It doesn't make any sense that mercenaries are hostile towards Skif but not any other loners (and are hostile to like everyone else too)

I actually somehow missed this through the majority of the game till now, but I just realized that mercs shoot you on sight but they don't give a fuck about loners/free stalkers (and those don't give a fuck about mercs)

Edit: because some people don't get it (but then again I wasn't clear enough due to spoilers but fuck it). I am aware that Strelok hired mercs to "protect" the secrets of the zone. What doesn't make sense is that among all the loners, Skif is the only only they are hostile towards and then mercs are hostile towards every other faction.

It doesn't make sense because surely strelok didn't paid thousands various mercenaries and doesn't pay every single one that gets into the zone to work for him exclusively

It doesn't make sense because in previous games mercs were hostile to loners

It doesn't make sense because mercs are hostile even before you have to side with ward/spark (at that point you may be considered as a part of either faction and they are hostile with mercs)

It doesn't make sense because you can side with Strelok and mercs will remain hostile

In other words, even tho Strelok specifically paid SOME mercs to make hits on people, it's just weird that loners are all buddy with mercs when they were enemies in previous games and that Skif (pre ward/spark and post if sided with Strelok) is shot on sight when being just another loner