Terrence Fugate wrote:

>  By the time Conn was important enough to be a worthwhile target...not
> sure he ever was... he'd have had a small, well-armed and a force that
> was at least halfway trained.

Comparative wealth. Standing out from the crowd attracts attention.

>  Risking going afield and into the weeds....
>  A trained force will almost always win against an equal force of
> untrained men.

Which was why I posited the 100 figure. Going up against, say, 10 to 15,
quantity has a quality all its own (Stalin).

>  Given "Merlin Limited" had a real colonel in charge, I'd venture he
> had all his bases covered.

And I have doubts as to the rank. That high would draw the attention of
Federation security in the aftermath of the war.

>  If you are interested, and physically able, look up a paintball gang,
> er club and sign up for an afternoon of fun and pain. It will show you
> how training together means you can work as a team, teams almost
> always win.

Unarmed combat practice stretches muscles further.

>  The Vikings and Amerinds, and most Islamic forces were great
> warriors, pathetic soldiers. They were great at hit and run
> skirmishes...

Loot mentality, not colonizing mentality. Organized crime is a mix of
the two--milking a cowed population.