The Mech Touch

On the date of the departure, Ves bid goodbye to his wife and children before he reluctantly left them in order to go on a life-changing business trip.

According to his schedule, the magnitude of the events that he intended to participate in was just as massive and impactful as the events that took place on his last travels.

The good news was that these major events were a lot more foreseeable this time. Ves did not expect to encounter too many surprises along his journey.

The bad news was that the cosmopolitans hated Ves so much that they were probably more than willing to expose their cells and burn a lot of assets just to claim his life!

Ves had done what he could to bolster the Bluejay Fleet. Shortly after he teleported to the Tarrasque, he called up a projection that showed a majestic view of the core fleet surrounded by additional warships and combat carriers loaned out by various different groups.

There was a clear and obvious difference in quality and capabilities between the hulls of the Red Two and the vessels owned by other groups.

The former boasted superior tech and materials. The most prominent technological edge was support link technology. The warships and carriers of the Red Two were able to withstand a lot more damage and coordinate their actions a lot more effectively due to benefiting from the signature technologies developed by the Web Mistress.

Ves found it rather stupid that the mechers and fleeters still refused to share this tech with the other major powers. Shield link technology was especially a game changer in many battles.

Oh well. The mechers and fleeters must have their reasons. Perhaps this may be the only way to keep this restricted tech out of the hands of the cosmopolitans and subsequently the native aliens.

As the Bluejay Fleet slowly began to distance itself from the orbit of New Constantinople VIII and make its way over to the nearest Lagrange point, Ves began to settle in the familiar heavy cruiser.

He met with two of the collaborators of the Swarm Project, both of whom had taken up residence in adjacent staterooms.

"Lady Romanda Devos. Lord Richard Brownstone. So both of you have decided to accompany me on this dangerous journey."

The Terran and the Rubarthan Senior Mech Designers both looked nodded.

When the two first arrived at New Constantinople in order to collaborate on the Swarm Project, they understandably did not manage to get along.

Yet months of continuous collaboration had caused them to become more accustomed to each other's presence. They found that they had far more in common as mech designers.

The rivalry between Terrans and Rubarthans still prevented them from becoming too close to each other, but they at least managed to find a balance where they could get along without starting any conflicts.

Right now, the scion of the Devos Ancient Clan and the descendant of a prince of the Rubarthan Imperial Household had far greater concerns on their mind than a spat between their first-rate colonial superstates.

"Our contributions to the Swarm Project may not be as great or pivotal as yours, but I will not deny that we have done our part to realize the first Carmine mechs that will soon become available to the masses." The older Terran woman said with a measured voice. "It is unconscionable for me to be absent at the historic product reveal event. I fear that my adversaries will seek to marginalize my contributions to the development of the 6 mech designs. If I want to make the Devos Ancient Clan and the Terran Alliance proud, I must meet my obligation to travel to Yernstall and stand by your side as you amaze the public with your works."

"My motivations are similar to hers. It is not acceptable for me to give in to my cowardice and miss the best opportunity for me to remind everyone that the Rubarthan Pact has contributed to this revolutionary project." Lord Richard Brownstone said. "We are well aware of the perils of this journey. We have explored alternatives, but my advisors have warned me that if I choose to travel to Yernstall on a different fleet, it will fall victim to a raid. It has become increasingly more known that I have been collaborating with you on a secret project of great importance. There are parties that are willing to go far in order to interrogate me and learn all of the secrets about the Swarm Project that are in my possession. It is actually safer if I travel on the same fleet as you. It is only after we have formally presented our products to the mech market that the danger will pass."

"I see."

That was very unfortunate of the pair. Ves did not want to endanger their lives to this extent. He had unintentionally pulled them into a political vortex of his own making.

He could easily accept that it was his fault that he stumbled upon a minefield due to the actions that he had undertaken, but it did not sit well for him to drag two 'innocent' mech designers into this crisis.

It would have been better if the two just decided to stay and sit tight in Diandi Base, but their obligations to their respective superstates prevented them from taking the cowardly option.

They were more than just mech designers. They were scions of prominent family organizations, and that meant that they had to answer the call of duty.

Ves responded with a genuine look of respect. "I appreciate your support and your willingness to brave this risk with me. You may come to regret this decision when the enemy has breached the defenses of the Tarrasque, but this is what it is like to be a soldier. Both of you are doing your superstates proud."

"I do not want to miss the moment where I can finally vindicate my lifelong pursuit for ultra-large enhanced cockpits on the grandest possible occasion." Lady Romanda said. "This is an essential process for me to realize my design philosophy. I cannot become a Master unless the market at large finally understands and accepts the utility of my work."

Although the subordinate mechs of the Swarm Project were only mounted with organic versions of her characteristic ultra-large cockpits, the basic concepts still remained the same. Lady Romanda had taken a lot of ownership over the Carmine mech designs and practically considered them to be her babies. There was no way she wanted to miss out on the grand reveal!

As for Lord Richard Brownstone, his personal motivations were not as profound.

"My contributions are admittedly not as unique and indispensable as that of my Terran colleague here. Still, I have to be present in Yernstall as well in order to prove to my doubters and critics that I am more than a leech of the Brownstone Principality. I have spent my entire life so far spending far more money and resources than I can earn back through my work. I have never truly made my grandfather proud for this reason. Publicizing my contributions to the Swarm Project will definitely show to everyone that I can finally justify all of the investment put into my education and work."

This was not a particularly unique desire. Many scions of wealthy and powerful families struggled to reproduce just a fraction of the glory of their greatest ancestors. It was hard for them to rise above mediocrity and truly make their mark in society.

"I don't think you will be short on credit." Ves smiled encouragingly at Lord Richard. "The modular kinetic armaments that you have designed for the subordinate mechs are fantastic. They are not necessarily the most powerful, but the sheer versatility in calibers and projectile choices allows them to be useful to both cheapskates and high-end clients."

He initially did not have the best opinion on kinetic ranged weaponry, but Lord Richard managed to develop prototypes that thoroughly impressed the design team.

Specialized ammunition that was laced with volatile exotics and hypers could produce a myriad of useful effects.

Saint Tusa's tales of what the Messenger of Silence was capable of with his unique Stella also increased Ves' appreciation of kinetic weapons.

"The journey to Yernstall won't take too long, but don't get complacent." Ves told the pair of Seniors. "We may receive challenges during the product reveal. Our Carmine mechs must be fully prepared to confront any possible threat. The greatest emphasis should be put on the first-class subordinate mech. This will probably be the machine that the major powers will pay the greatest attention to. It presents the opportunity for many powerful figures to pilot a real mech and fight side by side with professional mech pilots in the greatest battles of our era. Think about the great figures that will finally be able to realize their long-cherished dreams."

The three briefly smiled at the thought before the Terran mech designer mentioned an interesting possibility.

"I think that the influence of Carmine mechs will extend far beyond what you can imagine, Ves. The attraction of a Carmine mech is great to many people, but I think the most enthusiastic group by far will be mech designers such as ourselves."

Lord Brownstone immediately nodded in agreement. "It is no secret that many mech designers were originally children who remained unreconciled that they do not have the right genetic aptitude to pilot mechs. We cling to mechs so much that we were willing to study hard to learn how to make them. Now that we are capable of designing and fabricating these powerful machines, we can much better appreciate the act of piloting mechs, especially if they are derived from our own designs!"

Ves never really put as much thought on this angle than he should have. "Now that I think about it… mech designers are probably the most suited to pilot Carmine mechs than anyone else. Not only do their vast technical expertise complement their control over their own machines, but their non-combatant status means that the greatest shortcoming of Carmine mechs doesn't affect them as much! They can purely pilot their own Carmine mechs for testing and for recreation. If they are high-ranking mech designers, then there is no need for them to risk their lives and fight in the trenches alongside professional mech pilots!"

"What about the low-ranking mech designers?" Lady Romanda Devos critically asked.

"They are more… expendable, I suppose." Ves frankly admitted. "I think this is a great opportunity for Novices and Apprentices to learn what mechs are truly about by volunteering for frontline service. Perhaps it is best to make it an obligation. Only mech designers who have experienced true mech warfare first-hand have received the tempering they need to take their work a lot more seriously than those who never stepped foot on the battlefield. There are far too many of them around in my opinion. They spend all day designing machines of war without truly comprehending anything."

Lady Romanda Devos and Lord Richard Brownstone technically fell under this category, but that would soon become different if this journey became as dangerous as everyone thought!

"We should think about the repercussions of letting mech designers pilot their own personal Carmine mechs on a life-long basis. The consequences are much larger than you think." Lord Brownstone sas=id. "Our work may even trigger the rise of a new class of hybrid mech pilots and mech designers. An entirely new breed of warriors will rise up that solely learn mech design to constantly improve and perfect their personal Carmine mechs."

That sounded rather… dubious to Ves.

He was a big believer in specialization. He found it difficult to imagine that anyone could master both mech piloting and mech design at the same time. It took a huge amount of work and effort for anyone to excel in one profession. There was no way they could shine in both occupations at once! Ves refused to believe that anyone was talented and capable enough to do the impossible!

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