[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 174: Dragons of the Void

Even if every channel of communication had been shuttered, it didn't stop people from talking. While most of the crew possessed some propriety, a small number of loudmouths couldn't help but pass on gossip. Of course, everything they said happened hours ago and didn't relate to the current condition of the expeditionary fleet.

"The expeditionary fleet avoided a minefield. They put some really nasty ones out in space. I heard that they had some impressive homing capabilities and their movements are stealthy enough to sneak up on us to about a hundred kilometers. After that, it activates this enormous booster than propels it straight into the biggest ship it can find!"

"Some of the merc ships in our fleet are dragging their heels. I heard Lord Kaine has been shouting their butts off for refusing to meet the enemy. I told you guys the local mercs are scum! They're good little soldiers as long as nothing happens, but they're acting as scared as rabbits as soon as actual combat is involved!"

"The brass keeps arguing on how to handle the pirate fleet. Lord Kaine directly butted heads with the Big Three! Even the three big mercenary groups don't agree on what to do. George's Cavalry want to conduct a pitched battle, while the Stray Phantoms is hoping to drag out the engagements."

"What about Adila's Chosen?"

"The hell if I know what those religious nuts are thinking about. They're praying to themselves half of the time."

"The Stray Phantoms raked their vanguard! I heard they chewed up dozens of mechs at once in a single pass! The attack caused the entire pirate fleet to pause!"

The constant chatter apprised Ves and the others of the situation and gave them some perspective of what went on in space. Though he didn't know how the lower ranks got their news, it sounded as if the entire engagement had just begun.

Ves slowly got used to working under an elevated alert level. He had to watch his actions and make sure he didn't get up to anything suspicious. Ensign D'Amato kept a laser-like gaze on him while he directed the partial disassembly of the two Ajax Olympians.

As heavy knights were meant to absorb damage, they possessed an extremely complex armor system. Every layer and every plate connected to another one, and untangling them took a lot of care and effort.

Fortunately, the mech technicians in this department possessed plenty of experience in peeling back the armor. They expertly stripped away the dense and heavy plates and set them aside. Ves didn't even have to get his hands dirty.

"Alright, we've opened up the Ajaxes." Ves announced the the technicians that Chief Ramirez had placed under him. "Now, carefully dismantle the components marked in the chart according to the order I set out."

The feeling of leading an entire work crew made Ves feel like a queen among a hive of bees. It helped that the bees all possessed their own competences. As an influence from a second-rate state, House Kaine would never hire idiots.

Ves also gained an unexpected benefit in this process. He personally witnessed the various methods the mech technicians used to coordinate with each other and keep track of their progress. All of their sophisticated means had been laid bare before his eyes. If he ever wanted to expand his production capacity, he wouldn't be starting from scratch.

"Even if I don't gain much on this trip, this experience is already worth it. I should start hiring some mech technicians once I return home."

Over at the workshop, Chief Ramirez had already begun to fabricate the new components. Ves didn't worry too much because the design mostly demanded auxiliary components that didn't possess any complex functions. Neither did they incorporate a lot of finicky exotic materials.