Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary

Avery had come into this meeting with Liesel with several ideas as to what she might ask of him, but he had never come close to expecting what she really wanted.

Not only did she want him to become part of the Kaizer mercenary fleet, but she also wanted to use him to increase her chances of becoming her grandfather's successor and eventually taking the role of the fleet's leader.

Astounded by this out of the blue offer, both Avery and Kasandra sat in their seats stunned for a few moments.

They may have been competent mercenaries, but their operation was small-scale compared to the Kaizer fleet which was by far the largest mercenary group in the Dramid Alliance.

Even once the carrier ship Avery had ordered was completed, they still would only have a force around the level of one of the larger factions within the Kaizer fleet. Their support would not guarantee that Liesel would become the leader in the future.

"Right now, I'm basically at the bottom of the list of potential candidates. Many of my cousins are much older than me, some of them being in their early thirties. They've got a lot more experience than I do, and factions backing them. Something I'm sorely lacking." Liesel said with a self-deprecating smile.

While she understood and respected her father's choice not to pursue violence since he had no talent or stomach for it, this had left Liesel with little to no influence within the group.

Her father did not have a single vessel of his own and instead worked the chief engineer aboard his older sister's main ship.

The two of them had the same mother, so they were close, but there was an obvious difference in authority between the two of them.

Liesel had been treated relatively well, but no one had ever expected anything great from her.

When she had reached seventeen and been considered legally an adult in the Dramid Alliance, she had been given a small vessel of a quality around what a newly ranked up three star mercenary would possess.

This was not any different from the rest of peers and was perfectly in line with the family's tradition.

However, the expectation upon her return was that she would support her aunt's oldest son as one of his lieutenants, rather than leading a force of her own.

There were not many within the Kaizer fleet that would be willing to follow her even if she did return with several notable achievements.

Right now, she may have been among the fastest rising young mercenaries, but that had been the same for most of her cousins when they went out on their own to achieve the rank of five star mercenary. She was nothing special and this was merely expected of those from the direct Kaizer lineage

Liesel's only real option to increase her influence was to recruit a large force while away from her family while raising her rank.

If there was no faction within the fleet ready to support her, she would have to make one herself.

"That's why I need you to join me. I've seen how competent you are. Plus, you've already been building a large group that's soon to be one of the best in the Dramid Alliance. I'm certain that with your help, I'd be able to take the successor position. And when I do finally become the leader of the fleet, you'll be my second in command. I think that this is a pretty good deal."

"Okay, I think that I understand your position, but why does it have to be me?" Avery asked. "I'm sure that with your name alone you could recruit people to your side, and after your showing in the competition, I'm confident that your reputation has increased even more."

For a few seconds, Liesel pursed her lips and contemplated her reply.

She had been hoping Avery would just outright agree or at least ask her questions that showed he was interested.

Yet, it was obvious from his response and demeanor that he was not sold on the idea of joining her.

Still, he had not given her an outright refusal, so she pressed forward. Believing that there was a chance that he might be convinced.

"You're right that I could probably attract some people to follow me if I just sent out a recruitment message, but I don't think that it would be effective as you think." Liesel said while shaking her head.

"I'd either get weaklings just trying to leech off of me, those that only want to use me to join the Kaizer fleet and have no true intention of supporting me, or worse, individuals with real skills but sh*t personalities that aren't apart of any team for a good reason. Oh, and there might be some that are just trying to get into my pants because I'm young and pretty. I don't even want to try counting the number of men, and even some women that have approached me."

Liesel certainly had a negative view on trying to recruit people to her side, but apparently, she had tried once already and failed miserably.

There had been some promising candidates among those that had shown interest, but they either later revealed unstable personal traits, or left when they found out Liesel's real position within her family.

That was why she was laying everything on the table with Avery.

From the time they had spent together, short though it may have been, she had a pretty good understanding of his personality.

He was unbelievably strong, incredibly loyal, and practically fearless in the face of danger.

Avery had what it took to become a top mercenary, and Liesel knew that with him lending her his strength that she could realize her desire of taking over the Kaizer fleet.

"Ah, and another thing that makes you appealing is how close you are with Kasandra. I can tell that you know how to treat a woman right and would make an ideal partner if we did get married."

This sudden shift in the conversation had Avery spluttering for a response.

He had been calm and collected through the entire meeting so far, but having the prospect of marriage suddenly being brought up had absolutely caught him off guard.

As for Kasandra, she had remained silent this entire time, giving subtle signals to Avery to let him know when Liesel was telling the truth or lying.

Up to this point, she had not told a single lie and had been completely forthcoming.

Even her suggestion that she and Avery might get married if he joined her was the truth.

Of course, whether she was being honest or not had no bearing on how Kasandra felt.

Perhaps she had no room to be so critical since she had partially initiated a relationship with him to further her own ends. Nevertheless, that did not mean she would just sit back when it was obvious that Liesel wanted to bind Avery to her in order to use him.

This was the reason she had been so cautious of the girl this entire time. She could tell that Liesel wanted Avery for a lot more than just being infatuated with him.

"I'm afraid that is not going to be happening. Avery already has two fiancées and we'll both be getting married to him soon. There isn't any room for you." Kasandra said in a low growl.

There was a look of hostility in her eyes that she only ever showed while being protective of Avery.

He was the partner that she had chosen to be with for the rest of her life. It was only natural that she would be outwardly hostile towards a threat like Liesel.

"Oh, but if he already has two partners, that must mean he's obviously not monogamous. I don't see why he couldn't take a third wife. If it's just for the sake of convince, I wouldn't mind. Should I come to be the leader of the Kaizer fleet, I'd need to produce an heir at some point, but there's no reason for me to get in the way of Avery's current relationships. Though, I really wouldn't mind something more intimate."

Liesel locked eyes with Avery and stared at him passionately. Blinking a few times alluringly as she accentuated her beautiful features.

To anyone watching, it was apparent what Liesel was trying to do. She did not mind using her charms if that was what it took to bring Avery over to her side.

Naturally, he understood this, but a beautiful woman's interest could be mind numbing to a young man of his age.

He was busy trying to collect his thoughts that had been muddled by the current topic, when Liesel attempted to land another blow against him.

"I've heard that you even idolize my great great grandfather. That's why you bought a carrier ship similar to the experimental one that he once stole from the Zatis Consortium during the war a few hundred years ago. While its systems have been upgraded over the years, that vessel still remains the flagship of the fleet. You'd truly be able to follow in your hero's legacy if you join me."

Hearing this finally brought Avery out of his stupor.

Liesel's offer was not bad, and he had truly been giving it some thought.

Had he still just been starting out as a mercenary, before he had taken Kasandra aboard, he probably would have leapt at the prospect of joining Liesel.

Except, while Avery might have been inspired by the man that was once the greatest mercenary in the Dramid Alliance, that did not mean he wanted to become part of his legacy.

Avery had his own goals that he wanted to achieve, and they would not be possible under Liesel.