| abstract
| - The Albernian Mercenary Company was founded by mercenaries Thomas North and Liam Donovan and under the employ of the then Confederated Principalities of Europe. Located outside, but near Grantville, the Albernian Company is based in a farm that is essentially becoming a small village to house soldiers and their families, along with camp followers. The company was usually employed in protecting trade caravans from bandits and highwaymen. The majority of the Company was made from the defunct Swiss mercenary company Von Fellenburg's Finest. At one point, the Albernian Company was severely underfunded, which led to its founders North and Donovan attempting to resort to a black-market business in new weapons and ordnance, but they were conned by a friend of Donovan's who sold them what turned out to be rocks, sand, and Newman's Own salad dressing. However, the Company was recruited by Michael Stearns for a mission to rescue the caravan of Subadar Baram Khan, an an ambassador from the Mughal Empire being held captive in Innsbruck, which was in Habsburg Austria. The Company, with fewer than fifty men, was guided by Indian English-speaker Salim and under the auspices of up-timer Lieutenant Lawrence Quinn. The Company encountered obstacles, coming into conflict from Thomas North's former acquaintance Steiner, and losing five men before reaching Innsbruck. At that point, a Hapsburg army was coming to their position and forced the Company into making the Mughals move and leave their belongings behind. The Company came to the Inn river, and since they were low on ammunition, attempted to slow down their pursuers by blowing the bridge across the Inn, killing as many enemies as possible. Thomas North and Salim stayed behind to blow the bridge. In the process, North was lost in action, and presumed dead. The Company returned to Grantville fifty-five days later, having taken 28% losses. The ambassador, who was totally upset by his predicament, refused to pay the Albernian Company for his rescue, after which which Donovan had the Company strip anything of value from him, even the gemstones he hid in his turban. Some time later, as winter was approaching, Thomas North reappeared. While he had been away, a letter from his father, asking him to return to England, had arrived. North intended to return, and told Donovan he could keep the company and even change its name. However, Donovan knocked North out, and had him arrested on a drunk-and-disorderly charge to prevent him from returning. Donovan also changed the name of the company to the "Hibernian Mercenary Company". In mid-1635, the Hibernian Mercenary Company, once again under North's command, played a key role in events in Italy.
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