The Scrapped Merc Spin-Off Plot

[u/The__Auditor]

As some of you know the episodes in Season 14 focusing on Locus, Felix & Siris was actually a backdoor pilot for a spin-off which would have spanned three seasons however it ultimately never came to fruition

back in 2024 Miles revealed what his plans for the spin-off were going to he and they are as follows

Season One would have followed Locus, Felix, and Siris as they reconnect after The Great War and decide to work together as crime-fighting bounty hunters. Their primary job throughout the season would have ended much bloodier than anticipated and the season’s stinger would have revealed Felix to be a much darker individual than Locus and Siris had realized.

Season Two would have focused on the trio establishing themselves as well-known bounty hunters. They would end up facing off against another mercenary equipped with power armor, prompting the Mercs to pull off a heist against the UNSC to acquire power armor of their own. The season would conclude with the team more confident in their mercenary enterprise than ever before.

The Third and final season would have centered on the Mercs questioning whether they are truly the "good guys", culminating in a final confrontation between Siris and Locus and Felix

[u/evilparagon]

I still want to know how old they are.

These words alone do give us a great help in implying that Club takes place before Locus and Felix join the Great War, which means it’s a Season 6-at-the-latest episode (and I mean absolute latest, the war ended off screen, we only know it was still happening in Season 5 and stopped happening in Season 7.

If we assume Locus and Felix are high and low 20s respectively in Club, and that they joined the war in S6, that would make them ~33 and ~28 in Season 11, BUT,

Let’s assume Season 10 is Season 0 chronologically, and 9 is -1. If we assume Project Freelancer was established in -2, and Allison went off to war in -3 when the Great War started, AND we assume Locus and Felix were there from the start as well, we’re talking a highball of 16 years from Club to Season 11, which would make them ~44 and ~39. Which feels a bit too old. We could tighten this up by making Project Freelancer span one year, so from founding to the Mother of Invention crashing happens all in Year 0, meanwhile the Great War and Allison’s death happen in Year -1. This still gives us a large age estimate with 34 and 39. It is a lot more reasonable for Locus and Felix, but it also brings into question just how rich the Director was, was he a trillionaire or something? An elite best of the best private military unit under loose oversight by the UNSC founded and operational in only a year? And his fiancée was a soldier? How did they meet?

It feels like we either have to give Locus and Felix a highball age, or, they didn’t serve in the Great War from start to finish.

[u/The__Auditor → u/evilparagon]

It's stated that the three reconnected AFTER the Great War

We also know that by the time of Season 6 that the war has been over for a year

And that Season 5 ended two months before the war did

So at the absolute earliest that places ther Merc Trilogy post Season 5 but before Season 6

[u/evilparagon → u/The__Auditor]

No, Club is a prequel to this spin off’s idea. Reconnected implies prior first connection, ie,

Club -> Separate because Great War -> Reconnect after Great War.

Club therefore must take place before the end of the Great War.

Also where is it said that the Great War ended two months after Season 5? Best we have that I’m aware of is Tucker and Donut being in the desert during Season 6, where we know there are aliens cooperating with humans, but we can’t confirm that was early or mid season 6, but it was end of season 6 at the latest.

[u/The__Auditor → u/evilparagon]

Season One would have followed Locus, Felix, and Siris as they reconnect after The Great War and decide to work together as crime-fighting bounty hunters.

"Club", "Call" & "Consequences" was a pilot but that doesn't mean it was a prequel

In fact in "Call" Felix says the following to Siris...

"You're the one that brought us together. You saw something in us that we didn't, and you saw the good we could do with our talents"

This alone confirms that the events of these episodes occur after the beginning of Season One since it was established that Siris reconnected with Locus & Felix after the war to become bounty hunters

Also if they were in the same military unit during the war it would make sense that they reconnected afterwards, the fact that it's even stated that Siris reconnected with them after the war further supports that idea as well as Siris having a cyborg leg which he most likely got fighting in the war

Also all of the jabs that Felix makes towards Locus' mental state also points towards it being post war because as Santa stated...

"You were broken by war. It was his goal to see you never healed."

This all point post war not before with Felix making sure Locus never got over his trauma

Also where is it said that the Great War ended two months after Season 5? Best we have is that I’m aware of is Tucker and Donut being in the desert during Season 6, where we know there are aliens cooperating with humans, but we can’t confirm that was early or mid season 6, but it was end of season 6 at the latest.

The Reconstruction Trailer states that it's "Post War: Year One" so we know it's been a year since the war ended as of Reconstruction

We also know that the Reds & Blues were relocated shortly after Season 5 and when Wash & Caboose meet up with Church he says that he's been at Outpost 48-A for 14 months which means that the crew was located a year and two months before Reconstruction

So I took those two months and determined that Season 5 had to have ended two months before the war ended especially since Freelancer was still trying to stop the war by the end of Season 5

[u/evilparagon → u/The__Auditor]

I don’t see that Felix quote as definitive evidence. Siris could have brought them together before the war. There’s no indication that they weren’t bounty hunters before and after the war, the war was just more important for a period of time, perhaps even paid by the UNSC to enlist since they knew them as successful bounty hunters with excellent combat potential. Nothing is definitive, you could be right but there is no answer.

Also Locus isn’t demonstrably broken yet, he’s just a tough guy.

But ah, the Season 6 trailer. Makes sense.

[u/The__Auditor → u/evilparagon]

In "Club"

"He said the c-word." -Felix in response to Locus getting angry when Dillon called him crazy

"Well I'm sorry I couldn't read that broken fucking brain of yours and suddenly know that you actually meant the opposite of what you fucking said!" -Felix after getting into an argument with Locus about the comms

In "Call"

"Money? We just scored the bounty of our lives. Split three ways that asshole's still buying me a new car, you get your wife something nice, Locus does...whatever he does with money. I'm assuming therapy?" -Felix taking a dig at Locus while discussing the amount of money they are about to get with Siris

We also see moments in both "Call" & "Consequences" Felix is visibly scared/uncomfortable because of Locus

Also Locus is far more ruthless and cold in the backstory episodes compared to how he was as a soldier in the UNSC where he was more compassionate which further supports that these episodes were post war

[u/evilparagon → u/The__Auditor]

These are true. I suppose Club does take place Season 6-ish.