[401-600] THE MECH'S TOUCH

Chapter 473: Moral Extend

The former abode of Javier's Dastardly Handsome Bastards became much livelier once they subverted the locked mechs. Once the hackers got the hang of intruding into one particular mech, they applied the same solution to every other mech from the same model line, leading to a lot of time savings.

"Good work Mr. Larkinson!" Captain Orfan said as she came down to the mech stables to see the results for herself. "What is your progress so far?"

"I prioritized getting the remaining bestial mechs to work, knowing that your mech pilots need some time to adjust themselves to their control schemes. After that, I began to unlock the lightest mechs. They're cheaper and their security suites aren't as tight as those on the more powerful mechs. Right now, we've brought nine out of sixteen undamaged mechs out of their slumber. Sadly, the mechs after this will be tough nuts to crack, captain."

Ves kept his eyes glued to the panels projected in front of the three hackers. Not even once did he look away. He couldn't afford to miss anything should they try to pull something off.

Captain Orfan looked on as some of the Vandal mech pilots that had answered her rallying call over the day enter the cockpits of their mechs. Soon, those mechs would be out on the streets.

"The Dastardly Handsome Bastards have left some damaged mechs behind from our fight to take over their base. Is it possible for you to bring those mechs in working condition as well?"

"I'll see what I can do ma'am, but from the condition of those mechs, you really did a number on them. Proper repairs will take days."

"That's out of the question. We'll be departing from the surface in less than two days, perhaps even sooner. I need an extra mech up today!"

The pressure piled up on Ves, who winced from the unreasonable order. "I can't make any promises, ma'am, but perhaps I can jury-rig a mech together in a hurry. It won't perform up to standard, mind you."

"That's okay. Right now, we need as much mechs on their feet as possible. Having even a partially functional mech at our disposal is a significant to us because we can leave it to guard this base while the combat capable mechs are free to roam the streets of Neron City."

He understood now. Captain Orfan didn't want to bring a mech online to fight against other mechs. She merely wanted something that looked big and scary enough to deter any troublemakers from approaching this occupied base.

"Is it bad out there, ma'am?"

The Vandal captain released a tired breath. "It's twice as bad as last night. Everyone is awake now, and at least a third of them can't sit still in their homes. Some are joining the riots, others are fed up and are banding together to fight against them, while more have gone mad entirely."

With the Vandals visibly present in some portions of Neron City, the capital city became a complete madhouse. This otherwise prosperous and beautiful city became a focal point of death and suffering due to the unexpected arrival of the Vandals and the sheer incompetence of Lord Javier.

Any planetary administrator wouldn't have led his people turn against themselves so suddenly. What happened out on the streets spoke much about Lord Javier's ability to lead and inspire the citizens of Detemen IV.

"Leaving a half-operational mech as our only guard is kind of sketchy." Ves remarked. "I'm not questioning your judgement, ma'am, but who knows what the Vesians will do when they find out about our presence. Besides the police and House Eneqqin's household troops, there's also the gangs and mercenaries to contend with. They haven't shown up with their mechs so far, but that might change in the future."

Captain Orfan crossed her arms and looked on with a resolute gaze. "If it's a choice between putting more mechs out on the streets or keeping them holed up in our base, I would chose the former any day. We don't have enough mechs and mech pilots to spare. Finding Lord Javier goes beyond our safety."