> - A Mercenary Warrant simply signifies that the organization holding
>it is considered sufficiently trustworthy to be hired by Her Majesty's
>Government. It does not indicate any connection or allegiance between
>its holder and the Crown. The holders of letters of marque, on the
>other hand, are in effect royal retainers - minor members of the
>Queen's court.
>
>--G.
>

Ah. So if there was a need for forces, the holder of a letter of marque would get a polite message to be there, while somebody with a mercenary warrant would get a contract offer if they were not already on the payroll.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.