Once known as the Hellfire Legion, the military arm of the Commonwealth of House Liberty, what would become the Gladius Remnant began as a full battlegroup within the Liberty Insurgency. Comprised of the officers, engineers, and minds behind the success of the Hellfire Legion, Gladius was the Legion's spirit with the expanded potential brought forth by the incorporation of the Liberty Separatists. This potential would not see much fruit, however.

Under the command of Fleet Admiral Victoria Knight, the Insurgency continued the wage the same war the Legion had before the Commonwealth's dissolution. With Gladius spearheading most of the Insurgency's assaults, Liberty saw a short revival of the guerilla war that the Legion had been infamous for, ranging from an assault on Prison Station Sugarland to the routing of a Naval rescue detachment in Colorado. Behind the scenes, however, the Insurgency's demise would come from within.

Whether through intentional sabotage or a kink in the logistical armor, Liberty soon discovered critical details concerning the Insurgency's defensive emplacements within Kansas and Vespucci, and in 829 A.S. launched a full scale invasion of the southern systems to end the Insurgency for good. With Knight nowhere to be found, and her flagship and its escorts missing, the infant Insurgency was soon embroiled in the fight for its life. The Liberty Navy dispatched the Carrier Ohio and Battleship Delaware to lead the operation, with the latter becoming the first Navy warship to ever fully breach Vespucci space since the inception of the Hellfire Legion. This accomplishment would be subsequently followed by a withering Insurgent response, leading to the complete obliteration of the Delaware, but at the cost of much of Veracruz's remaining defenders.

With defeat almost certain, Gladius under the command of Admiral Amy West began preparations for the evacuation of remaining Insurgency assets through Magellan, in a bid codenamed Operation Duskstorm. Liberty, aware of a possible Insurgent retreat through Magellan, established a formidable blockade commanded by the LSF Battlecruiser Lehigh. In three waves the Insurgents left Vespucci, as Flights Alpha, Beta, and Omega pushed through the no-man's-land towards the Barrier. Flight Alpha saw success at heavy cost, while Beta capitalized on the Navy and LSF's disorganization. Flight Omega, the last to leave and harboring much of the Insurgency's remaining strength, had none of the surprise or opportunity of the first two, and yet ended with a decisive victory that left the Navy's position in Magellan shattered.
The Battle of Magellan had ended, and the remnants would continue into the Barrier practically unhindered.

Gladius continued north to the rendezvous point, a small supply depot not far from the Barrier Gate. Though Duskstorm had ended up an unprecedented success, many of those who had made it out had failed to make the rendezvous, leaving those that did to rebuild the fractured pieces of the Insurgency from the ground up.


With three years to reorganize, repair, and rearm, Gladius now aims to rebuild the glory of the Hellfire Legion with the lessons learned from the Separatists and the Insurgency.

The Remnant, like the Insurgency and the Hellfire Legion before, remains wholly dedicated to a single cause: The complete obliteration of the Liberty Navy. Despite the loss of Veracruz, and much of the Insurgency's supply network, focus on the main objective never truly stopped, and despite being at best a fringe nuisance, the Remnant remains fully committed.

In line with traditional Legion combat theory, civilians of Liberty origin are considered secondary targets, while unlawfuls and non-House entities are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Though typically shunned by hardline Legion code veterans, non-Liberty house commerce vessels are usually marked for piracy, while Liberty-based corporate shippers are at best kept at arm's length.

The Remnant typically treats any Bounty Hunters or otherwise named hitmen as they would the Navy. Corporate defense vessels are traditionally given a chance to move along before engaging.


Objectives

Despite the Insurgency's defeat at Veracruz, the Remnant maintains vessels from the final flights out of Vespucci, as well as vessels acquired from third parties via purchases, trades, or refurbishments. The Remnant also utilizes general market technology, ranging from guns and missiles to survey drones and hyperspace drives.


Heavy Assets


Identification

While the Remnant largely aims at sticking to the relations held by the Hellfire Legion, in the three years that have passed since Veracruz it may no longer be tenable to keep to them. Former allies may no longer be such, and old enemies may look to bury the hatchet.

With the Remnant's fresh position, however, diplomacy for the first time since Locklear is fluid, and may shift at a moment's notice.