[201-400] THE MECH'S TOUCH

Chapter 385: Defense Plan

After leaving the mech stables occupied by the Mudriders, Ves payed a visit to the facility that held the Avatars of Myth.
Melkor already used the budget provided by Ves to good use. The mech stables looked like a bunker that could withstand a lot more punishment than the one he visited before. It had also been built on top of a collapsible tunnel that led to an underground network.

"Ves." Melkor greeted him as he arrived. "I believe you have met the Oodis Mudriders?"

"They look like they have something to prove."

"You can't trust what you see. They purposely put their best foot forward." Melkor admonished him as he led him past the mechs of his own personal force.

They all looked decent, but the two gold label Blackbeaks took the crown. The two offensive knights radiated a subtle flavor that spoke of bloodthirst and anticipation. Ves mentally nodded in satisfaction. Their X-Factor should enhance the two mechs by a small but noticeable margin.

After finishing the small tour, Melkor led Ves to an underground command center of some sorts. A dozen or so new hires staffed the various workstations in the highly secure chamber. Ves recognized them as part of his own personal force due to the temporary uniforms they wore that matched Melkor's own.

His cousin seemed to have opted for a sober black uniform of stiff high-quality fabric along with touches of blue. The uniform gave those who wore them a lot of stature, and Ves approved of the look. Perhaps he would instruct Melkor to turn permanent.

"This is our first command center. Here, we will coordinate our surface defense. There are other command centers underground, but it's not necessary to use them yet. The chances that the Vesians are bringing tunneling machines are very low."

In the middle of the command center hovered a projection of the star system and the Mech Nursery's vicinity.

"From our latest observations, the Vesian combat carriers are making swift progress to the inner system. They'll arrive in orbit in about eleven hours. That's very short, and we don't have enough time to bolster our defenses."

Ves studied the space plot and traced the trajectory of the Vesian ships. "Is there any way to threaten their ships?"

"No. I've already made some inquiries and it's impossible for us to damage them. They're very well-guarded by an entire company of spaceborn mechs. As you know, the Mech Corps isn't maintaining any garrisons in this star system. Instead, the job of defending the system and planet is left to Walter's Whalers."

"I see."

Even with their recent windfalls, it took time for the Whalers to train competent mech pilots anc acquire new mechs. This raid happened way too soon for the Whalers to put a strong resistance. Ves did not forget that they lost a lot of mech pilots in the Glowing Planet campaign.

Ves also had a first-hand look at how they operated back then. Typical for gangs, battles in space was not their strong suit. They much preferred to operate on land, as that was more intuitive and required less brain power to understand.

In order to excel in space like a true spaceborn fighting force, the Whalers would need to hire a lot of ship captains and mech officers who understood orbital mechanics and other highly technical knowledge.

Let alone orbital mechanics, Ves doubted that the average gang member learned how to count past ten.

"Okay, it's hopeless to contest the Vesians in space, but the Whalers are much better off on the ground, right?"

Melkor nodded. "That's one thing that's gone right. Dietrich has been in touch with us and they've promised to defend Freslin and the Mech Nursery, depending on where the Vesians planned to strike. However, he did warn us that while the mechs are much better than what they used to have, the mech pilots are mostly green and untested. They won't be able to stand their ground in a pitched battle."