Ironsides

"I still remember the azure blue sun cresting the glacial heights. The way it tinted the beautiful grassy plains from dawn till dusk. My father was a Forge-Minder at our local smithy and he fashioned both me and my half brother these pistols when we enlisted into the F.F.. One gold, one silver; My brother had the blonde hair, I the white. They're named after Akarn and Zekrom, the jewel cities of Agreylara. The memory of them, as well as my brother's, lives on through me. Remembrance."

- Henric Paras, the Mourner

The Ironsides are a mercenary band located within the Scottorum Sector of Segmentum Tempestus. They run various Protection Clans throughout major worlds and Governor Stations, acting more in recent years like a conglomerate of Clean Mafia Cartels.

History
The Ironsides were founded by Imperial Guard veterans stationed on the planet of Agreylara during the beginning stages of the 928.M41 Shaaliv Crusade. When the Imperium conquered the first planet of the System, most Guard regiments that suffered the brunt of the defending Shaaliv forces were given leave to regroup and rest on the planet's surface before being deployed on the Crusade's front lines when reserves were needed.

While the regiments consolidated Imperial power on the planet, the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension was celebrated and as a traditional custom, a regiment-wide lottery was held where the winning squad from each regiment would be allowed to all retire and they, along with their families, could be a part of the first Imperial settlers in the System.

After the lottery was held, 4 veteran squads of Guardsmen were allowed to take their leave. However, after their families arrived during the subsequent settling of Agreylara, the original squad members longed to use their skills again. So, they became the founding fathers of the Ironsides, named after the nickname one of them had gained during the initial invasion of the planet.

The Protection Services quickly spread over the rest of the sector, their employers mainly being involved in either mining or heavy industries, but some Clans reaching to the levels of bodyguards to influential figures of planets and Systems.

Organisation
Each Protection Clan is organised the same way as decreed by the founding fathers;

Every Clan is headed by a Boss whom decides on his or her's employers. No single Clan can provide services on a planet or station that another Clan is already associated with. Bosses will often be at the personal side of their employers whenever they go on public endeavours because to get into their rank, they are often the most skilled bodyguard and businessperson out of the Clan's Underbosses.

A Clan may have anything from 1 to 20 Underbosses who are the advisers and entourage to the overall Clan Boss. Each Underboss is the head of a Caporegime which are the groups of members seen with boots on the ground. Underbosses are assigned by the Boss to do a variety of missions from the escorting of Merchant Ambassadors to the security of Hab-Blocks. While some Caporegimes will have little time to rest in their local Clan Headquarters, Underbosses are seldom seen on the ground alongside their members.

A Caporegime is always comprised on 2 Decinas that do the "dirty work" of the Underboss. A Decina is made up of 10 Clan Members called Soldiers. A Decina will always have either a natural or democratically elected chain of command, the top of which is known as a Capo, and below that two Demi-Capos.

Lesser Clans
The Founding Fathers were the first and most direct descendants of the original Guardsmen that retired from their duties and served as a militia to accompany the Agreylara PDF. They were held in high respect until the Clan had to disband and integrate into their cousins' Services when the Adeptus Mechanicus triggered a Necron awakening beneath Agreylara's surface. Survivors that have integrated into other Clans have opted to don a uniform of pure black as a sign of mourning to their homeworld. The Ice-Rangers were the original Protection Service of the Ironsides that were hired by off-world parties. Each Ice Baron of Ira had a small bodyguard of Ironsides right up until the planet's exterminatus during a Genestealer infection. To suite the Arctic conditions of the planet, the Ice-Rangers switched their uniform to camouflage in the white backdrop. It is currently unknown whether the Ice-Rangers were at all affected by the Genestealer Cult or if any survived the destruction of the planet. Port Bhalaigh Carpo Station I Port Rubha Ghasinis Station III
 * Founding Fathers Protection Clan
 * Ice-Rangers Protection Clan
 * Shaaliv-Front Protection Clan
 * Miner's Guild Protection Clan
 * The MacGillivray Mercenaries
 * Core World Protection Clan
 * The Shaw Mercenaries