hgfghuh - H.G.M.W.S.¹⁰¹

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 242 242 Job Well Done

Inquisitor General Ming arrived back aboard Abraham Kepler with an assortment of Rum and Cigars, as well as his personal favorite, a thirty-year-old Rye Whiskey that was made on his familys estate. No matter how many worlds he visited, or how far he traveled, that whiskey always reminded him of home.

Gentlemen, I see our Mercenary friends got a touch impatient while I was away. But, all is well that ends well, so I brought along a bottle of the good stuff to celebrate a world cleared of hostile aliens. The inquisitor greeted the other Generals as he entered the Command room.

Excellent choice. As the Mecha forces have burned almost all the bodies on the planet, we have begun a biological scan from orbit, and we will be sending various units to check the Klem signatures and either burn them or eliminate any survivors that might be found.

There arent many of them, though they are most prevalent in the area around the Mercenary base camp. It looks like they had a rather hard-fought battle before we arrived, despite appearing to still be near full strength. General Tennant agreed.

The orders were relayed to the surface, setting everyone in motion. The infantry loaded themselves into hover vehicles so that they could make decent time to their destinations, while the Mecha squads immediately split off.

Time was always of the essence against Klem, so no unit dared to delay their missions, even the Mercenary forces under Max had eagerly agreed to help clean up the area, so they could send the Kepler Fleet on their way.

Scouring the mountains for signs of Klem blood and body parts was a simple task, and the Fast Attack Mecha could quickly burn anything that they found, declaring the area sanitized and then moving on to the next point.

In this way, the mountains themselves were cleared in only a few hours, and by dawn the next morning, forces had scattered all over the region, searching for the last few signatures that were detected.

A few turned out to be buried eggs, waiting for the threats to leave so that they could safely hatch, but for the most part, it was just body parts and blood that were showing up on the sensors of the ships in orbit.

[Rage, now that were all finished up here, how about you and me spend a little time together? Get to know each other better? Im a good judge of character and nobody with that voice could be a bad person.] One of the Heavy Mecha Company Commanders from the Kepler fleet messaged Nico, shooting his shot while he had a chance.

[Oh, a nice intimate evening? Im game, but I must warn you, I only top.] Nico responded, making the Mecha give a series of lewd-looking hip thrusts in the direction of the allied Commanders Mecha.

[Why so quiet? Dont tell me our romantic evening has been prevented by a communications system failure?] Nico asked, the false sincerity clear in her voice.

[How about we take a raincheck on that? I, uh, just got notified of a thing I have to do.] He replied, making the pilots of both units, who could hear the conversation on the general channel, burst into laughter.

[She is taken anyhow, Major. Dont take it too personally, it takes a special sort of man to tame a woman like that.] Klinger laughed.

[All points clear. Klem infestation is verified removed from the planet. Please standby for orders.]

The message from Central Command broke up their joking and marked their last viable excuse to hide inside the Mecha.

It was customary for the leaders of a Reaver or Mercenary squad to shake hands with their allies in person to mark the completion of a deal, so it would be very strange and rude for Max and Nico at the very least not to exit their Mecha and visit with the other Regiment and Battalion Commanders.

This would be the greatest test of the units deception. If the Kepler Mecha force could be sent back to their ship without anyone realizing who they were dealing with, the operation had been successful. The Commanders had already seen them, but a video feed could be altered to show what you wanted it to. That is why Mercenaries did things face to face, where they could personally verify the identity of their employers and customers.

The opposite was true as well, and it led to a level of mutual trust being necessary for doing business, keeping slipshod operators and sketchy employers out of the loop.

Before they could assemble to finalize everything, a single shuttle was seen entering the atmosphere. It had come from one of the ships overhead, and the unannounced vessel made everyone a bit nervous.

Max and his unit feared that they had been made, while the Kepler forces feared that the Mercenaries would think they had been double-crossed. That might be the case on occasion, but today they had a significant advantage in firepower.

[General Ming and General Yaakov are incoming to your position for the final ceremony and data collection for the archives.] General Tennant informed them, only a few minutes too late.

The shuttle was on a shallow approach though, racing around the planet while slowly burning off speed, a technique that was highly unorthodox in this day and age, better suited to a sightseeing tour than a military insertion.

Though, it did make sense if they were trying to subtly search the planet for additional hidden threats, like a hidden Mercenary base, or additional Klem landfall sites.

[Understood General. We will be waiting for their arrival.] Max responded, getting ready to disembark.

Nico had made him a pair of black leather pants and a black military jacket with most of the patches removed, save for one that was modified with what Max recognized as Nicos family heraldry. She paired it with a bright red button-down satin shirt and a collection of fake gold jewelry, making Max stand out, but still look somewhat like a competent Mecha Commander. For herself, she had chosen a Flamenco dress in matching black and red, worn with combat boots and her hair tied up in an elegant bun.

The visibly mechanical features of her disguise made the outfit seem somewhat incongruous to the setting, but when she added a leather belt around her waist holding a pistol and sword and a shortened military jacket that almost matched the slightly battered-looking one that Max received, it somehow worked.

It was like an outcast Pirate had done her best to dress to impress, but just couldnt quite bring herself to leave her weapons behind, so she failed with a fashionable flair.

The other four Battalion Commanders joined them in the open field where one single tent had been set up for the meeting, each of them dressed wildly different, but all with the slightly militaristic style of the Reavers.

Nico must have been in contact with them, as they all had the same patch on their jackets that Max and Nico did, which was an ancient badge of the Tarith Family Reavers.

Outside of a few pre-Empire historians and the Reavers themselves, Max doubted that anyone alive would recognize the heraldry, but it was good to have everyone match so that the returning forces didnt have more questions about the alliance between multiple Mercenary forces.

The shuttle touched down gently, a hundred meters from the Commanders standing near the tent, under the watchful gaze of twenty Super Heavy Mecha, piloted by the Company Commanders and the Technicians of the Battalion Commanders.

Maxs own unit seemed to have no trouble tracking the shuttle while keeping an eye on the others, thanks to Nicos Technology Control abilities, so the immobile Mecha wouldnt give itself away as unoccupied.

The two Generals stepped out, followed by a dozen men of Abraham Keplers staff. Notably absent were the two adjutants or assistants that most Generals never went anywhere without. The Generals approached on their own, while the staff guarded the ramp to the Shuttle, looking like the relaxed but ready veterans that they were.

Greetings, Commander Keres, Miss Rage. I am General Ming of the Kepler Sector Defense fleet, as you no doubt already knew. This is General Yaakov of Central Command. We have the formal agreement documents on hand, as well as tokens of an alliance, signifying a successful alliance with the Kepler fleet. Feel free to use them in the future as proof of identity should you need to ally with the Fleet again. General Ming introduced himself with a genuine-looking smile.

You are too kind, General. As we said, this was a mutual interest. Max deferred.

Nico gestured toward the tent, and the Commanders of both forces made their way inside to where the cooks of both forces had assembled a buffet and a long table so the two sides could sit across from each other.

Once they were seated, General Ming was the first to speak. I would like to thank you all for your cooperation. The safety of the frontiers of the Kepler Empire is of paramount importance to all of us within both Sector Defense and Central Command. But I must say, that I never expected to see such a sight as what I found here on this remote world.

Not only the Mecha but to find so many impressive backgrounds assembled in one spot. Did you know that General Yaakov is one of the old Nobles, whose planetary rule predates the Empire? Of course, Miss Rage here is an impressive person herself, even if she chooses to keep quiet about it. The General began, giving the badges on their jackets a pointed look.

We cant forget about Commander Keres either. Though you might not be as notoriously influential in Kepler, your infamy was well noted among the Cygnus population. Max wasnt sure what the General meant by that specifically, though he could guess that the man knew who he was.

Max hadnt seen the Cygnus propaganda movies that senior Inquisition officials were privy to, so he didnt realize how famous he really was at this point.

It is always an honor to meet a Defense Official with such an incredible pedigree as yours. Your work during the reconstruction of Belmont was commendable. Nico answered with a smile, while Max was looking for just the right thing to say, and reading the minds of the two Generals in front of him to see what they really knew.

General Ming almost choked on his drink at that but quickly recovered. The memory of him quietly purging traitors all over the planet flashed through his mind, along with bewilderment about how Nico could have known. In his mind, he used their real names, so there was no doubt that this Inquisitor knew who they were, but he also wasnt going to say any more than he already had.

He simply wanted to establish dominance in the meeting, showing off his knowledge. A tactic that Nico absolutely crushed by mentioning Belmont.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 244 244 Just A Minor Adjustment

Twenty-three hours after the others departed, General Tennant deemed it safe to begin the modifications to the mountain region to form a hidden base that could be passed off as a Mercenary stronghold, including large underground Mecha Hangars.

In an emergency, this location could be used by the Kepler Military as well, so the effort was not a lost cause, only a contingency plan.

Max looked down at the plans he had drawn for his Battalions portion of the complex and then out at the Mecha around him. The Corvettes wouldnt be an issue, and the twelve-meter tall Crusader Replacements, with their sharp angles and radar absorbent black paint, should also be fine, but designing a hangar bay for the X137 Super Heavy was more difficult.

Where the relatively slender and humanoid Mecha that made up the rest of the force could walk two abreast through a standardized door, the Super Heavy units would struggle to fit at all.

Even if it pulled its arms in close so that the triple-barreled Ion Bombard Arrays on either arm were mostly out of the way, it was still twice as wide as the Crusader Class units, thanks to the bulk of the torso that had been widened to accommodate mounting the three Mass Drivers of the Thunder Guns.

Those would also need to be watched when passing through a door or entering a room, as they added up to eight more meters to the already twenty-two-meter height if they were extended upward for Bombardment.

They would have to put a storage notification into the standard procedures for bringing the Mecha inside.

On the X137 the designers had kept with the harsh angles to reduce reflected radar signals, but Max did have to wonder how effective it actually was on a Mecha so large. Given the size, it would be easy to mistake a crouched unit for a house on the radar.

For the testing, they were also adorned in flat black paint like the Crusaders, but that would change when they were deployed in a regular unit. Without the radar absorption, they would look even more like a randomly placed house on the radar. One with a flat roof and steep gables.

While Max was calculating the space needed for the Mecha Hanger, which should hold their entire Regiment, Nico was in communication with the Research Team, making plans to tweak the Mecha after analyzing battle data.

The other Battalion Commanders were assigned to other areas of the base, but they could all use standard patterns for their design, as the spaces were for human occupancy.

Hey Max, unequip the Ion Bombard Arrays, I need to get at the power couplings, Nico called, not looking up from her conversation with Sister Lilith, who was in charge of design updates before the official production run was started.

Max leaned the Mecha forward and laid the two Arrays, with their angular shells protecting the three Ion projectors, on the deck of a transport truck that had been parked in front of him for that purpose. He didnt see a driver, so either the crewman had already left, or Nico had overridden the controls and borrowed the truck on her own.

Once they were in place and not going to drop and damage anything, he retracted the internal power couplings, then backed up and slid the Mechas lower arms out of the housing, exposing the Super Heavy Mechas hands for the first time.

Thanks, boss, Nico called, then hopped out the side door, using the Anti gravity plates of the Tech Adept Exoskeleton to keep her in the air.

Thirty-meter roof heights in a Hangar seemed like overkill to Max, but after reviewing his calculations, that was the minimum height to properly service all of the new Mecha, so Max updated the plans and submitted them to General Yaakov.

[Very good. It will serve the purpose. The hangars will be closest to the entry, so your team is up first with the mining equipment.] General Yaakov responded, sending Max a location pin in the foothills of the mountains and a rough layout, with the areas that were not finalized yet left gray.

[Orders are in. Corvettes proceed to the location with the newly built mining equipment. Able Company, you are up first. Baker will replace you in four hours.] Max ordered.

[Got it. Move out everyone.] Major Ivanov of Able Company ordered.

The heavy Mecha would bring the equipment, which was sized for the Corvettes to use. The light mecha would do the majority of the work, while the heavy Mecha removed rubble with large ore wagons.

The Generals had at least picked a nearby location for the base, and there was a landslide nearby where the rubble would blend in with the terrain, saving them a lot of effort in camouflaging the area.

Compared to the X137 units, which were all getting some circuitry updated in their arm-mounted weapons, the Crusader Class units were in for much more work. Max had just seen the list, and they would need weeks to complete all of that work with the staff that they had.

From changes to the armor shape, user comfort modifications inside the cockpit, and mechanical updates to the thrusters on the Fast Attack models, everything about the new Crusader Class Chassis was getting tweaked.

They were even changing the Main weapon from a hard-mounted setup to a handheld rifle pattern which would lock to the arm only when in use, allowing the Mecha more freedom to hold tools or other weapons.

It would also make changing main armaments a thirty-second job, even if the Pilot wanted a whole different setup than what their Mecha was currently equipped with.

This wasnt possible for the fast attack units, where the weapons were more integrated, but for the others, it was very convenient. Except that the new munitions pack for the Mass Driver that was replacing the old Battle Cannons, which hadnt previously been an option for these Mecha, looked a bit clumsy and needed assistance to equip.

They had scheduled live fire testing for later that day, using the whole Regiment to increase the data sample size and hopefully eliminate some of the unforeseen issues they had found the first time.

Everything performed without failure during the fight against the Klem, except after being damaged, which couldnt be accurately tested in the lab. The research team thought they had found a fix for all of the vulnerabilities that had been identified here, and the Crusader Class Pilots were looking forward to testing their new toys out.

Lack of diversity in weaponry had been their top complaint, as they found that some of the Klem were better defended against certain weapon types and the Energy Weapon dominant pattern that they were all equipped with struggled against a few opponents, as well as lacking in long range area damage capability.

[This thing is awesome, its like the old grenade launchers that the infantry get, but belt-fed.] One of Maxs Pilots commended the new Crusader Class Mass Driver.

[We saw what the Thunder Finds could do in combat, so with one of these in either hand, my wing would be unstoppable.] Another pilot laughed.

[Yeah, for about fifteen minutes. They are still recommending an energy-based offhand due to the munitions consumption.] One of his squad mates replied, deadpan.

The Pilot had a point. With the increased rate of fire and limited storage, the Thunder Cannon, as they nicknamed the single Mass Driver, didnt have much longevity in a sustained fire scenario.

But it could be dropped and replaced in seconds, so it wasnt the wasted capability that a Redemption Pattern Mecha with an empty Battle Cannon was.

[Colonel Max, we are ready for you to use your System Functions and check the updates.] Nico called up from her seat atop the right arms Ion Bombard Array.

[Optimizing] Maxs System informed him as he equipped it, then provided him a short list of changes that needed to be physically made and couldnt be done by the System.

Max sent them to Nico and she got back to work, double-checking everything before sending the data to the research team.

[That is an impressive combination of System Abilities. Between the two of you, the output of the Ion Bombard is up by sixty percent on the baseline without overload or overheating issues.] General Tennant congratulated him on a secure channel and Max resisted the urge to tease his instructor about being upstaged by the new generation.

It wasnt really a generational issue, Max and Nico simply worked too well together.

[As long as stability isnt affected, I will be happy. The original design had the long-range stability changes we made for targeting Landers included. It would be a shame to lose that capability.] Nico pointed out.

The other Super Heavy Mecha began to implement their changes now that the data had been verified. Only half of the X137 units would do this final round of updates right away, the others would be the control group to compare them against.

None of the tests would begin until the underground base was finished though. They had a whole planet worth of space to test, and the team wanted real-time data from everyone at once to reduce environmental variables.

The only issue Max could see was that [Optimize] was intended to be for his personal use, so it might not be right for the others.

Their Mecha would all have been set up slightly differently, to their Pilots preference, so the changes might conflict and lead to unwanted outcomes.

[Mecha Hangars are complete and makeshift repair gantries are installed. Returning to position so the other teams can begin work.] Baker Company reported halfway through their shift, and the Pilots of Charlie Company celebrated.

Their Battalions part of the digging was done, and they didnt have to do any of it. They would be up first next time, but today, they were the lucky winners.

Max set his alarm and lay down for a nap, knowing he had at least four hours before the call to begin testing would be made, and that they would be busy loading everything up and leaving the planet after the tests were complete.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 245 245 On the Road Again

When Max woke up he was curled around a cool metallic shell. It was time to get up, no matter how comfortable he was. Looking at her happy sleeping face, it was obvious that Nico was content to stay in bed and Max contemplated just leaving her there, but that wasnt going to be feasible today.

Sister Lilith would need the Mechas data from his tests and Max wasnt going to analyze it all himself when Nico had a System Function that would let her do it in an instant.

So, once he was up and dressed Max picked her up and used Nicos metallic body as a barbell to do curls.

If anyone else could see you, they would think you are into some weird stuff, Nico told him, but made no attempt to move, hoping he would put her back in bed.

And you think differently? Max asked, lifting her higher to blow a raspberry on her stomach.

I dont need to see you to know what you are into. I have your browser history since you were a child. Nico teased, finally twisting herself off of his arms to stand on her own.

That wasnt entirely true, she probably didnt have anything from before he came to the academy, but her point was valid.

[All Command Mecha, report to the pinned location for live fire testing.] General Yaakovs voice brought everyone to full readiness, with Nico slipping into a pair of fatigue pants to go with the tank top she slept in and stepping into her boots.

Good to go. We will have to get back into uniform when we get back to Abraham Kepler anyhow, we might as well stay comfortable for now. She told Max before fastening her safety harness.

All twenty Super Heavy Mecha in a line was a glorious sight. The bulk of their torsos, with the massive amount of ammunition storage and the artillery batteries, stood out like soot-blackened statues among the scorched ruins of the battlefield, giving Max a sense of nostalgia.

There was a scene like this in the memories of his past life. A single line of mecha standing in front of a mighty mountain fortress had survived a firebombing, and looked out over the battlefield, waiting on their fate.

The perspective didnt make sense to Max, he was looking at them from above, but he didnt seem to be moving, and the rest of the memory was missing. All he had of the battle was just that one scene.

Once all the X137 Units were lined up, General Yaakov designated a point in the distant sky for them to target.

[Sensor logging is active and functional. Maximum firing rate, ten-shot burst. Fire at will.] The General Directed the Pilots, and the sky immediately filled with bright white Ion Blasts.

As Max had suspected, after the changes, the weapons were no longer all firing at the same speed, and the blasts were staggered wildly, with some of the Mecha finishing the ten-shot pattern more than a second after the fastest of their peers.

That was Max, of course, finishing slightly faster than two other nearly identical firing rates. Against a static position, targeting skills didnt matter, and they werent moving, so just firing the guns wouldnt tax the skills of any Pilot that they would allow in the Cockpit of a Super Heavy Mecha.

That left only the actual capabilities of their weapons to make up the difference in speed.

Though there were a lot of variances, the two groups, modified and unmodified, were clearly visible in the times, but more notably in the stability and power of their attacks.

Half of the Ion shots were visibly more powerful than the others, and they held cohesion much longer as they raced through the sky toward the simulated Orbital Insertion target.

[Again] General Yaakov ordered, verifying the data that they had collected the first time.

The results were nearly identical. None of the Pilots was holding back, or making an error, they simply had a different level of equipment, though they were ostensibly the same weapon.

Ϻ√ᏞΕϺƤႸЯ.ƇОƜ

Five times in total they repeated the tests until the Research Team had enough data, and then it was time for the Crusader Class Mecha to be put through their paces.

That process took nearly three hours with all the changes that had been made to the Heavy Mecha, but in the end, the Researchers were satisfied with the data that they had, and the stability of the changes that had been made, so the orders were given to proceed to their Landers, and get ready to return to Abraham Kepler.

Nico, you dont see anything in orbit, or any transmissions from the ship back into Kepler Space do you? Max asked, making sure that the infiltrator wasnt still active.

The ship watching them could be taken as a sales pitch, but loading them on a Kepler Military vessel was pretty solid proof of ownership if anyone who wanted to use the information against them was watching.

No, we are clear. The Inquisitor has everything worked out at his end, and the teams that came to assist us wont be spreading any rumors. The moment they got back to base, he ordered them to be put on a thirty-day communications ban during debriefing. I intercepted the transmission between him and General Tennant.

I suspect that there will be trouble with Sector Governance though, and soon. Nico informed him.

That should do. In thirty days, they will likely be ready to tell the public about the new Mecha anyhow. I cant see Imperial Command losing the chance to launch a surprise announcement about our improved capability after all the work they have gone through so far to keep things secret. Max agreed.

[Everyone to the Landers, you know the drill.] Max ordered First Battalion, then headed for the Lander that he came in.

With just one Super Heavy Mecha and two fast attack Crusaders as Bodyguards, the inside of the Lander felt positively empty. They didnt even have the supply of munitions and materials that they did on the way down to keep themselves company, the Lander was empty except for the Mecha.

They were the first up if you didnt count the Shuttle that General Yaakov was in, so Max didnt have to wait long before the oppressive force of the thrusters engaging to propel the cavernous transport to orbital velocity pinned him to his seat, marking the official end of the trials on Rae 3.

[Docking at Hangar Bay 1 in 14 minutes 30 seconds]

The announcement came just as the thrusters calmed and the artificial gravity kicked in, allowing them to move freely around the Mecha again, and was accompanied by a string of Mecha data returned by the Research Team. They had compiled the averages from all of the test firings, and come up with a ranking of adjustments, to be tested in the Virtual simulators once the Pilots had returned to the ship.

Clearly, they were not a big fan of downtime, preparing the next round of experiments even while they worked on the data from the first round, but at least that solved the problem with bored Pilots that so many expeditions suffered from during long transit times.

The Lander gently docked with its mounting point, sending a vibration through the whole structure, and spurring the Ground Handling Crews into action. For safetys sake, the Mecha would be moved with repair bay trollies, and not under their own power, reducing vibration in the ship and the chance of stumbling if there should be a hard docking in a nearby bay during the move.

Now that they were back aboard the ship, every unit would be cleaned, refreshed, inspected, updated, and repainted. Which brought Max to his next problem.

Now that their first combat mission was complete, it was time to name the Mecha.

Names for Heavy and Super Heavy Mecha were first come first serve, and couldnt be duplicated within a Regiment, though duplicates between separate Regiments were known to happen with popular names.

Not only would Max have to come up with a suitable Moniker for this behemoth of a Mecha, he would also have to check every other Crusader Class Pilots entry against the rest of the Regiments entries and reject all duplicates.

But there was a solution to that. [Major Nico, you are in charge of the verification of duplicate names. Major Miller, you are in charge of the official filing of names. Company Commanders, please gather your Pilots naming suggestions and submit them to Major Nico for verification by the end of the day.]

The ability to delegate was definitely the best part of being a Battalion Commander.

All he had to do now was come up with a suitable name for his new partner, and send it to General Yaakov, who would be confirming the names for all twenty Super Heavy Mecha before any of the others were processed, giving them priority in case someone else wanted a name better suited to the new Command Mecha.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 246 246 What's In A Name

Max kicked up his feet and leaned back on the bunk in his room, thinking about what he should name his new Mecha. Officially he was the Pilot, so the naming rights fell to him. Plus, he was a bit afraid to ask what Nico might want to name the new Super Heavy Mecha.

If it was left to her, there was a nearly one hundred percent chance that her annoyance at being moved to the position of Technician, in an attempt to move her out of the cockpit entirely, would come shining through to be memorialized forever.

But just to be sure, Max decided to send her a message asking if she had any ideas.

[I have been thinking about it. Since the Commander wouldnt approve something catchy like Call Me Technician one more time and Ill feed you your balls, how about something that blends our previous Mechas names together?]

That wasnt a bad idea. The second part, the first one was a bit wordy. Stalwart and Tariths Rage. Dropping the Tarith was obvious since the family name was so closely associated with Kepler 142 and their history, but the rest had possibilities.

[How about Enduring Rage?] Max asked.

[Oh, I like it. Simple, elegant, not wimpy or flowery. Enduring Rage sounds like what a Phalanx Class Mecha should be named. Feel free to send that through to Command.] Nico agreed.

With that done, Max now had some time to relax while the rest of the Pilots picked names and the verifications were done. Most of the Pilots had decent naming sense, but Max was certain that the General was going to have to reject at least one variation of Killbot 3000 and Shooty McStabberson.

While the entire army would likely appreciate the joke, Central Command felt that Super Heavy Mecha should have some level of dignity. Once in a while, one got past them though, due to a Regimental Commander not knowing a bit of slang, or being too busy to fully vet an application.

For instance, Colonel Klinger of the Fifth Battalion had tried to name his Mecha Feculent Rain, and had been promptly rejected by General Yaakov. Max assumed that the old man had hoped that the General would miss it among the mass of names until it was already registered. Instead, he had ended up naming his unit the Claret River.

Given the mess that the Artillery made against massed enemy forces, rivers of blood were a distinct possibility, so the name wasnt too out of place.

For the first two days, the Research Team was at full capacity, trying to analyze data, while the repair teams touched up everything that hadnt been done on the surface, but the Pilots had next to nothing to do.

Everyone simply laid around their rooms, or hung out in the Cafeteria and Gym, killing time. Thats where Max found Nico this time, practicing her sparring with Major Miller. Since he was in a Fast Attack Crusader he was likely to need close combat skills more than most, and he was barely above average.

He did have a dexterity primary stat though, so he should be able to keep up with the advanced movements needed to perform combat techniques in the Mecha. The biggest hindrance to most pilots wasnt a lack of Piloting skill, but a lack of knowledge about combat techniques that could be transferred from unarmed combat to Mecha Close Combat.

The style they were using was one that could be used inside a Mecha, so once he had started to get better at it he would be able to perform the techniques directly and increase his damage output. They had a few observers in the training room, but most of the unit was focused on their own training routine.

I wouldnt want to spar her. That woman is a machine, she just never gets tired. One of the Pilots muttered as he watched, then blushed as he realized what he had said.

Yes, literally. Max agreed, chuckling softly as he moved to one of the Cardio trainers to begin his own routine.

Major Miller was faster and at least as limber as Nico was, but watching the two spar, it was obvious which of them was the expert. He was moving at an incredible rate with the wooden sword in hand, going through the smooth techniques of the mecha-compatible combat style while struggling to land a strike. Nico blocked and swayed, but only had to move her feet a few times a minute to avoid letting the other Major get behind her.

They had just settled down for a break when the final announcements came through. The names for the Mecha had all been approved, and the painting of the names would begin as soon as the General had approved a new paint scheme for the Battalions.

That was entirely up to General Yaakov, but every Battalion Commander held out hope that they would get a good one. During the recruitment on Kepler 111, Max had been allowed to pick a paint scheme of his own for the unit, but General Yaakov wasnt that kind of Commander. He much preferred to decide such things on his own, for a unified aesthetic appearance.

There might also be orders from above on what the new mecha should look like since there would undoubtedly be propaganda films made featuring the new patterns in the near future, but either way, the Battalion, and Company Commanders werent asked for their input, only informed that their Mecha would soon be repainted.

What do you want to bet that we get our old colors back? We are already on enough propaganda that they might as well make us a recognizable unit again instead of trying to get the public to identify with both a new design and new color scheme at the same time. Nico suggested.

I swear, you are better at reading minds than I am, Max muttered and Nico laughed.

There is no need to read your mind, Ive told you a lot of times that you are entirely too predictable and nostalgic. They mentioned paint, so of course, you were brooding about our old colors, that you did such a fine job designing.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 247 247 Onward and Upward

Max pondered Nicos suggestion. She had some sway with the repair bays, so she could likely get a few small modifications made to the color scheme if they were actually assigned Bone and Bronze colors again.

Point taken. They would look good in bone and bronze though. Maybe we could ask for a bit more red on the Crusaders this time though. Those red hazard stripes you did on Tariths Rage were an excellent look and really helped the Mecha stand out as a unit commander. We could ask the repair bay to do the same this time, with red Chevrons for the Unit Commanders. It would help morale as well. Max agreed.

Two more days passed without any updates, other than that the ship was en route to its next testing site, though no destination, time of arrival, or mission data was provided. Finally, Max couldnt take the suspense anymore and headed down to the repair bays to check on their mecha and see if the paint schemes had been started yet.

As a Battalion Commander, he had clearance to go whenever he wanted, unlike most of the unit that was prohibited from the area, for now, to keep them out of the way of the repair staff who had enough to do that they didnt have time for distractions.

The Mecha were mostly painted, and the teams had started with the lightest units first. The Corvette Class Mecha were all Blood Red with Bronze accents, while the Crusaders had a bit of white added to them for unit markings.

It was similar, but the inverse of what he had done for the Stalwart Special Tactics Unit. It made for a good-looking unit. Imposing and powerful, but not so light that they would stand out against the night sky the way that the bone color did.

None of the X137 Super Heavy units had been painted yet, they were all still in their repair racks sporting the black radar absorbent paint they had for the first test, but at least now Max had an idea what his unit would look like when they reached the next destination.

Command had the Research team segregated in their own area, so he couldnt even go visit Moonie after her shift. Strangely, that didnt bother him as much as Max thought it would. They had a good time together but somehow it just never had that something that made it feel like the relationship could last. Their worlds were just a little too different, and unless one or both of them gave up on their passion, they were only destined to cross paths for a little while.

Port Romance is what the other Pilots called it, and Max was beginning to understand just what they meant. He would be sure to explain his feelings the next time he saw her in person. In the meantime, he would send her their usual daily messages, which got shorter and shorter as they both got busier.

They had been aboard for a total of one week when Central Command finally saw fit to send them a message detailing their next mission.

Rae 3 wasnt the only planet with a Klem problem, they were advancing toward the borders of every nation that was near them. The second test mission would see them acting as Death Wind Mercenaries again, at the request of the Imperial Inquisition. The Tapani had seen an increase in attacks from their Insectoid neighbors, and they were looking for help.

Kepler Imperial Command agreed with the Inquisition that the test Regiment was uniquely positioned to pull off an intervention without attracting the attention of the other empires in the Western Region of the Galaxy, thanks to their unique Mecha.

The Imperial Inquisition intended for them to show up, assist the Tapani with their Klem problems, and deliver an Inquisitor who was hunting a high-value Kelper defector.

М∀ᏞЕϺƤ¥Ꭱ.ϽՕƜ

The Tapani had a unique issue with the Klem, one that the infestation that Max faced on Rae 3 didnt exhibit. They were close enough to the Klem homeworlds that the incoming pods would still be in communication range with the Queens. That made them smarter, more diverse, and exponentially more problematic to deal with.

Tapani and Kepler were uneasy allies, so a full Liberation Fleet would be seen as an attempt to take over the whole region, but a ship full of Mercenaries in one place, a single ship in another in the name of upholding their alliance, and some small interventions would be much easier to accomplish without issues.

The hope of Imperial Command was that the arrival of Kepler forces on other planets would flush out the targets for the Inquisition, but not alarm them so much that they disappeared again.

Only one thing needed to change, their transport vessel. Abraham Kepler was far too recognizable, so the Terminus Trading Company, better known as the Comor First Heavy Mecha Regiment, or the Test Regiment, would be shifted to a Reaver transport at a nearby space station.

The ship had been abandoned for nearly a century, after the crew died of a mysterious illness contracted on a mission to an unexplored region on the edge of the Galaxy, but had been declared clear and safe by the Military decades ago.

The basics of the transfer were documented in their Mission orders, though the details about who their VIP Guest might be were left out and no mention of Inquisition involvement were shared with the Regiment.

Looks like we are in for some fun again. When we get a chance, contact your family and let them know what we are up to. I wouldnt want trouble with the actual Tarith Reavers for appropriating their name. Max whispered to Nico, who was lounging in the cafeteria, playing cards with the other pilots.

Already on it. The Regiment Commander requested that I make contact a few hours ago, and everything is a go. If anything, we might have issues with the ship they have found us. All the data that I could find is that it was lost in space with all hands dead from infectious disease. Its not against any law to claim the vessel if none of their Clan remains to claim it, but the Reavers and Mercenaries are superstitious, and taking over a ghost ship is pretty taboo.

Normally they would be stripped for parts and fully recycled, not recommissioned once they were decontaminated. Nico explained.

Great, now we are THOSE Mercenaries, with the heavy-duty firepower and the cursed ship. Can we rename it or something? Maybe hide its identity? Max asked.

Ships communications have a serial identifier to them, a particular code that is embedded in every message, identifying the sender. Even if we fully refit the thing with Military Grade comms gear that can hide the signature, we dont have a valid identification to use instead. She shrugged.

If nothing else, it fits our cover as a newly formed Mercenary group with a load of experimental gear we are looking to turn a profit using. New groups usually have half-refit scrap ships that they pulled out of dead space and repaired enough to make a go of the trade routes. This one is in decent shape, but cursed, so even fewer would want it. Major Miller added, having read through the dispatch before coming over to talk to his Commander.

Alright, get everyone ready for the transfer, Max ordered, wondering how things were going to work once they had changed ships. General Yaakov was many things, but a Mercenary Leader wasnt a role that Max thought the upright Noble would be able to pull off.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 248 248 Home Sweet Hellhole

When Abraham Kepler docked with the facility where the ship was stored, everyone sprang into action at the same time, getting ready to move every mecha, all their support gear, and essential provisions to their new home.

This vessel was designed for bulk freight and Planetary Landings, so it wasnt equipped for dropping Landers. Instead, it was intended to land on a Planet or asteroid and be loaded to the brim in a dedicated facility.

It, therefore, had oversized engines, and an extremely sturdy hull design, that wasnt necessary for the average Kepler Navy vessel.

Since all the personnel that was transferring were either Pilots or Support Staff, everything would be moved by its dedicated operator. Even the repair materials had been preloaded into carts to be pulled by the Mecha so that the entire process could be completed in a single pass. They would have all sorts of time to get things sorted once they were on board since the ship was in need of renovation and didnt have storage or repair racks inside, but Abraham Kepler needed to be gone again before it aroused suspicion.

It was only supposed to be taking on a small amount of Ore here, and delivering some food supplies, which gave them a reasonable window of three hours before someone might notice the extended stay.

General Yaakov, in his role as Regimental Commander, would be assigned a cover story as a traveling documentary maker. His family had a lot of connections in the film industry both within Kepler and in the surrounding nations, so he could pull off a cover story about making a frontier documentary for at least a few years, traveling with a Mercenary Band.

It wasnt unheard of, filmmakers were known to do strange and seemingly suicidal things in order to get their movies made, and General Yaakov had that sort of overbearing and self-assured demeanor that made the story believable.

New Mercenary groups were likewise well known for taking strange and annoying jobs if the pay was right. An established force might turn down something like a documentary maker, but a new force usually couldnt afford to.

As soon as the all-clear was given, the Mecha, beginning with First Battalion, moved out of Abraham Kepler and into the holding bay of their new home at a fast jog, clustered in a designated area near the far wall to give everyone room to get in and set up. First Battalion got the Port side front Bay, number one of six that the Ship contained.

The Cargo space aboard this vessel was positively cavernous, much larger than the Mecha bays of Abraham Kepler, even if you counted the Lander Storage. The ship itself was much smaller though, and Max was a bit concerned about what quarters aboard were going to look like.

[Nico, go check out the living areas. Tell me what you find and what we need to get them ready for the Battalion.] Max ordered since Major Miller was busy getting all of the Battalions gear organized and ready to be moved to their new home.

[Got it.] Nico reported, and Max watched as she hopped up onto the catwalk along the edge of the storage bay and disappeared into a side room.

There were no proper diagrams of the ship available to them before they arrived. Nobody had cared enough to make one or to transfer a copy from the ships computers.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was aboard, but Max still hadnt heard from Nico.

[Hey, whats the holdup? Are we ready to start moving gear into the crew quarters or what?] He sent to her wrist device.

[The average Reaver Crew is about two hundred persons. With Support staff, First Battalion is two hundred. Then there is the Regiments staff that arent assigned to one of the five Battalions.] Nico sent back, confusing Max.

[And? Tell me what youve found.]

There was a short pause before Nico responded again. [The crew quarters for First Battalion comprise of two large rooms in Cargo Hold 1. One marked Hazmat storage and one marked Freezer. Both have been disused for decades, and not renovated, so they are rusty and have peeling paint everywhere.

I have gotten the lights working, and the air inside the rooms refreshed, but I suspect that the men will actually be more comfortable setting up in the Hangar and keeping these rooms for physical training and a Mess Hall.

Every Battalion is required to arrange its own provisioning and quarters, there will be no central facilities, so a mess hall is needed. I suggest using the Materials Printer to create a multi-level hab motel along the stern wall of the bay. At two Meters by three, that should be enough space to house everyone.

The staff can start refurbishing these rooms right away, and we can start serving in the Mess Hall tomorrow, once everything is ready.]

Nico really didnt pull any punches with that description, but she did send a design schematic for the printers to create the living spaces, which could be locked together in individual units and had locking attachments so they also stacked safely in the bay. The interior of the rooms that were supposed to be crew quarters was a nightmare though. They were certainly large enough to hold two hundred bunks if you triple racked the entire Battalion, but that would be even worse than living in their Mecha for most of the Pilots.

The individual rooms were a much better plan, and they had brought everything with them, as the ship was known not to have any sort of facilities, beyond the basics for the initial crew, which would be taken up by Regimental supply and logistics staff.

[Clean that up as much as you can. Use a paint stripper if you need it, but I dont want to scare the staff before they even get to work.] Max ordered Nico.

This was going to take some time, but Max could see the promise of this setup. Every Battalion got their own space, and they could do with it what they wanted, so they could express more individual personality than was usual for a Military force.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 249 249 Renovations are in Order

Nico appeared in the bay for a few minutes before heading back upstairs again with a Tech Adept harness attached to her back and an assortment of devices carried in the additional mechanical limbs. Max couldnt be entirely sure, but it looked like a media blaster that was used to strip Mecha Paint, as well as a sanitization unit.

The ship was supposed to have already been sanitized, but if they left enough moisture in the air that the interior rusted, either they didnt do a good job of it, or something was leaking from above them.

[Major Miller, send someone from repair to the level above the hangar and see what it looks like up there. Major Nico suspects that the ships hatches might have been left open to the elements for all these decades, so the corrosion might be fairly bad on the surface, and there might be leaks.] Max told his Executive Officer.

[Got it. I have just the person for the job. It will take a strong stomach and enough experience to know what it will take to clean up that mess if it is as bad as you say.] The Major replied, and Max saw an older Sergeant heading for the upper structural levels of the ship.

This time the report didnt take long at all. The Sergeant had finished the inspection before Nico even reported the rooms as clear.

[Zero damage, no leaks, all fittings, and lines look pristine, and the area shows no signs of wear. I believe that it was purged of atmosphere after sanitization.] The man reported, letting Max breathe a sigh of relief.

Two bad rooms with a well-preserved storage bay and structure were well within the level of damage that they would be able to handle.

The third Battalion had the opposite problem. Their interior rooms and structure were pristine, but the door to the main bay had been left open by almost a meter, and there was a thick layer of dust and debris over everything.

The storage bay was made of a durable alloy, and the paint should withstand almost anything, but the same was true of the side rooms in Maxs bay and they still ended up looking haunted.

Third Battalion moved all their Mecha back out into the station, while the crew cleansed the hangar so that they could enter, but after that, they declared that everything was serviceable, though they werent impressed at the idea they should all be housed in one of the back rooms, or use both as bunk rooms and set up their cafeteria in the Mecha hangar.

Max sent the rest of the Regiment their design plans for housing when he saw the complaints, which calmed down all the pilots, but it also brought a new round of complaints. This time from the logistics and provisioning staff, who hadnt planned for the Regiment to use up so much of the material that they had brought with them to renovate their living quarters.

General Yaakov wasnt taking sides in this battle though, and he ordered them to work it out on between themselves. The end result was that the Regimental staff backed down when they were asked if they would like to swap quarters with one of the Battalions so that they could use minimal materials for their comfort, and the Battalion could sleep in the existing quarters.

Once they had seen the issue in person, the complaint about resource usage ended, and the Regimental staff started cleaning and setting up their gear in the old crew quarters. There were some complaints that the place felt haunted to them, but with a fresh coat of paint all over the ship, General Yaakov hoped that those complaints would die down in a few days.

The renovation effort was going to take them at least two weeks, to set up, build the Mecha maintenance facilities and storage supports, and refresh every room and hallway on the ship. This Reaver group had been almost purely a trading group, with only a small military force from what they could determine, making them an easily ignored vessel should they come across hostile forces.

Taking over rivals was great, but taking over a bulk freighter was about the most work you could possibly do for the lowest reward. All the money was in capturing technology after it was built, not in grabbing a hundred thousand tons of bulk ore, which the ship was designed to haul.

The ship was ominously named the Dutchman. It was a name that carried no weight here in Kepler, but in Maxs life, the Flying Dutchman had a long history with terrestrial sailors and wasnt a name that someone would pick for a modern vessel.

Max wasnt the most superstitious of people, but this vessel just seemed to bring it out in everyone, right down to the usually level-headed Battalion Commanders. The only two who didnt seem to be doing some sort of purification ritual in the landing bay were Major Miller, who was too busy, and Max himself, who was likewise too busy, but at observing the others, not at an actual task.

[How are the rooms coming along Nico?] Max asked, seeing that everything else had started coming along on schedule.

[Nearly finished. I have stripped and sanitized both rooms down to the bare metal, and I will put a fresh coat of paint on as soon as the sanitizer dries. Give them two hours after that and the paint should be ready for the staff to start moving the kitchen facilities in.

I recommend keeping the freezer room as just a cold storage room and kitchen though, we dont have any other temperature-controlled storage areas, and the open areas of the Hangar can be used for training.] Nico responded.

[Got it. I will update the directions. Did you find the cause of the rust? Is it a serious issue?] Max asked.

[Not at all. The temperature control unit was left on the entire time that the ship has been here, and the drain was plugged, making the condensation back up and spill over the roof of these two rooms, which led to them being extremely humid, and then their deterioration.

The underlying alloy structure is still solid, it was just the trim pieces and some fasteners that deteriorated. I welded everything that needed it and used the small Printer on the Tech Adept Harness to replace the corroded-out fasteners and such. All it needs is paint now.]

That was much better news than Max had dared to hope for and put the Battalion well on track to a comfortable deployment. Things were starting to look up on this old Reaver vessel.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 250 250 VIP Guests

Before dawn the next day the hab blocks had been finished and First Battalion had been comfortable moved into their new home. The paint had dried in the admittedly creepy back rooms, and the Kitchen had been set up, with abundant space for cold storage. That amount of frozen food was a true luxury to any Battalion aboard a Navy Vessel, normally almost all of their food was dried or shelf stable. The abundance of room for frozen food meant that they could acquire a lot of fresh food the next time they made planetfall.

That would be their first order of business once their final guests arrived aboard the ship. The final storage hold had been dedicated to high-value ores, both for repairs and upgrades, as well as for trade, which would provide their cover story.

There were two schools of thought about the proper method of transport for high-value materials. Either send them on a small and fast ship that might be overlooked and could more easily run away, or bury the items of true value inside a bulk freighter like the Dutchman, where anyone who was looking would see a target that wasnt worth the effort.

The base had documented the ship as picking up one hold full of refined aluminum, totaling fifteen thousand tons, and they were supposed to be taking it to a small nation, just outward of the Kepler Empires borders named Derrax. Their territory comprised six stars and only four habitable planets, but they were strong allies of all the nations around them and worked to maintain their neutrality.

Once that drop had been made, they were supposed to pick up another shipment somewhere in the area and take it back west to Tapani Territory to begin the next phase of their testing in a battle against the Klem who had exhibited an unusual level of intelligence and coordination.

Those were all the details that they had been given about their future travels, for security reasons, and Max still wasnt sure who was supposed to be Piloting this vessel.

Mecha Pilots didnt usually train for interstellar ships, and a Pilot with the skills for that sort of navigation would be transferred to the Naval Academies at a young age.

In the worst-case scenario, they could have Nico serve as their Admiral. She had access to the ships maps and she could make it move at the very least, but Max was holding hope that the VIP guest that they were still waiting on was the one who would be steering the ship for them.

Of course, so was Nico. The Admiral had to remain aboard the ship in case of emergency, so even if they got into a battle, she wouldnt be able to leave if they assigned her that task.

They didnt have long to wait though. Only six hours later, the crew shuttle came to relieve the miners at the base, who were on thirty-day rotations. Along with them came the two new arrivals to the Terminus Trading Company, one new face and one that was vaguely familiar from their recent video communications.

Inquisitor Ming, to what do we owe the honor? And who might that be with you? Max heard Nico ask the moment that the doors were securely sealed and the two men were aboard.

General Yaakov looked more than a little shocked and was standing near the entrance with his mouth slightly opened, but Max couldnt be sure if it was for the arrival of the Inquisitor or for Nicos pure audacity to usurp his chance to formally greet the guests.

Knowing him as Max did, the answer was almost guaranteed to be the second option. М∀ᏞΞМⱣ¥Ʀ.ƇӨϺ

Lady Tarith Nico, imagine meeting you in a place like this. You have no idea how difficult it was to convince Imperial Command to give me this assignment, especially after I made a fool of myself, falling for your acting on Rae 3.

General Yaakov, it is a pleasure to see you again. With me is Admiral Drake. He will be taking the helm of The Dutchman for this mission. He has extensive experience with the Klem and has studied the Death Wind Territory for many years, earning a Doctorate in the field. The General paused for the Admiral to introduce himself, and the man stepped forward with a slight limp.

It is good to meet you all. Dont let my disability fool you, it is a recent injury, and as I am not a combat officer, it was deemed acceptable to give my System the years time it needed to regrow and repair my leg naturally.

I spent over sixty years on similar missions, gathering intelligence, and if my own word counts for anything, I can assure you that the Regiment is in good hands.

His speech was well rehearsed and smooth, but Maxs mind reading told a very different story. The Admiral was holding some sort of subtle three-way conversation with Nico and Colonel Klinger using body language and hand signals that were totally different from his spoken words.

They had filled him in on the incident on Rae 3, how they fooled the Inquisitor into giving them repair materials without giving themselves away, and he was telling them about the last mission he was on, to recover a defector from the Trifid Empire.

If Max couldnt read their minds, he would have never known that they all spoke that secret language, and the fact annoyed him much more than it had any right to.

Nico was his best friend, and he knew she viewed him as hers, but she never let him know that she spoke another secret language, and it seemed to be one related to the Reavers and Mercenaries.

Digging deeper through Klingers thoughts, it was also used by many gray market businesses, which made Max wonder if he had simply missed it being used during his childhood because he responded out loud and not in the correct way.

There were a lot of things Max didnt know, but he did know that one way or another, he was learning this subtle gesture language before they finished their mission. That method of communication was just too convenient, as he could use it during a regular conversation over the video link without tipping off anyone who didnt already know.

Inquisitor Ming also seemed to know what they were talking about, because his annoyed thoughts didnt match the spoken introductions, but his mind was carefully schooled, with the deeper thoughts hidden. That was a limitation of his Innate Talent that Max didnt run into very often, usually, minds were an open book to him.

Now he had two things to take up his time during this journey, and it was going to bother him until he had a solution to at least one of them.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 251 251 To Derrax

The two officers motioned for the welcoming committee to follow them toward the bridge and Inquisitor Ming filled the others in on a few of the extra details. During the day that they were in Derrax, they would expect one more guest, an informant from Kepler Intelligence who would report directly to him. If any of them noticed the person, they were to tell him as the Informant was still training to be an Inquisitor and being noticed as a spy was a potentially deadly failure of his mission.

The second was that he would be leaving the ship at some point during their mission, most likely during the battles against the Klem, and he would require a specially modified Drone Fighter for the purpose.

It would blend in with the rest of their Drones, so none of the Tapani should be alerted. If he returned, he returned, if not, they werent to wait on him.

Max nodded solemnly at that revelation, understanding that the danger level of the Inquisitor Generals mission was extremely high and couldnt be accomplished with help, even from a supposed Mercenary Group.

The two officers were the last thing that they were waiting for, so the Dutchman signed out of the base and lifted off in the direction of Derrax.

Compared to the Faster Than Light transition aboard Abraham Kepler, the engines of the Dutchman were both incredibly harsh and much faster to activate. It threw many of the troops off balance and made many more nauseous, but this version was much kinder to Max than the drawn-out version had been.

[Reminder to all units. Absolutely NO uniforms are to be worn until further notice. Clearance is given to create one civilian outfit to supplement your current wardrobe.]

General Yaakovs announcement was well received by the Regiment. This time they had their entire wardrobe with them, but a traveling soldier didnt keep much, and they werent about to turn down the chance to make something fashionable.

Max had no need for any such thing. He had too many clothes, to begin with. He just had to pick out a few outfits from his collection that would fit in with the Aesthetic. Or so he thought until he saw everyone else.

From flowered shirts to Leisure suits, to plaid shirts and jeans, the look of the crew perfectly matched their tastes and didnt try to be anything that they werent other than civilians.

Given a few days, they would settle into a comfortable wardrobe and start to match with their units for the most part, with only a few lively characters really standing out.

Cassanova was one of them, and Nico was another, but surprisingly, so was General Yaakov. The man looked like he had just come from meeting the Emperor himself. The Noble was totally at ease in a burgundy velvet jacket trimmed with white lace, making for quite the spectacle against the mostly working-class Pilots surrounding him.

Max had accepted the Generals invitation to have dinner in the Officers mess near the bridge of the ship tonight, along with the Inquisitor, the admiral, and Nico.

Max briefly wondered who was piloting and watching for asteroids and other such hazards, as they didnt have an actual crew, so he ducked his head into the bridge, where three men from the maintenance team were seated, watching screens.

They all seemed to know what they were doing, so Max assumed that they had some training on ship systems, which was a great relief.

Making his way through the halls, Max met up with Admiral Drake, who was slower moving than most, and openly wearing a leg brace now that there was no reason to hide it under his uniform. It was clear that the leg only took up half of the space inside his pant leg, so the damage must have been extremely heavy, but the older man was right, given time he would be good as new again.

That was an option Nico didnt have. Even with an Alpha-ranked System Compatibility, it would have taken multiple years for her body to regenerate the damage that had been done to it, and there was no guarantee that she would have come out at anywhere near peak performance.

She seemed happier this way though and had changed her appearance back to having one mechanical arm, though she kept her own face this time. She had picked a puffy red princess dress for the formal dinner and was laughing with General Yaakov when Max and Drake walked into the room.

Inquisitor Ming was seated at the table, watching the two of them making a mockery of formality with an amused look on his face and a drink in his hand.

Its cheap, but it is plentiful. Feel free to pour a glass. General Yaakov welcomed the last two guests, before pulling out Nicos seat for her and getting her settled at the table on his left.

He wasnt lying, the Rum was definitely not the good stuff, but it did the job of taking off a bit of the days stress before the dinner came out.

As he sat, Max thought it was odd that the other Battalion Commanders werent here, as they all held equal rank to him and higher than Nico. Going by General Yaakovs behavior though, he was in character, as a Noble explorer, which meant it made sense that he invited only those with noble heritage to have dinner with him.

Until they finished the mission, they would have to practice their roles, so that nobody screwed it up at a critical moment and exposed them to the galaxy as Kepler Military forces.

Beyond that, everyone avoided dinners with the General anyhow, so Max shouldnt have been shocked that the others didnt volunteer to come to have dinner here with an Inquisitor and their Commanding Officer.

The Inquisitors had a lot of power, and with that came a rather dangerous reputation. Max recalled that way back when they first left Kepler Terminus there was a rumor that an Inquisitor had been turned by the rebels, and the thought in everyones mind was that such a feat was nearly impossible, not to mention the sort of punishment you would get if you tried and failed.

To the minds of the Academy staff, such a fate was worse than death.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 252 252 Derrax the Dull

So, what do you know about Derrax? I havent had time to start researching it yet. Max asked over dinner.

There really isnt much to know. It is an isolated nation, a minor shipbuilder of merchant freighters a few generations back of Kepler technology, and kept deliberately neutral by its neighbors. General Yaakov shrugged.

They view color as frivolity, so all their buildings are plain concrete, even the houses. Everyone on the planet covers themselves from shoulders to ankles at all times, and they dont do physical greetings.

I am told that it is due to fear of foreign diseases, but the habitable planets arent exactly a vacation spot, they had fully industrialized them before recovering advanced technology and environmental illnesses are still rampant. Admiral Drake added.

The system was settled by accident, a colony ship hit a wandering meteor and became disabled. Emergency protocol sent it to the nearest habitable planet, where it crash landed and woke the surviving expedition members.

They lost most of their experts and tradesmen, as well as their military forces. But their agronomy and industrial manufacturing volunteers mostly survived, so they made a settlement and focused on just getting by until they could recover enough to become interstellar again.

The Cygnus Trade fleet was the first to discover them, so the Cygnus Empire holds a high level of respect in Derrax.

I hate to say it, but you might end up being the spokesperson again, Lady Tarith.

Inquisitor Mings explanation gave Max a lot more to go on, and he now had enough that he could pick out the details he wanted to know in advance, so he didnt embarrass himself.

They were here as the Terminus Trading Company, and no Mercenary group would take a cargo without at least knowing about their destination.

At least no reputable one.

After a few seconds, Inquisitor Ming continued. Derrax reminds me of a prison colony more than anything. Conditions were hard, and they fought to survive at first, but even now the population is strictly regulated and lives under a heavy layer of obscure laws. I wouldnt bother getting to know the civilians, and they likely wont let us meet any of them anyhow.

The way most of us are dressed is fine, but they might have a collective heart attack if a Reaver showed up dressed as a princess.

Their sense of humor is atrocious. But dressed as everyone was before dinner they wont have an issue.

Other than hugs, are there any other social taboos that we should know about in advance? Max asked.

Follow Yaakovs lead and embrace your Nobility. Like the Cygnus forces, they put a very high value on pedigree. The Inquisitor shrugged and the conversation fell silent for a moment.

Have you gotten your team all settled into their bay yet? I saw the messages about the hab blocks going in, but the bays were pretty spartan. General Yaakov asked Max.

We are settled in very well. All we are missing is fresh provisions for the freezer that we inherited. We have lots of supplies, but if we can get fresh and frozen food on Derrax the troops would appreciate it. Max informed him with a smile.

Derrax has a lot of milk production because they need the leather for their industrial production. We should even be able to get them ice cream if you really have a working freezer. Yaakov told him with a sly wink.

One hundred square meters are currently dedicated to frozen foods, forty to fresh, but there are another two hundred Units recognized as being underutilized in the kitchen layout. I am certain we can find room for ice cream. Nico agreed.

Max was starting to like these undercover missions. There was never ice cream on a regular deployment.

This dining room looked like the sort of place for the creamy treat too. It was part of the original crew area, with actual carpet on the floor, a long mahogany table, and matching carved wooden chairs.

There were deep red tapestries and paintings on the walls, lending the room an air of elegance that Max wasnt used to, but from the others memories, this was normal for a Command Staff dining room.

Max was certain to be seeing a lot of this particular decor since the ship didnt have a dedicated war room and General Yaakov enjoyed the ambiance of this room.

It was a little dated and worn with age, but that somehow made it better, in a strange way.

Maybe it was just because of the older officers in the room, but brand-new furniture just wouldnt feel right.

The dinner ended with a round of bread puddings, served with whipped cream. Both Nico and Yaakov looked excited to see it, but the other three didnt immediately see the appeal of the exceedingly plain dish. It came up on the regular rotation as well, and it wasnt one of the favorites.

It wasnt until Nico poured Rum all over the bread and dropped the whipped cream on top that Max understood the brilliance of this dish.

The sweet burn of cheap black Rum, mixed with crumbled cake and sweet cream was an excellent combination. Even the serving staff seemed intrigued at the revelation, so the alteration to the dish must not be a Kepler standard, but an old family recipe.

It is a Cygnus idea, but its too good not to try. General Yaakov explained as he ate, waving his spoon to emphasize his point.

My grandmother makes a caramel with a lot of Rum as the sauce, but this isnt bad. Nico agreed.

Oh, I know that one. My ex-wife makes a Rum caramel, but she serves it with ice cream. Admiral Drake informed them with a nostalgic smile.

With the meal finished, Yaakov sent one of his staffers to get some data tablets and the other Battalion Commanders.

They can opt-out of dinner, but not the tactical meeting afterward. The meetings on Derrax shouldnt take long, but as our first stop of the mission, we all need to get on the same page before we arrive.

He might as well have made the whole event mandatory, but that wasnt his style. It also gave the two Generals and the Admiral a bit of extra time to work their way through the bottle of black Rum while there were only a few people in the room.

Once the others arrived with their assistants the bottle would only last one more round at best.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 253 253 Preparations Complete

The meeting with the rest of the Battalion Commanders was mostly a rehash of the dinner conversation, with a few more details about the Derrax system added by the officers who had stayed to study it.

The Rum disappeared before they arrived, as General Yaakov insisted that it was inappropriate to be drinking during a Command meeting, but from what Max could tell, it wouldnt have made a difference, as there wasnt much left when the bottle was put away.

As the details about Derrax came out, the meeting devolved into general complaints about having to deal with a nation as poorly run and repressive as they were. Only the intervention of Inquisitor Ming kept things on track.

Remember, you are not here as Kepler Mecha Pilots but as Reavers of the Terminus Trading Company. If you cant learn to behave appropriately for the role, I will have to use my Command authority to keep you confined to the vessel with communications locked. Inquisitor Ming admonished them.

Reavers and Mercenaries werent picky about their clients, as long as they reliably paid, and this stop was a necessity to create their cover story before rushing off to help Keplers allies against the Klem.

It was agreed that if anyone asked, the shipment they were picking up was a time-sensitive one for their client, so they had a good excuse not to stand about and chat.

Derrax was forbidden by treaty from sending weapons to other nations, so instead, they sent raw materials, civilian equipment for the rebuilding, and rations when they were asked to help with an emergency.

That way they could build a reputation as reliable without losing more than they intended.

That suited Max and the other Commanders just fine. Both them and the troops they were going to assist would need any and all of the above, so they would take what they could get to fill the cargo hold that wasnt occupied by Mecha.

Reavers paid for their shipments in advance, there was no IOU system or consignee transfers. When they got to the destination they would be paid for the goods, with markup for their efforts, and that was what kept them in business.

In the rare case that a Mercenary or Reaver ship was used to transfer aid supplies that the other side wasnt expecting to be paid for, it was seen as a sign of trust. They had the goods, and they were out nothing but reputation if they didnt all make it to their destination. Since they were notoriously independent, that didnt happen often, though the Reavers did take some for the larger nations, as a sign of goodwill, to keep their fleet moving through that nations space duty and harassment-free.

Max was quickly learning that the carefree life of a Mercenary wasnt as simple as it looked on the surface, but it was still much more relaxing than that of a regular soldier, even if he did have his unit doing daily training drills while they were in transit.

[Transfer to Slower than Light travel in 8 hours, destination Derrax Prime.]

The ships announcement broke up the meeting, and everyone agreed to meet again in six hours to work out their final details and prepare to meet their arranged employer.

Max returned to his bunk to rest up before the meetings, falling easily asleep with a half dozen shots of Rum in him, and waking up only mildly groggy when his alarm went off five and a half hours later.

That gave him just enough time to shower and change, then head up to the Officers Mess in his finest faded denim jeans and Leather jacket. Paired with a band t-shirt he had been given on Comor, he blended right in with most of the crew that he passed, and would have fit right in with the slums he grew up in if he had been a little less clean and a little more ragged.

Max decided that this was his look for casual wear. He had gone through dozens of styles, mostly thanks to Nico throwing clothes at him, but this felt the most like himself.

Inquisitor Ming looked him over and nodded in approval when he got to the Mess Hall where most of the other Command staff was seated, waiting on the last few to arrive so they could get started.

Nico looked Max over from head to toe, then got a slight frown on her face and began to dig in the backpack that she had brought with her.

You all are too bland. Not you General, or the Inquisitor. But none of the rest of you have any jewelry. We cant be coming across as that poor, or worse, as some weird fundamentalist cult.

Fortunately for you, I prepared for this on the way up. Costume Jewels for everyone. Grab a chain, a watch, a bracelet, or a leather bracer if thats more your style. Just do something to spice up your looks. Nico instructed, dumping the bag on the table.

Max was wearing a coat, so he didnt need much, but there was a gold rope with a number of fake rubies in it that caught his eye. With that, plus one lighter gold chain around his neck, he decided that he looked suitably not broke.

Nico had her usual goth meets steampunk look on, with the sleeveless leather jacket and pleated skirt over ripped stockings, but she also had gold bracelets on her wrists, a necklace with a strange coin hung from it, and diamond stud earrings.

You all look fantastic. Colonel Klinger cheered as he came in, dressed much like Max but with a worn-out leather vest instead of a jacket, and a long-sleeved black and white plaid shirt. The look was a familiar one to Max. Dave had often worn almost exactly that outfit, except he almost always wore black fatigue pants instead of Jeans.

He also had rings on every single finger and a thick chain around his neck, but that one looked like real gold to Max, so he probably dressed like this on his time off, and it wasnt a costume to him.

General Yaakov began his speech with a stiff adjustment of his coat, smoothing the irregularities in the lace trim. Good, that is everyone, and you all got the memo. Im sure you all read the debriefing that I sent over the break, so we wont go over it again, except for the most important points.

The Terminus Trading Company is from Rae 3 if anyone asks. Imperial Command has placed a beacon that can contact us in the abandoned facility there. Most likely, nobody will go looking for us in person, as they know the planet is uninhabited and we arent there at the moment.

Dont forget everyones nicknames, if they prefer them, and stick to the ones your comrades have given you, no making up new ones on the fly and confusing the others.

Once we reach Derrax, they will instruct us where to dock or land to exchange cargo. Major Nico will be our spokesperson, as the Terminus Trading Company is working as an upstart branch of the Tarith Reavers. Thats nothing new, any Reaver with enough backing and a ship can try to branch out on their own. The others encourage it, because they will either succeed and spread influence, or they will fail and fall deep into debt, letting their counterparts gain a lifelong subordinate.

Colonel Klinger, you are her bodyguard, since you understand the unspoken language as well. The rest of us will stay off camera during video links and a step behind during meetings. We want to get in, get loaded, and get out. The Tapani are waiting for us, and this load.

They all gave the fist to the chest salute, then relaxed back into their informal states.

Alright, Rage, Klinger, you need to head to the bridge and wait for the call. The rest of you can wait wherever you like, but you will be needed at Cargo Bay six once we are docked. General Yaakov dismissed them with a wave of his hand and left the room to finish his own preparations, whatever they might be.

Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

Chapter 254 254 Just Business

Max returned to the Battalion to get them ready for work and waited for the transition alarm to sound.

Everyone was well aware of their role, namely to just wait in the hangars unless they were called upon. Unless things went very wrong, they would not need Mecha for a simple business deal, but caution dictated that they should all be ready to fight from the moment they made contact.

Miller, how good is the shielding around these bays? Their patrol ships arent going to pick up anything strange are they? Max asked his executive officer.

Not a thing, sir. Even Abraham Kepler wouldnt see us in here. Though if we have to land on the planet they might be able to scan through the shielding. Major Miller replied.

Good to hear. I will be in the Enduring Rage until further notice. Max informed him, then hopped up to his Mechas knee and climbed the side to get back inside.

[Transition to Maneuvering Speed]

The announcement was followed by an immediate lurch as the ship left faster than light travel, making their entry into the Derrax system.

The hail that came moments later from the defense fleet was broadcast to all the Command units, and Max tuned in to see who they were dealing with.

A balding man with heavily wrinkled ebony skin, wearing a plain gray uniform coat that showed off a well-kept figure appeared on the screen.

Unlike the Kepler military, there were no rank badges, adornments, nothing at all that would indicate from a distance whether this man was important or not. It was almost like they were in battle camouflage, but with freshly polished boots.

Max had been warned in advance that the Derrax people werent big on colors or anything frivolous, but he hadnt expected that it would extend as far as removing all sorts of badges from their military uniforms. Even the Captains chair that they could see in the background was bare stainless steel, without so much as a hint of padding on it.

Self-discipline was an admirable trait, but Max was beginning to believe that this had nothing to do with self and that it was something that was forced on the entire culture, whether they liked it or not. There simply wasnt a better explanation for that level of denial of comfort, especially after knowing about the battle readiness advantages of ergonomic seating.

He wore a name tag that identified him as General Juarez, and a dour look on his face, but no other adornment.

[Unidentified vessel, state your name and purpose in Derrax.] He stated without preamble.

[I am Rage, of the Terminus Trading Company aboard the Dutchman. We have an appointment.] Nico answered simply and the man lifted a tablet into sight.

He tapped the screen a few times, then scrolled through whatever data came up in front of him, with the same impassive look on his face the entire time.

[So you do. Bay W4 of the orbital station. Do not disembark, the process is fully automated.]

After that the communication was cut, leaving Max and the other officers startled by the abrupt nature of their greeting.

It was more than a little bit of a culture shock for Max, who was used to the ritual and formality of Military discipline. Meeting a culture where even their military was that abrupt and emotionless was a disconcerting sight, despite the fact that they didnt seem to be in any way hostile toward the Dutchman or her crew.

I think he likes you, their bureaucracy is notorious for messing with trade vessels and wasting their time. General Yaakov congratulated Nico.

Its all in the details. I messaged ahead to make a docking appointment. Theres still no guarantee that they will actually swap the loads in any sort of reasonable time though. Nico responded with a roll of her mechanical eyes, anticipating a long wait for no good reason.

Admiral, be sure to watch your speed, they are very particular about port speeds. She continued, bringing the guidelines and intended flight path up on the ships main screen for everyone to see.

Nicos assurances set the others minds at ease, and the Dutchman smoothly maneuvered toward their assigned bay. The path had a half loop at the end, turning them so that they were broadside to the station, but the Dutchman didnt have the lateral thrusters to enter the bay that way. It was too tight of a fit for the large cargo vessel, and wouldnt leave room for the shipment to be unloaded.

Admiral Drake turned the ship and guided them in slowly using the reverse thrusters so that they were facing the doors and the bay that they were going to unload was closest to the equipment that was waiting in storage lockers along the side of the dock. ϺᏙᒪΞᎷⱣႸᏒ.ϽӨᎷ

That position also pointed their main weapons at the bay door, which closed behind them before the atmosphere was injected back into the area.

Once it stabilized the Admiral opened their cargo bay, and the waiting game began.

Behind Armored glass overlooking the bay, a series of questions were being asked through video link with a very annoyed patrol ship captain.

Are you sure they are authentic? You didnt even send for a second opinion. A bookish officer shouted at the man who had appeared in the video link with the Dutchman.

The ship code matches the radio. The radio matches the reservation appointment. The encrypted security code matches the shipment documents, and to top it off the representatives are both from Reaver families, you can tell just by looking at them.

Now unload them and get them out of my zone before I bring planetary administration into it. The Captain countered, looking far more annoyed than a simple questionnaire about a shipment would seem to have called for.

The docks unloading equipment began to move seconds later, and the shipment was quickly removed from the hold, then replaced with the aid supplies for the Tapani.

[We are pleased to report your loading process is complete.] A voice announced over the intercom in the bridge of the Dutchman, bringing a smile to the face of everyone in the room.

[Verifying anticipated weight and volumes. Please hold 15 seconds.] Nico replied, and pulled up a camera in the storage area.

The hold was nearly full now with identical rows of neatly stacked air-tight crates, and the scanner on the door had recorded all the labels as they entered. It all looked good to Nico, and the weight checked out, so the boxes werent empty. There was no guarantee that the contents were the desired cargo, but that wasnt their business. They were the transport, opening the cargo was something that was viewed as the height of suspicious behavior.

Nobody wanted their shipment damaged by the crew that brought it to them, so they assumed the risk that the shipper might try to swindle them in exchange for the security of knowing that the sealed boxes hadnt been tampered with.

[Verification complete. Volume correct, weight within two percent of expected numbers. Loading complete, please clear the bay doors for atmospheric integrity checks.] Nico informed the staffer, who nodded in relief and maneuvered the loading equipment back to storage.

The ships doors were sealed and the atmosphere warning in the dock sounded, letting them know the station was preparing to let them exit.

That was crazy, Ive never seen a loading dock work that fast. What did you put in the appointment message? Klinger asked Nico.

Thats just it, there wasnt anything in my message other than basic details. My guess is that either the politicians are involved or someone is up for a performance review. Nico replied with a shrug, just as confused about the situation as Klinger was.

Five minutes later, they were clear to move out and the dock doors opened, letting the Admiral gently maneuver free of the station and out of orbit, preparing for faster than light travel.

The Captain of the patrol ship watched carefully until they disappeared in a flash of light, headed towards Tapani space.

Feeling better now? His second in Command asked quietly.

Much better. You know how Ghost Ships creep me out, and that one was notorious. Half a dozen crews died while exploring it before it finally disappeared. I cant believe someone was crazy enough to not only go looking for it but to take over its helm. The Captain responded.

He was much more superstitious than most of his Darrax counterparts, but everyone in the country that was old enough to have seen one knew that the Ghost Ships were taboo and not to be touched.

Aboard the Dutchman, the Pilots of the Terminus Trading Company were just happy to be heading back to civilization. That Derrax Captain was an oddball, and they hadnt seen a single living person during their time there unless you counted over video.

It was a big change from the Kepler stations which were more like a bazaar, with shops and people everywhere. Very few crews didnt send at least a few members off the ship at a Kepler station, and this situation ruled out them picking up any fresh supplies or other desired goods, other than what Nico might have put in the pickup order on their behalf if that was even possible.

Max wondered how the Tapani would respond to their arrival. They were waiting on final orders, but the mission was a combat one in a civilized world, so they were bound to meet at least a few other humans. If the Tapani were friendly toward Mercenaries, there was a chance that Max could arrange some sort of trade to get fresh food for the Battalion. They had been on freeze-dried ship rations for far too long now, and he was looking forward to something with the distinct taste of fresh.

Chapter 17 - hgfghuh