The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2046

Chapter 2046 Military Bureau

The departure of Brutus Wodin and his charity case didn't affect the Larkinson Clan. Ves felt almost just as secure as before.

Certainly, the emergence of an enemy expert pilot would definitely inflict a lot of pain. Without one of his own constraining such a powerful actor, a single powerful mech could wreak untold havoc in his ranks.

While the Larkinson veterans and the Flagrant Vandals received training on how to resist the aggression of an expert pilot, it was easier said than done to put it into practice!

The natural awe and fear towards expert pilots was a huge detriment to the effectiveness of such massed tactics.

Cases where a single expert pilot managed to disintegrate a force consisting of a thousand mechs weren't unheard of in the galaxy!

If all of those regular mech pilots kept their composure and worked together to surround and tire out the expert mech, then the latter would not be able to achieve much results before being taken down by sheer numbers.

Yet this was not always the case in practice! The success rate of these plans often hinged on the discipline and training of the mech pilots. As long as they didn't trust each other to cover their backs or possessed the will to sacrifice their lives for a greater purpose, the selfish mech pilots would always back off and try to avoid being included in the list of casualties!

Larkinson Network or not, Ves did not believe that most of his clansmen had reached the point of dying for the clan. Due to their training and unique characteristics, the Avatars of Myth and the Battle Criers came close, but Ves knew they still fell short in this area and many other areas.

Having an experienced mech officer who once commanded half of a mech regiment at his side turned out to be a very useful boon.

Major Verle-Larkinson was an all-round asset, possessing a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and insight in military matters. Not only that, he also possessed a dash of intelligence experience. From sabotage, kidnapping, wetwork and other unsavory activities, Verle-Larkinson had done it all throughout his decades-long career.

"Calling you Verle-Larkinson all the time is getting really tired." Ves complained during a meeting with the latest member of his inner circle. "Can I call you Quinlist?"

The major's mouth twitched. Evidently, he did not like his first name! "You can just call me Verle or Major Verle if that is what you prefer. Others in the clan have already reverted to ignoring the compound name."

The name Larkinson consisted of three syllables, and it was a lot of trouble to recite this name all of the time! Even the clansmen who proudly wore this name eventually got tired of saying it in rapid succession!

Ves palmed his face. "We need to find a better solution to this stupid naming problem."

"It's not a major issue, Ves. Just forget about it and let your clansmen sort it out by themselves."

It didn't matter too much anyway. Ves could see through his spiritual vision that Major Verle was already integrating deeper into the spiritual network centered around the Larkinson Mandate. So long as this bond remained healthy, Verle could be trusted to act in the interests of the clan!

"Alright. Let's get back to the topic at hand. What was it you said about the organization of our mech forces?"

The major coughed. "As I was saying, I have comprehensively inspected each and every force that is under your direct and indirect command. I even paid a visit to the Penitent Sisters, though they have been understandable reluctant to show me around."

"That must have been quite an ordeal." Ves smirked.

"I count myself lucky I managed to leave alive." Verle laughed. "In any case, after I have taken stock of your combat assets, I have ascertained many shortcomings and inefficiencies. While the various forces such as the Avatars and my Flagrant Vandals are individually well-run, at the strategic level there is a dangerous lack of cooperation and coordination."

Ves blinked at this answer. "Please explain."

"Hmm.. let's take the Mech Corps as a model. In a very simplified overview, the Mech Corps consists of three basic layers. At the bottom, there are the individual mech regiments which do all of the fighting as cohesive units with distinctive specialties. At the middle, there is the mech division level which gathers a number of diverse mech regiments together to achieve a strategic goal in a war theater. Above this level is HQ which manages the military at the state level."

It didn't take long for Ves to understand what Verle was getting at. "We are lacking in layers, is that what you are saying?"

Verle nodded. "Headquarters isn't just a place where the brass makes all of the big decisions. It also functions as an administrative center, much like the headquarters of your mech company. Countless policies, standards and other aspects are constantly being updated by one of its many offices and departments."

"I can understand that." Ves rubbed his smooth-shaven chin. "So far, the Avatars, Sentinels and other forces run their own affairs as self-contained silos. That is fine if they are only expected to operate by themselves, but the truth is that they will likely be asked to fight alongside other forces. Some conflict and friction is inevitable."

"I've reviewed the after-action reports of the Battle of Kesseling VIII." Major Verle stated. "It's obvious that the problems I've mentioned have already started to become evident during that time. The unexpected and uncoordinated reinforcements from the Swordmaidens and the Ylvainan defectors may have saved your clan from defeat, but the lack of coordination in their movements has led to an excessive number of preventable casualties."

"You're saying that a lot less mech pilots would have fallen if our forces all cooperated better?"

"Yes."

That was a very harsh statement. The truth hurt sometimes, and Ves felt very remorseful for not doing enough to deepen the integration between the Avatars, Sentinels, Battle Criers and Glory Battalion.

The major noted the effect he had on his audience. "It's okay, Ves. Your forces did their best. None of you expected to face an attack at that time and place. Let's move forward and establish a plan to address our shortcomings so that we won't be caught so flat-footed the next time."

While the major spoke, Ves connected to his comm via his implant and rapidly scanned through the document in his mind. _{freёwebnoѵel.com}

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