The Mech Touch novel Chapter 3343

Chapter 3343: Humbling Realization

Throughout this entire farce of a battle, the enemy never took the Golden Skull Alliance seriously.

Over 10,000 mechs armed with ranged weapons did their best to flood the Olympus Mons with destructive firepower. They ranged from Bright Warriors armed with the new luminar crystal rifles to Eternal Redemptions whose ultra-heavy gauss cannons were meant to crack the defenses of extremely tough and powerful machines.

Yet what did they ultimately accomplish? Almost nothing!

The ace mech was like an umbrella that effortlessly withstood the incoming firepower like drops of rain. It gave out the impression that it could stand in the rain for days and not let a single drop pass through its cover. Its defense coefficient was so ridiculously high that not even a hundred expert mechs put together could compare!

Not even the much-anticipated alpha strike posed a significant threat to the dwarven ace mech. To see the most powerful offensive trump cards of the Larkinson Clan combine their awesome power in a coordinated fashion was an unforgettably grand experience, but the ultimate effect only poked a hole through just one of the ace mech's defensive layers!

The message conveyed by the famed Mountain Hammer of the Vulcan Empire was loud and clear. She and her ace mech could have easily crushed the entire Larkinson Army and the rest of the expeditionary fleet without ever coming close to defeat.

The power gap was just that vast.

Ves, who sat powerlessly on his observer's seat, chuckled helplessly as he took in the apparent defeat.

"I was too naive to think the Vulcan Empire was a pushover. I got too carried away with the thought that it is a flawed state that is rife with internal division. Its military is still strong and its crop of ace pilots are truly close to god-like in strength. My clan is far from contending against even a fraction of the power of a second-rate state."

A true second-rate state was enshrined by at least one ace pilot. Without such a powerful guardian, it was too vulnerable against other states that did enjoy the services of one. The extravagant combat power of an ace mech was enough to overrun any expert mech, and their soft power was also far-reaching.

If an ace mech was backing up a mech army, then the combination turned into an extremely powerful war machine that could either form an impenetrable wall or an unstoppable spear!

Aside from encountering opposing ace mechs, there were only a couple of ways for such an army to falter.

Ace mechs were powerful but extremely expensive and difficult to maintain. A lack of funding, resources and high-level expertise could easily cause these transcendent machines to degrade over time.

Ace pilots also had to be handled properly. They all fought for a specific reason. If they ever became displeased or disaffected by their employers, they might decide that they could no longer fight for a particular state or organization.

This happened quite a lot, especially when states morphed over time!

A typical example was when a formerly well-run state decayed into a corrupt and tyrannical state. Since ace pilots were typically soldiers who dedicated their entire lives to uphold certain ideals, it was difficult for them to tolerate serving a master that pursued the opposite.

The threat of driving away an ace pilot was one of the more subtle reasons why states rarely fell to this extent. Even the most selfish and decadent rulers knew they couldn't mess around too much!

Otherwise, their states would lose too many high-level protectors and only make them vulnerable to getting conquered by stronger rivals that had their affairs in order.

"I wonder why Saint Yila Mayorka has left the side of the grand regent." Ves frowned in thought. "The Vulcan Empire is burning all around her. The dwarven citizens need her more than ever. What motivation is strong enough to ignore her people's suffering and remain hidden in this obscure star system?"

He had a feeling that he would find out the answer soon enough, because he was about to meet with the opposing dwarves in person soon!

Ves slowly lifted himself from the observer's seat and began to move to the hangar bay.

Every clansman around him did not look happy at how the fighting came to a standstill. They were all aware that the only reason why they still existed was because the opposing Vulcanites allowed them to exist.

The fact of the matter was that the Larkinsons, Glory Seekers and Crossers were at the mercy of the dwarves. If the enemy ever changed its mind, the entire Golden Skull Alliance minus the evacuated civilians would all perish without a doubt!

The expeditionary ships halted their forward acceleration under the silent instruction of the Olympus Mons. The ace mech never took the initiative to communicate directly to the humans, but any soldier could easily interpret the powerful machine's standard military gestures.

While Ves made his way down the nearest hangar bay, he was quickly joined by a number of leaders and advisors.

"There is a high chance that the Vulcanites here belong to a different group or faction from the ones that we are familiar with." Minister Shederin provided his analysis as he walked while wearing a luxurious vacsuit. "Do not assume that the dwarves we're facing have sided with the central authority or the rebels. Their goals are likely at a higher level than the objectives pursued by more vulgar groups. That is likely why Saint Mayorka chose to be here. Since we are presumably meeting with a high-end group of Vulcanites, it is best if you allow me to accompany you and speak on your behalf."

Ves frowned. "I think the dwarves want to speak to the man who assumed the identity of Vulcan, not a stand-in puppet. Still, I would love to have you by my side. We'll see whether the dwarves will mind your presence."

Shederin was clearly a civilian and exuded the vibe of an officious dignitary. Ves was hoping to slip him into the inevitable meeting with the dwarves.

"You'll come with me as well, Lucky." Ves softly said while he reached out and petted the gem cat that was perched on his Unending Regalia. "If these dwarves insist that I should remain on board their ship as a guest, then… you know what to do. As long as you can neutralize the threat, anything goes."

"Meow." Lucky responded as he nervously swung his tail.

Even though the dwarven vessel was too small compared to the capital ships of the Larkinson Clan, Ves did not underestimate the danger she posed. Just the Olympus Mons hovering right outside was a massive hurdle that he needed to overcome before he could ever think about attempting an escape.

"The identity and motivations of this dwarven group is highly suspicious." Calabast's projection said. "We have been trying to decipher whatever clues we can find from analyzing the appearance of the dwarven frigate and the pattern of behavior shown so far. Although she doesn't look like it, the vessel is actually extremely high-end. What you see on the surface is definitely a form of misdirection."

It was difficult to make detailed scans of a ship that was under the protection of a domain field, but the Black Cats managed to make many observations and found out a couple of elements that didn't quite make sense.

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