The Battle For Cyclops: A Xander Cain Novel Page 4

  As corporations began to solidify their control of known space, merging into larger and larger conglomerates, things started to become harder for mercenary groups. Not having the bargaining power to remain profitable in the face of ever-growing corporate entities, the mercenaries turned to the ancient enemy of businesses, unions. Mercenary guilds and unions began to spring up in their hundreds as different units worked out agreements and rules between themselves, forming larger and larger alliances as the years carried on.

  The invention of the mechsuit and the subsequent discovery of wetware technology changed everything. Long-standing cultural taboos about human-machine intermingling meant that adoption of the powerful weaponry was slow as first. Already cultural nomads, mercenary units were amongst the first to begin widespread use. The effects were immediately apparent. With mentally controlled towering war machines at their command, the effectiveness of mercenaries was amplified a hundred-fold. Whilst corporations would eventually find those willing to pilot the machines, they have never been able to produce riders of the same skill or efficiency, an advantage mercenaries hold to this day.

  When the corporate wars erupted—the vast interstellar conflict that engulfed all known space—mercenary groups found themselves more in demand than ever. By this point in time, the hundreds of different organisations used had dwindled to a dozen, the unions and guilds constantly merging to keep up with the growing power of corporations. The war provided the incentive to organise further, until by the conflict's end only a single unified group remained, the progenitor of the modern Mercenary Guild.

  When the Core Worlds laid down the articles of war, legalising inter-corporation warfare but imposing heavy taxes on it, they also formalised the Mercenary Guild as an organisation exempt from these costs. In doing so the Core Worlds created a system where corporations were incentivised to conduct all their warfare through guild contracts, effectively bureaucratising war.

  Since then the guild has existed to ensure fairness throughout known space. They, along with the jump ships of Maat, are one of the few organisations that could be considered truly neutral. The guild operates hundreds of space stations spread across known space, deliberately choosing locations unsuited to colonisation or exploitation. Here they provide services for mercenaries operating in the local sector, offering banking, repairs, weapons, lodging, even food and supplies. The stations are also frequented by jump ships, the agreements between the guild and Maat having been in place since the war’s end.

  The guild is not without its critics. The vast sprawling nature of the organisation has led to what many consider to be an unnecessary level of rules and red tape. The corporations in particular regularly lobby the Core Worlds for deregulation of the industry, pleas that have so far fallen on deaf ears.

  Notable events in the history of the guild.

  - In 1398 YR contact is lost with a guild station situated in Charon, a system in the Iron Belt located near the border with the Dead Stars. The guild rapidly contracts nearby mercenary teams to investigate. The system is discovered deserted, the station simply missing from orbit. The guild arranges for the system to be regularly visited and checked, though nothing of note has turned up yet.

  - The Mercenary and Fighting Man’s Union, one of the guild’s early precursors attempted to negotiate a merger with the neighbouring Guild of Financial Warriors in 1143. The talks break down over the correct amount of credits to charge for members’ administration fees, a disagreement that devolves into outright fighting between representatives of the respective organisations. The members of both groups refuse to get involved, instead unilaterally agreeing to sign on with the winning side. The three-day conflict between the negotiating teams comes to become known as the Ten Man War, the Guild of Financial Warriors the ultimate winners when their chief accountant blinds the last of his opponents with a fountain pen.

  - Due to a filing snafu in 1324 the guild loses all paperwork to do with the Blades of Achilles mercenary company. When payment for their latest job fails to reach them, the company collapses. Meanwhile, with a large payment due to a company that isn’t on the guild records, the guild decides to donate the money to fund a new hospital unit in the name of the mysterious Achille’s, unaware that the mercenary company was named after its founder’s horse.

  - In 1304 whilst constructing a station in orbit of a gas giant in the Icarus system workers discover a large lost tech installation in the upper atmosphere of the planet. Eager to stake a claim on the valuable technology, a group of workers land on the platform floating amongst the gas and manage to activate it. Recordings from construction ships in the system show an energy beam pulling the half-complete station towards the gas giant. It collides with the lost tech platform, destroying both.

  Chapter Five

  Miranda led the two men to an elevator at the far end of the promenade. The three of them squeezed inside, the cabin barely big enough for them. The wall was covered in dozens of glowing buttons. Miranda examined the board for a moment before selecting the one she wanted, the button making a loud click as she pressed it. The elevator began to move, generating an odd twisting sensation in the stomachs of both men as gravity shifted around them.

  “I know this is most unusual, gentlemen. But this is a rather unusual situation,” Miranda said. She stared ahead at the elevator door as she spoke, her hands clasped behind her back. “Besides, our records show your company completing a single job since its formation. I rather suspect you aren’t going to complain about being offered work.”

  “The guild doesn’t often offer contracts directly. Must be something of real importance,” Xander said. He threw a glance to Sergei, hoping he would catch Xander’s meaning. When Xander said it didn’t happen often, he meant it. He had heard of it happening only twice in his career.

  “I hope that this offers suitable compensation then, considering its unusual nature,” Sergei said. “I hope what you intend to offer is fair.”

  “It is,” Miranda said, rocking on her heels. “I will allow the rudeness to slide, this time. I am aware that this lifestyle is new to you, Mr Bird.”

  “You don’t question someone’s intentions when it comes to offering a job,” Xander whispered to Sergei. “It’s considered rude. There’s a-”

  “A trust between mercenaries. I know, I know. Is this another one of those unspoken rules that everyone is supposed to know but not written down anywhere?” Sergei said. He had heard similar words from Xander a dozen times since the formation of the Paladins. Mercenary work was filled with byzantine codes of honour and ethics, ones that seemed to conflict on occasion as far as Sergei was concerned.

  “Just think of it like how you don’t approach Carol in HR without a plate of biscuits in hand if you actually want to get what you want. Those little workplace quirks that you pick up on over time. Except, you know, everyone involved is armed so pissing them off is extra stupid.”

  “Without our code of honour, Mr Bird, the entire system would fall apart. It is the glue that holds peace together in our time,” Miranda said.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call what’s happening across the belt peace,” Sergei said. “Quite the opposite. I’ve lived in the belt my whole life, and on Hades for most of it. I’ve never known conflict like this. Oh, I’ve seen the odd corporate scuffle here and there, but those are playground scraps compared to what’s happening now.”

  “Yes, well, the outbreak of this fighting is rather unfortunate. Whilst it is good business for the guild and our members, the scale of this conflict obviously has worrying implications should the Core Worlds become involved.” The doors opened as the elevator came to a stop. It groaned slightly as its passengers stepped out. “Of course, should they do so, it would be disastrous for us. The guild has no desire to see its clientele vanish, and the loss of life would be highly regrettable.”

  “That’s a strange sentiment for an organisation that makes money from killing.” Sergei’s comments drew a disapproving stance from Xander.
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br />   “I'm assuming Mr Cain is giving you a withering stare.” Miranda was still facing forward, marching through the corridor the elevator had opened up to with the kind of stride that seemed to push others out of her way through sheer will. It was like an invisible forcefield surrounded the woman, bumping the corridors other occupants to the side. “That's a fair question.” Miranda stopped and turned, snapping around quickly to face Sergei. “The difference Mr Bird is that our mercenaries are fighting either their own kind or a corporation's professional soldiery. Though the level of professionalism there is up to some debate. Regardless, every combatant is someone who has chosen to be there. Guild members do not target civilians. Guild members do not attack the unarmed. We have standards. In such open warfare as this, it becomes impossible to maintain those standards.”

  Sergei could see a fire in the woman’s eyes. She genuinely believed what she was saying.

  “I understand. We’ll do the job. What do we need to do?”

  “We might want to hear what the job is before we agree to it,” Xander said in protest.

  “I’ll cover the specifics of the job when we get to my office. It’s just a little further,” Miranda said.

  “She's being evasive,” Matthias said. The AI had been unusually quiet for the last few hours. It hadn't even chosen to berate Xander about his choice of food on the promenade. Matthias had developed some opinions on Xander's lifestyle now he was sharing space in his brain. “Something doesn't seem right here.”

  Xander didn’t answer. Like Sergei the AI wasn’t familiar with the culture of mercenary work, and whilst Matthias did have access to all of Xander’s memories, he had promised not to use them anymore. That the computer program had stuck to that promise, mostly, hadn’t gone unnoticed by Xander. The reality of Miranda's answer was simple. It was bad form for a guild agent to discuss job details openly. Anyone could be listening, and in theory, it could alter the outcome of a job if an opposing company was to overhear certain details. Most jobs were public knowledge anyway, posted on the stations' network openly, but it was wise to be careful.

  “Ah, here we are.” Miranda stood before a simple metal door, one that would have been invisible against the flat grey walls of the corridor were it not for an outline painted around it and the number seventeen spray painted to the front through a stencil. Miranda pulled a key card from her pocket and tapped it to a small glass panel.

  The office beyond wasn’t quite what Xander had expected. He had thought that the head of a station would have had something a lot grander. This was much more understated, a simple metal desk with a computer screen sat on it, a plastic office chair on castor wheels placed behind it. There was a pair of chairs in front of the desk, though they had seen better days, their plastic cracked with age. The far wall was taken up by a single massive screen.

  “Please, take a seat. I’m afraid I can’t offer you anything.” Miranda seemed to float as she moved to the other side of the desk, taking a seat. She gestured to the pair of chairs before her.

  “So, this job,” Xander said. The chair seemed to creak as he took a seat. “You said that you’re looking for us specifically?”

  “Yes. Every guild station in the belt was on the lookout for you.” Miranda tapped at the keyboard sitting before her monitor. The screen behind her flickered to life. “I’m aware you’re familiar with the organisation known as Black Rose.” A logo appeared on the screen behind her, the stylised image of a rose used by the group. “In fact, I believe you were the first to give them that name?”

  “Tamara was, one of our company managers, and a former news producer. Is this what this is about, Black Rose? Are you after our expertise?”

  Miranda shook her head. “No, Mr Cain. Black Rose were prolific in their first attacks, appearing across the entire Iron Belt. Hades was just one of thirty separate worlds hit at the same time. A feat of manpower and organisation that would put most mercenary companies to shame, let alone a normal terrorist group. If the guild needed mercenaries who had fought Black Rose before, we could just point randomly at passers-by on any station promenade.”

  “Then what do you need us for?” Sergei said.

  The screen behind Miranda changed again, showing a familiar-looking starship.

  “The guild is aware, through the debt recompense paperwork you filed, that your company is in possession of this ship. The Sunchaser. This is what we need. A mercenary company with their own jump capable ship is a rare thing, especially one so small. It is perfectly suited to the task at hand.”

  “And that is?” Xander didn’t like where this was going. If they needed to bypass the usual jump routes, or not involve the Maat ships at all, there was something up.

  “This,” Miranda said, waving her arm at the screen behind her dramatically, “is the single planet in the Cyclops system. One rather aptly named as you can tell.”

  The planet that appeared on the screen looked strange. Most of it was covered in ice, white spreading across the world in a solid blanket. There was one exception, a large circular ocean that sat within the ice, a massive azure sea that made the world resemble an enormous eyeball.

  “Cyclops is a tidally locked world. The ocean side faces the system's star constantly, whilst the far side experiences eternal night. This world was selected as a location for our newest guild station. There is nothing else of value in the system, and whilst the world is habitable, the only suitable areas for long term colonies are around the equator. As such, the planet has been passed over many times by the corporations. The exact kind of site we like to use.”

  “So, what's the problem?” Xander said. He knew there had to be one, otherwise, he wouldn't be here listening to a briefing.

  “Black Rose is our problem. During their recent appearance, they seized control of the construction site. One of our agents was able to get a message out, one undetected by the terrorists before they took full control. It would seem that the attackers came up from the planet, rather than jumping in.”

  “So, there’s a Black Rose base on this planet? That’s what that means, right?” Sergei said. He was new to military operations, but it seemed obvious even to him.

  “It would seem likely, yes. The exact same reasons we chose it as a location make it an ideal hiding place. The guild is especially concerned about the rest of the report. It states that the terrorists were capturing the workers and loading them onto dropships. The guild looks after our own gentlemen. We don’t know why Black Rose is taking prisoners, but it seems almost certain they would take them to this base.” She tapped at the keyboard again, a green band appearing across the equator of the planet. “This is the habitable zone. We’re assuming the base is somewhere within this region. A large ship or major offensive will be spotted, putting the prisoners at risk. The guild wants the Sunchaser to sneak down to the planet and extract any guild personnel still alive. Any Black Rose are to be considered hostile, but your mission is simply a rescue operation.”

  “So, what does it pay?” Sergei said.

  “Fifteen million upfront, with a further fifteen when complete. The guild is also offering expenses on ammunition expended.”

  “That’s not going to go far. A decent used mechsuit is seven to eight million, before any weapons or modifications. Make it twenty-five upfront and fifteen complete and we’ll have a deal.” Sergei might not have been savvy on the customs mercenaries adhered to, but negotiating an offer was something he knew inside and out. “And you’ll refund the fees for all the new crew we registered earlier.”

  “Ah yes, the crew we are so conveniently looking the other way on their previous histories regarding. Normally the guild wouldn’t even consider giving pirates a license, especially after they acted as mercenaries illegally. But we’ve chosen to look past that considering their experience will be useful infiltrating Cyclops undetected.” Miranda smiled—her grin razor sharp. It was like a shark that had smelt blood. “Very well. Twenty-Five upfront and fifteen on completion. Plus, we will refund
the fees as asked.”

  “Something isn’t right here,” Matthias said. “I can’t put my finger on it. Well, I can’t put any fingers on it, seeing as I don’t have any. But you get my point.”

  Xander stood up, the chair squeaking as it was pushed across the floor. “Send the contracts over to our ship and I’ll sign off on them. We’ll take the job.”

  Chapter Six

  Xander and Sergei squeezed back into the elevator, their meeting with Miranda over. They had made the walk silently, each man thinking over the job they had just agreed to. Logically both knew that another meeting with the Black Rose was likely, but neither of them had expected it so soon. That first fateful encounter with the terrorist group had changed both of their lives, launching on a trajectory that had ended with the foundation of the Paladins.

  “Good job,” Xander said as the doors closed. “Getting that extra cash from her. That was quick thinking.”

  “Thanks. That is my job after all.”

  “That and the paperwork. Getting the fees refunded was a nice touch.” Xander was impressed at that most of all. Getting the guild to work against its bureaucracy was like trying to sell ice to a Svarogian. “Maybe this was your calling all along.”

  “Maybe. Honestly, I was just thinking we would need the extra upfront to make the job viable. On our last mission, our employer provided the dropships to and from the surface. I assumed with this we would have to pay for our own.” Sergei leant against the wall of the elevator, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “It's the one thing we've been putting off buying.”