The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2000

Chapter 2000 Transcending Existence

"How did they find out?!" A bedraggled-looking pirate commander complained as he tried to pilot his impressive-looking mech out of the secret entrance. "I shouldn't have accepted that blasted deal!"

Though the pirate looked worse for wear, that was because he hastily entered his mech in order to escape the sprawling pirate base built into the depths of one of the many floating planetoids of the Nyxian Gap.

Just an hour before, the pirate commander didn't look as scared as now.

Known to the cutthroat pirate community as Commander Nicolas Vortan and the leader of Vortan's Blades, he made a name for himself due to his excellent dueling skills!

Before he took over his current pirate organization, he risked his life for fame and riches by dueling others to the death for the entertainment of the depraved scum of the Gap!

In his prime, he became known as the Heart Striker! He gained this dreaded moniker for his penchant to stab his mech's incredibly hardy dueling sword through the cockpits of his opponent's mechs!

Though the hard living in the Gap and his aging caused him to lose some of his excellent reflexes, Commander Vortan was still a force to be reckoned with. This was especially the case when he usurped the leadership of a sizable pirate organization in charge of an entire pirate base!

Frederick City was one of the many semi-obscure but highly-frequented pirate hideouts of the Nyxian Gap.

Situated deep enough in the anomalous space of the Gap to avoid Peacekeeper retaliation, it was also close enough to the border to civilized space to make the base a welcome stopping point for many pirates looking to raid the Sentinel Kingdom!

Having fought and dealt with the Sentinels for so long, Vortan's Blades forged an increasing amount of ties with certain allies among their supposed enemies.

The nobles of the Sentinel Kingdom and the pirate leaders of the Nyxian Gap were not as diametrically opposed to each other as the public was led to believe.

These secret partnerships resulted in a lot of profit to Vortan's Blades. The Nyxian Gap may be fairly blessed with rare exotics, but the pirates and other scum who reside in them weren't able to gain any other essential goods! Even criminals couldn't escape the need for trade to keep their mechs and ships in working condition!

For several years, Frederick City expanded and grew into an increasingly more active pirate base with the help of all the deals that Vortan Blades had cut with some of its hidden Sentinel partners.

Though the nobles never revealed their identities, Commander Vortan didn't care so long as the goods kept flowing!

"Haha! I'm finally out!" He laughed.

His brilliant-looking swordsman mech finally darted out of the tunnel. A lightless, crater-encrusted landscape greeted his mech. Complicated, radioactive rock formation surrounded the clearing his Devosh entered.

"My ride is just ahead!"

Like any pirate commander, Vortan had long prepared an escape route for himself. In fact, the attackers of his base managed to find and block three of his routes, but he had at least seven more to choose from! He only selected this route because it was the fastest way out of the chaos that engulfed his base!

"You'll pay for that, you bastards!"

Though the pirate commander was glad he managed to preserve his life and custom mech, he lost almost everything. Vortan's Blades existed no more.

The invaders were never supposed to sneak so many mechs in his base!

Commander Vortan put all of the blame on the security leaders he entrusted to keep Frederick City safe. If not for their failures, he still would have been able to lord over others!

"First, I'll take revenge. Next, I'll rebuild Frederick Base! I won't let this setback drag me down!"

He was not an average pirate! He used to be one the most skilled of the Nyxian Gap! He led a pirate organization that ran an entire base!

Yet just before his Devosh reached the hole where he stashed his escape vessel, his swordsman mech slowed down and halted.

A mech stood in its way.

"Nicolas Vortan. I knew you would take this route. I've been awaiting your arrival." The opposite mech broadcasted.

"You." Vortan hissed! "You! It's you! Why did you attack my base?!"

He was both angry and afraid! He was filled with rage due to all of the losses he suffered. He was gripped with fear as he recognized his famous opponent!

A reddish-brown tiger mech slowly stepped forward on its four legs as its form comfortably traversed the reduced gravity of the planetoid.

A large, thick tiger tail playfully swayed back and forth as the snarling head and shining red eyes of the mech pinned the Devosh in place!

"The blood of billions of innocents stains your hands. Entire cities have succumbed to the crimes perpetrated by your men!"

"Why the hell do you attack us, then?! We're just the ones who accepted the job. You should go after the masterminds instead!"

"That's the problem, Commander Vortan. I can't track the ones responsible for plotting the heinous attacks. That's why I am knocking on your doors instead. Now, please answer this question. Who gave you those Spyre Helixes? Where did they come from?!"

"I don't know! The only contact who I got in touch with was some snobby noble prick called Finlay! You know how careful those Sentinel houses are with making deals with pirates. They never expose their true identities, especially to scum like us! That's all I know, I swear!"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" The tiger mech pilot bellowed! "I have interrogated hundreds of craven pirate leaders like you. I can smell a lie from a light-year away! You know more about your business partner than you claim!"

Commander Vortan grimaced. "I'm not afraid of you, Dark Cleaver. Your Oblivion Hand may have caught my boys by surprise, but I don't see you goons anywhere close! Did you come alone?"

The Devil Tiger nodded its huge and menacing head. "As a former duelist, I figured you deserve the courtesy of fighting one last match. Come. Let us test our battle prowess against each other!"

"Are you serious?"

"I am the Dark Cleaver. I never break my word."

"Then.. it's your funeral!"

Even though Commander Vortan hadn't dueled anyone in years, he still kept up his skills and participated in several large battles!

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