The Mech Touch novel Chapter 169

Ves enjoyed the varied dishes with relish. The dishes had been enhanced by a lot of unique spices that only a well-developed state like the Constance Grand Kingdom could come up with. It caused a lot of the locals some consternation when their mouths exploded in an unexpected burst of freshness or heat.

The only thing he didn’t enjoy was Captain Wilson’s constant chatter. While she disparaged him a lot, she also mentioned useful information whenever she talked about the mercenaries. She certainly loved gossiping.

"You need to eat more meat! You’re too flimsy to impress the girls. A good boy like can use some time in the gym."

"The three mercenary outfits who partnered up with our boss are all professionals. They fill up half the Ark Horizon’s hangar and they brought even more mechs aboard their own transports. They’ve got so much firepower that even Lord Kaine can’t order them around."

"Frankly, the Grey Willow mechs outnumber the locals, but they aren’t geared towards fighting the hexapods. I’m seeing a lot of ballistic cannons and even a couple of railguns, so they’re likely there to fend off any sandmen incursion."

That drew his attention. "Do you think we’ll get hit by the sandmen?"

"They’d be blind not to. The Ark Horizon is so big and fat that her FTL transition will radiate for many light-years away. The sandmen will definitely respond."

Ves had only heard about the sandmen but already developed a lot of apprehension about them. They sounded and behaved in a simple fashion most of the time, but whenever their higher leaders got involved, they made perplexing decisions. Lord Kaine might be biting off more than he could chew.

"Will your ship be participating in the fight directly?"

"Heavens, no. Our mechs are solely kitted out for melee combat. My husband and his men will go groundside and hunt some game. My ship is a sitting duck without mechs so I’m probably expected to keep her close to the Ark."

The courses kept on coming so they both went back to eating. Ves turned around for a moment and looked at Melkor.

His cousin drew some attention due to his youth and his insistence on wearing a visor, but he acquitted himself decently among the mercenaries. They lived in two different worlds, so Melkor had little in common with the men and women who clawed their way out of mediocrity through hard work and grit, but they respected his background as an elite brought up by a military family if nothing else.

Captain Wilson followed his gaze and whistled. "I saw you come in with that fellow. My oh my, he’s got a lovely physique for a man so young. So limber and compact. He must have some really dense muscles."

"He’s my cousin." _{fɾēewebnσveℓ.com}

"Your family is truly blessed to have a clever designer and a dashing pilot in their midst. Where are you two from?"

"We’re both citizens of the Bright Republic."

"That’s not too far away from here. I heard about your little Republic."

"Hopefully you heard some good things."

"Not really. Everyone who mentioned your state expects it to be thrashed by the Vesians, who have a lot of fighting spirit."

Ves had no way to retort. In truth, while their nobility often descended into infighting, their working class citizens always fought with passion. They hoped to distinguish themselves on the battlefield in order to be granted knighthood, which was the first step on the road to nobility.

Compared to the highly motivated Vesians, the Brighters treated the generations-long conflict as a defensive war. Any planet that fell in their hands often didn’t resist too hard. As far as the average citizen was concerned, they merely switched landlords.

The only reason why the Bright Republic lasted so long was because it invested a lot in a professional military.

"I believe in my state. We’ve fended off the Vesians many times. This time will be no different."

Wilson shrugged. "If that’s what makes you happy. By the way, speaking of Vesians, you should watch out for Keller’s Blades."

She gestured to a mercenary commander sitting quietly at the end of the principal table. The man must be Keller himself. The Vesian had a dark complexion and possessed a tall, robust body. Only a couple of other mercenaries could match his sheer bulk and strength.

"What do you know about Keller’s Blades?"

"Oh, nothing much besides the usual. They’ve been operating out of Mancroft for a few years. I heard he pissed off some petty noble and got chased away from his home. He’s been eking out a decent living among the stars protecting prospectors and researchers looking to cross the borders."

"That doesn’t sound so scary."

Wilson shook her head. "Don’t underestimate the Blades. The scary thing about their group is that they are always sporting better gear despite fulfilling low-paying missions. Who knows where they get their money?"

That sounded a lot more suspicious. Either Commander Keller had a backer or he earned a lot of additional income through less respectable means.

Even a gossip like Captain Wilson didn’t know much more, so they both turned back to their meals. After a sumptuous dinner, their host returned to his stateroom and left his guests with wine and orders to wait until they received a summons.

Everyone waited patiently as Lord Kaine called up the guests by pair. Captain Wilson noted that he called up the most prestigious mercenaries first, and worked down the list according to their reputation.

Commander Keller and his ship captain received their summons midway, so he must be sporting a decent amount of mechs.

Captain Wilson received a summons near the end when the dining hall had mostly emptied out. Ves nodded to her politely. Even if she never shut her mouth, she mentioned a lot of useful things. Ves now had a better picture on the mercenaries who signed up for this expedition.

If she didn’t warn him, he might never know that Keller’s Blades came from Vesia.

After all of the local mercenaries left, the non-combatants started to get called up. Before Ves had his turn, a couple of scientists went ahead. Ves learned that they were exobiologists of some renown. They’d likely be put in charge of dissecting the hexapods and determining their weaknesses.

Fifteen minutes after the scientists left, an attendant entered the largely empty hall and finally called up Ves. "Mr. Larkinson, Lord Kaine would like to see you now."

He nodded and rose from his seat. Melkor also pushed off the wall he was leaning against and picked up Lucky. Ves thought it might be rude if he held his pet while speaking to the former patriarch.