[401-600] THE MECH'S TOUCH

Chapter 479: Hero Mechs

Some time later, Ves sat behind a terminal in the data center. More than two-dozen other rebels or Vandals performed their own tasks behind their own terminals in the partially enclosed space.

The hunt for Lord Javier continued. The rebels needed everyone they could spare to follow up on suspicious footage and anomalous signals. They had accumulated a vast amount of observation data, but possessed too few means to process them all in a timely fashion.

Thus, the need for Lieutenant Burke and some of her more computer-adept Vandals to check through mounds of data, just to obtain a tiny clue about the noble's whereabouts.

The manhunt for Lord Javier certainly took a toll on everyone. Forget about the Flagrant Vandals, the Detemen League which staked their all in taking down the man was nowhere close to pinning his location.

Addy explained the dire necessity of capturing Lord Javier to Ves at the end of the briefing. "Our rebellion is fighting against the Vesian way of governance. Many fellow rebel groups based throughout the Kingdom is paying attention to what is happening here. We've loudly proclaimed that we intend to take Lord Javier down. To that end, we've taken advantage of a so-called pirate attack and we are even working in concert with Brighters such as you. After so many sacrifices, failure will finish the Detemen League."

In other words, the Detemen League wanted to redeem the deaths and chaos that ensued in these chaotic days by taking down their most hated tyrant. As long as Lord Javier died in their hands, the public would willingly if grudgingly accept the enormous damage done to their planet.

Of course, Ves did not quite think that such a trade was worthwhile. Having roamed the streets of Neron City in person, the devastation was much more extensive and ruinous than the rebels initially thought.

Still, no matter how much the citizens suffered, the Detemen League were already riding the back of a tiger. They couldn't get off at this point without being savaged.

"This entire operation is stupid. Too much hinges on hope and desperation."

What irked Ves the most was that the Flagrant Vandals made overly rosy projections. Every single step of the plan was met with delays or setbacks. The original timetable for this operation no longer applied, and Ves got the feeling that most of the Vandals did whatever they thought was best right now.

Ves truly wanted to applaud Lord Javier for being such a decisive coward. Loathsome he may be, merely by going into hiding, he ruined most of the plans by the rebels and the Vandals. As long as Lord Javier remained out of reach, he would be able to destroy the foundations of both the Detemen League and the Flagrant Vandals.

Compared to letting half his planet burn, the little bastard probably thought the price would be worth the suffering.

Who was Ves kidding. Only the citizens suffered while Lord Javier leaned back and drank champagne or something.

"He needs to be taken down a notch."

What Lord Javier did in his own territory didn't matter too much to Ves. He sympathised with the righteousness of the rebel cause, but as a Brighter he preferred it if the Kingdom was plunged into turmoil. Perhaps if every Vesian planet rioted, then the Mech Legion wouldn't be pounding so aggressively on the Bright Republic's gates.

"Well, let's get back to my job. How will I be able to find the Loquacious Raphael?"

The rebels gathered a decent amount of surface intelligence on the Raphael. While they hadn't been able to get their hands on the juiciest files such as its design schematics or its spec sheet, they did get their hands on Constantine Reeve's maintenance instructions.