After submitting the initial proposal for the new Estrella Klavier-class factory ship, the shipyard sent back their revision for Ves to review.
The Hexers initially misunderstood the addition of the large and prominent cat-shaped prow. Ves had to clarify that he intended to build it himself.
A lot of other issues had emerged, forcing Ves and Gloriana to either accept the suggestions from the ship designers or come up with their own solutions.
This back-and-forth took place over several days. With no mech design project on the horizon, Ves and Gloriana directly conferred with the ship designers in order to refine the final factory ship design.
Even though their professions were different, they still shared much in common. This allowed them to exchange ideas very quickly as they already established a mutual understanding.
When they finalized the configuration of the Estrella Klavier-class, the choices had been locked in. At this point, the shipyard immediately began constructing the ship, and any changes to the design would disrupt all of the ongoing planning and activity.
"Well, that's it, I guess." He told Gloriana as he sat alongside her on their bed.
A flowery scent emanated from her body. Ves closed his eyes and enjoyed her lovely smell.
She smiled and giggled at him. "Oh, Ves. Isn't yesterday enough?"
"You know me. I'm always filled with energy."
"I suppose I can indulge you once again."
Ves reached towards his girlfriend and bent her body over the bed.
Ever since they created the Little Angel, Gloriana had entered a fantastic mood. Ves discovered to his joy that she was very open to allowing him to 'discharge his energy' at night!
There was no telling when she would close her port to him again. Ves made sure to take advantage of her receptive state while he still could!
Fortunately, Gloriana had already dismissed the guards from their bedroom that night.
The only ones who were left inside were their cats. Lucky and Clixie huddled together on a desk as they watched their human owners become more intimate with each other.
"Miaow?"
"Meow."
"Miaow miaow."
"Meow!"
The next morning, they woke up content and prepared to go to work. Gloriana wanted to study the Little Angel as much as possible before DIVA finally took it away. Their transportation convoy was already only several days away from arriving at Cinach.
Meanwhile, Ves wanted to ready a portion of the Larkinson Fleet to depart. Though he hadn't selected a mission as of yet, he already had his eye on a couple of them in the Rim Exchange during his earlier visits.
The only troublesome aspect about their current plan was that both Ves and Gloriana wouldn't be seeing each other for a couple of months.
This meant that they wouldn't be able to make a lot of progress on designing the eight mechs they promised to DIVA in exchange for their factory ship!
"It's fine." He told her. "This excursion will only take a few months to half a year. I need this, not just for the merits, but also forge my combat personnel into a cohesive, battle-tested group."
"I know, Ves. It's just that we only have three years to fulfill our promise. I'm thinking of accompanying you. Forget about starting any solo projects. The Komodo War is too important! It's better to hand in our mech designs early rather than later!"
He reacted with alarm! "Gloriana! Entering the Nyxian Gap is not a picnic! We will definitely encounter a lot of threats. Your Glory Battalion will go crazy if you intend to go through this reckless plan!"
"Then how will we be able make any progress?" She questioned.
"I'll remain in contact for at least a couple of months. The outer regions of the Nyxian Gaps aren't as warped as the core regions. It will still be possible to maintain contact with each other through the galactic net. It's only when my ship goes deeper or enters a special zone where the connection becomes garbled."
In the end, they had to make do with this outcome. Gloriana did not have many reasons to expose herself to so many risks, unlike Ves.
If he didn't satisfy his exploration cravings, he would always feel restless. He was simply wired differently from Gloriana.
To him, the Nyxian Gap wasn't an endless abyss that hid unimaginable terrors.
To him, the Nyxian Gap was a region filled with secrets and sources of inspiration!
As a creative-minded mech designer, Ves fed off his novel experiences and encounters. The more exciting his adventure, the greater his gains!
Almost all of his mech designs to date reflected his actual experiences. He designed mechs like the Doom Guard to address shortcomings that he personally suffered from. If he never encountered so many pirate attacks, he would have never come up with the idea of designing a striker mech that was expressly designed to deter massed attackers!
As his girlfriend, Gloriana already knew about this part of him. Though she feared for his life, she was also confident he would prevail.
Her unreserved support for him had always been one of her better parts. Trust in each other was the foundation of their relationship, and both of them felt they could let down their guard in each other's presence.
"Are you also trying to find.. your parents?" She carefully asked.
He shook his head. "They're in hiding for a reason. If I can track them down, then something has gone very wrong. I'm pretty certain that they are residing a lot deeper in the Nyxian Gap than I plan to travel."
"Oh. Well, at least your mother is with us in the form of the Superior Mother, hihi!"
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