The Mech Touch novel Chapter 963

Many of the pirate gangs that lent a hand to the Swordmaidens began to fly towards Mancroft Station. Since they dropped by here, they might as well do business or hang out at that hive of scum and villainy.

Ves knew that the Omen of Misfortune and the other pirates wasted a lot of time, fuel, energy and supplies just to escort eight measly vessels of the Flagrant Swordmaidens to safety. This was time that they could have spent on using their forces to more productive uses.

Yet somehow, the severely weakened Swordmaidens still enjoyed enough clout to have so many pirate forces answer their call for help!

He found that inspiring. He thought that true friendship didn’t exist in the frontier, yet the conduct of independent pirate outfits such as the Swordmaidens and the Omen of Misfortune proved him wrong.

Whenever Ketis boasted about the friends of the Swordmaidens, Ves always took her stories with a grain of salt. How could treacherous and opportunistic pirates be so generous and altruistic all of a sudden?

In fact, Ves still couldn’t quite explain the friendships between these independents. Their bonds transcended pure practicality and was substantially more than a relationship propped up by benefits.

As the Vandal and Swordmaiden vessels quickly stocked up on some essential fuel and supplies, the time they would travel together soon came to an end.

The Swordmaidens intended to travel to the Reinald Republic while the Vandals obviously set the Bright Republic as their destination.

While risks still existed in civilized space, both of them leaned on their backup. For the Swordmaidens, the Omen of Misfortune promised to escort them all the way to the Harkensen System in the Reinald Republic.

As for the Vandals, every serviceman aboard the Shield of Hispania and the Gorgon’s Gaze heard with amazement that the other half of the mech regiment was present in the Mancroft System!

"That’s the Wolf Mother! I recognize that huge factory ship anywhere!"

"We’re saved! With Colonel Lowenfield escorting us personally, who dares to attack us?!"

This must be what Major Verle kept back from everyone. With the two remaining combat carriers of the Verle Task Force finally returning to the welcome embrace of the main element of the 6th Flagrant Vandals, their days of skulking about like rats were finally over!

As the entire Shield of Hispania erupted into a festive mood, Ketis quietly shuttled over at Ves’ invitation. He met her at the shuttle bay as she stepped off the Swordmaiden shuttle.

This time, he was no longer followed by a guard. The threat level aboard the ship reduced to such an extent to make such precautions redundant.

"Have you finally made the right decision?" He gently asked.

She sighed. "I really want to stay. The Swordmaidens truly need a mech designer to keep an eye on their mechs as they rebuild. Yet... Commander Dise insists it’s better to take the time to invest in myself."

"She’s a smart woman and shaping up to be a great leader of the Swordmaidens." Ves nodded in acknowledgement. "She’s right, you know. From a long-term perspective, the Swordmaidens are much better off if they retain a capable Journeyman Mech Designer rather than a middling Novice Mech Designer. It will just take a while for you to get there, even under my tutelage."

"It still feels as if I’m abandoning them right when they are at their lowest point." She pouted.

"I don’t see it that way, Ketis. You are making a brave sacrifice by coming under my wing. You willingly chose to separate yourself from your sisters in order to work towards a better future for all of them. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be fast, but as long as you keep learning and improving, I’m sure you’ll make it to Journeyman in time. By then, you can opt to stay with me or return to the frontier to take up Mayra’s old position."

Naturally, Ves hoped that Ketis remained with him in civilized space if she proved satisfactory. He would have to find some way to bind her into a net that would keep her in his clutches, but that was a matter for the future.

For now, Ves waited for his other arrangements to happen. Once Ves confirmed her decision to go along with his plans, he took her to the CFA shuttle parked to the side.

"Where are we going, Ves?" She frowned as she boarded the shuttle and set her floating luggage containers down.

"I can’t very well take you to the Mech Corps, can I? I’m still a drafted mech designer of the Mech Corps, while you are technically a citizen of the Reinald Republic according to your forged identity that Mayra prepared for you. For now, we’ll have to remain separate for the duration of the Bright Republic’s war against the Vesia Kingdom. I have arranged a stay for you at my company in the Bright Republic."

"So I’ll be alone there?"

"Not alone. I have several trusted employees there that are holding the fort in my absence." He said as he engaged the autopilot. Even without a human pilot, the shuttle would still be able to fly. "Try not to piss them off. They’re working on my behalf and so will you, so it’s best to start on the same page."

The CFA shuttle departed from the shuttle bay of the Shield of Hispania and crossed the void of space for half an hour. Ketis kept asking questions about her new life on Cloudy Curtain and Ves did his best to answer.

At some point, the shuttle slowed down and appeared next to a corvette.

"What is that ship?"

"That is the Barracuda, my personal yacht!" Ves grinned.

Back when Ves first connected to the Saffron Poke’s quantum entanglement node, he sent a series of encrypted messages that told Calsie and Melkor to send the Barracuda to the Mancroft System and wait for his arrival.

They got his message and sent out the corvette in time!

"It still won’t be as good as what’s stored inside those crates!" _{ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com}