When Jake and the group emerged from the cottage, a man stepped out of the shadows.
“Welcome back founder, lady Erica has given us orders to post a guard here for your return.”
“How is she? And how did you get here?”
“Lady Erica is doing well. She is currently dealing with a diplomatic issue in her home galaxy, so sadly, she’s not here at the moment. As for how we got here.” the man pointed at the token in Jake’s hand and said. “She has one of them.”
“Really, how many mercenaries do we have on the planet at the moment?”
“Ten fighters for security and thirty profession users and ten officials to help run the construction project.”
“What are you building?”
“A research facility around two hundred metres north from here and a space-based shipyard with construction facilities on the moon and a space elevator from the moon’s surface to the shipyard.”
“What ships are you producing?”
“Troop transport ships and copies of the retribution. We would like to make fighters, but we don’t have blueprints for them.”
“I have blueprints, but I will need them back before I leave. Do you have someone that can copy them?”
“Yes, we do. I will send one of our blueprints over to you.” The man said excitedly.
“That’s good. I will be here for a while. I’ve got a lot of research to do, so will you leave someone around that can assist with odd jobs?”
“Yes, I can. I will send my brother Mike over.”
“One last thing. Why are you building all this infrastructure here and not in the claimed territory?”
“We are making this a fall back location as the Wandering Imperium has abandoned our home galaxy. This area is relatively safe, so we are going to build up our forces and retake our home.”
“Why did the Wandering Imperium abandon us?”
“It was internal issues with the Imperium. They betrayed us, leaving us on a planet surrounded on all sides by our enemies. If it wasn’t for lady Erica’s efforts, we would all be dead.”
“thank you. May I ask your name?”
“Commander Estella sir.”
“Commander?”
“Yes sir. We have made a ranking system for large group missions. A group mission requires leader is required to undergo a leadership training program.” Estella sent Jake a system message with the details of the ranking system.
Notification
Demon’s hand leadership ranking system.
Small group ranking officers
* Officer Cadet (OCDT) Max number of people 5
* 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Max number of people 15 or small gunship
* Lieutenant (LT) Max number of people 30 or a fleet of two gunships
Small group other ranks
* Private (PTE) in control of their own welfare
* Lance Corporal (LCPL) can lead a group of 5 privates, one fire team or one wing five light fighters
* Corporal (CPL) can lead two wings or help lead 15 privates and other ranks
* Sergeant (SGT) can lead four wings or help lead 30 privates and other ranks
Medium group ranking
* Captain (CAPT) Max number of people 60 or a fleet of one corvette and two gunships
* Major (MAJ) Max number of people 120 or a fleet of two corvettes and four gunships
Medium group other ranks
* Staff Sergeant (SSGT) can lead six wings or help lead 60 privates and other ranks
* Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) can lead eight wings or help lead 240 privates and other ranks
Large group ranking
* Colonel (COL) max number of people 240 or a fleet of one carrier, two corvettes and four gunships.
* Lieutenant Commander Max number of people 480 or one battle group of two carriers, four corvettes and eight gunships
* Commander Max number of people, 960 or two battle groups
Large group other ranks
* Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) can lead eight wings or help lead 480 privates and other ranks
* Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A) can lead eight wings or help lead 960 privates and other ranks
“We needed this kind of structure for the cooperation of larger missions, but anyone can still leave and gain whatever they want. Even working for themselves and the military style ranking system has no physical power outside of combat missions or specific mission types like this one and the majority of the personal in the ranks were originally guards and the like so they don’t really enjoy taking on jobs that don’t a line with the mercenary group’s goals.”
“I have some guards back on my home planet that look to be entering the mercenary group and some that I plan to form I to a special forces team could you find someone to teach these two all about how this new system works and I will implement what you have told me into the demon’s hand mercenary group’s system imposed information and rules. This will also make it clear what the group is for, so that it doesn’t interfere with the original purpose of the mercenary group.”
After talking with the commander and sending off Mary and Lewis. Jake took the rest of the people into the cottage, sending them off to the library room and giving them a last reminder not to read the restricted information.
Before starting on his grand sitting journey, Jake brought up his interface and, with some effort, began modifying the information on the demon’s hand mercenary group. To do this type of thing was a lot like merging skills. You had to know what you wanted to change and have an addiction understanding of what was being changed. Only then would the system help with the creation of what you wanted. But if you were lacking knowledge or misunderstood, the information you wanted to change the system might still activate and change the information anyway, causing an odd output.
Warning. You are attempting to change the structure of an established group. Changes may cause unforeseen side effects. Do you wish to continue? Yes/No.
Jake selected yes, then he looked over the prompt.
“That’s cool. It’s given out new titles, but what’s that part at the end? Did I lose concentration at the end or what? Well, I guess if it’s in the description, we are just going to have to do it. Ar, but it’s good I can just leave that bull shit to someone else.”
In a building on the surface of the moon Erica was working on a peace treaty with the Grand Empire of the Warring Path and the United Commerce Guild as this is the enemy that they made with the ill-fated mission the Demon’s Hand Mercenary Group took on behalf of the Wandering Imperium. When to her surprise, a message appeared in front of her.
Notification
Jake Everval has changed information on the demon’s hand mercenary group. Would you like to review the changes? Yes/No.
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Erica looked up from the paperwork and said. “He’s back.” then she looked back down at the papers on her desk. “Just if I didn’t have to deal with this.”
On the paper it listed a bunch of demands that the Grand Empire of the Warring Path and the United Commerce Guild demanded. The first demand was that the demon’s hand mercenary group was to be disbanded the second was that all claimed territory was to be handed over to the United Commerce Guild and the third demand was that all the Nordicless in the demon’s hand mercenary group were to return to the rightful owners.
“These demands are going too far.” A lady said from the other side of the table.
“Yer, we can’t expect these demands.”
“What are we going to do, then? If we can’t leave this moon and venture out into the galaxy, how will we get stronger?” the lady said.
“Plan B.”
“What’s that?”
Erica pulled out the transportation token. “Plan B is already in action. The plan is to transport our people to Aaliyah’s home world and begin the process of retaking this solar system.”
“So we’re abandoning this territory, then.”
“No, this territory is ours, and we will not give an inch away.”
Earth Europe branch
“Eric, we have a problem.”
“What is it now? Did those idiots attack again?”
“No sir. The ships from space have landed. There have only been three ships so far, but they deployed some kind of weapon and a small group of soldiers. They landed in Kaliningrad.”
“Get this information back to Jake as fast as possible. Tell them we may need assistance.” Eric said in a rush as he stood up and left the office he was in just before a system message appeared. Quickly reading it. Eric said, “just what we need, but a bit late.” Yelling at some passers-by to get their teams ready for an attack on the base.
Eric left the camp with his team, heading directly for the sightings of the ships. It took them twelve hours to get there as they had to use their stealth skill to move through the terrain as in Europe there was a lot of strange creatures like ones from fairytales and some that belonged in horror movies there were even vampires as he could remember before the system he once spent the night with his family of humans watching horror movies and that night he couldn’t get to sleep the next day he was so worn out he couldn’t even get out of bed he even broke one of the house rules and peel his bed he was so impressed and ashamed that he tried to clean it up himself but that only made things worse as he was found out by the youngest of the humans he was ten years old then the boy yelled “mum Eric peed inside and his cleaning it up with his tung.” Then the clattering of plates and heavy footsteps came down the hall. “Sadly, my memories get hazy about the planet before the system happened. There are a lot of things I have just forgotten. I don’t even remember the names of my family or even if they survived the system’s integration.” Eric thought
Standing at the border of Kaliningrad, Eric was looking on as three drop ships.
“Quite the similar design to the landing vessels from the starship troopers movie, right?” one person said from Eric’s team said
“Hopefully it goes as good for them as it did for that reporter, right?” Eric replied
“I didn’t know you watched that. Wait, you were a pet before the system. So you remember things, right? Did you ever see you now?”
“Yes.” Eric replied.
“That’s fucken wired. I had a pet dog, and he used to watch me in the shower. Do you think he still remembers that?” The only female member of Eric’s team asked,
“Oh, definitely.” Eric said with a grin. Before going back to observing the situation.
After observing the drop ships for a day, one of Eric’s team members said, “it looks like the Russians are rounding up any beast folk on their territory and handing them over to the invaders for something.”
“Yes, it does.” Eric said with a bit of anger in his voice.
“Eric, look, it’s some of the parliament members of the country our recruitment hall is. What do you think there up to? Do you think they're going to follow in the same path as Russia?”
“I don’t know, but we are going to need to find out. Let’s get closer.”
Eric and his team relocated from their location to a position approximately fifteen metres away from the landing zone. Once the parliament members entered the landing zone, they were escorted into one of the dropships, and all the invaders at the landing zone also followed them into the ship.
“What do you think? Do we try to steal one of them?” Eric said
The team looked at him in surprise as this wasn’t the usual approach Eric would take he would usually just gather information then if the situation presented itself he would attack but to sneak in without knowing even how to operate the ship was just odd but the team was a team for a reason.
“That’s not like you, but I agree we should give it a try.”
“So do we,” the rest of the team said
The group of mercenaries moved swiftly into the landing zone and headed towards the closest dropship. They reached the two front ramps of the ship and witnessed cages filling the lower floor. The cages, stacked two high, they contained unconscious beast folk. Climbing the ladder in the centre of the two doors Eric and the female member Ann entered the cockpit there was one person sitting in one of the flight seats Ann jumped forward Grabbing hold of the man’s hands the Eric tied the man’s hands and gagged his mouth before removing the man from his seat. Ann, being the only one on the team with a background in flying, sat in the seat and looked over the controls.
“I think I’ve got this. This is the throttles for the rear engines. This one is for lifting engines and this set of controls is for manoeuvring. All I need is how to start it.”
Eric looked over the controls and said, “try the big red button.”
Ann looked at where he was pointing and slammed her hand on the button for what seemed to be a minute nothing happened then the engines roared to life as Ann pushed the throttles forward everyone in the dropship felt their mana being drained away the more she pushed the engines.
“These things drain us hard and we can only just keep it in the air. We will need to put it down fast.” Ann said
“How far can we get in the lowest drain?”
“At the lowest mana drain we could make it back to Australia but the speed will be slow, not at the speed of a jet but the speed of an old DC3, but we will make it. What’s your command?”
We need to get this back to the settlement, but I need to stay here. Take us towards the new hall. You can take the non-combatants back to Australia while I will stay and fight.
End of chapter demon’s hand mercenary group information sheet.
Demon’s hand mercenary group
Eath branch Eric and Kiki directors
Moon branch Erica director
Rules
* Accepts all species into its ranks
* Members must hold no hostilities to the founder Jake Everval
* Members will be ranked on merit
* There will be a test for every rank increase
* Levels will be given on merit
* Members of the mercenary group are not restricted to the jobs they take and can take jobs that go against the interests of other members.
* For each rank increase, members of the combat path will be granted more resources from weapons to spaceships
* For each rank increase members of non combatants path will receive more political power
* All actions taken by members will be solely their own, no support from the mercenary group will be given. Unless a job has been posted for the group to take as a support job.
Ranking system
* Unranked level 1 to 3
* Iron rank level 1 to 10
* Bronze rank level 1 to 20
* Silver rank level 1 to 30
* Gold rank level 1 to 40
* Diamond rank level 1 to 50
* Demon’s hand rank level 1 to 5
* Demon rank restricted can only be held by true demons.
Ranking for non combatants
* Unranked Official level 1 to 5
* Junior official level 1 to 5
* Supervising official level 1 to 5
* Senior official level 1 to 5
* Grand official level 1 to 5
* Demon’s hand official 1 to 5
* Demon official restricted can only be held by true demons.
Members will receive
Path of shadows (rare) you hide in the shadows and strike fast cost of use, arcane energy and stamina. Create a barrier around yourself to hinder vision and dash from shadow to shadow. Gives 5% to damage if the target is unaware of your attack.
Title
Member of the (Demon’s Hand Mercenary Group)
+10 points to grade level advancements and reduces levels needed to get next grade level by -5
Motto: freedom through adversity.
Bio. This Group was created by a group of beastman and humans. After forming a base of operations in the Strzelecki ranges in the safe zone created by Jake Everval. The main branch is located on the planet known as earth. With branch locations in all territories belonging to Jake Everval. And sub branches to be founded in other locations. Throughout the universe.
Demon’s Hand Mercenary Group Military Guard structure.
Demon’s hand leadership ranking system.
* Small group ranking officers
* Officer Cadet (OCDT) Max number of people 5
* 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Max number of people 15 or small gunship
* Lieutenant (LT) Max number of people 30 or a fleet of two gunships
Small group other ranks
* Private (PTE) in control of their own welfare
* Lance Corporal (LCPL) can lead a group of 5 privates, one fire team or one wing five light fighters
* Corporal (CPL) can lead two wings or help lead 15 privates and other ranks
* Sergeant (SGT) can lead four wings or help lead 30 privates and other ranks
Medium group ranking
* Captain (CAPT) Max number of people 60 or a fleet of one corvette and two gunships
* Major (MAJ) Max number of people 120 or a fleet of two corvettes and four gunships
Medium group other ranks
* Staff Sergeant (SSGT) can lead six wings or help lead 60 privates and other ranks
* Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) can lead eight wings or help lead 240 privates and other ranks
*
Large group ranking
* Colonel (COL) max number of people 240 or a fleet of one carrier, two corvettes and four gunships.
* Lieutenant Commander Max number of people 480 or one battle group of two carriers, four corvettes and eight gunships
* Commander Max number of people, 960 or two battle groups
Large group other ranks
* Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) can lead eight wings or help lead 480 privates and other ranks
* Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A) can lead eight wings or help lead 960 privates and other ranks
The role of the Guards
* To protect the interests of the demon’s hand mercenary group branch they are employed by.
* To organise and conduct large-scale missions handed down by the branch leaders.
* To train the younger members.
* To operate and maintain the branch’s fleet and ground equipment.
Title
Member of the (Demon’s Hand Mercenary Group Guards)
+5 points to grade level advancements stacks with the title Member of the (Demon’s Hand Mercenary Group)
Special forces group. AKA space marines.
Title
Demon’s Hand special forces
+15 points to grade level advancements stacks with the title Member of the (Demon’s Hand Mercenary Group) and Member of the (Demon’s Hand Mercenary Group)
No ranking system
Role
* To work directly for the founder and his Demons Hands
* To provide training in unorthodox tactics
* To work independently from the demon’s hand mercenary group guards
* To be self sufficient
How to enter the special forces?
* To be picked by the founder or his demon’s hands
* To win in the yearly branch trials
* To be a member of the guards and prove yourself worthy of a position
* To be a member of the wining branch in the fifty-year ranking fights
Branch trial.
This trial is to prove who is the best mercenary it will be scored on how many jobs have been completed and the difficulty of the job. The trial will also be open to profession users.
Ten yearly ranking fights.
These fights are to provide a ranking system for each branch. The main branch can not compete in the ranking fights. The fights will be conducted on the home planet of Aaliyah La flame and will be a battle royal and will run for one year and the last one standing will be the winner.
Rules of the fight:
* surrender or die.
* The branch member must be able to get to the planet by themselves or as a group from the same branch
* Only five members from each branch can attend the fight
* Only new members at a low grade with a level no more than 300 in the grade and they must be in F grade or lower.