[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 75: Pirates

The worst outcome happened just as they finally reached Leemar. An unknown group of invaders brazenly attacked a border system owned by the powerful Konsu Clan. The Saint Hearst immediately locked down the ship and turned off all external communications, but plenty of passengers possessed different means.

"They're not going to attack us, are they?"

"I recognize the emblem! That's the Vermeer Group!"

"That's not a raid, that's a full invasion fleet! They even brought tanks and infantry to occupy captured territory!"

The news became grim when they realized the Saint Hearst got caught in a struggle between two full Coalition partners. The third-most powerful Vermeer Group committed to a full border invasion of the Twin Tigers System held by the second-most powerful Konsu Clan.

"Fuck, I always thought these things happened in dramas. Now that it's happening in real life, I feel really crappy." Dietrich spat as his face turned blue.

Through long-range scans everyone could see hundreds of regimented mechs moving in unison. Any casual mercenary group would get rolled over when facing such an unstoppable tide.

"The galaxy is never at peace. We've been too spoiled in the Bright Republic where skirmishes remain small. After all, there's nothing really valuable there worth fighting to the death."

That the Vermeer Group decided to invest so much effort into conquering a border system meant that this place had something of value. A couple of other passengers had the same idea, and one person who still had access to the galactic net found the reason.

"Spiral ore! The Twin Tigers System has a large deposit of Spiral ore!"

While that meant nothing to Dietrich, Ves looked up with widened eyes as he heard the news. His improved Metallurgy skills along with his extensive insight in the mech industry supplied him with the reason for the Vermeer Group's radical move.

"Spiral ore can be refined into a substance that is essential to fabricating high-density energy cells. Trace amounts of spiral ore can be found in most star systems, but it's not economical to harvest these tiny deposits. If the Konsu clan discovered a substantial deposit in the Twin Tigers System, then it has turned from a backwater in a major strategic asset."

A couple of passengers dug out even worse news. It turned out that the Vermeer Group already possessed two large deposits of spiral ore within their territory. They sought to conquer the Twin Tigers System in order to obtain a local monopoly on the valuable ore. If they succeeded in keeping all three sources of ore, then they were able to dictate the prices and make up for the losses they suffered in this invasion.

"Looks like the unrest outside has spread to the Coalition as well. These Coalition partners sure are ruthless enough to wage war on their own side."

In actuality, it was questionable whether the major partners that made up the Coalition were ever on the same side to begin with. They came together only to defend against the monolithic Hexadric Hegemony. Besides passing some common laws to ease trade and mutual defense, the different partners still held on to their unique cultures and individual pride.

As time passed, the Saint Hearst tightened their suppression in order to avoid panic. Crew members along with armed bots emerged from nowhere and guided the passengers back to their cabins.

A ship-wide announcement spoke once the last passengers returned to their places. "This is the captain speaking. As you may have found out, the Saint Hearst has entered the Twin Tigers System in the middle of a military conflict. While devastating to the population, our spaceline is not related to either factions involved in anyway. Neither sides have expressed any intentions of pursuing us as we announced our presence."