The Mech Touch

When Gloriana promised to tackle the problem on how to test the prototype, Ves expected a lot of difficulty.

However, it didn't take a long time before she approached him with a smile.

"The first prototypes are being fabricated and are about to be tested very soon!" She chirped. "Everything will be taken care of. A Senior will personally preside over the fabrication of all of the machines. They'll be sent to a renowned testing ground very soon which will quickly and thoroughly explore every limit of our Hexer knight mech!"

Ves looked surprised. "I thought your search would take longer."

His girlfriend grinned. "I didn't bother contacting any companies on Cinach. We've been arranging these sorts of tests by ourselves for such a long time that we never thought about contacting more capable services. It's fine to test our third-class mechs in this fashion, but hardly any testing ground in a lesser state is capable of defining the upper limits of a second-class mech."

"Wait a minute.." Ves widened his eyes in realization. "You contacted Hexers?!"

"Of course! Why not? A Hexer mech design ought to be tested in the Hegemony! Since our mech design consists entirely of proprietary parts and specifications from the Hex Army, there is no other choice. I already contacted my mother about it. She has already taken care of everything. Our Wodin Dynasty employs our own mech designers, you know. We have access to all the facilities that we ever need!"

This… made a lot of sense. A faction as large as the Wodin Dynasty always employed a lot of mech designers. Even if it hadn't managed to secure the cooperation of a Master, it was definitely possible for them to partner with a bunch of Seniors.

Still, Ves felt very uncomfortable about this arrangement.

First, the testing would take place many light-years from his current position. The extreme separation made him feel as if a portion of his work was completely out of his hands.

Second, the person who arranged it all was Gloriana's mother! What would Madame Constance think of his unfinished prototype? Though its design was 96 or 97 percent finished, she might develop an undeserved bias despite its unfinished state!

What was more, the mech currently did not house any glows. Ves doubted whether Madame Constance witnessed any glows in person. The weaker spiritual foundation of his Hexer mech might lead her to believe that his glows were weak!

"Don't worry, Ves. I know what you're concerned about." She cuddled up to his side and leaned into his arm. "My mother has been watching us closely. She knows our prototypes are only previews of what is to come. She'll definitely obtain some copies of our finished design when it's ready. We'll definitely be able to impress her at that time!"

That did not reassure him a lot.

"How soon can we expect the results."

"Three days."

"What?! That fast?!"

Ves was used to waiting for a week to obtain all of the testing data.

Gloriana rubbed her face against the fabric of his uniform. "It's easy enough if you fabricate a dozen copies of our mech and test them at the same time. Mother is pulling all the stops. The sooner we get our reality-tested data, the sooner we complete our mech. The sooner we complete our mech, the faster we can tackle other priorities."

A testing ground based in the Hegemony was not a simple obstacle course. In order to provide the most accurate data on a mech's real performance, it featured many high-tech facilities that could emulate all kinds of battlefield conditions.

On top of that, the sensors they used were much more extensive and much more accurate. Gloriana already told him to get ready to receive a huge influx of data.

While the prototype testing was being taken care of in the distant Scimitar System, Ves and Gloriana decided to take stock of their future.

"Are you still thinking about venturing into the Nyxian Gap?"

"I am." He replied with a determined expression. "We need the merits, Gloriana, and accepting a high-risk mission from the Rim Guardians is the best way to obtain them. I have already prepared extensively for this trip. Our clan is ready to undertake this challenge."

She tilted her head and looked up to him. "It's not just about that, isn't it? No sane mech designer would ever think that entering the Nyxian Gap is a good idea. You're different. You have a hunger inside you that drives you towards peril."

"Even though I'm a mech designer, I'm also a Larkinson. The experiences I've been through have shaped my design style for the better. If I hadn't learned all of those lessons and gained so much inspiration, I would have never become a partner who is worthy to work alongside you! I know it's risky, but I'm confident in my strength."

His confidence came from his preparation. Unlike many of the other 'adventures' he had been through, this time he was in charge of everything. He didn't have to follow the arrangements of Lord Jeremiah Kane, the Mech Corps or Lady Miralix Laterna.

One of the main reasons he worked so hard to cultivate his own mech forces was to gain complete control over his own protection!

All of the years he spent cultivating the Avatars and Sentinels finally paid off. He could call upon hundreds, if not thousands of mechs!

On top of that, Ves also had the Penitent Sisters at this disposal. The hundreds of second-class mechs he intended to bring along would be his sharpest knife as well as his biggest shield against any powerful threat he might stumble upon in the Nyxian Gap.

This was not the Groening Mission. This was not the Glowing Planet Campaign. This was not the Aeon Corona Mission.

Not only did he possess sufficient strength, he also obtained an extensive amount of intelligence.

The value of Calabast and the Black Cats finally became apparent. No longer would he be going in blind and encounter crises that emerged out of the blue. With so much information at his disposal, a large portion of the Nyxian Gap was no longer a mystery to him! He was aware of every hazard and every notable pirate organization that operated in the periphery of the region.

Of course, Calabast had already warned him that she wouldn't be able to tell him about the deeper regions of the Nyxian Gap. The hazards in those zones along with the increasingly more intense space warping meant that even the Big Two lost entire fleets inside the abyss!

Many of the most lucrative missions were situated in these deeper regions. For now, Ves didn't consider traveling this deep. Not only were the risks too high, but it took many months and years to enter and exit these core regions.

"Have you decided to come with me, or do you prefer to stay behind in Cinach and hold the fort while I'm gone?" He asked.

Gloriana frowned. This was a very difficult question for her. As much as she wanted to accompany Ves, she knew she wouldn't be as useful as him in a crisis situation.

Unlike Ves who had been forged in the flames of war and the unknown, Gloriana fit much closer to the mold of a 'classic' mech designer. She was most comfortable when she was safely working in a design lab on a highly-secure ship or planet.

Ves took a deep breath and took in her flowery scent. The intoxicating perfume she used only reinforced the impression that she didn't belong on the forefront of a risky expedition! People who ventured straight into danger did not bother with this kind of vanity!

"Just stay here." He suggested when Gloriana didn't answer his last question. "You don't have to feel guilty or anything. I'll just be going on a trip for a few months. Personally, I feel much more reassured if you remain behind and keep everything stable on my behalf. I'm particularly concerned about the disposition of the Penitent Sisters. They're kind of unruly and they won't listen to the other members of our clan. Only a prominent Hexer like you can keep them in line."

She sighed. "You're right. I agree with everything you said. It's just that I feel a bit guilty for staying behind. I will miss you very much."

"It's for the best. Your presence in the Nyxian Gap won't add much to our strength."

"Are you calling me useless?"

"No! It's just.. I can probably solve every challenge by myself. I'm not heading into the Nyxian Gap to design a mech for the market. Whatever work that requires my services will likely involve a lot of improvisation and rushing. In these situations, working quick and dirty is the norm, and there is simply no room for thoroughness and precision."

She scrunched her face. "That sounds awful!"

"Even if a mech design is bad, as long as it manages to solve the problem, it's enough."

Gloriana looked very uncomfortable with this approach. Though her mind understood the necessity of working in this fashion, the rest of her felt repelled at the thought of rushing any of her work!

"I understand." She said. "I'll settle for staying behind, then. I can catch up to some of my other work while you're away."

"That's a good idea. We can even embark on some solo design projects. While I don't like Master Willix, I think she is right when she said that we shouldn't take our collaboration for granted. As fully-fledged mech designers, we should still be able to design a good mech by relying on ourselves!"

"Mmhmm. I suppose I can pick up my old occupation and design some custom mechs. Who in the clan requires my services?"

"Too many." Ves helplessly replied. "I recently spoke to Tusa. As an expert candidate, he deserves to pilot the best light skirmisher that fits his strengths. Jannzi already has the Shield of Samar, but Tusa has been piloting the same commercial mech as before. Even though it's a powerful machine, it is still a mass market model."

"I see. Designing a mech for an expert candidate sounds nice. Depending on how much he improved, I might even design a second-class for him! He should be powerful enough to handle one! It will be expensive, though."

"That's fine. I have a lot of Breyer alloy in stock."

"I'm not sure if Breyer alloy is the best option for Tusa. He's a light skirmisher specialist, right? I think I will go with importing lighter alloys. I'm more worried about the glow. Unless I adapt one of your existing mech designs, I can't add a glow to any of my custom mechs."

That was a considerable problem, especially when Gloriana had already become accustomed to their presence!

"Mechs don't need glows to perform well." He told her. "As much as I would like to help you by contributing to your design at the start, it won't entirely be your work anymore. You should try your best to figure something out on your own. If you can manage to imitate some of my techniques, then that's great! If not, then no harm is done. Tusa will still be able to perform well without a glow. If it truly bothers you a lot, then I can always develop a variant of your work."

"Ah. That will work. Let's work from his premise."

Ves smiled. "The same goes for me. If I ever design a mech that isn't relevant to the mission, then I expect you to go over it and perfect it. This way, we can gain a good understanding of our individual strengths."

After several years of designing mechs together, the thought of going solo sounded rather novel. As proud young Journeymen, they shouldn't be too afraid that they would botch their own designs!

"By the way, what's this I hear about some huge ceremony?"

"It's a surprise."