4hshdhd - H.G.M.W.S.¹⁰¹

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

41 Chapter 41

Max uses his Innate Talent to see what Nico is up to and finds that shes got every single sensor mode pulled up on her screens at once, some overlapped, some separated. Once shes done, and has determined that the area around the lander is starting to get busy as the defenders recover, Max orders the mission to begin.

Vanguard forward, dont give them time to fully recover.

Nico charges or the door at full speed, light arms fire ringing off her hull. She has her thermal lances in flamethrower mode, burning everything near her as she runs. The first vehicle she reaches is a personnel carrier, which she grabs in a claw and hurls down the street into a tracked vehicle, causing a large explosion and a lot of screaming.

Russo, get in position. Youre a close combat Mecha today. Max calls, firing into a dilapidated brick building, collapsing it across the street on his right to show the advance of enemy armor.

His next two Battle Cannon rounds hit buildings that his thermal sensors indicate have a lot of moving targets inside, while Nico has made close combat with the enemy tanks. They seem to have misjudged the speed of a Kepler Mecha, and her twin claws are flipping and crushing armor assets one after another..

Incoming Mecha. Nico calls, which seems to wake up Ibanez, but Russo is still just standing at the door to the lander.

A wing of Line Mecha in a pattern Max doesnt know climb the rubble of the destroyed buildings and are met with the firepower of two Battle Cannons. A direct hit from the mighty main weapon wielded by either of the two Crusaders instantly destroys the light mecha, sending shrapnel flying.

That makes Max realize why Nico is throwing ruined tanks everywhere. The thermal lances set the interior on fire and detonate the magazine. Throwing them gets them well away from her Mecha when they inevitably blow up. Plus, the Psychological factor of a sea of flames and tanks being thrown about like toys cant be discounted.

A metallic object flies past Max, who easily sidesteps, but it slams straight in to Russo.

Turn your external audio off and get to work you fething halfwit. Nico yells at him over the intercom.

Max keeps his on minimum volume instead of muted, but turns it up a little too see what she means. The screams of crushed and burning infantry are sporadically drowned out by the booming of Battle Cannons and the crackle pop of stored munitions exploding.

Russo has a hearing enhancing system ability, he must have had it activated and had gotten himself overwhelmed by the realism of the simulation. Whatever the case, hes in action now, moving into position and firing his Ion Destroyer.

Nico is using her Mechas claws for their original purpose now, tearing down buildings and burning the contents to create a ring of rubble around their location at such a rapid rate that it only takes a few minutes until shes got a nice rubble wall built. Ꮇ∀ⅬƎМҎΥᎡ.ϲՕᎷ

The burning of the city almost hides the signature of the incoming aircraft from Max, since theyre not showing up on radar. But the same is true for his team, the smoke and heat will hide the Mecha.

Incoming Aircraft. Get your top guns ready. Nico, the satellite feed shows a military unit to the south, head there and try to draw the bombers away. Max instructs.

Nico grabs the burning husk of a tank and throws it down the main street in front of her to absorb any heavy weapons fire that might be directed her way. It makes it most of a block before exploding from impact with an incoming shell.

But Nico is right behind it and the reinforcements are soon engulfed in a sea of fire. The residual burning wont hurt a Crusader Class Mecha, but the heat signature should draw the attention of the incoming aircraft and the smoke will make it hard to visually target the close combat Mecha.

Those Heat Lances are a Horrific weapon against infantry, with a range of over seventy meters and fuel that spits globs of burning liquid and sticks to the target when it makes contact while incompletely burned like that. Max recalls that in his past life such things were prohibited, but in this life theyre simply a niche technique of war.

Suddenly a targeting square flashes in Maxs vision, indicating a Battle Cannon Target. He doesnt hesitate and a second later a low flying troop transport comes over the horizon and straight into the Battle Cannon round, which punches into the engine and explodes, taking the rotors off the helicopter and sending it plummeting to the ground.

Its not alone though, a wing of bombers are right behind it and moving much faster. The Anti aircraft guns of all three Mecha engage at once, filing the sky with plasma explosions as the jets begin evasive maneuvers. His tracking Talent couldnt seem to lock on to them, until Max recognized that pattern as a set of Kepler Standard evasion maneuvers.

That lets him predict a little better, and he fires the Battle Cannon, knowing the flight time will be over a second, then herds a bomber to the desired location with his top guns.

The round makes its way to the target with a thunderous explosion as the bombers cargo is detonated, the unstable design of the local ordinance lighting up the sky in a greenish burning, low hanging star. Fusion bombs are nothing new to Kepler, but theyre normally not deployed against populated areas, and certainly not in the sort of numbers needed to create a blast like that.

The damage sends warning runes flashing all over his display as the entire section of the city is leveled. Fortunately, they were still Kilometers away from the Mecha, so it didnt cost Max anyone in his patrol, but he suspects that hitting the plane with a Battle Cannon isnt found anywhere in the standard procedures.

That has dampened the defenders will to fight and moments later the notification of the end of scenario brings them back to the simulation staging screen.

Youre a Mad Man, you know that right? Even using Ion based anti aircraft against a nuclear bomber is risky, but you actually managed to hit one with a high explosive artillery shell. Russo laughs as the simulators calculate their scores.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

42 Chapter 42

But forget that, where did you learn to fight like that, Nico? Russo continues and her laughter fills the speakers.

Did you ever play Chomp Man, the video game?

The kids game where you eat rocks and spit them at your enemies? Of course. Oh, Seriously? Well it worked out pretty decently. The stocky Cadet laughs, then goes silent as memories of the simulated battle fill his mind.

Max looks into his memories and sees what caused him to freeze. Extra sensitive hearing coupled with the sounds of hundreds of soldiers burning alive, all at once. Having seen that, Max totally understands, and wishes hed never looked in on the other mans thoughts.

[Cadet Max, targeting effectiveness 82 percent, 104,823 confirmed kills. Civilian casualties exceeds threshold, Command Officer notified.]

Max thinks thats a bit unfair, its not like he fired the nukes. But the Colonel should understand the situation. The others must have gotten their results as well, since theyre all logging out of the simulation already..

Welcome back Cadets. Very impressive results in todays mission, that is record time to bring a city into compliance in this scenario. The odds of a cascading reaction from a damaged warhead might be infinitesimal, but success against minuscule odds is still success. Colonel Marino greets them once Max exits his simulator.

Ibanez, you need to be more aggressive on the attack. A Crusader Class Mecha has more offensive than defensive power. Russo, we will talk later about you freezing, and you will be taking additional lessons in the proper combat techniques for close combat Mecha. Russo winces at that, their days are already long, with extra lessons he wont be getting much sleep this week.

Nico, the flamethrower into into the munitions bunker was a nice touch, but at least try not to get shot constantly. The repair crew would hate you for what you did to that Mecha, no matter how effective it was.

Yes, Sir. Nico doesnt even try to hide her smile, and Ibanez makes chomping motions with his hands in her direction.

Cadet Max, overall, decent strategy. However, as team lead, it was your duty to get Russo back to reality. Dont wait for anyone else, demand full capability at all times. You will have leadership practice while Ibanez and Russo take piloting supplements. Cadet Nico, follow Corporal Fritz to the repair bays. You can return to piloting classes when they say youve learned your lesson.

Corporal Fritz. Its a pleasure to meet you. Given my history with damaged Mecha, I expect to see you again in the future. Nico gives the fist to the chest Kepler Salute and follows the mechanic to the repair bays.

For Max what comes next is a virtual reality set of leadership drills. Ineptitude, insubordination, going off mission, personal misconduct, there is no form of disciplinary issue that he doesnt face during the missions that afternoon and through the next day.

When he gets to breakfast the third day, only Cadet Nico is there, already eating. Its the first time hes seen her in days, so Max grabs the seat next to her and realizes she smells like burnt welding rods and grease, despite still being damp from the shower and carrying a gentle overtone of citrus body lotion.

Having fun with leadership training? Nico laughs, seeing the bags under his eyes and the way he barely dragged himself to the dining hall.

You have no idea. Its like leading first year Cadets into battle. Anything that can go wrong does, and it is all I can do to attempt to correct their mistakes. Max sighs, but Nico smirks at him.

Dont wait to correct their mistakes. Does the General wait? No, he tells you off in advance, because he expects you to screw up. Do the same with your missions and I think youll have an easier time of it. Nico suggests.

Max is thinking that over when Corporal Fritz comes to get her again, looking as rough as Max feels.

Nico, lets get a move on. One more day of double shifts and we should be through the worst of the repairs.

You sure youre up to it Fritz? Didnt you pass out in the middle of second shift yesterday? Nico teases with a laugh.

That wasnt my fault, the sensors failed to detect the compressed gas leak. Fritz complains as Nico gets up to join him, clapping Max on the shoulder, still having to reach up a little, despite Max being seated.

Good luck, Max. Dont forget what I told you, Im sure it will work out better.

The first simulation of the day is to lead a group of fresh University Cadets in Line Mecha through a Parade drill. One of the simulations that Max hates the most, as theyre so unforgiving.

Good Morning Cadets. Today we are having a parade drill. Now, Im a reasonable and understanding man, so I will go easy on you. The entire unit will do one lap of the academy at Parade March for every time a step is missed during todays drill.

Youre awfully quiet, arent you thankful for my mercy?

Sir, Yes Sir. The Cadets call back, and Max can hear the change in their voices from the times he gave orders over the past few days. The advanced reminder of consequences has made them all focus on the task at hand.

Cadets fall in to parade formation, Double file. Face Right and March. Knees up Cadets, youre on parade not creeping through the swamp. Left, Right Left, Right. Keep your timing. Unit C7, your other left. Do we need to go over that again? Get back in time with the others.

Thankfully thats the only mistake the simulated unit makes this time, and they finish up without further incident. Good work everyone. Now thank unit C7 for your extra lap of the Academy and March.

Colonel Marino, who is watching the simulation play through, smiles at Cadet Maxs drill instructor impersonation, but the results are impressive. Only one failure to keep time is impressive, given the limited skills and the personalities that these Cadets were programmed to have.

Russo and Ibanez are not having any easier time of things. Theyve been running the most nightmarish of combat drills sixteen hours a day the past few days, and this morning, both slept in. They thought that the Colonel assigned to watch them was strict before, but today, hes not just strict, theyre also on punishment detail for showing up late.

Theyve been blown up in ways they never thought possible, shot in the back by incompetent allies, sent on suicide missions and basically tortured all day. But the worst of it is, they know theyll be doing it all again in the morning.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

43 Chapter 43

It has taken an entire week of intensive training before any of the Cadets are cleared to return to normal schedule. Russo and Ibanez are still having trouble meeting General Tennants insane expectations for Pilot performance, but Max has been achieving consistently positive results the past few days.

Max had been using a more positive reinforcement method than he did the first day, finding that the more experienced Pilots respond better to it, while the Cadets need the verbal equivalent of someone slapping the stupid out of them. Either way, warning them of common mistakes in advance is the way to go in terms of effectiveness.

Cadet Nico was cleared on the same evening, despite the objections of the repair bays who wanted to transfer her to their unit full time. Her Mecha Modification skill was a big hit among the repair staff, as she could diagnose in an instant, and give instructions that left a mecha unit better than new.

When left to work with the junior techs, who didnt have any repair related System Talents, the increase in efficiency was incredible. Every time a mecha repair was finished, she simply walked down the row and gave everyone a task list as she went to get another unit to fix.

Quite a few Mecha were damaged in a variety of ways during the Scavenger attack, and since they were headed on a mission, getting everything working again in a hurry was top priority.

If they needed help while Nico was in the middle of a repair, the junior techs would just call for her attention and bring over their diagnostic tablets to explain their problem. It saved their supervisors a lot of trouble and headaches, as well as allowing less talented mechanics to take on more complex repairs without needing an extra set of more skilled hands..

While Max is practicing his hand to hand combat with some of the Infantry soldiers, a notification comes through to everyones smart watches and the ships data screens. They have been assigned an emergency change of mission and will be making a stop at a nearby space station to restock.

Over the course of their deployment, not only the infantry numbers, but also the spare mecha parts and ammunition storage for the 42nd have been depleted. The Abraham Kepler is capable of manufacturing additional munitions if it had the raw materials, but theyre almost out.

Theyre also still down a number of mecha, mostly spare units, but General Tennant has Requisitioned Mecha for the Cadets, now that theyre going to be headed into combat. He might not be satisfied with the preparation of the Cadets, but four of them can pass the Crusader Class Qualifications, and the others have formed two reliable wings, each with a Corvette Class certified operator.

The destination for resupply is a space station in the orbit of the star officially known as Kepler 142. The 42nd are all excited to arrive at the station, as it offers a variety of luxuries and opportunities for relaxation that the Abraham Kepler doesnt.

The system has a long and storied history with Mecha, and the Planetary Capital is called Tarith. Max cant recall if he was told about Nicos family once being important or if he read it in someones memory, but to have a planetary capital named after them is pretty impressive.

After his daily training Max rushes down to the Repair bays. If theyre going to be getting new mecha, the storage and repair bays should have information about them to check the units in.

Sorry, Cadet. I know youre excited, but until the official deployment orders come through, all we can tell you are the names of the unassigned units.

Three of them are fairly Generic, though strong names. Scimitar, Bulldog, and Stalwart. The final one is a bit of a surprise, the unit is named Tariths Rage.

He sees Nico coming over to check the list, the same as he did, and her eyes go wide at the Mecha names.

I guess we know where one of them is going. She laughs, and the Tech with her gives her a strange look. Ϻ√ⅬƎМⱣႸЯ.ϲӨϺ

How do you figure? he asks.

Cadet Nico is from a branch of an old noble family. The main branch of her family is from right here on Kepler 142. Max answers before a voice from behind cuts them off.

Fun random trivia time. General Tennant announces as he enters the mecha repair bays.

Cadet Nicos family is a branch family of an ancient family line whose main branch died out centuries ago. The soldiers nod, that has happened a lot after so many centuries of interstellar war.

The important part is how. Every single adult in the main family was a Mecha pilot. They died to the very last, all nine hundred odd adults, defending their planet against attack.

Wait, youre saying that Pilot Nico is Nico TARITH? Corporal Fritz, of the repair department says a bit too loudly, drawing attention.

Indeed she is, from the branch of the family that settled on Kepler Terminus. General Tennant smiles at the small form of Nico.

Get used to being a celebrity now, it makes it easier later.

Has anyone ever told you youre a mean person General? Nico asks It was a thousand years ago on a different planet than I was born on.

But it was still your family that held a planet for an entire year and a day. Corporal Fritz laughs.

Hes originally from Kepler 142, we picked him up a few years back as part of a troop transfer. The department Sergeant explains.

Dont mind him, its a local legend on this planet. Another tells them, raining on his parade.

You guys have no sense of history. That battle kept our planet safe for generations. Its a good thing you go by Nico, who knows how the locals might react to having a living legend return to the planet, especially to claim one of the heirloom Mecha from the station. Its been in stasis field storage since before there was a Kepler Empire.

So youre saying theres a lot of work to be done to bring the unit back into active duty commission? Nico asks, taking off her tool belt in preparation to end her shift.

Not only the Tariths Rage. All four unassigned units are veteran units that have been sitting in storage for at least a century. Crusader Class Chassis dont come easy these days, too many manufacturing planets have been attacked. General Tennant explains

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

44 Chapter 44

When the Abraham Kepler transitioned back to maneuvering velocities with the same stomach turning lurch that marked the transition to light speed, every Cadet rushed to a view screen to see the first new star system that theyd be visiting.

Kepler 142 Station was an enormous military hub, built nearly a millenia ago as an orbital defense station by the planets inhabitants. Once, it was said to shine in the night sky like a third moon, but now, with all the black hulled military ships docked and generations of continual repairs, most of the shine was lost.

Still, the sheer size of the station was incredible to Max, and he scrolled through his smart watch to bring up the specs. Over a million inhabitants, advanced Mecha and munitions processing facilities, asteroid processing bays, every imaginable type of retail shop.

For a kid from the slums, this place was heaven. In fact, he had never in his life had the chance to visit such a variety of stores. The best they had at home were the goodwill shop or the black market, and even then the selection was limited..

[All Cadets, meet at Training Room 3C for Mission Briefing and Clearance Passes.]

Thats not too far from the repair bays, and its the training area that the majority of the Special Forces Cadets have been using since they got on board the Abraham Kepler. Max jogs to the large open area, meeting most of the other Cadets along the way, and finds that General Tennant, as well as Colonel Marino are waiting there for them, along with a stout and hairy Colonel that reminds Max of Cadet Russo. By his uniform, hes Colonel Romano of the 42nd armored. The Cadets who have been fine tuning their Line Mecha and Corvette Class mecha skills all recognize him, so he must be their assigned instructor, like Colonel Marino does for the Crusader Class Cadets.

Welcome Cadets, I know youre all eager to get off the ship and onto the station, so we will keep this short. Your Passes have been uploaded to your wrist devices along with a map of the station. Your Academy Credits will also be converted into proper Kepler Credits once the Pass arrives. You have 12 hours to explore the station before resupply is finished. Anyone not back on board at that time will be written up. Anyone who misses departure entirely will be charged with desertion.

Once we are fully stocked and back under way, you will be fully commissioned and briefed on the next mission. Now go, enjoy your day off and meet back here by 0300 ship time. General Tennant instructs.

For some Cadets this is great news, a little spending cash and a trip to explore a massive space station. For others, theyd spent almost everything the academy gave them, so at best theyll be able to get a lunch that isnt on the ship menu. Even the prospect of Commission isnt quite as exciting for some, who were on the cusp of Corvette Class qualification, theyll be starting out as Line Mecha operators, in a standard Mecha wing, a few years earlier than planned, but not as Special Forces trainees.

Theres not much they can do about it now though, so theyre all determined to make the best of their day off before beginning whatever unit drills they will face to integrate them with their new compatriots.

Max wonders what sort of deployment he will be given. Four Crusaders is an odd number for a wing, and sending four rookies together is highly unlikely to happen. More likely they will all be broken up to go with other Mecha wings and bolster their numbers.

ƜѴᏞΕƜⱣҮᎡ.ƇΘᎷ

That makes him wonder how often he will see any of these people again after the mission. If theyre all assigned to the 42nd Armored, its great, theyll be seeing each other for many years.

But that doesnt often happen in Kepler, Crusader Class Pilots that are freshly assigned get moved around between units that have taken heavy casualties, and the 42nd is near full strength.

Lets go. Theres a place you really need to see. Nico whispers to Max once theyre all dismissed, pulling him towards the airlock.

The place he simply must see turns out to be a cafe of some sort. Nico walks up to the counter and talks in a low voice to the clerk, who comes out a few minutes later with two fancy coffee based drinks that smell faintly of caramel, as well as two slices of pie. He winks at Nico and then returns to his counter, taking more orders while his coworker runs them out to the tables.

I really had to see a coffee shop? Ill admit, the coffee and food are amazing, but how did that make the top of the list? Max asks, as he finishes his snack.

Nico subtly drops an item in his hand and points at her head, indicating that Max should read her thoughts. The thing thats on her mind now is that she found a fellow hacker while exploring the bases computer systems, and they had a hookup for a gray market local specialty.

What she found is a biotech drug that enhances the nanomachines that make up the system, making them more effective. Its not approved for use, since the locals dont want the military knowing about their advantages, but with the name Tarith, she managed to convince the hacker to get her two doses, one for each of them.

Max is pretty skeptical about putting unknown gray market drugs into his body, but this planet is apparently just as well known for their pilots as Kepler Terminus, where he was born in this life and where the System originated.

Thats got to count for something, if theyve been enhancing their kids for better performance. Nico took hers with the last sip of her coffee, and as Max is watching her thoughts, all memory of the drug disappears behind a firewall that he recognizes as the system.

Max decides to hold off for a moment, to make sure shes alright, but Nico has already moved on to talking about the next stops they should make on the station. Best to hold off for now, he decides, and make sure nobody is messing with her body or anything before they leave.

[System Notice: Non Integrated Nanotechnology Found. Assimilate Now?]

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

45 Chapter 45

If the system itself is going to assimilate whatever Nico has given him, it should be reasonably safe. At least thats what Max tells himself before he agrees to let the System assimilate the pill.

[System Talent: Unit Optimization Active]

[Optimizing Effects]

The pill triggers his System Talents? It must be more than a simple drug, perhaps a local form of Nanotechnology? If it is, no wonder its gray market, the Empire wouldnt just allow competing technology to float around or risk altering the system.

[Optimization Complete]

[Rate of Return Scaling Nullified]

[Base Modifier Increased]

Max isnt completely sure what all changed, but he feels incredible. A half second later, all memories relating to the upgrade fade from his mind, but the memories of Nico forgetting about it remain, giving Max enough insight into what happened to check his System Status..

[Compatibility Determined] Rank A

[Primary Attribute] STR 2.5x modifier

[Secondary Bonuses] DEX 2x, SPD 2x

[STR] 3+80%

[DEX] 3+44%

[SPD] 3+44%

[Innate Talent] Mind Reading

[Additional Function Unit Optimization]

Even as he looks at the system status, the memories gleaned from Nicos mind fade, leaving no trace, mental or physical of tampering, but giving him a greatly improved system.

The change has also pushed him past 150 total bonus points, and Max can feel a new ability beginning to form, but it seems to be waiting on something to fully activate.

The increase in his base stats was an enormous change though, and the increased strength is almost pushing Max off balance with every step he takes.

Alright Nico, where are we off to next. Max sighs at his enthusiastic friend.

Its only a minor stopover for me, but I think youll appreciate this one even more than a good cup of coffee.

She leads him through the winding hallways of the base as if she grew up here, never needing to slow or check directions, until eventually she stops in front of a plain looking kiosk with a grand gesture.

МƲⅬЕϺƤƳƦ.ϲⵔϺ

This, my good friend, is the Imperial Registrar. From right here, with just your signature and a witness that you have conveniently brought along, you can officially change your name.

Today is the gift that just keeps on giving. Max has thought a long time about this change, and has a name in mind. Hes gotten used to using Max as his family name and usual form of address, so he will make the title that served as his Family name in his previous life his given name in this one.

Got yourself a lousy name did you? Sign the sheet and well get you all set up. The worker tells him, having heard their conversation. Its not uncommon for new soldiers to leave behind their old name, and its the primary reason this particular station near the docks exists.

I did. Where do I sign to change it? Max asks, and the worker laughs quietly at seeing his official name come up on the data tablet.

Max signs the consent form with his new name and the system sends him a message.

[Name Setting Updated: Welcome Keres Max]

Not a bad choice. Ker is a common name on my world, so youll fit in with the common soldiers when youre outside your Mecha. What about you, Cadet Nico? Did you get a good one?

Im Nico Tarith. The family reverses it on the official forms. All of our given names are officially Tarith. Nico explains and the man nods in understanding.

Wouldnt want to go through the service with the weight of that history chasing you. Best to leave things as they are. He agrees.

Max mentally celebrates all the way to the arcade, Nicos next stop of importance inside the Space Station. Max sees that theyve got snooker tables unoccupied, so he pulls Nico over for a game, noticing that there are two different versions, standard and 3D, which is played in cube shaped gravity field.

That looks way more fun than the regular version, which neither of them is likely to miss a shot at, given their current status and System Compatibility.

Whats your System Rank, Cadets. Deltas play at setting zero, Gamma at 2 and Betas at Setting Four, unless theyre really good. A nearby soldier explains the options.

What do the settings do? Nico asks, examining the cube.

Altered Gravity pockets. The higher settings are both more intense, and the gravity wells begin to move about the table. Only balls in motion will be effected though.

Well, Im new at the game, so how about we start out at setting two and we can increase it if its too easy for Max here.

The machine picks Nico to break, and she puts on the game gloves, grabs a cue and floats in to the zero gravity cube. The gloves let you maneuver and stop, so you dont run into any of the balls.

She gets an intense look on her face and Max gets the distinct feeling that hes been played. After a final look around the game area, she drives the cue ball into the cluster of red balls and the strangest thing happens. One goes flying out at high velocity, bouncing between the colored balls, its trajectory curving as the ball passes the gravity wells, sending them all flying towards the scoring pockets before sinking into the top center hole.

The game is scored the same as traditional snooker, one point for red and increasing points for every color with the black ball being worth the most. But in this game, every shot must always hit a red ball first, and the colored balls are reset to their starting positions after every shot. The game ends when all red balls are sunk.

Over and over, Nico rotates through the red balls, using the same trick to sink everything, so Max looks through her memories, finding that she really hasnt seen the game before, its just that her calculation abilities are so high that its not a challenge.

She finishes the match with a perfect score and the soldiers in the arcade cheer for her as she waves to them.

I hope you didnt wager on this. Ive never seen anything like that before. The woman nearest to Max laughs.

Neither have I, but then shes always doing strange things, so I should have expected this to happen.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

46 Chapter 46

They only have time for a few rounds of 3D snooker before Nicos wrist device blares with an alarm. Its supposed to be an off day, but the alert is likely to be important.

The new units have just arrived at the hangars. That was Corporal Fritz sending me the message. Nico clarifies for both Max and the curious audience that has been watching their matches.

Your first personal Mecha, Cadets? One of the onlookers asks, enviously.

Yeah, were being graduated early along with the whole class of special forces Cadets. Max nods.

Good luck then. Hopefully you get a nice relaxing honor guard mission for your first. Just come back safe, we want to see who was going to win this match. The Private jokes as the two Cadets say their goodbyes..

The ships crew is not at all surprised to see them racing back towards the airlock a few minutes later. It hasnt been long since they received the new Crusader Class Chassis, and the guard recognizes the small Cadet from her recent time at the repair bays.

Its no secret that four of the new units are for Cadets, in fact the entire 42nd Armored is excited about it. Piloting Cadets good enough to start their career so high up the ranks are one in ten thousand, so having four on board at once has attracted the attention of a good portion of the other pilots.

Both Cadets raise their wrists to have Theriot devices scanned in as they run by, ignoring the short line of soldiers headed in and out. Being called to duty while docked at a station is something theyve all faced, and standing around chatting in line when youve been Summoned isnt an option.

Max and Nico arent headed to official duty, but for them, its just as exciting. Once the Mecha are in their bays, they will finally know for sure what units theyll be assigned to.

Neither of them knows quite how Tariths Rage is equipped, but if they can get the spare parts, the crew will do some customization for the new pilot, to suit Nicos tastes. Max doesnt have any clues as to what he will be assigned as a mecha, but hes hoping for maximum firepower to suit his System Skills.

The initial assignment recommendations are actually done by the system. If they were regular graduates, theyd also put in a request for a specific armament, and then command would finalize it. But with an emergency requisition, theyll simply take what they get and like it, or try to get a change of equipment later.

That can be more difficult though, as Commanders build patrols around what their mecha are equipped for, and a drastic change to even one unit can throw out the balance.

ϺѴ∟ƎƜⱣƳƦ.СӨᎷ

Cadets, Ive been expecting you. Over this way, weve just confirmed your units into the system and youre in time to help with the check in procedure. Corporal Fritz calls as they enter the aft Mecha bays.

This place has always been relaxing to Max. Something about the smell of mecha,b or the Forest of Drab Green and brown mechanical bodies waiting for action, their camouflage only broken by the yellow and black iconography of the 42nd mechanized.

Fritz leads them to the back, by the cargo airlock where all newly received items are quarantined and checked for count, quality and possible contamination. Among the rows and rows of supplies, munitions and replacement light mecha, four giants stand. Three are liveried in blue armor over a silver chassis, while one is Crimson Red over bronze.

Max reads the chest mounted nameplate of the crimson mecha, finding that it is indeed Tariths Rage. It carries an antique pattern Ion Destroyer on the right arm, and a gauntlet hand is equipped on the left, with a vicious looking serrated sword.

The Gauntlet had been modified to have two light rail guns above the knuckles, and the coaxial weapon mounted in the left side of the chest is the same. Atop the gracefully curving Turtle shell of its upper armor sits an Ion based quad anti aircraft battery.

It looks simple, and nearly obsolete with age, but between that Ion Destroyer and the Rail Guns, that Mecha is capable of putting an incredible amount of hurt on a light to medium Armored ranged target. Nico is grinning at it like a love struck groupie meeting their idol, but Fritz leads the pair to another mecha first.

Stalwart, the nameplate on the chest armor reads. Its a fully long range specced mecha, with a Battle Cannon on the right and a Gatling Battery on the left. Each arm has a Flamethrower mounted under the gun, and the coaxial weapon on the chest is a smaller Gatling gun. That is perfect for Max, who can effectively use every weapon at the same time.

Unlike the Tariths Rage and every other Crusader Class Chassis hes seen with a single centrally mounted carapace weapon, Stalwart has rocket pods on each shoulder, each half the capacity of a standard unit. The overall firepower is unchanged, but in theory, it could still be mounted with an anti aircraft weapon or additional rocket pod.

Again, the elegant Turtle shell top armor plate is antiquated compared to the sleek curve of the modern units, but it is a beautiful mecha nonetheless.

Pilot Max, welcome to your new home. Shes been cleared for pathogens and invasive species, so you can begin the receiving checklist and system operations tests. Be sure to enter everything into the tablet step by step, since the unit needs to be double checked by a senior tech before we can fully clear it. Any mistakes in the list will hold up the process. Fritz says, handing Max a data tablet and pointing to the steps that lead up to the gantry and the walkway near the top of the Mecha.

Thats all the encouragement that Max needs, and he takes off at a run towards his new mecha, the crew in the receiving area cursing when he pushes by, then laughing when they realize the who and why of the situation.

A new Crusader Class Mecha is a big thing for Pilots, a once in a lifetime event for many and a dream for many more. Theyre not about to spoil the young Pilots moment by reprimanding him about decorum and receiving area safety regulations.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

47 Chapter 47

Max climbs the gantry at a full-out run, swinging off the yellow and black hazard striped safety trails to make the corner. He only slows down when he gets to the more precarious footing of the Mechas curved upper armor.

The top and side hatches are both already open, so Max drops in from above, sliding gracefully into the Pilots seat thanks to his enhanced physical abilities and only narrowly avoiding snagging his head off of the top hatch as he fails past it.

Max taps the activation code indicated on the new equipment checklist, and the Mechas system flickers to life.

[Welcome, Pilot Max. Command Codes Recognized.] The Mechas large front internal display screen reads, showing the default view of the outside world in the visible light spectrum.

[System Ability Active: Optimizing Unit].

While System does its thing, Max starts verifying the items on the checklist. Quality and condition of the seat and brackets, then the harness, the neural link headset. As he makes his way through the itemized list of cockpit components, the system optimization completes.

[Unit Optimized, No Errors Detected.]

Thats reassuring, but Max continues through the list carefully, one item at a time, then exits the cockpit to begin the external checks. After being in storage so long, Max is more worried about age deteriorated seals that will blow once the unit starts working than he is about stress fractures from its last tour of duty. Still, he doesnt have any information about the Mechas history to indicate how or if it was maintained, so leftover combat damage is a possibility.

Many seals and hoses are visibly aged, but all the mechanical joints and bushings are solid, showing no signs of wear, and look freshly greased. It takes Max two hours to check every part and fitting, leaving him with over a hundred points that he recommends for maintenance or upgrades before putting the unit in service.

Compared to the total, thats not too bad, and functionally the unit did pass inspection, with every system and joint properly operational.

By the time hes finished, Ibanez and Russo have both arrived and begun their inspections. Theyre both just as excited about their new units as he is, stopping every so often to simply admire their new mecha.

The blue over silver color scheme is a beautiful look, and Max is a bit sad to realize that it will have to change to match whatever unit he ends up being assigned to, the same as the other units will. The camouflage of the 42nd looks reasonably good, but unless youre flying by at high altitude, youre not going to mistake a unit of Crusader Class Mecha in the open for a stand of trees or anything else.

Nicos Mecha seems to have gone to the extreme opposite end of the visual spectrum, being blood red with lengths of chain hung from the shoulders like sinister wind chimes. They end in hooks, making Max wonder if the previous occupant hung war trophies from them.

Razor wire loops ring the upper carapace armor and the waist joint, and the shin plates are spiked. It must have spent a lot of time in close combat if the pilot saw a need to prevent infantry climbing the mecha.

ƜƲⅬƎϺƤҮƦ.ϽӨМ

As the name suggests, everything about Tariths Rage is designed to intimidate, and Max wishes he could have met the pilot who did that to his Mecha. Its all so deliberate that there must be a story behind it.

All done the inspection, Pilot? If you are, Ill take the checklist and do the verification so we can get Stalwart moved to the bays for upgrades and renovation. A voice calls from the catwalk behind him.

Just checking my work. Im sure its all finished, but Ive never done it before. Max tells him, walking over to the tech.

Max jumps the three meters from the Mecha to the walkway, and the Tech sighs. Must be nice to be Alpha Ranked; those physical skills are barely human.

Theyd grown so smoothly through training that Max had never really noticed. Still, with the recent increase in his base stats that he could not recall being notified of by the system, the cumulative effect was incredible.

Living with it every day, you forget its not normal. Id think the F Ranked who never activated their systems feel the same way about Deltas and Gammas, who are easily twice as capable. Max shrugs.

The two stop talking and turn to look and laugh as a string of curses and death threats come from the direction of Tariths Rage. The tech doing the second round of checks got tangled in the razor wire at the edge of the carapace armor.

How he managed it, theyre not sure, but hes so mad he wont stop moving so his comrades can rescue him, which is only causing more damage.

From what they can gather, the crew who cleaned the unit after storage waxed the armor so well its ice slick. The only ones in the receiving area who arent entranced by the spectacle are Nico and Fritz, who are more interested in arguing the merits of the so-called Light Rail Guns.

Theyre light compared to the main armament version that fires a ten-kilogram projectile, but they still send out a half kilogram round at nearly twenty times the speed of sound.

Fritz thinks theyre overkill and should be replaced with a more practical weapon; Nico believes they need a higher capacity munitions storage compartment and a higher rate of fire.

Unlike a standard unit such as Stalwart that uses a Rad Engine, the ancient design of Tariths Wrath uses a much higher powered Thorium Reactor. Even with the Ion Destroyer, it has the power to spare. Power that Rail Guns use a lot of.

Max wonders what exactly shes planning to shoot with those fist-mounted railguns. Even without her modification skill, they fire once a second and can punch a hole in a Line Mecha with relative ease. If it werent for the crazy power usage and lack of flexibility, the rail guns would have been one of Keplers most popular weapons.

The Battle Cannon, Gatling Battery, and Ion Destroyer all have the option for high explosive area damage; the Rail Guns do not. It had been tried, of course, but either the magnetic field or the acceleration caused issues with every explosive they had, so the project was abandoned.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

48 Chapter 48

Once all the units were cleared and double checked by the senior staff a path is made to walk the Crusaders to their berths in the maintenance bays for refurbishment.

Max knows hes got a lot of work ahead of him to get everthing perfect, but its going to be worth it. By the time hes finished he will know every nut and bolt on his new mecha.

[Initialization Complete]

[Unit Optimized]

Before he starts to move, Max uses the sensors to inspect the other units, to see if there are any major differences between these units that were made centuries apart. Design evolution isnt covered in class or in the simulators.

Theyre very similar, right down to the structural alloy composition, except Nicos, which has a number of rare elements in the structural alloy that give it that bronze color. Its also slightly different in structure under the armor, an Ancient design that his System identified as being slower, but more durable than Stalwarts more modern design..

Having seen how aggressive Nico is when she gets the chance at close combat, thats probably a good thing, even if the speed difference hurts her potential.

The oil based coating on the armor is strange as well. According to his sensors, its mixed with the blood of a species Max doesnt recognize. Even his Mechas database only has their name and no details. For that reason he cant tell if its a local manufacturing technique or some sort of battle ritual.

Max isnt a superstitious man, but polishing your Mecha with the blood of your enemies seems a bit extreme. He will have to ask Nico about it later and see what she has learned.

Soon after his startup checks, Stalwart received the clearance to move and a route appeared in his Heads Up Display, leading Max to his storage berth, not far from the receiving area.

The staff all cheer as he begins to move, showing their support for the new pilots and Max can see that in the crowd both Sergeant Fritz and the Local workers from the station have teared up a little from the sight. These heirloom mecha must have a special history, so Max requests all historical documents on Stalwart be sent to his cockpit.

Hes reached his berth before Nico begins to move, giving a Salute to the station with her sword and stalking through the bay. Her Mecha looks more predatory than upright and proud the way most Mecha do, and Max notices that along the structural changes, it also has an extra leg joint, hinged the opposite direction as the normal knee.

It makes the gait more animalistic, with a larger range of motion for climbing obstacles. It looks like a very functional design and Max wonders why it didnt catch on. Could it be that the extra joint was discarded for ease of control?

He pulls up the records for Tariths Wrath to check, but finds the only things recorded are that it was taken from stasis for the unification war, but no suitable pilot was found, so it was returned to stasis storage without ever leaving the Kepler 142 station.

Stalwart on the other hand has over a hundred years of battle records after the Kepler Empire was founded, mostly defending this system with the Planetary Guard. It has faced every sort of enemy Max could imagine and reigned victorious.

Max gets to work replacing aged parts once the spares begin to arrive, making solid headway before a notification comes through to his smart watch.

[All Cadets Report to Mess Hall 3A for briefing.]

Max climbs down from where he is working, descending the scaffolding to the ground. The other three Cadets are just as reluctant as he is to leave their mecha, but this should be the briefing to get their official commissions and their orders. Its not something they can afford to be late to.

As they enter the mess hall, they see a number of officers gathered into four groups, along with a few dozen Pilots of the 42nd Armored. Each Cadet is handed a uniform in a sealed storage bag and a data tablet as they enter, falling in to face General Tennant.

You will all get a chance to return to your Mecha tonight, but first, orders and assignments must be made. Our destination this trip is KX117, a mining colony locally known as Belmont that is facing an attempt by insurgents to wrest control of the munitions supply mines from the Kepler Empire.

Your assignment leaders have been color coded, and your specific missions will be revealed by your group leaders.

Both wings of Special Forces Cadets in Line and Corvette Class Mecha get red screens on their tablets and join Colonel Romano, while Russo and Ibanez get green and blue, joining separate Crusader Class Pilots that Max doesnt know.

He gets a black screen as does Nico and Max notices the other Commanders making a little gesture that many soldiers believe wards off bad luck.

Colonel Cortez of the 111th infantry, as well as Sergeant Enns of Bravo Company and a Lieutenant named Becki from the 42nd Armored are waiting for them with a grim smile.

We will get right to it. You have be been chosen to accompany Bravo Company for the landing on Belmont, in the Vanguard wave of landings. We are expecting heavy artillery bombardment, but light to no mecha presence.

Bravo Company is a hundred men strong, under the command of Captain Catan. I believe you already know Sergeant Enns, who is representing your infantry support today. Lieutenant Becki, will lead your light Mecha support.

As the senior Command units, you will be leading the mission, and Captain Max has been chosen as mission Commander, with Captain Nico as his second.

Thats enough to nearly give Max a heart attack. His first mission is a Vanguard strike into occupied territory, leading a single wing of Line Mecha and an infantry Company?

From what he understands of Kepler Military strategy, mixed units are usually reserved for Special Forces missions, and being in the Vanguard means nobody is coming to assist you. Theyll be so far beyond the front lines that their mission is what the Empire calls a Success Only deployment.

Your maps and unit details are on the tablet. Ill leave you to it. Colonel Cortez declares, getting up from his chair and leaving the room.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

49 Chapter 49

Max inspects the details and the map he has before addressing the others. Can anyone tell me how this assignment was chosen?

Sergeant Enns looks around and smiles. You see, escort Mecha are chosen by their history. You two are in the Mecha that have the most illustrious histories among all unassigned units, so you got the nod direct from central command. Bravo Company are the finest soldiers that The 111th has, and Becki here is on punishment detail.

The heavily freckled, Ginger haired man flips the infantry soldier off, then laughs. If I wasnt so fething good they would have busted me to Private by now, like they did my wing. But no fears Stalwart, we know what were doing. You make the orders and we will follow them.

Thats a relief. I was worried they would give me a bunch of incompetent washouts who could manage to shoot their own Crusaders in the back. General Tennant would call it a leadership test. Max jokes.

Looking at our landing zone, Im thinking doors east, Tariths Rage will lead with a Battle shield, Stalwart will follow at full fire volume. Light mecha will clear the north building, Infantry goes south. That looks like a vehicle storage to me, commandeer as much as you can.

The obvious danger of this plan is that they will be exiting the lander towards what is likely to be a group of tanks and artillery guns. They will need to clear them fast, but going the long way around and using the lander as a shield would just increase the amount of time they would get shot at..

They dont have any good options, so the unit leaders are fine with Maxs plan. It looks a lot better to them than the usual plan of use the infantry as Cannon Fodder to soften the target before the big guns come out.

They are still inspecting the satellite feeds from Belmont when the departure notification comes through and the Abraham Kepler makes the transition to faster than light travel.

This time Max is ready and the feeling isnt so bad, but hes certain that feeling wont ever be one he actually manages to totally ignore.

All they can do is wait for the ship to arrive, so Max returns to Stalwart to finish his upgrades. He will be dropping in to Belmont for his first mission in under 48 hours and he wants to be ready and well rested, if thats even possible for a first drop.

By the end of the first day, Max has everything on the checklist finished, but hes still not happy with the way the Gatling Battery loads. Its Optimized as well as it can be by his skill, but it still feels clunky, despite being within tolerances.

Nico, want to come give me a hand with this? I just cant get the belt feeder quite right. He calls over to where Nico is painting smiley faces on the bottom of her Mechas feet.

He really doesnt want to know.

Nico easily climbs the Mecha to sit on top of the Gatling Battery, pulling the inspection covers open.

Just as Max did, she measures everything, but then she releases the feed belt and starts measuring the actual rounds. Theyre all within tolerances, but on the other end of the range from the Gatling Battery. A few quick tweaks followed by something Max cant understand, that she does with her System Ability, and Nico closes the unit back up.

I polished and honed the chamber mouths for poor quality ammunition. Try the feeds now.

[Optimizing Unit]

Now the feed is textbook smooth. No hints of delays, barrel push, dragging or anything but perfection.

Thanks Nico. Mind double checking the Battle Cannon as well? It is pretty good, but you have got the magic touch.

Nico obliges without hesitation and Maxs System Optimizes again, adjusting to her changes.

Thats as good as it is going to get. Good thing they didnt want us to sneak in anywhere, between Stalwart and my Rail Guns, everyone within Kilometers will know we are coming.

Max can see Nico is still using her System Talent on Stalwart for a few more minutes, looking to anyone observing like she is doing an inspection of the Battle Cannon she just modified. It doesnt seem to be doing much until Max gets a notification

[Legacy Equipment Online: Repulsion Shield]

Thats a technology Max didnt think he would ever get his hands on. New Mecha arent equipped with it, because multiple direct hits can overload the Power Plant, but the shielding makes an invisible energy film over the Crusaders Armor, reducing damage from energy weapons and projectiles to nearly nothing.

This shield is the reason Rail Guns are still in service, the incredible velocity carries a lot of kinetic energy, which overloads the shield, even though the projectile would deform on modern armor and do minimal damage.

A higher output version of this shield is standard issue in Phalanx Class Mecha, which have more available power, and thats the only reason Max is even familiar with them.

Nobody ever removes them, they just disable them when they cant get the parts to fix them anymore. But now you know why Stalwart has such a storied history, and why it was really put into storage. Nico explains.

Like so many other non standard items, after centuries of war, the parts became obsolete, the plants were retooled to make more common items and the loss was deemed acceptable in the grand scheme of things.

With the ability to absorb a direct hit or two, this mission becomes a lot less risky in the early stages, at least for Max.

Having Stalwart in such good condition helps Max relax as he watches the ongoing Battle of Belmont through the next afternoon, double checking for changes in the situation near their proposed landing zone. Max feels like he has just fallen asleep to get ready for tomorrows mission when the ship wide intercom blares.

[All Combat Units To Stations. Launches will begin 30 seconds after transition from faster than light travel in Exactly 4 hours.]

Theyre well ahead of schedule, so its time to start loading up the Mecha into their assigned landers. The faster they can get done the more time they have to make final adjustments to the plan.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

50 Chapter 50

Max orders the infantry to load first, as they will be the last ones out, and all 100 members of Bravo Company file into the Lander. Theyre now nine years into their ten year long term of service, and combat drops are nothing new to them.

The idea that the Crusader Class Mecha escorting them will be their shield during the critical moments of the landing is a new one, though. Few Commanders have given them that much consideration, especially at the risk of a high value asset, so theyre not going to let down the expectations of these new pilots.

Captain Max has faith in them to take the right flank and is willing to draw fire himself to ensure that they can reach the suspected vehicle storage warehouse. To the much-abused infantry, thats well worth their very best effort.

The lander is loaded and ready with two hours to spare. The infantry starts getting comfortable, and Max is reminded of the day his System activated during the obstacle course at the academy. Just like Nico did, they stretch out and fall asleep right where they are, expecting the alarm before transitioning to waking them up in time to secure their belongings and get ready to launch.

Max is about to share the amusing memory with her, so he checks her thoughts to see what shes currently doing, only to find that she is already asleep on the small fold-down cot inside her cockpit.

Looking at the rack stored above his head, Max realizes he would have to stand and lean up against the far wall to deploy it so he could nap, but Nico is so short that she could leave it locked in the Deployed position above her head..

Its worth the hassle, though, so Max sets the alarm on his smartwatch for ten minutes before theyre scheduled to drop out of high-speed travel. That should give him enough time to get everything stored and ready before doing sensor scans, searching for any changes in their landing zone, and updating their plans if necessary.

It is not the alarm he set but the fifteen minutes to drop time ship-wide alert that wakes Max up. All the soldiers are getting into position, the light mecha pilots are getting strapped into their mecha, and disciplined readiness replaces the sleepy silence in the lander.

[Final equipment ready check. We already know it will be ugly when we land, and no changes in enemy deployment from the last update are visible in our landing zone.] Max informs the unit as they double check their kit and weapons.

Max does the same himself, finding that he has 30 days of rations and water, all systems check out, and ammunition storage is at 100 percent. Very few additional munitions are sent with missions like theirs to avoid arming the enemy, so Max will have to go easy with the Gatling Battery unless they find a lot of infantry and light vehicles.

The Gatling Battery is an amazing weapon, but it does chew through ammunition at a rather spectacular rate.

At the five-minute mark, the final locks are set on the lander in preparation to launch. From this point on, success is the only option; there is no way to back out.

With one minute to go, they are moved to the bay doors, then the stomach turning lurch of a rapid shift out of faster-than-light travel is followed almost immediately by the thrusters on their lander firing.

[So much for 30 seconds after translation] Nico jokes over the intercom as the friction of atmospheric entry begins to make their lander creak.

With that short of a delay between launch and atmospheric entry, the Abraham Kepler must have dropped them from a very shallow orbit. Thats good news for them, as it doesnt give time for orbital defenses to attack and very little time for ground based defenses to scramble, even though they were already expecting imminent retaliation by the military.

[Three minutes to landing] The ship intercom announces in its familiar mechanical voice. ƜᏙᒪЕƜⱣΥƦ.ƇՕᎷ

Max double-checks the satellite feed, seeing that more infantry has surfaced in their zone, and several tanks have been uncovered to the east, where the doors of the lander will open.

[Let Tariths Wrath clear the door. I expect high explosive artillery fire from the moment we land, and I dont want anyone getting caught in the blast radius.] Max reminds the infantry, who respond with their usual grunting affirmation.

[Rah]

With 30 seconds to descend, anti-aircraft fire becomes audible in their vicinity, and the shaking increases.

[Damage Exceeds Threshold. Automated Navigation Offline] comes the automated announcement after a cluster of nearby explosions tore tiny holes in the landers hull.

[Ive got this. Adjusting Landing zone for Close Combat Insertion. Stand clear of the doors.] Nico calls out, and the lander regains some stability.

[Manual Override Entered. Touchdown in 3, 2]

Just as the one is announced, the sound of crushing bricks and a sudden lurch jar the occupants of the lander, which digs in and screeches to a halt.

Before it has stopped moving, the doors are blown off their hinges, and Nico drops her battle shield, grabbing the much larger structure of a door instead and charging straight forward. She rotates the wrist of her Mecha, and the door turns sideways, blocking the entire lower half of the entrance to the lander from the hail of incoming bullets and tank shells but allowing Max to fire over the top.

All thought of saving ammunition is temporarily suspended. There are over a hundred previously hidden gun emplacements barricaded with sandbags in front of and beside him. Nico dropped the lander almost to the tanks at the far eastern side of their landing zone after it bounced off the roof of a building on approach.

The light mecha run left, making for the shelter of the buildings and lighting up the defenders with their Ion rifles and grenade launchers. Bravo Company will manage to head for the facilities on the right, mostly under cover of rubble and debris from their landing, so Max focuses on the gun emplacements while Nico Charges the Tanks.

Battle Cannon rounds make short work of scattering the sandbag defenses, and .75 caliber rounds from the Gatling Battery tear through both the bags and the soldiers behind them with equal efficiency.

Tariths Wrath is a faster runner than Max expected, and the Lander door has been discarded as it reached the tanks. Those furthest from her feel the Wrath of the Ion Destroyer while the multiple Rail Guns are punching holes in the tanks closest to the Crusader.

Max now has a targeting lock on all of the remaining gun emplacements, as well as several Infantry clusters, and his System Skill says hes ready to fire. The shoulder-mounted missile launchers can independently target twenty-five points each, and Maxs entire display is full of targeting boxes when he lets loose.

Half a second later, bright fire fills the air as the missiles find their marks, and the lightest Armored assets of the Defense force are obliterated.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

51 Chapter 51

The battlefield slowly falls silent, with the Mechas thermal imaging and system enhanced senses not indicating anything alive and moving near the landing zone other than their own team.

[Stalwart reports Landing Zone Secure.] Max calls over the long range radio, letting command know they have made it down and are still alive.

[Casualties minimal, moving to secure the area.]

The location they were assigned to was a staging area for enemy vehicles, but before that, it was a residential area near one of the planets smaller mines. A small, now destroyed downtown core with a few thousand vacant homes. Max isnt sure what happened to the locals, but they werent present during any of the scans of Belmont.

Is possible the whole region was abandoned and the mine closed before everything started, but after crashing a lander though it and the following battle, he would have to search the outlying homes to know for sure. The area around them is simply too damaged to make an educated deduction..

The infantry company sends out almost half their force as four platoons to search the village for any remaining hostiles, Each accompanied by two Line Mecha. Max plus the Corvette Class unit scout out any likely spots for Armored resistance together while Nico is designated to hold the landing zone with a damaged Line Mecha who has retreated inside the lander for emergency repairs.

All landers have a basic automated repair bay with a few spare parts, welding capability and a material printer, one of the high tech joys of Kepler society. Given the correct raw materials, it can create a wide variety of basic items on demand. Most commonly Mecha armor and infantry gear, but it can make basic ammunition as well.

A town this size is honestly too large for a single company to search, even with modern technology, but if they can eliminate the heaviest concentrations of enemy troops the remainder should retreat.

Fortunately for Bravo Company, they captured 80 percent of the armored vehicles, including two undamaged tanks, that were stored here in the warehouses Max assigned them to target first. The defenders were so focused on the giant Mecha that the infantry managed to seize the vehicles before the enemy operators could even get to them.

The resounding success of the strategy gave the infantry company a full complement of protective transport and a big bump in firepower at no cost. When they got this mission, with an untested Commander and a forward deployment, Bravo Company feared this was the end for them, but now theyre better equipped than ever.

Sporadic gunfire still sounds all over the city, but no serious fighting. It seems the open field they landed in held almost all the rebel forces that had assembled to guard this location. The Intel was correct, and being this far behind the lines of the current battle and out of reach of reinforcement from either force, they got off easier than expected.

Nico took a little damage from the close combat engagement, but Max didnt take a single hit to Stalwart. If it wasnt for his multiple targeting ability and the expenditure of dozens of rockets, that probably wouldnt have been the case though.

Before dark, Max orders all units to return to the freshly built compound and set up a defensive perimeter. Collapsed buildings now block all the main streets, preventing access by wheeled and most tracked vehicles, but a number of building basements are still accessible to serve as bunkers for the infantry or hangers for the light mecha.

Things might be calm now, but everyone understands that come nightfall, the insurgents are sure to either send reinforcements or a bombing run in an attempt to eliminate this force behind their lines.

The anticipated attack is right on time. Just as sunset makes optical scans useless for a few minutes, Maxs radar is jammed and his thermal scans pick up incoming aircraft. As is protocol, Max calls out to the incoming aircraft on the Kepler Military scrambled channels.

This is the Command Mecha Stalwart on all short range channels, bomber group, identify yourself or we will fire.

No response, the jets arent theirs.

Nico youre up. Lets see what those quad guns can do. The anti aircraft guns have a much better range than anything his Mecha carries, and without flak, trying to shoot down airplanes isnt easy.

When the bombers get to the 10km mark, the quad guns on top of Tariths Rage power up and explosions start wracking the sky, filling it with points of light as unstable plasma charges detonate, sending molten streamers through the air.

Seconds later a bomber explodes, then another. The aim is uncanny, like she knows exactly what their evasion pattern is going to be and puts Ionized plasma flak directly in their path. Three planes go down before the others break and turn away.

Theyll be back. Either with fighters or with ground support, now that they know we have anti aircraft capability. I need a full inventory of what we managed to obtain during the landing. Max instructs the unit, confirming the reports they sent earlier.

Weve got three vehicles with quad Flak guns on them, commandeered from the defenders. We also gained twelve Armored transports and two tanks, all fully stocked. Ill get them set up in a defensive pattern with a 24 hour crew. Bravo Company Captain Catan informs him.

As long as their supplies arent damaged by an enemy attack, that should be enough firepower to hold this position for a few days at least. For the infantry to gain vehicles of any sort is a huge benefit to his unit, space in the standard assault lander is too limited for such luxuries, and the Kepler Military isnt big on sending a lot of extra assets with the infantry during a Mecha led shock assault.

Ive got Line Mecha on patrol around the town perimeter. No resistance so far. Lieutenant Becki in the Corvette Class Mecha adds.

Split into three rotations, they dont even have enough Mecha to keep the perimeter under complete sensor coverage, but its still better than nothing. Theres nothing worse than going into a battle blind when your enemy knows your deployment.

Excellent. Our orders are to hold this location until further notice. Bunker down and get comfortable, we could be here a while. Max commands and everyone gets to work building fortifications and placing defensive weapons to better secure the ruins.

Even Nico makes herself a big pile of rubble to stand in, hiding two thirds of her crouched Mecha, but allowing full range of motion with her weapons. Max opts to simply stand inside the entryway of the lander with the broken door propped up as a shield in front of him, in case a stealth team tries to infiltrate.

Its too dangerous to leave infantry in the lander, in case of an incendiary rocket attack, but it makes a good shell around the Crusader Class Mecha.

The light mecha that are not on patrol bring what scrap they can from the tanks back to the lander, the material composition is similar, so the scrap can be used by the repair bay to create armor patches for their mecha.