The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2117

Chapter 2117 Bargain Hunting

The discussion between the commanders of the Larkinson Clan dove into more complicated matters.

After every mech commander revealed how many mechs they were able to commit to an expedition, Major Verle took over and presented his thoughts on the overall force makeup.

"Spaceborn mechs are king in the Nyxian Gap." He began. "That does not mean that landbound mechs are redundant. Depending on our priorities, we might need to land on a dangerous moon or planet. While the Nyxian Gap is famous for its ubiquitous quantity of asteroids, some of them are so big that they are no different from actual planets. In addition, the Gap frequently absorbs rogue planets and other satellites. Most of these planets are barren, but some contain extremely valuable resources."

"I understand." Ves replied. "Do you think we are prepared to fight on land if necessary?"

"Our landbound combat prowess has lagged behind our spaceborn combat capabilities, sir. While it is possible for us to deploy a strong mid-sized landbound force, we must make sure to pick our targets."

"I'll take that into account, major."

"In contrast, I'm very confident we can smash any opponent in space. In the last couple of weeks, I have worked hard to facilitate greater coordination between your different mech forces. Everyone is aware of their roles and how they should act in basic scenarios. I'm still aiming to establish closer cooperation and coordination, but for now it is enough to prevent mechs from bumping into each other during battle."

The major proceeded to elaborate on the overall mech composition of the proposed expeditionary force.

With 600 Avatars, 500 Sentinels, 160 Battle Criers, 140 Vandals and 40 Swordmaidens, Ves felt confident his forces could smash any Nyxian pirate organization even without the help of the Penitent Sisters!

Still, that didn't mean that he should grow complacent.

The major laid out another concern. "Of the mechs we can bring into battle, most of them consist of medium mechs. This should give us a good array of options, but if you look closer, you'll see that we aren't as flexible as you think. Most of our mechs consists of beefy mechs with lackluster mobility. Models such as the Doom Guard and the Aurora Titan are not exactly known for charging at the enemy."

"I'm aware of the shortcomings of my mech models." Ves dryly replied. "What you're really saying is that we don't have enough mobility, is that right?"

Verle nodded. "I've studied the battles that typically take place in the Nyxian Gap. In many cases, light mechs can add a lot to the table and they are typically more effective in this region. All of the asteroids floating in every direction provide a lot of cover to any approaching mechs. Light mechs may be quick, but they are easily taken down if they are met with a storm of fire. If the machines instead hop from asteroid to asteroid, it becomes a lot harder to intercept them before they get into range."

That was a very frightening scenario. Ves only had to think back on the time the light mechs of the CRC made mince meat out of his powerful second-class battle bots when they finally closed the distance!

"We don't have enough time to field more light mechs." Ves declared. "We can address this shortcoming afterwards. For now, we will have to make the best out of the assets and resources we have on hand."

"I understand, sir."

They soon moved on to discussing more finer points. Issues such as the availability of spare parts and support services came up as well as the lack of veterancy in the Avatars and Sentinels.

"The Avatars and Sentinels are the mainstays of our expeditionary fleet." Verle noted and gestured to Commander Melkor and Commander Magdalena. "However, both troops have mainly opened their doors to younger recruits. While I understand the desire to hire talent with high potential and plenty of growth opportunities, that comes at the expensive of shutting our doors to capable veterans."

Ves turned to Melkor and Magdalena. "What do you have to say about Major Verle's warning?"

Melkor maintained his confidence. "Our Avatars are young and eager. None of them will falter. With the recent release of the Doom Guard, I have put a high priority on toughening them up in preparation for all of the setbacks that we might face in the Nyxian Gap."

"Young does not necessarily equate to being green, sir." Magdalena added. "My Sentinels have made use of the Doom Guards as well. While their performance isn't as exemplary as the Avatars, none of our Sentinels will crack so easily under pressure."

"That's enough. So long as they don't give up in battle, I can work with that." Ves declared.

After they worked out everything related to their mechs and mech pilots, Ves soon turned to the fleet component of his expeditionary force.

Fleet Commander Kronon succinctly elaborated on the readiness of the ships of every mech force. Ves listened closely as the quality and resilience of his carriers had always been of great concern.

"Our starship crews are in high spirits. My Ylvainan compatriots are especially eager to fight on your behalf."

Ves grimaced a bit at that. "I see. Our starships are in good hands, then. However, as much as I applaud the quality of our crews, what about the quality of our ships?"

"Our ships are less than stellar." Ophelia admitted without any shame. "Most of our expeditionary fleet will consist of affordable but thinly-armored light carriers. That is not very encouraging. Due to the complex environment of the Nyxian Gap, there is a significantly greater chance of encountering sudden ambushes and catastrophic traps. While the size and strength of our forces will likely deter most pirates from attacking us, you can't rule the possibility. If they do want to harm us, then I can think of many ways they can harm us without sacrificing a lot of assets. Crippling our vulnerable starships is the best way to stymie our progress."

That meant that the expeditionary fleet would consist of even more fragile, high-value ships! _{fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm}

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