Since Hero Ships are spread across the universe and travel at good speeds, mercenaries often find it convenient to travel aboard these ships. Although rowdy and often violent, they can be counted on to both pay for passage and defend the ship during alien attacks, so some captains allow them on board. In addition, it is not unusual for mercenaries to find work on the ship, hired by either wealthy heroes or ship security. Mercenaries aboard a Hero Ship are usually limited to certain areas of the ship, and have to report on their battles to someone from ship security, both to prevent sabotage, and to limit fighting

The Grand Council maintains a loose oversight of countless mercenary organizations, adjudicating disputes, establishing standard contract terms, and regulating feuds, some of which date back centuries. Of course, there are competing mercenary organizations, but on the FHS Justice’s trade route, most mercenaries have joined the Council, and the Justice does not accept unsanctioned mercenaries as passengers.

The most expensive mercenary groups are specialized in fields such as spaceship piracy, computer and technical hacking, heavy assault, unconventional attacks against high value targets, or the protection of elite personnel – often protecting them from other mercenaries. The least expensive mercenaries are the most numerous, and are more or less jack-of-all-trade hired guns; while even they are loyal to a fault within their clans’ structures, they are often employed as supplemental troops or expendable cut-outs in operations large enough to employ multiple units.

The Yekus Mercenary Clan is a multi-species group from the lower end of the price range. Their specialties, insofar as they have any beyond cheap manpower, are scouting and skirmishing. They are known to be active on at least eleven worlds, primarily isolated ones where their low cost and larger numbers are useful for covering large territories. However, like many of the mercenary groups in human space, they make a habit of trying to find and recruit humans with superpowers to join their clan. This means that they can be contracted to take on some tasks that would otherwise be beyond their abilities, using a limited number of supers to accomplish more difficult or complex missions for higher pay. Like most mercenary groups, the Yekus distinguish themselves with their clothing, which has a recognizable style across all roles in the clan, though it is plainer for the fighters and a bit more ostentatious for the officers. They also possess specialized gear for vacuum and zero-g work.

The Yekus Clan’s leader aboard the Justice is Matthew Ingles, more commonly known as ‘Mad Matt’ due to his recklessness and preference for personally leading his troops in fights. He is strongly suspected of having super powers, but he carries and uses such a wide variety of homemade techno-gadgets that it is hard to tell what his innate abilities might be.

We also have in mind to provide some specialized items to distinguish between enemy characters. A few of the possible face coverings are shown above.