The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1603

Chapter 1603 Larkinson Exobiology Institute

"...and that's why we almost lost this battle." Melkor spoke over the comm.

Ves drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk. "I see. This Captain Zorke fellow sounds like he's only competent enough to command a single mech company. Now that the Mech Corps had put him in charge of a defensive force of hundreds of mechs and starfighters, he's clearly out of his depth."

"At least he's not around anymore to lead us into another disaster." Melkor's projection shrugged, not caring if he spoke ill of the dead. "Right now, the survivors here are divided and demoralized. The lieutenant that took over as acting commander is mainly a fighter. He's an excellent marksman but a poor tactician."

"What's in store, then?"

"The higher ups only told us that a replacement is on their way, but I really doubt that whoever they send is better than Captain Zorke. Everyone knows the Mech Corps is stretching their manpower thin. There are simply too many star systems to cover. An evacuated star system that we've been assigned to is so worthless that our priority is at the bottom."

"Do you need me to pull some strings?"

"Your offer is appreciated, but it's best you don't interfere." The Avatar Commander calmly replied. "At this stage, the status of the Mech Corps is incomparable. The military won't allow a commanding officer of a private outfit to take charge."

"You're a Larkinson."

Melkor chuckled. "Our family's reputation isn't enough to override the concerns of the Mech Corps. Protocol has to be followed. Don't worry about me. I have the situation handled. Once the Sand War develops further, I believe there may be opportunities for the Avatars to excel."

"Good luck then, Melkor. Stay alive."

"Don't slack off back at home. Your mechs have made a huge impact at the front. I have a lot of expectations for your next designs."

The comm call ended. Ves leaned back in his chair and digested what he learned.

Though he could access various sources to learn about the circumstances at the front, it was a lot more personal when someone like Melkor vented his frustrations.

"Not everything is going according to plan." Ves concluded after summing up the insights he gained in recent days. "The lack of competent commanding officers is leading to much more severe losses than the Mech Corps initially anticipated."

It wasn't as if the Bright Republic lacked commanders of this caliber. The problem was that the Mech Corps only had so much of them. The remainder consisted of commanders of various private sector outfits.

It was not very wise to put them in command. Not only did they favor their own forces, they also possessed erratic command styles.

While that might not be a problem when they commanded their own men, once they started bossing around strangers, a lot of animosity might ensue that would ruin the camaraderie between allies.

The problem was so bad in fact that the Mech Corps recently requested retired mech officers to return and relieve the pressure.

The Cloud Estate emptied out considerably as a result. Ves missed the old dogs who decided to answer the call of duty.

"I hope they're happy." Ves muttered. "Perhaps to them, dying in the course of fighting the good fight is better than languishing quietly in my estate."

Having spent a considerable amount of time among his aunts and uncles, Ves knew that they were all Larkinsons to the bone.

Their advanced age may have made them unsuitable to pilot mechs, but as long as they had command experience, it wouldn't be too much of a problem to direct a battle from a command center.

His next appointment arrived a moment later. Dr. Lupo Guernica strolled into his office without cleaning up the stains on his fingers.

If not the exobiologist's newly-purchased self-cleaning lab coat, his clothes would have looked just as soiled!

"Take a seat, Lupo." Ves gestured.

"Alright."

"How is the institute doing?"

"It's doing great!" Lupo gushed. "The budget you've set is generous enough for me to procure most of the machines that I need to perform my research! While the ongoing crisis is making it harder than I like to acquire precision lab equipment, I'm fortunate that they're still in stock in Bentheim. I can begin performing advanced experiments immediately!"

Ves gently knocked his fist against his desk. "I did not establish the Larkinson Exobiology Institute to fund your pet projects."

"You didn't?" Lupo answered in confusion.

"While your area of specialization sounds interesting, I'm a mech designer, not a business magnate. I have no desire to diversify my business holdings."

"Then.."

"Oh, I'm not saying that you aren't allowed to pursue your interests as long as you keep me in the loop. It's just that the focus of the LEI is not on developing better nutrition solutions. Instead, it's meant to assist me in designing mechs by studying the properties of powerful and interesting exobeasts. Forming an exobeast reserve on Cloudy Curtain is the main priority. How much progress have you made so far?"

"Uhh..."

"I see." Ves sighed. "I hope this is the last time I remind you of your assignments. You work for me. The next time you forget something, I'll reduce your budget by ten percent."

"NO!" Lupo stood up. "You can't do that, Mr. Larkinson! Biotech research is incredibly expensive!"

"Then do your job and take your responsibilities seriously. The LEI is not your personal property!"

To a research-mad scientist like Dr. Lupo, Ves did not have to employ any complicated tricks to bring him to heel. Merely threatening to withhold money was enough to make the exobiologist honest.

Once Ves put Dr. Lupo on his toes, he brought up the real reason why he called the fellow to his office.