[201-400] THE MECH'S TOUCH

Chapter 386: Divided Opinion

The appearance of a Vesian raiding force into the quiet star system of Cloudy Curtain sparked an enormous panic. The only inhabited planet of the system turned into a beehive of activity.
With a population of less than twenty million, the people of Cloudy Curtain never really paid attention to what went on in the stars.

The planet was content to ignore the galaxy, and the galaxy in turn left it alone. Its status as an agricultural backwater always caused others to overlook Cloudy Curtain as a place of importance. In the previous wars between the Republic and the Kingdom, the aggressive Vesians always seemed to overlook this tiny planet in favor of the much more attention-grabbing Bentheim System.

In any case, if the Vesians ever succeeded in conquering the Bentheim System, the peripheral star systems around this core location would automatically fall in the Vesian hands without another shot.

Therefore, the sudden appearance of the Republic's eternal boogeymen in the Cloudy Curtain System of all places caused an enormous ripple effect among the populace. Many sleepy citizens didn't even know what to do in the event of an emergency, which was something unthinkable in a crisis-ridden place like Bentheim.

With millions of people running around like headless chickens, a number of influential organizations forcefully took charge.

The Planetary Assembly was not among them. During a crisis of life and death, no one paid attention to the local politicians. In recent times, the ruling coalition had taken a large hit in popularity. Their stranglehold on local politics was a thing of the past.

Nevertheless, The Greens and the White Doves never relented in their public criticism of the Pioneers, the LMC and Ves. The White Doves in particular rightfully argued that they had warned the people for years.

"I told you so! What was Mr. Larkinson thinking for setting up a giant mech plant on our peaceful planet?!"

"Say NO to mechs! Tell the LMC to blow up their entire factory before the Vesians land! Don't give them a reason to lay waste to our cities!"

"The war has nothing to do with us! Brighter, Vesian, I don't care what I call myself. Just leave us alone!"

"The immigration authorities lied to us! I thought this was one of the safest planets in the Komodo Star Sector. I wanted a quiet retirement, not a first-class seat to a mech battle!"

Most of these voices came from the capital planet of Orinoco, which in recent times became a bulwark for the previous status quo. The businesses and influential people who congregated there purposefully amplified the voices of the discontent.

On the other side of the planet, Freslin, which had become a lively city of mech enthusiasts, fought back with their own words.

"You fricking cowards! The Republic should have you shot for your treasonous words!"

"News flash, dumbasses, mechs are prevalent in every corner in the galaxy! No matter how hard you try to bury your head in the sands, there's no way you can avoid bumping into mechs!"

"Millions of Republican mech pilots have fought and bled to preserve your freedom, and you want us to roll over and destroy our own mech builders on our own accord? You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"I don't know about you, but the Vesians are the enemy, not one of our own! If you're so eager to lend them a hand, then go tumble out of the Bright Republic this instant!"

The raucous debate grew superheated even as the Vesian combat carriers neared the divided planet.

For some reason, the Republican Commissioner remained mum and did not face the public in order to advocate for calm and solidarity. With the critical absence of the only figure on the planet that could unite both sides, the contradictions between the two sides widened to an extreme.