Chapter 1601 Bright Star
The Bright Republic learned a very painful truth after waging several costly battles against the sandman fleets that adopted the swarm configuration.
The Starfighter Corps was not a silver bullet.
Against the wrong configurations, the many weaknesses of starfighters became very pronounced.
Without costly exotics to fortify their armor systems, their mundane armor plating was barely better than that of a commercial shuttle!
Their designers cut so many corners in their design that their armor plating was only really good enough to resist spacedust, micrometeorites and the occasional space junk floating in deep space.
They fared poorly against high-volume firepower!
Not only that, but their starfighter pilots were hardly as professional and disciplined as actual soldiers.
By far, most starfighter pilots were young and poorly-educated citizens of the Bright Republic or the fallen border states.
Before the Sand War, they might have been students or laborers. None of them envisioned a career in the military. As norms, there was no glory in serving in an auxiliary regiment.
Though a number of professional soldiers and officers from the auxiliary regiment had been transferred to the Starfighter Corps to make up a somewhat competent cadre, that was hardly enough!
Against an overwhelming sandman opponent, there was little an officer could do to prevent their ill-trained subordinates from panicking.
Several instances of routing had already occurred, leading to severe losses among the mechs and starfighters that held their ground.
Even though the cowards had all been caught and executed within a matter of days, the problem was still in place!
Until the Starfighter Corps managed to train their pilots to a higher standard, instances like this might occur at any time.
Fortunately, the proliferation of Desolate Soldiers managed to stem the bleeding in many cases. A lot of battles could have ended off worse if not for their miraculous glows!
Their ability to stabilize the morale of starfighter pilots and encourage them to do their duty in a moderate range was very helpful in preventing many potential collapses.
These interventions already saved the lives of mech and starfighter pilots. Though not infallible, the Desolate Soldiers were still effective enough to warrant an even greater level of interest from the government.
The brass realized that the Starfighter Corps wasn't nearly as dependable as they thought.
In their enthusiasm to deploy as much cannon fodder as possible to consume the firepower of the sandman fleets, they failed to account for the consequences.
Starfighter pilots weren't dependable at all!
Due to the immense demand for cannon fodder, over a hundred-thousand starfighters were being produced throughout the entire state.
All of those machines were only useful when paired with actual human pilots.
Faced with an acute need for lots of starfighter pilots, the Bright Republic and every other state that employed these spacecraft were rushing through their training.
Three weeks of hasty training was not enough to transform a civilian into a soldier!
At most, they could only present a facade of discipline and dedication during fair-weather circumstances.
Whenever a battle turned difficult, their many deficiencies became acute liabilities, threatening to collapse an entire formation and inciting panic among the better-trained mech pilots!
The very welcome glows from the Desolate Soldiers helped a lot, preventing most wavering starfighter pilots from abandoning their duty.
As this valuable solution became more and more evident, Ves and the LMC earned more and more acclaim.
Their Desolate Soldiers were increasingly being regarded as a necessity!
No defensive force at the front and rear was complete without at least a handful of Desolate Soldiers.
With the advantage given by their glows, the Ministry of Defense estimated that the Bright Republic would have lost at least eight minor star systems and three major star systems at this time!
However, aside from the loss of a few emptied star systems, the Bright Republic fared incredibly well considering the opposition they faced.
No one rested easily, however. The sandman invasion was far from over. There were many more sandman fleets on their way to raze the territories of the Bright Republic, each of them more clever and tricky than before.
The average intelligence and experience level of the sandman admirals increased by a worrisome rate. They grouped up more and more and shared their insights with each other, causing them to adopt very strange and unusual configurations.
Though many people looked down on the sandmen as a stupid, bot-like race, the truth was that they followed a different trajectory of development.
By far, most of the sandman admirals that commanded the fleets had been elevated to their positions rather recently. The leader castes of the sandman empire sacrificed a lot to produce so many sandman admirals, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that they started off as amateurs.
Yet even if they started at the lowest level, the sandman admirals actually possessed a frightening ability to learn from their experiences and mistakes.
One such example assaulted a fortified star system.
Three enormous monoliths that exceeded the size of CFA battleships advanced indomitably towards one of the three populated planets in the star system.
While the monolith configuration was not as scary as the swarm configuration, they still proved thorny to fight, especially when their sandman admirals stopped conserving energy.
Ordinarily shaped in humongous spheres of sand and other animated matter, they advanced like battering rams.
Though slower than other sandman configurations, the spherical monoliths chained their sandman in a way that made their outer layer incredibly resilient!
What was more, their interior wasn't entirely solid. Instead, the sandman admirals adopted a very hollow wireframe that limited the damage of explosive and concussive weaponry!
Though disparagingly called balloons by some combatants, this huge but largely-hollow configuration was incredibly resilient to damage.
What was more, they possessed a variety of means to hit back!
Every sandman admiral developed their own favored means to attack. While some stuck to firing their heavy laser strikes, others adopted more versatile solutions.
The three monoliths that simultaneously invaded this star system showcased the creativity of the sandman admirals when they had time to develop.
One monolith took cues from the high volume of fire it encountered in a previous battle and unleashed a storm of lasers from its surface!
Just like a swarm configuration, the swarm of lasers unleashed by this humongous monolith damaged over a hundred starfighters with a single salvo!
What was worse was that this monolith quickly began to fire continuously! Even though the swarm monolith consumed an enormous amount of energy, the casualties it inflicted upon its opponents were just as frightening!
In the command center of a fleet carrier, Mech Colonel Ark Larkinson observed this alarming development with hardly any change in emotion.
His solid demeanor did much to maintain the morale of his subordinates. The entire 1st Havensworth Division remained absolutely stable despite the flood of lasers striking their mechs.
"Link up these elements." Ark commanded, manipulating the projection of the battlespace with his hand. "Break up these mercenary and Planetary Guard units and spread out their Desolate Soldiers among the starfighter units as planned. Every starfighter squadron should be basking in the glow of at least one Soldier mech."
The defenders responded smoothly to his orders. As an expert pilot and a mech colonel, Ark Larkinson possessed an immense amount of authority and respect among the defenders of this star system.
Even the starfighter pilots didn't dare to disobey this famed war hero!
Nonetheless, the losses mounted fairly quickly. While the starfighters performed their job as cannon fodder, many of them barely got their shots off before a bunch of lasers melted through their thin and feeble armor plating and struck the delicate internals!
"Alert! Monolith Beta is showing signs of activity!"
The second sandman monolith began to show some unusual changes on the surface. A hole opened up in the side facing the Brighters and began to emit some very alarming energy signatures.
After a few more seconds of charging, the monolith launched a substantial projectile that rapidly traversed the battlefield!
Before anyone could make sense of the launch, the insanely-fast projectile splattered against the exterior of a military combat carrier.
"The Hazy Dream has been struck by an unknown projectile! Initial signs of damage are minimal! Her armor has held!"
Ark grew suspicious and studied one of the projections depicting the Hazy Dream. He spread out the projection, magnifying it so that he could study the details.
The sand splattered over the exterior of the Hazy Dream seemed no different than the splashing of mud, but Ark soon noticed something very disconcerting.
The 'mud splatter' was still alive!
"The Hazy Dream has reported signs of intrusion! An unknown quantity of sandmen has entered the ship through its open hangar bay ports!"
The news coming from the Hazy Dream grew alarmingly more frantic as the bad news started to pour in. As long as just a modest quantity of sandmen managed to sneak into the interior of a ship, they could wreak untold havoc inside!
Just as Monolith Beta prepared to launch another 'mudball' towards another ship, the third monolith began to show signs of activity as well!
"Monolith Gamma is accumulating an enormous amount of energy! A powerful attack is incoming!"
Ark could no longer stay unmoved. He turned to his deputy. "Take over in my absence. My presence is required in the field."
The lieutenant colonel standing by his side acknowledged the order. "Good hunting, Colonel Larkinson."
After activating a command, a hole opened up in the deck. Ark fearlessly jumped inside in order to reach his destination as fast as possible.
The third monolith began to shake and glow as it accumulated a prodigious amount of heat and energy.
For an instant, most combatants who noticed the buildup of heat and energy began to have an impression that a CFA battleship was about to fire her main cannon at the defenders.
A ripple of fear spread out among the mech and starfighter pilots. Not even the experienced and hardened veterans of the 1st Havensworth Division could remain unmoved.
Not even the glows of the Desolate Soldiers could prevent them from wavering! In fact, if the mechs weren't in place, at least a quarter of the starfighters would have already fled in fear!
The only upside about this development was that the third monolith required a lot of time to prepare its attack. Though everyone could tell that it would probably be immensely powerful, the lengthy delay gave everyone the illusion that they could save themselves out of this predicament.
"Direct all available fire towards Monolith Gamma! Do not let it finish charging up its attack!"
Thousands of mechs and starfighters changed their targets from the first and second monolith despite their threats.
Though the first two monoliths were already threatening by themselves, the third one appeared to be planning to unleash almost all of its energy in a single, overwhelming attack!
Monolith Gamma began to adjust its shape as its energy levels neared its peak. A lengthy rod appeared in front as if to direct a powerful energy attack towards the human forces standing in its way!
Just as some of the energy began to transfer to this humongous rod, a single mech deployed from the fleet carrier situated in the center.
The mech threaded through the ships and mechs enveloping the fleet and rapidly accelerated towards the front!
"It's the Bright Star! Colonel Larkinson has taken to the field!"
An incredibly powerful flight system strained the Bright Star to its limits. External boosters installed a few days ago began to activate as well, accelerating the magnificent-looking hybrid mech beyond its usual parameters!
In addition, a very powerful resonance field began to excite the Bright Star and the surrounding space.
A glowing field began to form around the Bright Star, causing its acceleration to triple!
The upgraded inertial dampeners of the expert mech's cockpit did their best to preserve the life of the mech pilot, but Ark knew that he couldn't persist in this insane acceleration for long!
The Bright Star deployed with an ornate lance this time. It braced the weapon straight and closed the distance to the third monolith with an astounding level of speed!
As electric crackles began to surround the third monolith's rod, the Bright Star glowed as bright as a comet!
As everyone held their breaths, Monolith Gamma finished its accumulation just as the Bright Star crashed into the rod!
An incredibly bright explosion momentarily blinded every sensor!
Seconds later, the sensors readjusted, showing a half-destroyed monolith!
The rod failed to fire! The monolith's abortive attempt to unleash its firepower resulted in an immense backlash!
"Where is the Bright Star!?"
A quiver of fear shook the hearts of every human on the battlefield.
"Look over there! Venerable Larkinson is alive!"
The Bright Star had managed to punch straight to the center of the damaged monolith and only just exited before the sandman admiral could trap it inside!
Though its energy field had weakened and its lance was gone, the expert mech was intact!
Thousands of roars flooded the communication channels!
Chapter 1602 Lattice Configuration
The battles being waged in the larger, more prosperous star systems took a toll on the Bright Republic.
The Mech Corps only managed to control its rate of attrition through the protection of the Starfighter Corps.
Hundreds, if not thousands of starfighter pilots died in a battle against large, abnormal sandman fleets.
There was no time to mourn the dead. Every effort had to be put into reinforcing the front, salvaging the wreckage floating in the battle site and preparing for the next battle that might come in less than half of a day!
The high frequency of sandman incursions forced the defending forces to implement a rotation.
For example, the arduous battle that the 1st Havensworth Division just won against the three sandman monoliths depleted the strength of their accompanying outfits and starfighter regiments severely.
If the mech forces under Ark Larkinson's command had to fight again, they would certainly suffer severe losses. The lack of sufficient cannon fodder meant that the sandmen might inflict heavy losses against the military mechs and mech pilots of the 1st Havensworth Division!
Such an outcome had to be prevented at all cost!
The Mech Corps formed the core of the Bright Republic's defensive strategy. Having seen what happened to other states, the Bright Republic clearly saw how the collapse of the military led to a collapse of the state.
This was because no one else possessed the courage, discipline and sacrifice to stand strong against a relentless foe like the sandmen!
The more losses suffered by the professional military, the more the defense of a state rested in the hands of mercenaries and conscripts.
No matter how much of the latter two a state could muster up, there was simply no substitute to genuine soldiers!
"Mercenaries value their life above duty. Conscripts don't even know what duty means."
For these reasons and more, each mech pilot of the Mech Corps had to be treasured like high-grade exotics. The better the Bright Republic preserved their lives, the greater the chance of lasting through this crisis!
All the surviving states had to do was outlast the sandman offensive. As long as they endured the worst, they could launch a devastating counterattack against the depleted alien forces and take over the territories that had been overrun!
Such a rich reward would do wonders in transforming the trajectory of the Bright Republic and other forces!
Secret negotiations and tacit deals were already being made behind the scenes. None of the states wanted their victory to be cheapened if they managed to survive the sandman onslaught.
Of course, all of that was not very relevant at the moment. Right now, every star system along the Bright Republic's borders had to endure frequent sandman attacks.
The fortified star systems only accounted for a small proportion of border systems under assault. Their richer energy and resource endowments made them much more attractive to the invading sandmen, but that did not mean that the aliens let off the smaller and less developed star systems.
The sandmen generally ignored systems that contained brown or red dwarf stars. These weak, low energy stars were the equivalent of nutrient packs to the sandmen. If there wasn't any choice, the sandman fleets would never choose to invade these star systems!
That still left a lot of other star systems with higher energy levels, such as those with giants or binary star pairings.
Knowing that the sandman fleets generally favored these star systems over others, the Ministry of Defense conducted an extensive study and modelled the likely distribution pattern of the invasion force.
They then used the results to decide how many mechs and other forces needed to be stationed at a star system to resist most intrusion.
So far, the model earned a lot of acclaim. Though a couple of accidents had occurred, most of the time the defending forces proved sufficient to deal with the sandman fleets wandering into the border systems.
However, MinDef's model only made projections based on past and present circumstances.
It could not predict the various ways the sandman admirals evolved based on their prior experiences.
In one small star system, around two-hundred mechs and double the number of starfighters deployed from their carriers.
The small craft flew out into deep space and formed up in a formation centered around a company of mechs from the 4th Luminant Angels of the 5th Havensworth Division.
The Luminant Angels were famed for their specialization in energy weapons and focus on mobility. Their spaceborn laser rifleman mechs excelled in medium-ranged harassment and mobility warfare, though their endurance left much to be desired.
Due to the eruption of the Sand War, the Luminant Angels had been forced to put down their elegant laser rifles. Their mech designers and mech technicians worked around the clock to convert their mechs around handling kinetic rifles.
While the modifications weren't necessary, the mechs of the Luminent Angels came with an excess of energy reserves and a lack of ammo carrying capacity. Overhauling their designs was a necessity in order to give the mechs a lot of punch against the sandmen.
Now that their mechs had undergone this transformation, they became bulkier, heavier and much less refined.
This did not fit with the tradition of the Luminant Angels, but they couldn't afford to procure new, purpose-built mechs designed from the ground up to handle kinetic weapons.
Everyone had to make do with less. Even the mech regiments of the Mech Corps.
"Commander Larkinson, I'd like you to spread your Avatars to each separate detachment as planned." A gruff male voice ordered through the command channel.
Sitting in the cockpit of a golden mech, the Avatar Commander narrowed his eyes behind his visor.
"My Avatars work best when grouped up together. We discussed this earlier. The Planetary Guard detachment possesses a sufficient amount of Desolate Soldiers to cover the same needs."
"A battle is imminent, kid. Orders are orders."
Melkor grimaced deeper. "Understood, sir."
He did as instructed and spread out his squad of Avatar mechs throughout the formation of mechs and starfighters. Their glows shot a dose of determination in the hearts of the pilots, just as Captain Zorke of the Luminant Angels intended.
As for Melkor, he kept his Desolate Soldier close to the Angels.
Though the Avatars enjoyed a high status at the LMC, Captain Zorke put them in the same category as other private sector outfits.
It didn't help that the Avatars only brought their Desolate Soldiers and Aurora Titans to the front.
While the Desolate Soldiers earned a lot of regard for their glows, their combat performance was not very exceptional. They were no different from other budget mech models in terms of specs.
As for the Aurora Titans, Captain Zorke left them on standby in their mech carriers.
He had never ordered the Aurora Titans to be deployed. Even now, when they were facing a very threatening sandman configuration, the stubborn mech captain never considered making use of the incredible defensive power of the super-medium space knights!
"Stupid!" Melkor softly cursed, though he made sure to mute his transmitter.
As a Luminant Angel, Captain Zorke preferred mobility tactics over anything else. Even if it wasn't particularly effective against the sandmen, it was all this inflexible mech officer knew!
Though Melkor lacked the rich combat experience of Captain Zorke, he had not wasted his time at the Avatar base.
He allocated a small portion of the generous budget of the Avatars into a lot of self-study. By enrolling in some of the best virtual courses that money could buy, he acquired a considerable repertoire of knowledge to command an elite force like the Avatars.
Splitting up the Avatars was a complete waste of the training of their mech pilots. Each and every Avatar was already a proficient mech pilot, but that was not what made the Avatars special.
Just like a military mech regiment, Melkor focused on teamwork, coordination and formation combat.
The Avatars truly fought at their best if they fought as a collective!
Yet Captain Zorke was in command. That was the rule.
Melkor did not necessarily disagree with this arrangement. He knew that even if he was confident that he could command this combined force, he lacked the reputation and authority of a genuine mech officer of the Mech Corps.
Every mech force assigned to defend a star system had to incorporate at least one military unit. If the defense was left to a loose collection of mercenaries and other scum, then the chance of routing was significantly higher!
Therefore, despite his disagreements with Captain Zorke, Melkor appreciated the presence of the Luminant Angels.
"Mercenaries won't hesitate to ignore my orders, but it's a different story if Captain Zorke issues the same orders."
Authority. Reputation. Honor. Prestige.
Melkor lacked in each of those departments.
Aside from the Avatars of Myth and Living Sentinels, no one would entrust their lives to Melkor.
In fact, the only reason why he could command the Avatars and the Sentinels was because Ves lent his own authority and reputation to him.
What could be given could easily be taken away.
Melkor did not want to be left naked if Ves became disappointed in his performance.
"I have to make my own accomplishments." He reminded himself. "There are many older Larkinsons who are eagerly waiting for me to fall."
The pressure on him increased as Ves and the LMC became more successful. The Larkinsons who used to ignore Ves now treated him like a treasure. Many old dogs in the family regretted their disdain towards the Avatars.
"I built the Avatars with my own two hands. No one is going to take them away from me! Not even my old mentors and instructors in the family
This was also one of the reasons why Melkor insisted on participating in battles. To earn genuine respect and secure his lofty position within Ves' organization, he had to be baptized in blood and fire.
Once the defensive force entered into combat range, Captain Zorke issued his final orders before giving the fateful command!
"Reverse course and fire!"
The mechs and starfighters no longer flew forward, but reversed their flight direction while firing their weapons! They also scattered and spread out, making it more difficult for massed laser fire to land a hit.
Each outfit happened to be accompanied by at least one Desolate Soldier from the Avatars of Myth. The individual Avatar mechs appeared completely unexceptional when left by themselves, but it was enough for them to keep up and fire their weapons on command.
"Careful! The sandmen are about to unleash hell!"
Every mech and starfighter evaded as best their flight systems allowed. While the sandmen were very accurate when it came to their targeting, their predictions could still be fooled to an extent.
If the defenders only faced a standard sandman fleet, then this was sufficient to minimize casualties.
Unfortunately, the sandman fleets that arrived in this star system combined into a very large and hollow lattice pattern!
Appearing as a humongous wireframe cube with plenty of internal lattices, it was incredibly difficult to destroy in a short amount of time!
The lattice configuration combined the advantages of both the swarm and monolith configuration. Not only did it benefit from its size, but the small and skinny lattices made it very hard to land a solid blow.
Sixty percent of the shots fired by the mechs and starfighters went through the lattice configuration without hitting anything solid!
The counter-attack of the lattice configuration came quickly. After a brief charging period, each lattice began to fire laser beams at the defenders!
Most of the starfighters which had been positioned in the front of the formation sustained severe hits!
The weak starfighters didn't possess enough mobility to reliably foil the targeting capabilities of the sandmen!
"Keep firing! Our starfighters can't keep this up for long!" Captain Zorke admonished.
Commander Melkor gritted his teeth. Captain Zorke opted to keep the forces under his command at a distance from the sandman lattice.
This was the wrong decision to make. The accuracy of ballistic and kinetic rifles at this distance was too awful compared to the accuracy of the laser beams fired by the sandmen!
If he was in command, he would have ordered his mechs and starfighters to close the distance in order to make it easier to damage the lattices!
Sadly, this was no time to challenge the command of Captain Zorke! Melkor could only pray that not many Avatars would perish as a result of adopting the wrong tactics!
"If I want to earn respect, I have to make sure I manage to stay alive!"
Chapter 1603 Larkinson Exobiology Institute
"...and that's why we almost lost this battle." Melkor spoke over the comm.
Ves drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk. "I see. This Captain Zorke fellow sounds like he's only competent enough to command a single mech company. Now that the Mech Corps had put him in charge of a defensive force of hundreds of mechs and starfighters, he's clearly out of his depth."
"At least he's not around anymore to lead us into another disaster." Melkor's projection shrugged, not caring if he spoke ill of the dead. "Right now, the survivors here are divided and demoralized. The lieutenant that took over as acting commander is mainly a fighter. He's an excellent marksman but a poor tactician."
"What's in store, then?"
"The higher ups only told us that a replacement is on their way, but I really doubt that whoever they send is better than Captain Zorke. Everyone knows the Mech Corps is stretching their manpower thin. There are simply too many star systems to cover. An evacuated star system that we've been assigned to is so worthless that our priority is at the bottom."
"Do you need me to pull some strings?"
"Your offer is appreciated, but it's best you don't interfere." The Avatar Commander calmly replied. "At this stage, the status of the Mech Corps is incomparable. The military won't allow a commanding officer of a private outfit to take charge."
"You're a Larkinson."
Melkor chuckled. "Our family's reputation isn't enough to override the concerns of the Mech Corps. Protocol has to be followed. Don't worry about me. I have the situation handled. Once the Sand War develops further, I believe there may be opportunities for the Avatars to excel."
"Good luck then, Melkor. Stay alive."
"Don't slack off back at home. Your mechs have made a huge impact at the front. I have a lot of expectations for your next designs."
The comm call ended. Ves leaned back in his chair and digested what he learned.
Though he could access various sources to learn about the circumstances at the front, it was a lot more personal when someone like Melkor vented his frustrations.
"Not everything is going according to plan." Ves concluded after summing up the insights he gained in recent days. "The lack of competent commanding officers is leading to much more severe losses than the Mech Corps initially anticipated."
It wasn't as if the Bright Republic lacked commanders of this caliber. The problem was that the Mech Corps only had so much of them. The remainder consisted of commanders of various private sector outfits.
It was not very wise to put them in command. Not only did they favor their own forces, they also possessed erratic command styles.
While that might not be a problem when they commanded their own men, once they started bossing around strangers, a lot of animosity might ensue that would ruin the camaraderie between allies.
The problem was so bad in fact that the Mech Corps recently requested retired mech officers to return and relieve the pressure.
The Cloud Estate emptied out considerably as a result. Ves missed the old dogs who decided to answer the call of duty.
"I hope they're happy." Ves muttered. "Perhaps to them, dying in the course of fighting the good fight is better than languishing quietly in my estate."
Having spent a considerable amount of time among his aunts and uncles, Ves knew that they were all Larkinsons to the bone.
Their advanced age may have made them unsuitable to pilot mechs, but as long as they had command experience, it wouldn't be too much of a problem to direct a battle from a command center.
His next appointment arrived a moment later. Dr. Lupo Guernica strolled into his office without cleaning up the stains on his fingers.
If not the exobiologist's newly-purchased self-cleaning lab coat, his clothes would have looked just as soiled!
"Take a seat, Lupo." Ves gestured.
"Alright."
"How is the institute doing?"
"It's doing great!" Lupo gushed. "The budget you've set is generous enough for me to procure most of the machines that I need to perform my research! While the ongoing crisis is making it harder than I like to acquire precision lab equipment, I'm fortunate that they're still in stock in Bentheim. I can begin performing advanced experiments immediately!"
Ves gently knocked his fist against his desk. "I did not establish the Larkinson Exobiology Institute to fund your pet projects."
"You didn't?" Lupo answered in confusion.
"While your area of specialization sounds interesting, I'm a mech designer, not a business magnate. I have no desire to diversify my business holdings."
"Then.."
"Oh, I'm not saying that you aren't allowed to pursue your interests as long as you keep me in the loop. It's just that the focus of the LEI is not on developing better nutrition solutions. Instead, it's meant to assist me in designing mechs by studying the properties of powerful and interesting exobeasts. Forming an exobeast reserve on Cloudy Curtain is the main priority. How much progress have you made so far?"
"Uhh..."
"I see." Ves sighed. "I hope this is the last time I remind you of your assignments. You work for me. The next time you forget something, I'll reduce your budget by ten percent."
"NO!" Lupo stood up. "You can't do that, Mr. Larkinson! Biotech research is incredibly expensive!"
"Then do your job and take your responsibilities seriously. The LEI is not your personal property!"
To a research-mad scientist like Dr. Lupo, Ves did not have to employ any complicated tricks to bring him to heel. Merely threatening to withhold money was enough to make the exobiologist honest.
Once Ves put Dr. Lupo on his toes, he brought up the real reason why he called the fellow to his office.
"You can leave most of the work involved with setting up an exobeast reserve to your new subordinates. What I really want from you is something different."
"Hm?"
Ves activated a jammer before retrieving something very special from a pocket sewn into one of his Synthra Umbra garments.
The small transparent cube glowed in soft white, allowing Dr. Lupo to see the bioimplant frozen inside.
"This is a stasis cage!" He uttered in shock. "And this implant! What kind of implant requires such luxurious treatment?"
"What you're looking at is a Tito Biosystems Archimedes Rubal 1002-Z Cranial Codex Bioimplant that I happened to salvage from the frontier."
"Tito Biosystems! That's a huge name in the galactic biotech community! How in the galaxy did you manage to obtain one of their products?!"
"It's a long story." Ves chuckled. "Don't ask too many questions. What matters is what you can do with it. Are you able to inspect the integrity of this bioimplant?"
?I don't recognize this model or implant type. I've only dabbled in implants in a general sense. I'm far from a specialist in this field." Lupo answered honestly, still perplexed that Ves held a piece of high technology.
"You're still a biotech expert, right? Due to the sensitivity of this object, I can't trust too many people with knowledge of its existence in my hands. I want you to keep what I told you to yourself and verify whether this implant is still safe to install in my cranium."
Dr. Lupo frowned deeply at the stasis cube. "Just because I'm well-versed in bioscience doesn't mean I'm adept in every specialty. Implant studies are far from my area of interest."
"I can be very generous as long as you achieve some results." Ves smirked. "I will double your personal budget every time you complete a major assignment. Well, at least for the first four times or so. I can't keep this up forever."
"Really?!"
"I promise." Ves grinned. "While I set high expectations for you, as long as you do what I ask, I'll increase your annual budget so you can pursue your pet projects in your free time to your heart's content. Does that sound like a good deal to you, doctor?"
Dr. Lupo thumped his palm against his chest. "You can rely on me! Archimedes Rubal? I'll unlock its secrets within a day!"
"Don't make any boasts you can't back up. This is a very advanced if somewhat outdated implant. Treat it with care and don't make any changes without my express permission."
Seeing as Ves valued it very much, Lupo adopted a serious expression. "I'll do as you say."
Ves watched on as Dr. Lupo picked up the stasis case and placed it into a small protective container he carried in his lab coat.
Though Ves really did not feel entirely sure about placing the Archimedes Rubal in Lupo's care, he couldn't afford to sit on it any longer.
If he wanted to make some progress, he just had to go out on a limb and put his trust in someone.
At the very least, Ves had a good feeling about Dr. Lupo. Ves had observed the exobiologist carefully and saw no sign that the man was compromised in any way.
"There is something else I want you to do." Ves addressed the next topic. He retrieved a sack from his pocket and passed it on to Dr. Lupo. "Can you identify the spice within?"
Lupo opened up the sack and studied the dark spice contained within. "What a pungent smell! Is this geril spice? It smells different from what I'm used to! This must be the authentic formula!"
Ves smiled. "You're correct. I've got a lot more geril spice stored in my vault. You see, they're somewhat special to me. Aside from making spicy Nyx dogs delicious, geril spice is also useful for blocking special tracking methods based on metaphysical scent."
"Pardon?"
"Geril spice has an extraordinary quality to them that is very valuable to me. Imitation products may taste the same, but they lack this special quality. What I want you to do is study this spice and see if you can isolate this extraordinary component. It would be ideal if you can find a way to produce what you've identified. As far as I know, the only source of authentic geril spice is the Nyxian Gap, and that is far from ideal."
"Interesting.." Dr. Lupo smiled and boldly sampled the spice. "What a unique flavor profile. No wonder spicy Nyx dogs have become a cult classic. I've been missing out!"
Ves coughed. "Studying the Archimedes Rubal and setting up the exobeast preserve come first. Don't spend too much time on the geril spice before you're done with your main responsibilities. Understood?"
Lupo looked as if he couldn't restrain himself. With great difficulty, he closed the sack and placed it in his pocket. His mouth still rolled and quivered as if he was savoring the taste of geril spice.
"I.. will make sure not to forget about my other responsibilities, Mr. Larkinson."
"That's not all I want you to do." Ves spoke and retrieved a data chip from his desk drawer before sliding it across the desk. "Take this data chip. It contains all of the scans and physiological data of my physique, in particular my biological augmentations."
"I'm aware that you have an abnormal physique." Lupo said. "While I am reasonably versed with the human body, your augmented physique is quite perplexing."
"I know. Every exobiologist told me that they don't have a clue how the so-called Jutland organ works. I don't expect you to figure out its functioning immediately. I just want you to tackle this issue step by step."
"You are putting a lot on my plate. Even if you've promised to double my budget each time I've completed an assignment, I'm afraid it will take many years for me to satisfy all of your demands."
Ves did not look worried. "I have one more thing for you. Take this and have a bite."
He threw a candy at Lupo, who merely observed and sniffed it for a moment before popping into his mouth.
"Hmm.. sweet.. it doesn't taste like any candy I am familiar with. Wait a minute.. this sensation.."
Lupo's eyes slowly lit up as his mind experienced a profound transformation.
"Do you have more of these candies?"
Ves grinned and opened his palm, revealing four more identical candies.
Chapter 1604 Toady
Dr. Lupo became incredibly intrigued by the Intelligence Candies that Ves handed out.
"I have to bring these candies to my lab right this instant!"
Ves shook his head. "No. Eat them up. You're not leaving this office until you've consumed them all."
"That is an immense waste! These candies are too exceptional!"
In the end, Ves had to call Nitaa over to restrain the exobiologist and force the candies into his mouth one by one.
Lupo looked incredibly resentful afterwards. How could those precious candies be wasted without giving him the opportunity to study their properties?!
"Do you have more of these candies?!" He pushed.
Ves did not mind the lack of respect. In fact, he preferred it if his subordinates were blunt. Lupo wasn't being disrespectful on purpose. He just expressed his dissatisfaction at missing an opportunity related to his specialty.
As a mech designer, Ves understood Dr. Lupo's frustration. That did not mean that he was willing to give the doctor another candy for him to play around.
Attribute Candies were some of the most important advantages he possessed. Ves was not interested in figuring out their makeup or reverse-engineering their method of production.
With how hard it was to keep secrets, Ves was very sure that once Dr. Lupo began to study the candies, someone would eventually find out.
Perhaps the MTA would pay a visit to him the very next day!
To minimize the risks, Ves could only deny Lupo's request.
The exobiologist already had a busy schedule. Even with his abruptly-boosted intelligence, he still needed to do a lot of research and investigation in order to complete his assignments!
"You don't look so good now, doctor. I suggest you take some time off and think on how you can fulfill your responsibilities."
"I.. you're right." Lupo wearily replied. "Please excuse me. My head is pounding."
Unlike with Ketis, the candies hadn't strained Lupo's head too much. Perhaps it was because Lupo was a pure intellectual with a better-developed mind. He required fewer candies to boost his intelligence attribute to 2.0.
Ves called over a guard to escort Lupo back to his accommodation at the newly-erected site of the Larkinson Exobiology Institute.
As he was watching his eccentric new subordinate go, Ves contemplated whether he was making the right decisions.
He knew that he was taking some very substantial risks.
First, entrusting Dr. Lupo with the Archimedes Rubal was very delicate. Even if he already ordered Crindon to keep a close eye on Lupo, a spy was not an exobiologist.
Lupo could easily tamper with the implant and leave no one observing Lupo's actions the wiser.
The only ones who might be able to restrain Lupo was another biotech expert, but that just perpetuated the same problem over multiple people.
At this stage, putting his trust on a single exobiologist in his employ was his limit. There was no way Ves would accept extending his trust to yet another specialist.
The downside of piling up so much work on a single person was that there was no way Lupo could address so many priorities.
This was why Ves took a second gamble and fed this fellow with enough intelligence candies to boost it all the way up to a score of 2.0!
Ves knew the risks of doing so. Someone as knowledgeable as Lupo would definitely be aware of the effects of the candies.
He could only hope that Lupo could keep the secret to himself. As long as Crindon detected anything amiss, Lupo would not be able to stay alive for long.
"I expect good results from you, doctor." Ves smiled in anticipation.
Anyone whose intelligence had been elevated to this height would definitely be able to improve quickly. Lupo would definitely become much more useful to him after a few years of focused study.
The only concern aside from leaks was the possibility that Lupo might quit and work for someone else. He wasn?t a slave or refugee, so Ves did not have any way of preventing his defection.
After the incident with Carlos, Ves had become much more reticent about handing out attribute candies.
If not for the necessity to implant the Archimedes Rubal in his head, Ves would have stuck to his earlier decision to withhold them from his subordinates.
"I hope Lupo is smart enough to realize the implications of my actions." Ves muttered.
Revealing the attribute candies and feeding them to Lupo so he could experience their effects for himself was a show of strength.
Someone who had access to such remarkable goods was not a normal person.
Working for Ves would allow Lupo to gradually come in touch with the goodies that Ves held back from everyone.
As long as Lupo completed his assignments and proved his worth, Ves did not mind rewarding his pet exobiologist with another treat.
"Researchers are so easy to manipulate." He grinned.
Part of the reason why he was confident in keeping his new biotech expert in line was because hardly anyone was as generous as him. To a junior exobiologist like Dr. Lupo, they could forget about receiving a few billion bright credits to play around with every year.
Even though Ves wasted a lot of money that he could have spent on expanding his mech forces or acquiring new ships, he did not regret this investment.
A brilliant exobiologist could not be obtained so easily. Even if Ves could poach a senior exobiologist, it was very hard to be assured of the loyalty of those with past connections to other organizations.
This was also why so many powers emphasized nurturing loyal subordinates early on. Hiring them young and indoctrinating them straight away minimized the chances of defection.
"Working for me is a lot better than working for someone else."
If Lupo worked for someone else, then they had to work under the direction of a senior exobiologist. He would have to work as a coolie for a few years before he earned enough trust to perform more advanced research.
Even then, it was doubtful whether Lupo would be allowed to pursue his own research interests.
Ves shook his head and stopped considering whether he had made the right decisions. Just like Dr. Lupo, he was swamped with responsibilities.
"Send in the next appointment."
Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson entered the office with a confident gait. Though he looked a little older since Ves last saw him at his birthday party, the elder looked a lot more respectful than before.
"My thanks for inviting me to your office." Raymond said with a mild smile. "I hope I can take charge of the LMC quickly. The company urgently requires the direction of a real leader."
"Are you trying to say that I'm an incompetent leader?"
"Ah, no! That is not what I meant! I merely wanted to convey that I should lessen your burden by taking over from where Mr. Altern has left off. As a mech designer, you should not waste your time on these trivial matters."
Ves and Raymond began to converse with each other.
Unlike last time, Raymond made a sincere attempt to rein in his attitude towards Ves. Despite his advanced age, the status of Ves in the Larkinson Family was incomparable.
Raymond clearly knew how important it was to earn the trust and appreciation of the real man in charge of the LMC.
If Ves could fire the previous Chief Operating Officer on a whim, he could easily do the same with the successor!
Though Raymond came across as a toady, that wasn't a bad thing to Ves. As long as this toady knew who was in charge, it was fine if the man wanted to take advantage of his new position.
"How do you envision the LMC ten years from now?" Ves asked.
"Limitless."
"Even I'm not that optimistic."
"I think the LMC under your charge has a very bright future!" Raymond elaborated with a worshipful expression towards Ves. "You are a miracle of a mech designer. I can sense that you have propagated your bloodline's love for mechs in your products. This advantage is so great that I'm confident that we can take the mech markets by storm!"
Ves chuckled at Raymond's optimism. "That sounds good, but the LMC is not the only game in town. The more exceptional we are, the greater the risk of suppression. There are already a bunch of mech designers from Ansel who are deeply displeased with my success. Other competitors are also doing everything they can to guard their market share."
"Your concerns are very valid, but it is too late. Every state involved in the Sand War has seen how helpful the Desolate Soldiers have been in stabilizing the front and rear. Within the third line of defense, our Bright Republic and the Ylvaine Protectorate have achieved the most success in defending their territories. I don't think it has escaped any observers that these two states also happened to be our most successful markets!"
Ves nodded in agreement. "That's true. The Sand War has been an amazing opportunity for the LMC. The role of the Desolate Soldier is so indispensable that our critics don't have any opportunity to complain. Yet what about later? Ten years is a long time."
The focus on thinking beyond the immediate future forced Raymond to make a lot of predictions on the spot.
While Ves could already tell that Raymond was well versed in the mech industry and the present circumstances of the LMC, that wasn't enough.
Ves needed someone who shared his dreams and aspirations. If Raymond was too small-minded, then he would not be able to hold his position for long.
"I think.. the LMC will become a powerful entity that transcends the borders of the Bright Republic or any other state for that matter." Raymond eventually voiced. "If your relationship with Miss Wodin progresses further, then the LMC might even be able to get a foothold in the Hegemony's lucrative mech market. Of course, it's not certain yet if that will be the case. If the Hegemony loses against the Coalition, then the LMC won't be able to stay in existence."
"The LMC's position is not secure at all." Ves plainly stated. "Some factors are within our control, such as the mechs I decide to design. Other factors are out of my control, such as the outcome of the Sand War and the Komodo War. There may come a point where we have to abandon what we've built and flee from this star sector. Are you willing to accept these possible outcomes?"
What Ves said put a lot of pressure on Raymond. Though he grew up as a norm within the Larkinson Family, he still inherited some of the Larkinson's love towards the Bright Republic.
"To be honest, I don't want to be driven out from the state I grew up in." The older man replied. "My grandson is an expert candidate in the Mech Corps! My other offspring are also successful! I do not wish to see my entire family and everything they've accomplished go to dust because of unwelcome entanglements."
"I'm sorry, but I can't guarantee that you and your family will be able to avoid persecution. This is the game that people on this level play. The Larkinson Trust Fund you managed earlier is just peanuts compared to a rising mech company like the LMC. Do you have what it takes to run a mech company that has the potential to exceed the Bright Republic?"
Raymond had to make some very important choices.
Family, or ambition?
Tradition, or progress?
Safety, or risk?
"I think.. the Larkinsons have already changed due to you." Raymond eventually answered. "The Larkinson Family has remained stagnant for too long. While we are not used to change, that does not mean I reject it. The LMC has done a lot of good. Many Larkinsons have benefited from the wealth you have brought to the family. I cannot imagine turning back the clock. I think it's time that we stopped serving the people, and instead look towards serving ourselves."
Ves slowly began to grin. "I think you'll do well in my employ as long as you hold this attitude. Welcome to the LMC."
Chapter 1605 Tribulation
The arrival of Raymond Billlingsley-Larkinson improved the mood at the LMC. Whatever Ves thought about the elder, he prepared well.
Not only did Raymond right the ship, he also set a new course that entailed a greater emphasis on expanding the LMC's foreign presence.
He also allocated more resources to promoting the Prideful Soldier model, which severely lagged behind the Desolate Soldier in awareness and sales.
"With all of the publicity surrounding the Desolate Soldier, we don't have to lift a finger to promote them anymore." Raymond reported to Ves a few days after assuming his role as COO. "Our resources should instead be spent on the Prideful Soldier. There are a lot of outfits that are in the market for a cheaper and more aggressive alternative of the base model."
From what Ves had heard from Raymond so far, the old Larkinson was fully up to date with the internal and external circumstances of the LMC.
After keeping a close eye on the new COO for a few days, Ves felt relieved that his new hire was not about to run the LMC to ground.
While the LMC fared better than ever before, the same could not be said for the Bright Republic and the other states in the third line of defense.
So far, the Bright Republic achieved plenty of positive results. However, the defenders only had to fail a single time to leave an entire star system exposed.
Several minor border systems had already fallen, giving the sandmen more opportunities to penetrate past the border and invade the relatively less-defended interior.
As for the major border systems, the pressure on the defenders mounted at a worrying rate. The sandmen fleets that invaded the systems increasingly pooled their strengths together while adopting very tricky configurations.
In addition, they sometimes split up and attempted to approach the inner system from multiple directions.
This forced the reserves stationed at the fortified systems to deploy and fight without sufficient reprieve.
While the disciplined mech pilots of the Mech Corps easily coped with the pressure, the same could not be said for starfighter pilots.
Their mental and physical resilience was not up to par to trained warriors and soldiers. When they were forced to fight three or more separate waves of sandmen within the span of a few days, the cracks already started to show.
The Bright Republic simply asked too much of a military branch that was only a few months old.
"Now that the halo has worn off, everyone has become aware of the true purpose of the Starfighter Corps, sir." Commander Magdalena Larkinson remarked. "It is nothing more than a disposable shield for the Mech Corps."
"The Starfighter Corps enjoys a fraction of the budget but is already on its way to field at least double the number of mechs in the Mech Corps." Ves shrugged. "It's hard to put them to any other use if the government isn't willing to budge from its strategy of churning out cheap starfighters and cheap starfighter pilots."
The Sentinel Commander nodded gravely. "It takes at least eight years to train a basic mech pilot, sir. More years are needed if you want to train an advanced mech pilot. To train a starfighter pilot that is on the same level of competence will require at least five or more years. It's not worth it, especially since they are norms who are incapable of interfacing with their spacecraft. A mech will always outfight a starfighter if everything else is equal."
"It's not just the starfighter pilots that pose a problem. On the production side, our state's industrial capacity is completely geared towards producing mechs. While it's possible to retool our factories towards producing cheap and simple starfighters, it's another story if they surpass a certain level of complexity."
Both of them knew that the Bright Republic had no other choice but to treat the Starfighter Corps as a sacrifice to ensure its survival.
In terms of cost, Ves estimated that the prevailing starfighter models he had seen so far cost less than 2 million credits a piece.
This was because they incorporated hardly any exotics at all. While the supply of exotics was always scarce, the same could not be said for more mundane materials such as titanium and uranium!
Within the bountiful amount of star systems, planets and asteroid belts, prospectors could easily stumble upon deposits of these materials and mine them in rapid tempo.
Even the most prevalent low-grade exotics were much harder to find than mundane metals!
In fact, Ves expected the price of starfighters to drop over time as savvy industrialists optimized the supply chain further.
It was absolutely no problem for the Bright Republic to produce hundreds of thousands of starfighters even if they printed money like no tomorrow. In fact, the frantic production of starfighters likely accounted for most of the inflation wrecking the economy.
"The question is, will the Bright Republic be able to keep up? Will we be able to keep up?"
Both of them looked at each other with uncertainty. The situation was already precarious, and this was just the starting phase of the Bright Republic's tribulations. If something went wrong, their home state might not be able to hold anymore.
Ves used to think that the Bright Republic was overreacting a little when they engaged in desperate stunts such as granting amnesty to the BLM and fulfilling nearly all of its wishes.
Now that thousands or more starfighter pilots sacrificed their lives in battle every day, he fully understood why the state compromised so many of its existing principles and traditions.
He wasn't even upset anymore about the commission to design a custom mech for Vincent Ricklin!
This was no time to let his private grudges get in the way of any initiative that could help his home state cope with the sandmen.
Not only was the BLM a force to be reckoned with, its vast influence in the Bentheim region could also be leveraged in many useful ways.
Securing this alliance was a pivotal accomplishment of Senator Tovar and his negotiators.
As Ves and Magdalena discussed the war situation further, the topic inevitably turned towards their circumstances.
"How will Cloudy Curtain fare against a possible sandman incursion?" He asked.
"Not great." Magdalena answered glumly. "Though we have hundreds of Living Sentinels stationed on this planet, not all of them are up to standard or adept at spaceborn combat. Don't expect us to perform as well as the Avatars or the Mech Corps in combat. I've been drilling my people more frequently now in order to make them get used to the pressure of fighting back-to-back battles, but we simply don't have enough depth to sustain a prolonged campaign."
The Living Sentinels mainly existed to guard LMC assets. Fighting off pirates, troublemakers and an occasional incursion was doable, but it would be too much to ask them to endure the same pressure at the front.
"Beef up the Sentinels." Ves ordered. "Even if most of the Living Sentinels opted out of volunteering to fight at the front, the sandmen won't be stuck there forever. If the frontlines are ever breached, then Bentheim and Cloudy Curtain will certainly come under assault. This is our home. I won't accept abandoning everything I've built here to the aliens."
"It will be difficult to increase the strength of the Living Sentinels any further, sir. Every mech pilot that is available has already been snapped up. Those who remain free have already fled the state. The only way we can elevate our fighting strength is if we have better mechs than the Desolate Soldiers. Although I understand why you've designed them to be cheap and easy to produce, their lack of resilience has led to elevated losses against abnormal sandman fleet configurations."
He knew what she was referring to. Having studied the footage and after-action reports of many battles in the front, Ves was aware that armor wasn't completely useless in the Sand War.
Whenever the sandmen employed a swarm configuration or any other configuration that encouraged massed laser fire, the better-armored mechs always fared better.
Unfortunately, Ves did not have a good response at this time.
"I'm sorry commander, I don't have a better alternative on hand. While the Militant Soldier that I'm working on is much better armored and equipped to face the sandmen, it's a model that's exclusive to the Mech Corps. With all of the proprietary hardware and standards incorporated in its design..."
As a veteran of the Mech Corps, Magdalena needed no further elaboration.
"Am I allowed to procure better mech models sold by other mech companies?"
Ves casually waved his hand. "I've never prohibited the Avatars and Sentinels from purchasing external models. While I have great faith in my products, I'm well aware that my mech catalog is far from complete. If you need to fulfill a role in your mech roster, just base your decisions on what is best for the Living Sentinels."
"Thank you, sir." Magdalena answered with a hint of relief. "I think we'll have to draw more money from the LMC to invest in a few mech companies of midrange or premium mechs."
"Feel free to invest as much as you need to strengthen our combat strength. Money is one thing we aren't short of, and it's rapidly growing more worthless anyway. I'd rather be sitting on a pile of mechs than several hundred billion bright credits."
They spent some time discussing how to expand the LMC's strength. Aside from buying mechs, the Sentinel Commander also wanted to beef up the fixed defenses of the LMC.
A lot had to be done before Ves was happy. "At least we don't have to shoulder the responsibility of defending Cloudy Curtain alone. The government will definitely station a garrison force here soon. We're so close to Bentheim that it would be a disaster if the sandmen overrun our star system."
Even so, Ves would never place his life in the hands of others. The periodic setbacks and defeats at the front already showed that the Bright Republic was not infallible.
Worse yet, the situation was worse in many other states. The Reinald Republic for example had already lost a significant chunk of territory, while the Vesia Kingdom was hard-pressed to hold the line.
"The Vesians aren't doing so well." Magdalena bitterly smirked. "The Mech Legion may be stronger than the Mech Corps, but they've been a bit slower than us in deploying starfighters. Their divided nature and lack of central direction has come back to haunt them. By the time the royal house gained enough authority to command the state, the sandmen are already hitting the Vesians hard."
"It doesn't help that the spatial geography is much more unfavorable for the Vesians." Ves remarked.
On a star map, the Bright Republic resembled an apple while the Vesians resembled a mango.
If the narrow side of the mango faced the direction of the sandman invasion, then the Vesians could easily defend this narrow front.
Sadly for the Vesians, their state was oriented on the side, which meant that the sandmen crashed against the entire length of this extended front!
The Mech Legion and its auxiliary forces had to stretch themselves thin to cover a huge territory! Breakthroughs already occurred in some places, and the Vesians had to expend a lot of effort to plug the gaps!
In fact, Ves even read in the news that the rebels in the state had all received similar deals to the Bentheim Liberation Movement.
Organizations such as the Vesian Liberation Front received full amnesty and many other concessions in return for lending their strength.
The value of strength trumped anything else!
In any case, the Vesian rebels who agitated against the nobles had no problems burying the hatchet this time. This was because they fought on behalf of the commoners, all of whom were under grave threat!
Between getting oppressed by nobles and massacred by sandmen, the rebels did not hesitate to choose the lesser of two evils!
Recalling the Vesian rebels made Ves think on how a certain mech designer in their camp was doing.
"I haven't been in touch with Iris Jupiter for so long. I wonder how she's doing?"
Chapter 1606 Real Design Team
Recent hires and additions to staff reduced the workload on Ves.
The most critical change occurred when the Tovar mech designers finally arrived at Cloudy Curtain.
Ves and Gloriana welcomed them in a grand fashion, making sure to put on a show by dressing up and bringing out as many mechs of the Avatars and Glory Battalion as possible.
Just the presence of elite second-class mechs was enough to suppress any arrogance from the young mech designers of the Tovar Family.
"Miles Tovar, at your service." The man leading his family members said. "I'm an Apprentice and a DCTI alumni."
"Welcome to the LMC." Ves smiled and shook his hand.
"We will be sure to treat you well." Gloriana promised with a reserved smile.
The other Tovars introduced themselves as well. Each of them studied at good schools, though none of them were lucky enough to attend a second-rate institution.
All of them were fairly young, with Miles being the oldest one at thirty-five.
The Tovar Family wouldn't waste this opportunity by sending older mech designers to Ves. Not only had they already expended much of their potential, they also wouldn't be able to live as long.
It was best for the Tovars to send out their younger mech designers in the hopes that Ves could unleash their potential.
Though Miles was the most outstanding among the new arrivals, the other four Tovars weren't too bad. Ves quizzed them along the way to the underground and developed some initial impressions.
Gilbert and Cherie Tovar were the only Novices among the five. Despite their lack of experience, they were also the youngest of the group, having graduated just one or two years ago.
Vela and Pachtold Tovar happened to be Apprentices with a decent amount of design experience, mainly by assisting in various design projects. They were also a bit older but not too much.
The only Tovar mech designer that Ves bothered to engage beyond a perfunctory talk was the eldest. Unlike his younger cousins, Miles was the only one who possessed spiritual potential.
In addition, Miles used to run his own mech company, which made him the only independent mech designer of the five.
"How well did your mech company do?" Ves curiously asked.
"Not as well as yours." Miles honestly admitted. The pressure exerted by Ves and Gloriana was so much that he couldn't put on airs at all. "If not for the aid and resources of the Tovar Family, my company wouldn't have been able to grow."
"Why did the Tovars assign you to us, then?"
"My business is really not worth sustaining. Once the Sand War erupted, all of my mech models stopped selling. Even the aerial rifleman mech I've designed hasn't attracted any attention."
"I see."
A mech company in such straits still had some options available. It could accept a contract to produce mechs on behalf of another company. It could accept government commissions to produce starfighters or other war materiel.
"My role in my company is redundant after we switched to producing other hardware. The only way I can get out of this rut is if I design a mech that is good enough to compete against the prevailing mechs in the mechs."
For an Apprentice, that was incredibly hard.
"Did your Family consult you when they pulled you out of your company and assigned you to work under me?" Ves asked.
Miles smiled bitterly in response. "Having struggled for almost a decade on my own, I'm far from reaching your level. As a mech designer, I have to accept the facts. There is little for me to gain by persisting on my own. So when my family asked me if I am willing to work under you, I accepted the offer within a heartbeat. I believe that I can achieve much more under your guidance."
"You are putting a lot of faith in our ability to guide your progression." Gloriana remarked.
"The two of you are stars in our generation. It's obvious to everyone that your futures are bright. When your fortunes rise, ours will rise as well."
Ves nodded in response. "That's the deal I've made with Senator Tovar. While we can't promise we'll be available all the time, we will make sure to act as your mentors."
Once they reached the lab and workshop floor, Ves introduced the five new additions to the design team to Ketis. Both of them regarded each other with wariness and confusion.
"Don't underestimate Ketis. She's my first student." Ves proudly patted her in the back. "Whenever Gloriana and I aren't around, she's in charge. Do you have a problem with that?"
Perhaps they didn't necessarily agree. After all, they were part of the proud Tovar Family that possessed a storied heritage in the Bright Republic. It was one thing to bend their heads to esteemed Journeymen such as Ves and Gloriana, but why should they let this woman boss them around?
Fortunately, Ketis knew exactly what she should do. She moved forward, displaying hints of her strong, athletic physique.
"If you think you're better than me, you're welcome to challenge me!" She grinned and cracked her knuckles as if spoiling for a fight!
Miles gulped. "We will defer to your teacher's arrangements. We are not familiar with how you work."
"Good!" Ves clapped his hand. "Let's begin the day by initiating you into our design team. Since we're currently engaged in some very important projects, we'll have to get you up to speed while we work."
Different from the Larkinson seeds, the people sent by the Tovar Family consisted of actual mech designers.
Due to their privileged backgrounds, each of them were bright and knowledgeable. At the very least, Ves was very pleased by their substantial foundation. Schools such as the DCTI never neglected this aspect.
The reasons why these Tovar mech designers failed to excel in their careers was because the competition was too cutthroat and numerous. A good foundation was not enough to excel in the market.
It didn't even matter if they had access to easy money from the Tovar Family. The mech company that Miles had founded would have been shuttered long ago if his family wasn't so generous. Like a zombie, his mech company perpetually existed in a state of undeath.
Money alone couldn't buy success.
Though Ves clearly knew that the Tovars could have sent better mech designers to him, he was very pleased with what he received.
These mediocre Tovar mech designers lacked the arrogance that he expected of their ilk. Having experienced the harshness of the mech industry which cared little about their backgrounds, they had long been humbled.
Lack of confidence did not make for good independent mech designers, but it was a different story now. Ves only required them to perform basic design tasks and tedious calculations.
The humbler his subordinates, the more obedient they became.
After the initial week, Miles and the other Tovars adjusted to their new roles as assistant mech designers.
With their considerable foundations, Ves did not have to tutor them too much to get them up to speed on how to perform a specific task.
Productivity, which initially plummeted due to the need to bring the Tovars up to speed, now exceeded the previous levels.
With more mech designers working on the same design projects, Ves and Gloriana tackled a lot more issues at the same time. They performed the most critical design work themselves while farming out the lesser work to their design team.
Previously, only Ketis was available to assist. As much as Ves favored her recent progress, she was just a single mech designer.
Adding five more mech designers to the mix made a qualitative difference. The design team which mainly existed in name for such a long time now took on a real identity.
Though Ves wasn't entirely adept at setting up and managing a design team from scratch, Gloriana possessed a lot more experience in working with a design team.
With her assistance, she made sure to develop the most perfect framework of rules and protocols for their design team.
The clear set of rules and guidelines gave the Tovars some much-needed direction. So long as they knew what was expected of them, they executed their responsibilities without any complaint.
The lab had become a lot more boisterous now that a lot of people started working here. The Tovar mech designers along with the Larkinson seeds that frequently visited here made Ves harken back to the time he'd been assigned to a design team of the Flagrant Vandals.
He briefly wondered how they were doing and whether Professor Velten was still alive.
"I haven't heard any news about the death of a Senior in the Bright Republic, so she's probably fine for now." Ves muttered.
He knew that she wasn't long for this reality, though. The loss of her youngest protege hit her hard. It would be difficult for her to raise a successor in the few years that she had left.
"I'll make sure I'll attend her funeral."
A few weeks more weeks passed by. The Militant Soldier and the Peaceful Soldier both reach the final phases. Once they entered the prototype testing phase of both projects, Ves and Gloriana were no longer as preoccupied.
They earned some much-needed reprieve.
As the Sand War raged on elsewhere, the two lovers cuddled up to each other in the gardens of the Cloud Estate.
"Our work is far from over, Ves. We still have another design project in store."
Ves tried to hold back his grimace. "I'm aware. Vincent Ricklin is scheduled to arrive in a week or so. He will be our next client."
"Are you still upset at this commission?"
"Let's just say I have mixed feelings about it." He sighed. "I don't have the best impression of this prick. The stunts he performed with the second mech I've fabricated in my career was almost enough to kill me or drive me out of business. He's also a terrorist who readily consorts with other lowlives. It's tough for me to restrain my animosity towards Vincent for these reasons."
Gloriana leaned her head against his shoulders. "I can tell from your tone that you're not as upset anymore."
"Don't misunderstand me. I'm still upset. It's just that the crises taking place in this star sector has forced me to broaden my horizons. It's difficult for me to care about my petty grievances in the face of potential annihilation. The survival of the Bright Republic is a lot more important than my feelings."
"That's good, Ves. You're putting duty over selfishness."
"You're not entirely correct. I'm still following my own interests." He responded. "Helping the Bright Republic advances my own goals. I'll work with any devil or scumbag if it means I get ahead."
Their cats soon wandered over and climbed up on their laps. As they petted and cuddled with their pets, they enjoyed a wholesome moment with each other as the cloudy skies started to darken.
The recent departure of a fair amount of Larkinsons made the Cloud Estate a bit less cozy. Nonetheless, plenty of Larkinsons still remained, particularly the younger ones.
As they watched the children run around and play with each other, Ves and Gloriana couldn't help but smile and enjoy this peaceful moment.
"It's a shame that war will disrupt everyone's lives." Ves sighed.
"Humanity has never been at peace." Gloriana sagely responded. "If we aren't warring against ourselves, we're fighting against the countless alien races we've antagonized. The sandmen are the least of them, and already a lot of states have succumbed against their aggression."
Many people who lived in quiet states held the illusion that they lived in a time of peace. Yet the Age of Mechs was not as different from the Age of Conquest as everyone expected.
Under the facade of peace, the embers of war still stirred. Ves had a feeling that the Sand War was just a harbinger of what was to come.
Chapter 1607 Limited Scope
While the situation at the front continually deteriorated, the LMC constantly got better.
Sales of the Desolate Soldier and Holy Soldier were as high as ever. Under Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson's lead, the Prideful Soldier caught on very quickly and started selling like hot cakes.
The three predominant gangs of Bentheim bought them by the thousands while the lesser gangs tried their best to keep up!
If a gang did not possess a Prideful Soldier, then they weren't keeping up with the current trend!
With the Soldier product line receiving so much acclaim, it had become a must-have for every possible outfit!
Gangs and underground organizations from other regions were just starting to learn about the Prideful Soldier as well. Since the Prideful Soldier hadn't spread out as much, these customers only ordered a couple of copies at first to test the water.
Once they tested out the mechs themselves, Raymond believed that sales would soon explode.
"With the addition of your upcoming two variants, we have four different versions of the Soldier line in our current mech catalog." Raymond reported to Ves in the office. "Sales of our earlier models hasn't abated yet. As more and more mech buyers become aware of the importance of having their glows on the battlefield, demand has continued to rise beyond our means."
Ves looked up sharply at those words. "What do you mean by that, Raymond?"
"We don't have enough production capacity. Let alone our inhouse manufacturing, we haven't been able to contract enough third-party manufacturers to scale up our production capacity. It's becoming an increasingly more severe problem. I'm very concerned what will happen once you release your latest two models."
"I don't think you have to be concerned about choosing whether to sacrifice the production of one model over another." Ves reassured the elder. "The Mech Corps will produce their own Militant Soldiers while the Planetary Guard doubtlessly have their own solutions. The Ministry of Defense only requested me to design some mechs. They didn't say anything about producing them ourselves."
"Ah. If that is true, then many of my concerns are gone. It's just that the production of the Desolate Soldiers and the Prideful Soldiers has already reached a limit. Demand is rising, particularly in distressed states such as the Reinald Republic, but production capacity has become incredibly scarce. Everyone is in a rush to produce more mechs, starfighters, turrets, defensive platforms, ship components and anything else that can help resist the sandmen."
Ves furrowed his brows. This problem had been nagging at him for a while now.
"Will it help if we increase the remuneration in the contracts?"
Raymond shook his head. "It's not purely about the money anymore, young Ves. The government has suborned many mech companies through various means. Whether directly or indirectly, the state decides what to produce. For now, many officials are satisfied with the current production levels of the Soldier mechs in their states. It only takes a dozen or so Desolate Soldiers to cover hundreds of mechs with their encouraging glows."
"In other words, the prevailing doctrine is to use my Soldier mechs in a supporting capacity. Their combat power is not as important as their glows."
The higher ups weren't fools. They wanted to keep the Desolate Soldiers alive as long as possible to make maximum use of their glows as force multipliers!
In such a scenario, the Mech Corps and many outfits were inclined to treat the Desolate Soldiers in the opposite fashion of starfighters.
While starfighters expressly existed to attract sandman attacks, the Desolate Soldiers had to be preserved as much as possible!
In cases where the Desolate Soldiers were only available in small numbers, the mechs were prized to a ridiculous degree.
The increased demand and limited production weren't helping much either. While every customer managed to get at least one or two copies, it was far more difficult to fill out an entire mech company with the same mech model.
All in all, Ves became increasingly more disappointed that his mechs weren't being utilized in unison. He always believed that his products worked best when they combined their auras together.
Aside from sporadic cases in the Bright Republic, the only state which followed his intentions was the Ylvaine Protectorate.
Despite the many deficiencies of the Kronon Dynasty, they had done an admirable job in holding the line by putting their unflinching faith in the Holy Soldiers.
Of course, it also helped a lot that the Ylvaine Protectorate just happened to have a much narrower front to worry about.
Just like the Vesia Kingdom, the Ylvaine Protectorate was shaped like an oval. The main difference was that it was oriented 'upright' in the direction of the sandman invasion, so the Ylvainans dealt with fewer sandman invaders than the other states!
A lot of people cursed the Ylvainans for their luck. Who knew that the orientation of their territories mattered so much? The Vesians cursed the loudest of them all, regretting so much that their predecessors expanded the state in the wrong direction!
While Ves and Raymond discussed the problem for over half an hour, neither of them came up with a good solution to this problem.
"Some problems can't be solved no matter how much effort we put into addressing them." Raymond said in a resigned tone.
Ves shrugged and relaxed. "I'm not feeling too sorry about missing any further opportunities. The LMC is already doing extremely well for a mech company led by a Journeyman. It would be too disruptive if our company captures any more market share. As long as we don't step too much on the toes of others, they will be less inclined to oppose our business interests."
While Raymond had proven to be a competent executive in the LMC, he still carried some of the faults of the Larkinsons.
His horizons used to be a lot more narrow than before. The Larkinson Trust Fund he managed for so many years mainly amounted to babysitting a bunch of businesses and real estate on Rittersberg.
Such meager business activities did not expose Raymond to the higher levels of power. Ves still needed to remind Raymond to consider the political context of the LMC.
"I don't see why we need to pay too much attention to our position in the mech market." Raymond frowned in disagreement. "It's clear to everyone that our products are the most needed mechs in the Sand War. No matter how many we produce, we can always find a willing buyer. Think of the profits we can make!"
"What use is earning more bright credits when it's dropping in value by at least twenty percent a month? We're already spending money like drinking water. Also, just because the Tovar Family is sheltering us doesn't mean that we can act with impunity. There are four more founding families in the Bright Republic that will do everything they can to hinder us as long as we cross a certain line. Our Soldier mechs may be indispensable, but the LMC is not that important."
Routine talks with people like Leland and other voices slowly increased his awareness of the tenuous balance of power within the Bright Republic.
While the founding families didn't rule the Republic with iron fists, they still wielded a considerable amount of influence.
After he reminded Raymond to consider the reactions of other influences, Ves dismissed the Larkinson elder.
Another old Larkinson soon entered the office to talk about another initiative.
Clinton Larkinson strode forward in a slow, controlled gait. Though he looked like any other old Larkinson, Clinton was a veteran of two arduous wars.
All of those experiences left a lot of scars. At the end of the war that took place just before Ves was born, Clinton had become a crippled and disabled mech pilot.
Even with the generous medical treatment provided by the Mech Corps, Clinton still suffered from various issues.
It was because of Clinton's many experiences that Ves found it suitable to appoint him as the director of the Ves Larkinson Foundation of Wounded Veterans.
After all, how could he not put a wounded veteran in charge of a charity meant to heal wounded veterans?
So far, Ves had given Clinton a couple of weeks to assume his position and turn the foundation from an excuse to kidnap an expert pilot into an authentic non-profit organization.
"I have a problem, kid." Clinton began.
"I'm not a kid."
"Fine! I'll call you Ves, then. You're still a kid in my eyes."
Ves sighed and motioned his hand to the old veteran. "Get to the point. What problem do you want to address today?"
"Scope."
"Scope?"
"You heard what I said. Ever since I began to run this foundation of yours, I'm beginning to doubt your purpose for this organization."
"How so?"
"Because its scope is far too modest!" Clinton roared. "So far, we're only treating or funding the treatment of ten injured veterans while our budget easily allows us to treat hundreds of not thousands of distressed refugees!"
Though Ves did not like being roared at by his subordinate, it would be excessive to assert his authority to an honored war veteran.
He was used to the old dogs of the Larkinson Family acting however they liked. That was just who they are. Once they retired from the military, it was as if all of their respect for authority and decorum had melted away.
Besides, Clinton brought up a legitimate complaint.
"I don't want my foundation to bite more than it can chew. It has only existed for less than a month. While I'm sure that it can comfortably handle the treatment of ten or so beneficiaries, it will be very hard to manage the treatment of a hundred people. Do you even have enough staff on hand to keep track of their treatments?"
"I'm still in the process of beefing up our staff. At this point, I'm confident the foundation is capable of handling at least fifty beneficiaries. Give me half a year, and it's not impossible to assist a thousand beneficiaries at a time!"
Ves almost had a heart attack when he heard this huge figure!
"The foundation is not a hospital!"
"We can take over the burden from the state!"
"It's reckless if we expand too fast! People will inevitably die in our care!"
"People are already dying in droves due to lack of care! Have you seen how long the waiting lists are?! Too many bodies are being carted out from the farming settlements on this planet!"
Ves let out a deep breath. "I understand your desire to remedy this injustice, but we aren't the only saviors here. I'm more than willing to do my part, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The foundation must grow and expand along the pace that I have set. Is that clear?"
Clinton looked a bit unwilling. He cared too much about the wounded veterans and refugees that were holed up in the farming settlement without access to the help they needed.
Yet what did their suffering matter to Ves? He only wanted the foundation to appear legitimate because he wanted to keep Davia Stark and any other possible treasures in his possession.
Beyond this goal, Ves didn't expect anything else from the foundation.
With all of the reputation, honor and prestige he accumulated so far, he did not value the reputation he could earn from becoming known as a generous philanthropist.
In fact, he considered the foundation to be a potential risk factor to his reputation. As long as people began to die under the auspices of his charity, a scandal could break out at any time!
The only way to minimize this risk was to treat as few beneficiaries as possible. If Ves could get away with treating just ten wounded veterans at a time, then he would gladly continue with this farce.
Unfortunately, the director that he selected to lead the foundation turned out to be a lot more sincere in his duties than anticipated.
Ves looked at Clinton's stubborn face with a glum expression. It appeared that he wouldn't be able to get away with shortchanging the foundation.
Chapter 1608 Ansel's Counterattack
A major took place before the release of the Militant Soldier and Peaceful Soldier models.
When Ves received the notification at the design lab, he halted his lecture and tuned in to the broadcast. Gloriana, Ketis, the Tovar mech designers and Larkinson seeds all stayed and watched as well.
Five illustrious mech designers appeared in projection form.
Miles Tovar immediately gasped. "Those are Ansel Seniors!"
Every mech designer from the Bright Republic immediately recognized the Seniors. Ves immediately grew serious as he realized the purpose of the press conference.
"They've developed their secret weapon long enough."
"Are you scared?" Gloriana leaned close and whispered.
Ves shook his head and smirked. "I'm never afraid of competition! In fact, I'd be depressed if there isn't any challenge in conquering the mech market!"
Perhaps other mech designers might not share the same sentiment, but Ves was very clear of the correct approach.
Only those who weren't confident enough in their own skill and ability wanted to reduce the competition!
In contrast, the giants of the mech design profession never shied away from competition. Even when they were young, they had the confidence to compete against mech designers who were hundreds of years older than them at the time!
When Ves turned around and observed the expressions of his design team, he could already tell who developed an ambitious mindset.
As expected, the Tovar mech designers and Larkinson seeds all gazed at the five Senior Mech Designers with worship and reverence.
The hierarchy of the mech design community was very clear! Wealth and background mattered less than personal accomplishments and pure ability!
Those who managed to rise to Senior were all great minds who designed great mechs! As the top-level design strength of the Bright Republic, these Ansel Seniors all enjoyed storied histories in their lengthy careers!
All of them had already designed mechs when Ves wasn't even born yet!
Of the entire design team, only Ketis and Gloriana kept their composure. Their confidence and ambition elevated them to another level.
Though they still respected Seniors, they believed they could surpass them one day!
Ves nodded in satisfaction at their responses. Even if they failed to live up to their ambitions, at the very least they pushed their potential as far as they could go. He could ask for nothing more.
As the Seniors worked their way through the introduction, Ves turned to Miles. "Ketis and Gloriana here aren't native to the Bright Republic. Please introduce these esteemed Seniors to them so they know their specialties."
Miles nodded. "All five Seniors are tenured professors of the Ansel University of Mech Design, the premier mech design university in Bentheim. In the center is Professor Caiden MacDonald, a specialist in spaceborn propulsion systems."
Professor MacDonald was over 150 years old and an established Senior in the local and regional mech community. He also happened to be a member of the Bentheim Mech Court.
"Professor Mimi Xu is the youngest Senior of the five and specializes in rapid-fire ballistic weapon systems."
The accomplishments of Professor Xu were pretty impressive at just 80 years old. She not only designed good mechs, but also excelled in designing practical ballistic rifles to maximize the firepower of her products.
"Professor Nimor Taphouse is a specialist in ablative armor systems. His mechs are always popular because his customers have greater assurance in surviving battles."
Though not the cheapest, many local mech designers licensed Professor Taphouse's self-developed armor systems. Not only did they offer all-round protection, their formulas all drew on materials and exotics that were easily sourced in the Bright Republic.
"Professor Petrus Summit is the most obscure Senior among the five. He specializes in neural responsiveness. It's said his products are some of the smoothest and natural mechs you can pilot."
His specialty immediately made it clear that he was one of the few mech designers who received MTA approval to develop neural interfaces.
Mech athletes and mech duelists loved his products. In a small, competitive arena environment, the responsiveness of a mech mattered a lot to mech pilots who depended on their skill rather than the quality of their mechs to win a match.
"Lastly, Professor Ivy Miller is a specialist in cockpit design. Her cockpits are some of the most reliable lifesavers on the battlefields."
On her own, Professor Miller might not be able to design great mechs. Yet Ves did not belittle her for her narrow specialty at all because he knew she was an incredibly popular collaboration partner!
Any mech that involved her always became more popular because they combined the specialties of others with the safety afforded by Professor Miller's cockpits.
Ves already made a preliminary judgement about the mech the Seniors collaborated on based on their specialty combination.
"It sounds like these Ansel Seniors are serious in competing against our Soldier line." Gloriana remarked after she digested the introduction. "The mech design they are about to introduce will not only feature great performance, but also offer great advantages to mech pilots."
In other words, the Ansel Seniors clearly intended to dethrone the Desolate Soldier by offering something different.
It was impossible for Ansel to design a mech that shared the same advantages as the products designed by Ves. Instead, they pooled their own advantages together to design a mech that offered different benefits.
This was the right way to compete against his products. There wasn't any way that other mech designers could replicate the glow of his mechs so long as Ves maintained his monopoly on spiritual components.
The press conference quickly moved on to the main event. The curtains drew back on the stage, revealing three different imposing mechs.
Ves and his design team leaned in and studied their characteristics.
"What fearsome mechs." Ves quietly gasped.
The quality of the three mechs impressed him a lot! The degree of optimization was so high that even Gloriana looked impressed! The Ansel Seniors hadn't spent their time in vain!
A spotlight shone over the mech in the center, causing its reflective coating to shine resplendently.
"Let me introduce to you the Dawnbreaker!" Professor MacDonald proudly announced.
This was the base model that the Seniors designed from scratch!
"The Dawnbreaker is the culmination of our collective efforts. It is a midrange, spaceborn rifleman mech design that is designed from the ground up to serve as the backbone of our resistance. Each and every aspect is completely dedicated towards fighting the myriad configurations of sandmen! We have incorporated all of the lessons our state has learned into making our product the best all-round solution against even the trickiest sandman opponents!"
The professor went on to describe the technical specifications of the Dawnbreaker design. A projection appeared that listed the full specs.
Ves gasped yet again at how well its individual parameters scored.
"Thanks to Professor Taphouse, we have equipped our Dawnbreaker design with a newly-developed ablative armor system that works extremely well against the energy weapons employed by the sandmen. By employing a combination of compressed ablative armor plating and thick internal structure that pushes the cockpit further to the rear, the mech pilot stands a good chance to survive a direct, head-on heavy laser strike according to our tests and simulations!"
Ves sat up straight when he heard that! While the advanced sandman configuration dominated the news, regular sandman fleets led by inexperienced sandman admirals still accounted for the vast majority of intrusions.
It didn't sound like the Dawnbreaker could remain functional after getting hit by a heavy laser strike.
It didn't need to be. If a reasonably-priced mech was able to preserve the life of a mech pilot in the event of a head-on heavy laser strike, then this product would doubtlessly be popular!
MacDonald continued on by highlighting the cockpit. "The life of a precious mech pilot is further guaranteed with Professor Miller's exclusive cockpit for the Dawnbreaker line. Not only does it excel in absorbing and bleeding any heat or energy damage, it is also remarkably swift in flying back to safety."
The appeal of this was obvious to many potential mech buyers. Due to the recent war against the Vesians, the Bright Republic didn't have enough mech pilots. The more their lives could be preserved, the better off their state would be after several months of arduous fighting.
None of the states resisting the sandmen could afford to run out of mech pilots, especially those serving in the military!
Many examples already proved that without a solid backbone of military mech pilots, a defensive force was prone to losing heart and running away!
Not even the glows of the Desolate Soldiers could restrain them from saving their own skins!
"While the Dawnbreaker offers a lot of protection, it is not short on mobility either." MacDonald continued. "I have lent my own expertise in this project, working around the clock to develop the most optimal flight system for the Dawnbreaker's frame!"
The flight system was fairly good. It offered a good balance of acceleration and efficiency. It was just fast enough to keep up with the pace of most battles against the sandmen without offering anything more.
Any excess acceleration and power would drastically decrease the efficiency of the flight system.
"Professor Xu has graciously designed a ballistic rifle that deals more damage against sandman opponents while occupying less space. The secret behind this extraordinary result is the new ballistic shell she designed in partnership with several different research institutions on Bentheim! The shell sacrifices penetration power, which is mainly useful against mechs, for much greater shock and concussion damage, which is far more useful against the sandmen!"
As someone who recently acquired Ballistic Weapon Optimization IV from the System, Ves fully realized the brilliance of the new ballistic rifle and accompanying shells.
"For the good of the Bright Republic, the Ansel University of Mech Design will also make the Sandbreaker ballistic weapon system available for standalone licensing. We sincerely hope that every rifleman mech converts to Professor Xu's excellent rifle and ordnance so that we can fully maximize our firepower against the sandmen!"
This was the weapon system that everyone had been waiting for!
Ves regretted that he hadn't been able to come up with his own version of this concept. If not for his lack of time and his preoccupation with designing variants, he could have offered something similar.
Of course, Ves knew very well that it would have been a waste of time. Professor Xu was a full-fledged Senior who based her whole design philosophy around ballistic weapons.
Even if Ves acquired enough knowledge to design a good ballistic rifle, he lacked the esoteric toolbox that Professor Xu developed to give her ballistic rifle systems an edge.
"Finally, we cannot leave out Professor Summit's contribution to the neural interface of our Dawnbreaker design. We know that a split-second decision can make a huge difference on the battlefield. Rest assured that our Dawnbreaker is far more responsive and intuitive to pilot than any of our previous mechs!"
Ves smirked at that. He knew more than most that there were limits on what mech designers could do with neural interfaces. Responsiveness was just one of many factors that affected the strength that mech pilots could exert. It was mainly prized by higher-skilled mech pilots.
The Desolate Soldier targeted a different audience from the Dawnbreaker.
The latter was clearly aimed at mech pilots who already specialized in piloting rifleman mechs.
This was different from the Desolate Soldier, which Ves designed from the start to be cheap, accessible and easy to pilot.
Many of his customers who previously specialized in piloting landbound mechs or melee mechs had already successfully transitioned to fighting against the sandmen in space with a rifle.
Yet no matter how well the Desolate Soldier appealed to lower-skilled mech pilots, the true professionals desired something more.
The Dawnbreaker designed by Ansel just happened to fill the gaping void that Ves had neglected.
"What a well-positioned mech." Ves sighed yet again.
The Dawnbreaker offered considerable advantages in offense, defense and mobility. While it was at least twice as expensive as the Desolate Soldier, it was quite cost-effective. Ansel priced the Dawnbreaker at a range that was well within the tolerance of the mech market!
Chapter 1609 Competitive Spiri
Professor MacDonald of the Ansel University of Mech Design confidently highlighted some of the key innovations and solutions of their Dawnbreaker design.
The Ansel Seniors weren't afraid of copycats. At their heights, few could beat them in their own specialties.
Ves knew for certain that — in his current state — he had no hope of designing a mech that outperformed the Dawnbreaker in all of its aspects.
He could never design a better flight system than Professor MacDonald.
He could never design a better ballistic weapon system than Professor Xu.
He could never design a better armor system than Professor Taphouse.
He could never design a better neural interface than Professor Summit.
He could never design a better cockpit than Professor Miller.
As a mech design that combined the specialties of five renowned Seniors, the Dawnbreaker offered an extremely compelling set of advantages that not even Masters could replicate by themselves!
The abstruse effects of all of the design philosophies applied to this midrange mech design must have stuffed it full. In fact, Ves bet that interference and loss of efficiency probably reduced the strength of each Senior's individual specialty to a degree.
It didn't matter. The whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The Dawnbreaker possessed just enough advantages in many different aspects that the total package was exceptionally well positioned to function as the protagonist of the Sand War!
As for the Desolate Soldier, its mediocre performance and its supportive functions relegated it to the role of a supporting character.
Ves grimaced once he realized the devious strategy behind the Dawnbreaker.
"Looks like we're in trouble, Ves." Gloriana grinned as if she completely didn't mind this development. "While our Soldier mechs are still secure in their own roles, the Dawnbreaker threatens to upstage our work and suck up all of the publicity we've enjoyed so far. It's not something we can counteract in the short term."
He had the confidence to beat any design that attempted to challenge his Soldier line directly.
Yet this oblique thrust the Ansel Seniors had come up with was much harder to deal with to Ves.
Neither of their products competed against each other directly. Just as Ves focused on standing out in the market by relying on his strengths, the Ansel mech designers each focused on adding their own advantages to their collaborative mech design.
"It's fine." Ves eventually sighed. "While it's true that we can't compete directly against the Dawnbreaker, we don't have to compete against their strong points in the first place. What truly matters is to design a mech that best meets the demand of the market. These Ansel Seniors are wise enough to focus on the value proposition of their work."
"What do you mean by that?" Ketis asked in confusion.
"If we ever want to challenge the Dawnbreaker design, we shouldn't look to beat it in the parameters that it is strong in, such as its weapon system, its armor system, its propulsion system and so on." Gloriana lectured to Ketis and the rest of the design team. "Competing against specialists in the area of their strengths is never a good idea. The only result of our efforts will be a pale and uninspired imitation that doesn't reflect our design philosophies at all."
Ves nodded in agreement. "Just the Sandbreaker ballistic weapon system is something that we can't surpass on our own. From the introduction so far, this is an amazing solution that clearly surpasses the ballistic rifle that we've designed for the Desolate Soldier. Right now, I'm seriously considering whether I should procure a license."
That caused the Tovar mech designers to look at Ves in surprise. Their family never had a good relationship with the AUMD. Instead, the Tovars favored the DCTI and other institutions that were far more aligned to the central government.
"Does it sound strange to you that I'm willing to procure a license for the Sandbreaker weapon system?" Ves declared after he saw the reaction he evoked. "You shouldn't be. As a professional, you should recognize your own strengths and shortcomings. While I can design a decent ballistic rifle if needed, I'm not as passionate about it as Professor Mimi Xu. She deserves genuine acclaim for developing what is arguably the most effective ballistic shell against the sandmen!"
Gloriana concurred. "Don't let your feelings color your judgement. Professional mech designers must have the awareness to channel their competitive nature in the right direction. How would you go about competing against the Dawnbreaker, Ves?"
"I would probably decide to design a midrange mech that is close to matching the performance of the Dawnbreaker. My new work doesn't have to surpass the Dawnbreaker in performance, but it absolutely must offer a higher value proposition. In order to do that despite my many advantages, I'll have to work hard to impart my mech designs with an exceptional glow!"
"You hear that, little ones? That's the proper way to compete against a fellow mech designer!"
"What if you license the Dawnbreaker and add a glow to it?" Miles proposed. "As long as your variant retains the same strengths as the base model while benefiting from your characteristic specialty, won't it be a superior product?"
Ves and Gloriana glanced at each other and shook their heads.
"You used to be an independent mech designer, right? Have you ever thought about progressing by upstaging your competitors by borrowing their own mech designs?"
An awkward silence ensued.
"While it's a valid response, it's not a proper one." Ves sagely spoke. "Variants are derivatives of other people's works. They don't fully reflect your own efforts. If you can only compete in the market by borrowing from the success of other mech designers, where does that leave you? In a decade or two, your rivals who diligently designed their own mechs have progressed much further while you've stagnated because you haven't accumulated any practice and experience in designing mechs from scratch!"
All of the junior mech designers got caught up in the high-mindedness of his argument. Miles looked particularly inspired!
"Trying to upstage a rival by developing a variant of their own work is a dead end. Do you think you understand them better than their own designer? If I licensed the Dawnbreaker, I don't think I'll understand at least twenty percent of what is going on in the design! I don't have the knowledge base and specializations to decipher all of their properties, let alone tweak them in a way that suits my purposes better!"
"Besides, regardless who designs a better mech, the original mech designer will never lose! A portion of the money that the LMC can earn from selling a possible variant of the Dawnbreaker will flow in the pockets of those Ansel mech designers!"
"Ah."
Hopefully, this was sufficient to suppress any improper suggestions.
As long as his rivals played by the rules, Ves did not feel inclined to bring out his dirty bag of tricks.
It was a different story if Ansel crossed a line.
"The press conference isn't over yet. Pay attention."
Once Professor MacDonald finished presenting the Dawnbreaker design, the spotlight finally fell to the mechs standing beside the mech in the center.
"The Dawnbreaker is our principal commercial mech design, but certainly not our only one. We have concurrently developed two variants of this fine mech to suit different needs."
The mech placed to the left looked less impressive than the base model. Ves could immediately tell that its armor system simply wasn't as good.
"The Duskbreaker design is our budget solution to those who require a more affordable solution. While it lacks the compressed armor system of its base model, the Duskbreaker is still a significantly more resilient mech than comparable machines in the market!"
That was an indirect thrust against the Desolate Soldier. Ves could already judge that while the Duskbreaker was a budget mech, it was still a few million credits more expensive than his own work.
Was it any surprise that its armor was tougher than the armor of a cheaper mech?
Unfortunately, the price difference was small enough that most customers would probably group them in the same category. That was to say, if a mech buyer didn't care about a glow, they would vastly prefer to buy a Duskbreaker!
"Don't be fooled by the affordable price tag of our Duskbreaker mechs." The centenarian Senior continued. "In almost every other aspect, it is identical to the Dawnbreaker. Only a minimal amount of cost adjustments have been made to ensure that a mech pilot that is used to piloting a Dawnbreaker will immediately feel at home in the cockpit of a Duskbreaker! To smaller outfits that can only afford to buy a limited number of Dawnbreakers, a Duskbreaker makes for an excellent spare to keep in reserve!"
That sounded like a fairly brilliant arrangement to Ves. Even if an outfit didn't have enough space in their carriers to bring any spares, they could still transfer their best mech pilots to a lesser but highly similar machine if they lost their primary mechs.
The spotlight faded from the left mech and intensified on the right mech.
This one was clearly an upgraded version of the base model. Not only that, Ves and the design team immediately widened their eyes as they recognized some faint similarities to the Militant Soldier!
"This variant is our tribute to the Bright Republic's Mech Corps! The Novabreaker is our premium solution to the needs of our military! Not only does it perform better than its base model in every aspect, its armor system is vastly more resilient against the rapid-fire lasers that the sandmen are increasingly favoring!"
The Novabreaker, coated in pearlescent cobalt coating, clearly looked the most magnificent of all! The Ansel mech designers clearly hadn't neglected to compete against Ves in terms of visual flair!
His blood couldn't help but boil when he saw this mech design. The reaction from mech pilots, particularly those in the military, must probably be even stronger!
This was a mech that was worthy enough to serve as the steeds of true soldiers!
Gloriana clicked her tongue at the sight of this impressive military mech design. "This Novabreaker has come at a very bad time for us. It's a direct competitor of our Militant Soldier design!"
Not only that, but they hadn't published the Militant Soldier yet! Even though they were just a week away from completing the tests and putting the finishing touches on the variant, the fact was that the Novabreaker was one step ahead!
The quality of the Novabreaker design and the reputation of the Ansel Seniors was enough to ensure that it would enjoy a great amount of momentum in the Mech Corps!
Many mech regiments which were still on the fence on what kind of mainstay they should adopt in the Sand War.
Ves had intentions to convert at least some of them to his Militant Soldier. Yet just as he was about to reveal the culmination of his efforts, the Ansel geezers stole the thunder that was meant for him by announcing their Novabreaker first!
The first-mover advantage they managed to capture was extremely strong! Ves was sure that a lot of mech officers who learned about the fantastic Novabreaker model would immediately start discussing whether they should procure it for their own mech regiments.
If the Militant Soldier wasn't released during their deliberations, then Ves missed a significant opportunity to increase his influence in the Mech Corps!
As Professor MacDonald wrapped up his presentation, Ves sighed and slumped in his chair.
"What a great counterattack!"
"Are you mad?" Gloriana softly asked.
"Ha!" Ves grinned as his eyes burned with competitive spirit. "I'm not! If Ansel thinks they've managed to press me down, then they're sorely mistaken! The Sand War won't end so soon. We still have plenty of time left to design other mechs. Besides, the Desolate Soldier still enjoys an unassailable position in the mech markets!"
"Mmhmm. I think it's kind of silly that Ansel is targeting you in the first place. Don't you think it's absurd that the only way they can compete against a pair of Journeymen is to combine the efforts of five established Seniors?"
"Hahaha! That means they're scared!"
The LMC was not going to rest on its laurels. The Soldier product line was just the start of a new era in its history! Ves had many more ideas in store to elevate his mech company to the forefront of the mech market!
Chapter 1610 Fade to Darkness
Just as Ves expected and Ansel anticipated, the bombastic release of the Dawnbreaker and its variants sucked up all of the attention for the remainder of the week!
While Ves and his design team were still in the process of finalizing the designs of the Militant Soldier and Peaceful Soldier, the entire Ansel alumni network spared no effort to promote and publicize their new standard bearers!
The power and influence of the Ansel alumni network turned out to be quite dreadful!
Not only did many Ansel mech designers leverage their close connections to the media, they also pooled a considerable amount of production capacity to output as many Breaker mechs as possible during this initial period of exposure!
It seemed that one of the reason why the LMC could no longer expand its production capacity was because Ansel already secured agreements with many third-party manufacturers.
With the formal release of the Breaker product line, those production facilities immediately went to work!
Thousands of Dawnbreakers and Duskbreakers quickly entered the market.
The highly-anticipated Sandbreaker weapon system also made a huge splash in the mech community!
The mechs soon earned a lot of praise from authoritative mech reviewers. It was hard not to fall in love with these high-performing mechs!
Not only did they offer excellent performance at their price points, they also incorporated most of the lessons of the Sand War into their designs.
Almost every mech design released earlier in the Sand War mainly assumed that the sandmen would predominantly attack the Bright Republic in their basic fleet configuration.
While this assumption wasn't entirely wrong, the latest developments at the front showed that there was still a role for more expensive and resilient mechs.
Now that Starfighters took on the role of cannon fodder, the lives of professional mech pilots had to be preserved as best as possible.
The Starfighter Corps wasn't able to resist the sandmen by itself!
Starfighter pilots lacked the fortitude to endure arduous battles while their flimsy spacecraft shattered too easily against more formidable sandman fleets!
For these reasons, the true strength of the Bright Republic always rested on its mechs!
Though Ves had earned a lot of acclaim for his Soldier product line, so far he hadn't strayed from designing a cheap, affordable and disposable mech!
Even the Militant Soldier, which was at least twice as expensive as its base model, was still a relatively affordable midrange mech design!
A significant gap in performance existed between the Militant Soldier and the Novabreaker designs. Although there was a significant cost difference as well, the Mech Corps generally did not pay attention to the price!
It would have been a slightly different story if Ves had not rejected one of the suggestions of the Ministry of Defense.
The Worthy Soldier would have been able to upstage the Novabreaker, Ves was sure. As a military variant geared towards elites, he was confident that it could surpass the Novabreaker in might due to its excellent materials!
Even if Ves wasn't as good as the Seniors in their specialties, relying on more expensive exotics was the most direct way to surpass an excellent design!
Unfortunately, Ves refused to invest his time in the Worthy Soldier. If he could turn back the clock, he still would have made the same decision.
"I don't have enough time." He whispered.
Once he published the Militant Soldier and Peaceful Soldier designs, he had no further intentions to expand the Soldier product line.
With one base model, four commercial variants and one custom mech in the form of the Resentful Soldier, Ves was incredibly tired of working on the same concepts for the last couple of months.
Deep within his heart, his burning passion urged him to discover new ideas and innovate new solutions!
This was the heart of a true mech designer!
While Ves was very proud of what he achieved with his Soldier product line, he was not the sort of mech designer who enjoyed retreading his old successes.
Halting too long after a single success was no different from stagnating. If Ves wanted to keep his passion alive, he needed to get back in the saddle and pursue new challenges.
His overarching goal wasn't to earn a lot of money or earn a lot of acclaim from designing a single successful mech design!
No, he set his sights much higher! If he wanted to make any progress towards fulfilling his ambitions, then he had to resist as many comforts as possible!
While Ves greeted the release of the Breaker product line with confident acceptance, the LMC adopted an entirely different reaction!
Everyone in the LMC knew that the good times might not last much longer! Even though their Soldier product line was still indispensable in the battlefield, it couldn't fulfill every role!
At the very least, Ves had no good answer to the demand of an excellent midrange spaceborn rifleman mech.
During a morning meeting between Ves, Raymond, Gavin and Calsie, the four discussed the impact of the Breaker line to the LMC.
"The Ansel mech designers and their new works are in the limelight right now." Gavin reported. "It's incredibly difficult to insert any mention of the Desolate Soldier or Prideful Soldier in the local media."
"This only applies to the Bright Republic, right?" Ves proposed.
"Correct. Ansel is always highly oriented towards the Bright Republic. Both the Dawnbreaker and the Duskbreaker are clearly designed to conform to Brighter tradition. However, that doesn't mean that Ansel doesn't have any foreign presence. Various players in states like the Reinald Republic have already signalled their intentions to order batches running in the thousands!"
Just because Ansel was kind of stuck up didn't mean that it only had eyes for the Bright Republic. Senior Mech Designers generally enjoyed a considerable amount of success in other markets.
Many mech buyers didn't actually pay too much attention to the origin or background of the mech designers. They simply wanted to obtain a mech that best fulfilled their needs.
Who cared if the designer of their chosen mech came from the Bright Republic or the Reinald Republic?
They only wanted the best!
While Ves oriented the LMC towards foreign markets much sooner than normal, pretty much every Senior already expanded their reach long ago. Their rank and reputation alone was enough to allow them access into any open market that did not reject foreign competition.
That reminded Ves of something. "What is the response from the Ylvaine Protectorate?"
Calsie answered with a smirk. "Their initial impressions are lukewarm. While Ansel purposefully shipped a batch of Dawnbreakers and Duskbreakers to the Protectorate, most Ylvainans have flatly pushed them aside. According to the Ylvainains, compared to our Holy Soldiers, the Ansel mechs are completely faithless!"
The four of them laughed.
"It's understandable that Ansel failed to break into to the Ylvainan mech market." Raymond remarked. "While I haven't visited the state in person, I've read the internal reports to know that they have very strange tastes. Ansel has not made any effort to conform their products to the local circumstances."
Right now, the Holy Soldier enjoyed an invincible position in the Ylvaine Protectorate. Though the Dawnbreaker fulfilled a role that the cheaper and more inferior Holy Soldier couldn't match, not a single Ylvainan mech pilot preferred to pilot a mech without faith!
"From what I understand, the Ylvainans are already piloting midrange mechs designed by their own Seniors. The Ylvainans need to have a very good reason to resort to a foreign mech." Gavin added. "In fact, I've heard that there is another reason the Ylvainans have rejected the Dawnbreaker and Duskbreaker models."
"Oh?" Ves raised his eyebrow.
"It's in their names! Of all the possible ways the Ansel mech designers could name their products, making a reference to the motion of stars is one of the worst possible ways to appeal to the Ylvainans!"
Realization struck through Ves. He couldn't help but erupt into laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Dawnbreaker! Duskbreaker! Novabreaker! They're all related to stars!"
This turned out to be an incredibly unfortunate coincidence.
Of course, Ves guessed that Ansel probably didn't care about the Protectorate mech market in the first place. It was fine for them to ignore strange mech markets that pose unusual demands.
Gavin stopped smiling when he said the next words. "Unfortunately, the same reason why the Ylvaine Protectorate has rejected the Breaker line is also the reason why the Star Faith Collective has embraced the new models! Preorders are already through the roof if my sources are accurate. While they haven't adopted the Dawnbreaker and Duskbreaker as extensively as the Ylvaine Protectorate has adopted the Holy Soldier, it's still a very lucrative opportunity."
Ves nodded in understanding. While the Duskbreaker was pretty affordable, the same could not be said for the Dawnbreaker. If Ansel wanted to upstage Ves, then they needed to make their sales figure as impressive as possible.
"How is the Novabreaker catching on in the Mech Corps?" He asked.
"There has been a lot of discussion about the Novabreaker at every level of the Mech Corps." Raymond answered. "I won't lie to you. A lot of mech pilots are looking forward to piloting the Novabreaker. Just its ability to safeguard the life of a mech pilot in event of getting hit by a heavy laser strike is enough to turn it into a highly desirable model!"
As a Larkinson elder, Raymond was frequently in touch with his grandson Tusa and the older generations of Larkinsons serving in the Mech Corps. This turned out to be an excellent boon for Ves, who lacked direct connections to the armed forces.
"Boss, can your Militant Soldier do the same?"
Ves shook his head. "No."
"Can't you just change it to make it so that it matches the Novabreaker in this quality?"
"Don't you think I've considered this option as well? I've rejected it because it does not conform to my vision of the Militant Soldier. It is principally a military version of the Desolate Soldier that shares the exact same glow as the base model. That way, the Mech Corps doesn't have to rely on third-party outfits to benefit from my glows."
"That.. sounds stupid."
Ves could only smile in response. "It's not worth it to delay the Militant Soldier project by at least a month. I have to throw away a lot of work and develop a way of matching the efforts of Professor Taphouse and Professor Miller without letting the total cost of my mech run out of control."
Raymond concurred with Ves. "While it's a shame, I think that Ves has made the right decision. The Desolate Soldier, Holy Soldier and Prideful Soldier have sold extremely well. They are the LMC's pride and joy. I think we can afford to suffer a couple of misses. In any case, I don't think the Militant Soldier will only exist in the archives. There is always a demand for our glows."
"Don't forget about the Peaceful Soldier." Calsie added in a hopeful tone. "The Planetary Guard has long been hankering for a landbound version that is suitable to be employed in a law enforcement capacity. With all the attention we're placing on the competition between the Militant Soldier and the Novabreaker, I think that some of you have forgotten that Ansel hasn't come up with an answer to this variant!"
That was true.
"Thank you for the reminder, Calsie. According to the reports I've read, the Planetary Guard organizations are salivating for the Peaceful Soldier model. I'm not about to disappoint them. I'm pretty proud of what Gloriana and I managed to accomplish within a limited amount of time."
As the discussion went on, it became clear to all of the participants that the Soldier product line was not about to fall into darkness anytime soon.
However, the magnificence of the Dawnbreaker and its variants was undeniable. In the long term, Ansel could ride the wave of momentum and gain even greater stature in the regional mech community.
If the LMC kept its head down and failed to attract any attention in the coming months, then the company and its products would slowly fade away from everyone's awareness.
While this was not a fatal consequence, Ves did not wish to see his Desolate Soldiers turn into background pieces!
Chapter 1611 The Other War
In a bedroom transformed into a luxurious refuge, Gloriana calmly sat in front of a mirror projection as a couple of beauty bots treated her hair and applied makeup.
She needed to be in her best appearance at all times. She could never allow Ves to see her in a less-than-perfect state!
As Gloriana calmly waited for the bots to complete their work, Melody reported the latest situation from home.
"The advantage that our Hegemony has gained in the Komodo War is spent. While Operation K has given us a considerable advantage in initiative and morale, it also shocked the Coalition into forming a unified response. We didn't expect the partners of the Coalition to set aside their grudges and unite as extensively as appears to be the case."
"Can you give me an example, Melody?"
"Perhaps the most far-reaching example is the Gauge Dynasty's extensive willingness to support the beleaguered Carnegie Group and Vermeer Group. Despite Gauge's remoteness from the front, it has not shied away from supporting the two groups with financial aid and military aid. More and more mech divisions of their Sundered Phalanx are reinforcing the frontlines every day."
The unwelcome news caused Gloriana to grow unsettled. "That's outside of the predictions I've read. Aren't the Fridaymen supposed to be squabbling boys who will continue to argue with each other even if their state is falling apart around them? Isn't Gauge the most unliked and uncharitable partner of the Coalition?"
The distribution of territory of the Friday Coalition resembled a round pie. The slices occupied by Carnegie and Vermeer pressed squarely against the border with the Hexadric Hegemony.
Due to this unfavorable arrangement, the two groups always endured stifled development. Many investors and citizens were reluctant to commit too much in their territories because their assets and their lives would immediately be at risk in the event of a cataclysmic war between the two giants of the star sector!
In contrast, the Gauge Dynasty happened to be placed on the opposite side of Coalition space. If the Hexers ever advanced into enemy territory, Gauge would be the last one to knock down.
For this reason, the Gauge Dynasty always enjoyed the highest development. Its favorable position caused it to grow into the strongest partner.
"The rulers of the Gauge Dynasty may be selfish, but they aren't stupid." Melody sighed. "Apparently, the Coalition partners have already formed some secret deals that our spies haven't managed to uncover. While we haven't been able to figure out the details, some of the results are already evident. Their militaries are showing increasingly more signs of meshing into one, unified organization that answers to an overarching central command."
"That.. sounds as if they are copying us. Aren't they supposed to be distrusting towards each other?"
"We've underestimated the Fridaymen. They made a good show of exaggerating their internal divisions. Our biases towards the Coalition reinforced our assumptions that the Fridaymen would continue to be distrustful towards each other even as they are fighting us off. It turns out they managed to fool all of our spies and analysts."
This was a grave error on the part of the Hexers. Gloriana's face turned ugly as she realized the importance of Melody's remarks.
Before Gloriana set foot out of the Hegemony and became exposed to a different culture, she always held a dismissive attitude to boys.
She easily understood how most of the Hexers she knew back home had a tendency to look down on the Coalition. Though the Fridaymen did not explicitly discriminate by gender, the Coalition was mainly led by men, perhaps as a response against the ideology of their biggest rival.
"How will the war proceed now that the Fridaymen appear to be coming together?"
Melody looked uncertain. "I'm not versed in military matters, so I can't say. At the very least, we won't be able to sweep Coalition space within a few years anymore. The Komodo War will likely devolve into a prolonged slugfest between two giants. The frontlines will turn into meat grinders which constantly consume more mechs. The side which is not able to persist will falter first."
One of the goals of Operation K was to convey the Hegemony an immediate advantage in the outbreak of the Komodo War. The Hexers hoped that the devastating results of the operation would put the Coalition on the backfoot.
Along with the expected internal discord among the partners, the Hegemony expected to convert their initial advantage into a considerable amount of momentum that magnified their early gains.
The more advantages the Hegemony gained at the start, the greater the likelihood of maintaining the upper hand throughout the course of the war.
Unfortunately, the Coalition recovered faster and coordinated more extensively than expected. The rapid reinforcements from the Gauge Dynasty and other partners stabilized the frontlines, stalling the Hegemony to the point where it lost its momentum!
"Attrition warfare." Gloriana curled her lips into a frown. "How barbaric."
Having witnessed the brutality of the Sand War in the Bright Republic, Gloriana quickly understood how bloody the conflict could get if it reached this stage.
Without a killer weapon, sudden betrayal or other change in circumstances, the winner of the Komodo War would probably be weakened to an incredible degree.
"Has mother sent any instructions?"
"Madame Constance has not sent any new instructions as of late. The war demands all of her attention. While the Scimitar System is unlikely to be at risk, there is a lot of unrest at home due to the sacrifices the citizens need to make to support our war effort."
This was the war that decided the ultimate victor in the Komodo Star Sector. The Hexers could not afford to hold back if they wanted to come out as the victor. The living standards of every Hexer decreased as the state entered into a war footing.
Many luxuries and conveniences became scarce as the production of consumer goods made way for the production of armaments.
"The situation will grow worse over time."
"Now that the war has entered a different trajectory, our circumstances here will change as well. For now, the Fridaymen aren't inclined to meddle with us on account of the Sand War. However, the status quo won't hold forever."
Gloriana looked at her mirror projection with determination as she inspected the work of her beauty bots. As always, the expensive bots had done fine work.
"It appears my previous merits won't be sufficient to sustain my leave." She concluded.
"That is so. Madame Constance will insist on your return before the situation here becomes too dire. The Glory Battalion already received instructions to escort you home within three years."
"I can take care of myself!" Gloriana burst out! "I'm a Journeyman! Just like Ves, I'm more than capable enough to depend on myself!"
"Your mother worries for you, Gloriana. Your brothers and sisters are also concerned."
"Well, we aren't here just to sightsee and room with Ves. How is our other mission coming along?"
"Not very well. Our investigation is still ongoing. I will update you if there are any new developments."
Gloriana idly nodded. She wasn't very optimistic that they could complete the additional mission. Unfortunately, if she didn't accept this responsibility, the Hegemony wouldn't have let her go at this sensitive time.
An idea suddenly sparked within her mind. "You know, maybe there is another way we can contribute to the war effort."
"Do tell."
"Seeing as how the Soldier mechs are pivotal in stabilizing the fighting forces of the states involved in the Sand War, what if we designed a mech that can give our side an edge at the front?"
Melody frowned. "The Hegemony has always been very strict in which mech models are allowed to be deployed at the front. You're not qualified to submit a design to the panel of Masters, let alone Ves."
The Hexadric Hegemony had always been a centralized state. Though the individual dynasties ruled their own individual territories, the state maintained a strong power.
The centralization of power extended to the military of the Hegemony. The Hex Army placed a heavy emphasis on standardization and uniformity. By utilizing the same mechs, doctrines and standards, the Hex Army benefited enormously from interchangeability and economies of scale.
In order to prevent the Hex Army from gaining too many vulnerabilities, each military mech model had to be vetted extensively by a panel of Masters.
This was an extremely strict demand that prevented most mech designers from contributing their own designs. Only well-established Seniors and Masters had a realistic chance of gaining approval for their work.
This impassable hurdle formed an enormous hindrance to Gloriana. "You've witnessed the power of Ves' glows in person. Don't you agree that it can be a major help to us in the frontlines?"
"You're not wrong." Melody reluctantly admitted. "I am beginning to see why you are infatuated with Mr. Larkinson. Even if he is a boy, his specialization is very unique. It's unfortunate that he isn't a fellow Hexer."
Another idea suddenly came to mind to Gloriana. "The Hex Army isn't the only force that is fighting on behalf of our state! There are many irregular units assisting our main forces!"
While the lack of diversity and versatility was a major shortcoming of the Hex Army, it was not the only entity participating in the war.
Various dynasties volunteered a portion of their household troops to the war effort. Strong Hexer mercenary corps also contributed to the war by accepting government contracts.
"It won't work." Melody shook her head. "Usually, these secondary forces are prohibited from deploying in the hot zones of the war. The Hex Army does not tolerate any unexpected elements from their side. Even if you manage to convince an outfit to field a second-class mech model with a glow, it won't be able to showcase its value because its copies will only be employed to garrison occupied star systems or defend valuable infrastructure in the rear."
Gloriana did not look deterred. "I have the Glory Battalion, right?"
"The Glory Battalion is not your personal plaything, miss." Melody placed her hands on her hips in reproach. "I will not allow you to risk your own protection in a foolish quest to meddle in the war. You're too young, Gloriana. It is up to your mother and the older generation to shoulder the burden."
"I don't believe that, Melody. I know that Ves and I can achieve great things. The Soldier mechs that we've designed have already shifted the course of the entire Sand War! Think of how much we can affect the Komodo War if we can prove that our products can give our sisters an edge!"
"No one back home will pilot a mech designed by a foreign boy." Melody ruthlessly crushed her dream.
The Hegemony generally favored mechs designed by women. While males weren't prohibited from becoming mech designers, they generally subordinated themselves to female mech designers.
"I think there is still a way to get my foot in the door."
Gloriana came up with several ideas. One option would be to partner up with a more established mech designer from the Hegemony.
She had no hopes of convincing a Senior or a Master to collaborate on a potential project, but she might be able to appeal to her fellow Journeymen.
Another option was to establish her own force and equip them with her new mechs.
The problem there was that she lacked the funds and manpower to do so. Second-class mechs were extremely expensive, and the second-class mech pilots of the Hegemony were already employed by the Hex Army or other established organizations!
"Is there no way at all?"
Suddenly, she thought of the Avatars and Battle Criers under the control of her boyfriend.
Weren't they completely under his control? Her eyes lit up as she thought of how professional they seemed. Ves even made plans to elevate their warriors into second-class mech pilots!
"This is an excellent opportunity!"
Chapter 1612 High-minded
Ves had no clue what his girlfriend was plotting behind his back.
He mainly concerned himself with finalizing the Militant Soldier and Peaceful Soldier designs.
However, the release of the Breaker product line resulted in an enormous shock in the mech market. Ves had to divert some time to address the changes taking place in his organizations.
"Why do you want us to spend fifteen billion credits on advertising and public relations?" Ves frowned as he read through a data pad at his office. "Even if this sum is inflated, this is still a ludicrous sum of money!"
"Our Marketing Department has submitted a plan to hinder the rise of the Dawnbreaker and Duskbreaker." Gavin reported. "Due to Ansel's extensive influence, we won't achieve much results if we publish a couple of critical ads on those mech models. We have to resort to a full-fledged media offensive to shift public opinion."
"I personally tasked the Marketing Department to flesh out a strategy to hinder our rivals." Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson added. "The Dawnbreaker is already guaranteed to sell by virtue of its quality, so we can't affect its growth too much. It's the Duskbreaker that is our true concern. While it's only around ten percent more expensive than our Desolate Soldier, the two mechs are occupying the same position in the market. We can't allow the Duskbreaker to "
Ves did not look pleased. "It's a waste of money. I would much prefer to spend this money on something useful, like building more production facilities or expanding the Living Sentinels."
"We can't let Ansel popularize their new mechs without hitting back, boss. Don't you remember how those Ansel guys tried to badmouth our Desolate Soldiers when it initially came out? Even before that, they constantly tarnished the LMC by painting our mechs as brainwashing machines. If not for securing early support from the Planetary Guard, we wouldn't have been able to overcome the opposition against our mechs!"
All of them recalled how extensively the backlash against the LMC used to be during the time when Ves toured the star sector. His absence at home gave his critics the opportunity to fund a protest movement against his mechs.
More and more people started to believe that the Blackbeak, Crystal Lord and Aurora Titan brainwashed their mech pilots into becoming loyal fans of the LMC.
Fortunately, the widespread adoption of the Desolate Soldier by many powerful organizations and outfits negated this trend.
Just as Ves predicted, as long as the Desolate Soldier became indispensable, the ruling powers would not allow anyone to stigmatize his products!
However, the Desolate Soldier was old news now. While people accepted its existence, they no longer paid too much attention to it unless they directly came under the influence of its glow.
The Dawnbreaker, Duskbreaker and Novabreaker were all novel creations, and the hungry news portals instantly pounced on them to provide new content to their subscribers!
Hearing the resentment from Gavin and Raymond, Ves frowned at them both. "Are you out of your mind?"
"You.. don't agree, boss?"
"Think about what we're doing. Instead of investing resources into developing our company and increasing our security, you want us to waste money on smacking the competition."
"What's wrong with that? Didn't Ansel already do that to us? We could at least return the favor!"
Ves wanted to palm his face. "We survived their attacks and grew stronger from it. My products were always vulnerable to the points they've raised. This was a problem that we had to address sooner than later, so I'm glad we already got it over with. The acceptance we've obtained from the public and the rulers at the top will serve as our shield in any future endeavors."
"You're still letting off Ansel lightly for what they've done." Gavin grumbled.
Raymond sided with him as well. "I don't see the point in sticking to your high-minded ideals, Ves. I know enough about doing business that it's vital for the LMC to portray strength. By doing nothing or appearing to do nothing, we will appear weak. Our company's standing in the mech industry will suffer a hit as a result. Less third-party manufacturers will agree to fabricate mechs for us. Some companies might cease to ship our products or offer favorable terms."
"I don't care about these petty losses." Ves stated. "Our brand will remain strong regardless if we play this game or not. Ansel's position in the mech market is so strong that I don't think that a couple of billion credits will affect the sales of their latest products. Besides, there is one more reason why I'm disinclined to engage in this pointless venture."
"Do tell, Ves."
"I want the Dawnbreaker and its variants to succeed."
That took Raymond and Gavin aback. Even Nitaa, who stood quietly on guard, reacted with some shock!
?Are you still the boss we know, or did someone replace you with a clone?"
Ves smiled at them. "I'm not joking. I mean what I say. The Dawnbreaker is a genuinely good midrange rifleman mech. I've studied the public documents about the new design extensively and I fully believe in its value. Its ability to guarantee the life of a mech pilot in event of getting hit by a heavy laser strike is something that no mech at its price range can match!"
Both Raymond and Gavin shared an uncertain look. Had Ves gone mad? Why was he praising the competition all of a sudden?
Of course, this obvious gesture didn't escape Ves. Seeing as his two subordinates didn't get it, he growled in frustration.
"You're treating this like some zero-sum game. It's not! Think of our circumstances right now. If we were at peacetime, then I would have considered your suggestion more, but this time it's different! While I don't like those stuck-up Ansel mech designers, they are not our opponents! Our real enemy is the sandman race! Whenever we make an important decision, we should consider whether it benefits the LMC and helps the war effort! In my eyes, casting shade on the Dawnbreaker accomplishes neither!"
Ves raised a finger.
"Our weaker media presence means that we'll just waste a lot of money while gaining little in return. This does not benefit our company."
He raised another finger.
"The current situation at the front demands a mech that is more resilient and more powerful than the Desolate Soldier. The Dawnbreaker perfectly meets this demand and has an added bonus of preserving the lives of skilled mech pilots. Hindering the adoption of such a good mech does not help the war effort!"
A realization swept through the minds of Raymond and Gavin. The former looked especially hard-hit.
"This is my mistake." Raymond admitted. "I was too caught up in thinking what is best for the LMC that I have forgotten to take the greater picture into account."
Such a mistake was understandable. Raymond had only recently become the COO of the LMC. Even if he made a lot of preparations, he still had to immerse himself in his new responsibilities.
"The Desolate Soldier, Dawnbreaker and their variants are all competing mech models. That does not mean that the gains of one side is a loss to the other side." Ves explained. "In truth, we are all on the same side. A little bit of tension due to rivalry and factionalism is inevitable, but don't let it go too far. Right now, I think the Dawnbreaker is a necessary mech to strengthen the Bright Republic."
"That only counts for the Dawnbreaker, right?" Gavin interjected. "The Duskbreaker is the knockoff version of the Dawnbreaker. It doesn't have the compressed armor system of the base model. As a budget mech model, the Duskbreaker competes directly against our Desolate Soldiers and therefore poses a direct threat to our bottom line. Shouldn't we at least do something to prevent this variant from taking away our lunch?"
Ves smiled. "That's a much more reasonable argument. If you came up to me with this in the start, then I wouldn't have to remind you two to take the overall war situation into account."
"So.. will you agree to a plan to suppress the Duskbreaker?"
"Nope." Ves replied. "Let Ansel sell as many Duskbreakers as they want. I have no intentions to put any obstacles in their way. Let the market and the customers decide which one they prefer. Both of them have different strengths. It's better if outfits have more choice."
"That's.."
"Let me be clear. I'm not necessarily being generous or charitable towards Ansel. I'm just confident in my Desolate Soldiers. While it's true that the Duskbreaker offers superior performance in almost every aspect, it's a mech without a heart. I think that many mech pilots who have tried both mechs will prefer my product in the end."
Neither Raymond nor Gavin believed in that assertion. However, Ves was the boss, so they had no choice but to accept his will.
Under his instruction, the LMC did not allocate any money towards hindering the market's enthusiastic adoption of the Dawnbreaker and Duskbreaker. Sales of both commercial models went through the roof!
In the meantime, some mech regiments already decided to procure or produce the first Novabreakers.
The mech regiments stationed in the most hard-pressed fortified star systems became the first converts to this promising new military mech model. Due to frequent combat, these units suffered continuous casualties and lost a decent amount of very expensive mechs.
The Novabreaker offered solutions to both problems. It was priced as a premium mech which was very affordable in the eyes of the military and also excelled in protecting mech pilots.
In addition, the Novabreaker's custom neural interface which heightened the responsiveness of the mech showed its full potential in the hands of well-trained military mech pilots.
All of these qualities were highly prized by the hard-hit mech regiments!
The Novabreaker turned out to be such a hit that when the LMC finally published the Militant Soldier, it hardly caused a ripple in the Mech Corps.
"Well, I'm sure that the military will remember my work." Ves muttered as he observed the lukewarm reaction from the military.
Fortunately, Ves and the LMC could at least console themselves with the much more successful launch of the Peaceful Soldier.
Ves, Gloriana and the design team worked hard to design a viable landbound iteration of the Desolate Soldier. While it was a shame that the Peaceful Soldier was exclusive to the Planetary Guard, the mech at least turned out to be a smashing hit in those organizations!
A lot of orders had already poured in, which conveniently compensated for the moderate drop in sales of the Desolate Soldier. The LMC quickly recovered from the setback induced by the competition.
"There is no way that Ansel can design any mech that can compete against my Peaceful Soldier." Ves confidently stated to Gavin. "The main quality the Planetary Guard is after is its glow. By now, law enforcement is very clear about its effects and how to make the most of it. No mech designed by others can top the Peaceful Soldier's value proposition."
Unfortunately, one more incident took place that tested his principles.
Commander Magdalena Larkinson visited his office one day to submit a proposal.
"After an extensive cost-benefit analysis, we think it's best for my Living Sentinels to field the Dawnbreakers. I think you are probably clear of the advantages of this mech model, so I won't bother explaining the reasons why we should adopt it. I just want to know whether you are okay with it. From what I've heard, you don't exactly enjoy the best relationship with its designers."
Ves did not expect Magdalena to propose such a difficult question to him. It was one thing to tolerate the Dawnbreaker as worthy competition, it was another thing to allow his own forces to adopt it as their mainstay mechs!
How could Ves feel proud about himself if his subordinates openly piloted the mechs designed by his rivals?
For a moment, Ves glowered at Magdalena. He resented her for putting him on the spot today. Couldn't she have opted for a different choice?
Chapter 1613 Procurement Choices
"The Dawnbreaker is by far the most suitable mech for our needs." Commander Magdalena elaborated when Ves fell into thought. "I'm aware that you're not entirely open to the idea, but it is not my intention to make things difficult. It is just that from an objective perspective, the Desolate Soldier is not enough to ensure the Living Sentinels can protect the Larkinsons and the LMC from danger once the sandmen reach this star system."
The Sentinel Commander even handed Ves a data pad. It contained an extensive analysis on which mechs the Living Sentinels should procure in order to strengthen its combat ability against all kinds of threats.
While the Dawnbreaker performed exceptionally well against the Sandmen, it was not as good against human forces. For this reason, Magdalena only asked to equip a single mech company with the mechs designed by his competitors.
Even so, this was forty mechs too much for Ves. He really wanted to avoid this decision, but the analysis performed by the Living Sentinels was very sound. They compared the prevalent mech models on the market that met their needs.
Out of the hundred or so midrange rifleman mechs, the Dawnbreaker clearly stood out at the top. While the mechs designed by other Seniors and Journeymen were no slouches, most of them were older designs that had been adapted to fight other mechs.
They lacked the innovations and optimizations that made the Dawnbreaker into an incredibly powerful solution against the aliens. In some studies, the effectiveness of the Dawnbreaker against the sandmen was a whopping thirty percent higher than comparable mechs that cost the same!
Such a huge difference was too much for the established competition to overcome! Sales of older models plummeted as the Dawnbreaker greedily absorbed their market share!
For this reason, Ves did not find much in the analysis performed by the Sentinels. Even a nine-year old kid could come up with a way to justify the purchase of Dawnbreakers due to the incredible value they provided.
If Ves put his selfishness and his ego aside, then he had no choice but to admit the Living Sentinels benefited most from adopting his competitor's product right now.
Of course, Ves could also decline the offer and design his own midrange mech, but was that even useful?
He didn't think so. The Dawnbreaker already occupied this role so well that there was little demand for something comparable.
The Desolate Soldier already fulfilled a necessary function on the battlefields with its glow. Adding a second glow from a more expensive mech did not bring much added value.
The private sector could already choose between the Prideful Soldier and the Desolate Soldier.
The Ylvaine Protectorate already bought so many Holy Soldiers that they were starting to run short of available mech pilots.
The Mech Corps recently gained the option of fielding their own mechs with glows in the form of the Militant Soldier.
The Planetary Guard organizations all welcomed the Peaceful with open arms.
William Urbesh was already making a splash at the front with his Resentful Soldier.
One mech design and so many variants already occupied a small but significant proportion of the mech market. However, all of this came about due to a combination of moving quickly and offering something indispensable to the war.
Now that both of these advantages had been spent, any mech design he came up in the future would have to justify its existence. The competition had already caught up in publishing anti-sandman mechs designs!
If Ves wanted to swing the pendulum of the Sand War, then he needed to come up with a product that fulfilled a different role.
That was for later, though. Ves turned his attention back to Commander Magdalena and made his choice.
"I have already given you permission to decide your own procurement." He said. "I'm thankful that you've run this decision by me, but I respect your judgement. Your arguments are sound and the addition of the Dawnbreaker will certainly increase the chances that the LMC will be able to survive this crisis. I have no valid reason to object to your proposal."
Magdalena relaxed her shoulders a bit. "Thank you, sir. To be honest, many of my Sentinels are looking forward to piloting the Dawnbringer. It's not that they hate the Desolate Soldier, but it is not a mech that matches well with highly-skilled mech pilots. We are still fielding plenty of Desolate Soldiers, but they are mainly reserved for our lesser-skilled mech pilots who originally specialized in landbound mechs or ranged mechs. Sentinels who are already proficient in spaceborn ranged mechs will feel much more at home in a mech that offers more higher-end capabilities."
Perhaps he should feel humiliated. Perhaps he should feel inadequate. After all, which mech designer could remain unaffected if their own subordinates favored a competitor's product over their own?
Yet Ves did not particularly care that much now that he issued his verdict. He knew in his heart that he made the best possible choice for the LMC and Living Sentinels.
Protecting their lives and defeating the sandmen came first. Satisfying his vanity came second.
His justifications offered him enough relief to lift the weight on his heart.
He did not consider his choice as an admission of defeat. Instead, he simply considered it as a consequence of being short on time. A mech designer could spend enough time on designing so many mechs.
Ves and Magdalena discussed some of the details about the procurement.
"We should also purchase a few hundred standalone Sandbreaker rifles and accompanying ordnance, sir." The Sentinel commander proposed next. "No offense to the rifle you've paired with the Desolate Soldier, but the Sandbreaker is plainly superior when employed against the sandmen. It's also fairly affordable. Many outfits and even the Mech Corps have already started to adopt this new weapon system!"
Now that Ves had gotten over the first dilemma, he did not feel any shame in accepting this second proposal.
"Acceptable. I'm aware of the effectiveness of the Sandbreaker in the Sand War and I do not want to deprive your Sentinels with this admittedly fantastic solution. I think it is probably the third-most important innovation in the war after the introduction of starfighters and my Soldier product line."
Again, Ves could decline Magdalena's request and develop his own dedicated ballistic rifle design, but what would that accomplish?
It was nigh-impossible for Ves to top the efforts of a Senior who specialized in ballistic weapons. He would just waste a lot of time and energy to design an inferior product that attempted to fulfill a role that was already occupied by an existing product.
For this reason, Ves did not have any qualms about outfitting all of his mechs with the invention of his rivals.
He would much rather preserve his life and his assets when the Living Sentinels beat the crap out of any sandman fleets that targeted the Cloudy Curtain System!
"I have a third suggestion."
Ves groaned. "It doesn't end."
The older woman chuckled in a lighthearted manner. "The most important decisions are often difficult. Otherwise, I wouldn't even bring them up to you in the first place."
"You're right." He sighed. "Let's hear it, then."
"Commander Melkor shares many of the same ideas as us. The Avatars of Myth don't want to be left out. In general, the Avatars are much more talented than the Sentinels. They deserve to be equipped with the best that you can afford."
"What does Melkor want, exactly?"
"The same as us. He wants you to phase out the Desolate Soldiers in favor of Dawnbreakers. He also wants to adopt the Sandbreaker as the default weapon system of the Avatars deployed in the front."
Ves did not immediately answer. Instead, he recalled his own priorities with regards to the Avatars before issuing his judgement.
"I will allow the latter, but not the former."
Just as he predicted, Commander Magdalena did not take that answer well. "Why? You agreed to upgrade the Sentinels. I don't see why you want to deprive the Avatars of better mechs."
Ves calmly crossed his arms and leaned back in his office chair. "It's because the Avatars need to prove themselves. I don't expect much from the Sentinels, but it's a different case when it comes to my elites. Do you know how much money I'm swimming in right now? If I really want to, I can equip my Avatars with mechs that cost 500 million credits per copy. Do you know why I declined to open my wallet in this case?"
The Sentinel Commander wasn't stupid. "You're testing the Avatars. You're using the Sand War as a crucible to forge your Avatars into battle-tested warriors."
"Correct. Before my Avatars are worthy to pilot superior mechs that they can use to crush any inferior mech, they need to prove that they can defeat their opponents with skill and determination."
"Isn't that asking too much, though, sir? While your Desolate Soldiers are fine mechs, they are a bit too fragile to keep up with the evolving battlefield. The sandmen are learning and improving. The situation at the front is incomparable to what it was like a few months ago. Since our enemies are constantly improving, we should at least keep up with their pace."
"That's a valid argument, commander, but for now the casualties suffered by the Avatars is well within my tolerance." Ves started to grin. "In fact, I'm pretty impressed by how well the Avatars managed to persist in these increasingly unfavorable circumstances. I think that they can excavate a lot more potential if they continue to meet their challenges with my Desolate Soldiers."
"You're playing with lives, Ves. I don't like the direction you are taking with the Avatars." She confronted him directly.
Ves shrugged. "It was their choice, remember? Those who value their lives have already made the decision to transfer to your Sentinels. Those who remain in the Avatars must accept my arrangement without question. That is the rule. Besides, the Avatars aren't the only ones who are toughening it out with budget mechs. There are countless outfits fielding Desolate Soldiers, but you don't hear them complaining. If these lesser mech pilots are okay with their machines, then the Avatars shouldn't complain either."
"I'm surprised that none of the Avatars have cracked."
"They're not suffering all of these hardships for nothing, commander. They all know that once they have proven themselves, I'll invest considerable money and resources into them to elevate their piloting ability and upgrade them into second-class mech pilots. This is such an attractive lure to ambitious mech pilots that they are gladly risking their lives to earn a shot at greater glory!"
By offering this incentive, Ves was very confident that his Avatars would stick to his arrangements. Which third-class mech pilot didn't dream of piloting a higher class of machines?
This was a fatal attraction!
Even if Ves risked losing half of his Avatars, at least he got rid of the unlucky and the incompetent. The mech pilots who managed to survive the Sand War would form the new core of the Avatars.
With their proven loyalty and commitment, Ves was not afraid of suffering from any defections once he invested in their growth.
While it sounded fairly brutal, this was a very fair arrangement in his eyes. Ves believed that no employer could offer any incentive that was as attractive as the one he offered.
Perhaps the only reward that could surpass this precious opportunity was to guarantee a mech pilot's advancement to expert pilot!
Sadly, Ves was nowhere close to developing a method that could accomplish such a heaven-defying feat.
He had plenty of ideas, but he was critically short on test subjects.
The discussion between Ves and Magdalena quickly petered off. Once Ves made his choice, the Sentinel Commander wasn't able to sway his mind.
"I'm already doing the Avatars a favor by permitting them to replace their old weapons with the Sandbreaker rifles." Ves remarked. "If Melkor isn't happy with this concession, then he can come back from the front and tender his resignation. While I commend his care towards his men, this is not the time to be soft."
The Avatars had to prove themselves, or die trying. Ves accepted nothing less.
Chapter 1614 Plight of a Norm
The Larkinson Family enjoyed a high reputation in the Bright Republic. The mech pilots bearing this distinguished name always lifted their heads in pride as they perpetuated the legacy of their predecessors.
However, these Larkinson pilots only represented a fraction of the family. Though the Larkinsons possessed good genes, the demand on genetic aptitude was simply too stringent.
Most descendants who grew up in this distinguished military family would inevitably have their dreams crushed when they reached ten. Upon learning that their genetic aptitude was not up to par, their path to becoming a noble mech pilot turned out to be a distant illusion.
This was a bitter pill to swallow for many young Larkinsons. Ves himself had wasted his entire teenage years because it took this long to get over his profound disappointment.
Fortunately, most Larkinsons readjusted quickly. The Larkinsons never stigmatized or looked down on the norms in the family. Each of them were related by blood, after all. No matter if they were potentates or norms, the Larkinsons always stuck together without any pretensions of status or superiority.
Moses Larkinson used to be one of those crushed ten-year old kids. Seeing a handful of cousins emerge out of the testing center with smiles hurt him deeply.
From that day on, the friends he used to wrestle with became the future pride of the family. The new potentates no longer had time to play silly games or waste their time on idle past-times.
The training of a Larkinson mech pilot started immediately. In order to insure that each Larkinson started off with a strong foundation and solid specialization, they needed to undergo a training regime that was far more arduous than the courses offered by the mech academies.
If not for the strong will and belief in the Larkinson heritage, most of the potentates in the family would have spat blood and given up early.
Of course, none of that had anything to do with Moses Larkinson. Though the family did its best to avoid treating norms as rejects or lesser beings, the lack of attention from the greatest of Larkinsons became very clear.
Many Larkinson norms eventually accepted their fate. They turned their attention to other vocations. With the help of their name and the modest financial support of their family, they could easily pursue other careers.
Some became respected doctors who worked at major hospitals.
Others studied business in order to land an easy job managing some of the assets of the Larkinson Estate.
Of course, a disproportionate amount of Larkinsons still chose to serve in the armed forces.
Even if the Mech Corps centered around mechs and mech pilots, they still required a lot of support to function optimally on the battlefield.
Many Larkinsons, by virtue of their background, rose up to become a part of the backbone of the Mech Corps.
Each of them served in the Mech Corps because they felt compelled to do so. It was the Larkinson way.
Moses Larkinson happened to be one of them. Leveraging his high understanding of mechs due to growing up in a family obsessed with them, he worked his way up the ranks of the Mech Corps as a tactical officer.
He even participated in the Bright-Vesia Wars, earning a respectable amount of merits and honor to satisfy his obligation as a Larkinson.
To Moses, it wasn't enough. Even if he did his duty, he always felt that he had it easy compared to the mech pilots who risked their lives directly at the forefront of the battlefield.
There was still a difference between mech pilots and norms.
With the war between the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom over, Moses still found himself with a void within his heart.
He languished in his duties ever since the Bright Republic returned to peace.
There may not be another war in twenty to thirty years. That was far too long for an impatient man like Moses.
Was he really destined to spend the bulk of his service in peace?
Then the Sand War erupted.
The horror that had beset the Komodo Star Sector shocked every Brighter. Border states with hundreds of years of history fell within a matter of weeks or months. The endless onslaught of sandman fleets overwhelming defenses sparked one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies in the star sector in hundreds of years!
The citizens of the Bright Republic became frightened when they heard about the collapse of so many states and the deaths of trillions of humans.
A war was coming, one that was greater and more terrible than the ones they fought before!
Yet to certain people like Moses Larkinson, he felt as if he found his true calling in this crisis.
Defending humanity against alien aggression was one of the most noble callings imaginable!
Since the Age of Mechs, most conflicts between humans and aliens had subsided. Many races were self-aware enough to avoid poking the strongest civilization in the galaxy.
As for humanity, the Big Two did not consider the risks of further expansion to be worthwhile. To fight any further would risk depleting an already-exhausted civilization. With so many lives at stake, the CFA and MTA could not afford to overextend their forces!
For this reason, clashes between civilizations became rare. So much so that many Brighters never imagined fighting against an alien race in their lifetimes.
To a Larkinson like Moses, the sandman crisis actually came as an opportunity.
Once the Bright Republic unveiled the Starfighter Corps, Moses saw his opportunity!
"I have to volunteer!"
Due to his accomplishments in the Mech Corps and the reputation of his family name, Moses immediately became an officer candidate of the Starfighter Corps.
While his piloting skills were just as average as any hastily-trained starfighter pilot, his discipline, wartime experience and dedication soon elevated him above his peers.
It took less than a month for him to become a Starfighter Captain and deploy to the front.
The brass randomly allocated him to lead a starfighter wing of the 243th Greedy Luxers.
Like every other starfighter regiment, the 243th only existed for a very short time.
Compared to his old mech regiment, the Greedy Luxers did not benefit from a long and storied history. The lack of martial tradition and camaraderie became very evident as Moses tried to forge his starfighter wing from a random collection of volunteers into a band of brothers.
"Captain Larkinson!" The comm in his starfighter crackled as Moses tried to dance away from the barrage of lasers fired by the distant sandman swarm! "Cover the mercenaries as best you can as we advance!"
Moses gritted his teeth as his starfighter endured a number of hits. He hit back as best as possible by firing the ballistic weapon mounted on his spacecraft, but he had little hopes of hitting one of the sandman drones at this range.
"Acknowledged, sir." He replied to his superior. "My men will keep up, though they will pay for it with their lives."
The price of closing distance to the sandmen was too costly to bear. Moses barely made it out alive in previous actions. Would he be lucky enough to be spared from the sandmen this time?
He shook his head and tried his best to immerse his mood in the distant glow of a Desolate Soldier hovering in the vicinity of his starfighter regiment.
Glancing at the mech designed by the most successful norm of the Larkinson Family in its entire history peppered him up. Respect and awe suffused his face as he recalled the incredible accomplishments of its designer.
Ves was a true role model of the norms in the family!
Even without piloting a mech, his accomplishments already put him on equal terms with the expert pilots among the Larkinsons!
Something like that had never occurred! Every norm, Moses included, took inspiration from his rise!
Just because they lacked the aptitude to pilot mechs did not mean they were destined to be sidelined!
Each Larkinson possessed the potential to become a hero!
Moses firmed up and commanded his starfighter pilots to advance.
His subordinates responded shakily. The torrent of laser beams had never relented. It took a lot of courage to advance into the storm!
As his wing formation grew more and more ragged, Moses continually exhorted his men to push forward!
"Are you pigs or starfighter pilots?! Remember your training!"
"Endure! The lives of 700 million citizens are at stake!"
"The swarm is already beginning to shrink!"
None of his subordinates were anything alike his former comrades in the Mech Corps.
Most of the 'volunteers' had been lured into serving in the Starfighter Corps through deceptive means. Once they realized the dangers, it was too late for them to withdraw!
"The only way to survive is to fight!"
"Heroes never falter!"
"Your brothers and sisters are counting on you!"
His job as a starfighter captain mostly amounted to managing rookies. The naive and gullible starfighter pilots had to be treated carefully and with constant encouragement in order to keep them in formation.
If not for the Desolate Soldier accompanying their wing, Moses was sure that at least half of his subordinates would have fled by now!
"We're getting close! Focus on evasive maneuvers! Let the mechs whittle down the swarm!"
The starfighters under his command vigorously flew side to side, though its thrusters weren't powerful enough to fool sandman targeting systems.
Moses merely wanted to give his starfighter pilots the illusion that their sluggish maneuvers could make a difference in preserving their lives.
Giving his subordinates the illusion that they had control over their own fate was just one of the many lies he had been instructed to tell.
Once his wing arrived in position, their formation remained in place as the mechs using the starfighters as cover began to target the sandman drones with greater accuracy.
The initial results were better than Moses expected of mercenaries.
Hundreds of mechs and starfighters joined the fray. Moses even spotted a handful of the newfangled Dawnbreakers shooting down the sandman drones with abandon!
Though numerous starfighters exploded all around him, the sandman swarm dearly paid for these small successes.
"The swarm is disintegrating!"
"We took out one of their sandman admirals early!"
Roars of victory flooded the communication channels! Everyone expressed their raw relief at this hard-fought victory!
Though a number of sandman admirals still persisted, their advantage in numbers continually grew smaller and smaller until they didn't have any drones left to threaten the human defenders.
The battle was won!
Unfortunately, as Moses and his ragged subordinates flew back to their carrier, he had no choice but to tally their losses.
Less than twenty starfighter pilots gathered together at one of the hangar bays. Each of them looked glum as over half of their wing failed to make it back in time.
Perhaps at least half of them managed to eject in time, but the sandmen never let off the slow-moving escape pods. It only took one weak laser beam to pierce their flimsy shells and kill the starfighter pilot trying to flee.
Such an outcome became increasingly more prevalent as the sandman admirals started to ditch their heavy laser strikes for rapid-fire laser salvos.
"May our comrades who perished in battle rest in peace." Moses stated.
"Their light will forever burn in our hearts."
Scenes like this occurred everywhere. Moses had seen so many of his subordinates fall that he stopped memorizing their names. They died so frequently that Moses had grown numb to the losses.
"When will it be my turn?" He quietly whispered under his breath.
His starfighter was no different from the others. Skill made little difference due to the limitations of their spacecraft.
In the end, Moses Larkinson lasted for three more battles. After beating off some basic sandman fleets, another swarm configuration descended upon the star system.
The Greedy Luxers reluctantly answered the call.
Moses Larkinson died as one of many starfighter pilots that perished that day.
He died doing his duty under the glow of a Desolate Soldier.
He died with a smile.
Chapter 1615 Enemy Customers
The specter of the war loomed heavily on Cloudy Curtain. It became increasingly more difficult for locals to maintain their cheer when they heard about the terrible battles taking place at the front.
It had gotten so bad that the Bright Republic became much more stringent about publicizing the war.
Morale had to be maintained at all cost. It did little good to everyone if they learned how many starfighter pilots perished each day. Otherwise, where would the Starfighter Corps get all of their fresh blood?
Due to his background, status and connections, Ves easily gained access to the truth.
The casualties were too horrible to imagine. If the survival of an entire state and the vast majority of its population wasn't at stake, a lot of people would have risen up in protest!
Unfortunately, everyone in the know was smart enough that the alternative was worse. The Bright Republic could not afford to let the sandmen grind its Mech Corps to dust before engulfing the people stuck on its vulnerable planets!
Every starfighter pilot deserved to be treated as a hero. Yet their lives were so short and fleeting that hardly anyone had time to pause and reflect on their sacrifices.
As cruel as it sounded, the Starfighter Corps existed to endure the losses the Mech Corps couldn't afford to sustain.
No one paused to remember the dead. A dead starfighter pilot was no longer of any value to the soldiers shouldering the burden of defending the Republic against the sandmen!
Only his closest friends and family remembered someone like Moses Larkinson. To everyone else, he was merely another name in a continually-expanding list of casualties.
Perhaps once the war was over, the Starfighter Corps would erect some pretty monument in Rittersberg that listed out his name for remembrance.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with Ves. Maybe he would have volunteered to become a starfighter pilot in a different life.
To the current Ves, answering this calling was beneath him. As a mech designer, he could make a bigger impact on the war by doing his job.
He had no desire to hop into a cockpit and blast the sandmen up close, especially when he heard how short the life of an average starfighter pilot spanned. Those lucky enough to survive six serious encounters were already regarded as veterans!
"The second generation of starfighter models are supposed to be more resilient." Raymond passed on the latest rumors that crossed his ears. "They feature much thicker frontal plating. While it's not enough for them to resist a heavy laser strike, they are able to resist at least double the amount of light laser attacks."
That could make a huge difference in the survival rate of starfighter pilots!
"The current starfighter models on the battlefields are cheap for a reason. Can the Bright Republic cope with the increased production cost?" Ves asked.
Raymond looked uncertain. "Our state has no choice but to invest in heavier starfighters. The loss in life has grown so severe that the officers and pilots of the Starfighter Corps are becoming increasingly more restless. It is one thing to ask them to do their duty, it is another thing to ask them to act as human shields. The pressure and trauma they are shouldering is enough to drive even the best of us to despair!"
Both of them fell silent for a time. Each of them had access to privileged information that painted a gruesome picture of the war so far.
"How is the LMC doing?" Ves changed the topic.
"The launch of the Militant Soldier and Peaceful Soldier added some much-needed diversity to our mech catalog. While the Mech Corps has been lukewarm in adopting the Militant Soldier, our Peaceful Soldiers are continuing to sell like hotcakes."
"It's too bad the Peaceful Soldier is exclusive to the Bright Republic." Ves said with regret. "If not for all of the proprietary tech, components and standards I've incorporated in its design, we could have easily sold millions copies throughout the entire star sector."
"You can still do so, Ves. With the experience you've gained with the Peaceful Soldier, it shouldn't take you too long to develop a civilian variant."
The LMC already received many solicitations from various governments and organizations throughout the star sectors. Each of them expressed a lot of interest in a true landbound version of the Desolate Soldier.
It was much more convenient to patrol a population settlement with such a mech! Their glows ensured that the locals became much more obedient in their vicinity!
"I've already considered the matter. While you are right that the demand for such a product is huge, any mech design that doesn't help in the war effort is not a priority to me right now. In addition, popularizing a landbound mech with the same glow as the Desolate Soldier is extremely disruptive."
Ves constantly reminded the people around him that they shouldn't solely look out for the LMC.
His mech company would do well regardless of how many mechs it sold. Ves was more than satisfied with the success of the Soldier product line. There was not that much benefit to pursuing more sales, especially if he risked stepping on too many people's toes in the process.
The Desolate Soldier and its variants mainly served to defend humanity against the sandmen. Nothing more. Ves even felt tempted to withdraw the Solemn Guardian from his position as design spirit because his glow was too vulnerable to abuse!
Sadly, Ves was quickly forced to set aside those notions. His reputation and the reputation of the LMC would be ruined if he intentionally sabotaged his existing products.
His customers bought his mechs with specific expectations. One of the biggest taboos in marketing was misrepresenting products.
Since the LMC never mentioned anything about expiration dates on their glows, every customer believed the Soldier mechs would continue to be useful for many years.
The discussion moved on to the Prideful Soldier. This cheaper variant had been out on the market for more than a month now. This was enough time to give the LMC a solid understanding of its market appeal.
"Sales of our Prideful Soldiers have actually exceeded our expectations." Raymond noted with a smile. "Their lower price points and their altered glows have become a huge hit among the gangs and underground organizations. The only downside is that it's hard to hide them, but even then they're rapidly becoming a staple in the Bentheim System!"
"Oh?"
"The BLM and the three dominant gangs have taken to the Prideful Soldier with great enthusiasm! Practically every Prideful Soldier rolling off the production lines at Bentheim ends up in their hands! In addition, its appeal isn't confined to our state. The Reinald Republic has actually become our second-biggest market for this product!"
Such a result astounded him a bit. Ves never realized that adding a mote of Zeigra's spirituality would induce such strong attraction in the auras of his Prideful Soldiers.
"I thought the Reinald Republic is barely holding it together."
"The Reinaldans are in bad shape, but the Frozen Leaf Alliance is still of value. The smaller states that haven't been hit yet are well aware that they'll be next once the Reinald Republic and the other states in the third line of defense are gone. The influx of foreign reinforcements in recent weeks have done much to stall the sandman advance."
A part of Ves was disappointed that the Reinald Republic hadn't croaked yet. He had bad memories of the state and regarded it as a tumor of the local region.
If it was up to him, he preferred it if the LMC stopped selling Soldier mechs to the Reinaldans.
Of course, that was just a petty impulse. No one would ever accept such a decision. Ves had a responsibility to treat his customers fairly.
"Is there anything else happening abroad that I should take note of?" Ves asked.
Hesitation appeared on Raymond's face. He carefully leaned forward. "There is one more issue that demands your attention. It's rather sensitive though..."
Uh oh. Ves immediately smelled trouble.
"What is it? Just spit it out."
"There is one more mech market in the vicinity which we haven't exploited yet. The demand for our product is growing, but our actual sales have been nonexistent due to one important reason."
It didn't take long for Ves to rule out the state that Raymond referred to. His products had penetrated almost every state in the region except for one glaring exception.
"You're talking about the Vesia Kingdom, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Ves immediately grew morose. Memories of the most recent Bright-Vesia War came to mind. The devastating defeat suffered by the ground forces of the Flagrant Vandals always haunted him from time to time.
He had seen too many Brighters die at the hands of the Vesians. Though he was fine with living alongside the latter in peace, becoming friends was a step too far.
"I take it that they are very eager to deploy our Desolate Soldiers and Prideful Soldiers, correct?"
"..Yes. In recent weeks, the LMC has received secret missives requesting us to open a direct sales channel to the Vesia Kingdom."
"Who are the people sending these missives?"
"Representatives from Imodris, Venidse, Hafner and so on. So far, the royal house hasn't contacted us yet, but according to our analysts, it's only a matter of time."
A very conflicting mood overcame Ves. "We aren't selling any Soldier mechs to the Vesians, right?"
"Not directly, but that hasn't stopped some of the more enterprising Vesians. Merchants are buying our Desolate Soldiers and Prideful Soldiers in enormous batches before shipping them to the Kingdom. Whether the merchants are reselling our products or fulfilling a commission on behalf of a Vesian client, the fact of the matter is that the Vesians have already surreptitiously adopted our mechs!"
Officially, mech companies from the Bright Republic never conducted business in the Vesia Kingdom and vice versa.
With all of the bad blood generated by so many generational wars, how could either side ever trade with each other?
That didn't stop smugglers and traders from exploiting this situation. In truth, a considerable amount of trade occurred between the two states. The trade ships merely made a detour through the former Coman Federation or the independent State of Pillis before entering the other state.
If Raymond was right, then the same took place with the LMC's Soldier mechs!
"What do you want me to do, Raymond? Establish a branch in the Vesia Kingdom in order to facilitate direct sales to their oppressive nobles?"
"The Vesia Kingdom is much harder pressed in the Sand War than us, Ves." The COO calmly pointed out. "We may not like it, but we need the Vesians to cover our flank. If the state ever falls, the victorious sandmen will certainly wheel around and hit the Bright Republic along a new front! With how thin the Mech Corps and the Starfighter Corps has spread their forces, we simply can't afford to cover so much additional territory!"
Ves understood this logic just as well as Raymond. Yet the thought of strengthening the Vesians by selling them his products was a very difficult pill to swallow.
If anyone told him that he would one day sell his mechs to the Vesians, he would have laughed in their faces!
If not for the sandman invasion driving everyone, including the Vesians, to desperation, Ves would have never been confronted with this choice!
"What do the Tovars say? I don't believe they kept their mouths shut."
"From what we have heard, the Tovars have tacitly consented to opening a sales channel. In fact, the government might take advantage of this opportunity to increase the flow of trade between our two states."
Ves snorted. "Of course they don't want to go first. Cowards."
He knew for certain that his reputation and the reputation of the LMC would take a hit in the Bright Republic once they pioneered a sales channel to the Vesia Kingdom.
He didn't care, though. In fact, he looked forward to selling his mechs to the Vesians! Just the thought of humiliating their entire mech industry was enough to lighten his mood!
Chapter 1616 Tormented Survivor
Since the Vesians already got their hands on the Soldier mechs, the LMC might as well sell them directly.
Now that Ves gave his consent, Raymond quickly left in order to make the arrangements.
It was far from simple to overcome the centuries-old trade embargo between the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom.
At the very least, the LMC needed to work closely with the government in the coming weeks. If the Bright Republic itself did not agree to this trade, the company would never be able to dream of entering the Vesian mech market!
Later that day, Ves enjoyed a break with his girlfriend. The two of them sat together in a lounge that Gloriana recently renovated in the lab and workshop floor of the Mech Nursery.
While their cats playfully chased after a very agile mouse bot that Gloriana imported from Centerpoint, both of them comfortably leaned against each other.
Their relationship had grown stable. Nothing special happened, but that did not mean their love towards each other had cooled down.
Both of them shared a love for mechs. Each new collaboration project provided them with another opportunity to learn about each other's passion for mechs.
A very special intimacy developed between each other whenever they worked together on the same mech.
This was why their relationship still remained in harmony despite their differences.
Regardless of what Ves thought about Hexers or what Gloriana expected from Ves, their love remained as stable as ever.
Ves became more and more comfortable with the thought of spending the rest of his life with Gloriana.
"What are you thinking about, Ves?"
"Ah, nothing important. Just some business matters."
"Oh? Do tell."
"I've recently decided to sell our mechs to the Vesians."
Since Gloriana frequently talked and gossiped with some of the Larkinsons at the Cloud Estate, she knew how badly the Brighters regarded the Vesians.
She attempted to comfort him by patting his arm. "That's.. Very magnanimous of you. I imagine it's as difficult as Hexers selling their mechs to Fridaymen."
"There's a difference between the two. Your state is in a direct conflict against the Coalition. In contrast, the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom are both being pressed by a common enemy that is far more threatening."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Exactly. I don't like this decision, but I know it will be worse for us if the Vesia Kingdom can't persist."
Even though it made sense, it still sounded absurd to Ves. He still couldn't quite get over the fact that every Vesian would soon become exposed to the wonders of his mechs.
Would they become his fans? Would they demand continued access to the products of the LMC?
Whatever the case, Ves was sure that the Sand War completely upended the old order. Just as the Bright Republic hungered to conquer the former territories of the Coman Federation, the Vesia Kingdom also looked forward to doubling or tripling its territories!
Digesting so much territory took decades, if not centuries. Depending on how extensively the sandmen devastated the cities and infrastructure of the formerly-populated planets, a lot of rebuilding had to be done before the new acquisitions turned into assets of the states.
Ves predicted that the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom would not go to war anymore in the next century or so. One of the primary reasons the Vesians hungered for war was to acquire more territorial acquisitions. Now that they stood to gain a huge amount of ownerless star systems, why should they bother their neighbors?
Perhaps the Bright-Vesia Wars might even become a thing of the past.
Once the contradictions between the two states faded, trade would probably flourish. A new generation of Brighters and Vesians would grow up in a time of peace and expansion. Without experiencing the previous wars for themselves, they would not be as hesitant in working together as their predecessors.
This would not take place for many years, though. Opening a trade channel just as the memories of the previous war were still too fresh sounded like a bad idea.
Ves didn't care. He looked forward to gloating over the Vesians as they helplessly came to depend on his Soldier mechs!
"Meow."
Their two cats tired of chasing after the darned uncatchable mouse bot and leapt up to their laps.
"Oh, are you hungry, Lucky?" Gloriana teased while tweaking Lucky's ears.
"Meow!"
Gloriana happily retrieved a treat from her pocket and threw it in his mouth. "Here you go!"
Meanwhile Ves rubbed his fingers over Clixie's soft fur. He still hadn't gotten over the novelty of petting a creature with actual fur. Clixie was a lot more adorable than his naughty cat in his eyes!
"You're such an elegant cat, Clixie. Lucky can learn a lot from you!"
"Miaow."
Times like these happened nearly every day. While not a lot of excitement took place, neither Ves nor Gloriana had any complaints.
Sadly, Ves couldn't afford to indulge in Gloriana's company every moment of the day. Even if he did his best to delegate his responsibilities, he still needed to divert some time on various matters.
The LMC increasingly grew more formidable. With several manufacturing facilities coming online in Bentheim, the Mech Nursery was no longer the only production site of the company.
Ves still had no intentions of moving to Bentheim, though. It was far too busy for his liking and it was filled with powerful players that Ves had no intention of meeting.
While it appeared that the recent developments on Cloudy Curtain attracted hundreds if not thousands of different influences, Ves and the LMC remained dominant on this planet!
Aside from the LMC, he regularly checked up on his other organizations. The Avatars, Battle Criers and Sentinels constantly grew stronger as Ves or the LMC invested considerable sums of money in upgrading their mechs.
The Larkinson Exobiology Institute also started to take shape. While it was too soon to gain permission to erect an exobeast reserve on Cloudy Curtain, Dr. Lupo already made some progress in some areas.
As for the Ves Larkinson Foundation for Wounded Veterans, he reluctantly watched on as Clinton Larkinson expanded the charity's capacity to treat the wounded.
In fact, if Clinton got his way, he wanted the Foundation to build an entirely new medical facility on Cloudy Curtain, one geared towards veteran care!
Naturally, Ves did not agree to this. Expanding the Foundation's treatment capacity to a hundred patients was enough.
Speaking of patients, one of the issues that required his personal attention was Davia Stark. The doctors employed by the Foundation did a good job in treating the physical wounds of this hidden expert pilot.
However, the doctors could do nothing about her mental and spiritual wounds.
As Dr. Lupo guided him to the recovery room where Davia Stark rested, he explained the patient's condition.
"From what we can tell of her history, she used to be a mercenary pilot when the sandmen crossed into human space. The mercenary corps she used to be a part of suffered the same fate as most of the initial defenders."
Overwhelmed by sandmen.
"Have any of her former comrades survived?" Ves carefully asked.
It would be bad for him if her former friends, colleagues and family came to Cloudy Curtain and insisted on taking Stark away!
Dr. Lupo looked uncertain. "It's difficult to tell. The chaos following the fall of the border states has upended existing records. They're not up to date anymore so it's very hard to figure out if people are dead or alive."
"So far, you haven't found anything, right?"
"No. We have tried to reach out to known contacts, but no one replied to our messages. It is looking increasingly more likely that this poor woman is all alone now."
Ves tried his best not to erupt into a grin. That would be improper. Instead, he slowly managed to school his face in a sad and solemn expression.
"I hope we can give Madame Stark a new home here at the LMC. I'm always open to employing honorable veterans."
"That sounds very generous of you, Mr. Larkinson." Lupo fawned.
"Is she in a state to talk?"
"We can wake her up if you wish. It won't affect her recovery as long as you keep your discussion short and free of stress."
"Wake her up, then. I'll be holding a private talk with her. Please stay outside."
Lupo nodded as Ves stepped into the recovery room. Some kind of attached device beeped as it injected some chemicals in Davia's bloodstream.
The expert pilot slowly emerged from her slumber.
Once Nitaa closed the doors, Ves passed on an instruction to Lucky who outputted a weak ECM field that mainly targeted the monitoring system of the room.
Ves did not wish to ruin the medical equipment built into the recovery bed.
"Hello, Davia. Can I call you that?"
Davia stopped pretending to be asleep. Her dull eyes turned to Ves as if she was gazing at a worm.
"You kidnapped me."
"I wouldn't say that." Ves defended himself. "I merely took you to a treatment facility where I could give you the care you deserve."
"I don't deserve anything."
"Your wounds would have led to a lot of chronic pain if left untreated."
"Good. I deserve to suffer."
Ves twitched his mouth. What was wrong with this woman?
"I'm giving you a second chance."
"Who says I want one?"
"I know you're an expert pilot." Ves admitted. "As a member of the famed Larkinson Family of the Bright Republic, I'm very familiar with expert pilots. I recognize the same air from you as the expert pilots of my family."
That was a lie, but Davia didn't have to know that.
The woman scowled at Ves. "I am a disgrace of an expert pilot. I failed my comrades and I failed my state."
"You're not the first traumatized survivor I've met. You're not doing anyone a favor by knocking yourself down. Do you think you are doing your fallen comrades a service by giving in to your despair?"
Davia shrugged. "I'm a failure. I am one of the least deserving mech pilots in the star sector to be bestowed this power. I was completely unable to save the commander I admired."
Ves narrowed his eyes as he figured something out. "Did you fight against the sandman in a standard mech?"
"I haven't piloted an expert mech if that's what you're asking."
"Ah. That explains it, then. No expert pilot can exert their full strength in a mech that isn't designed to resonate with you. Expert mechs are expensive for a reason."
"THAT DOESN'T EXCUSE MY FAILURE! PEOPLE COUNTED ON ME! NOW THEY'RE DEAD!"
"Calm down! Your body is still weak! You won't do your recovery any good if you lash out like that!"
Fortunately, Davia was simply too tired and fed up to sustain her outburst. She quickly calmed down and entered into a depressed mood.
Ves cautiously walked closer until he stood at the side of her bed. Despite her treatment, Davia appeared much older and frailer than before. According to the record, she was about 50 years old.
"When did you become an expert pilot?"
"Not too long ago." She answered. "I never thought I would become an expert pilot after I finished my military service. I became an expert pilot once I became a mercenary, but only a few people knew."
That sounded strange. Ordinarily, expert pilots could never hide themselves as their force of will was too easy to detect with modern resonance sensors.
"No one else found out?"
"I wasn't an expert pilot for long, to be honest. We kept it a secret as best as possible by disabling the sensors of our mechs and ships. As long as I holed up in my cabin and avoided contact with other forces, it's easy to avoid detection. I have no stomach to rejoin the military."
"Others would have found out eventually."
"That's true. I just wanted to prolong my return."
"Then the sandmen came."
"Yes."
The sandman invasion changed her entire fate.
Chapter 1617 Research Institutions
Ves found it difficult to engage Davia Stark in conversation. The spiritually crippled expert pilot was a woman without spirit. She completely lacked the strong will and belief that normal expert pilots possessed.
While her state made her pliable to an extent, the problem was that Stark no longer possessed the will to live!
He frowned as he felt he wasn't making any progress in their one-sided conversation. Every time he attempted to prod her, she merely replied in a perfunctory manner.
It felt as if he was talking to a suicidal bot.
Fortunately, this was not the first time Ves encountered a traumatized mech pilot. It was just that this case was a lot more thornier than usual because Davia just happened to be an expert pilot.
Injury and death remained an ever-present risk to those who risked their lives on the battlefield. The Larkinsons were very familiar with this universal truth. Not even their expert pilots returned from war unscathed.
His grandfather Benjamin happened to be a good example. He used to be an expert pilot before he returned with some sort of injury that no longer made him an expert pilot.
Such an outcome should have been devastating to any expert pilot, but his grandfather managed to pull through that dark period and readjust his life without any issue.
Since the Larkinsons raised so many mech pilots and sent them off to war, they also became proficient in treating them when they became wounded, crippled or traumatized.
War was a messy business. Those who entered the meat grinder never emerged unscathed.
The main reason the Larkinson Compound accommodated so many Larkinsons was to provide a calm refuge to those who needed to heal their mental scars.
The Larkinsons always believed that leaving a traumatized mech pilot alone was incredibly negligent.
People tended to develop weird thoughts when they were left by themselves. This problem was worse among the wounded and the mentally-scarred.
Therefore, the simple, low-tech solution the Larkinsons came up with after hundreds of years of trial and error was to surround the traumatized with family.
While it didn't work all the time, the Larkinsons saw enough success in this approach to stick with it. Ves always remembered his time at the Larkinson Compound fondly.
"I have a suggestion." He began. "Recuperating in this isolated recovery room won't do you much good. Once your physical condition improves, I intend to bring you to my Cloud Estate where my relatives can keep you company. Is that okay?"
Davia snorted. "Do what you want."
"Okay."
Though she remained a tough shell to crack, at least she didn't express any intentions to leave. After losing her home and everyone she knew, she had nowhere to go. It made no difference to her if she stayed in his care or returned to the farming settlement.
Ves soon left her room, allowing the sedatives to put her back to sleep.
"Take good care of her, Dr. Lupo." He repeated his instruction. "Once she recovers enough to stand and walk on her own, transfer her to the Cloud Estate. Make sure to assign some caretakers to her to attend to her daily needs."
Though Lupo still didn't know why Ves paid so much attention to an ordinary wounded veteran, he knew better than to question his employer.
"I will make sure that she is taken care of, Mr. Larkinson. I'll also spare some time in my schedule to check up on her condition and form a customized diet to facilitate her physical recovery."
Ves smiled. "Good. Treat her just like you treat Gloriana and I. Don't skimp on anything."
Ever since Ves put Dr. Lupo in charge of ingredient preparation, every meal turned into a delight.
While Ves was initially dismissive of Dr. Lupo's obsession with nutrition, it turned out that this specialty was not as trivial as he thought.
Each meal incorporated ingredients that Dr. Lupo tailored to their individual physiques!
The meals that Gloriana ate became a lot more delicate and pure.
In contrast, Ves ate meals that became a lot more filling and dense with energy.
Ever since he switched to Lupo's customized diet, Ves never felt as full and energy-rich as before!
He realized that he was missing out an entirely different facet of life before he employed Dr. Lupo!
Gloriana was just as happy with Dr. Lupo's addition to the staff!
Though Dr. Lupo frequently demanded to cook their meals, he was not as adept in the culinary arts as the chefs employed by Gloriana.
Personally, Ves didn't mind, but Gloriana vehemently opposed any notion of replacing her chefs.
She always employed the best she could get her hands on! Dr. Lupo was incomparable to Chefs trained in a prosperous second-rate state like the Hexadric Hegemony!
Of course, who knew if that remained the same a few years from now.
The Intelligence Candies that Ves graciously fed to Dr. Lupo weren't cabbages!
After the exobiologist adjusted to his expanded intellectual capabilities, he devoured knowledge like a bottomless hole!
Ves expected much from Lupo in the future!
As the two walked out of the Foundation's medical center, Ves quizzed the exobiologist on his progress.
"It's too soon for me to achieve any results on my assignments." Dr. Lupo admitted. He spent too much time putting his new learning ability to use. "My understanding of organic food substances is the highest. I'm confident I can make some headway into cracking the secrets of geril spice."
"What about the Archimedes Rubal?"
Lupo frowned for a moment. "I've tracked down some old records. It's not a bioimplant that is used anymore. I found a lot of useful documents and files that can help me update its bioprogramming, but the problem is that I can't make heads or tails of the data yet. Even if most of it is outdated, we're still talking about high technology here."
"Prioritize this project over anything else. I don't want to wait too long to implant the Archimedes Rubal in my head. Gloriana's cousin who is supposedly capable of performing the surgery will probably arrive within the year. I want you to be knowledgeable enough about implant surgery to assist in the surgery."
Dr. Lupo ought to be smart enough to realize that Ves did not entirely trust Gloriana's cousin.
"Rest assured, Mr. Larkinson. I will make sure to devote my time to studying this field and deciphering the Archimedes Rubal. It's just that I won't be able to devote as much time on other priorities."
Ves lazily waved his hand. "That's fine. The Larkinson Exobiology Institute is not meant to be a one-man organization. Hire more people and delegate some of the less sensitive tasks to them. I trust you to know what you can share and what you need to keep to yourself."
He employed a bit of his Spirituality and applied some pressure to Dr. Lupo. In an instant, he turned from a mild-mannered mech designer into a ferocious beast in human form!
"I-I-I understand!"
It didn't hurt to remind Dr. Lupo of what he stood to gain if he continued to remain loyal to Ves. It also didn't hurt to remind the former refugee that Ves was not an ordinary man.
Once he parted ways with Lupo, he returned to his office to keep on top of the latest developments.
The LMC sold more and more mechs. The Sand War became increasingly more bloody. The introduction of the Dawnbreaker and its variants slowly started to strengthen the forces that procured their copies. The Sandbreaker weapon system spread out throughout the entire region in rapid tempo!
In fact, the Avatars and Sentinels had already begun to switch out their old ballistic rifles for the newfangled Sandbreaker rifles!
Ves even visited a training ground to witness the effectiveness of the Sanbreaker rifle with his own eyes.
A Sandbreaker round impacted a target dummy made out of grainy substance that resembled the composition of a sandman vessel.
The round exploded instantly upon contact! A powerful concussive shockwave emanated outwards in a semi-focused cone! The target dummy lost at least half of its mass, impressing everyone witnessing the test!
"This Sandbreaker round is thirty percent more damaging against the sandmen than a standard ballistic round!"
This was an enormous difference! Transitioning to this weapon system would certainly save a lot of lives! This was why Ves did not feel any qualms about adopting the Sandbreaker system despite its origin!
"What a killer product!" Gavin commented with a hint of regret. "Those Ansel mech designers will certainly be swimming in money from all of the licensing fees they earn!"
Ves shrugged. "This is what they deserve. There's no point feeling jealous about it. Don't forget that a lot of experts have worked on the Sandbreaker weapon system. One of Ansel's main advantages is that the school has forged a lot of partnerships with research institutions. Professor Xu didn't develop the Sandbreaker by herself!"
These kinds of partnerships became increasingly more prevalent in the upper end of mech design. As much as mech designers accumulated detailed knowledge, they weren't omniscient.
Partnering up with a specialized research institution allowed mech designers to incorporate more advanced solutions in their mechs!
This was a way for mech designers to overcome a gap in capabilities without involving additional mech designers. This was vitally important to the Dawnbreaker project, which already involved five fully-fledged Seniors.
"It's too bad we don't have any ties to research institutions."
"It's not easy to gain the cooperation of those research institutions." Ves shook his head.
For now, it wasn't necessary for him to partner up with them. The advanced Skills and Sub-Skills he redeemed from the System served as a partial substitute to the services provided by research institutions.
Though his mech designs no longer received any hindrance if he involved too many people in the project, he still preferred to keep the headcount low.
Working with too many people not only complicated the management of his projects, but also caused the development time to double or triple.
Under the current circumstances, Ves couldn't afford to delay his design work so much.
Of course, declining to work with research institutions also made it difficult to add a powerful gimmick or a fantastic component like the Sandbreaker weapon system to his designs.
Once Ves saw enough, he left the training ground and returned to the Mech Nursery.
There, he began to discuss his next design project with Gavin.
"According to the schedule, Vincent Ricklin is about to arrive soon, right?"
His assistant nodded. "Your next client is scheduled to arrive in two or three days. He'll be bringing some company along."
"Make sure his party knows that they shouldn?t mess around in Cloudy Curtain. This is my home planet and I don't want these former rebels to provoke a fight."
He knew that Vincent would definitely be accompanied by his goons of the former Bentheim Liberation Movement. Ever since the separatists received amnesty, they no longer hid themselves in quiet asteroid belts or underground bases.
According to the latest news from Bentheim, the former members of the BLM still hadn't shed their savagery yet. Though they did their best to abide by the terms of their agreement with the Bright Republic, thugs still remained thugs.
"Inform Commander Magdalena of our new arrivals and tell her to make sure to assign some Sentinels to keep watch over them." Ves ordered. "I'm not reassured with letting them run around in Cloudy Curtain without supervision."
"They might not take a liking to that, boss."
"I don't care. I'm in charge here."
Vincent's impending arrival weighed heavily on Ves. Though the incident with Vincent happened a long time ago, it was hard for him to forgive this murderous bastard for entangling him in a lot of trouble.
Just because he outgrew the threat of the surviving Ricklin Family did not mean that Ves forgave Vincent for landing him in trouble in the first place!
Chapter 1618 The Next Projects
One day before the scheduled arrival of Vincent Ricklin, a pivotal event took place that stirred the entire galaxy!
At the time, Ves held a lecture for the Tovar mech designers while Gloriana and Ketis took care of the Larkinson seeds.
So far, Ves was very pleased with the addition of the Tovar mech designers to his design team. While they lacked imagination, they were no slouches in the technical department.
If Ves wanted to exploit their labor, then he did not have to go through so much effort in mentoring them. However, that was not what he promised to Senator Tovar.
Though he declined to make any solid promises, Ves still assumed that he had a responsibility to raise at least one Tovar to Journeyman.
Unfortunately, Cherie, Vela, Pachtold and Gilbert all lacked the required spiritual potential to form a design seed. At their ages, Ves did not believe that they would be able to develop any spiritual potential in the next couple of years.
For this reason, Ves directed a little more attention to Miles, who was the only mech designer among the five who might make it to Journeyman in his lifetime.
"Your specialty relates to aerial mechs, right?"
Miles nodded. "Mechs with flight capabilities are the future. This transition has already taken place in more advanced states. As soon as it becomes economical enough to incorporate a flight system in any mech, pure landbound mechs will become a relic of the past!"
What Miles just stated happened to be similar to what Gloriana taught him in one of her tutoring sessions to turn Ves into a second-class mech designer.
The division between landbound and aerial mechs used to be ubiquitous throughout the galaxy.
However, no one was satisfied with the limited mobility of mechs that could only tread on land. Aerial mechs could cover so much more ground. The downside of aerial mechs was that their flight capabilities took up too much mass and volume in their frames!
While this problem still existed in the mechs employed by third-rate states in the galactic rim, more advanced states no longer stuck by this convention.
As long as the tech and materials became good enough, it was possible to turn every landbound mech into a flying object!
In the Coalition and the Hegemony, many landbound mechs were already capable of maneuvering in the air or in deep space. While they didn't move as fast as dedicated flying mechs, at the very least they weren't helpless in the event of a battle in space!
Gloriana even believed that the distinction between landbound, aerial and spaceborn mechs might disappear in a few hundred years!
This transition already took place in the galactic center and most places in the galactic heartland. The multipurpose mechs that Ves encountered during one of his Mastery experiences already incorporated the ability to operate in several different environments by default!
Such an extravagant and complex feature was still unimaginable in a small state like the Bright Republic!
From that perspective, Miles picked a very good direction to specialize in. At the very least, he did not have to worry about his design philosophy becoming redundant with the passage of time! Every mech required at least some flight capabilities in the future!
"I can't give you any advice when it comes to your specialization." Ves remarked. "This is something you can only depend on yourself. I hope that you have set a concrete goal for yourself. From what I've seen so far of you, I'm not sure you've made up your mind on what you want to accomplish. Just making better flight-capable mechs is not a sufficient goal. Think about it some more."
As Ves was about to wrap up this session, everyone's comms beeped in alarm.
No one's comm was exempted from this alert! Even though Ves ordered everyone to put their comms in silent mode, the alarm superseded all silencing functions without any hindrance!
In addition, the alarm not only affected the comms of the mech designers. Nitaa and the guards stationed by the Sentinels and the Glory Battalion all reacted with surprise as the alarms also affected their communication equipment!
"This alarm tone.."
Everyone paused and widened their eyes. Almost no one had heard this specific tone before.
However, each of them memorized this specific tone at school! This was because it signified a very important event!
"The MTA is about to make a galactic announcement!" Gloriana gasped as she checked her comm first! "It's about to start in sixty minutes!"
While the guards didn't react too strongly to this news, the mech designers each shook with anticipation!
"The new mech generation is about to start!"
Ves and Gloriana anticipated this development for a long time! The entire mech industry was about to undergo a huge shift at the impending release of better tech and standards!
Unfortunately, the start of the next mech generation came at a very odd time to the mech designers of the Bright Republic!
With the Sand War raging throughout the rimward direction of the Komodo Star Sector, Ves had no time to design a commercial mech that served the general mech market.
The only mechs that sold in the local region were mechs designed to resist the sandmen!
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Ves benefited hugely from this development because the crisis offered him an opportunity to propel his Soldier product line into an unprecedented level of success!
The success of the Desolate Soldier and its variants along with the spread of the Stripes of Humanity propelled Ves and his mech company into a household name!
In other words, Ves already achieved the results he originally wanted to make after the start of the next mech generation!
"The timing isn't too good." He sighed. "I promised to fulfill a commission."
Gloriana patted his back. "We don't have to work on one project at a time. Besides, we can immediately familiarize ourselves with the new tech and components by applying them to Vincent's custom mech."
"I know, but it's still a burden to juggle multiple projects at once when time is at a premium."
Despite these difficulties, Ves did not shy away from this challenge. He was more than confident enough in his ability to design a new generation mech within a matter of months!
As Ves and Gloriana waited for the announcement to start, they began to discuss which mech they should design next.
"I'm most comfortable with designing premium mechs. That has always been my strongest niche." Ves said after some deliberation.
"Your most successful mech design is a budget mech." His girlfriend pointed out.
"I know, but I feel like I can't express my strengths as well in more limited designs. I also don't want to make it easy for customers to gain access to my glow. The current circumstances with the Desolate Soldier has already shown me that making glows too accessible will devalue their worth."
This was something that Ves always felt uneasy about. While he did not object to selling more mechs and capturing more market share, he feared upending the mech markets too much by making his mechs too ubiquitous.
His Desolate Soldiers would have never sold so well if the Sand War made a lot of ruling powers desperate.
Once the crisis was past, he couldn't be as unbridled as before. His competitors wouldn't sit still if he continued to encroach upon their interests.
By making his mechs expensive, Ves sacrificed volume for quality. He believed that designing mechs for the upper end of the market was the way to go for him. Unlike most mech designers, he never dreamt of turning his mechs into a universal standard.
Naturally, that did not mean that Ves would stop designing cheaper mechs. He just wanted to be more careful about it in order to maintain a reputation for quality and stabilize the value of his glow.
After some thought, Gloriana agreed with his decision as well. "Designing more expensive mechs is a bit closer to designing a second-class mech than if you opted for something cheaper. If you keep designing mechs like the Desolate Soldier, you won't develop the right mindset of someone who is capable of designing a second-class mech."
Recently, Ves made a fair amount of progress in familiarizing himself with second-class mechs. Due to his high Intelligence, he absorbed all of the literature that Gloriana assigned to him within a matter of hours!
His learning speed deeply impressed his girlfriend. She became a lot more hopeful about his chances of becoming a qualified second-class mech designer within three years!
Of course, Gloriana hadn't started with the difficult stuff yet. There was a fair amount of high technology that Ves had to digest before he became capable of designing a higher-end second-class mech!
He had little choice. There were simply too many advanced technologies such as energy shielding and miniaturized flight systems that he needed to become proficient in before he could think of designing a mech that appealed to customers from a second-rate state!
"If the Sand War didn't take place, I would have been more inclined to design a melee mech. Still, it's not that big of a deal to design another ranged mech. I just want some variety."
"What about designing an artillery mech?"
Ves shook his head. "I've already considered that option. A heavy artillery mech will take too long to design while a medium artillery mech doesn't offer enough firepower to make my product compelling."
"What about a light mech, then?"
"The sandmen are too accurate in their laser fire. Fielding a light mech is little better than fielding a starfighter. The risk to the mech pilot is too much."
"A missileer?"
"It's not an efficient weapon system against the sandmen. A mech armed with missiles will shoot its launchers dry after firing several salvos. This is why rifleman mechs enjoy vastly more favor right now. Their damage output per sortie is higher compared to other mech types."
Both of them looked troubled as they contemplated which option they should go for next.
None of the options sounded attractive except for designing a premium rifleman mech. Yet the recently-released Dawnbreaker already filled this niche. Ves saw no point in designing a mech that offered similar performance to an existing popular mech model.
"Why not go for your marksman mech idea?" Gloriana suggested. "Even if it's a sub-type of rifleman mechs, it lends itself well to the premium mech category because of its high skill demand."
Ves mulled over the suggestion and found it doable. "You're right. There aren't any exceptional mech models that focus on long-ranged precision fire on the market."
While the sandmen were lethal up close, they possessed a definite range advantage due to their reliance on laser weapons, which struck their targets at the speed of light! The only reason why the sandmen missed their shots every now and then was because their targeting systems weren't perfect.
In contrast, humanity had to rely on ranged weapons that dealt physical damage as opposed to energy damage. This was bad because physical projectiles traversed a lot slower in space.
The larger the distance, the bigger the problem.
For this reason, marksman mechs didn't really receive too much attention. While they were useful in engaging the sandmen at longer ranges, their total damage output was not as good because they carried less ammunition.
As mechs designed to take out distant opponents, marksmen mechs often resorted to heavier calibers. This was not as efficient in combating the sandmen.
"I'll think about it after the announcement is over." Ves eventually decided. "Who knows, maybe the MTA will introduce some new tech that will make a marksman mech a lot more viable."
In truth, Ves did not have much hopes for that. From what he heard, the next mech generation mainly revolved around significant improvements in laser weapons and other related energy weapon technology.
This happened to be completely useless to Ves at this time!
Chapter 1619 Galactic Mech Councilor
Everyone patiently waited for the announcement to start.
Ves, Gloriana and Ketis sat together while the Tovar mech designers and Larkinson seeds sat further back. All of them faced the design lab's central projector, which Gloriana had already tuned to the MTA's official broadcast channel.
They choose to watch the announcement on their best projector for a good reason.
Every time the Mech Trade Association introduced a new mech generation, the spokesperson often showcased vivid examples and schematics!
All of these new advancements drove every mech designer in the galaxy wild!
Of course, the MTA only devoted time to introduce the most important innovations. The tech showcase also covered both low technology and high technology. Much of the latter wouldn't be very relevant to Ves unless he became a first-class mech designer.
At the moment, the projector depicted the stunning logo of the MTA.
A heroic-looking knight mech surrounded by orange flames burst out of a meteorite! Twelve planets orbited this stylized depiction.
There was a lot of symbolism and meaning behind this logo. The MTA considered themselves to be the protectors and standard bearers of humanity.
If Ves hadn't been exposed to some of the dirty secrets of the MTA, he would have been fooled by their act!
Still, no matter what Ves thought about the organization that rebelled against the Five Scrolls Compact, it still stood up for mech designers and mech pilots throughout the galaxy.
Ves had no choice but to play by their rules because it was a hundred times harder to engage in his profession in every other way.
Even a solemn Senior like the Skull Architect had been forced to eke out an existence in the frontier after he crossed the MTA!
That reminded Ves on what had happened to this dreaded pirate designer. Before the sandmen assaulted the Komodo Star Sector, they first swept through the Faris Star Region.
Malligan's Pitstop and all of the other pirate station in the frontier should have been wiped out by the sandmen by now.
Reportedly, most pirates packed up their bags and fled into civilized space, taking advantage of the chaos to mix in with the refugees.
Someone as powerful and resourceful as Professor Jimenez shouldn't have ended up in the jaws of the sandmen.
Ves hoped the Skull Architect fled very far away. His identity was very problematic in civilized space.
"The announcement is starting!"
Everyone turned their attention to the projection. The logo of the MTA began to rotate once before fading away to reveal a vast and impressive expanse of stars!
Though starscapes were common sights, this was not a regular sight! The density of stars was unimaginable to those who lived in the galactic rim!
"This is the splendor of the galactic center!" Gloriana admiringly explained. "Just look at all of the stars and interstellar gasses floating in between! The rudimentary FTL drives that we are used to are completely unable to function in this dense stellar environment!"
All of those stars and nebulas represented an unimaginable amount of wealth.
Higher stellar activity directly correlated to more exotics! The high-energy reactions that took place in this perilous space also produced much higher grades of exotics!
A person materialized into view in the middle of deep space. Ves figured that this wasn't some kind of special effect. The representative of the MTA literally teleported into the void without wearing any thick, protective suits!
Instead, the old and dignified-looking woman appeared to float in space garbed in nothing but a resplendent, hooded robe!
Once the woman drew back her hood, Ves immediately announced her identity!
"That's Galactic Mech Councilor Dorothea Veyron!"
Councilor Veyron was one of the hundred members of the Galactic Mech Council. The GMC pretty much served as the highest decision-making organ in the MTA, akin to a senate or a legislative assembly of a state!
Veyron used to be a citizen of the Triad Empire, a first-rate state in the galactic center. While she was well-versed in mechs, she wasn't a mech designer.
Instead, she joined the MTA more than 300 years ago as a bureaucrat!
By working her way up the ranks and earning the appreciation of her superiors, she continually promoted up the ranks.
The MTA became more and more impressed by her administrative ability, which was exceptional even when compared to the best in the galaxy!
For Dorothea Veyron to become an august member of the Galactic Mech Council by virtue of her competence in administration was an amazing feat!
Now, this old woman seemingly floated in space without relying on technology to sustain her body in this dangerous vacuum environment.
Whether she managed to survive in space due to advanced technology or extreme modifications to her body, Ves wasn't sure.
Most people probably thought the former was the case. Perhaps they even speculated that this was nothing but an elaborate virtual illusion.
In contrast, most members of upper society suspected that Councilor Veyron was truly floating in space right now!
Continuous advancements in genetic modification and human augmentation enabled many options previously unavailable to humanity!
The woman opened her mouth. Though sound didn't transmit through vacuum, there were countless ways to broadcast her words.
"Sons and daughters of humanity." Her dignified voice rang in everyone's ears. "Our civilization is about to advance once again."
Councilor Veyron's voice possessed an indescribable quality that commanded everyone's attention. Ves did not even think about what he was doing as he sat up straight and listened attentively to what she had to say to the galaxy.
This was the spokesperson that the MTA selected to convey their message to human space! She was anything but an average speaker!
"Over four-hundred years have passed since the start of the Age of Mechs. The current generation of mechs have existed for nearly thirty years. It is time for us to close this period and welcome a new era for mechs."
"Our civilization has grown larger, more powerful and more prosperous than ever before! We live in a golden age of mechs where we have continually pushed the boundaries of our most versatile weapon platform!"
"The Age of Mechs has pulled humanity from the brink of destruction and allowed us to become more refined in the art of war! After centuries of continuous progress, our race has become more efficient in the application of force! The age where our kind used to hammer all of our perceived enemies from existence with the most destructive weapons we have on hand is long past!"
"I am proud to live in this great era! Not only have we pushed mechs to a height that we could scarcely imagine at the beginning of the Age of Mechs, but we have also solidified our dominance throughout the galaxy!"
?Though we are divided by states, our civilization stands as one! We are humans, who emerged from an insignificant planet in the Orion arm of the galaxy to become the most dominant race among countless alien races!"
"Our race has overcome many odds in our rise. We have even confronted our inner demons and come out stronger and more united in the end! For over four-hundred years, the MTA has ensured that war will never be able to threaten the survival of our race again!"
Councilor Veyron kept airing lofty words about humanity and the Age of Mechs. Ves soon pulled himself out of the trance he had inadvertently fallen into. He recognized when he was being indoctrinated!
Ves turned to Gloriana and found to little surprise that she looked fully taken in by Councilor Veyron's pro-human, pro-mech and pro-MTA views!
He prodded her side with his finger. He failed to catch her attention.
Should he do something more drastic? He decided to leave Gloriana alone. Councilor Veyron may be attempting to indoctrinate her audience, but many mech designers already bought into her viewpoints!
Every mech designer believed that mechs were the weapons of humanity!
Every mech designer believed that the Age of Mechs was the best time for a human to be alive!
Every mech designer believed that the MTA was the biggest contributor to peace and prosperity in human space!
Though Ves held some diverging opinions, he knew he wouldn't be able to convince Gloriana of his views at this point.
Fortunately, the councilor soon ended her introductory spiel and went on with the meat of this galaxy-wide announcement!
"Our galactic mech industry has never stood still. The brightest minds of our race are constantly pushing the boundaries of science, allowing us to integrate newer and better technologies into our mechs. The latest mech generation that we will commence this day will alter the landscape of battle! Let me introduce you to the most far-reaching advancements that we have pushed in the latest mech generation!"
Two mechs flew into view, stopping just behind the councilor!
As a human, Councilor Veyron appeared very small in comparison to the huge mechs!
Despite that, the gravitas she conveyed through the projection made it difficult for every mech designer to direct their attention towards the mechs!
It didn't take any explanation for Ves to realize that the mechs belonged to different generations!
The mechs appeared to be a pair of very advanced second-class rifleman mechs. The laser rifles they wielded looked incredibly stunning in the arms of these exquisite mechs!"
Gloriana reacted first. "Those are masterwork mechs!"
Every aspect about their construction appeared flawless in their eyes!
Before they can spend time on admiring the mechs, Councilor Veyron immediately pointed out the critical differences between the two mechs.
"In much of human space, laser weapons are ubiquitous." She explained. "They are efficient, accurate, versatile and convenient. Our Association has expended a considerable amount of effort to introduce innovative new technologies related to laser weapons. Let us demonstrate the results right now!"
A few mechs flew in range. Without much delay, the two rifle-armed mechs fired at the targets which attempted to resist incoming fire with their armor or leverage their mobility to dodge the aim of the pilots!
"Look at the difference in power!" Gloriana exclaimed. "The latest generation laser rifle is at least twenty percent more powerful! Look, the mech on the right has already defeated the defensive mech that attempted to resist the lasers head-on!"
Ves was well-versed in laser weapons, so he quickly spotted another discrepancy. "It's not just the power that received a boost. The rifle is generating considerably less heat. That can mean that it is more efficient or its components take up less space and therefore offers more capacity for heatsinks."
The demonstration continued to showcase the differences between the old and new generation of laser weapons.
In fact, Ves suspected that the technological leap he was witnessing shared a lot of similarities with the crystal builder technology he employed in the design of his Crystal Lord and its crystal-based laser rifle!
As Ves studied the performance of the latest generation laser rifle further, he soon concluded that the tech base was different. Even though the MTA standardized a different approach towards miniaturizing the components of a laser rifle, the results were similar!
In fact, the new tech standards that the MTA revealed in this laser rifle was probably more practical and efficient than relying on weird alien crystals to empower the mechanisms of a laser rifle!
"The Crystal Lord has definitely become obsolete." He muttered.
He didn't mind. The LMC had already phased out the Crystal Lord from its mech catalog.
The transition to a new mech generation always resulted in the devaluation of older mech designs. Ves couldn't do anything to stop the advance of better technology. He could only accept this outcome and adjust to the changes as best as possible.
If the circumstances permitted, Ves did not mind revisiting the Crystal Lord design to develop its Mark II iteration.
However, the Crystal Lord possessed too many inadequacies to a mech designer of his current height. It would probably be a better idea for him to start another landbound rifleman mech project from scratch!
Chapter 1620 Signature Technology
The Mech Trade Association was one of the most powerful organizations in the galaxy!
Not only did it possess the raw military might to dictate its rules throughout human space, it also monopolized the right to govern everything related to mechs!
The transition to a new mech generation served as a means to regulate and standardize the progression of mech design. The enormous prestige and might of the MTA ensured that each and every mech designer abided by their arrangements.
In this way, mech development throughout human space adopted newer tech, application and standards swiftly and without any lag.
Even the star sectors at the periphery of human space such as the Komodo Star Sector could keep up with the latest developments!
Ves recognized that the MTA did not reveal all of these fancy new tech to the entire galaxy from the goodness of their hearts.
The MTA simply wanted to foster as much innovation as possible!
If an organization like the MTA did not propagate new standards, then the progress of mech design would splinter and diverge in every star sector! Cutting-edge researchers whose time and energy were limited might inadvertently waste their time in researching tech that had already been invented elsewhere!
To a fairly young organization that championed a fairly new weapon platform such as mechs, this kind of inefficiency couldn't be tolerated!
For this reason, the MTA kept tabs on all of the advancements made by mech designers throughout the galaxy and popularized the most suitable ones.
Grouping the introduction of new technologies and standards into 20 to 30 year-long periods caused every mech designer to take the transitions seriously!
Those who ignored the arrangements of the MTA would quickly be left in the dust by their competitors!
Ves, Gloriana, Ketis and the rest of their design team eagerly soaked in the new innovations that Councilor Veyron introduced.
The mighty councilor started off the showcase with showcasing the pivotal leaps in directed energy weapon technology for a reason.
Though lasers were considered low tech weapons, they were used throughout much of the galaxy. Their versatility, ease of use and scalability made them ubiquitous throughout the galactic rim and galactic heartland.
Laser weapons even saw widespread use in the galactic center due to their light speed properties, though most mech owners could afford something better.
In short, the advancement of laser weapon technology elevated the strength level of all of human space, with the less developed star sectors benefiting more than most!
"Directed energy weapons serve as an essential element in the arsenal of any force of mechs." Councilor Veyron smiled as she floated in deep space garbed in nothing but ceremonial robes. "With the introduction of these new technologies, the firepower, energy efficiency, capacity of laser weapons have become more potent than ever!"
Of course, Councilor Veyron couldn't spend all of her time on highlighting laser weapons. She had a whole laundry list of showcases to go through and even then she only scratched the surface of all of the new innovations the MTA released!
The laser-armed mechs made way for mechs wielding more advanced directed energy weapons.
This time, the mechs fired bright, energetic beams that Ves instantly recognized as positron beams!
"Many of the advancement in laser weapons have also benefited other related weapon technologies..."
"Plasma weapons..."
"Missile payloads..."
The councilor steadily introduced all kinds of updates of popular weapon systems. While she hadn't announced anything groundbreaking, the modest upgrades to existing tech still made enough of a difference to elevate the strengths of mechs to another level!
Though the MTA likely introduced updates to thousands of weapon systems, Veyron only mentioned a dozen of them before moving on to improvements in other aspects.
A grand first-class multipurpose mech flew into view. Ves and Gloriana immediately knew that the next innovation likely concerned high technology that was far beyond their reach.
Despite that, both of them looked on with hunger and eagerness! In addition to admiring the latest new tech, they also believed that they would one day be able to utilize this new tech!
Councilor Veyron's eyes lit up as she gazed at the mech. "The next innovation I'm about to introduce is the tech that will truly define this generation. This signature technology, which we have researched for centuries, has finally reached a level of maturity that we feel is ready to be shared to humanity!"
Everyone leaned forward, including Ves. Councilor Veyron was not a person who spoke nonsense!
"Since the beginning of this age, mechs have always been considered as a weapon platform with many limitations. Mechs are smaller and weaker than even the smallest warships. However, through centuries of research and development, our scientists and mech designers have slowly narrowed the gap between mechs and warships."
Ves slightly shook his head in disagreement. While it was true that countless smart minds achieved enormous advancements in technologies related to mechs, many of them could also be applied to other weapon platforms such as warships!
In addition, the CFA also poured a lot of resources and manpower in developing their own new tech! The only difference between the two rivalling organizations was that the CFA mostly kept their ship-related innovations to themselves!
He believed that a contemporary warship was multiple times more powerful than the Starlight Megalodon which crashed on the surface of Aeon Corona VII!
Of course, due to the CFA's distance to society, most people didn't know anything better. If there was one thing Ves appreciated about the MTA, it was that the latter organization was a lot more engaged with the rest of humanity.
"Humanity has wielded warships for millenia." Councilor Veyron continued. "They are our greatest and most terrible weapons. Yet they are huge, resource-intensive and cumbersome. While warships will always play an essential role in safeguarding our civilization, the MTA believes the future of humanity rests with mechs!"
Councilor Veyron was building up to something. Each time the MTA announced a new mech generation, their spokespersons always hyped up a pivotal new technology that defined the period!
However, different from previous times, the councilor spoke much more bombastically about mechs than usual. She even despised warships, as if the signature technology she was about to introduce would really do what she said and narrow the gap!
"In four centuries, humanity has seen mechs grow from modest curiosities into increasingly more versatile and powerful war machines! The advent of expert pilots and even more impressive mech pilots has fully unlocked our hidden potential! Now, I have the pleasure to introduce a change that will change the landscape of mechs forever! Gaze upon this mech and welcome the start of the era of the independent mech!"
Upon those words, the first-class mech floating behind her flew forward while slowly fading from existence.
Seconds later, the mech disappeared from view.
Almost everyone who watched the galaxy-wide broadcast trembled at the sight.
This was because everyone who traveled on a starship or watched one exit a star system recognized this visual phenomenon!
The projected view soon switched to another site to reveal the same mech that disappeared earlier! It had reappeared next to a beacon anchored in space!
The most critical difference about this new site was that the starscape in the background shifted substantially!
Moving just a few light-seconds forward wouldn't have induced such a considerable change in perspective!
The mech apparently traversed an unimaginably huge distance within a matter of seconds!
Not even the fastest conventional flight system could allow a mech to traverse such a huge distance so quickly!
Ves and Gloriana both performed some sloppy mental calculations and came up with an answer that shook their entire mentality towards mechs! They each turned to each other to confirm their frightening conclusion!
"That mech transitioned into FTL!"
"It's a mech capable of traveling faster than light!"
"Not only that, but the FTL drive has been miniaturized to the point where the mech doesn't have to sacrifice too much capacity to accommodate this system!"
Ves happened to have some personal experience with first-class mechs, so he knew how little space a fully-functional component occupied. From what he could tell of the design of the mech that traveled through FTL, it boasted a very respectable amount of offensive and defensive capabilities.
Now, the addition of a miniaturized FTL drive propelled its mobility to an astronomical height!
Just the implication of a mech company that could travel to other star systems without relying on a carrier was immense!
With the public introduction of this signature technology into the galactic mech community, mechs with this module no longer needed to rely on motherships to convey them across the stars!
They could travel to their destinations by themselves!
Councilor Veyron did not exaggerate. This was the first independent mech that many people in the galaxy witnessed!
In fact, some people believed that certain organizations had already succeeded in miniaturizing FTL drives to the point where they could be mounted on mechs. The only reason why they hadn't spread this tech was because it was too expensive and impractical to implement on a wider scale!
Yet now, the tech had evidently progressed to the point where the tech became feasible enough to be adopted by other powers!
Councilor Veyron appeared into view moments later as if she teleported next to the mech. This powerful woman gazed up at the mech as if it was an epoch-shaking treasure!
"This mech has just demonstrated the capability of traveling faster than light. The Mech Trade Association is proud to share the gains we have made in miniaturizing and optimizing one of the smallest FTL drive we have developed to date!"
The projection began to depict some technical schematics that highlighted some of the key portions of the FTL drive incorporated in the mech.
Of course, anyone who wasn't versed in standard FTL technology could forget about comprehending the schematic in detail.
Ves received some tutoring in the field from Chief Engineer Dakkon of the Flagrant Vandals. Despite that, the FTL drive schematics presented by Councilor Veyron was incomparably more complex than the more rudimentary drives that were common in the galactic rim!
He only possessed a very shallow understanding of FTL drives, which was completely insufficient for him to comprehend the profoundness of this miniaturized FTL drive!
Fortunately, the MTA knew that most people wouldn't understand a thing either. After babbling some technical specs, Councilor Veyron dumbed down her explanation.
"The miniaturized FTL drive or minidrive incorporated in this mech differs from standard, full-sized FTL drives in many ways. While there are many differences, the key material that has made the minidrive more practical is a high-grade liquid exotic that is known as phasewater."
A small infographic appeared that listed out the key properties of phasewater.
Ves instantly lost most of his excitement. While phasewater exhibited incredible dimensional properties, the exotic was incredibly scarce!
Not only that, it was incredibly expensive! Demand for it was huge but the supply was non-existent! Phasewater wasn't even available in large amounts in the galactic center!
"As you can see, the minidrive we have developed is highly dependent on phasewater. For now, a functioning minidrive that is capable of granting FTL capability to mechs must incorporate at least 50 grams of phasewater."
"Fifty grams!"
While this didn't sound like much, according to a quick search on the galactic net, a single microgram already cost more than an entire first-class mech corps!
"Even the Terrans and the Rubarthans will bleed at such an excessive price!" Gloriana exclaimed in shock.
Ves was just as shocked. "At these prices, it only makes sense to add minidrives to ace mechs and god mechs!"
And not every state could afford to spend such extravagant amounts. Only the Big Two and the first-rate superstates could afford to splurge on this new invention!
How was it possible for the MTA to believe this tech was mature enough to be introduced to the galactic mech community?!
This tech was way too expensive!
Chapter 1621 Phasewater
"Despite its size, the addition of phasewater allows the minidrive to exhibit wondrous capabilities. As long as the mech possesses enough energy reserves, it is not impossible for a mech to travel across an entire star sector by its own capabilities!"
Such a bold statement belied the fact that hardly anyone could afford the fifty grams of phasewater needed to construct a minidrive module!
How could the MTA be bold enough to announce a so-called 'era of the independent mech' when there was only enough phasewater in the galaxy to build a couple of hundred FTL-capable mech with this tech?
As long as the minidrive depended on an obscene quantity of phasewater, most mech designers could forget about designing FTL-capable mechs in this generation!
Gloriana looked confused. "The MTA isn't this ambitious when it comes to unveiling their signature technologies. While the minidrive is an impressive invention, it will take hundreds of years for it to become practical!"
Whenever a significant new invention emerged, the earliest iterations were usually crude, inefficient and prohibitively expensive.
Only a small number of scientists developed the technology. Even if they were some of the most brilliant specialists in their fields, their manpower and energy were ultimately limited.
Once they published their results, everyone capable would be able to access the new technology. A lot of new research projects would probably commence throughout the entirety of human space!
With so many more researchers delving into the technology the MTA unveiled, various refinements and improvements would quickly follow!
Even if only one out of a million scientists achieved some results due to a fluke, that still represented actual progress!
A single success might not be so significant, but with the sheer amount of researchers studying the same subject, the rate of improvement could be quite substantial!
However, some technologies were easier to advance than others!
With the minidrive tech, many scientists were probably feeling a lot of pain by their inability to procure 50 grams of phasewater needed to perform actual tests!
This would slow down the advancement of minidrive technology tremendously.
At some point, some ingenious researcher would find a way to reduce the amount off phasewater needed to make a minidrive functional.
From 49 grams, 45 grams, 40 grams and so on, the minidrive would become more efficient in terms of cost and material requirements.
In addition, now that humanity discovered such a wonderful use of phasewater, many people would be scouring the galaxy for this extremely rare exotic! Each of them wanted to take advantage of the sky-rocketing prices that ensued after this announcement!
Once so many prospectors and treasure hunters began to search for phasewater, supply would inevitably increase, thereby decreasing the scarcity of this material over time.
Furthermore, many researchers unsatisfied with the lack of access to phasewater would constantly be searching for substitute materials.
Many exotics shared similar properties and effects. This allowed clever material scientists to find a way to substitute the role of an expensive exotic with something cheaper.
In fact, many inventions introduced in earlier generations became more practical and widespread in the poorer parts of the galaxy after material scientists figured out a way to achieve the same effect by blending several cheap exotics together.
It was a much better deal to use large quantities of widely-available low-grade exotics than a smaller quantity of high-grade exotics!
One example of this kind of progress was the ultracompact batteries that Ves had created on his own. Combining sulomnium, beta-otricine and Flesha's Tears was nothing more than a way to create a knockoff of a high-grade exotic!
Some material scientists even believe that many high-grade exotics were compound substances of lower grade materials!
With how amazing the minidrive technology appeared to be, Ves definitely believed that someone would eventually make a breakthrough that removed its dependency on phasewater.
The question was how long it would take. Phasewater seemed to be an incredibly high-grade exotic with strong dimensional properties. Such a strange and powerful effect couldn't be replicated easily.
Nonetheless, Councilor Veyron cheerfully fawned over the minidrive technology as if it would soon spread throughout human space!
"Minidrives have many applications! It is not only useful for mechs, but also for other craft such as shuttles, escape pods and more! With a minidrive in your possession, you can effortlessly travel to any star system within range without relying on a lumbering ship!"
"Who has enough phasewater to waste on other applications?" Gloriana puzzlingly wondered.
Fortunately, Councilor Veyron soon finished elaborating on the minidrive.
"That sums up the highlights of our new minidrive technology. You can obtain more detailed explanations at our virtual portal. Now, let us move on to the next innovations..."
Various mechs flew in and out of view to demonstrate various new capabilities. The innovations that the MTA chose to highlight during this important announcement represented significant advances in mech technology despite their lack of flair compared to the introduction of the minidrive.
The various improvements that Ves took note of ranged from more refined neural interfaces to more efficient power reactors.
Each of these performance improvements came about through several means. In the case of neural interfaces, they performed better mostly due to improvements in design and technical application.
In the case of power reactors, the MTA listed out a variety of newly-discovered exotics that could substitute the role of currently-used exotics. In other words, the improvement purely came about due to the usage of improved materials.
Still, no matter how the improvements came about, the mechs designed according to the new methods became significantly more powerful!
Councilor Veyron swiftly introduced many different improvements. All of them were enough to inspire Ves and Gloriana!
The mechs they wanted to design would certainly become a lot more impressive!
Of course, both of them needed to license a new set of components to be able to do so. While it was possible to rely on leaked and pirated documents to piece together a new generation of mech, no one would be allowed to sell them on the open market.
Every commercial mech model had to be approved by the MTA! As a 'trade association', the organization could not neglect their vital duty in regulating the sale and trade of mechs.
While the MTA generally didn't bother with private transactions and commissions, any mech designer who wanted to sell more than a couple of mechs on the open market needed to play by their rules!
For this reason, only a small number of mech designers started off strong at the start of a new mech generation.
Too many mech designers couldn't afford the licenses required to make use of readily-available components!
They had to wait until various mech designers and component developers digested the new technologies. After a few months of years, they would publish their new component designs, but by then the mech designers who started later already fell behind!
After two hours of showcasing a dazzling number of improvements, Councilor Veyron finally wrapped up her announcement.
"There are many new advancements that our Association made available to you. I am proud of what the mech community has accomplished over the last decades. Not only have we unveiled a viable means of adding FTL capability to mechs, we have also introduced a comprehensive wave of enhancements that collectively increases the potency of humanity's mechs to a new height!"
Her arm stretched to the impressive star scape in the background. "Normally, our message ends here, but we have another announcement to make."
The logos of two different organizations appeared by her side.
To the left was the familiar logo of the MTA.
To the right was the logo of the CFA!
Most people who began to grow sleepy or numb to all of the technological advancements introduced by Veyron began to wake themselves up at the new sight.
Anything that was important enough to unite the Big Two must be something enormous!
Ves recalled Calabast's warning that the MTA planned to make an additional announcement. Now, it turned out that his partner was right!
"The Mech Trade Association and the Common Fleet Alliance have safeguarded human civilization for over 400 years." She stated seriously. "For four centuries, our race has rested and recovered from the devastation of the preceding stage. Our initial mission after the formation of our organization was to protect our race from further decline! Now, we declare that we have succeeded in this objective!"
A new image appeared behind the powerful councilor. A three-dimensional plot of the galaxy emerged into view. Various lines and colors delineated this map, highlighting the space occupied by humanity and other alien civilizations.
Everyone was familiar with this map. Even if they couldn't draw it very precisely from memory, most people could still sketch the relative locations and proportions of the territories occupied by the major races in the galaxy.
Obviously, humanity occupied the largest territory!
Anticipation built up in everyone as they began to form their own ideas about the nature of this announcement.
Councilor Veyron smiled. "Do not fear. The MTA and CFA are both here to stay. We will continue to protect and regulate human space as we have always done. The only difference from now is that we believe that humanity has recovered to a point where we can reignite our passion for conquest!"
She held out her hand and clenched it into a fist!
"Make no mistake! We humans must always fight! We can never settle for peace, because there are always enemies waiting to pounce on us when we have become weak!"
Though her words were aggressive, most people felt proud of their words!
Each human took pride in their racial heritage! Even though the human race was anything but exceptional, every alien race that clashed against them had faltered despite their many advantages!
The belief that the human race was the best race in the galaxy was deeply rooted in everyone's bones. Since humanity was capable of conquering the entire galaxy, not a lot of people advocated for peace and tolerance.
This was because the alien empires that used to dominate the galaxy were really horrible! Every race looked out for themselves, and cooperation was very few and far in between.
"Now that we have repaired and sharpened our weapons for over four-hundred years, it is finally time to reveal our strength to the aliens that think that we have grown weak!"
The map of the galaxy shifted at this point. Instead of showing some symbols that signified an invasion into known alien space, something else happened!
A much-smaller cluster of stars that hung a small distance away from the galaxy appeared into view!
A bold red arrow pointed from the center of the galaxy to the edge of this new and smaller galaxy!
"Starting from this day, the Mech Trade Association and the Common Fleet Alliance will pioneer an invasion into the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy!"
"WHAT?!" Ves couldn't help but shout.
Gloriana looked just as shocked!
In fact, every single human except for those in the know reacted with surprise!
No one had ever imagined that the Big Two would ignore the other alien empires bordering human civilization in favor of invading a random dwarf galaxy!
After a lengthy pause to give everyone time to process this shocking revelation, Councilor Veyron quickly stated the main reason why the Big Two targeted this distant cluster of stars!
"Our decision to invade the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy that orbits our Milky Way Galaxy is highly related to our earlier announcement. Perhaps many of you think that the minidrive is too impractical to be popularized because of the scarcity of its key material. This problem has weighed on us as well until we have discovered an important finding!"
Everyone who watched the broadcast hung onto her words.
"Phasewater is very prevalent in Red Ocean! This critical exotic is at least a million times more prevalent compared to our native galaxy!"
Another shock swept throughout human space! This revelation changed everyone's thoughts on minidrive technology!
If phasewater was much easier to obtain in Red Ocean, then that was enough to make the Big Two excited!
Chapter 1622 Red Ocean
The earlier revelations paled in comparison with the latest announcement!
Councilor Veyron not only introduced a bunch of new technologies, but also announced an entirely new direction for humanity!
The course of human civilization that had settled for over four-hundred years was about to shift in a bold new direction!
The Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy was a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way Galaxy.
Just like planets orbited around a star, Red Ocean orbited around the Milky Way like a little brother circling around a big sister!
The sizes of the two galaxies were incomparable. The Milky Way's diameter stretched up to 200,000 light-years, which was stupendously huge!
In comparison, Red Ocean was a lot smaller. It stretched just 25,000 light years from end to end, making it eight times smaller than the Milky Way.
This still represented a huge amount of space, enough to establish several first-rate superstates if they managed to conquer huge swathes of territory!
Red Ocean encompassed enough space to fit a huge amount of star sectors!
Ves instantly formed a lot of questions in his mind.
According to the projected map, Red Ocean orbited 350,000 light years from the Milky Way! How could anyone traverse such a distance in their lifetimes?
Secondly, had humanity already established a foothold in this dwarf galaxy?
Many people long figured out that the MTA and CFA became less active in public. Unfortunately, no one managed to figure out what the Big Two were up to.
Only now did all of them realize that the Big Two had always been preparing for the invasion of a satellite galaxy!
Councilor Veyron elaborated on the importance of this bold new invasion.
"Though the expensive is enormous, we have a very good reason to target this distant dwarf galaxy. Phasewater is a strategic exotic with many possible applications. The minidrive is just one of many wondrous applications. We are certain that as long as phasewater becomes more available, humanity will find even more uses of this potent material!"
This idea already came to mind to many people. If phasewater was only useful in making miniaturized FTL drives, then the CFA wouldn't have agreed to this invasion.
Minidrives benefited the MTA a lot more than the CFA!
The latter always directed their research projects towards greater might. Their huge warships offered plenty of space for powerful FTL drives that offered immense range and speed.
On the other hand, the MTA placed a much higher priority on making technology more practical. The development of the minidrive was a typical MTA project as it succeeded in making FTL drives small enough to be mounted on mechs.
Certainly, newer problems emerged such as raising the cost, energy and material requirements of using this technology.
However, as long as the MTA managed to solve the size problem, it wasn't as difficult to address other shortcomings!
In any case, Ves guessed that phasewater was probably a critical material in many dimensional applications!
So much so that the CFA did not hesitate to get onboard the MTA's plan to conquer a very distant dwarf galaxy!
"We are aware of your questions." Councilor Veyron smiled. "In truth, we have already become aware of phasewater's wondrous properties and applications for several generations. When we found that phasewater is far too scarce in our native galaxy, we have cast our gazes elsewhere. Of all of the satellite galaxies that the Milky Way has captured, we have decided to invade the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy over fifty years ago!"
The map of the Milky Way Galaxy faded out. Instead, the star map Red Ocean grew larger, revealing a relatively modest patch of space that the Big Two managed to settle!
Footage began to play next to the councilor. Impressive star systems occupied and fortified by the Big Two came into view.
This was everyone's first glimpse of the space inside Red Ocean!
The distant star scape was much more dim compared to humanity's native galaxy. As the footage panned around, a distant glowing oval attracted everyone's attention.
That was the Milky Way!
Dorothea Veyron grinned. "What you are seeing right now are live feeds of the star systems that we've managed to tame in our fifty-year conquest!"
Ves and everyone couldn't help but gasp.
The Big Two sure hid this secret well! Not a single word about their invasion of a dwarf galaxy had leaked into the public!
"Make no mistake. Red Ocean is not devoid of intelligent life." The councilor turned grave. "We have already fought against many different alien empires, some of which are old friends of ours who have fled to this dwarf galaxy in the belief that they can recover their strength here in secret!"
Many people, primed by Veyron's earlier speech, already expected something like this. Where there were stars, there was life.
"The Mech Trade Association and the Common Fleet Alliance has fought very hard to carve out a foothold into this dwarf galaxy. Many native alien civilizations have learned how terrible we are from the aliens that we have defeated once more. This is a hostile galaxy. We cannot expect to face the same situation as we did during the Age of Conquest. The aliens have set aside their mutual differences in order to unite against our race."
The councilor grinned. "Unfortunately, we have accumulated our strength for four-hundred years. While it is difficult for us to transfer most of our forces to this dwarf galaxy, we have spent the last decades to expand our foothold and develop a newer and better means of crossing the void between the galaxies!"
The footage switched to an enormous gate floating in orbit of a lifeless planet!
The circular gate was humongous! Ves could tell because there were several CFA capital ships patrolling in the vicinity.
The huge gate outright dwarfed the battleships!
"What you are seeing now is a beyonder gate. It is one of our most powerful means of transferring our people from one galaxy to another! Upon activating gates on both ends, we are able to transfer any object or any living being from one galaxy to another in an instant!"
This was another stunning new invention! While the Big Two developed various means of traveling faster than light, Ves had never heard of the development of a huge gate that could transport something hundreds of thousands of light-years away!
What impressed Ves and everyone else even more was that it all happened in an instant, as if the two gates folded space itself!
It didn't take a genius to guess that phasewater was pivotal to the functioning of the beyonder gates.
Unlike the tiny minidrives, the beyonder gates likely used a lot more phasewater!
Perhaps a metric ton of this substance was not enough to make a beyonder gate work!
Yet the Big Two managed to construct at least a pair of these enormous gates!
If phasewater truly enabled the creation of something as amazing as the beyonder gate, then what else could humans do with this exotic?
Many people began to let their imaginations run wild. Their eyes reddened and their breaths grew hotter as they imagined building starships that could cross the galaxies, mechs that could jump from the galactic center to the galactic rim or teleporters that could transport a human from one planet straight to another planet!
Phasewater instantly turned from a niche curiosity into a must-have material to many scientists and business magnates! Whether they wanted to make a name for themselves by inventing a pivotal new tech or become the richest person in human space by selling lots of innovative new products, many people already started to clamor to enter this exciting new dwarf galaxy!
"The Milky Way is already settled. Unless we wage war against the neighboring alien empires, there is hardly any room for development. Red Ocean is an opportunity for us to pioneer new territory!"
?We must set foot in Red Ocean at all costs! The future of human development will definitely center around phasewater! We must harvest as much phasewater as possible!"
"Since the Age of Stars, humanity has expanded into space. Now that we have become the hegemons of the galaxy, there is hardly anything that excites us anymore. This announcement changes everything! The invention of the beyonder gate and the invasion of Red Ocean has opened an entirely new road for our race!"
For millennia, humanity never thought they would be able to escape the Milky Way Galaxy. Everyone thought that humanity would first resume its conquest of the rest of the galaxy before turning their attention elsewhere.
Yet now that the Big Two decided to invade a satellite galaxy, many people began to develop a hunger for adventure!
Including Ves!
"This.. is a great opportunity for us!" He whispered to his girlfriend.
"Are you thinking about starting your grand expedition in Red Ocean?" Gloriana frowned. "It sounds dangerous! Didn't you hear Councilor Veyron mention that the Big Two fought hard to gain a foothold in this dwarf galaxy? Our mechs and unarmed starships won't stand a chance against aliens who aren't bound by our rules!"
Ves briefly frowned but soon relaxed. "I think there's a reason why the Big Two decided to drop this bomb. I can't imagine any leader from the CFA or MTA failing to predict that many humans would want to be part of this exciting new development!"
His prediction turned out to be true. After Councilor Veyron showed off the beyonder gate that could convey entire fleets from one galaxy to another, she began to reveal the Big Two's intentions towards anyone interested in exploiting Red Ocean's bounty!
"With the construction of the beyonder gates, we have secured our initial gains in Red Ocean." She spoke. "The beyond gates allow us to transfer vastly more forces into this dwarf galaxy, allowing us to wage war against the local alien empires at a much greater scale than before! Soon, our warfleets will double the territorial acquisitions we've made in the last fifty years in a matter of months! And this is just the start of our explosive expansion!"
The star map of Red Ocean came back into view. The map only highlighted a small number of star sectors at first.
Then, the number of glowing star sectors doubled.
The time lapse continued as several years went by. The territories conquered by the Big Two continued to expand at a frightening rate!
Though the expansion was not very detailed or reliable, it nonetheless gave every human an idea of how much confidence the Big Two possessed into expanding their presence in this alien galaxy!
Councilor Veyron sighed. "Our territorial conquests are about to accelerate at a rapid pace. Our primary concern is to defend humanity and expand our strength. While we have settled several important star systems and plan to settle many more, we are not interested in colonizing so much space. We are concerned with greater responsibilities!"
"Here it comes." Ves rubbed his hands in anticipation.
"For this reason, the Mech Trade Association and the Common Fleet Alliance has decided to allow the rest of humanity to join us in our conquest of the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy!"
"Yes!"
"We allow passage to every organized group or fleet that wishes to develop our civilization's presence in this new and virgin galaxy." The councilor announced with a welcoming smile. "No matter if you are a Terran or a citizen from the galactic rim, we will offer many different opportunities for you to colonize a planet, found a new state or prospect for phasewater!"
Gloriana looked skeptical "Is it that easy?"
"However, we do not offer this opportunity for free. For the time being, we will only allow passage through the beyonder gates to groups that can pay the price. You may obtain passage by paying the full monetary cost of activating the beyond gates or by redeeming merits from our respective organizations."
"Doesn't that mean the Terrans and Rubarthans will have first dibs?"
"I will tell you the truth. It is not easy to pay for passage. However, we do not wish to limit passage to those who reside in first-rate states. We offer more generous terms to reputable groups based in less developed regions as long as they abide to an additional agreement. So long as you meet our approval, a new future awaits!"
Chapter 1623 Beyonder Ticke
By the time Councilor Dorothea Veyron finished her second announcement, almost every human in the galaxy was left shocked, stunned or excited!
Most members of the MTA and CFA reacted just as surprised! The Big Two always kept this secret tight until the right moment to unveil it had arrived!
From one end to the other end of human space, everyone became interested in this wondrous substance called phasewater and the dwarf galaxy that supposedly offered it in abundance!
Conversation about these topics broke out everywhere! Even mech designers temporarily forgot about all of the innovations introduced in the latest generation aside from the minidrive!
Many of them always dreamt of designing an FTL-capable mech! If humanity was locked in the Milky Way Galaxy, then most of them would never be able to fulfill this dream.
Yet it was different if they managed to achieve passage to the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy!
In the early stages of humanity's conquest of Red Ocean, phasewater was probably ripe for the picking! As long as prospectors reached a star system unclaimed by existing powers, they could quickly harvest some phasewater before a colonization fleet or larger force arrived to claim it as their own!
This provided many opportunities for average mech designers to gain the privilege of building and selling FTL-capable mechs!
Designing and profiting from such fantastic machines not only provided endless riches, but also invigorated the progression of any mech designer!
No matter what, a mech with FTL capabilities would always be vastly more powerful and sophisticated than a mech that was dependent on a mothership to move around!
The design seeds of Ves and Gloriana seethed with excitement as they envisioned designing and building such fantastic mechs!
"We should take a look at the MTA's portal to see what it takes to obtain passage through the beyonder gate!"
A seemingly endless amount of humans simultaneously accessed the galactic net and visited the portals of the CFA and MTA!
If the Comm Consortium hadn't made some rapid adjustments to spread the load, the galactic net would have been crushed by the sheer amount of humans flooding its network!
As Ves visited a series of pages set up specifically to handle inquiries about the latest announcement, his eyes immediately ballooned when he viewed the price.
"At full price, a group needed to pay 1 trillion mech credits to secure passage for a single ship!"
The price was the same for any vessel up to a capital ship, so it didn't matter if someone wanted to travel to the Red Ocean in a tiny corvette or a massive ark ship!
Obviously, Ves figured that the Big Two did not wish to waste their energy in conveying smaller ships. The bigger, the better!
This humongous price made both Ves and Gloriana sick!
This was a ridiculous amount of money! Ves recalled that the typical monthly salary for a CFA captain amounted to just 100 mech credits a month!
Who could pay such an enormous amount of money? Only the wealthiest individuals and organizations of the first-rate states could afford to pay this money upfront!
As for anyone else, forget about it! Even Ves believed he wouldn't be able to accumulate so much money in a hundred years!
By the time he scrounged up so many mech credits, the conquest of the Red Ocean would have been well underway by then! He would have missed all of the easy opportunities to harvest phasewater and design lots of FTL-capable mechs!
While Ves still remained in shock, Gloriana recovered first and read further.
"The full price for a so-called 'individual beyonder ticket' is only directed to the top organizations of human space! We don't have to consider this option! There are other options available!"
He read further and saw that a different beyonder ticket could also be obtained by redeeming MTA merits or exchanging it for something exceptional!
"It costs 1 trillion MTA merits to obtain a fleet beyonder ticket." Ves relaxed a bit. "However, this ticket is valid for an entire fleet of up to 20 ships!"
Was 1 trillion MTA merits a lot? Certainly!
However, it was a lot more generous than paying with mech credits. The ticket encompassed multiple ships, which was clearly a better deal!
The only issue was that MTA merits could not be exchanged with money! It could only be earned by completing their missions, earning their favor, making contributions or submitting valuable mech-related methods or techniques!
The MTA obviously encouraged mech designers to cough up their deepest and most valuable trade secrets!
As long mech designers submitted innovative new theories, methods and techniques, they could earn a decent amount of merits.
Still, 1 trillion merits was still far out of reach to most individual mech designers! Not even a Master would be able to accumulate so many contributions!
Fortunately, the MTA made several accommodations to make the exchange more bearable.
"Multiple people can pool their merits together." Gloriana pointed out. "Although the limit is set at ten people at a time, at the very least we don't have to bear the burden by ourselves!"
This accommodation basically encouraged cooperation between multiple powerful people, thereby forcing them to share power or make other arrangements.
"The MTA also offers cheaper fleet beyonder tickets!"
A second-class fleet beyonder ticket cost only 100 million merits, while a third-class fleet beyonder ticket corresponded to a measly 10 million merits!
The downside of these lower ticket grades was that the fleet and all of its crew and passengers had to fit the same class or lower.
For example, if Ves and Gloriana wanted to reach the Red Ocean, they had to redeem enough merits to obtain a second-class fleet beyonder ticket. This was because of the presence of ships and citizens originating from a second-rates state.
Naturally, the MTA also published a slew of terms and conditions that closed any conceivable loophole.
For example, if Ves decided to form a fleet that consisted entirely of ships built in the Bright Republic and crewed them with Brighters, he still had to pay for a second-class fleet beyonder ticket if he wanted to bring Gloriana along!
The presence of just a single second-class citizen in a third-class fleet completely made it ineligible to redeem the cheapest ticket!
In that case, Ves might as well aim for a second-class fleet beyonder ticket to begin with. He knew that the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy was probably extremely dangerous.
Not only did he have to worry about unrestricted alien fleets that did not have any scruples about fielding mighty warships, he also had to worry about human competition!
In the Milky Way Galaxy, much of human space was regulated! Though piracy existed on a moderate scale, this cancer only survived in the dark.
In contrast, the initial invasion of the Red Ocean would doubtlessly turn much of its space into an enormous frontier! With hardly any law and order in effect, every group and fleet had to fend for themselves!
Under such difficult conditions, third-class fleets could only eke out an existence in the most remote and least-profitable parts of space.
Just like in the Milky Way, the division of power was very unfair!
While a second-class fleet was not able to intrude into the most lucrative regions of the Red Ocean, at the very least Ves did not have to worry about getting bullied by everyone!
"The difference in price between a first-class fleet beyonder ticket and a second-class fleet beyonder ticket is very huge." Ves observed. "It's very hard for ten mech designers or notable individuals to pool so many merits together!"
"In other words, the MTA and CFA probably don't want too many first-class citizens to settle the Red Ocean."
Both of them figured out that the Big Two specifically intended to handicap the first-rate states and especially the first-rate superstates!
The Terrans and the Rubarthans were already extremely powerful! If they managed to conquer large swathes of the Red Ocean, then they would be able to harvest a scary amount of phasewater and threaten the Big Two's grip over human space!
Instead, the CFA and MTA much favored giving most of the territories of the Red Ocean up to a large number of weaker interest groups. Flooding the Red Ocean with so many different groups inevitably led to the splintering of territories, thereby preventing any newly-founded state from becoming powerful enough to challenge the Big Two!
As a consequence, most citizens from the less developed parts of the galaxy rejoiced at this generosity!
Gloriana pointed at an important term. "There's an additional caveat, though. A fleet beyonder ticket also comes with an obligation. We have to accept a variety of conditions."
Basically, everyone who redeemed a fleet beyonder ticket with merits accepted a debt to the MTA. Those with debts would have to pay them off by completing special missions or submitting a large quantity of phasewater!
As long as someone was still in debt, they could never obtain passage back to the Milky Way! In addition, those in debt would not be able to take advantage of the many goods and services offered by the MTA at their fortified star systems!
"Basically, the MTA wants anyone who enters the Red Ocean to excavate a considerable amount of phasewater to them! What a vicious deal!"
Of course, most people would be willing to accept this condition! With how abundant phasewater appeared to be, it shouldn't take an excessive amount of effort to gather enough phasewater to get rid of the debt.
A second-class fleet beyonder ticket came with a debt that could be paid off by submitting 100 kilograms of phasewater to the MTA.
With the earliest generation of minidrives, this was enough phasewater to build 20,000 FTL-capable mechs!
That was two entire mech divisions, enough to scour any typical star system of a second-rate state!
"This is such a ridiculous debt!"
Of course, it was a thousand times worse for a first-class fleet beyonder ticket!
The only way to obtain passage to the Red Ocean without any restrictive conditions was by paying the upfront price of 1 trillion mech credits for an individual beyonder ticket!
Ves gradually figured out the greater purpose behind this price discrimination.
"The individual beyonder ticket is just a concession to the Terrans and the Rubarthans who don't want to owe anything to the Big Two. The CFA and MTA much prefer to bring people to the Red Ocean who are weaker and more beholden to them. The ultimate goal is to establish the same kind of human order that exists in the Milky Way!"
In other words, the Big Two wanted to establish lots of squabbling, divided little states with no unified voice!
Only in such circumstances would the MTA and CFA maintain complete control over the Red Ocean.
They were like nobles who exploited the lower classes by keeping them deprived of wealth and power.
Ves and Gloriana did not concern themselves with the power plays between the Big Two and the first-rate superstates. At this point, they were too small and weak to come into consideration of the big boys at the top.
All they cared about was that it was a lot easier for second-class and third-class citizens to obtain passage to the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy!
Naturally, the biggest question that followed in most people's minds was how they could earn enough merits to redeem a beyonder ticket.
Accumulating a handful of merits was doable for most mech designers, but Ves needed to gather many millions of merits!
Worse, Ves needed to earn this many merits as early as possible!
"If we reach the Red Ocean too late, we'll be several steps behind the first movers!" Ves warned. "Ideally, we should obtain a beyonder ticket by the time our expeditionary fleet is ready to depart!"
If they failed to earn enough merits, then they had to continue making contributions as their fleet made their way to the closest star sector with a beyonder gate.
The longer they lingered in their native galaxy, the less favorable their conditions by the time they finally reached the new galaxy!
This was unacceptable to Ves, who deeply believed that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to embark on a great adventure and discover the secrets behind phasewater!
Chapter 1624 Galactic Pioneer
The prohibitive cost of a beyonder ticket shook most people back to reality.
The truth was that the vast majority of humans would never be able to pay enough credits or merits to redeem a beyonder ticket!
The best hope that most ordinary people possessed was to join a crew of a fleet owned by someone who possessed enough merits.
How easy was it to join such a crew? Such distinguished individuals already possessed their own power base! Even if they lacked enough personnel, they would only hire the best!
With how many people wanted to join the excitement, they probably didn't even have to pay a salary! People would pay to obtain passage!
Though it seemed that those who exchanged fleet beyonder tickets had to pay a huge price, the truth was that they also gained a lot of benefits in return.
Every notable individual who redeemed at least 10 percent of the price of a beyonder ticket gained the status of galactic pioneer!
Each and every galactic pioneer gained a lot of rights and privileges from the Big Two!
The most important one was that as long as galactic pioneers traveled in frontier space, they gained the right to run their fleets as sovereign rulers!
In addition, they didn't lose all of their sovereign powers when they entered a territory claimed by other groups.
Of course, this special condition only applied in the Red Ocean, and only for a few centuries.
However, this was enough to make any prospective galactic pioneer excited!
Similar to the division between a space peasant and a galactic citizen, the Big Two wanted to impose another division between those who contributed to them and those who merely leeched from their betters.
Basically, only galactic pioneers earned the right to transact and interact with the MTA! Those who tagged along could only rely on lesser groups and organizations.
In a frontier space where law and order was very rare, this was a very big handicap!
"In the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy, the only people with a say are galactic pioneers!" Ves stated after he processed the rules. "Everyone else is a space settler!"
That was basically a very nice description for a space peasant!
The only difference here was that even the most esteemed galactic citizen would be stuck with the status of a space settler as long as they didn't pay a hefty amount of merits!
The Big Two didn't care about someone's lineage or past achievements. They only cared about concrete benefits!
Everyone who wanted to gain the vaunted status of galactic pioneer needed to bleed themselves dry!
Gloriana looked disappointed. "It's very unfavorable for us to hitch a ride on another expeditionary fleet. I don't want to be a space settler! We'd be no better than serfs in the Red Ocean!"
Inwardly, Ves sighed in relief. He was afraid that Gloriana wanted to become a passenger of an expeditionary fleet organized by the Hexadric Hegemony!
The thought of becoming dependent on Hexers sent a chill through his spine!
He had to maintain his independence at all costs!
Becoming a galactic pioneer was by far the best way to gain control over his own destiny!
There was no Bright Republic in the Red Ocean. There was no Hexadric Hegemony in the Red Ocean.
He was very sure that the two states might pool their efforts together to organize at least one expeditionary fleet to found some new colonies.
Yet what did that have to do with Ves? As long as he could earn the necessary amount of merits on his own, it was much better for him to get rid of his existing entanglements and go his own way!
As Ves discussed his wishes with Gloriana, he discovered that she shared the same idea.
While she didn't necessarily mind hanging out with Hexers, she detested the lower status of a space settler!
As long as becoming a galactic pioneer was within reach, Gloriana wanted to do everything possible to earn this distinguished status!
Sometimes, Ves appreciated that Gloriana was such a high achiever.
The question was whether it was doable for the two of them to earn the required merits. Gloriana's second-class status and his own ambitions meant that redeeming a second-class fleet beyonder ticket was the most appropriate choice.
Every human interested in becoming a galactic pioneer began to look up the pages which described the many ways of earning merits from the CFA or MTA.
Ves did not bother looking up the ways to earn merits from the CFA.
As a mech designer, he had no choice but to work with the MTA!
Though Ves already knew several ways of earning merits, now that he took his time to go through the list, he spotted many more interesting ways for people to contribute to the MTA.
The organization even opened up many more options for people who weren't involved in the mech community to earn a lot of merits!
"Anything that benefits the MTA is a way to earn merits." Ves summed up. "I think that the MTA is about to gain a lot of riches and benefits in the next hundred years!"
The price of beyonder tickets were so high that no one could help it. They had to make as many contributions as possible to join the great phasewater rush!
As long as the galactic pioneers got in early enough, it was very much conceivable that they could quickly recoup their initial investment! Any phasewater they obtained after they paid their debts was pure profit in their pockets!
In that regard, the prices the MTA charged were very fair.
"It's too hard to accumulate millions of merits. They can't be transferred. You can only spend them directly at the MTA."
Merit represented contribution. It differed from a currency like the MTA credit in that a group of people couldn't pool their merits together.
If this rule didn't exist, then a million people could have easily figured out some way to earn a single merit from the MTA before transferring them all to a single person who didn't even lift a single finger!
That was far too cheap!
Basically, the MTA wasn't interested in granting the status of a galactic pioneer to useless spoiled brats who threw a lot of money around. They only recognized people who were capable and brilliant enough to contribute substantially to the organization!
Ves recognized that this was an indirect way to favor passage to the most ardent supporters of the MTA. This gave the MTA a lot more influence over the Red Ocean!
The limitations surrounding merits also prevented too many groups from flooding the Red Ocean.
As huge as a galaxy appeared to be, the Red Ocean was just a smaller satellite of the Milky Way.
The former was just 1.56 percent as big as the latter!
If every Tom, Dick and Harry obtained passage to the Red Ocean, too much chaos and infighting would ensue, which distracted from the larger conflict against the aliens!
As Journeymen, the prospects of earning enough merits to afford a second-class fleet beyond ticket seemed incredibly distant.
However, Gloriana was not someone who gave up easily, while Ves believed that he was different!
Both of them did not shy away from this challenge!
They studied the list carefully.
"Contributing to the fight against aliens is a good way to earn merits!" Ves discovered.
However, Gloriana quickly shook her head. "Before you get excited, you should look up the reward levels. The Sand War is a low-level conflict in the eyes of the Big Two. Even if we contributed significantly to the war effort by selling lots of Soldier mechs, we haven't actually earned a lot of merits."
Ves and Gloriana both browsed their personal accounts at the MTA.
He had never paid attention to it before since he didn't want to get too entangled in the MTA's affairs. Even so, he already earned numerous merits through various actions.
For example, advancing to Journeyman and pissing off the CFA already earned him some merits!
The latter especially surprised him! Although the MTA only credited him 1,000 merits for raiding a CFA battleship, he found it exceptionally funny that such antics actually counted!
"Hahaha!" He laughed. "The MTA really encourages people to antagonize the CFA!"
Gloriana shrugged. "The two don't exactly like each other. They are only working together because they don't have much choice in the matter."
What Ves found despairing was that even his contributions in the Sand War amounted to 10,000 merits. Gloriana earned a bit less merits because she was only a contributing designer in their recent design projects.
Surprisingly, Gloriana actually accumulated a bit more merits in total because of past minor contributions to the MTA.
"I earned them when I was spending a few years on Centerpoint." She explained. "The MTA offers many assignments there, but most don't offer too many merits in reward. It's not worthwhile for us to go back."
When they looked back at the list of ways to earn merit, something else stood out to Ves. "We can also earn merits from building masterwork mechs!"
The MTA appreciated excellence in mech design. They granted a fixed reward of merits to anyone who built a masterwork mech.
What truly interested Ves and Gloriana was that the MTA multiplied this reward by a hundred as long as it received a pristine masterwork mech!
What the MTA exactly planned to do with a masterwork mech, no one knew. All Ves cared about was that it was extremely profitable to build masterwork mechs for the MTA!
Unfortunately, the reward varied according to the class and individual power of the masterwork mech. Submitting a third-class masterwork mech yielded around 10,000 merits, while a second-class masterwork mech was worth around a million merits!
Ves would have to build 100 masterwork mechs to earn enough merits to redeem an appropriate beyonder ticket!
"That's too much! We can't possibly build so many in a span of a decade!"
There weren't any other easy ways for them to earn merits besides that. Fortunately, 1 million merits per second-class masterwork mech was just a guideline. They could easily earn several times more merits if they designed a higher-performing second-class mech.
The most profitable masterwork mechs they could submit was therefore an expert mech or higher!
They only had to design a handful of them in order to earn 100 million merits!
Of course, Ves immediately dismissed this silly notion. He wasn't even qualified to participate in the development of an expert mech at his current state.
Nonetheless, Ves and Gloriana both saw hope for the future. As long as they expended a lot of effort in improving their chances of creating a masterwork mech, then they might be able to earn the status of galactic pioneer by themselves!
"It's not easy to make so many contributions to the MTA, but I believe we can do it!" Gloriana boldly stated.
"I agree. Let's try to do as best as we can in the following decade or so. We might be in a completely different situation by then!"
Ves knew that this was not enough. The MTA set the bar high because they wanted the best. There were so many people in the galaxy that they had to impose harsh conditions in order to limit the amount of galactic pioneers.
Nonetheless, Ves believed that he had much better chances than most. His various advantages along with his rapid rate of improvement ensured that he would be in a much better position than most Journeymen and Seniors!
Perhaps one of the most important ways he could improve his circumstances was by deepening his relations with the Rim Guardians.
Though the Rim Guardian Fraternity was only a faction within the MTA, it probably offered many ways to assist the people they favored.
Ves already figured out that only strangers and outsiders had to pay the most in order to obtain a beyonder ticket!
He'd be stupid if he didn't find some way to get in the good graces of some of the members of the MTA!
Chapter 1625 Activity Zones
After several hours had gone by since the MTA's announcement, humanity still seethed with excitement.
No one could stay calm at the prospect of invading an entirely new galaxy!
To many humans, they believed that their civilization had rested long enough. Their race was more than ready to resume their conquest of the stars!
Unfortunately, when people began to inquire about the beyonder ticket, they immediately became discouraged at the very strict conditions required to become a galactic pioneer.
Only the most capable and ambitious contributors of the MTA were eligible to lead a fleet into the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy!
Those who tried their luck at the CFA found out that it was just as harsh!
Yet the high cost of beyonder tickets excited many people even more. Each of them knew that a greater price corresponded to a greater reward!
Many people got caught up in the hype surrounding phasewater! This amazing high-grade exotic that was seemingly ripe for the picking in the other galaxy must be something exceptional!
It didn't take much guessing to suspect that the Big Two definitely had many important uses for phasewater. Countless material scientists already started drooling at the thought of obtaining a sample and delving into its secrets!
The great phasewater rush was destined to become the latest obsession of the human race!
After four-hundred years of dormancy, the great human civilization was ready to expand its territories once more!
That evening, Ves and Gloriana returned to the Cloud Estate where they calmly gathered information.
A lot of MTA watchers and journalists already published various articles about the bold new changes.
To all but the oldest humans, no one had ever taken part in a war of conquest against alien civilizations!
A fervor to relive the glory days of the Age of Conquest ignited in the hearts of many humans!
"Adventuring in the Red Ocean is very risky." Gloriana expressed her concerns. "According to what the Big Two have revealed about the Red Ocean, the vast majority of its space is lawless territory. Anyone can attack someone for any reason!"
"It's not that bad." Ves commented. "It's just like the frontier before the sandman made a mess of things. As long as you have enough strength and know where you can go, it's not too dangerous."
"We also have to worry about the aliens, who are likely more inclined to field warships. Unless our mechs are top-of-the-line, we don't stand a chance against most warships!"
"The chances of encountering them is low, Gloriana. The CFA and MTA are mostly focusing on sweeping alien space and neutralizing any major threat in their way. Galactic pioneers are supposed to follow behind their advance and clean up the mess that's left behind. Perhaps some sporadic alien warships have slipped the net, but they've probably been left alone because they're not a major threat."
One of the biggest complaints about participating in the invasion was that the prohibition against warships and other taboos were still in place!
However, the Big Two did not entertain any suggestions on lifting these limitations. In their eyes, the responsibility to protect human civilization rested solely on their shoulders. Only they deserved to wield the mightiest weapons of their race!
For this reason, plundering and colonizing the Red Ocean was far from safe! Every galactic pioneer and space settler had to accept the risks of encountering intact alien fleets or bumping into unknown hazards!
If a galactic pioneer wanted to be safer, then they either had to stick close to the territory under the control of the Big Two, or wait at least a few decades to wait for the new territories to be tamed.
However, by then most of the more adventurous and daring galactic pioneers would have claimed all of the most attractive territories by then! Every easy source of phasewater within reach would have been claimed as well!
Risk was accompanied by reward! This rule held true even during the great phasewater rush!
"I think that most of the biggest risks will be cleared up if we depart around a decade later." Ves estimated. "Ten or twenty years is not enough for pioneers to settle every single star system within humanity's expanding territories. It's especially more lucrative to follow right on the heels of the CFA and MTA's warfleets as they continually pummel the aliens as they expand their reach in the Red Ocean."
Gloriana frowned. "It's still too dangerous. We're mech designers, Ves. We don't necessarily need to harvest as much phasewater as possible. There's also little point for us to colonize some planets. What is most important for us is to progress our design philosophies and advance to Master and beyond."
"Money isn't entirely useless, Gloriana. The more phasewater we collect, the more we can afford the tools we need to assist in our advancement. Designing more powerful and more capable mechs will definitely stimulate our design philosophies more than designing regular mechs."
"I don't know. There's a risk that we'll bump into a first-class fleet and offend someone we can't afford to displease."
"That risk exists, but the chances that they are mucking about in second-class space and third-class space is not very large. At the very least, the MTA and CFA won't allow such bullying to take place."
The Big Two were quite unfriendly towards the people and organizations of the first-rate states. If an individual state grew strong enough, how could the Big Two stay in charge?
For this reason, the Big Two imposed many subtle rules.
Just like in the Milky Way, the distribution of exotics was very uneven. The center of the Red Ocean featured richer and more abundant exotics, while the periphery offered fewer riches.
Even in the periphery, there were some parts of space which was nearly completely barren with exotics and other parts where they were fairly prevalent.
According to the Big Two, the distribution of phasewater matched the distribution of other exotics.
For this reason, as the Big Two swept through the Red Ocean, they performed quick surveys of every star system and categorized them into activity zones.
An upper zone corresponded to first-class pioneers. These regions offered the richest deposits of phasewater and other high-grade exotics.
A middle zone corresponded to second-class pioneers.
A lower zone corresponded to third-class pioneers.
As long as each class of pioneer stuck to the appropriate activity zone, they only had to worry about fighting their rivals.
If a first-class galactic pioneer tried to throw their weight around in a middle or lower zone, they would violate the Big Two's rules!
If a pioneer was caught breaking the rules, they lost their status as pioneers and would be hunted by the MTA!
The same applied if a second-class pioneer attempted to abuse a third-class pioneer in a lower zone.
Of course, if a third-class pioneer crossed into an upper zone, they assumed their own risks. The Big Two would not lift a finger if they bumped into a scary first-class fleet. They could only blame their greed!
Though these rules appeared to profit first-class pioneers the most since they possessed a natural claim to the bounty of an upper zone, the opposite was true.
This was because there didn't seem to be many upper zones. As the invasion of the Red Ocean reached the center of the dwarf galaxy, upper zones might become more prevalent, but even then the competition to claim these territories would definitely be bloody!
By confining the activities of first-class pioneers to the upper zones, the Big Two essentially wanted to bleed and weaken their strength and numbers in the Red Ocean!
Of course, most first-class states objected to this discriminatory ruling, but the beyonder gates were fully under the control of the Big Two! They couldn't possibly send too much forces into the Red Ocean to resist the CFA and MTA's stranglehold on conquered territory!
By far, most galactic pioneers were already in their pocket!
Ves found out something else. "One strange caveat here is that the protection regarding activity zones only apply to galactic pioneers and people under their protection. This means that we don't necessarily have to respect the rights of space settlers or other people."
That meant that a second-class pioneer could attack the Terrans or the Rubarthans and not suffer from any punishments by the Big Two as long as their targets weren't pioneers or their subordinates!
This elevated the status of galactic pioneers even further, turning it into an essential status if someone wanted to operate in the Red Ocean.
Once Gloriana understood the implications of these rules, she sighed in relief. "While the protection isn't perfect, it's probably enough to deter most incidents. Of course, we also have to make sure we don't do anything to third-class fleets when we fly through lower zones."
Unless an inferior group directly provoked a superior group, the latter had to do their best to avoid any hostile actions.
Ves shrugged. "A second-class pioneer wouldn't be interested in the paltry amount of wealth and assets owned by a third-class pioneer."
All of these elaborate rules signified that the Big Two accounted for many different situations. Their bias against first-rate states benefited Ves and Gloriana enormously.
"It's kind of strange how obvious the Big Two is attempting to hinder the growth and development of first-rate states with these rules." Gloriana frowned. "Don't you have the feeling that this is all a scheme that is targeted at the first-rate states and the superstates in particular?"
"I think there are certainly contradictions between the Big Two and the first-rate superstates. However, a conflict between the two sides does not benefit humanity at all. Both sides are careful in staying cordial with each other. The way the Big Two define their rules and set their prices only hinders the first-rate superstates by a moderate degree. The Terrans and Rubarthans are still capable of claiming the most lucrative territories in the upper zones."
Ves suspected that the Big Two already made a deal with the first-rate superstates. The former wanted to constrain the expansion of the latter.
The CFA and MTA couldn't push the first-rate superstates too much. The Terrans and Rubarthans were so advanced that they might be able to build beyonder gates themselves!
As long as the growth of the first-rate states did not dominate the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy, the balance of power would not tilt against the Big Two. This was good enough.
"I wonder who else wants to head to the Red Ocean." Ves wondered.
Ves and Gloriana already made up their mind to travel there as galactic pioneers.
As for others, they needed to be capable of earning enough merits, which was not a given.
Of course, most people in the Bright Republic didn't really think about it too much. The Sand War still raged on as ever!
The same applied to the Fridaymen and Hexers.
Ves thought that the two bitter rivals would have sought to pause the war in order to preserve their strength and wealth, but Gloriana disagreed!
"I think the war will intensify due to this announcement." She spoke. "I've gotten in touch with some of my friends and family and discussed the new situation. The Komodo War won't die down. Instead, it looks like it will become more heated!"
"Why the hell does anyone want to fight over some stupid territory in the Komodo Star Sector when there is a lot of middle zones in the Red Ocean that they could profit from instead?"
Gloriana sheepishly smiled. "Both sides want to plunder the wealth of their enemies. It's difficult to earn a lot of merits, but it's easier once you grasp an entire star sector! As long as you obtain more wealth and territory, you can make a lot more contributions to the MTA. It will also be easier to partner up or obtain the services of someone who is capable of earning a lot of merits."
Everything revolved around merits!
Chapter 1626 Freeloader
Much of human space became enraptured by the opportunities opened by the invasion of the Red Ocean.
Some dreamt of starting a new empire away from all of the established powers of the Milky Way.
With the presence of the old and entrenched first-rate states constrained in the new galaxy, this was a golden opportunity for any galactic pioneer to found a state that could one day match their might!
Others became obsessed with the limitless potential of phasewater. The myriad of applications it enabled sent many scientists, engineers, shipwrights and mech designers into a rapture!
Using phasewater to build minidrives and beyonder gates only scratched the surface of this high-grade exotic. Many ambitious researchers already plotted taking advantage of phasewater's dimensional properties to invent even more fantastic devices...
Most people weren't as ambitious, though. The advent of FTL-capable mechs and beyonder gates signified that the demand of phasewater would always be high!
To profiteers, high demand always correlated to high prices!
Though phasewater was purportedly more abundant in the Red Ocean, this was only relative to its scarcity in the Milky Way. It was still absolutely rare in the new galaxy.
As long as a pioneer found a deposit of phasewater, they could potentially become richer than first-rate business magnates!
The insane wealth that seemed to be ripe for the picking attracted many ambitious people throughout the galaxy!
Unfortunately, the requirements to obtain a beyonder ticket and become a galactic pioneer was simply too harsh.
Even if up to ten people could pool their merits together to redeem a fleet beyonder ticket, it was hardly possible for anyone to earn more than a million merits in their lifetime, let alone a hundred!
The prohibitive amount of contributions required to earn merits crushed the dreams of many hopeful people.
Those who already enjoyed a comfortable amount of success in the old order saw little appeal in sacrificing so much wealth and resources to embark on a risky venture.
In the end, only a small number of people who already possessed the capital to explore and colonize the Red Ocean redeemed beyonder tickets.
Many of their compatriots refrained from making any moves.
In the Komodo Star Sector, the invasion of the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy hardly affected the existing trends.
The sandmen cared nothing about humanity's movements. States such as the Ylvaine Protectorate, Bright Republic and Vesia Kingdom were far too hard-pressed to care about developments that were far beyond their reach!
In the center of the star sector, the Fridaymen and Hexers still fought as vigorously against each other as ever. Just as Gloriana predicted, the two sides became more determined than ever to overrun the other side!
For these reasons, the hype surrounding phasewater and the Red Ocean quickly faded among the people of the Komodo Star Sector.
They had to deal with the existing problems first before looking ahead to the future!
Ves and Gloriana both knew that trying to accumulate 100 million merits within a decade was not very realistic. They did not give up, though, and became determined to earn as many merits as possible.
As Ves woke up the next day, he petted Lucky who was resting on his chest.
"What am I, your personal throne or something?"
"Meow."
"Why are you here, anyway?"
Lucky pushed out a lustrous pink heart-shaped gem with his paw. Ves curiously picked it up and studied it with his System vision.
[Maiden's Affection]
The desire of an ancient maiden is locked within this gem. Increases the attraction of a mech by 40 percent to females.
"What the hell?!"
Ves wanted to puke out blood when he read its description. What a useless attribute! Even if the Maiden's Affection boosted an aspect by a whopping 40 percent, why did it increase something as useless as attraction to females?!
"You damn cat!" He angrily grabbed Lucky's body and lifted him in front of his face! "What has Gloriana been feeding you these days?! Can't you exert more control over your own crap?!"
"Meow!"
Lucky instantly turned intangible and drilled through the bed and floor!
Though Ves could have stopped his cat, he didn't bother. He only wanted to show his displeasure so that Lucky would work harder in forming useful gems.
As for the Maiden's Affection, he eyed it for a moment before shrugging. "Any gem is useful."
Ever since Gloriana came to live with him, she frequently spoiled his cat.
However, Lucky's improved diet did not seem to increase Lucky's gem production very much! Ves had no idea where all of the exotics went, but his cat only seemed to produce a gem whenever he liked.
"Greedy bastard." Ves grumbled.
He had no choice but to cherish the few gems he received. Ever since he successfully upgraded the only copy of the Devil Tiger into a masterwork mech, Ves regarded them as strategic resources.
Each potent gem represented an opportunity to cheat his way into building another masterwork mech!
"Sadly, it's not that easy to build another masterwork mech." He sighed.
Though he hadn't fabricated a lot of mechs lately, he intuitively felt that fabricating regular mechs didn't cut it. A masterwork not only demanded flawless construction, but also deep meaning.
Ves and Gloriana might be able to control the former, but not the latter.
It was not as simple as inducing strong emotions in themselves. If that were so, they could simply drug themselves with stimulants to push their moods to extremes!
"There are many secrets behind masterwork mechs." Ves muttered as he yawned and rose from his bed.
The silky fresh bedsheets slithered from his augmented body. Gloriana's influence had even spread into the sanctum of his bedroom, causing his bed and the interior to fit a grand and palatial theme.
Waking up with so much luxury in his presence made him feel like a king.
Ves did not care too much about these vain and excessive luxuries. He knew he had to keep a firm and disciplined mind in order for him to push himself into working hard.
No matter what kind of success he enjoyed right now, it was far from enough! He needed to become much more powerful to fulfill all of his goals in life!
"Right now, I'm nowhere close to fulfilling any of my grand ambitions."
In his eyes, becoming a Journeyman was no big deal. He lacked the capital to be arrogant. The less time he wasted on useless luxuries, the better!
Once Ves dressed and freshened himself up, he descended to the dining room where Gloriana was already in the process of feeding Lucky an exotic.
"Hihihi! You're so cute!"
"Meow!"
Lucky blissfully crunched the mineral with his teeth and rubbed his body against his hand.
Ves frowned. "Don't spoil him too much. He's profiting way too much in relation to the benefit we get in return."
"Pets aren't workers, Ves. They're companions! They deserve to be spoiled!"
Lucky swung his tail at Ves. "Meow!"
Ves gave up and sat down at the dining table in order to eat his breakfast.
The combination of excellent ingredients and sublime cooking made every meal a delight to him. Due to his metabolism, the chefs had taken to cooking large and hearty meals.
Croissants, sausages, sandwiches and more disappeared down his throat at a pace that discomfited Gloriana.
As opposed to Ves, Gloriana's diet consisted of fruit parfaits and light toast.
Nonetheless, Gloriana had no choice but to tolerate the disharmony in their meals due to their distinctly different dietary requirements.
Ves possessed a much stronger body due to his Jutland organ and other body augmentations, but it took a lot of energy and nutrition to sustain his health.
While Dr. Lupo hadn't managed to decipher the most important secrets behind Ves' physique, figuring out something as basic as this was not too difficult.
Fortunately, Ves could still survive if he was forced to reduce his calorie intake. One of Lupo's minor discoveries was that Ves would simply draw his energy from other sources if he couldn't get it through digesting food.
The only problem was that the alternate source of energy came from the Jutland organ. Both of them were very apprehensive towards this alien organ, so to be safe, Lupo decided that it was best if Ves became less dependent on this abnormal organ that had enveloped his heart!
Once the pair finished their breakfast, they traveled to the Mech Nursery where they both headed down to the design lab.
Ketis and the Tovar mech designers had already arrived beforehand and greeted the two Journeymen with respect.
Ves clapped his hand. "Alright, now that we have a day to process yesterday's announcements, it's time to get back to work. None of us are able to afford passage to the Red Ocean, so let's just forget about all of that big stuff and get back to the Sand War."
"The latest mech generation is here!" Ketis chirped with excitement. "Are we going to design a new generation mech right away?"
"Very likely, though I'm still awaiting the necessary licences." Ves turned to Miles Tovar. "I made a deal with Professor Ventag and the Tovars a while ago concerning the licenses. Have you been informed of this arrangement?"
He knew that Miles was in regular contact with the Tovars. Though Miles didn't speak with Senator Tovar directly, he regularly reported to Alistair Cordwraith.
Miles nodded. "The MTA has just made the licenses available today. The BV Alliance set up by the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom is still in the process of applying for the group licenses. With how efficient the MTA moves, we believe it won't take long for the BV Alliance to secure the group licenses. Once that happens, the holding company will immediately hand out sublicenses to any eligible Brighter and Vesian mech designer. You are definitely on that list."
That was a relief to Ves. Though the LMC was not short on money these days, it still cost a very hefty amount of money to license the new generation components released by the MTA. The heartless organization always jacked up the license fees because mech designers had no alternative at the start of every mech generation!
Therefore, Ves did not mind making use of the sublicenses provided by the BV Alliance despite putting himself at its mercy. If his relationship with the Bright Republic ever went sour, the BV Alliance could easily revoke his sublicenses, thereby making any mechs he designed using the licensed components illegal!
The only way to resolve such an issue was to license the same components again.
To Ves, that was not a big deal. The new generation component designs offered by the MTA were only relevant for a year or two at most. After that, many component developers would have published their own designs by then at far more affordable price levels!
"The key right now is to make the best use of our time." He spoke. "The only issue is that I have already accepted a commission to design a custom mech beforehand."
Miles frowned at that. "Every new mech generation triggers a soft reset of the mech market. Every mech designed before the transition has turned into a lastgen mech. If I was still an independent, I would pounce on this opportunity to design a mass-market mech in order to capture as much market share as possible! This kind of opportunity happens only once every thirty years!"
"I know that, Miles, but promises are promises. The commission is vitally important and will definitely affect the future of the Bright Republic. We can't afford to neglect it in favor of enriching ourselves. We'll just have to work on the commission alongside our commercial mech design project. While that will inevitably delay the completion of both projects, it's still in an acceptable range."
"What's our time frame?"
"I want to complete both designs within two months."
"Two months?! If that includes the prototype testing phase, that means our time will be very tight! Don't forget that we have to adjust to new and upgraded tech and components!"
"I believe we can do it!" Ves stated with confidence. "No matter how many changes the new mech generation has introduced, a mech engine is still a mech engine and a power reactor is still a power reactor! As long as we know what we are doing, the new changes won't affect our productivity too much!"
In truth, it took quite a lot of time and exploration for mech designers to get used to the new mech generation. Ves hadn't even studied the new generation components in detail.
Whether he and his design team could really complete two new generation mech designs within two months remained to be seen!
Chapter 1627 Battlefield Mismatch
While Ves hadn't studied the new generation components in detail, he already skimmed over the details. Together with Councilor Veyron's introductions, this was enough for him to gain an overall impression of what he could do with the new generation technology.
"As you all know, one of the main highlights of the new generation in the case of third-class mechs is the substantial improvement in laser weapons."
Everyone at the design lab nodded.
"Sadly, it's not feasible to design a laser-armed mech at the moment. It's also pointless to design a melee mech unless we want to cater to a distant market."
In the current state of the Sand War, every mech designer from a state under attack had to contribute to the war effort. If they couldn't design a viable mech, then they should at least assist other mech designers into doing so! Ves would ruin his reputation if he ignored this obligation!
The higher his reputation, the more he had to according to a fixed pattern of behavior.
While Ves missed the freedom he enjoyed earlier, he gained more than he lost from building up his reputation. Every notable figure had no choice but to accept the price that came with becoming more renowned!
"What mech do you intend to design next?" Miles Tovar asked.
"A marksman mech."
The answer surprised everyone except Gloriana. To be fair, there weren't many viable mech types to choose from. The Sand War outright negated the combat effectiveness of so many types of mechs that everyone was starting to get sick with designing rifleman mechs!
"Will a marksman mech even catch on in the market?"
"I've studied the mech market and I believe that demand for a precision mech is increasing. The most prevalent rifleman mechs on the market are armed with ballistic weapons." Ves explained. "Even the vaunted new Sandbreaker weapon system is a ballistic rifle. The only thing that is special about it is that it is based around specialized rounds that are significantly more effective against the sandmen."
Everyone nodded.
"Think about it. What are the strengths and weaknesses of ballistic rifles?"
Since Ves turned this into a teaching moment, Gloriana stayed silent.
Before Miles could speak up, his cousin Vela Tovar answered first.
"I've assisted in several ranged mech design projects before." She said. "Ballistic weapons are by far the cheapest and simplest weapon that ranged mechs can wield. They're low tech, low maintenance and very easy to mass produce. Their ability to fire any round that matches its caliber and specifications mean that they're also very versatile. The development of Sandbreaker rounds is a good example of how the same tech can be expressed in different ways."
Ves smiled at the answer. Though he admittedly paid much more attention to Miles, that did not mean that the other Tovar mech designers were useless.
While he still figured that only Miles had the potential to become a Journeyman, he made sure not to neglect the rest.
"Vela is right. Ballistic rifles and ballistic rounds are not the most effective ranged weapon systems that we have at our disposal. It's just that it's the most economical we have on hand. This is a very valuable property in the Sand War because the sandmen come in such overwhelming numbers that our state will go bankrupt if we employ more expensive weapons!"
"There's many downsides to ballistic weapons, though." She continued. "Their low tech nature means that they become less efficient at higher budgets. The rifles themselves are still rather cheap, but the cost of producing more potent ammunition goes up enormously because it's necessary to lace them with low-grade exotics. Therefore, it's possible to produce rounds that can smash the sandmen apart, but the expenditure is so high that it's not sustainable!"
The economic and logistical considerations surrounding high-quality ballistic rounds meant that they only fared well when used during important battles. Unless the situation called for it, most mech forces tended to keep their expensive rounds in reserve.
Naturally, this only applied to well-funded outfits and military mech units.
Vela proceeded with the other weakness. "The muzzle velocities of ballistic rifles are also low due to the limitations of the tech. Ordinarily, this isn't that big of a downside in landbound combat, but in space the battles take place at much larger ranges. When it take four or five seconds for a fired projectile to reach its destination, the target has plenty of time to dodge!"
"Early on in the Sand War, our defensive forces only encountered basic sandman fleets." Ves explained. "The lumbering motherships and escort vessels are so big and inflexible that accuracy was not a big priority back then. As long as the spread of fire was not too excessive, mech designers preferred to pay much more attention to the ammunition capacity and cost-effectiveness of the weapons they paired with their mech designs. I designed the Desolate Soldier along the same rationale."
"The problem is that the sandmen have evolved, while our mechs have stayed the same." Gloriana pointed out. "There is a mismatch between the two. Even the introduction of the Sandbreaker weapon system hasn't done much to solve this issue."
"The swarm configuration has become increasingly more prevalent." Ves stated. "It seems that the sandman admirals are all converging on the same solution. That is, the best way to fight a massed force of mechs and starfighters is to make their sandmen disperse into small and agile drones and pelter their enemies with weak but fast-firing lasers."
Everyone here had access to the unsanitized footage and results of the battles at the front. Each of them knew that each battle against a swarm of sandman drones ended up with a massacre on both sides!
"Due to the limitations of ballistic rifles, our Desolate Soldiers and other rifleman mechs have to close the distance in order to increase their hit rate. However, getting closer to the sandmen is not a good idea, because the hit rate of their lasers increases as well, thereby resulting in much greater casualties!"
What Ves just stated weighed heavily on everyone involved in the war. Would the Bright Republic be able to sustain the losses?
No one was sure.
"The existing mech models that are being employed against the sandmen are no longer optimal." He concluded. "Even the famed Dawnbreaker, with its notable resilience against heavy sandman lasers, have become less relevant! While their notable defensive parameters still make them effective against the other sandman configurations, their Sandbreaker weapon systems still constrain them just as much as other mechs."
"Then... what is the solution?" Miles quietly asked.
Everyone stared at each other.
Ves sighed. "The truth is that there is no easy solution available. Otherwise, every Senior and Journeyman would have published a revolutionary new mech design by now. While the current mech models aren't very optimal against the sandmen, deploying them is better than the alternative."
"Then what is the point of designing another mech?"
"Just because there isn't an easy solution does not mean there is no solution." Ves shook his head. "After a lot of thinking and brainstorming, Gloriana and I have come up with a potential new mech concept that can alleviate the losses our side is suffering in the war."
Everyone paid close attention to Ves as he revealed his idea.
"We have decided to design a marksman mech as our first new generation product!"
Everyone reacted with a measure of surprise.
"Does that mean you'll arm them with kinetic rifles?" Vela guessed.
Ves shook his head. "Yes! In fact, our marksman mech will be armed with a powerful and accurate gauss rifle! Gauss rifles or coilguns differ from ballistic rifles in that their muzzle velocities are much higher! This extends their effective range and makes them particularly useful in space battles. Compared to railguns, gauss rifles are more complex but don't suffer from as much wear and tear, which makes them durable enough to last the Sand War!"
"All of that comes with a price." Vela warned. "Gauss rifles not only require strong materials, but also consume a lot of energy as well as ammunition! In terms of efficiency, ballistic rifles are much more economical!"
"I'm well aware of the drawbacks, Miss Tovar, but my marksmen mechs aren't meant to replace the Desolate Soldiers and Dawnbreakers. They're meant to compliment forces that have already deployed these medium-ranged rifleman mechs."
"Is it useful, though?" Miles questioned. "While I can see that you intend to design long-ranged mechs that can accurately engage the sandmen at much longer distances, it's still very difficult to hit a sandman drone at such difficult conditions. If the mech pilot isn't specialized in marksmanship, then your mech is hardly useful."
"We know that, Miles. We plan to make our marksman mech a premium mech. It's not meant to be deployed in the same numbers as our Desolate Soldiers. We envision that only a small number of marksman specialists will pilot our mechs."
Everyone aside from Ves and Gloriana still didn't see much point in such a mech concept.
"Utilizing gauss rifles is not efficient!" Vela pointed out the problem associated with the mech concept. "Against small and agile sandman drones, the firepower of a gauss rifle discharge vastly exceeds the damage-absorbing capacity of a typical drone. Much of the firepower is wasted in that case! Against a standard or monolith configuration, each hit is able to inflict massive damage against the target, but the problem is that gauss rifles consume so much energy and ammunition that the marksman mech will shoot itself dry while the battle is only halfway done!"
In other words, cheap ballistic rifleman mechs offered much better value than expensive marksman mechs!
Ves grinned. "You're not wrong, Vela, but I haven't told you everything yet. Let me address your points. The reason why I've opted for a gauss rifle is to make use of its high muzzle velocity. I'm not necessarily prioritizing its damage potential. Against the swarm configuration, it's actually more useful if we shrink its caliber so that the mech can make its energy and ammunition reserves last longer!"
"It's still wasteful to employ this mech concept against the sandmen! There are so many drones flying around that it's better to flood the entire space with lots of rounds and hope that some of them hit!"
"As I've said, you're not wrong, but you are missing the ultimate point of my marksman mech. How do marksman mechs and sniper mechs typically operate in human conflicts?"
Miles answered the question first. "They're not typically part of the main battleline in space battles. Instead, they're held back until they find an opportunity to snipe an important mech. Typically, they're used to take out fragile ranged mechs or mechs piloted by officers. Even if they don't manage to destroy those mechs, just the ability to apply pressure on their targets is enough to tilt the battle in their favor."
"Every sandman fleet is led by at least one sandman admiral. Take out the admiral, and you turn a huge swathe of sandmen into leaderless entities! In each battle where a sandman admiral perishes early, the battle decisively tilts in our favor! Our mech concept is expressly meant to exploit this condition!"
Though it made a lot of sense, no one looked optimistic.
Ketis shook her head. "Sandman admirals are never easy to kill. Even in the swarm configuration, there are tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of drones flying around. The sandman admiral can hide among any drone in the rear of the formation!"
"Does the new generation offer some new advancements in sensor technology that we can use to pinpoint the sandman admiral?" Miles asked.
Ves chuckled and shook his head in regret. "Such a convenient solution doesn't exist as of yet. Otherwise, the entire mech community would have pounced on it already. Even if the MTA unveiled improved sensor technology, it doesn't really make a difference against the sandmen!"
"Then.. how will your marksman mech be able to snipe the sandman admiral without going through the entire swarm?"
Ves grinned and spread his arms. "Intuition."
Chapter 1628 Guided Aim
The entire design team looked dazed.
When Ves first revealed to them that he intended to design a marksman mech, they reacted with skepticism.
The current doctrine against the sandman basically amounted to deploying lots of mechs and starfighters to bombard the sandmen with as many rounds as possible!
Every defensive force relied on massed firepower and deploying lots of cannon fodder to resist the tide of sandman incursions.
Recently, the defensive forces added Dawnbreakers, Duskbreakers and Novabreakers to their mech rosters. The Dawnbreaker and Novabreaker were especially effective because they could endure a lot of hits while dishing out significant damage with their Sandbreaker rifles.
So far, no one managed to think of a more effective way to beat the sandmen. The Bright Republic and the other third-rate states being hammered by the sandmen were constrained by many limitations.
However, what was impossible for other mech designers was not necessarily impossible to Ves. he just needed to think outside the box and exploit his unique advantages.
While he already managed to convince Gloriana of the viability of his mech concept, that was only because his girlfriend had faith in his abilities.
Trying to convince his design team was much more difficult.
Though he could just skip his explanations and leave them ignorant, that would not do his project any good.
To ensure that the X-Factor of his mech remained as coherent as possible,every person involved had to share the same vision!
If each mech designer working on the project had a different idea on what the mech was supposed to be, then the spiritual foundation of the mech risked becoming too heterogeneous.
While Ves could resolve most issues resulting from a lack of direction and agreement, he would have to expend too much effort to straighten the spiritual foundation of his mech design.
It was much better to make his entire design team understand and adhere to his vision from the start!
Right now, everyone expressed confusion at the answer that Ves had given. Against the increasingly more prevalent swarm configuration, it was far too difficult to wipe them out without suffering massive casualties.
Since a sandman admiral played a critical commanding role to their fleets, a lot of people poured a lot of research into coming up with a way to identify their presence within a fleet!
As long as a sandman admiral became exposed, every mech and starfighter could flood its direction with a torrent of ballistic rounds!
The brightest minds and the most brilliant specialists of many states poured a lot of time and effort in this research, but so far they failed to achieve any results.
Ves was very well aware of the difficulties the researchers faced. While a sandman admiral typically possessed a body that consisted of higher-quality exotic, the problem was that their size ranged from a grain of sand to a small finger-sized pebble!
Even Sigrund's true body wasn't very big to begin with! The lesser sandman admirals that led the charge into human space had only recently come into existence, which meant that they were predominantly just as small as any other sandman!
The lower castes of sandmen weren't entirely uniform either. Their bodies consisted of all kinds of inorganic substances. A sandman fleet typically incorporated countless varieties of simple sand, various metals and low-grade exotics!
Each person that pointed a sensor at a sandman amalgamation only got a confusing mass of data in return!
It was practically impossible for humans or AIs to figure out which specific particle among trillions of particles led an entire fleet!
So how did Ves decide to solve this problem that confounded so many scientists and sensor specialists?
"Intuition." He repeated while tapping the side of his head. "We humans are special. Unlike machines and bots, we are creatures of both logic, emotion and instinct. Against a problem where conventional solutions aren't available, it's worth a try to resort to a more unconventional solution."
"I understand, but.. what is intuition?" Miles asked.
"Intuition is instinctive understanding." Ves patiently replied. "Think of it as a way to come up with the right answer or decision without relying on conscious thought or clear logic."
"Doesn't that make intuition no better than unfounded guesswork?"
"Essentially, yes."
The design team looked even more skeptical.
"So.. the premise of your next mech is to rely on luck and gut feeling to score a lucky hit on a sandman admiral?"
"Essentially, yes."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Larkinson, but I don't see how such a mech will succeed. There is no scientific basis for this mech!"
"That's just your limited understanding of reality talking." Ves responded with a grin. "The science you've learned at school only partially sheds a light on the mechanisms that govern the reality we live in. Take the glows of my mechs for example. Have any of you managed to come up with a grounded, scientific explanation of how they work?"
Everyone fell silent.
"From what I've seen, many mech designers haven't necessarily failed because they are dull and stupid. They can be quite the bookworms. The real issue is that they adhere so rigidly to their knowledge that they aren't willing to consider ideas that fall outside their current understanding! The boldest mech designers aren't afraid of going out on a limb. While they fail most of the time, they only have to succeed once to win big!"
"So you're basically gambling."
"You're partially correct." Ves admitted.
Miles Tovar really couldn't accept such a vague basis for a mech concept! "Have you gone mad?! How is it possible for a smart and brilliant mech designer such as you to rely on something as nebulous as intuition of all things to base your new mech design upon?"
Neither Ves nor Gloriana took any offense of his skepticism. Both of them smiled as if nothing was wrong!
"We have faith that our mech design will work." Ves replied.
Every Tovar looked dazed. Even Ketis reacted with doubt and confusion.
Most Brighters were secularists, and the Tovars were no different! They disdained superstition and didn't really believe in the concept of intuition!
The way they looked at Ves suggested that they weren't sure whether Ves was still a Brighter!
"So we're just going to waste two months worth of time and effort on designing a mech that we aren't sure will succeed in the role it is supposed to fulfill?"
Ves laughed. "I'm not that gullible, guys! I did some research before I came up with this mech concept. Perhaps this explanation is good enough for my girlfriend, but I don't take every assumption at face value. Let me show you something."
He began to manipulate an interface. Soon, the projector lit up and displayed some statistics.
"It was a bit difficult to obtain these figures, but I managed to find a way to obtain some data from the Bright Republic and the Ylvaine Protectorate."
"What are we supposed to look at, Mr. Larkinson?"
The tables displayed a lot of battle-related data. Ves pointed his finger at a specific row.
"Look at the average time that has passed before a combatant manages to kill a sandman admiral."
Ketis and the Tovars each leaned forward.
"According to the graph, the Ylvainans are a bit luckier. They're 16 seconds faster on average."
"Correct!" Ves grinned. "Don't underestimate this 16 second difference! This is empirical proof that the Ylvainans are a bit more capable of intuitively predicting the hiding spots of sandman admirals within their fleets!"
Miles frowned deeper. "16 seconds doesn't sound like a statistically-significant difference. A battle typically lasts for at least half an hour. The Ylvainans also field different mechs and adopt slightly different tactics and strategies against the sandmen. Ylvainan and Brighter mech pilots are also different in their training. There are many possible reasons behind this tiny discrepancy."
"This is also only a single comparison." Vela Tovar added. "Maybe if we have the Vesians or the Reinaldans are even faster in killing the sandman admirals. We just don't know because we don't have access to their data."
"Everything you've mentioned is plausible." Ves charitably replied. "However, I'm still convinced that the difference is a sign that intuition makes a real difference!"
"What makes the Ylvainans better, then?"
"It's because they rely on their faith."
"..."
None of the people present were Ylvainans. Only Gloriana was religious, leaving the rest just as skeptical as before. Nothing Ves had said managed to resolve their doubts on his mech concept!
Ves knew that his idea would be a very hard sell to a bunch of secularists.
"Look, the Holy Soldier is a variant I've designed that specifically inspires faith in Ylvainans. I think that this has stimulated the judgement and intuition of their mech pilots to such a degree that they have become measurably more successful in pinpointing the sandman admirals."
Though Ves kept explaining his views, he failed to convince his design team that he was right.
He was helpless in this regard.
Unlike his subordinates, Ves knew what he was talking about. He did not entirely rely on the paltry empirical evidence he managed to gather to make up his mind about the viability of his mech concept.
Right now, a problem existed where humans were unable to discover the coordinates of the sandman admiral.
Even with his new mech design, Ves wasn't entirely confident that intuition would lead to immediate success.
Therefore, Ves wanted to design a marksman mech that possessed enough capacity to fire a bunch of shots in any direction the mech pilot intuitively felt good about.
Ordinarily, the chance of scoring a lucky hit on a sandman admiral was miniscule! It wasn't worth it for most forces to deploy a bunch of marksman mechs to kill a sandman admiral through relying on pure trial and error.
However, Ves believed that he had a means to increase the chances of killing a sandman admiral without relying on technological solutions!
The key here lay in the Ylvainans.
Only Ves knew that he infused the Holy Soldier design with a mote of spirituality taken from Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.
His original intention was to grant the Holy Soldier a small but noticeable sacred component in its glow.
Ves succeeded in that. The Holy Soldier became an extremely popular mech model in the Ylvaine Protectorate. Almost every Kronon mech pilot expressed deep satisfaction and devotion to the Holy Soldiers because they believed it brought them closer to their faith!
However, Ves had not forgotten about the prophet's ability to predict the future.
Though Ves had long doubted whether the prophet really possessed this ability, he had to admit that the mech pilots of the Holy Soldier but especially the Transcendent Messenger appeared to be remarkably canny in their performance!
The previous Ylvainan raids on the military star systems of the Star Faith Collective showcased the weird ability for the Transcendent Messengers to dodge enemy fire!
The performance of Taon Melin was especially noticeable! His Zeal did not get hit once! Even when the hero mech confronted enemy expert mechs, Taon Melin managed to predict and dodge their shots with ease!
Either Taon Melin had advanced to expert pilot, which was definitely not true, or he somehow gained the ability to anticipate the future!
Though Ves found it hard to accept the latter, he could not rule out the idea that Prophet Ylvaine was extraordinary in this aspect.
By extension, his spiritual fragment should have inherited the same ability!
"The central basis of the Ylvainan Faith is their faith in the predictions of the future. The Ylvainans place prophets in high regard. I believe that centering my marksman mech design around intuition and predicting the future is the best way to assassinate sandman admirals before they do too much damage!"
Miles Tovar looked dismayed. "Doesn't that make this mech design exclusive to Ylvainan mech pilots?"
"Essentially, yes." Ves confirmed. "This mech won't work as well if the mech pilot is not a believer of the Ylvainan Faith!"
This was because Ves planned to make Ylvaine's spiritual fragment as the principal design spirit of his marksman mech!
Ves essentially bet that Ylvaine's spiritual fragment would guide the aim of the mech pilot!
Chapter 1629 Extreme Offense
His design team still couldn't wrap their heads around the mech concept that Ves proposed.
A storm of troubled emotions flashed over their faces. Like every Brighter, Miles and the other Tovars looked down on religion.
To participate in the development of a mech that explicitly leaned on vague and unscientific concepts such as faith and intuition stood against anything they had ever designed before!
Ves saw that he needed to guide them a little bit further. If they remained too opposed against his ideas, they would pose a hindrance to his design project.
"You don't necessarily have to support my proposal." He said quietly. "However, you should at least remember who you are. You are mech designers. You are professionals. Regardless of what you think, it is always a good idea to learn how to keep an open mind and to work outside your comfort zone. If you are too narrow-minded, you aren't ready to tackle the challenges you face when you progress your design philosophy."
That lessened their resistance by a bit. Every person who studied mech design learned this lesson. It was a bit unfortunate that most people tended to forget it when they practiced their craft.
Naturally, there were also people who believed that mech designers ought to stick to their own beliefs.
In truth, they had a point. A mech designer who wavered too much would never be able to form a design philosophy that truly fit their own beliefs.
A balance had to be achieved. Mech designers needed to be principled enough to stand up to their core beliefs. Simultaneously, they also had to remain flexible enough to tolerate different beliefs.
What mattered in the end was the outcome. A mech was a success as long as it performed well and fulfilled its intended role. Whether a mech designer took the left path or the right path to get to the destination did not matter very much.
"Let's begin with drafting the design." Ves clapped, deciding that it was best to move on. ?While Gloriana and I will draft our design, I want the rest of you to go over the new generation component designs that we can license and study which ones are suitable. We'll discuss your selection later."
"What parameters should we prioritize?" Ketis asked.
"The weapon is the most important aspect of any marksman mech. Start selecting the weapon first. By my recollection, the new generation hasn't introduced any significant advancements in gauss rifle designs, so feel free to take a look at lastgen models. Remember to consider a medium gauss rifle. Too much power is too wasteful, but too little power reduces the impact of my marksman mech. Try to find a middle ground."
"What about other aspects?"
"Since a marksman mech is designed to operate in the rear of any formation, don't focus too much on defense. Mobility isn't a big priority either. As long as it can keep up with a formation, it's enough. Every aspect of the mech must facilitate the firepower of the mech."
Ketis frowned. "Won't that make the mech as vulnerable as a starfighter?"
"Mechs such as the Dawnbreaker already fill the assault role. With so many mechs and starfighters attracting enemy fire in the vanguard, the chances that the sandmen will target a marksman mech is minimal. The sandmen have never exhibited any selective targeting patterns. They just shoot at whatever is more convenient."
"For now."
Ves acknowledged the point. "While it's true that the sandman might change, I won't compromise on firepower this time. If my marksman mechs require protection, it's much better to deploy some knight mechs instead of tacking on armor to a frame that is unsuited for defense."
"You are proposing a very unbalanced mech." Miles scratched his head. "While glass cannons aren't unheard of, it's rare to see them in premium mechs. No one likes to field a mech that costs as much as three regular mechs but is only as durable as half of one! It only takes one accident to ruin such an expensive purchase!"
"Hahaha!" Ves chuckled. "Ordinarily, you have a valid point. However, you are neglecting something very important. You should never judge a mech by its own merits. You also have to take its intended users in mind! If you know the Ylvainans like I do, they are willing to fight and die for their beliefs! I know for certain that if our work matches my vision, plenty of elite Kronon mech pilots will embrace our new product!"
Ves considered his choices very carefully before he made up his mind. For his first mech design of the new generation, he deliberately decided to go for a whacky mech concept that relied on intuition and external intervention to guide the aim of the mech pilots.
Designing a mass-market budget mech like the Desolate Soldier had done much to propel him to the forefront of the mech community.
However, the Sand War already raged for some time. Between these months, many mech designers already published a huge variety of mech designs, many of which fulfilled the same roles.
In such a crowded marketplace, Ves did not see much value in publishing a mech which offered similar performance to the machines that his competitors already put on sale.
Ves wanted to make a statement.
His first new mech design of the latest generation ought to provide value that no other mech designer could provide.
Regardless of how many mechs the LMC sold or how much revenue it earned, the company could continue to stand out from the market.
As long as he became known as a mech designer that could offer something unique, he would never have to worry about becoming irrelevant.
What might become a trend today could easily be forgotten tomorrow. What Ves wanted to do was to consolidate his position and to form a solid foundation for his future work.
Though Ves was certain that his narrow mech concept would mystify many people, as long as it worked out, he would definitely succeed in cultivating an odd and mysterious impression!
His Soldier product line already attracted way too much attention. If the MTA hadn't been so preoccupied with the invasion of the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy, their mech designers might have paid more attention to his work!
Fortunately, phasewater attracted most of their attention, giving Ves enough room to progress his odd design philosophy in peace.
As Ves and Gloriana sat together, they started drawing lines on a projected interface.
It only took a few minutes for them to form their initial sketch. The roughly-drawn image depicted a hefty medium marksman mech wielding an oversized gauss rifle.
The entire frame was designed to complement the offensive ability of the mech. Ordinary ranged mechs tended to be slim and sleek in order to facilitate their ability to dodge and juke enemy fire.
Ves had designed his Desolate Soldier design along this concept.
However, his marksman mech wasn't designed to fight the enemy head-on. Trying to accentuate mobility detracted from other aspects of his current project.
This time, Ves wanted to make as few compromises as possible. Just like how his Aurora Titan pursued defense to an extreme, he wanted to make his marksman mech the most offense-oriented mech he could design!
If mobility was no longer a priority, Ves would rather increase the size of the frame. While that made his marksman mech look a bit bulky, there were several advantages to this design direction.
First, making his marksman mech fatter turned it into a more stable firing platform. A gauss rifle was incredibly powerful. Its inbuilt inertial dampeners only weakened its recoil to a degree.
"Newton's Third Law of Motion. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Ves justified his design choice to Gloriana. "Gauss rifles impart a lot of force on projectiles, but each time they do so, the rifle and mech both have to endure the same force."
Increasing the mass of the mech wielding the rifle made it easier for the combination to cope with the recoil.
Ordinarily, mech designers mainly added mass to rifleman mechs in the form of armor plating.
This was what the Ansel mech designers pursued when they designed the Dawnbreaker and its variants. The Dawnbreaker's considerable defensive prowess not only made it suitable to confront the laser-obsessed sandmen, it also made it easier for the mech to cope with the recoil of its Sandbreaker rifle.
For this reason, the Sandbreaker performed worse when wielded by slimmer mechs such as the Desolate Soldier.
What made his marksman mech different from the Dawnbreaker was that it did not feature stronger armor. Instead, Ves mainly used the extra bulk to increase its capacity and endurance!
The Dawnbreaker was like a coconut that featured a solid shell and a soft interior.
In comparison, his marksman mech was like a shopping bag. It featured a thin exterior but lots of goods inside.
The key was what Ves and Gloriana planned to stuff inside their mech.
"Gauss rifles consume both ammunition and energy. They're very cumbersome in that regard." Gloriana noted. "Unless our marksman mech can guarantee that it can take out a sandman admiral in a single shot, we have to make sure it gets as many opportunities as possible to complete its mission."
Ves pointed at some internal sections of their draft. "We have to devote most of the added capacity towards accommodating ammunition and energy cells. We have to be very deliberate about where to store the ammunition. As our marksman mechs continues to deplete its rounds, the mass distribution of our mech will change."
Every ballistic mech faced this problem. Ordinarily, a mech designer tweaked the programming of the mech to compensate for the changes, but this was only a stopgap solution. It was best to make the placement of ammunition as even as possible to make the piloting experience as consistent as possible.
They could determine how much capacity they had to devote to ammunition and energy cells later.
Since Ves did not intend his marksman mech to move very actively or dogfight against the sandmen in battle, its flight system shouldn't consume as much energy as other ranged mechs.
However, a gauss rifle expended a significant amount of energy per shot, so Ves could not afford to reduce the amount of energy cells his mech carried.
One design choice they both hesitated upon was whether it would be better for the marksman mech to store its ammunition internally or externally.
"It's faster and easier for our mech to resupply if its ammunition containers are mounted externally on the mech." Gloriana suggested.
Ves shook his head. "If our marksman mech has shot so many times but failed to take out a sandman admiral by then, it's a failure. Even if the mech pilot isn't skilled enough or if the battle is too chaotic to land a solid hit, my mech shouldn't have to return to a mothership in order to refill its spent ammunition and energy reserves."
Keeping everything internal might make his mech more cumbersome, but Ves did not mind this outcome.
They decided to store everything internal to make their mech as consistent as possible. Making their mech look cooler by draping belts of ammunition across its shoulder was a look that mainly took place in action dramas.
After several hours of drafting and refinement, their marksman mech slowly took shape. Ves spent a considerable amount of time in shaping the exterior of their mech to be more in line with the Ylvainan Faith.
As he played around with the appearance of the mech, the vision that he formed in his mind became more detailed and defined.
Ves designed a machine that embodied a hunter who administered punishment on Ylvaine's behalf!
The mech was meant to neutralize any potent threat against the Ylvainan Faith and its adherents!
With a configuration that maximized the firepower, accuracy and capacity of the mech at all cost, the draft already exuded a hint of lethality!
Chapter 1630 Ylvainan Specialty
After a day of drafting and preparation work, the mech designers of the LMC made a lot of progress.
With the help of the assistant mech designers, Ves quickly selected the most appropriate new generation components to pair with his marksman mech.
Since Ves intended to design a premium mech, he benefited from a generous budget.
Armor was by far the most expensive component of most mechs. What made his marksman mech different was that Ves did not intend to allocate the bulk of his budget on improving its toughness.
In fact, he chose to do the opposite! Ves settled for a cheap, lastgen armor system that offered poor protection but was very easy to work with. Not only that, but he only applied the minimum amount of armor necessary to hold the mech together and prevent it from deforming if subjected to gravity!
Perhaps normal mech pilots would never entrust their lives on such flimsy protection. His marksman mech was as fragile as a light mech but without the corresponding degree of mobility!
However, Ves had faith that the Ylvainan mech pilots he targeted would not be deterred!
In order to devote as much of the mech to offense as possible, Ves also opted to mount his mech with a very basic flight system.
His marksman mech's flight system was smaller and stubbier than the flight systems of other ranged mechs. This made his mech sluggish to the point that it was unsuitable to confront an enemy directly.
The advantage of using a small and weak flight system was that it didn't occupy much space. It was also cheap and consumed a lot less energy.
Gloriana expressed some misgivings about this design choice. "The lack of mobility won't matter much against the sandmen, but it will make our mech a sitting duck against other opponents. Human enemies aren't as stupid as the sandmen. They know when they should prioritize distant but acute threats such as marksman mechs."
"It's fine if our mech design doesn't have much longevity once the Sand War is over." Ves sighed. "I'm not entirely satisfied with the new generation components the MTA has released. Right now, I want to maximize the combat effectiveness of our marksman mech against the sandman. If I try to make my mech effective against enemy mechs as well, we risk making too many compromises. That will weaken its effectiveness against both sandmen and mechs."
Ves knew that the mech concept that underpinned his this project was not completely reliable. He did not wish to tack on too many roles to his marksman mech. Putting too many expectations on it would only weaken its main purpose, which was to snipe sandman admirals down.
Another factor that he needed to take into account was whether Ylvaine's spiritual fragment would offer its assistance.
He decided to make sure he gained the fragment's consent before proceeding further.
He briefly closed his eyes and concentrated on his Transcendent Messenger design. He slowly made contact with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.
Before he could communicate his inquiry, the fragment transmitted positivity to him. It had already assented to his plans!
He snorted. "I hate it when you do that."
Ves already expected this answer. Even though Ves intended to make his marksman mech work by exploiting its design spirit, his work did not damage the interests of the Ylvainan people!
In fact, his work would benefit them hugely!
The sandman race threatened every state in the Komodo Star Sector. If the current trend of the war persisted, then the Ylvaine Protectorate might get overrun!
Even if the Ylvaine Protectorate managed to hold their ground, the Bright Republic and other nearby states may fall instead! Once that happened, the sandmen could quickly turn around and flank the Protectorate, thereby causing it to fall in the end!
The Ylvainans had to prevent both outcomes as much as possible!
From what Ves understood of the Great Prophet when he was alive, Ylvaine considered himself to be the shepherd and the protector of his followers.
He would not remain still if the Ylvainan people needed his help.
Therefore, Ves already assumed that Ylvaine's spiritual fragment would approve of his marksman mech design.
He did not take the spiritual fragment's approval for granted. While Ylvaine was known to be generous to those who didn't share his beliefs, Ves did not wish to make any excessive demands.
Who knew what would happen if a Brighter piloted a mech under the purview of Ylvaine's spiritual fragment! The clash between a secularist and a living remnant of an ardent religious figure would definitely be spicy!
"Compatibility between a mech and a mech pilot is a huge concern." Gloriana identified. "Since this mech performs best in the hands of an Ylvainan mech pilot, I agree with your decision to make it an exclusive Ylvainan design."
To facilitate her understanding of his mech, Ves already informed her about Ylvaine's spiritual fragment beforehand.
Naturally, she regarded it as a proto-god.
Aside from this difference in perspective, both of them were aligned on this project. Ves always appreciated Gloriana's willingness to accept and believe in his design choices, no matter how weird they sounded.
Ves had to do his best to vindicate Gloriana's unquestioning trust in his design abilities. He could not afford to fail in this project!
The rifle model they selected out of the available choices was the most remarkable part about their draft design.
After making a lot of comparisons, Ves settled for a new generation model called the Executor.
While the improvements of a new generation gauss rifle was not very substantial compared to a lastgen model, he did not wish to compromise the offensive power of his mech!
The Executor was so big that the marksman mech still looked a bit too small to wield such a massive weapon.
Ordinarily, a weapon of this size was already qualified to be called a cannon if not for its lackluster caliber.
The main reason why the gauss rifle was so large and unwieldy was not because it fired large projectiles.
The developers of the Executor instead focused mainly on maximizing its muzzle velocity.
The gauss rifle spat out rounds much faster than other models. This put an enormous stress on its body, which meant that it needed a lot of strengthening and recoil compensation.
It also happened to make the rifle very big and fragile. It only took a couple of light hits to disable the weapon!
To be fair, most ranged mechs suffered from the same vulnerability. It was just that his marksman mech could not rely on mobility to avoid incoming damage.
"This mech looks like it's ready to snipe some sandman admirals." Gloriana tentatively approved of the draft. "Its lack of defense and mobility is rather concerning, but I think it will pair well as long as it enjoys the protection of a knight mech."
Ves smiled. "This isn't a mech that is designed to defeat its opponents alone. It's a mech that expands the options of what a mech force can do. As long as our mech can rely on the protection and cover of other mechs, it can showcase its full might!"
The situation of his marksman mech reminded him of the Aurora Titan. Even though the mech wasn't useful for anything except repelling enemy attacks, it turned out to be okay in the end. Plenty of customers found a good use of the mech.
In fact, his marksman mech would pair exceptionally well with an Aurora Titan!
One mech focused on extreme offense. The other mech focused on extreme defense. Putting them together resulted in something akin to a mobile defensive platform!
Of course, the main downside was that this defensive platform was only mobile in a relative sense! The mobility of the Aurora Titan was truly abysmal, making it impossible to avoid any strong attacks or keep up with fast-moving formations!
Fortunately, mobility warfare had never been much of a priority in the Sand War. Most fights devolved into primitive slugfest where one side attempted to outlast the other side!
Since his marksman mech was optimized to fight the sandmen, Ves did not expect it to remain very relevant once the sandman threat had passed.
However, Ves had a faint suspicion that the Ylvainans might surprise him! For this reason, he did not completely dare to rule out the possibility that his mechs might be employed against human opponents one day.
"Have you thought over the political implications of this mech design?" Gloriana suddenly asked.
"Hm?"
"Think of what you are planning to design. Is this mech supposed to benefit the Ylvainans, or everyone else who are resisting the sandmen?"
Ves helplessly smiled. "The latter, of course. If I had a choice, I would have tailored my design to Brighters. Unfortunately, you've already seen the reaction of the Tovars. They don't want anything to do with the Ylvainan Faith, let alone put their trust into something as vague as intuition."
"Let's suppose this idea works. Let's assume that when the Ylvainans start deploying our marksman mechs en masse, they manage to finish their battles a lot sooner than before because they have become good at sniping sandman admirals. Do you think the other states will sit still?"
"Ah." Ves scratched his hair. "I can already anticipate their first reaction. They'll buy a bunch of our new mechs and attempt to accomplish the same feats with their own mech pilots. They'll fail. Our marksman mechs are only effective in the hands of an Ylvainan expert pilot who specializes in ranged mechs!"
"Then the other states will have no choice but to beg the Ylvainans to dispatch some of their mech pilots to defend their own territories!"
Ves could see now that this would have vast diplomatic implications. An ideological conflict could not be ruled out either!
"If the Bright Republic has to depend on a mech that only works because its mech pilot is a devout believer, hardly any Brighter will feel at ease!"
"What's worse is that you're the designer, Ves."
He couldn't help but chuckle. Now that he thought about it, the situation sounded quite absurd!
"Well, I don't have any other choice." He shrugged. "The Ylvainans are the only ones on hand who can enable this kind of mech. Even if the Bright Republic has a problem with this idea, they can't argue with the results. If our mechs perform as expected, then every other state will be begging the Ylvainans for assistance!"
"The Ylvainan government can use this opportunity to trade for some concessions. Our marksman mech is destined to empower the Protectorate!"
Hearing that made Ves a little worried. Not everyone would appreciate his support for the Ylvainans. Certainly, developing such a mech would definitely make his status as a Brighter more awkward.
"It's just a single mech design." He eventually brushed aside his concerns. "If I need to reassert my loyalty to the Bright Republic, I'll just design another mech that accomplishes this result!"
"The commission that you've accepted is the perfect opportunity to do so, Ves. Didn't the government ask you to design a mech that is meant to please the former separatists from Bentheim? Designing a single custom mech won't necessarily change the outcome of the Sand War, but it is still a great opportunity to boost your reputation and influence public opinion!"
"Just like my Transcendent Messengers."
"Exactly!"
Now that he thought about it, Gloriana had a good point. Perhaps there was a bit more merit to designing a custom mech for Vincent Ricklin than he thought. Due to the nature of the commission, a lot of people would certainly pay attention to the custom mech he designed!
Of course, Ves did not place much hope in affecting the Bright Republic as much as he did when he designed the Transcendent Messengers.
"Vincent Ricklin is due to arrive tomorrow." He said. "Let's hope he doesn't make any impractical demands for his custom mech."
Chapter 1631 Meeting Between Men
A carrier that belonged to former BLM rebels made landfall on Cloudy Curtain.
Its arrival attracted a lot of attention!
If the government hadn't granted amnesty to the members of the BLM, the ship would have never been allowed to approach!
The detachment of the Mech Corps that had been dispatched to garrison the Cloudy Curtain System could only sit still while their former enemies paraded in public.
Before Ves met with Vincent Ricklin and his companions, he called Leland to his office to discuss the coming meeting.
"Vincent Ricklin has already attracted a lot of public attention." Leland told Ves. "You will have to watch your conduct whenever the two of you are in public. In fact, don't assume that you are free to do what you want when you are behind closed doors. Apparently, Vincent has hired his own media crew to manage his own media presence."
"You guys are just letting him do that?"
"As long as Vincent supports the deal the government has made with the BLM, it's not a bad idea to give him a greater voice. He's quite shrewd in that regard. He is willing to be used as long as he benefits in the process. It's a win-win situation to both the Bright Republic and himself."
Ves sardonically smiled. He wasn't the only one who learned how to cooperate with the government.
"It sounds like he's quite a shrewd guy."
"According to our investigation, Vincent hasn't been entirely onboard with the BLM's ideals. In fact, some of our analysts doubt that he even believed in its original cause." The Flashlight agent remarked.
"You mean he's just a scumbag who used the BLM for his own ends?"
"I wouldn't phrase it quite that way. He's an opportunist who has already abandoned ship once when his sister threatened his position in the Ricklin Family. We believe that Vincent has grown disillusioned with the life of a fugitive rebel. Living from day to day in a drab, underground bunker while worrying about the authorities catching up to him is not very pleasant."
That matched with what Ves thought of Vincent Ricklin. His initial reason to defect to the BLM must have been an act of desperation. He just wanted to get out of the clutches of the Ricklin Family, and the BLM was the only organization on Bentheim who dared to shelter him and offer new opportunities.
"Do I need to watch out for anything when I meet with Vincent?"
"I think it's best if I accompany you whenever you interact with him." Leland said. "The BLM is an old enemy of ours. I can help manage your interactions with their former members."
Ves ruffled Lucky's head as his cat dozed on his desk. "I suppose you also want to be present in order to keep me under control. You can't have me saying anything inconvenient."
The spy did not deny his accusation. "A lot of things can go wrong. Just consider me as insurance. So long as neither of you make any missteps, I won't have to intervene."
"Heh. Do you believe him, Lucky?"
His cat glanced up at Leland. "Meow."
"Yeah. I think so too."
"Please don't plot any violence against Vincent. He's already in control over a considerable number of mech pilots. By all signs, he is planning to form his own mercenary corps to maintain his grip on his subordinates. The mech he wants you to design is an important component in his plot. The more impressive his mech, the greater his ability to attract former members of the BLM under his banner!"
"That sounds dangerous."
Leland smiled. "He's a double-edged sword, but that is what makes him so valuable. Many of the former leaders and cadre of the Bentheim Liberation Movement are bitter fighters. They've treated the government as an enemy for decades, perhaps even their entire life! Even if they made peace with the Bright Republic, their long-held beliefs haven't changed."
"And Vincent is different?"
"He is. He's younger and he has only been with the BLM for less than a decade. Since he mainly looks out for himself, he isn't very attached to the old ideology of the BLM. Neither does he see the authorities as his enemies despite clashing with them several times."
Ves understood a bit better why Senator Tovar and the government placed so much importance in Vincent Ricklin.
This fellow was a sellout!
"How am I supposed to treat him, then?"
"Just act politely. Don't try to pull off any stunts or provoke any incidents. We don't need you to promote the amnesty deal either. Our main objective is to gain Vincent Ricklin's cooperation. We want to show everyone that Vincent and the former members of the BLM can successfully reintegrate into society."
That didn't sound very complicated. Once he finished his discussion with Leland, he moved down to the ground floor of the LMC's headquarters.
Due to the importance of the meeting, Ves decided to dress up in his full Pride of Dusk ensemble.
He briefly contemplated wearing his decorative cat ears, but he decided to keep them in his pockets. He did not wish to make himself appear silly in front of Vincent Ricklin.
Gloriana kept her own pair out of sight as well. She wore a professional business outfit that did not attract too much attention. She knew that it wouldn't be appropriate for her to involve herself in matters concerning the Bright Republic.
Their cats were present as well. Clixie sat next to Gloriana as if she was on guard.
Lucky meanwhile hissed at the giant mounted body of Zeigra had been placed in the center of the foyer of the HQ.
Ves looked up at the body of the former Crown Cat and had to admit it looked impressive.
In his first reunion with Vincent, he did not wish to appear weak. He wasn't the harmless mech designer he used to be back when he was a Novice all those years ago.
Just as Vincent changed, Ves had changed even more!
Some trepidation welled up within him as he spotted movement up front. The transparent front entrance slid open to allow a procession of wildly-dressed people to enter.
The thugs looked anything but professional. Wearing wild clothes that showed off their tattoos and piercings, the former separatists clearly used to be part of the lower ranks of the BLM's hierarchy.
While Ves ordinarily disdained elitism, he couldn't help but react the same as Gloriana. Both of them expressed some disgust at the sloppy appearances of Vincent's companions.
Of course, they quickly schooled their faces once they noticed all of the recorder bots floating around. Following behind them was a procession of journalists and media crew.
This first meeting appeared to be a very significant event. Ves understood a bit better why Leland insisted on being present.
He could really do a lot of damage if he said something wrong!
Emerging from the middle of the crowd of thugs was the star of the show. Vincent Ricklin, appearing much more buff and confident than Ves remembered!
As Vincent stepped ahead of his followers with a delightful grin on his face, Ves momentarily became overwhelmed by the manliness the former rebel exuded.
His greasy, dirty blond hair trailed messily over his shoulders. His tight black pants accentuated his powerful legs.
What was worse was that Vincent hadn't even bothered to wear a proper shirt! Instead, he wore nothing else on his upper body except for an unbuttoned vest!
His sculpted abs and chest were plain to see to everyone! Several recorder bots floated in a circle around Vincent, capturing all of his muscle definition in the highest fidelity they could manage!
"Hello there, babe." Vincent completely ignored Ves and walked up to Gloriana. "You smell as lovely as you look. How about I bring you back to Bentheim and show you around?"
Gloriana scrunched her face and deliberately leaned against Ves. "I have many obligations here. We must each do our part in the fight against the sandmen."
That was a very good deflection. Ves inwardly clapped his hands at her response.
Seeing that he encountered a tough nut, Vincent reluctantly left her be. Instead, he turned to Ves.
For a moment, they stared at each other. While Ves did not appear as outrageously handsome as Vincent, he did not consider himself any less of a man!
Ves quietly lowered the barrier to his Pride of Dusk, causing him to emanate a prideful and intimidating aura!
Vincent suddenly lightened up and whistled impressively. "Wow. You make me feel like I'm facing one of your Prideful Soldier mechs!"
Damnit. Ves recalled that he inserted a mote of Zeigra's spirituality in his Prideful Soldier design. Due to the Prideful Soldier's popularity among the former members of the BLM, Vincent should already be familiar with its glow!
Ves gradually toned down the aura emanating from his Pride of Dusk. He kept it at a low level in order to infuse him with some confidence.
"Welcome to the Mech Nursery, Mr. Ricklin."
"Heh! You've grown a lot! I remember that you used to do business at a tiny workshop when we first met. Now, look at you! According to the news, you're selling hundreds of thousands of mechs per month now!"
"My Soldier product line has been very successful."
"That's exactly why I want you to design my Adonis! Only you and your babe can design the mech that I've dreamt of piloting for so many years! I still remember the times when I piloted the Marc Antony you've built for me. I still regret losing it. Every other mech designer I've approached doesn't understand my needs as well as you, Ves!"
Calling his dream mech the Adonis already suggested something awful to Ves. He did his best to keep his expression under control.
"Let us proceed to my office and discuss the commission in detail." Ves suggested and glanced at the thugs he brought and the journalists following on his heels. "We can leave these guests behind."
Vincent shook his head, making his hair move exceptionally dazzling for some reason. "My buddies accompany me everywhere, and so do my personal crew."
"Are you really willing to discuss your demands for your mech in the presence of a recorder bot?"
"It's okay! My Adonis doesn't have any weaknesses!"
Ves wanted to palm his face.
Instead, he rigidly turned around and stepped to the elevator.
"Follow me, then."
Some time later, they moved into his office.
Fortunately, the presence of Nitaa and the guards of the Glory Battalion restrained Vincent's thugs. They silently slumped on the sofas after Vincent waved them aside.
However, Vincent's personal attendant as well as a recorder bot continued to accompany him as he sat down on another couch.
Ves sat down on the opposite side with Gloriana and Leland sitting by his side.
For some reason, Vincent kept sniffing the air as if he was enjoying the smell of Gloriana's perfume.
Ves decided it was best if they moved on to business right away.
"Tell me about the mech you want us to design."
"Ah, my Adonis!" Vincent excitingly exclaimed. "The idea is simple. I want you to design a hybrid mech that is similar to your old Marc Antony designs. I don't want the exact same thing, but something similar. Since I've promised to fight the good fight, my Adonis should be a spaceborn mech that is armed with several ranged options! I want my mech to come with shoulder-mounted missile launchers, wrist-mounted nail drivers and a badass rifle that can smash the sandmen with each shot I unleash!"
"That sounds.. doable, especially if the budget is still as generous." Ves cautiously judged.
"That's not all! The weapons of my Adonis are only one side of the coin! I also want it to be beefy and solid! It has to be able to take a lot of hits! Not only that, but it has to look good in battle! I want my mech to look masculine. I want its chest plating to resemble a muscle cuirass. Make sure its contours match my own muscle definition! It has to be a mech that perfectly echoes my own body!"
"Uhh.. okay…"
"Oh yeah, you can't forget about the most important component of all."
A very bad feeling overcame Ves. "Which is…?"
"Guess." Vincent teased as he leaned back and spread his legs.
Chapter 1632 Proof of Masculinity
Along with the rising prosperity of the LMC, its headquarters continually received upgrades.
Its defensive capabilities improved to the point where it could withstand a surprise from mechs. Its interior design also became more resplendent.
Ves always felt in control while he resided in his office. His company, his headquarters and his office reflected the wealth and power he accumulated since he became a mech designer.
Ever since Gloriana came into his life, he felt as if he was getting further and further away from his modest background. Though he grew rather quickly, his mentality still hadn't entirely caught up with his current level of strength.
His recent rise and change in status increased his confidence.
He dared to confront Senator Tovar directly in order to negotiate a more equal partnership.
He dared to design a mass market mech that exposed the glows of his mechs to a much wider audience.
He dared to design a marksman mech that depended solely on its design spirit to guide its targeting!
Now, Ves faced his latest challenge.
His office descended into silence as Vincent Ricklin arrogantly spread his legs.
Due to his tight black pants, a notable bulge outlined his lower waist.
Eventually, his sycophants rose their fists and hooted.
"WHOOO! Show them what you got, Vince!"
"You're a real man, captain!"
"True men come from Bentheim!"
Vincent Ricklin changed a lot over the years. Yet some things hadn't changed at all. In fact, Vincent's macho traits had grown more pronounced as he used his raw charisma and masculinity as a means to foster popularity.
With the recorder bot and media crew streaming everything on the galactic net, Ves was well aware that Vincent was playing to a crowd.
Unfortunately, that also meant that Ves could not smack Vincent in the face, though he really wanted to. This fellow deliberately made a show out of his demand!
Ves glanced to his girlfriend and became relieved that Gloriana did not react too strongly at Vincent's demand.
Since she student every mech that Ves had ever designed and built, she should have been familiar with the Marc Antony he customized for Vincent.
The only reaction she exhibited was a minor frown. As a classy Hexer, the vulgarity displayed by Vincent completely rubbed her the wrong way.
Perhaps other Hexers might find Vincent's bad boy behavior endearing, but Gloriana held much higher standards.
She noted that Ves paid attention to her and offered him a brief smile. She placed her hand on his as reassurance.
Seeing that Gloriana hadn't been tempted at all by Vincent made Ves pleased. He knew that Vincent would have never attracted her attention since he wasn't a mech designer, but who could tell how women thought?
"Mr. Ricklin." Ves began.
"Captain Ricklin. Well, former captain now." Vincent corrected him while he kept his legs wide and open. "I used to lead my own mech company, you know! Right now, I'm in the process of forming my own mercenary corps! Once you build my custom mech, my Ricklin's Rollers will truly take off! With my invincible Adonis, I'll lead my new band of brothers to fame and fortune!"
"To fame!"
"And fortune!" His goons echoed!
The camaraderie that Vincent enjoyed with his closest comrades surprised Ves quite a bit. While he was unquestionably the leader, he did not adopt a distant and imperious leadership style.
Instead, Vincent came across as one of the lads, but just a bit more exceptional. Ves understood a bit better how this former rebel managed to rise up the ranks within the BLM.
His immediate goals were clear. As one of the many cadre of the former BLM who received amnesty, Vincent had to start anew.
As long as he earned fame and glory in the Sand War, he would probably be able to attract a lot of former members of the former BLM!
The Bentheim Liberation Movement used to employ a lot of mech pilots. Tens of thousands, at the very least.
While their average skill level left much to be desired, many former officers and leaders of the BLM were scrambling to grab these mech pilots for themselves!
Vincent was just one of many former leaders. Though he became a lot more famous over the years, his foundation wasn't as substantial as the leaders who had been with the BLM for decades.
In order to overcome this gap, Vincent clearly aimed to show valor on the battlefield.
Mech pilots often worshipped the strong and brave! As long as Vincent made the right impression, his mercenary corps would probably grow to become a force to be reckoned with! As for what Vincent wanted to do next, Ves had no clue.
Understanding the context behind Vincent's circumstances allowed Ves to comprehend his client's demands.
"Vincent.." He started. "This specific demand of yours is in poor taste."
The half-naked man snorted and thumbed his chiseled chest. "So what? I don't care! I'm a man, and I'm proud of it! I fight best when I feel like a man! Do you know how many mechs I've tried out? None of them can give me the kind of satisfaction that comes with piloting your mechs! Your Blackbeak and your Prideful Soldier mechs are my favorites! No other mech designer can ever make me feel close to a man than your work!"
"Since you are already accustomed to those mechs, maybe we can—"
"NO!" Vincent roared. "Don't think about skipping the codpiece! I can't stand mechs that don't have a codpiece! Do you know the first thing I do when I obtain a new mech? I grab a couple of mech technicians and order them to install a codpiece! Even then, it doesn't really feel as if I am embodying a man in the form of a machine! It always feels as if my manhood is prosthetic! It's not good enough!"
"Vincent.. a humanoid mech isn't meant to be a literal stand-in for the human body. Mechs are machines that just happen to borrow some of the principles of a human physique. There is no practical benefit to adding a codpiece to a mech. Almost every mech pilot in existence has never issued a single word of complaint about its absence!"
Vincent huffed. "All of those ignorant men don't know what they're missing! They're pussies! At least I'm confident enough to show the ladies what I'm packing! Don't try to change my mind on this. Ever since I piloted my first mech with a codpiece, I have never gone back!"
"It's useless to argue any further, Ves." Gloriana sighed. "I've worked with many clients over the years. Some have.. specific demands that they can't find in a mass-produced mech. Maybe there is a very good reason for that, but it's not our job to judge the taste of our clients. As long as the overall performance of a mech isn't severely compromised, it's best to accept their demands."
Her words reminded him that he should act like a professional. It was just that Ves got triggered whenever someone brought up codpieces!
He detested this useless addition to a mech! Mechs weren't living creatures, let alone able to procreate!
The codpiece was nothing more than a way to show off Vincent's masculinity and reinforce his manly ego!
Yet because Vincent cared so much about it, Ves really had no choice but to accept this demand!
Functionally, the codpiece itself was a useless component that did not add anything to a mech.
However, just like how Ves modified the Holy Soldier's external appearance to make it more appealing to the Ylvainans, not every cosmetic addition was useless!
Another way to look at it was that Vincent was a client who adhered to a religion. His religion centered around himself and his perceived manliness! The more his mech conformed to his ideals, the greater his fighting spirit!
Ves frequently studied the actual battle performance of the mech pilots of his products. He already collected an abundant amount of proof that the mech pilots of his products fought substantially harder than usual!
They fought as if their mechs were several times more expensive! The glows of his mechs achieve a similar effect to the confidence that mech pilots gained from piloting very powerful machines!
He sighed. "I'll do my best, though I won't make any promises."
"Good!" Vincent grinned, happy that he managed to get his way. He activated his comm and projected a very crude sketch. "This is what I've been working in my free time. What do you think?"
Both Ves and Gloriana tried their best to suppress their reactions.
As mech designers, Ves and Gloriana both learned how to sketch and draft a mech design.
Vincent lacked this training. What was worse was that he didn't possess a technical understanding of how a mech was put together.
The abomination of a sketch that Vincent showed off was incredibly skewed and uneven. The mech wasn't symmetrical. Its proportions were skewed. The codpiece looked out of proportion compared to the rest of the mech.
Perhaps the only point worth praising was that Vincent somehow managed to transpose a wireframe image of his well-defined chest and abs onto the front torso of the mech.
Other than that, the crude sketch was anything but a proper draft design.
Ves coughed. "We shall use your requirements as a starting point and a source of inspiration. Due to the complexity of your proposal, we will require a few days to interpret your description into a more refined draft."
"Fine." Vincent lazily waved his hand. "Don't take too long. The sooner I get my Adonis, the sooner I can beat the sandmen to a pulp!"
The discussion continued for a bit as Vincent added some other inane demands. Ves patiently endured this moment before Vincent finally said his piece and left.
Once Vincent and his entourage left the office, Ves sank down on the couch and let out a deep breath.
"What an infuriating man! What do you think, Gloriana?"
She smiled and stroked his hair. "I've encountered worse at Centerpoint. Vincent is just a boy pretending to be a man. The harder they try to show off their masculinity, the more insecure they really are. You don't have to compare yourself to Vincent. You're much more capable than him. According to his record, he's not even a good mech pilot."
That caused Ves to think over the mech that Vincent wanted them to design. "That's going to be a problem. If we leave out the cosmetic design of his custom mech, its technical makeup is already going to be complex. The hybrid mech he's asking for is going to be very difficult to design. He wants to stuff his mech with multiple weapon systems as well as strengthen its defense!"
"It'll be easier with our higher budget." Gloriana confidently stated. "In fact, I think this is a good opportunity to practice some of the second-class mech design principles I've taught to you. A lot of second-class mechs are similar to the mech that Vincent wants to design. The internal architecture of a second-class mech design is always more complex than the simpler ones that you're used to. Learning how to integrate many different components in a single frame is an essential skill for any second-class mech designer."
"I guess so." Ves sighed. "I just feel that Vincent doesn't really know what he's asking for. He needs a good dose of reality."
"It could be worse. Even without our generous budget, I think we could still make his mech work."
The so-called Adonis that Vincent demanded was a medium ranged hybrid mech that was suitable to be employed in assaults.
Vincent basically wanted to pilot a much better version of the Dawnbreaker and Novabreaker.
If not for the codpiece, Ves wouldn't have so many objections to this commission.
Seeing that Ves still had mixed feelings over Vincent's demands, Gloriana giggled and ruffled his hair some more.
"Don't worry, Ves. I'll take the lead in this design project. You should direct most of your time on designing your Ylvainan marksman mech. You're clearly more passionate about that project."
"Will you be fine with working with Vincent?"
"Designing the perfect vessel is my passion, Ves. I can handle a boy like Vincent."
Chapter 1633 Abusing Parents
Ves and Gloriana each devoted time on two separate design projects.
Ves mainly devoted his time on the Ylvainan marksman mech project. Though he started off with the intention of designing a commercial mech for the market, in truth it was more of a passion project.
"Have you thought of a name for this mech design yet?" Gloriana asked as they entered the design lab.
He nodded. "For now, I'm going with the Deliverer."
"That's.. a simple name."
"I contemplated other names such as Ylvaine's Punishment or the Sagittarius, but they're either a bit too heavy-handed or they don't send the right message. I think the Deliverer fits well alongside the Transcendent Messenger. They are quite related to each other. The only reason why I haven't decided to call it the Transcendent Deliverer is because their quality and performance is not worth a grander name."
"It's your choice." She shrugged. "So what is the idea behind the name."
?A Deliverer is a savior or rescuer." Ves described. "The word has a religious connotation. The Ylvainans have always regarded Prophet Ylvaine as their deliverer. Since the marksman mech I've envisioned is a mech that is directly tied to the Great Prophet, then calling it the Deliverer is fitting."
"Because this mech will deliver them from the threat of the sandmen, right?"
"Exactly. Maybe the Deliverer might be useful in other situations as well. While it's not a very resilient or mobile mech, it can still be a potent threat as long as it enjoys a lot of protection."
"Are you hoping that your Deliverer will continue to be useful after the Sand War?"
"I'm leaving that option open." Ves responded. "Since the Deliverer is my inaugural commercial mech design of the new mech generation, I don't want it to become irrelevant if we win the Sand War. I think the Ylvainans are more than willing to depend on the Deliverer if it shows its value against the sandmen. The only point I'm uncertain about is whether Ylvaine will continue to offer his support."
"He's one of the more benevolent proto-gods in your arsenal. I'm sure he's willing to do what is necessary to protect his flock. If not, you can always pull him aside and teach him a lesson!"
Ves sheepishly smiled. "It's not that simple."
Every design spirit earned a spiritual dividend. While Ves only employed a tiny mote of spirituality in the Holy soldier design, it still offered Ylvaine's spiritual fragment a connection to hundreds of thousands of mech pilots!
Since they all happen to be Ylvainans, the spiritual feedback between the mech pilots and Ylvaine's spiritual fragment happened to be substantially stronger than usual!
Every mech pilot resonated with the spiritual remnant that Ves had rescued and amplified. Such a strong reaction empowered Ylvaine's spiritual fragment to an enormous degree in the last few months!
Along with the benefits that the fragments already gained from its strong bond with the mech pilots of the Transcendent Messengers, Ves did not have the confidence that he could exert any control over the fragment anymore!
The only way he could overpower Ylvaine's spiritual fragment was if he borrowed the power of the F-stone.
Ves did not wish to do that. Not only would he ruin his relationship with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment, he would also waste a portion of the F-stone's formidable charge.
He still needed to keep its remaining charge in reserve in case Nyxie ever rebelled or something.
That reminded him of something. He excused himself from Gloriana for a moment and concentrated his mind and began to visualize the Desolate Soldier. He soon made contact with the Solemn Guardian and checked up its status.
Compared to all of the design spirits he utilized, the Solemn Guardian had grown to be the second-strongest spiritual entity under his control!
The continued success of the Soldier product line had benefited it enormously! The time when the LMC sold over a million Soldier mechs was near! Almost every state involved in the Sand War employed the Desolate Soldier or one of its variants!
While the average spiritual strength of every mech pilot was rather poor, the sheer quantity of people connected to the Solemn Guardian accumulated to an incredibly scary degree!
Was it any surprise that the Solemn Guardian grew to an incredible degree in a matter of months?
Ves was even worried that its growth had been too rapid. The only reason why he didn't express more concern was that its strength had already begun to level off. At a certain point, the spiritual product no longer benefited from a huge quantity of low-quality spiritual feedback.
He speculated that the Solemn Guardian had reached a limit or a bottleneck. The only opportunity for it to grow further was if it could forge a connection with an expert pilot.
Cases like Davia Stark who hid her expert pilot status and stuck to standard mechs were very rare. Most of the Soldier mechs were rather modest in performance, which meant that any sane expert pilot would never be satisfied!
Since Ves was scared of what would happen if the Solemn Guardian grew further, he was relieved that its strength had plateaued.
"How have you been? Have you made sure to direct the dividends in the right direction?"
The Solemn Guardian responded with a vague wave of emotion and meaning.
Ves slowly interpreted its response and found out that it still heeded his earlier instruction.
"I know you don't like it, but it's for your own good. Your other 'parent' won't hesitate to kill you and reclaim what is his if you land in his clutches."
After a few more inquiries, he became satisfied that nothing had changed since he last checked in with the design spirit.
When Ves first came up with the concept of spiritual dividends, he paid a lot more attention to the spiritual feedback between his spiritual products and their 'parents'.
Ves did not have to worry too much about his first spiritual product. Vescas, the design spirit of the Kinslayer custom mech he designed for Lady Miralix, only governed a single mech.
From what Ves had looked up in the news, Lady Miralix had long stopped piloting the Kinslayer. She instead put the mech on display at her mansion on Felixia.
"Maybe I should recall Vescas and put him to use elsewhere." He muttered.
He even contemplated recycling Vescas so he could employ it as the design spirit of the Adonis. It was a quick and convenient way to solve this problem.
However, his professionalism disdained such a lazy solution. For better or worse, the Adonis would certainly attract a lot of attention from the public. Leland already told him that the government planned to utilize Vincent and his custom mech in a lot of propaganda.
If Ves wanted to do a proper job, he could not afford to cut any corners.
"I should probably form my third spiritual product, then." He judged. "I have to make a new one so that it matches my vision for the Adonis."
He left that for later. For now, he wanted to confirm whether the Solemn Guardian had sent its excess spiritual feedback to the right recipient.
Ves originally formed the Solemn Guardian out of three spiritual ingredients. Nyxie was the biggest contributor, so Ves was always afraid that his spiritual product would secretly pass on its energy to the ancient alien spiritual entity.
When Ves inspected the Solemn Guardian thoroughly, he saw little sign of that taking place so far. Instead, most of the spiritual feedback went to Venerable Plinter.
Though Ves also possessed a connection to the Solemn Guardian, he did not benefit from spiritual feedback.
The attributes had to match.
The Solemn Guardian's attributes did not really have much relation to his own mix of attributes.
In addition, Ves suspected that the spiritualities of high-ranking mech designers like him weren't able to grow at all from external assistance.
From what he could tell, expert pilots and certain spiritual entities were different. Qilanxo obviously benefited most of all so far, and Ves had a strong suspicion that some of the expert pilots he sourced had grown as well.
Since Ves directed the Solemn Guardian to dump most of the spiritual feedback it couldn't handle onto Venerable Plinter, the expert pilot should have benefited considerably.
"Is that true, though?"
Ves hadn't really looked up on the consequences of making use of the spiritual fragments he borrowed from expert pilots.
Information on Venerable Fontain was classified. He already nagged Leland once and evoked a lot of suspicion. Ves knew better than to follow up on the expert pilot of the 8th Spiral Shockers.
As for the expert pilot who was responsible for imparting the duty-related attributes to the Solemn Guardian, Ves had not really paid that much attention to her since he returned to the Bright Republic.
"I hope she's doing well."
Ves activated his comm and tried to look up any news about Venerable Zoe Plinter.
"Ah, damn."
The Hertog Dominion had already started to succumb to the sandman invasion. The state was a bit more distant from the Bright Republic.
The Desolate Soldiers entered its mech market a bit late. The absence of his mechs and their helpful glows caused many citizens of the Hertog Dominion to flee the state even though it could still hold off the invasion!
"Well, the Dominator isn't entirely free from blame either."
Ves always had a poor impression of the Hertog Dominion in the brief time he spent there. The Dominator ruled Hertog with an iron fist and always suppressed his own subjects. Was it no surprise that most of its people held very little loyalty to the state?
A loyal and devoted expert pilot like Venerable Plinter was rare. Her strong duty to the state was a product of focused indoctrination. Her famed loyalty along with her specialization were the biggest reasons why he decided to borrow a spiritual fragment from her so long ago.
Should he have been more concerned with her condition after he cut a portion of her spirituality away? Probably.
Did he care? Not really.
"The problem is that she's gone."
To be more precise, the news reports coming from the collapsing Hertog Dominion did not mention any word about Venerable Plinter.
As one of Hertog's loyal expert pilots, she always enjoyed some media attention.
Yet now, there were no more confirmed sightings of Venerable Plinter and her Crax Shooter expert mech.
"Did she die?"
Ves wasn't sure. While it was normal to withhold news of the death of an expert pilot from the public, his intuition suggested to him that it was not so simple.
Right now, the Solemn Guardian directed a considerable amount of spiritual dividends to Venerable Plinter. She received her own share as well as Nyxie's share, so her spiritual growth must have been quite significant if his theories were correct!
"This is a bit problematic."
He wasn't sure if she knew of her connection to the Soldier product line. If she suspected something, she might knock on his door one day, and she probably wouldn't be very happy!
"I can only hope she doesn't come." He muttered.
If nothing else, he would just have to rely on his Avatars and the formidable defenses of the Mech Nursery and the Cloud Estate to fend off a rogue expert pilot.
Ves shrugged off his concerns and decided to return to work. He still needed to refine the draft of his Deliverer project a bit further to confirm whether he selected the right components.
While he went back to work, Gloriana spent most of her time on preparing for the Adonis project. She dragged Vincent to the design lab and subjected him to a lot of scans and tests.
Fortunately, Ves had managed to convince Vincent to leave his entourage and his recorder bots outside!
A few days went by as Ves and Gloriana each worked on the projects they favored.
Chapter 1634 Expensive Mech
While Ves mainly worked on the Deliverer project, he did not entirely ignore the Adonis project.
The same went for Gloriana.
Both of them had to be involved in both projects in order to make sure they managed to achieve synergy when they moved on to the next design phases.
Gloriana's specialization required her to gain a thorough understanding of Vincent Ricklin's mind and body.
For this reason, Vincent became a regular guest of the design lab in the first couple of days.
Ves was deeply uncomfortable with letting Vincent inside the design lab. He could do a lot of damage if he wanted to. It didn't help that Vincent didn't shut up and frequently talked as he impatiently endured all of the tests and examinations.
"I'm bored here!" He shouted as his body was being subjected to a whole-body scan. "Is this what you mech designers are doing all day?"
"Please bear with it, Mr. Vincent!" Gloriana admonished from behind a control panel.
Different from the time they worked on the Resentful Soldier project, Gloriana had an assistant by her side.
Considering that it was important to gain an excellent understanding of Vincent's physical state, Ves suggested that Dr. Lupo should be involved.
Though Gloriana initially doubted Dr. Lupo, she fully became convinced in him after he showed off his expertise!
As Ves walked up to the control panel, he studied the readouts. He failed to interpret the data.
"What's going on?" Ves asked the exobiologist.
"We are almost done with measuring Mr. Ricklin's physical state." Lupo replied, making sure not to disturb Gloriana as she focused on manipulating the scanner machine. "It's quite surprising how healthy he is. It's rare to encounter a baseline human body that has grown admiringly fit through natural means."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Vincent Ricklin spends a lot of time on working out. While he has made use of supplements to enhance his muscle growth, it is not to the extent that he has become dependent on them. He hasn't augmented his body with any genetic treatments either."
"Of course not!" Their current client yelled. "I'm proud to be human! I hate it when people are trying to get ahead by turning themselves into half-aliens! Don't they realize that they're losing their humanity?!"
Lupo smiled. "Ah, a human purist."
The practice of augmenting someone by applying alien genes to their genetic makeup was not accepted by every human. Though Ves discovered that the practice turned out to be widespread among the upper echelons of society, most lower-class citizens detested the practice after it had almost led humanity to extinction during the twilight of the Age of Conquest!
In truth, Ves was not entirely unsympathetic of this ideology. If Dr. Jutland hadn't forcibly stuffed his body with enough alien-derived organs to turn him into a literal half-alien, he would have agreed with Vincent's viewpoint.
Unfortunately, the reality of modern society was that those who failed to keep up would always be left in the dust. By far, most mech designers who managed to become a Journeyman did so because they augmented their intelligence in some way.
Every other successful human relied on some form of implants or genetic treatments to become better at their jobs.
Fortunately for Vincent, mech pilots were less dependent on augmentations than other professions.
Skill, discipline and genetic aptitude determined the performance of a mech pilot in a mech.
The former two could only be developed through training and hard work while the latter completely depended on birth and early nurturing.
So whether Vincent Ricklin wanted to remain a baseline human or not did not matter that much in his career.
Of course, those who were willing to augment aspects of themselves still gained some advantages.
"How skilled is he in piloting mechs?"
Gloriana answered this time.
"To be honest, he's all over the place."
"HEY! I object to that, babe!"
"Quiet!" She hissed to Vincent before turning back to Ves. "According to his own words, he piloted a variety of mechs when he fought for the Bentheim Liberation Movement. He started off with your custom Marc Antony, then switched over to a spaceborn skirmisher before dumping it for a spaceborn rifleman mech. He then went back to piloting some landbound mechs such as a knight mech and a striker mech."
"That... is certainly a very colorful resume." Ves haltingly responded.
"I didn't always get the luxury to choose the mech I wanted to pilot! It's not like the BLM can enter a mech outlet in Dorum and order a batch of mechs to be delivered to our secret base!"
"Why did you pilot both landbound and spaceborn mechs, then?"
"I didn't have any choice! Whenever I spend too long on a hidey hole on the surface, the Planetary Guard eventually caught up to us and forced us to flee! Whenever I'm starting to get comfortable in space, the Mech Corps narrowed down our coordinates and forced us to lay low at one of our hidden bases!"
"It sounds like the authorities should have done a better job."
"Haha! I don't go down that easily, buddy! I'm stronger than you think!"
Gloriana shook her head. "I've already tested his piloting performance in simulations. He is passable in piloting most standard mech types, but his irregular training and experiences hasn't led to anything else."
"So he's basically a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none."
"Unfortunately, yes. The good news is that his ability to adapt will serve him well in piloting hybrid mechs. The bad news is that his lack of specialization won't produce excellent results in battle."
"That's what the Adonis is for, babe! What does skill even matter when I get a top-notch custom mech for free? I'll crush the sandman with my super-duper expensive Adonis! The sandmen are already getting beat by starfighters and budget mechs! Once a mech like my Adonis takes the field, the sandmen will get their comeuppance!"
Ves chuckled under his breath.
Neither Ves nor Gloriana thought highly of Vincent's statement. While it was true that relying on the superior capabilities of an expensive mech could compensate for lack of skill, in practice it was very reckless for someone to allocate an unskilled mech pilot to an expensive mech.
An unskilled mech pilot would never be able to leverage the full strength of a powerful mech! Not only that, their lack of skill and judgement sometimes produced openings in their piloting style which any skilled or clever opponent could exploit!
The usual outcome was that the expensive mech suffered a premature death! Easy successes that followed after crushing victories against inferior opponents always inflated the confidence of the unskilled mech pilot.
It only took one instance of underestimating a skilled opponent for the expensive mech to become scrap before it paid off its cost!
It was even worse if the expensive mech lost against a cheaper mech!
While the sandmen weren't comparable to mechs, they shouldn't be underestimated.
A blowhard like Vincent whose bark was bigger than his bite would probably get a rude awakening on the battlefield.
Whatever battles he fought while he was with the BLM didn't compare to the brutal battles against the sandmen.
Quantity mattered more than quality. While more expensive and resilient mechs survived longer, the sandmen sometimes employed exceptionally powerful laser attacks that devastated entire mech companies at once!
Against such firepower, not even an expert mech could guarantee its survival!
After Ves gained an understanding of Vincent's piloting ability, he left Gloriana and Dr. Lupo. He returned to his own corner at his design lab and sat next to Ketis.
"Hey, Ves." Ketis greeted him with a bored tone as she pressed her head against her hand.
"Are you still down about not being able to design a swordsman mech?"
She breathed deeply. "You don't have to be worried about me. I can take care of myself. Since there's little point for me to pursue my passion at the moment, I've been spending my free time on my studies."
"How far are you in your studies?"
"According to the virtual tests I've taken, I've reached the standard of a Journeyman for math, mechanics and metallurgy. Right now, I'm working on reaching the same level for physics and materials science."
Ves looked impressed. "That's really fast!"
She snorted. "Compared to your girlfriend, that's nothing."
"That's not a fair comparison, and you know it. You're a daughter of a frontier who grew up under difficult conditions. Gloriana was born with a silver spoon and received a lot of genetic treatments as she grew up. She even has an implant in her head that has boosted her cognitive abilities to a level that I don't even think I can catch up to unless I install my own implant!"
"You boosted my intelligence, right? When I found out that my learning speed has improved, I thought I caught up with the likes of you and Gloriana. It turns out that I've been really naive."
"Hey, you don't have to talk like that." Ves softly spoke and placed his hand on her solid back. "Don't forget that you're younger than Gloriana. Even if she was more impressive than you at your age, you're right at the point where Apprentices grow the fastest! As long as you work hard in the next ten years, I might congratulate you for becoming a Journeyman!"
"I don't know, Ves. You've directed a lot more attention to the new Tovar mech designers lately."
Ves frowned. "Stop that. I never meant to neglect you. It's just that I've already imparted most of the lessons I wanted to convey to you. For me to leave you on your own is a statement of confidence on my part. I trust you to handle yourself and complete your assignments without any hand holding. It's different for the Tovars. Even though they benefited from the orthodox education that you lack, their mindsets aren't as good and they don't really know what to do. I have to explain what I expect from them step by step, and that just requires a bit more time."
"I'm sorry, Ves. It's unfair for me to complain to you. I just miss the early days when we were together. With Gloriana and all of the new people in your life, I can hardly get a hold of you these days."
"Are you lonely?" Ves looked at her in concern. "Ah, you must be missing your fellow Swordmaidens, right?"
"I guess I am." She admitted. "I haven't spent this long away from the Swordmaidens since they first picked me up. Now that they're working for Calabast, they've gone to dark, making it impossible for me to contact them. I don't even know where they are or what they are doing right now."
"You should make some more friends here. There are more people besides me and the Swordmaidens in your life."
"I know. I tried my best. I don't really get along with anyone else except Calsie. I tried getting along with the Larkinsons, but they're so rigid and proper that I've always felt awkward in their presence. The kids are cute, though."
"You don't have any other friends?"
"..I guess not."
This sounded like a serious problem. Ves figured he should really do something before Ketis snapped or something.
An idea suddenly came to mind.
"Maybe you need to spend some time elsewhere." Ves suggested. "Just like how I traveled to Centerpoint and went on a tour through the star sector, you should do something different in order to invigorate your passion and gain new inspiration. You can also make some new friends while you're spending your time away from Cloudy Curtain."
This time, Ketis looked intrigued. A bit of excitement suffused her mood. "Is that a good idea? Right now, there are two major wars going on in the star sector. It's not really safe for me to travel."
"You don't have to go on a tour like I did, Ketis. I think it's enough if you spend some time on an entirely different planet in order to enjoy some fresh new experiences."
"Where do you think I should go, then?"
Ves smiled. "Bentheim."
Chapter 1635 Deliverer
Ves tried to convince Ketis that she might benefit a lot from gaining experience in Bentheim.
"You have been under my wing for so long that you have exhausted what I can teach you for the moment." He spoke. "So it's not actually useful for you to remain at the Mech Nursery where you don't have a lot of opportunities to accrue experience. This is the shortcoming of residing in a former rural planet like Cloudy Curtain."
Ketis raised her hand and brushed her horns. "I'm not sure about this, Ves. I've visited Bentheim a few times before while you were on your tour. It's too crowded there. People are everywhere and too many of them look at me in an odd way."
"What you need is a friend. You don't entirely get along with the Avatars or Sentinels, right?"
She nodded. "They're not really my kind. They're too.. Rigid. Too proper. Too military."
"I have someone in mind who would make for an excellent host on Bentheim. Let me call someone and see if she agrees."
Ves activated his comm and called someone who he hadn't contacted in a while.
A minute went by before someone finally answered his call.
A projection of a woman in a blood-red piloting suit appeared. Ves immediately recognized the neural interface helmet as the model associated with his Soldier line.
"Ves! You sure picked an awful time to call!" Raella Larkinson complained, though her expression did not show much dissatisfaction. "I had to pause a live training session because of you! My men will start to think I'm going soft or something!"
He chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure that the big bad Raella can deal with such a trivial problem. How are you doing these days?"
"I'm still the same, mostly. If not for the Sand War, I would have continued to sharpen my dueling skills."
"Are you still a Blood Champion for the Blood Claws?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but all duels and most mech games are suspended on Bentheim. I've been focusing on training my mech company. Those Prideful Soldiers you've designed feel great, though a bit too fragile for my tastes. The Blood Claws are big fans of your work, though."
It didn't surprise Ves to hear that the Blood Claws liked his Prideful Soldiers.
"Don't you have the capital to pilot something better, Raella?"
"I'm a Larkinson, Ves. Everyone expects me to pilot your work."
"The Prideful Soldier is still a budget mech model." Ves frowned. "It only takes a couple of hits for a Prideful Soldier to go down! I would feel much more reassured if you piloted a Dawnbreaker."
Though he didn't exactly like the Dawnbreaker, from an objective viewpoint it was much better at preserving the life of a mech pilot.
Raella didn't look regretful. "It's fine, Ves. While I have my Larkinson training to count on, I'm not at ease in piloting spaceborn mechs. Maneuvering in three dimensions has never been my forte. As for my marksmanship… there's a reason I prefer to pilot skirmisher mechs. I don't deserve a Dawnbreaker. The Prideful Soldier is enough for me. Its glow fits me well."
"I can upgrade a Prideful Soldier if you want." Ves suggested.
Normally, he would never offer to do this, but Raella was family.
"I don't want any special treatment." She immediately shook her head. "People will think you're babysitting me if you give me a special mech. That's going to ruin my reputation in the Blood Claws. Piloting the Prideful Soldier alongside other Blood Claws is a way to prove myself. I need to endure the same hardships as the other Blood Claws in order to earn everyone's recognition."
That sounded similar to what Ves was putting the Avatars through. The problem was that Raella's life was much more valuable than the lives of his Avatars!
"You still have to prove yourself?" He furrowed his brows. "You've been with the Blood Claws for years and distinguished yourself in duels."
"Don't get me wrong, Ves. I did manage to prove myself. I enjoy a pretty senior position in the Blood Claws nowadays. It's just that this is not enough! I want to climb higher! I don't feel that I've reached my limit!"
"This.." Ves became speechless for a moment. "What is it you're working towards, exactly?"
She grinned. "I want to lead the Blood Claws!"
"What?!"
The Blood Claws was one of the three most dominant underground organizations on Bentheim! Calling it a gang was something of a misnomer because it was deeply rooted in almost every part of Bentheim's society!
Their influence and power rivaled that of the richest business magnates in the port system!
Trying to become the leader of the Blood Claws was like trying to become the planetary governor! Raella would have to distinguish herself over and over again in an attempt to earn the recognition of the lower ranks while outshining her much more established peers!
"Don't try to argue me out of this, Ves! I'm already tired of Melinda's nagging. I don't need you to act as my nanny as well! I'm my own person! I can do what I want with my life!"
He knew very well how stubborn Raella could get. Just like him, she longed to be in control of her own destiny.
For that reason, Ves reluctantly decided to respect her wishes despite his worries. She might die trying to pursue her ambition, but she would never regret her decision.
Because this was what a true Larkinson would do.
"Let's talk about something else." He decided to change the subject. "I have a mech designer here who needs to experience something different. Come over here, Ketis."
With his introduction, Raella and Ketis smoothly got to know each other better. They already heard about each other, but never got the opportunity to talk.
Just as Ves expected, they quickly found a kindred spirit within each other. Both of them grew comfortable enough for Raella to accept Ketis in her crew as a guest.
Seeing that the two women managed to hit it off, Ves left them alone and turned back to his work.
While Ketis began to pack for her excursion to Bentheim, Ves refined the draft design for his Deliverer while locking in his vision.
"The Deliverer is a mech that brings salvation to the distressed by delivering punishment to the enemies of the Ylvainain Faith!"
If his Transcendent Messenger design represented Ylvaine's virtues, then his Deliverer design represented Ylvaine's retribution!
The offensive might of the Deliverer was terrible. Because Ves concentrated most of the Deliverer's budget in its gauss rifle and complementary systems, the Deliverer was capable of taking out much stronger opponents.
Even custom mechs like the Adonis that Ves and Gloriana planned to design might succumb after being targeted by a Deliverer in open space!
However, much of the potential of the Deliverer depended on the cooperation of its design spirit.
If Ylvaine's spiritual fragment did not agree with the actions of the mech pilot, the Deliverer would not benefit from its supernatural assistance!
Without this crucial interaction, the Deliverer could only rely on the skill and judgement of its mech pilot and its targeting system to land a solid hit.
Whether the Deliverer performed exceptionally or not depended on the whims of Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.
It should never be employed against fellow Ylvainans or those who weren't enemies of the Ylvainan Faith and its worshippers.
That constrained the utility of his Deliverer somewhat, but Ves did not mind this outcome. In fact, he preferred it because letting the Ylvainans abuse the Deliverer for unworthy ends was not its purpose!
The might of Ylvaine should never be squandered!
The majesty of Ylvaine must not be tarnished!
As Ves kept tweaking the Deliverer's draft design according to his feelings, his mood became more intense. His eyes burned like fire as he became more invested in realizing the Deliverer's odd but ambitious vision!
"Gloriana is right." He whispered to himself. "Designing the Deliverer has become my passion project."
He never felt as passionate and invested when he designed the variants of his Desolate Soldier.
He only felt this way when he was working on something new and innovative!
"Designing mechs similar to mechs developed by others is a waste of time! Only by designing something truly new do I feel worthy to call myself a mech designer!"
The competition in the mech industry was terrible. It was far too difficult for a mech designer to stand out from the crowd and publish a mech design that added value to the market.
Ves felt gratified that his design philosophy pursued a different direction than many other mech designers.
This was the main advantage of Class IX design philosophies! As long as a mech designer found a way to make them work, it was much easier to design something different from the norm!
"I was made for this!" He grinned.
The fiery passion that enveloped his body felt similar to the passion he felt when he designed the Devil Tiger!
Back then, Ves made some very bold design choices that turned his Devil Tiger into an unparalleled and unique machine!
"This is another chance for me to design a mech that has no equal!"
On a whim, Ves concentrated his mind on the Transcendent Messenger design and made contact with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.
A tacit understanding formed between him and the fragment. Without exchanging any messages, the spiritual fragment extended some of its vastly-grown power to his mind through their intangible connection.
A sacred and solemn presence entered his body. In order to avoid disturbing anyone else, Ves isolated the presence in his mind by raising a spiritual barrier.
No one knew that his head became a carrier of a portion of Prophet Ylvaine's grace.
Ves did not let the prophet's influence take over and design the Deliverer in his stead. He knew he had to be careful and maintain firm control over the direction of its design.
A mech designer must always be in charge of his own work!
What Ves wanted instead was to gain a better understanding of Prophet Ylvaine and his values. He used his close mental and spiritual proximity to Ylvaine's spiritual fragment as a source of inspiration and a way to color his perspective.
After all, when it came down to it, Ves was not an Ylvainan. He did not grow up under the teachings of the Ylvainan Faith and lacked a thorough understanding of its values and ideals.
A good way to remedy this problem was to consult an Ylvainan or add an Ylvainan mech designer to his design team.
However, Ves only started the Deliverer project very recently. It would take too much time to recruit an Ylvainan mech designer.
He also didn't believe it was necessary right now.
Why should he consult a believer in the faith when he could access the original source?
Working directly in the presence of Ylvaine's spiritual fragment would bring him much closer to the essence of its faith than working with an intermediary!
"The modern incarnation of the Ylvainan Faith is different from what it used to be when the prophet was still alive. It's become more insular and less optimistic."
Working with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment was like returning to the roots of the Ylvainan Faith. Untarnished by an entire accumulation of selective interpretation and altered customs, the unquestioning beliefs emanating from his connection to the spiritual fragment felt remarkably pure.
Ves understood a bit why people took comfort in faith. The certainty exuded by it made him feel as if his life had purpose.
Of course, he immediately slapped himself in the face in order to avoid succumbing to indoctrination!
Prophet Ylvaine might have been able to hoodwink entire states into adopting his beliefs, but Ves knew better!
"Don't think of converting me to your faith, buddy! You're just a remnant that I picked up from the street!"
He returned his attention to his draft design and began to shape its cosmetic design.
Prophet Ylvaine happened to be a vain person when he was still alive! Since the Deliverer was meant to be a premium mech, it shouldn't look too shabby!
Chapter 1636 Random Day
Of all of the design spirits that Ves had in his arsenal, Ylvaine's spiritual fragment was the most human. It didn't originate from an exobeast like Qilanxo. It wasn't a spiritual product either.
Born in a different time and age, Prophet Ylvaine rose up in the galactic heartland to become a visionary to countless people who had lost hope during those times.
Though the prophet was long dead, Ves managed to revive a trace of his existence and amplify it into a powerful spiritual fragment.
While not as strong as the Solemn Guardian, Ves never underestimated it. Unlike the Solemn Guardian, In its role as a design spirit, Ylvaine's spiritual fragment formed a lot of intimate connections with its mech pilots.
"Every Ylvainan mech pilot is practical devoting their heart and souls to their faith!"
As a consequence, every Ylvainan mech pilot unintentionally aligned their thoughts and emotions to the mechs they piloted.
The Kronons piloting his Holy Soldiers fought harder and made better use of them than the Brighters piloting his Desolate Soldiers.
While there were many other factors that determined the performance of a mech, Ves believed that the close alignment between mechs and mech pilots allowed the combination to exert more power in battle!
"In a way, my methods and techniques are a lot more suitable in catering to a religious audience." He judged. "It's much easier to get mech pilots to adopt the right mindset for my products."
In comparison, the performance of his Desolate Soldiers were much more mixed. Skilled mech pilots still fared worse if they weren't compatible with the notion of duty.
This was why the Ministry of Defense suggested the Prideful Soldier variant. Brighters were a lot more diverse in their beliefs and attitudes.
"That's not to say that every Ylvainan is the same. It's just that they all share a strong and common belief among themselves that I can exploit for my own uses."
The Bright Republic was a highly secular state. While it developed its own identity and culture, Ves had to admit that giving every Brighter the freedom to decide their beliefs meant that his people did not share a single coherent identity.
That had always been something of a weakness to his home state. Even the Vesians were better in that regard.
However, the Vesians themselves mostly spent their time quarreling amongst themselves. The only time their nationalism became relevant was when they wanted to bully the Brighters.
In short, it was much harder to form a strong common identity in a secular state, especially if it was weak.
The Bright Republic was incomparable to greater powers such as the Friday Coalition.
The second-rate state that every Brighter looked up to possessed a much stronger identity. The Friday Coalition had to do so in order to form a united front against their rivals.
"Even so, the Fridaymen are still too diverse."
The Friday Coalition only formed as a response to the struggle of territory at the opening of the Komodo Star Sector.
A large number of refugee and colonization fleets flooded in the frontier star sector that the Big Two opened up to provide a new start to those that tired from the ravages of the Age of Conquest.
A lot of hopeful groups poured into the Komodo Star Sector despite its relative barrenness. Many people valued owning their own territories to govern as they wished.
An epic struggle for supremacy ensued. Lots of colonizing groups lost their strength or had been wiped out from existence!
The founders of the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom were just some of the losers who had been pushed to the periphery of the star sector.
After many chaotic years of struggle, the group that eventually went on to found the Hexadric Hegemony became the ultimate winner of this struggle!
The Hexers gained so much strength that no other surviving group could resist them by themselves!
The only way for the scattered and surviving forces to gain a foothold in the center of the star sector was to band together and unite their strengths!
That was how the Friday Coalition formed on a random friday.
"As a result, the Friday Coalition never formed a common identity aside from a strong hatred against the Hexers."
This made them less than ideal for his products. Ves could do so much more if he designed mechs for the Hexers. Their strong and distinctive identity made it easy for him to adapt his more daring ideas to their beliefs.
"Of course, there's also a downside to catering to a single strong identity."
The advantage of designing mechs for the Bright Republic was that his work would also be compatible with many other states.
It was different if he designed a mech that catered to the Ylvainans. Almost no other culture would accept a mech that Ves devoted to a specific religion!
The fact that Ves had to design a specific variant of the Desolate Soldier to accommodate the Ylvainans already signified the price he had to pay to appeal to a distinctive culture.
It would be the same if he designed a mech for the Hexers. Not only did he have to appeal to their strange beliefs on women, he might not even be able to get their attention!
After all, he was a man, not a woman!
"It would have been much better for me if I was still in the camp of the Fridaymen."
He glanced towards Gloriana who appeared to be engrossed in her examinations of Vincent Ricklin's properties.
Seeing her reaffirmed his love for her. He did not regret cutting ties with the Friday Coalition if it meant he could spend his time with a woman who complimented him well.
Thinking about his former ties to the Friday Coalition made him recall about his old contacts and friends from the second-rate state.
"How is Oleg doing these days?"
Ves recalled that Oleg advanced to Journeyman earlier than him, making him a true prodigy.
He decided to pause his work and browsed the galactic net.
"Ah, he already showed off his prowess?"
By now, the preliminary rounds of the Rimward Games were just taking place. This was a big event in ordinary times and if not for the wars raging in the star sector, Ves would have paid attention to this spectacle.
Millions of promising Journeymen had gathered at the center of various star clusters in order to make it through the qualification rounds. Once the mech designers made it through these grueling rounds, they were entitled to travel to the main planet where the Rimward Games would be truly held!
Due to the distances involved, this would take many years. If not for the assistance provided by the MTA and CFA, it would have taken several decades for the contestants to arrive at the main venue!
Ves looked up Master Olson next. Though she decisively kicked him out of her orbit, Ves never held any hard feelings about her decision. Both of them knew that it was for the best.
Sadly, the galactic net didn't mention much about her activities. The only solid lead he gained was that his old Master was working very closely with the Blue Cavalry, the mech military of the Vermeer Group.
"It makes sense that Master Olson has left Leemar to help the Vermeer Group." He muttered.
The Komodo War was incredibly devastating. Tens of thousands of mechs clashed against each other every day as the border systems changed hands every few weeks.
Master Mech Designers were supremely capable in designing mechs and should never be wasting their time on developing commercial mechs.
After all, in a war of this scale, the performance of military mechs decided its outcome!
Seeing that Master Olson was probably doing her best to help the Vermeer Group resist the Hexers, Ves no longer lingered on her and turned his thoughts elsewhere.
A name popped up. "I wonder how Tristan Wesseling is doing?"
The direct disciple of Master Katzenberg made a very strong impression on Ves back at Centerpoint.
What Ves found notable about Tristan was that he managed to earn the recognition of the Rim Guardians during the trials they held.
Regardless if Tristan was a Fridayman, Ves knew the man would probably have a bright future if he managed to deepen his connections with the Rim Guardians.
He impulsively decided to call Tristan despite how inappropriate it might be. He was sure that Gloriana would disapprove, but she didn't control his life!
It took some time before Tristan answered the call.
"Ves Larkinson." The other Journeyman's projection looked surprised. "I never expected you to contact me. This is not exactly the best of times. Is there something you want?"
"Ah, I just wanted to get in touch with you. It's been a while since we last talked with each other. I would have called earlier if not for all the wars that are taking place."
Tristan's face grew grave. "These are dangerous times. I've already heard how many people have died to the sandmen assaulting so many third-rate states. I'm sorry my people haven't been able to help."
"It's fine." Ves dismissively waved his hand. "You guys have your own war to fight. While none of us here are pleased that you Fridaymen and Hexers aren't willing to assist in the Sand War, you don't owe us in the first place."
"You don't have to massage your opinion of us, Ves. I feel bad for all of the deaths we could have prevented if we weren't so engaged in our own rivalry."
"Let's not go into this any further. We're both too small to affect the decisions of the higher ups."
"Good idea. How are your latest designs faring? I've heard that you've become a lot more prominent these days."
They revealed their latest works to each other. Tristan became very impressed with what Ves and Gloriana managed to achieve.
The Fridayman hadn't achieved any widespread success in the Coalition mech market. Of course, his mechs were much more sophisticated and the competition was much more intense.
Selling a couple of thousand mechs a year was already a considerable success to a Journeyman like Tristan!
"Right now, I'm still in the process of finding my own way. That's why my mechs aren't able to stand out from the market. Master Katzenberg's existing works and the works of her older apprentices are all crowding me out." Tristan explained.
This was a problem every mech designer faced when they inherited a design philosophy from another mech designer.
"What about the war? Are you involved in it at all?"
"Not yet." Tristan replied. "Master Katzenberg already arranged a cushy position for me. For now, she wanted to make sure that I still have an opportunity to take advantage of the new generation and publish a newer mech."
"You don't sound very hopeful." Ves pointed out.
"It's a bit difficult to stand out with a specialty like mine. I mostly excel in material substitution, so my mechs are merely cheaper than the competition. That's my only advantage."
That did sound a bit unfortunate to Ves. Competing on price was a race to the bottom. Competing on value was the true way to profit from the market.
Those who offered distinct advantages and unique features would always earn more fame and make more profit!
"Have you found a solution to your problem?"
Tristan nodded. "I've formed some ideas. The trial with the lithic mechs inspired me a lot. It made me realize that specializing in a certain type of materials can offer a surprising amount of value. I've been researching all kinds of material types to decide which ones I want to orient towards."
"That sounds like a very major shift in direction." Ves looked surprised. "Are you really certain you want to alter your design philosophy in such a radical fashion?"
"There is no future for me if I continue to follow Master Katzenberg's footsteps. Just because I've become a Journeyman doesn't mean my choices are fixed. I can still pick the directions that my Master has turned away from when she progressed her own design philosophy."
What Tristan wanted to do sounded very dangerous! If he made the wrong decision, he might lead himself into a dead end!
Chapter 1637 Exclusive Incentives
Despite belonging to opposite camps, Tristan never treated Ves like an enemy.
He freely expressed his difficulties about his future direction as a mech designer to someone he wasn't close with. Ordinarily, an acquaintance like Ves should never be exposed to Tristan's deeper problems.
Of course, Tristan wasn't an average acquaintance to Ves. The Fridayman mech designer never dismissed Ves despite his humbler background.
Both of them still maintained the idea that it was better to deepen their connection to each other. Those who managed to pass the trials set by the Rim Guardians weren't ordinary in the slightest!
"Right now, I'm leaning towards specializing in lightweight materials." Tristan freely explained. "This is an area which Master Katzenberg has never excelled in. She focuses mainly on substituting more expensive materials for more affordable materials. Usually, that comes with a cost as the substitute materials are often inefficient, requiring more mass in order to equal the effect of the original materials."
Ves thought about what Tristan proposed. "Your rationale is certainly solid. However, I think that specializing in lightweight materials is more of a means than an end. I don't hear much of a direction yet. What ambition have you set? What dream do you want to realize?"
"That's why it's only a consideration. I haven't even figured my goal. Designing a mech with no mass sounds far too unrealistic to me. There is no way such a mech could ever exist!"
"Maybe you can make a mech out of light." Ves joked.
"Photons have energy, therefore they have mass. Besides, even if I manage to design a mech out of an even higher-level substance or energy, the mech pilot still possesses mass as well!"
"It sounds like you haven't managed to find an end goal that resonates with your desires. If you failed to come up with an ambition that you want to pursue after considering this direction for a time, maybe it?s not the right choice."
Tristan sighed. "You're right, I guess. When I initially became an apprentice for Master Katzenberg, I thought my future was already set. While I advanced smoothly to Journeyman, I never realized that the heirs of a Master Mech Designer don't have much choice in their future development until it was too late."
"Do you regret apprenticing under your Master?"
"Never! I'm very grateful to my Master. Without her assistance, I would have never advanced to Journeyman in my thirties! I know what I'm capable of. If I studied at Leemar without any strong backing, I would have been forced to scrape for work."
Just because Tristan was a Fridayman did not mean he was destined for success. Many graduates from places such as the Leemar Institute of Technology had to find their place in a vastly more competitive mech community.
Though Ves always lamented the limitations of designing third-class mechs, he had to admit it was a lot more easy to compete in this market.
Everyone knew that there was much more profit potential in designing second-class mechs. The differences were so vast that Ves estimated that the competition was at least ten times more intense!
Of course, once someone like Tristan found his way and achieved success, he would be able to earn vastly more profit than Ves despite selling much less mechs!
Ever since Gloriana revealed the 3-year deadline to Ves, he knew he had to become proficient in designing second-class mechs.
If Ves had a choice, then he would have preferred to stick to his roots and continue to excel in designing third-class mechs.
However, it wasn't necessarily a bad idea for him to expand his horizons and learn how to design a higher class mechs.
Considering his plans for the future, Ves knew that it would be best if he shifted his focus to designing second-class mechs.
Remaining in the third-class orbit was much too limiting to Ves. He wouldn't be able to accumulate much resources and grow his powerbase if he limited himself to third-class mechs and tech.
Even the strongest force of third-rate mechs could never defeat a vastly smaller force of second-rate mechs!
There was a limit to the potential of a third-rate force.
Since Ves wanted to upgrade his focus, he might as well discuss it with his current conversation partner. When he revealed his ambition to become a second-class mech designer, Tristan did not show any surprise.
"I always knew you wanted to climb higher." He smirked for a brief moment. "However, it's not necessarily a good idea to enter a height you aren't closely familiar with. Many third-class mech designers who emigrated to the Friday Coalition have tried and failed to stand out. They're too far behind compared to the likes of me who lived and breathed second-class mechs from birth."
"Gloriana already warned me about the challenges, but I'm confident I can manage. Part of the reason why most of those third-class mech designers stagnate is because they can't keep up with the cognitive augmentations that you rich people enjoy, right?"
"That's partially correct. However, even the third-raters who manage to earn a lot of financial support have failed to pay back their debts."
That reminded Ves of someone. "Do you know how Patricia Schneider is doing these days?"
"She's married now." Tristan answered. "She goes by Patricia Cain now. I haven't heard anything notable about Orlando Cain, but Patricia has become more notable these days. Master Null values her very highly, especially after she married and started to work harder."
"Is she still at Leemar?"
"No. Last I've heard, she followed Master Null to a secret location in order to work directly for the Carnegie Group. That's quite exceptional, you know."
"Oh?"
"Only direct disciples are entitled to become a part of the Carnegie Group's core design projects. She must have found some way to earn her Master's appreciation, though she is still a nominal disciple in the books."
That sounded unusual, but Ves didn't care too much about Patricia anymore. She was just an old classmate and acquaintance to him. He quickly moved on to something else.
"Let's get back to the original topic. What do you think I should prioritize if I want to compete in a market like the Friday Coalition?"
Tristan crossed his arm and fell into thought. "I'm not sure what advice you need and what I'm qualified to give. I don't really concern myself with third-class mech designers trying to climb up. Don't you have Gloriana?"
"She's a great help so far, but she only has a very limited exposure to the mech market. Her main business is designing custom mechs on commission. She has never designed a commercial mech or competed in the open market."
"I see." Tristan nodded. "Well, I think I can tutor you a bit on how to compete in a second-class mech market as long as I'm available."
That sounded like a significant favor! Ves lit up at the offer. This was exactly what he needed to become a qualified second-class mech designer!
However, he quickly calmed down. "What do you want in return for this favor?"
"You don't have to pay me back for now. Right now, I don't need anything from you. That might change in the future, especially if you manage to get closer to the Rim Guardians. How far are you in your assignment?"
"I've made some progress." Ves hesitatingly answered. "It's very difficult, but I'm confident that it won't take long for me to complete my mission."
According to the battlefield reports he received from the Avatars, Silent William was making quite a name for himself in the fight against the sandmen.
However, Ves didn't see any evidence that William Urbesh had reached the cusp of becoming an expert candidate.
Tristan offered Ves a rueful smile. "The Rim Guardians don't just pick anyone to become their associates. From the beginning of the trials, you're constantly being evaluated. However, as long as you succeed, you'll definitely enter their circle! Achieving this is worth sacrificing everything else!"
Both of them recognized the twinkle in their eyes.
"Are you thinking about becoming a galactic pioneer?" Ves asked.
"Who wouldn't in our places? We're not like the older generation who are content with their existing foundation. The risks of exploring the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy is much more interesting to mech designers like us who have much more to gain."
"Do you know what kind of benefit the Rim Guardians provide to mech designers who want to take part in the invasion?"
"You're talking to the right person." Tristan grinned. "While I haven't been able to collect a lot of information, I did manage to nibble out some information from someone who has already become an associate of the Rim Guardians."
That immediately startled Ves. He never thought that Tristan was so capable! I turned out that calling him was a good idea after all!
"What did you find out?" He hungrily asked.
"Well, the Rim Guardians have already unveiled a raft of programs to reward associates who contribute to them. Unlike the main organization, the Rim Guardians offer an expanded selection of assignments that you can fulfill in exchange for merits. You can also offer various goods and services in order to earn merits as well. In general, the Rim Guardians offer considerably more merits for the same kind of assignment, so there's no good reason to approach the main organization."
"This is because the Rim Guardians want to monopolize the contributions from their associates, right?"
Tristan nodded. "Right. It's a win-win situation. We get to earn more merits than normal, while the Rim Guardians get to receive lots of contributions that expand their power within the MTA."
"Is there any downside to ignoring the main organization?"
"Yeah. The level of contribution is a measure of your friendship with an organization. Currying favor with the Rim Guardians is only useful if you continue to interact with them. If you happen to end up in a place where the Rim Guardians don't have a presence, the MTA will be a lot more colder towards you. This wouldn't happen if you contribute to the main organization."
In essence, if Ves was more capable, then it was much more worthwhile to foster a relationship with the MTA as a whole.
"It's already hard trying to earn 100 million merits with the options that the MTA has opened up. I think I have much better luck if I continue to get closer to the Rim Guardians."
"You're making the right choice, Ves. I haven't mentioned the biggest reward yet. Earning more MTA merits is just part of the incentives they provide. The biggest one is the discount they provide!"
"A discount for what?"
"A beyonder ticket!"
"What?! Are you kidding, Tristan?!"
"I'm completely serious. While I haven't been able to verify this news yet, I have no reason to doubt my source! The Rim Guardians have announced that they are willing to reward excellent contributors with up to a fifty percent discount!"
"Fifty percent!" Ves gasped. "That means a second-class fleet beyonder ticket can be redeemed for 50 million merits!"
"I wouldn't get your hopes up so fast, though. The Rim Guardians won't hand out a fifty percent discount easily. They'll only reward it to associates who have contributed enormously or appreciate the most! However, it's much more doable for us to aim for a ten to twenty percent discount."
Ves calmed down after hearing that. A twenty percent discount already made his goal of obtaining a beyonder ticket within ten years a lot more easier!
"All of this hinges upon whether we can complete our initial assignments." Tristan shook his head. "As long as we can't get past the door, we'll be stuck outside."
"Yes. You're right." Ves sighed. "Are you thinking about earning a beyonder ticket for yourself?"
"I'm not sure." Tristan sighed. "I'd like to try, but it will probably take several decades, and that's only if I'm successful. However, there is talk about several potential expeditions. As long as the Komodo War goes against us, there are many people here who are thinking about making a new start…"
Chapter 1638 Machinations at the Top
The Big Two invested considerably in the invasion of the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy. They considered a decision of such import carefully and made plenty of preparations spanning over a hundred years.
In fact, many analysts throughout the human space suspected that the Big Two plotted to conquer the Red Ocean right after the start of the Age of Mechs!
Unfortunately, human civilization had fallen into a low point at the time. Its internal state was so awful that an offensive action of this scale was highly irresponsible.
That has changed now. Human civilization had not only regained its strength during the height of the Age of Conquest, but also exceeded it by a huge margin!
The new order that emerged after the rise of the Big Two managed to foster a period of unprecedented peace in human space!
Though many people criticised the decision to rob the states of the right to field their own warships, it did manage to succeed in its main objective!
The transition from warships to mechs reduced the level of death and destruction in any human conflict to a minimum.
The galactic population of humans grew to a considerable degree!
Manpower formed the foundation of strength. With more humans born than ever before, their civilization finally gained the depth required to restart its offensive run!
The only problem was that human civilization still neighbored many hostile alien empires in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Would the rivals of humanity remain quiet as their mortal enemy gleefully raided the Red Ocean for phasewater?
"The implications of the invasion are very far and wide." Tristan told Ves over the comm. "While no one is sure how many forces the Big Two have committed to the invasion, it is undeniable that their strength in the Milky Way has declined!"
Ves nodded in agreement. "We've all noticed how the Big Two have become less active in this star sector. If the same applies to the rest of human space, then our alien neighbors might be getting some ideas."
"This is why we shouldn't assume that we are all safe back here in the Milky Way."
"What is the position of the Rim Guardians?"
Tristan grimaced. "The Rim Guardians aren't in a good shape, to be honest. If you think about it, who benefits more from the invasion, the Rim Guardians or the Prime Humans?"
It didn't take much guessing for Ves to come up with an answer.
"The Prime Humans are a faction based in the center of the galaxy, right? Humanity's strength there is at a peak. They're also tied to many factions, groups and notable individuals from the first-rate states. This means that they are in a great position to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Red Ocean!"
"The Rim Guardians have always been the underdog within the MTA. According to my source, they highly disagreed with the decision to invade the Red Ocean. There are far more downsides than upsides to this invasion to them. Their strength is already strained by their obligation to protect the vast and dispersed regions of the galactic rim. They can't redirect too many additional forces to profit from the invasion of the Red Ocean."
"If they reduce their strength in the galactic rim even further, then they'll probably show enough weakness to tempt the aliens into attacking human space!"
Now that Tristan pointed out this circumstance, Ves filled in the gaps himself!
The Rim Guardians were really too disadvantaged compared to the Prime Humans!
What happened in the Komodo Star Sector already served as an example of the difficult position of the Rim Guardians! The MTA should have responded more forcefully against the sandmen if not for this recent initiative!
"The internal competition within the MTA is very severe." Tristan stated. "The poor position of the Rim Guardians have forced them to adopt a different strategy from the Prime Humans with regards to the invasion. If they let the Prime Humans dominate the Red Ocean, they'll probably balloon in strength once they obtain the bulk of the phasewater that lands in the hands of the MTA!"
That sounded like very bad news to Ves. The Rim Guardians appeared to be the only faction that supported the galactic rim and the most underprivileged citizens of human space.
Even if Ves managed to become a galactic pioneer, he would still be defined by his background in the Red Ocean.
Forging a friendship with the Rim Guardians was a way for him to build up solid backing for himself while he adventured in the dwarf galaxy. Without reliable support, Ves would never be able to move as freely as he wanted in frontier space!
For this reason, the relative strength and position of the Rim Guardians mattered a lot to Ves and Tristan. Due to his background, he had no chance in aligning himself with the Prime Humans.
"What are the Rim Guardians doing to narrow the gap?" Ves asked.
"Since they can't deploy too much of their own forces to the Red Ocean, they've decided to lean on their associates."
"Ah."
That made a lot of sense to Ves. It was akin to relying on mercenaries.
"The opportunities and rewards offered by the Rim Guardians are much more generous than the Prime Humans. This is also a reflection of their different bases of support. The Prime Humans are based in the most powerful regions of human space. The first-rate citizens that support them are mostly capable enough to obtain an individual or fleet beyonder ticket with their own strength!"
"So there is an opportunity for the Rim Guardians to narrow the gap by leaning on external help. However, I don't see how this is profitable. Associates like us won't work for them without remuneration. Phasewater is very expensive and highly desirable. If the Rim Guardians dare to exploit us, a galactic pioneer can always decide to sell their phasewater to the CFA!"
"They're not after immediate profit this time, Ves. They're opening their pockets to invest in the future. The Rim Guardians are fairly eager to befriend associates who will colonize the middle and lower zones of the Red Ocean. Establishing a presence in these zones will enable the Rim Guardians to benefit from much of the phasewater and other strategic exotics harvested in these territories in the future."
"That's.. kind of brilliant!" Ves perked up. "While the yield isn't very big, all of those future states in the Red Ocean will certainly look up to the Rim Guardians and the MTA! It's not quite the same when it comes to the future first-rate states of the Red Ocean. Many of them will doubtlessly be founded by the Terrans or Rubarthans, who never enjoy good relations with the Big Two!"
Tristan grinned. "The Prime Human Fraternity knows that. The activity zone system that restricts the actions of the galactic pioneers is one of the means they came up with to put pressure on the first-rate superstates. The weaker first-rate states that exist in their shadow will never allow them to grow stronger! By locking them all in the cages called the upper zones, the Prime Humans hope that the lesser first-rate states that they support will be able to gang up on the Terrans and Rubarthans!"
Ves had never considered these matters before. While he wasn't involved in the machinations at the top, the people at the bottom still felt their effects.
From what Tristan described so far, it was unlikely for the Rim Guardians to gain advantages in the invasion. Subsidizing and deepening their connection with associates so that they would conquer more territory in the Red Ocean was just a stopgap solution to stem the bleeding.
So even if Ves and Tristan benefited from this development, it didn't change the fact that they were essentially cozying up to a losing faction.
However, Ves didn't care so much. He much preferred to make decisions based on his current needs rather than his future concerns.
If the Rim Guardians fell out of power somehow, Ves had no qualms in jumping ship and finding another umbrella to shelter under. At that time, he believed that he wouldn't be a small and insignificant Journeyman anymore, so he should be able to partner up with plenty of other influences!
After centuries of dormancy, humanity had become proactive again and started to make some very big moves.
While many people felt uncomfortable that humanity has begun to take some risks, countless opportunities emerged as a result!
To those who were daring and adventurous enough to brave the risks, it was possible for them to change their lives and climb to heights that they couldn't have reached during peacetime!
"Risk is accompanied by reward." Ves summed up his thoughts.
Throughout their conversation, Ves and Tristan reaffirmed their tacit understanding.
Just like the partnership between Ves and the Tovar Family, he and Tristan both sought to hedge a position on the outcome of the Komodo War.
If the Friday Coalition won the war, Ves would become a fugitive in the star sector. While he didn't worry too much about himself, he didn't know what would happen to his family.
Having a friendly Fridayman on his side might be crucial in preserving the wellbeing of the Larkinsons loyal to the Bright Republic.
In the event the Hexers won the war, Tristan Wesseling would lose much of his foundation. If his Master couldn't help him out for some reason, then having Ves lend him a hand might be crucial in preserving his life and freedom one day.
Of course, the other reason why they wanted to remain friendly with each other was because they both wanted to support each other if they entered into the orbit of the Rim Guardians.
Once Ves ended the call, he leaned back and considered all of the news he learned.
"Tristan was oddly generous with sharing his information to me." He frowned. "That's not quite normal considering my current status."
Tristan was a second-class mech designer who directly enjoyed the tutelage of an esteemed Master.
While Ves believed his future was promising, he knew he did not merit any special attention right now. For Tristan to be so generous today meant he believed that Ves would do well regardless of which side won the Komodo War.
All Ves could conclude was that he would definitely return the favor.
Gloriana moved to him sometime later. She held a strained smile while she sidled up to his side.
"Melody told me something interesting. She told me you had a conversation with someone I'm not very keen on. Care to explain yourself?"
"I don't need to explain myself to you. I met Tristan before I met you. We both benefit from each other."
"Ves.." Gloriana gnashed his teeth. "If you wanted to befriend more second-class mech designers, I could have introduced you to some from the Hegemony! I have plenty of contacts in my Commbook!"
"Would they respect a third-class citizen and mech designer like me?" Ves pushed back.
That answer stumped her for a moment.
Though she valued him a lot, not everyone knew him as well as her and Tristan.
"I'm already working on overcoming their biases…" She muttered.
"That's not enough, and you know it. Every second-class mech designer looks down on third-class mech designers, and that is not entirely without merit. Regardless, even if I manage to earn their recognition, I still would have insisted on maintaining relations with Tristan. Befriending a Fridayman can come in handy in the Hegemony lands in dire straits one day."
She scowled. "You and your insistence on hedging your positions. Don't you have faith in my home state?!"
"I'm not a Hexer, Gloriana." Ves stood his ground with a smile. "And I never will as long as Hexers insist that women are greater than men!"
"But women are superior!"
Ves threw his hands up and turned around without bothering to reply.
On confrontations like this, they both decided it was best to agree to disagree.
Though Gloriana still appeared upset over her boyfriend's decision to associate with a Fridayman, she knew that Ves wouldn't change his mind.
Sometimes, she wondered whether she wanted Ves to become a Hexer at all.
Chapter 1639 Three Interpretations
A few tense days went by as Ves and Gloriana both concentrated on their work.
The Adonis project entered a new phase as Gloriana finished mapping Vincent Ricklin's condition.
As a client, Vincent was less than ideal.
His piloting skills reflected his scattered piloting experiences. His lack of specialization meant that he didn't possess any strong strengths, which was generally seen as a disadvantage.
"Vincent is versatile, but that's generally not a good thing." Ves remarked. "Perhaps it's for the best that he wants us to design a hybrid mech for him. He'll be able to compensate for his lack of exemplary skill by relying on the arsenal of his mech."
Gloriana, who sat next to him at the design lab, nodded in agreement. "While it's not a good idea for a mech pilot to rely on the features of his mech to cover for his shortcomings, it's the only way he can make achievements on the battlefield. It won't be very conducive to his growth, though. A mech pilot that lets his mech do the heavy lifting will never improve as fast as a mech pilot who has to struggle for every victory."
This was a very well-documented phenomenon. The quality and capability of a mech had to match the skill level of the mech pilot.
For example, it was fine for Ves to design a mech as fantastic as the Transcendent Messenger because he knew it would be paired with elite Kronon mech pilots.
This was different, though. The budget for the Adonis was just as much as the budget for a Transcendent Messenger.
Obviously, the people who arranged the commission wanted Ves to design a mech comparable in performance as the Transcendent Messenger. He already proved he was capable of designing a great custom mech at this price level, and with Gloriana's help the Adonis would doubtlessly be even better!
Unfortunately, how well did these bureaucrats and officials understand what was appropriate for Vincent Ricklin?
Ves and Gloriana wouldn't feel so hesitant about their budget if it was only half as much.
Contrary to what many people might think, mech designers did not necessarily insist on designing the most expensive mechs.
If a more powerful mech was paired with an awful mech pilot, then it was hard to bring out the full potential of the machine.
"Don't worry too much, Ves." She attempted to comfort him by patting his arm. "I've faced these situations before back at home. Few can resist the temptation of piloting an impressive mech. We just have to make sure that we design a mech that Vincent can grow into after being baptized on the battlefield."
"So the premise is to design a mech that is easy to pick up but offers a lot of room for growth, right?"
"Exactly. In case of a hybrid mech like the Adonis, we can just implement some limiters and lock some functions until Vincent has grown skilled enough to handle all of its capabilities."
While this solution wasn't perfect, Ves thought it was good enough.
If Ves designed a mech as complex and formidable as the Transcendent Messenger, then it was best to pair it up with a highly-trained mech pilot such as Taon Melin or Lord Javier of House Eneqqin.
Both of them were very talented in mech piloting and enjoyed some of the most rigorous training offered by their respective states. Designing a mech to such capable mech pilots was any mech designer's dream.
As for Vincent...
He wasn't as good in swordsmanship as a swordsman mech pilot. His marksmanship left much to be desired when compared to a marksman mech pilot. He wasn't as good in piloting skirmisher mechs as Raella Larkinson, and he definitely wouldn't be able to match Jannzi Larkinson's ability in piloting space knights.
There was nothing Vincent was truly good at, and that troubled the mech designers.
If Vincent wanted them to design a simple knight mech or rifleman mech, then they could have easily designed it with a low skill floor and a high skill ceiling.
Yet everything became a bit more complicated because Vincent insisted on a hybrid mech.
From a defensive standpoint, the Adonis he demanded resembled a knight mech or a heavy mech. Vincent clearly wanted a mech that boasted the maximum level of protection a medium mech could bear.
From an offensive standpoint, the Adonis relied on multiple weapon systems. Fortunately, Vincent hadn't set any priorities, so the main armament of the mech was clearly its Sandbreaker rifle.
Ves and Gloriana treated the missile launchers, wrist-mounted nail drivers and spare sword as auxiliary weapons. They didn't have to devote too much capacity to accommodate these secondary weapon systems.
"If you strip all of the frills from the Adonis, it's basically an armored rifleman mech."
"You could also call it a long-ranged striker mech, Ves."
"The point is that we should approach its design as a ranged mech that mainly relies on armor rather than mobility to protect itself. It's similar to the Dawnbreaker and Novabreaker in that regard."
Of course, with a budget as generous as theirs, the Adonis would definitely be paired with an armor system that could withstand at least twice as much damage!
After Ves gained a comprehensive understanding of the data that Gloriana gathered, they began to design a draft for the Adonis.
"Vincent clearly prizes the cosmetic design of his custom over its functional design." Gloriana explained to Ves. As a mech designer who designed many custom mechs, this detail hadn't escaped her notice. "So it is best to start sketching out the external appearance of the Adonis before we proceed with trying to fit components into the draft design."
Though Ves wasn't quite comfortable with that approach, he deferred to her judgement on this matter.
"Let me take the lead first. I'm very confident in my artistic capabilities."
Ves began to draw some lines on the projected design interface.
When Vincent initially described his demands and showed him his awful sketch of what he wanted his mech to look like, Ves already formed some ideas in his mind.
He did not adhere too closely to Vincent's poor drawing. An artist like Ves had his own standards and ideas. If possible, he wanted to push forward his own interpretation of how the Adonis should appear.
In fact, he developed several possible interpretations. Since he couldn't quite make up his mind on which one to go for, he decided to sketch out two more initial drafts after he finished his first work.
Gloriana mainly sat by his side while she became enchanted by his expression of art. Occasionally, she pointed out a problematic area or suggested some improvements, but she was content with letting Ves take the lead.
At the end of the drafting session, Ves managed to produce three distinctive depictions.
The first one shared a strong resemblance to the Marc Antony design. The similarities invoked some nostalgia within Ves. After so much time had passed, he returned to his very first commercial mech.
Perhaps Vincent would feel nostalgic as well when he saw this draft.
Of course, Ves did not copy the Marc Antony's external appearance directly. He was a lot more skilled and experienced than before. He worked away many of the faults he overlooked when he was younger.
He also adjusted the first sketch's contours and proportions to appear more like a sculpted human and less like an armored machine. He also shaped the front torso of the mech in the form of a muscle cuirass.
With all of the detailed scans that Gloriana had made of Vincent's body, it was no problem for Ves to transpose the contours of his client's chest onto his sketch.
"What do you think about this draft? I call it the Caesar version."
"It's very familiar. It's as if it's a spiritual successor to your Marc Antony design." Gloriana smiled. "Still, I don't think it's quite your style anymore. The Marc Antony is a variant of the Caesar Augustus, which is someone else's design. While the Caesar Augustus has definitely shaped the evolution of your design style, you are so much better now. This sketch doesn't do you justice."
"That's very astute of you." Ves agreed with her assessment. "The intention behind the Caesar version is to see whether Vincent appreciates the nostalgia of the Marc Antony design."
They turned to the second draft. This one possessed a different shape and proportion of limbs. Though Ves kept the muscle definition on the chest the same, he heavily beefed it up to make room for more armor and capacity.
The mech basically resembled a heavy-armored warrior. The thick protection for the arms and other limbs made them a lot more unwieldy, which was not desirable for ranged mechs. The extra armor also slowed down the mech considerably.
However, Ves believed its defensive capabilities were much more robust as a consequence.
"This is the Colossus version." He introduced. "It's the most defense-oriented draft of the three. It's actually the safest version of the Adonis since it's so well-protected. The downside is that it's slower, less precise and not as agile."
"The Colossus certainly looks imposing. If Vincent doesn't care too much about making actual achievements in battle, then this is the mech that fits him best."
The third draft was a slimmer mech than the previous two designs. Ves shaped it akin to an athletic runner's physique. While its armor was a bit less robust than the other drafts, it possessed a very sophisticated masculine charm.
"I'm not too sure whether Vincent will like this draft. I call it the Olympian version since it is an attempt to balance offense, defense and mobility. While it diverges a bit from Vincent's demand, it offers something the other versions don't, which is higher-than-average mobility."
The Olympian version was less massive than the other two versions. It also featured a larger and more powerful flight system. Its mobility clearly surpassed the others by a considerable margin.
"I think this is a step too far, Ves. Mobility is clearly not an overarching concern to Vincent, otherwise he would have mentioned it by now. I think it's good that you have offered an alternative, though. Personally, I prefer this Olympian version the most. It embodied your artistic style the most."
Once Ves made some last-minute adjustments based on Gloriana's feedback, the two called in Vincent to listen to his feedback.
"We have translated the visual design of your Adonis as best as possible. Which one do you prefer the most?"
It did not take much time for Vincent to make his choice. He immediately pointed to the Colossus version. "I want this big boy here! I like how much armor you've added to the mech! With a mech like this, I'll be able to laugh off the attacks of the sandmen!"
Both Ves and Gloriana looked at each other and frowned.
"The Colossus version is not a space knight, Vincent." Ves carefully reminded him. "If you choose to opt for this version, we'll make sure to offer as much protection as we can, but it won't be as good in withstanding enemy fire as a proper space knight with a shield."
Vincent showed no concern. "It's fine! This much protection is enough! I'll definitely beat the sandmen before they can break the armor plating of my mechs! That's a promise!"
Though Ves did not entirely have faith in his client's assertion, he was too lazy to correct it. If Vincent was so eager to suffer a loss in battle, so be it. Ves just wanted to get the Adonis project over with so he could get back to designing the mechs he truly wanted to realize.
"By the way, there's something missing here."
"What is that?"
Vincent pointed straight at the lower waist of the Colossus. "The codpiece! How could you draft such a manly mech but forget about the codpiece?! Do you think you can get away with designing a eunich mech for me or something?!"
Ves wanted to palm his face.
Chapter 1640 Dressed To Impress
The codpiece.
In an age long before humanity rose to the stars, men needed to protect their bodies when they fought in battle.
However, a codpiece did not necessarily encompass the metal cup that men adorned in order to protect their reproductive organ.
"From a historical context, any pronounced article placed in the crotch area is called a codpiece." Gloriana seriously described as she read through a historical article projected from a terminal.
Ves, sitting besides her, tried his best to keep his expression under control.
The encyclopedia article that Gloriana pulled up after their latest meeting with Vincent frankly embarrassed him. Did men in the past really wore outfits like this in polite society?
As a mech designer with a powerful cranial implant that boosted her cognitive functions, Gloriana's reading speed was incredibly fast. She scrolled through the article at a pace that even Ves struggled to keep up!
The only disturbing aspect about her studying pattern was that she paused and lingered at the images for an oddly long time!
Right now, she spent over two minutes staring at a painting of a well-dressed man in a baroque-like outfit. The orange doublet, the silky red undershirt and the flowing hose in the same color presented its wearer in a dignified manner.
The only issue that ruined any respect that Ves held for the main in the painting was the very pronounced bulge at the trunk! A distinct red codpiece in the same fabric as the hose bulged up to an exaggerating degree!
Ves felt so embarrassed by the sight that he couldn't stand the sight! How could any gentleman walk around and show off such an exaggeratingly padded codpiece to his peers?!
Worse, this was just one of many examples! He had encountered worse examples where the codpiece was practically shaped like a banana curving upwards!
Did the wearers of these codpieces truly needed so much room to accommodate their organs or were they just trying to misrepresent the size of their manhood?!
"This is quite intriguing!" Gloriana commented as she scrolled down the article only to pause upon a suit of plate armor. "Look, this is the codpiece of an ancient king who shaped human history!"
His face colored further as he took in the three-dimensional projection of an ancient monarch called Henry VIII!
In his eyes, the suit of armor looked quite valiant and formidable. Its huge left shoulder pauldron, its oval-shaped chest plate and its flexible lower skirt pieces or faulds granted it a lot of protection without immobilizing its wearer too much.
Yet the very pronounced codpiece sticking out from the middle of the faulds completely ruined the valiant and noble appearance of this kingly armor!
"Who is this Henry VIII, anyway?!" Ves couldn't take it anymore. "Is he a king or an insatiable beast?!"
Gloriana shrugged. "No idea. According to the article, his armor reflects the prevailing fashion during this time."
"Just look at how much it bulges out of the pelvis area! It's as big as the gauntlets that protect the hands! It weighs a staggering 1.31 kilograms!"
It was as if a clenched fist clad in armor stuck out from the lower half of the body!
While Ves looked sick from all of the obscene displays of manhood.
"Codpieces like this reflect a different time, Ves." She remarked as she glanced at Ves with an amused expression. "Back then, boys like Henry VIII ruled humanity. This is what happens when men are in charge of society. It's much better these days. At least half of the leaders in human space are women now."
"Well, codpieces are about to make another return in human civilization if we have to abide by Vincent's wishes."
Ves deeply wanted to keep this embarrassing ornament out of his design. However, Vincent cared so much about this idiotic component that he insisted that Ves and Gloriana added it to the Adonis Colossus design!
With such a very straightforward demand, Ves could no longer stall or shirk this demand.
This was the reason why he was studying the codpiece with his girlfriend. They needed to gain a thorough understanding of the codpiece in order to add one to a mech.
The first time he added a codpiece to a mech, he merely slapped a bulge to a customized Marc Antony design without much consideration.
That wouldn't cut it this time. The Adonis Colossus was going to be a mech that was destined to become famous!
The government's considerable interest in making use of Vincent's fame and platform meant that his custom mech would certainly feature frequently in the propaganda broadcasts.
Knowing how much Senator Tovar and all the other schemers in the government valued Vincent, Ves had a responsibility to make the former rebel seem as respectable in battle as possible!
This goal conflicted with Vincent's insistence on the codpiece!
No matter how Ves decided to shape the codpiece, a bulge in front of the lower waist section of a mech would always attract a lot of attention!
Because no other mech featured this useless ornament!
"Mechs are machines. What lies underneath their armor plating is a lot of metal, components and circuitry! There is no need for a mech to conform to every aspect of the human body!"
"The customer is king, Ves. As long as a demand is not excessive or impractical, it is our duty to implement it as best as we can. It's not in our place to judge our clients."
Ves sighed. "I know, Gloriana, but every codpiece that I've seen is in exceptionally poor taste in modern standards. I don't even know how you can keep together at the sight of so many exaggerated codpieces!"
She giggled. "I'm not offended by these sights. They're simply one of the many examples of how awful society was like when men were solely in power. That the leader of a country has participated in this trend in person exemplified the degenerate patriarchy that held our race back!"
To Gloriana, the depictions of codpieces in history reinforced her Hexer notions. Ves really had no good way to retort other than to say this period was far in the past.
"What men designed to cover their junk in the past is not very relevant to us." He spoke. "We should focus instead on what our own interpretation will be. Obviously, a contemporary version of a codpiece should not be as exaggerated as the ones we've seen."
Gloriana bumped Ves with her elbow while holding back a giggle. "I don't know, Ves! Maybe Vincent will take a liking for a fist or banana-shaped codpiece!"
"I'd rather die than design a mech with such a tasteless bulge in the lower waist!" Ves retorted!
He actually meant it! There was no way that Vincent would ever be able to persuade him to add such exaggerated codpieces to a product! His principles wouldn't allow it even if it was a direct demand from a client!
"You should lighten up, Ves. We don't have to adhere to a codpiece design of the past. I believe we can satisfy Vincent's desire without making our mech too shameless."
She swiped the article away and called up the draft of the Adonis Colossus.
The beefy hybrid mech with its thick limbs and frontal muscle contours looked incredibly masculine, just as Ves intended.
It was no surprise that Vincent Ricklin opted it over the other drafts that Ves prepared. The raw masculinity and power exuded by the Adonis Colossus was a lot more straightforward compared to the handsome but skinnier Adonis Olympian.
To be honest, Ves thought that Vincent's body shape matched the Olympian a lot better than the Colossus.
However, the Colossus offered a lot more armor and protection to the mech pilot, which Vincent evidently valued more.
Leland described Vincent as an opportunist, so it shouldn't surprise Ves so much that the former rebel preferred to pilot a well-armored mech.
"From the articles we've read, the codpiece was never truly about protecting a vulnerable organ." Gloriana lectured as she began to sketch a codpiece onto the draft design. "If armor and custom designers really wanted to offer some padding or protection to a man's junk, they can easily do so in an unobtrusive manner. For example, the faulds of King Henry VIII's suit of armor could have extended over the entire pelvis area."
"Codpieces served as a fashion trend." Ves echoed the articles that they both read. "They're so pronounced because they were meant to attract attention. The underlying idea behind the codpiece is that it serves as a symbol of martial prowess and male virility. The reason why warriors added these stupid-looking codpieces to their suits of armor is because they wanted to show off their masculinity, equating it to their combat strength!"
"That's right. Don't you think that fits Vincent's motives well? He wants to add a codpiece to his custom mech for the same reason that those ancient chauvinists wore dome-shaped or banana-shaped codpieces in battle. Even though it looks as if it is incredibly uncomfortable to wear, they still insisted on it because they feel more confident if they show off their supposed manhoods!"
"People back then were ignorant."
The codpiece on the Adonis Colossus slowly took shape as Gloriana kept babbling her thoughts on this article. She understood that the codpiece was never about functionality. It was all about appearances.
"What Vincent wants is twofold, just like the boys who wore them in the past. The first thing they want is to show off their manhood. While the method is rather direct, I have to admit it makes for a powerful impression. The more his audience is impressed, the more Vincent derives satisfaction from their awe and attention."
"What is the second thing he wants?"
"The codpiece boosts his confidence and reinforces his ideal image of himself. He's a boy who thinks that the only way he can be a winner in life is to become as masculine as possible. Piloting a mech with a codpiece is a powerful talisman that makes him feel more at ease in battle. It's similar to how little children like to hug their stuffed toys at sleep."
Vincent probably wouldn't like Gloriana likening his precious codpiece to a stuffed toy. Too bad he wasn't here right now.
The codpiece that Gloriana sketched into shape looked quite tasteful to Ves. It looked anything like the obscene codpieced that extended out from the ancient suits of armor in a perpendicular angle from the lower waist.
Ves did not really object to this codpiece design. It fit rather elegantly to the Adonis Colossus. However…
"I'm not sure that Vincent will be happy with this design." He muttered. "It's too… understated. There is hardly any manhood being revealed by this flat and subtle codpiece. It's looks more like a thick pair of underwear that a mech decided to wear on the outside of its pants."
It was the kind of codpiece that fit well with an exaggerated superhero outfit that often showed up in the action dramas.
"Hmm.. maybe you're right." She conceded.
She began to adjust the triangular-shaped codpiece downwards, making it appear that the wearer needed considerably more space to accommodate his manhood!
"How about this?"
The codpiece extended a lot further from the waist now. However, the ingenious part about Gloriana's adjustment was that it looked noticeable without appearing too obscene.
Ves genuinely praised her solution. "This is quite a clever implementation. The main problem I had with the codpieces depicted in the articles was that they stuck out like a very sore thumb. Now that you made the dangling part more triangular and pointed it downwards, it looks a bit more classier than I thought. It still looks offensive, but not to the point of shoving it in everyone's faces."
"I'm not sure if this is enough." Gloriana pressed a finger to her lips. "Maybe I need to add at least some curve to the front in order to provide the illusion of a bulge."
Ves and Gloriana continued to make adjustments for the rest of the day.
Chapter 1641 The Protective Piece
While Ves considered himself to be an artful mech designer, Gloriana was no slouch in this department either.
The Hexer clients she catered to in the past always liked to make their mechs more grand and imposing. The Hexer mech culture also featured a light degree of gender segregation in many cases.
Male mech pilots predominantly piloted masculine-looking mechs while female mech pilots preferred more feminine-looking mechs.
This was not a hard rule, though. The more liberal parts of the Hegemony did not adhere too much to this custom. In parts where hexism was more predominant, it became a lot more evident.
So Gloriana possessed a fair amount of experience in designing mechs that purposefully leaned towards a masculine and feminine aesthetic.
She just never added a codpiece to her mechs before. In the Hexadric Hegemony, designing such a ridiculously chauvinistic ornament would have instantly ruined her reputation!
Even now, she was well aware that her involvement in the Adonis Colossus project might lead to unwelcome repercussions if she returned to her own society.
She didn't care, though. Collaborating with Ves on a custom mech design was a dream come true for her. Regardless of how much criticism she might be subjected to, she would never give up the opportunity to become more intimate with her boyfriend's design philosophy!
After spending an entire hour, she finished her answer to Vincent's request.
The 'codpiece' that adorned the draft design of the Adonis Colossus project looked nothing like the ancient versions that adorned the suits of armor.
Instead, Gloriana successfully managed to design a modern rendition of a codpiece that looked tasteful and anything but obscene.
"The main reason why the codpieces in the articles look so awful is because they stick out from the pelvis at a perpendicular angle." Gloriana explained.
Ves nodded in agreement. "It's as if the wearers of the codpiece are prepared to satisfy their lust instead of fighting a war."
"Codpieces like that are designed to suggest virility. The problem is that their angle, size and shape make them too attention-grabbing. Anyone who sees them for the first time will immediately ignore the rest of the armor and fixate on the codpiece. I don't think Vincent wants that. A codpiece that is too exaggerated will turn him into an object of ridicule, which is the opposite of what he wants to achieve."
"Ah. I get it. The first purpose of the mech is to raise his profile. He wants to turn himself into an object of admiration that everyone looks up to. The Adonis Colossus can only do that if it looks impressive and manly but not to the point of turning it into a parody!"
"The problem we're facing is that the first purpose clashes with the second purpose, which is to affirm his masculinity and boost his mentality. An inadequate codpiece won't give him the satisfaction he needs to feel validated."
"So the codpiece has to be large, but also shaped in a way that won't look obscene." Ves described. "At the very least, it should look kid-friendly enough to avoid indignation from parents."
"Yep. That's why I shaped the codpiece in this style. Its dimensions are quite sizable, but because it's pointed downwards like an arrow, it can still be mistaken for something else. It leans more towards emphasizing the martial prowess of a man rather than his virility in bed."
The tasteful codpiece that Gloriana finally came up with looked like if a man placed his palm against his stomach and slid it downwards.
The subtle bulge that curved out from the pelvis attracted a minor amount of attention to the codpiece without suggesting that the Adonis Colossus was ready to jump on a feminine-shaped mech!
Instead, the codpiece looked like it was purely there to protect the vulnerable equipment of the mech. By giving the illusion that it was functional, it shouldn't attract too much condemnation.
"Now, we should see what Vincent has to say."
When the two mech designers showed off the rendition to Vincent, the man fell silent.
He studied the Adonis Colossus through every angle. He zoomed in and zoomed out as if he was trying to see if the codpiece was still noticeable at a distance.
The effort Vincent put into evaluating the codpiece was disturbing!
Eventually, he completed his judgement. "It's not what I expected."
"Are you.. satisfied?" Ves cautiously asked.
"I don't know. It looks different from what I imagined. A part of me thinks it looks better. Another part of me feels the codpiece should be bigger."
"I personally designed the codpiece." Gloriana stated without shame.
Due to her identity, Vincent was reluctant to voice his doubts and objections.
If Ves had designed the codpiece, he would have been much more ready to argue about its underwhelming aesthetics.
However, now that Gloriana took sole responsibility for the codpiece, how could Vincent argue about the size of the package in front of a woman of exceedingly high status?
Vincent glanced briefly at the media crew and recorder bot floating at the side. He wanted to chronicle the most exciting parts of his life. Giving his fans a look into the design process of his Adonis Colossus was part of his plan to build up hype around himself.
He would not look good if he quibbled over the codpiece to Gloriana!
Therefore, after a perfunctory talk, Vincent reluctantly accepted the outcome.
"I have to admit it looks classier than I thought. If you can make it just a teensy bit larger, I'll be a lot more comfortable with piloting this mech."
Gloriana curtly nodded. "We shall take your feedback under consideration. Let me remind you that the Adonis Colossus you see before you is merely a draft. It serves the same purpose as concept art. The mech will most likely undergo substantial alterations before we finalize its design. We will keep you in the loop."
"Alright. Make sure to get it done quickly. I need it in two months!"
Once Vincent left with his crew, Ves sighed in relief.
"Vincent doesn't respect me as much as you." Ves sardonically remarked. "It was the right decision to put you in charge of this aspect."
Now that their guests had left, Gloriana relaxed her stern demeanor and sank into his arms as if she was a dog looking for affection.
"Hihi! I know how to handle boys like Vincent. I've met plenty of people of his type at Centerpoint."
"I'm very impressed."
After snuggling for a while, they went back to work.
Now that they completed the preliminary steps for the Adonis Colossus and Deliverer projects, they moved on to designing the mechs at full speed.
Both of them had become a lot more proficient in working together. The five Tovars who assisted them also finished their integration in the LMC's design team.
Productivity soared and the design team achieved considerably more results than before!
During this time, Ves and Gloriana both devoted the bulk of their focus on different mech designs.
Whenever they worked on the Deliverer project, Ves clearly took the lead. His passion and his commitment in this project had reached a peak.
He really wanted the Deliverer mech to make the impact he envisioned!
"The Deliverer design will doubtlessly be met with doubt and derision from the public." Ves remarked as he tweaked the gauss rifle design that served as the main armament. "I don't care. As long as everything goes as planned, the Ylvainans will show that it's possible to win the Sand War!"
The restricted footage and reports painted a grim picture. The sandman assaults continued to assail the border systems without any interruption!
While the defenders were more than capable of repelling lots of sandman fleets, the constant influx of intruders were starting to push the defenders to their limits!
More and more minor star systems succumbed as the limited garrison forces failed to keep up with the grueling frequency of battles!
As more and more minor star systems fell into the hands of the sandmen, the major star systems came under increasing pressure as they became more and more isolated!
With the sandmen entering the fortified star systems from different directions, the reserves that ordinarily relieved the main force had to be put to use in repelling the flanking sandman fleets!
Casualties mounted as the defensive forces had no choice but to fight several back-to-back battles with hardly any rest in between!
Starfighter pilots died by droves. Mech pilots started to make mistakes as fatigue dulled their performance. Entire debris fields filled with dead sand and valuable wreckage floated away untouched as there weren't enough assets in place to salvage the valuables.
The Bright Republic continued to spend money like water, causing this month's inflation to exceed 27 percent!
Even if the government stopped publishing direct war reports to the public, many civilians figured out that the rate of inflation was a decent indicator of how well their home state fared.
If the government was so desperate to print more money, then the Bright Republic was evidently in a worse state than before!
The bad news did not solely linger in the Bright Republic. Worrying signs also emanated from its neighbors.
The Vesians, who were compelled to defend an elongated front, had already suffered several major defeats!
While the increasing influx of Desolate Soldiers and Prideful Soldiers managed to bolster the Vesian defense forces, they arrived awfully late!
As for the Ylvainans, their morale and fighting spirit remained high with the enthusiastic adoption of the Holy Soldiers.
However, the Ylvaine Protectorate's lack of wartime experience started to tell. The Protectors of the Faith were too rigid and bound by their rules to adapt their mech doctrine and fighting methods.
The Protectorate's war-related infrastructure was not robust enough and couldn't handle a massive increase in the production of supplies and machines.
Its civilian industry took many more months than necessary to transition to a wartime footing.
All of these factors weakened the Ylvaine Protectorate's depth. This meant that as long as the sandmen broke through the front, the Ylvainans would not be strong enough to stem the tide!
"What are you worried about, Ves?" Gloriana asked when she saw that he paused in his work.
"I'm worried whether the third line of defense can hold. The second line of defense crumbled quickly. It's already admirable that the Bright Republic and the other states in the vicinity have held out so long."
"You're worried because you believe your Deliverer design can turn the tide, right?"
He smiled at her. Her remark hit straight at his heavy heart!
"You know me too well. Perhaps it's arrogant for me to say so, but I truly believe the Deliverer design can save the beleaguered states! While my Deliverers are not very useful against the monolith or other massive configuration, it will at least offer a lot of relief against the increasingly-more prevalent swarm configuration!"
For some reason, the stalling of the sandmen at the third line of defense had caused the sandmen to accelerate their adaptation. There were more and more signs that the sandman admirals actively sought each other out and exchanged their best practices.
"I believe in you, Ves. I'm sure you'll be able to make the skeptics shut up once your Deliverers single-handedly save the lives of trillions of people at risk of being engulfed by the sandmen! I can't think of anything more noble than what you are attempting to do. Even if the Deliverer falls short of your expectations, it's still worthwhile to make the attempt."
He sighed. "I'm really lucky to have an understanding girlfriend like you. It means a lot that you believe in my work."
"That's what I'm for." She grinned and pecked his cheek. "I hope you extend the same courtesy to me. Don't slack off when we're working on the Adonis Colossus project!"
"I'm doing the best I can."
"You haven't even prepared its proto-god yet!"
"That's because I haven't made up my mind so far! I don't know whether I should reuse an existing design spirit or create a new one!"
"Don't be lazy! If your existing proto-gods aren't good enough, then come up with something new! Don't let your opinion against our client affect your professionalism! The Adonis Colossus deserves better!"
As much as Ves wanted to disagree with Gloriana, he knew she was right.
Chapter 1642 Sydney Superior System
While Ves and Gloriana vigorously worked to design their next two mechs, the situation at the front became a lot more desperate.
The Sydney Superior System had long served as a local bulwark for the Mech Corps.
In case hostilities ever broke out against the Coman Federation, the star system would have been a prime strategic location to block any Comen assaults!
Sadly, the Coman Federation no longer existed. Instead, a more terrible opponent emerged in their place!
Ever since the Sand War came to the Bright Republic, the Sydney Superior System endured continued incursions.
Due to its rich mineral resources, bright sun and other factors, both the Bright Republic and the sandmen prized this star system.
Having endured hundreds of attacks within the span of a few months, both sides bled heavily.
The Starfighter Corps continually supplied new starfighters and starfighter pilots to Sydney Superior, only for them to get crushed within five to ten battles.
The Mech Corps, already stretched thin due to the necessity of defending the entire front, had no more mech pilots to send. The best the military could do was to keep shipping supplies and replacement mechs.
As for the sandmen, they continued to dispatch more and more sandmen as if they would never run out! The sandman admirals arriving at Sydney Superior no longer stuck with the most primitive configuration.
Those that continued to adopt the basic configuration had all succumbed to the humans by now. The only sandman admirals that remained were those who had been taught by a more intelligent sandman leader or learned their lessons the hard way.
The defenders of Sydney Superior could have coped against the basic configuration. Even if the sandmen tried to overwhelm the defenders with basic sandman fleets, their incredibly poor effectiveness in battle was simply too easy to exploit!
However, the good times didn't last. Now that the sandman admirals had all evolved, they became much harder to deal with. The monolith configuration and the swarm configuration both became a terror for the defenders.
As waves of swarms and monoliths continued to pressure the defensive forces from all sides, the attrition mounted to a dangerous degree!
Starfighters fell too rapidly as the first generation starfighters were simply too fragile to last against the advanced configurations of sandman fleets!
The nascent Starfighter Corps that hadn't existed for more than a year became increasingly hard-pressed to replenish the losses along the entire front!
The Sydney Superior System was not the only star system in crisis. Many other strategic locations cried out for reinforcements.
As a result, the amount of starfighters and accompanying pilots sent to reinforce Sydney Superior only replaced half of the losses suffered by its defenders!
"We can't keep up with this rate of attrition!"
"What is headquarters doing?! We're drowning in sandmen!"
"How many fleets do the sandmen have left? It's like their numbers are endless!"
The tide of sandmen sweeping into the Sydney Superior System finally overwhelmed the defensive forces.
Every defensive fleet had to pull back and contract their defensive perimeters time and time again! From fighting off the invading sandmen in the outer system, the ships, mechs and starfighters had to retreated continuously until they were forced to hold their ground in orbit of the only inhabited planet!
With Sydney Superior VI pressing against their backs, mech regiments and starfighter regiments could retreat no further without exposing more than 400 million Brighters to the sandmen!
Sydney Superior VI used to be home to more than half a billion citizens. Since the start of the Sand War, the Bright Republic managed to evacuate over a 100 million people.
Yet it was not enough! With transportation capacity in very short supply, it was impossible to relocate so many people at once!
Right now, several huge swarms and monoliths commanded by over forty separate sandman admirals approached Sydney Superior VI from different directions!
The defensive platforms that the government continually erected in orbit of Sydney Superior VI began to unleash their might for the first time!
A continuous barrage of tens of thousands of ballistic shells and kinetic projectiles slammed against the sandmen looking to sweep over the surface of the planet!
Like a stone cast in a lake, the ripples of fire pushed against the approaching sandmen, causing them to suffer considerable losses!
A concentrated salvo of fire from over thirty defensive platforms all slammed against a single monolith! Huge chunks of sand and other grainy material splashed from the closest monolith, ruining its perfect spherical shape!
On the other side of the planet, the defensive platforms sprayed their fire in a tight zone that encompassed a buzzing swarm that consisted of tens of thousands of sandman drones!
The torrent of firepower rapidly diminished the swarm until only a third was left!
Due to the decreased concentration of drones, the defensive platforms no longer wasted their firepower against this specific swarm. Their commanding officer ordered them to shift their firepower against another swarm!
If the sandman fleets only tried to approach the planet, then the defensive platforms would have been able to weather the storm.
Unfortunately, the sandmen weren't vegetables!
Though ordinarily inclined to hoard their energy, the experienced sandman admirals held nothing back in their attempts to break through the opposition!
As long as the sandmen managed to drop to the surface, the planet was within their grasp!
For this reason, the invading swarms and monoliths unleashed their firepower upon the defensive platforms without mercy!
Unlike mechs and starfighters, the defensive platforms were basically structures floating in space.
Their mobility was limited as they were never meant to move aside from making adjustments to their orbits.
In exchange, they featured far more armor and firepower, causing them to be able to endure a significant amount of damage while dishing out just as much hurt!
However, their severe lack of mobility also turned them into sitting ducks!
The swarms and monoliths unleashed entire swathes of light lasers. While their firepower wasn't very coordinated, the sheer volume of lasers impacting the defensive platforms heated their surfaces until they glowed like red suns!
The heat and energy impacting the defensive platforms rapidly degraded the layers of armor protecting the internals and crew manning the guns.
In desperation, the defensive platforms rotated along their axis, trying to present as much untouched armor against the sandmen as possible to preserve their battle effectiveness!
"Too much! It's too much!"
"Hold back the sandmen as much as possible! Fight until your machines don't last!"
The mechs and starfighters that had repelled the incoming sandmen for several weeks tried to reinforce the defensive platforms as best as possible!
Scarred starfighters and shabby mechs reinforced the defensive platforms as best as they could manage.
These mobile units used to lead the defense of Sydney Superior. However, after fighting off constant battles, the mech and starfighter regiments were only a shadow of their former selves.
The losses suffered by the Starfighter Corps were horrendous. Only twenty percent of their peak strength in the star system was left!
In addition, many of the starfighters were fighting with limited ammunition and energy reserves. They had to slow down their rate of fire and limit their deployments because they couldn't last as long as before!
Due to all of the sandman fleets that had flooded Sydney Superior, it had become too dangerous to supply the defenders from the outside!
"FIGHT! FIGHT WITH ALL YOUR HEART! FIGHT UNTIL YOU DON'T HAVE NOTHING ELSE LEFT!"
Defensive platforms exploded or disintegrated into chunks with each second that passed. Starfighters turned into lifeless shells as several lasers burned through their systems. Dawnbreakers endured an unimaginable amount of fire before finally succumbing due to the rapid wear and tear their damaged frames endured!
Throughout all of the fighting, the Stripes of Humanity these machines used to show off with pride now turned into a final gesture of the determination of the defenders!
A starfighter wing that fought above the equator of Sydney Superior VI came under focused fire by a remnant of a swarm.
The small and vulnerable spacecraft exploded one by one as the swarm cleverly boxed the juking starfighters with an array of lasers!
Just as the sixth starfighter was on the verge of collapsing, a shining volley of projectiles slammed into twenty sandman drones at once, taking them out without fail!
"It's the Glittering Comet!"
"We've been saved!"
"Thank you, Venerable Larkinson!"
The Glittering Comet, the custom mech of Ghanso Larkinson, flew past the starfighters without transmitting anything in return.
He needed to put out too many fires!
Tears streaked from Ghanso's face as he knew that the starfighter pilots wouldn't survive for long. Even if he gave them a reprieve, more sandmen would take the place of those he took out a moment ago!
The Glittering Comet continually fired its rifle as Ghanso resonated with the weapon. Shining white projectiles slammed against numerous sandman drones without missing a single shot!
Only an expert pilot could accomplish perfect accuracy against the fast-moving sandman drones!
If Ghanso could whittle down the swarms over the course of a month, then he would have been able to clean them all up without suffering any losses!
Unfortunately, time was not on the Bright Republic's side!
The continuous attrition and retreat had battered the mobile forces to such an extent that Ghanso's presence was indispensable!
There was so much despair among the mech and starfighter pilots that the glows of the Desolate Soldiers weren't enough to keep them in the fight.
The men and women risking their lives to repel the sandmen needed the inspiration that only expert pilots could provide!
Several more expert pilots like Ghanso flew around and emboldened the hearts of every combatant risking it all to defend Sydney Superior VI!
Unfortunately, nothing they could do would save the planet and its inhabitants from the sandmen!
The best they could hope for was to evacuate the remaining children to preserve the legacy of the people of Sydney Superior VI!
Several shabby cargo haulers converted into improvised rescue ships formed into a convoy protected by a large proportion of surviving mechs and starfighters.
"Advance! Break through! We still have a chance of saving some lives!"
The final rescue fleet advanced and attempted to bulldoze its way through numerous swarms, lattices, monoliths, starfishes and other weird shapes!
The nearest defensive platforms in the vicinity all lent their firepower towards this breakout attempt.
For a moment, the sandmen in this section of battle were being pushed back!
However, the sandmen did not continue to batter against the defensive platforms in an attempt to make landfall on Sydney Superior VI as everyone thought!
For some reason, the sandmen in the vicinity stopped trying to advance towards the planet and all started to attack the breakout fleet!
"NO!"
Ghanso Larkinson immediately flew his mech towards the breakout fleet. The rescue ships carried hundreds of thousands of lives!
His Glittering Comet shone even brighter as his rifle slammed against a monolith, single handedly causing it to shudder and lose integrity!
It wasn't enough!
The rescue ships were too sluggish. Featuring very little armor to speak of, the sandmen easily managed to pour their fire past the scattered mechs and starfighters.
One vessel's massive cargo bay broke apart, causing an uncountable amount of human bodies to float out into space!
Even if the vacsuits worn by the children preserved their lives for a moment, the cold emptiness of space would eventually claim their lives!
There weren't any ships left to rescue the lost!
"NOOOO!" Ghanso screamed as his Glittering Comet emptied out its ammunition stores!
His intervention wasn't enough to change the outcome. The exhausted mechs and starfighters hadn't been in a good shape to begin with, and could never take out the sandmen fast enough to save the rescue ships!
Dozens of ships foundered, exploded or simply fell silent as the lasers raked over their entire hulls!
The breakout attempt had failed!
Sydney Superior VI had fallen for good!
Chapter 1643 Insubordination
The fall of Sydney Superior struck every Brighter's heart. A catastrophe of this scale could not be hidden from anyone!
Now that a critical star system had fallen into the hands of the sandmen, the star systems in the interior of the Bright Republic became exposed! The sandmen managed to crack open a hole in the wall, causing numerous battle-hardened fleets to attack the star systems that had never faced as much pressure as before!
The overstretched Starfighter Corps tried its best to supplement the nearby garrisons, but they simply weren't fast enough!
At one star system in the vicinity of Sydney Superior, a small force of Desolate Soldiers fought desperately against an approaching swarm of sandman drones!
Due to severe logistical constraints, the starfighter groups that should have reinforced the Trivian System had not arrived as expected!
Only less than a hundred starfighters remained to cover the two-hundred or so mechs that consisted of the main force!
Even so, the mech and starfighter pilots did not shirk their duty.
The Novabreakers piloted by the 4th Agon Chevaliers of the 7th Bentheim division courageously fought in the vanguard.
Ordinarily, the starfighters should have flown in front to attract enemy laser fire, but there were simply too few left! The defenders of Trivian simply couldn't afford to lose more starfighters and deprive themselves of additional guns.
Every machine mattered, no matter if it was an expensive premium mech or an ultracheap starfighter!
Propping up the morale of the stressed and exhausted pilots, the gold-coated Desolate Soldiers tried their best to cover each and every part of the formation with their encouraging glows.
The duty embodied by these iconic machines barely managed to keep everyone in line.
This was especially remarkable when most of the mechs belonged to mercenary corps or other private outfits!
With the Stripes of Humanity trailing raggedly through space, the undisciplined formation of mechs and starfighters tried their best to defeat the swarm.
The problem was that few pilots saw the point of doing so! Why should they fight over a rural star system whose tiny population at the only terraformed planet had already been evacuated?
As the swarm of sandman drones continued to advance regardless of the opposition they faced, a volley of fast-firing laser beams randomly struck one of the Desolate Soldiers!
"Harvey!" Melkor Larkinson shouted. "Eject! Your machine is a goner!"
"It's too late, commander!" The voice of a middle-aged mech pilot sounded over the communication channel. "The damned sandmen managed to penetrate the armor and damage the cockpit of my mech!"
Melkor cursed and requested assistance from a nearby mercenary corps he managed to befriend.
"Just pull out the cockpit and bring it away if you can! Maybe it can still fly away under its own force!"
"We'll do our best, but we can't divert too much attention to your man! Sorry."
Over the course of the Sand War, many outfits assigned to defend the less important star systems learned how to cooperate with each other. The only way to survive longer than a month was to ensure that they managed to cultivate allies among the disparate outfits they fought alongside!
Melkor had learned many lessons during his deployment at the front.
This was already the fourth star system that he and his detachment of Avatars had been assigned to defend. The other three star systems fell when the sandmen proved too much to stop!
"Hold formation!" The commanding officer yelled over the comm. "We have to hold as long as possible to buy time for our reinforcements to arrive! We can't give up Trivian too soon!"
The battle against the swarm continued apace as Melkor shot his Sandbreaker rifle at a steady cadence.
His marksmanship, which he used to be proud of, proved to be highly inadequate against the agile sandman drones.
At this distance, he merely managed to hit thirty percent of his shots, which was respectable compared to mercenaries but inadequate compared to elites.
He regretted spending too much time on administration and not enough time on polishing his own piloting skills. Ever since he finished his Larkinson training and graduated from the mech academy, he reduced his training intensity to shape the Avatars into an elite mech force.
"Goddammit." He cursed as his visor blocked his frustrated eyes. "I'm wasting too many rounds."
He tried his best to cover for the disabled Avatar mech piloted by Harvey, one of his older subordinates.
Harvey was like a rock within the Avatars! Aside from the Larkinsons, his veterancy status was vital in stabilizing the ranks of his unit. Melkor couldn't afford to lose him at this juncture! The Avatars already suffered several tragic losses.
Unfortunately, the pair of mercenary mechs that flew to the rescue to the drifting Avatar mech came under fire themselves!
When their own lives were under threat, the mercenaries completely forgot about their earlier orders and did their best to merge back into formation so that they would not attract as much attention from the sandmen!
Melkor cursed again! He couldn't fault the mercenary pilots for seeking safety in numbers.
The problem was that Harvey's mech, having lost all propulsion, was drifting further and further away from rescue!
He desperately asked for help from other mercenary corps but received a unanimous denial.
Every other outfit had their hands full protecting their own comrades!
Melkor deeply wanted to dispatch his own Avatars to rescue Harvey, but his latest superior already gave strict instructions that their Desolate Soldiers should maintain position in the formation.
Even if the outfits already brought enough Desolate Soldiers to cover the entire formation several times over, the commander from the Agon Chevaliers wanted the glows to overlap as optimally as possible to keep everyone spirited!
As the window of opportunity was running out, Melkor had to decide whether he should disobey the orders of his superior on the faint chance of saving one of his precious Avatars.
In the end, before he came to a decision, one of his subordinates already left formation and flew to the drifting mech!
"Silent William! What are you doing?!"
No answer came from the comm. William never spoke. However, that was no excuse for remaining silent!
A mech's communication systems facilitated various means of verbal and non-verbal communication methods. A simple mental command was enough to compose a short message or transmit a predetermined code!
"Silent William, return to your post!" Melkor admonished. "You're disobeying orders!"
Even as Melkor rebuked the disobedient mech pilot, he secretly hoped his words fell on deaf ears.
He really wanted Harvey to get rescued, and so far only Silent William had the guts to leave formation. How could Melkor not be pleased?
The only disappointment was that Silent William wasn't really his own man. Ves made it clear that this odd mech pilot was only here to reforge himself in battle.
Nonetheless, Silent William had gained every Avatar's acceptance for his bravery and silent support.
Melkor looked on with hope even as he pretended to rebuke Silent William.
The foreign mech pilot, who showed no signs of acknowledging the instructions from Melkor and the commander of the Agon Chevaliers, finally reached Harvey's mech before it had drifted too far away.
Even though numerous sandmen took potshots at both Desolate Soldiers, somehow Silent William managed to cope with the damage. His Desolate Soldier spun around at various angles in order to spread out the laser fire over the entire frame.
Once his mech reached the disabled mech, the former first stopped the latter's spin.
Then, Silent William's mech temporarily put aside its Sandbreaker rifle in order to sink its hands into the damaged rear of Harvey's mech.
Since time was short, Silent William couldn't afford to be delicate. The hands of his own mech started to incur damage as he put them under a considerable amount of stress.
The hands of a melee mech weren't designed to exert so much force!
Fortunately, the Desolate Soldiers weren't very tough to begin with, and its rear armor happened to be the thinnest. It did not take much effort to pry off the flight system and armor panels that should have blasted away in order to make room for the cockpit's ejection.
While Melkor still tried his best to provide cover fire for the rescue attempt, he switched half his internal vision to a feed of Silent William's mech.
He watched carefully and studied the damaged exterior of the cockpit.
"Silent William! The damage to Harvey's cockpit is too severe! You'll have to pry it out of the torso of the mech and carry it back to the Greenfeather. Can you do that?!"
Though Silent William did not transmit any acknowledgement, his mech already started to pry the cockpit out, managing to succeed as not all of the systems of the cockpit had failed.
"Success! Bring him back!"
The Desolate Soldier piloted by the guest among the Avatars flew back with certainty while cradling the cockpit like a piece of furniture.
Though several sandman drones fired at the vulnerable rear and flight system of the retreating mech, Melkor and the Avatars instantly targeted the offenders and sprayed them with Sandbreaker rounds.
Eventually, Silent William's mech managed to make it back to the light carrier of the Avatars!
Melkor silently smiled while quickly turning back to the battle.
By now, the swarm had been reduced by a third. The threat they posed against the defenders had lightened considerably, which meant that there was less chance that other Avatars would suffer the same fate.
"My Avatars are too precious to die here." He muttered to himself. "I have to make sure everyone gets back alive!"
He knew that this went against the intentions of Ves, but right now he simply couldn't care about his instructions.
His Avatars were his comrades. They fought side by side and supported each other without fail.
Even Silent William, who wasn't technically an Avatar, did not hesitate to put himself at risk to rescue Harvey's life!
Fortunately for Melkor, the battle ended without any suspense. With the military's Novabreakers soaking up the bulk of the damage at the front, the rest of the mechs and starfighters endured considerably less damage.
The modest sandman swarm hadn't managed to pierce past the thick, compressed armor of the latest military mech model that spread among the mech regiments!
As the mechs flew back to their carriers once they made sure to kill every lingering sandman drone, Melkor briefly glanced at one of the Novabreakers returning to its mothership.
The entire surface of the mech looked scorched and deformed as a hundred or so light laser beams had tried to fell the machine.
Though it appeared that the Novabreaker suffered moderate internal damage, clearly that wasn't enough to cripple the tough and durable mech.
For a moment, Melkor felt jealous. Why weren't the Avatars allowed to pilot a Dawnbreaker or better mech? Why did the Avatars lose several comrades over the course of their deployment at the front due to the lack of defenses of the Desolate Soldier model?
"It's because Ves is in charge." He answered his own questions with a sigh. "As long as he calls the shots, he is in control of our lives."
With a heavy heart, Melkor's Desolate Soldier returned to the Greenfeather's hangar bay.
Once he emerged from his mech, he lowered himself to the deck and walked towards a small procession of happy mech pilots.
"Hooray for Silent William!"
"Thank you for saving my butt!" Harvey thanked the silent foreigner. "I owe you one!"
Once Melkor arrived, the Avatars shut up and turned to their commanding officer.
"Silent William." He began. "You disobeyed orders."
William Urbesh met Melkor's shielded gaze without any hesitation or remorse. In fact, he didn't communicate any message at all!
Melkor held out his hand. "For what it's worth, I support you."
Silent William shoved aside Harvey and moved past Melkor without accepting the offered handshake.
The foreigner from a different star sector left the hangar bay, leaving the rest of the Avatars perplexed.
"He's a weirdo."
"At least he's our weirdo."
Though Silent William never socialized with others, none of the Melkor took offense at his antisocial behavior.
That was because his battlefield performance was enough to win the Avatars over!
As Melkor lowered his arm and watched Silent William leave, he frowned for a moment.
"Why is he so strange?"
Chapter 1644 Dealmaker
While the Sand War intensified throughout the third line of defense, not everyone concerned themselves with the suffering taking place.
For some people, the latest developments opened up many opportunities ordinarily inaccessible to them. In particular, the lawless pirates and exiles of the frontier found it incredibly easy to sneak into civilized space amidst the chaos.
Already, plenty of sons and daughters of the frontier managed to blend in with the waves of refugees.
While it was easy for pirates to be mistaken as refugees, it was not as easy to assume a brand new identity, especially one that was more notable than the norm.
A specialist in identity falsification had to intervene in order to form a false identity with as few loopholes as possible.
Calabash happened to be someone who possessed the skill, knowledge and connections required to forge a reasonably foolproof identity.
She calmly stood and waited for her client to arrive at a grassy plain on an empty planet in the Reinald Republic.
Standing behind her was an entire company of mechs. Over half of them wielded swords, while the rest wielded various ranged weapons. The messy collection of mechs consisted of many different models, as if the mech company had been entirely pieced together at random.
However, the mechs exuded a certain kind of strength from the way they positioned themselves and readied themselves for action.
The Swordmaidens had undergone many trials and tribulations since their establishment. The death of their founder devastated them a lot, but the rise of her replacement managed to preserve what the all-female outfit managed to build.
"There is movement up front. Get ready." A voice whispered in Calabast's ear.
Soon enough, an aerial mech company descended from afar while surrounding a shuttle. The procession alerted the Swordmaidens, causing their mechs to grip their weapons tightly.
Calabast barely took any notice, though. She stood in the open without a care in the world.
She was confident in the deal she made.
Once the shuttle landed on the grass a distance away from the Swordmaidens, the hatch slid open, allowing a subdued-dressed middle-aged man to emerge.
Escorted by some armed and armored guards, the man energetically strode forward in a powerful and confident gait.
The man had reason to be confident. Not only were the aerial mechs under his command much more powerful than the mechs of the Swordmaidens, he had plenty of forces at his disposal in space.
Once he arrived in front of the woman he scheduled to meet, the two paused for a moment.
Both of them dressed professionally. While Calabast blended in her business attire as if she was a born manager, the other man seemed very uncomfortable in his plain and unadorned business suit.
"Let us get this over with, Hexer." The man spat.
"As you wish, Fridayman."
"I am no longer a Fridayman!" He hissed with a threatening timbre in his voice.
"You are correct. As of now, you are a Reinaldan, a citizen and a mech designer of a crumbling state."
Calabast waved her hand forward, causing a floating box that hovered behind her to glide over to her client.
The other man took the box and opened it up to reveal a datapad, a secure data chip as well as some hair, blood and tissue samples preserved in transparent containers.
"Is this it? I expected more."
"As long as you follow the instructions I've outlined in the data pad, this is all you need, Skull Architect."
The dreaded pirate designer from the Faris Star Region sneered at Calabast before picking up the data pad.
After that, he shoved the floating box to a subordinate following behind him who took up a multiscanner and began to example the biological samples.
"Hmm.. so you've arranged the identity of Professor Benedict Cortez for me. He wasn't high on my wish list."
"Your demands are too unrealistic, Skull Architect. Do you really think that we can operate with impunity in civilized space? Even if turmoil has swept the Komodo Star Sector, it is not so easy to lay a hand on a Senior Mech Designer without a trace. We've suffered some losses in the process of hijacking Professor Cortez's evacuation fleet."
The Skull Architect laughed. "Don't try to raise the price. Professor Cortez is one of the easiest targets on my list. What happened to him, by the way?"
"We've cleaned him up. Have no fear of that. Not a single trace of him and associates have survived. You'll have to come up with a way to reintroduce yourself to the public without arousing too much suspicion, though."
"I'll keep that mind."
After performing some inspections, the Skull Architect became satisfied with the arrangements made by Calabast.
While she was confident in her handicraft, she cautioned the Skull Architect to act with discretion.
"Even if you follow all of my steps, your new identity is not completely foolproof. I've only managed to message the records of every relevant record-keeping institution of the Reinald Republic. If the state falls, then no one will be able to verify the records except what the government managed to bring elsewhere or put them up on the galactic net. That does not account for the detailed biometric data the MTA has collected from Professor Cortez."
The Skull Architect crossed his arms. "No one in this star sector can falsify the MTA's records. You wouldn't be dealing with me if you have the capacity to access and alter their database."
"It's best if you stay far away from the MTA while you assume your new identity. I trust that you already know how to conduct yourself to avoid attracting their attention."
"You don't need to lecture me, young woman."
"Now that you have accepted my offering, will you still commit to your end of the deal?"
"Aye. You'll get what you want. I'm not the sort who burns my bridges with someone who is actually clever in a sea of idiots."
The deal that the two had made in recent months was fairly simple.
In exchange for arranging a new identity for the Skull Architect, he promised several concessions.
First, he promised to design and build an expert mech for any expert pilot that Calabast managed to acquire.
She made this demand in case Commander Dise managed to advance to expert pilot. She needed this concession because it was very difficult to obtain an expert mech through regular channels.
After all, expert pilots didn't pop out from nowhere!
Second, the Skull Architect promised to wipe away the debt that Ves owed him. Though the pirate designer found it to be a shame to lose his handle on Ves, it was not an equitable arrangement in the first place.
To the fugitive Senior Mech Designer, it didn't matter too much. Even without the debt, he was still confident he could find a way to associate with Ves Larkinson in some other way, especially now that the promising young Journeyman had risen to prominence.
To Calabast, arranging a nearly foolproof identity to the Skull Architect in exchange for these concessions was more than worth the effort. Not only did she gain a benefit for herself and her partner, she also established a friendly relation with a powerful Senior!
After a brief chat, the Skull Architect and his entourage briskly turned around and boarded the shuttle. Once his procession rose in the air and flew back to space, the meeting had come to an end.
Some time later, Calabast and the Swordmaidens deployed on the surface returned to space as well. When the woman entered the stateroom of her personal ship, Commander Dise already awaited her arrival.
"I'm impressed by how you've handled the Skull Architect. The meeting went smoother than I thought." The leader of the Swordmaidens remarked as she laid on the bed.
"The Skull Architect isn't as fearsome as you think as long as you give him a reason to respect you. His reputation in the frontier is not that relevant anymore now that the sandmen have overrun the old order there. He needs me more than we need him. If not for his potential usefulness to Ves, I wouldn't have bothered to offer my services to him. Obtaining the favor of a genuine Senior might come in handy one day."
"I'm not so sure whether it's wise to play with fire. Mayra once told me that she had to be very careful when she studied under him. He has a habit of blowing up on people."
"I'm pretty certain that some of it is an act." Calabast confidently stated. "While the Skull Architect is anything but a balanced individual, he needed to project strength while he was in the frontier. Now that he has reintegrated into civilized space, he ought to be rational enough to moderate his behavior."
The spy strode forward and sat down on the side of her bed. The two came very close.
"Want to have some fun?" Dise suggested.
"No thanks."
"Why not? We're lovers, right?"
Calabast slapped her supposed girlfriend's rear. "There's no need to keep up the act."
"Who says our relationship is an act?" The commander's eyes twinkled.
"We only agreed to go along this charade to assuage Gloriana's fears, Dise. If you want to earn my attention, then find some way to become an expert pilot."
"How is it so easy for me to make this step?" Dise helplessly shook her head. "Plenty of expert candidates have reached the limits of what they are capable of in this realm without finding any way to get past their bottleneck. My weird bond with the exobeast I've encountered at Aeon Corona VII doesn't help matters either."
"Find a way to resolve this issue. The sooner you advance to expert pilot, the more we can do by borrowing your strength."
Commander Dise rose from the bed and faced Calabast with a concerned expression.
"You're moving very quickly, you know that? Why are you in such a hurry to build up your strength and make so many deals with people?"
"Everything is changing, Dise. The Sand War and the Komodo War have smashed the existing order in the frontier and the Komodo Star Sector. The invasion of the Red Ocean is changing all of human space. Many gaps have opened up that we can take advantage of. The premise is that we have what it takes to secure our gains."
"You've been investing an awful lot in paving the way for that brat from the Bright Republic. I don't see why you even bother with him. Isn't he just a Journeyman?"
Calabast smirked. "He's not just a regular Journeyman. Trust me on this. We have to take very good care of him as he's our ticket to the top."
"Couldn't you have just built a relationship with the Skull Architect instead? After all, he's already a seasoned Senior."
"I don't have control over the Skull Architect. Didn't you just say that associating him is like playing with fire? I know my boundaries with him. It's not a good idea to get too close to him, especially when he has shown he is willing to cross a lot of lines to get what he wants."
"Is Ves any better?"
"You'll see why it's worth it to partner up with him sooner than later." Calabast confidently stated.
She never felt as confident in fulfilling her future ambitions before she encountered Ves. Though she knew that his actual identity was anything but simple, she dared to insert herself in his life because the opportunity was too precious.
This star sector was too small for someone of her ambition. Even if she was born a Hexer, and a member of the powerful Vraken Matriarchal Dynasty at that, she never held any pride over her origin.
A Hexer like Calabast might enjoy a lot of status in the Komodo Star Sector, but that was like a rat lording it over a cage.
Her true goal lay elsewhere!
Chapter 1645 Clouds Over Cloudy Curtain
The tragedy that took place at the Sydney Superior System stunned everyone in the Bright Republic!
After the sandmen managed to break through the defenses of Sydney Superior VI, the planet became flooded with animated sand!
While the citizens on the ground tried to fend off the sandmen with their newly-erected defenses, their firepower was simply too insufficient to resist the tides of sand that swept over entire cities!
Over 400 million people died in the following week! Without reinforcements from elsewhere, the stranded citizens were unable to prevent the sandmen from engulfing each and every populated settlement on the surface of the once-great planet!
The fall of Sydney Superior had far-reaching effects. No matter how much the Bright Republic attempted to plug the gap, it did not change the fact that the sandmen gained a much more solid route to the interior of the Bright Republic, including Bentheim!
The mood in the Bentheim System had grown much more severe as the entire port system shifted into an even greater state of war readiness. Martial law had come into effect and even more production facilities ceased producing consumer goods in favor of producing critical supplies.
Many people who had the ability to leave Bentheim had already done so recently. Hardly anyone thought it was a good idea to settle there when it was highly likely that it would come under heavy assault by the sandmen!
Ketis was not an average visitor.
Unlike most people, she did not fear the threat of the sandmen. Having lived in constant danger in the frontier for most of her life, the danger looming over Bentheim was like a walk in the park for a Swordmaiden.
Besides, if the situation at Bentheim really deteriorated, she was confident that Ves would find a way to pull her out. She wasn't blind to how powerful her latest mentor had become.
His support gave her the capital to face the challenges at Bentheim head-on!
As she emerged from the spaceport at Dorum with a floating luggage coffer hovering behind her, she looked around for her new host.
"Ketis! Over here!"
A woman with a strong military-esque bearing strode forward and embraced Ketis in a tight hug!
"Ooph! You're stronger than I thought!" The newcomer noted with surprise. "Did Ves lie to me or something? You're built like a warrior!"
"I'm just a mech designer." Ketis replied coyly. "Can you bring me to my new home? I'm a bit uncomfortable standing here in public."
"Sure! Follow me! I've already prepared your new digs! You'll love it! As long as you don't mind living among the Blood Claws, I'm sure we'll be getting along well!"
"That's great."
"By the way, are you sure you want to stick with us? We're about to be deployed in space in order to meet our obligations to defend this star system from the planet. There's going to be a lot of fighting in the future."
"This isn't the first time I've participated in a war, Raella. I've learned a lot from Ves. One of the reasons he sent me here was to gain more practical experience with working with mechs. I need this to push my comprehension of mechs to the next level."
"I see. I'll take care of you as much as I can. I owe it to Ves to see you through this war. By the way, how is he doing back on Cloudy Curtain?"
While Raella Larkinson welcomed Ketis with open arms at Bentheim, a heavy shadow cast over Cloudy Curtain.
Since Cloudy Curtain was right next door to Bentheim, there was a small but very possible chance that some of the sandman fleets might wander into the rustic star system!
The cloudy weather depressed the locals even more as they tried their best to resume their lives.
Fortunately, the locals did not have any reasons to panic. Their home planet was already home to two powerful forces. Along with Ves and his organizations, the Cloud Whalers weren't weak either despite having lost a lot of mechs and men in their failed attempt to wrestle away some turf on Bentheim.
The recent settlement of billions of refugees and the building spree that followed from that also raised Cloudy Curtain's importance. Various other powers hired a decent number of mercenaries to protect their investment.
The Mech Corps also stationed some forces in the star system to coordinate the defense effort.
Cloudy Curtain was anything but defenseless!
Commander Magdalena Larkinson of the Living Sentinels greeted Ves as he arrived at a training facility. A lot of Sentinels along with a couple of Avatars were exercising their bodies or training their skills.
While it wasn't entirely necessary for mech pilots to train their bodies, it undeniably helped for various reasons. Subjecting mech pilots to simulated combat and live practice sessions all the time would eventually lead to disjointment and other detrimental outcomes.
"Are the Living Sentinels ready to defend what we've built here?" Ves asked.
"As I've already mentioned, sir, just because my Sentinels aren't eager to deploy to the front doesn't mean they'll run when the war has reached their homes. I've surveyed each and every Sentinel in my employ and already filtered out those who are unwilling to do their part when they are truly needed."
"How many people have you fired?"
"Not as much as you think. Many of the Sentinels have already embraced their new lives here. Don't forget that many Larkinsons are a part of the Sentinels. The prosperity you've provided to the family is a key reason why they are determined to protect its source!"
Ves smiled. "I'm gratified to hear that. How are the Avatars who have stayed behind fared in Commander Melkor's absence?"
"They're doing well. Melkor has mostly left behind the younger Avatars and the recent recruits. While we haven't been able to facilitate their training as much as we want, they're all highly motivated to prepare themselves for the tough battles ahead."
Both of them directed their attention to a small sparring ring where a couple of young Avatars in training outfits jumped at each other under the watchful eyes of older Avatars.
Ves expected more from the Avatars. They knew that, so they readily embraced the their higher-intensity training regime!
"It's almost about time for Melkor and the detachment of Avatars and Sentinels to rotate back from the front." He remarked. "Do you think the second detachment of Avatars and Sentinels are ready to confront the sandmen?"
"We'll be fighting the sandmen regardless of whether we are deployed to the front or remain at home here. No one here is exempt from fighting, sir."
The Sentinel Commander had a point.
As Ves and Commander Magdalena discussed the security arrangements, they strode forward until they reached the sparring ring where the Avatars demonstrated their martial prowess.
Ves sensed a lot of determination and fighting spirit from the Avatars. Each of them heard of the arduous circumstances at the front. Several Avatars had already lost their lives in the noble fight against the sandmen and plenty more would lay down their lives in the future.
Despite the risks, none of the Avatars showed any signs of shirking their responsibilities.
As soon as Ves made himself known, the Avatars paused and saluted their boss!
"Resume your training, Avatars."
Though none of the Avatars could dismiss his presence, they did their best to get back to their own activities.
Ves swept the entire crowd and spotted plenty of new faces. Evidently, the Avatars welcomed a considerable amount of new recruits.
Fortunately, the cadre who had been with the Avatars for years maintained control over the rest.
After reassuring himself that the Avatars were firmly in his grip, he approached a specific Avatar resting at the side.
The young man immediately stood up. "Mr. Larkinson!"
"Joshua King. How are you doing? Are the Avatars of Myth to your liking?"
"I love it here! Piloting your mechs all day has always been my dream!"
"That's good to hear." Ves smiled, though inwardly he felt a little disturbed by Joshua's excessive enthusiasm. "I recall that you wanted to pilot a custom mech, right?"
Joshua nodded. "I'm familiar with all of your mech designs. I've even piloted all of the models the Avatars and Sentinels have on hand. They all have their own unique strengths. I became a fan of your glows before the LMC started calling it that. In my heart, I've always longed to pilot a mech that possesses a glow that belongs to me. That's why I've joined the Avatars without any hesitation!"
"That's remarkably honest of you." Ves blinked. He patted Joshua's shoulder. "Keep up the good work. As long as you perform well in the Sand War, your future with the Avatars will doubtlessly be bright. I'm more than willing to design a custom mech for you if you have the strength to make it worthwhile for me to do so. I don't design custom mechs without a reason."
"I'll definitely prove myself worthy, sir!"
"Haha! You're good, kid."
He sensed the strong and vibrant spiritual potential within Joshua. While it was still in an undeveloped state, it could bloom at any moment if he received enough stimulation.
With how the Sand War was intensifying, Ves was very confident that Joshua would unearth his potential. As one of the few mech pilots with spiritual potential in his crew, Ves depended on this young Avatar to shoulder greater responsibilities in the future.
After checking up with some other promising Avatars, Ves parted ways with Commander Magdalena and left the training facility.
He tilted his head upwards and beheld the clouds covering the entire planet. "The weather will grow worse in the future."
According to the information he obtained about the war situation, the Bright Republic's situation had deteriorated a lot with the fall of Sydney Superior.
While the military planners always expected the border systems to succumb, they hadn't anticipated that the sandmen would have evolved so quickly.
Fortunately, it wasn't all bad news. The Starfighter Corps recently announced the release of the second generation of starfighters. Tougher and more resilient than before, the starfighters were designed to last much longer against the deadly shower of lasers the sandmen deployed increasingly more against their opposition.
The Sandbreaker rifle which has fared well against the aliens had also been adopted at a very wide scale. The extra firepower and other optimizations eased the disparity in numbers somewhat.
When Ves returned to his office, Gavin walked up and updated him on the latest developments.
"Remember the charity you founded? It's doing better than expected. I don't know, but Director Clinton Larkinson managed to hire some excellent doctors and specialists from the refugees. The Ves Larkinson Foundation for Wounded Veterans has already begun to treat hundreds of patients at a time!"
Ves grimaced when he heard that. "That's way too fast. What is Clinton thinking?"
"Your Foundation has even attracted some positive media attention. The press think you are being generous on account of your prior service."
"Whatever." Ves waved his hand in dismissal. "As long as Clinton doesn't bite off more than he can chew, he can do what he wants as long as it is within his budget. Is there anything else going on that I should know?"
"Well, the Vesia Kingdom and the Reinald Republic are both faring increasingly poorly against the sandmen. We only had to deal with the collapse of Sydney Superior, while the Vesians and Reinaldans are both trying to plug multiple gaps in their defensive lines."
"What do you think about their chances?"
"The Vesians are strong." Gavin immediately replied. "I don't think they showed their full strength yet. We know they are capable of more since we've fought them so much in the past. It's the Reinaldans that is really concerning. They haven't been battle-hardened at all, and much of their internal situation has become a mess from all of the leaders and business magnates that have abandoned their responsibilities and fled."
"Are you saying.."
"I don't see much hope that the Reinald Republic will last. Everyone believes it's only a matter of time before this state will succumb. Once that happens, the Vesia Kingdom will have to fight on two fronts. If the Vesians can't handle the pressure…"
"The Bright Republic will doubtlessly be next." Ves finished the sentence.
Both of them looked grim at this possibility.
Chapter 1646 Combining Domains
The fall of the Reinald Republic accelerated the fall of the Vesia Kingdom.
The fall of the Vesia Kingdom hastened the end of the Bright Republic.
For better or worse, the Bright Republic needed these foreign states to be strong. Strong enough to resist the sandmen and strong enough to protect the flanks of their neighboring states.
Ves felt a new urgency in his work. He was certain that his Deliverer design would live up to its promise and make it easier to resist the sandmen.
The sooner he finished its design, the sooner they could start sniping down sandman admirals!
He shook his head. "Am I being delusional for thinking that I can single-handedly save the Bright Republic and the other states under attack?"
It felt a bit unreal that he had grown to this point as a mech designer. As long as he could realize the Deliverer according to his vision, the mech would definitely be able to match the impact his Soldier product line managed to make!
Despite the pressure piling up on his shoulders, Ves felt more passionate and determined than ever to realize the Deliverer design. He pretty much treated it as a passion project due to its limited commercial appeal and restrictive piloting demands.
It wasn't enough for the Deliverer to be piloted by a random Ylvainan mech pilot. The mech's powerful gauss rifle was difficult to handle in untrained hands. Only a highly-trained specialist in ranged mechs would be able to lay down accurate fire in the direction its design spirit pointed out.
After all, how could a Deliverer ever hit a sandman admiral if its mech pilot possessed shaky aim?
Time began to pass as Ves immersed himself in his work.
Together with Gloriana and his design team, the Deliverer and Adonis Colossus projects progressed briskly.
Despite their lack of manpower, the sheer ability displayed Ves and Gloriana prevented many problems. Their mutual understanding of each other's design style had deepened as well, causing the friction between them to be substantially reduced.
While they worked together, Ves and Gloriana made sure to continue to work on their synergy.
Right now, they experimented with all three types of synergy they managed to identify.
While they hadn't been able to make much progress at all in improving their synergy, each design session paved the way for a future breakthrough.
What fascinated Gloriana the most was her attempt to apply Conceptual Perfection on the Adonis Colossus design.
"I think a custom mech like the Adonis Colossus is the perfect testing platform for Conceptual Perfection." She stated to Ves. "Just think about it. It's not only a custom mech, but also one with a generous budget by third-class mech standards. It should be well within our means to design the perfect vessel for Vincent Ricklin from the resources we have on hand."
Ves looked skeptical. "While I don't necessarily disagree, our client is less than ideal. As a mech pilot, his skillset is too mediocre and spread out. How can he bring out the potential of any mech with his lackluster piloting ability?"
"I thought we already talked about this. We'll just have to make the Adonis Colossus easy to start with and leave a lot of room for growth. Trust me, Ves. The value of a custom mech, especially one that fits a mech pilot perfectly, is incalculable to them. I have changed the lives of plenty of clients who used to muddle along before I designed a custom mech for them. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about."
It was similar to someone purchasing a luxurious new gadget. Because they invested so much money on it, they unconsciously felt compelled to get their money's worth.
However, there was still a difference between wanting something and being able to achieve it. Vincent's inconsistent piloting ability heavily constrained their design choices for the Adonis Colossus design.
"If only we had a better mech pilot as a client." Ves grumbled resentfully.
They went back to discussion on how to apply Conceptual Perfection on the Adonis Colossus design.
"I think it's worth a try to pray for a miracle with this mech." She asserted. "What we're doing is pretty creating a god from scratch. How can a god be worthy of their name if their existences aren't miraculous?"
This was the lying to reality part that Ves had never really gotten a handle on. The entire concept sounded too fantastical and devoid from his existing understanding on how reality worked.
Yet just because he didn't know if it worked did not necessarily mean it was impossible. Ves already lectured the Tovars about keeping an open mind, so how could he not practice what he preached?
He was willing to go along with Gloriana's obsession over Conceptual Perfection, since it didn't appear it would do any harm.
"How will we apply its principles, though?" Ves frowned. "If it's merely engaging in wishful thinking, then that's little different from what we are already doing. Conceptual Perfection has to be more deliberate than that to achieve genuine synergy between our design philosophies."
"I was thinking about applying it in a more limited scope to begin with. Even I don't feel confident in our ability to make our Adonis Colossus perfect just because we wish it so. I think it's best to start perfecting a narrow aspect of the mech in order to achieve a real gain."
Ves paused and turned to his girlfriend with some astonishment. "Are you serious? I thought you were never satisfied with anything except the best!"
"Silly Ves." She patted his head as if he was a child. "I know my limits, especially since I started working with you. The road to perfection can't be traversed with a single step. I realized that it's better to focus on making smaller gains."
"That.. is remarkably insightful of you. How are you planning to put your idea to use?"
"By selecting a single conceptual trait and trying to make it as perfect or real as possible, of course! By starting with a small miracle, we can see whether this method of synergy is viable. Whether it works or not will be clear as long as we can sense a difference in the design."
"What aspect do you want to perfect?"
"Think about what the Adonis Colossus is all about. What is the single most important trait to Vincent?"
"Masculinity." Ves instantly answered. "The mech is all about showing off Vincent's qualifications as a man."
"Exactly! What I'm thinking about is a way to elevate Masculinity from an ordinary divine nature into an extraordinary feature that is worthy of a miracle!"
Ves fell silent for a moment as he considered Gloriana's proposal.
Focusing on enhancing the masculinity aspect sounded kind of overboard. He had already formed a plan to add a raw, masculine charm to his mech through creating a suitable spiritual product to act as its design spirit.
However, that was something produced from his own power. The point of lying to reality was to combine their respective specialties to enhance a mech beyond conventional means.
To put it in simpler terms, Conceptual Perfection revolved around combining life and perfection to produce something real and fantastic.
Though it sounded grand and ground-breaking, in truth it was far from simple to combine their strengths in such a transcendent fashion.
It was a highly-advanced act of creation that completely encompassed the essence of him and his girlfriend.
He scratched his head as he thought about how to approach this challenge.
"The problem is that we haven't established a proven technique to achieve this outcome. We are two different mech designs with two different outlooks on mechs."
Gloriana grinned and held his hand. "You don't have to do all the hard work yourself, Ves. I've already thought about these problems and came up with some theories."
"Let's hear it, then."
"As Journeyman Mech Designers, we are essentially humans transitioning to a state of godhood, do you agree?"
They talked about this before, but Ves never took it so seriously.
"I'm not entirely sure I agree, but let's go with that. When do you think someone is a qualified god?"
"Becoming a Master should be sufficient. At that point, a mech designer has managed to realize their design philosophy. Some Hexers believe that every Master is a living god!"
Ves shrugged. "Okay..?"
"Anyway, if you adjust your mindset and acknowledge the truth, you should embrace your domain."
"Domain..?"
"Your divine domain. It's life, right?"
Ves nodded. That was hardly a secret to someone who knew him too well. "I'm not sure if this word accurately describes my design philosophy."
"It's good enough. My own divine domain is perfection, obviously. Ordinarily, the two aren't related to each other. However, it's ridiculous to think that gods can't combine their powers. There ought to be a way!"
"This.. Gloriana.."
The woman rose up and faced Ves with burning passion in her eyes! "I've only realized it recently, but perfection in itself is too empty and colorless to chase after! If I want to design the perfect vessel, then I need to accentuate my domain with another domain! And what better than to borrow your domain of life!"
What was she talking about? Ves grew confused. Were they still talking about designing mechs?
"What does this have to do with the Adonis Colossus, Gloriana?"
She grabbed his shoulders and pressed her face right in front of his! "Don't you see! THIS IS THE KEY TO GREATER SYNERGY! WE MUST SHED OUR FLAWED PERCEPTION OF OURSELVES AS HUMANS AND EMBRACE OUR TRANSITIONAL STATE AS GODS IN THE MAKING! DON'T THEY CALL EXPERT PILOTS DEMIGODS?! JOURNEYMEN LIKE US DESERVE TO BE REGARDED IN THE SAME LIGHT!"
Ves grabbed her arms and desperately tried to put some distance in between them. "Let's not make any hasty claims."
'No! This isn't the time for caution, Ves! This new theory of mine is certainly true! I can feel it! We should test it out right away!"
After haranguing Ves like a stubborn badger, Gloriana eventually managed to persuade Ves to try out her new method on the Adonis Colossus.
"I'll spare you from adopting the same approach to the Deliverer." She said. "We can design it normally and treat it as a control sample. Once we complete the two projects, we can compare the two and see whether my new method has any merit!"
"I don't think that comparison will be useful, Gloriana. The design spirit for the Deliverer is very mature and highly-developed. Its effects on the design will likely skew any comparisons. Besides, commercial mechs and custom mechs are fundamentally different machines. There is little point in comparing apples to oranges."
"It doesn't matter! Let's just begin right away and see what we've managed to achieve!"
The method that Gloriana outlined to Ves sounded simpler than he thought.
In her perspective, the two of them were transitional gods who already possessed an underdeveloped prototype of the domains they would possess when they became Masters.
Each domain possessed their own remarkable effects, but they weren't exactly impressive by themselves.
In order to achieve greater results, they needed to combine their domains to enhance a certain aspect of a mech.
This was masculinity in the case of the Adonis Colossus.
What Gloriana proposed was to hold the same ideas on masculinity and apply their respective domains to them in an attempt to empower them. As long as they shared the exact same ideas, they could attempt to merge their domains together in order to achieve an extraordinary outcome.
The key to combine two distinctly different domains was to use their common subject as an interface to connect the two! The more their ideas on masculinity aligned with each other, the easier it was to make a successful connection!
However, Ves immediately spotted a problem with this method.
"You're a Hexer, Gloriana. Not only that, you're a completely different person to me. How can we hold the exact same ideas on something when we are not that much alike?"
"What are you talking about?" She frowned.
"Is your perception of masculinity the same as mine?"
"Uh.."
Chapter 1647 Veronica Larkinson
"What is a man to you?"
The question stumped both Ves and Gloriana because they each held different ideas on men and masculinity.
To Ves, a man was supposed to be brave, courageous, responsible and strong enough to protect his family.
These were the ideals his family and his culture instilled in him. While they sounded a bit old-fashioned to some, the state often made use of them to get men to volunteer for military service.
Complete gender equality didn't exist in the Bright Republic. While men and women both enjoyed near-equal treatment these days, for various reasons the military branches enlisted more men than women.
Some things never changed.
In contrast, Gloriana possessed a completely different outlook on men. Her beliefs literally elevated women to a supreme level compared to men!
Ves had been with Gloriana long enough to develop an understanding how a Hexer like her regarded men, or 'boys' in their parlance.
The Hexadric Hegemony was a state explicitly founded by female supremacists who developed all kinds of awful ideas about the other gender.
To Hexers, men had been in charge for too long. Almost everything that humans did wrong in the history of their civilization could all be attributed to men!
The women ignored the backgrounds, personalities, historical norms and every other context surrounding the deplorable behavior of some men and tied all of their evils to one common refrain.
Their gender.
To someone like Ves, this was a ridiculous and flawed use of logic.
In a proper scientific study, researchers needed to come up with arguments to argue that a cause-and-effect relationship existed between two variables.
"This mass murderer from one country is a man. This tyrant who led his country to disaster is also a man. Hey look there, this inventor of a horrible weapon that went on to kill a lot of people is also a man! Do you know what this means? Men are evil!"
An argument as spurious as this only suggested correlation at best. There were plenty of women who behaved just as worse, but did any Hexer even acknowledge their existence?
To a Hexer, logic and scientific rigor mattered less than confirming their own biases.
Because they were predisposed against men, their research and cultural evolution all started with assumptions that cast them in a bad light. The biases and prejudices of the Hexer researchers all ensured that any academic paper they published completely affirmed their warped beliefs.
Naturally, the Hexers completely ignored or discredited the contradictory studies from other researchers outside the Hegemony.
In their eyes, their conclusions were pure and honest while the conclusions of others were tainted by the chauvinistic values held by the ignorant foreign researchers!
Only the Hexers had managed to liberate themselves from the shackles of toxic masculinity! In their eyes, almost all of human space was still firmly in the grip of the nefarious men who kept the rest of humanity under their heel!
Even if Gloriana came to know the different outlook on men and women in the Bright Republic, she was still inescapably a Hexer.
To her, every man was actually an immature and irresponsible boy. Some just hid their naughty traits better than others.
Gloriana even expressed some disdain to powerful men such as Senator Tovar and the male leaders of the Big Two!
In the perspective of a Hexers, these men happened to be more capable pigs than the norm, but only came into power due to unfair advantages.
On an even playing field, women would always be able to triumph over men!
Women were smarter, gentler, calmer, more thoughtful and more suitable to be in charge!
As for boys, Hexers did not treat them too poorly. Rather than see them as slaves or redundant reproductive partners that should have gone extinct, Hexers tended to treat boys in the same manner as pets or immature children.
Even grown men were just boys!
It was already bad enough that female Hexers bought this mindset.
The worst thing was that the men that had been born into Hexer society also bought this mindset! While there was a large variety of how men turned out, most of them carried over a profound sense of inferiority and subservience to women!
Gloriana grew up in this strange, matriarchal culture for almost thirty years!
Only recently did she spend some years abroad at Centerpoint and Cloudy Curtain. This was not enough to shake her view on men that had solidified in her mind during her childhood!
"Tell me the truth." Ves faced Gloriana seriously. "Do you have anything good to say about masculinity?"
"Uhm.."
To her credit, Gloriana's time abroad had exposed her to the fact that not every person bought into Hexer beliefs.
Both of them were aware that they possessed vastly different opinions on men and women.
It should have been a huge problem in their love lives. It was a problem so severe that it risked shattering their relationship!
Neither Ves nor Gloriana wanted this outcome to happen, so they just ignored the contradiction and pretended it didn't exist.
As long as the two focused on their similarities rather than their differences, everything was okay. Whenever a confrontation occurred, both of them simply agreed to disagree and drop the topic.
In their beliefs, this was a solution adopted by science-minded people after applying logic and probability analysis.
Arguing about their differences would almost certainly lead to bad outcomes.
However, Ves knew that they couldn't avoid their differences forever. At some point, they had to address the elephant in the room!
If they didn't, the elephant would eventually crush everything!
However, Gloriana cared a lot about their relationship. She valued it so much that she would never think of risking it by forcing a confrontation!
She was very risk-averse in this regard!
Ordinarily, Ves was inclined to avoid detrimental outcomes, but his reckless streak happened to come into play at this moment.
He guessed that as long as they avoided reconciling their views on men, the Adonis Colossus would never be a success!
The central theme of this mech was masculinity!
Vincent Ricklin cared so much about masculinity that his custom mech had to affirming his male qualifications!
Naturally, as the designers who accepted this commission, Ves and Gloriana had to implement a version of masculinity that aligned with Vincent's belief in their work!
While Ves considered the ideal man in his own way based on his father, he was confident that his own views overlapped considerably with Vincent's views.
The problem here was Gloriana. A Hexer was probably the worst mech designer to be put in charge of the Adonis Colossus project!
Seeing that Gloriana wanted to avoid the topic, Ves kept pressing her regardless of the consequences.
"Am I a man or a boy to you?"
"Erm.. both?" She sheepishly answered.
"What do you think about Vincent?"
"He's a boy, obviously."
"What makes him different?"
"His self-esteem relies entirely on his perception of himself as a 'man'. Take that away, and you have nothing. You're different, Ves. Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, you are still a fantastic mech designer. I would have fallen in love with you regardless!"
Ves briefly imagined himself as a woman and shuddered.
The reason he shuddered was not because he disliked living as a woman.
Now that Ves thought about it, it would have been better if he was born as Veronica or something.
It made no difference to his mech design career. His upbringing would have been the same as well as the Larkinsons never treated boys and girls differently.
His father's influence on his childhood would have been the same as well. Even if some divergence took place due to growing up as a female, he doubted that Veronica Larkinson would have ended up with a different personality and outlook on life.
If everything that happened to Ves happened to Veronica, then his female alter-ego would have been a much better partner for Gloriana.
Ves was very well aware that Hexers fully accepted pairings between females. With all the advanced reproduction technology available to humanity, some states readily became single-gender societies for various reasons.
Technology that facilitated gender transitions also existed. From growing complete new bodies to transforming an existing body into another gender, all kinds of options existed to turn men into women or something in between!
Naturally, Ves never contemplated the option of turning into Veronica Larkinson. He was content with being born a man and could never imagine himself as a woman!
Falling into a relationship with a Hexer did not change his resolve. Some Hexers believed that men transitioning into women were still boys at heart.
"So you admit you still think of me as a boy, right?"
Gloriana sighed and patted his hand. "It doesn't matter if you're a boy, Ves. There are good boys and bad boys. Vincent is a bad boy. You're a good boy. I like you a lot more for that reason!"
What kind of argument was that? Her words momentarily stumped him! Was that a compliment?
"Tell me honestly, then. What will it take for you to call me a man?"
"I don't know why you keep harping on this. Your worth as a person isn't defined by your gender. Admittedly, most of my fellow Hexers don't agree with me, but I don't care. I love you, Ves."
Now it was his turn to sigh. Ves had a feeling that she was as much of a Hexer as before.
The only thing that changed was that she patched her mindset with a few new details in order to fit him in with her largely dismissive attitude towards boys.
In her eyes, Ves was a boy! He was merely a special boy, a good boy! One that happened to be very compatible with her! All the other boys were bad and deserved to be treated as such!
He repressed the impulse to blow up in her face. While he felt quite resentful at Gloriana's inflexibility, it was not really her fault.
He stretched out his hand and placed it on her shoulder.
"Look. Let's forget about achieving Conceptual Perception and just try and make the Adonis Colossus work."
"How can we do that?"
"I think... it doesn't matter if we have differences in belief. Do you know how resonance is achieved?"
She nodded. "Resonance takes place when the amplitude in a system is magnified when the frequency of vibration is the same or nearly similar to its natural frequency."
"I've worked with resonance in various applications already, Gloriana. One of the lessons I've learned is that 'the same or nearly similar' is the key here. We don't have to hold the exact same opinions to resonate with each other. As long as there is enough common ground, the differences we hold might even result in a richer degree of resonance than if we simply copy each other's views entirely!"
Her eyes lit up as she realized his point. "You're right! I was so hung up about matching domains that I overlooked this point!"
"Let's just try it and see whether it will work out on the Adonis Colossus. If the results are less than ideal, then it's no big deal. We will still be able to deliver a technically-sound product to our client. Trial and error is often a necessity to achieve something difficult."
His solution might not be the one he hoped for, but it was one that successfully brought them together. The contradiction still remained, but they began to see it as an asset if employed correctly.
Gloriana immediately ran with his idea and extrapolated it further. "Maybe we don't have to adopt a single view on masculinity. Maybe it's better to hold different views on it but try to bring them together in a way that fits. As long as we achieve the right fit, the result will be greater than if we stuck to a single view! The key is achieving resonance!"
Chapter 1648 Boy Toy
Whenever Ves and Gloriana worked on the Adonis Colossus project, they no longer avoided discussing their views on men, boys and masculinity.
Neither of them expected to change each other's views.
Ves considered himself a man. Period.
Even if he knew that this assertion essentially fell on deaf ears to Gloriana, he tolerated her views anyway.
It helped that they both shifted the crosshairs away from him and placed it on Vincent instead.
Ves had much less qualms about disparaging Vincent's qualifications as a man than his own.
He cared little about betraying every other male as long as it wasn't him who suffered!
"Boys like Vincent are too self-absorbed to realize that they're no good." Gloriana self-righteously explained. "According to my personality analysis, his sense of self as a man is nothing more than a sop to prop up his fragile ego. His early life and his violent breakup with the Ricklin Family would have broken him if he hadn't turned to masculinity for support."
"You have a good point." Ves nodded in agreement. "From what I've witnessed, Vincent is much less of a man than he thinks. Compared to the male relatives in my family, Vincent is too inferior. He was lucky to become a potentate, but what did he do? He dickered in his training and when he finally grew a little serious about piloting mechs, he defected to the Bentheim Liberation movement!"
As a result of their disregard for Vincent's masculinity, the Adonis Colossus project suddenly went off the rails. Ves and Gloriana completely discarded their original intentions and the intentions of Vincent to pursue a crooked direction!
Instead of trying to make the custom mech personify the perfect masculine ideal, the Adonis Colossus now centered around appeasing someone they both considered to be a manchild!
Since the Adonis Colossus was just a custom mech meant to be paired with only a single person, Ves and Gloriana merely had to narrow the theme of the Adonis Colossus.
Instead of designing a mech that embodied the perfect masculine ideal, the mech now centered around Vincent's masculine ideal.
This crucial difference prevented Ves and Gloriana from pressing each other's views too much. They managed to hold onto their own views and tried to fit them together.
Strangely enough, it worked.
The project proceeded harmoniously as neither Ves nor Gloriana clashed any further. The common element that connected their diverging views together was their penchant for badmouthing Vincent!
Ves mainly concluded that Vincent was all about false bravado. Compared to the heroic Larkinson mech pilots who selflessly served in the Mech Corps in the name of duty, Vincent was much more pathetic.
His battle record was mixed and frankly disappointing. Whenever Vincent was in a battle where his side was ahead, he eagerly behaved domineering.
Whenever his side fell at a disadvantage, he was one of the first to retreat and save his own skin!
"Vincent has little courage to speak of." Ves remarked as he adjusted the shoulder launchers of the Adonis Colossus design. "The strong image he portrays in public is merely an insubstantial image. As long as you apply a sufficient amount of pressure, the image breaks."
As for Gloriana, she adopted the predominant Hexer mindset that men were all immature at heart.
This patronizing attitude towards the opposite gender colored the Hegemony's entire perspective on the male gender. Every Hexer routinely diminished every grown man by treating them as boys who would never grow up, unlike wise and clever women!
No matter how smart, strong or dignified a man became, Gloriana automatically converted each and every one of them into a boy!
Ves wondered if Calabast still looked at men in this light. For a woman as frighteningly competent as her, it was probably natural for her to dismiss most men!
At the very least, Ves felt that Calabast's attitude towards him had always been similar to a mother admonishing a naughty boy!
He gritted his teeth as he recalled his past interactions with the Hexer spy. Ves never had the impression that she treated him as an equal.
Even their supposed 'partnership' was just Calabast imposing herself in his orbit without his consent!
After all, a mother never needed to gain her son's permission to intervene in his life! As long as the boy was too premature to take care of himself, it was the duty of a mother to care in his stead!
That was the essence of Hexer views on the male gender!
If boys were left to fend for themselves, then all kinds of awful outcomes would ensue!
Boys becoming in charge of a state would doubtlessly become tyrants who exploited their subjects and pursued destructive conquests!
Never mind that the Komodo War broke out when the Hexadric Hegemony struck the first blow by commencing Operation K!
While Ves still felt offended in some ways, as long as Gloriana directed her views elsewhere, he could tolerate them. He felt no obligation to defend other men from Hexers as long as it didn't affect his interests!
Traitor of men? Hah! Whether he was Ves or Veronica Larkinson, his gender never played a major role in his self-esteem!
In other words, Ves regarded himself as a mech designer rather than a man!
Sticking to this principle made it a lot easier for him to brush aside Gloriana's views on his gender.
"How would you treat me if I was born as Veronica Larkinson instead of Ves Larkinson?" He curiously asked her one day.
"Huh? Where did that come from?" She looked at him oddly for a moment. "I would love you all the same. Is Veronica the best name you could come up with if you were born a woman?"
Even Gloriana valued him as a mech designer rather than a man or a boy!
Their pride in their profession and their compatible design styles bound them in a way that made every other difference manageable.
The fact that they managed to reconcile some of their differences on the Adonis Colossus project was proof that they could work together.
The only problem that ensued by adopting this changed direction was that the custom mech might not match their client's intentions anymore.
To a professional, this was a severe violation of trust and contract.
Gloriana became increasingly disturbed.
"We have a responsibility as mech designers to deliver the product that satisfies our clients. It's one thing to design a commercial mech that doesn't please many mech pilots. They have the freedom to reject our product and turn their attention elsewhere. This market interaction doesn't exist with private commissions. The client approached us with a set of demands that we have promised to implement in our product. How is it acceptable for us to turn around and deviate from our client's intentions?"
Ves grimaced as she brought up this problem. The issue had been weighing on his mind for a while. The professional part of him agreed with her stance.
The proper course of action to take was to inform Vincent of their problems and try to seek some sort of accommodation.
He predicted that this would go very wrong. Vincent possessed a very strong and specific view on masculinity that clashed with the immaturity and false bravado injected into the Adonis Colossus design!
It was impossible to reconcile these contrasting views!
Since nothing good came from acting professionally, Ves decided that he would rather act like a scoundrel!
He leaned into Gloriana and pressed her close to his body, causing her to blush.
"Look, Gloriana, boys like Vincent don't like being told the truth. He thinks he's a man while he's really a boy pretending very hard to be one. Instead of breaking this illusion, it's better for all of us if we indulge it instead. The ultimate goal of the Adonis Colossus is to make Vincent Ricklin happy and to enhance his performance on the battlefield."
"I don't know, Ves. It sounds a lot like lying and misdirection. Didn't we swear an oath to the MTA to be transparent and honest towards our customers and clients?"
Ves awkwardly chuckled. "I don't believe any successful mech designer managed to abide by those oaths. Sometimes, we need to be more.. adaptable. Isn't that what your design philosophy is all about? This is a case where a different solution from the norm happens to be the more appropriate one. We aren't here to enlighten Vincent Ricklin to the sad truth that he's nothing but a pathetic boy. We are here to craft a mech that meets his needs. Right now, the most convenient way to do that is to reinforce his fantasies."
"Fantasies are lies. Isn't that a bad thing?"
"Lying to reality is bad unless reality conforms to our lies, right?" Ves retorted. "Lies aren't always bad, Gloriana. Lying is a virtue when the outcome is better than the alternative!"
She still looked a little troubled. "I don't know..."
He leaned his head until it pressed against hers. "We're mech designers. Nothing more. It's not our job to psychoanalyze our client and correct his misconceptions. As professionals, we should abide by our competences and leave other matters to the professionals. If we want Vincent to become a better person, then he should seek help from a counselor or a psychologist."
"Should we refer him to one, then?"
"Nah. If Vincent has a problem with himself, he can ask for help on his own accord. Let's just leave him be and build the greatest toy that he can play with! Our work so far is already shaping up to be a remarkable mech!"
He wasn't lying. Now that they found some common ground, the Adonis Colossus had become increasingly more formidable.
Once Gloriana cast aside her doubts, her enthusiasm for the project returned. She worked vigorously to make the Adonis Colossus in the best 'toy' for a boy like Vincent!
Never mind that Vincent was a grown adult and the Adonis Colossus was a fully-functional war machine that could unleash a lot of devastation in the wrong hands!
At their current design capability, the high complexity of the Adonis Colossus was hardly a problem. Not only were they both capable of designing compact and efficient internal architectures, they also had a lot of room to work with, allowing them to be even more unconstrained than usual.
"It's actually to our advantage that Vincent wants us to design such a beefy mech." Ves remarked. "We can expand the mass and volume of the mech to the limits of the medium weight class."
"And due to our budget, this limit is a lot higher than usual!" Gloriana added.
There was no single mass or weight limit that defined whether a machine was a medium mech, a super-medium mech or a heavy mech.
The industry definition instead determined the weight class of a mech by a combination of factors that included both mass and acceleration.
A fairly standard spaceborn mech paired with a lackluster flight system possessed a much lower weight class limit than the same mech paired with a powerful flight system!
This led to the phenomenon where more expensive flight systems considerably raised the weight class limit of mechs!
As long as a mech accelerated fast enough to dodge a certain degree of enemy fire, then that mech was a medium mech!
It didn't matter if the mech was heavier than the Aurora Titan. As long as its flight system was powerful enough to boost its acceleration to a respectable height, then it was no problem to label it as a medium mech!
That hadn't quite happened with the Adonis Colossus. The Aurora Titan was a very hefty mech that moved and accelerated like a snail.
Nonetheless, by pairing the Adonis Colossus with an expensive new generation flight system that offered considerably greater propulsion than last generation models, the mech offered considerably more capacity than they initially expected!
The result was that the Adonis Colossus easily accommodated all of the weapon systems and other modules that ordinarily made every other mech crowded!
"A toy indeed." Ves murmured.
Chapter 1649 Designing for Value
All of the intensive design work on the Adonis Colossus distracted them a bit from the Deliverer.
The latter design project received much less attention as Ves and Gloriana both became engrossed by combining their different views on Vincent's masculinity in their design project.
They also enjoyed the relative freedom of choice they enjoyed by the mech's excellent capacity.
"Most second-class mechs are like this." She lectured to him. "From what I've noticed from my time of working with you, cost, material capacity and tech are far greater constraints in third-class mech designs. While our Adonis Colossus is not a second-class mech, its relatively high budget significantly closes the distance."
Ves recognized her point. "I guess why I'm a bit more reluctant to work on the Deliverer project. Its budget is much more constrained since I plan to make it cost as much as the Blackbeak when I initially released it. Focusing everything on offense and neglecting every other priority has turned it into a very challenging design."
"Second-class mechs are so much more diverse and offer so many more capabilities and systems because they have the room to implement them all. When you can stuff many of the things you want in a second-class mech design, you need to adopt a different approach to design a successful mech."
"Instead of pursuing efficiency, you instead try to amplify their value." Ves recited one of her past lessons.
"Exactly! You can stuff all kinds of systems and modules in a second-class mech, but that doesn't mean the end product is useful. There are many clever mech designers in the Hegemony and other second-class mech markets who mix and match complementary systems until they achieve an outcome that is more than the sum of its parts! Only such mechs are worthy to be sold on the market!"
In a way, there wasn't necessarily a difference between maximizing efficiency and amplifying the value of a mech.
However, the implications of the two approaches lead to different outlooks on how to design a good mech.
Maximizing efficiency emphasized being as sparing as possible. A mech had to fulfill its primary functions with the least amount of waste. Anything that did not contribute this had to be left out as much as possible!
In a third-class mech market, this design approach covered almost every commercial mech. The only exemptions were super-expensive custom mechs and expert mechs. Every other mech below a certain cost had to be good in what it did without carrying any deadweight.
For this reason, the Bright Repubic's mech market generally did not go wild with gimmicks. Many mech designers left them out entirely and preferred to strengthen the fundamental aspects of mechs as much as possible!
This contrasted significantly when a mech designer wanted to design a mech for second-class mech markets.
The improved tech and materials on hand as well as the vastly higher budgets at a mech designer's disposal opened up so many new possibilities.
The key to designing a good second-class mech was to avoid getting lost by countless options and form a clear idea on what a mech had to accomplish. Starting with a basic mech type and mech concept, the mech designer's next step was to enhance their initial idea by adding various modules to augment its capabilities.
For example, a second-class light skirmisher could be turned into a more elusive machine by adding modules that boosted its acceleration to a ridiculous degree in short bursts!
Another mech designer might want to turn the light skirmisher into a more rounded mech by adding a small shoulder-mounted retractable gun barrel onto its shoulder. This allowed the mech to handle threats from afar and up close!
"Designing for value is an approach that emphasizes synergy, coordination and coherence." Gloriana explained. "We happen to have a lot of new generation component designs at our fingertips due to your association with the government. We should take full advantage of the broad catalog to see how we can enhance the performance of the Adonis Colossus in a targeted and deliberate manner."
In other words, they should make use of the spare capacity to add a couple of fitting gimmicks to their mech design.
Ves studied their current so far. Right now, they already integrated the shoulder-mounted missile launcher and wrist-mounted nail drivers into the structure of the mech. Neither of the two systems demanded too much accommodation and were pretty much self-contained.
That left plenty of spare capacity, some of which they already apportioned for additional ammunition and energy cells. The powerful flight system that enabled the Adonis Colossus inevitably consumed considerably more energy, though not to the point where it was too inefficient to bother.
As Gloriana warned, the sheer amount of choices available momentarily overwhelmed Ves. "I rarely faced a situation where I have the luxury to add extra modules without paying a heavy price. I'm actually uncomfortable with this situation. My design instincts tell me it's better to use up the extra capacity on strengthening the core function of the mech such as extra armor plating or even more energy and ammunition to increase the deployment time of the mech."
The latter was a very practical choice to Ves. While it sounded boring, it might make a difference as Vincent would be able to last at least twice as long on the battlefield without worrying about his mech running dry.
His girlfriend didn't see it that way, though.
"The battles against the sandmen don't necessarily last very long. Most of them turn out to be short-lasting high-intensity confrontations that result in a lot of casualties. It's more important for the Adonis Colossus to achieve the greatest within thirty minutes than trying to keep up its battle effectiveness while most battles have already ended by this time."
"I get it. The marginal value of adding more energy and ammunition is small past a certain point. Depending on the circumstances, we can achieve greater improvement by devoting the spare capacity toward other modules. However, the question still remains what we should improve."
They both considered this question for a moment. Since Gloriana was a lot more practiced in this approach, she answered first.
"We have to look at the concept of our mech design first. Leaving aside the issue of masculinity, the Adonis Colossus is a well-armored spaceborn medium hybrid mech. Its armaments are predominantly ranged because the Adonis Colossus is primarily meant to be deployed against the sandmen. It features high offense, high defense but low mobility. Our first choice is to determine which of these three areas we ought to improve."
When Ves looked at their mech design, he came up with several possible ideas.
"I've always been unsatisfied with the mobility of our mech. While its flight system is already powerful, it can barely make our mech keep up with a formation. Its sluggish acceleration and awful agility due to all of its mass will not do the mech any favors in high-speed encounters."
"Then how do you propose augmenting its mobility? The flight system we've selected already hits the sweet spot in terms of size, cost and energy consumption. More powerful ones not only take up vastly more room, but also guzzle too much energy. For a mech that is primarily meant to be an inspiration and employed in frontal assaults, there is not much use to improve its mobility any further."
"Maybe so, but perhaps we can mount internal boosters along various points of the frame to add some extra dodging capability to the mech. They don't have to last very long. They just have to push hard and often enough to make the Adonis Colossus capable of dodging in different directions."
Gloriana shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea either. The Adonis Colossus is so massive that it requires a lot of effort to alter its trajectory in space. The boosters will either have to take up too much space or use up far more fuel than normal, thereby shortening their uptime."
He reluctantly agreed with her judgement. That still left them with a lot of choices, though not as much with regards to mobility.
"So in your opinion, it isn't worth it to augment its mobility at all?"
"In this case, yes. That doesn't mean I disagree all of the time. If we were designing a second-class mech, we would have a lot more options at our disposal. There are augments that can temporarily reduce the mass of a mech by half, amplify the propulsion of the flight system at the cost of burning a lot of energy and deployable space warping rails that can be deployed into a channel that significantly accelerates any mech that flies through this path!"
In short, there were too little viable choices available for third-class mech designs.
After ruling out mobility, they turned to the other two areas.
"Considering the role of the Adonis Colossus, it's more useful to augment its defense than offense." Ves scratched his smooth-shaven chin.
Gloriana concurred. "The offensive contribution that an individual can make is extremely negligible when it is fighting alongside hundreds or even thousands of mechs and starfighters. Adding extra weapons or augmenting our mech's existing offensive capabilities by thirty percent or so will not shift the outcome of the battle at all. Besides, with Vincent's mediocre piloting skills, he won't be able to utilize the added deadliness to its full potential anyway."
"So that leaves defense."
"Uh huh. The intention of this commission is not to design the most combat capable mech. It's to design a mech that impresses the public and shift their opinions. Don't forget that the government wants to integrate the former members of the BLM into mainstream society by employing Vincent as a role model. In order for the government to achieve the most out of him, the Adonis Colossus has to protect his life well enough to make him last the entire Sand War."
"Ah! Recently, the Sand War has escalated! The sandmen have grown smarter and deadlier while constantly barraging our defenses with their fleets! Any encounter against the sandmen is a harrowing affair that always results in at least some casualties! Sometimes the casualties amount to over thirty percent against particularly awful opposition!"
In this difficult situation, any mech pilot would be hard-pressed to preserve their lives. Only by piloting a better-armored mech would a mech pilot be able to increase their chances of making it back alive.
While the Adonis Colossus was already a well-armored mech that offered good protection to its mech pilot, Ves would never say no to extra defense.
The only question was whether the options came at a price they were willing to pay.
"It's not that beneficial to add extra armor plating to our mech." Gloriana concluded. "The armor system is quite substantial and it will weigh down our mech far too much if we fill up the extra capacity with armor plating."
"We'll have to find a way to augment our mech's defense without increasing its weight."
"It's too bad that polarization is not a viable option here. We'd have to design a mech as large and massive as the Aurora Titan, and that's not good. The Adonis Colossus has to retain at least some mobility."
They had to resort to another defensive module that did not weigh the mech down that much.
Ves came up with a suggestion. "What about active ECM?"
"It's possible, but not very efficient. However, the effectiveness of active ECM directly corresponds to how easy it is to detect a mech by itself. The Adonis Colossus is a big example of a medium mech and it's too difficult for any ECM system to hide or reduce its signature."
This was why stealth and active ECM systems were mainly utilized in lighter mechs. While those mechs offered less capacity than larger mechs, it was a lot easier to hide their signatures.
Since active ECM was not a very good option here, what other defensive system could they employ to increase Vincent's odds for survival?
Chapter 1650 Empty Hear
"Meow."
"You're so cute, Lucky!" Lanie Larkinson grinned and embraced the cat. "Ves is so lucky to have you. Do you think he'll buy me a mechanical cat like you for my birthday one day?"
"Meow!"
While the Sand War intensified, the Cloud Estate had become host to less Larkinsons than before.
Many Larkinsons, whether retired or in the prime of their years, reenlisted in the Mech Corps or volunteered in some other way.
Even without the family explicitly exhorting them to do something, the Larkinsons embodied duty.
All of the Desolate Soldiers fielded at the Cloud Estate and the Mech Nursery were pretty much redundant for the members of the family. Their heritage and expectations of their fellow relatives was enough to move them into action!
The absence of so many Larkinsons made the Cloud Estate a lot less crowded.
Nonetheless, the liveliness remained largely the same. Plenty of spouses of those serving in the Mech Corps remained behind. While they merely married into the Larkinson Family, they already started to embody some of their virtues.
Old, disabled or tired veterans counted among those who remained behind as well. They had already sacrificed too much and wouldn't be able to help much in the war anyway.
Many of them preferred to pass on their wisdom and experience to the next generation of mech pilots at the Larkinson Basic Mech Academy. Their competence in teaching mech cadets had already won plenty of praise from their pupils.
Naturally, the bulk of the Larkinsons left behind consisted of the youngest generation of Larkinsons.
Many young Larkinson potentates moved to Cloudy Curtain in order to attend the Larkinson Basic Academy. Not only would they be able to receive the same level of focused, individual tutelage from all of the Larkinson veterans at the Cloud Estate, they also received excellent instruction at their family's own mech academy.
The teaching conditions at Cloudy Curtain had become so good that most Larkinson potentates preferred to stay at the Cloud Estate rather than the old Larkinson Compound at Ritttersberg!
Even though the capital planet of the Bright Republic was one of the most pleasant places to live on, attending an academy run by experienced Larkinson veterans beat many of the other prestigious mech academies at Rittersberg!
This was why children such as Lanie Larkinson, who recently discovered that she was a potentate, resided at the Cloud Estate.
In her opinion, Cloudy Curtain was a much better planet than Rittersberg!
The Larkinsons and the LMC pretty much dominated Freslin. No one dared to despise the Larkinsons in this local area!
In contrast, Rittersberg hosted many other powerful families and influences. Lanie felt suffocated whenever she visited a city or attended school.
"Meow."
"What's that, Lucky? You want more company?"
"Meow."
The cat thrusted a paw at a tree. More specifically, the person sitting emptily underneath it. Lanie immediately recognized the woman.
"That's our guest!"
Davia Stark was no stranger to the Larkinsons residing at the Cloud Estate. Ves practically dumped her on their laps without much of an explanation besides telling them that she was a foreign mech pilot who had lost her state to the sandmen.
No one made the initiative to approach Davia at first. However, the fearless Larkinson children eventually grew curious enough to approach the stranger.
Right now, one of Lanie's youngest cousins toddled over to Davia.
Afraid that the obviously traumatized veteran might hurt the young boy, Lanie walked over in order to make sure to protect him if necessary.
Much to her relief, Davia did not react to the young child's presence. She merely looked up for a moment and grimaced.
"You shouldn't be here, kid."
"Why not?"
"I don't want your company."
"You look lonely. Do you want a flower?"
With befuddled eyes, Davia accepted the flower that the boy clearly plucked from a nearby flower garden.
When Lanie reached over to the boy, she watched Davia becoming increasingly more fascinated by the flower.
The boy grinned. "See? My parents told me that presents always make you happy!"
The older woman softened a little. "Thank you. This is the first present I've received in years. You're a good kid."
"Yay!"
"Madame Stark. How are you today?" Lanie respectfully asked.
Though the woman did not appear very notable, she carried the same air as the other veteran Larkinsons. In fact, now that she came close to Davia, she felt as if there was more to the foreign mech pilot than she initially realized.
She grew curious.
Davia's eyes raked over Lanie's academy uniform. "You're a potentate?"
"Yup! It's my dream to pilot a mech one day!"
"That's.. admirable."
"I'm a Larkinson after all! We aren't true Larkinsons unless we serve in some way!"
"That's not a healthy attitude. I've never encountered a group who is so eager to fight and bleed for others than your family."
"We're different!" Lanie proudly exclaimed. "Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not going to enlist in the Mech Corps. I've set my sights on the Avatars of Myth! I want to pilot the best mechs designed by the best mech designer of our family!"
"You..."
"I want to join the Avatars too!" The little boy echoed.
"Wait until you're ten, cousin. Don't set yourself up for disappointment." Lanie lectured him, though she had been secretly guilty of this as well.
Just as expected, the boy stubbornly shook his head and scowled at her. "I'll become a mech pilot for sure!"
As Lanie and the little kid argued with each other, Davia looked on with a hint of bemusement.
The empty void in her mind stirred a little bit as she witnessed the two young kids tussle with each other.
Sights like these happened every day as the rambunctious kids treated the gardens of the Cloud Estate as their own playground.
Her heart couldn't help but warm each day she spent outside. Despite the depressing clouds that covered the skies, the cheer and exuberance from the Larkinsons were infectious.
However, each time she was about to smile, the awful memories of the war reasserted themselves.
The memories of losing her comrades, her commander, her home planet and her entire state burned in her mind as if they were searing brands!
The helplessness she felt at the time despite advancing to expert pilot was something that broke her utterly. If not for a passing evacuation ship that picked her up because they wanted the protection of another mech, she would have thrown herself against the sandmen to join her comrades in the afterlife!
A profound sense of weakness swept over her body, causing her to slump against the trunk of the tree.
She never wanted to experience those harrowing events again. The sandmen were too terrible to face, not because they were strong, but because they were heartless.
Perhaps other aliens might enjoy slaughtering innocent humans, but the sandmen didn't feel the way other sentients did. They were barely sentient at all and people still weren't sure if they felt any emotions.
One thing was clear to Davia. The sandmen did not kill all of those humans at the border states because they liked it. They killed them because they were in the way. Nothing more.
Her resentment against the sandmen had reached a peak because of this. While most humans such as the Hexers and Fridaymen were preoccupied with fighting against their own kind, too few were left to deal with the true threat!
The dormant soldier within her wanted to come alive, but the crushing sense of loss and despair quickly squashed this impulse.
She was too broken to fight anymore!
While his 'rescuer' mistakenly thought that she was an expert pilot, Davia knew better. She had barely been a demigod when she was at her peak, and she lost it all when she saw her state succumb to the sandmen first-hand.
A failure like her didn't deserve to be called a Venerable!
To Davia, another day went by without much change. Her mental scars stifled any attempts to rouse herself to fight her demons and avenge her fallen comrades.
Elsewhere on Cloudy Curtain, Leland met with Gavin at a cafe in downtown Freslin.
Though no one should have realized it, the cafe was fully under the control of Flashlight. It was one of the many properties the spy agency prepared on the planet in order to keep an eye on Ves and the LMC.
"Hey." Gavin nervously greeted as he sat down on the other side of the circular table. "Is it alright to meet like this? You told us we're being tracked."
"It's exactly because Ves' resident security experts are scrutinizing us that we have to meet. Do you really think you survived the recent firing spree because Ves is ignorant of your hidden duties?"
"What?!"
"We've analyzed your employer's behavior extensively. We can conclude with 90 percent certainty that Ves is definitely aware of your associations with our organization!"
"Why didn't Ves fire me, then?! He terminated Mr. Altern's employment without remorse!"
"That's because he likes your company." Leland smiled. "You're not like the other workers, who are just names on a list to him. You're a confidant. He remembers your face. He appreciates your advice."
"And that is reason enough to exempt me from getting the boot?"
"Yup. That's how people work sometimes, Gavin."
"That doesn't make any sense from what I know of Ves. He's ruthless. I'm sure he's willing to stab his own mother in the back to get ahead."
The Flashlight agent chuckled. "People are inherently contradictory, and those who are exceptional are even more so. Mech designers, especially those who have advanced far in their careers, are all abnormal. It comes with the profession. Normal mech designers never have what it takes to get very far. Those who want to become Journeymen must balance between genius and madness."
"That sounds just like Ves."
"This is also why he's so successful. His design philosophy has received much attention from many factions and groups these days. Many of them are rather irritated that Ves indiscriminately fired all of their spies and moles within the LMC."
"They wouldn't have been able to find much, anyway. Everyone knows the true secrets of the company are locked within Ves' mind."
"They know that, but they still hoped that their agents would have picked up some clues."
"So what now, Leland? My cover is blown. My time with Ves has become increasingly more awkward. Lately, he's been consumed by his latest projects. I don't have much work to do now that Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson has taken the helm of the company."
"Oh, just because you're being put aside for a while doesn't mean your role has ended. Ves will travel once more, and hopefully you will be able to accompany him as his dutiful assistant. Tell me, has he told you anything about participating in the invasion of the Red Ocean?"
"Not really, but from what I've observed, he's definitely thinking about it." Gavin answered after a moment. "The Red Ocean is the perfect destination for his grand expedition. I think he's a lot more excited to mix in an entirely new dwarf galaxy rather than touring the settled star sectors of the Milky Way."
"That's what we think as well. The question is whether he has the qualifications to pass through a beyonder gate. Earning the astronomical amount of merits required to exchange a beyonder ticket is beyond most people, including most of the respected Seniors of our state. A Journeyman should be even less capable!"
"He has Gloriana though."
"That's a good point." Leland replied. "While we don't think his chances of obtaining passage are very high, he can't be judged with common sense. In case he somehow manages to accomplish something that is out of reach to most of his colleagues, we need you to be in place to participate in his grand venture. Whether he remembers it or not, Ves is still a Brighter. Do you understand?"
Gavin reluctantly nodded. "I understand. I'm not sure if I'll be with the LMC at the time, but I'll make sure that Ves doesn't forget his roots."
