Showing results by author "Kevin Steverson" in All Categories

Fifteen outstanding authors. Fourteen extraordinary stories. One best-selling universe. It’s the 22nd 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. Enter the Four Horsemen universe, where only a willingness to fight and die for money separates humans from the majority of the other races. Enter a galaxy not only of mercenaries, but also of aliens, hired assassins, and accountants. Accountants?

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. It is a time of upheaval throughout the Galactic Union. As the effects of the Omega War ripple outward, a Peacemaker falls silent at the outpost mining colony of Parmick. Sensing danger, the Peacemaker Guild dispatches two new graduates of the Academy to investigate and report. They are a new breed of Peacemaker, perfect for the clandestine infiltration mission.

They couldn’t afford a ship, much less the cost of registering one...and now they need an entire fleet! Harmon Tomeral, along with friends Clip, Zerith, and the artificial intelligence Jayneen, were heroes. Having brought back the battlecruiser Salvage Title from an unknown system, they defeated the alien Squilla and saved their home system of Tretrayon, although they lost the computer holding Jayneen in the battle. But the Squilla are coming back. And, not only are they coming, they have also recruited the alien Krift to help them destroy the Tretrayon system.

It’s the 22nd 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.

They couldn’t afford a ship or a fleet...and now they have a whole system to defend! Harmon Tomeral, along with friends Clip, Zerith, and the artificial intelligence Jayneen, were heroes. They’d brought back the battlecruiser Salvage Title from an unknown system and had defeated the alien Squilla and saved their home system of Tretrayon, not once, but twice. But now they have a system of their own, and the Bith are about to open it up to the galaxy at large.

Nigel Shirazi, the Speaker of the Merc Guild, knows that war is coming and he’s not ready. He needs to build up the mercenary forces after years of war, and he’s proclaimed the Phoenix Initiative to give people who want to start new companies the opportunity to do so. CASPers are cheaper and financed at lower rates, and the government of Earth is offering bounties to take the mercs from alien races off the planet. Now is the time!

Harmon Tomeral wanted nothing more than to go to space. Sent to an orphanage when his parents were killed in a sandstorm, the odds were stacked against him. Despite that, he made it to the academy and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class...only to find out the fleet did what it wanted, regardless of regulations, and he came from the wrong planet. He didn’t give up his dream, though, because where there’s a will, there’s a loophole, and Harmon and his friends found their loophole in the Top Fleet Marine competition - the winner would get 100,000 credits....

In the late 2020s and early '30s, corporations managed to render the major governments of the world obsolete. The big corporations owned most of the territories as well as the majority of the world's wealth. While many of the old traditions were still observed in various parts of the world, the true power was with the corporations. In the late '30s, what would be known as the Corporate Wars began as larger companies initiated hostile takeovers in a whole new fashion. Employees, armed with corporate weapons, warred for dominance. On May 1st, 2067, it all ended in a nuclear fire.

Harmon Tomeral, along with his friends and allies, continues to develop the forces of Salvage System, for its own defense and - if the cause is just - to defend others. 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.

Following their successful mission on Parmick, young Peacemakers Jyrall and Larth remain teamed up with the newly formed Blue Ridge Kin and its unique cast of characters. As the events of the Guild Wars spiral out of control, the Peacemakers prepare for a mission they believe will provide early intelligence to Guild Master Rsach, only to be called off their mission and sent on one with a much high priority.

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. Set the Terms includes 14 all-new Peacemaker-themed stories in the Four Horsemen universe.

Thirteen incredible authors. Thirteen stories about the Depik - what they were and where their society goes from here!

In the aftermath of the Guild War, the trail of Kr’et’Socae has gone cold. Young Peacemakers Jyrall and Larth continue their search with the intent to bring the disgraced Enforcer to justice. With new intelligence in hand, they make a move on a known associate and the game’s afoot once more.

From the outside, The Lyon’s Den doesn’t look like much; there isn’t even a sign. But Mercs of all species know that if you head to Southwest Houston, near the Starport, there’s a particular run-down strip mall that looks like it’s been abandoned for years. The glass door second from the south end of the strip is plastered over on the inside with blue paper, and the faint golden outline of a rampant lion is the only clue.

Harmon Tomeral and his friends wanted nothing more than to go to space, and they have beaten the odds, time and again. They developed a mech and won the Top Fleet Marine Competition. They brought back a battlecruiser from an unknown system and made it their own. They made allies who helped them achieve great victories, and they ultimately founded new colonies in what has become known as the Salvage System.

An offer they couldn’t refuse. A chance to re-set the balance.... Tog and Kryder were raised as brothers, even though they were very different. Tog was a Half-Orc, tall and strong, and good with an axe. Kryder was shorter and tended to daggers...except when he used the magic passed down to him from his deceased mother. Having just reached adulthood in the Baronies West, both were enjoying life.

Salvage System is a beacon of hope, and a number of other races continue looking toward it as an inspiration for how to live and govern themselves, and - in some cases - for assistance in defending themselves and throwing off oppressive regimes. But the galaxy is a big place, and many of the races in it aren’t friendly. Would these forces like to take over Salvage System and acquire its resources? Absolutely.

Harmon Tomeral and his friends have beaten the odds, time and again, to establish Salvage System as a beacon of hope, and it is seen as an inspiration for how races can coexist and govern themselves. The members of Salvage System have also been instrumental in helping other systems defend themselves and throw off oppressive regimes. But the galaxy is a big place, and many of the races in it aren’t friendly. Would these forces like to take over Salvage System and acquire its resources? Absolutely.

Harmon Tomeral and his friends wanted nothing more than to go to space, and they have beaten the odds, time and again, to get there. They developed a mech and won the Top Fleet Marine competition. They brought back a battle cruiser from an unknown system and made it their own. They made allies who helped them achieve great victories, and they, ultimately, founded new colonies in what has become known as the Salvage System.

Edited by Jamie Ibson and Chris Kennedy, We Dare is a collection of 15 all-new stories that explores the use of augmented humanity in the near future. From getting a new personality loaded with the skills you need for a mission to nanobots that keep you from being killed to creating an indestructible tank, anything is possible!