Star Risk, Ltd.

Star Risk, Ltd. is a series of five science fiction novels by Chris Bunch following a private military contracting company of the same name.


 * Star Risk, Ltd. (2002): The company forms, and takes on its first contract to eliminate Space Pirates harassing the Asteroid Miners of the Foley System.
 * The Scoundrel Worlds (2003): Star Risk finishes a contract keeping the peace at a skyball tournament, then is hired to prove the innocence of a man condemned for treason.
 * The Double-Cross Program (2004)
 * The Dog From Hell (2005): Having crossed the much larger PMC Cerberus Systems once too often, Star Risk comes under attack from all fronts that forces them out of business. But when Cerberus tries to make their retirement permanent, the group fights back.
 * The Gangster Conspiracy (2007): Star Risk is back in business. They've moved into new offices but can't find any clients. Then a pastor from the Artegal System hires them to protect laborers trying to unionize. Things get complicated from there.

The Star Risk team is:
 * Friedrich von Baldur, a former Alliance Navy officer who resigned to evade court-martial.
 * M'chel Riss, a former Alliance Marine who left the service after her CO attempted to force himself on her (and failed miserably).
 * Jasmine King, an ex-office manager and research specialist for Cerberus Systems who left said company after her boss decided she was too perfect to be human, so she was an android, so he didn't legally need to pay her.
 * Amanandrala "Grok" Grookonomonslf, the token nonhuman, an ex-Cerberus contract agent who gave the fledgling company a much-needed cash infusion.
 * Chas Goodnight, an ex-Marine "bester" turned jewel thief.

This series contains examples of the following tropes:

 * The Alliance: The dominant human interstellar government is called the Alliance, but the details are fairly vague.
 * Author Existence Failure: Chris Bunch died from a chronic lung ailment July Fourth weekend in 2005, but he left notes that enabled Steve Perry to write The Gangster Conspiracy.
 * Badass Abnormal: Chas Goodnight (see Super Soldier below).
 * Badass Bookworm: Frequent subcontractor Redon Spada looks like a bespectacled teacher, but is absolutely lethal at the controls of a starship.
 * Everythings Worse With Bears: That's basically what Grok's species looks like.
 * Five Man Band: Star Risk has a core of five, and hires subcontractors when they need more manpower.
 * The Hero: Friedrich von Baldur
 * The Lancer: M'chel Riss
 * The Smart Guy: Grok and Jasmine
 * The Big Guy: Grok and Goodnight
 * The Chick: Jasmine King normally stays out of the line of fire, but she's no slouch in combat.
 * The Sixth Ranger: Spada
 * Private Military Contractors
 * Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Oh, so much.
 * Semper Fi / Space Marines: Riss left the Alliance Marines after her CO decided her next posting should be to his bed. Goodnight was dishonorably discharged for theft.
 * Sociopathic Hero: All of them have shades of this on occasion (kinda comes with being mercenaries), but Goodnight is the best example.
 * Super Soldier: "Besters" like Goodnight are cybernetically and biochemically enhanced so that with the flick of a switch, they can move several times faster than normal humans. The Gangster Conspiracy reveals that the augmentation has the unintended benefit of enabling besters to analyze situations much faster as well.
 * Tuckerization: Riss is named after Chris Bunch's friend Michelle Rice, a US Marine.
 * The Unpronounceable: Grok's full name is Amanandrala Grookonomonslf.