcing the Krushers to act as shock troops. Though they were damaged, the Krushers defeated the CPM. The Jaegers would again go on the offensive, but this time against the mercenaries. The unit was seen as a representative of House Marik, even though neither Kristen nor her unit had done anything to make the Lyrans believe they were Marik agents. The Jaegers attack the damaged mercenary unit and forced them to retreat from the world, a retreat that Ana Marik bought with her life. The mercenaries were able to get to Arcadia, a world one jump from the Free Worlds League border when a Lyran flotilla caught up with them. Captain-General Thomas Marik, unwilling to spark an incident with the Lyran Alliance watched as the Krushers scattered across the planet's surface and tried to hold off the Lyran forces. In direct disobedience to the orders of the Captain-General, Tamarind Marshall Jeremy Brett, Kristen's brother-in-law, sent a Marik Militia unit across the border to save the mercenaries. The Marik forces defeated the Lyrans and secured Arcadia as a protectorate, though the world was returned to the Lyrans after the Civil War ended. The Krushers returned, with both Kristen and Janos casualties of the fighting.

After she graduated from Princefield, Alys inherited command of the unit, though the inexperienced officer allowed her father to act as commander in all but name. She focused on raising her orphaned nephew, then initiated the Great Debate in 3067 that focused on removing Thomas from power. Meanwhile, The Krushers (who dropped Kristen's name after her death) rebuilt to a force two battalions strong. Then came the Word of Blake Jihad.

As the Free Worlds League fragmented and the Word of Blake began to take over, Alys formed a resistance movement, with The Krushers ar its head. She had held the unit's contract since the Lyrans broke it, but allowed the unit's registration with the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission to lapse. With the constant fighting of the Jihad, The Krushers have become a battle-hardened, elite unit that specializes in night-time operations.

Their fate post-Jihad is unknown.