Randall N Bills

A LIFE OF DECEPTION... Nearly a century ago, Minoru Kurita abandoned his noble name and heritage when he was adopted by Clan Nova Cat, who utilized his purported psychic abilities to create a powerful new breed of warrior: the Mystic Caste, a secretive spiritual branch of the Clan led by their exalted Oathmaster... From the moment Kisho left the Iron Womb, he has been trained in the Mystic Caste with one goal in mind: to forge his entire being into a tool-not simply as a weapon to fight the Clan's enemies, but as an instrument of strength to bring glory to Clan Nova Cat through his visions. Now he has been chosen by the Oathmaster himself to be his protege and possible successor. But Kisho's great pride masks a great deception: He does not believe any of it. He has walked the path all his life, yet he has no faith in the gifts the Mystic Caste supposedly possesses-and he is running out of time... For Kisho is about to be sent into battle with his warrior brethren to fight alongside the forces of the controversial Warlord Katana Tormark-and the faith he has so long denied may be the only thing that can save them...

A COST IS ALWAYS PAID...Nikolai Reed is a trader on a Lyran JumpShip plying the space lanes...Chloe Mason is a hot-shot tech with the Hsien Hotheads mercenaries...Leaving the Northwind Highlanders, MechWarrior Ryana Nikol fills a billet with the Eridani Light Horse...Disparate lives, but a unified dream that will bring them all together on a fateful course that will span decades, cover hundreds of light years, and involve love, friendship, and loss across a dozen worlds. Each will pay a price along the way, as a cost always comes due.The Mercenary Life anthology is a compilation of stories written by Randall N. Bills. Including tales from several different characters as they cross paths, and the dream to found a new mercenary command is born. Their unique lives showcase the struggles and trials of the men and women who take up the mercenary mantle from a variety of angles, all bound around that central vision.The first eight stories of this anthology were originally posted for free alongside the release of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, acting as the origin stories for the mercenary command within that computer game. This is the first time they have been compiled into a single volume to allow for a Print on Demand physical copy.Additionally, an all-new ninth story has been added-The Sun Will Rise-along with postscripts for every story that gives the reader insight into how stories are crafted within a shared universe between tabletop, computer games, and fiction that spans more than thirty years and tens of millions of words.

FLIGHT INTO THE UNKNOWN...100 million dead.500 million wounded.One billion homeless.The worst war in human history is over-and has left the Star League shattered. Jealousy and infighting from the five Great House Lords over who will be the next First Lord has the entire Inner Sphere already teetering on the brink of all-out conflict again.Against this grim backdrop, Aleksandr Kerensky, commanding general of the Star League Defense Force, faces a terrible choice. Stay, and see the mightiest military ever known subsumed into the Great Houses, lighting a conflagration that may burn even brighter than the terrible Amaris Coup. Or do the unthinkable...To save the Inner Sphere, Aleksander-along with his sons, Nicholas and Andery-must leave it behind. He marshals the largest fleet ever assembled to carry millions of people on thousands of JumpShips to head into the unknown. Exodus But though the Great General strives to make a fresh start for his people far from the Inner Sphere, old habits and allegiances are difficult to leave behind. Soon the Kerenskys and their followers face threats both external and internal as they search the endless black for a new world upon which they can forge a Star League-in-Exile...or die trying.

ALL OR NOTHING...On 1 May 3052, twenty-five Galaxies from seven Clans clashed with twelve armies of ComStar's Com Guards on the pastoral planet of Tukayyid. For twenty-one days, one of the largest campaigns in BattleMech warfare unfolded to decide the fate of the Inner Sphere. The Battle of Tukayyid is one of BattleTech's most pivotal conflicts. Now, explore this crucial campaign through eight different points of view-from the enigmatic ComStar, whose relatively untested forces are the Inner Sphere's last defense against the seemingly unstoppable Clans, to each Clan, as their leaders and MechWarriors attempt to achieve victory on their own terms.The fate of the Inner Sphere hangs in the balance...and it all comes down to one planet...Featuring stories by: Jason SchmetzerMichael J. CiaravellaRandall N. BillsBlaine Lee PardoeSteven Mohan, Jr.Bryan YoungChris HusseyJoel Steverson