The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2547

Chapter 2547: Purplefeather

Soon after the shipments of mechs arrived, the Larkinsons received another delivery.

Dozens of combat carriers and logistics ships transitioned out of FTL. The emergence of so many second-class ships initially alarmed the local authorities, but soon they relaxed once it became clear the vessels were Hexer-built.

The Larkinson Clan already expected their arrival. Their Hexer architecture did not dampen the enthusiasm of the clansmen.

It didn't matter whether these vessels used to be owned and operated by Hexers. After some thorough refurbishment and applying some brand-new coating, the incoming second-class starships ought to be just as serviceable in the hands of the Larkinsons!

As the Hexer crews of the arriving ships handed over command to the Larkinson Clan, they didn't leave immediately. The Larkinson spacers that entered the vessels and touched the elaborate controls quickly became overwhelmed by all of the advanced functions.

It took time for the mariners to become accustomed to operating these advanced vessels. Second-hand or not, Ves already knew from ships such as the Barracuda and the Scarlet Rose that it was at least five times more difficult to control them! Certain ship components such as the FTL drives were so much more complex that the Larkinson Clan had to contract some Hexer chief engineers on a long-term basis.

The thought of having Hexers in charge of the most critical parts of the starships made many Larkinsons nervous. While the chance of anything going wrong was small, it was best if the Larkinson Clan's own chief engineers got up to speed as soon as possible!

As Ves was more preoccupied with working on his new mech design projects, he only spared some time to inspect a couple of new ships.

He first headed over to the newly-christened Purplefeather. As his shuttle landed in the busy hangar bay, Ves and Lucky stepped out and took in the frenetic activity taking place inside.

The Hexers may have delivered their starships with complete loadouts, but the Larkinsons still had to bring their own supplies and other equipment. Various shuttles and small transports continually delivered different goods.

"What a busy ship." Ves remarked to Commander Melkor.

"Breaking in a ship is a momentous effort. It will take months before we're comfortable with running our new flagship. I'm just happy that we're finally obtaining second-class ships of our own. Do you know how much I envied the Penitent Sisters during our journey through the Nyxian Gap? The ships we had before hardly provided us with any sense of security!"

Ves smiled as he reminisced about the past. "It hasn't been a lot of years since we initially procured the Redfeather and the Greenfeather. Do you know how much it pained me to spend a few billion bright credits back then? All we could afford was a pair of light carriers."

"Yeah, I remember. You were too much of a cheapskate to supply my Avatars with a proper combat carrier." Melkor grumbled.

"Hahaha! Don't kid me. You wouldn't have been in favor of buying a combat carrier either. They were just too damned expensive. Back then, we only guarded ourselves against pirates, gangs and Vesians. We never thought we would get pulled into a conflict against the Friday Coalition and a powerful Nyxian pirate alliance. We have come so far to get to this point. Be proud of that, Melkor."

"I don't feel very proud. Too many of our brothers and sisters have lost their lives to secure all of this prosperity. We all feel a little guilty for being among the survivors."

Ves frowned. That sounded rather troubling. "Hey, that is what counseling is for. It is absolutely not your fault."

"I know, I know. I have been talking to a counselor from the Larkinson Veteran Foundation as of late. It has helped, but.. it's harder to set aside responsibility when you are a commander. How do you cope with the guilt of leading some of your men to their deaths?"

"By not feeling guilty at all." Ves answered.

"...Are you serious?"

"Ahem, I know that sounds rather insensitive, but really, don't get too hung up over the past." Ves quickly coughed. "While the dead deserve your regards, don't let your obligations towards the slain override your obligations towards the living. If your guilt negatively affects your judgement and performance, then it is best to relinquish your command. The Avatars of Myth pursue excellence in all forms. You'll only hold your own men back if you let them get affected by your moping."

Melkor's body shook a bit. Ves had given him quite a shock. Not even his counselors dared to be so direct!

"I.. can't do that yet, Ves. It's too callous. While I agree with your logic, the dead must be remembered. Didn't you say that in one of your speeches?"

"Well yes, but.. that is mostly meant to keep everyone moving forward. Don't take it too literally. It's much more important to keep your productivity high. You need to stop any behavior that goes against that goal. The Avatars who are still alive are all counting on you to lead them with a sober mind."

This was not something that Melkor could easily accept. To him, what Ves was asking of him was tantamount to forgetting the sacrifices of the dead. This did not conform with his sense of honor!

It was too bad that Ves was unsympathetic towards Melkor's attitude towards the dead. He was chiefly responsible for all of the recent losses. While he felt a bit regretful about the thousands who died, he did not allow himself to go any further.

As long as he felt any guilt, his efficiency in designing mechs would definitely drop! This was self-defeating behavior in his eyes.

The simplest solution to this problem was to wipe away all of his guilt. He did so. Problem solved.

Ves and Melkor exited the hangar bay and inspected some of the compartments. They toured the engineering bay, the mech stables, the mech workshop before ending up at the bridge.

An engineer was already affixing a large plate that proudly declared the name and serial number of the combat carrier.

"The Purplefeather, huh? Your naming sense is as bad as ever."

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