Rise of the Peacemakers

Series · 10 books · 2019-2021

By Kevin Steverson, Marisa Wolf, Matt Novotny, and more

Books in series

Redacted Affairs

2019

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. Parmick is in chaos. The miners are planning to revolt, and the mine owner is rallying every mercenary and ne’er-do-well he can to protect his illegal mining operation; the Peacemakers soon realize it will require combat operations to free the citizens of Parmick. Meanwhile, the Peacemaker Guild also finds the mining operation is financing the actions of the disgraced Enforcer Kr’et’Socae. Honoring the threat, the Peacemaker Guild unleashes its Enforcers. With the galaxy teetering on the edge of chaos, can the Peacemakers and their surprising new allies liberate Parmick, stabilize the Galactic Union, and unlock the next clue to find Snowman? From the minds of Kevin Ikenberry and Kevin Steverson comes a new set of heroes who will forever change the Peacemaker Guild and the course of the Galactic Union.

Fields of Fire

2020

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. After the vicious attacks on Victoria Bravo, Commander Tara Mason and the newly formed Force 25 have no time to refit and reconstitute their depleted forces. Deputized by the Peacemaker Guild and charged with a time-sensitive mission—finding James “Snowman” Francis—Tara and her mercenaries deploy to the wintry world of Snowmass to follow a fifty-year-old lead on Snowman’s disappearance. Snowmass, though, is far from peaceful. A project of the controversial Dream World Consortium, the planetary government’s promises of pleasant weather and long growing seasons have fallen far short of expectations. Tempers are rising, and unknown attackers are damaging the Dream World Consortium’s equipment and drawing the ire of Mayor Citsym and the Trenta Knights—Zuul mercenaries with more than forty years of less-than-stellar experience providing the planet’s security. Force 25 arrives on the planet and clandestinely deploys their attached Peacemakers, Vannix and Jackson Rains, but their hopes for a peaceful investigation of Snowman’s past are doomed from the start. Not only do they run into an assassination staged by the rogue Enforcer Kr’et’Socae and his minions, but the Trenta Knights also believe the newly-arrived mercenaries to be a threat and stage an attack to drive them from the planet. But neither Kr’et’Socae, the local government, nor the Trenta Knights have ever seen anything like Force 25, and when the battle is joined, all of them—including Force 25—will be forever changed.

Set the Terms

2020

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. Being a Peacemaker isn’t easy. They’re charged with setting the terms and doing anything which needs to be done—even if it personally costs them everything. They must learn to honor the threat to all life, and, in the end, they must stand or fall, based on their own convictions. Welcome back to the Four Horsemen universe, where only a willingness to fight and die for money separates Humans from the majority of the other races. Edited by Mia R. Kleve and bestselling author Kevin Ikenberry, “Set the Terms” includes fourteen all-new Peacemaker-themed stories in the Four Horsemen universe by a variety of bestselling authors—and some you may not have heard of…yet. From pigs flying to cats landing on their feet, “Set the Terms” shows Peacemakers at work from the origin of the guild to present day. Journey with a Lumar Peacemaker as he tries to complete his first mission and watch as a Phidae Peacemaker tries to complete his final one. They will have to use their wits as well as their weapons if they hope to remain standing at the end of the day. Are you ready to set the terms? If so, then step inside!

These Things We Do

2020

In the Galactic Union, few Human corporations are as storied or as well-known as the Intergalactic Haulers. Yet, they’re only one piece of a larger story. During the Alpha Contracts, one hundred of Earth’s finest mercenary organizations went to the far reaches of the Galaxy to fight for credits. Only four returned. The rest, tens of thousands of humanity’s best warriors, were gone. Unbeknownst to most, a small, unconventional group chose a different path. Their foresight and unique talents set the stage not only for the long-haul shipping company of the present day, but of something else. Years later, a promising young mercenary receives an invitation to a strange, secretive shipping company. There, he discovers a shadowy organization dating back to the Alpha Contracts. An organization dedicated to rescuing Human mercenaries and returning them with honor. An organization, which—despite its many faults—restores his faith in humanity. It gives him purpose and earns him his nickname: Bull. Unfortunately, this clandestine company, and their heroic efforts, have not gone unnoticed. When a high profile hostage rescue goes bad, Bull and Jimmy Francis—the young pilot known as Snowman—find themselves searching for a way to create a better, more capable company so that others may live—all while hiding in plain sight.

Prodigal Son

2021

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. After the fight for Snowmass, Jackson Rains questions everything he thought he knew. As Force 25 regroups and prepares to rescue Snowman, Jackson steps away and returns to the trail of the elusive Kr’et’Socae. The disgraced Enforcer is not so easily found. Needing assistance, and to heal his wounded heart, Jackson turns to family. Returning to Earth and the adopted family he loves, Rains discovers Kr’et’Socae’s agents have beaten him there and taken the people he loves most as hostages. To get them back, the demand is simple. All Jackson Rains has to do is destroy the Peacemakers.

Redacted Vice

2021

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. 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. Separated from the Peacemakers, Cora McCoy and the Blue Ridge Kin report to the jungle planet Weqq to defend against an attack the Peacemaker Guild has determined will come. They arrive and are immediately met by the Crusaders—mostly Human units formed under the auspices of the Peacemaker Guild—who flaunt the laws of the Galactic Union ruthlessly. All is not well within the Peacemakers. Meanwhile, Jyrall and Larth find themselves drawn into a much larger mission at the request of Jessica Francis, Earth’s first Peacemaker. All they have to do is steal a stargate—a hyperspace-capable portal—from a group of mercenaries that vastly outnumbers them. Will they be able to recruit the assistance they need, or will they be the latest casualties of the Guild Wars?

Chasing Hell

2021

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers, they elicit fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. At least some of them do. As the Guild War spreads, two rival Zuul mercenary commanders find themselves not only at odds with each other, but with a duplicitous corporation with sinister intentions. After a disastrous mission where the majority of her Hellchasers company was destroyed, Renhahnu accepts a mission bankrolled by the Dream World Consortium to recover New Joy City on the planet Arduna. She knows better than to ask questions, especially with so many credits on the line, and—after learning that her rival Marrek’s company failed to hold the city against another mercenary threat—she’s all in. Marrek and his lone surviving pack mate escaped from Arduna with a group of sick Altar colonists. But when opportunity knocks, they answer, even though it means a return to Arduna to serve as low-paid security guards. When he learns that the Hellchasers have arrived, Marrek takes matters into his own hands. Blaming Renhahnu for his troubles, he wants blood, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it. The volatile situation on Arduna has also attracted the attention of the Peacemaker Guild, but instead of a seasoned Peacemaker or Enforcer, a Zuparti Peacemaker Candidate must conquer his natural timidity and become what the embattled citizens of New Joy City need, while discovering the awful truth about Dream World. Under New Joy City, these three storylines will converge…and heroes will be born.

Mess With the Bull

2021

In the Galactic Union, few Human corporations are as storied or as well-known as the Intergalactic Haulers. But the Haulers are no more—victims of Peepo and her minions at the start of the Omega War. Now, her followers seek to destroy the Intergalactic Haulers’ more secretive counterpart—Bull and his black ops rescue company. Yet, this is only one part of a larger story: A Human mercenary unit is trapped and abandoned—betrayed like so many others at the start of the Omega War; Another mercenary unit is captured and given a choice—fight for its captors or die; A Hunter and her companion—her former target—follow a path of vengeance; and Earth’s first Peacemaker becomes aware of the shadow that’s loomed over her shoulder for most of her life. All of these forces are on a collision path which intersects within the walls of a vast arcology on a faraway planet. The Veetanho masterminds conspire to crush all of the Human forces, with no concern for the destruction they’ll cause, but Bull—like always—has a plan. Sooner or later, though, his luck is going to run out. Will his strategies and tactics once again be enough to carry the day, allowing him to rescue the remaining Humans, or will they all be just more casualties of Veetanho vengeance?

Unshackled

2021

It’s an unbreakable defense versus an unstoppable assault! Decades after Bull took control of the long-abandoned facility on the moon of Tambu, it has become a refuge, a weapons manufacturing facility, and a holding point for The Company’s varied assets. It has remained one of The Company’s closest-held secrets. It is not a secret anymore. With the fleet overwhelmed, casualties piling higher and higher, and the defenders all but eradicated, the Science Guild believes they have free reign. The Guild is wrong. They didn’t count on Ruxandra Roxtador, a mostly-retired Pushtal spy, a small cadre of living science experiments, a trio of fearless Flatar, and Lucille, the base’s synthetic intelligence. They will hold the facility at all costs, or die fighting.

#10

Harbinger

2021

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. As the Omega War unfurls, the Peacemaker Guild has fallen into disarray. The mysterious Counselor has manipulated Guild Master Rsach’s Crusaders into a cut-throat, authoritarian construct determined to make the peace galaxy-wide. To deal the final blow and transform the Guild forever, Counselor gathers Rsach and his closest allies at a remote location intent on assassination. Jessica Francis, Earth’s first Peacemaker, has her own reasons to gather her friends and allies. The search for her father, James “Snowman” Francis has ended. The interstellar shipping magnate and mercenary commander has been captured by the Science Guild and a longtime rival with a grudge. As Jessica’s plan to rescue him suffers catastrophic losses, her very world is forever changed. There is no time to recover as Force 25, commanded by Tara Mason, are the next victims of Counselor’s plan. To save her friend and still have a chance at rescuing her father, Jessica puts her faith in one of her father’s mysterious friends, Bull. Together, they launch a daring rescue to retrieve Snowman from a Science Guild outpost deep within the forbidden Fourth Arm. When the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same for anyone who manages to walk away.

Authors

A lover of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, Matt Novotny has been an avid reader since childhood. Still firmly convinced that the worlds between the pages are more interesting than the one he lives in, Matt began writing in 2020 in order to escape the voices in his head, or at least quiet them down. When not writing he spends time gaming, antiquing, or wandering in the mountains, A Colorado native, he lives in Littleton, Colorado, surrounded by ever-increasing piles of books, Lovecraft collectables, and unfinished home and garden projects. Connect with Matt! Website: www.mattnovotny.net Facebook: www.facebook.com/MattNovotnyWrites Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Novotny/e...

Casey Moores

Author · 12 books

Casey Moores was a USAF rescue/special ops C-130 pilot for over 17 years- airdropping, air refueling, and flying into tiny blacked-out dirt airstrips in bad places using night vision goggles. He’s been to those places and done those things with those people. Now he lives a quieter life, translating those experiences to fiction. He has written in the Four Horsemen universe with stories in numerous anthologies, his debut novel, These Things We Do, and much more to come. In the near future he will be expanding in the Salvage System and Fallen World universes as well. He was also a finalist in the FantaSci fantasy story contest with his short story “A Quaint Pastime”. A Colorado native and Air Force Academy graduate, he is now a naturalized Burqueño, retired in New Mexico.

A Webster Award winner and three-time Dragon Award finalist, Chris Kennedy is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author, speaker, and small-press publisher who has written over 50 books and published more than 400 others. Get his free book, “Shattered Crucible,” at his website, https://chriskennedypublishing.com. Called “fantastic” and “a great speaker,” he has coached hundreds of beginning authors and budding novelists on how to self-publish their stories at a variety of conferences, conventions, and writing guild presentations. He is the author of the award-winning #1 bestseller, “Self-Publishing for Profit: How to Get Your Book Out of Your Head and Into the Stores.” Chris lives in Coinjock, North Carolina, with his wife. Follow Chris on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ckpublishing/.

Kevin’s head has been in the clouds since he was old enough to read. Ask him and he’ll tell you that he still wants to be an astronaut. Kevin has a diverse background in space and space science education. As an adult, he's managed the world-renowned U.S. Space Camp program and operated two Challenger Learning Centers. A retired Army officer, Kevin continues to work with space every day. Kevin is the author of the science fiction novel SLEEPER PROTOCOL (2016) which Publisher's Weekly called "an emotionally powerful debut." His military science fiction novel RUNS IN THE FAMILY (2016) has gained a growing legion of fans. He continues to work on sequels for both novels as well as short fiction and an alternate history novel.

William Alan Webb

Author · 29 books

Winner of the 2021 Imadjinn Award! Finalist for a second 2021 Imadjinn Award! Winner of the 2020 Darrell Award! Finalist for a second 2020 Darrell Award! Winner of the 2019 Imadjinn Award! Winner of the 2018 Darrell Award! I started out as a child. After I was grown, I realized being a kid was a lot more fun. Not a little kid, mind you, because then you can't drive yourself to buy cheeseburgers whenever you want. A little older but still a kid. That's when I decided to stay 17. If you want to travel the world to admire creation and absorb the awesome cultures, I'm your guy. If you want to discuss history, drop me a line. If books are closer to you than some of your family, we might be related. If you want to tell other people what to do or how to live, find somebody else. That's not my thing. Give me a beach and a book and I'm good. Pull up a chair and stick your toes in the sand. Awards: I'm thrilled to announce that my novella "The Hairy Man" won the 2019 Imadjinn Award, and my novella, "A Night at the Quay", won the 2018 Darrell Award, given out by Midsouthcon.

Jamie Ibson is a new writer from the frozen wastelands of Canuckistan, where moose, bears, and geese battle for domination among the hockey rinks, igloos, and Tim Hortons. After joining the Canadian army reserves in high school, he spent half of 2001 in Bosnia as a peacekeeper and came home shortly after 9/11 with a deep sense of foreboding. After graduating college, he landed a job in law enforcement and was posted to the left coast from 2007 to 2021. He retired from law enforcement in early 2021 and moved clear across the country to write full time in the Maritimes. He published a number of short stories in 2018 and 2019, and his first novel came out in January 2020. He’s pretty much been making it up as he goes along, although he has numerous writer friends who serve as excellent role-models, mentors, and, occasionally, cautionary tales. His website can be found at ibsonwrites.ca. He is married to the lovely Michelle, and they have cats.