Even more authors and stories. Still the same bestselling universe. It’s the Twenty-Second Century. Humanity has taken its first steps into the galaxy, and we’ve found ourselves in a vast playground of alien races, environments, and cultures. As the newest players on the universal stage, though, our position is readily apparent—we’re at the bottom of the food chain. 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. While some of the stories inside deal with mercenaries, others introduce readers to the other guilds, organizations, and races that make up the landscape of the Four Horsemen universe, as well as providing additional insight into the characters of the mainline novels. What’s it like to be a medic on the beach or to learn how to kill from a mother not your own? Come find out! Edited by bestselling authors and universe creators Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy, “The Good, the Bad, and the Merc” includes sixteen all-new stories in the Four Horsemen universe by a variety of bestselling authors—and some you may not have heard of…yet. In a galaxy this big, you’ll find that some of the races are good and others are bad, but only the best are mercs! Inside you’ll find: Foreword by David Drake Argonaut by Kal Spriggs Shell Game by Terry Mixon The Last Dragon by Terry Maggert Hero of Styx by T. Allen Diaz The Beach by Philip Wohlrab Velut Luna by Christopher L. Smith Keep the Home Fires Burning by Jason Cordova Vvremya by Mark Wandrey The Last Guardsman by Stephanie Osborn Unto the Last–Stand Fast by Robert E. Hampson The Demon of Ki-A by Eric S. Brown Under the Skin by Marisa Wolf Inked by Mark Wandrey Angels and Aliens by Jon R. Osborne Life by Chris Kennedy Lessons by Kacey Ezell