[201-400] THE MECH'S TOUCH

Chapter 388: Self-harm

The combat carriers possessed the capability to descend from orbit and land on any planet with a standard amount of gravity. That did not mean they did it all the time. Any ship that landed on a planet became a sitting duck. Therefore, the Vesian combat carriers remained in orbit and instead sent out smaller transport ships that conveyed the mechs to the surface.

One peculiar nature about Cloudy Curtain was its ever-present cloud cover. The clouds not only blocked vision, but various other signals as well, so the Vesians wouldn't be able to coordinate between their space and ground forces very well.

However, this did not hinder their operations too much, as Cloudy Curtain itself hosted numerous quantum entanglement nodes that maintained contact with the wider galaxy, which could all be hacked in many ways. The Vesians also deployed floating comm buoys to maintain secure lines of communication.

Most of the transports predictably flew towards Freslin. However, two transports deviated from the rest and headed towards Orinoco.

"How many mechs do these transports carry?" Ves asked as he stood besides Melkor in the command center.

His cousin carefully studied the models and also looked up the details on the galactic net. "This particular model normally carries six mechs. The Vesians apparently don't think much of us if they feel confident enough to hit two targets at the same time."

Both of them found the Vesian decision to be an unexpected gift. Their odds of withstanding the Vesian push drastically increased with the absence of those twelve-or-so enemy mechs.

"Will the Vesians wait for those mechs to finish up in Orinoco before attacking the Mech Nursery?"

"They shouldn't be." Melkor mused. "You have to be aware that the Vesian raiding force has already entered this system for more than half a day. The Mech Corps already knows about them and will free up a response force sooner or later. The Vesians don't want to stick around for too long. I predict they will only stay for two or three days at most."

Raiding forces only came equipped to attack rear echelon facilities. Neither their mechs or pilots could compare to the best of what the 3rd Imodris Legion had to offer. Furthermore, they also lacked the supplies to fight an extended drawn-out engagement.

Their plan was to get in and out as fast as possible, doing as much damage along the way as they could.

As a detachment of the Vesian raiders flew towards Orinoco, the citizens of the capital city panicked. Walter's Whalers practically left the city undefended, and only a handful of influential organizations maintained a loose collection of mechs.

These mechs would not be able to pose a threat at all. The strong pacifist tradition among the old elite discouraged any meaningful investment into forming a proper standing force of mechs. Some mechs even looked severely outdated to the point where only grandfathers and grandmothers could identify their exact model on sight.

The impending arrival of the Vesians at Orinoco led to a fierce discussion among the upper echelon. Representatives of the ruling coalition, the local businesses and the farming consortiums all gathered together to discuss potential countermeasures.

"I don't see why the two biggest consortiums are content to look on from afar! I know you guys have built up a secret force of mechs! This should be the best time to make use of them!"

"Those are slanderous rumors! We are peaceful farming consortiums. The war has nothing to do with us! It is categorically impossible for us to send out any mechs, because we don't have any in the first place!"

"Why are we arguing among ourselves when we don't even have any mechs to send out? Why do we not meet with the Whalers and attempt a reconciliation?"

"Are you kidding? They'll rob us blind if we attempt to negotiate with those thugs and brutes! Let us announce a widespread evacuation and hide out in the wilderness. The Vesians may be able to do an enormous amount of material damage, but we can always rebuild after they leave."