I always played a Street Samurai Character when I was a player in a Shadowrun run carrying a Katana, an Full-Automatic Rifle, a Shotgun, two high impact Pistols and two big cal. Revolvers, a few (6) throw knifes and that 38 at the boot, but not that much ammo really, beside that Police Shield the Shot Gun was mounted at and a military body armor suite my first run was all about leaving the MegaCon forces. I like overkill and yes Striker is inspired by that Character John Conner MacCloud. I was 13 and in a boarding school when I started and puberty hit even harder than the other pupil in their hierarchy fights. DAM!
In real live I was rejected from the French Foreign Legion for unknown reasons in my early twenties. I was told that there was no place for me and I was "inapte definitive avec bonne character" which means unfit for service definitely and of good character like many others that left with me same day from Aubagne.
In a Cyberpunk future all disputes are preferably settled by using force. Physical or by the power of position. Looking down a two barrel shot gun arguments will fall short. Being threatened with put out of the guarded community and being stripped of all MegaCon assets and insurances feels the same just on the other side of the wall.
Corporate world has it's own rules and I consider them already to close to that MegaCon world that created a new form of Roman Empire like slaves based on credit and constant threat to loose it all. The Army is no place, because I naturally consider an order an interpretable suggestion up for negotiation afterwards, as my very own conclusion on WW2 and granddad saying no more than he marched a lot avoiding tears. Secret Services are busy with gaining and structuring information passing them on to whom matters .... in a galaxy far far away I'd be Lukes best buddy without ever being close, but for now I am stuck here and the CIA is a pimp, me no whore so at the foot of a hill top home to the main striking force in WW3.
As a child before I got into touch with dark future novels and table top games "Pirates" on a C64 was my most favorite game and I quickly was fascinated by the British Buccaneer system. Caribbiean Bounty Hunters up against Pirates and freeing slaves to bring them to save harbours, supporting revolts and all for fun and profit and the glory of killing the ugly bad, in my childs imagination wondering how many grown up men back than never ever actually grew up and we just don't know about.
I have no military education and disqualify therefore for all military contractors that base their actions and operations on NATO or Russian standard operational books being busy in Africa fighting against ISIS and affiliates.
Mercenaries are a form of soldiers and soldiers have been first created quite late in human history. Before the soldier was introduced to battles, warfare was aristocratic business and only in really, really bad times armed farmers and citizens needed to join using basically their hunting and work tools like bowes, axe or flails.
Quite often they were forced into service either by their Lord that managed to kill the local mafia boss Robin Hood or a hord of rioteers and looters was striding through the land making unrest in front of the village or town walls turning expensive.
Today the mid ages are gone.
Since the Vietnam War there was no mass mobilisation anymore, but your UN backed nations security forces still would be legally able to shoot everyone for rejecting being drafted, while freaky me would be a criminal for resisting and putting their body parts on public display. Don by my ass, right, and even so I ain no shy of a good fight you are too infantil to see me go south, I'll be in Mary better off.
To me a Cyberpunk in a dark future was a modern Sci-Fi Knight fighting the Sherriff of Nottingham's forces.
Knight education started pretty much after birth like described in the tales of the Spartans from ancient Greece and so it did here in Europe and in Japan and China. Soldiers turn into service at about 16 years of age, earliest.
Knights are educated in all of the arts, some in the dark once, too. Those of best and strongest character. Soldiers are trained on a position within the force and would get killed if leaving there against orders.
Knights will play an instrument, sing and study to understand music to understand harmony, which music is all about, like they will have to be in harmony with the arms they use on a battle field. Soldiers will play music in a ceasefire, meet those in the other trenches like in WWI just to go back following orders the day after Christmas.
Knights will read, understand and interpretate the holy books that there are from Bible to Koran to Buddism and Shintoism to understand that god is good and love stronger that hate and how tempting the dark side of life is. Soldiers will have the standard operational field book, only.
Knights will understand games such as Chess, Dame, Card Games and Go to understand strategy and tactics. Soldiers called Officers have strategy manuals.
Knights will read, understand and interpretate philosophy from Aristotele and Plate to Kant to get a glimps of how this world is being round and spinning. Soldiers receive orders and are born to kill while having to justifying the piece sign at the helmet against a General from a desk way to far away.
Knights take no orders, they give orders, but to the enemy.
A bad King is a Dictator and a Dispote and a Tyranne, but no King. A bad Knight is a Thief or Robber, but no Knight. Basically, a King will have his Knights wipe through a Tyrannes Thiefs anytime, because a Kings Knights will. Robin Hood was a Knight and the Sheriff no King nor Knight even so demanding to be addressed as such.
Instead of pretending to fit into this modern western society based on orders that I only consider abusive I would love to go against Rockers, Cocain heads actively, but only the Police may do so and pretending to fit in is difficult enough so I leave that urge at the unsatisfying, but possible self-defence level for now.
And fighting ISIS in Africa is a job for standard trained UN or ex-soldiers.
Knights only have space in our imagination like in that so fascinating Cyberpunk world where I would be a Street Samurai well capable of using a Katana to silently clear a building instead of low recoil ammo in a silenced gun, that would place booby traps and IEDs because trappers are the best hunters since the Canadian wild wild west was up for fur, that would use a carbon fibre based, chilled armor suite deriving from Police Anti-Riot, Ice Hockey and Moto Cross gear and first check an area, premissis or building using drones being definitely accompanied by a spider robot in follow mode carrying ammo or even a gun shooting at selected targets when getting in as soon weather turns a nightmare.
https://j4v-cyberpunk-music.blogspot.com/p/novel-dark-future-short-stories.html
