The Mech Touch novel Chapter 332

In the Age of Mechs, wealth meant nothing on its own. The ability to leverage your wealth mattered more, because anyone could take it away by force.

Many affluent people either formed their own fighting forces, or they joined an organization which already did. True safety lay in the power of the mech and the gun.

Troublemakers sought out easy targets. Those with an abundance of wealth but not enough guards often parted with their assets rather quickly.

Ves had a number of groups to rely on. First, as the founder and CEO of the Living Mech Corporation, Ves enjoyed a significant amount of protection from Sanyal-Ablin Security Services.

Their contract primarily tasked them with escorting Ves as he travelled within secure Republican space. They also guarded the LMC’s fixed assets such as the old workshop and the newer manufacturing complex under construction.

While Ves had an amiable relationship with Sanyal-Ablin, he never trusted them quite completely.

"Even if SASS is a security company known for their neutrality, they’re still a subsidiary of the Konsu Clan of the Coalition."

If Ves ever fell out with the Konsu Clan, then the consequences for the LMC would be dire. It would be better for Ves to fold the company entirely.

SASS also worked primarily for the company and not to Ves as a person. While he could still ask for their assistance in company-related matters, they wouldn’t oblige him if he wanted to go on a personal errand. Security companies firmly drew a line between security activities and mercenary activities.

The only way to bolster his personal power was to raise his own force, which declared their loyalty to him and him alone.

While he could also employ a mercenary corps, he’d never be able to insure their loyalties. It was the easy way out. Hiring a reputable mercenary corps saved him a lot of trouble, but the expenses added up the longer the contract lasted.

Their main use was to fill a hole in your lineup and to take care of some short and medium-term tasks. Anyone who relied on mercenary corps as their primary line of defense was woefully naive.

Many people these days dreamt of piloting mechs. If they lacked the required neural aptitude, then they dreamt of being able to own or command a group of mechs.

Right now, he had the will, funds and talent necessary to make this dream into a reality. With Melkor and Captain Silvestra at the helm of his mechs and ships respectively, Ves hoped to establish a small but capable personal force within the next six months.

"We’re already in an unofficial state of war. With everything the Mech Legion is capable of, it’s never too soon to raise my own force."

Ordinarily, he’d have to file for a lot of permits and licenses to do so. This might hinder ordinary people, but with his current status, Ves did not expect the government to put up any significant roadblocks.

This was also the time where his favored status with the government made itself useful. This status allowed him to skip a lot of red tape and expedite the registration process of his own force. He easily filled in a couple of forms on the galactic to get the ball rolling.

He only stopped when the form asked for a name.

"It’s gotta be something cool or professional."

Those who wanted to cultivate a lot of contacts and wished to enter the nexus of power went for professional names that incorporated words like Guardians, Knights or Defense Force.

Ves found those names to be bland and uninspiring. As a younger mech designer in the prime of his life, he could be forgiving if he used a more daring name for his personal force of mechs.

"It’s not like I want to hobnob with all the politicians and business magnates. I’m not cut out for social influencing."

If he wanted to gain someone’s favor, he’d send someone else make connections on his behalf. What Ves should be focusing on was designing mechs or doing stuff that improved his ability to design mechs. Anything else formed a distraction to him on his ambition to reach the pinnacle of mech design.

"A mech designer’s personal force reflects his ideals on how his mechs should be used. It serves as an example to be admired and emulated by my customers."

As such, the name should incorporate an aspirational aspect. Much like how ancient humans invented mythical characters such as Heracles or and let themselves be inspired by them, so did Ves had to come up with his own myth.

"This sounds kind of familiar."

He already possessed a fair amount of experience with coming up with myths to blow some life into his images. The X-Factor drew its strength from the imaginary realm, so Ves always came up with vivid ideas to empower his mechs.

"Forming my own force is similar to designing a mech. It starts with a vision. The name will fall into place once I have a solid idea on what my force should be doing."

He wanted his own personal force of mechs and ships in order to enable him to form his own expeditions. He had to admit he had taken a liking for adventure. As long as the rewards sounded attractive enough, he was not afraid of taking risks.

Through his adventures, he also wanted to see his designs at work. His personal force should employ as much of his designs as possible. He wanted his mech pilots to showcase the potential of his mechs under the most difficult circumstances.

After all, much of the current momentum for the sales of his Blackbeak came from the model’s excellent performance on the Glowing Planet.

"Even with all of the hype and marketing, real examples remain the best driver for sales."

He didn’t want to spend too much time on forming a name. He picked his mind for possibilities and settled for one that sounded the coolest without going too far on the tacky side.

While the LMC opened up a branch on Bentheim, Ves knew no one who worked at that office, so he would rather consult a familiar friend. _{freeweɓnøvel.com}