The Mech Touch

The Larkinson Clan gained a lot of new mech models!

While there wasn't enough room in the fleet to accommodate a large amount of mechs such as the Stingripper, the Rigid Spine, the Redaxe and Second Sword, the Spirit of Bentheim did not remain idle.

The mech legions that had obtained the new models had all decided to retire a number of their existing mechs.

A lot of Bright Warriors went straight to the Graveyard in order to break down their frames and recycle their materials. Any recovered exotics of greater value went straight to the cargo bays while the bulk materials of lesser value went on to reinforce the hull of the capital salvage ship.

Of all of the new models that recently entered service, the auxiliary mechs received special attention. The Red Ocean was filled with unexplored star systems and a number of them harbored complex environments that made it difficult to survey everything in an instant.

This was where mech models such as the new Light Hunter and the Signal Bearer came into play.

A proper expeditionary fleet had to possess enough exploration capabilities to survey and map out complex environments. The two scout mechs provided the Larkinsons with upgraded sensor and communication systems.

As long as these two mechs accompanied every mech team, the speed and effectiveness of exploration missions would surely soar!

Ves even stopped by the production halls of his factory ship in order to inspect the production of the new scout mechs.

"How well have the production crews adapted to their new production tasks?" Ves asked as he held his cute little daughter in his arms.

Aurelia curiously stared at all of the fascinating industrial activity. Scores of mech technicians operated numerous heavy machinery. Enormous metal parts up to the size of elephants were slowly being moved around by heavy-duty cranes and lifter bots.

Let alone children, even adults would grow fascinated by this impressive sight!

"We have already prepared for the production of the new Light Hunter and Signal Bearer models weeks ago, sir." The Chief Fabricator of the Production Department of the Spirit of Bentheim replied. "Miss Juliet Stameros has been generous enough to provide us with the nearly-completed schematics and the production manuals of the two mech models in advance. I assigned a number of our production crews to practice the production process in virtual simulations in order to familiarize themselves with the specific challenges of producing these auxiliary mechs."

Ves paid careful attention to the man in charge of the production halls of his factory ship.

Kaesa Remos-Larkinson was a recent recruit that the Larkinsons had picked up months ago back in the Vulit Central Star Node.

Just like many other fabricators, Mr. Kaesa Remos was a failed Apprentice Mech Designer who eventually saw no hope in going further. Since he possessed a love for constructing mechs, he successfully transitioned to becoming a fabricator, working his way up until he led the production of several production complexes.

A fabricator like that was a valuable human resource. It was quite fortunate for the Larkinson Clan to obtain someone with so much experience and leadership qualities. A ll N OVE L FU LL. c 0m

Of course, there were still plenty of former mech designers for hire, so someone like Mr. Kaesa was not a completely unattainable asset. The Larkinsons just had to raise their bids and promise a sumptuous salary to the man in order to convince him to work on the expeditionary fleet.

Since the time that Kaesa took over the position of Chief Fabricator from a Hexer who temporarily held this post in the past, not a lot had changed.

The new chief fabricator was 90 years old and no longer eager to earn fame and recognition. In the months that passed, he did his best to maintain the status quo and mainly spent his time on pursuing incremental improvements.

This was exactly what Ves sought in a chief fabricator.

While there were brilliant fabricators available who possessed the potential to master the production of mechs to such a degree that they were capable of making masterwork mechs, the Larkinsons didn't need such a personality.

Their leading mech designers were already capable of fabricating masterwork mechs themselves!

Since Ves and his colleagues were already able to produce high-quality mechs by themselves, it was much more important to make sure that the regular output of the Spirit of Bentheim remained stable and consistent.

Seeing how well the production crews adapted to making the new Light Hunter and Signal Bearer models, Ves was pleased with how Chief Fabricator Kaesa prepared for the new production tasks.

"So far, I can safely say that our production crews are already close to reaching the normal production efficiency levels." Kaesa reported to the clan patriarch. "They have already worked out the challenges during their simulation practice, so our men will not be stumped when they reach a difficult phase. Our mech technicians are only lacking practice in reality. Once they get over this hurdle, I expect that a single production hall will be able to produce a light mech once every two days."

Two days per mech was quite an impressive speed, especially when the Larkinsons did not adopt the most optimal production method. In order to make the mechs produced in the Spirit of Bentheim more alive, only a single production crew produced a single mech at a time.

If the Ves ever wanted to speed up production, then he could assign multiple production crews to work on a mech in shifts.

There was no need to do that when the situation wasn't urgent. Right now, the increase in production speed was not worth the drop in life in the new mechs.

"Do you have a batch of finished mechs?" Ves asked.

"We have. Our best-performing crews finished them a few hours ago. They are being prepped for shipment to the carriers of the Flagrant Vandals. Would you like to inspect them, sir?"

"I would. Please lead the way."

The old but still vigorous man led Ves to a storage hall where recently-fabricated mechs waited to be taken away.

The half-dozen Light Hunter and Signal Bearer mechs immediately made an impression on Ves. Even Aurelia became enthralled by the two substantially different vibes of the two auxiliary mechs.

"Mehhh…"

"Yes, those are mechs." Ves replied as he hugged his daughter tighter around his chest. "Not only that, they're our mechs. Each of them belong to our clan, which essentially means they belong to me! I can do anything I want to them. I can send them out on scouting missions and I can deploy them on the battlefield. I can even choose to upgrade them by myself. I'm a mech designer, you see. Working with mechs is my passion."

"Paapaaa…"

His warmth and love flowed towards his girl as he enjoyed this pleasurable moment. Nothing made him happier than spending time with both mechs and family!

He did not ignore the new light mechs, though. While he had already inspected them before when Juliet Stameros presented her work, she had made the copies back in the workshop by herself.

The ones in the storage hall were different. Ves could easily spot a lot of small details and irregularities that lowered their overall quality.

To someone who fabricated numerous masterwork mechs and regularly collaborated with a perfectionist like his own wife, Ves couldn't ignore these blemishes no matter how small and insignificant they appeared.

He had to suppress his tendency to pick up a multitool and personally correct the consequences of sloppy and inadequate workmanship!

He lightly coughed. "I am… satisfied with these initial attempts. I am sure they will serve the Flagrant Vandals and the Penitent Sisters well. Have you upgraded and configured their sensors to cope with the high-energy environment of the Garimel System?"

"Thank you for your compliments." Chief Farbricator Kaesa smiled. "Our mech technicians will be glad to hear your praise. As for your question, we did what you asked, though we weren't able to design the modifications ourselves. We had to enlist the help of one of your design teams to harden the more sensitive sensor arrays against the excessive heat and radiation that they will surely encounter in the next star system."

Entering the Garimel System was no joke! As a location that centered around a rare blue supergiant star, it essentially functioned like a bright blue beacon in a murky dwarf galaxy.

The light of this star could be seen with the naked eye at greater distances. This alone said a lot about the sheer amount of radiation this blue torch outputted every single day!

There was no way for the expeditionary fleet to safely enter the inner system of this large star system. Let alone the sensors, even the ships themselves would probably melt and burn into husks!

Fortunately, the lethality of the immense blue supergiant quickly diminished over distance due to the inverse square law. This was why the Golden Skull Alliance had the guts to travel to this star system.

That did not mean that a visit to the Garimel System was like visiting a tropical beach. The proper precautions still had to be made.

Radiation was a persistent threat. Starships were usually safe because their thick hulls blocked most harmful rays.

The same could not be said for mechs. The ones with thicker armor and bulkier frames would probably be okay for a time, but the thinner and lighter mechs were not as resistant!

What Ves was concerned about the most was the possibility of blinding his new auxiliary mechs. If powerful rays of light and other energies just happened to flood their sensor systems, the sensitive parts could easily be overwhelmed!

This was why the mechs had to be modified so that they could rely on additional protection to block the anticipated spikes of energy. It was like placing a pair of sunglasses in front of the sensor arrays.

"What about other forms of radiation protection?" Ves asked after he became satisfied with the extra hardening of the sensor systems. "What precautions have you applied?"

Chief Fabricator Kaesa already anticipated this question.

"We consulted with Miss Sara Voiken on this issue and came up with numerous solutions. She has volunteered to design an additional layer of heat and radiation-resistant plates to the auxiliary mechs. It will take time to produce and apply the extra layers to these mechs, but their addition will significantly increase their reliability while operating in this star system. If we don't add this protection, we might have to service them after every single deployment."

Ves nodded in understanding. This was a logical if cumbersome solution. "These auxiliary mechs will lose a substantial amount of mobility, but it can't be helped."

It didn't really matter. The expeditionary fleet was on a simple mining and exploration mission. It did not make a difference if the scout mechs moved a bit slower than usual, especially when they needed to be accompanied by other mechs.

Ves stepped closer to the completed mechs in order to experience their glows.

The Light Hunter possessed a mysterious vibe that made Ves feel as if the mech was eating light. This was the result of inverting the glow of the Illustrious One. The effect was strange but hopefully helpful in recognizing important sensor readings.

The Signal Bearer made him feel safe and comfortable. The Superior Mother governed this mech model and her presence was a lot more noticeable.

"Mamaaa!" Aurelia gurgled as she happily reached out towards the nearest Signal Bearer!

Ves chuckled and kissed his daughter's cheek. "That's your grandma, honey. Gloriana is your real mama."

"Mama! Hihihihi!"

He played and cuddled with his daughter for a few minutes before he turned his attention back to his inspection.

"Make sure to produce twenty copies of each model." He instructed. "That should be enough for a start. Do you have enough materials to complete this order?"

"We do, but we will be running low on a number of key materials that are more difficult to obtain in the Red Ocean." Chief Fabricator Kaesa answered. "We will have to return to Davute and replenish our material stockpiles in order to alleviate the shortages."

"Understood."