Mercenary

Right, let’s get this right the first time – everything you know about Mercenary? Out the window, right now, throw it. You’re going blank slate.

As a Mercenary, you've got exactly one concrete goal: to antagonize the crew of the SEV Torch.

Outside that objective, your goals are entirely free-form. Unlike other servers, you're not from any “syndicate”, and you're under no obligation to steal the nuke, blow up the ship, kidnap Ian, or what-have-you. You can if you like, though – you and your team's goals are up to you. This guide is here to provide a rough framework for making up those goals, and following through with them.

As a note, antagonizing the crew doesn't mean you have to go in guns blazing every time. Depending on your gimmick, you might be antagonizing the crew through sheer presence alone.

The Gimmick

What’s a gimmick? Glad you asked! A gimmick is your cover story if you’re taken alive (which isn’t always a bad thing). You and your team should discuss a gimmick beforehand, though it doesn't necessarily need to be complex or fully thought-out – sometimes winging it the whole time is just as effective as a perfectly-executed plan. Play to your strengths, be creative, and have fun. Here are some examples of previous gimmicks for Mercenary teams, if you're looking for inspiration:

• Violent renegades or hired killers from one of various nefarious factions.
• Bounty hunters seeking a target – the “Exploitable Information” section of your Uplink often contains useful bounties.
• Retirement home employees coming to pick up an elderly Commanding Officer – willingly or not.
• A particularly-determined deep space pizza delivery service, with zero intention of leaving without their exorbitant service fee.

How to Get In

You have to get onto the Torch to antagonize. Nine times out of ten, you will either be walking through an airlock or breaking in from EVA. Remember to bring your Hacking Tools and/or EVA Equipment! Ideally, both.

The Art of Peace

So you're planning to trick and/or mislead the Torch: Your disguises are impeccable, your story airtight, and your decoy pizzas fresh and piping hot. Congratulations! Just stay calm, and recognize that even the best of ruses are going to crumble eventually – that's the nature of antagonism. Before this happens, act presentable: call up the Torch, lie your way onto the ship, and be ready to improv your cover story on the fly.

The Art of War

So something went wrong with Plan A, or Plan A is to kick the door in and take what you want – here’s how to do it.

• Don't kill everyone in sight. For one, that's murder-boning, which is a Rules issue. Moreover, it doesn't make for a particularly fun round after you kill everyone – who's there to terrorize if everyone on the Torch is dead, after all? That said–
• Don't be afraid to shoot, either. Remember to defend yourself! You’re on the clock now, and you need to force the Torch to bend their knee before they have time to give the crew assault rifles. Go big or go home. And remember – just because you shouldn't kill everyone in sight, doesn't mean that Crewman who decided to rush up to the armed Mercenary team can't catch a few bullets to the chest.

The Art of Bad Luck

Ultimately, there's a pretty good chance you and your team will lose in the end. Don't consider this a failure – you've done your job as a baddie. Whether you go out in a glorious last stand, or wind up locked in the brig under interrogation, consider this your chance to stick the finish.

What You Get to Do It

As Mercenaries, you and your team spawn at the Mercenary Base – a secret hideout of scum and villainy, conveniently tucked away in a giant meteor. Your base comes stocked with plenty of goodies, including:

• The Cyclopes – the Mercenary's personal shuttle, with which to board the Torch. Make sure at least one of you can fly the damn thing. Comes pre-stocked with a multitude of tools and weapons, its own medical bay and holding pen, and even a mech!
• A special changing mirror – using it lets you change your identity and pick new languages.
• Enough EVA equipment for your whole team and more, including voidsuits and hardsuits.
• Plenty of assorted military-grade gear and weapons, including grenades, shields, and more.

Most importantly, you've got your Uplink! As a Mercenary, you'll start with 169TC and a few more options than most other Antagonists – see Guide to Uplinks for a full list of all items available for purchase. Don’t spend all your telecrystals on an over-the-top gun – there's hundreds of handy tools and gadgets for you to purchase. What you buy should depend on what you’re doing: a chameleon kit and a thematically-appropriate gun can work wonders.

Roles to Play

Since you've got a full team at your disposal, you may have some room to specialize – you won't need to fill every role, but it can be refreshing to branch out. That said, it never hurts to be combat-savvy!

1. The Pilot
   • Take Piloting and support skills. See: Guide to Ships.
   • If you know how to, be the Surgeon as well.
   • Overwatch & Ship Defense.
   • Buy what you need, then give your TC to someone else.
2. Engineer
   • Take Engineering Skills. In particular, see: Guide to Hacking, Guide to Construction.
   • Useful if going in via EVA – geared to be able to get anywhere by any means.
   • Combat/Field Medical Skills are suggested as a supplement.
   • Use the Mech.
3. Doc/Field Medic
   • If the Pilot isn’t also the Surgeon, take Surgeon’s skills. See: Guide to Surgery, Guide to Medicine.
   • You keep EVERYONE ELSE ALIVE.
   • Stay in the back, don’t catch a bullet.
4. The Negotiator
   • A person dealing with communications with the Torch, either as a distraction or for negotiations.
   • Not a stand-alone person, combined with something else.
5. The Muscle
   • Designated for whoever is in charge of killing people if shit hits the fan.
   • Pure Combat Role, armed to the teeth. See: Guide to Combat.

Closing Note

You don't always have to go in guns blazing – be evil, be creative, and most importantly, have fun