Note: Originally published in my newsletter on 18 May 2024.
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Tyelu af Alna's story, the sequel to my first SciFi Romance The Choosing, is well underway. Her story picks up at the end of Ryn and Ziri's story, when a dal of Q-mercs (Q mercenaries) led by Jos Q'Mhel transports into the Yarinska's cargo bay to help deal with a Sweeper attack.
The Q mercenaries are akin to the elite special forces of our modern militaries. While the Q-mercs work in groups (a squad-type unit known as a "dal"), they're also trained to work as individuals, and as a unit are often treated as modern day Marines.
In fact, in another genre (Military SciFi, for example), Q-mercs would likely be called Space Marines or some such, the big difference being that while Q-mercs are part of a large military unit overseen by a strict chain of command, like Marines, they're usually hired out to other polities for military, covert, and protection duties.
Soldiers (Space Marines?) in a dal are called "d'ga," while the person leading the dal is a Q'Mhel. A Bur-D'ga is the Q'Mhel's right-hand man (or woman) and both assists the Q'Mhel in running the dal and steps into the main leadership position if the Q'Mhel is incapacitated or assigned another temporary duty. The d'ga train together and prefer to work together, but that isn't always possible.
For example, in A Warrior's Touch, while Benar Q'Mhel watches over Yasmin as a favor to his brother, his Bur-D'ga assumed leadership of their dal, so as to keep the unit running in Benar's absence. The Bur-D'ga is truly an indispensable part of the unit.
The other d'ga are chosen for their expertise. Medics are highly useful, as are demolitions and communications experts. While every dal is unique, each one is expected to operate as an independent unit, often without additional support, so it's critical that each d'ga brings more than one skill to the table.
Q-mercs are formidable opponents, highly trained, and incredibly good at what they do. Part of their strength comes from their technology, not just their armor and weaponry, but the technology implanted into their bodies and brains to help them function at a high level.
Q-mercs are closer to augmented humans than actual cyborgs, as all their original parts tend to be intact, merely supplemented with the advanced technology developed on the mysterious planet Q specifically for military use.
Q-mercs are one of Q's primary exports, and they're quite protective of their soldiers. Every family sends at least child to train in the hopes of producing a Q'Mhel; and while a child officially loses their family name when they become a d'ga, the prestige of a child's advancement also reflects well or poorly on the family, depending on that child's performance as a soldier. Q'Mhels are often slotted into leadership positions once their terms of service are up, and that reflects on their family as well.
Tyelu is fascinated by Jos Q'Mhel, almost as fascinated as he is by the former Queen's Guard. They're each navigating the other's culture, never an easy thing to do, but especially difficult when Tyelu decides to be particularly hardheaded.
And we all know how hardheaded this Lady Warrior can be!