Cartwright's Cavaliers — Mark Wandrey

2017 Finalist for the Dragon Award in Best Military Science-Fiction! 

Heir to one of the leading "Four Horsemen" mercenary companies, Jim Cartwright is having a bad year. Having failed his high school VOWS tests, he's just learned his mother bankrupted the family company before disappearing, robbing him of his Cavalier birthright.
But the Horsemen of eras past were smart--they left a legacy of equipment Jim can use to complete the next contract and resurrect the company. It's up to Jim to find the people he needs to operate the machinery of war, train them, and lead them to victory. If he's good enough, the company can still be salvaged.
But then again, he's never been good enough.