The Mech Touch novel Chapter 896

The Vesians and the Flagrant Swordmaidens generally kept to themselves inside the safe zone. Anytime they bumped into each other, they couldn’t help but sling insults and punch each other in the face. This forced the Starlight Megalodon to put the quarrelling people into stasis and drag them apart.

With the Starlight Megalodon looming over them like an attentive nanny, the two sides agreed to keep to themselves. They claimed separate districts of the abandoned settlement built around the Starlight Megalodon and pretended the others didn’t exist.

So far, the Vandals and Swordmaidens never paid too much attention to the Vesian presence inside the safe zone. They knew that the Vesians faced the impossible recruitment tests. There was no way they’d be able to pass the tests!

Yet an expert pilot couldn’t be equated to mortals. Her mech piloting skills broke the human limit and allowed her to perform much more splendidly than most human beings.

There was a non-zero chance that Venerable Foster might be able to pass the recruitment test!

The appearance of the Belisarius caused every Vandal and Swordmaiden to gather together at the park. They speculated on the reason for her appearance in the safe zone.

"Are the Vesians so confident that there aren’t any threats that require Venerable Foster’s help in defeating?" Someone wondered.

"We used to be their greatest threats." Captain Orfan responded. "Now that they cleaned up our main forces, they have the red zone to themselves. Even without an expert pilot at the helm, the Hostland Warriors and Meandering Monkeys are more than capable enough to defeat three times their number of pirate mechs. I hate to say it, but from the battle footage that Ves brought back, the Vesian mech regiments that showed up are seasoned veterans."

Long-established mech regiments such as the Hostland Warriors and Meandering Monkeys relied on centuries of accumulation to shape their martial tradition. Their training, mech doctrine, logistics and other matters all reached a mature level. A random force of pirates stood no chance against a true military force. _{freewebnoveℓ.com}

"How do you figure her chances of success if she undergoes the recruitment test for mech pilots?" Ves asked. "Will she be able to succeed in a single try?"

The possibility frightened every mech pilot present in the gathering. It was as if he described their worst nightmare!

"The recruitment tests aren’t so easy to pass." Lieutenant Dise surmised. For a Swordmaiden mech officer, she was a lot more thoughtful than her jumpier sisters. Perhaps her bond with Qilanxo tempered some of her personality as well. "We all know the CFA has a love-hate relationship with mechs. They absolutely won’t let any mech pilot join their ranks."

Someone else pointed out an important fact. "Even so, back then expert pilot are as rare as a phoenix’s feather. Mechs were still new and people still explored what mech pilots can really do. Everyone with highly abnormal piloting ability became highly desirable goods. Maybe the recruitment test for mech pilots set the bar so high in order to obtain expert pilots."

"That’s true. The CFA really hates the MTA and will do everything they can to weaken this upstart organization." Ves confirmed. He knew his history when it came to the CFA and MTA. "Back when expert pilots are even rarer than today and poorly understood, the CFA offered extremely high incentives to recruit them. They don’t actually value expert pilots that much, but they just wanted to spite the MTA and take away their toys."

"How childish."

"We’re in deep trouble if the recruitment test for non-CFA personnel is really passable for expert pilots!" Someone already despaired.

Ves did not see the reason to panic right away. "The only consolation is that Venerable Foster has only recently advanced to her rank. From what I know of expert pilots, it still takes at least a decade for them to polish their piloting skills to an elevated level. However, we also know that she’s a genuine prodigy in piloting mechs. With her A-grade genetic aptitude, her learning speed is through the roof!"

"There’s also the fact that the recruitment tests are performed with outdated mechs." Captain Orfan added. "All the mechs we are forced to pilot are mech models that aren’t so different from the mechs we used to train with during our mech academy days. These mechs are slower, simpler, easier to pilot and faster to master."

A highly talented mech pilot like Venerable Foster faced much fewer variables and complications when piloting an outdated mech. As Captain Orfan said, it would be just as if she took a routine examination at a mech academy!

Ves asked an important question. "If Venerable Foster passes the recruitment test and becomes a warrant officer of the CFA, what will she able to do?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"She’ll be recognized by the Starlight Megalodon. She can go inside the battleship and access any sections open to mech pilots."

"I don’t think she’ll be able to pilot a CFA mech, if the battleship still maintains any. She’ll have to receive permission from an authorized officer if she wants to deploy a mech."

"It might not stop her from piloting the Belisarius and taking it inside!"

"More importantly than that, once Venerable Foster becomes an active CFA serviceman in the eyes of the Starlight Megalodon, will the battleship still put her in stasis if she turns the Belisarius against us?"

This outcome frightened them out of their wits. This might very well be possible! If Venerable Foster truly received the Starlight Megalodon’s recognition, then she would undoubtedly benefit from the ingrained bias of the virtual officers!

A new sense of urgency overcame the survivors. They became a lot less nonchalant about their miniscule chances of passing the recruitment tests. No matter what, they needed to pass them and obtain the automated battleship’s recognition. Only then would they be able to protect themselves as CFA regulations strictly prohibited violence without cause!

"Someone’s approaching!"