Showing results for "The Mercenary" in Science Fiction

He was driven by violent injustice from his home moon of Callisto - and set forth to claim the epic destiny that would blaze across worlds and time. He saw his family destroyed, his sister carried off into sexual slavery, his beautiful lover killed - and he swore revenge against the murderous pirates who held the Jupiter planetoids in a stranglehold of terror. Fired by raw courage, steeled by young might, he rose in the navy of Jupiter to command a personal squadron loyal to the death.

Some writers of science fiction turn out to be reasonably accurate prognosticators of the future. In Mack Reynolds’ Mercenary, the elite 1 percent control the wealth of the nation and thus the nation. War as we know it has been eliminated, and disputes between nations, unions, and corporations are settled on a battlefield by mercenary soldiers with pre-1900 weapons. These battles are televised, and the combatants become heroes, not unlike NFL players. Meet Joe Mauser, one of the best of the best; a tactician and gun for hire.

With the Seed of the Sacred Tree and Princess Tinia aboard, Hiro and crew join the battle against Red Flag, the pirate gang that attacked the elves' home planet. Just as the battle is looking hopeless, the Krishna activates a mysterious new barrier--one that seems to have something to do with the Sacred Tree. Meanwhile, Hiro snags the interest of Mary, a buxom mercenary with shady ties. How is Hiro going to shake this gorgeous new troublemaker?

Reeve has come out on top of his enemies: the gods themselves. The Mage has finally created the first iteration of the System, and although it falls silent, he knows it's still there—planning, plotting, doing who knows what. He has found answers that have led him to far more questions than he had before. Who is pulling the strings behind the scenes? Why are the gods going along so compliantly with his conquest? Where in the nine hells is Jax? Is the Entity still around?

Reeve has continued his war against the gods, building his empire and gathering his forces against the storm to come. They have built new ships, developed new technologies, and brought in new recruits. His friends and budding family are now in a better position than ever to create a galaxy safe for their own—even if that means conquering it in its entirety. Even with the developments on the material and science fronts, Reeve has been found lacking in his war against the gods and their machinations for the total annihilation of the universe.

He finally escaped the cycle of war and death only to find himself kidnapped, taken to a new universe where nothing makes sense. A world where nothing is familiar and insane robots, killer AI, and otherworldly beings he can hardly comprehend are the norm. He must learn to survive these constant threats to his very survival, all the while learning that these new experiences are changing him, molding him into something new...something extraordinary.

Have you ever been sick of being the low man on the totem pole? A trio of mercs feel your pain. Chill, Ivan, and Kortez have been slaving away as mercenaries for years. But enough is enough, and they are done putting up with being an afterthought. Striking out alone is a risk, but mercenary work is not exactly in short supply. In the depths of a mine-riddled world, the Swarm is stirring. Chitinous hordes boil up from the depths, claiming lives and resources.

All other business aboard the Black Lotus gets put on the back burner when Hiro is enlisted to ward off an alien monster. This creature could pulverize a planet--it measures a full five hundred kilometers across! Can the Black Lotus hold its own against its gargantuan foe? Is a deep-space David and Goliath moment in the cards?! Speaking of cards... Hiro heads to a casino to gain an edge against a band of unfamiliar space pirates. Blending into their glitzy surroundings requires his loyal crewmates to dig up bunny-girl outfits!

In the 20th century Earth sent probes, transmissions, and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy. As most of the local worlds were too civilized to have a proper army, the only valuable service Earth could provide came in the form of soldiers....

In an unprecedented first, Earth sends a message to Mogwa Prime. Unfortunately, the messenger is not met with enthusiasm. Misunderstandings soon threaten all of Humanity. Forced to prove Earth can serve the Empire better than any rival, McGill does his best. Eager to prove our worth to the Galactics, the frontier war between Rigel and Earth is expanded to Storm World. Circled by six moons, the planet is ravaged by wild storms and tides. Battles are fought in raging hurricanes, and death stalks the soldiers on both sides.

Two expanding interstellar powers are about to meet in battle. After the collapse of the Cephalopod Kingdom, Humanity claimed the 300 rebellious worlds it left behind. But light years away on the far side of a disputed region, a rival power has begun to move. They're stealing our planets, one at a time. Earth Command decides to invade the center of the frontier to set up an advanced base. The mission to DARK WORLD is highly classified and deadly. Legion Varus spearheads the effort, and James McGill journeys to the stars again. How many ships do they have? How advanced is their tech?

When swordswoman Konoha joins Serena's edge-world investigation, Hiro's gobsmacked by her combat chops. Supposedly, Konoha's here to investigate a metal spider with psionic abilities—and check up on Kugi!

In the fourth book of the series, James McGill is up for promotion. Not everyone is happy about that, and McGill must prove he's worth his stripes. Deployed to a strange alien planet outside the boundaries of the Galactic Empire, he's caught up in warfare and political intrigue. Earth expands, the Cephalopod Kingdom launches ships to stop us, and a grand conspiracy emerges among the upper ranks of the Hegemony military.

Skulking around in the ruins on a planet swarming with treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters isn't good for one's health. But Ankari Markovich needs a few archaeological samples for her latest business venture, a venture that might prove lucrative enough to move her family off the impoverished planet where she grew up. Unfortunately, she has no sooner collected her samples than she's captured by a band of brawny mercenaries.

After a grueling battle that cost him dearly, mercenary captain Viktor Mandrake wants nothing more than to get his ship repaired, let his men have leave, and spend time relaxing with Ankari. Entrepreneur, schemer, and leaser of his company's one and only pink shuttlecraft, she has become the woman he loves and wants to keep at his side.But as soon as Viktor sets foot on the space station Midway 5, it becomes clear that the Galactic Conglomeration Fleet wants him arrested for past grievances. As a mercenary, confronting the Fleet isn't wise (it's not wise for anyone else, either). Normally, Viktor would collect his people and depart, but a mysterious disease has resulted in a quarantine, leaving him stuck on the station with no access to his ship or his crew. Fortunately, he has Ankari with him, but unfortunately, Ankari's family has been pointing out all of the reasons why she shouldn't be flying around on a mercenary vessel. And he's not certain they're wrong.If Viktor and Ankari can't find a way off the station before the Fleet ships arrive, Viktor may never escape. Worse, no matter what happens, he risks losing Ankari forever.

Dirk Friedel used to be an Imperial Duke, now he's a washed up freighter captain. When a shady broker offers him easy money to steal some obsolete cargo and transport it off-planet, he and his crew of amateur thieves jump at the chance. Who'll miss a few crates of worthless supplies and some broken down trucks? But when the supplies turn out to be something more than imagined, they end up dodging the Imperial navy and enlisting as unwilling mercenaries in civil war.

When Earth's colonies go silent, Legion Varus drops onto Kepler-62 expecting a routine investigation. Instead, they find something far worse than death. The colonists aren't dead—they're changed. A new kind of enemy has arrived in Province 921, microscopic invaders that transform humans into perfectly coordinated killing machines. These "Demon" parasites don't just control minds; they improve them, creating an army that works with terrifying efficiency.

Cliff Rawlins, after recovering from the explosion that destroyed his headquarters, finds he has no time to rest. The Union is determined to wipe out anything that prevents them from absorbing the most economically powerful solar systems in settled space. They launch waves of attacks, devastating Rawlins' forces. With his fleet down to its last ships, Rawlins launches a "Hail Mary" attack to buy his forces time that they need desperately.

Abbey goes shopping. Tarak learns an important fact about human female biology. Ami develops new (and somewhat scary) abilities. Oh, and it's Christmas soon. It's just another day in the life of our fearsome Kordolians and their human mates. A light-hearted peek into Tarak and Abbey's new life on Earth.

Miles Vorkosigan makes his debut in this frenetic coming-of-age tale. At age 17, Miles is allowed to take the entrance exams to the elite military academy; he passes the written but manages, through miscalculation in a moment of anger, to break both his legs on the obstacle course, washing out before he begins. His aged grandfather dies in his sleep shortly after, for which Miles blames himself.