The Mech Touch

The ships of the Golden Skull Alliance suddenly took a slight detour from its original route.

While the expeditionary fleet was still heading in the direction of the Antilla Star Cluster, its course change caused it to swing past several densely-populated star systems.

The Larkinsons, Glory Seekers and Crossers were straying deeper into the core regions of the Grand Loxic Republic.

If Ves wasn't in such a hurry, he would have wanted to slow down and visit a portion of the many famous planets and tourist destinations of the powerful second-rate state.

The Grand Loxic Republic possessed a different culture and set of customs from the states that Ves had visited in the past. It was a proud and cosmopolitan state that attracted many foreign people and organizations.

As one of the central nodes of the Yeina Star Cluster, its military forces were extremely developed by the standards of the surrounding star sectors. A robust and long-established mech industry played host to intense competition at every single level of the mech market.

Since the Living Mech Corporation didn't compete in any second-class mech markets, the Larkinsons knew far too little about the exact conditions of the Grand Loxic Republic. While Calabast and many other clansmen were doing their best to do their research and shore up their understanding of the Loxians, the Larkinsons were ultimately strangers to this grand but divided state.

Fortunately, the established factions and powers of the Grand Loxic Republic had no attention to spare for the travelers that passed through its space every day. As an open state that depended heavily on trade, commerce and influence to thrive, the locals did not have a habit of accosting foreign visitors.

Not even the Crown Uprising was able to turn this policy around. At best, the Loxians just imposed more restrictions on its visitors and prevented them from bringing too many dangerous assets to settled planets and space stations. 

The distance to the Trieden System was not that long. General Verle and all of the forces under his command had to make hasty preparations in order to prepare for their upcoming operations.

According to the preliminary battle plan, the bulk of the mech forces would remain in space in order to guard against threats directed towards the fleet.

Only a smaller rescue force consisting of several thousand mechs would descend from orbit and reach the Violet Estates, the ancestral home of the Purnesse Family.

During one of the planning sessions of the upcoming operation, a very important matter emerged.

Who would be the ones to dive from the heavens aboard combat carriers that might or might not encounter hostile fire?

Who would be the ones to fly over the Violet Estates and carefully escort the evacuating Purnessers back to orbit?

Who would be the ones to fight directly against the hidden hand on Trieden II, whose strength was still unknown?

The Glory Seekers and Crossers wouldn't be taking part in this private action.

This was purely the business of the Larkinson Clan. It wasn't shameless enough to drag its allies into a conflict that did not involve them directly.

The Larkinson Clan had to earn all of the gratitude of the Purnesse Family in order to earn the respect of its members.

As for the Infinity Guards, they were solely paid to protect the Larkinson Clan and its fleet. Engaging in offensive operations was not under their purview. Besides, their contract would soon run out at the end of the month and the clan did not intend to renew it any further.

"Who do we send down to the surface?" Ves asked.

A wave of silence followed among the gathered commanders.

"I am favoring two different options." General Verle's projection stated. "First, we can take the safe route and send in a mix of our established mech forces. With the Avatars, Vandals, Penitent Sisters, Swordmaidens and so on leading the way, they can show off the might of our clan in a splendid fashion as long as the opposition is within our expectations. With their current level of strength and completely armed with the latest Bright Warriors, our elite mech forces will be able to make a profound impact on not just the Purnesse Family, but also the tens of thousands of new clansmen who have yet to witness our might in battle."

That was a good idea. Too many clansmen who originated from the Life Research Association or the Heavensword Association did not have a solid idea of the strength of the Larkinson Clan.

They heard stories and watched lots of archival footage of past battles. Yet witnessing these battles after the fact simply didn't convey all of the fears, hopes, desperation and exaltation of victory of seeing a fight unfold up close!

It was only when the observers had an actual stake in the battle that they would truly appreciate the outcome of victory or defeat!

"What is the second option, then?"

"We could send in our new Swordmaidens and sword associates. Miss Ketis has brought ten-thousand mech pilots into the clan. Even if not all of them have their own dedicated mechs, they are still a force to be reckoned with. If these new Larkinsons along with the recent recruits of our other mech forces are dispatched to the surface, they will gain an opportunity to get bloodied under controlled circumstances. We only need to dispatch enough veterans to keep the rookies in line."

"That sounds risky." Ves said in a hesitant tone.

"Swordsmen do not fear danger." Commander Sendra's projection firmly spoke up. "The Heavensworders are all highly-trained warriors. They might not be accustomed to fighting under the banner of our clan, but that does not mean that they lack any mettle."

General Verle briefly paused before he gave his opinion. "I do not doubt the skill of the Heavensworders, but I am less confident in their readiness. They have yet to master how to fight as a Larkinson. Many of them are still assigned to their original Heavensworder mechs. Performing this rescue operation with non-Larkinson mechs will send the wrong message. We need to make absolutely clear that we are sending our best."

This meant that they would have to consider the first option presented by General Verle. The issue that followed was determining the force composition of the roughly 2000 mechs that would break the invisible blockade of Trieden II.

The mech commanders spent ten minutes advocating for their men to take part in the upcoming action.

Only Commander Casella Ingvar remained silent. The Living Sentinels weren't suited to perform a rescue operation. Her mech pilots were better off sticking close to the fleet in order to guard against any threats in space.

As the competitive discussion progressed, Commander Valerie Chancy of the Penitent Sisters and Commander Abis Firelight of the Flagrant Vandals were making a good case for their respective mech forces.

"Our Valkyrie Redeemers are built for war and operate well under atmospheric conditions. They excel in quick and devastating strikes. No cowardly black mech will be able to escape our gaze of death." Chancy argued. "Don't forget that we are still the most highly-trained second-class mech pilots of our clan. Sending in my women will maximize the odds of success of this rescue operation."

The projected form of Abis Firelight slightly shook his head. "While I respect the battle prowess of your women and your fantastic mechs, the conflict taking place in this state and on this planet specifically mostly takes place in the shadows. Your Valkyrie Redeemers may excel at defeating open targets, but so what? Will you be able to detect and take down a hidden sniper mech that is about to shoot down a transport carrying important VIPs? Will you be able to scout the terrain around the Violet Estates and root out every trap and hidden enemy in time?"

The Penitent Sister Commander sent a displeased glance at the leader of the Flagrant Vandals. "What are you suggesting, commander?"

"Our Flagrant Vandals haven't enjoyed a good exercise for a long time. Let us take the lead! We have received the largest quantity of Ferocious Piranhas. Only we can reach our objectives the fastest and respond to unexpected incidents with the least amount of delay. We can also deploy a sufficient amount of slower mechs to cover the main evacuation vessels."

Ves looked back and forth between the two projected commanders. He was not sure who to rely on more for this operation. While he could give equal weight to both, he had a suspicion that this would lead to an excessive amount of division. In order to ensure the Purnessers were rescued as smoothly as possible, the rescue force had to be unified in command, and that meant giving much more room for one mech force in particular."

It was at this time that the projection of Commander Melkor stood up. He looked calmly into everyone else's face before he made his case.

"The Avatars of Myth must be the ones to lead this operation. Ves, let my men prove their worth. For a long time, we have been overshadowed by others. While I do not begrudge the Penitent Sisters and the Swordmaidens for performing fantastically in battle, I don't want my men to be left behind! We are the first elite mech force of the Larkinson Clan and we represent its values and ideals the closest! We are the iconic fighting force of our clan and it is only right for the Purnesses and any outside observers to witness our exclusive Bright Warriors overpowering all opposition and giving the Purnessers a golden sight that they will never forget in their lives!"

He was right as well. Ves knew that he had been neglecting Melkor and the Avatars of Myth for a very long time. The expert pilots, the Penitent Sisters, the Swordmaidens and so on had all become shinier toys to him in recent times. This had caused him and other Larkinsons to subconsciously decrease their regard towards the Avatars of Myth.

Ves did not make a decision, though. He instead directed a look towards General Verle.

The most qualified person should be the one to make the decision. Ves was just a layman in these matters so he did not think it was wise for him to make such an important decision.

It took a minute for the general to make up his mind.

"This operation is not just an opportunity to rescue and absorb the Purnesse Family, but also to accomplish other objectives, such as raising the morale of our clansmen and impressing outsiders of our combat prowess. In light of these additional goals, the Avatars of Myth are the most suitable soldiers to take charge this time. We need to show our Larkinson demeanor in the best possible fashion, and fielding thousands of Bright Warriors will certainly do that. Commander Melkor is also right in that the Avatars of Myth are most in need to validate their identity in battle, though I could also say the same for the Flagrant Vandals."

The Penitent Sisters did not need any pepping up. They were doing quite well in the Larkinson Clan and it would take a very long time before their morale began to erode.

In the end, General Verle chose to allow the Avatars of Myth to act as the main force and the Flagrant Vandals as a secondary force for this operation.

Both Commander Melkor and Commander Firelight smiled in satisfaction. They quietly stared at Commander Chancy and Commander Sendra. The men felt a great need to show that the clan did not need to rely completely on its female warriors to fight its battles!

Melkor soon made a sincere bow. "Thank you, General Verle. Thank you, Ves. My men and I truly need this opportunity. We will not disappoint your high expectations. I will be entering the field myself in order to ensure my Avatars will perform up to standard. Better yet, we won't fight like Hexers or Heavensworders. We shall fight like Larkinsons!"

That was a good enough reason for Ves.