History LIterature / HammersSlammers

* AltarDiplomacy: In ''Standing Down'', Hammer marries into one of the Great Houses of Friesland, thus gaining the support of the aristocracy and solidifying his position as the legitimate President. Ironically, his new wife is Anneke Tromp, daughter of the former Secretary to the Council responsible for the Slammers' exile in the first place. Nobody is particularly amused when, just before the wedding, Steuben mentions that he killed her father.

* ReadTheFinePrint: This point is lampshaded several times. Mercenary contracts are organized and guaranteed by the Terran Bonding Authority, to ensure that both parties live up to their end of the deal. Mercs who go rogue can expect to be hunted down and killed (SEE: the short story ''Hangman''); clients who don't pay will be lucky if they are "only" abandoned (and not targeted) by their former employees (SEE: ''Paying the Piper'').

* CrazyPrepared: The Slammers usually try to be ready for anything, but in ''Paying the Piper'' Col. Hammer is especially crafty. [[note]]The Slammers were originally hired by the United Cities of Plattner's World to fight the nation of Solace. However, most of the funding for that war came from Nonesuch (also located on Plattner's World). Since Hammer knew exactly where his money was coming from, and (correctly) judged Nonesuch as untrustworthy, he put together a consortium of off-planet financiers...just in case. When the Slammers defeated Solace, the Nonesuch representative made his [[TheReveal Reveal]], effectively cancelling the Slammers' contract. Hammer was then free to turn around and use his alternate funding source to sign a new contract with the UC and Solace to fight Nonesuch. So, the Slammers get paid for two wars in quick succession, Nonesuch gets put in its place, and Plattner's World mortgages its future profits for decades to come. And it was all [[ReadTheFinePrint completely legal]].[[/note]]

* ExtendedDisarming: A variant occurs near the end of the story ''At Any Price'', when a mercenary genuinely forgets to remove the small knife he keeps up one sleeve. He actually blushes when reminded that he hasn't disarmed completely.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[AwesomeMcCoolName Don "Mad Dog" Slade]]. One does not acquire a [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname nickname]] like that in the Slammers for being kind and cuddly.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: In ''But Loyal To His Own'', Hammer suggests hiring out the Frisian Defense Forces as mercenaries, but Secretary Tromp dismisses the idea. Later on, Hammer takes over Friesland and carries out his plans.

!!Provides Examples Of:

* ObligatoryWarCrimeScene: Usually by way of [[IDidWhatIHadToDo doing whatever victory required]].
** In one of the stories, Colonel Hammer catches some flak from [[ArmchairMilitary rear-echelon types]] for dealing with an insurgency by having [[HumanShield family members]] of known insurgents ridding on Slammers' vehicles while moving through hostile territory; ambushes of Slammers armor columns dropped, and several attempted ambushes failed because, "somebody noticed their wife or kid on the lead vehicle." Also, gassing a village being used as a heavily fortified base by those insurgents, using gas rather than a nuke only because a gas attack could be done without drawing the attention of reporters. Hammer's actions are about par for the course in the setting.
** Obviously, frequent use of Overkill and [=WMDs=] (nuclear and chemical) on civilian populations, too. And a specific story about destruction of a historical shrine due to it being abused as a shield for military forces by one side.