The Mech Touch

After submitting the initial proposal for the new Estrella Klavier-class factory ship, the shipyard sent back their revision for Ves to review.

The Hexers initially misunderstood the addition of the large and prominent cat-shaped prow. Ves had to clarify that he intended to build it himself.

A lot of other issues had emerged, forcing Ves and Gloriana to either accept the suggestions from the ship designers or come up with their own solutions.

This back-and-forth took place over several days. With no mech design project on the horizon, Ves and Gloriana directly conferred with the ship designers in order to refine the final factory ship design.

Even though their professions were different, they still shared much in common. This allowed them to exchange ideas very quickly as they already established a mutual understanding.

When they finalized the configuration of the Estrella Klavier-class, the choices had been locked in. At this point, the shipyard immediately began constructing the ship, and any changes to the design would disrupt all of the ongoing planning and activity.

"Well, that's it, I guess." He told Gloriana as he sat alongside her on their bed.

A flowery scent emanated from her body. Ves closed his eyes and enjoyed her lovely smell.

She smiled and giggled at him. "Oh, Ves. Isn't yesterday enough?"

"You know me. I'm always filled with energy."

"I suppose I can indulge you once again."

Ves reached towards his girlfriend and bent her body over the bed.

Ever since they created the Little Angel, Gloriana had entered a fantastic mood. Ves discovered to his joy that she was very open to allowing him to 'discharge his energy' at night!

There was no telling when she would close her port to him again. Ves made sure to take advantage of her receptive state while he still could!

Fortunately, Gloriana had already dismissed the guards from their bedroom that night.

The only ones who were left inside were their cats. Lucky and Clixie huddled together on a desk as they watched their human owners become more intimate with each other.

"Miaow?"

"Meow."

"Miaow miaow."

"Meow!"

The next morning, they woke up content and prepared to go to work. Gloriana wanted to study the Little Angel as much as possible before DIVA finally took it away. Their transportation convoy was already only several days away from arriving at Cinach.

Meanwhile, Ves wanted to ready a portion of the Larkinson Fleet to depart. Though he hadn't selected a mission as of yet, he already had his eye on a couple of them in the Rim Exchange during his earlier visits.

The only troublesome aspect about their current plan was that both Ves and Gloriana wouldn't be seeing each other for a couple of months.

This meant that they wouldn't be able to make a lot of progress on designing the eight mechs they promised to DIVA in exchange for their factory ship!

"It's fine." He told her. "This excursion will only take a few months to half a year. I need this, not just for the merits, but also forge my combat personnel into a cohesive, battle-tested group."

"I know, Ves. It's just that we only have three years to fulfill our promise. I'm thinking of accompanying you. Forget about starting any solo projects. The Komodo War is too important! It's better to hand in our mech designs early rather than later!"

He reacted with alarm! "Gloriana! Entering the Nyxian Gap is not a picnic! We will definitely encounter a lot of threats. Your Glory Battalion will go crazy if you intend to go through this reckless plan!"

"Then how will we be able make any progress?" She questioned.

"I'll remain in contact for at least a couple of months. The outer regions of the Nyxian Gaps aren't as warped as the core regions. It will still be possible to maintain contact with each other through the galactic net. It's only when my ship goes deeper or enters a special zone where the connection becomes garbled."

In the end, they had to make do with this outcome. Gloriana did not have many reasons to expose herself to so many risks, unlike Ves.

If he didn't satisfy his exploration cravings, he would always feel restless. He was simply wired differently from Gloriana.

To him, the Nyxian Gap wasn't an endless abyss that hid unimaginable terrors.

To him, the Nyxian Gap was a region filled with secrets and sources of inspiration!

As a creative-minded mech designer, Ves fed off his novel experiences and encounters. The more exciting his adventure, the greater his gains!

Almost all of his mech designs to date reflected his actual experiences. He designed mechs like the Doom Guard to address shortcomings that he personally suffered from. If he never encountered so many pirate attacks, he would have never come up with the idea of designing a striker mech that was expressly designed to deter massed attackers!

As his girlfriend, Gloriana already knew about this part of him. Though she feared for his life, she was also confident he would prevail.

Her unreserved support for him had always been one of her better parts. Trust in each other was the foundation of their relationship, and both of them felt they could let down their guard in each other's presence.

"Are you also trying to find.. your parents?" She carefully asked.

He shook his head. "They're in hiding for a reason. If I can track them down, then something has gone very wrong. I'm pretty certain that they are residing a lot deeper in the Nyxian Gap than I plan to travel."

"Oh. Well, at least your mother is with us in the form of the Superior Mother, hihi!"

His smile was distinctly less enthusiastic than hers. "Yes.. you're right."

Just as they were about to set off, his comm released a distinct tone.

His eyes widened. He had programmed various alarms in his comm. He had tied them to various triggers that watched out for various events.

Right now, he immediately recognized the specific tone. It was one of the ones he wanted to hear the least!

"What's wrong, Ves?" His girlfriend asked with concern.

"My greatest fear. Master Willix."

Her mood immediately lifted. "Are you sure?!"

"The Ubiquitous Force has just portal-jumped into this star system! The news is already spreading in the local news!"

"That's great!" She celebrated. "I would love to show off our Little Angel to her! I've made so many improvements. Hopefully, she'll be impressed!"

He was anything but happy. Even as Gavin reached his side and delivered an official notification from the MTA, his face had already turned glum.

A part of him hoped that a different MTA Master visited this time. Surely Master Willix had to attend to her own projects, right? There was no way she could take so unanticipated breaks from her duty!

Sadly, the notification he received had been signed personally by Master Willix. His heart dropped like a rock when he read it. It specified Ves and Gloriana by name, so they were both required to attend to her once she arrived!

His hand suddenly reached for his suit pocket. His Synthra Umbra pouches containing his gems and, more crucially, the high-grade life-prolonging treatment serum might get sniffed out if he came too close to a Master Mech Designer!

"I need to make some preparations!" Ves flung the data pad back at Gavin, who didn't possess the reflexes to catch the projectile. "Benny, make sure to call up the Avatars and form a greeting party."

In the next hour, he began to move various items to the Scarlet Rose's vault. Though Ves was reasonably sure that the Ubiquitous Force wouldn't bother to scan his base and everything he possessed, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Lucky's gems, the serum, the Ancient Sarcophagus and so on had all been transferred to the ship before Ves ordered her to scram!

"Take a vacation and don't come back until the Ubiquitous Force has left!"

With the mobile supply frigate departing from the surface of Cinach VI with remarkable haste, Ves wrung his hands as Lucky floated alongside his head.

"Meow."

"There shouldn't have been any leaks on my side! My virtual security experts along with Calabast should have constantly upgraded our security suites and other measures! With Goldie, none of our Larkinsons should have spilled the beans either!"

"Meow meow."

"Yeah, I suppose that someone could have acted carelessly. I don't believe that has happened, though! The much more likely outcome is that the leak originated from DIVA!"

If he was in the MTA's shoes, he would definitely keep tabs on the Hegemony's spy agencies! Everything that the spooks found out, the MTA would know as well. This was a good way to ensure that a state wouldn't be breaking any taboos. If there was any government institution that had the highest chance of breaking the Big Two's most important laws, it was always the spies!

Even as he grumbled at DIVA, he made sure to freshen himself up and prepare for his umpteenth meeting with an eminent Master from the MTA. He told Lucky to take Clixie on a vacation and entrusted the Larkinson Mandate to Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson.

Only then did he stride towards the landing zone where the Ubiquitous Force was about to descend.

A company of Avatar mechs stood straight in two columns on two sides. The gleaming gold-coated Bright Warriors loomed tall over everyone. Their third eyes glowed bright white, signifying that every Larkinson mech pilot inside had established a firm bond with their own mechs!

The sight along with the soothing warmth of the Golden Cat's glow lifted his spirits and firmed up his confidence.

No matter what, Master Willix hadn't done anything detrimental to him in her previous visits. As long as he remained on guard and kept his lies straight, the MTA shouldn't have any reason to nab him and drag him back to Centerpoint!

The Ubiquitous Force cut through the atmosphere as if gravity and aerodynamics were merely toys to be ignored on a whim. The armed frigate practically dropped down to ground level as if she was about to crash against the ground, yet the moment she was about to make impact, she abruptly stalled her descent and landed on the surface as light as a feather!

Both Ves and Gloriana knew how impressive it was for a starship, even a modestly-sized frigate, to accomplish such a feat! To be able to negate so much momentum in such a short time was something only high technology was capable of! This single warship was probably powerful enough to wipe out every single mech in the Cinach System!

When the frigate's side hatch slid open, a number of figures floated through. Master Willix and a couple of dozen mechers wearing similar uniforms lowered themselves until they hovered right above the ground.

"Mr. Larkinson. Miss Wodin. We meet again." The great Master greeted the pair with a polite smile.

"It is an honor to receive you again, Master Willix!" Gloriana enthusiastically stated and bowed.

Ves couldn't remain silent. "We are very grateful for our work to be recognized again."

There was something different about Master Willix this time, or to be more exact, with one of the people accompanying her. A younger figure floating behind the Master's shoulder stared at Ves and Gloriana with an intense expression.

Willix noticed the stares. She gestured at the young man. "Ah, let me introduce you to one of our young talents. Jovy Armalon is one of our most notable Journeymen at Halcyon Citadel. Though you are likely not familiar with his work, he has long been clamoring to meet you two in person."

A competitive glint sparkled in his eyes as Jovy floated forward and offered his hand. "Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Larkinson."

Though Ves felt pressured by this unfamiliar Journeyman, he had faced more formidable opponents. He easily kept his cool and simply shook the other Journeyman's hand as if he was a normal person.

"Welcome to the Larkinson Clan." He spoke.

Jovy then proceeded to turn to Gloriana and shook her hand as well. "You are very fortunate to have found a partner like Mr. Larkinson."

"I know." She smiled in restrained fashion. Obviously, she was a lot more happy about it than she showed right now! "Our synergy has constantly produced marvelous results. The mech that I'm about to show you is just one of the many fantastic products borne out of our collaboration!"

"I have nothing but respect for your work." The mecher Journeyman replied in a cordial fashion. "Even at Halcyon Citadel, many of my colleagues have expressed envy at your accomplishments!"