Chapter 2201 For Freedom and Fortune
As Task Force Predator ventured deeper into the Nyxian Gap, the core of the Komodo Star Sector heated up unabated.
War had engulfed the most prosperous areas of the star sector and every second-class citizen became subject to the effects of war!
The media of the Friday Coalition and the Hexadric Hegemony flooded their domestic audiences with heroic tales and grand displays of valor.
The citizens of both states thought that they were winning!
The truth was a bit more nuanced, however. Due to the relative stalemate and lack of progress made by either side, it became difficult to ascertain the true state of the war.
Not even the generals involved in the planning possessed a complete impression of their own success. Almost everyone involved focused completely on their own war theaters and individual battlefields.
Before the Komodo War could proceed to the next stage, the fortified star systems that both states had spent centuries to build up needed to be taken down!
It was not that simple to topple these locations at the border. The Friday Coalition had already known from the beginning that the Hexadric Hegemony would choose to overrun critical border systems in order to reach the interior of Coalition space.
Since that was the case, the Coalition invested an immense amount of resources to turn those locations into one of the toughest shells to crack.
Nonetheless, as long as the enemy threw enough war assets at these defensive works, even the best defenses could be overcome, no matter what the boastful news articles claimed!
The only question was how many enemy mechs and bodies the defensive works grinded into pieces before they succumbed.
Attacking a fortified star system was inevitably a wasteful proposition. Both states accumulated an immense amount of mechs and mech pilots, to the point that they were still in the process of mobilizing the bulk of their fighting forces!
No progress could be made towards victory until one of the sides depleted their war assets first. The fortified star systems which were located at the sites which the enemy had to pass, all served as meat grinders which had already exacted a very great toll from their opponents!
One notable defensive line was the Crestfallen Stars. Made up of a line of seven fortified star systems, it was situated right at the border between the Carnegie Group and the Vraken Matriarchal Dynasty.
As soon as the war formally kicked off, the Hex Army situated in the Vraken border system had immediately launched a major offensive against the defensive line!
The war became incredibly hard-fought as entire mech army groups slugged it out in a maze of orbital defenses and mines.
The sheer amount of debris and broken wrecks floating in the Crestfallen Stars already surpassed the total amount of military mechs involved in the latest Bright-Vesia Wars!
All of the debris originated from second-class mechs, ships and defensive works!
Yet despite the huge amount of wealth floating around in space, neither the Hexers nor the Fridaymen invested a huge amount of effort into recovering the materials.
It was too dangerous!
In general, a lot of debris in contested space remained untouched until one side completely defeated the other. Only at that point was it safe to harvest all of the bounty.
This reality only raised the stakes of each individual campaign and battle!
If one side conquered too many star systems in the early stages of the Komodo War, they did not lose out too much in terms of materials. Instead, the winner could salvage much of neglected wealth and thereby prolong the use of high-quality mechs!
The Marrakath System was one of the most heavily-contested sites of the Crestfallen Stars.
The Carnegie Group, which feared Hexer aggression for a very long time, invested heavily in the system's defenses.
Almost every planet was ringed with orbital defense networks.
An enormous figure of stealthy minefields had been littered throughout space.
Millions of hidden listening posts were strewn around in random points of space.
Two opposing mech army groups reinforced by other elements from their states had entered into a grueling conflict that resulted in severe losses from both sides.
The orbits of outlying gas giants and moons became littered with wreckage as the Hexers steadily worked their way into the inner system, overwhelming one defensive work after another.
The Wrathful Doves Mech Army Group sacrificed over a hundred-thousand mechs and a significant number of mech pilots to reach the doorstep of Marrakath III, the final defensive bulwark of this contested star system!
If the Hexers managed to conquer Marrakath III, then the Fridaymen would have no way of holding on to the star system.
The Opal Trident Mech Army Group knew that, and had been trying to conserve its strength while bleeding the Wrathful Doves as much as possible!
Both sides knew that the most critical stage of this running conflict was about to begin. The Dosth Orbital Defense Matrix, a ring of tightly-built fortifications, defensive platforms and so on, was the final obstacle that prevented the Hexers from landing their mech troops onto the surface of Marrakath III!
Over 100,000 turrets of different weapon types and calibers spat out death at the advancing mechs of the Hexers.
Against a formidable defensive network such as Dosth, ordinary sieges were not very effective.
This was because the defensive platforms were not only clad with a huge amount of compressed armor plating made out of bulk exotics, but also featured a vast array of shield generators!
Certainly, the cheap, mass-produced compressed armor plating was not very exceptional.
However, unlike mechs, defensive platforms were not required to move, and therefore did not show any concern towards mobility.
This meant that the armor of a typical defensive platform could easily be ten times thicker than the armor found in mechs!
As for the shield generators, while they were pricey, the Carnegie Group had built, maintained and replaced them over many years. The shield generators were also tied to a lot of power reactors as well as high-density energy storage banks.
With all of these potent works, the Opal Tridents possessed a considerable defensive advantage against the Hexers!
Even so, the Wrathful Doves still decided to launch a straightforward assault at Dosth! They were confident they could achieve breakthrough as long as they attacked ferociously enough!
A huge amount of projectiles crossed the space around the orbital defense matrix. The Wrathful Doves had decided to split their assault forces in several prongs in order to split the attention of the defenders.
They committed to this plan despite knowing that the Hexer mech divisions would face off against a lot more defensive platforms!
"Devos Maniacs, the time has come! These uptight women think they can trample over us and treat us differently because of how we were born. Let's show them what our 'boys' are made of! For Freedom and Fortune!"
"For Freedom and Fortune!"
"For Freedom and Fortune!"
"For Freedom and Fortune!"
The soldiers of the 363rd Devos Maniacs all echoed the motto of the Fortune Legion!
As the primary mech military of the Carnegie Group, the Fortune Legion's composition and doctrines reflected the relatively open-minded nature of the Coalition partner.
The Fortune Legion was one of the rare military forces that openly recruited a significant number of foreigners. The Carnegie Group had the money to spare but was slightly deficient in terms of population base.
Supplementing its combat forces with foreigners from other star sectors was a risky but viable solution to strengthen its numbers.
Though the quality and personality of these foreign warriors were not very consistent, the Fortune Legion succeeded in its objective of trading wealth for military power!
Not even the Hexers looked down on the Fortune Legion.
The 363rd Devos Maniacs had stood out as one of the mech divisions that hired a prominent breed of foreigners.
Many of them consisted of violent criminals and exiles!
More than a few of them originated from the Vicious Mountain Star Sector. There, these well-trained second-class mech pilots lost out in the many power struggles between warlords.
When it became inconvenient for these mech pilots to remain in Vicious Mountain, various recruiters dispatched by the Carnegie Group eagerly offered them a new life where they could redeem their honor.
The foreign mech pilots of the Devos Maniacs did not enter this mech division in order to chase after something as nebulous as honor.
They just wanted to shed blood!
Spilling the blood of arrogant female Hexers and cowardly male Hexers excited the Maniacs to no end. Despite the losses they suffered since the start of the war, the Maniacs brilliantly used their defensive advantages to slay at least twice as much Hexers!
Now, an opposing Hexer mech division had been assigned to break the Maniacs and breach their portion of Dosth.
The 1345th Trivaxis Helldoves was just as ferocious of the Devos Maniacs, but differed from the Fridaymen mech division in an important aspect.
The Trivaxis Helldoves was one of the more premier assault divisions of the Hex Army. Their spaceborn mech were noticeably stronger than the mechs fielded by the Maniacs!
This was what gave the Helldoves the confidence to break their Fridayman opponent in a single assault!
The huge offensive soon intensified as the Hexer mechs closed the distance!
The Helldove mechs approached by the thousands but had to work their way through an extremely voluminous amount of defensive fire!
Tens of thousands of turrets and bunkers spewed out a wide variety of attacks. Laser beams, positron beams, plasma bolts, gauss projectiles, corrosive missiles and much, much more slowed down the Helldoves and inflicted fatal damage to numerous mechs!
Even so, the Helldoves did not relent!
Having already prepared for the offensive, the Helldoves fielded a considerable number of space knights. Piloted by obedient male Hexer mech pilots, these space knights held thick tower shields and a robust flight system that allowed them to advance while building up a significant amount of momentum.
If that wasn't enough, the mechs also incorporated shield generators which helped with repelling a large amount of attacks!
Hexer support mechs regularly rotated back and forth in order to swiftly recharge or swap out the depleted energy cells of the space knights as they advanced relentlessly.
No matter how much fire these space knights endured, their loyal mech pilots did not halt their advance or seek to avoid danger.
They pushed forward until their mechs sustained enough damage to automatically eject their cockpits!
Even so, many of these male mech pilots met an unfortunate end when their cockpits ejected into space.
The Devos Maniacs took sadistic pleasure in shooting down the vulnerable objects. Not only would they be able to satisfy their bloodlust, they also weakened the Hex Army by depriving them of bodies they could put into other mechs!
"Hahaha, these Hexers only care about protecting their women! Their 'boys' are easy pickings!"
The commanders of the Trivaxis Helldoves cared nothing for the boys under their command. As cannon fodder, it was their job to attract enemy fire. By leaving their ejected cockpits exposed, the Devos Maniacs focused heavily on shooting down these easy targets, thereby leaving the cockpits that held women alone!
The space knights succumbed at a rapid pace, causing hundreds of boys to die in a span of just a minute.
Nonetheless, the Helldoves did not allow the Maniacs to bleed them with impunity. The ranged mechs of the Hexer mech division had already worked their way through numerous turrets and defensive platforms!
No matter how much armor plating and how many shield generators they faced, it was impossible for them to hold once they became the target of hundreds of ranged mechs!
The Dosth Orbital Defense Matrix began to sustain serious damage!
The Devos Maniacs that manned this section of the defensive works began to sustain casualties as well!
As the Helldivers advanced closer, the destruction intensified! Soon enough, the Hexer melee mechs would be able to land right in front of the Fridayman mechs, thereby heralding a new and bloody phase of this grand assault!
Chapter 2202 Venerable Kris Asmeran
The Battle of the Marrakath System became a focal point of the Komodo War once the Hexers initiated their assault on Marrakath III.
The renowned Dosth Orbital Defense Matrix had taken out thousands of powerful second-class mechs, but paid a grievous price in return. Much of its surface structures whittled under concentrated firepower, thereby exposing more and more Fridaymen mechs to enemy fire.
The struggle between the Devos Maniacs and the Trivaxis Helldoves only made up a small portion of the huge confrontation.
Large amounts of broken mechs and debris sailed in every direction. Some of them slowly began to fall through the atmosphere of Marrakath III.
Since much of the wreckage consisted of hard and resilient alloys, they did not burn up that much after falling from space.
This meant that they crashed on the surface of the planet with considerable force!
A lot of untamed wilderness endured a continuous rain of falling trash, many of which caused impacts that disrupted areas that stretched on for several kilometers!
Fortunately for the Fridaymen defenders, they were already prepared to block or repel the debris that fell onto cities and fortified locations. Considerable amounts of turrets shot down much of the falling objects, with the large city district-sized shields resisting anything that made it through.
The defenses of the cities and fortifications on the surface were anything but average! The shield generators expended energy accumulated over several generations!
Hundreds of thousands of dazzling mechs, many of which cost as much as several hundred third-class mechs, confronted each other with nothing but animosity in their minds.
The Fridaymen hated the bigoted and tyrannical Hexers to the core!
The Hexers detested the stubborn and foolish Fridaymen to an extreme degree!
Neither side could live with each other any longer. After roughly four centuries of living in tenuous peace, the two dominant second-rate states of the Komodo Star Sector finally moved to conclude the rivalry that had started at the very start of the Age of Mechs!
During the assault, some portions of the Dosth Orbital Defense Matrix fared better than other portions.
The Hexer mech divisions that assaulted these sections weren't too exceptional. The leaders of the Wrathful Doves essentially threw these units on several random points to split the focus of the Opal Tridents.
The section which the Trivaxis Helldoves attacked was one of the more serious goals of the Hex Army!
The Devos Maniacs, as enthusiastically as they were in taking out Hexer mechs, were slowly beginning to realize that they failed to prevent the Helldoves from closing into melee range.
Once the Hexer mechs fell right on top of their positions, much of the defensive works became ineffective!
This was also why the Helldoves did not hesitate to sacrifice so many space knights and other valuable assets to get in close. They knew that no amount of defenses would be able to stop so many melee mechs at once.
Only the melee mechs of the Devos Maniacs posed a hindrance, but this Fridayman mech division was substantially poorer in both training and funding!
I was at this time when a new variable entered the battlefield.
"Damn you, dogs! Are you so eager to let these women step on your face?! Fight harder! Don't go down unless you have taken out at least two Hexer mechs!"
A radiant presence shifted into battle!
"It's the Untouchable!"
A blood-red coated light skirmisher zipped into the battlefield with a speed that far exceeded ordinary second-class light mechs.
This was the Sulvar Mark III, a distinct expert mech of the 363rd Devos Maniacs!
The Maniac who piloted this deceptively slim but incredibly mobile light skirmisher was not a Fridayman at birth.
Like many members of the Fortune Legion, Venerable Kris Asmeran had initially risen up in Vicious Mountain. He even managed to break through to expert pilots and wielded a lot of power in his heyday!
Unfortunately, expert pilots could fall as well, and Venerable Asmeran took a gamble and lost.
How he ended up in the Fortune Legion and how long he planned to fight for the Carnegie Group remained unclear.
Despite owing little affection to the Carnegie Group or the Friday Coalition, most expert pilots abided by clear principles. The expert pilots who originated from Vicious Mountains were famed for taking their oaths seriously.
Though they were not as extreme as Kinners, even a deviant among expert pilots just as Venerable Asmeran enjoyed the Fortune Legion's trust!
The reason for all of that attention became apparent as his Sulvar Mark III dove straight into the leading formations of Helldove mechs!
When expert mechs entered the fray, they rarely chose to approach the ranks of enemy mechs by themselves.
It was too dangerous!
As amazing and fearsome as expert mechs might be, they were still machines in the end.
The resonance shields that protected them and the excellent exotics used to increase their defensive capabilities to amazing heights could still be overwhelmed when focused upon. A typical expert mech may be able to defeat a hundred regular mechs, but it was a stretch for them to withstand the attacks of more than thousand enemies!
Yet Venerable Asmeran was bold enough to lead the charge against the Hexer mech anyway!
It soon became clear why. The Helldove rifleman mechs, marksman mechs and cannoneer mechs urgently received orders to fire upon the expert light skirmisher mech.
None of them except for a lucky few Hexers succeeded in landing a hit!
In fact, the Hexer ranged mechs landed far more accidental hits against the backs of the mechs that belonged to their own side!
The Sulvar Mark III was not only insanely good at evasion due to its extreme acceleration capabilities, but also used the mechs fielded by the Helldoves as cover!
Wherever the Sulvar Mark III passed, the mech stabbed out with a knife that just so happened to slip straight through the weak points of the Hexers mechs.
The expert mech moved too fast for attackers to pose a threat, and it launched its attacks so rapidly that its opponents never had the time to put up their guard!
"Slaughter these Hexers!"
The impressive martial feats demonstrated by Venerable Asmeran quickly buoyed the flagging morale of the Devos Maniacs.
None of the mech pilots could remain calm when they saw one of their own massacre the Hexers single-handedly!
"Hahaha! Kill those boys and uptight women!"
What was horrible about Venerable Asmeran's insanely swift but incredibly precise attacks was that he always managed to puncture the enemy mech's cockpit.
It took a lot of force as well as a lot of accuracy to stab the Sulvar Mark III's dagger onto a point in the frontal armor that just allowed Venerable Asmeran to kill off the enemy mech pilot in an instant!
Yet out of every stab attack he made, only four or so lucky Hexer mech pilots managed to escape the fate of getting torn into pieces by a mech-sized blade!
The discipline and courage of the Trivaxis Helldoves was not frail. Some of the Hexers serving in this mech division even met the standards of elites, and they constantly urged their fellow Hexers to adopt the specialized tactics and formations that expressly countered these kinds of rampages!
"Hahaha!" Venerable Asmeran broadcasted in the open as his Sulvar Mark III effortly sneaked up to an officer mech and left an entire squad of Hexer mechs temporarily leadless! "No cage can hold me captive! No matter how many mechs you throw at me, you feminists are too slow!"
The Sulvar Mark III might not offer amazing defenses or attack power compared to comparable expert mechs, but its speed advantage was truly strong enough to offset many shortcomings!
Its unique, custom flight system was not only capable of accelerating very quickly in any direction, but could also be empowered by Venerable Asmeran's true resonance, thereby achieving even a greater level of evasion!
A mech that couldn't be hit might as well be invincible. No matter how much firepower the Hexer mechs threw at the Sulvar Mark III, the expert mech still remained unscatched even as it managed down more than fifty in a short amount of time!
"Where's Venerable Emdis?" Some of the Hexers desperately asked. "We need someone to stop this uncouth mutt!"
The disruption caused by the enemy expert mech risked throwing the Helldoves into disarray.
Once the Hexers became unable to deploy their mechs in specific formations, their overall assault against Dosth would definitely lose momentum!
At that time, the Helldoves would fail their mission and be met with a lot of shame by their Hexers after the battle.
Such an outcome couldn't be tolerated!
By the time Venerable Asmeran slaughtered over thirty additional Hexer mech pilots, the response 363rd Devos Maniacs finally arrived!
The male and female mech pilots of the Trivaxis Helldoves all erupted into cheer!
Venerable Maysha Embdis was one of several notable expert pilots of the Helldoves. Her expert mech flew forth with speed that did not lose out too much from that of the Sulvar Mark III.
With so many Hexer mechs regaining some of their ferocity, Venerable Asmeran knew that he could no longer defeat the Hexers so unscrupulously.
"I am Venerable Kris Asmeran, of Vicious Mountain!" The Maniac expert pilot barked. "To whom do I have the pleasure of fighting?"
"Do not speak your foul words at me, dog! Rabid animals like you should have been put down a long time ago! Since your mother refused to raise you properly, let I be the one who will teach you a lesson!"
Venerable Asmeran scowled with great intensity!
"Don't talk to my mother that way! You're the dog!"
With tempers flaring up, the two expert pilots ignored the inconsequential mechs around them and immediately began to engage in a high-speed duel!
The Sulvar Mark III was almost unsurpassed in terms of mobility. Its extreme acceleration alone gave Venerable Asmeran the capital to be called the Untouchable!
Yet Venerable Emdis and her expert mech were not that weak either. Surprisingly, Emdis managed to fend off every attack launched by her opponent, mainly because she piloted an expert light skirmisher mech herself!
Her Zeon Blademaster focused more on offense than mobility. Its design and resonance materials were all geared towards increasing its attack power and attack methods.
For example, with one attack pass, the arm that held one of blades began to shudder and glow in green, causing the stabs it made to be repeated seven times in the same instance!
Not a single opponent of the Zeon Blademaster remained undamaged when struck by this deadly resonance ability!
Yet there was one instance where Venerable Emdis failed completely.
Even though the simultaneous stabbing attacks unleashed by her Zeon Blademaster covered a small area around the elusive Sulvar Mark III, the latter machine nimbly managed to dance between the attacks before almost managing to launch its counterattack!
If Venerable Maysha Emdis hadn't anticipated the counterattack, her Zeon Blademaster would have suffered a severe blow against its defenses.
The two light skirmishers did not let this exchange of blows slow them down. Both expert mechs excelled at speed, so they quickly turned around and swapped another series of blows!
The mechs surrounding them quickly gave them room and retreated from the duel. It was not as if the regular mech pilots from both sides wanted to assist their heroes.
It was just that they would only get in the way if they rashly intervened!
Rather than poking their noses into something that could easily lead to pointless debts, the regular combatants instead turned back to fight each other.
This gave both expert pilots the opportunity to explore the weaknesses of their opponents and adjust their fighting style.
As the minutes began to pass, it slowly became apparent that Venerable Asmeran's Sulvar Mark III entered into a disadvantage.
Its energy reserves were depleting faster than those of Zeon Blademaster.
All of that acceleration and maneuvering consumed a huge amount of energy. In terms of endurance, the Sulvar Mark III had never been designed to excel in any battles of attrition.
Venerable Emdis on the other hand did not fight as frantically as her opponent. Instead, her Zeon Blademaster adopted a defensive posture and efficiently fended off lethal attacks while expending as little energy possible.
She did a far better job of conserving her mech's energy reserves!
Chapter 2203 Seeking Greatness
Duels between expert pilots were solemn occasions.
Only an expert pilot could adequately restrain another expert pilot.
The huge Hexer assault on Dosth and Marrekath III not only featured hundreds of thousands of ordinary mechs, but also a notable amount of expert mechs!
Some of these expert mechs banded together and clashed against teams of the enemy expert mechs.
Others were more suitable to act independently. This happened to be the case with the Sulvar Mark III and the Zeon Bladedancer.
Both expert mechs were designed as light skirmishers. This meant that their mobility was high enough to attack any vulnerable enemies while avoiding any stronger opposition.
Now, they just happened to meet together in battle and soon exchanged a lot of blows.
The attacks happened too quickly for ordinary people to track. The thinking and reaction speeds of both expert pilots had reached an insane level!
Venerable Maysha Emdis slowly began to grin as the ongoing duel slowly shifted in her favor.
"You feral boys are all the same. You can't resist hitting your heads against the wall!"
"Shut up, you ugly pig! You may be strong enough to fend off my attacks, but I only have to be lucky once to end your life!"
As a flighty and impatient expert pilot, Venerable Asmeran couldn't stomach his current circumstances.
As the Untouchable, the attacks launched by his opponents never landed on his mech. However, he was forced to put a lot of effort into evading the increasingly tricky attack angles.
Yet no matter how many attack runs he made, the defensive posture adopted by the Zeon Bladedancer continued to frustrate the Fridayman expert pilot!
It was easier to defend than attack. While the Sulvar Mark III expended a copious amount of energy to power each evasive maneuver or attack, its energy cells depleted a little more!
Of course, compared to an ordinary mech, the expert light skirmisher mech contained a lot of high-quality ultrdense energy cells. The cost of these custom-made energy cells was incredibly mind-boggling, but they were essential allowing Venerable Asmeran to evade attacks time and time again.
Yet his duel against Venerable Emdis already caused him to expend far more energy than he anticipated. Activating so many resonance abilities and pushing his mech's flight system to the limit always demanded a price, and for the Sulvar Mark III that meant depleting its energy reserves at a rapid rate!
Was Venerable Asmeran making a mistake? Had he foolishly decided to adopt a reckless strategy that played right into his opponent's hands?
As an expert pilot, it was not as if he was stupid enough to overlook this basic reality. He dedicated his entire life to piloting light skirmishers. He was extremely familiar with the deep and complicated dynamics surrounding duels between two ultrmobile mechs.
Even as his Sulvar Mark III's resonance shield continued to get hammered by the Zeon Bladedancer's tricky counterattacks, the former Vicious Mountainer did not relent!
He lived for the pursuit of speed!
The true resonance that embraced the Devos Maniac expert mech shone brighter!
The mech that had become an extension of Venerable Asmeran seemed to share in his desire and attempted to squeeze more acceleration out of its thin and light frame!
Instead of backing down and altering his approach, he instead doubled down and relied even more on his superior mobility to win this duel!
This was what his instincts urged!
This was what his will yearned the most!
Since the moment he decided to specialize in piloting light skirmishers, Kris Asmeran always focused on excelling in mobility.
A mech that never got his was a mech that could defeat any opponent!
He had never stopped his pursuit of speed. He single-handedly focused his entire fighting style on moving fast, not hesitating to put his life on the line for his beliefs.
And for this, he was rewarded! As someone who underwent successive baptisms that transformed his life at least twice, Venerable Asmeran became even more convinced that dedicating his life to speed was the only way for him to reach greater heights!
In Vicious Mountain, the warriors there believed that only the most courageous and glorious were worthy to ascend to greatness.
Asmeran looked down on those who were timid, prone to calculation or compromised on their convictions.
Even if it wasn't the best choice for him to rely on his greatest strength despite getting countered by his opponent, that just meant that he wasn't fast enough.
Only through reaching his limit and breaking beyond this barrier would allow him to reach a new level of strength!
Only by putting his entire life on the line to achieve this breakthrough would he have hope of advancing to ace pilot!
To transform himself from a demigod to a half god was one of his greatest dreams!
Though countless ordinary mech pilots felt envious that people like Asmeran managed to become expert pilots, he did not think this was the end of his journey.
Expert pilots were just like Journeymen Mech Designer. They both ranked at the bottom of the totem pole of extraordinary individuals!
Each mech pilot in Vicious Mountain dreamt of becoming an ace pilot. Only by reaching this exalted rank would they have the contention to rule over vaste swathes of territory or even compete to become the head of the great Garlen Empire!
Even after Venerable Asmeran joined the Fortune Legion, he never let go of this life-long ambition.
As long as he utilized the Komodo War to sharpen himself and stimulate his untapped abilities, he would surely come closer to reaching his goal!
If he ever advanced to ace pilot, then the Fortune Legion could no longer hold him. While he was thankful to the Carnegie Group for supporting him, Vicious Mountain was still his home.
No matter what, ace pilots were welcome anywhere. Even his exile no longer had any meaning once he returned with a stronger fist than before.
Yet for all his dedication towards his chosen pursuit, his Sulvar Mark III became increasingly more distressed!
After making so many passes, his mech was clearly getting the worst end of the exchanges. Venerable Asmeran wasted an increasingly greater amount of resonance strength and the Sulvar Mark III had already expended over half of its prodigious energy reserves.
In contrast, the Hexer expert mech consumed only a fraction of its energy reserves as it mostly focused on evasion and opportunistic counterattacks.
Venerable Emdis was under far less pressure, especially when she knew that her opponent was one of the brainless types of expert pilots!
"Hahaha!" Venerable Emdis gleefully grinned as she continued to pilot her Zeon Bladedancer in a way that conserved its energy reserves. "You brutish boys are so easily led by your primal impulses. Wars are never decided by brawn alone! To ignore the bigger picture and the needs of your state in favor of pursuing your selfish obsession is the height of folly! Expert pilots like you always perish the soonest!"
The Sulvar Mark III did not slow down due to the Hexer expert pilot's taunts. Instead, Venerable Asmeran grew even angrier and drove his exquisite light skirmisher even harder despite the cost!
"You scheming women are a disgrace to our kind! How you manage to become a demigod is beyond me. Whatever the case, with your poisonous heart, I doubt you'll ever get close to the threshold of ace pilot within your life!"
Venerable Emdis sneered. "We expert pilots are servants of our states. We are nothing without the support provided by our betters. Barbarians like you who only care about yourselves are destructive elements in society!"
"Attaining greater strength is a far better way of protecting your people than becoming their slave!" Asmeran barked back as his attacks reached an even greater degree of intensity!
His expert mech's energy reserves dipped at an even greater rate!
"Hehe." The Hexer expert pilot readied herself to turn the tide. She had already estimated that the Sulvar Mark III was getting closer to depleting its energy reserves! "I'm not an idiot like you. You willingly fell into my trap, which is just the way I like it! Let me show you why I'm called the Wrathful Witch!"
The Zeon Blademaster finally looked ready to make a fatal move. Even as the Sulvar Mark III continued its futile attempts to break the defenses of the Hexer mech, Venerable Emdis already knew this duel had been decided.
An awesome amount of true resonance surrounded the entire mech! One of the knives the Zeon Blademaster held started to glow so much red that it seemed like it was dripping with fiery blood!
On ominous pressure settled onto Venerable Asmeran's heart. His eyes widened a little. The interruption was just enough to disturb his attack rhythm, causing his Sulvar Mark III to become slightly exposed!
Even though it would only take less than a second to correct this mistake, the Wrathful Witch pounced on this opportunity!
Venerable Emdis would not let the Fridayman expert mech continue this farce any further!
Once the Sulvar Mark III succumbed, the Devos Maniacs would lose a critical expert mech and expert pilot, thereby inflicting a severe blow to their morale.
Though the 363rd Devos Maniacs fielded more expert mechs, the fall of one of their number would definitely impair their ability to stall the Trivaxis Helldoves.
The Hexer expert pilot couldn't wait to get rid of Venerable Asmeran before launching her own massacre amongst the ranks of the Devos Maniacs!
Just as the Zeon Bladedancer was about to launch its fatal resonance-empowered attack, Venerable Emdis suddenly blinked and directed her mech to dart in the opposite direction!
A very powerful positron beam had just passed through the path her Zeon Blademaster would have taken if she committed to attacking the spent Fridayman expert mech!
"Who?!"
There was no way that Venerable Emdis could retain her calm. She had patiently conserved her battle strength and waited so long to reach this point. Just as she was about to harvest her reward, another powerful opponent arrived to forestall her victory!
In contrast, Venerable Asmeran felt nothing but relief. Even though it appeared that they were all alone, they were still part of a battle between two massive forces.
They were hardly the only expert pilots in the field!
It made sense for the defenders to dispatch reinforcements when they noticed that Venerable Asmeran was having a hard time.
This intervention basically saved him from paying the ultimate price after he lost a critical bet.
However, once the Sulvar Mark III's sensors began to pick up the new arrivals, Venerable Asmeran grew puzzled.
"What is the CRC doing here? And what is up with all of these rifleman mechs?"
The Coalition Reserve Corps rarely appeared on the frontlines. As its name suggested, it was a weaker branch that mostly concerned itself with other matters.
Even so, Venerable Asmeran did not begrudge the timely intervention of the ranged expert mech. The resonance power attached to that positron beam was no joke, especially against lighter mechs!
"Declare yourself!" Venerable Emdis barked over the open channel.
Since the Fridaymen dispatched reinforcements, why couldn't the Hexers do the same? She had no intentions of fighting two expert mechs at once. Even if the Sulvar Mark III had almost reached its limits, it could still play a critical role when it worked together with a powerful rifleman mech!
The 1345th Trivaxis Helldoves already acknowledged her request. Two more Hexer expert mechs should be arriving anytime soon. Even though one of them was male, Venerable Emdis knew that she couldn't be too picky at the moment, especially when expert mechs were required everywhere.
The impressive-looking rifleman mech at the head of a formation of lesser rifleman mechs was coated in blue. It featured golden accents and carried a very large rifle with multiple attack modes.
"I am Venerable Ghanso Larkinson of Unit L. Together with my men, we shall end your reign of terror and rid this star sector of another cancer cell!"
"How dare you!" The Hexer expert pilot felt affronted!
Chapter 2204 Scara
Venerable Maysha Emdis of the Trivaxis Helldoves did not share the mindset of a brute like her previous opponent.
Now that she encountered a new enemy, she did not intend to make a move.
No matter how much the newcomer insulted her, she still knew it would be a mistake to vent her fury at this instant!
Rather than fight one-on-two, it was better for her to stall for time until reinforcements arrived.
The Zeon Blademaster's lack of activity did not escape the Fridaymen expert pilots.
A private communication channel opened up between the Sulvar Mark III and the newly-arrived expert rifleman mech.
"This Hexer is very calculating. She's definitely waiting for reinforcements. We should gang up on her and see if we can't finish her off before any help arrives. While I can't muster up enough enough strength to finish off the Hexer, I can still pin her down so you can land some solid blows."
"I don't need your assistance." Ghanso replied to the older man. "My Charlemagne and Unit L are enough to defeat this fly!"
Ghanso's young voice and his arrogant declaration astounded Venerable Asmeran.
"Look, I may have acted unwisely earlier, but a rifleman mech like yours is heavily countered by a light skirmisher of equal strength! Even if that Zeon Bladedancer is not as fast and evasive as my Sulvar, it is still a light mech that can dodge all of your attacks!"
"You don't have to worry about me. If you want to contribute, then stay by my side and block the Zeon Blademaster if it suddenly draws close."
"Very well."
Venerable Asmeran knew that this CRC expert pilot possessed his own pride.
Just like the Vicious Mountainer, Ghanso Larkinson wished to utilize his greatest strength in order to develop it even further!
Yet just like before, Venerable Asmeran worried whether the Charlemagne would just waste all of its strength. After all, attempting to land a hit on an expert mech that was practically made for evasion was difficult!
The two Fridayman expert pilots exchanged no further words. Ghanso knew that the huge battle taking place around him did not afford him the time to chat and swap ideals with his opponents.
Not that he even wanted to. Hexers were incredibly repulsive to him. He harbored a special grudge against their arrogant women, though he did not let off their brainwashed boys either!
The latter were already too far gone to be saved! This was a truth that Ghanso only realized later as the CRC instructed him about the Hexers.
If he knew this sooner, he would have treated Ves differently.
The Charlemagne raised its large, oversized rifle. The Scara, the 50 rifleman mechs positioned behind the expert mech, followed suit.
For months, Venerable Ghanso Larkinson prepared this day. After so much training and exercise, he was finally able to link up with the Scara long enough to make a difference on the battlefield.
His Charlemagne charged another shot. If he wanted to unleash a regular attack, then all of this accumulation was unnecessary. Yet even if the Zeon Bladedancer boasted thinner armor than other expert mechs, they were still very resilient.
Only by employing his resonance strength would Ghanso have a chance of inflicting serious damage on his opponent.
The Charlemagne fired! A bright, dazzling blue-white beam raked just past the position occupied by the Zeon Bladedancer!
Venerable Maysha Emdis easily dodged the clearly telegraphed attack!
She did not even need to rely on her intuition or extraordinary judgement. She just had to keep one of her mech's sensors placed on the Charlemagne's rifle.
No matter what, wherever the rifle pointed at would always be in the line of fire! Observing the enemy mech's aim and avoiding its line of fire was a fundamental skill to all light skirmisher specialists.
As an expert pilot, she had long mastered this ability to an extensive degree!
Venerable Ghanso did not let this miss affect his mood. Against fast and evasive targets, it was normal to miss his shots.
The Charlemagne continued to resonate with its mech pilots as its rifle spat out three more shots in quick succession.
Even though Ghanso employed some technique and layered those shots to make it tricky for the Zeon Bladedancer to avoid getting hit, this kind of means was not enough to succeed.
Venerable Emdis was a seasoned expert pilot who had long prepared an answer against this trivial technique.
If this was all the Charlemagne could accomplish, then Venerable Emdis had no reason to worry!
"Hahaha! You're too young to make me break a sweat, little boy! Expert pilot or not, this little amount of skill and power is the worst I've ever seen! At least Asmeran forced me to fight seriously!"
Though Venerable Emdis looked down on Ghanso, she truly possessed the capital to do so. The resonance strength exhibited by the CRC expert pilot was noticeably weak.
Yet if that was all that Venerable Ghanso and his Charlemagne was capable of, then Master Huron and the CRC would never dispatch him to the frontlines of the Komodo War!
"I was merely probing you in order to establish a baseline of your Zeon Bladedancer's evasive capabilities." Ghanso dryly announced. "Even if you held back, I have enough firepower to end your life."
Venerable Emdis snorted. "What a big tone. Greater expert pilots haven't even dared to make that claim. Do you think those toy soldiers floating behind you can make a difference? Cannon fodder can never threaten the likes of us! It seems the CRC has truly degenerated if it believes it can overcome quality with quantity."
The Charlemagne prepared to fire another shot. True resonance swirled around the expert mech and its powerful rifle.
What surprised both both Venerable Emdis and Venerable Asmeran was that the fifty lesser rifleman mechs copied the Charlemange's actions!
Though their rifles were weaker and the glows surrounding their weapons were remarkably less intense, it did not change the fact that they dedicated fifty more instances of true resonance!
"What?! That's impossible!" Venerable Emdis reacted with shock. "Did you field fifty expert candidates at once?! How can evoke the same type of true resonance? This can't be done!"
"I thought you were an expert pilot, Venerable Emdis." Ghanso sneered. "Our kind is known for surpassing limitations!"
The Charlemagne discharged its weapon immediately after he finished those words!
At the same time, the Scara unleashed fifty potent positron beams in the direction of the Hexer expert mech at the same time!
Venerable Asmeran felt unprecedentedly threatened as he witnessed so many beams lighting up the local space in an instant!
Though the firepower of those lesser mechs failed to match that of the Charlemagne, the hint of true resonance empower their weapons had nonetheless increased the power of their attacks to a point where they could threaten any expert mech!
If a bystander like Asmeran already felt nervous, then Venerable Emdis had finally lost her composure!
Ghanso's timing was impeccable. Though Venerable Emdis had been on guard against incoming fire, the timing of it had still caught her at a slightly inopportune moment.
Venerable Emdis knew that the Charlemagne was the real threat out of the group of Fridayman reinforcements, so her Zeon Bladedancer evaded the main attack above anything else.
While it was fairly easy for her to do so, it was a lot harder to avoid the fifty lesser attacks!
All of them just happened to be fired in a remarkably coordinated zone around her Zeon Bladedancer. No matter where her mech attempted to evade, she would get hit by at least three positron beams!
Even so, the Hexer did not despair. She knew enough about the armor of her mech that regular positron beams did not pose that big of a threat.
However, it was only when her Zeon Bladedancer got struck that Venerable Emdis knew she had made an awful judgement error.
Alarms began to rang inside her mech as four surprisingly-powerful positron beams not only managed to pierce through its resonance shield and hit its frame, but also inflict serious damage onto its armor!
"This power!"
This time, Venerable Emdis no longer had any intentions to stall for reinforcements. The Charlemagne and its entourage had become enough of a threat in her mind that she didn't think it was unwise to linger any longer!
She didn't bother to bark a goodbye or offer any excuse. To her, there was nothing dishonorable about making a tactical retreat. Most of the time, light skirmishers weren't meant to clash head-on against strong opponents.
Though the Zeon Bladedancer's flight system became more active, allowing it to distance itself rapidly from the Fridaymen, Ghanso had already prepared his next volley!
Fifty-one positron beams struck the location of the Hexer mech and the surrounding area!
Venerable Emdis turned even more distressed as the integrity of her mech's armor system declined even further. Not even Venerable Asmaran inflicted this much damage against her mech!
She went all-out to preserve her mech even as it continued to widen the distance.
The greater the distance, the easier it was for her to evade the ranged attacks of the CRC mechs.
At least, that was supposed to be the case, but fifty-one positron beams raining down on her position all at once was still a massive threat!
Within the span of twenty seconds, the Zeon Bladedancer's resonance shield endured a considerable amount of attacks, causing it to quickly disappear.
A shield generator activated next. This was a rather unusual addition to regular light skirmishers, and even the Zeon Bladedancer had to give up some performance in order to incorporate this highly-miniaturized module.
Unfortunately, its strength was insufficient to repel resonance-empowered attacks.
The quasi-expert mechs of the Scara might not be able to inflict significant damage by themselves, but when they all pooled their strengths together, not even the Charlemagne was able to output so much damage unless it paid a significant price!
Against such a voluminous and highly-coordinated barrage, the Zeon Bladedancer could no longer hold on any longer. It sustained too many attacks for her front and rear armor to hold.
As Venerable Emdis became more and more distressed, she began to exhibit more and more judgement errors.
This allowed the Charlemagne to finally land a hit!
Once its powerful positron beam struck the Hexer expert mech, it just so happened to strike a damaged portion which already lost a lot of armor coverage.
The beam instantly penetrated past the remaining barrier and inflicted a huge amount of internal damage!
The Zeon Bladedancer jerked and froze in space. The mech had lost too many internal components to remain functional!
"It's over."
The Charlemagne fired one more leisurely shot that caused the Hexer mech to explode.
Venerable Maysha Emdis was dead! The Wrathful Witch that had long terrorized the Fridaymen during the past month had finally met her end.
Those who observed Venerable Ghanso Larkinson in action couldn't believe what they had seen. A single ranged expert mech accompanied by fifty special mechs had managed to take out a prominent Hexer expert pilot in a surprisingly lopsided fashion!
"Those mechs.." Venerable Asmeran observed the Scara with considerable doubt. "What are they?"
"They're the Scara. They're my retinue."
"Are they piloted by expert candidates or something?"
"It's classified."
Before they could speak any further, two more Hexer mechs arrived at the side of the broken Zeon Bladedancer.
"Sister Maysha! No!"
The Hexer expert rifleman mech and a Hexer expert space knight arrived too late. Only debris remained of the once-proud expert light skirmisher mech.
"You!" The Hexer ranged mech pointed its weapon at the Charlemagne. "You have spilled an honored sister's blood. I will settle nothing less for taking your own! Die!"
The Hexer ranged mech flew behind the male space knight and used its thick shield and powerful resonance shield as cover. The pair worked with such coordination that the Charlemagne could not possibly gain a firing angle on the more threatening of the Hexer expert mechs!
Yet this did not make Venerable Ghanso distressed. Instead, he grinned. Immobile targets like these were just sitting ducks in his eyes!
The Charlemagne and its entire entourage fired at the expert space knight!
Even though the defensive mech was extraordinarily resistant against damage, the concentrated firepower of fifty quasi-expert mechs was much more than the Hexer expert pilots anticipated!
The shield succumbed remarkably quickly and in the end, the male expert pilot had to sacrifice his life and mech in order to buy enough time for the female expert pilot to escape alive!
Though the Battle of Marraketh System had given birth to many heroes and heroic feats, this was the first instance where Venerable Ghanso Larkinson made a name for himself.
Defeating two Hexer expert mechs in his debut instantly propelled Unit L into the spotlight!
Chapter 2205 Doubting Ves
The Hex Army continued to contest the Marrakath System despite the setbacks they suffered when they attempted to besiege Dosth and Marraketh III.
Despite the willingness of the Wrathful Doves Mech Army Group to suffer substantial losses in order to achieve a breakthrough, the Opal Tridents of the Fortune Legion continued to cling on to their orbital defense line!
After sustaining severe damage to their orbital defensive ring, the Opal Tridents managed to stall the momentum Wrathful Doves, causing the Hexers to finally call off their offensive.
The Fortune Legion couldn't have done it alone. Timely reinforcement dispatched by other Fridaymen forces had arrived at Marraketh III just in time to assist the Opal Tridents.
Yet even as the Fridayman mech pilots and support personnel cheered, the aftermath was ruinous for both sides.
The state of the orbital defense matrix had degraded enormously. Along many stretches of the fortified ring, hardly any turrets and hard cover were left to meaningfully resist a follow-up assault.
The Fridaymen rapidly initiated repairs and began to jury rig some creative solutions to make up for the damage. For example, they captured much of the floating debris from the previous battle in order to pile them into improvised walls.
Yet these stopgap solutions would never be able to restore an orbital defense matrix that took decades to build back to peak condition.
For all intents and purposes, it was up to the mobile assets of the Friday Coalition to fend off Hexer aggression a second time.
None of the Fridaymen tasked with defending Dosth knew whether they could last a second, third or fourth offensive.
Even the lowest member of the rank-and-file knew that the Hexers were determined to break the Crestfallen Stars. The Marrakath System was too important for the Hexers to stop at this point.
Reinforcements continued to supplement the Wrathful Doves and the Opal Tridents in the subsequent weeks.
As much as Venerable Ghanso Larkinson managed to impress the Devos Maniacs by slaughtering two powerful Hexer expert mechs with remarkable ease, his contribution in the massive clash was too small to affect the outcome of the greater campaign.
Ghanso did not mind this reality. This was just the start. Master Huron and Lady Curver were constantly tweaking and developing the Charlemagne and the Scara in order to increase the effectiveness of the asymmetrical neural network.
Even if his citizenship had changed, Ghanso still considered himself a Brighter at heart. He also clung to his identity as a Larkinson. He only took part in the Komodo War because he believed this was the best way to preserve and restore the Larkinson Family.
"If my relatives can see how much I've done for them, they'll definitely return to the light!"
The Larkinsons, like any Brighter, originally never wanted to turn against the Friday Coalition. If Ghanso continued to make achievements and earn more prestige, he would not only have more say in how the Coalition treated the Larkinsons, but also serve as a role model for the true members of his family!
Back in the Nyxian Gap, Ves was completely unaware of Ghanso's debut in battle. News surrounding the Komodo War's ongoing battles and campaigns were always muddled and rife with falsehood.
He didn't have the time to pay so much attention to the Komodo War. Task Force Predator just entered Maynard Fields and already identified several dangerous pirate groups lurking in the vicinity.
Not only that, the LMC's Design Department became more boisterous than ever as six needy mech design projects constantly cried out for attention.
Just as Ves or Gloriana troubleshooted some problems in one minor project, another project encountered some problems that required the intervention of a Journeyman in order to resolve!
The constant rotations deprived the pair from devoting a sufficient amount of time on their two major mech design projects. Both the Valkyrie Redeemer Project and the Cat's Paw Project were starting to run behind schedule.
Delegation only worked when the subordinates he put into place could cope with the workload.
Sadly, the LMC was still a young mech company. No one notable had risen up from the sixty assistant mech designers to take over much of the burden.
Even so, Ves was content. These problems could be overcome with time and effort. With the notable talent exhibited by each new recruit, he believed that someone brilliant and capable would quickly emerge from the pack.
One welcome change took place during this time. After undergoing an extensive training regime, Calabast finally returned Lucky back into his care.
"Meow!"
The gem cat, without his harness, floated back Ves and cuddled up in his chest.
"How have you been?"
"Meow meow meow!"
"Oh, you learned a lot of new tricks? Well, I hope you won't be using it on us. Save them for our opponents."
He looked up at Calabast who placed the empty harness on his desk.
"I stand by my words. With your cat's combined abilities, he is practically made to be a saboteur. I enjoyed training him and putting him through his paces. He's a remarkably quick learner whenever he is serious."
"I thought you would keep him busy for an extended amount of time." Ves said.
"He's still a cat." The spymaster grimaced. "I don't think I can keep him interested any longer. In any case, since he's a mechanical pet, he can absorb and process a vast amount of data. Much of the knowledge he needs to know is to acquire a basic understanding of how devices work and the many ways you can sabotage them with the least amount of effort. Aside from that, we also taught him many ways to avoid detection or what to do in the event he is discovered."
"How confident are you that he will succeed in his job?"
Calabast crossed her arms and thought for a moment. "I am fairly optimistic, but I am quite apprehensive towards the major pirate groups and alliances that hold the most sway in Maynard Fields. None of the established factions are easy targets and it would only take one mistake for Lucky to alarm the enemy of hostile infiltration."
"What about weaker targets?"
"Oh, that's trivial." She dismissively replied. "Even pirate groups that are twice or thrice as strong as the Rust Grinders are vulnerable to Lucky's sabotage. It's only the bigger pirate organizations that are difficult to mess with. They are so big that they aren't vulnerable to a few points of failure. For example, Frostbite Fortress is truly difficult to overcome even if a full strike team of DIVA operatives come fully equipped."
They talked a bit more, giving Ves a clearer idea of how his naughty gem cat could destroy a foundation worth billions of hex credits in a matter of hours!
The most troublesome requirement was to deliver Lucky to an enemy base of ship. The second-class stealth shuttle that Calabast somehow got her hands on was a very capable vessel, but no technology was undefeatable.
Who knew what crazy tricks the pirates developed to counter stealth technology! Despite their rather low tech base, Ves had already learned not to underestimate their ingenuity.
As Ves continued to hug his cat, he became thoughtful.
"Do you think it's a good idea to travel deeper into the Nyxian Gap?"
"Are you doubting your purpose?" Calabast frowned. "It's a bit too late to regret your decision. While I suppose you can still turn around and avoid running into greater danger, I don't believe you're the kind of person who wants to quit halfway."
"You know me too well." Ves ruefully smiled.
"It's something that I have learned to take into account the hard way." She sighed and leaned against his desk. "While you have a penchant for taking risks, I can't say that you are wrong. Most of them benefited you even if you had to rely on a lot of assistance. It is just that you only have to encounter one huge setback to wipe out all of your progress. Venturing too deep into the Nyxian Gap is one way to do that. I truly hope you remember your limits when we get close to the core regions."
"I know what I can get away with, Calabast. I have a wedding to catch in a couple of months."
"Heh. Of all the reasons that you could bring up to reassure me that you know when to return, you just had to mention your upcoming wedding. Do you know what this says about you, kid?"
"Nothing flattering, I'm sure." Ves dryly responded. "Anyway, I've been spending some time reflecting on myself. I have been considering the difficulty of earning enough merits to pay for a passage through the beyonder gate. With less than eight years to go, I'm becoming increasingly less confident that Gloriana and I will be able to obtain the necessary amount of MTA merits. It is truly hard for Journeymen to earn millions of merits at a time."
If that wasn't the case, Ves wouldn't be taking so many risks to venture into the Nyxian Gap!
"Are you thinking about partnering up with other aspiring pioneers?" Calabast grew sharp.
He nodded. "Preferably, I want to keep it all in the clan. Once I partner up with others in order to collectively purchase a beyonder ticket, the Big Two expects us to share some responsibilities. I have always thought that this was troublesome. I don't want to rely on other powers. That's the entire reason why I'm so keen on keeping the Larkinson Clan independent."
"I have been considering this scenario as well." She spoke and smiled. "To be honest, I think you are obsessing too much over the potential risks. I don't think you have as much to fear as you think. If you can partner up with someone who is willing to become a member of your clan, then that would be best. If that is not the case, then you can still come to a mutually beneficial agreement with another powerful individual as long as the power disparity isn't too great."
"You're saying that as long as the Larkinson Clan and I are strong enough, we can keep our fellow partners honest?"
"Uh huh. You are getting wiser and wiser, Ves. All that time spent around politicians must have surely rubbed off on you. I'm impressed."
"Heh. It's more like I fell victim to their schemes too many times."
"Whatever the case, you are no longer the upstart of a few years ago. Your Larkinson Clan might not be impressive compared to the might of a second-rate state, but you already have the power and ability to make deals with plenty of powerful figures. What's more, you don't have to find a partner immediately. There is still more than seven years to go until we reach your self-imposed deadline. I believe that both you and the Larkinson Clan will continue to grow rapidly over this time. You'll have much more say at that point and can negotiate better deals with more qualified partners."
She made some good points. It would be grossly premature to begin searching for partners right away.
"What kind of partners do you think I should look out for? I have received suggestions ranging from business magnates to diplomats."
"Both of them sound useful." She nodded in approval. "As long as they are powerful enough to treat you as an equal, they can be very formidable allies once we reach the Red Ocean. You can also consider partnering up with another prominent mech designer."
"No way!" Ves shook his head. "If I have to enter into a partnership to redeem a beyonder ticket, then I don't want other mech designers to encroach on our territory. Gloriana and I are already enough."
"Suit yourself, then. Other than that, I think it might be a good idea to do something about increasing your chances of survival once you reach the Red Ocean. I am already keeping up with the developments in the dwarf galaxy, and one notable development is the rise of factions and alliances."
That sounded interesting.
Chapter 2206 Old Powers
The Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy was only 1.56 percent as big as the Milky Way. As a dwarf galaxy, it held a lot less stars and therefore much less territory for humanity to conquer.
That still consisted of billions of stars! Even if a large proportion of star systems contained nothing of worth, many remained that either provided ideal colonization opportunities or rich exotic deposits.
This meant that from the moment the beyonder gates between the galaxies opened up, the competition for territory had already begun!
The two biggest players in this struggle for territory and conquest had to be the two old elephants in the room.
The Greater United Terran Confederation and the New Rubarth Empire loomed as giants in human civilization.
They existed long before the Age of Mechs and had partially adopted the MTA and the CFA in the past.
Even when the Big Two rose up and stripped the Terrans and Rubarthans of some of their sovereignty, the first-rate superstates still loomed tall over human space.
One of the reasons why they were called superstates was because they faintly possessed the power to rival the Big Two.
No other first-rate state could match the Terrans and Rubarthans in that regard! The heritage, power and wealth possessed by these ancient former star empires could not be matched by any other human state!
Only two of them existed out of countless other states.
Fourth-rate states were the lowest of the low. To consider them states at all was an insult to the word. Formally, this definition was usually applied to tiny powers who clung to one or several star systems and for some reason hadn't been annexed yet by a bigger neighbor.
Third-rate states were the most numerous and generally the most boring kind of states. They usually exerted enough power to sustain a proper government and all of the necessary institutions.
Strictly speaking, third-rate states needed to colonize at least 50 star systems to be recognized as such. In addition, their gross domestic product, military power and other parameters had to be up to standard as well.
In fact, many third-rate states such as the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom actually colonized many more star systems. It was just that many of them were actually underdeveloped such as Cloudy Curtain.
Second-rate states began to have a bigger sway in the galaxy. This was the point where the Big Two slightly took them seriously. The basic requirement to qualify as a second-rate state was to grasp at least 1,000 star systems and meet many other development requirements.
A second-rate state should absolutely be able to crush a score of third-rate states in terms of wealth and force!
The same applied to first-rate states in relation to the lower tiers. A first-rate state must easily be able to defeat numerous second-rate states with ease!
In general, first-rate states only emerged in the galactic center and sometimes the galactic heartland. The wealth and force requirements to meet this standard was virtually impossible to attain in the impoverished galactic rim!
Owning several star clusters was just the minimum requirement. It was much more important to turn them productive.
At this point, a distinct category of states existed which did not fit in with these categories.
There were certain states in the galactic rim which had managed to conquer several star clusters and ballooned in power.
Yet for all of their territory, their wealth and power paled in comparison to even the weakest first-rate state in the galactic heartland.
The difference could not be overcome.
Yet these humongous second-rate states were nevertheless overlords in the galactic rim.
Therefore, a new and rather informal term of second-rate superstate emerged in order to describe these rural bullies.
No matter what they were called, many powerful states in the old galaxy all cast their greedy eyes on the Red Ocean.
Just because they were established and successful in the Milky Way did not mean that their dominance in their respective corners remained that way!
Many other powerful states and nations had risen up in the long river of time, only to fall and be forgotten due to growing complacent.
The galaxy was an extremely competitive ocean. Only by continuing to strive for greater power would states be able to keep up with their rivals!
Now, a newer and smaller pond opened up. Though most of the Red Ocean was occupied by various indigenous alien powers, every human pretty much regarded it as unowned territory!
Filled with rich exotics that were rare or completely unavailable in the old galaxy, every state knew that occupying a space in the Red Ocean was crucial to their growth and continuity.
Incredibly powerful exotics such as phasewater could completely elevate the strength of a state!
If the Rubarthans eagerly harvested as much phasewater as possible while the Terrans lazily ignored the new wealth, the power balance in the old galaxy would soon shift towards the former!
Therefore, it didn't matter if the big states weren't eager to colonize a distant territory hundreds of thousands of light-years away.
They were all forced to join this rat race, if only to make sure their rivals did not surpass them in strength!
When Calabast patiently explained these dynamics, Ves gradually comprehended the layout of the old powers in the new dwarf galaxy.
"The ability to manufacture FTL-capable mechs in meaningful numbers is already enough to make the first-rate superstates crazy." Calabast pointed out. "It stands to reason that the Terrans and the Rubarthans have already established their own structures in the Red Ocean. At this early time, many smaller powers in the dwarf galaxy have joined up with one of their umbrella organizations."
Ves raised his eyebrow. "That.. sounds rather strange. The Red Ocean is supposed to be a new start to many ambitious people. Submitting to the first-rate superstates in a dwarf galaxy where their power is subject to constraints sounds counterproductive."
"It's a lawless frontier out there. You should know what that means. Even with the Big Two dividing much of the conquered space into upper zones, middle zones and lower zones, that does not mean that an alliance of powers governed by either Terrans or Rubarthans could band together and gang up on smaller, isolated powers because they refuse to become a vassal!"
"I see." Ves grimaced.
He understood what was going on. Just like in the Faris Star Region in the past, a lot of pirate outfits roamed the untamed stars. However, most of their foundation was weak and many of them rarely lasted beyond a decade.
The Ravienne Alliance and the Dragon Alliance held the most sway there because they pooled the strength of many pirate outfits into a single, somewhat united entity.
Many lesser pirate outfits actively desired to join these once-prestigious alliances because the shelter they offered was a strong guarantee of protection!
Ideals such as freedom, independence and control meant nothing if that just left you weak and vulnerable.
Of course, Ves also remembered that the rabid sandmen domineeringly engulfed the two great pirate alliances in an unstoppable tide of sand.
The overall situation in the Red Ocean was somewhat different because every galactic pioneer possessed considerable strength of their own. However, that did not stop certain fundamental truths from applying as well!
"While it is still viable for galactic pioneers to mix up in the Red Ocean as independents, they cannot contest against predominant alliances for biggest prizes." Calabast explained.
Ves looked skeptical. "Our Larkinson Clan doesn't have any plans to colonize any planets or erect a state. Can't we just roam as neutrals between their territories?"
"Not quite. The alliances want to keep most of the benefits in their own respective clubs. If you want to remain unaffiliated, then you can only do business with other unaffiliated pioneers."
In other words, the bottom feeders remained in the dirt while the sharks and whales occupied most of the ocean.
"I have the feeling that you're trying to push me away from my original intentions. Why are you encouraging me to join up with one of these alliances? You know I don't like to put my safety and security in the hands of others, especially states. The only thing you can be sure of is that their rulers always look out for themselves."
Calabst spread her arms in innocence. "I am not forcing you to compromise your goals. I just want to inform you that the circumstances have changed and that you haven't adequately considered any alternatives when you came up with your original plan. It is well worth considering aligning yourself to one of these established alliances. The thing about them is that they are quite loose. Joining them does not mean you are signing up to become a vassal or a subject to the Terrans or Rubarthans. It's more of a club of mutual benefit. Conflicts between powers within an alliance can still occur, and hardly any rules from above are imposed on the individual members."
"That sounds similar to what the Rim Guardians are doing."
Calabast nodded. "That's because a lot of galactic pioneers are very ambitious and capable. Mind you, the Terrans and Rubarthans are both competing over them. In order to attract the most pioneers, the old powers can't be stingy with the benefits they offer. They can't act too tyrannical either. Otherwise, the pioneers will rebel and join the opposite side."
"It sounds like the first-rate superstates are really going out of their way to control the Red Ocean. Doesn't this go against the intentions of the Big Two? From what I surmise, the first-rate superstates aren't supposed to be able to exert so much influence. The various rules and restrictions heavily encourage the rise of newer powers that are much more fragmented and don't necessarily share any relations to any of the states in the old galaxy."
"There is only so much the Big Two can do to limit the ambition of the first-rate superstates. The exact dynamics between these two sides is rather complicated, but due to the many compromises they have made, the Terrans and the Rubarthans aren't prohibited from promoting their own alliances."
"Well that sounds awful news to the MTA and CFA. The last thing they want to see is the two old relics from the Age of Stars and Age of Conquest rising up any further! Surely the Big Two aren't allowing the first-rate superstates to do what they want, right?"
The spymaster smirked. "Of course not. Shortly after the Terrans and Rubarthans have unveiled their ambitions in the Red Ocean, a third alliance has emerged. Supposedly, this new alliance just started off as a loose gathering of power pioneers backed by regular first-rate states. However, there are many signs that this new alliance is actually the Big Two's response. If that isn't enough, then I'm sure that a fourth or fifth alliance will emerge in the coming decades."
Ves suspected that the rise of other alliances was not only meant to check the ambitions of the Terrans and Rubarthans, but also served to fracture the Red Ocean even further.
Only a divided Red Ocean allowed the Big Two to retain their absolute supremacy, just like in the old galaxy!
"So let me get this straight." Ves breathed deeply. "if we want to obtain some protection against the predation of these big alliances, we have to join at least one of them. If we want to remain outside of the ages-old rivalry between the Terrans and the Rubarthans, our best option is to join the third alliance, is that right?"
"We still have other options, but from my analysis of the situation, I believe it is much more practical to join an alliance. We don't have to give up that much rights in exchange for protection and other benefits. Look, Ves. When the Larkinson Clan grows powerful enough to attract the attention of the major players in the Red Ocean, it is very difficult to stand alone."
As much as he hated her argument, he knew that Calabast indeed had a point.
At the Larkinson Clan's current level of strength, it already possessed sufficient power to roam the galactic rim without needing to worry about too many threats.
Yet the Red Ocean was a completely different place! Various old powers who originated from the galactic heartland and the galactic center held sway here. With the rise of larger alliances, it was very difficult for the Larkinson Clan to maintain the same level of independence and indifference of today!
Chapter 2207 The Red Ocean Promise
Only a few years had passed since the Big Two publicly opened up a channel from the old galaxy to the Red Ocean.
Even as the ambitious pioneers that emerged throughout human space scrambled to colonize and exploit the vast resource-rich stars of the dwarf galaxy, politics had already reared its ugly head!
Calabast grinned as she trailed her finger over her leg as she continued to lean against the desk. "Whenever something valuable appears, a struggle to possess it always takes place. Sometimes, the strength disparity is too great. In this case, the strongest party doesn't have to bother with talking and can just take something by force. It's when there are multiple parties of roughly equal strength vying for dominance that things get interesting. When the price of outright conflict is too great, a balance emerges, but only between qualified powers."
Obviously, the tiny Larkinson Clan did not fall within this category, especially when they finally reached the Red Ocean.
"All of this is only relevant at least eight years later." Ves frowned and stroked Lucky's back. "I don't see why we need to consider which alliance to join right away. In fact, I'm still unsure whether we should consider this option at all when we reach the Red Ocean!"
Calabast remained steadfast as she crossed her arms. "Even though the three great alliances only existed for a short amount of time, they are already developing their own distinct characteristics. It will be much easier to join and climb up the hierarchy if we mold the Larkinson Clan according to those characteristics. In other words, as long as we prepare early, we can immediately skip a couple of steps and get ahead of the galactic pioneers who arrived sooner!"
That immediately caught his attention! One of his most persistent concerns was the fact that he was missing out on the beginning stages of the great phasewater rush!
Just ten years of delay would already put him and the Larkinson Clan at a huge disadvantage compared to the galactic pioneers who already established a foundation in the new dwarf galaxy!
If what Calabast said was true, then Ves could still get ahead of the first-movers!
Of course, everything had a price. Joining an alliance meant committing to an old galaxy faction. Even if these alliances governed its members in a looser manner in order to adapt to frontier circumstances, there was no doubt that Ves and the Larkinson Clan would inevitably belong to an established camp!
Though Ves vastly preferred to remain uninvolved in these power struggles, it was very dangerous to remain independent.
It was fine for him to stick to his original course if he was by himself, but since he was responsible for leading the Larkinson Clan, he had to consider what was best for his fellow clansmen.
"Tell me more about these alliances." Ves looked up at Calabast. "If you are so eager to push me into one of them, then it would be helpful to understand my options."
"Good idea. Let's start with the Terran Alliance. As you can imagine, the alliance founded and led by the oldest human state is very strong. The Greater Terran United Confederation's heritage is unsurpassed, but so are their rules."
"Does that mean that anyone who enters this alliance basically has to bow down to Terrans unconditionally?"
She shook her head. "The stereotypes about Terrans don't entirely apply in this case. If what you said was the case, hardly any strong and highly capable pioneers will wish to join the Terran Alliance because they are also the most ambitious and headstrong. The Terrans are aware of this dynamic, and so have formed a looser regime."
"Oh? That sounds very uncharacteristic."
From what Ves knew about the Terrans, most of the power and wealth in the first-rate superstate fell into the hands of age-old ancient clans who had risen into power all the way back to the Age of Stars or earlier!
These ancient clans were not only incredibly old and powerful, but also incredibly savvy about maintaining their lead. Hardly any other clans were able to rise up in the Terran Confederation because the older ones selfishly occupied all of the resources!
"The ancient clans of Terra still hold a large amount of sway in the Terran Alliance. However, their power and reach are deliberately constrained in order to offer many galactic pioneers the chance to develop themselves."
"And these pioneers fall for this trick?"
"It's not a trick, Ves. The Terrans aren't entirely made up of fossilized relics. There are many Terrans in charge who hold different views, and they are expressly in charge."
"Even if that is the case, public opinion of the Terrans still isn't great. I really can't see why pioneers think the Terrans will treat them with sincerity when the ancient clans stop restraining themselves when it is no longer necessary."
The Terrans never changed the way they operated throughout their entire history. The corruption, decadence and inequality that had marred them in the past had never gone away.
The contemptuous way the ancient clans of Terra treated everyone else directly led to a great rebellion that saw a huge chunk of their territories splitting off to form the New Rubarth Empire!
It was only after the New Rubarth Empire rapidly rose to the point where they started to surpass the wounded Terran Confederation that the ancient clans finally started to get their act together.
Even then, the ancient clans only initiated the bare amount of reforms that only modestly increased the treatment of non-aristocrats!
"You aren't necessarily wrong. The Terran Alliance is always at risk of becoming subsumed by the ancient clans. The reason why a large amount of galactic pioneers applied to join despite this risk is the incredible reward the Terrans are offering."
"What are they promising?"
"It's called the Red Ocean Promise. Essentially, the Terran Alliance promises that in 100 years, it will elevate the five strongest members of the alliance into the ranks of the ancient clans!"
Ves looked shocked. "What?! That's impossible!"
She grinned. "It's true. These old fogies are very mindful of their credibility. The Terrans absolutely have to abide by the Red Ocean Promise or else every galactic pioneer will turn against them. This is not as big of a deal to the ancient clans as you think it is. First, the reason why they were very reluctant to share power before is that the prosperous territories in the Milky Way are already fixed. There is not enough territory to go around. Now that the Red Ocean has opened up, there is room for new ancient clans."
"What about the old ones? Are they just going to let the new upstarts monopolize all of the phasewater and other critical resources of the Red Ocean?"
"Of course not. The reason why the Terran Alliance promises to elevate just five new ancient clans is because that leaves plenty of territories to the older ancient clans."
Promising to promote just five alliance members was a very cutthroat method of attracting galactic pioneers.
For all of the bad reputation and criticism the ancient clans of Terra incurred, life was pretty good to those at the top! Reigning over prosperous territories and being able to afford the latest technology and pleasures in life was such an attractive lure that many pioneers would definitely vie for this quota!
However, with just five slots, a lot of other galactic pioneers
"What happens to the losers of this competition?" Ves asked.
"The new and old ancient clans will devour their territories and colonies. The 'losers' can choose to voluntarily become subordinate to an ancient clan or choose to evacuate their new lands and leave the Terran Alliance. I don't think the Terrans will accept any exceptions."
The Red Ocean Promise was a terrible scheme, but Ves also had to admit it was brilliant! The allure of becoming the head of an ancient clan was so great that many pioneers accepted the penalty for losing this competition!
This open and aboveboard scheme proved that the Terrans were still crafty enough to maintain their standing in human space!
"So, Ves." Calabast teasingly smiled at him. "Are you interested in vying for the Red Ocean Promise? The Larkinson Clan may be young and far behind the other competitors at the moment, but much can happen in a century. With your capabilities and the unique strengths of our clan, I believe there is a small but possible chance that we might succeed."
His expression did not reflect any enthusiasm. "I already told you that I have no intentions of settling down and founding my own state. Fixed territories are only shackles to me. All I care about is designing and selling mechs, and that has never changed. From what it sounds like, there is no place in the Terran Alliance for spaceborn clans. In 100 years, the only players left are the old and new ancient clans. Everyone else must surrender to them, which is unacceptable!"
He did not want to work hard to rise up in the Terran Alliance only to throw away much of what he worked for. Even if he could part from the Terrans with amiable terms, it was very difficult to cast off the Terran stain from the Larkinson Clan!
"I think you are being too stubborn about your aversion to colonization. The opening of the Red Ocean is one of the best opportunities to found and lead your own state from the ground up." Calabast frowned.
The two argued a bit about this topic, but Ves remained stubborn. Where everyone saw endless power and wealth, he only saw greater burdens!
The responsibility of leading a modest-sized spaceborn clan already weighed heavily on his shoulders. He did not wish to let this meaningless game distract him from becoming a greater mech designer.
Becoming a Star Designer was a much greater achievement than ruling over his own first-rate state!
"A shame." Calabast eventually sighed. "There are more people in the Larkinson Clan who harbor the same hopes. Most of our members aren't looking forward to leading a nomadic life space for the rest of their lives. To live on open soil, build their own homes and be part of a vibrant community is a very strong human desire."
"That will change in time." Ves smirked and clasped his hands. "We are all new at this. I'm sure that once a few generations pass, everyone will get used to life in space. For now, we are only held back by our inexperience and our shabby ships. Once we get our factory ship and other fantastic vessels, we can finally enjoy enough room and facilities to make ourselves at home in space."
This was one of the biggest reasons why luxurious ark ships existed despite their great expense and marginal utility. They were the closest thing to floating cities or moving space stations.
The open parks, vast spaces, simulated horizons and other wasteful accommodations all gave humans the perfect living environment outside a planet.
If Ves wanted to make his fellow Larkinsons stop yearning about living on a planet like a bunch of primitives, then he needed to get his hands on an ark ship large enough to accommodate the entire clan when they were off-duty.
The bigger the ark ship, the better!
This was not something that Ves could obtain rashly, even with his current financial strength. He also had to prioritize the acquisition of other capital ships such as a strong fleet carrier. Expanding the clan's military and industrial power came first. Only after the Larkinsons met its fundamental survival needs would Ves be able to bring up the topic of acquiring an ark ship.
"So in conclusion, you are not considering the Terran Alliance?"
"Hell no." He snorted. "I don't want to turn myself into a puppet that dances to the tune of ancient clans. My reasons for entering the Red Ocean are entirely different!"
For now, Ves ruled out the option of applying to become a member of the Terran Alliance. The Red Ocean Promise was just a giant trap in his eyes!
Chapter 2208 Rising Empire
The Greater Terran United Confederation may be an old and decrepit power to many people, but it had withstood the test of time.
With the opening of the Red Ocean, the Terrans would never be foolish enough to alienate all of the galactic pioneers that ran wild in the dwarf galaxy.
Unlike back at home, the Terrans did not possess an overwhelming lead this time. The Terrans, Rubarthans and every other power from the old galaxy had to start from the beginning!
This meant that none of them could act as domineeringly as they did back home because they simply didn't have enough strength to back up their demands.
The separation of several hundred-thousand light-years was unsurpassable in ordinary times. The beyonder gates remained the only channel for the old power to extend their reach into the Red Ocean, but only barely.
The gates fell into the hands of the Big Two, and they made sure to make it as difficult as possible for the Terrans and Rubarthans to dispatch an enormous amount of troops in the Red Ocean.
The first-rate superstates weren't meant to divide the Red Ocean between themselves!
Due to the inability to dispatch sufficient combat forces to impose their will on the Red Ocean, the Terrans and Rubarthans had to take a step back and leverage the strength of other pioneers.
Hence the reason why they bothered with putting up a friendly face in order to attract pioneers to join their respective alliances.
Even though the Terrans couldn't help themselves from exposing their rotten behavior, they were at least cunning enough to do it in a way that would attract many ambitious pioneers.
Joining the ranks of the ancient clans of Terra that had long led one of the most prosperous states of humanity was an irresistible temptation!
Very rarely did newer ancient clans rise up. Otherwise they wouldn't have been called 'ancient'. The existing ones were simply too strong to budge from their rock-hard positions.
Only rarely did an excessive amount of decadence, infighting and incompetence open up an opportunity for a smaller Terran faction to rise up and topple the weakened ancient clan!
Yet the amount of times this happened was very small! In fact, it hadn't happened once during the Age of Mechs!
In the end, the great stability and continuity of the ancient clans of Terra reflected both their strength and wisdom.
"How do the Rubarthans measure up, then?" Ves asked, curious of how the rising power responded to the antics of their greatest rival.
Calabast reached out with her hand, luring Lucky away from Ves. She caressed the gem cat.
"Meow~"
Lucky was acting all cute under the attention of a women's caress!
"The Rubarthans are much more straightforward. They haven't released anything convoluted like the Red Ocean Promise. The Rubarth Pact they set up is simply a defensive association at heart. Anyone who signs up to the Pact will receive a measure of protection from the Rubarthans. Members are free to choose what they want to do next."
"It's that simple?" Ves raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not. The New Rubarth Empire values strength, ability and ambition. The Rubarth Pact is a bit hollow for now, but there are already signs that greater possibilities are in store. One of them would be to cooperate with one of the Rubarthan princes."
The Imperial Household of the New Rubarth Empire was immense. The Star Emperor held absolute power and his will reigned supreme.
At least that was supposed to be the case.
In practice, the New Rubarth Empire was so huge that it was not very realistic for a centralized government to control every aspect.
One of the ways the Rubarthans split everything up was to divide territories and responsibilities to one of the many descendants of the Star Emperor.
The current Star Emperor was 'merely' 300 years old, which was very young in the highest echelons of power. Many of the humans who collectively ruled over human civilization were actually remnants from the Age of Conquest!
The horrors they lived through and the lessons they learned from those dark days still affected the way that human space was being run to this day!
Anyway, the Star Emperor was a vigorous ruler who spawned a lot of children. How many of them existed, no one knew, but it was well-known that the figure definitely surpassed a thousand!
If those Rubarthan princes ever grew up and established their footing in the Empire, they eventually became worthy enough to set up their own principality.
A Rubarthan principality was merely an administrative division where a Rubarthan prince held greater sway over a territory within the Empire. However, this meant that the Rubarthan princes obtained real power!
Now, according to Calabast, some of those Rubarthan princes had come up with the bold idea to erect some new principalities within the Red Ocean!
"What makes this different from the Terrans?" Ves grew confused.
Those Terran principalities were easily comparable to the ancient clans of Terra!
Calabast smiled. "Ah, the Rubarthans hate it when they are compared to the Terrans. They explicitly do things differently. You have to remember that the New Rubarth Empire is a lot more centralized than the Terran Confederation. Unlike the latter where the ancient clans are roughly on par with each other, the former is led by a single central authority, the Star Emperor and the Imperial Household. The Rubarthan principalities cannot grow strong enough to challenge the Star Emperor's authority."
"Then what are these princes doing in the Red Ocean in the first place?"
She shrugged. "They are also extensions of the Imperial Household. Even when they are constrained, their wealth and power is unmatched by every other Rubarthan faction. They offer the most opportunities to galactic pioneers who are willing to work for them. Galactic pioneers can choose to align themselves to a Rubarthan principality or to pledge to them. The latter is permanent, but the former is more of a mercenary relationship."
Though Ves felt somewhat wary towards these mighty Rubarthan principalities, they didn't sound as tyrannical as the ancient clans.
He did not reject the option of joining the Rubarth Pact and establishing a cooperative relationship with a Rubarthan principality. In exchange for doing some chores, the Larkinson Clan would enjoy strong protection!
However, it couldn't be that simple. "What's the catch?"
"Well, obviously, pledging to a Rubarthan prince means becoming his vassal, which I don't believe you are interested in. If you choose to align to a Rubarthan prince, then you will still be able to gain a lot of benefits. Aside from turning you into an enemy of the Terrans, you will also be pulled into the power struggle between princes. While they aren't always violent, you will definitely experience suppression from those who are aligned with other princes!"
"No thanks, then. I can't care less about those princes!" Ves shook his head. "What about remaining neutral."
"Then you're still okay, of sorts. You will miss out on the fantastic rewards and support provided by the Rubarthan factions, but you will at least be accepted by everyone in the Pact. The Rubartans have left plenty of room for independent development, and that has attracted the appreciation of many galactic pioneers."
"Oh? No tricks?"
"Not as far as I know." Calabast looked confident. "The Rubarthan style is very different from the Terran style. The New Rubarth Empire is a meritocracy to some extent. While it isn't a perfect society where anyone capable has the chance to rise to the top, the social structure is not as rigid as that of the Terran Confederation. This is by design. Therefore, in the Rubarth Pact, every member has the chance to develop as they wish. As long as they are capable, they can grow however they wish!"
No coercion. No promises. Ves liked their style. If everything that Calabast said was true, then Ves did not mind so much if he and his clan sheltered under the umbrella of the Rubarthans.
There was another reason why Ves regarded the Rubarthan with some favor.
"The Larkinsons are descended from Rubarthans." He noted. "Many Brighters are, though they come from a faction that is at odds with Rubarthan culture."
Of course, it was unrealistic for the Larkinsons and the descendants for anyone who left the New Rubarth Empire to crawl back to the first-rate superstate and be recognized as one of its subjects.
Officially speaking, Ves was not a first-class citizen and certainly not a Rubarthan. Trying to rely on his ancient blood ties to the Empire to get into the good graces of the Rubarthans was impossible!
Therefore, it was really pointless to think about it. Ves and the Larkinson Clan had to approach the Rubarth Pact as complete outsiders, and lessers at that since they emerged from the galactic rim.
Calabast looked hopeful at Ves. "The New Rubarth Empire is still considered as a rising power in the Age of Mechs. However, the lack of a great motivator such as the Red Ocean Promise means that the galactic pioneers who join the Rubarth Pact are generally inconsistent. Many weak and middling pioneers who just want to enjoy the protection of a first-rate superstate have joined the Pact without really harboring greater ambitions. I'm sure the Rubarthans have a plan to increase the unity of its Pact, but that might take some time."
This stood in contrast to the Terran Alliance, which most assuredly attracted the strongest and most ambitious galactic pioneers. This meant that the average strength of each pioneer was definitely considerable, or else there was hardly any reason to join the alliance!
However, since Ves did not really harbor any great ambitions in this area, he did not mind becoming one of the Pact's middling members. If he truly needed some shelter and as long as the Rubarthans didn't push him around, it might not be a bad idea to accept this option.
This was not his only viable choice, however.
"There's a third alliance as well, I believe."
Calabast nodded. "The Red Ocean Union is still very new and much of its structure still needs to be worked out. On the surface, it was set up by many first-rate states in order to present a united front against the first-rate superstates. Collectively, this means quite a bit, but because these first-rate states are so scattered, it's hard to implement a single regime."
"If that's the case, doesn't that mean this so-called Red Ocean Union is nothing but a paper organization?"
"That is what it looks like for now, but if you believe that the Big Two are secretly offering their support, then I'm certain that the Red Ocean Union will become a force to be reckoned with in a couple of years."
Even if that was so, the fact of the matter remained that the Red Ocean Union didn't appear to have anyone strong enough to govern it properly.
Ves initially held high hopes for this so-called Red Ocean Union, but in the end it turned out to be a pile of loose sand.
Then again, who knew what the Big Two would do to support the Union. The Red Ocean Union might look completely different in ten years!
Since the Union wasn't properly set up yet, Calabast did not mention anything important.
"That's all for the three major alliances of the Nyxian Gap." She said and began to push herself off the desk. "You can read the remainder on the galactic net. Just remember that you can start on developing your clan early in order to gain a head-start in joining one of them. For example, if you have the ambition of adding your Larkinson Clan to the Terran Confederation, then it would help if you implement some of the policies and customs that are prevalent among the existing ancient clans."
"Please don't joke, Calabast."
"The same goes if you want to become a member of the Rubarth Pact. In fact, the culture and the policies of the Larkinson Clan already match the Rubarthan standard to a greater degree. If you implement just a few more key adjustments, I think our clan will definitely enjoy a lot of favor from the Rubarthans!"
She.. was right.
Chapter 2209 Discount Rubarthans
Long after Calabast left his office, Ves remained introspective.
"Meow?"
Lucky crawled upon his shoulder and poked his smooth-shaven cheek that was as soft as a baby's bottom.
Ves reached out with his hand and pushed his cat away.
"Do you think we've become Rubarthans without realizing it? If someone from the outside looks at how we run the clan, then there's at least a 60 percent resemblance to a Rubarthan equivalent!"
His cat tilted his head.
"Meow."
"Don't underestimate this degree of similarity! It only takes a few more rule changes and cultural shifts to bump that up to 80 percent!"
If the Larkinson Clan reached that point, then it would pretty much become a discount Rubarthan organization.
The only reason why Ves couldn't push his clan even closer to the Rubarthan standard was because he lacked the amazing amount of wealth, tech and resources to implement the most extravagant policies.
Even so, it was already pretty good to be able to fit in with one of the greatest human states to such an extent!
The New Rubarth Empire emerged as an explicit rejection of Terran philosophy. Its ideology had spread throughout human space for a very good reason. Its pursuit of meritocracy, its worship for actual strength and its rejection of inherited authority had allowed the Rubarthans to quickly catch up and slightly overtake their former overlords.
With such a stellar example of what their ideology was capable of, many other states throughout the galaxy copied the Rubarthans to a varying extent and mostly became stronger due to these reasons!
Even all the way at the border of human space, both the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom avidly adopted the Societal Revival Theory. Whether purposefully or not, both states warred against each other every generation with the expectation of conditioning and strengthening their fighting forces.
Yet the Rubarthan philosophy also had its downsides!
The central premise of this thought was that people were surrounded by enemies and needed to become strong enough to deal with them. Those who adhered to this philosophy had to be prepared to pay a heavy price in order to survive in a hostile galaxy.
"The cruel price is often paid with human lives." Ves muttered.
Wasn't that what he was doing as well right now? In his personal pursuit of strength, he did not hesitate to drag his fellow clansmen into the Nyxian Gap in order to bloody them and refine them into crack troops.
Just because no one died so far did not mean that Task Force Predator would be able to escape the Gap unscatched. Now that they had entered Maynard Fields, the Black Cats had already identified many pirate organizations in this zone that could easily give his forces a run for their money.
The fact that Ves did not feel bothered about the possibility of suffering a substantial amount of losses meant that his personal philosophy had already shifted in this direction.
He felt rather mixed about that. On one hand, the New Rubarth Empire was a role model to many humans in the galaxy.
On the other hand, he did not identify himself as a Rubarthan. He was a Larkinson, and the clan he built and shaped was supposed to develop its own identity.
The fact that the clan unintentionally imitated the Rubarthans to a very strong degree was a bit unfortunate.
"This is going to be problematic." Ves frowned and bent his head in thought.
Out in the Komodo Star Sector and the galactic rim, there was no need to pay much attention to this resemblance. The Larkinson Clan was situated so far away from the galactic heartland and galactic center that no one would tie the Larkinsons to the Rubarthans.
They were just too far away!
Yet once he entered the much smaller Red Ocean and mixed up with many powers with connections to the first-rate superstates, this resemblance would definitely affect the Larkinson Clan's treatment!
Even if the Larkinson Clan tried to remain unaligned or joined the neutral Red Ocean Union, others would still suspect that the clan was in the camp of the Rubarthans!
"This is a huge issue." He concluded.
If he did not want his clan to get entangled with the Rubarthans, then he needed to change the culture and policies of his clan.
Yet that was unacceptable to Ves. The values and principles that underpinned the clan was the source of its strength. Ves had grown up with some of these ideals, and acquired the rest through his experiences in his life.
He believed it was absolutely necessary for the Larkinson Clan to hold on to its current philosophy!
That left him stuck. If he was unwilling to change his clan, then did that mean it was stuck with its Rubarthan association?
He frowned. Calabast likely brought up the issue of alliances in the Red Ocean because she must have recognized this latent problem beforehand.
If Ves and the Larkinson Clan naively entered the Red Ocean while remaining unaware of this issue, then they would likely get into a lot of trouble!
Hearing about the complex political considerations in the Nyxian Gap made him feel as if this shark pool was much more dangerous than he thought.
As a response, he developed a faint yearning to acquire a qualified diplomat. As long as he hired or partnered up with someone who could navigate the various interests off the Big Two, the first-rate superstates, the alliances carving the Red Ocean and the pioneers following their ambitions, then Ves did not have to worry about leading his clan into a dead end.
"It's stupid to remain independent." He sighed in resignation. "Without the protection of an alliance, the Terrans or the Rubarthans can easily use their overwhelming might to squash my clan like a bug. There is no way we can resist their might."
Joining the Rubarth Pact sounded like a great way to gain solid protection. Yet the price of doing so was great. By aligning his clan to the Rubarthans, Ves could basically forget about doing business with the Terrans and their allies ever again.
As a mech designer, Ves really did not wish to exclude any customers. He already knew how awful it was to get blocked from a huge portion of the market when the LMC's products were pulled from the shelves in every Coalition-aligned space.
Therefore, Ves would much rather join the Red Ocean Union even if it sounded a bit weak and scattered.
Yet perhaps it was too late. Ves could already predict that if the Larkinson Clan in its current incarnation entered the Red Ocean, every outsider would treat them as Rubarthan vassals.
"This is too frustrating!"
Diplomacy was not the Larkinson Clan's strong suit. In fact, none of his clansmen possessed any meaningful experience in it! Though Ves could instruct the clan to recruit capable diplomats, he wasn't sure whether that was enough.
He resolved to keep an eye out for any notable diplomats in his travels. Anyone who was competent enough to navigate the complex relations of the Red Ocean and could turn enemies into friends was worth befriending!
That was something to consider for later. For now, he had enough issues on his plate.
As Ves resumed his design work, several days passed as the fleet quietly traversed through Maynard Fields.
Though the forward scouts dispatched by the Flagrant Vandals and other forces found sporadic traces of battles and pirate activity, the task force hadn't encountered any actual pirates.
The population density of the various zones of the Nyxian Gap wasn't all that high. Weeks might go by for someone to encounter a pirate group. If this wasn't the case, the Peacekeeper outfits would never dare to venture too deep!
It was just that the Larkinson Clan actively traveled to the coordinates to as many pirate groups along the way as possible. Now that the task force stopped seeking out enemies on its own accord, Ves felt unaccustomed to spending so many days in peace.
Fortunately, he did not spend all of that time in vain. The tranquil days allowed him to focus fully on his mech design projects.
All four minor projects chugged along very nicely. The attentive supervision from Ves and Gloriana helped them remain on track and prevented any of the assistant mech designers from getting stuck too long.
Of the four minor projects, the Crystal Lord Mark II and Sanctuary Projects achieved the greatest progress. The former used the original Crystal Lord as a template so the Mark II version was actually more like developing an upgrade variant than designing something completely novel.
Still, the project generated a considerable amount of consternation to Ves. The original Crystal Lord design was one of his babies, and he wanted the second edition to stay true to its roots.
This meant that Ves had to find a way to preserve the alien character of the original design. Its design spirit, the Crystal Leader, was a barely sentient empowered spiritual fragment that wasn't all that strong.
Yet Ves never thought about replacing it. This was disrespectful to life.
Some people treated their wives as clothes and did not hesitate to change to better ones as they grew wealthier or more successful.
Not Ves. Even if he lamented the Crystal Leader's weak foundation, it was not as if there were ways to resolve this problem.
For example, Ves was pretty sure that he could empower the ancient and almost-forgotten spiritual fragment if he was willing to expend some of the life-attributed energy derived from a drop of serum.
Yet was it worth it for Ves to expend such an extremely precious resource just to empower a low-value design spirit?
From a cost-benefit perspective, it made a lot more sense for Ves to break up the Crystal Leader spiritual fragment, blend in some ingredients that weren't too costly, and form a completely new spiritual product that was at least an order of magnitude stronger and possessed much better growth prospects!
Whenever he considered this option, he felt disgusted by it. Ves truly cherished his design spirits, at least the ones he had friendly relations with, and he believed it was wrong for him to treat them as replaceable commodities or pieces of equipment.
Therefore, even if he had to pay a greater price, Ves felt more and more inclined to nurture the Crystal Leader and all of his older design spirits.
One consideration that justified this choice was that spiritual entities grew in strength and sophistication over time. Replacing an outdated design spirit with a newer one meant throwing away all of that accumulation.
Perhaps the difference wasn't so big in just five to ten years, but when a design spirit continually performed the same duties for 50 years or longer, they might have achieved a qualitative improvement that could not be matched by any newborn spiritual product!
A rueful smile appeared on his face. "Isn't the Ouroboros a great example?"
Even though the circumstances wasn't entirely the same as the Ouroboros was a physical mech as opposed to an intangible mech design, the principles shouldn't be too different.
Life accumulated strength through the passage of time!
Therefore, even if the Crystal Leader wasn't particularly impressive, its unique origins and history might produce something completely unsurpassed in the distant future!
When Ves settled on keeping and investing in the Crystal Leader, he knew that he had to retain the alien character of the Crystal Lord line. No matter if it was the Mark II or the Mark XII version of the mech, its design had to incorporate a significant amount of alien tech in order to stay true to its nature.
Ves encountered another problem at this junction. With the original crystal builder technology losing its competitive advantage in the current generation, how could he possibly meet this demand?
It wasn't as if Ves could randomly approach one of the many asteroids floating in the Nyxian Gap, trigger some sort of hidden alien teleportation device, and be ported over to the ruins of another long-dead crystal-using civilization!
"Maybe there is another way to get my hands on what I need." He muttered.
Chapter 2210 Alien Tech
Human technology reached an extremely high level. Thousands of years of research and development had elevated the human race's mastery of various fields of science and engineering to an astounding level!
As far as Ves was aware of, no alien race in the galaxy could surpass the modern human race when it came to the breadth and depth of technological development.
However, it was no secret that most of humanity's technological gizmos traced their roots back to alien tech.
Simply put, humanity did not invent all of the tech from scratch. They stole it from aliens and adapted the tech for their own purposes!
The FTL drive that served as the most commonly-used means of traversing the stars was the most iconic example!
None of the powers hid these truths. Perhaps some might find shame that their race had plundered a lot of tech rather than develop them on their own, but human civilization probably wouldn't have dominated the Milky Way if it tried to keep itself pure.
These days, much of alien-derived tech had been fully mastered by human scientists. Some, like FTL drive tech, still had traces of alien influence, while others, for example antigrav tech, had progressed so far that they became unrecognizable by their original alien developers!
In general, human civilization tried their best to convert alien tech into human tech. A lot of inventive alien races developed very strange scientific principles that were very difficult for humans to understand even after several centuries spent on deciphering them. While the effects of their tech might sometimes be great, humans preferred to work with something under their control.
Therefore, the use of alien technology was heavily discouraged in human civilization.
This was part of a deliberate cultural policy to keep human space as human as possible.
Even though their race had conquered a lot of alien territory during the Age of Conquest, almost no trace of alien buildings, monuments and other visible traces remained.
This was on purpose as the human conquerors wanted to retain their human ways as much as possible. Each visible alien influence risked contaminating human culture, thereby making some people more sympathetic or aligned towards the aliens that were still their enemies!
It was very understandable to go to such great lengths to wipe out every trace of alien heritage in human space regardless of their priceless historical and cultural value.
From the lens of institutional isomorphism, making human society as human as possible strengthened their race's own belief in itself! It also made it easier to keep humans as vigilant and hostile towards aliens, as familiarity often tended breed complacency.
Therefore, with regards to alien technology, it was quite an unwise marketing decision to design a mech with alien influences.
"This is the other reason my Crystal Lord never sold that well."
Its alien appearance with its weird hole-filled head along with its alien crystals turned the mech into something of an oddball. Even if its overall performance and features were quite nice for a premium rifleman mech, the fact that it did not conform entirely to market tastes would inevitably limit its appeal.
"So what?" Ves confidently smiled. "A good mech will sell regardless of how ugly it looks. As long as the Crystal Lord Mark II can provide the same degree of value as a Desolate Soldier or a Doom Guard, it can definitely attract plenty of demand!"
Now that the LMC's mech catalog features some big sellers, Ves faced much less pressure to design a guaranteed best-seller.
It also helped that the LMC expanded its design capacity to six concurrent design projects. This provided Ves with a lot of leeway as his mech company did not have to allocate all of its activities to developing future cash cows.
Out of the six projects in the pipeline right now, Ferocious Piranha and the Sanctuary Projects ought to cover the LMC's commercial needs. It was important to keep the company's mech catalog fresh and to show continued signs of life. Otherwise, the market would begin to wonder whether the LMC had declined like last time.
Once he recognized that he didn't have to treat the Crystal Lord Mark II design as a purely commercial project, Ves felt liberated. If he was allowed to pursue his desired vision for this mech, he was certain he could turn it into a great mech in its own way!
He just had to get his hands on some good alien tech that could build on the crystal tech he used in the Mark I version of the Crystal Lord.
"This is a bit difficult." He frowned.
It wasn't as if he could find such sophisticated knowledge and technical specifications by trawling through the galactic net. He needed to approach someone.
One option would be for him to inquire with treasure hunters. However, there was no telling who got their hands on alien tech or not without insider knowledge or access to a black market or something.
The other option would be to knock on the doors of the MTA. The amount of alien tech the Association accumulated over its entire history was definitely massive! There was bound to be some strange crystal-based tech in its archives.
Ves hesitated for a moment. Instead of making a choice, he began to concentrate his mind in order to make contact with the Crystal Lord's design spirit.
The Crystal Leader had come a long way since its formation a year ago. Though its spiritual strength hadn't grown much stronger, the salvaged remnant that barely possessed any thoughts of its own had grown considerably more sophisticated.
Though it was not as lively as Qilanxo or Prophet Ylvaine, the former crystal golem had connected with tens of thousands of mech pilots over the years.
All of the spiritual feedback of humans filled up the gaps in the spiritual entity and turned it a little more human.
In a sense, Ves could already describe the Crystal Leader as a hybrid between a human and a crystal builder alien!
"This just happens to match the Crystal Lord concept even better!"
Ves became more committed to this course of action. Regardless of how awkward it was for him to approach the MTA with his request, he decided to go through with his plan!
He left his stateroom and entered the isolated chamber which held the Darkbreak module. After turning it online, he began to make a call towards the MTA.
He half-hoped the other end of the line connected to the Association's department that handled technology and licencing requests.
Unfortunately for him, the physical projection of a familiar woman appeared.
"Mr. Larkinson, what brings you here today?" Master Willix greeted with some familiarly.
Ves tried to maintain his composure. Though he feared this might happen, he estimated that there was already a 90 percent chance that she would appear.
This sticky MTA Master Mech Designer had shown up too much for him to believe that her visits would stop anytime soon!
Since he was already mentally-prepared for her appearance, he quickly managed to suppress his discomfort.
"I have a request." He stated.
He proceeded to summarize his current intentions and problems. He emphasized the importance of the Crystal Lord design in his heart and inquired whether the MTA was familiar with the crystal builder race whose tech still powered the original version of his rifleman mech.
"Hmm.." Master Willix looked serious. "This is not a straightforward request. Normally, we don't release alien tech of any kind to mech designers or the public. The only companies that are eligible to work with alien tech are research institutions and development companies that are capable of using it to fuel the research of human tech."
"Is there no means to get the alien crystal tech that I want, ma'am?"
"Not quite. I haven't finished yet, Mr. Larkinson. While it is usually not done, I have the authority to release the tech you want." She looked around a bit to make sure the chamber was devoid of other people. "Since we are speaking over a private MTA network at the moment, I can reveal something that you normally aren't supposed to know. Some of the alien technology our Association hoards isn't left alone. Some of them work on such amazing principles that we still can't replicate these applications with purely human technology."
Ves widened his eyes. "Does that mean the Association is still researching them, Master?!"
"In a sense. Not all alien tech is worthy of further research. One of the goals of studying them and deciphering them is to understand how they work so that they are replicable. In the course of this research, sometimes we manage to achieve greater effects. This isn't difficult to accomplish when we blend human innovation in native alien tech."
"Does that mean that some research has been performed on alien crystal tech?"
Willix smiled. "I am familiar with your Crystal Lord design. The implementation of alien crystal technology within the frame and rifle of the mech are inspiring design choices. In truth, the race that was originally invented is already known by our Association. While I am not allowed to say much about them, they were actually quite impressive in their own way. Eons in the past, this small, diminutive race of aliens rose up with their excellent affinity and mastery of crystals, electro-magnetic radiation and even more unusual applications."
The ruin that Ves once found in the heartland of the Bright Republic all those years ago was not an outlier!
The crystal builder race used to be present in many more star systems!
"Then.."
"The methods and scientific principles employed by the luminar race are somewhat strange and difficult to grasp." Willix said. "The research group that is in charge of exploring the technological advancements of the luminars have only deciphered a fraction of how the distinctive alien runic programming works, but the researchers have already made some modest gains. In my judgement, these gains should be sufficient to provide you with what you desire for your second edition of the Crystal Lord design."
So the MTA already labeled the crystal builders as the luminar race! Ves had to admit that was a much more elegant-sounding name for these manipulators of crystals and light.
Ves gulped. "Can.. can I obtain this tech?"
Master Willix smiled in a slightly intriguing manner. "As I have stated earlier, your current status and accomplishments does not allow you to access these sensitive files. However, in light of your development and accomplishments I am inclined to make an exception for you. The fact that you have contributed materially to defend humanity against the sandman race proves that you are not an alien sympathizer, so it is doubtful that you are unduly obsessed with the extinct luminar race."
With all of the negotiations he went through in his life, how could Ves not recognize that Master Willix wanted to obtain something valuable in exchange.
If she asked him on how to teach her to add spirituality to a mech design, then she could just forget about it! There was no way that Ves would do something so stupid. It wasn't worth it to hand over one of his precious trade secrets in exchange for a marginal improvement of one of his lesser mech designs!
Perhaps she saw that Ves did not feel comfortable about the trade. She made a surprisingly simple request.
"When Mr. Armalon and I last visited you, we couldn't help but notice the ubiquity of the glows of your product. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised but a bit puzzled that you have managed to attach your glows to a statue rather than a mech."
"The statue is the source of the glow, Master." Ves commented without saying anything more.
"Is it possible for you to imbue your glows to multiple fixed objects?" She asked. "Our Association possessed a considerable interest in these glow-empowered items of yours. We are already aware of the so-called loyalty medallions that are proliferating through the branches of the LMC. They are quite compact for what they are capable of. If you do not mind, we would like to obtain these.."
"Totems. I call them totems."
"That is a very apt if controversial name for them. If you can provide our Association with a totem of every glow you have made, then I will authorize you to access some of our research in the relevant luminar race tech. Do you find this trade agreeable?"
The MTA wanted Ves to provide them with a totem for every glow he made? What the hell did they want to do with them!? Wasn't it enough to acquire some of his mechs?!
Chapter 2211 MTA Research
Totems were associated with savage, primitive religions in humanity's ancient past.
Some alien races also developed religious worship into some kind of spirit or god that was represented by some sort of decorated object.
Of course, these days totems were regarded as products of superstition in much of the galaxy. Only a few religions utilized them in their rituals.
Frankly speaking, a highly secularist organization like the MTA should have no business with totems. Ves doubted Master Willix was interested in them because she wanted to worship any proto-gods.
Considering the MTA insatiable hunger for knowledge, Master Willix and her fellow colleagues would definitely research them as much as possible!
Ves felt rather chilly at this prospect. How much would Master Willix be able to decipher from the glow of a totem?
Perhaps the only reason why he didn't panic any further was because he couldn't really stop the MTA from poking its nose in his business anyway.
If they wanted to study an LMC mech in great detail, they could just purchase a bunch of copies and subject them to all sorts of examinations.
The MTA archived most of the design files and schematics of the LMC's commercial mech designs. Many of the notes that Ves had left behind possessed hints towards the mech's interactions with an unknown entity.
The fact of the matter was that the MTA could already get its hands on a bunch of applications of his design philosophy.
Crafting a bunch of totems for the MTA did not sound like a big deal if that was the case. It was not as if the glows attached to totems were different from the glows attached to mechs.
If the MTA truly wouldn't get much useful out of researching his totems, then Ves did not mind accepting the trade.
Ves did not immediately accept, though. He frowned as a couple of concerns weighed him down.
First, the MTA's research capabilities were very formidable. They were also aware of spirituality in the form of psionic power and probably developed their own understanding of this phenomenon.
This made it dangerous for Ves to underestimate the Association's research prowess.
Second, the wording used by Master Willix made it clear that the MTA only authorized him to access some of its research on luminar tech. How much would he obtain? Would it be enough to achieve a substantial performance boost with the Crystal Lord Mark II? How practical would it be to implement this tech?
"What exactly will I be able to work with?" Ves asked the physical projection. "Your description of your offer sounds rather vague. I don't have enough information to determine whether I can obtain what I need."
Master Willix activated another projection that depicted a lab test. "You can see for yourself. This is some of the gains that one of our research groups have made over the last two decades."
The second projection depicted a completely empty white room. A standardized dummy mech built to average third-class specifications rested at one end of the testing chamber. A mech-sized laser rifle apparatus was affixed at the other end of the testing chamber.
A lot of numbers and labels scrolled through the view. Ves only partially deciphered the technical readouts.
Eventually, the rifle fired a powerful laser beam that instantly hit the dummy mech!
Ves estimated the energy level of the laser beam and the damage it was supposed to inflict. If his read on the situation was correct, then the concentrated laser beam should have penetrated halfway through the frontal armor of the dummy mech.
His eyes widened as the area struck by the rifle looked a lot more damaged than he thought!
After performing some rapid mental calculations with the help of his implant, he estimated that the damage of the laser beam was actually thirty percent more potent!
"How is this possible?!"
"More efficient energy conversion, mostly." Willix answered. "Compared to comparable commercial laser rifle models, the rifle in this demonstration is capable of converting much more electrical energy into useful damage output. Less energy is wasted in the form of heat, which has the added side effect of considerably decreasing the heat generation of the weapon."
While this effect was also present in the original Crystal Lord design, it wasn't as drastic as the MTA's demonstration!
A thirty percent boost in efficiency over modern, new generation laser rifles was huge! As long as the cost of this crystal laser rifle wasn't too excessive, it would definitely be able to empower the Crystal Lord Mark II to a considerable height!
Seeing that the lab test of the crystal laser rifle made a powerful impression on Ves, Master Willix switched to another piece of footage.
"The luminar race not only excels at outputting energy damage, but is also proficient in defending against it, as you surely already know."
The same crystal laser rifle as before now pointed its muzzle at a large crystal block. Ves could faintly recognize the odd alien circuits formed inside the crystal block through unknown means.
When the laser rifle fired a beam that was exactly as powerful as the one in the previous lab test, the block absorbed the laser beam without any issue!
Hardly any heat got released. The large crystal block perfectly absorbed the entire laser beam without any complications!
While Ves was already familiar with this phenomena, the laser rifle wasn't done yet. It continued to fire laser beam after laser beam at the same block.
THe large crystal continued to accumulate energy as a result. It began to glow brighter and brighter in white. When the laser rifle stopped firing, the crystal block suddenly released all of the captured energy at once in the form of a magnificent white light beam!
The beam struck another target placed in the chamber, causing it to sustain a devastating amount of damage!
Though the original Crystal Lord was capable of performing the same feat with its central crystal, the capacity and damage output of the crystal block vastly exceeded what his old mech design was capable of. Not even his gold label Crystal Lords could release such a powerful beam!
In fact, even accounting for the increased mass and volume of the crystal block, its devastating counterattack already surpassed the threshold of third-class mechs!
"This.." His breath shivered. "Was this attack strong enough to threaten a second-class mech?"
Willix nodded, thereby confirming his radical guess! "The luminar crystals possess very interesting properties that allow them to function as great counters to many pure energy attacks. The crystals are highly effective at storing electromagnetic radiation and to a lesser extent thermal energy. The energy is then repurposed and homogenized in a form that allows the crystal to discharge the energy at once as a coherent attack.
Ves became incredibly excited by what he saw! This tech had the potential to elevate the Crystal Lord Mark II into a true beast on land! The meager applications that Ves came up with on his own paled in comparison to what the MTA accomplished after performing dedicated study into crystal builder technology!
Though Ves had become incredibly dazzled at what he saw, he knew he couldn't allow himself to get too hyped by the potential benefits.
There had to be a catch!
"This is.. very impressive." he said. "I'm concerned about their cost, though. Will implementing these luminar crystals in my mechs double their price? If that is the case, then it is very hard to justify their implementation into my Mark II design."
Master Willix faintly shook her head. "I have already taken your circumstances into account. The demonstrations that you have seen today will not unduly add to the cost of the mech. The luminar crystals will only add around 300,000 hex credits or so to the production cost of your mechs. The real challenge is producing them. Very advanced production equipment is required to synthesize these crystals."
Ves narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What kind of equipment do I need?"
"They are out of reach."
"If that's the case, then how can I possibly produce these powerful crystals?"
"We can come to an arrangement. Every MTA branch that has reached a certain scale can synthesize these crystals and supply them to the LMC or any of the third-party manufacturers that produce your Crystal Lord. You only need to pay the requisite costs to the branches."
This condition made Ves lose the wonder he gained from witnessing the impressive lab tests. This arrangement made the LMC too dependent on the MTA for the supply of luminar crystals.
Ves figured that they must have figured out a way to create the crystal cube that 'activated' luminar crystals. Perhaps they even developed a better version of the crystal cube that Ves still stored in his vault!
Though he resented the arrangement proposed by Master Willix, he already understood that he wouldn't be allowed to produce the luminar crystals themselves.
Once the production methods leaked, alien crystals filled with inscrutable alien runes and circuitry would probably show up everywhere in the galaxy! The MTA already bent its rules by a considerable degree by allowing Ves to play around with them in his new Crystal Lord Mark II design!
If Ves and Gloriana hadn't continually impressed the MTA with successive accomplishments, there was no way that Master Willix was willing to accommodate his request to this degree!
This only made him feel more worried about the price she demanded. For some reason, Master Willix and the MTA really wanted to get their hands on his totems!
At least Ves possessed some very desirable bargaining chips. Since Master Willix valued them so much, he was curious whether he could milk the MTA further.
"The way you speak about luminar crystal technology suggests that the researchers working on it have probably developed more applications, right?"
"You are correct. Don't think about obtaining anything more, Mr. Larkinson. Your Crystal Lord Mark II doesn't require additional features."
"What about scaling up the luminar crystals so they become capable of empowering second-class mechs?"
This time, Master Willix chuckled a bit. "The main reason why you are eligible to work with luminar crystal technology at all is because it is mainly relevant to the lowest class of mechs. It is an entirely different matter to allow you to incorporate second-class luminar crystals into second-class mechs. The difference that this can make is enough to destabilize the second-class mech market."
The MTA may offer a lot of tech in the form of component licenses to mech companies and mech designers, but it also held a lot of it back. This kind of alien tech that was clearly superior to conventional human tech was truly dangerous to human society if it started showing up everywhere.
Ves already knew he had to revise the availability of the Crystal Lord Mark II in order to avoid ruffling the MTA's feathers too much. He would likely have to jack up the price of his product so that its amazing performance was paired with an even more excessive price!
He thought for a while. It was trivially easy for him to craft a bunch of totems that were pretty much useless other than their glows. It hardly cost him anything for him to do so. This entire trade sounded too easy, in fact!
Yet from what he saw, the luminar crystal technology truly fit the Crystal Lord Mark II to an amazing degree. Ves was not worried whether the Master Willix made the wrong selection or whether the MTA attempted to scam him in this trade.
With so many pros and so few cons, logic dictated that Ves accept this deal.
Even his emotions urged him to say yes.
There was just one more issue he needed to clarify. He addressed Master Willix once again.
"I can provide the MTA with a number of totems once I return from the Nyxian Gap, but I won't provide you with every glow. Some of the more obscure ones, such as those attached to my virtual mechs and those utilized in competition mechs, aren't within my reach anymore."
To be honest, Ves could probably reproduce some of them, but he simply couldn't be bothered to. He didn't want to hand over too many totems to the MTA and this sounded like a nice excuse to limit what they received.
"That is not a problem." Master Willix replied. "We are mainly interested in your stronger glows. Let us form a list."
They entered into a quick discussion. Eventually, Ves agreed to provide totems that carried glows that represented all of the commercial mech designs of the LMC as well as a few commission and private mech designs.
In his opinion, he was giving up a bit too much of the latter two categories, but Master Willix was fairly insistent!
Eventually, Ves reached out and shook hands with Master Willix's physical projection.
"It's a deal." She said with a smile.
"It's a deal." Ves replied with a mix of excitement and resignation.
Chapter 2212 Research Frenzy
As soon as Ves and Master Willix struck their deal, they transmitted a large data packet to the Darkbreak module.
Due to the great security of the MTA's private network, there was hardly any risk of third parties intercepting the sensitive data.
That did not mean that Ves could subsequently leak the research data on luminar crystals on his end.
"To minimize the chance of leaks and theft, the files I have sent to you will remain locked within the Darkbreak module." Master Willix's physical projection stated in a severe tone. "One of the functions of this device is to guard the data it stores in its data banks. Every means of directly and indirectly capturing the data will fail. If any of the research files on luminar crystals ever ends up in the hands of others, you will not escape the consequences."
Ves nodded nervously. "I understand, Master. I have no intentions of spreading this data around."
The MTA truly valued the research it performed on luminar crystals and deemed it very undesirable if it spread around! This was why the Association insisted on keeping it to themselves, to the point where the LMC wasn't even allowed to synthesize more advanced versions of luminar crystals!
All of these precautions only heightened his interests. From his brief stay on the Starlight Megalodon in the past, he had become exposed to the CFA's incredibly advanced research activities at the time. Ves had gotten lost in all of the mind-boggling projects involving a lot of high technology.
The MTA shouldn't be any worse when it came to research and development. The Big Two were in constant competition to each other and technology had always been the key to human growth.
Ves looked forward to seeing how much he could elevate the Crystal Lord Mark II Project with this research data!
One additional concern suddenly came to mind. "Oh, Master Willix, about the research data… will Gloriana be able to access it as well? It would be inconvenient for me to be the sole person who can study these files."
"I have already taken this into account." She said. "I will send Miss Wodin a notification informing her that she is permitted to enter the restricted library of the MTA's branch on Cinach VI. She will be allowed to study the same research data that your Darkbreak module has received at her leisure."
That would make the work on the Crystal Lord Mark II design a lot more convenient. With the two lead designers working on the same foundation, Ves wouldn't have to clash so much with his fiancé when it came to pushing his design choices.
Mentally, Ves had already elevated the priority level of the Crystal Lord Mark II Project. With some shiny new tech in hand, he became a lot more passionate about turning the second revision of his landbound rifleman mech into a groundbreaking product!
Of course, even if Ves and Gloriana became more involved in its design, the design teams assigned to the project still had to work just as hard.
Once Master Willix's physical projection said goodbye and disappeared, Ves manipulated the interface of the Darkbreak module in order to access the newly-received files.
The large device began to hum before outputting a very strong interference field! Ves blinked as he felt his body becoming ill at ease. He knew that all of his devices, from the comm on his wrist to the Vulcaneye multiscanner on his tool belt, were probably rendered helpless!
"Ahh!" Ves suddenly held his hand over head. "My implant!"
Not only did this powerful localized jamming field interfere with the operation of electronic devices, it also acted like a remote implant limiter!
His blood briefly chilled as he realized the scary potential of this functionality. Despite all of the upgrades and additions to his Archimedes Rubal implant, it was still rendered helpless by this seemingly omnipotent field!
"Even if it doesn't affect my implant directly, it is more than enough to block the interface between my brain and my implant!"
Fortunately, he already experienced what it was like to lose access to the functions of his implant a month ago. He quickly performed the same tricks he used to cope with the loss of his most important mental augmentation and regained his composure.
"Let's see what the fuss is all about."
Once the Darkbreak module's jamming function came online, Ves finally laid his eyes on the coveted research data.
The moment he read the first couple of documents, he instantly became engrossed. Though much of it already referenced knowledge and scientific terms that were beyond his ability to understand, he found out that the data package also contained selective knowledge that briefly summarized the MTA's understanding of certain subjects.
Ves found out that while it was incredibly difficult for him to digest this knowledge, they were just understandable enough for him to slowly build up his systematic understanding of crystals and laser technology.
He couldn't help but erupt into laughter! "Hahaha! I've got more than just a bunch of experimental data on luminar crystals! I've received the context around this research as well!"
In other words, he obtained much of the theoretical background needed to make sense of some of the fundamental aspects of luminar crystals! As Ves quickly skimmed all of the files, he understood that while he didn't receive enough learning material to turn him into a comprehensive specialist in the relevant fields, he should at least be able to elevate all of his existing Sub-Skills on crystals and laser weapons!
He knew this must have been the handiwork of Master Willix. She likely possessed a very good grasp of his current knowledge base by studying his mech designs. It shouldn't be that difficult for her to figure out what he lacked and what he was capable of learning through self-study.
This was a very profound benefit to Ves! Even if he decided not to add any luminar crystals in his other designs, he could still elevate their offensive performance by a small extent.
"In fact, some of the research is also useful in enhancing my understanding of other directed energy weapons!"
This meant that Ves would be able to apply a portion of his gains on the pulse submachine guns of the Valkyrie Redeemerand the positron beam cannons of the Cat's Paw!
As long as he mastered all of the knowledge contained within the data package, Ves would definitely be able to gain as many benefits as spending at least 100,000 DP on various Sub-Skills!
He suddenly frowned as he felt the pervasive interference field subjecting his body to an invisible internal massage. The sudden loss of access to his implant vastly impacted his learning efficiency!
If he could activate his implant, then even if he couldn't digest all of the knowledge in a short amount of time, he could still store all of the documents he laid his eyes upon in the vast memory capacity in his mind!
"I'm not resigned to this reality!"
Ves wanted to see if he could circumvent the Darkbreak module's blockade. The Darkbreak module might possess an insanely powerful jamming function, but if there was one thing he learned, it was that no tech was perfect!
Rather than sitting down and learning the knowledge on luminar crystals and laser weapons the honest way, he instead began to pull out all sorts of devices in order to see if he could cheat the process.
Nothing worked, though Ves already expected that. No comm, sensor, scanner or any other device worked properly in the range of the field.
He even tried to open the hatch of the secure chamber in order to stand outside. While he managed to exit the localized jamming field, he could see nothing but indistinguishable colors when he looked at the bubble enveloping the chamber. His sensors only captured static when trying to record the weird phenomenon.
Since normal solutions didn't work, Ves began to employ more esoteric means. He first had the bright idea of bringing in a chunk of B-stone.
Sadly, for all of its amazing potency at blocking and interfering with spiritual energy, it exerted no effect at all. The B-stone acted like a completely normal rock in front of the Darkbreak module.
Though this harebrained experiment failed, Ves nonetheless grew thoughtful at this result.
The B-stone's lack of interaction with the Darkbreak module proved that the latter only acted against technological means.
What about spiritual means? What if Ves came up with a way to record data in spiritual fashion?
A miniature explosion erupted in his mind!
From his theoretical understanding of spiritual engineering, there was no fundamental reason why this was not possible.
Ves had already found out a way to turn spiritual energy into fixed spiritual constructs!
As long as he was able to perform this trick in his own mind, he could leverage his engineering and software abilities to replicate a method to capture and store data in spiritual form!
He slapped his forehead with his palm! "Why didn't I think of this earlier?!"
Ever since he discovered he could 'program' the spiritual foundation of his mech designs, he only thought about using this new approach on his work.
He had yet to turn this insight to improving his own spiritual ability!
For a long time, he engaged in spiritual engineering like an old blacksmith or craftsman who created products through manual labor.
Now, he suddenly realized that he could upgrade himself to a modern engineer and software programmer who could develop much more sophisticated spiritual applications!
He performed a quick experiment on the spot without taking any precautions. He concentrated his mind and began to shape the loose spiritual energy in his mind like clay.
Just like manipulating the spiritual foundation of a mech design, he was able to mold the spiritual energy, though it was a lot more 'runny' and difficult to keep into shape.
It was no different from a temporary spiritual projection at this point. Without turning it into a fixed structure, it would quickly fall apart once he lost his focus.
"The key is to make it fixed."
He already knew the trick to doing that. From his current shallow understanding of spiritual constructs, all he needed to do was to concentrate specific attributes into the projection.
Ves possessed multiple spiritual attributes. Due to his design philosophy, he possessed a pretty abundant mix of attributes related to both mechs and life.
His choice was clear. Compared to the chaotic and changeable nature of life, the mechanical rigidity and precision of mechs was much more suitable to be applied to a software-like spiritual construct!
Though it took some effort, he eventually filled his projection with mech-attributed spiritual energy.
Though the concentration of mech-attributed spiritual energy floating in his mind had decreased by a minute degree, the construct had successfully taken shape!
Even as Ves gradually relaxed his focus, the construct made with the spiritual energy of his mind still exhibited the same properties of the spiritual constructs of his Purgatory Envoy design.
This meant that from today onwards, he could truly embark on developing semi-permanent or permanent spiritual augmentations!
The potential of this single innovation was enough to change his life! In fact, Ves already believed he could also apply this same trick to other people's minds as long as they possessed at least some spirituality!
As Ves cautiously performed more experiments with creating spiritual constructs in his mind, he began to harvest a lot of new insights!
His understanding of the nature of spiritual energy increased by leaps and bounds as he figured more and more rules from the interactions he witnessed.
With each new construct, Ves felt as if he added more and more structure to his mind! Instead of letting most of his loose spiritual energy freeload aimlessly in his mind, he could put them to more productive use and develop all kinds of specific spiritual augmentations!
Yet the more he got caught up with his experiments, the more the proportions of his spiritual attributes became unbalanced. His life domain became more dominant while his mech domain continued to weaken.
As soon as Ves noticed it became harder to draw upon additional mech-attributed spiritual energy, he suddenly snapped out of his research frenzy.
He felt his mind had undergone huge changes in a short amount of time! He looked at himself in horror as he realized he had inadvertently changed his personality.
As soon as he thought about his progress on his various mech design projects, he discovered that he had become a lot less fluent in working on them. It was as if his intuition and familiarity with mechs had suddenly disappeared!
"This is bad!"
He instantly deconstructed all of his experimental spiritual constructs. He did not dare to shatter them apart. Instead, he carefully unraveled them so that the mech-attributed spiritual energy gently flooded back in his mental space.
Ves sighed in relief once he found that his fluency in mech design returned to normal once he unmade every spiritual construct.
"That was dangerous!"
Chapter 2213 Safer Method
Ves retired back to his stateroom after he conducted his reckless experimentation.
He shoved all considerations about his mech design projects and luminar crystal technology aside for the moment.
Compared to these ordinary concerns, the new insights he realized just a moment ago had significantly expanded his understanding of spiritual manipulation and spiritual engineering.
He opened up another new door in these fields. Even though he only took a single tentative step inside another room, he could already foresee the countless possibilities and great potential of this pivotal breakthrough.
First, the ability to create spiritual constructs with his own Spirituality meant that he could imbue himself with the same kind of 'triggered abilities' and other artificial functions as his mech designs.
Essentially, he could treat himself as an empty system. By using up some of his free spiritual capacity, he could program some spiritual software programs to add permanent abilities and augmentations to his mind.
For example, he could construct a permanent spiritual eye and ear that remained functional even if Ves did not concentrate at all. This made it vastly more convenient to observe his surroundings and to pick up hidden presences that could circumvent regular sensory organs and devices!
This was just the simplest application. He could program much more elaborate and complicated spiritual constructs, thereby augmenting himself even further.
Ves might not be a biotech expert or a traditional spiritual sorcerer, but as a mech designer it was enough to approach it as a hardware or software engineer!
He could use his vast understanding of mechs and the components and technology that made them work to selectively create spiritual components that operated in a similar fashion to mech parts.
This was something that he had already come up with but couldn't execute. Now that he proved that he could form spiritual constructs in his minds, he was finally free to revive this idea!
However, just like real mechs, his Spirituality was limited by its capacity.
Now that he looked back at his earlier experiments in a sober and more objective fashion, he realized that forming more and more spiritual constructs slowly altered the balance of his spirit, which in turn affected his mind and personality.
He was literally rewiring his personality and capabilities back then! When he discovered that he had become a lot more clumsy at designing mechs, he had become incredibly frightened.
Ves was a mech designer! The ability to design mechs was of paramount importance to him! He could never stomach the idea of crippling his talent and affinity for mech design just because he wanted to create a couple of spiritual augments!
Fortunately, the process was reversible. So far, he had never seen any spiritual constructs decaying by themselves, but it was not that difficult for him to unravel them, especially since he created them in the first place.
All and all, Ves had managed to avert disaster.
What made Ves today him was mostly due to the mix of spiritual attributes in his mind.
A large portion of it was locked in his design seed, which was basically fixed and unmovable. Ves speculated that even if he expended all of his loose spiritual energy, he would still retain some of his talent, personality and capabilities.
He still felt uncomfortable after losing just a modest amount of his fluency in mechs. Every difference counted, so he felt a lot more reluctant to create spiritual augments and leave them floating in his mind.
It was difficult to come up with a spiritual augment that was useful enough to offset the loss in mech affinity.
However, Ves already developed some ideas to mitigate the harm. The most obvious one was to just create a spiritual augment when needed and keep it for as long as he needed it. Once it lost its purpose, he could just unravel it in order to recycle his spent spiritual energy and attributes.
It was very troublesome to do so each time he needed to make use of a specific spiritual augment. He had to manually program the spiritual augment from scratch, which could take minutes, hours or even entire days depending on its complexity!
He grinned. "I can probably circumvent this process."
Now that he had left the range of the Darkbreak module's interference field, he regained access to his cranial implant and restored his partially-digitized mind.
The sudden boost to his cognitive functions reminded him that he could store and retrieve as much data as he wanted from his implant!
Therefore, he only had to design a spiritual augment once and store the design in his implant's vast digital storage space. Once Ves wanted to conjure up a sophisticated spiritual eye, he could instantly retrieve the template and fill it up with single-attribute spiritual energy!
While the new process wasn't instant, at the very least he didn't need to reinvent the entire wheel from scratch every time!
This was the best approach he came up with. From his unsavory spiritual experimentations on William Urbesh, Ves learned that the spirit of an individual was incredibly important. Just a minor change could permanently distort or damage someone's personality!
Currently, Ves did not desire to change who he was. His career was on an upwards trajectory and his long string of successes in the past proved that he was already on the road of success! Why should he attempt to fix something that wasn't broken in the first place?
Ves was happy with himself. While he wasn't perfect, he accepted and embraced who he was, warts and all. His strengths and weaknesses defined him as a person, and it shouldn't be simple at all to alter the very fabric of his life!
However, that did not mean he could apply these changes to other people.
"This is the second major implication of my discoveries!"
Leaving aside the utility of spiritual constructs, Ves could already tell he could employ them as a much less destructive and much more controlled way of altering people's minds!
If he made these realizations a year ago, he wouldn't have mutilated and corrupted William Urbesh's mind and spirit so much! He could have simply created some sturdy but inert spiritual constructs and stuffed them with most of the attributes related to fear, cowardice and timidity.
By bottling up those undesirable traits, he effectively removed them from the board in William's mind. This meant that his personality would shift in a direction where he naturally became more capable of piloting a mech without getting frozen by his own fears!
Ves wouldn't have ended up with the mute and taciturn Silent William if that was the case!
His eyes lit up as he thought about the potential of regulating other people's spiritual attributes.
Most norms didn't possess enough spirituality to make any meaningful changes. In fact, he was deeply reluctant to alter even a single pinch of their spiritual energy at all for fear or wiping out their sentience!
It was a different case to those with spiritual potential. As long as he did not decrease the overall level of spirituality in someone's mind too drastically, they would still be able to remain stable while their personality underwent substantial changes!
He thought back on all of the people with spiritual potential on his staff.
For mech pilots, the strength of their spiritual potential was not enough. The purity also mattered.
Usually, this meant that the more single-minded and dedicated someone became towards a certain pursuit or ideal, they became more likely to achieve a breakthrough in their chosen profession.
To mech pilots with spiritual potential such as Casella Ingvar and Imon Ingvar, Ves might be able to induce both of them to become expert candidates if he purified their spiritual potential!
By bottling up various irrelevant spiritual attributes, their spiritualities became less polluted by distractions, thereby allowing them to become much more focused on a chosen pursuit that was compatible with their spiritual attributes!
"This is an interesting interaction."
In his theoretical framework of mech pilots, those with spiritual potential usually started their advancement after they consciously shaped and altered their personality. Through discipline, training, and other purposeful activities, they honed their will until it gained a quality that enabled to fuse with spirituality!
In other words, the mind shaped the spirit.
This was what was supposed to happen. Almost every Larkinson expert pilot and other expert pilots in existence advanced step by step by honing their minds and wills first.
Even those who only became expert pilots accidentally such as Venerable Pelican had already developed a very strong will and obsession!
What Ves came up with subverted the normal process.
He theorized that if he changed someone's spirit first, it would result in a specific change in personality. These changes in personality which narrowed the thought patterns of the individual in question would then circle back and affect the evolution of the spirit.
To put it simply, the spirit shaped the mind, which in turn shaped the spirit.
If Ves could develop this process and turn it into a practical and proven method, then he may have finally invented a way to artificially create high-ranking expert pilots and mech designers!
His heart beat faster as he realized the great promise of this method.
"Wait! This is also dangerous!"
There was no guarantee it would work as smoothly as he thought. Messing with someone's spirit was literally the same as messing with someone's personality and sense of self. Minds and spirits were so complicated and interconnected that a single change might induce a lot unanticipated changes!
Ves would never subject his own clansmen to the reckless experiments that he was already forming in his mind. The risks were too great!
Yet the temptations of this possible new method was too great. Even if he wanted to withhold the use of this method because the MTA already paid too much attention to him, it would nonetheless be helpful to keep this option in reserve.
One of the benefits of developing a safe way to foster expert pilots and Journeyman Mech Designers was all of the missions he could complete!
The Rim Guardians and the MTA issued a lot of missions related to helping people breaking through. The mission related to William Urbesh was hardly unique. Ves knew that there were much more merits he could earn as long as he attempted to fulfill them with his new method!
If not for the fact that he would attract too much suspicion, he wanted to log into the Rim Exchange right away and snap up all of those missions right away!
He vigorously shook his head. "I need to control myself!"
He still had to develop this ability further, but he did not dare to experiment on himself or his Larkinsons. He did not believe it was wise to hire volunteers from local states and subject them to life-changing and potentially-damaging experiments.
"I still need test subjects, though." He sighed. "It's best to get a lot of them. I need to perform a systematic study to test the limits of this method."
Where could he get his hands on hundreds, if not thousands of humans who he could mess around and get rid of without getting into trouble with the authorities?
It wasn't as if there was some giant superplanet floating around in the Nyxian Gap that just happened to offer a huge population of degenerated people who no one cared about.
"Wait a second.. there's always pirates!"
As the ultimate scumbags of the galaxy, pirates had forsaken all of their rights as a human! The Big Two explicitly stripped them from all of the protection they afforded to other humans!
Ves would not get into trouble at all if he used a bunch of pirates as test subjects. If some of his harmful experiments ever got exposed, at most he would suffer some damage to his reputation. He would not get in any legal trouble as long as he properly documented proof that his test subjects were recognized pirates or members of outlawed organizations!
"Why didn't I realize this sooner? The Nyxian Gap is filled with test subjects!"
Chapter 2214 The Scientific Method
The moment he conceived of the possibility of using lawless pirates as test subjects, Ves eagerly wanted to get his hands on them. The more test subjects he had access to, the more progress he could make towards his study in artificially cultivating high-ranking mech pilots and mech designers.
As long as he developed a method and confirmed it was safe, he could apply it to anyone with untapped spiritual potential. Even if they did not break through on the spot, Ves at least paved the way for them to advance smoothly!
As for those who already developed themselves to an extent such as Jannzi, Joshua, Tusa, Commander Dise and Commander Orfan, Ves might be able to purify their will and spirit even further so that their chances of breaking through their respective bottlenecks increased!
If he completed his experiments quickly enough, he didn't have to wait until he returned to civilized space to foster the first expert pilots of the Larkinson Clan.
He could encourage the formation of one of them while he was still in the Nyxian Gap!
The thought of adding bonfide expert pilots to his force makeup almost turned him drunk.
Of course, an expert pilot without an expert mech was like an emperor without clothes. The true might and majesty of a high-ranking mech pilot could never be expressed with a mundane mech that did not incorporate any resonating materials.
However, the emergence of just a single expert pilot would have a very effect on the morale and confidence of all of his combat personnel!
His fellow Larkinsons would fight a lot harder if they knew that an expert pilot was in their midst. Their admiration and worship to those who underwent apotheosis was so high that the expert pilot did not even have to enter battle in order to enhance the battle performance of other mech pilots by 20 percent!
Still, it was a bit of a stretch to expect that he could raise an expert pilot in a matter of weeks. He was far from reaching this point. Though the method he conceived sounded nice, it was based on a lot of unproven assumptions and shaky homemade theories.
While Ves was very confident in the theoretical framework on spirituality that he built up step by step, a good scientist should never peddle untested solutions.
"I'm a bit of a bad scientist." He shrugged and admitted to himself.
Many times, he became so excited by his innovations that he immediately implemented them into his work without properly testing them. Even if it worked out most of the time didn't mean he was vindicated.
If Ves wanted to become a more effective and respectable researcher, he needed to respect scientific method and follow it earnestly.
The scientific method could be framed in many different ways, but Ves preferred to split it up in five stages: observation, question, hypothesis, results and conclusion.
For example, in this case, his initial observation was that forming spiritual constructs in his mind altered the distribution of spiritual attributes in his mind.
This led to various questions. One of them went as followed: was it possible to induce individuals with spiritual potential to advance to a higher rank?
After forming a question he wanted to answer, it was helpful to gain some direction by forming some guesses.
Usually, this was the stage where he was supposed to hit the books and read up on the research performed by others.
However, since Ves did not have access to a single textbook on spirituality, he could only resort to his own theoretical framework as a basis.
By applying his knowledge on spirituality, he could easily form a hypothesis that could be used as the core of an experiment.
In this case, his current hypothesis went something like this: The key to inducing people to advance to a higher rank was to alter their spiritual attribute makeup.
Now that he made this statement, he needed to back it up with proof. In this case, he needed to conduct a range of experiments.
Since his experiment involved changing people, he needed to get his hands on people.
Usually, scientists who wanted to experiment on people had to go through a lot of trouble. Conducting simulations could only do so much because no model perfectly replicated the functioning of human physiology and mentality.
Even cloning humans was problematic because these human-shaped meat bags exhibited various deviations from normal human functioning due to their lack of sentience. This was especially problematic when it came to matters of the mind.
Normal biotech experts still preferred to experiment with cloned bodies if there was nothing better at hand, but Ves already ruled out this option.
Clones possessed no spirit. This was something that Ves had already ascertained.
That left him with the ethically dubious option of performing his experiments on actual, living humans.
This was a little bit problematic in human space. Every scientist and researcher had to abide by lots of laws that served to enforce a standardized code of ethics and customs onto them. Even if these laws weren't always enforced didn't mean it was okay to treat random space peasants as lab rats!
The only exception to this rule was pirates, but even then many research institutions openly refused to experiment on them. Civilized humans should never lower themselves to the standard of scum. If Ves was still in civilized space, he would have to be a lot more circumspect about his intentions if he wanted to preserve his reputation.
He had no concerns in the Nyxian Gap. Not only was it sufficiently isolated to prevent any news from proliferation, it was also filled with an abundant amount of viable test subjects!
Frankly, Ves couldn't have traveled to a better location in the Nyxian Gap to perform human experiments!
He rubbed his smooth-shaven chin in thought. "Perhaps this explains why some Peacekeeper outfits venture into the Nyxian Gap while bringing along some research teams. It's very risky for those researchers to conduct their experiments in a lawless region, but as long as they gain their desired results, it is worth the risk!"
Results! This was what Ves was after! Performing experiments was not an end in itself, but merely a means to an end.
However, not every research result was equal. They varied in accuracy, precision, relevance representation, quantity and so on. In general, the more thorough the experiment, the higher the quality of results.
When it came to developing a promising but risky method of facilitating the advancement of his talented personnel, Ves was not okay with performing a simple and rudimentary experiment.
"I need to abide by a higher standard this time!" Ves urged himself. "I'm a Journeyman Mech Designer. I will probably shame my university teachers if I perform a sloppy test."
This meant he couldn't settle on results of spiritually altering a couple of pirates. He needed to perform the same procedure at least a hundred times, and he should develop variations of the same method and apply it to their own separate batches of test subjects as well!
"How many test subjects does that take?"
Ves shuddered at the daunting figure required to obtain proper research results. He needed at least a thousand test subjects!
"It's not a problem to get my hands on a thousand pirates."
A typical established pirate group such as the Rust Grinders already numbered that much. Aside from the hundreds of mech pilots, they also employed a larger number of support personnel.
The problem was that not every pirate equated to a qualified test subject to him! He could only test his current hypothesis on pirates with spiritual potential.
The good news was that, as far as he knew, the proportion of humans with spiritual potential was unchanged in the pirate population.
What truly made high-ranking mech pilots and mech designers rare in regions like the Nyxian Gap was their poor discipline, training standard and other factors.
There was a lot of untapped potential in the pirate population.
The bad news was that the population density in the Nyxian Gap was very low. Ves estimated that it might take at least a year to obtain a thousand qualified test subjects!
He couldn't afford to waste that much time! He still had five months left before his wedding with Gloriana took place.
"Perhaps I should compromise a bit. Maybe obtaining a hundred qualified test subjects is sufficient."
Though the quality of his research results would definitely drop if he experimented on so little people, it was better than nothing.
"I'll have to direct my task force to actively hunt down some pirate groups. The more pirates we capture, the more my experiment can progress!"
Once he experimented on enough test subjects and gained some satisfactory results, he should have made enough gains to answer his hypothesis.
This was the final conclusion stage. Not only would he be able to answer his original question, he could also formulate new observations, each of which might spark follow-up experiments.
"Hmm.. I think I'm overlooking something along the way." He pressed his finger on his lips. "Oh well, it's not important."
Ves knew what he had to do now. His eyes sharpened as he hungered to conduct his experiments as soon as possible.
He impulsively activated his comm in order to call Major Verle.
"Ves? Why are you calling at this moment?"
"Stop avoiding the pirate groups along the way. If they're weak, pounce on them. If they're slightly stronger, pounce on them. If they're too strong, bring it up to me and we'll prepare a proper plan."
Major Verle's projection frowned. "You sound.. different, Ves. Why order this change?"
"I need to get my hands on a lot of living pirates." Ves truthfully answered. "This is important! Prioritize seeking out pirate groups that are weak but very numerous! The strength and wealth of the pirates are of no consequence. Only the amount of bodies matter!"
"This…"
"Just do as I say! Coordinate with Ophelia Kronon and Calabast. The sooner we capture some pirates, the better. You don't have to go through great lengths to avoid killing them if they pose a threat to us, but don't kill off anyone who surrenders. Just place them into custody before I have the chance to inspect the te-, I mean captives in person."
Major Verle frowned deeper, though he refrained from indulging in his curiosity. "Do you have any specific.. requirements.. for the captives you desire?"
"Preferably, try to preserve the lives of mech pilots and mech designers, but any pirate will do. Quantity matters more."
After passing some additional instructions, Ves ended his call with Major Verle. There was no need for him to pay close attention to this matter at this point. He trusted his subordinates to enact his orders faithfully.
Ves smiled and mentally patted himself on his back. Unlike with his previous experiments, he intended to hold himself to a much higher standard of scientific rigor. Only by trying out his methods on as many test subjects as possible would he be able to obtain reliable and accurate results.
He turned towards Lucky, who was lying on his deck with his belly facing the ceiling.
"How many test subjects do you think I need to experiment upon?"
"Meow."
"That sounds too few."
"Meow."
"Oh I would love to, but it's too difficult to get my hands on so many pirates."
"Meow meow."
"Ah, you have a point. Roaming pirate fleets usually don't have that many people, but it's a different story for pirate bases! The larger ones are especially notable for their larger populations! I can acquire loads of test subjects after capturing a base!"
The biggest problem was that no fixed pirate base was weak. Only pirates who were strong enough to defend themselves against Peacekeepers and rival pirates possessed the capital to plant their flag on a desirable location!
This meant that if he wanted to reach his goals quickly, he needed to imitate his father.
Even though Ves didn't have the help of his mother, he could at least rely on Lucky to take over her role!
His eyes gleamed brighter as he stared at Lucky with appreciation.
His cat nervously flicked his tail. "Meow?"
Chapter 2215 Spiritual Templates
As excited as he was to explore a viable method to artificially induce the breakthroughs of mech pilots and mech designers, he couldn't do anything without test subjects.
In the Larkinson Clan's previous clashes against pirates, Ves admittedly paid little attention to the treatment of captives.
Some pirates fought to the death. Others just wanted to flee as far away as possible. None of them met a good end. Only those who despaired against the Larkinson Clan's might and lost all hope dropped to their knees to offer their surrender.
As pirates were humans who had turned their backs on human civilization, they never received good treatment.
The Peacekeeper Association formulated a standard code of practice.
Pirates who violently resisted the Peacekeepers deserved death.
Pirate commanders and officers also deserved death, but it was preferable to take them into captivity and bring them back to the Peacekeeper Association.
The intelligence they held was often valuable in understanding the circumstances of the Nyxian Gap, and the bounties on their heads made it worthwhile for Peacekeepers to take the risks of capturing them alive.
As for the support personnel who were often kidnapped and forced into a life of piracy, the rules were a bit murkier on that. Officially, the Peacekeepers had to take them into custody and bring them back to civilized space to put them to trial.
If they were culpable for crimes against humanity, then they were put to death.
If they were just innocent people forced to service a mech or something, then they had a chance to live.
However, Ves knew that in practice the Peacekeeper outfits weren't so diligent and discriminating. Holding captives was a considerable burden and the Peacekeeper outfits didn't really receive that much rewards for bringing them back so that they could go on trial.
Therefore, the more humanitarian Peacekeepers tended to wipe out any violent pirates on a ship but leave the innocents alive.
This was not really a good solution. Those innocents stranded on ships that usually didn't possess any FTL drives were still trapped in the Nyxian Gap. They either fell victim to another pirate group or turned pirates themselves!
Therefore, the more ruthless Peacekeepers simply disappeared these tainted and unwanted people. They never showed up again, and it wasn't hard to imagine what it took to vanish them from existence.
Perhaps the only former captives who could gain a new life were well-trained engineers and other notable technical talent that was very hard to come by. Anyone who didn't meet this standard simply wasn't valuable enough to retain!
Was this unjust? Probably.
Did anyone care? Nope.
In deep space and especially in vast, isolated regions such as the Nyxian Gap, different rules applied. The commander of the fleet or the highest leader assumed absolute authority.
It was too impractical to apply the laws of civilized space in a region of space where they never took hold. Each fleet turned into a moving own sovereign domain that applied its own laws however they wanted, though within a couple of limits.
This was the risk that people had to accept when they ventured into lawless space.
In any case, Major Verle was in overall command over Task Force Predator. When the question of dealing with captives came up, he decided to act leniently and simply allowed the innocent captives to take control over the useless pirate ships that the Larkinsons viewed as trash.
It was likely that most of those captives and ships would fall into the hands of another pirate group, but the gesture at least allowed most of the Larkinsons to sleep peacefully at night.
Ves did not begrudge Major Verle's decision, seeing as he did it in order to retain the Larkinson Clan's sense of righteousness.
However, Ves regretted the executions of so many violent pirates! All of them were destined to die anyway. They could have paid some of their debts back to society by donating their spirits to him so that they could contribute to pivotal, life-changing research!
It was the ultimate way to atone for their sins!
"Next time will be different." He vowed.
Calabast already identified a juicy target that would potentially yield a lot of living test subjects if the task force managed to capture the site intact.
It would take some time to get there and perform the necessary scouting in order to plan their assault properly.
Until then, Ves had no choice but to return to his more mundane mech design work.
"I almost forgot about the luminar crystal research." He belatedly realized.
He still wanted to record and digest all of the research documents that Master Willix prepared for him. In order to do it quickly and waste as little time as possible, Ves cautiously resumed his experiments with spiritual constructs.
This time, he acted with much greater care. He aimed to create the smallest and simplest spiritual construct that could capture what he saw in a 'spiritual file'. The less mech-attributed spiritual energy he expended, the lower the impact on his mentality.
To simplify the construct as much as possible, he decided to go as low tech as possible and merely aimed to create something that could capture visual data in an analog format.
It was the spiritual equivalent of an ancient film camera.
Surprisingly, the process went smooth. Ves borrowed many elements from the spiritual eye taught by Goldie to interpret visual data with spiritual means. He actually spent most of his time on defining the format of the spiritual file in order to make sure it didn't spawn some uncontrollable horror.
When Ves tested out his 'spiritual camera' by snapping a picture of Lucky munching on a bar of Breyer alloy, his imaginary new device expended some of its mech-attributed spiritual energy to spit out a spiritual file.
When Ves accessed the file and interpreted it through a special means, he was able to recall the exact image of Lucky eating a piece of alloy in pretty good fidelity!
Certainly, the image that popped up in the forefront of his mind wasn't perfect. Its resolution and clarity looked very shabby compared to the images that could be captured in near-perfect detail by modern optical sensors.
However, this result was already sufficient enough for Ves to declare this small experiment a success!
"With this trick, no jammer can stop me now!"
The follow-up step was easy to process. Due to the partial digitization of his mind, he could easily convert the spiritual file in his mind into a digital format which his implant was able to process in many different ways.
If Ves captured a picture of a bunch of text, then his implant would automatically be able to strip it all and compile them into a proper document. At that point, Ves could leverage the combined might of his organic intelligence and his implant's data processing capabilities to absorb the knowledge in rapid tempo!
Perhaps Master Willix estimated that Ves would take six months to absorb all of the knowledge on luminar crystals.
With this measure, Ves could shorten that by just one month or less! He could easily internalize the most relevant knowledge that was most applicable to the Crystal Lord Mark II project within a week!
He couldn't help but grow smug at the fact that he succeeded in doing something he wasn't supposed to do. Everytime he circumvented a rule, he felt incredibly pleased!
The application of the spiritual camera was only useful in specific situations since his implant could do a much better job.
However, this was just the start! By developing a greater variety of spiritual augments such as a spiritual calculator or a spiritual radar, he could essentially regain some of the functions afforded by implant when it was ever rendered inoperable for some reason.
This meant that in a design duel where the mech designers had to wear implant limiters, Ves could easily boost his productivity by 50 percent or higher by making use of spiritual augments!
"Still, there's a limit to what I can do." He frowned.
The biggest downside was that each spiritual construct removed some mech-attributed spiritual energy from the table. This lowered his overall ability to design mechs. Ves had to weigh carefully whether the benefits brought by a spiritual augment outweighed the price he paid.
To minimize the impact on his mentality as much as possible, Ves stored the design or template of his spiritual camera into an encrypted file on his implant.
He loaded up the template from his implant and used it to construct the spiritual camera in just half a minute.
"I need to practice this process and speed it up even further."
When Ves stepped back into the isolated chamber that held the Darkbreak module, he activated it again and commanded it to project the lumar crystal research data.
A familiar interference field spread into the entire chamber again. He had already braced himself for the loss of access to his implant. It only took him a short amount of time to regain his composure.
He smiled as he viewed one of the documents of the data package. While his implant and his comm still weren't able to do anything, his spiritual camera remained fully functional!
Ves cautiously began to scroll through the document. He snapped the shutter of his spiritual camera every time he stumbled upon a new page. His mind gradually became filled with dozens of spiritual files.
Due to the rudimentary nature of the camera and the inefficient, unoptimized properties of its output, Ves temporarily lost a substantial amount of spiritual energy.
This forced him to halt the process. When he stepped outside the chamber, he quickly regained access to his implant, allowing him to convert the spiritual files into digital files.
After that, he reentered the chamber and continued to record more pages.
This process went on for many hours. To save on time, Ves did not even bother to read any of the text. He only looked at it long enough to snap a picture before scrolling to the next page.
Ves had lost track of the amount of times he stepped outside the chamber to initiate the conversion process! His legs received a lot of exercise that day and he probably looked very weird to others!
If Master Willix was observing him from the sensors embedded in the Darkbreak module, she might probably be thinking that he had gone crazy!
Of course, she might also suspect that Ves employed a means of defeating the Darkbreak module's jamming function.
This was something that Ves already took into account. He knew that Master Willix was quite tolerant compared to many other officials within the MTA. He bet that a relatively minor issue like this was not really worth investigating as long as he abided by the spirit of their deal.
As long as he refrained from leaking the research data to the public, it didn't really matter what method he used to!
Over the course of several days, Ves finished the recording process. After that, he rapidly expanded his knowledge base.
Not only did he learn a lot of unique aspects on luminar crystals, but he also deepened his understanding of some very specific fields!
Several of his Sub-Skills such as Crystallography, Directed Energy Weapon Optimization, Rapid-Fire Laser Weapon Operation and Optics advanced by leaps and bounds!
As one of the holy lands of human high technology, the MTA's grasp in this field was incredibly comprehensive. The theories that Ves absorbed were substantially greater in quality than the theories taught by Clarion University's textbooks. Only the knowledge directly provided by the System came close!
His eyes gleamed as he began to see laser weapons in a deeper way. As much as he didn't want to, he couldn't help but gain a bit of appreciation for Master Willix and the MTA.
Perhaps it wasn't so bad to cooperate with the Association after all!
As long as he didn't give away anything valuable, he didn't mind conducting some more trades.
It could even substitute some of the benefits that Ves usually derived from the System!
In fact, it wouldn't be too inaccurate to say that the MTA actually functioned like a public version of the Mech Designer System!
Ves froze when he made this realization. "Is this a coincidence?"
Chapter 2216 Crona Lords
In Maynard Fields, those who possessed the capability to establish a base and maintain possession of it were strong.
Roaming pirate organizations that only possessed ships were usually dependent on raiding and other risky activities to maintain their existence.
Obviously, this was a very unstable means of survival.
If possible, pirates vastly preferred setting up a base in a resource-rich area so that they could earn a more stable form of living. Not only did they need to take part in risky attacks, but they could also settle down and form something that a pirate could call a home.
Sometimes, the line between pirate and colonist blurred.
However, that did not stop Ves from targeting these powerful pirate bases. Everyone in the Nyxian Gap was fair game in his eyes!
It didn't take too long before Task Force Predator entered the territory claimed by a long-established pirate group called the Crona Lords.
The fleet did not dare to venture too deeply. If the Crona Lords discovered the presence of a strong fleet in their backyard, they would instantly raise their guard!
A careful scouting operation commenced. To reduce the vigilance of the Crona Lords, the Flagrant Vandals resorted to a simple trick.
They took some pirate mechs captured in some of their earlier battles and modified them a little bit before sending them forward.
While they were not as easy to hide as the regular scout mechs of the Flagrant Vandals, their low quality shouldn't arouse as much vigilance!
Some time passed before the Flagrant Vandals obtained long-ranged scans that depicted the surroundings of Xiphard Base.
Built into an asteroid and surrounded by other asteroids, Xiphard Base was a very defensive fortification that was home to tens of thousands of people.
Not all of them were strictly pirates!
A large number of shabby mining vessels roamed the asteroids floating in a wide perimeter around Xiphard Base. Each of them were tasked with mining the relatively abundant amount of Kavenit deposits.
Most of their crew consisted of slaves.
The Crona Lords established Xiphard Base in this specific location because they discovered that the local area just happened to offer a lot of Kavenit.
The pirate group used the earnings they made from their mining operation to continually invest in their mechs and most notably their fixed defenses. They were much like the Mountain Kings in that regard.
According to Calabast's intelligence, Supreme Lord Roda was a cautious and relatively patient leader. He maintained a low profile and a tight grip on the Crona Lords.
There were plenty of pirate commanders who possessed a lot more ambition and went to a lot of extremes to climb to power.
Not so for the so-called Supreme Lord. Aside from giving himself a ridiculously inflated title, Roda did not leverage his growing power to fight for better territory but instead invested fully in turning Xiphard Base into a strong fortification.
Most rival pirate groups did not show any eagerness in conquering Xiphard Base.
First, anyone who attacked it would suffer severe losses. With 1,200 mechs and very strong base defenses, the cost of attacking the Crona Lords would definitely hurt!
Second, it was pretty much an open secret that Xiphard Base hid even more surprises in the dark. If a truly powerful enemy arrived, the Crona Lords would definitely bring out something powerful that allowed them to punch above their weight!
Third, it was not unusual to rig a base up to blow if worse came to worst. Sometimes, pirates refrained from doing so because once someone hacked their way to the hidden self-destruct mechanism and activated it, everyone would instantly die!
However, there were always pirates who were daring or stupid enough to install a self-destruction mechanism. No one knew for sure whether Supreme Lord Roda was one of them, but no one dared to take the risk!
Fourth, Kavenit could be found in many more places in Maynard Fields. There was no need for most ambitious pirate groups to attack the highly-entrenched Crona Lords when there were plenty of softer targets. The asteroids in the vicinity of Xiphard Base weren't valuable enough to justify the loss of thousands of mechs and other assets!
Due to this formidable amount of deterrence, the Crona Lords managed to withstand the test of time.
Ves and every leader in the fleet knew that assaulting Xiphard Base was too risky. Certainly, the MTA placed some bounties on the Crona Lords and Supreme Lord Roda, but the amount of merits he could earn was not enough to compensate for the huge amount of losses his task force would incur if it initiated a direct assault!
"It's very likely that not even the second-class mechs of the Penitent Sisters can withstand the trump cards of the Crona Lords." Calabast warned him during an initial briefing. "If the pirate groups of Wreckage Paradise are any indication, then we will definitely suffer serious casualties for the very first time."
"It's worth it as long as we don't lose too many lives." Ves spoke. "Not only will our troops gain a lot of tempering for attacking such a powerful opponent, a pirate organization as long-lasting and successful as the Crona Lords must have accumulated a lot of treasure."
The spymaster looked exasperated. "We aren't pirates, Ves. Why are you so insistent on attacking the Crona Lords when they aren't worth that many merits? We should be bypassing this obstacle and resume our original goal of tracking down and rescuing Solok Reyva!"
"You don't understand. I don't want to hear any doubts. Just make it happen. If you're so worried about the losses we might incur, then work harder to make sure we obtain a complete understanding of Xiphard Base."
Both of them turned to Lucky, who had just been outfitted with the Misfortune Harness. A handful of slim, custom-built gadgets that were meant to facilitate his first infiltration had been mounted onto its exterior.
Lucky truly looked the part of a commando cat this time!
"Meow."
Ves caressed Lucky's head. "I know you're nervous, but think of all of the exotics you can eat! Just make sure not to take a bite out of everything in your first deployment. You can't let them discover anything amiss. Just roam around and perform as many scans as possible. Hack into any critical computer systems that look important enough and keep your eye out on any dangerous hidden defense mechanisms. Above all else, try your best to sniff out any self-destruction mechanisms!"
"Meow meow!"
"He already knows what to do." Calabast smiled and picked up the black-clad mechanical cat. "I'll take him to the stealth shuttle so he can sneak up to Xiphard Base."
It took more than a day for Lucky to perform his mission. Not only did the stealth shuttle had to sneak into the defense perimeter of the Crona Lords undetected, Lucky had to cover a lot of ground.
It was not enough to infiltrate and make recordings of the interior of the main base. Lucky also to sneak into the smaller bastions surrounding the main base.
On top of that, the gem cat turned commando cat must also infiltrate the biggest ships of the Crona Lords to be sure that they didn't hide any surprises either!
Task Force Predator shifted to a greater state of alertness while Lucky was gone. Ves grew nervous as he thought of his cat venturing deep into a dangerous pirate stronghold.
If anything went wrong, Lucky would definitely suffer! Though Ves was somewhat confident of his gem cat's survival abilities, the uncertainty of the situation still weighed heavily on his mind.
He cared too much about Lucky. He even began to regret the decision to use Lucky in this capacity. While it made a lot of sense in theory, his sentiments towards his cat caused him to feel a lot more worried than if he dispatched a bunch of random clansmen!
"I'm sorry, Lucky." He quietly whispered. "No one else can do what you can do. For now, I can only rely on you to perform this mission."
If possible, he wanted to train some disposable clansmen to perform this infiltration mission instead, but Calabast already told him it couldn't be done. Not even DIVA could equal Lucky when it came to intruding into highly-guarded facilities!
Only Lucky possessed the ability to turn intangible and phase through solid obstacles. Though Ves temporarily gained the same ability in the past, it quickly faded for some reason. In fact, now that he recalled the incident, both of them gained this ability when they stumbled across an unknown installation of the crystal builder race!
The technology utilized by this extinct race and their ability to manipulate space and other properties to such a strong degree was very impressive!
"There's more to this alien race than I am aware of." He muttered.
During the entire operation, the Black Cats worked hard to keep an eye on the Crona Lords. The disguised pirate scout mechs not only kept a constant eye on Xiphard Base, but also deposited stealthy sensors as well as other devices in order to glean more insights from their observations.
When the stealth shuttle carrying Lucky finally returned, Ves quickly met up with his cat again!
"Haha, you made it back alive!"
"Meow!"
Ves smiled as he clutched Lucky and checked him for anything amiss. Fortunately, there were no signs of battle damage. The only change was the absence of various gadgets.
The abundant amount of scans that Lucky had made as well as the data he managed to copy from some of the data banks provided the task force with a wealth of pertinent information.
The Black Cats as well as other analysts became incredibly busy as they built up a complete overview of Xiphard Base and all of the secrets it hid beneath the surface.
Major Verle and the mech commanders already obtained a complete blueprint of the pirate base. This was enough for them to begin their planning for a major assault.
This time, the Larkinson Clan would not hold back.
This time, the 300 second-class mechs of the Penitent Sisters would play a key role in the upcoming battle.
It became clear why this was necessary when Major Verle and Calabast both reported to Ves in his stateroom.
Calabast handed over a data pad that outlined all of the hidden weapons of the Crona Lord. "According to Lucky's extensive scans as well as the private logs of Supreme Lord Roda, Xiphard Base doesn't contain any self-destruct mechanisms. It's not rigged to blow."
Ves visibly sagged in relief. "That's good news."
"Not quite. The reason why Xiphard Base doesn't have any self-destruct mechanisms is because the Crona Lord already has other means to destroy their base."
When Ves glanced at the data pad, he looked puzzled. "They have three trump cards?"
"Yes, and all of them are strong. The first major threat we must face are the Alpha Mines. These are twenty-seven asteroids spread around the perimeter of Xiphard Base that are secretly filled with exotic-enriched nuclear explosives. The most impressive feature of the Alpha Mines is that they incorporate a lot of sensor-dampening materials. This means that hardly any sensors will be able to detect the potent warheads buried in their center!"
Ves winced at the thought. "Even we would suffer great losses if any of our mechs carelessly pass by those asteroids!"
None of their previous long-distance scans detected those dangerous Alpha Mines! This was a very egregious oversight!
Even Calabast looked upset.
"It's clear to us that our means of detecting danger is inadequate. The threat of the Alpha Mines isn't confined to Xiphard Base. We might easily pass by a random coordinate and suddenly lose several light carriers because they strayed too close to a mine that an unknown pirate group has planted there. I'm already in touch with Commander Chancy of the Penitent Sisters to see if her mech technicians can fabricate more second-class sensor arrays."
"That sounds prudent."
The twenty-seven Alpha Mines was one of the most destructive tools available to the Crona Lords, but hardly their own means of resisting a vastly more powerful force!
Chapter 2217 Omega
"The second hidden weapon is the so-called Beta Ships." Major Verle spoke up. "The five seemingly-derelict pirate vessels that are parked outside of Xiphard Base are not as innocuous as they look. When we showed the scans of the ships to Fleet Commander Kronon, Commodore Evern and some of our chief engineers, they all reacted with shock."
Ves flipped through the contents of the data pad until he came across the detailed blueprints of all five Beta Ships.
They were roughly similar ships. Their corroded and cheap exterior were actually false coats. Underneath their ugly outer layer, the layers below actually consisted of larger amounts of Kavenit alloys.
What was remarkable about the Beta Ships was how solid they were and how little functionality they contained.
The ships featured very little interior spaces! Instead, many places that should have held compartments were actually filled up with solid Kavenit alloys!
To call them ships was a stretch. They were mostly solid ship-sized objects that possessed a very minimal crew complement. The only meaningful functionality they contained was the oversized sunlight propulsion systems strapped to their rear ends.
"These Beta Ships are essentially ship-sized rockets!" Ves reacted with horror!
He scanned through the performance parameters of the Beta Ships. Though they took some time to accelerate forward, once they got going, their momentum was immense!
Even if hundreds of mechs fired all kinds of weapons at the approaching Beta Ships, the latter incorporated so much solid materials that it was impossible to destroy them in a short amount of time!
While these ship-sized torpedoes were exceptionally resilient, agile vehicles such as mechs could easily dodge out of their way.
The problem was that they contained just enough maneuverability to ram into ships!
As long as the Beta Ships built up a sufficient amount of momentum, not even the second-class combat carriers of the Penitent Sisters could survive a solid collision against a Beta Ship!
Major Verle looked grim. "The Alpha Mines are targeted towards large groups of mechs, while the Beta Ships are meant to take out key starships. The combination is enough to shatter the assault of forces much stronger than ours."
Ves was both horrified and confused at the sheer amount of effort and resources the Crona Lords invested in these countermeasures.
"How the hell can a bunch of pirates build so many destructive weapons?"
"It's very plausible that the Crona Lords are able to construct so many Alpha Mines and Beta Ships. They have been entrenched in this region for over seventy years. That is enough time to build a destructive weapon every couple of years. From Lucky's scans, it's clear that they weren't built at the same time. This is the advantage of an established pirate group. The longer they are able to cling to a territory, the harder it becomes to dislodge them from their fortifications."
The scariest implication of her statement was that Xiphard Base wasn't even the strongest pirate base in Maynard Fields! Frostbite Fortress and several other pirate sites possessed a much higher reputation!
As Ves continued to scroll through the data pad, he froze yet again. "What the hell is this?!"
Major Verle coughed. "The Omega Laser is the latest and most technologically-advanced weapon at their disposal. The main base contains a buried weapon hardpoint that is able to fire incredibly powerful laser beams. It is powered by several dedicated power reactors and is linked up to a large amount of energy cells. The engineers who studied the blueprint of this huge weapon estimate that it is powerful enough to fire twelve cruiser-grade laser beams!"
In other words, the Omega Laser outputted a comparable amount of damage to a single shot from the main weapon of a warship!
While the weapon wasn't as powerful as an actual MTA warship weapon, its power and scale still surpassed that of any weapon wielded by a mech1
"Is this Omega Laser supposed to counter mechs or ships?" Ves asked.
"Both. It can fire in multiple configurations. In its most basic form, it fires an ultra powerful concentrated beam that can bore a hole straight through the hulls of several light carriers. The operators can also switch it to a wide-area mode to wipe out hundreds of mechs at close range or a splitting mode that allows it to take out a large number of mechs at a distance."
The data pad clattered onto the surface of the desk.
Though he knew that pirates were quite creative when it came to cooking up rule-breaking weapons, the Omega Laser vastly exceeded his estimates!
"This cruiser weapon is too advanced! While I can believe that the Crona Lords have trained or captured enough engineers to build the Alpha Mines and Beta Ships, the schematics of this Omega Laser is not just a scaled up laser cannon!"
As a mech designer and someone who recently absorbed a lot of new knowledge on laser weapons, he could tell that the design of this superweapon not only used up a lot of valuable exotics, but also incorporated technological principles that most Journeymen shouldn't even know!
Neither Major Verle nor Calabast had many answers.
"The records of the Crona Lords deliberately avoid as many references to their trump cards as possible, so we don't have the full story behind the Omega Laser. Not a single log written by Supreme Lord Roda mentions the laser despite the fact he occasionally references the Alpha Mines and the Beta Ships. From the indirect clues we have gathered, it's likely the Crona Lords performed a secret transaction with one of the other major pirate groups of the Nyxian Gap."
This meant that there was a very powerful pirate group that secretly supplied other Nyxian pirates with taboo-busting weapons!
Once Ves gained a good grasp of the three secret weapons of the Crona Lords, he sighed and leaned back on his chair. "What is the chance that the Crona Lords are hiding additional surprises?"
"Fairly low." Calabast instantly replied. "Lucky has scoured all of the major places that can hide anything that can threaten our troops. The biggest risk is that the Crona Lords have seeded more Alpha Mines or comparable traps in the local asteroids, but we have gathered sufficient clues to believe this is not the case. Just to be sure, my Black Cats have specifically configured our sensor arrays to scan for the specific sensor signatures and unique signs of the Alpha Mines. Now that we are aware of their existence and know what they are made of, it's a lot easier to detect them in the asteroid field. We have already double-checked and confirmed the placement of all twenty-seven Alpha Mines."
That sounded good. Ves found that it was quite enjoyable to be surrounded by capable leaders. Everytime Ves was about to bring up a concern, Calabast or Major Verle would quickly reply with an answer that made it clear they were already working on the problem.
Despite the great impact of these hidden weapons, Major Verle actually looked optimistic.
"One of the key rules to warfare is to know your enemy. In my long career in the Mech Corps, I'm used to working with much less information. The intelligence we have gathered is so extensive that we have practically stripped all of the clothes of the Crona Lords and taken scans of their naked bodies! We know almost every significant detail about their defenses and combat troops. Now that we know of their trump cards, we can specifically target them before we initiate our main assault!"
Ves turned to Calabast. "I take it that Lucky is needed to sabotage all of these weapons?"
She nodded. "That, and more. Our analysts have already detected that it is trivially easy to disarm the Alpha Mines as long as Lucky can slip in. He just has to cut a couple of sections to render them inoperable. The biggest challenge here is that Lucky has to do this to all twenty-seven mines, which will take a lot of time."
"How long?"
"Half a day. The Beta Ships are much easier to disable due to their smaller numbers. For all of their might, the five ships aren't deadly if they can't even move. Lucky just has to sabotage a few critical sections of their propulsion systems to turn them into actual floating husks in space."
If Ves could sneak aboard one of these so-called Beta Ships, he could accomplish the same.
"What about the Omega Laser?"
"I'm sure you can tell that it is no different." Calabast replied. "This is a large and powerful weapon, but it relies on a lot of key components to function. Disabling just a handful of them is enough to knock it offline. There are two problems, though. First, the weapon contains a fair amount of redundancies, and the Crona Lords have stocked up a fair amount of spare parts that the weapon crews can swap in a short amount of time. Second, the weapon is constantly checking on the conditions of its systems and subsystems, and to our surprise it's not easy to circumvent these procedures. If the routine checks stumbles upon anything amiss, the Crona Lords will go on full alert."
Ves frowned. The Omega Laser was not comparable to average pirate products. Even its security systems were impossible to compromise in a short amount of time!
"So we leave the sabotage of the Omega Laser for last?"
She nodded. "That's the plan. We will just let Lucky sabotage the outer defenses and the trump cards of Xiphard Base first. If nothing goes wrong, he will slowly work his way inwards. Aside from disabling the trump cards, Lucky will also be tasked with sabotaging various power reactors, defensive installations, ammunition depots, data banks, life support systems, starships, base systems and so on. Along the way, he'll also be on the lookout for any senior pirate officers. If Supreme Lord Roda is close, assassinating him will likely deal a very severe blow to the morale of the Crona Lords."
"That sounds.. quite a lot for a single cat to handle."
"It's not as difficult to accomplish as you think. Lucky will be making several trips to the stealth shuttle in order to load up on gadgets, poison and timed explosives."
The fact that the first infiltration failed to trip any alarms was a hopeful sign that this second operation would proceed smoothly. So far, aside from the ridiculously powerful Omega Laser, the Crona Lords didn't possess anything advanced enough to detect a second-class stealth vehicle.
The more Ves learned about their plan, the more hopeful he grew. The impact he received from learning about all of the rule-breaking weapons in the arsenal of the Crona Lords had faded.
He even began to look forward to the reaction of the Crona Lords when they found out that their attackers had already disabled all of their hidden weapons beforehand!
Such a realization would definitely strike another huge blow to the confidence of the pirates!
Once they finished going over the plan, Ves moved on the last point on the agenda.
"By the way, what kind of plunder can we expect from capturing this base?"
"Well, Xiphard Base has stockpiled a large amount of Kanevit bars." Calabast answered. "Though the wealth isn't impressive to the Larkinson Clan, it's the most widely-accepted currency in the Nyxian Gap, which will definitely be useful in our subsequent operations."
Kavenit was not an exceptionally valuable exotic. Ves did not look enthused. "Skip the bulk materials and get to the good stuff. Have you found any B-stones?"
"Surprisingly, Lucky did stumble across three of them. Your cat found each of them in the bedrooms of Supreme Lord Roda and two other senior officers."
"Three?! Are you sure?!"
"They're smaller than the last rock you obtained, but they are still sizable."
This was fantastic news! The more B-stone he obtained, the greater his defenses against spiritual phenomena. Since Ves was unsure whether he could even obtain B-stones outside of the Komodo Star Sector or in the Red Ocean, gathering them all up was one of his highest priorities!
Chapter 2218 Agent Lucky
A stealth shuttle quietly approached a seemingly random asteroid floating in a field of asteroids.
It elicited no disturbance in its voyage. With hardly any strong light sources in the periphery of Xiphard Base, no hardly any light or other radiation shone in the shuttle's direction.
Even if someone shone a spotlight at the shuttle, there was no way it would become visible!
Through a combination of highly sophisticated stealth technologies, light and other energy seemed to pass straight through the shuttle's structure without revealing anything.
Even other forms of detection such as gravitic sensors and more esoteric hardware were also hoodwinked!
Perhaps the only major threat that could shred the stealth shuttle's facade was if something physical flung straight into its chassis.
However, even there the shuttle readied a response. The vehicle expertly manipulated the ubiquitous space dust and particles released from asteroid collisions.
If someone thought that a low-tech solution such as throwing huge volumes of sand in space would successfully reveal the passage of invisible objects, then they were sorely mistaken!
Second-class stealth technology already incorporated hundreds of different solutions to common means of detection!
The Crona Lords completely missed the fact that a stealth shuttle and a certain commando cat had entered the depths of their sanctum.
Now, Lucky would be making another trip. Inside the interior of the shuttle, racks and racks of gadgets occupied much of the space, leaving little room for the mechanical cat and the pair of Black Cats assigned to manage the equipment.
A black-clad woman studied the projection that provided her with a wireframe map of Xiphard Base and its security perimeter.
With one huge asteroid at the center, several smaller asteroids chained around it and a decent amount of pirate mechs patrolling beyond, it seemed daunting to approach this formidable fortification.
Lucky flicked his tail nervously. "Meow."
"It will be fine, Agent Lucky. While we are on a tight schedule, don't hesitate to skip certain tasks if the risk of discovery is too great."
"Meow!"
"We are nearing our first objective. Your first task is to disable the twenty-seven Alpha Mines that are spread in the outer perimeter of the pirate base. We have already uploaded the schematics of the Alpha Mine and which components and subcomponents you need to disable."
"Meow."
Hardly any of the mechs on patrols paid much attention to their surroundings. The stealth shuttle halted right next to the asteroid that hid a devastatingly powerful nuclear payload.
Lucky phased right through the shuttle hull and quickly dove straight through the asteroid as if all of the rock was nothing but air.
The brief exposure in space did not trip up any sensors. Neither the Alpha Mine nor the mech patrolling a few kilometers away noticed anything due to the Misfortune Harness that Lucky currently wore!
Once inside, the commando cat instantly recalled the schematics of the Alpha Mine and quickly phased to the center of the big rock. Eventually, he came very close to the explosive warhead and the components built to regulate its activation.
Lucky flitted around and swiped his claws several times. With each attack, his claw only phased back into existence long enough to cut through certain wires, demolish tiny subcomponents or ruin critically important processors!
Normally, an Alpha Mine frequently checked the condition and operation of all of its systems and components. As soon as one of them malfunctioned or became irresponsible, the mine was supposed to transmit a discrete signal back to Xiphard Base.
It just so happened that Lucky destroyed one of the transmission mechanisms first! Shortly after that, he destroyed the various redundant systems that were supposed to check the integrity of the Alpha Mines.
Once Lucky tore apart all of these safety systems, he was free to destroy some of the more essential mechanisms!
Though he only spent two minutes of time to tear apart all of the key components, the Alpha Mine no longer posed a threat!
Even if some pirates accessed its interior and replaced the broken components, it would take too much time to repair them all. There was no way the Crona Lords could finish the task in the middle of a battle!
Lucky phased out of the inert asteroid and dove straight back into the stealth shuttle, which had already shifted to a different position out of caution.
Though the Crona Lords didn't possess any sensors that could pick up the stealth shuttle, Lucky was different.
After eating some CFA gadgets and an entire CFA shuttle a few years ago, his detection ability was on par with first-class technology!
Even if the tech he assimilated was outdated, the Big Two's equipment at the time was still significantly more advanced than anything a second-rate state was capable of developing.
Therefore, to Lucky's sophisticated, multidimensional miniaturized sensor suite, the shuttle stood out like a sore thumb in space!
When Lucky phased back inside the shuttle, the vehicle quietly flew to another Alpha Mine.
In the meantime, Lucky draped himself over the lap of the Back Cat officer in order to offer himself to gentle caresses.
"Meow."
"Good job, but this is just the beginning."
It took many hours to sabotage all twenty-seven Alpha Mines. While Lucky only needed minutes to covertly disarm each of them, the mines were spread around many kilometers apart from each other.
Though it was easy to traverse this distance in the open, the stealth shuttle had to rely on very unobtrusive means of propulsion in order to avoid whipping up any disturbances. Just because the Crona Lords were unlikely to detect the intruder did not mean that the shuttle pilot could act careless!
In the end, sabotaging the Alpha Mines turned into a chore more than anything. The Crona Lords placed them a fair distance from Xiphard Base as the pirates did not wish for their explosive packages to impact their mechs and assets!
Lucky and the Black Cats considered this step to be a warm-up phase. Now that Lucky was tasked with sabotaging the Beta Ships and the various carrier vessels of the Crona Lords, the stealth shuttle had to fly much closer into Xiphard Base's security perimeter.
At this point, if the pirates ever detected the stealth shuttle, it was unlikely for the craft and its crew to escape death or capture!
"You need to act with much more care from now on. Just a single mistake can spell the premature end of this operation."
"Meow.."
The stealth shuttle approached one of the several derelict-looking ships parked just outside the defensive asteroids.
If anyone looked at one of the disguised Beta Ships, they would have instantly dismissed it as a threat. Its corroded, pockmarked exterior made it seem as if the Crona Lords had retrieved them from a battlefield but didn't bother to fix them up!
Due to all of the other space junk dumped in and around Xiphard Base, the Beta Ships blended in well.
It was only when Lucky phased through the solid Kavenit alloys that made up much of the structure that the scenery changed.
Lucky entered a clean compartment that hummed quietly. Various ship components lit up around him, signifying that the Beta Ship was constantly active but put on standby.
A skeletron crew comprising of just a single engineer and a handful of other pirates were secretly stationed on the ship.
Due to lack of systems on the Beta Ship, the cat did not need to mess with too many components.
As suicide ramming vessels, the Beta Ships almost solely relied on its oversized and upscaled sunlight propulsion systems to perform their sole job.
While their propulsion systems incorporated a lot of redundancies, that only meant that Lucky had to spend a bit more time.
Sabotaging a ship was different from disarming a mine. Lucky had to render the Beta Ships useless underneath the noses of a small but active crew.
Still, after the engineers of the Larkinson Clan poured over the detailed scans and schematics of the Beta Ships, they formulated a precise plan. Lucky merely had to follow all of the steps to complete his job.
First, he quietly disabled all of the sensors and inspection modules that watched out for irregularities. Then he began to tamper with the various systems that regulated the propulsion systems. Finally, he uploaded some malware to the Beta Ship's various control systems.
He did not do anything to the crew. It wasn't necessary to assassinate or poison them when the Beta Ship already couldn't be fixed.
It took several hours for Lucky to be brought to all five Beta Ships as well as several other pirate ships to perform his meticulous sabotage.
The Crona Lords owned interesting carrier vessels. Most of them originally started off as light carriers, but the pirates had gradually upgraded their internal structure and exterior hull with Kavenit alloys to strengthen them in a comprehensive manner.
After so many upgrades, the vessels couldn't be categorized as light carriers anymore. However, their resilience still fell short of purpose-built combat carriers due to the inherent inadequacies of the original ship class.
The Crona Lords just called them medium carriers in their internal documentation.
Regardless of how they were called, they were large vessels crewed by hundreds of pirates.
It was a lot harder for a little commando cat to remain undetected while he sneaked inside!
While he wore his Misfortune Harness, he became nigh-undetectable to regular detection methods. By spending most of his time phased through solid materials, not even the unalert crew members noticed any signs of an intruding cat!
Even so, Lucky had to act a lot more delicately to sabotage the ship. His main task was to tamper with the propulsion systems in order to prevent the pirates from retreating.
Lucky also tampered with various other systems. By installing some timed explosives and messing with some other components, the Crona Lords aboard the medium carrier were definitely going to suffer when the assault commenced!
Due to the lack of time, Lucky couldn't mess with too many essential components. With each sabotage he performed, the chance of discovery increased.
It would have been ideal if the mechanical cat could tamper with the mechs fielded by the Crona Lords, but there were way too many of them. They frequently went on patrol and received a lot of inspections.
With so many ships to visit, Lucky could only stay for ten minutes at most before he had to leave.
It took a long time before Lucky visited all of the ships in the vicinity. The stealth shuttle then proceeded to bring him closer to the defensive asteroids placed around the main base.
These defensive outposts featured numerous turrets and missile launchers, but they weren't too important.
The main role of these defensive asteroids was to act as solid obstacles. Their sheer bulk stopped many means of striking Xiphard Base directly from long range.
Despite their importance, the defensive asteroids offered plenty of solid mass for Lucky to remain undetected as he phased from compartment to compartment.
He not only tampered with the power systems, but also dropped a few surprises in the chambers that stored a lot of missiles.
After Lucky successfully compromised the functioning of all of the defensive asteroids did the shuttle bring him to his final destination.
Upon entering Xiphard Base, Lucky began to visit various important sections of the large base. He managed to remain completely undetected as he paid a visit to various power generators, security centers, ammunition storerooms.
During his sabotage, he also started to approach some of the more important-looking pirate officers. He didn't claw out their necks for fear of alarming the pirates. Instead, he dipped his paws with some poison and tapped very lightly on the skin of his targets.
The slow-acting poison would remain dormant within the bodies of the victims until they became more active. Once their excitement surpassed a certain standard, the poison would quickly act up and cause the victims to die or lose their consciousness!
Sadly, Lucky hadn't managed to bump into Supreme Lord Roda himself. Xiphard Base was actually pretty large and the pirate commander could be everywhere.
As time began to run out, Lucky finally reached a hidden base section which stored the latest and arguably the most potent secret weapon of the Crona Lords.
The Omega Laser..
An elite crew of weapon technicians and operators kept a very close eye on its various systems. Due to the meticulous design of this superweapon, it was impossible for Lucky to sabotage it with impunity like before!
A projection of Ves sat on a prominent chair inside a command center aboard the Redfeather.
The Scarlet Rose was already cramped for space and could not accommodate all of the people and equipment needed to exert adequate control over the Larkinson Clan's combat forces.
Therefore, Major Verle decided to transfer to the Redfeather and command the battle from there.
Since Ves did not play a major role in the upcoming attack, it was better for him to remain in the Scarlet Rose which was a lot more secure.
The projection of Ves observed the large map of the Xiphard Base. Various elements in and around the base were marked with red to signify sabotage.
It actually took several days for Lucky to visit so many sites, but as far as the Larkinson Clan was concerned, the wait was worth it. With so many important sections marked in red, the Crona Lords were in for a very nasty surprise.
Major Verle glanced at the projected timer. "So far, the stealth shuttle hasn't transmitted any covert transmissions, which means that the sabotage is still happening on schedule. There are only fifteen minutes left before the Omega Laser is compromised."
A long time had already passed since Lucky left the Scarlet Rose. Those who were aware of the sabotage operation continually worried for its success.
Lucky had to visit many different sites and sabotage hundreds of different key components! Anything could go wrong in the meantime.
If the sabotage operation hit a setback, the shuttle should have transmitted a very weak but specific signal. If the pirates found out that something was wrong, they would have triggered an alarm.
So far, neither of these two options happened. The pirates remained as clueless as ever while the shuttle remained completely silent in order to minimize the chances of detection.
The lack of reactions and the inability for the Larkinsons to determine what was actually taking place generated a lot of worries in their minds.
Only Ves exuded a bit more confidence. His projection silently made the Larkinsons in the command center feel as if everything was in control.
Unlike them, Ves possessed an extra means of checking up on Lucky's condition. Though the turbulence and space warping in the Nyxian Gap added some difficulties, Ves was nonetheless able to track Lucky's overall presence in the Larkinson Network.
He had placed the Larkinson Mandate on his lap, allowing him to maintain direct contact with the Golden Cat.
Through her active bond with Lucky, she was able to track what the gem cat was doing and convey what she learned to her creator.
Nyaaa. Nyaa. Nyaa.
Ves smiled. "Major Verle, are our troops prepared to initiate the assault?"
"Every mech we intended to deploy has already been launched in space, sir." The commander of the upcoming battle replied. "We can commence our attack at any moment."
Twenty-five percent of the mechs of Task Force Predator would be held back in reserve in order to defend the fleet and be ready to respond to any emergencies.
That meant that the Larkinson Clan committed 1400 mechs to the assault!
Even though the attackers slightly outnumbered the pirate mechs, none of the Larkinsons dared to take this battle lightly.
Sabotage or not, there were plenty of other defenses that Lucky didn't have the time to tamper with, so the Crona Lords still enjoyed at least some defensive advantages.
Their mechs weren't as shabby as the machines fielded by nomadic pirate groups. With a foundation stretching more than 70 years, the Crona Lords had the time, resources and patience to build up a strong core of mechs and mech pilots.
The pilots received an abundant amount of training and rewards from the Crona Lords. The mechs they piloted incorporated higher-quality Kavenit alloys as their core means of protection.
The officer mechs and elite mechs were even clad with compressed armor plating!
Therefore, the quality disparity between the mechs of the Larkinson Clan and the mechs of the Crona Lord was substantially reduced.
Ves idly realized that it wasn't strictly correct to equate the Crona Lords with the pirates he was familiar with. The Crona Lords did not really engage in actual piracy. Instead, it was better to describe them as colonists who settled down in a mineral-rich area in order to earn a living by mining and selling valuable materials.
"Do you think the Crona Lords are pirates?" He suddenly asked. "It seems to me that they are just minding their own business. There are far more notorious pirate groups in the Nyxian Gap that we could target instead."
"It's a bit too late to ask this question." Major Verle responded. "Besides, the Crona Lords may not engage in pirate raids themselves, but they are facilitating the ones that do. Ending their mining and trading activities will inflict a small but measurable blow to the Nyxian pirates. Less pirate raids will occur in civilized space. Besides, we have already confirmed that the Crona Lords have egregiously broken several important taboos. The Big Two will be happy to get rid of this stain."
That reminded Ves to get in touch with the MTA in order to report all of the taboo weapons the Crona Lords had acc. . With so many Alpha Mines and the egregiously powerful Omega Laser, the offenses they committed were a lot more severe than the offenses committed by the Rust Grinders and the Mountain Kings!
This meant that Ves might be able to earn more than 100,000 MTA merits this time. If he was merely aiming for merits, then launching an attack against such a powerful pirate base still wasn't worth it due to the risks he incurred.
Fortunately, there would be other gains.
As the timer slowly ticked down, the forward scouts finally reported some activity at Xiphard Base.
"Heightened activity detected! Sh.i.p.s are moving into more defensible positions while additional Crona Lord mechs are being launched into space! The amount of signal transmissions in and around the base has skyrocketed!"
Major Verle turned to the projection of Ves. "Sir, permission to commence the assault?"
Ves nodded as he gripped the Larkinson Mandate tighter. "Go for it.
"Commence the assault!"
The spaceborn mechs that had already deployed in space began to emerge from behind the asteroids they huddled behind and advanced boldly in the direction of Xiphard Base!
In order to remain undetected, the combat forces had to traverse a lot of distance before they entered the pirate base's security perimeter.
However, the emissions from their activated flight systems stuck out like a sore thumb, especially when more than a thousand mechs approached from a single direction!
Even though the various mech companies and mech squads maintained some distance from each other in order to make them less susceptible to wide-area attacks, the huge wave of emissions quickly tripped the long-ranged sensors of the alarmed pirates!
After the Omega Laser detected something amiss, the entire apparatus sounded a huge alarm. The crew in charge of guarding and operating the Omega Laser became alarmed, but just as they were about to crack open the huge weapon in order to inspect the damage, a quick succession of black-clad claws swiped across the necks of every pirate!
Over two-dozen weapon operators and guards lost their lives in quick succession! Even if they detected an intangible dark shape zipping in the chamber, Lucky moved too quickly, and even if someone managed to land a hit on him, his intangible form allowed him to ignore all physical projectiles and most energy attacks!
"Meow!" Lucky domineeringly phased back into the material realm.
His Misfortune Harness was completely unaffected by the scuffle. Aside from the blood dripping from the tip of his front paws, there was no sign that the gem cat had just harvested a couple of lives!
The cat looked longingly at the Omega Laser before orienting his body in the direction of the main base.
The sabotage of the Omega Laser did not mark the end of his deployment. If everything went as planned, the general assault had just commenced, which meant that Lucky could still play a useful role!
Since the Crona Lords tried and failed all of their defensive systems, they would soon find out that there was a saboteur in their midst!
Lucky's mission was to take advantage of the turmoil and wreak even more havoc inside Xiphard Base!
He no longer needed to evade detection as much! As long as he kept himself safe, he was free to kill every important pirate he saw and tear apart any critical systems in his way!
"Meow!"
As Lucky tormented the unfortunate pirates stationed at Xiphard Base, from the outside more and more pirate mechs hastily deployed into space.
The Crona Lords were under attack!
The aged but vigorous form Supreme Lord Roda had been inspecting one of the medium carriers when a large number alarms bombarded his ears.
He initially headed towards the hangar bay in order to return to Xiphard Base, but once the base defenders warned him that there were hostiles present, he changed his mind and entered the command center of the ship instead.
"Give me a status report! What is the state of our defenses!"
"Milord, our defensive bastions report numerous signs of damage! Eighty percent of our turrets are inoperable and ninety percent of our carrier vessels are immobilized!"
"What?!" The Supreme Lord panicked. "Why can't our sh.i.p.s move!?"
"Our engineers have just detected signs of selective sabotage on every ship! Their propulsion systems and several other systems are not working!"
Suddenly, the air in the command center and the rest of the medium carrier got sucked away!
Across the hull of the ship, several ports inexplicably opened up, causing them to vent all of the air and oxygen!
Many compartments automatically closed up to stop the leakage, but they moved too late!
This wasn't necessarily a disaster, though. Since each Crona Lord was supposed to wear at least an underlayer vacsuit, helmets formed over their heads.
Supreme Lord Roda just happened to wear a much higher-quality vacsuit, but even he became frightened out of his wits at the sudden disturbance!
"Milord, fifty-five crew members on this ship have lost consciousness! They weren't wearing their vacsuits!"
"Damnit! Those lazy gits!"
Pirates were pirates, after all. No matter how much Supreme Lord Roda tried to instill discipline in their men, they were still rulebreakers at heart. Many of them didn't like to sleep in them so they just removed them before going to bed!
While several comrades managed to supply air to the unprotected crewmen in time, others weren't so lucky!
What was worse was that this phenomenon took place in several more sh.i.p.s! Hundreds of unsuspecting Crona Lords had already died or suffered from severe oxygen deprivation before the enemy even entered into battle range!
Suddenly, various explosions started to detonate inside the defensive asteroids and Xiphard Base. More emergency notifications started to flood the communication channels. Some of the explosions even caused some base sections to fling rock and debris into space!
"Tell me what just happened!"
"Our missile storage compartments have just detonated! Xiphard Base and the bastions have just suffered severe internal damage! Most of our missile launchers can only fire a small number of volleys before running dry. Wait, we just lost contact with the bastions. Their communications have just lost power!"
A litany of bad news poured into Supreme Lord Roda's ears. The sheer amount of harmful incidents taking place momentarily overwhelmed the normally seasoned and stable pirate commander.
His fists clenched as he felt as if an invisible hand cruelly stripped everything he had built away from him. How could the Crona Lords be so vulnerable to attacks from the insides? Their security protocols should have been thorough enough to thwart any intruder!
His experience quickly compelled him to pay attention to the assets he had left instead of the ones he lost.
There was no use obsessing over his crippled sh.i.p.s and defenses! At the very least, their mechs were still functional. In addition, the Supreme Lord still had some secret weapons in reserve!
"Wait.."
The initial alert that Roda received came with a code that he immediately associated with the Omega Laser.
If the unknown attackers had been able to cripple his base defenses to such an extensive degree, then his secret weapons may have all been tampered with as well!
This single realization immediately caused him to contact a number of trusted pirate officers.
At this point, he threw all caution out of the wind!
"Arm the Alpha Mines and arm up the engines of the Beta Sh.i.p.s!"
The responses he received were anything but hopeful.
"The Alpha Mines aren't responding to our signals!"
"Forgive us, Supreme Lord, but the propulsion systems of our Beta Sh.i.p.s are wrecked!"
The Supreme Lord's heart sunk even further.
"Milord! We are detecting hundreds of incoming mechs! No, make that a thousand!"
The pirate leader's face turned fierce. "Alert our mech pilots. We are not going down without a fight! Xiphard Base shall not fall today!"
The Battle of Xiphard Base started off with discord.
Many Crona Lords had the illusion that their base had just been visited by hundreds of invisible and completely unnoticeable infiltrators, assassins and saboteurs.
The sheer extent of the sabotage affecting so much vital equipment and parts couldn't have been done by a single covert strike squad.
Far too many systems that the Crona Lords depended upon to guard their base had all failed!
Some never came online. Others blew up once their power levels rose. The remainder worked normally, but the pirates in charge of operating didn't know whether they remained that way!
A huge wave of distrust spread amongst the pirates. Some of the more suspicious ones even started to eye each other with distrust!
The sheer depth and breath of the sabotage caused them to think that a massive conspiracy might be afoot.
What if the sabotage hadn't been performed by a large number of invisible enemies?
What if it was an inside job instead?
Once this thought entered the minds of Supreme Lord Roda and many other pirates, they all shuddered with fear. If this was the case, then at least hundreds of Crona Lords were in on the conspiracy!
When the officers in the command center began to panic and issue extreme orders, Supreme Lord Roda stood up from his chair!
"Stop! Look, I share your concerns, but this is no time to persecute our own men! Station all of our guards at critical sections and tell them to keep an eye on every slave and crew member. Tell our officers and supervisors to summarily execute anyone who stirs trouble or spreads panic, but don't act out when everyone behaves. We are the Crona Lords. We are better than this! Trust in your fellow brothers!"
His orders quickly imposed some order in the ranks of the Crona Lords. While the pirates were still disturbed by the sheer amount of defense systems, none of them wanted to roll over and die.
As long as their mechs could still fight, there was still a chance of repelling their heinous attackers!
With Supreme Lord Roda exercising calming leadership, the fighting forces of the Crona Lords slowly regained their order.
All of the training put into them caused them to shrug off the chaos and focus on the upcoming battle.
The energy emissions their sensors had detected were coming closer and closer. Soon enough, the pirates learned who possessed the audacity to attack one of the older and more entrenched pirate groups in Maynard Fields.
"The Larkinson Clan…"
"Who are they?"
"Wait, aren't those fellows supposed to be running wild in Wreckage Paradise?"
"Look at those 200 mechs in the front! Those are Hexer mechs!"
"Ahh! Second-class mechs, and so many of them! We're doomed!"
"Pipe down or I'll cut down your mech right this instant! Hexer mechs or not, our defenses are far more formidable than you think!"
"What defenses? They're all gone!"
The order and calm imposed by Supreme Lord Roda partially unraveled as soon as the pirates detected the presence of the Penitent Sisters!
In contrast to the upheaval taking place among the pirates, the combat forces of the Larkinson Clan remained under tight control.
Hundreds of Avatars of Myth flew in neat, slightly-dispersed formations. Their spotless gold coating along with the large amount of glows proliferating throughout their ranks caused them to build up a considerable momentum as they advanced.
The Avatar Commander decided to lead his forces into battle. Despite the risks, Melkor was still a mech pilot, and he did not wish to command from the rear!
The Speed Demons and the Bright Companions took part in the attack as well.
The former had already split off from the main force in order to approach the pirate base from the flanks. Tusa Billingsley-Larkinson knew he wasn't as close to the clan patriarch as the other expert candidates in the clan. He hoped his upcoming battle performance would raise his reputation!
"We are the sword and spear of the Larkinson Clan." Melkor transmitted to his men. "Make our clan patriarch proud and watch out for your fellow clansmen. For the clan!"
"For the clan!"
As for Joshua, the golden boy of the Avatars, he and his Bright Companions attracted a lot of attention. The Quint surrounded by a dozen Bright Warrior mechs distinguished themselves from the other Avatar mechs by the red stripe running vertically across the middle of their mechs.
Joshua insisted on adding the stripe in order to represent his conviction and reinforce the assault role of his Bright Companions.
The stripe ran from the top of their mechs, went past the third eye on their foreheads and cut straight through the front of their torsos until they ended at the lower waist.
Today, Joshua decided to outfit most of his Bright Warrior mechs with the swordsman mech configuration. This was the best loadout for large, protracted battles and chaotic brawls involving hundreds if not thousands of mechs.
A couple of Bright Warrior mechs in their space knight configurations gave the Bright Companions some insurance.
"Stay together and follow my lead. We will target every enemy officer mech and cause as much disruption in their ranks as possible. If you can't keep up, then fall back, but I expect each of you uphold the honor of the Bright Companions. For the clan!"
"For the clan!"
Commander Magdalena Larkinson was too old to take part in the battle, but she didn't need to. The Living Sentinels already fielded plenty of capable mech pilots and mech officers.
After clashing against several smaller pirate groups, the rookies of the Sentinels rapidly matured. The officers and seasoned veterans also became more proficient in guiding them and exercising their leadership over them. The Sentinel Commander was confident that none of her men would be making any rookie mistakes in this battle.
Commander Orfan of the Flagrant Vandals and Commander Dise of the Swordmaidens flew side by side as their forces were situated in the rear of the main force.
This was not a sign of disfavor to them. Instead, Major Verle held great trust in the experience, composure and veterancy of the two mech forces.
Unlike the Avatars and Sentinels who still had much to go before they matured, the Vandals and Swordmaidens were old hands in battle.
Therefore, Major Verle assigned the two to act as troubleshooters. If the Crona Lords put up much greater resistance than anticipated somewhere, then the Vandals and Swordmaidens were ready to intervene in an instant.
Neither Orfan nor Dise opened a private communication channel between their mechs. It wasn't needed.
Outside the Larkinson Network, they were already connected to each other through another spiritual bond.
Commander Orfan savagely curled her lips. "It's been a long time since we last fought side-by-side. I still remember our days on Aeon Corona VII."
"Feh." Dise snorted. "We lost too many good Swordmaidens on that cursed planet."
"We got to bond with the big lizard, but you're right. A lot of Vandals died as well."
"Let's make sure that none of our fellow clansmen suffer the same fate."
"I'm not sure we'll even get to make our moves." Commander Orfan grimaced. "Those Penitent Sister mechs can wipe out the pirates by themselves."
"Let's not get overconfident, sister. The Penitent Sisters are strong, but no Nyxian pirate is a pushover. It wasn't as bad back in the Faris Star Region, but even there it was unwise to drive a pirate into a corner."
"Hahaha! You're kidding, right? The entire base of the Crona Lords is falling apart around them! I heard that all of their fancy superweapons are offline. With their mechs and the few intact turrets they have left, what can they possibly do to beat those invincible Penitent Sister mechs?"
This time, the Penitent Sisters would be taking part in the battle! The exiled Hexers felt rather mixed about this deployment, but Commander Valerie Chancy who commanded her Sisters from the Surly C.o. thought slightly differently.
After experiencing the birth of the Superior Mother, her views on her employer had changed. There was something very special about Ves Larkinson that distinguished him from other boys.
"What is your connection to the Superior Mother? Are you truly just a boy?" She inwardly wondered.
Soon enough, the assault force entered into combat range. Even though a lot of asteroids still blocked the line of sight of many mechs, some of them already started to fire their weapons!
The pirates, though considerably less organized, responded in kind.
The quality disparity between the two sides immediately became apparent!
The Crona Lord mechs and turrets weren't individually powerful, but they had numbers on their side! Even after Lucky sabotaged a lot of defensive systems, a decent amount of turrets as well as a considerable number of bunker mechs still remained intact.
Those fixed defenses increased the damage output of the pirates, thereby causing the approaching Larkinson mechs to be met with a rain of fire!
Space knights and other sturdy mechs such as the Bright Warriors took the lead. The more vulnerable rifleman mechs and light mechs huddled in the rear. This caused most of incoming attacks to deal negligible damage.
As the distance shortened, the pirates started to land more solid hits, but that didn't necessarily boost their confidence.
The ranged mechs of the attackers hit much harder!
The Larkinsons mostly fielded premium mechs, so their rifles inflicted considerably more damage. Their mech pilots possessed considerably greater skill as well, so their shots accurately pounded the Kavenit armor plating of the pirate mechs even at longer ranges!
However, it was the Penitent Sister mechs that made their presence felt. Their ranged mechs fired much more powerful laser beams, positron beams and gauss rounds at the Crona Lords.
Hardly any Crona Lord mech could withstand a direct hit!
"You idiots! Don't fly in the open! Get into cover!" Supreme Lord Roda commanded.
The pirates enjoyed an immense defensive advantage. Even if most of their defenses had been knocked offline, the solid Kavenit alloy barriers still offered a lot of protection against ranged attacks! The Crona Lords significantly reduced their rate of losses after their mechs all took cover behind an asteroid or defensive fixture.
The Penitent Sisters didn't waste their firepower on the rabble, though. Instead, they directed their firepower towards higher-priority targets such as the armored turrets and fortified bunkers that were clad with heaps of Kavenit alloy!
Even with the prodigious damage potential of the Hexer mechs, the Penitent Sisters still had to concentrate their fire and fire continuous shots to neutralize all of the fixed defenses. The Crona Lords had mined way too much Kavenit over the decades and put some of them to very good use!
So far, the battle progressed within expectations to the Larkinson Clan. Major Verle observed the Crona Lord movement closely, but saw no sign that they were pulling out some hidden superweapon that Lucky's prior reconnaissance had overlooked.
That did not mean that Ves and Major Verle were ready to relax. Anything could happen in a battle of this scale, let alone smaller ones.
The extreme amount of scouting, preparation and sabotage they conducted may have given the Larkinson Clan some huge advantages, but until the pirates surrendered or lost their ability to fight, the Larkinsons still maintained their vigilance!
As the exchange of fire between the two sides became more intense, both sides suffered more and more damage.
The Crona Lords exhibited enough coordination to focus their ranged firepower on a handful of mechs. Once they learned that the Penitent Sisters mechs were too tough to be taken down in this fashion, they focused their ire on the Avatars of Myth but especially the Living Sentinels!
As the most numerous but weakest-looking mech force, the Sentinels endured the brunt of pirate attacks! Many of the mechs targeted by the pirates sustained severe battle damage and were forced to fall back prematurely, much to the regret of their mech pilots.
Some of the Sentinel mech pilots were even forced to eject their c.o. !
As for the Crona Lords, their assets succ. at a significantly higher rate! With the Penitent Sisters methodically thrashing their fixed defenses, the Crona Lords felt more and more dread at the incredible power of so many second-class mechs.
"They're unstoppable!"
"I didn't sign up to fight Hexers!"
"We'll all die before we can kill a single Hexer!"
As morale amongst the Crona Lords continued to drop, a change occurred on the battlefield.
A fleet of pirate sh.i.p.s emerged from the other side of Xiphard Base. Their markings and colors differed from that of the Crona Lords.
A substantial escort of hundreds of mechs surrounded the vessels. Some of them consisted of medium carriers, while others of them were large transports.
Supreme Lord Roda's eyes lit up! "Haha! You arrived early, my old friend!"
It turned out that one of the Supreme Lord's trading partners had dispatched its supply fleet early!
This unscheduled arrival completely floored Ves and Major Verle!
Chapter 2221 Lord Drogen
This was awkward.
Just as the Larkinson Clan innocently went out of its way to undermine and assault a pirate base, a number of outsiders arrived and caught Ves in the act.
Prior to the assault, the Larkinson ships and mechs had largely remained together and at a distance from Xiphard Base.
Task Force Predator aimed to leverage the advantage of surprise, and for that to happen, the Larkinsons had to stay well away from the Crona Lords.
Due to various reasons, the Larkinsons only opted to dispatch scouts in order to keep an eye of the surroundings of the main fleet. This was a compromise decision that allowed the task force to monitor its own surroundings but effectively remained blind to all but one of the approaches to Xiphard Base.
This meant that an unknown pirate trade convoy had managed to approach Xiphard Base without alarming any Larkinson scouts!
The new arrivals had already detected signs of battle just beforehand. Their light and medium carriers calmly disgorged mech after mech. In the end, the full escort of the trade convoy consisted of 300 mechs, which was not a negligible figure!
Worst yet, these 300 mechs appeared to be a lot more formidable than the mechs fielded by regular outfits. The rank-and-file machine was roughly equivalent to a midrange commercial mech. As Ves studied the preliminary sensor data, he became aware that the mechs were clad with a tougher Kavenit alloy that blended Kavenit with considerably more expensive exotics.
"Careful, Major Verle. The escort mechs of that pirate convoy are equivalent to mercenary mechs. They're not equal to the mechs of the Living Sentinels, but if their mech pilots are any good, they can give us a run for our money!"
Three mech companies looked different than the rest, though. Their purple and orange exterior featured considerably more ornate frills and decorative features. They looked as grand as an honor guard, and from the long-ranged scans their armor plating consisted of high-quality compressed armor!
"Those are bridge mechs!" Ves gasped.
The roughly 120 elite pirate mechs may not be equal to second-class mechs, but they performed considerably better than typical third-class mechs!
As Ves analyzed the elite mechs further, he picked up a lot of indirect clues.
"The elite mechs utilize a very advanced and rather wasteful alloy formula. Whoever produced the armor has blended a lot of Kavenit with a lot of exotics and blended them together in a simple manner. After compressing it, the resulting armor plating is very strong, but its price-to-performance ratio is quite awful. It's uncompetitive in civilized space."
He scanned the armaments of the mechs next.
"Their weapons are nothing special. They are largely lastgen weapons, but their laser rifles seem odd and contain modules that I'm not familiar with. Investigate them thoroughly."
He analyzed the other features of the mechs such as their flight systems.
"The remaining systems are not very remarkable. The relatively low tech base of the pirate industry constrains the local producers from fabricating components that are too complex or use up exotics that are very difficult to source in greater amounts. The mobility of these mechs are average or below average."
Ves continued to rattle more and more details at a rapid pace as the scanners continued to supply him with more detailed data. The expert analysis he provided gave Major Verle and the other mech commanders an increasingly more thorough impression of the new arrivals.
All the while, the battle against the Crona Lords still raged as hot as ever! The Larkinson mechs did not let up on their assault while the defenders did not cease fire just because they met with some friends.
A battle never ended easily once the first shot had been fired!
The Penitent Sisters fought with fury and overwhelming force. Their ranged Hexer mechs unleashed devastating fire that rapidly chewed up the Kavenit alloy barriers that the Crona Lords used as cover.
Dozens of Crona Lords mechs had already succumbed. An even greater number of fixed defenses got knocked out in rapid succession!
Barring any surprises, the Larkinson Clan would likely be able to attain an overwhelming victory against the Crona Lords. The morale of the pirates had constantly been sagging prior to the arrival of the trade convoy.
Yet now that the new arrivals boldly kept traversing towards Xiphard Base, it became evident that the 300 mechs of the unknown pirate force did not mean to shy away from this conflict!
"Who are they?" Ves frowned.
The projection of Calabast emerged in the command center of the Redfeather. "I can answer that. After scanning the markings and colors on the exterior of the mechs and ships of the new arrivals, I can conclude with a high amount of confidence that they are part of the Allidus Alliance.
Ves immediately looked alarmed! "What?! Isn't that the pirate alliance based in the core regions that built the Gravada Knarlax!?"
He remembered what Master Willix said about the Gravada Knarlax. She was a heavy cruiser that was completely built from the ground up by the Allidus Alliance. Though her technical sophistication probably wasn't high, the raw power she was able to bring to bear was more than enough to cement the Allidus Alliance's footing in the dangerous and contentious core regions of the Nyxian Gap!
"They're the Allidus Alliance, no doubt. In fact, Allidus is a regular customer of the Crona Lords. In the complicated web of Nyxian pirate relations, you can also say that the Crona Lords are backed or at least supported by Allidus." Calabast explained in a grim voice. "What is strange is that according to the trade logs we've obtained from Xiphard Base, the trade convoys dispatched by the Alliance aren't scheduled to stop by in a couple of months. It takes time for Xiphard Base to accumulate a notable amount of Kavenit, so the trade convoy that has arrived today won't be able to return to the core regions with full cargo holds."
"We can investigate this issue another day." Major Verle cut her off. "The presumed flagship of the trade convoy is hailing us right this instant. Ves, do you want to take this call or shall I address the pirates in your stead?"
"Let me take the call. You just focus on commanding the battle. The Crona Lords are still putting up a fight and we are already starting to lose some mechs. Make sure our forces are ready to battle those Allidus mechs. Their continued approach is not a good sign."
Normal bystanders never headed towards an ongoing battle unless they wanted to meddle in it. After straightening himself up, Ves accepted the hail.
A projection of a fierce-looking pirate leader appeared into view. The huge and formidable-looking man boasted a bushy and messy black beard. He wore an excessively pirate outfit that straightforwardly showed off his battle accomplishments in the form of trophies.
The blackened bones, tarnished insignia and faded metals hanging from the Allidus commander's uniform spoke of a long and vicious pirate career.
During his previous travels through the frontier, Ves learned that pirates didn't maintain any detailed records on the galactic net. Mostly, it was because their access to it was very intermittent.
Instead, they resorted to the more practical method of sprucing up their uniforms and adding trophies to them. The more junk a pirate wore on his body, the more battle accomplishments they accrued!
"Intruders." The pirate's gruff voice spoke. "The Nyxian Gap is not a playground for civilized folk like you. We have heard of you, Larkinson Clan. Your infamy in Wreckage Paradise has spread throughout the periphery of the Nyxian Gap. Not even the strongest Peacekeeper outfits are as brazen as your fleet. Do you think that anyone can get away with beating up our kind without retaliation? If you know what is good for you, then retreat immediately, or offer up your necks. The Crona Lords are not yours to take."
Shortly after the pirate commander made his demand, Calabast spoke to him through a private channel.
"The man you are speaking to is Lord Drogen, a trusted subordinate of Lord Hivex. He has a formidable reputation in battle, but he isn't known to be reckless. The sensors of his vessels should have gained a good impression of our exposed combat forces. Since he has chosen to adopt an aggressive posture, he must be confident he can deal with the Penitent Sisters."
"I see." Ves already had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy. "Is Lord Drogen confident because he is leaning on the strength and reputation of the Allidus Alliance?"
Calabast was very capable in reading people. "No. Lord Drogen isn't bluffing or exuding a sense of false bravado. He is truly confident in his own ability to resist our forces."
"That means he's hiding something else! Scan his mechs and ships for anything dangerous or unusual. We need to know what gives this fellow so much confidence."
He turned back to Lord Drogen and quickly considered his response. While the Gravada Knarlax was insanely strong, the heavy cruiser was nowhere to be seen, along with the remainder of the Allidus Alliance's formidable main fleet.
Ves smirked. "Lord Drogen, you underestimate our resolve. The Nyxian Gap may be infested by your kind, but you are but rats hiding in a dark hole. To claim this space as yours is folly, and we are not afraid of your feeble threats. The Crona Lords are already history from today onwards. Either get out of our way or join them in hell."
"You insolent brat!" Lord Drogen shouted as he lost his temper! "I will warn you one last time! Leave the Crona Lords alone or we will crush you and your pretty mechs! Lord Hivex has personally commanded me to gather as much Kavenit and other minerals as possible and his will is absolute!"
Though Ves found it curious to hear that the Allidus Alliance sought to gather as much materials as possible, he had no plans of backing off. The 300 mechs fielded by Lord Drogen were still manageable, and even if the trade convoy fleet possessed any surprises, they shouldn't be too extreme.
"Talk is cheap." Ves stated. "Fight us at your own peril. We are not afraid of the Allidus Alliance!"
The communication channel closed. Lord Drogen had made his choice and so had Ves. The 300 mechs advanced shortly afterwards. The Allidus mechs circled a bit around in order to attack the Larkinson mechs from a flank.
The crossfire they would soon be able to establish with the Crona Lords would put the Larkinson mechs at a slight disadvantage.
"Sir, our scanners have picked up elevated activities in the bow sections of three different Allidus vessels!"
A visual feed quickly came into view. The forwardmost armor plating of the three biggest medium carriers slowly started to slide apart. Each of the ships had bared their fangs and exposed their formidable-looking warship-grade weapons!
Ves didn't need the help of an analyst to realize what those weapons were capable of! "Those are destroyer-grade laser cannons! Their designs are similar to Xiphard Base's Omega Laser!"
It turned out that the Allidus Alliance were the original suppliers of the latest trump card of the Crona Lords! In exchange for a huge amount of Kavenit, Allidus provided their trading partner with one of their taboo products!
A sensitive exchange like this did not take place between regular trading partners. It spoke of a deeper cooperation between the Crona Lords and the Allidus Alliance!
Though Ves grew vastly more concerned as those laser cannons started charging up, he at least took comfort in the fact that they shouldn't be as powerful as the Omega Laser.
The Crona Lord secret weapon was not only several times larger, but was also embedded into a huge asteroid base.
The medium carriers of the Allidus Alliance didn't look all that impressive. Much of their capacity was already taken up by the pirate mechs they were supposed to transport. This meant that the forward-mounted laser cannons should be significantly constrained in terms of power supply and heat management.
That said, when those laser cannons finally discharged three powerful laser beams, the seemingly invincible Penitent Sisters mechs had been struck!
The momentum of the Hexer mechs abruptly stalled as the mechs that had been struck exhibited severe damage!
The Penitent Sisters suffered their losses as both the mechs and the pilots inside had died!
Chapter 2222 Archons
Both the Larkinson Clan and the Crona Lords reacted with astonishment as the bow-mounted laser cannons succeeded in doing the impossible.
They managed to overwhelm the defenses of second-class mechs!
Not only that, the incredibly powerful laser beams even destroyed the Hexer mechs!
The threat level of the Allidus trade convoy fleet had abruptly been raised. Ves, Major Verle, Calabast and many other Larkinson leaders exhibited considerable surprise at the daring of the Allidus Alliance.
It wasn't enough for them to construct their own heavy cruiser, but they also armed their other vessels!
Even if only three of the Allidus ships boasted a laser cannon, the mere presence of one of them was enough to step on the toes of the Big Two. These Nyxian pirates truly held no respect towards the rules that governed human space!
A couple of more mechs started to launch from the pirate carriers as the three laser cannons already started to charge up for another shot. With his extensive expertise in laser weapon technology and his existing understanding of the Omega Laser, he deduced some more details.
"Those warship-grade laser mounts are powerful only by virtue of their size, not their technological superiority. Their energy output is strong, but it takes a very long time for them to safely discharge another full-powered shot. The laser mounts aren't installed on the ships in the form of turrets, but are instead recessed deep in those bow cavities. While they are better protected against enemy fire, the medium carriers have to rotate precisely in order to hit a solid target. As long as all of our mechs take evasive actions, there is a decent chance that those laser cannons will miss. If we can put those armed ships under pressure, then they can't bring their big guns to bear."
While those laser cannons were very powerful, as long as the Larkinson Clan focused their fire on them, it was not impossible to disable them! The mere threat of doing so should already be sufficient in suppressing the Allidus fleet!
During this entire time, Calabast had been looking up the intelligence the Black Cats had gathered on their new opponents.
"There has been a lot of talk over the years about the Allidus Alliance arming their starships with warship-grade weapons, but there have been few confirmations. Word of a so-called 'Judgement Laser' has spread in some corners of the galactic net. I suppose they are true." She reported. "Despite parading around a heavy cruiser, Allidus normally refrains from showing off anything else. It is rather uncharacteristic for this pirate alliance to expose these weapons just to reinforce a rather modest trading partner."
Certainly, it would hurt customers like Allidus if Xiphard Base no longer existed. However, there were more suppliers of Kavenit in the Nyxian Gap, so it was not as if the Crona Lords played an indispensable goal.
Yet Lord Drogen did not hesitate in confronting the Larkinson Clan. He even decided to expose his trump cards at the beginning in order to prove to everyone that the Penitent Sister mechs were mortal!
As Major Verle received more information, he came up with a revised battle plan to deal with the changing circumstances of the battle.
"Commander Melkor, reorient your Avatars of Myth towards the Allidus fleet. Your men will be required to suppress those Judgement Lasers. Knock them out if you can. Disperse your forces and attack those recessed weapon mounts from multiple directions. Those medium carriers can't possibly shield their Judgement Lasers from every angle!"
"Understood, Major." Commander Melkor acknowledged.
"Commander Magdalena, your Living Sentinels should cease their current advance. Instead, pivot them around and pivot them towards the incoming Allidus mechs. Hold back the reinforcing pirate mechs. Wipe them out if you can but pull them into a stalemate if you don't. Either is fine."
"Commander Orfan and Commander Dise, your current instructions are still valid. Hold back and observe the battle lines. If the Crona Lords or Allidus Alliance are close to overwhelming some of our forces, move in and spoil their plans."
"Commander Chancy, while the majority of the Crona Lord mechs are still intact, you have done a good job at demolishing their remaining turrets and fixed defenses. Your Penitent Sisters should be able to defeat the rest of the Crona Lords by themselves."
"Commander Cinnabar, assist the Penitent Sisters in dismantling the Crona Lords. After that, focus on securing or cleaning up the remaining resistance in or around Xiphard Base. Force the pirates into surrender."
The string of orders along with the illusion of control that Major Verle conveyed quickly caused the Larkinson combat troops regain their composure.
Even if the Allidus Alliance brought some Judgement Lasers, the Larkinson Clan were still strong!
"Send in some of the reserves! Have them circle around and block the probable escape route of the Allidus trade convoy. Since they have chosen to throw their lot in with the Crona Lords, then they should stay here to the bitter end!"
The battle intensified as the formations of Larkinson mechs started to split up. The majority of the mechs oriented towards the Allidus Alliance ships and mechs.
Only the Penitent Sisters along with a modest number of Battle Criers continued their attack run on the Crona Lords!
Despite being outnumbered by more than three-to-one, none of the Penitent Sister mech pilots lost confidence! Now that the Crona Lords had lost all of their fixed defenses, there was nothing from stopping the Penitent Sisters from targeting the pirate mechs!
Supreme Lord Roda didn't have the time to catch up to Lord Drogen. He was shouting orders after orders in an attempt to find a way to stop the Penitent Sisters.
He would rather face thousands of Avatar and Sentinel mechs than confront a couple of hundred Penitent Sister mechs. At least with the former his forces could still make them bleed.
Without the Alpha Mines, Beta Ships and Omega Laser, Roda found that his Crona Lords were completely unequipped to stop the Penitent Sisters from drawing closer!
Once the Hexer mechs entered melee range, the cover that his mechs relied upon to stall their defeats would play no role anymore!
Only the Judgement Lasers of the Allidus Alliance could save his Crona Lords from destruction, but their allies were too preoccupied to come to the aid of Xiphard Base!
Around 400 Avatar mechs confronted 300 Allidus mechs!
From the furious exchange of ranged volleys to the intense collision between melee mechs, the two forces seemed to have met their match!
Commander Melkor, who piloted a rifleman mech and simultaneously commanded his men from the rear, saw that the Allidus mechs were actually piloted by very skilled pirates!
Along with skill, the Allidus mech pilots also possessed an abundant amount of battle experience. None of their mechs showed any signs of panic or loss of control.
What was worse, the pirates also exhibited close cooperation and coordination! Though none of their battle tactics, formations and maneuvers were sophisticated, the Allidus mech force fought like a well-oiled machine!
In comparison, the Avatar mech pilots were a lot more inconsistent and not nearly as stable!
The battle-hardened pirates largely compensated for their inferior mechs by exhibiting much greater grit!
The battle between the elite components of the two forces was a sight to behold. The Bright Warriors, which were all clad with Breyer alloy, were all being constrained by a slightly larger number of elite pirate mechs!
However, once the Avatars began to adjust to the rhythm of the pirates, the glows of their started to make a difference.
The confidence of the Avatar mech pilots constantly swelled while the pirate mech pilots came under varying degrees of mental pressure.
The regular Allidus mechs already started to flag, but the elite mechs remained steadfast!
Calabast quickly identified this strong unit. "Those elite pirate mechs are part of the Allidus Archons."
"Who the hell are the Archons?" Ves asked.
"They're the 10 percent most skilled mech pilots in the service of the Allidus Alliance. They are renowned for their battle prowess, brotherhood, fearlessness and powerful mechs!"
Their mechs were far better than any other pirate mech that Ves encountered so far. The wealth and power of the Allidus Alliance had made it possible for its mech production facilities to fabricate mechs that reinforced its dominance!
As Ves studied the performance of the Archon mechs, he began to recite their properties.
"The elite mechs are bridge mechs. Their offense, defense and mobility are all superior to premium and premier third-class mechs. They are not second-class mechs and can still be defeated by our Avatars."
He zoomed in on the Avatar mech company led by Captain Casella Ingvar. She had opted to take full advantage of the defensive prowess of the Bright Warrior mechs in order to block and entangle the Archon mechs as much as possible.
"Our Bright Warriors possess a decisive advantage in defense. The Archon mechs aren't nearly as tough, though their shells will need to be hit many times in order to crack them open. Their weapons are fairly powerful though and they pose a significant threat to our regular mechs. Their slight advantage in mobility makes them elusive as well, and it is difficult to pin them in place."
"What are their vulnerabilities?" Major Verle asked.
Before Ves could answer, the Allidus rifleman mechs suddenly changed their firing mode. Much different beams of energy spat out from the muzzles of their weapons and struck the lighter-armored ranged mechs of the Larkinson Clan!
"Alert! The Allidus ranged mechs are firing gamma lasers!"
"What?!"
The mechs struck by intense, high-energy gamma rays exhibited signs of immediate debilitation as a significant portion of energy rays has bypassed the armor plating and began to deposit a multitude of energy throughout the interior, including the cockpit!
Ves banged his fist against his armrest. "Those depraved pirates! The Allidus Alliance have gone too far! Only the most depraved degenerates of the galaxy make use of gamma laser weapons! Do not let up on them. We must wipe away this stain before they can unleash their destruction on innocent people!"
Many members of the Larkinson Clan were truly horrified now. The use of gamma laser weapons crossed yet another line. The sheer brazenness of the Allidus Alliance had exceeded all proportions!
"Pull the disabled mechs back. Suppress those Allidus ranged mechs. Don't let them fire on our vulnerable mechs." Commander Melkor quickly commanded.
The Bright Warriors were capable of blocking virtually all of the destructive penetrating rays of gamma lasers, but the problem was that the Allidus Archon mechs were doing their best to keep them busy!
The Avatars mechs were roughly on equal ground to the Allidus mechs at the moment. While the superior defenses of the former would ultimately ensure they would get the upper hand, the ferocious, well-trained Allidus mech pilots had already reaped some Avatar lives!
Though Major Verle looked concerned at this awful turn of events, he did not panic just yet. This was because a single mech company of black-coated mechs had finally circled around and begun to charge the high-threat rifleman mechs armed with graser rifles.
"Sisters!" Commander Dise yelled as her powerful mentality seemed to spread across her entire mech! "Ready your blades!"
The gamma laser mechs immediately recognized their own peril. They stopped pressuring the Avatar mechs and brought their weapons to bear against the charging swordsman mechs!
As the pirate mechs unleashed an extremely energetic volley of gamma lasers, the Swordmaidens reacted in a surprising fashion!
Instead performing evasive maneuvers, they instead swung their blades in a blocking position just before the pirate mechs fired their weapons.
Surprisingly, all forty swordsman mechs managed to block the deadly rays with the heavy blades of their greatswords!
The pirate captain commanding the gamma laser mechs couldn't believe what had just happened!
In fact, Ves and Major Verle were astonished as well! They had never seen swordsman mechs blocking incoming fire so well!
Though the lethality of the graser rifles was immense, their energy requirements were considerably greater as well. Ves knew very well that those rifles featured a fairly slow firing rate.
This gave enough time for the Swordmaiden mech pilots to brace their mechs against another volley of attacks. When a shower of gamma rays began to concentrate on just half-dozen swordsman mechs, the Swordmaidens reacted appropriately.
Several swordsman mechs flying alongside the targeted mechs unhesitantly reached out their greatswords with rapid speed in order to block the rays that the original targets couldn't block!
Though this hasty defense maneuver failed to block every graser beam, the ones that went through only hit the legs or some other unimportant section of the mechs.
The Swordmaiden mechs advanced indomitably regardless of how many gamma rays irradiated their greatswords!
Though the ranged mechs of the Allidus Alliance had already begun to fly backwards, the Swordmaidens possessed too much of a head-start!
In just a short amount of time, Commander Dise and her fellow sisters crashed into their targets and chopped them all apart in a matter of seconds!
"Weak!"
Chapter 2223 Superior Women
The Swordmaidens struck the Allidus mechs at a devastating moment.
Though it was a bit unfortunate that the pirates eliminated over a dozen Avatar mechs and mech pilots, the attack of the former daughters of the frontier fully showcased the cunning of Commander Dise!
Instead of moving to reinforce the Avatars of Myth right away, she instead took the long way around. Without moving to attack any pirates, her single mech company managed to fly under everyone's attention.
It was only when the swordsman mechs slowly started to turn around, building up momentum along the way, that their purpose became gradually clear.
By the time they bared their fangs at the ranged mechs of the Allidus Alliance, they had already built up a considerable amount of deltv that would make any lancer mech proud!
The Swordmaidens succeeded in overwhelming the gamma laser rifleman mechs in a single devastating attack run.
This not only removed a major pirate threat from the board in a decisive fashion, but also struck a considerable amount of fear in the hearts of the remaining pirates!
The swordsman mech piloted by Commander Dise raised its greatsword!
"Sisters, enemies still remain! Let us show both sides that while our numbers are small, our ferocity is endless! Advance!"
The Swordsman mechs flew out of the debris field that consisted of the broken, chopped up parts of pirate ranged mechs in unison!
The elite Archon mechs as well as the regular Allidus mechs both noted to their alarm that the black-coated melee mechs approached the rear of their formation!
The pirates hastily reorganized their ranks in order to muster up a hasty line of melee mechs to meet the Swordmaiden charge.
Though it seemed as if another collision was imminent, the Swordmaiden mech company veered aside a few seconds from impact, thereby avoiding the prepared pirate defenders.
Instead, the swordsman mechs raked the edge of the pirate formation. Their greatswords opportunistically chopped through the frames of the Allidus mechs.
By borrowing the momentum of their movements, the Swordmaidens often succeeded in landing devastating attacks!
Even the sturdier Archon mechs with their superior Kavenit alloy formulas did not manage to escape unscathed! Considerable rents and deep tears marred their exteriors, thereby exposing those portions to follow-up attacks!
Commander Melkor's visor seemingly lit up at the assistance provided by the Swordmaidens. They had cooperated often enough in training sessions and simulated drills for him to know what Commander Dise asked of the Avatars.
"If you want us to be the anvil to the hammer, then so be it. We will gladly accept this role!"
The orders he issued intensified the stubborn, sticky approach of the Avatar mechs. Whether they were Bright Warriors or not, the Avatar mechs put their training to good use by adopting a cooperative fighting method that sought to rob as much initiative from the Allidus mechs as possible.
This prevented the increasingly more distressed pirates to encounter great difficulties whenever they attempted to allocate some mechs to blunt the flanking attacks of the Swordmaidens!
The swordsman mechs piloted by Commander Dise and her fellow sisters weren't particularly exceptional. Their defense and mobility was on par against other premium mechs.
What stood out was their offense and supreme skill in wielding greatswords. Ves had specially prepared these Breyer alloy greatswords to show his appreciation to the Swordmaidens and assuage the guilt he felt for their losses.
Though the Swordmaidens currently numbered very few mech pilots, each battle-hardened sister had survived the punishing gauntlet of the Aeon Corona Mission and turned into elite veterans that embodied the best of their outfit!
With their sharp and practically indestructible greatswords, the Swordmaidens ferociously circled around the rear and sides of the pirate formation as it remained entangled with the Avatar formation.
Chop!
Chop!
Chop!
Through successive attack runs, the Swordmaidens harvested at least a couple of pirate mechs and severely damaged a dozen more!
The Avatar mechs stopped attacking for the purpose of taking out the Allidus mechs. There was no particular need for them to risk themselves when they could just close ranks and keep sticking to their opponents like stubborn leeches!
Ves and Major Verle no longer paid attention to this particular clash. The main Allidus mech force was finished as far as they were concerned!
The other parts of the battlefield raged on as well. The Penitent Sisters, devoid of the numbers and support of much of the Larkinson Clan, still managed to instill despair in the hearts of the Crona Lords.
With much of their formidable fixed defenses rendered ineffective from the beginning, the lack of secret weapons being deployed made many Crona Lords suspicious whether the extensive sabotage had struck them as well.
If this was the case, the Crona Lords had very little power to contend against the superior Hexer mechs!
While Supreme Lord Roda did his best to motivate and stiffen his fighting forces, there was only so much a good leader could make a difference.
With the Living Sentinels running interference on the medium carriers armed with so-called Judgement Lasers, the exiled Hexers were completely unburdened by the threat of this superweapon.
Unless the Crona Lords managed to fix their monstrously powerful Omega Laser, they completely lacked the punch to inflict serious damage to the superior mechs!
Initially, the Crona Lords believed that the combination of solid cover and super numbers might allow them to stall their defeats and buy time for Lord Drogen's troops to come to their aid or their secret weapons to come online.
Yet as the less than 200 Penitent Sister mechs continued to advance while enduring a storm of ranged attacks, Supreme Lord Roda and his fellow pirates continued to feel as if doom approached.
The melee mechs of the Crona Lords readied themselves for a punishing confrontation. While none of the Crona Lords possessed the confidence to defeat or even last more than dozen seconds against a second-class mech, at least they had more mechs at their disposal.
"Keep calm and don't panic!" Supreme Lord Roda instructed his mech pilots. "Second-class mechs have met their end in the Nyxian Gap many times. Hexers are always overconfident. Use their arrogance against them. As long as at least one of you manages to circle around their mechs, you can hack away at their flight systems. As long as we break off their wings, it doesn't matter how tough they are or how powerful they land their blows. The immobilized mechs will just float away in random directions!"
His logic was sound. The weakest components of any spaceborn mech was always the flight systems.
Though the flight systems of the Penitent Sister mechs were not easy to break, compared to the frontal armor they were sturdy as twigs!
However, would the Penitent Sisters allow these filthy pirates to execute their naive and simplistic battle plan?
"Penitent Sisters, punish the damned!"
"Punish the damned!"
The moment the Penitent Sister mechs collided against the prepared ranks of the Crona Lord mechs, the disparity in strength became obvious!
The Penitent Sisters outright ignored defense and just swung their weapons as violently and with as much righteous fury as possible!
These detestable pirates deserved death!
The Penitent Sisters did not allow their inferior pirate opponents to attack their vulnerable rear. No matter how much Kavenit had been used to form their armor plating, the feeble pirate mechs lasted only seconds against the attacks of the Hexer melee mechs!
By mowing their opponents with an even greater degree of lethality than that of the Swordmaidens, the Penitent Sisters decisively demonstrated the might of Hexadric Hegemony!
Even if they were exiled from their state and paired with outdated, worn-out mechs, they still possessed the identity and corresponding battle prowess of the most feared women in the Komodo Star Sector.
"Life!"
A Hexer swung a longsword with a single hand in a horizontal slash. The sharp blade raked across the chests of three Crona Lord mechs in an instant, slaying not only the machines, but also their pilots! Traces of evaporated lifeblood leaked from the exposed cockpits as their mech pilots only had seconds to live before their broken bodies succumbed.
"Death!"
A Penitent Sister mech lieutenant commanded her squad to rain death from above. Now that the Penitent Sisters had reached the position of their opponents, they were able to attack the pirates from angles where their defensive cover hardly offered any shelter from the apocalyptic devastation unleashed by Hexer rifles.
"Godhood!"
A pair of Hexer lancer mechs crashed straight in the middle of a prepared Crona Lord formation! Their lances pierced straight through multiple mechs! After shaking off the impaled mechs, the lancer mechs continued to fly away before the pirates had any chance of swarming them in every direction.
"Damnation!"
A Hexer space knight interposed itself in the path of a squad of Crona Lord elites. Though the pirate mechs weren't as good as the ones deployed by the Allidus Archons, they were still one of the remaining hopes of the pirates.
Yet no matter how many times they pounded on the thick shield of the space knight, they only managed to scratch the coating!
After discovering that it was a waste of time to attack the defensive mech, the elite Crona Lord mechs attempted to divert to other prey, but the Hexer space knight would not have it! It instantly boosted forward and began to counterattack! Its swords lopped off the weapon of an enemy pirate mech while its shield slammed against the surface of another pirate mech, visibly causing it to deform!
"Dust!"
A modest number of Hexer cannoneer mechs fired their gauss cannons at a slow but devastating pace!
With each heavy kinetic slug they fired, a Crona Lord instantly shattered! A shower of broken parts and crumbled components spread out with every shot. As for the human remains of their mech pilots, hardly anything bigger than a nail or a drop of blood was distinguishable from the expanding debris field!
"Woman!"
Perhaps stimulated by the display of martial prowess exhibited by the Swordmaidens, the Penitent Sister swordsman mechs banded together and began to scythe through the main body of the Crona Lord formations without stop! Their blades hewed up and down, left to right, back to forth in rapid succession, causing any opposition in front of them to be hacked apart!
Not a single Penitent Sister mech fell! Their constant forward movement as well as their in-depth coordination between each other displayed complete contempt to the means of the Crona Lords.
No matter what tricks they attempted to pull off, the superiority of the Hexer mechs negated all forms of resistance!
The Battle Crier mechs following from behind anticipated that they needed to lend a hand in order to prevent some of the Penitent Sister mechs from being overwhelmed by desperation attacks.
However, the Hexers were so domineering that they didn't give any Crona Lord a chance!
The Kinner mech pilots were therefore left to police the battlefield and make sure that any downed mech no longer posed a threat.
Regardless of what happened elsewhere, the Crona Lords were finished as a pirate group. After losing all of their fighting forces, Surpeme Lord Roda had no capital to cling to Xiphard Base anymore!
With these local successes, Ves and Major Verle grew more at ease. The only opponents that still posed a threat was the Allidus trade convoy.
The three medium carriers armed with Judgement Lasers came under continuous attacks by the flanking and swarming attacks of the Living Sentinels.
Unfortunately, Lord Drogen had more surprises in store than the powerful anti-ship lasers. Some of the other ships in his fleet began to expose various weapon batteries and began to put the Living Sentinels under a lot of pressure.
Some of them even fired a large volume of devastating missiles! While they didn't carry any nuclear warheads, when they struck a target or exploded close to one, something worse took place.
Strange holes began to emerge at the coordinates which quickly caused the nearby Sentinel mechs to tear apart!
"Those missile explosions are generating localized anomalies! Stay away from them and intercept them at all costs!"
Chapter 2224 Decisive
The Battle of Xiphard Base ultimately did not lead to the massive losses that the Larkinson Clan had feared.
With much of its defenses and secret weapons crippled, the Crona Lords stood no chance against the Penitent Sisters. Their mechs, despite outnumbering the second-class mechs by five-to-one, only served to give the exiled Hexers more exercise.
The mech pilots of the Crona Lords mostly died in vain. Their feeble attacks did not cross the threshold that allowed them to overcome the superior armor of their opponents.
Certainly, with quantity they might have been able to circle around and attack the weak points of the Penitent Sister mechs, but they needed at least twice or thrice as much mechs to pull off such a plan.
The reinforcing mechs of the Allidus Alliance fared little better. Even though the Avatars had finally met their match for once, the Larkinson Clan had brought more forces. Commander Dise clevlerly recognized an opportunity to hammer the Allidus mechs from the flanks despite the modest number of her Swordmaidens.
That left only the assault on the trade and escort vessels of the small Allidus convoy fleet.
The cargo vessels served little use in battle, but the light and medium carriers constantly pushed the Living Sentinels back.
The reason? Many of the pirate ships were armed!
The three considerably powerful destroyer-grade Judgement Lasers forced the Living Sentinels to escape from their line of fire.
Though the Judgement Lasers were well-protected in their recessed bow positions, this also meant that the medium carriers that mounted them had to rotate their entire hulls in order to aim their unwieldy weapons.
As long as the Living Sentinel mechs attacked from the rear, there was no risk of getting taken out by a massive laser!
Yet as the Living Sentinels discovered at the cost of dozens of mechs and almost just as many lives, the Allidus escort vessels held more weapons in reserve!
Only a handful of mechs remained to cover the ships. When Ves and Major Verle saw that the Allidus Alliance had foolishly dispatched too many of their mechs away, they thought the pirates overestimated their capabilities.
It turned out that Lord Drogen did have something to rely on after all. From secondary batteries that fired slugs at a rate of fire that equaled the output of a mech squad to strange missiles that created localized anomalies, the Living Sentinels who confronted all of this unorthodox firepower became confused.
"Get your heads back together, Sentinels!" Commander Magdalena Larkinsons admonished her flagging mech pilots. "Those ships aren't as formidable as you think! Keep your distance and take out the exposed weapon batteries one-by-one. Don't come close."
There was no telling what might happen if hundreds of melee mechs swarmed the armed vessels. The Allidus Alliance had already shown that it did not respect the taboos set by the Big Two. In the Sentinel Commander's opinion, such people were capable of doing anything.
Though the casualties suffered by the Living Sentinels distressed Ves a bit, he knew that the pirate ships did not have the power to stop hundreds of Sentinel mechs.
The carrier vessels weren't true warships. The weapons mounted on them at various places on their hull were jury-rigged in place by force.
In terms of energy supply, ammunition, protection and other factors, the weapons no longer threatened the Living Sentinels once they got their act together.
With methodical and coordinated ranged attacks, the relatively stationary weapon batteries were easily focused down. When even the thick layers of hull plating around the Judgement Lasers no longer held, the formidable weapons which managed to take out a Penitent Sister mech in a single shot no longer existed.
After stripping the vessels of all of their weapons and shooting their exterior sub-light propulsion systems into pieces, the Larkinson Clan successfully disarmed and immobilized the Allidus trade convoy!
Yet despite surrounding the pirate ships, the Living Sentinels received strict orders not to approach.
Ves stood up from his chair and hailed the flagship of the Allidus trade fleet once again.
When the oddly-dressed pirate commander appeared once again, he didn't look nearly as confident than before.
"Larkinsons. You dare to affront the Allidus Alliance. You do not know the gravity of the mistakes that you have made." Lord Drogen hissed as his projection seemed to cross across distances in order to bore a hole through Ves. "Lord Hivex has already been informed of your.. Transgressions."
"Oh. I'm scared." Ves flatly replied. "Now can we get all of the bluster and posturing and discuss the terms of your surrender? As a rule-abiding galactic citizen, I give you my word that I will keep you and your men alive while affording you the dignity that you do not deserve. You are more valuable to the Peacekeeper Association alive than dead."
"You think you can force me onto my knees? Hah! Grow a beard before you talk big!" Lord Drogen snorted and began to tap his fingers onto a console out of the sight of the projection. "Make no mistake. Retribution is assured and will not take long in coming. The Big Two may reign over civilized space, but our asteroid-filled void shall forever remain free!"
The tone that the pirate leader adopted reminded Ves awfully of fanatics. A very grave possibility came to mind.
"Wait a minute, Lord Drogan! Let's not be hasty here! All of your men don't need to suffer from your mistakes!"
Lord Drogen contemptuously sneered at Ves. "You may think little of us pirates, but we have our own honor. Lord Hivex! Forgive us for failing in our mission! Let us serve you one last time. For Allidus!"
During the pirate commander's decisive speech, Major Verle had already hastily commanded the Living Sentinel mechs to withdraw from the crippled Allidus trade vessels.
He did so just in time, as all of the cargo vessels, light carriers and medium carriers blew up in huge explosions that churned the surrounding space!
A rain of debris and metal chunks spread in every direction as the self-destruct mechanisms tore every ship apart from their insides!
Ves ached at the sight. Lord Drogen differed from typical pirates. The Allidus Alliance seemed to be an extraordinary pirate organization that managed to instill great loyalty and devotion in its members.
They were similar to the Swordmaidens in that regard, but enjoyed much more success.
He missed the bottom feeder pirates of Wreckage Paradise. At least the pirates there were always predictably craven.
The deeper Task Force Predator entered the Nyxian Gap, the greater the likelihood of stumbling upon the real powers who truly held sway over the dispersed but surprisingly interconnected pirate groups.
Ves regretted the loss of all of those Allidus ships. Even if their weapon batteries had been destroyed, he wanted to take a peek at the remains and any schematics that were doubtlessly stored in the data banks of the vessels. He also wanted to ransack the vessels for all of their juicy equipment and resources.
Unfortunately, Lord Drogen was far too loyal to the Allidus Alliance to surrender the valuable ships and trade goods his cargo vessels carried. Ves was genuinely surprised that the pirate commander did not hesitate in initiating the self-destruct mechanisms when it became clear that his ships wouldn't be getting away!
Ves looked at Major Verle and Calabast. Neither of them looked pleased.
"It's fortunate that we were prudent enough to be on guard against this possibility." Major Verle spoke.
"Pirates never meet a good end once they fall into the hands of a lawful group." Calabast added. "Lord Drogen knows that it is unlikely for him and his men to survive captivity and trial if they get to live long enough to be brought to court. We have gathered abundant proof that they have deployed warship-grade weapons and prohibited gamma laser weapons. The Big Two is never merciful when it comes to passing judgement on those who yearn to turn back time to humanity's darker age."
Verle agreed with her assessment. "Since they are marked for death regardless of what they do, a quick and imminent end is therefore the best possible course of action to take to Lord Drogen. They are able to perform one last service to the Allidus Alliance by depriving us of our spoils, thereby gaining the appreciation of Lord Hivex. This will make sure that the dependents they have left behind will be treated well."
Pirates were humans as well, and they possessed human needs. Though the typical pirate consisted of a former outlaw or refugee who had forsaken all of their ties to the people they knew, that did not mean they remained alone in their pirate careers. The more established pirates were much more likely to settle down and start a family, though their circumstances were very challenging, to say the least.
At some point, a pirate organization grew so powerful that they took on the form of a traditional power or state. The Allidus Alliance was huge. If all of their members consisted of single men and women, then it was doubtful if it could withstand the test of time!
Ves sighed and waved his hands. "Okay, we can discuss these issues later. The battle may largely be over, but the fighting hasn't ceased. There are plenty of stragglers that need to be hunted, and Xiphard Base is still in enemy hands. Let's make sure the pirates don't rig something up that causes it to blow. I want as many pirates to be taken alive as possible."
"Yes, sir. I believe the Crona Lords possess much less resolve to follow in the footsteps of the Allidus Alliance. From the signal transmissions we have intercepted, it appears that Supreme Lord Roda is still alive and aboard one of the crippled carriers hovering in the vicinity of Xiphard Base."
"That doesn't mean the engineers there are incapable of causing the ships to explode." Ves warned.
"We are aware of the risks. We will attempt to intimidate them into surrendering voluntarily. Usually, surrounding the ships with lots of mechs is an effective way to break the nerves of trapped ship crew."
Even if Supreme Lord Roda became determined to go down with the ship, his fellow Crona Lords might not agree!
"What about the base?"
"We are deploying our infantry en masse in order to secure and pacify Xiphard Base. While it wasn't a high priority, we made sure not to neglect the training and outfitting of our foot soldiers."
Even if the outcome of the Battle of Xiphard Base had become clear, tens of thousands of unruly pirates still remained alive on the crippled ships, defensive posts and the base itself.
As long as they were able to use tools and weapons, they could accomplish an untold amount of mischief before they surrendered!
This meant that pacifying them was a very high priority. Ves did not want the desperate pirates to overload a power reactor, blow up an ammunition depot or vent all of the oxygen in Xiphard Base into space.
Their lives were precious to Ves! He already considered the soon-to-be-captured pirates to be one of his most valuable spoils of war. He could not bear the thought of losing so much precious assets!
As the Larkinson forces started to wrap the battle up, Ves saw no need to supervise the remaining operations. "Make sure to tally our losses as well. We will honor the clansmen and Penitent Sisters who have died."
"Yes, sir."
The Battle of Xiphard Base ended in an overwhelming victory for the Larkinson Clan. Yet Ves knew that much of his clansmen wouldn't see it that way.
For the first time since they entered the Nyxian Gap, Larkinsons had died. Broken mechs could be fixed or replaced, but the loss of a precious mech pilot was not so easily remedied.
Ves looked down at the Larkinson Mandate resting on his lap. The Golden Cat closely felt the deaths of the clansmen who fell in battle. Her bond with them broke as their minds permanently turned silent and their spirits dissipated and moved to another realm.
Even Ves didn't know what happened after these valiant clansmen died. He faintly hoped that at least a portion of their lives could be preserved through the Larkinson Network, but as he questioned the Golden Cat, it seems that not everyone could sustain a life after death like his mother.
Nyaaaa…
"It's okay, Goldie." He whispered and spiritually stroked her head. "Death is a natural consequence of life."
Chapter 2225 Pacified
Compared to the decisiveness of Lord Drogen of the Allidus Alliance, Supreme Lord Roda was much more prone to equivocating.
The negotiators of the Larkinson Clan constantly tried to tempt the powerful pirate commander into offering his surrender.
Even though there was little chance that the Supreme Lord would be able to remain alive for the rest of his old age due to all of his violations, a man could still dream.
Unfortunately, Roda's grasp on the Crona Lords had already begun to slip as the Larkinson Clan won the battle and neutralized every mech or weapon that could pose a threat.
Just before the Supreme Lord was almost ready to offer his surrender, three of his confidantes aboard his ship had suddenly pulled out pistols and shot their former leader to pieces!
The pirate commander's flamboyant uniform that was decked with various trophies might look impressive, but it offered relatively little protection against attacks! The man had spent far too much time in the safety and comfort of Xiphard Base to take precautions against betrayal from his own side.
It didn't help that his bodyguards didn't lift a finger to save his life either!
The Larkinsons who saw the bloody spectacle unfold through the communication feed were only mildly upset at this turn of events. Supreme Lord Roda probably held a lot of secrets and understood the Nyxian Gap better than any of his other subordinates. Losing him was a substantial but not particularly catastrophic setback to the Larkinson Clan.
What little order remained among the Crona Lords evaporated after the Supreme Lord's passing became known.
Though the Larkinsons treated his title with contempt, the man held a considerable amount of authority among his own men. His ignoble death had caused the surviving Crona Lords to lose their main source of confidence!
Though some of the directionless pirates had become a lot more violent and irrational after losing their greatest leader, the infantry sent to pacify them eagerly took advantage of their lack of organization.
Every form of resistance had been crushed! Though some of the infantry sustained losses when they tripped some boobytraps or came under attack of industrial equipment, as a whole Xiphard Base and the immobilized starships slowly ceded ground to the Larkinson Clan.
What stood out to the Larkinsons the most was how much less resistance the infantry encountered at Xiphard Base. Lucky had single-handedly caused the pirates residing in the base to experience what it was like to be haunted by a ghost!
Ves and the leaders of the task force received increasingly more detailed reports on what kind of mischief Lucky had been up to. The cat abused his elusiveness for hours, causing the increasingly-hapless security forces of the base to feel as if they were being led around circles all the time!
Once the Larkinson infantry secured the interior of the main base, Lucky did not bother to return to Ves. Instead, he had phased straight into one of the vaults of the massive base in order to partake in his reward!
Who knew what kind of valuable and rare exotics ended up in the gem cat's belly. Ves felt tempted to enter the base right away in order to prevent his cat from eating everything of value, but he refrained from doing so out of caution.
He patiently waited for the infantry to completely secure and sweep the interior of Xiphard Base of any possible threats.
Even though the clan was already pretty sure that the base did not incorporate any self-destruct mechanisms, it was best to verify Lucky's scans and see if the pirates hadn't improvised something on the spot.
He only transferred over when an entire day had passed. As the mechs and shuttles of the Larkinson Clan scoured over the battlefield in order to sift through the expanding debris fields.
Salvaging the wrecks of their own mechs was the main priority of the salvage teams. Even if the mech technicians and mech designers couldn't restore them to functionality, at least they could recycle the parts and materials to repair other mechs.
As for the debris that originated from pirate mechs, there was relatively little of value for the Larkinson to take. In general, the clan wasn't interested in making use of Kavenit alloys. The only exception was the considerably more powerful armor plating of the mechs of the Allidus Archons.
The elite mechs offered protection that was far superior to any regular third-class armor system, though it was very inefficient to produce.
That said, once they were made, they were usually built to last.
Another notable spoils was taking over control of the partially-intact ships of the Crona Lords. While they weren't great vessels and weren't functioning properly, the sabotage that Lucky inflicted was very targeted, thereby leaving most of the core parts intact.
This meant that it didn't take too much time and resources to reverse the sabotage and restore them to working condition.
Whether the Larkinson Clan actually intended to take over the ships remained to be seen.
A handful of passenger shuttles landed in one of the main hangar bays of Xiphard Base. A considerable number of guards emerged from them first in order to secure the premises.
Though they were only repeating the actions of the infantry that arrived before, it didn't hurt to be careful.
When Ves and twenty-six assistant mech designers finally stepped out, they all looked with awe and fascination at their new surroundings.
Due to safety concerns, everyone who entered the base had to wear a hazard suit or something sturdier. No one was allowed to walk around unexposed in case some pirate trap released poison in the air or caused some volatile component to explode.
Though the suits elicited a lot of discomfort among the mech designers, Ves valued the extra layer of protection.
Various mechs, shuttles, mining vessels and maintenance equipment had been left behind in the spacious interior. The Crona Lords maintained fairly decent standards, so the hangar bay was actually rather clean and orderly.
"So this is a pirate base. It doesn't look much different from a mercenary facility."
"Most of the stories I've heard about the Nyxian Gap is that they can't distinguish a plasma welder from a multitool."
"I heard that pirate groups always keep a lot of slaves. Where are they?"
None of the Braves had ever been exposed to pirates up close. For all of their uncommon daring and courage, they still spent most of their time in design labs.
Though Ves had already taken them on a couple of tours, Xiphard Base was different from a regular pirate ship.
It was huge. Its scale was on another level than a typical pirate-owned carrier or haphazard asteroid base.
Xiphard Base had long served as the headquarters, castle and mining center of the Crona Lords. Its size and development reflected the decades of investment that Supreme Lord Roda had poured into it. As his crown jewel, he tried his best to take good care of it and avoid the usual neglect that less-disciplined pirates tended to exhibit.
Two younger clansmen joined the tour as well. They followed curiously behind Ves as they gawked at all of the abandoned pirate machines.
"Wow. How much profit can we make if we salvage or sell off all of this gear?" Maikel asked.
Ves quickly turned around and gently knocked his fist on the Larkinson seed's helmet.
"Of all the questions you could have asked, this shouldn't be the first one to escape from your mouth. This is just a fraction of the spoils that we have obtained from our victory! It's very likely that we'll be leaving all of this gear behind. The cargo holds of our ships can only accommodate so many goods. We need to take stock of our spoils and prioritize the most valuable goods."
"We've captured a lot of pirate ships, right? We could use them to store additional loot. The extra supplies might be sorely needed in the future." Zanthar Larkinson remarked.
"It's not that simple." Ves shook his head. "While you are right that carrying more supplies is better, the cost of doing so might be greater. Those pirate ships that you believe are for the taking are built and crewed by pirates. If you have paid any attention to the battle yesterday, then you should know that these depraved people are capable of doing anything. Who can say that the pirate ships aren't boobytrapped? Even if we have performed extensive scans on all of the vessels, I can think of many ways to circumvent the security sweeps."
Maikel brought up another argument. "They're also sluggish and old. They will only slow down the task force if we bring them along."
"Correct. I have always believed that we should always prioritize mobility whenever we venture into hostile territory. When you're too slow, you just make it easier for your local enemies to converge on you and cut off your escape routes. Now that we have provoked the Allidus Alliance, we need to take this threat seriously."
No one expected a trading partner of the Crona Lords to arrive at that time. The intervention and subsequent defeat of the Allidus trade convoy spelled bad news. He had already received an earful from Calabast on the risks of retaliation of a major core power of the Nyxian Gap!
That was something to worry for later. Right now, Ves just wanted to take a look at his harvest and enjoy the fruits of his victory.
"Let's proceed forward. This is just the entrance to the base."
The group of mech designers strode forward. They exited the massive hangar bay and moved further inward. After passing through some massive corridors and a couple of abandoned security checkpoints, they entered the heart of the hollowed-out cavern that had been dug out from the interior of the asteroid that hosted the base.
"Wow!"
The asteroid was actually quite large. The Crona Lords selected a good rock to build their base. A large stretch of structures had been built inside the base. While there were lots of sections that resembled the interior of starships, at least the main floor looked spacious and inviting.
Ves could tell that the pirates deliberately built this floor in order to alleviate their homesickness. The structures built on the main floor resembled an urban city district more than anything else. The pirates had even allocated space for some parks, though the weird purple exoplants did not look particularly inviting.
He wondered what Merrill O'Brian would say. As a former pirate designer, if unwillingly, she must have visited plenty of pirate bases when she was trapped in the frontier.
Sadly, she wasn't among the Braves who followed Task Force Predator into the Nyxian Gap. Ves already saw that Merrill was starting to fall into the camp of the Erudites.
As they walked through the pacified streets of the main floor, Ves and the mech designers finally encountered the people who resided in the base.
The clan infantry intimidated the locals into surrendering and shot anyone who resisted the inevitable.
The Larkinsons didn't really have the means to process tens of thousands of captives in a short amount of time. Therefore, the infantry simply rounded up the pirates and slaves and stuffed them into large cages."
The mass of prisoners sitting hopelessly onto the dirty floor caused some of the more sympathetic assistant mech designers to show some pity.
"How many of them are slaves?"
"That's to be determined." Ves shrugged. "From the intelligence we've gathered, the slaves outnumber the pirates. The problem is that there are many cases where the two labels overlap. The Crona Lords actually recruit a considerable amount of their men from the slaves that work under them. As long as they performed well and displayed plenty of loyalty to their masters, the slaves gained more rights and privileges under the pirate regime. This allowed them to work towards a better life."
A better life towards piracy, though. No matter how desperate these former slaves were, once they embraced piracy in any form, they became a part of the problem.
Ves did not intend to be merciful towards these folk.
Chapter 2226 Peter Seterin
Ves took his assistant mech designers and students on an extensive tour through Xiphard Base.
The sights were eye opening to those who never interacted with pirates and only knew them from the drama broadcasts on the galactic net.
They were a lot less impressive if you looked at them up close. Especially that now that they had been stripped of their weapons and thrown into improvised cages and put under gunpoint, the dangerous air around them had dissipated.
Supreme Lord Roda had died, killed by his own men. The loss of such a major pillar to their organization had caused every other Crona Lord to feel as if they had reached the end of their long and exciting ride.
The tour group visited many important-looking sites, each of which kept Xiphard Base alive. From power generation, waste treatment, air filtration, mineral processing and so on, the mech designers gained a greater impression of the Crona Lords.
More and more, the sights they had seen disabused them of the notion that pirates were technical illiterates who carelessly abused their stolen machines until they broke.
In fact the Crona Lords or their slaves did a decent job at maintaining their equipment. Certainly, their standards were fairly low, but that was mostly by necessity as the pirates did not have access to a robust supply network. Too often, Ves saw signs of jury-rigged solutions and inadequate repairs resulting from a lack of materials or technical expertise.
The sight both pleased and disappointed him. The Crona Lords obviously held themselves to a higher standard, but they were ultimately limited in what they could do. It was a sign of what humanity was like when they became disconnected from the galactic civilization that supported their entire race.
One of the more interesting parts of the tour was to witness the interrogation of the senior officers, those the Larkinsons managed to capture alive at least.
It turned out that Lucky had been a little too effective in clawing out the throats of every notable Crona Lord that held authority. Their elaborate uniforms decked with bones and other trophies had made it very easy to distinguish them from low-ranking pirates.
Ves reminded himself not to wear any clothing that was too fancy in hostile space. He briefly looked down at himself and was pleased that his hazard suit did not look that different from the others despite its higher quality.
In any case, when they entered a security center that the Larkinsons had taken over, everyone split up and curiously observed the former leaders as they underwent interrogation.
In one interrogation room, a pair of Black Cats draped themselves over the restrained form of a pirate officer.
"What are those women doing…?"
"They are extracting information." Ves said before grabbing the shoulders of the Larkinson seeds and pulling them away.
He brought them to another cell where a more normal interrogator from the Larkinson Clan talked to a captive.
This time, Ves noticed that the man being interrogated appeared to be a slave. After spending some time in Xiphard Base, Ves had learned how to distinguish the Crona Lords from their forced labor.
According to the various clues he derived from the man's appearance, the slave appeared to be some sort of senior technical supervisor. In other words, he was in charge of servicing and maintaining the large machines that kept Xiphard Base running.
A man like that probably knew the base from inside out. Ves grew interested in chatting with the slave.
He impulsively entered the interrogation room, startling the interrogator.
"Patriarch Larkinson! I was not expecting your arrival here!"
The eyes of the slave widened as he gazed at the hazard-suited form of the leader of the ones who doomed the Crona Lords.
Ves waved his arm. "Please step aside. I'd like to have a talk with this fellow."
"Very well." The clansman obediently rose from the seat and made way.
Maikel and Zanthar stayed in place, unsure where they should go. They soon decided to just stay put and listen to the discussion.
Once Ves sat down next to the table, he calmly faced the slave. Due to the transparent visor of his helmet, their eyes met each other.
Soon enough, the slave grew a bit discomfited. The identity of the Larkinson clan patriarch along with the demeanor he exuded loomed heavily on the slave who formerly took orders from the Crona Lords.
"What.. what do you wish to know?"
"Let's start with something simple. Do you have blood on your hands?"
"No! Never! I am a slave! I did not join the Crona Lords out of a willingness to get exploited. If I was still working back in civilized space, I would have earned a nice salary and lived a stable life."
Ves raised his eyebrow. "The condition of your body is quite good for a slave."
"That's because the Crona Lords need someone like me. If you have walked through this base, then you know how reliant they are on people who know machines and know how to fix them. There aren't any schools in the Nyxian Gap and their attempts to train their own engineers.. hasn't always gone right."
"Uh huh. So they feed you with better rations and outfit you with pretty decent clothing."
The senior base engineer looked upset. "I'm not a pirate! I don't deny that I enjoyed a position of privilege, but that is only in comparison to my fellow slaves. I.. I had to play by the rules in order to survive. The Crona Lords can be very harsh on those who offer resistance."
If Ves was in the man's position, he might have opted to make the same choice, so he did not begrudge the slave too much. His circumstances were very bad and striving to survive under a pirate regime always entailed desperate measures.
"What's your name?"
"Peter Seterin."
"Where do you come from?"
"I am a Reinaldan citizen."
"How did you end up in the hands of the Crona Lords?"
"I used to be a passenger aboard a liner that was heading from the Reinald Republic to the Sentinel Kingdom. I wanted to get away from Reinald and Sentinel looked like an attractive option. I never realized that accepting a lucrative job in the latter would lead me to travel on a ship that was waylaid by pirates."
"Were you captured by the Crona Lords?"
"No. It was some other band called the Zero G Devils. They're quite small, though I didn't see them that way back then. The Zero G Devils raided multiple middle-tier passenger ships, always managing to kidnap thousands of people, many of them who have paid a lot for their tickets. Mine was already taken care of by my new employer."
After that, the Zero G Devils sorted out their captives. The attractive ones were sent out first. The pirates then transferred the skilled ones like Peter to a more discrete pirate ship, which carried the prisoners all the way to the Nyxian Gap, where pirate groups paid well to obtain some useful slaves.
Hearing that someone travelling rather deep in civilized space had suddenly been kidnapped before being trafficked to the Nyxian Gap astounded Ves and his students.
This sounded like an elaborate and sophisticated operation that must have been active for many years!
Rather than waiting to hijack some engineers and skilled personnel from the ships entering the Nyxian Gap, the pirates evidently didn't have enough. They had to import them from civilized space!
"Well, it's quite a stroke of bad luck that your ride got hijacked." Ves remarked. "These are the perils of traveling through space. If I was in your shoes, I would have stayed in Reinald."
Peter smiled ruefully. "You think I don't remind myself of that every day?"
"So tell me about all of the equipment that the Crona Lords wanted you to service."
As Peter Seterin explained what his typical day of work involved and what kind of vital base equipment he needed to fix, Ves and the Larkinson seeds listened closely.
What was interesting was that the Crona Lords kept promoting Peter while affording him more privileges.
He gained the right to order around his fellow slaves.
He no longer had to live in a cramped cell with other slaves but instead moved to a more respectable apartment where he could sleep in the comfort of his own space.
He started to earn some Kavenit coins which he mostly spent on bribing his Crona Lord supervisors in order to get into their good books.
In a sense, Peter got what he wanted when he originally left the Reinald Republic. He experienced a change in scenery and gained new employment. His boss just happened to be Crona Lords instead of Sentinels.
Some time passed as Ves began to listen to the various details that Peter revealed about the various systems that supported the base.
The Larkinson seeds slowly grew bored. They weren't very interested in how the ventilation systems kept the air fresh. What did this have to do with mechs?
At some point, a change occurred. The interrogator quietly approached Ves and transferred some files to his comm.
Ves smiled. "Thank you."
He accessed the new files and skimmed them over. His smile grew wider, causing Peter Seterin to grow uncertain.
Only a minute passed before Ves was done. "Well Peter, it seems you have been truthful. You are truly an unwilling captive the Crona Lords had bought from a trafficker. The original logs of your transfer are still in their database."
"Ah. I didn't lie, sir."
"That's true, but there are more ways to deceive people than telling falsehoods." Ves chuckled. "Lying by omission is also a lie, don't you know?"
"What.. what are you talking about?"
"Let me show you something."
Ves projected one of the files transferred to his comm. The footage that appeared over the table showed an angled view from a hidden security monitor into some sort of rarely-visited supply room.
The footage just happened to show Peter and two of his fellow slaves he held authority over pushing a teenage boy against a wall.
"Mr. Seterin! I'm sorry! I thought I did a good job! It's not my fault the water pump malfunctioned!"
Peter, who appeared much more aggressive in the footage, stepped forward and punched the young slave in the belly.
"Agh!"
"You little rat! When the Crona Lords dumped you into my lap, I didn't expect you to be able to repair a power reactor, but at least I thought you were capable enough to clean the insides of a water pump!"
"This was the first time I came across a water pump. I didn't know what to do!"
"No excuses, boy! You caused a lot of trouble for our masters!" Peter launched another punch! "Now, let me show you what happens to slaves like you who forget your place."
The Peter in the footage then proceeded to remove his coat, slide down his pants and remove his underlayer vacsuit.
His two subordinates did the same to the teenagar.
Maikel and Zanthar looked incredulous and horrified at the security footage.
As for the slave strapped to his chair, his face exhibited full-blown panic!
Before the footage could go any further, Ves swiped his hand, causing the scene to disappear before it could turn lurid.
"I.." Peter bent his head in defeat. There was no way to deny what he had done. "I was.. frustrated. All of the slaves were. We don't have access to a lot of women."
Ves calmly crossed his arms. "According to the laws and conventions of the Common Fleet Alliance and the Mech Trade Association, any human who engages in crimes against humanity under the auspices of a recognized pirate organization has forfeited his rights and identity in human space. As an individual who has gone beyond aiding and abetting the activities of pirates by partaking in some of their crimes, you have met the legal standard of an interstellar pirate. Do you have any objections to this statement?"
"I'm not a pirate!" Peter insisted! "I'm a slave! I never wanted this!"
"I don't care. I'm only interested whether I have to treat you like a human being or not. Luckily, I don't have to." Ves grinned.
"Wh-what are you planning to do to me?" Peter shook.
"Why, helping you atone for your crimes, pirate."
With those ominous words, Ves rose from the chair and moved to leave the room.
"I will see you later, Peter." Ves teasingly said. "I can promise you that I will make sure that you are able to contribute to science."
Chapter 2227 Battle Incentives
The greatest pleasure of defeating pirate organizations was obtaining their spoils.
Certainly, Ves did not expect to take over everything.
The valuables in their eyes might be trash in the eyes of the Larkinson.
The goods may have become irrevocably damaged or lost during the fighting, as was with the case of the Allidus trade convoy.
Nonetheless, Lucky's sabotage and the Penitent Sister assault both managed to defeat the Crona Lords without inflicting excessive material damage. In fact, the rioting and despairing Crona Lords inflicted the most collateral damage on the base.
After some time, the Larkinsons began to search through every corner of the base, ransacking both personal possessions and larger goods owned by the Crona Lords as a whole.
Since the LMC earned a hefty amount of money everyday, ordinary goods which made pirates wild no longer interested Ves. He did however allow the individual Larkinson clansmen to pick out something nice depending on their contribution in battle.
Risk should always be followed by reward. While Ves expected his Larkinsons to do their duty to the clan, he wanted them to be enthusiastic about it. Therefore, every member of Task Force Predator was entitled to a bonus. Mech pilots who risked their lives directly received the greatest benefits. Officers and higher-ranking clansmen received some nice rewards as well.
Even if the Larkinsons disdained the jewels, trophies, personal weapons, alien relics, random minerals and other spoils, the clan would just directly reward them with hex credits instead.
Many Larkinsons understood that money increasingly became less relevant to them. Most of their basic needs were already taken care of by the clan, and it was difficult to spend the money while they were traveling in deep space.
What the clansmen began to aim for instead was Larkinson merits. Though the Larkinson Merit Exchange did not offer a full range of services at this time, many clansmen already cast greedy eyes at the second-class augmentations on offer!
Empowering the mech pilots in the clan was an important priority to Ves and the other leaders of the clan. However, the warriors wouldn't value their augmentations as much if the clan handed them over for free.
In order to keep them motivated and foster a culture of diligence and hard work, Ves decided to boost their existing gains by rewarding them with varying amounts of Larkinson merits according to their battle contributions.
This was a fair and transparent way for the mech pilots to improve themselves. Ves hoped to establish a virtuous cycle of improvement with this incentive structure.
In theory, in order to redeem valuable augmentations, they needed to train hard and actively improve their skills.
This would make them stronger, and thereby lead to better battle results.
Better accomplishments rewarded them with more merits, which would allow them to augment themselves faster.
Once they received their augmentations, their skills and battle prowess would soar significantly!
With the right implants and genetic alterations, they would be able to improve even faster and expand their skill set!
This would allow the Larkinson Clan to gain even more value out of them in battle!
Ves knew that as long as the Larkinson Merit Exchange kept offering attractive rewards, the Larkinsons would keep fighting and improving with great vigor!
All he needed to do was to get the ball rolling, which he just did. As he and his students entered the main warehouse of Xiphard Base, numerous off-duty clansmen walked past the crates and piles of refined metals in order to reach the racks that the infantry soldiers had quickly prepared.
On these racks rested a large variety of pirate spoils and trophies. Most of them had been stripped from the bodies of pirates, whether alive or dead, or had been dug from their personal rooms.
Various clansmen in their suited forms inspected the items placed on the racks and picked anything they liked, whether it was a weapon, a piece of gear, some ornament or other curiosity.
Of course, not every spoil was safe and still had to undergo a thorough check, but those were problems that could be dealt over time.
"This is cool!" Zanthar grinned. "Can we take something as well?"
Ves knocked his fist against his hazard suit helmet. "Nope. Rules are rules. Only those who took part or contributed in the fighting are allowed to take some spoils."
"But we're a part of this task force as well! We are taking the same risks as the other Larkinsons!"
"While that is true, they are making actual contributions, whether that is making sure whether our mechs get repaired or whether our clansmen get the nutrition they need. All you two have been doing is studying and learning. You should be paying me instead of the other way around. Be lucky that I'm not interested in charging any tuition."
Many people would kill to receive the personal tutelage of a skilled and knowledgeable mech designer! While Ves was not yet a Senior who usually held respectable positions at universities, he was already one of the foremost Journeyman Mech Designers of his generation.
His rapid ascension meant that he was doing at least something right. That made his teachings even more valuable!
Both Maikel and Zanthar blinked. They had chosen to forgo studying at a mech design university in order to study under Ves. They didn't know how lucky they were at the time. There was no need to shower them with freebies and spoil them rotten before they became full-fledged mech designers!
"You can look, but you can't take. Just take this opportunity to widen your horizons. In the future, you can obtain whatever you want when you actually give something back to the Larkinson Clan."
The Larkinson Clan was under too much pressure. In the present, it needed to survive the Nyxian Gap. In the future, it needed to keep itself afloat in the Red Ocean.
Ves did not intend to keep his head down and rely solely on peaceful development to get ahead.
Only by grasping opportunities would he be able to improve himself fast enough to obtain the power he needed to effect real change!
As Ves and his students walked past the racks, they paid attention to different items.
As a mech designer and craftsman, Ves was always on the lookout for interesting materials, especially those that reacted to spirituality. He cast out both his visual and spiritual senses for any interesting exotics. He also scanned the small projected screens that provided a short summary of the name and known properties of a particular exotic.
Sadly, the pirates of the Crona Lords did not have any access to high-grade exotics. Maynard Fields predominantly held Kavenit, and most of the rocks that pirates with a certain hobby collected merely consisted of colorful and abnormal samples of Kavenit ore.
"Worthless." Ves shook his head.
He looked down on these rocks for two reasons.
First, even if they contained valuable properties, their volume was too low to build anything worthwhile.
Second, he already had access to better materials. So far, Ves had spotted nothing that could surpass Breyer alloy in protective ability.
That said, his sweep did harvest some small and useful gains. One of them was a mineral that allowed him to strengthen infantry-grade transceivers. Another rock contained properties that made it easier to generate a gravitic field.
Ves wordlessly snapped up these small rocks and ordered his clansmen to take them back to the Scarlet Rose.
In the meantime, his two students ignored the strange exotics and instead studied the much more impressive-looking pirate gear.
The Crona Lords owned all manner of equipment that rarely showed up in civilized space. Weapons such as heated daggers, serrated swords, tiny holdout pistols, cruel and majestic hand cannons, poison arm bracers received almost every clansman's appreciation.
Sadly for Maikel and Zanthar, they could only look on enviously as their older clansmen put a claim on them. Most Larkinsons either sought to add these wicked weapons to their personal arsenal or intended to show them off to their friends.
It seemed the pirate habit of showing off their accomplishments in the form of trophies was beginning to rub off on the Larkinsons. It was a much more vivid and interesting way to present one's life to other people.
"It's also a primitive custom."
There were good reasons why modern humans mainly relied on records to show their worth. Pirates had degenerated from their civilized cousins by resorting to baser means to convey their strength and accomplishments.
Yet despite this fault, Ves nonetheless became charmed by the sight of Larkinsons beginning to wear some more harmless trophies on their hazard suits or combat armor. It gave them a slightly more savage air, as if they were starting to become pirates themselves.
Ves thought they were beginning to look a bit more ferocious. That was good. They needed plenty of guts to make it out of the Nyxian Gap intact.
The smaller prizes did not hold his interest for long. The members of the Crona Lords may be allowed to hold some trinkets, but it was impossible for them to obtain something truly valuable.
No. That was left to the likes of Supreme Lord Roda and his most trusted subordinates.
The deceased pirate leader carried the most valuable and interesting goods. Ves first inspected the weapons and other gear the clansmen had taken from Roda's corpse.
It was too bad that none of them availed the pirate commander at the moment of his death.
The man's comm was missing, likely taken by Calabast so she could hack into it and read the Supreme Lord's personal correspondence.
Even though the Supreme Lord owned some genuinely good stuff, Ves did not show any interest in taking them. He decided to leave them in place for the commanders and those who earned substantial battle accomplishments to take them and use them as proof they toppled a genuine pirate lord.
In fact, Commander Dise suddenly appeared by his side. She wore a wicked-looking suit of combat armor that was draped in the furs of an exobeast along with many other battle trophies. She quickly raked over the goods and picked up the Kavenit alloy insignia which represented the Supreme Lord's authority over the Crona Lords.
"I'll be taking this, thank you." She spoke.
After registering her selection to a nearby guard, she proudly attached the insignia on her belt which already carried numerous old symbols of authority.
The new addition hardly enhanced her already intimidating battle-ready appearance. The greatsword she carried on her back was far more impressive than any of her trophies!
Nonetheless, habits died hard. The Swordmaidens may not call themselves pirates anymore, but changing their coats did not mean the people who wore them transformed all of a sudden.
It was only after he inspected all of the gathered that he came to the biggest prize of all in his opinion.
Three transparent cases holding three B-stones rested in a separate room. Ves carefully approached them and probed them all with his spiritual senses.
All of them blocked his spiritual projections, just as expected.
He grinned. "Finally."
With three more B-stones falling into his hands, the day came closer where he could build a custom suit of armor that completely protected him against spiritual attacks!
In fact, he already gathered a sufficient volume of B-stone to start making one right away, but Ves wasn't satisfied with the degree of protection. He wanted to clad himself with thicker layers in order to offer him sufficient protection against formidable entities such as Nyxie.
As Ves studied each of the rocks in greater detail, he noticed that all of them were not standalone rocks like his existing two samples.
Instead, they had all been cut down to size by an industrial tool or machine!
Ves widened his eyes as he studied the various marks. The B-stones had all been cut until they reached a uniform mass.
"They're products!"
While this did not necessarily mean that the source sold B-stones en masse, it at least proved that the Nyxian Gap must be hosting a B-stone mine!
"Where the hell did the Crona Lords obtain these rocks!?"
Chapter 2228 Pity
As the Larkinson Clan catalogued the material goods of the Crona Lords and selectively brought them back to the fleet, Ves no longer cast his eyes in this direction.
Aside from picking up some interesting exotics, Ves mainly came for the B-stones. The three lightly-processed B-stones more than doubled his existing collection. This meant that he no longer needed to protect himself against spirituals by putting an open B-stone lockbox over his head!
Sadly, despite the abundant amount of minerals and metals the Crona Lords accumulated, Ves found no trace of P-stones and F-stones.
Neither exotics provided any utility to regular pirates. At the very least, the B-stone offered valuable protection from the discordant spiritual vortex raging in the imaginary realm.
At this time, Ves was unsure whether pirates or other factions in the Nyxian Gap recognized the true value of these three spiritually-reactive exotics.
He knew that the Five Scrolls Compact maintained a hidden base in the depths of the Nyxian Gap. Since the cult actively developed various applications of spirituality, Ves did not believe they were ignorant of the effects of spiritually-reactive exotics!
Perhaps the B-stones the Crona Lords obtained may have been mined by the 5 Scrolls Compact or one of their secret splinter organizations!
"Interesting."
It was useless to speculate any further. He knew too little about what went on in the Nyxian Gap. He also did not know whether he could obtain P-stones, F-stones and B-stones in any other part of space.
What he did know was that smashing pirate groups was an expedient and effective way to obtain more spiritually-reactive exotics. It was not as if the Larkinson Clan intended to settle down in the Nyxian Gap in order to erect its own mining operations!
"Heh. Robbing pirates is surprisingly convenient and fun."
The irony of the situation was not lost on him. Pirates usually raided other targets in order to steal their hard-earned valuables.
Now, Ves and the Larkinson Clan did the same to the pirates! The predators had become the prey.
That did not mean that the Larkinsons could keep raiding the pirates with impunity. Calabast wanted to speak to him about this topic later in the day.
First, though, Ves wanted to make some other stops.
He briefly visited a room next to the warehouse where the star of the previous battle enjoyed his rewards.
Having shaken off the Misfortune Harness, Lucky eagerly dove into the pile of yummy, higher-grade exotics that he reserved.
There was no telling what Lucky had already eaten, but fortunately Ves didn't care too much about the materials that remained. Letting them end up in Lucky's belly was not a bad outcome, especially when Ves was confident it would pay off later in the form of a powerful gem.
"Be sure to eat to your heart's content." Ves lovingly said to his cat. "I expect you to produce great things in a month."
"Meow!"
"Don't be like that. You have eaten so much other exotics in the past month and you still haven't deposited anything from your other end."
"Meow meow."
Lucky swatted his tail at Ves and ignored the human in favor of resuming his consumption.
Seeing that his cat fully enjoyed his current spoils, Ves left his cat to his current feast and left.
He took his two students to the hidden base section which hosted the Omega Laser.
As soon as his little group passed the security checkpoint, they entered a cramped chamber which contained the huge bulk
"It's as large as a corvette!" Maikel gasped at the sheer metal monstrosity squeezed into the chamber.
In order to transfer as much heat away as possible, the huge rod-like laser weapon had been squeezed into a hole. Everytime the weapon generated heat, it could rapidly dump its heat into the surrounding walls and asteroid rock.
The Crona Lords only a modest amount of space to allow people access and to offer enough room to perform external maintenance.
As his students admired the sheer bulk and power of the Omega Laser, Ves approached a chief engineer that had been tasked with studying the weapon.
"What have you learned about the Omega Laser?"
"It's a ridiculously-sized laser cannon, sir, and I mean that literally. If you study the schematics, then core components are identical to the components of a conventional laser cannon, but scaled up by more than ten times. The sheer amount of bulk it adds and the huge amount of energy and other stresses the construction is subjected to necessitates additional components in order to keep this monstrosity functional."
That matched the conclusion that Ves initially formed after studying Lucky's scans. The Omega Laser was not an example of high technology. It achieved its raw output through brute forcing low-level tech. It was an inelegant solution and enabled unworthy people such as pirates easy access to extreme firepower.
The Big Two hated it when unworthy people obtained destructive weapons that were beyond their ability to control. This was why even if the first-rate superstates were able to field weapons that were far more damaging, their opponents were usually able to cope with this level of destruction.
To be honest, the Larkinsons shouldn't even be in the presence of this partially-intact superweapon. The Nyxian Gap might be labeled as lawless space, but the Big Two claimed that their jurisdiction extended to every corner of the Milky Way Galaxy!
The Omega Laser was very clearly a taboo weapon. One of the most obvious standards to judge this was to ask whether a mech was able to mount and use a weapon of this scale.
When Ves imagined what it would be like for a typical heavy mech to wield a weapon that was as large as a starship, the absurd mental image was enough to end this line of questioning.
"The Omega Laser is solely built to be mounted in fixed locations or purpose-built warships." The chief engineer remarked as he slapped his hand against the solid metal bulk of the weapon's exterior. "Even then, the latter has to be really big in order to cope with this big gun's demands."
"So we can't mount it on our own ships?"
"That would be very illegal, sir."
"Just tell me whether it's possible."
The chief hesitated a bit before shaking his head. "No. Our existing starships can't cope with the various demands of the Omega Laser. First, it's as big as a small starship. That means it won't fit in the hangar bays or cargo bays of our vessels. While we can install it on our larger starships, that entails an extensive refit that will take weeks to accomplish in a drydock."
That was way too much effort, and Xiphard Base didn't offer the appropriate facilities.
"What about installing it on one of our captured pirate ships?"
"Hmmm.. some of those vessels are large enough to fit the Omega Laser, but there are an enormous number of practical problems. For one, we need to install additional power reactors and other power management systems onto the ship. All of this will take months of work with our current capabilities."
In other words, it was not feasible to bring along the Omega Laser and use it as a trump card against powerful threats.
"A pity." Ves looked remorseful. "The power of this weapon is considerable. Pirate engineering isn't very sophisticated, but it is quite brilliant in leveraging its few strengths."
"What's an even greater pity is the self-destruction of all of those Allidus Alliance ships. Something like an Omega Laser is too big and demanding for us to mount on any ship, but the Judgement Lasers are different. While they are still bigger than anything a mech could handle, their size is optimized for typical light carrier-sized vessels."
Lord Drogen's decisive action put an end to this action. The Allidus pirates did not want to leave any possibility of their weapons being used against their compatriots.
After learning a few more details about the Omega Laser, Ves eventually decided on what to do with this big toy.
"Well, since there is no practical or legal way to make use of this Omega Laser, we might as well scrap it and salvage the most valuable bits. Is there anything good in this massive construction?"
"The Omega Laser predominantly consists of large quantities of low-grade alloys. However, there are numerous specialized components that contain traces of medium and high-grade exotics. It's well worth it to break down these parts in order to increase our stockpile of high-value materials."
"Do it, then."
If this superweapon was no use to him intact, then he had no qualms in tearing it apart.
Respectfully, of course. This was a weapon that required a lot of effort to build. Ves appreciated its design and craftsmanship. Whoever designed and built this weapon possessed a genuine love and passion for powerful weapons.
He even wondered whether he could ever meet this brilliant developer and conduct a fruitful exchange. Ves already picked up a number of small insights from studying the creative and unconventional solutions to get around the lack of key materials and tech in a barren place like the Nyxian Gap!
After bidding farewell to the Omega Laser, he left the hidden base section and ventured to another guarded location.
Ves arrived at a secure detention facility in the bowels of Xiphard Base. The infantry soldiers who secured the base had gradually hauled their prisoners to this facility, which was large and robust enough to fit every pirate and slave as long as they shared their cells.
The detention facilities weren't comfortable by any means, but it was a good short-term solution that kept the dangerous elements contained.
None of his students and assistant mech designers accompanied him this time. What he wanted to do next was not something they should be concerned about.
"Ves. You're finally here." Calabast greeted at the entrance. "Let's head inside and inspect the prisoners."
"Have you sorted them out like I asked?" He said as he walked alongside the black-clad spymaster.
"We did. While we lack the manpower to inspect and interrogate every individual pirate or slave, after we borrowed the processing power of the Scarlet Rose and the Peninent Sister ships, our automated algorithms and AIs has scanned all of the archival footage and gathered other evidence that can definitely declare whether someone is tainted with a 99.341 percent success rate."
As for Crona Lords or slaves who fell under the 0.659 percent and received the wrong evaluation, Ves didn't care. The lucky pirates who were mistaken as slaves obtained a new lease on life, while the unlucky slaves who were unjustly regarded as criminals were still pirates on paper.
"How many people are we talking about?"
"Of the tens of thousands of captives we've sorted, over six-thousand of them are pirates. There used to be thousands more, but the Battle of Xiphard Base had taken a toll on their numbers. Many Crona Lord mech pilots have died as the Penitent Sisters explicitly targeted their bodies. Those we managed to rescue from their ejected cockpits or reasonably-intact wrecks are mostly intact, but they only constitute thirty percent of the Crona Lord's original pilot roster."
That disappointed him. He held an elevated interest towards mech pilots for his upcoming experiments. It wouldn't be the same if he conducted all of his experiments on norms.
Fortunately, there was no question that they were pirates. No matter what excuses those mech pilots brought forward, the fact that they hopped into a pirate mech and urged it to fight alongside other pirates sealed their guilt!
"Show me the prisoners who are proven to be pirates. Have you made sure to catalog all of the evidence and get all of the paperwork in order?"
"Yes, but…" Calabast frowned. "This is usually unnecessary. The Big Two usually turns a blind eye to what people do towards captives in the Nyxian Gap."
"Don't neglect this step! I want to cover my legal avenues in case my activities draw scrutiny."
"...What are you up to now?"
"Exploring the mysteries of reality and the laws of nature."
Calabast immediately grew dark. "Human experimentation."
"Can it even be called as such when pirates aren't legally recognized as humans anymore?" Ves directed an amused look at her. "This is why proper record-keeping is important. While I don't intend to spread what will happen, if it does, at least I won't get into any major trouble! Don't pity the pirates. The harm they do towards human civilization is so egregious that they deserve worse punishment!"
Even if Ves was right, Calabast still found his intentions distasteful. As someone who keenly understood how humans worked, she knew that anyone who performed depraved acts tended to descend to this level.
No matter what veneer of legality or civility that people used to justify their actions, the vile nature of their actions could not be changed!
This was why the Big Two prohibited slavery, brainwashing, mass murder and other crimes against humanity. To progress their race and civilization, humans needed to advance forwards, not backwards!
Chapter 2229 Slippery Smooth
Ves eagerly toured the detention cells that held his potential test subjects.
The pirates were all locked within secure, reinforced spaces. In their current settings, the cell walls were all opaque, allowing Ves to observe the defeated criminals without alerting them to his presence.
There was no need for him to interact with them on an individual basis. The Black Cats had already uncovered their history and place within the Crona Lords. They even sniffed out the moles and informants within the ranks of slaves!
All of these people were malignant tumors to human civilization. Getting rid of them would make the galaxy a better place, and Ves was glad to enforce justice on behalf of the Big Two in this instance!
He was such a righteous galactic citizen! The Big Two should thank him for getting rid of humanity's trash!
"What are you so proud of?" Calabast irritatingly slapped his suited arm. "Just because pirates aren't entitled to human rights doesn't mean that it is right to treat them as objects. I know it's a tall order to ask for you to behave decently, but please consider whatever you are planning to do. I am aware of the.. sordid experiments you performed on the indigenous population of Aeon Corona VII. Do you really want to return to those dark days?"
Ves looked absolutely unperturbed. "Everything I do has a purpose. Back then, our survival and success literally hinged on the outcome of those experiments. While I admit that the need is not as great this time, I believe we should grasp every acceptable opportunity to strengthen ourselves. The Nyxian Gap is even more dangerous than the frontier due to the brazenness and elevated development of the local organizations. With superweapons like the Omega Lasers proliferating among the Nyxian pirates, It's more important than ever to give my clansmen a greater chance to survive the battles to come."
"Ves.. all the rationalization in the galaxy doesn't change the fact that some lines just aren't meant to be crossed. While I am not a diehard supporter of the Big Two, I appreciate the calm and order they introduced in the galaxy after the destruction unleashed during the Age of Conquest. Do you know what originally caused humanity to descend into beasts?"
"The admirals and the people in charge engaged in reckless genetic modification that reduced their inhibitions and turned their emotions volatile."
"That's a major contributor, but not the only reason." She said. "Back then, a strong authority such as the MTA and CFA didn't exist. Power was concentrated in the rulers of great star nations. The Terran Confederation and New Rubarth Empire both believed they were the masters of the galaxy and that everyone else had to obey their whims. The smaller star nations adopted similar philosophies."
"What are you talking about?"
"Humans back then developed an arrogant, superior disposition. They also possessed much less restraint in using their powerful warships to raze entire cities and continents. The culture and society at the time was one that worshipped power and without limit. With so many people trying to fulfill their ambitions, they became more extreme as they tried to outdo each other. Because everyone was doing it, it not only became acceptable to commit certain acts we consider crimes against humanity, it even became encouraged! The Age of Conquest would have ended with a lot less mass destruction if this was not the case."
This was why acts such as human slavery became prohibited in modern times. No matter how much the slave owners tried to rationalize or justify slavery with religious scripture or economic benefits, the fact of the matter was that those individuals or their surdinates had to whip, punish, brainwash fellow human beings.
Many slave owners and the people who weren't even involved in it successfully lied to themselves that slaves weren't even human!
How could humanity progress and evolve to a higher level if it still acted in a morally hypocritical fashion?
In her experience, the true nature of people could often be determined by seeing how bad they treated those they despised the most!
How humans treated others at their worst was often the baseline of their true nature. If Ves retained no humanity at all towards those he considered pirates, how much stock could she put on him when he acted normally?
It was too bad that Ves did not share her thoughts!
"We don't live in that age anymore, Calabast."
"That's because greater authorities have come into power to forcibly curb these runaway acts. The path to degeneracy is a slippery slope. You only have to take a few steps before you have descended too deep. Unlike in the Age of Conquest, the current environment doesn't tolerate behavior such as yours. I don't want you to rile up the Big Two to the point where they brand you an outlaw. Not only will that invalidate my investment in your development, you'll also drag in your downfall!"
Ves turned at her and smirked. "There won't be any problems, Calabast. Your concerns are wildly overblown. I ordered your Black Cats to gather proof that the captives here are irredeemable pirates to avoid the outcome you are talking about. The Big Two won't have an issue with my actions. Instead, they'll likely reward me! The Crona Lords have dabbled with so many taboo weapons that these pirates are bound to suffer!"
"You're not getting my point." Calabast sighed again. "It's not what you are doing today that concerns me. It's what you will do afterwards. Slippery slope, remember?"
"Well, it's fortunate that I have people like you pull me up before I fall too far. Just don't do it now. It's too early. I haven't harvested the benefits of sliding down the slippery slope yet. It'll be fun!"
Calabast grabbed onto his arm in order to halt his steps!
"THIS IS NOT A GAME, VES! The Big Two may have set some rules that incentivizes people to hunt down pirates and enforce the taboos that ensure the continuation of stability in the current age, but their intentions towards people like you are not benign! The MTA and CFA mainly want to foster a society where piracy and use of massive weapons are discouraged as much as possible."
This was an understandable goal in the lens of institutional isomorphism. The Big Two wanted impose a strong break from the past, and the easiest way to do that was to transform the culture and institutions that people took cues from. It was much harder for the Big Two to enforce their rules by themselves, so it was important to foster a society that already suppressed undesirable acts!
The Big Two succeeded in this objective. These days, humanity largely regulated itself without requiring the intervention of greater authorities. From this perspective, Ves hunting down pirates with the sanction of the Big Two could be considered an extension of this phenomenon!
Even if Ves recognized that he could be regarded as the Big Two's tool, so what?
Ves stood to gain unimaginable benefits from his various acts! With the twin allure of merits and research results, there was no way Ves was stopping this shuttle ride just as it undocked from an orbital space station. He wanted to descend all the way down the surface and reach his destination before he was willing to call it a day!
Whether the surface of the planet looked like an idyllic paradise or a burning hell wasn't in his consideration at the moment.
He resumed walking, and Calabast had no choice but to keep up with his pace.
"Look, I understand what you're saying. I really do. However, let's leave the fate of humanity and the continuation of the existing order to the Big Two. We're too small and inconsequential to worry about all of that stuff."
"You.. I can't believe you.."
Ves raised his finger. "I'm going through with my experiments regardless of what you think. Before you nag any further, at least wait until I have achieved my desired result. I can promise you that the outcome will justify everything I do to the pirates!"
As a mech designer, he acquired the belief that almost anything could be justified as long as he designed the right mech. This had proven to be the case when he elicited controversy but resolved them by designing mechs that quickly converted his naysayers.
The Transcendent Messenger design helped him turn the Ylvainans to his side. The Desolate Soldier design silenced most of the critics who accused him of brainwashing his customers.
Now, Ves intended to invent something that was just as beneficial to the Larkinson Clan, if not more!
He suddenly halted. He recognized a familiar face in one of the cells. His smirk grew wider as he spotted Peter Seterin squeezed in a cell with seven other compatriots.
Acting on his neural commands, his implant matched Peter's face to his entry in the list of prisoners and marked out his name.
"I don't need to experiment with all of the prisoners." He said. "Only a small number of them are worth my time. Let me go over all of them so that we can proceed to the next step."
It took some time for him to walk past every holding cell and spiritually inspect each individual pirate.
He did not want to miss anyone who possessed spiritual potential.
Despite the amount of prisoners the Larkinsons had taken, the pirates with spiritual potential were quite low. Through his tedious, hours-long search, he only managed to identify a couple of dozen.
This was a disappointing, if not entirely unexpected result. To mech pilots, those with spiritual potential tended to perform better in their cadet days and gained better opportunities in the legal job market. Why should any mech pilot with a promising career go pirate?
The same was true for norms, though to a much lesser degree. It was not necessarily the case that normal individuals with spiritual potential were superior to their duller counterparts.
In many cases, spiritual potential played absolutely no role in their careers or daily lives!
It was just that the emergence of spiritual potential often tended to happen among more remarkable individuals.
All of this meant that scumbags that tended to go pirate consisted of low-quality humans whose chances of developing spiritual potential was several times lower than the average.
Even on a spiritual level, pirates were inferior.
"Ugh. Too few." Ves shook his head. "I guess I'll have to capture more pirates to make up for the shortfall."
Ves ordered the wardens to separate the pirates he had marked out and put them into separate cells. In the meantime, Ves entered an interrogation room with Calabast and waited for the arrival of his first test subject.
He turned to his annoying minder. "Your presence here is not required."
"I'm not going anywhere. I want to see with my own eyes what motivates you to perform human experimentation. At the very least, I can assist with wiping out your tracks."
She deployed various instruments such as jammers and other anti-surveillance gadgets in order to secure the entire room. Ves didn't need her intervention, but it saved him from deploying his own jammer.
Once a guard dragged Peter Seterin in the room, he strapped the prisoner onto his chair before leaving.
Peter looked nervously at Ves and Calabast. "Can.. can I plead my case? I know I did wrong, but I didn't mean it! I didn't know what came over me back then!"
Ves ignored the former base engineer's ramblings. From the moment that Peter entered the room, he turned into a test subject.
He concentrated his mind and began to extend his considerable spiritual strength towards Peter's mind. Though the man held spiritual potential, it was weak and dormant, which meant it hardly offered any defense against his intrusions!
"What is that?! Why do I feel so strange?! Did you drug me or something?"
As Peter jerked against his restraints, Ves decided to perform a quick and simple experiment. He forcibly tried to take hold of a portion of Peter's spiritual potential and mold it into a special shape before infusing it with one of Peter's spiritual attributes.
Surprisingly, every step of the way, Ves encountered notable resistance! Breaching Peter's mind was easy. Manipulating his spirituality without causing unanticipated changes was quite challenging!
Once he completed his crude and forceful manipulation, Ves drew back and stared at Peter.
The man already stopped trying to fight against his restraints. Instead, the base engineer's demeanor changed on a subtle but fundamental level.
"What have you done, Ves?" Calabast asked with a measure of shock in her tone.
To her, the shift was impossible! It was as if the prisoner switched to a different personality!
Ves continued to observe his test subject. He grew a bit discomfited when Peter locked eyes against his own. While being stared at in the eyes was not necessarily a big deal, Ves did not like the kind of look his test subject directed at himself!
"You.." Peter began to huff. "I.. I can't resist!"
The prisoner suddenly raised his waist as far as his restraints allowed! Both Ves and Calabast managed to spot something notable.
That was not a codpiece!
Peter quickly became increasingly more unhinged!
"Your skin is so soft! Let me lick it! I can't live without getting a taste!"
Ves grew grim. "..."
"Is this what your experiment is supposed to achieve?" Calabast carefully asked. "I must say that this is a novel way to interrogate a prisoner."
Ves resisted the urge to summon the Amastendira in order to blast his test subject's skull!
Chapter 2230 Natural Defense Mechanisms
In the initial experiments, Ves manipulated Peter Seterin's spiritual potential like a mortician dissecting a corpse.
He knew what he was doing was wrong and unnatural in a way, and the increasing resistance he encountered only reinforced that impression.
Peter Seterin was alive. His spirituality, however weak it may be, represented his strength as a person and a living, sentient being.
From his various interactions with other spiritual entities such as his spiritual products, he always made a big distinction between their states before and after Ves breathed them to life.
As long as they hadn't come into existence, spiritual products remained a disparate collection of ingredients. Ves could tinker with the ingredients and manipulate their merger process to an extensive degree.
Yet once they came to life, their entire state had shifted. The whole became more than the sum of the ingredients. At that point, the spiritual product he created could no longer be altered as if it was a machine. He had to treat it as a proper lifeform which mainly changed through growth rather than mechanical tinkering.
Though Peter's spiritual potential showed signs of neglect and even atrophy, it still possessed defense mechanisms of its own! While Ves managed to bend it at first, once he tried to force a change that deviated too far from Peter's original mindset, a portion of his spiritual potential actually broke!
"Ahhhhh!" Peter yelled as he felt something deep inside his being tearing apart!
The moment Ves induced substantial harm to Peter's spiritual potential, it suddenly did something drastic.
It retracted in itself!
It was as if the residents of a town fled to a castle which barred its gates and posted archers on the wall. Peter's spirituality began to retract and compress itself into a form that was similar to a seed, except not as strong.
Peter visibly sagged once that happened. Though the unknown change shielded him from the soul-searing pain of losing a literal chunk of his spirit, he also became less detached to one of the sources of his strength.
As Ves studied Peter's changed condition, he speculated that the shift caused his test subject to devolve back to a norm.
The reason why he felt this way? Once his spiritual potential compressed itself into a seed for self-defense purposes, it actually became less tangible!
Ves found it much harder to manipulate the inert seed. It was as if it weakened its presence to the point where it had gone out of phase from the dimensions that Ves operated in! Unless he could pull off a similar trick, there was no way for him to alter Peter's spirituality despite the huge disparity in strength!
He frowned as he stared at Peter's sweaty, shaking form. The repercussions of all of the changes that had occurred still left a very harmful impression on his psyche.
"This experiment is largely a failure." He muttered.
There was no reason for him to feel disappointed, though. Failures could reveal just as much as successes.
His botched attempts at altering Peter's spiritual potential generated several new phenomena that Ves had never witnessed.
The results provided even greater support to his theory, which stated that recklessly messing with someone's spirit could easily lead to great harm.
The only question he had right now was whether Peter's retracted spiritual potential would stay huddled like a hedgehog forever. As Ves peered closely at it with his spiritual vision, he intuitively felt that it might be harmful if maintained for a longer period of time.
This was because once the spiritual potential tightened itself into a shell, it didn't interact with any external impulses, including Peter's own thoughts and emotions!
Ves guessed that the state of Peter's spiritual potential therefore depended on how much danger it perceived.
If Peter's spirituality believed that it would get messed around once it lowered its defenses, it might decide that starving itself was better than the alternative!
As Ves observed, analyzed and derived numerous mechanisms related to spirituality and how it responded to certain changes, Calabast continued to remain baffled.
Unlike her partner, she possessed no spiritual potential at all. Even if she did, there was no way that she could perceive the elaborate spiritual changes happening out of her sight.
The only way she could tell that something happened was by observing Peter Seterin's drastic changes and reactions. His body language, his stress levels, his facial expressions and his words all indicated to her that Ves was manipulating the captive in an invisible and inscrutable manner!
The sight of it frightened her. Though she had managed to uncover Ves' greatest secret, she did not actually have a good understanding of what Holy Sons were capable of. Certainly, his mech designs provided a lot of clues to her, yet she always assumed that his powers mainly applied to mechs.
Now that she witnessed him manipulating people directly instead of resorting to indirect methods such as glows, her evaluation of him as a threat had risen considerably!
Fortunately, she was an ally of Ves instead of his enemy. She knew that for all of his lack of constraints, he treated his friends and allies sincerely.
That did not take away from the disturbing nature of his current experiments, though. Pirate or not, Calabast deplored senseless cruelty. If Ves wanted to punish Peter, then he should just give the poor fellow a quick execution.
"What is happening to Mr. Seterin?" She decided to ask directly. "Is there a point to all of this or are you merely developing a new torture method?"
"I am conducting serious research! Right now I'm just exploring the mechanics and learning from failure. Once I succeed, you'll definitely support me even more!" Ves defended himself.
He continued to poke and prod Peter Seterin's retracted spiritual potential and concluded that he could no longer do anything to it in any meaningful way.
"Take Mr. Seterin away and bring in the next test subject." He said.
Calabast partially lowered the jamming to transmit a command to her men. A pair of Black Cats soon entered the room and dragged the exhausted and mentally-wounded prisoner away.
"What do you want to do with Mr. Seterin? Do you still need him or can we end his suffering?"
He thought for a moment. "No. Don't get rid of him. Put him in detention on a ship where he won't be disturbed. I will have to observe him for a longer time and possibly experiment with him even more. Qualified test subjects are hard to find and I don't have the luxury to pick a bunch of them up on the street."
The discoveries he made today had already enriched his understanding of spirituality even more. He learned that people who were weaker than him on a spiritual level still possessed the means to resist his manipulations to varying degrees.
The more he distorted someone's spirit beyond its natural state, the more it resisted the changes.
This kind of external manipulation was different from what he did to William Urbesh. Back then, Ves contaminated the former coward's spiritual potential with another influence. These caused changes to occur within his castle, thereby rendering most defense methods useless.
The enemy was already inside and in control of some of the gates!
"There's a very important difference there." Ves concluded.
Changing someone's spirituality through contamination was an insidious method. It was like slipping in spies into a castle and turning some of the people inside into traitors.
Despite the ease of this method, this was a very destructive and uncontrollable means of transforming people. Seeing how William Urbesh ultimately ended up made Ves swear it off against using it against his own clansman.
In contrast, the new method he applied to Peter Seterin showed great promise despite the initial lack of success.
He attempted to amplify one of Peter's traits by creating an open spiritual construct and piling it up with one of his strongest and most abundant spiritual attributes.
Due to the difficulty in grasping and manipulating Peter's spirituality, Ves could only pull out one of the stronger attributes, which happened to revolve around lust.
The outcome proved that the method he used on the spiritual foundations of mechs also worked on a living person's spirit.
The problems that ensued complicated his plan, but Ves was confident he could overcome some of them. He just had to break down the problems he encountered and figure out the appropriate solutions.
In his previous experiment, the crucial difference lay in his authority. His own Spirituality and the spiritual foundation of his mech designs that he fostered with his own spiritual energy belonged to him. They naturally allowed Ves to manipulate them as he possessed full ownership over them. They considered him to be on their side.
It was different for Peter Seterin. Even to a close friend, his spiritual potential would likely resist any changes that caused it to move further away from Peter's actual nature.
This was a great issue to Ves as it constrained the scope of his changes. If he pushed someone too far, they would activate their most desperate form of defense and simply close their spiritualities to any external influence.
"I just have to rein myself in then." He muttered. "This is quite a hindrance, but reassuring as well."
The defense mechanisms at least showed that humans weren't defenseless against unbridled spiritual manipulation. Perhaps they had more means of defending the integrity of their spirits that Ves had not discovered as of yet. That was what made these experiments so valuable. Knowing what took place was always better than remaining clueless!
The Black Cats soon brought in another prisoner, this time a true unrepentant pirate. Once the attendants bound the Crona Lord to the chair, they soon left so that Ves could resume his second round of tests.
"Hmm, let's do something different this time."
Previously, Ves wanted to start off with something easy and attempted to distort Peter's spirit by amplifying one of his strongest personality traits.
However, Ves had overlooked that he was dealing with a bunch of pirates and depraved criminals. Their personalities were rotten and their spiritual potential, if they had any, reflected their ugliness!
Perhaps it might be a different story if Ves attempted his manipulations on someone nobler such as a Larkinson. Yet against scum, Ves would only be turning them into bigger bastards if he amplified one of their core spiritual attributes!
"Maybe I need to perform subtraction instead of amplification."
He partially replicated what he performed within his own mind when he went overboard in creating spiritual augments.
He created closed spiritual constructs that sought to leverage a specific spiritual attribute separately, thereby isolating them from the rest of someone's mind and spirit.
When Ves quickly read through his current test subject's record, he noted that the man possessed an unhealthy desire to beat up slaves in order to establish his martial prowess.
"You brat! The Crona Lords may have fallen, but the Allidus Alliance won't let you get away with taking out one of their suppliers! Lord Hivex is going to hunt you down and tear you from limb to limb before letting his docs put you back together so that he could do it again! Hell, once I get out of here, I'll do it myself!"
Ves grimaced. "Well, you're quite a cruel guy, aren't you? Let me see if I can fix that aspect."
He went to work. Again, he encountered great resistance when he attempted to take some of his test subject's spiritual energy and mold it into a shape that was meant to contain some of the man's cruelty.
Ves encountered a couple more setbacks.
First, he couldn't create a big enough construct to his liking.
Second, he couldn't draw out all of the spiritual energy with the right attribute. The test subject's spiritual potential was already on guard so Ves could only redirect a modest portion into his newly-created spiritual construct.
Overall, the changes Ves had made was a lot less drastic than the ones he applied to Peter. Fortunately, the second test subject's resistance to alterations had not reached a critical threshold.
Both Ves and Calabast stared at the test subject closely. Before, the bearded Crona Lord snarled and scowled at his captors.
Now, some of the animosity and aggression on his face had faded. Though the pirate still showed obvious dislike towards the Larkinson Clan, Ves managed to tone down his hatred by a noticeable degree!
This time, Calabast became genuinely impressed!
"This is interesting. It's as if you drugged this pirate! I can think of numerous interesting applications for this trick."
The pirate may have grown less furious, but he hadn't turned into a vegetable! He still retained plenty of spunk!
"You dumb kid! Release me now so that I can cave in your face!"
"..."
"Well, he already said worse just a minute before. It's progress, at least."
Chapter 2231 New Discoveries
Though the second experiment seemed to have made no difference, after studying various other signs, Ves still considered it a partial success.
His original intention was to isolate his second test subject's cruelty or aggression and lock it up in a box.
While Ves indeed managed to make these changes, the results were much more modest than he anticipated.
First, the box he created to contain the pirate's undesirable spiritual attributes wasn't big enough to fit much.
Second, he could only stuff away a portion of the spiritual attributes related to the test subject's aggression before the defense mechanisms kicked in. He felt very frustrated by these hindrances, but he also felt hopeful he could slowly overcome them over time.
One of the guesses he formed was that the degree of control he could exert on someone's spirit was partially determined by his mental strength.
Becoming stronger probably wouldn't help him override someone else's defense mechanisms. What he did expect to get better at was the fine control he could exert.
As the third, fourth and fifth test subjects came around, Ves experimented with various methods. He found out that he had a lot of difficulty in manipulating someone's weaker and less prevalent spiritual attributes.
He needed to exert more and more strength in order to grasp the rarer spiritual attributes. At some point, he hit a ceiling as he reached the upper range of his spiritual exertions.
This caused him to develop a new hypothesis.
The stronger his Spirituality, the more fine control he could exert over someone's rarer spiritual attributes.
This meant that if Ves wanted to turn the original William Urbesh into a courageous mech pilot, he had a much easier time in bottling up his fear rather than amplifying what little courage he possessed.
Through his subsequent experiments, he also figured out some other rules.
"It's difficult to change someone into something he is not. It's easier to amplify something that is already important."
Turning a bloodthirsty killer into an even greater homicidal maniac was easy. Ves essentially avoided arousing his test subject's defense mechanisms by inducing a change which the pirate in question had always desired to become.
"I WANT TO CUT YOUR LIMBS FROM YOUR BODY! I WANT TO CARVE OUT STRIPS OF YOUR BELLY!"
Ves and Calabast looked at each other again.
"I still don't know what you are doing exactly, but you seem to have a talent in bringing out the worst in people." The spymaster remarked.
"That's because they are deplorable to begin with. I'm sure I'll achieve much different results when I apply these techniques to someone decent."
The limitations of using pirates and awful criminals as test subjects had become very apparent at Ves. Due to the rule that stated that it was easier to induce changes that people already desired, it was difficult to transform them into better people.
The few attempts he made to force the process did not end well. He either broke them to the extent that their defense mechanisms kicked in, or found himself short of the power necessary to overcome all of the resistance.
Ves did grow curious at whether he could employ some other method to reduce his difficulties.
Perhaps he could expend his own spiritual energy in order to force a change.
However, when he tried to push it, his test subject violently rejected his influence and treated it as an intruder!
A living spirit was different from a lifeless one. Once something spiritual came alife, they turned into their own self-contained beings. They naturally resisted external influences unless a close relation existed.
This was why his mother was able to absorb his spiritual energy and why Gloriana willingly hosted his spiritual fragment in her mind.
This little experiment didn't yield any fantastic results, but Ves intuitively guessed more rules. He began to get a better sense of his own spiritual domains as he continued to manipulate his test subject's spirits.
His design seed hosted two strong domains. Just like any other mech designer, one of those domains centered around mechs. Pretty much every strong mech designer that Ves had met shared this particular focus.
What it actually did, Ves wasn't too sure. He knew that it was responsible for imparting extraordinary properties to mechs and mech designs, but he didn't think it was that simple.
Now that he manipulated something that wasn't a mech, Ves began to make a bold guess.
Perhaps his mech domain enabled him to treat everything else as if they were machines.
Though this domain mainly enhanced his affinity and fluency with mechs, Ves suspected that it also came with side effects that he could leverage.
This explained why it became a little easier for him to craft other gear such as weapons and totems.
A small portion of this benefit also affected his ability to manipulate human spirits, but only to a minor extent. When he attempted to expend his spiritual energy in order to empower this aspect of his, he did find out that he was capable of exerting more control over his test subjects, but only to a modest degree.
The biggest problem with this method was that it was very inefficient! Ves wasted much more of his spiritual energy than he wanted to in order to effect a change.
"This means that while it's possible to force a process, I'm not strong enough to achieve anything too meaningful."
He needed to grow stronger before achieving a better effect. He certainly did not wish to halt this direction of inquiry.
His initial in depth exploration of his own mech-attributed spiritual energy even caused him to make another bold conclusion!
The great importance of this specific domain caused him to develop the suspicion that developing it and nurturing it was the key to advancing up the ranks!
The logic made a lot of sense. When domains grew more powerful, they became capable of distorting reality to a greater degree.
To mech designers, the mech domain determined how much of their intrinsic specialties could stick to their mech designs.
A low-ranked mech designer possessed a very weak ability to empower a mech design. Part of that was due to their low spiritual energy, but the attributes that it consisted of also played a role.
All of this meant that when Ves grew stronger, he needed to make sure that his mech domain grew in the same pace as his life domain. If the latter's growth outpaced the former, then he feared whether he could still design a good mech.
As for the life domain, Ves became inspired by the way the life-attributed spiritual energy from the serum easily fed other spiritual entities during the Superior Mother's birth.
Though the spiritual remnant that originated from his mother absorbed most of it, before that the other spiritual ingredients managed to absorb it as well. Ves became particularly impressed at how life-attributed spiritual energy exhibited no incompatibilities at all no matter which spiritual entity it encountered!
Could Ves achieve the same?
It would provide him with an alternative to using up his finite supply of life-prolonging treatment serum if that was the case! His eyes lit up at the amazing benefits he could secure if that was the case!
The next test subject that the Black Cats brought into the room looked angrily at Ves and Calabast. Just like any typical pirate who knew they were destined to die, the fellow was very defiant.
Ves didn't care. He ignored the pirate's meaningless ramblings and began the tedious process of isolating and infusing his life-attributed spiritual energy.
For a moment, Ves believed that the pirate's spiritual potential fed off his donation.
"Ahh!"
Then, a huge rejection reaction took place!
From the brief moment of contact, Ves sensed that while the pirate's spirit desperately wanted to absorb the life energy that Ves had cultivated, the spiritual imprint that came with it ruined the entire process!
They were too incompatible!
""Hmm. Damn." Ves shook his head in disappointment.
It was too good to be true. He at least learned something interesting from this failed test. The high-quality spiritual energy from the serum possessed special properties which allowed it to become compatible with everything. Perhaps its spiritual imprints were unusually docile and unpossessive.
Ves speculated whether he might find more success if he infused his life energy into someone more intimate to him. After all, his mother effortlessly sucked him like a popsicle because of a lack of resistance from his own spiritual imprint. By this logic, it might be possible to transfer some of his life energy to a Larkinson.
The closer his relationship to a Larkinson, the greater the likelihood of success!
It was far too soon to try out this idea, though. Considering the pain and personality changes that his test subjects experienced, Ves was far from confident in applying any of his current methods on people he actually cared about!
He fell into thought as the latest test subject was brought away. The fellow's spiritual potential had collapsed in on itself in order to defend itself against the hostile intrusion of life energy.
"Maybe I need to erase the imprint first."
Ves had already developed a technique to erase spiritual imprints. When he applied it to his own spiritual energy, he actually had to expend quite some effort to do it because his imprints were strong!
When he fed the ownerless life energy to the latest pirate test subject, the result he anticipated did not take place.
The pirate's spiritual potential did not absorb the meal that Ves prepared!
"What the hell? Why? Am I not tasty enough?" Ves puzzled.
After exploring the situation further, he began to develop a good guess why his life energy met with a different reaction.
The lack of imprint robbed his spiritual energy of his unique strengths.
The role of spiritual imprint went beyond claiming ownership. It actually imparted spiritual energy with some unique properties that were more valuable than he thought!
Spiritual energy without an imprint was akin to form without substance or food without flavor.
Ves disappointingly reclaimed the ownerless spiritual energy. As soon as he did so, the energy seemingly came to life again. The imprint they gained seemed to make it part of his spiritual domain again.
After messing a bit more with the test subject, the pirate eventually got dragged away.
"You've run through all of the pirates you have marked out, Ves. Unless you want to grab more pirates from their cells, we can't supply you with more."
"It's useless." Ves shook his head. "The pirates who I've passed over don't have the properties I want. The Larkinson Clan can handle them according to our existing rules and customs."
A brief silence ensued as Ves reflected on this session.
"I can see from your expressions that you have managed to make many discoveries." Calabast interrupted the silence. "Despite your gains, you don't appear to be very satisfied. You wanted to achieve something, but fell far short of your goal."
Ves shrugged. "That's the normal outcome of experiments, especially preliminary ones like mine. You're right that I've learned plenty of new interactions. Messing with people is a lot more difficult than I thought. Still, I'm glad that I managed to gain a lot of insights and learned a bit more about my own strength."
In particular, he believed that he could leverage his life-attributed spiritual energy for something more than facilitating his communications with sentient animals and exobeasts.
As long as he could figure out a way to feed it safely to other people, he might be able to accelerate the advancement of those with spiritual potential!
An even greater hope was the possibility of granting spiritual potential to people who did not possess it in the first place!
This was such a wild and revolutionary possibility that the very course of human civilization would change once word of it spread!
However, Ves did not need to make use of his intuition to know that this was a very daunting and challenging goal. It was best if he set his sights a little lower.
"Changing people is harder than I thought."
Chapter 2232 Adverse Developmen
After several days of taking control of Xiphard Base, Task Force Predator looted it of all of the valuables it was willing to carry. With nothing left for the Larkinsons to take, they readied their fleet to depart.
Most of the Crona Lords the Larkinsons had captured were put on trial, for whatever good it did. In order to save on time, a clansman proposed the bright idea of programming an AI that automatically judged every pirate based on the evidence gathered from interrogations and the data banks.
It only took 0.00034 seconds to pass judgement on every single pirate or slave.
Predictably, the judge AI sentenced most of the pirates to death. The slaves received mixed treatment. The most innocent ones regained their freedom while the slaves who had become corrupted were supposed to receive various prison sentences.
As it was, the Larkinsons simply decided to keep them in their cells and let the recently-freed slaves decide how to handle the mess. What happened next in Xiphard Base was none of the clan's business.
Before the task force resumed its journey, the Larkinsons made sure to dismantle and destroy any illegal weapon. They stripped the enhanced nuclear payloads from the Alpha Mines, used the Beta Ships as target practice and salvaged the most valuable materials from the Omega Laser before completely destroying it beyond recognition.
"Those freed slaves won't end up better." Calabast told Ves as they looked at the large asteroid base becoming smaller as the Scarlet Rose slowly flew away. "There are hardly any intact mechs left at the base. Even if the slaves manage to repair a couple of dozen of them, they don't have the mech pilots to make use of them. The base will be overrun by some other pirate group in a month."
"We left more stuff behind than just the base. There's also the few intact ships we managed to capture from the surrendered Crona Lords."
"If the former slaves are smart enough, they will take those ships and flee towards the periphery of the Nyxian Gap. Even if their ships don't have any FTL drives, they can at least hope for rescue from a benevolent Peacekeeper outfit. What's more likely though is that their lone and defenseless ships will get raided by some other pirates, thereby landing them straight back into slavery."
Ves shrugged. "We aren't going to haul tens of thousands of slaves along our journey. They take up too much space and life support capacity. Keeping them with us is a distraction at best and dangerous at worst."
"I'm not arguing against the choices our task force has made. It's just that you shouldn't kid yourself that you are doing those freed people a favor."
"I know that." Ves frowned. "The best we can do is to give them a chance. Our own priorities come first. That is something I won't compromise on. The days where Larkinsons are expected to sacrifice themselves to the benefit of others is over. What I mainly want is for our fellow clansmen to think our clan is acting in an honorable manner. The ugly truth that you have described doesn't matter. The perception that we are doing the right thing is what I truly want."
She looked a bit confused at him. "That sounds strange. You know you're rather contradictory, you know that? Much of the decisions you have made as clan patriarch are focused on shaping a culture of honor and integrity. While I do not have any objections towards this development trajectory, I find it strange that you hold little of the values you try to instill on others."
It was like a man leading a woman's association or a norm leading a mech outfit. It seemed wrong that the leader of an organization held the opposite ideals. Yet Ves seemed determined to make it work!
"Just because I'm.. different.. from the other Larkinsons doesn't mean that I want them to become like me." Ves calmly replied. "If every Larkinson becomes a scumbag, who can I trust to support me and my clan? Trust is important. Even if I'm lacking in it, I hope I can make up my shortfall by borrowing it from my fellow Larkinsons."
The true reason why he wanted to foster a proper and upright clan that centered around kinship and honor was to minimize the chance of betrayal.
One of his worst nightmares was that his clan would become similar to him! If everyone became selfish bastards who wouldn't hesitate to break the rules the moment they became an obstacle, the Larkinson Clan would quickly tear itself apart from the inside! That did not benefit Ves the slightest!
Since his influence over the development of the clan was very great, Ves wanted to make sure that it stayed on the right path!
This was why he needed to make careful and deliberate decisions on behalf of the clan. Rather than slaughtering every human in a pirate base right away, Ves encouraged the clan to judge them all property even though they did not have to do that. The objective of this decision was to establish a pattern where the clan always attempted to act honorably.
What Ves didn't tell Calabast was that he had another reason to foster such a culture!
The experiments he conducted earlier provided him with a wealth of new insights. He gained a comprehensive new understanding of the nature and mechanics of spiritual phenomena, and this was just the start!
One of the conclusions he tentatively made was that it was easier to enhance someone's existing traits than to suppress or supplant them with something else.
With his current spiritual strength and repertoire of techniques, it was too impractical for Ves to do anything else aside from amplifying someone's existing inclinations.
This meant that he could turn a killer into a mass murderer, a mech enthusiast into a passionate mech fanatic and a noble soldier into a paragon of duty.
If Ves ever wanted to apply this method to his own Larkinsons, he needed to make sure they possessed something desirable for Ves to amplify. It would be much better if the clansmen in question already possessed a strong positive trait!
After chatting a bit more with Calabast, he left her side and moved to the isolated chamber which held the Darkbreak module.
He turned it online and called someone who he never dared to approach before.
The physical projection of Master Willix appeared into view. The eminent mech designer apparently expected this call and looked ready to discuss serious matters.
"Mr. Larkinson. It is good to see you today."
"Good afternoon, Master Willix. Have you evaluated all of the documents and proof I sent about the numerous violations of the Crona Lords and the Allidus Alliance?"
If Ves didn't want to come across as rude, he would have asked the Master how many merits the MTA was willing to award him for punishing the wicked pirates!
The Alpha Mines and the Omega Laser of the Crona Lords along with the weapon batteries and the Judgement Lasers of the Allidus Alliance all represented gross violations of the rules set by the Big Two!
Ves expected to earn much more merits this time!
The Master looked grave. "The alarming implications of the discoveries that you have made are too great to be decided by myself. I convened with my fellow colleagues at Centerpoint and discussed your proof as well as the other scattered information that we have gathered from the Nyxian Gap. It's clear that the Nyxian pirates are not content to maintain the old status quo."
Why didn't she tell him how many merits he earned? Didn't she realize he had been waiting for days to hear the good news?!
"Uhm, we were very surprised at how many taboo superweapons we encountered. According to the intelligence that we have gathered, it's not unusual for pirates to prepare some trump cards. However, they shouldn't possess so many superweapons."
Master Willix nodded in agreement. "According to our own analysis, this is a fairly recent development. The rise of certain pirate organizations such as the Allidus Alliance that have begun to sell destructive warship-grade weapon batteries and weapon emplacements are at fault here. Allidus make too much light of the CFA and MTA because we have been remiss in enforcing our will upon them. The safety afforded by the anomalous environment they inhabit has given the rats the courage of a lion."
"While the rats are still fairly small, their fangs have grown sharper. It's not easy to defeat these pirate groups that make use of weapons of mass destruction. Our task force has lost over fifty mech pilots and at least double the amount of mechs in our latest battle."
The Master's projection threw a look at him as if she knew what he was doing.
She was not in a hurry to provide him with the answer he wanted to hear, though!
"We have always monitored the Nyxian Gap and tried to keep on top of what is taking place there. Despite our efforts, it is still difficult to ascertain how many taboo weapons the pirates have obtained. Serious confrontations are rather rare and pirates often cease their conflicts before one side is willing to go all out. We are quite grateful that an outside factor such as you who doesn't play by their rules has exposed some of the actual state of this region."
Did that mean that Ves was entitled to a bonus?
"From what we have gathered from our own investigations, the Crona Lords and several other pirate groups they are friends with have only recently begun to augment their arsenal of superweapons."
"Part if that is due to the recent escalation in the conflict between the Nyxian pirates and the Sentinel Kingdom." Willix stated. "The recent Friedmont Massacre where a large number of nuclear-armed doom crawlers has nuked an entire planet has only enflamed the situation. The incident dealt a severe blow in the confidence and prestige in us. Along with other factors, this has led to a greater willingness to ignore the rules we have enforced for centuries."
Ves awkwardly scratched the side of his head. "Yes. The Friedmont Massacre. What a tragedy. Billions of Sentinel citizens dead. The pirates sure are unrepentant scum for slaughtering so many innocents."
"After a discussion with our CFA colleagues, we have decided to alter the rewards related to this set of rule violations. We will publish an official notification on all of our platforms later this week, but it will in effect state that the merits we award for the discovery, seizure and destruction of taboo weapons is directly doubled."
"What?! Double?!" Ves lit up. This was better news than he hoped! "Does that apply to my current submission as well?!"
"Yes. After analyzing and verifying the proof that you have submitted, we have determined that the service that you have provided in dealing with the various violations committed by the Crona Lords and the Allidus Alliance is significant. Your base reward is 643,423 MTA merits, but since your reward is doubled, your account will be credited with 1,286,846 MTA merits before the end of this day."
Ves was floored! He knew the MTA would likely award him generously, but he never expected to earn more than a million MTA merits at once!
Greed began to fill his eyes. Forget about tracking down Solok Reyva. Forget about fulfilling various other difficult missions for the MTA. Why should he go on a wild goose chase when he could just smash apart pirate bases instead?
With the strength of Task Force Predator, Ves was confident he could topple several more pirate fortifications similar to Xiphard Base!
He bowed towards the projection. "Thank you for rewarding us with this generous amount of merits. We are glad to be of service to the honorable Mech Trade Association."
If he could earn 1 million MTA merits after defeating any established pirate group in Maynard Fields, he was confident he could accumulate at least 5 million merits during this excursion! He might even be able to earn 10 million merits if he pushed his Larkinson Clan further!
There was no way Ves was going to waste this opportunity!
Chapter 2233 Friend of the Friday Coalition
The Komodo War unleashed slaughter on an unprecedentedly greater scale than the Bright-Vesia War.
The two titans of the Komodo Star Sector directly locked horns with each other, pitting enormous amounts of superior mechs and soldiers against each other in a brutal struggle that resulted in horrendous casualties!
The sheer intensity of the fighting presented opportunities for the Friday Coalition and the Hexadric Hegemony to expend all of the resources and combat assets that they accumulated over centuries.
In any single contested star system, the debris of broken mechs and ships that littered space was worth enough money to fund the annual government expenditure of any third-rate state!
There were many contested star systems! And since the Komodo War was still kicking into gear, many more major battlefields had yet to emerge!
The madness and battlelust that affected both sides had made a profound impact on Ghanso Larkinson.
Since the CRC assigned Unit L to the Marrakath System, Ghanso witnessed much of the desperation that had overtaken the Fridaymen and Hexers.
Both sides wanted to take possession of the Crestfallen Stars at all costs! Controlling this string of stars was much like taking possession of a wall.
If the Friday Coalition lost control of this wall, then the Hexers would have much easier access to the interior of its space! The Carnegie Group would especially be exposed as its Fortune Legion, though numerous, was not sufficient enough to defend every star system!
Famed and strategically-important locations such as the famed Leemar System and its many universities already started to panic. While the Leemar Institute of Technology and other famed schools would easily be able to relocate if necessary, losing their original campus grounds to the Hexers would deal a severe blow!
With so much at stake, the Fortune Legion staked their ground and tried their best to repel the Hex Army, or failing that at least bleed the female supremacists as much as possible before losing control of Marrakath III.
The famed Dosth Orbital Defense Matrix had only lasted for weeks before falling into ruin. Successive Hexer assaults had rapidly chipped away at the ring of orbital defenses until most of the pieces either dropped onto the planet or spun aimlessly around the exposed planet.
The walls of Marrakath III had finally been breached! Yet this did not spell the end of the campaign!
Reinforcements kept flowing from the interior of the Friday Coalition. While the Fortune Legion's Opel Trident Mech Army Group formed the main line of defense on Marrakath III, several other mech regiments and mech divisions constantly tried to fight through the contested orbit of the fortress planet and land more mechs and troops on the surface.
The Hexers attempted to do the same! The Hex Army's Wrathful Doves Mech Army Group directly challenged their Fridayman counterparts on every front, and didn't hesitate to call upon other elements of the Hex Army to take over the planet.
The fighting on the surface and beneath the surface of Marrakath III therefore turned into a fast-paced tug-of-war that resulted in the downing of at least tens of thousand of mechs!
Neither side paid too much attention to the constant destruction of mechs. This was because both sides made use of their considerable amounts of industrial capacity to replenish the lost machines.
The Friday Coalition possessed a great advantage as Marrakath III was their turf to begin with. Thousands of underground and well-defended manufacturing complexes constantly took in the salvage scraped from the battlefields and either fixed them up or recycled their parts and materials to fabricate new mechs!
While the Hexers brought down their own production machines onto the territories they conquered, as the intruders they always fell behind.
The only way the Hexers could keep up with the prodigious rate of attrition was to ship more mechs from the Hexadric Hegemony. Though costly and strenuous in terms of logistics, the Hexers were willing to commit as much resources as possible to make the invasion succeed!
Therefore, the losses the Hexers sustained in taking over the fortified positions of the Fridayman had always been several times costlier.
One combatant responsible for making the Hexers bleed was Venerable Ghanso Larkinson.
As an imported expert pilot from a backwater third-rate state, many Fortune Legionnaires initially questioned the Brighter's presence at one of the most critical battlefields of the Komodo War.
Yet as soon as Unit L appeared at several heated clashes, the third-rater that everyone despised continually slaughtered one expert mech after another!
With the fifty quasi-expert mechs that accompanied the Charlemagne, Venerable Ghanso Larkinson quickly accumulated great fame and honor for his impact on the local battles!
By bringing his numbers advantage everywhere, the foreign expert pilot constantly gained the upper hand against isolated or small groups of expert pilots. Unit L alone alone was worth several expert mechs together!
In particular, the sheer quantity of resonance-empowered energy beams that the entirety of Unit L was able to output was particularly deadly against mobility-oriented expert mechs.
Famed expert pilots of the Hex Army had succumbed within a minute of making contact with Unit L as their swift but agile light mechs could not weave their way through a forest of high-powered positron beams!
Several notable female Hexer expert pilots lost their lives against Ghanso, thereby removing several great threats to the Friday Coalition off the board. These unquestionable accomplishments considerably boosted Ghanso's popularity among the Fridaymen defending Marrakath III!
He should have felt honored or gratified for the recognition he received. It was the dream of every third-rater to perform well enough to stand equal to their second-rate colleagues.
Yet Ghanso did not feel happy at all at the moment. The bloodshed inflicted on the people and soldiers of the Carnegie Group as well as the constant deployments took a toll on his wellbeing.
Currently, he sat on a bench in one of the ready rooms of an underground base. He groaned and clutched his head against his palm as he tried to endure the persistent headache that always built up after piloting the Charlemagne.
Piloting a single expert mech was already challenging. Piloting one while simultaneously extending his mind to fifty semi-autonomous mechs was a much bigger burden!
He grabbed the injector he placed on the side of the bench and lifted it up to the bare skin of his neck. With a single pull of the trigger, a small cocktail of chemicals entered his bloodstream.
Minutes later, his headache subsided, but only partially. While he did not return to normal, he deemed his condition sufficient enough to make another sortie.
Before he did so, the projection of one of his minders appeared in the room.
"You are putting great strain on yourself by doing that. Master Huron specifically stated that the master of the current iteration of his asymmetrical neural network cannot deploy into battle more than once every twenty-four hours. Unit L is supposed to fight selectively at critical junctures in battles. It is not supposed to be a rapid deployment force that is sent to put out as many fires as possible!"
"I can't stop." Ghanso replied. "Each Hexer we kill here will spare the interior of the Friday Coalition a lot of suffering. The longer we hold this planet, the greater the losses to the Hex Army. If my contributions can just delay their advance by a day, thousands if not tens of thousands of precious Hexer mech pilots will succumb to our meat grinder!"
Aisling looked frustrated. "You.. expert pilots are so foolhardy! Look, out of all of the expert pilots that we have tried out, you have achieved the best results with our asymmetrical neural network. Your worth to Master Huron and our future product line is far more important than the minor difference you can make in the Battle of Marrakath System. While you have already taken down numerous notorious Hexer expert pilots, the Hex Army has many more to take their place. Marrakath III will fall. There is no doubt about that. Rather than overwork yourself and take too many risks in battle, move past the moment and conserve your strengths to the battles to come."
The war was far from over. It would take years to resolve this deadly conflict, and if both sides remained even for a long time, it was not impossible for the war to last more than a decade!
There would be plenty of opportunities for an expert pilot such as Ghanso Larkinson to distinguish himself in subsequent battles.
Yet taking it easy was never the Larkinson credo.
Ghanso only had duty and honor in his mind! So many other comrades were fighting and dying on the frontlines. How could he possibly ignore all of this suffering?
"I'm heading out, whether you say so or not." He stated with conviction as he tried his best to force out the remnants of his mental strain. "While I respect your great Master, I take orders from the CRC, and my superiors have given me wider discretion on which battles I may join."
This was one of the rewards he gained after his previous dazzling performances. Having killed over five Hexer expert pilots, he had accomplished more than many other Fridayman expert pilots during the Komodo War!
The strength he demonstrated and the fame he accrued during this campaign made it so that nobody treated him like a third-rater anymore.
Even so, Aisling Curver still exhibited a lot of concern. She knew quite well how Ghanso was pushing the limits.
Ordinary expert pilots weren't able to take charge of an asymmetric neural network that comprised of fifty slaves.
One of the biggest enabling factors was the specialized multi-tasking implant that Master Huran had specially arranged for expert pilots such as Ghanso!
The necessity of this implant was also one of the determining factors why other Fridayman expert pilots couldn't take part in Master Huron's experimental new product. They already possessed existing piloting implants of their own!
Even so, this implant could not make up for the pressure mounting on Ghanso's organic brain.
Seeing that Ghanso insisted on his current course, Aisling no longer bothered to persuade him. This wasn't the Hexadric Hegemony where a woman like her could unilaterally take charge of a boy.
Her projection sat down on the bench next to Ghanso and sighed. "You wanted news of the Larkinsons, right?"
The mention of his relatives caused him to jerk his head at her. "Are they all right?"
"I believe so. The Larkinson Family led by Venerable Ark Larkinson is currently performing various boring contracts at the border between Komodo and Vicious Mountain."
"Heh. It looks like my uncle is waiting for an opportunity to bring his family into Vicious Mountain." Ghanso huffed. "Coward. Oathbreaker. He doesn't deserve to be in charge. Our Bright Republic is wounded and diminished. Our home state needs our strength more than ever, but instead of staying behind to resolve our misunderstanding with the government, he just listens to Ves and runs!"
"It's very troublesome if the Larkinson Family actually manages to cross over. Our relations with Vicious Mountain are very shallow and mostly based on trade. We won't be able to tell the Vicious Mountainers to send the Larkinson Family back. At worst, you'll need to enter the neighboring star sector and drag your relatives back while they are kicking and screaming."
Ghanso sighed. "I will do whatever is necessary to correct our family's dereliction of duty. I just hope to gain the Friday Coalition's support when I do so. Even I recognize that it will be difficult to accomplish my goal by myself."
"And you will have it so long as we win the Komodo War." Aisling nodded. "Let it not be said that we do not take care of our guest expert pilots. In the future, you'll be fighting alongside more foreign expert pilots. The CRC is very pleased by the result of its experiment to import third-rate expert pilots such as you. One of our state's biggest advantages is the good relations we maintain with many third-rate states. While most of their mech pilots are useless to us, their expert pilots are rapidly able to adapt to second-class battlefields. Obtaining hundreds, if not thousands of extraordinary individuals such as you will make a huge difference in the Komodo War!"
"That's.. a remarkable plan!"
Ghanso looked a bit startled as she revealed one of the Friday Coalition's latest initiatives to win the war. He realized that this plan might actually work!
The Hexadric Hegemony could never match the Friday Coalition's efforts. How could it when most of the third-rate states under its sphere of influence disliked the female supremacists?
For a very long time, the Hexers mostly ignored the lesser states out of contempt and disgust. There was no way those third-rate states would lend their expert pilots to the female supremacists so easily!
When it came to diplomacy and making friends, the Fridaymen always possessed an advantage!
Chapter 2234 Sandwiched
Whenever the Charlemagne and the Scara, the local Fridaymen forces always cheered for their arrival!
The blue-and-gold expert rifleman mech and its ever-present honor guard became an extremely iconic sight on the battlefields of Marrakath III. Even the propaganda broadcasts of the Friday Coalition started to parade the magnificent sight. There was just something about seeing an expert mech acting in complete coordination with many other quasi-expert expert mechs that allowed the combination to stand out!
"It's Venerable Larkinson!"
"What an impressive unit!"
"We're saved! Those Hexers are doomed!"
Just a year ago, a third-rater such as Ghanso could only look up at the second-class mech pilots of the Friday Coalition. His humble birth and origin caused him to develop the impression that the Fridaymen were all giants in his mind.
Yet now that he had the privilege to pilot a fantastic if demanding second-class expert mech, he no longer felt lesser to his current comrades.
The Fridaymen were human as well. Their mech pilots might enjoy a better upbringing and gone through far more rigorous training, but the differences weren't as great as he imagined.
Even so, he still felt strange when the Fortune Legionnaires all cheered at him in the same way the soldiers of the Mech Corps used to do so. No matter their class, they respected his battle prowess and the efforts he made to support them in the field.
Ghanso felt proud he could make a difference in this foreign battlefield.
He was also glad he could help the Fridaymen win the war. No matter the current nature of his status, he still considered himself a Brighter at heart. Both were enemies of the Hexadric Hegemony.
Even if Ghanso hadn't been compelled to serve under the Coalition Reserve Corps, he still would have rooted for the Fridaymen, because the Hexers posed an existential threat to the way of life of his home state!
Therefore, even if he fought under the flag of the Friday Coalition, he still performed his duty to the Bright Republic!
The same could not be said for the derelict Larkinson Family and the outright treasonous Larkinson Clan, but that was something for Ghanso to consider for another day.
Right now, his Charlemagne and the Scara flew low over the partially-cratered battlefield of some sort of urban stronghold. Whatever civilians who lived here had long been pulled out, thereby allowing both sides to fight against each other at higher intensities.
Ever since the Battle of the Marrakath Systems moved to the surface, the fighting actually took place on both land and in space!
Up above his head, the spaceborn elements of the Opal Tridents and the Wrathful Doves constantly struggled for orbital supremacy. Neither side went all-out as orbital supremacy could never be truly achieved until all of the enemy ground forces were defeated.
The threat of deploying hidden surface-to-orbit weapons on any point of the globe was not negligible!
This was especially so in second-class warfare where the power levels of weapons was significantly greater. Back in the Bright Republic, the same threat was much less acute due to the difficulties in overcoming so much air, gravity, distance and other practical constraints.
All of this meant that Ghanso and every other surface combatant did not need to worry about getting shot at by a rifleman mech floating in high orbit.
That said, the Hexers did everything they could to overrun Marrakath III! After establishing a beachhead at great cost, the female-led forces expanded in every direction and constantly wrestled away fortified city after fortified city from the entrenched defenders.
Each city, built and reinforced with strong exotic alloys that were just as resilient as mechs, practically turned into ruins by the time the Hexers succeeded in forcing the defenders to pull back!
No matter how hard the defending forces resisted the indomitable Hex Army, the latter always threw more and more mech regiments at the defensive lines until the job was done!
"Break through no matter the cost!"
"The Marrakath Systems belongs to the Hegemony!"
"Boys must submit!"
Whenever Ghanso heard the Hexer mechs broadcast these slogans, his blood boiled.
The Hexers were evil! They sought nothing less than to repress every man! Such a travesty must not spread in the galaxy!
His comm crackled as one of the CRC officers assigned to coordinate his actions directed him to his next battle.
"Venerable Larkinson, there is a local underground industrial complex called the Beehive that is under heavy attack. While the Fortune Legion anticipated that the Hexers would prioritize the Beehive during their general advance, we did not expect them to form a spearhead and thrust ahead of their main line so soon. A considerable amount of industrial equipment and supplies are still being loaded onto transports."
"Am I being sent to relieve the defenders of the Beehive?"
"Not quite, Venerable. Our strategists believe that the Hexers have grown impatient and overconfident this time. The forces they invested in this assault are overextended and can easily be cut off as long as we block off their escape route."
Ghanso frowned. "I'm not sure whether it's wise to underestimate the Hexers. This smells like a trap."
"Even if that's the case, we need to grasp at every opportunity to delay the Hexers. The Opal Tridents has already mustered a strike force to cut off the Hexer assault mechs, but we would like you to be present as well in order to guard any accidents and thwart any Hexer expert mechs that might appear."
"Roger that. Send me the coordinates and route."
A short beep sounded out in the cockpit as the Charlemagne received the files.
The Charlemagne and the Scara accelerated slightly and flew along the route designated by the CRC. It was usually a bad idea to stray from an assigned route as there was a decent chance of stumbling upon Hexer mechs.
While Ghanso did not mind beating up Hexer mechs whenever he caught sight of one, he could not let these minor encounters delay him from fulfilling his primary goal!
As the Charlemagne continued to generate hopeful cheers and well wishes from the Fortune Legionnaires on the ground or in the air, he soon reached the Fridaymen mech forces that had gathered to cut off the escape route of the attacking Hexers!
"It's Venerable Larkinson!"
Ghanso performed his customary greeting with his fellow comrades before he piloted his mech to a small collection of Friday Men expert mechs. A knight mech, a swordsman mech and a light skirmisher supported the operation.
"Hello."
"Larkinson."
Ghanso frowned. "Three melee mechs is not enough to cover the thousands of regular mechs marching underneath us. Why aren't there more ranged mechs of our caliber?"
"Your pretty mech and your groupies already have that covered." One of the Fridayman expert pilots explained. "We're basically here to prevent any of the witches from getting close to your mechs."
"I don't need your protection." Ghanso stated.
"Let us be the judge of that. If you think you have seen everything the Hexers are capable of in just a couple of weeks of fighting, then think again."
The hasty effort organized by the Fortune Legion went smoothly. Ghanso and his expert colleagues remained on standby as the regular mechs overwhelmed the small number of mechs that had been assigned to patrol and guard the supply line.
Whoever was in charge of planning the attack on the Beehive did not spend much effort into guarding the rear of the assault force!
The Hex Army was in trouble. Thousands of mechs were trapped at the Beehive. While the Hexers were no doubt sending reinforcements to smash through the blockade, the Friday Coalition was moving in as well!
As long as the blockade could be maintained for an hour or so, the Fortune Legion could move over enough forces to annihilate the overextended Hexers!
"Here they come."
The Hexer lines moved. Numerous Hexer mechs moved forth and began to probe the blockade forces.
After deploying temporary barriers and other fixed defenses, the Fridaymen mech forces were already tough to deal with. The Hexers continued to sustain severe losses as their preliminary attacks were all crushed!
Ghanso directed the sensors of his Charlemagne to the fallen mechs and grimaced.
"They look like male mechs."
The Hexers callously expended a lot more male mechs than female mechs! The Hexer mech pilots who had fallen in this initial probe consisted predominantly of boys as well!
After testing the strength of the Fridayman blockade force, the Hex Army did not throw away more mechs.
An hour quietly passed by. At this time, the Fortune Legion was supposed to encircle and overwhelm the Hexers who attacked the Beehive, yet the news that Ghanso received sounded very different!
"This is bad, Venerable! The Fortune Legion's other lines have come under heavy assault! The forces that they have assigned to sweep the Beehive of Hexers have been redirected to defend more important sites!"
"What?! This late? They should have been here by now!"
"Their progress was slower than anticipated as the Hexers at the frontlines have already been making some aggressive movements. Ah, I have just received a revised instruction. The Fridayman mechs that you are overseeing must lift their blockade and make an orderly retreat to friendly lines. Their strength is sorely needed elsewhere!"
"What about the Beehive."
"We have already evacuated the most expensive and irreplaceable production equipment. The rest are being scuttled as we speak. We—"
"..."
As Ghanso patched into the other communication channels, he received varying amounts of static. That usually meant that a lot of jamming went up in the surrounding territories.
"Enemies approaching!"
"They're coming from two sides!"
The Hexers had finally made their move! Just as Ghanso expected, the Hexer assault forces wanted to break through the Fridayman blockade force with the help of reinforcements from the other side.
While Ghanso felt relieved that the reinforcements only consisted of a couple of thousands mechs, getting pressured on two sides was not easy to deal with! If the Fridaymen weren't careful, they might get encircled instead!
"Have the Hexers gone crazy today? They're already attacking dozens of fortifications at once!"
"Hey, Hexers are always crazy. It's probably their general's time of the month today, so they're being extra crazy this time!"
After scanning the numbers of every force, Ghanso estimated that the Hexers had brought just enough mechs to rescue their blocked compatriots, but not much more.
The ranged firefight proceeded normally. The Fortune Legion mechs directed the majority of its ranged mechs towards the reinforcements in an attempt to suppress them and slow their advance.
It did not work that well. The Hexers, eager to rescue their fellow sisters, pushed through the storm of fire by the hundreds, then the thousands!
The Charlemagne gripped its rifle tighter. Ghanso readied himself to resist the expert pilots that inevitably accompanied the masses of regular machines.
The moment that two tides of melee Hexers mechs crashed against the Fortune Legion from opposite directions, it was as if a sandwich had formed.
The fighting at the two fronts had become incredibly violent as thousands of melee mechs tried to smash each other apart as brutally as possible!
Cockpits already launched from the backs of fallen mechs left and right. Right now, few mechs paid attention to them as the enemies in front of them posed a much more immediate threat!
Considering the relatively even numbers, Ghanso expected the Hexers to get stalled.
His expectations were off.
One of the Fortune Legion's lines actually started to buckle!
The reinforcements that advanced from Hexer-occupied territory fought harder and more valiantly than their Fridayman counterparts. At the same time, the Fortune Legion mechs that had already faced off against Hexers several times seemed to move a bit more lethargically than usual.
This shouldn't be possible!
"What is the matter?! Why is the Fortune Legion losing ground?"
The pushback the Hexers had already accomplished so far was incredibly alarming to the Fridayman commanders. If the Fortune Legion was already faltering at this point, then a total rout was inevitable!
A small hunch came over Ghanso. He rapidly scanned the mechs deployed by the Hexer reinforcements. He spotted several familiar-looking standardized Hex Army mechs. He already memorized their main characteristics. His cranial implant stored the rest of their properties and also contained detailed guides on how to exploit their weak points.
Yet despite the relatively complete database in his implant, Ghanso nevertheless failed to identify a distinctly new mech model.
It was rare for the Hex Army to field a new mech model!
Though it looked like a middling male knight mech, the way the Hexers and Fridaymen mechs fought around it was very unsettling.
Through the heavy jamming in the air, Ghanso finally managed to hear some disconcerting statements.
"These Hexer mech pilots are fighting twice as hard today!"
"What is this pressure? I feel like I'm being stared at by mother!"
"I feel it as well! The moment my mech steps closer, this sensation grows stronger."
"Just ignore it! Remember your training and steel your minds!"
A dreadful realization dawn on Ghanso.
Chapter 2235 The Disapproving Mech
Across Marrakath III, a brand new mech model appeared on the surface!
No word of the new Hexer mech had spread to the Fridaymen. The Hexers in charge of bringing them to the battlefield had done an unusually good job at hiding their movements.
The Fortune Legion who considered Marrakath III to be their turf were completely floored. The Friday Coalition's intelligence agencies always managed to warn them in advance whenever the Hex Army revised an existing mech line or introduced a new model that the matriarchs approved.
Yet this time, the spies had failed!
On the surface, this wasn't necessarily a disaster. Some mech models were more influential than others.
The main assault mechs that were piloted exclusively by female Hexers were critically important. Their impact on the battlefield was great and each revision forced the Friday Coalition to adopt slightly different battle tactics in order to cope with the improved machines.
In contrast, most male Hexer mechs weren't that consequential. Whether they came in the form of a knight mech, rifleman mech or support mech, the machines piloted by the repressed boys usually didn't amount to much. Their budgets were cheaper and their performance was noticeably worse.
In most cases, the Hex Army employed their male mechs as cannon fodder. The only debate that raged among the Hexer commanders was how expendable they were.
Some argued that male mechs were completely worthless and should just be used up whenever convenient. In the eyes of militant Hexers, it was worth it to sacrifice the lives of their entire pool of male mech pilots as long as the Friday Coalition fell!
Others argued that the Hexadric Hegemony did not possess limitless manpower and resources and that they should really make an effort at conserving the male mechs. The more cautious Hexers did not disagree that male mechs were expendable, but they should at least aim for the highest return on investment.
Ghanso had encountered Hexer battlefield commanders of both camps during the Battle of the Marrakath System.
He felt enormously disgusted at the first group, but did not think much better of the second group either!
Both kinds of Hexer leaders treated their boys as lesser, and both of them had to be toppled in order to save the Komodo Star Sector from their gender-based tyranny!
Yet today, Ghanso witnessed something that confounded this paradigm.
The Hexer mechs, whether male or female, rallied around a notable new mech model as if it was the bannerguard of their respective units!
This strangely-looking knight mech looked a bit slimmer than the other knight mechs of the Hex Army. It possessed two strange tentacles that extended from its waist. Its sharp spikes gently interfaced with the external ports of the Hexer mechs that had taken a number of steps back from the firing line.
What was the new mech doing? Was it supplying energy to the other machine?
"It's a support mech as well?"
Ghanso even noticed the new mechs plunging the sharp tips of their tentacle appendages through the exterior of the mechs that had been downed. According to the powerful sensors of his Charlemagne, a power flow emerged that caused the new mech to supplement its reserves.
"This!"
As a mech pilot that had taken part in three wars, Ghanso instantly became aware of the enormous implications of this new mech model.
One of the most persistent flaws of the Hex Army was that their female mech pilots were too aggressive. This not only caused them to launch a lot of attacks, but also pilot their mechs in a wasteful manner.
Blocking the ferocious Hexers and letting them tire themselves out was one of the favored strategies the Fridaymen employed against their hated rivals!
Yet it was not so easy to accomplish. If the Hexer mechs were able to top up their spent energy on the frontlines, then they would easily be able to sustain their aggression, making it much more likely that they broke through!
This reality was already unfolding before his eyes as the most reckless but also the most aggressive Hexer mechs unleashed their might without holding back at all. It didn't matter how much energy they expended. As long as one of the new mechs was close, they could always prolong their offensive!
What was worse was that their actions played right in the hands of the new mech model. The more enemy mechs the aggressive Hexers defeated, the more immobile energy sources the new mech model could tap into! Even if the energy transfer process was fairly slow and inefficient, it made a huge difference in the later stages of the battle when the Fortune Legion mechs started to lose steam.
This was already enough for Ghanso to prioritize the new mech model. What he heard from the communication channels made him realize that the threat of this new machine was much, much worse!
Before he joined the CRC, he was a loyal mech pilot of the Mech Corps. He fought alongside more Desolate Soldiers than he could count during the frantic days of the Sand War.
Their glows, though artificial and forceful in his opinion, brainwashed the mech pilot and people around them. They fought much harder against the sandmen and died at a higher rate as a consequence!
Ghanso thought he had rid himself of his loathsome cousin's influence. The Fridaymen would never make use of the products of their enemies and the Hexers were well-known for rejecting the products made by boys!
"Yet why has his damned mech showed up here?!"
He couldn't understand it! Had the Hexers ignored their own rules?!
His eyes went red as he saw how big of an influence the mechs exerted on both the Fortune Legion and the Hex Army.
The former fought as if they had weights on their shoulders while the latter simply gained more confidence!
"It's different from the Desolate Soldier."
Yet no matter what, the presence of this glow posed a major threat to the Fortune Legion mechs sandwiched between two Hexer forces!
He couldn't hold back any longer. The Hexers may not have deployed their expert mechs as of yet, but Ghanso had to do something before the Fridaymen lost!
"I'm going in! Those new tentacled knight mechs have to be taken out at all costs!"
The three other Fridayman expert pilots were floored.
"What?! It's too soon! Their expert mechs will gain an advantage if you expose yourself!"
Doing nothing is exactly what they want! Can't you see? We're already losing!" Ghanso admonished his colleagues. "Those new mechs are force multipliers. Even one of them is enough to affect fifty other mechs!"
He ignored their subsequent responses and commanded his mech and his Scara to fly forward! As soon as he reached an acceptable range, he immediately commanded the Charlemagne and his slave mechs to fire!
Fifty-one bright beams momentarily descended onto the Hexer mechs from above! Ghanso tried his best to target as many of his cousin's new mechs as possible, but at this angle he could only target twelve of the abominable machines.
The mech his Charlemagne targeted instantly fell onto the ground with a huge hole through its chassis. The power of an expert mech's rifle was too much for even a knight mech to withstand!
The quasi-expert mechs had mixed success on the other hand. Five of the new mechs fell down, but the rest only suffered varying degrees of damage.
The knight mechs still possessed a formidable amount of defense. In addition, the Hexer commander in charge of the reinforcements was already aware of the importance of the new mechs and assigned several ordinary knight mechs to guard the machines that emanated glows.
"Damnit, Ves! Your mechs are heinous! I'll remove every single mech that is based on your designs!"
His Charlemagne and Scara recklessly flew closer in order to reach more of the new mechs, but the Hexers didn't sit still!
They responded quickly. Every single new model mech soon became surrounded by numerous sturdy mechs.
Not only that, the Hexers finally dispatched their own expert mechs!
"Venerable Larkinson! Alert! Incoming resonance signatures!"
Three Hexer melee mechs rapidly advanced to intercept Unit L.
"So you're the famed woman killer, eh?" A short-ranged communication channel voiced. "You may have caught some of our sisters by surprise, but we know what you are capable of! We won't fall for tricks again!"
The Hexers sent three offensive melee mechs! With two swordsman mechs and one lancer mech, the enemy expert mechs wanted to eliminate the Charlemagne up close regardless of the risks!
"Venerable Ghanso! We'll hold them back! Go eliminate the new threat. Our lines are already faltering!"
Though only a short amount of time had passed, the unexpected enthusiasm of the Hexers along with the modest but unexpected suppression exerted on the Fridaymen made a huge difference!
The surprise factor was too much to the Fortune Legion mech pilots. They never fought under the influence of a glow, and the first time was always the most dramatic.
If they fell back to their training and properly organized their minds, then they would have been able to fight close to their peak.
Yet the destabilizing influence of the new mechs along with the unrelenting aggression from the offensive Hexer mechs delivered twin punches to them in quick succession.
This caused the Fridaymen mechs to lose all of their initiative! Aside from putting up a desperate defense and stepping back, there was nothing else they could do to reverse the tide!
As Ghanso and his Scara resumed his aerial assault, the urgency of the situation grew greater. There were thousands of mechs involved on both sides and the influence of Unit L could not single-handedly repel all of the Hexer mechs!
"I don't have to shoot down every Hexer mech! As long as I destroy my evil cousin's work, then that's enough!"
The Hexers began to counterattack. Their ranged mechs lessened the pressure on the enemies in front of them in favor of shooting the ostentatious expert mech and quasi-expert mechs in the air!
Though the Charlemagne's armor easily held for now, the Scara was not as resilient!
"I have to fly lower!"
The mechs of Unit L descended in unison until they floated closely above the heads of his enemies. This made it much more troublesome for the enemy Hexer mechs to fire on the Charlemagne and the Scara.
As the mechs of Unit L descended above a company of Hexer mechs, the Scara ruthlessly shot the machines that prevented them from firing on the new mech.
This was too abnormal! Not just the male mechs, but the female mechs were putting their frames in the way as well. It was as if the new mech was something inviolable!
"Get out of the way!"
The resonance around his mech grew brighter. His rage fueled his determination to fight. Even though his mech's energy reserves drained faster and his headache escalated rapidly, Ghanso didn't care at all! He just wanted to crush his cousin's mech!
Once every obstacle had been dealt with, his mechs flew closer. Ghanso did not hurry to eliminate the new mech immediately. Instead, he wanted to experience its glow in person.
As soon as the Charlemagne and the front-most Scara came into range, they briefly paused.
Ghanso's face grew uglier. He felt as if he was back in the past when he was just a young boy at the Larkinson Compound. He remembered pulling down his pants in order to relieve himself on some plants in the backyard.
Of course, compound's monitoring system captured everything. When his mother stormed over, the disapproval she directed towards him had always brought him shame!
Now, the glow of his cousin's new mech had caused him to dig out this awful memory from the depths of his mind.
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!"
Even if the glow of the new mech did not pressure his strong mind at all, the faint associations it brought up nevertheless disturbed him to an incredible degree.
"And it's not just me! The Scara are affected as well!"
It was as if he was being affected by the glow at least a dozen times over! It practically drove him crazy!
"ALL OF YOU MUST DIE!"
The Charlemagne and Scara had already been charging for a powerful resonance attack. Ghanso had quickly accelerated the buildup and unleashed his mightiest attack to date!
In an instant, fifty-one empowered positron beams not only bore through the frame of the new mech, but pierced through the ranks of other Hexer mechs!
Over 120 Hexer mechs fell at once!
Chapter 2236 Rollout Plan
The Hex Army welcomed a new mech model!
Since the main military branch of the Hexers only employed around 600 mech models, this was big news!
For a very long time, the Friday Coalition's intelligence services kept a very close eye on the Hexadric Hegemony's mech industry.
One of the disadvantages of the high amount of control and restrictions the Hexers imposed on their mech designers was the ease in which their efforts could be tracked.
The Hegemony only possessed so many Masters and Seniors, and the Fridaymen developed a great understanding of their work and design style.
Many of the mech models currently in use in the Hex Army were continuations of existing lines. The same team of mech designers constantly iterated on them and released new revisions every decade or every few years.
As a mature mech military, the Hex Army's mech doctrines and customs were highly developed! They already developed almost every possible mech they predicted that they would need in order to defeat the Friday Coalition.
These days, it was extremely difficult for Masters to propose an entirely new line of mechs to the Hex Army. At the very least, the Masters had to engage in years of lobbying in order to build up support among every important stakeholder such as the mech industry, the matriarchs and the mech pilots themselves.
To build up such a comprehensive amount of support was not something that could be done in a month! The Coalition's spies and observers were very proficient at observing any major influencing activities in the Hegemony's ruling society.
Oftentimes, even before the Hex Army finally rolled out a new line of mechs, the Friday Coalition already developed a detailed breakdown of its weaknesses!
Yet this time the Hexers caught the Fridaymen by surprise!
For once, the Hex Army unveiled something new without causing any alarm.
The lack of forewarning combined with the widespread deployment of the new model caused the situation on Marrakath III to change incredibly quickly.
Prior to the change, the Opal Tridents and the other elements of the Fortune Legion put up a lot of resistance against the Wrathful Doves. The aggressive Hexers constantly had to commit considerably more mechs and assets in order to overcome the prepared defenses and fortifications occupied by the Fridaymen.
Even though the Hexers eventually pushed the Fridaymen back, the female supremacists lost considerably more mechs and mech pilots than their foes. Every fortification they took was littered with the blood of hundreds, if not thousands of prime, valuable mech pilots!
Though the Hexers were able to salvage the wreckage and debris from the battlefields they wrestled from the Fridaymen, in the Komodo War, losing resources was no issue. With centuries of accumulation, neither states would run out of exotics anytime soon!
What truly mattered were the mech pilots. Every state could only foster so many potentates and mech pilots, and taking them off the board was the best way to win the Komodo War!
Therefore, the Friday Coalition considered everything else such as planets and star systems to be expendable resources. It hurt to lose territory, but as long as they could exchange it for enough enemy blood, it was worth it to make this trade!
So far, the Fridaymen's battle plan for Marrakath III largely went according to plan. Even if the Hexers constantly nibbled at the territory occupied by the original owners, they suffered way too much casualties for every victory.
The endless reinforcements pouring into the star system helped mask the incredible losses the Hexers sustained. The fact that much of the deaths consisted of unimportant boys who piloted less resilient and less important mechs also caused the female commanders to turn a blind eye to the losses.
Obviously, the higher ups of the Wrathful Doves Mech Army Group largely belonged to the militant camp! To them, sacrificing the lives of their male mech pilots was hardly any loss at all! They believed that the Komodo War would instantly swing in their favor if they managed to conquer the Marrakath System and the Crestfallen Stars as quickly as possible.
The Hexers disdained the attrition warfare that their enemies were fond of! As the superior and more enlightened state, the Hegemony ought to be able to defeat an inferior state head-on without dragging conflict for too many years!
Even so, the losses suffered by the Wrathful Doves and other elements of the Hex Army was still unsustainable. If the fighting on Marrakath III stretched on for months, then it was doubtful whether the mech army group would still be able to fight without undergoing an extensive, time-consuming reorganization!
All of this changed after the Hexers unveiled their surprise!
"What is this new mech model?! Why can it affect so many people at the same time?!"
"Reporting, sir! The new knight mech is called the Blessed Squire! It's a supportive knight mech that possesses ordinary defenses, below average mobility, low offensive power but considerable utility. Its energy transferring abilities allow it to provide fantastic support to offensive Hexers, thereby significantly allowing them to prolong their peak output in battle! As for the mind-altering field they are surrounded with, this so-called glow is capable of elevating the morale of Hexers while exerting minor pressure on our own mech pilots!"
"What?! A glow? That mech isn't glowing at all!"
"It's a figurative term for a specialty developed by a famed mech designer called Ves Larkinson…"
A lot of Fridaymen who never paid attention to the news of lesser states suddenly became familiar with a rising star in the mech industry. Known as the Devil Tongue, his products had already taken the third-class mech market by storm!
Now that he extended his hand to second-class mechs, this forgettable figure to most Fridaymen suddenly turned into an incredibly powerful enemy!
"Why didn't we eliminate him before he could affect Marrakath III with his work?!"
"We did try, but our attempts have failed!"
"Idiots! The CRC is led by a bunch of bureaucrats who have no idea what war is truly like!"
The Fridaymen weren't the only people who became astonished. The Wrathful Doves and the other Hexers on Marrakath III became fascinated by the Blessed Squires as well!
Technically, the Blessed Squires wasn't deployed by the Hex Army. Instead, an obscure, forgettable auxiliary force silently worked to gain permission to ship the new mechs to a single destination in order to serve as a trial.
DIVA prepared a very careful plan to introduce the Blessed Squire model to the Hex Army. The intelligence agency had tested the mech internally for a lengthy period in order to understand its true value. The information provided by Calabast also assisted DIVA in understanding how to maximize the use of the new mechs.
The fact that the mech was inescapably tied to a male mech designer presented a huge hurdle for its adoption. Therefore, DIVA remained patient and waited for the best opportunity to showcase its use.
In the meantime, the agency secretly reached out to a small number of matriarchs and important Hexer stakeholders to lay the groundwork for the Blessed Squire.
With the help of the Little Angel, the sole masterwork copy of this innovative Hexer mech, DIVA finally received permission to field the Blessed Squire on Marrakath III!
As expected, the manner in which DIVA abruptly slipped the Blessed Squires into the main combat units of the Wrathful Doves went well!
Even if the Hexer mech pilots initially showed distrust and hesitation at fighting alongside a completely new mech model, they soon accepted the Blessed Squires once they felt the glows!
Many Wrathful Doves did not have it easy on Marrakath III. The hard fighting and the grueling attrition warfare affected both males and females alike.
Therefore, these stressed mech pilots became unusually receptive to the Blessed Squire. The mech's glow, which reminded every Hexer of the Superior Mother, seemed to be able to soothe their nerves and grant them confidence.
"It's as if my mother is cheering me from behind!"
"The Superior Mother has blessed the Wrathful Doves!"
The change in mood and the easing of worries affected the Wrathful Doves on a wide scale. With the large amount of Blessed Squires deployed on the surface, hundreds of thousands of Hexer combatants suddenly regained the confidence and illusion of superiority they initially possessed at the start of the Battle of the Marrakath System!
The mech divisions and mech regiments of the Wrathful Doves assaulted the Opal Trident positions with twice as much ferocity!
Even though the Hexers mechs hadn't grown stronger and even if the energy transfer abilities of the Blessed Squires was not omnipotent, the improvement in mindsets alone resulted in a lot more breakthroughs!
Hardfought sieges that usually lasted for weeks suddenly ended in a decisive Hexer victory in a matter of days!
The defensive lines of the Opal Tridents that were usually capable of repelling multiple waves of Hexer offensives began to fall apart after just a single determined attack!
The Fridaymen soon became familiar with another insidious aspect about the strange new mech model.
Any enemy of the Hexers experienced some form of mental suppression!
The influence wasn't very strong. Fridaymen researchers who began to study LMC mechs noticed that the Doom Guard model was considerably more impactful in this regard.
However, as long as anyone who did not agree with Hexer ideology came within range of a Blessed Squire, they experienced a very specific form of discomfort.
It was as if their mothers disapproved of their hostility towards Hexers!
The negative effects of this sensation wasn't very strong, but it couldn't be blocked or ignored. Anyone who came under the influence of a Blessed Squire felt as if their mother was observing all of their actions.
No one liked to be watched all the time. Who enjoyed being stared at by their own mothers when they ate a meal, used a toilet or slept in bed?
It was quite unnerving!
The mech pilots of the Fortune Legion were highly trained and very disciplined. None of them were weak-minded in the slightest as every second-rate state knew the importance of training mech pilots who could endure many difficulties.
The problem was that mech pilots were still human in the end! The highly emotional component of the Blessed Squire's glow evoked their own thoughts, feelings and memories towards mothers!
Only expert candidates and expert pilots remained unaffected by the Blessed Squire's glow. Everyone else, even the elite crack troops of the Fortune Legion, still possessed chinks in their armor which the so-called Superior Mother exploited!
As long as the ordinary mech pilots of the Friday Coalition became affected, they no longer found their mental balance. They were unable to enter into their most optimal battle moods where they felt as if they fought as one with their comrades. They could no longer reach the states which allowed them to fight without conscious thought and display their battle skills at their best.
Since battles between mechs were actually fought between mech pilots, the widening differences in morale completely accelerated the takeover of Marrakath III.
"The first of the Crestfallen Stars shall fall to the hexagon!"
"The Superior Mother wants us to crush the Coalition!"
"We shall liberate the unjustly oppressed women of the Friday Coalition!"
Even though a short amount of time had passed, the drastic shift in balance completely dominated the news in the two states!
This was just as DIVA and the supporters of the Blessed Squire intended. Instead of introducing the Blessed Squire cautiously across many battlefields, it was best to make one explosive good impression!
Already, other army groups in the Hex Army cast jealous eyes at the Wrathful Doves.
They clamored to obtain this new wonder mech as well! The other Hexer commanders heard so many stories about the Blessed Squire that they began to bombard high command with requests to ship the Blessed Squire to their respective mech forces.
All of these urgent requests put high command and the matriarchs in charge in a difficult position. Normally, it shouldn't be a problem to approve of the use of a fantastic new Hexer mech, but this time they faced a very big problem.
"The Blessed Squire is mainly designed by a boy! Not only that, he's also a foreigner!"
Chapter 2237 Foreign Aid
The Hexadric Hegemony was a very hierarchical state. Older, wiser women that other Hexers acknowledged as matriarchs generally exercised firm leadership over many aspects of Hexer society.
The Hex Army was no different. Jointly managed by the six matriarchal dynasties, the strongest and proudest mech force of the Hegemony adhered to a rigid set of rules and customs.
Every change needed to undergo a process. Every action needed to be approved by an authority.
To the matriarchs, not even the best and most influential Hexer Master Mech Designer was allowed to arbitrarily add a new mech model to the Hex Army's lineup! Every single proposal had to undergo an extensive approval process before showing up at the battlefields.
Of course, it was not good to delay the introduction of new mech models too much during times of war. Ever since the Komodo War broke out, the matriarchs loosened some of the restrictions in order to expedite the process, but it still remained a daunting challenge to propose any changes!
Now, the board of matriarchs that ordinarily wanted to tackle every proposal at its own pace suddenly faced a huge clamor from the lower ranks of the Hex Army.
News traveled quickly within the unified Hex Army. The Wrathful Doves, which previously suffered heavy losses in order to obtain gradual progress, suddenly tripled their pace!
The battle footage that circulated within the Hex Army had become incredibly evocative.
Each time, the Hexer mechs attacked the fortified Fridayman positions with undaunted aggression and courage!
The modest amount of energy supplied by the Blessed Squire allowed valiant female Hexer mechs to overwhelm more opponents!
And by the speed in which the enemy defensive lines fell apart, the Fridaymen who faced the new mech in battle obviously didn't feel comfortable!
All of these factors propelled the Blessed Squire into a mech that every landbound mech unit within the Hex Army coveted!
The incredible utility provided by the Blessed Squire not only attracted the mech divisions in charge of invading Coalition space, but also appealed to the Hexers in charge of defending Hegemony space!
There was no way to suppress this demand! The Wrathful Doves did not introduce any other mechs or noticeable measures. Since the first day, too much news and footage had spread throughout the Hex Army to suppress the difference the Blessed Squire could achieve on the battlefield.
Marrakath III, which was known as one of the toughest fortress planets of the Carnegie Group, was already collapsing under the unstoppable momentum of the Wrathful Doves!
Who didn't want to obtain the same power the Wrathful Doves were lucky to grasp? The Hexers believed that as long as the rest of the Hex Army achieved the same level of success, taking over the Friday Coalition was just a matter of time!
Under the tide of so much demand from the lower and middle ranks of the Hex Army, the higher ups found it very difficult to take their time on this difficult decision.
While the higher ups wielded an incredible amount of power in the Hegemony, the state was simply too big for a small number of matriarchs to impose their will on every Hexer citizen.
In particular, the Hexer mech pilots was the most important interest group in the Hegemony at the moment! As the ones who had to bear the burden of fighting the Fridaymen and winning the Komodo War, the matriarchs did not dare to do anything that would result in widespread animosity or dejection from their own soldiers!
The matriarchs involved in this pivotal but incredibly controversial decision were constantly gnashing their teeth ever since the Blessed Squire debuted.
No leader liked to be forced into doing something by their own underlings! The matriarchs especially did not like to be forced into adopting a decision which went against their own rules and traditions!
Many Hexer leaders knew that DIVA was the ultimate party responsible for driving up demand for the Blessed Squire.
"Those spies are too insolent! They're forcing our hand!"
"What can we do? Even if DIVA ambushed us, it's too late now. Too many Hexer generals are calling me every day asking whether we put our stamp of approval on this tainted mech."
"Rules are rules! Our Hegemony rests on the superiority of women! The quality standards of the Blessed Squire design is wholly inferior to the works of any of our Seniors. It's just a Journeyman-level mech, and a rather rough one at that due to the lack of time and manpower invested into its design!"
"The Blessed Squire's performance parameters are secondary to its value. The main reason why it has caught on so much is because of that boy's unusual design philosophy! It's something that we have never witnessed before!"
"Perhaps we should take a look at it ourselves. I recall that DIVA has invited us to witness a presumed masterwork reproduction of the Blessed Squire…"
Regardless of the hype that emerged around the Blessed Squire, the matriarchs did not want to be rushed and forcefully announced a period of deliberation.
The longer they delayed their approval, the greater the frustration of the Hex Army! If the problem grew significant enough to affect the overall state of the war, then it didn't matter if the matriarchs kept dragging their feet.
The Hex Army would just start to produce and field the Blessed Squires on its own, thereby openly defying the authority of the matriarchs!
That was a nightmare scenario that the higher ups of the Hegemony did not want to come to pass!
When the good news spread to the Larkinson Clan, Gloriana immediately became ecstatic!
Though she was busy with working on her next projects while simultaneously taking charge of the wedding preparations, she still made contact with the Hex Army and various other important institutions in order to lend her own weight to the Blessed Squire's adoption!
The news of the Blessed Squire and its drastic impact on Marrakath III already spread throughout the rest of the star sector. Yet again, the Miracle Couple had stirred up the waters!
Within a star system which was formally hailed as the economic heart of the Bright Republic, two resplendently-dressed women stood alone in one of the observation chambers of a fleet carrier.
The sandy surface of Bentheim provided the two observers with a desolate view of the planet that once hosted a lot of industries. Billions of productive Brighters had perished when the sandmen descended from orbit and swept every human construction.
"Ves Larkinson has succeeded in leaping from the pond of the Bright Republic." One of the women stated. She wore an alluring red dress that was decorated with various medals and combat awards. "The annoying mech designer you met several times has grown into a formidable monster."
The other woman, who wore a highly-decorated military uniform, scowled for a moment. The neat brown hair that framed her face seemed to grow a little frayed as a strong aura vibrated around her very being!
"While Mr. Larkinson is deplorable, his design prowess is considerable." She stated. Her voice seemed to convey a lot of force! "Ever since he aligned himself to the Hexers, it was only a matter of time before one of his works emerged in the Komodo War. The Sand War has already proven that his works can play a major role in the outcome of any conflict no matter the scale."
The two women fell silent for a moment. Neither of them cheered the success of one of their adversaries.
"Does this change your decision?" Lady Amalia of Imidris gently asked.
"Yes." Venerable Foster admitted.
As one of the most talented expert pilots of the Hafner Duchy, her strength was recognized by the entire Vesia Kingdom! Even though the Bright-Vesia War and the Sand War had already ended, her resonance strength still grew at a measured pace. At her relatively young age, that turned Foster into one of the dazzling stars of the Mech Legion!
Yet this famed and decorated expert pilot plainly admitted her reluctance to a very important offer.
As part of the Friday Coalition's strategy to employ foreign expert pilots to gain a numbers advantage in high-end mech combat, its diplomats had already reached out to the Vesia Kingdom.
Venerable Relia Foster was a particularly prized commodity in the eyes of the Friday Coalition. With her amazing genetic aptitude and unconstrained growth, she was already destined to become a powerful expert pilot.
Advancing to ace pilot was not out of the question either!
Therefore, the Friday Coalition offered substantial compensation to the Vesia Kingdom in order to obtain Venerable Foster.
Unfortunately, expert pilots couldn't be bought and sold like cattle.
Their strong will and rigid principles made it so that they could never be persuaded to do something that acted against their own purpose.
Every expert pilot needed to be persuaded to fight on behalf of the Friday Coalition. While there are several expert pilots who eagerly grasped at the opportunity to enter a higher arena of combat, there are more expert pilots who were incredibly stubborn!
Venerable Foster grew up with a great amount of loyalty and affection for the Hafner Duchy and Vesia Kingdom. She could not bear to turn her back against her own state. Not when they did so much to nurture her and enable her to grow into power.
The negotiators from the Friday Coalition were aware of the nature of expert pilots, so they tailored their offers.
For example, Venerable Foster received an offer that stated that she was only obliged to fight for the Friday Coalition for a duration of 20 years.
During that time, the Friday Coalition would take charge of everything related to her training, augmentations, expert mechs and so on. In exchange, she was only expected to fight the enemies of the Fridaymen, which in this case meant the Hexers!
Knowing that Foster was devoted to the Vesia Kingdom, the Fridayman negotiators also offered to support her state with economic subsidies and various infrastructure programs.
The Vesians sorely needed this assistance after waging two successive wars! The Sand War especially wrecked a lot of Vesian star systems, and it took trillions of nova sovereigns to rebuild everything.
On top of that, the Vesians also intended to claim and colonize much of the devastated territories of the border states that had fallen to the sandman invasion. Colonizing so many star systems when the Kingdom was already deep in debt was incredibly difficult!
Facing this choice, Venerable Foster was already leaning towards accepting this deal. In any case, even if she was a woman, the Hexadric Hegemony posed a very serious threat to her home state. Helping the noble Fridaymen fight back the unreasonable Hexers was for a good cause!
Yet the news of the introduction of the Blessed Squire caused the normally decisive and fearless expert pilot to express considerable doubt!
"Are you.. reluctant to face Mr. Larkinson's work in battle?" Lady Amalia asked with furrowed brows.
"I am not threatened by this detestable fellow's mechs. It is the regular Fridaymen soldiers who need to fear his glows. Just a single mech model is able to swing the tide of a planetary battlefield. What if this mech model spreads? What if Mr. Larkinson introduces more Hexer mechs?"
Lady Amalia loudly chuckled. "You are letting the Devil Tongue's reputation get the better of you! Do you truly think that a single mech designer can never single-handedly topple an entire state? The Friday Coalition is filled with great and powerful Masters! Anyone of them can probably develop a counter to Mr. Larkinson's specialty. Otherwise, they do not deserve their exalted titles. Have faith in the Friday Coalition. Their rulers are far more rational than their Hexer counterparts. Ignorance can never prevail. Only the wisest and most enlightened state shall rule over our star sector."
Venerable Foster looked unamused at the noblewoman. "You sound like a Brighter."
"I have never disrespected our old opponents."
The expert pilot gestured at the sand-scoured planet floating in the distance. "For all their cleverness, the Bright Republic has fallen into ruin. Only an empty shell remains. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because being clever doesn't mean you are strong."
"..Does that mean you will reject the offer?"
A burning conviction started to form around Venerable Foster. "No. I intend to accept it. Regardless of the mechs that Mr. Larkinson provides to the Hexers, our state is already intricately tied to the Friday Coalition. It is my duty to advance the cause of the Vesia Kingdom!"
The Friday Coalition would soon welcome a new guest expert pilot in their ranks!
Chapter 2238 Riled Up
As the principal mech designer of the famed Blessed Squire, Ves Larkinson quickly received word of his first Hexer mech's success.
Standing in the isolated chamber that hosted the Darkbreak module, Ves listened patiently as the projection of Gavin passed on all of the pertinent news and development from the core regions of the star sector.
Though Ves Larkinson already accrued a considerable amount of fame across the star sector, the snobbish second-class citizens of the Coalition and the Hegemony still looked down on him. Even their industry insiders believed that his specialty wouldn't be as effective on second-class mechs.
Those skeptics were drastically wrong. The Blessed Squire's glow not only surpassed their estimates, but also exhibited an extremely high fit with Hexers!
Just like how the Transcendent Messenger, Holy Soldier and Deliverer mechs fascinated the Ylvaine Protectorate, this time the Hexers welcomed their unique glow!
Every Fridayman who looked up Ves Larkinson's record and early accomplishments soon began to shake with dread.
If the amazing third-class mechs he designed was any indication, his second-class mechs might all exert a considerable impact on the battlefield!
Even a small change was enough to affect the balance of the war!
"The amount of investigations directed to the LMC and the Larkinson has increased by a hundred times." Gavin helplessly brought up. "The Fridaymen are responsible for the overwhelming amount of snooping, but we are also starting to notice a considerable amount of interests from the second-rates of other star sectors."
"This much?"
"Well, did you think your Blessed Squire would make no impact at all? The course of the battles on Marrakath III have completely changed! Even if the Opal Tridents are starting to show signs that they are learning how to cope with the Blessed Squire's glow, it does not help the fact that the Wrathful Doves are fighting considerably better. As long as these outcomes can be replicated in every contested star system, the momentum of the Hex Army will likely reach a new peak!"
Though Ves should be inordinately happy at this news, he tried his best to temper his expectations.
"While I'm glad that DIVA has finally unveiled my Blessed Squire design, I'm also concerned."
"What is the problem, boss?"
"Previously, our products mainly fell into the hands of the private sector. Mercenary outfits and security companies are normally disunited and tangled with many different interests. It's only during the Sand War that my mechs were employed in a unified fashion, but our opponents at the time were just the sandmen. As a bunch of aliens who have already crossed the Big Two's bottom line, there is no need for us to be concerned about their opinions towards our mechs."
It didn't take long for Gavin to understand the gist of his superior's concerns. "I see. The moment the Hexadric Hegemony has started to field one of your mech models in a systematic fashion, the entirety of the Friday Coalition and not just the CRC considers us as an enemy."
Before, only a small number of Fridaymen officials and decision-makers took the threat of LMC mechs seriously. This allowed Ves to completely disregard his hostile relationship with the Coalition once he traveled to Hegemony-aligned space.
Since he had crossed into Hexer-controlled space, there was no need to fear any hidden attacks from the CRC!
Yet now that every Fridayman leader and military officer hated his guts, the Coalition was much more likely to invest in a serious attempt against his life!
Even Hegemony-aligned space could not stop a determined assassin or elite strike force. No perfect space wall existed. A line of star systems like the famed Crestfallen Stars of the Carnegie Group only posed a hindrance to a huge state-backed military like the Hex Army because bypassing these fortified star systems would inevitably prove devastating to the Hexer supply lines!
This was not the case for smaller operations which did not rely on any supply lines to begin with. Hegemony space was actually filled with many holes, enough to allow a small army of mice to squeeze through!
"Uhm, we don't have to be concerned about our security. The Wodin Dynasty has recently reinforced the Glory Battalion with hundreds of mechs. By the time of the wedding, we'll be protected by a thousand second-class mechs!"
Normally, Ves disliked seeing the Glory Battalion grow larger. No matter how much Gloriana's stature grew, the Glory Battalion ultimately answered to her mother first!
It was different now. With the Friday Coalition gunning for him and his fiancé, he could use all the help he could get. If Constance Wodin wanted to boost the protection around her daughter, then she was welcome to do so! With the rapid growth of the Larkinson Clan, Ves did not believe his own mech forces would remain inferior!
"Are there any issues concerning the addition of so many Hexer troops in our orbit?" Ves asked.
"Well.. I will probably get in trouble for saying this, but she.. has been trying to get her Hexer underlings to join the Larkinson Clan."
"I know."
"Huh?"
"I am always connected to the Larkinson Clan, Benny. It's my clan, after all." Ves stated in a mysterious fashion. "Let Gloriana bash her head against the wall for a few months. She needs to learn that while she is my lover, that does not give her the right to transform our clansmen into Hexers."
Ves was quite aware of the threat of cultural invasions. He had spent a lot of time on planning and making decisions on the cultural evolution of the Larkinson Clan. There was no way he would allow his future wife to ruin his elaborate designs!
His assistant looked quite relieved. "I'm very glad to hear that. None of us here want to become Hexers either."
"Okay, enough about Gloriana's shenanigans. Is there anything else I need to know right away?"
"Aside from the Fridaymen, the Hexers have already started to poke around us. The Hegemony is a very big state, and it's split up into many different dynasties and powers. Some of them have a lot of reasons to dislike you and your works."
"Because I'm a boy?" Ves smiled amusingly as he said those words.
"Not just that, though there are plenty of bigoted Hexers who think you need to know your place." Gavin sighed in an exasperated manner. "The bigger threat from the Hegemony comes from the mech designers and mech companies that feel threatened by your products. The Blessed Squire alone has already caused the Hex Army to lower their priority on a number of mech lines that consists of their current mainstays. We have received word that the Hexer mech designers who are behind the Good Boy HEV-77S support mech model are considerably upset at our Blessed Squire!"
Ves couldn't help but erupt in laughter at this news. "Hahaha! That's good!"
"This is serious, Ves! There are several powerful female Master Mech Designers who are behind the Good Boy model! They wield considerable influence in the Hegemony's mech industry. We believe that they are already working behind the scenes to stop the matriarchs from approving the Blessed Squire!"
"Do you really think that will happen?" Ves crossed his arms.
"Well, no. The Hex Army's demand is too great to be ignored. It's just that the opponents of our products can still push for various restrictions."
Ves casually waved his hand. "The utility of the Blessed Squire is undeniable. No political opposition can stop the will of the soldiers who are fighting for the future of the Hegemony. We don't need to confront our Hexer adversaries directly. We should just hide behind DIVA and the Hex Army and let them fight our opposition."
Just as Gavin was about to tell his boss about the interest they received from powers outside of the star sector, the Darkbreak module suddenly released an alert.
Ves frowned as a new notification popped in front of his face.
His face turned grave as he read that someone was calling him. The identity of the caller was very special and not that much worse than that of Master Willix!
"Sorry, Benny. I'll have to cut your briefing short. Someone very important is calling me. I guess the impact of the Blessed Squire is greater than I thought."
"Ah, I understand. Don't mind me, boss. Good luck with your talk."
As soon as Gavin's projection disappeared, Ves raised his finger and was about to tap the projected button to accept the new call.
He hesitated.
Of all of the people who could possibly call him after the debut of the Blessed Squire, he never expected this particular individual to get in touch with him again. She had already made it quite clear that the two of them no longer maintained any active ties.
In other words, they should be strangers.
Yet humans were not so easily able to forget their friendships. Ves still possessed a lingering good impression to his early backer. He always regretted falling victim to Gloriana's scheme.
"I guess I might as well accept."
The projection of Master Carmin Olson soon appeared in front of Ves. She wore a fashionable business outfit which made it seem that she had just left an important meeting with some government officials.
Despite the flaws of her physical projection, his former master exuded a sense of presence and brilliance that Ves had only seen in Master Willix.
There was just something about Master Mech Designers that caused them to give him the illusions that they had transcended their minds! Even with many light-years of distance between him and Master Olson, Ves still felt as if he was affected by her considerable gravitas!
"Mr. Larkinson." Master Olson calmly greeted. "It has been years since we last spoke. Are you well?"
What kind of a question was that? Officially, they should be enemies!
Yet.. just like his odd relationship with Tristan Wesseling, Ves simply couldn't paint Master Olson with the same brush he used towards other Fridaymen.
He decided to indulge her. "I am pretty great, actually."
"Ah, it is not difficult to imagine that. Recently, you have accomplished a string of successes. The success of your Doom Guard, the creation of two masterwork mechs in quick succession and now the explosive unveiling of your Blessed Squire has propelled your fame to greater heights."
In truth, Ves was more ecstatic about all of the plunder and research gains he harvested from Maynard Fields. He not only expanded his collection of B-stones, but also learned many new facets on spirituality and the properties of his own design philosophy!
With plenty of test subjects to experiment upon, Ves was having the time of his life!
As an added bonus, his mech forces also grew sharper with each successive confrontation against the pirates. His dream of molding the mech pilots of the Larkinson Clan into battle-hardened warriors was becoming more and more true!
He coughed. "I suppose you haven't called me to flatter me, right? Why did you call me? I was under the understanding that we wouldn't be talking to each other again."
"That.. is what I originally intended. Yet seeing one of your works adversely impact my state is not very pleasant. Do you know that if the Marrakath System falls faster than we have expected, Leemar will suffer unimaginable losses?"
"Oh." Ves scratched his smooth-shaven cheek. "I didn't mean to do that. Sorry."
An awkward silence ensued after he issued his half-hearted apology.
Master Olson eventually shook her head. "Forget about it. Since you have cast your lot with the Hexers, you do not deserve any blame for helping their war effort. As long as we are not neutral, mech designers such as you and I are obliged to support our respective states."
"Thank you for your understanding." Ves slightly bowed. "I have no ill will against you, Master. It's just that the Friday Coalition has acted several times against myself and my clan. I cannot regard your state with fondness."
"That is regretful. Certain Fridaymen have acted with undue haste. Since your opposition to my state has reached this level, then I have no choice but to act."
"Uhm, what do you mean?" Ves frowned.
An ominous feeling entered his mind.
Master Olson's projection stared straight into his eyes. "Other Fridayman mech designers may be clueless about your specialty, but I have known you for years. I have tracked your career progression from the beginning, and I have already developed a certain understanding of your mechs. Your Blessed Squire will not terrorize the combat troops of the Friday Coalition with impunity for long. In some time, I will publish a mech design that is designed to counter your glows!"
What?!
Chapter 2239 Higher Level of Competition
The moment Master Olson made her statement, a bomb detonated inside Ves.
His former backer and current adversary plainly stated that she and her fellow Fridayman Masters had begun to work on countering his mechs!
His design seed heated up as it acutely felt threatened. Of all of the mech designers in the galaxy, Master Mech Designers and Star Designers existed on a completely different level. For a Journeyman to confront anyone of them was madness in many cases.
Disregarding the mythical Star Designer, the sum of a Master's knowledge, experience, judgement and design philosophy far exceeded those who were still finding their way!
The mech industry did not treat Masters far above Seniors for no reason. They were the only ones who realized their design philosophies and transformed it into something permanent!
Not only would their design philosophies live after their death, their works would also remained fully empowered no matter where they found themselves.
In fact, during the initial opening of the Red Ocean, it was already proven that mech designed by Masters still retained their potency!
This was an incredible observation!
From his few personal encounters with both Master Olson and Master Willix, he knew that their respective spiritualities were not only immense, but very developed. Both their quality and quantity far surpassed what Ves was capable of reaching at his current state.
The disparity in spiritual strength alone caused Ves to feel despair. If a Master or a group of Masters went all-out and invested all of their design capabilities in countering his design philosophy, how could he possibly hold his ground?
He would have to reach Master himself in order to compete fairly against the likes of Master Olson! Even if Ves was optimistic about his progression speed, he did not believe he would be able to break his former Master's record!
Reaching Master just as he turned a hundred years old was a feat that truly underscored Master Olson's exceptional talent in mech design. Ves did not dare to put her below her fellow colleagues just because she advanced quite recently.
At his level of strength, Masters were still giants no matter their individual differences!
As his confidence began to sink to the bottom, his beliefs in his own strengths and qualities suddenly asserted themselves!
His eyes sparkled as he forcibly shook himself out of his despair!
Why should he feel afraid of Masters? From how Master Willix continued to scratch her head with regards to his design philosophy, it shouldn't be easy to grasp the operation of his specialty!
While reverse-engineering his design philosophy was far more difficult than countering it, both acts required his adversaries to grasp at least some understanding of what they were dealing with. He did not believe that every Master possessed enough ability to counter his mechs!
For example, Master Olson was known as a maestro in designing landbound mechs. Numerous staple military mech designs of the Vermeer Group incorporated her exquisite mechanical integration along with her efficient engines, turning them into hardy machines that possessed a clear edge in mobility!
Yet what did these features have to do with glows? Master Olson's specialty did not intersect with his design philosophy at all! At the very least, she needed to work extra hard in order to develop a solution that interfered with the operation of his specialty.
On top of that, Ves had another reason to feel confident. Due to his use of external design spirits, the spiritual nature of his mechs was far stronger than the products of other mech designers.
Certainly, Ves did not believe that all of his design spirits could hold their ground against the Friday Coalition's Master Mech Designers.
However, the true contest only pitted his Hexer mechs against the Fridaymen. This meant that his adversaries needed to overcome both him and the Superior Mother in order to gain absolute superiority in terms of spirituality!
Ves briefly concentrated and inspected the dormant Superior Mother. Ever since his mother had fused a portion of herself into the newborn spiritual product, the combined entity did not make any moves.
That did not mean the Superior Mother remained stagnant! Its strength constantly increased each time Ves checked up on her. In fact, this time he noticed that the Superior Mother had received a significant boost in strength, enough to allow her to come within reach of Qilanxo!
This signified that his latest spiritual product was already taking shape as the ancestral spirit of the Hexer people!
The Wrathful Doves and every other Hexer who became enamored by the Blessed Squire or its glow were already starting to feed the Superior Mother!
When he increased his concentration, he noticed the addition of millions of very faint bonds.
They were similar to the bonds that the Golden Cat had formed with the members of the Larkinson Clan.
There were differences, though.
The nature of their respective spiritual networks differed in scope and scale.
The Golden Cat maintained what Ves considered to be the best and most intimate spiritual network. It was akin to a private network that was closed to outsiders in order to maintain as much control and cohesion as possible.
The connection between the Golden Cat and every individual clansman was quite strong. The downside was that both sides needed to actively form this bond. This was why every clansman had to pledge to join the clan in the presence of a loyalty medallion, Bright Warrior or the Larkinson Mandate.
The Superior Mother maintained far more bonds, but they were much weaker. It didn't take much to enable a Hexer to form a connection with the Superior Mother, but the bandwidth and mutual exchange between the two was not as impressive.
It didn't matter. The Blessed Squire had only been out for less than a week, and already the Superior Mother far surpassed the Golden Cat in terms of quantity!
Ves believed that his own mother's symbiosis with the Superior Mother might be able to improve the ancestral spirit's efficiency in absorbing all of the spiritual tribute.
He also guessed that as long as a few of those worshippers comprised of spiritually-powerful expert pilots and mech designers, the quality problem that plagued his other design spirits should not pose a big hindrance!
Of all of his expert pilot-level design spirit, the Superior Mother possessed the highest chance to break through and reach a strength level equivalent to that of an ace pilot!
Ves felt very happy about that. Cynthia Larkinson's life was intertwined with the Superior Mother. Therefore, the declaration made by Master Olson was nothing less than an existential threat to his mother's continued existence!
Regardless if every single Master Mech Designer of the Coalition poured all of their efforts into countering his design philosophy, Ves could not afford to back down! He needed to confront his challengers head-on and ensure that the Friday Coalition never gained the upper hand in the Komodo War!
His surging war intent invigorated his entire body, mind and spirit.
He was not afraid of challenges!
Master Olson's projection silently observed her former apprentice throughout this process.
If an ordinary Journeyman heard that a Master targeted his works, there was a large chance that he would immediately lose faith in himself!
This was a very fatal blow to deal to a younger mech designer! This was one of the reasons why she took the initiative to reveal this news to Ves. No matter what sentiments she held towards him in the past, they were enemies now. She could not be lenient towards the enemies of her state and people.
If she succeeded in collapsing Ves' confidence, then his subsequent design work would definitely be impaired. This slowed down his contributions to the Hex Army.
Sadly, someone as exceptional as Ves was not as easy to take down. He belonged to the rare category of Journeymen who not only enjoyed exceptional success, but possessed the arrogance that he could resist the full attention of Masters!
A part of her felt proud at the mental fortitude of her former student. Despite his obvious shortcomings and problematic history, Ves possessed several excellent qualities that the mech industry sought in a mech designer. It was no wonder that Master Willix, who Master Olson was casually acquainted with, exhibited obvious favor to Ves and his lover.
When Ves regained his composure, he looked at his former Master without any fear.
He had no idea that Master Olson attempted to strike a fatal blow to his confidence.
"I await your state's response to my mech designs." He grinned. "The Blessed Squire is just a preview of what is to come."
Master Olson smiled back. "Welcome to the real arena of mech design. Small, controlled comparisons such as design duels are merely child's play compared to the competition that takes place between mech designers of my level. In the normal course of your progression, you shouldn't be exposed to this level of competition until you have progressed very far as a Senior. Only then should mech designers be qualified to take part in the struggle between states!"
Due to his abnormally effective design philosophy, Ves essentially cut the line and reached an area that was normally reserved for the bigshots.
Ves slightly bowed. "I am honored. While I cannot compare to Masters like you in almost every aspect, I believe in my design philosophy! I will not roll over without a fight!"
Inwardly, Master Olson felt exasperated. The longer they talked, the more Ves grew combative. This was counterproductive from her standpoint.
"Brace yourself, then. Several teams of Masters have already started to design potential counters to your mechs, with a special eye towards defeating your glows. As a dedicated servant of the Vermeer Group and the Friday Coalition, I have provided all of my peers with my detailed analysis and understanding of your specialty."
Ves chuckled at this revelation. The more pressure he endured, the greater his desire to frustrate his adversaries!
"I'm glad that you and your fellow Masters find my design philosophy so threatening." He spread his arms! "Come, then! Target me! Teach me how to defeat my glows! I will not lie down and let you win. For too long, my glows have reigned supreme in the regional mech markets. It's good now that I have some serious competition! I will learn from the flaws that you and your peers shall expose and work towards eliminating them in my next mech designs!"
This was the cycle of competition that high-level mech designers such as Master Olson delighted in the most!
Only through direct confrontations with incredibly high stakes would Master Mech Designers be able to innovate and improve!
Though Ves had never touched this level before and only possessed a shallow understanding of it, he already recognized the amazing opportunity this represented.
Whether he won or lost, he would gain many useful insights as his adversaries designed brilliant counters that targeted all of the shortcomings of his specialty.
It was as if his opponents took the initiative to teach him what he was doing wrong! As long as he did not let the setbacks topple his confidence, he would definitely be able to progress faster as his enemies had already lit up some of the way ahead.
There was just one question that puzzled his mind.
"Why did you reveal your state's intentions towards my work?" Ves asked. "Aren't you doing your state a disservice by forewarning me of your intentions?"
"Our movements are too big to remain hidden for long. The Hexer intelligence services will learn of our shift in priorities quite soon. Even if they didn't, anyone who is clever enough to understand the significance of your glows can logically infer that we will not stay silent."
That made sense. "I see."
"I also wished to see how you are faring these days. We may stand on opposite sides, but we still share something in common. As mech designers, we belong to the same kind. It is not unusual for people like us to make contact with our competition. I talk regularly with a number of Hexer Master Mech Designers I am cordial with, so do not be concerned with our discussion today."
Ves nodded. "I understand."
He still maintained his friendship with Tristan Wesseling. Now, it seemed that Master Olson wanted to regain contact with him as well.
None of these personal relations changed his conviction in taking down the Friday Coalition. His grudge against the state along with his mother's entanglement with the Hexers meant that there was no way he would grow soft against the Fridaymen!
Chapter 2240 Feeding Life
Competition was one of the greatest sources of innovation and improvement in human space.
For a very long time, Ves stood alone in the mech community. His glows may not be able to make a mech move faster or resist more damage, but its strong effects on the psyche of mech pilots and the people around them still resulted in major swings in the outcome of many battles.
This was because Ves adopted a different perspective on mechs than most of his peers. He did not view mechs as standalone machines, but rather part of a pairing with mech pilots.
His focus on making mechs alive and his emphasis on increasing the integration between mech and mech pilot was outside the mainstream of mech design. This was why the MTA threw his specialty into the bucket of Class IX design philosophies. Hardly anyone, Master Willix included, could make heads or tails of his convoluted principles!
For years, Ves continued to gain greater prominence by borrowing the momentum of his unstoppable glows. As more and more customers became aware of the value that his products provided, they eagerly bought his products, thereby enriching the coffers of the LMC and the Larkinson Clan!
So far, the mech markets failed to form an adequate response to his products, but this period could never last. Now that he intervened in the Komodo War, the good times may soon be over.
His Hexer mech designs directly threatened the interests of a lot of very powerful Fridayman Master Mech Designers!
The five Masters who presided over the Leemar Institute of Technology should especially be motivated to develop an effective counter against the Blessed Squire. This was because the Leemar System would become exposed to Hexer raids and invasion as soon as the Marrakath System and the rest of the Crestfallen Stars fell!
This was the tragedy of the Carnegie Group. The Friday Coalition's most externally-minded partner was situated directly next to the Hexadric Hegemony. This meant that the members of the Carnegie Group would definitely fight tooth and nail in order to preserve as much of their homes as possible!
While Master Olson actually hailed from another coalition partner, the Vermeer Group wasn't in a better position either. It directly bordered the Hegemony as well and also faced immense pressure from the Hexers!
"It's a pity that those two coalition partners are first on the chopping block." Ves lamented.
Due to the realities of living next to a fearsome neighbor, the Carnegie Group and the Vermeer Group were rather tempered in their conduct.
In contrast, the Gauge Dynasty and the Konso Clan adopted a more belligerent posture. The hostile Fridaymen who specifically targeted his life and freedom likely came from these arrogant coalition partners!
It would have been nice if the Carnegie Group and the Vermeer Group survived the Komodo War and took over the rest of the Friday Coalition. With their rational and restrained leadership, Ves would have nothing to fear from the Fridayman anymore.
Sadly, it was not to be. As long as the Hexers breached the Coalition's initial defensive lines, both groups would likely join the ranks of fallen coalition partners!
If that was the case, Ves had no reason to go lenient on the rest of the Friday Coalition. Ves possessed an especially intense animosity towards Gauge Dynasty!
"Wait for me. With my help, Clarion University shall collapse under the might of Hexer bombardment."
He resumed his days of designing mechs, directing his task force and experimenting on his captive pirates.
It was a bit troublesome for him to do the latter. Due to the Scarlet Rose's lack of space, many of the prisoners had to be contained on other vessels. Ves had to board a shuttle each time he wanted to mess with their minds.
It was worth it, though.
On one day, Ves, Lucky and Nitaa entered an interrogation room that had already been prepared for him ahead of time.
A familiar prisoner lay strapped to a solid surface. As soon as Ves entered the compartment, the restrained figure began to struggle.
"Go away! I can't take it anymore! Why must you torment me all the time?!"
Ves calmly set up his jammer while Lucky roamed around to sniff the compartment for any bugs or monitoring equipment.
Though the chance that his experiments were being recorded was small, Ves did not let down his guard the slightest. His reputation would definitely take an enormous hit once the public learnt of his cruel human experiments!
"Please don't hurt anymore! I'm just a slave! I never wanted anything to do with the Crona Lords!"
Ves smiled as he approached his current test subject's body. "You are looking quite well today, Mr. Seterin. I see you have recovered pretty decently from the damage I've inflicted on you previously."
"MONSTER! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Of course, he was exaggerating a bit. In his spiritual vision, he could still see the scars and other shortcomings of Peter Seterin's retracted spiritual potential. From the moment that Ves accidentally caused a part of it to crack, Peter had never been whole anymore.
Mind and spirit were both tied to each other. Damaging one automatically damaged the other. It was just that the relationship was a bit complicated. This was especially since Peter's spirituality had still withdrawn itself into a nigh-untouchable seed.
After numerous checkups, the abnormal state of Peter's spiritual potential showed no signs of subsiding. It was very difficult to manipulate something that deliberately went out of phase. Ves was starting to lose patience. No matter whether this condition was temporary or permanent, he knew he wouldn't have a second chance of affecting someone on a spiritual level anytime soon.
There were multiple cases like Peter Seterin among his current pool of test subjects. Ves had acted a bit too rough in a couple of experiments. Therefore, Peter was hardly unique. Even if he was, Ves could just mess with the heads of some other test subjects until their spiritualities engaged their defense mechanisms as well!
All of this meant that Peter was a disposable test subject. Even if Ves broke him entirely, there were other pirates that could take his place!
"I have some good news for you, Mr. Seterin. This will likely be the last time we meet each other. No matter what will happen during this session, I will make sure your bodily remains will receive a dignified cremation. Considering all of the contributions you have made towards my research, I will do my best to preserve your ashes and bring them back to civilized space. You're coming home."
Those gentle words only caused Peter to become more and more agitated! No matter what pain his body endured, the former slave kept pushing at his bonds!
It was useless. The padded alloy manacles were as tough as combat armor. Human bodies were simply too weak to break these kinds of restraints.
"I'm not a pirate! I'm a human being! Where is your humanity?!"
Ves shook his head and placed his palm over Peter's sweating forehead. "You're wrong. You are a legally recognized pirate. We collected sufficient proof and submitted all of the paperwork to the Peacekeeper Association. You have no more recourse!"
He tolerated no more nonsense and began to work.
Though Peter Seterin's spiritual potential may have turned into a nigh-intangible turtle shell, it still maintained at least some presence in the material dimensions.
Only a tiny opening existed, but this was enough for Ves to perform something radical.
Since he embarked on his current research project, he only manipulated the spiritualities of his test subjects in a shallow manner. He wanted to establish some baselines and develop an understanding of the variables in play.
He was done with that.
After performing repeated experiments on his captives, he developed a good understanding on how to manipulate someone's spirit and personality by constructing specific spiritual constructs.
He also possessed a better grasp of his limits and what he could ultimately get away with when he tried to alter someone's very being.
No matter what, any change that Ves induced in someone's spirituality was unnatural. It had a tendency to correct itself and return to a stable equilibrium.
This meant that it was very hard to make someone act against their nature.
In contrast, Ves definitely confirmed that it was easiest to amplify someone's strongest states. It was not just because he found it easier to grasp the spiritual attributes that were more abundant.
What Ves found even more important was that the mind and spirit actively supported such a move!
His manipulations alone did not guarantee that his alterations would stick. If the mind and spirit of his test subjects fought hard enough, they were capable of unraveling an undesired spiritual construct!
It was better to indulge in someone's greatest desires and obsessions. Ves believed that strengthening someone's inclinations was the key to fostering more expert pilots in the Larkinson Clan!
Humans were complicated and they possessed a myriad of desires. There weren't enough mech pilots who dedicated themselves towards a specific pursuit or ideal.
This only related to the focus and purity of someone's spiritual potential.
There was another factor that influenced a mech pilot's advancement to a higher rank, and that was the quantity of spiritual energy.
If someone's spiritual energy grew purer but remained small in quantity, then nothing would happen. The person in question simply failed to feed his spiritual potential!
Right now, Ves did not possess a very good understanding of what caused it to grow. He suspected that living a rich, fulfilling life that was full of stimulation would do it, but he observed a lot of people in the clan whose spiritual potential had not grown stronger.
"Let's see what happens if I force the process."
He held out his hand. "Give me the P-stone."
Nitaa stepped forward and presented a box. Ves opened it to reveal a life stone, which was pretty much a P-stone filled with life-attributed energy.
This life-attributed energy didn't come from him. Instead, he extracted another drop of his precious high-grade life-prolonging treatment serum and separated its spiritual components from its material components.
Due to its unique spiritual imprint, the largely plant-based life-attributed energy was compatible with anything!
While this wasted another minute portion of an irreplaceable resource, Ves deemed this test to be worth the price!
Ves needed to know what happened if he directly fed the serum's life-attributed energy to a human!
While Peter kept shaking and babbling in fright, Ves steadily drew out the life-attributed energy and simply stuffed it into Peter's mind space!
As soon as the foreign but extremely alluring energy fell into place, Peter's retracted spiritual potential began to exhibit some reactions.
Ves became excited as Peter's feeble, damaged spirituality no longer hid in its turtle shell! It began to unfold itself and return into phase.
The purpose of doing so became clear! In an instant, Peter's spiritual potential forcibly engulfed the life-attributed spiritual energy that was filled with vitality.
"AAAAAH! MY HEAD! IT'S TOO HOT!"
Even though the dose was relatively modest, the life-attributed spiritual energy was too high in quality. It immediately caused Peter's spiritual potential to balloon as it desperately attempted to digest the excessive energy it absorbed.
Within a manner of seconds, Peter's spiritual potential seemed to double then triple in strength!
Ves observed with great interest as he saw that the life-attributed spiritual energy not only healed all of the damage, but also induced a lot of growth! The mix of spiritual attributes remained constant, which meant that Peter's personality did not suffer from any swings!
The only concern was that the growth happened so quickly that Peter's mind and spirit quickly couldn't handle the pressure. Like a balloon that continued to be pumped with air, the test subject's spiritual potential seemed to come under immense strain!
Just seventeen seconds after Ves introduced the foreign energy into Peter's mind, the test subject had reached his limit!
Boom!
Peter's head exploded just after his spirituality burst as well!
Chunks skull bone, brain tissue and other unpleasant matter splattered over Ves' body!
"...Why do people's heads keep exploding around me?"
Chapter 2241 Confluence of Masters
Peter Seterin's unfortunate death revealed a lot to Ves.
The serum's life-attributed energy was so potent that hardly anyone could contain it. The fact that his mother absorbed it with ease shouldn't be taken as a model.
Weaker spiritual entities simply couldn't handle the excessive vitality contained within a small portion of high-quality life-attributed energy!
Ves should have fed Peter with a smaller dose. Even if decreasing the quantity of life-attributed energy vastly decreased its potency and vitality due to its interconnected attributes, it was better to make some progress than induce another head explosion!
Still, Ves did not quibble over one of his test subject's death too much. While it was a bit troublesome to obtain replacements, the Nyxian Gap never ran out of pirates for him to capture.
At the very least, up until Peter's spiritual potential was no longer able to contain the excessive vitality, its growth proceeded very smoothly and evenly.
Even without any active guidance on his part, the serum's life-attributed energy was configured in a way to foster comprehensive growth without any biases or preferences!
This was good news to Ves. If he ever wanted to strengthen someone quickly, he could just provide as much life-attributed spiritual energy that the subject in question could safely contain.
There was no need for Ves to do anything risky such as trying to control and direct the absorption process.
What happened if he absorbed it directly? He had a suspicion that he might be able to accelerate the growth of his Spirituality and shorten the time needed to advance to Senior.
However, Ves couldn't guarantee that such a forced growth would affect his foundation. So far, his Spirituality had grown at a fairly quick but steady pace. He was already satisfied with its current growth rate.
In addition, even if his Spirituality grew stronger, his understanding of his design philosophy still remained the same. Unless he made great progress in research and reached a much better understanding in his specialty, there was no way he could break through to Senior!
"That's going to take a lot of years." He muttered.
If he advanced when he reached fifty, then that was an impressive accomplishment. That was his current target, and so far Ves believed he was on schedule.
"In any case, there is no pressure as long as Gloriana doesn't advance to Senior first."
What interested him more was feeding the life-attributed spiritual energy to his design spirits. Some of them were weak, especially his earlier ones. Ves had long considered feeding life-attributed energy to the Crystal Leader in order to bring him up to par with his current standards.
Life-attributed spiritual energy also possessed remarkable healing properties. Before it strengthened a spiritual entity, it first healed the wounds and other impairments. Ves made this conclusion after seeing it work during the birth of the Superior Mother and the fatal experiment that he just performed.
Ves had long lamented the fact that some of his design spirits weren't as whole and undamaged as the others.
For example, the Crystal Leader was very deficient in many matters because its main ingredient was very damaged.
When Zeigra died, the Crown Cat's spirituality had become detached from its huge body and was just about to slip into the imaginary realm. Substantial portions had already crumbled away before Ves managed to recover Zeigra's still-living spirit!
The growth they experienced as Ves made use of them as design spirits did not heal all of the damage. It was as if they lost some of their limbs. Their natural healing processes were incapable of regenerating missing limbs!
Only outside intervention could fix this damage. Ves now became hopeful that he was able to address the congenital defects of all of his design spirits.
"It's still too risky to try this out." Ves whispered to himself. "If I somehow botch the process, I might lose a critical component that is responsible for empowering a lot of mechs!"
Ves suddenly realized he had not made sufficient preparations in the event that one of his design spirits left their positions.
What if they left? What if they became disabled? What if they died?
All of the mechs that depended on the design spirit in question would surely lose a lot of value! This would prove catastrophic to his reputation!
He didn't have any good solutions at the moment. The only method he could come up with was to hastily create a substitute spiritual product to take the place of the original design spirit.
It was best if the mech model affected by the design spirit's absence had already fallen out of use. Ves didn't care what happened to his oldest designs because hardly anyone piloted them anymore.
If that wasn't the case, then the more proper solution would be for the LMC to replace the invalidated mech models with newer models.
"This is a bit complicated." He thought.
Right now, it was too difficult to implement these solutions. This meant that Ves really couldn't afford losing any of his design spirits.
At best, he might choose to experiment on an expendable and unimportant design spirit. Bravo came to mind. The only purpose this feeble spiritual product fulfilled was to stroke Vincent Ricklin's ego!
"Hey! This is actually a pretty good idea!"
If his attempt to strengthen it succeeded, then Ves gained another option to strengthen his design spirits.
If the experiment failed and Bravo blew up, then no harm was done. Only Vincent actually suffered, and Ves believed that was a pro rather than a con!
Only his professionalism restrained Ves from making an immediate move.
From an ethical perspective, Ves had promised to deliver a custom mech to Vincent that performed up to a certain standard. He would be doing a great disservice to a customer if his product degraded and weakened ahead of time.
While it was normal to expect mechs to break down after they had been in service for five to ten years, for one of his mechs to abruptly lose its glow was not a regular malfunction!
"Hmm, I need to think on this issue further." He murmured.
When Ves returned to the Scarlet Rose, he continued to mull over his current research. While he hadn't collected enough data to make any solid conclusions, he was pretty sure he was able to help a mech pilot advance to expert candidate.
He was not as confident in helping the likes of Jannzi Larkinson or TusBillingsley Larkinson in undergoing apotheosis. He still didn't understand the trigger to this phenomenon. All he knew that they needed to develop a very pure and solid conviction.
As Task Force Predator kept flying calmly through the dense asteroid fields of Maynard Fields, Calabast soon entered his stateroom.
"How is it going, Lucky? Would you like to undergo some additional training?"
"Meow!"
The gem cat jumped from the desk and floated towards the ceiling.
Ves stared up at his cat before directing his eyes to his strategic partner. "He enjoys your company, but he abhors training."
"Cats." Calabast shrugged.
"Yup. Cats."
When the black-clad woman strode forward, she leaned against the desk instead of sitting on the chair like normal people.
"Let me begin with the good news." She said. "Your Blessed Squire model has finally debuted on the battlefield, and it has already taken the Hegemony by storm."
Ves chuckled. "DIVA sure did a good job with rolling out the Blessed Squire. With the Hex Army on Marrakath III making much more progress than elsewhere, there is really no way for those boy-hating women to refute the effectiveness of my work."
In addition, the differences before and after the Blessed Squire's introduction was simply too big. Part of that was due to the complete lack of preparation on part of the Fridaymen, but it was undeniable that the Hexers fought considerably more enthusiastically than before!
"From the beginning, DIVA has targeted the Hegemony's opposition against mechs designed by boys. Fortunately, my former colleagues have managed to overcome the most difficult hurdle. It's very hard to argue that the Blessed Squire and your other Hexer mechs can be a boon to the Hex Army if the battle results haven't changed. In fact, if your mechs completely fell flat, then DIVA will be the first to pull them off the battlefields!"
"That's fair." Ves nodded. "I take it that the Blessed Squire's approval is only a matter of time?"
The lives of a lot of Hexer mech pilots was a stake. DIVA would never introduce something that imperiled the fate of the Hegemony!
Calabast nodded. "The matriarchs can't stop the vocal demand from the rest of the Hex Army. Behind the scenes, DIVA has made good use of the Little Angel to convince important Hexers to grant an exception to you. I'm not sure when the board of matriarchs will finally issue their verdict, but it won't take too long."
Once that happened, Ves would encounter much less hindrance when introducing other Hexer mechs. Even his female Hexer mech designs such as the Valkyrie Redeemer would probably make it through!
He briefly recalled his talk with Master Olson. His face grew serious.
"The Friday Coalition shouldn't be sitting on their thumbs, right? Do you know if they have made any moves towards the Blessed Squire?"
"I'm not sure." Calabast shrugged. "I'm no longer with DIVA so I don't have any access to intel relating to the Friday Coalition's response. If you ask me, the Fridaymen will never let a mech that has achieved such a drastic effect on Marrakath III to achieve the same impact elsewhere. It conveys too many advantages to remain unaddressed. That is all I can say about it. I'm not a mech designer so I do not know what kind of mechs the Coalition will present. Just take into account that your work will likely be targeted by the best."
"I'm aware. Masters are welcome to spend their precious design time on defeating my mechs. If nothing else, that means the Fridaymen are spending less time on figuring out ways to defeat the Hex Army's other models!"
"That's correct. Whether you win or lose, the Hex Army will always benefit. However..."
"What is it, Calabast?"
"You are overlooking something. With the great impact the Blessed Squire has made, you have definitely proven that you are capable of affecting conflicts between second-rate states. This is not only remarkable in the Komodo Star Sector, but also elsewhere. I am sure that many second-rate states in our neighboring star sectors are already paying close attention to what you can do. Some of their eminent mech designers may even feel threatened by your distinctive specialty."
Ves widened his eyes. "You mean that foreign Masters will develop counters to my mechs as well?!"
"If those foreign mech designers are observant enough to recognize the threat of your mechs, then they won't wait until you travel to their star sectors. They will likely develop countermeasures right away. Of course, these potential solutions all need testing."
The implication was clear.
"Those foreign Masters will cooperate or collaborate with the Friday Coalition to test out their unique solutions."
"This is a very great possibility. The Friday Coalition will not reject this foreign aid. Anything that helps stifle your mechs is valuable."
"Isn't this a bit too exaggerated?! While I'm okay with competing against the Masters of the Friday Coalition, it's another story if I have to resist the top mech designers of the rest of the Yeina Star Cluster!"
An ordinary Journeyman would never be able to withstand such scrutiny! While Ves believed he wouldn't buckle so easily, he knew that there were plenty of weird mech designers out there. Only one of them had to come up with a solution that completely suppressed or negated his design philosophy in order to set back his plans!
"Look, it's not that bad." Calabast attempted to reassure him. "If the Hexers become convinced of the value of your mechs and design philosophy, it's possible that some of the Hegemony's Master Mech Designers are willing to provide you with help."
Ves raised a very skeptical eyebrow. "Really?"
"...Perhaps not."
Chapter 2242 - Disunited Coalition
The realization that some of the best mech designers of the local star cl.u. might become his adversaries put Ves in a turbulent mood.
It was already bad enough that the Masters of the Friday Coalition focused their considerable abilities on countering his design philosophy.
Now that he learned that notable Masters and Seniors from several other star sectors started gunning for his mechs as well, how could Ves still maintain his composure?!
According to Calabast, there were several reasons why foreign Masters wanted to develop a solution against his mechs.
Their impact on the battlefield was considerable. Whereas the products of most other mech designers only strengthened a mech on an individual basis, Ves realized mechs that acted as powerful force multipliers!
In the Hex Army, that meant that not just the Blessed Squire became stronger, but dozens of other mechs around it performed better!
What was worse was that the Fridayman mech pilots that faced the Blessed Squire performed a little worse as well!
This meant that just a modest investment in a couple of Blessed Squires was enough to completely transform the battle performance of several mech companies!
Even compared to other utility-oriented mechs that existed to support other friendly mechs, this level of improvement was too efficient!
What if Ves rode on the coattails of his amazing accomplishments in the Komodo War and introduced his fearsome second-class mechs in other star sectors?
The old and formidable mech designers who advanced all the way to Master possessed formidable intellects and grand visions towards the future.
Once Ves and his remarkable design philosophy fully came to their attention, how could they possibly sit still and remain complacent?!
Even if Ves never intended to expand his reach to their star sectors, those Masters would not assume that their states were safe. If their enemies suddenly deployed a lot of mechs with glows at once, then it was too late to begin with designing counters!
This partially tied into the second reason why foreign Masters wanted to make a move.
Of the two states vying for dominance in the Komodo Star Sector, one of them was fairly 'normal' and the other one consisted of crazy female supremacists.
Who would they rather want as a neighbor? Certainly not the latter!
Calabast put it very succinctly. "From the perspective of Vicious Mountain and Majestic Teal, an outright Hexer victory is the worst-case scenario. Even though the victorious Hexadric Hegemony will need to spend a lot of time to recover from the war and digest all of its new territories, once this period of weakness has passed, the state will become incredibly formidable. With aggressive and ambitious leaders in charge, there is a significant chance the Hegemony will start to intrude into other star sectors!"
Ves could easily imagine this outcome. Defeating the Friday Coalition would vindicate all of the Hexer matriarchs who pushed for war. The Hexers as a whole would likely develop an overinflated sense of confidence in themselves and eagerly push to continue their expansion!
"Compared to the threat of the Hexadric Hegemony, foreign states vastly prefer to see the Friday Coalition win." She continued. "The state is a friendly and open trading partner that doesn't discriminate against anyone. What is even better is that the Coalition is what its name says it is, a conglomeration of different powers with their own separate identities."
"I see what you are getting at." Ves made another realization. "The Friday Coalition only came together in order to resist the overwhelming might of the Hexadric Hegemony. Once their greatest enemy is eliminated, there is no acute threat to bind them together anymore. Only the faint threat from Vicious Mountain and Majestic Teal might insure that the Coalition will exist, but the alliances between partners will certainly become frayed!"
Having interacted with several Fridaymen in the past, Ves knew that they considered themselves citizens of the Gauge Dynasty or Carnegie Group first. The label of Fridayman came second.
Internal tensions between the coalition partners would certainly exacerbate after winning the Komodo War. The division of territories that used to belong to the Hegemony would likely cause every partner to develop a lot of acrimony against each other!
Calabast laid out a pessimistic scenario. "The Friday Coalition's inherent division and disunity is something that foreign states very much like to see! The coalition partners would have no energy to cast their ambitions to other star sectors, as they are fully invested in competing against each other. Perhaps the Coalition might even break up as every partner turns into an independent state! At that point, the newly-declared states such as the Konsu Clan or the Vanguard Group may still have the strength to call themselves a second-rate state, but their ability to project power would sink to the bottom."
This was similar to the chaotic situation of second-rate states in Majestic Teal. There were many second-rate states there, but none of them equaled the mighty Garlen Empire of Vicious Mountain.
Instead of doing something sensible such as uniting together, the top powers of Majestic Teal mostly played games against each other!
"The collapse of the Coalition will make it easier for an ambitious foreign state such as the Garlen Empire to invade the Komodo Star Sector." Ves observed.
"Right. While the Garlen Empire is embroiled in its own problems and doesn't have that much energy to invade other star sectors, it will be different if the Komodo Star Sector becomes too weak. Every warlord and faction in Vicious Mountain will definitely agree to set aside their rivalries in favor of pouncing on a weak but juicy prey!"
"What makes you think the Friday Coalition will follow this trajectory?" Ves asked in doubt. "Surely the leaders of the coalition partners should know that they still need to present a united front against external enemies. The Hegemony is the closest but not their only danger."
Calabast smirked and twirled her hair with her fingers. "You'd be surprised at how short-sighted and selfish people can be. The leaders entrusted with responsibility do not always exercise their duties on behalf of their constituents. Many times, they can't resist the temptation to abuse their power for personal gain, even if it comes at the expense of the people who trust them to act responsibly."
"I'm already familiar with the agency problem. However, I find it hard to imagine that the leaders of the Coalition are stupid enough to risk weakening their strongest guarantee of safety in order to compete for minor benefits for their own powerbase. Greed can lead straight to ruination if you allow others to take everything away."
"You're right, Ves. Normally, the leaders of the Friday Coalition should have the prudence to know their limits. From the lens of the agency problem, these higher ups do not want to collapse the system that enrich them. They will make sure to find a state of balance where they can fill their pockets as much as possible without pushing them over the edge of a cliff."
Calabast briefly chuckled. "However, what if an outsider sneaks up from behind and gives them a push?"
Ves realized the danger of this scenario!
"Divide and conquer, kid. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book." She remarked. "The Friday Coalition is made up of six different partners, of which the Gauge Dynasty and the Konsu Clan is quite powerful. If the Friday Coalition ever wins the war, Gauge and Konsu will definitely retain the most strength. The Vermeer Group and Carnegie Group used to exist as middleweight partners, but after suffering so many Hexer offensives, their strength will drop considerably. As for the Vanguard Group and the Puffer Clan, the two coalition partners have already been in decline for a very long time."
Ves imagined the situation in the event the Friday Coalition won the Komodo War. Gauge and Konsu would definitely retain a lot of military and economic power.
In contrast, Vermeer and Carnegie would likely join the ranks of Vanguard and Puffer as weakened coalition partners.
Even if the four weaklings of the Coalitions banded together, they might still not be able to overcome the collective might of Gauge and Konsu!
What if the two giants decided to swallow the four weaklings? Depending on how much damage Vermeer and Carnegie suffered, this scenario might very well unfold immediately after defeating the Hexers!
If the leaders of the two giants truly wanted to enact this plan, then it was not in their interests to allow the Friday Coalition to crush the Hexadric Hegemony.
Instead, in the first half of the Komodo War, Gauge and Konsu would secretly cheer if the Hexers managed to rampage through Vermeer and Carnegie space!
The more territories the Hexers ravaged, the easier it was for Gauge and Konsu to cannibalize their former allies!
Ves grew shocked and numbed at the audacity of such an ambition plan. Such a scheme was too outrageous! Best of all, the Gauge Dynasty and the Konsu Clan didn't necessarily have to make any deliberate plots. They could fight the Hexers normally without drawing any suspicion and still fail to repel their enemies from the territories of the weaker partners!
Of course, there was a risk that the Hexers would gain an even greater amount of momentum and become too strong for the rest of the Friday Coalition to defeat. Gauge and Konsu needed to make some very careful choices over the course of the Komodo War.
As for the smaller partners, there was no doubt that they were cognizant of the possibility of being devoured by their former allies. There was no way that Vermeer, Carnegie, Vanguard and Puffer would allow the two behemoths in the Coalition to profit off their misfortune!
How could these four weak partners possibly make up for the shortfall in strength?
By inviting allies!
As long as they managed to partner up with powerful outsiders, the four weak coalition partners would be able to resist getting annexed after the Komodo War!
The only problem was that borrowing the strength of foreign states came at a hefty cost. If the weaker coalition partners weren't careful enough, they might be devoured by their new 'friends'!
Calabast flicked her finger against his forehead.
"Don't think too much. You're just a mech designer, not a politician."
"I'm the clan patriarch!" Ves defended himself.
"You're just a mech designer who just happens to assume some responsibility. That does not turn you into the second coming of Senator Tovar." Calabast corrected. "The people in charge of the Friday Coalition aren't blind to all of these considerations. It's just that there are no good options sometimes. Even if it's dangerous for the Fridaymen to ally themselves with foreigners, the threat of Hexer conquest is a more acute threat! We'll see how the war unfolds in the coming months and years. As for you, just concentrate on designing your mechs."
This was politics and statesmanship on a grander scale. The current Larkinson Clan was simply too inconsequential to become one of the main players.
Only Ves was able to exert a bit of influence over these events due to the considerable effectiveness of his mechs.
Chapter 2243 - Beneficial Competition
He had to admit that Calabast opened his eyes to the greater considerations of the Komodo War. The process and outcome of the war not only affected the locals, but also their neighbors!
With so many interests mingling and colliding with each other, it took someone much more adept in politics to make sense of this murky swamp.
At his level, Ves could only look out for himself and the Larkinson Clan while trying his best to give the Hexadric Hegemony a leg up. There was only so much his unique mechs could do to swing the geopolitical situation.
He eventually shrugged. "Whatever. I'll just do what I can from my corner. Even if the Fridaymen call upon their allies, the Hexers won't overlook this possibility."
The Fridaymen had always been better at diplomacy than their Hexer counterparts. Ves found it a bit distressing that the Hexers never adopted a friendlier face towards outsiders.
Instead, the Hexers always sneered or condescended the way that every other state aside from their own treated men as equals to women. Even if forging a couple of allies was in their best interest, the female supremacists simply couldn't get past their dogma in order to present a friendlier image of themselves!
"Goddamn bigots." Ves quietly cursed. "Why are you making it hard for me to ensure my mother's continued existence?"
If any foreigners wanted to meddle in the Komodo War and lend a hand to the Friday Coalition, Ves would definitely add their names to his list!
Whether he would follow up on them and teach them a lesson depended on the circ. .
From a mech designer's perspective, competition was a natural process to their profession. No mech designer sold mechs in isolation. Each successful product merited at least some response from the designers of competing mech models.
Therefore, it was not particularly wrong for foreign mech designers to develop mechs that targeted his own work. No mech designer would experience much pressure to improve and push their limits if they did not feel the need to go through all of that trouble.
Ves immediately felt the difference. Ever since he resumed working on his projects, he forced himself to work much harder. The urgency of the situation and the importance of delivering products that could withstand the upcoming competition caused him to neglect his other priorities in favor of focusing fully on progressing his mech designs!
Fortunately, he was not the only one who became fired up. When Ves shared his understanding of the competition they faced, Gloriana became eager to see how her mechs compared against the machines that their adversaries came up with. As someone who constantly pursued perfection, there was no better lesson to learn from than failure!
"I don't mind Fridayman Masters picking my finished work apart." Her physical projection calmly stated during one of their private design sessions. "I am not blind to my inadequacies. There is no reason for me to feel that I am the best mech designer when I'm only a Journeyman. Obtaining the personal tutelage of a Master Mech Designer is one of the most difficult forms of assistance that mech designers can obtain. Even I failed to get apprenticed to a Master from the Hegemony. Now, there are dozens, if not more Masters emerging out of the woodwork who plan to teach us a lesson!"
Both of them were of the same mind, it seemed. Ves was worried whether Gloriana might buckle under the pressure, but it seemed she wasn't as fragile as he thought! Her immense belief in her own design philosophy provided her with a very strong backbone!
As a result, neither became depressed. Instead of looking at this development as a threat, they instead preferred to see it as an opportunity!
Normally, the phrase 'teaching a lesson' entailed beating someone up. Certainly, no Journeyman liked to get bullied by a Master, let alone several gangs of Masters!
That did not mean that the beatings that Ves and Gloriana would endure were senseless. As long as they set their egos aside and studied how the Masters picked apart the flaws of their mech designs, the pair would definitely be able to come up with something better next time!
There were already clear signs that a number of formidable mech designers started working on researching a counter to glows.
"There are a lot of mech designers and mech companies who have licenced our mech designs all of a sudden!" Gavin excitedly reported one day. "At least half of our new customers are Fridaymen, but there are plenty of Vicious Mountainers and Majestic Tealers. There are even mech designers from Winged Serenade trying to figure out what makes our product tic!"
This amounted to a lot of money pouring into the coffers of the LMC!
Just a single Doom Guard license cost 400 million hex credits. This was a considerable amount of money to most people, but not enough to trouble Masters and state-backed mech institutions!
Therefore, all of these Masters and organizations who licensed the Doom Guard also picked up some other licenses along the way. The Desolate Soldier, the Aurora Titan and many other LMC mechs presented a lot of research value to those who set out to counter them. How could they defeat their targets without knowing what they were dealing with? A lot of Fridayman and foreign Masters simply decided to license the LMC's entire mech catalog!
Ves shook at the thought of how much money that entailed. "How.. how much money does that entail?"
"It's only been a few days, but… we have almost acc. a trillion hex credits. While the rate of licensing has slowed down since the initial wave, we project that we'll be able to earn another trillion hex credits in the next couple of months! In fact, we predict that when your Valkyrie Redeemer model successfully debuts on the battlefield, we might see another spike in licensing depending on its battle performance!"
Only a few months ago, earning a trillion hex credits sounded like a distant dream.
Ves had to make a very c. deal with DIVA in order to obtain a factory ship that was worth this amount of money.
He had to win a nigh-impossible design duel against Jovy Armalon, whose design philosophy consisted of outright cheating, in order to earn another trillion credits!
Those were very exceptional circ. that couldn't be repeated. Ves had to rely on the LMC's regular mech sales to slowly fill up his coffers.
He did not expect that the sudden demand for his licenses would present him with another trillion hex credits, with an additional sum of money to follow!
For a moment, Ves felt bewildered. He looked at the projection of his assistant in a daze.
"What do you want to do with the money, boss? The Larkinson Assembly has already come up with a lot of ideas. Some of the assemblymen want us to procure better combat carriers. Others want to use the money to order another capital ship. Right now, the debate is centered around whether to spend the extra trillion on a fleet carrier or an ark ship."
Ves abruptly shook his head. "It's not a good idea to expand our fleet too rapidly. I think it's best to transition to the sh.i.p.s we have already ordered first before looking ahead. It's a very daunting operation to move from our old third-class sh.i.p.s and become accustomed to operating second-class sh.i.p.s. Don't touch the money and put it into our reserves. I'll discuss the matter with the Larkinson Assembly after I return from the Nyxian Gap."
"Do you at least have a preliminary idea on how to spend that money?"
"I am not against procuring other capital sh.i.p.s, Benny. It is just that now is not the time. As for my choice of sh.i.p.s, I think we should continue to invest in increasing our security and deterrence factor. Ark sh.i.p.s sound nice, but they don't have that much combat value. I'm more inclined to go for a fleet carrier."
Ves wanted to invest heavily into a good fleet carrier. The vessel needed to be bigger than his upcoming factory ship in order to accommodate as many mechs on a long-term basis as possible. This was why he believed that investing 1 trillion hex credits was not sufficient.
Fleet carriers were the closest equivalents to warsh.i.p.s to many people! They were more than mech transporters. Not only did they feature an incredibly resilient structure, they were expressly designed to support the functioning of bunkers mechs as much as possible without breaking the rules.
This meant that a fully-crewed and outfitted fleet carrier effectively functioned like an armed cruiser! All of the mechs that fired from the hull bunkers took on the role of secondary weapon batteries. If not for the lack of primary weapon mounts such as Omega Lasers or spinal-mounted kinetic weapons, a fleet carrier might be enough to threaten genuine warsh.i.p.s!
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Ves warned his assistant. "Make sure the Larkinsons on your side don't entertain any delusions."
"Understood. I'll be sure to tell the other clansmen that we need to hang on to the money."
Even after the call had ended, Ves still felt the situation was a bit surreal.
In truth, his situation wasn't actually rare in the mech industry. Any powerful mech designer immediately earned a windfall whenever they published a good mech. Developing effective responses to the most popular and successful mech models was actually a productive interaction that benefit both sides.
Of course, Ves and Gloriana had to be good enough to endure the pressure! There was no doubt that their works would become irrelevant if they failed to keep up with the competition.
Due to the stimulation of increased competition, the pair invested a lot more passion and enthusiasm in designing their next mechs.
Both the Valkyrie Redeemer Project and the Cat's Paw Project benefited considerably from their heightened motivation.
The former especially became a priority. The Hex Army's growing demand for the Blessed Squire vindicated their beliefs that their products could make a difference in the Komodo War!
The medium aerial marauder mech served a very different role from the Blessed Squire. Intended to be piloted by female Hexers, the highly-mobile mech was meant to skirt around the main engagements that involved a huge amount of mechs.
For this reason, the Valkyrie Redeemer had to become as self-sufficient as possible. It had to be versatile enough to fend off a variety of threats while being able to run away from opponents that were too strong to defeat.
This was a very different approach from the Blessed Squire, which was almost completely incapable of fighting on its own. Even a squad of Blessed Squires couldn't achieve much aside from standing their ground and passing their energy to each other!
So far, the design process went well. The Valkyrie Redeemer was not actually that complicated. Ves and Gloriana mainly struggled to fit in as many features and as possible into an aerial frame that was designed with mobility in mind.
Fortunately, Hexers were quite generous when it came to the budgets of female mechs. Since they were piloted by women, they needed to be strong enough to reflect the superiority of their gender.
After a bit of back-and-forth with DIVA, Ves and Gloriana eventually decided to set the maximum budget at 400 million hex credits!
This was the double the budget of the Blessed Squire!
Even though the supportive knight mech was considerably larger and more massive, the faster and nimbler Valkyrie Redeemer would nonetheless make use of better components, many of which were miniaturized to a greater degree.
"Our Valkyrie Redeemer needs no support in order to pay for its cost!" Ves confidently stated. "Only a small squad of Valkyrie Redeemers is enough to harass the Fridayman from range or up close!"
A small problem soon arose after their design project advanced past a certain stage.
While there wasn't much of a problem to arm their Valkyrie Redeemer with a pulse submachine gun, integrating its spear and shield combination was another matter!
Chapter 2244 - Light Cavalry
Pairing the soaring Valkyrie Redeemer with a submachine gun granted the mech sufficient ranged firepower against opponents at medium range.
Submachine guns, which were light enough to be wielded by a single mech arm if necessary, weren't known for their accuracy.
Even though there was a lot of overlap these days, the mech industry still maintained a conscious distinction between various ranged weapon types.
In general, rifles were quite effective at different ranges. They worked best at medium range but did not become useless at longer or shorter ranges.
Submachine guns didn't have to cover so much ground. In exchange for increasing their firing rate and decreasing the burden onto the mech, this class of weapons straightforwardly sacrificed long-ranged firepower in favor of increasing their effectiveness at shorter ranges.
Their fairly constructed weapon frames made them very suitable for mechs that did not wish to lug around a big and c. weapon.
While the weapon lacked punch, this was a worthwhile tradeoff to make. The Valkyrie Redeemer's ranged capabilities mainly served to give the mech some teeth against distant targets.
In general, the mech pilots of the marauder mechs could opt to harass their opponents at range or close in for an all-out charge!
The latter option entailed a lot of risk. The female Hexers would have to confront their enemies head-on. If they bit off more than they chewed, then it was quite dangerous to disengage and fly away.
Therefore, the submachine gun played an important role in keeping the Valkyrie Redeemer relevant. Its firepower might be low, but the mech would not have to expose itself to a lot of danger to pressure their targets.
Overall, the low burden imposed by the submachine gun meant the Valkyrie Redeemer possessed plenty of capacity to strengthen its melee combat capabilities.
Since the Valkyrie Redeemer was an offensive mech, Ves and Gloriana had to make sure that it possessed enough power to defeat enemy mechs.
Gloriana summed their objective. "Different from skirmisher mechs, marauder mechs are designed to confront their enemies head-on. The main challenge is that the latter mech type is plainly not good at defense. We have to combine its mobility and offensive power in a way that allows our Valkyrie Redeemer to fulfill its purpose while keeping it alive."
Ordinary light mechs relied on their exceptional speed and evasion to avoid getting hit.
One of the problems that the pair struggled with was that the Valkyrie Redeemer's size and mass put it firmly in the medium mech category!
Even if it was on the lighter end of the medium weight class, the Valkyrie Redeemer was simply too sluggish to zip around like a nimble wasp.
Its forward acceleration and top speed was rather respectable, but its lateral acceleration and reaction speed was not as good.
Compared to other medium mechs, this was still a respectable level of performance, but the Valkyrie Redeemer would never be able to outrun or outdance a genuine light mech!
"This is why we paired this mech design with a shield." Gloriana pointed out. "The shield doesn't have to be as big or c. as a knight mech's tower shield. As long as its material composition is good enough, it will hold up against a fair amount of attacks the Valkyrie Redeemer is unable to dodge."
Ves nodded in agreement. "I don't have much of a problem with that. It will be fairly costly for the Hex Army to replace or repair the spent shields after every sortie, but it's better than losing an entire mech."
The Valkyrie Redeemer cost twice as much as a Blessed Squire, after all! It was very easy to destroy a lot of value if the Fridaymen managed to take this relatively fragile mech down.
Of course, calling the mech fragile was only a relative description. Its thin, light-weight armor plating was still very tough. Due to the mech's penchant for charges, Ves and Gloriana made sure to strengthen the internal structure along with the exterior. Not only that, they made sure the mech was capable of enduring and absorbing a certain amount of shock.
Yet there was only so much the armor could withstand attacks. The cost of improving the mech's defensive capabilities rose exponentially higher the further they progressed. There was no way 400 million hex credits could afford the kind of armor systems that were used in some of the premier Hexer offensive mech models!
Ves and Gloriana both began to theorize and simulate their options. Eventually, they came to an agreement that it was best for the mech to launch a single overwhelming attack before retreating immediately afterwards.
"It doesn't make much sense to turn the Valkyrie Redeemer into a duelist or a brawler." Gloriana shook her head. "Compared to conventional offensive mechs, its relatively light armor means it can't exchange a lot of blows. The moment the Valkyrie Redeemer reaches its targets, it will likely lose most of its speed. The mech becomes very vulnerable to counterattacks at this stage."
The safest condition for the Valkyrie Redeemer was if it flew low in the air! This allowed the marauder mech to maximize its speed, provide it with a good view, remain out of range of landbound melee mechs and make it elusive enough to evade most hits from range.
To put it in simpler terms, the Valkyrie Redeemer was safer in the air than on the ground. Landing its feet on a solid surface meant danger, as any landbound mech could take the relatively fragile mech down!
That said, the Valkyrie Redeemer wasn't safe in the air either. If it flew too high, it would just make it easier for ranged mechs spread across the battlefield to fire straight at the marauder mech!
This was why it was best for the mech to fly at extremely high altitudes or fairly low above the ground.
Against aerial opponents, the Valkyrie Redeemer was already capable of holding its own. Its submachine gun posed a serious threat against any nimble light mech, while its spear and shield combination provided the marauder mech with enough close-ranged capabilities to outfight most aerial mechs at point-blank range.
"It's the enemy landbound mechs that pose the greatest threat to the Valkyrie Redeemer." Ves stated as he studied the projection of the incomplete design. "Fridayman mechs that aren't designed to fly aren't burdened with c. flight systems. Their offense and defense is always considerably better than mechs with wings. Its a really poor idea to pit a hawk against a wolf."
The latter was superior in almost every front except for flight ability.
While the Friday Coalition boasted plenty of multi-environment mechs, they still relied a lot on mechs that specialized in landbound combat.
Entire mech regiments and mech divisions existed solely to put up the best possible fight on land!
Marrakath III showcased the great ability of the Opal Tridents to draw out the Wrathful Doves into a grueling battle of attrition with the help of its hardy and resilient landbound mechs.
Ves even admired many of those mechs. Some of the models were used throughout the entire Fortune Legion while other models were specific to the Opal Tridents or individual mech regiments.
Regardless of their ownership, the Friday Coalition's military mech designs were very good despite their great variety!
Since his Blessed Squire, Valkyrie Redeemer and other upcoming Hexer mechs were meant to confront these Fridayman mechs, Ves and Gloriana needed to make sure their mechs could keep up in terms of performance.
"Generally, we need to work together with specialists in melee combat and employ a considerable number of design teams in order to optimize the upfront combat capabilities of the Valkyrie Redeemer." Gloriana noted.
That was impractical to their current situation. The assistant mech designers they hired so far were only qualified to work on their minor design projects.
As for working alongside competent mech designers who specialized in melee combat, which Hexer would possibly cooperate with a male mech designer?
Ves seriously doubted whether any Hexer Senior or Master was capable of treating a boy like him as an equal partner!
Soliciting the help of non-Hexers was not on the table. Every Hexer mech design commissioned by DIVA involved a lot of confidential and exclusive tech and components.
In short, making their marauder mech good at upfront combat was not a viable option.
This was why they fully committed the Valkyrie Redeemer melee options to delivering a single overwhelming strike before quickly moving on. In that regard, the mech partially took on the role of a lancer mech.
Ves rubbed his smooth-shaven chin in thought. "This is fine, but the Valkyrie Redeemer doesn't perform as well as a specialized lancer mech. It's a bit more agile, to be sure, but it doesn't have the frontal armor and other attributes to break through a solid defense line."
"The Valkyrie Redeemer doesn't have to take on such a tough target, Ves. The Bright Warriors in their lancer configurations have done an admirable job with charging straight through formations of pirate mechs, but the disparity between the Larkinson Clan and the typical pirate group is massive. That's not the case in the Komodo War. I hate to admit it, but the mechs of the Coalition are just as good as the mechs of the Hegemony."
Of course, in her opinion, Hexer mechs were always better than their Fridayman equivalent!
Regardless, she was right. True lancer mechs played the role of heavy cavalry. They were built solely to accelerate forward and build up a considerable amount of momentum. Their main objective was to punch through vulnerable enemy formations and open up gaps to be exploited by other elements!
This did not fit the Valkyrie Redeemer's battle profile. If this marauder mech attempted to charge straight into a defensive line, then it was highly likely that it would be attacked on all sides once it delivered its charge!
The more enemies it faced, the greater its disadvantage! Ideally, the mech adopted the role of light cavalry. The Valkyrie Redeemer was supposed to steer clear of large groups of enemies and instead hunted for isolated patrols and vulnerable supply vehicles.
If their marauder mech was just supposed to fulfill a flanking role, then Ves believed that it didn't need to be as powerful as a genuine lancer mech.
Once they finalized this decision, the pair optimized the mech's structure and weapon handling to enable it to deliver a swift and decent charge, especially when it descended from above.
This was quite difficult. Ves needed to pair the mech with a fairly long lance that was quite strong but heavy in order to endure successive powerful charges.
Designing a mech designed to charge enemies from above caused Ves to recall one of his older works.
Gloriana noticed his distraction. "What are you thinking about?"
"Huh? Oh noting, haha!"
For some reason, Ves thought back on one of his more.. eccentric mech designs. The Lady Death's Heel was a particularly remarkable mech that he designed in his early years.
Transforming its feet into a giant spike so that the Lady Death's Heel could charge straight down onto a vulnerable surface target was a very original implementation!
If the devastating charge of this mech didn't finish off a target, then the mech could always bash its impaled victim with its hammer to finish the job!
For a moment, Ves felt tempted to bring up this old work of his to Gloriana. Since he published it onto a pseudonym account, he was pretty sure his lover wasn't familiar with it. Now that he thought about it, the Lady Death's Heel was very compatible with Hexer sensibilities!
Ves had a faint suspicion that the female Hexers would love to pilot a mech that was able to deliver death from above by impaling their opponents with a giant spiky heel!
He shuddered. Some mechs were simply too horrible to introduce to the galaxy! He had no idea what he Hexers would do with a mech that possessed such an unusual feature, but he was sure that they would definitely go overboard with impaling enemy mechs!
Chapter 2245 - Starburst Module
Turning the Valkyrie Redeemer into the second coming of the Lady Death's Heel was impractical.
It may have worked in the simplified setting of virtual reality, but modern mechs were considerably hardier.
It took quite some effort to pierce through the armor of second-class mechs. When Ves performed some quick calculations and simulations with his implant, he realized that a dive attack with a weaponized pair of legs would more likely crumple the Valkyrie Redeemer than its target!
This was because the Valkyrie Redeemer was too light!
Ves would need to reengineer the mech's entire frame to withstand the immense forces that came from underneath. While he estimated it would be possible to do so, it would come at the cost of almost every other advantage of the mech.
He resolutely shelved this idea aside. From a practical standpoint, such a mech was too specialized and monotonous for his liking. As a mech designed to fight as an independent flanking element, the machine needed to possess at least some versatility in order to respond to various threats.
Even if the current configuration did not give his marauder mech a lot of pronounced advantages, its current toolkit at least boosted its survival rate, which was very important for independent mechs.
Speaking of survival, one of the most precarious moments the Valkyrie Redeemer could end up in was when it had just completed a charging dive attack. Once it stopped on the ground, it would take at least a few seconds for the marauder mech to leap back into the air!
He turned to Gloriana's physical projection. "I think it's best to add a disengagement tool to the mech. You know as well as I do that our mech is at its most vulnerable when it is stationary, and that happens to be the moment when it has just rammed its spear through a target or the ground."
His partner gazed towards the incomplete design schematic. "We've used up all of the capacity of the mech. If we add an extra module, its mass and power draw will increase to an unacceptable degree."
"It's a tool of last resort. Against weaker targets, the Valkyrie Redeemer shouldn't have to make use of such an ability. I only want to provide our mech with some additional help in case it has landed in hot water."
As a mech designer, Ves needed to know his audience. Though he couldn't claim to know Hexer mech pilots in depth, he performed enough study and made enough observations to know that female Hexer mech pilots tended to be aggressive by nature.
Their upbringing, training and combat doctrine all caused them to grow overconfident. Certainly, the women would probably learn to respect the Fridayman properly once the Komodo War dragged on, but until then Ves expected many of these female tyrants to die ignoble deaths on the battlefield!
Ves did not believe he could single-handedly stop this foolhardiness. He merely wanted to avoid blame when the Valkyrie Redeemer finally began to fielded. He was sure that the Hex Army would assign some of its most hot-headed female Hexers to pilot this mech. If those idiotic women began to drive themselves to their deaths in droves, it would definitely lead to a strong degree of pushback towards his involvement in the Komodo War!
After a bit of persuasion, Gloriana came around to the idea. She added some caveats, however.
"Let's limit our selection to a smaller auxiliary module. I don't want to ruin the sweet spot that we have already managed to settle upon."
Finding a good balance between offense, defense and mobility was crucial to the Valkyrie Redeemer. Adding some utility to the mix would disrupt this beneficial balance.
Ves did not look worried. "We don't need a module that needs to be active every time, so it doesn't have to be too big. What we do need is something that is potent in the few times it's activated. This is a lifesaving tool that needs to work in the most dangerous moments."
"We'll have to find something that is based on cartridges. The endurance and energy efficiency of our mech is not that great and the value of our mech will drop considerably if its effective deployment time is lowered even further."
Independent flanking mechs were designed to roam in the sides and outskirts of an active warzone. They needed to remain in the field for at least several hours to half a day in order to be worthwhile.
Ves and Gloriana proceeded to search through the Hex Army's internal mech catalog. Though they did not have access to the full range of exclusive Hexer components, the list of auxiliary components provided them with sufficient options.
The pair eventually settled on the Starburst S*tc 343x-z. Odd model name aside, the Starburst was a disengagement module that worked similar to a flashbang and a smoke bomb.
Upon activating it, the Starburst released a strong but short-ranged ECM pulse around the mech. At the same time, it also released a burst of short-duration interference particles.
Due to its small size and capacity, the Starburst was only effective for an instant, and its disruptive effects only worked at short range. It was only effective on land and would not do much in aerial clashes.
This was sufficient. What the Valkyrie Redeemer feared the most was getting struck by a strong blow shortly after landing.
Adding the Starburst module to the Valkyrie Redeemer resulted in few issues. Its small size and limited capabilities did not fundamentally alter the current mech design's sweet spot.
Sadly, the new auxiliary feature came with a very restrictive limitation. It could only hold three cartridges. Once the Valkyrie Redeemer activated the Starburst module three times, it could only replenish this function by going back for resupply.
"Three times is enough." Ves affirmed.
If the Valkyrie Redeemer had to activate the Starburst three times, its energy reserves should have probably dipped considerably. Without sufficient energy, the mech wouldn't be able to fly much longer.
There was no cooldown to the Starburst module either. If the Valkyrie Redeemer just needed to obtain some extra assurances, it could just activate this function once.
If the marauder mech happened to land straight into a prepared ambush or something, then the mech pilot could always expend all three cartridges at once, thereby producing an incredibly bright and confusing spectacle!
There was another downside to the Starburst module, though. Since much of its effectiveness depended on consumable cartridges, their cost was considerable. Each activation of the Starburst module consumed a considerable amount of hex credits, though the exact cost varied depending on where it was produced.
Supplying them to the front was another issue. Ves wasn't sure how widespread the Starburst module was being used in other Hexer mech models, but he didn't believe it was ubiquitous.
"You don't have to worry about this problem." Gloriana reassured him. "As long as the battle effectiveness of our mech design is good enough, the Hex Army will definitely invest enough logistical capacity."
If the Blessed Squire was any indication, the Hexers might embrace the Valkyrie Redeemer with just as much enthusiasm. From what Ves had learned of Hexers, they were similar to the Ylvainans in their reverence for design spirits that affirmed their beliefs.
Whether the Hexers were secular or religious, they all revered the Superior Mother as a symbol and an ideal.
The particularly strong reaction among the soldiers of the Wrathful Doves towards the Blessed Squire proved that the Superior Mother strongly resonated with them. The nature of design spirits meant that Ves would always be able to achieve more results with people who held distinct values! Religion was one of the easiest ways for him to find common ground with a specific target audience!
Therefore, even if the Valkyrie Redeemer design did not immediately stand out performance-wise, Ves still believed the Hexers would still embrace the distinctive mech design.
With all of the design choices they made, the direction of their mech design was pretty much set. From a technical perspective, the remainder of the design process did not require any further pivotal decisions. Ves and Gloriana could pretty work on it on autopilot as they only needed to solve the smaller, more immediate problems.
At this stage of the design project, the Valkyrie Redeemer acquired enough of a spiritual foundation for Ves to mold some spiritual constructs.
He grinned. The experiments he performed on his test subjects vastly expanded his understanding of spirituality and spiritual constructs. He gained a lot of clarity on how spiritual energy behaved and he discovered many useful interactions that produced specific effects.
Even though the spiritual foundation of a mech design was different from the spirituality of a living human, they were based on the same building blocks.
Plenty of time had passed since the start of the Valkyrie Redeemer Project for Ves to come up with some good ideas on how to develop its triggered abilities.
Though Ves wanted to discuss them with Gloriana, he was very reluctant to do so through the Darkbreak module. He would definitely reveal too many secrets to Master Willix and the MTA if he began to mention anything about spiritual engineering!
Fortunately, Gloriana understood him quite well. He only had to give her a slightly meaningful look for her to respond with a trusting smile.
They did not need to exchange any words.
With Gloriana concentrating on integrating and perfecting the technical elements of the mech design, Ves proceeded to manipulate the Valkyrie Redeemer's spiritual foundation with an open mind.
All of this was still new to him. What troubled him most was that there wasn't a convenient way to test his implementations until the prototype phase. The mathematical models that supported the virtual simulations were only able to calculate defined variables.
Against something that was as obscure and unknown as triggered abilities, not even Ves could come up with an accurate mathematical model! He still hadn't developed a sufficient theoretical foundation of spirituality!
Even so, it was not as if he had been doing anything different in his previous designs. He usually possessed enough confidence that his spiritual implementations would work out as expected.
It was just that the stakes were very high and the uncertainty was greater than usual. He could not afford to botch his additions. They played such a key role to the battle performance of the Valkyrie Redeemer that their absence would instantly cause the mech to lose 10 to 20 percent of its value!
As Ves initially envisioned, he added the Marked For Death ability first. The implementation of it was fairly simple. Instead of radiating the mech's glow around it like a sphere, the ability sought to concentrate this output and turn a blazing sun into a concentrated laser!
He hoped to increase the intensity and range of the Valkyrie Redeemer's death-oriented glow in this fashion.
To form this triggered ability, Ves created a meticulous spiritual construct that looked like a strong and straight spear. He molded its surface and proportions in order to create a specific impression of a thrown spear that would spell death to anyone who had been struck with its tip!
His mind went a little fuzzy during this spiritual design session. He relied on intuition, feeling, his shallow understanding of spirituality and plain old trial and error to achieve the outcome he wanted.
When Ves believed the spiritual construct came into form, he took a step back and evaluated the death spear.
It radiated supremacy, control and death. The spiritual spear actually contained three spiritual attributes instead of one. This was because it did not consist of one spiritual construct but actually three of them put together!
This was another innovation he came up with during his previous experiments. While it was all well and good to develop spiritual constructs that embodied a single spiritual attribute, what if he wanted to develop something more complex? What if he wanted to make use of several spiritual attributes?
The solution seemed obvious. He could just form several spiritual constructs and assemble them together into a compound construct!
The result this time was a speartip that represented death, a shaft that contained supremacy and a grip that embodied control!
With three of them combined, Ves believed he nailed the first triggered ability of the Valkyrie Redeemer!
Chapter 2246 - Hihi!
Combining several spiritual constructs with different properties together was a basic application of spiritual engineering. Since physical objects consisted of different materials, why shouldn't spiritual objects be the same?
This was a very simple feat of engineering, yet it wasn't as clear-cut as it seemed with regards to spiritual engineering.
When Ves concentrated his mind and studied the Grand Dynamo that churned out lots of spiritual energy in his mind, he was amazed at how it consisted of one, seamless construct!
Despite its apparent simplicity, it was nonetheless capable of performing many different functions. The spiritual engineering principles used in the creation of the Grand Dynamo were obviously much more sophisticated than what he came up with. Ves had barely come any closer to deciphering its mechanisms from when he initially obtained this reward.
It was like comparing the wall painting of caveman to a vivid, modern projected image!
"Well, I have to start somewhere." He sighed.
He did not think his implementation was weak or ineffective. It may be rough, but its relatively simplicity meant that there were fewer ways it could go wrong. Ves had a good feeling about the death spear when he observed it with his spiritual senses.
The only downside was that the compound spiritual construct already took up a considerable amount of real estate.
While he could have used spiritual energy to form the death spear, Ves wanted to beef it up in order to resist any attempts at weakening the Valkyrie Redeemer's most important spiritual tool!
The Marked For Death ability not only allowed the Valkyrie Redeemer to stand out from other aerial flanker and harasser machines, but considerably increased the success rate of an all-out dive attack!
Ves made sure to emphasize three different aspects in the formation of the death spear.
First, it had to induce a sense of imminent death against the target.
Second, it had to provide the mech pilot with enough control to affect the right target.
Third, the suppressive glow had to be strong enough to resist any interference and overcome any hindrances.
Ves looked forward to seeing whether he attained all three goals once the project proceeded to the prototype-testing phase.
"There's still room for another ability." He thought.
Inducing the terror of death in someone augmented the offensive capabilities of his mech. There was no need for him to strengthen it further.
What Ves sought to do instead was to enhance the survival of the mech. Even if it was a medium mech, the Valkyrie Redeemer could not take a lot of hits. This was one of its biggest shortcomings and something that concerned him quite often whenever he worked on the design.
The problem was that the death spear already took up quite a lot of 'spiritual capacity'. The spiritual foundation of a mech could only support a limited amount of spiritual constructs before starting to lose too much strength.
Going any further would be no different from trying to build a castle above a couple of wooden twigs. The entire layout was liable to collapse!
He couldn't create something as strong as the death spear, but he didn't need to in his opinion. Ever since he and his partner added the Starburst module to the Valkyrie Redeemer, Ves mulled over whether he should add a spiritual dimension to this disengagement tool.
The strong but localized ECM pulse along with the spontaneous release of disruptive energy particles were mainly targeted towards confusing various sensors. Each activation momentarily overwhelmed various kinds of optical sensors, heat sensors, acoustic sensors and so on, thereby preventing the enemies of the Valkyrie Redeemer to track its subsequent movements for at least a second!
However, the Starburst module possessed a fatal flaw that caused the Hex Army to limit its implementation.
It did not disturb a prepared and well-trained opponent.
Mechs were controlled by humans. The Starburst module only confused the former, but not the latter.
Certainly, if the enemy mech pilots did not anticipate getting hit by a burst of disruption, they would probably grow muddled for a moment, giving the Valkyrie Redeemer ample time to escape!
Yet Ves did not believe that the Fridaymen would remain ignorant for long. With the Blessed Squire making such a huge impact on both sides, he believed the Valkyrie Redeemer would definitely attract a lot of attention.
It would be quite bad if the Fridayman mech pilots studied the Valkyrie Redeemer's properties and memorized how to fight the marauder mech!
Against elite and prepared enemy mech pilots, they could just shield their sensors beforehand or simply let them get blinded while launching their attacks blindly!
In such a critical situation, a triggered ability which allowed the Valkyrie Redeemer to induce a spiritual shock to nearby enemies could be a life saver!
Living through several successive Mastery experiences provided him with a deep understanding of the importance of rhythm and focus. Disrupting them with a sharp spiritual shock was enough to make enemy mech pilots pause, and at a crucial timing this was enough to allow the Valkyrie Redeemer to retreat unscathed!
When it came to triggered abilities, Ves had learnt that symbolism and intent mattered the most. The constructs he shaped carried his touch, and therefore his framework on how they were supposed to work.
To put it simpler, as long as Ves believed something would happen, a well-designed construct would do its best to make it happen!
Of course, it wasn't as simple as he sounded. There were many nuances and unknown variables at play that Ves did not fully grasp. He could only resort to trial and effort to come up with a viable spiritual construct.
He initially started to form a spiritual construct in the form of a bomb or an explosive. However, Ves did not wish to risk the construct blowing up and dealing damage to the Valkyrie Redeemer's spiritual foundation.
He experimented with other constructs before he settled on creating a traditional bell.
As long as the bell rang once, the spiritual construct released a pulsing wave that was supposed to shock anyone within the range of the Valkyrie Redeemer's glow!
The soul bell consisted of two spiritual constructs. The main body was filled with death attributes in order to induce fear, while the clapper that was responsible for ringing the bell compressed the active effect in a pulsing wave.
The soul bell wasn't strong if it was constantly active. Ves overcame this problem by designing the spiritual construct in a way that allowed it to acc. its energy. Once the mech piloted triggered the ability, the bell immediately rang, thereby releasing all of the pent-up energy at once!
He called it the Shock Pulse.
One of the most crucial properties of this Shock Pulse ability was that it aimed squarely towards non-Hexers. Any Hexer or believer in the Superior Mother should be able to remain unaffected, which was very important as Ves did not wish for the mech pilot of the Valkyrie Redeemer to pause at the crucial moment of activation!
Ves hoped that this implementation was sufficient to disrupt any nearby enemy. The Valkyrie Redeemer would be able to activate this ability to facilitate its retreat as well as its advance!
"The mech doesn't necessarily have to leap back into the air. It can also perform a follow-up attack!"
At this point, Ves believed the Valkyrie Redeemer could accommodate no more triggered abilities without weakening its fundamentals. That was unacceptable!
"I wonder how they will hold up against any possible counters to my mech." He whispered.
He could no longer assume that glows would be able to empower the users of his mechs with impunity. Once the Masters who targeted his design philosophy rolled out their counter designs, Ves was not certain whether the two triggered abilities of the Valkyrie Redeemer would function correctly under adverse circ. .
Nonetheless, he did not believe that any competitor could negate his glows entirely. If mech designers were able to completely negate each other's specialty, then why develop in the first place?
In every conflict he studied, he rarely encountered any mention where the work of one mech designer completely negated a specialty!
Nonetheless, he knew too little about Masters to say for sure.
Ves felt grateful that he came up with the Sanctuary Project. Designing a mech that was expressly designed to counter his own work seemed crazy at first, but with the advent of competition, it was actually quite a clever response!
The difference between his own counter and the counter developed by his competitors was that he exerted no control over the latter!
He couldn't just call Master Olson and beg her to take it easy on his mechs.
In contrast, selling the Sanctuary mechs to the market would ensure that Ves would be able to control exactly when glows worked and when they were suppressed. The hidden backdoors and rules that he planned to add to the Sanctuary would make sure of that!
Most of the counters developed by Masters probably ended up in the military rather than the private sector. As long as the Sanctuary offered the best value for money, Ves would definitely be able to gain a lot of market share of mechs that countered his glows!
Now that Ves completed the triggered abilities of the Valkyrie Redeemer, he felt tempted to do the same to his other projects.
Some of them were a bit further ahead than others, but they had all progressed to the point where Ves was able to play with their spiritual foundations.
Gloriana picked up his exhaustion and excitement when they next contacted each other.
Her physical projection stepped close to his and touched his arm. Ves felt a strong pressure on his skin, which caused him to look at her in puzzlement.
"This isn't supposed to happen. Why is your touch so strong?"
She grinned at him. "I upgraded the physical projection tech of my stateroom aboard the Stellar Chaser! Doesn't that sound great?"
"High-quality physical projection machines are expensive. Why would you possibly spend so much money?" Ves frowned.
"To do this." She snapped her fingers.
A smell suddenly tickled his nose. Ves widened his eyes. He could actually smell one of her regular perfumes! A hot and rosy smell intoxicated his nasal senses as he breathed the distinctive smell generated by the Darkbreak module.
He wasn't able to determine whether the smell precisely matched the perfume, but the fact that the Darkbreak module was able to convey this much was already impressive!
"You.. upgraded your physical projectors just to make your projection smell better?"
"No, silly. I also wanted to do this!"
Her physical projection threw itself at him, causing him to feel a strong pressure exerted on his body. Before he knew it, her projection kissed his lips!
Though Ves knew he was just feeling simulated pressure generated by the Darkbreak module, the illusion was very close to reality!
When the two began to engage in some tongue action, Ves found to his surprise that he could sense plenty of moisture on his tongue and lips!
What an amazing function! Physical projection technology had evidently advanced considerably since the time he interacted with the virtual officers of the Starlight Megalodon!
Once Gloriana withdrew her lips, she gazed at him with an intriguing look. "Did you know why humans originally developed physical projections? In space, it's very hard for couples to live apart from each other. There is so much you can do to sustain the love you have for someone if you are just limited to talking to an intangible projection. There's also a lot of lonely bachelors aboard vessels who can't go to a club and aren't allowed to fraternize with each other."
"Wait a minute.. are you suggesting that.."
"Hihi! You guessed it! Technology is so amazing. Let us test whether modern physical projection technology is good enough for you to be able to 'discharge your energy' to me across light-years…"
The hands of her physical projection already started to unbutton and peel off his shirt uniform. Though Ves felt excited, he also felt reluctant to engage with her any further!
"Wait! This channel isn't secure! Our lovemaking will probably end up in the archives of the MTA. Master Willix is probably watching at this very moment!"
"Then let her. I don't mind, hihi!"
Chapter 2247 - Ulimo Citadel
Ves looked troubled the next day. Though he admittedly gained a lot of satisfaction after he released all of his pent-up 'energy' yesterday, the circ. of his discharge was anything but usual!
"Technology has gone too far!"
He shook his head. Though he felt a bit weirded out, he had to admit he enjoyed it quite a bit. The Darkbreak module simulated Gloriana's physical properties to such an accurate and realistic degree that he could hardly name the differences!
If Gloriana offered to go for another round, Ves would likely nod his head and say yes!
He eventually shrugged and readied himself for another day of work. After he finished his breakfast, he met with Major Verle and Calabast in his stateroom.
"Meow."
Lucky curiously looked up at the two older Larkinsons as Ves rubbed his head.
"Good morning." Ves greeted. "I take it that we have approached yet another pirate base, right?"
"That is indeed the case, sir." Major Verle waved his hand, activating a projection that showed a map of their surroundings. "Our forward scouts have managed to approach a famed pirate base called the Ulimo Citadel."
The projection shifted to a base built into the surface of a small moon-sized asteroid. "Ulimo Citadel is the stronghold of the Dry Snakes. According to second-hand intelligence, the Dry Snakes are able to field around 1700 mechs, which is enough to secure their foundation in this rich patch of Maynard Fields."
The visible structures of Ulimo Citadel looked considerably more formidable than Xiphard Base. Part of it was because it was built into a much larger moon-like environment. Another part of it was because the Dry Snakes invested considerably more resources in its construction!
What Ves found remarkable was the elevated amount of traffic going in and out of Ulimo Citadel.
"Is this open base?"
Calabast nodded. "Ulimo Citadel is one of the rare pirate strongholds that has opened a limited public market. It's similar to Frostbite Fortress in that regard. While Ulimo doesn't host the largest pirate marketplace, it is especially attractive towards smaller pirate outfits and independents."
"Why so?"
"Many pirate marketplaces are very dangerous to visit if you aren't strong enough. The pirate groups who oversee them also have a penchant for ripping off their visitor. What is remarkable about Ulimo Citadel is that the Dry Snakes charge very low fees for landing a vessel in its hangar and various other services. This turns Ulimo Citadel into an affordable place for sc.u.m to gather."
Trade, recruitment and many more activities took place in this surprisingly lively pirate base.
"How is the reputation of the Dry Snakes?"
"Fairly good. They mostly abide by their responsibilities. While their guards aren't always proper, according to word of mouth they don't abuse their power too often. It helps to bribe them, though."
Ves snorted. "I suppose that is the best that you can expect of pirates."
"Don't underestimate Ulimo Citadel, Ves." Calabast glinted her eyes at him. "Under normal conditions, the Dry Snakes are mainly counting on their formidable base defenses along with their 1700 mechs to hang on to their lucrative base. Aside from the trade that they have attracted, the Dry Snakes mainly earn their living by mining the more interesting exotics from the surrounding asteroids. This particular portion of Maynard Fields doesn't offer as much Kavenit as other places, but in return there is a good chance that prospectors are able to stumble on small deposits of medium or even high-grade exotics!"
Ves leaned forward from his chair when he heard that. He stopped petting Lucky, much to the cat's complaints.
"Meow!"
"Ulimo Citadel must contain a lot of wealth if that is the case."
"That is probable. The Dry Snakes are considerably stronger than the Crona Lords. This also means that they are much more formidable. Attacking this base is very risky even if we have the help of Lucky."
"I find that hard to believe." Ves stated and gestured towards the projection of the base. "Oh, I'm sure this base has a lot of nasty surprises, but we haven't encountered any pirates who are able to do anything about my cat!"
"Meow meow." Lucky preened with pride.
Major Verle spoke up at this moment. "The issue that Calabast is alluding to is the notoriety that we have built up as we have sought out several pirate groups. After Xiphard Base, we knocked over three other pirate bases, thereby ending the lives of many pirates!"
Task Force Predator went on a pirate hunting spree after profiting considerably from defeating the Crona Lords. Calabast researched and picked out several smaller pirate bases in order to refine their methods and obtain some quick and easy loot!
Lucky managed to eat a considerable amount of valuable exotics!
Ves expanded his collection of B-stones with two extra samples!
He also obtained dozens of test subjects, each of whom were confirmed pirates with spiritual potential!
The mech pilots of the Larkinson Clan accrued even further experience!
The task force looted plenty of valuable materials!
Though none of the pirate bases held anything truly remarkable, the entire task force had become a lot more accustomed to attacking them. With Lucky's help, the Larkinsons should have no problems cracking Ulimo Citadel!
However, Calabast disagreed.
"The situation is more complicated than we thought. According to the long-ranged observation data from our forward scouts, there are much more mechs and sh.i.p.s present at Ulimo Citadel."
She tapped the projection, causing it to highlight four different groups of mech forces.
Ves frowned. "I take it the largest group are the Dry Snakes."
"Yes. We already anticipated their presence. What is problematic are the other three pirate groups. According to investigations, they are the vassal pirate groups that normally roam elsewhere. The fact that they have congregated at Ulimo Citadel is not a good sign."
Major Verle let out an exasperated breath. "We have toppled too many pirate groups. In each and every attack since we entered the Nyxian Gap, we completely devastated our opponents. You have to know that all-out attacks on pirate bases don't happen very often. Now that an outside factor such us have entered Maynard and shown that we do not abide by the rules, the local pirate organizations have all begun to respond to your actions."
"The Dry Snakes have summoned the Xona Stalkers, the Farmund's Own and the Hapid Qlinters to reinforce Ulimo Citadel. While these pirate outfits are weaker, their numbers and individual strengths can't be overlooked."
Calabast provided a brief overview of the vassal outfits.
The Xona Stalkers attracted her attention the most. Presumably founded by intelligence officers and operatives gone rogue, the Xona Stalkers were famed for using stealth mechs and stealth shuttles based on outdated stealth tech.
However, despite losing access to newer iterations of stealth tech, the Xona Stalkers still managed to maintain their foundation. These days, they were able to field 400 mechs, though this was only what everyone knew on the surface.
Several rumors swirled around the Xona Stalkers.
One of them stated that they were still secretly backed by a lawful organization, most likely a Sentinel noble house.
Another rumor claimed that the Xona Stalkers somehow managed to get their hands on some alien stealth tech in the Nyxian Gap.
The most improbable rumor stated that the Xona Stalkers secretly maintained a research team that consisted of scientists who specialized in stealth technology!
"Regardless which of these rumors are true, as long as we plunder the Xona Stalkers, we'll likely be able to take over all of their possessions." Calabast grinned. "While their stealth gear is probably inferior, the exotics used in making them is very valuable to my Black Cats. It's quite challenging to obtain stealth materials in the Nyxian Gap."
Her personal interest in attacking Ulimo Citadel became clear. The Xona Stalkers was led by former spies like her. This caused Calabast to become a lot more excited about plundering this specific pirate outfit!
"The Farmund's Own are a lot more boring in comparison. It's founded by a number of military veterans, so their discipline and training is a lot better than the typical pirates. They're able to field 700 mechs, and they are generally strong in ranged combat and defending strongholds."
"That's quite a lot of mechs. Don't the Dry Snakes feel threatened by their vassal?"
"It's complicated." Calabast shrugged. "The third group is the Hapid Qlinters. Unlike the other two vessels, the Hapid Qlinters share a different origin. The leaders of the Qlinters don't come from civilized space. Instead, the Qlinters are fully made up of Nyxian pirates who were born and raised in the region. While they are known for their aggression, they are also famed for their lack of discipline and restraints. They are able to field around 650 mechs."
The Hapid Qlinters sounded like upgraded bottom feeders to Ves. They likely consisted of thugs who lucked out on some raids and managed to grow stronger instead of getting annihilated by the Peacekeepers.
Though these subordinate pirate outfits weren't particularly threatening to the Larkinson Clan when they were alone, it was a different story now that they answered the call of the Dry Snakes.
Disregarding Ulimo Citadel's fixed defenses, confronting over 3000 pirate mechs at once was still a risky endeavor!
"What do you think?" Ves asked with a hint of uncertainty.
"The Dry Snakes are ready for us." Major Verle responded. "It is not a wise idea for us to hit a tough and prepared target. Even if the pirates here aren't aware of how we managed to sabotage the defenses of the previous targets that we've hit, there is no way that the pirates will remain complacent when it comes to guarding Ulimo Citadel. I fear that Lucky won't be able to get away with as much mischief as before."
"Meow!" Lucky raised his tail.
The major ignored the disgruntled cat. "To be honest, I think we have done enough in the Nyxian Gap. You set out to travel here in order to bloody our combat forces and earn a large amount of MTA merits. After we have cracked open four pirate bases, how many merits have you earned?"
"Almost 2 million merits. Those pirates we've attacked have all been naughty. With the MTA offering double rewards for every violation of the taboos, we've quickly made progress towards obtaining passage to the Red Ocean."
Ves was quite happy with the rapid progress. It didn't take much time to earn a princely sum of merit that other Journeymen needed years or decades to accrue.
"The only reason why you managed to earn so much merits was because the Nyxian pirates we attacked weren't fully prepared for us. It's different now. There are hardly any pirates in Maynard Fields who aren't aware of our threat. Ulimo Citadel isn't too far from the last pirate fortification we hit, so the Dry Snakes should definitely be on high alert. It will take months or word of our task force's departure or annihilation for the pirates to lower their guards."
He made a very good point. There was a huge difference between prepared and unprepared targets. Ulimo Citadel was already pretty strong to begin with. Now that the Dry Snakes called for reinforcements and elevated their guard, there were many chances for an assault to go wrong!
Ves curiously turned to Calabast. "You don't seem as pessimistic. Do you think we have a chance to succeed in assaulting Ulimo Citadel?"
"It.. depends." She said. "Ordinarily, I agree with Major Verle that it is not worth the risk to attack Ulimo. However, after examining some scattered intelligence, I have reason to believe that this fortress is of considerable interest."
"What is it?"
"There is a small chance that Ulimo Citadel's marketplace is one of the places where B-stones are being sold. In fact, the Dry Snakes may even be the ones who have mined it, processed it and put on sale!"
"What?! Are you sure?!"
Chapter 2248 - Depth of Ulimo
Ulimo Citadel appeared to be quite challenging to attack. For over several weeks, Task Force Predator rampaged through Maynard Fields with impunity. Various roaming pirate fleets as well as immovable pirate bases all succ. against the might of the Larkinson Clan!
Yet the existence of this strong, prepared and reinforced pirate fortification risked stalling the task force's momentum!
Certainly, Major Verle had a good point. Against a foe that was too powerful to overcome without suffering major casualties, the Larkinsons had no obligations to hit their heads against the wall.
They could just walk around it and merrily go on their way!
The defenses of Ulimo Citadel only threatened the space surrounding the pirate fortification. The secret weapons that Ulimo definitely held in reserve posed no threat to a fleet that only flew further and further away!
Though Ves understood the logic of it, he felt a bit upset at leaving such a juicy target behind. As one of the few open marketplaces in the Nyxian Gap, Ulimo must certainly hold a lot of valuable goods, perhaps far more than the Larkinsons ever plundered from Xiphard Base!
Yet the more he stared at the projection of Ulimo, the more his intuition for danger became roused.
The stronghold was dangerous. That was for certain.
He even had a hunch that Lucky's infiltration might not go smoothly this time. The presence of the Xona Stalkers meant that the pirates residing at Ulimo gained a formidable amount of stealth and anti-stealth capabilities!
He jolted in realization. "Calabast, are we sweeping our perimeter for enemy stealth vehicles?"
"My Black Cats are already on the lookout for hidden presences around our fleet." The spymaster casually replied. "This is my craft, remember? From the moment I knew that the Xona Stalkers are affiliated with the Dry Snakes, I have put my surveillance specialists on full alert. The Penitent Sisters are especially helpful as their anti-stealth measures are just as good as any Hexer outfit."
In the Komodo Star Sector, there weren't many organizations who could circ. second-class sensor technology. In a place like the Nyxian Gap, the chances of any pirates being able to run rings around Hexer sensors should be slim.
However, Ves did not feel reassured. Anything could be beaten as long as someone came up with the right solution. The task force had done so several times over the past month as Lucky's stealth and intangibility turned him into a highly-effective infiltrator.
Since Ves was able to field something that the pirates couldn't handle, what if the pirates could do the same to him? He only had to cast his memories back to his travel through the frontier to know that some pirates possessed their own strangeness!
The more he thought about attacking Ulimo, the more he felt deterred by its hidden strength.
Still, he couldn't just give up. When Calabast told him that B-stones had changed hands at Ulimo, Ves had locked his sights at this base.
If Ulimo only held one or two B-stones, then Ves didn't think it was worth it to attack it. If Ulimo held an entire container's worth of B-stones, then that was another matter entirely!
Aside from that, Ulimo sat in the center of a field of asteroids which contained deposits of higher grades of exotics. Even if their quantities were small, the Dry Snakes must have certainly acc. quite a pile of them in their vaults!
Looting all of these valuable materials might not allow him to design and build a powerful mech right away, but they should be more than enough to upgrade his personal gear!
For a long time, Ves dreamt of building a supreme suit of combat armor, one that protected him against both material and spiritual threats.
Yet gathering the powerful materials necessary to build such an extravagant piece of gear was daunting. Just the B-stone needed to protect him against formidable entities such as Cassandra Breyer and Nyxie required him to get a hold of at least a couple more samples!
Aside from these benefits, Ves felt certain that Ulimo held more riches. As long as the Larkinsons captured the base reasonably intact, he might be able to obtain numerous rare goods that couldn't be found elsewhere!
He gazed towards his two advisors. Major Verle's objection to attacking Ulimo was understandable. What Ves did not expect was that Calabast did not share the same views.
In fact, from the way she presented Ulimo Citadel to him, it sounded as if she was driving him to attack this formidable pirate base!
Ves narrowed his eyes at her. "Calabast, normally you tell me to dial back and take less risks. Why don't I hear the same from you this time? What is it about Ulimo that makes you reluctant to pass it over?"
Both Ves and Verle stared curiously at the black-clad woman. Calabast endured their stares without a wink.
"You're pretty observant, Ves. You're right. Ulimo is not just a regular pirate base in my eyes. There are two reasons why we should pay attention to it despite its formidable defenses."
She raised a finger. "First, its connection to one of our old enemies. After decrypting various sensitive trade logs stored in the data banks we've ripped from Xiphard Base, my analysts have ascertained that Ulimo Citadel likely maintains ties with the Allidus Alliance."
Ah, the Allidus Alliance. With a formidable heavy cruiser in the form of Gravada Knarlax, this powerful pirate organization was one of the few that maintained a foothold in the perilous core regions!
The Larkinson Clan attracted a lot of enmity from Allidus after defeating Lord Drogen and his trade convoy. Ves wasn't sure at that time whether he would bump into them again.
"What is the Allidus Alliance doing here?"
"Did you remember last time during the Battle of Xiphard Base where the Allidus trade convoy arrived unscheduled? My Black Cats found out later on that Allidus is embarking on a huge project and requires lots of materials. Aside from gathering huge amounts of Kavenit, the pirate organization is also demanding a lot of other exotics. Whatever Allidus is building has caused them to reach out to many resource producers in the Nyxian Gap."
This sounded incredibly concerning. Allidus was famed for two particular feats. First, it openly paraded around a warship. Second, it secretly sold considerably advanced superweapons to various pirate customers.
Now that Allidus sought a lot of materials, Ves couldn't help but grow a little concerned!
Was Allidus building a second cruiser? What about a fleet of smaller warsh.i.p.s? What if they were building some sort of apocalyptic superweapon instead?
Technically speaking, Ves shouldn't give a damn about what this pirate organization was up to. Ves only planned to stay in the Nyxian Gap for six months at most, and a considerable amount of time had already passed.
In fact, if Ves wanted to make it back to the Sentinel Kingdom in time for his wedding, he could only afford to play around in Maynard Fields for just one or two months before needing to race back to civilized space!
Once he left the Nyxian Gap, whatever schemes the pirates had hatched should bear no relation to him. If Ves left the Komodo Star Sector afterwards, then the Nyxian pirates became even more irrelevant!
Ves did not feel particularly threatened by the Allidus Alliance. Instead, he became curious whether Allidus maintained some sort of presence on Ulimo Citadel.
"Why does it matter that Allidus is at Ulimo Citadel?" He asked.
"Aside from the goods and intelligence that we might wish to obtain, it's highly likely that Allidus has made some big trades with the Dry Snakes. Ulimo Citadel produces a fair amount of high-quality exotics, which is exactly what Allidus needs. Now think on what the Dry Snakes might ask in exchange for these goods."
It didn't take long for Ves to connect the dots. "Superweapons!"
"Exactly." Calabast smiled. "Our analysis suggests that the Crona Lords is only a collateral trading partner to the Allidus Alliance. While Xiphard Base mines a good amount of Kavenit, this material isn't rare at all and can be found in many other places in Maynard Fields. In fact, Kavenit is also present in other zones. In contrast, Ulimo Citadel harvests a small number of very rare exotics that isn't available in the rest of the Nyxian Gap. This is why we suspect that Allidus genuinely cares about their trade relationship with the Dry Snakes."
"Do you have a list of those exotics?"
"Here."
She transferred the file to his comm. He immediately accessed the list through his implant.
She was right. Though Ulimo Citadel mined a lot of materials that were prevalent elsewhere in the Komodo Star Sector, Ves had never heard of some of the potent exotics in the list!
Their properties were vague as none of the intelligence sources that the Black Cats had access to could describe these unique exotics in greater detail.
Nonetheless, they should be of particular value to the Allidus Alliance's unknown construction project.
Ves tapped his finger against his desk. "I see why this is meaningful. However, there are still too many unknowns while the payoff is obscured as well. This shouldn't be enough to make you interested in Ulimo."
"You're right. There is a second reason why I want to investigate it further. While I have my suspicions, I am unable to confirm whether Ulimo holds something that is of great interest to me but especially you. I dare not say anything careless."
Neither Ves nor Major Verle looked amused at her vagueness. Wasn't it the job of spies to tell them something informative?
Then again, they also had an obligation to be as accurate as possible. If their intelligence wasn't backed by enough proof, then it might do more harm than good to pass off unverified rumors as fact.
In any case, Calabast did not advocate to attack Ulimo Base outright. Instead, she wanted to scout it first in order to see whether it held something worthwhile.
This happened to match his intentions. While Ves agreed with Major Verle that it was very dangerous to attack Ulimo Base, as long as they scouted it instead, their task force shouldn't be exposed to any danger.
He turned to Lucky, who had been enjoying his petting all this while. "Are you up for another infiltration?"
"Meow."
"This is likely going to be more dangerous than before. The Dry Snakes are on high alert and the Xona Stalkers are presumably proficient at detecting stealthed opponents.
"Meow!"
"I know your gadget and your abilities are good enough to fool anything the Xona Stalkers can throw at you, but the stealth shuttle is a different matter! Once it gets blown up, you're pretty much stuck in enemy territory!"
"Meow meow meow!"
His cat was too conceited. Ves worried about Lucky's success this time. While there was a chance that he might be exaggerating the risks, he did not dare to be complacent. Time and time again, the pirates taught him the perils of underestimating his adversaries.
"No. You're not going this time." Ves definitively declared. "You're too irreplaceable. I think it's best to resort to a less costly method of investigating our target. Calabast, Major Verle, since Ulimo Base hosts an open marketplace, why not put up some disguises on some of our men before sending onwards?"
"That is exactly one of the options I had in mind." Calabast smiled. "I have numerous Black Cats who possess the necessary training to pass off as pirates. I'm sure that the Flagrant Vandals, Swordmaidens and Battle Criers are capable of adopting this disguise as well. As much as Ulimo Base is on guard against our forces, the Dry Snakes haven't closed their gates and shuttered their marketplace."
"I'm not sure. While it is true that some of our rougher clansmen can imitate ruffians, it's unrealistic to expect them to behave exactly like Nyxian pirates."
"Our Black Cats can remedy this problem. We have developed enough of an understanding of the locals to teach your men what to pay attention to in order to blend in with the crowd."
A quick discussion ensued on who to send to Ulimo Base. This was a very risky mission that demanded a lot from those who participated in it. Most notably, the group required someone who possessed an extensive understanding of technology.
Ves raised his hand. "I'm willing to take part in this scouting mission. I happen to be very good at observation."
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
"YOU JUST STAY PUT!"
Both Calabast and Major Verle immediately shot him down!
Chapter 2249 - Different Infiltration
His own advisors prohibited him from visiting Ulimo Base.
It was too risky to dispatch Ves on such a high-risk mission. His status and importance to the Larkinson Clan was far too great to allow him to visit a formidable pirate fortress while he was heavily outnumbered and outgunned.
Once the Dry Snakes discovered that the infamous pirate killer sneaked into their own home, They would certainly lock down Ulimo and seek to kill or capture Ves at all cost!
The entire point of dispatching a small force of Larkinsons disguised as pirates was to limit the losses in the event of a disaster.
If the Dry Snakes and its vassals managed to identify and eliminate the Larkinsons, then the Larkinson Clan and the task force wouldn't actually suffer that much losses!
It was an entirely different story when someone indispensable to the Larkinson Clan such as Ves personally took part. A hundred or so disguised Larkinsons could never protect their clan patriarch against the entire might of the Dry Snakes and their allies!
Therefore, Calabast and Major Verle did not hesitate to shoot Ves down in the strongest possible terms. It didn't matter if he was in charge. In fact, it was exactly because he held the highest position why he shouldn't wander around so carelessly!
Ves grimaced at their strong objections. "I can take care of myself. This isn't my first rodeo. Last time, I managed to escape captivity and took over this very ship from some determined CRC guards!"
"You almost died when a missile struck close to you." Calabast immediately retorted. "And let's not kid ourselves that Lucky did most of the work. Without him, you would have turned into Lady Curver's obedient puppet by this time."
"I just want to visit a pirate base! What's the harm in that?! Just look at all of the traffic coming in and out of Ulimo Base! The pirates are unwilling to stop their trade activities, which means that the gates are wide open!"
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT A LEADER AND A MECH DESIGNER OF YOUR STATURE OUGHT TO HEAD STRAIGHT INTO ENEMY TERRITORY!"
The argument raged on for several minutes. No matter what excuses Ves retorted to, he was shot down time and time again.
"Meow meow meow!"
Even his own cat joined his critics!
Ves sighed in exasperation. "Fine. I understand. There is no logic behind visiting Ulimo in person."
His reluctant admission finally caused Calabast and Major Verle to feel relieved. They were both aware of his penchant of getting into trouble, and they did not want to see him stir up a mess in the middle of a hostile pirate stronghold!
"Good. Now that we have settled this issue, we should prepare the necessary disguises."
The Larkinsons captured a number of pirate sh.i.p.s from the Crona Lords and various other pirate groups. The sh.i.p.s might not be in the best of shape, but the Larkinsons did their best to fix them up in order to make use of their space to haul more valuable loot.
Part of the loot consisted of salvaged pirate mechs. Though Ves and the task force originally intended to break them down and recycle the most valuable materials, they could easily turn around and restore them back to functionality instead.
There was one big problem, though.
"The pirate sh.i.p.s we captured may look shabby, but they are undeniably associated with one of our victims." Calabast noted. "What do you think if one of the sh.i.p.s we stole from the Crona Lords shows up at Ulimo?"
"The Dry Snakes will immediately suspect that we're Larkinsons!"
This was not the only possibility, of course. Task Force Predator left a lot of slaves behind at Xiphard Base and other pirate bases who didn't commit any crimes against humanity.
In order to cultivate an upright and honorable mindset in the Larkinson Clan, Ves explicitly pushed his people to act properly whenever possible.
This was why he deliberately encouraged his clansmen to deviate from the customs of the Peacekeepers, who often resorted to expediency and executed everyone in a pirate organization regardless of their status.
So far, it seemed to be working. From what Ves had observed from the monitoring systems throughout the sh.i.p.s of the task force, his clansmen remained relatively pure and uncorrupted in this filthy environment.
In any case, while it was possible for the disguised Larkinsons to pass themselves off as freed slaves, that would only invite the local pirates to kidnap them wholesale!
Ves had a better solution. "Unlike most pirate groups, we have a lot of mech designers and naval engineers in our task force. The pirate sh.i.p.s and mechs we've plundered from our enemies are like putty in our hands. With the abundant amount of raw materials we've acc. , we can easily modify the structure of those sh.i.p.s and mechs until they become unrecognizable. While there aren't a lot of people in the Nyxian Gap, there are thousands of pirate gangs roaming around. I don't believe the Dry Snakes are familiar with every single outfit."
After a bit of thought, Calabast looked interested. "This can work. How long will it take?"
"As long as we allocate enough skilled personnel to this task, we can probably perform this transformation in a couple of days. Changing the exterior of any machine is very easy. As for the internals, as long as we limit the modifications to some quick and dirty tasks such as partitioning one big cargo hold into two smaller compartments, then that shouldn't take up a lot of time."
The time spent on preparing their disguises was very crucial. With the wedding looming closer and closer, the Larkinson Clan couldn't dilly-dally around in the Nyxian Gap!
After Ves threw this suggestion to Calabast and Major Verle, the two could take care of the rest. There was no need for Ves to concern himself too much with the planning and execution of this initiative.
One way or another, the Larkinsons were determined to take a look inside Ulimo Base!
In the next couple of days, Task Force Predator busied itself with transforming two pirate sh.i.p.s.
Ulimo Base strictly prohibited the entry of large groups of pirates. The Dry Snakes wouldn't be able to maintain control anymore if too many outsiders ran around inside the public spaces of their stronghold!
Various ship specialists and engineers carefully modified the exterior and small portions of the interior of the pirate sh.i.p.s. They carefully worked away the marks that revealed their ship class or prior ownership.
It didn't matter whether the sh.i.p.s didn't conform to any particular class anymore. There were so many ship classes in existence that not even the CFA maintained a complete database. In addition, it was very normal for ship owners to steadily modify and upgrade their vessels over time, thereby causing any aging vessel to gain unique identities.
Ves actually appreciated this treatment. Sh.i.p.s lasted a lot longer than mechs, so their owners developed a greater affection for them. The more responsible among them always treated their sh.i.p.s as more than floating coffins in space.
If more people adopted the same mindset towards mechs, then maybe Ves wouldn't have to work so hard to make people appreciate these majestic machines.
What interested Ves more was the people assigned to enter Ulimo Base. There were plenty of ruffians and ruffian-like characters in the Larkinson Clan.
The Swordmaidens had the distinct honor of possessing an actual pirate pedigree. Though they pursued an elite path, that still did not change the fact that they lived the life of a pirate for a very long time.
They only possessed two flaws. First, they were very distinct and did not work well alongside other people. Second, most of their in-depth knowledge related to the Faris Star Region.
This was why Major Verle decided to assign only a small number of Swordmaidens. They just needed to be there in order to help the others make sense of obscure pirate customs and culture.
The second group that had to take part in this mission were the intelligence operatives of the Black Cats. Though Ves never paid much attention to this group, he trusted in Calabast's ability to raise competent spies.
These underlings of her had studied a lot about Nyxian Pirates and were up to date with most region-specific events. They were also excellent at passing themselves off as genuine Nyxian pirates.
The downside was that reading about the Nyxian Gap was one thing. Living the Nyxian pirate life was another! This was why Major Verle did not dare to trust the Black Cats could handle every situation.
The bulk of the fighting forces of this exploration mission would be supplied by a combination of battle Criers and Flagrant Vandals. Commander Cinnabar and Commander Orphan both picked out their roughest, most unruly personnel in order to fill up the ranks of their fake pirate outfit.
Of course, their ruffian-like nature would likely be fairly tame compared to real sc.u.m, but that was not a huge issue in itself. After encountering various pirate groups in the Nyxian Gap, Ves and everyone else learned that pirates could be quite disciplined and orderly when they needed to be. Pirates pursued strength, and there was no better way to squander it than acting like idiots!
When Ves scanned through the list of people who were assigned to take part in the mission, his eyes widened as he spotted two notable names.
He decided to call both of them to his stateroom for a personal talk.
The first one to arrive was the mech and technical consultant for this mission. Ketis marched through the hatch with firm, steady steps. Her floating greatsword hovered after her like an obedient pet.
"You called, Ves?"
He nodded. "Take a seat."
When she sat down, she looked at him with confidence. "Did you want to discuss my participation in the upcoming mission?"
He nodded. "I have serious doubts about that. I heard that you actively volunteered to take a look. Why?"
"I feel restless, Ves. The Nyxian Gap reminds me far too much of the frontier. I find it frustrating to coop myself up in this ship when I could be out there."
"You're a very promising mech designer. This is a sensitive period of time for you. You were already making so much progress in your advancement towards Journeyman. If you just design a couple more mechs, I am sure you will be close to breaking through. By then, your status inside and outside the Larkinson Clan will change completely."
Ketis crossed her arms. "I can't stand it, Ves. Designing mechs day-in day-out is not my style. Just like you, I need to go out and challenge myself. I think this mission is a great opportunity for me to widen my horizons. Maybe I'll even be able to gain some inspiration that will sharpen my design philosophy. I haven't made that much progress in it ever since I was able to develop my own superpower."
The two talked some more. Ves continued to try to talk her out of participating, but she resolutely wanted to go. Clearly, this was something her entire mind, body and spirit yearned. He became increasingly more reluctant to bar her way.
After weighing the pros and cons, Ves eventually sighed. "It's going to be risky, you know that? If you ever end up in trouble, I will do my best to bail you out, but it will be difficult."
"I'm not a fragile flower. I can handle it. Besides, with all of our preparations, I'm sure we'll be able to slip in and out of Ulimo Base without attracting any suspicion. The Dry Snakes don't really pay too much attention to the sc.u.m that visit its marketplace."
As a mech designer, Ves understood how much Ketis could benefit from this little adventure. It was the same reason why he wanted to go as well. He became a little softer because of that.
His student knew the risks and accepted them. Whether she could truly gain something from observing Ulimo Base or not, she might very well become a much better mech designer after broadening her horizons. Ves didn't have the heart to stand in the way of her passion.
"Fine.. but take good care of your safety. In fact, let me see all of your gear. Our clan has collected some very good materials, and I'm willing to use some of them to strengthen your equipment."
"Sure!"
Chapter 2250 - Battlegear
Letting Ketis take part in the exploration mission filled Ves with a lot of misgivings. Yet he also felt proud of her. Out of all of the mech designers in the Larkinson Clan, he felt she matched his inclinations the most.
Of course, they were two very different people. Ves was raised in the Bright Republic and enjoyed a relatively normal, civilized upbringing.
Ketis had to fight to survive from the moment she was born. If Lydia's Swordmaidens hadn't recruited her, she would have likely suffered a much worse fate!
From the start, the two led completely different life trajectories. The fact that they encountered each other and developed a close friendship was remarkable.
This was because no matter their differences, it was their similarities that bonded them together.
Both of them liked to get up close and personal.
Both of them were passionate about designing mechs.
Both of them adopted similar approaches when it came to their respective passions.
Ves saw a younger and female of himself in Ketis, and she likely looked up to him as a guide and role model.
Though they pursued very different design philosophies, Ves highly respected her pursuit towards sharpness. Her unusual upbringing along with her swordsmanship practice provided her with a much more intimate relationship with swords. Almost no other mech designer had seriously trained in swords and used these weapons to kill people and exobeasts.
Ketis was a true Swordmaiden!
While Ves could not match her in terms of pure combat prowess, his pursuit of his own design philosophy was just as intense. They were very similar as mech designers, and some of his ideals even rubbed off on her. He looked forward to how far she would be able to go once she made some more accomplishments.
They eventually entered the Scarlet Rose's mech workshop. The pair brought out all of the gear that Ketis planned to bring on the mission.
Ves only performed a cursory inspection on the smaller gadgets and knives. What truly caught his attention was her combat gear.
He first inspected the Udor. He remembered buying this large laser hand cannon for Ketis when they visited Renny's Outfitters on Bentheim.
The shop was probably gone, drowned in sand like the rest of the once-industrious planet.
The most remarkable aspect about the laser pistol was that it was a masterwork. A gunsmith invested a lot to create this exquisite weapon. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been priced at a whopping 39 million bright credits!
"Did you ever fire this weapon at someone?"
Ketis shook his head. "I never ended up in a situation where I needed to make use of it. Even when I fled the Bentheim System alongside Raella and Vincent, there was no need to shoot at the agents of Spotlight."
"Mmmhmm." Ves hummed for a moment. "While the Udor is an excellent third-class masterwork pistol, it's not powerful enough. Any casual laser pistol of the Penitent Sisters can easily overwhelm this gun in terms of firepower."
"I know. It's the only ranged weapon I have, though. I'm not upset, though. As a Swordmaiden, my greatsword is everything. As long as I have a good sword in my hands, I can take on any enemy!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Ketis. Even if you don't particularly care for pistols, it's better to have something more effective by your side."
After a moment's thought, Ves decided to give her another weapon. He withdrew a surprisingly small and unassuming weapon from his holster.
"What is this?" Ketis frowned.
"It's a very powerful laser pistol. I stole it from a female Benny when I took over the Scarlet Rose. Don't think it's weak because it's small. The power of this weapon is enough to pierce through dozens of armed guards under the right circ. !"
They did not dare to test fire the weapon in the workshop. Ves merely transferred a doc. that detailed all of the specs and features of the pistol.
As a mech designer, Ketis could easily read and interpret the numbers. She raised her eyebrow. "This is indeed a powerful pistol! It's better than any rifle. Don't you need this gun for yourself?"
Ves smirked. "Don't worry about that. I already have something better."
After a bit of discussion, Ketis decided to keep both pistols. The Udor may be weak but it largely looked the part of a ferocious pirate weapon.
In general, pirates disliked conveying weakness. The small and compact Fridayman pistol wouldn't intimidate any pirate. Ketis intended to store it in a hidden pocket and only bring it out when it was absolutely necessary.
Ves picked up the Udor and studied it from various angles. "While this weapon is fairly weak, we can still upgrade it. I have a very great understanding of laser weapons and I'm sure I can enhance its firepower by at least fifty percent."
At the time he purchased this masterwork, the new generation laser technology hadn't become public yet. The Udor actually worked on outdated technology, so it was trivially easy to integrate some replacement parts.
In addition, his extensive knowledge on laser weapons did not only apply to mechs. He could also apply much of the principles he learned on smaller-scale weapons. In particular, with his knowledge on crystal laser technology, he believed he could synthesize some custom crystals that substantially increased the weapons firepower and energy efficiency.
The question was whether it was worth it to do so. Ketis looked reluctant.
"I know we can improve this gun. It's just.. if you make too many changes, it won't be a masterwork anymore, right?"
Ves frowned. "You're right. Small, gradual changes are okay, but if you change too much, the original character of the Udor is lost."
While Ves was sure there were methods for masterworks to retain their original character even if they underwent huge overhauls, he was not familiar with any of them. Masterworks possessed a very mysterious trace of spirituality and potentially other energies that elevated them above products. His understanding of the workings of all of these phenomena was too shallow for him to mess around.
"Since you gave me this second-class pistol, there is no need for me to rely on the Udor. We can just make it look fiercer in order to impress the pirates. I can bet you that a lot of pirates will envy me for parading this weapon around!"
Ves suddenly chuckled. "I see what you are trying to get at. If the pirates are aware that you own a masterwork gun, they will all think that it's your main weapon. They won't spare a look at your sword!"
Speaking of swords, both Ves and Ketis directed their attention to the ostentatious greatsword. As a first-class CFbuilt weapon, its sharpness and resilience was practically off the charts! If Ketis possessed enough strength, she was even able to cut through the hull of the Scarlet Rose with this incredibly deadly weapon!
However, neither of them were optimistic about this weapon. It was too big and iconic!
"There are plenty of public recordings of you in the company of this weapon." Ves stated. "If the Dry Snakes has performed any studies on the Larkinson Clan, then they will have certainly uploaded all of that footage into the data banks of their monitoring system. Once Ulimo takes a good look at the profile of this weapon, the Dry Snakes will certainly discover your true identity!"
The answer was obvious. Ketis frowned and stroked her finger against the blade of her favored weapon.
"I hate to leave it behind, but it's for the best."
"It's okay, Ketis. We can build another sword for you, one that is not obviously tied to the Swordmaidens."
They began to swap some ideas and sketch out some swords. Ketis eventually settled on a broad, saber-like cutlass.
Compared to her greatsword, its blade and heft was still considerable, which suited the swordsmanship style of the Swordmaidens.
It was lighter and shorter than her greatsword though, which meant that Ketis could easily wield it with a single hand. This allowed her to hold her cutlass in one hand and a laser pistol in the other hand like a glamorous space pirate!
The primary material for the sword was Breyer alloy, which allowed the cutlass to resist strong impacts without deforming or breaking.
In order to enhance the sharpness and various other properties of the weapon, Ves decided to throw in some low and medium-grade exotics. This not only increased the lethality of the cutlass, but also made it difficult for scanners to recognize the traces of Breyer alloy.
This was a very important detail! Breyer alloy was not common in the Komodo Star Sector and the Nyxian Gap at all. Of all the entities who made extensive use of this material, the Larkinson Clan was pretty much the only one in this corner of space!
Ketis lovingly made the weapon by hand. As a quick learner, she had vastly increased her fabrication ability. She had even made some other swords in her spare time!
It didn't take too long for her to craft her new pirate cutlass. The only reason it took so long was that many of the materials were difficult to work with and because she wanted to add some pirate-like flourishes to the hilt and pommel.
In the end, the cutlass looked like a weapon that came straight out of an action drama. The skulls, flowery gilded patterns and other little touches turned it into quite an impressive cutting implement!
Ketis grasped the cutlass and instantly entered into a focused state. Ves clearly felt the differences. It was as if her entire spirit became concentrated at once!
Her ability to focus was so frightening that the edge of her cutlass even shimmered for a bit! This was her so-called superpower!
Unfortunately, a cutlass was not as easy to empower as a butter knife. Due to her lack of spiritual strength and development, her attempt of sharpening her cutlass quickly failed.
"Damn. I thought I made more progress."
Ves gently patted her back. "You're still an Apprentice. Wait until you become a Journeyman. I bet that you will quickly be able to add more sharpness to this weapon."
Now that they settled the weapons that Ketis would bring on the mission, the two moved on to her combat armor.
The Rising Red Dragon was a suit of combat armor that served Ketis well during their first visit to the Ylvaine Protectorate. Together with his Sparous Vize, they managed to survive a church collapsing on their bodies and fend off numerous false flag fanatics.
Though the feminine, mobility-oriented combat armor had served Ketis while a few years ago, Ves believed she deserved better this time.
He thoughtfully knocked his knuckles against the surface of this impressive piece of protective equipment.
"We don't have the time to design and fabricate an entirely new suit of combat armor. What we can do is to replace the armor plating and much of the internal structure with stronger alloys. We can use a mix of Breyer alloy and other tough materials."
Ketis didn't care so much about her armor. "That's fine. We can also make use of this opportunity to change its look and add some extra decorations. Right now, it's too obvious that this is a product that is sold to the upper class of civilized space."
This was not a big problem. When they began to scan the Rising Red Dragon and studied its design, they began to plan out some quick and easy overhauls.
They couldn't change too much because much of the integrated electronic systems couldn't adapt to radical changes. It took too much time to reprogram them in case they made any drastic changes.
One question that came up to Ves was whether he was willing to integrate a layer of B-stone to the armor.
He only possessed a couple of rocks, and each one was extremely precious.
"Maybe the helmet is enough." He muttered.