The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2159

Chapter 2159 Intensive Drills

Normally, the Scarlet Rose wasn't very boisterous. The mobile supply frigate that Ves had managed to hijack from the Coalition Reserve Corps wasn't very big. She was only able to carry four mechs at most and her mech workshop's output was fairly modest.

Nonetheless, she was the best ship in his possession. Ves did not feel entirely safe to travel aboard the third-class ships of his clan. He didn't possess any stomach to travel aboard one of the ten formidable combat carriers in the hands of the Penitent Sisters either.

Only the Scarlet Rose provided him with a space that he could completely call his own. After an extensive overhaul and refit, much of her interior had been changed to suit his needs.

Now, after a long time, the Scarlet Rose hosted more people than just Ves and the Battle Criers that made up her crew.

A group of 26 assistant mech designers had gathered in the design lab. The presence of so many people made the compartment a lot livelier, though also a bit cramped.

Ketis stood proudly at the front of the group. The other mech designers fearfully kept their distance from her and her incredibly sharp greatsword.

The new Larkinsons had witnessed her chopping off too many body parts to count! Even though she hadn't actually killed anyone, the nonchalance she showed during the selection process proved that she was an experienced butcher!

The sight amused Ves a lot. It also disappointed him a bit. Much of his cohort of mech designers should have been uncommonly brave or firm. Despite that, the mere sight of a single female mech designer with a sword caused all of them to relive their past trauma!

"Alright." Ves eventually clapped. "Good morning everyone. I hope that all of you are satisfied with your new accommodations. While you all deserve to sleep in separate cabins, we don't have enough room aboard this ship. I hope you can endure these necessities."

All of his assistant mech designers were notable and accomplished talents. None of them signed up for an adventure like this, but sadly Ves was not an average employer!

As newly-adopted Larkinsons, they had no choice but to put up with the circumstances.

"Ketis, how have these fellows shaped up during the welcome tour?"

"They're doing a fine job, Ves." She casually replied. "I think all of them will make for fine Larkinsons."

"What about their battle readiness?" _{fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓}

Her smile disappeared. "Frankly, horrible. During the welcome tour, we hardly enjoyed any opportunities to drill. In the event of an alarm, the fools are liable to run into each other rather than reach their assigned posts!"

"I see. Let's address this first. Ketis, I want you to coordinate with the captain of the ship to hold intensive, randomized drills in the next couple of weeks. No matter if it happens in the early morning or in the evening, I want everyone on this ship to become familiar with what needs to be done in the event of a disaster!"

"Got it, Ves!"

This was a necessity aboard any ship. Back when he worked for the Flagrant Vandals, he took part in sporadic drills that initiated at random times. The reason why the Vandals hadn't conducted their drills more frequently was because most of their crews already knew what to do in the event of every conceivable emergency. They only needed to drill enough times to remain sharp.

That wasn't the case right now. The Battle Criers who crewed the ship might know how to react to various emergencies, but the new assistant mech designers probably didn't know the way to the nearest escape pods!

Shortly after that, the assistant mech designers went through hell. None of them had any opportunity to showcase their design prowess to Ves. They simply spent too much time on memorizing the various steps they needed to take in the event of an enemy attack or an explosion in the engineering bay.

If they weren't resting or studying, then they were often preoccupied with drills!

Ves did not allow his new assistants to do nothing except trying their best to stand out of the way. He wanted them to be proactive in assisting the crew in repairing critical damage or assisting in mitigating various disasters.

From putting out fires to replacing broken power cables, not every repair job required the services of a ship engineer.

All of the activity reminded Ves of the past. He too frequently lent a hand in the case of various emergencies. Though most of his new assistants didn't see the necessity in holding so many drills, Ves was sure that they would thank him later.

Increasing their stress levels, interrupting their sleep and forcing them to work on complicated equipment for hours at a time was the fastest way to raise them up to standard!

With less than a week of travel before the task force reached the outer periphery of the Nyxian Gap, disaster might strike at any moment.

Of course, as the man responsible for sparking all of these drills, Ves skipped out on them. He relaxed in his stateroom or quietly fiddled with his sketches at the design lab while his poor assistants were being worked to the bone.

In truth, Ves didn't just torture them in order to raise their battle readiness. He also wanted to increase their stress tolerance. Having lived through several battles, Ves knew that the intense pressure and uncertainty could break anyone who hadn't gone through combat training.

Though the drills weren't adequate substitutes to actual combat training, they at least sufficed.

During these stressful days, the assistants often vented their frustrations to each other.

"I already regret becoming a Larkinson!"

"I haven't slept more than three hours at a time!"

"Devil Tongue, indeed! I thought his moniker only reflected his speech, but it turns out he's a devil in other ways as well!"

Ves only derived further amusement when hearing these complaints. He wasn't worried that any of them would snap. The Battle Criers actually monitored every assistant very closely and built up an extensive profile of their ability to endure difficulties.

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