Unfortunately for him, the secrets of the giant machines appear to have been lost to antiquity. Still…he has to try. After returning from a lucrative contact, he secures a base of operation for his Cavaliers in the Karma system, then he sets off toward the galactic core. It’s something he feels he needs to do by himself, so he leaves his over-protective mentor Hargrave behind. Can Jim and Splunk find the answers to their questions on their own? They need to know how to maintain the massive Raknar, and where they can find more—and they need the info now! The towering 20,000-year-old war machines could give humanity an edge against the contentious Mercenary Guild…but only if he can get the information he needs. Jim’s heading for more trouble than he bargained for, though, and there are many people who want to stop him and see his quest fail. Few answers await, and there are many new adversaries in his path. At the end of his journey, war looms, as well as a long-lost mystery from his past. Come along on Jim Cartwright’s Raknar Quest. Author's Note: This book represents a collection of short stories but is not an anthology. Five of the shorts were written as the parts of an overall story—chapters if you will—of this book. These stories are from the Jim Cartwright—At Large serial: “Karma Upsilon 4,” “Valley of Loss,” “Empire of Machines,” “Eye of Minerva,” and “Hunted.” However, this book isn’t merely a reprint of these stories. They have all been modified to fit into one longer novel. Some of these modifications are cosmetic; a few are not. I wove in a few details which were left out of the originals to save length and make each serial a short, self-contained story. These additions provide more meat to the story. Overall, I’ve added more than 8,000 new words to this book to provide a more fulfilling story. Finally, this book also has the short stories “Emancipation” (first seen in For a Few Credits More, in 2017) and “Inked” (first seen in The Good, The Bad, And The Merc, 2017). The inclusion of these stories carries Jim Cartwright’s quest right up to the beginning of Omega War in A Fiery Sunset and provides the backstory for what Jim did in the time after Cartwright’s Cavaliers and before Omega War. You also are gifted with more than a few glimpses into Splunk as a character, her personal motivations and abilities, and some of the deeper mysteries behind the ever-growing Four Horsemen Universe. I hope you enjoy it.

    His experimental Hoplite scout CASPer aided significantly in thwarting an attempt by a Besquith general to wipe out the Golden Horde. Now, while most of the Golden Horde goes out on a major contract, Spartan has been given a small team of less than 30 mercenaries—specialists, all—to teach a race that has just joined the Galactic Union how to defend itself. And, in his spare time, Spartan is to spy on the Merchant Guild. After arriving in the new system on a ship from the Intergalactic Haulers Mercenary Company, Spartan’s group of specialists begin completing their mission, but things rapidly go downhill when they find out the Omega Wars have begun and Human mercenary companies are being hunted. Unable to contact his company’s leader, Colonel Sansar Enkh, Spartan is on his own to put the pieces together and figure out a new plan to deal with the changing situation. Can Spartan’s small team of Golden Horde specialists complete their mission and find a way to survive the Omega Wars on their own, or is this Spartan’s last ride?

    They have absolute power; after all, they are the ones with the weapons. The only other armed agency, the Peacemaker Guild, is far smaller and unable to bend them to their will. But absolute power has the tendency to corrupt absolutely, and this is becoming increasingly apparent as the guild’s members pursue their hidden agendas. Leeto, the Merc Guild’s Speaker, and the Veetanho General Peepo are no different than the rank and file. They will use any means necessary—within the law or not—to accomplish their goal of destroying humanity. With the invasion of Earth already complete, a single compliant Hunter could be the Guild’s perfect weapon to finally accomplish their goals. Except that Hunters aren’t known for their compliance. Sparks are sure to fly as the unstoppable force of the Mercenary Guild comes up against the immovable object that is the will of the galaxy’s deadliest assassins. Guns in the light battle knives in the dark as the Mercenary Guild takes on the Depik Hunters, and only one will emerge victorious. Who will survive to kill another day?

    Twice is a coincidence. Three times is enemy action. When Zuul-led thugs attack members of the Queen Elizabeth’s Own Foresters leaving the Lyon’s Den, the battles on Cimaron 283133-6A and Peninnah become enemy action, not simply mercs fulfilling contracts. What the Foresters don’t realize is that these attacks have been planned for years as part of an even larger series of plots aided by members of the Mercenary Guild. Unlikely allies appear, including a Peacemaker who doesn’t like being used, an electronic intelligence specialist with a past that’s heavily redacted, and the strangest recruit in the Foresters’ history, but will their aid be enough against foes who seek the unit’s complete and utter destruction? And more importantly—who is funding the intelligence specialist’s special toys? Answers will be found as the Foresters battles across the stars and in alien jungles—but will the answers only bring more questions? Only two things are certain. Alliances will shift. And sorrows will be fed.

    There are!” — Colonel Terrance Van Zant, Commanding Officer, Swamp Eagle Security Taylor Van Zant has a lot on his mind. Like everyone in Jacksonville, North Florida, the early-twenties bartender from Riverside saw his world upended when his brother, Terry, an interstellar mercenary and local hero, died suddenly in a freak starship accident. Five years later, having been stonewalled for answers, Taylor faced a choice: Honor his mother’s wish that he never go merc or defy it to save her life by resurrecting Terry’s company. That was thirteen months ago. Now the newly reformed Eagles stand on the verge of a major milestone: owning their own flagship. There’s just one problem. Terry left behind a ship that no one knew about, a rare breed of cruiser with a most peculiar secret. "Free Bird Rising” is the story of a young man’s quest for justice and to escape his brother’s shadow. The shocking revelations he finds, though, will likely rock the Galactic Union to its core and get him killed.

    A hacker who can beat any code, he’s in charge of communications intercepts for the Golden Horde’s Computer Operations section. When people can’t break a code, they bring in Spartan. It wasn’t always this way, though. Spartan used to be a frontline CASPer pilot—someone who could be counted on to get the job done and bring the squad home safely…until he lost his entire squad in an ambush. He also lost his edge in the attack, and he swore he would never pilot a CASPer in combat again. Everything changed, though, when he came up with an idea for a new type of scout CASPer—one that would prevent what happened to him from ever happening again. He’s been given a mech to convert and a team to help him bring his idea to reality. And he’s been given a chance to test it out on a Golden Horde deployment. But in the time immediately before the events of the Omega War, forces are already moving behind the scenes, and nothing is as it seems…and they’re bringing along Spartan’s combat mech—which he said he’d never pilot in combat again—just in case.

     There was only one problem. He got bored. What does a ‘Legend’ do when even the merc life gets boring? He starts his own company! Along with buddy Kal Turner, they marshalled their Torvasi and Andori troopers and began taking contracts. A force for good, Quincy went about the galaxy, killing aliens and getting paid, while righting all the wrongs he found along the way. His only problem was that he was successful—too successful—and some races don’t take losing very well. Worse, they’re willing to stop at nothing—even blowing up a planet, if that’s what it takes—in order to get even with Quincy. Can Martin find out who’s framing him and bring them to justice? Perhaps the real question is, “Will he have time?” His Sirra’Kan princess partner’s biological clock is ticking, her father Kor’Findralis, the Prime of Te’Warri, wants an heir, and now Quincy has a Blevin mistress to somehow work into the mix. What happens when you long for the simplicity of combat? You take more contracts because, on a mission, the worst thing that can happen to you is you get killed!

    Land on the middle of a 7.5-mile-high plateau, walk six miles to the edge of the cliff, and scale down the 39,000-foot-high cliffs to the foothills of the canyon below. Nothing to it, right? But then there was the swamp they had to cross, full of large indigenous life forms that thought Humans made good snacks. And the rivers, full of other killers, they would have to negotiate. And then there were the Xlatan, a race of six-legged killers guarding the target. A relatively new mercenary race, although one more established than the Humans, the Xlatan were supposed to be tough. Maybe not—quite—as tough as the Besquith, but close enough to give a number of other merc races the chills when they went up against them. The Fierce Eagle Company only needed to traverse the planet, stay alive, and then surveil the operation the Xlatan were guarding to gather intelligence for the CASPer-equipped merc company that was enroute to destroy the operation. The mission would have been nearly impossible, all on its own. There’s just one more thing, though, that they don’t know. They’ve been set up, and the heavy forces aren’t coming. Still, anything is possible…When Eagles Dare.

    Thirteen Stories about the Depik—what they were and where their society goes from here! It’s the Twenty-Second Century. Humanity has taken its first steps into the galaxy, and we’ve found ourselves in a vast playground of alien races, environments, and cultures. As the newest players on the universal stage, though, our position is readily apparent—we’re at the bottom of the food chain. But we’ve found new allies. The Depik are feared across the galaxy as the ultimate assassins, but when an attack on their home world devastates their society, the survivors are scattered across the galaxy. As humanity helps bring their civilization back together, though, how do the remaining Depik adults put their society back together and teach the young kits and kitas about what was lost? Stories. Not only are stories told to educate, but also to help the young Depik make sense of their place in a galaxy that is so much bigger than they are. Enter now the world of the assassin, as these peerless killers decide how to make their way forward, and thirteen amazing authors imagine the paths these Hunters will take. With stories by: Jody Lynn Nye Jonathan P. Brazee D.J. Butler Mark Wandrey Terry Mixon Kevin Ikenberry Kevin Steverson Jamie Ibson Jon R. Osborne Joseph Capdepon II Casey Moores Kacey Ezell Marisa Wolf

    Having taken over the Argonauts’ mercenary company when its previous owner was killed, he has arrived back at Karma to find that no one will deal with him. Blacklisted by his father, Jason is forced to do a job for him to clear his name. The early days of humanity’s expansion into space was an exciting time, as the best of the race went to the stars. Unfortunately, some of the worst went, as well, and the Argonauts must hunt down and destroy the worst of the worst, Colchis Industries. Colchis has powerful friends, though, and its coffers are overflowing with credits, allowing it to hire mercenaries and buy equipment beyond what the Argonauts can afford. They also meddle in genetics, and their creations range from…interesting…to unstoppable. Outmanned and outgunned, Jason and his crew embark on their voyage short on equipment but long on attitude. One thing is for sure—win, lose, or draw, they’re going to go out in style!

    Humans and aliens working together would seem novel…but then again, outside of Earth and the Sol System, humans are aliens, too. Having salvaged, repaired, and rebuilt a number of warships, the Salvage Fleet is a presence to be reckoned with. The Ground Force, including its specialty unit, the Bolts, has also continued to grow, and they spend their time training with the weapons of war—mechs, tanks, artillery, and battle armor—and anything else they can get their hands and paws on that will give them an edge in battle. When the Nazrooth System calls, they are once again compelled to right a wrong. It won’t be easy…but then again, it never is. Just don’t tell Harmon the odds—he doesn’t want to know them. Despite a staggering imbalance in forces, Harmon boards his flagship, Salvage Title, and leads the majority of his fleet to free Nazrooth. Only a small, defensive fleet is left behind, full of trainees and reservists. Both Salvage Fleet and the home forces are ready to face the odds, but what if this time they’re insurmountable?

    Fifteen extraordinary stories. One bestselling universe. It’s the Twenty-Second Century. The galaxy has opened up to humanity as a hyperactive beehive of stargates and new technologies, and we suddenly find ourselves in a vast playground of different races, environments, and cultures. There’s just one catch: we are pretty much at the bottom of the food chain, and there’s only one way for humanity to move up—by becoming mercenaries. In every mercenary’s life, though, there comes a time when things go wrong and even the best laid plans go awry. When they do, though, the best mercs fall back and work out new plans, and you can bet on one thing—hope is not their strategy. Whether you’re a kid looking to get off your planet, or an unarmed merc facing an overwhelming force, or even the sole survivor of a pirate attack, there’s always an edge—and it’s up to the merc to find and exploit it! Edited by bestselling authors and universe creators Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey, “Hope is Not a Strategy” includes all-new stories in the Four Horsemen universe by some of the bestselling Indie authors currently in the business. These authors take on various aspects of the universe, giving you additional insight into a galaxy that isn’t at war…but definitely isn’t at peace. There’s only one thing for sure in the 4HU—anything’s possible…for a fistful of credits! Inside, you’ll find: Preface by Chris Kennedy Golden Ticket by Jonathan P. Brazee The Tide Changes by Craig Martelle Something You Are Not by Kevin Steverson Hijacked! by Terry Mixon The Wagner Method by Josh Hayes Paying the Price by Scott Moon Without a Shot by Chris Fox Raid by Mark Wandrey Second Chances by Kevin McLaughlin The Problem of the Qualis by Brian Niemeier Eye on the Prize by Nathan Hystad Earworm by Robert E. Hampson A Guilded Affair by Chris Kennedy Sunset by A.K. DuBoff Survivor by Kacey Ezell

    Granted, he was a particularly unusual candidate—only six Oogar had ever successfully graduated from the Peacemaker Academy on Ocono, and Hr’ent would be the seventh. Every candidate must pass a commissioning mission in order to graduate, though, and Hr’ent’s is unsolvable. The Pushtal of Vorrhurna were once one of the Mercenary Guild’s 37 races. After a series of disastrous contracts, the tiger-like aliens lost their status as mercenaries, and the MinSha seized their home world for defaulting on their debt. Eighty years later, the seven Great Clans are but a shadow of their former selves and have resorted to piracy to survive. For his commissioning mission, Hr’ent and a small team of bounty hunters must find a way to put a stop to their predations. No one in the Union has figured out how to herd cats to this point, but Hr’ent is a particularly unusual Peacemaker candidate, who isn’t afraid to resort to a bit of gunboat diplomacy to get the Pushtal to listen to what he says, once and for all.

    Thrust into the human world by witchcraft not his own he's had to suffer though case after case as the familiar to a witch named Agatha. As part of the Magical Division of the FBI, Fergus has been considered the comic relief but now he's out on his own. There is Justice to be served and hay to be eaten. Evil doers and pizza delivery drivers beware, Fergus is on the case!