The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1611

Chapter 1611 The Other War

In a bedroom transformed into a luxurious refuge, Gloriana calmly sat in front of a mirror projection as a couple of beauty bots treated her hair and applied makeup.

She needed to be in her best appearance at all times. She could never allow Ves to see her in a less-than-perfect state!

As Gloriana calmly waited for the bots to complete their work, Melody reported the latest situation from home.

"The advantage that our Hegemony has gained in the Komodo War is spent. While Operation K has given us a considerable advantage in initiative and morale, it also shocked the Coalition into forming a unified response. We didn't expect the partners of the Coalition to set aside their grudges and unite as extensively as appears to be the case."

"Can you give me an example, Melody?"

"Perhaps the most far-reaching example is the Gauge Dynasty's extensive willingness to support the beleaguered Carnegie Group and Vermeer Group. Despite Gauge's remoteness from the front, it has not shied away from supporting the two groups with financial aid and military aid. More and more mech divisions of their Sundered Phalanx are reinforcing the frontlines every day."

The unwelcome news caused Gloriana to grow unsettled. "That's outside of the predictions I've read. Aren't the Fridaymen supposed to be squabbling boys who will continue to argue with each other even if their state is falling apart around them? Isn't Gauge the most unliked and uncharitable partner of the Coalition?"

The distribution of territory of the Friday Coalition resembled a round pie. The slices occupied by Carnegie and Vermeer pressed squarely against the border with the Hexadric Hegemony.

Due to this unfavorable arrangement, the two groups always endured stifled development. Many investors and citizens were reluctant to commit too much in their territories because their assets and their lives would immediately be at risk in the event of a cataclysmic war between the two giants of the star sector!

In contrast, the Gauge Dynasty happened to be placed on the opposite side of Coalition space. If the Hexers ever advanced into enemy territory, Gauge would be the last one to knock down. _{ƒreewebηoveℓ.com}

For this reason, the Gauge Dynasty always enjoyed the highest development. Its favorable position caused it to grow into the strongest partner.

"The rulers of the Gauge Dynasty may be selfish, but they aren't stupid." Melody sighed. "Apparently, the Coalition partners have already formed some secret deals that our spies haven't managed to uncover. While we haven't been able to figure out the details, some of the results are already evident. Their militaries are showing increasingly more signs of meshing into one, unified organization that answers to an overarching central command."

"That.. sounds as if they are copying us. Aren't they supposed to be distrusting towards each other?"

"We've underestimated the Fridaymen. They made a good show of exaggerating their internal divisions. Our biases towards the Coalition reinforced our assumptions that the Fridaymen would continue to be distrustful towards each other even as they are fighting us off. It turns out they managed to fool all of our spies and analysts."

This was a grave error on the part of the Hexers. Gloriana's face turned ugly as she realized the importance of Melody's remarks.

Before Gloriana set foot out of the Hegemony and became exposed to a different culture, she always held a dismissive attitude to boys.

She easily understood how most of the Hexers she knew back home had a tendency to look down on the Coalition. Though the Fridaymen did not explicitly discriminate by gender, the Coalition was mainly led by men, perhaps as a response against the ideology of their biggest rival.

"How will the war proceed now that the Fridaymen appear to be coming together?"

Melody looked uncertain. "I'm not versed in military matters, so I can't say. At the very least, we won't be able to sweep Coalition space within a few years anymore. The Komodo War will likely devolve into a prolonged slugfest between two giants. The frontlines will turn into meat grinders which constantly consume more mechs. The side which is not able to persist will falter first."

One of the goals of Operation K was to convey the Hegemony an immediate advantage in the outbreak of the Komodo War. The Hexers hoped that the devastating results of the operation would put the Coalition on the backfoot.

Along with the expected internal discord among the partners, the Hegemony expected to convert their initial advantage into a considerable amount of momentum that magnified their early gains.

The more advantages the Hegemony gained at the start, the greater the likelihood of maintaining the upper hand throughout the course of the war.

Unfortunately, the Coalition recovered faster and coordinated more extensively than expected. The rapid reinforcements from the Gauge Dynasty and other partners stabilized the frontlines, stalling the Hegemony to the point where it lost its momentum!

"Attrition warfare." Gloriana curled her lips into a frown. "How barbaric."

Having witnessed the brutality of the Sand War in the Bright Republic, Gloriana quickly understood how bloody the conflict could get if it reached this stage.

Without a killer weapon, sudden betrayal or other change in circumstances, the winner of the Komodo War would probably be weakened to an incredible degree.

"Has mother sent any instructions?"

"Madame Constance has not sent any new instructions as of late. The war demands all of her attention. While the Scimitar System is unlikely to be at risk, there is a lot of unrest at home due to the sacrifices the citizens need to make to support our war effort."

This was the war that decided the ultimate victor in the Komodo Star Sector. The Hexers could not afford to hold back if they wanted to come out as the victor. The living standards of every Hexer decreased as the state entered into a war footing.

Many luxuries and conveniences became scarce as the production of consumer goods made way for the production of armaments.

"The situation will grow worse over time."

"Now that the war has entered a different trajectory, our circumstances here will change as well. For now, the Fridaymen aren't inclined to meddle with us on account of the Sand War. However, the status quo won't hold forever."

Gloriana looked at her mirror projection with determination as she inspected the work of her beauty bots. As always, the expensive bots had done fine work.