The Mech Touch

was highly inscrutable among average folk.
Ves definitely expected millions of survivors to develop an incurable animosity against the Vesia Kingdom after this attack.

With the true culprits in the shadow, where else could the aggrieved victims point their fingers at? ”They ’re definitely going to demand compensation from the Vesians. ”

The attack by the True Sons of Vesia and all the other fake terrorist groups primarily served to sour the relations between the Reinald Republic and the other states.
A diplomatic reputation in the toilet was a crippling blow to a state that depended heavily on tourism and trade!

After a short time had passed, Lieutenant Nolsen Feray returned to Ves.
”Get up.
We need you at our command center. ”

”So we ’re bunkering down after all? ” Ves asked as he stood up and stretched his healing body.

They exited the small room and walked past the busy doctors, security officers and other Vandals assigned to various duties.
Hundreds of Vandals piled up the whole foyer and front entrance with random furniture and anything they could grab.
It wouldn ’t help against a determined attack from a mech, but it at least gave the trapped Vandals some sense of security.

”We ’ve deliberated on the possibility to evacuate through the tunnels, but we eventually ruled it out. ” The lieutenant explained.
”With all the widespread sabotage, we can ’t insure the tunnels won ’t collapse on our heads. ”

”Sounds logical. ” Ves nodded in approval.
”Right now, the enemy appears to be in greater control over the city ’s emergency facilities than the Reinaldans. ”

”I don ’t have to explain why fleeing on open ground is a monumentally bad idea.
With all the lasers, shells and missiles flying around, it only takes a single instance of bad luck to wipe half of us out.
Besides, every vehicle trying to flee the city so far has been shot down. ”

”So the only choice that remains is to hunker down in the hotel.
What ’s the condition of the energy screen generators? ”

”Our engineers have managed to get them back online after they overloaded.
They told us that the generators are outdated, so don ’t put too much stock in their defensive capabilities. ”

”As long as they work, we still have a chance to make it through the night with our lives intact.
I doubt the attackers will stick long enough to local dawn. ”

The night made it easier for the attackers to come and go.
Once night turned into day, the Reinaldans would have shrugged off their confusion by then and receive assistance from reinforcements sent from afar.

With most of the Vandals armed with nothing but pistols, it was a pipedream for them to involve themselves in a battle that involved scores of mechs on each side.
Even if a thousand Vandals fired their pistols at a light mech at the same time, its armor would only some minor scratches at worst!

This was the tyranny of mechs! As kings of the battlefield, small arms posed no threat to them at all.
If the Vandals had access to their mechs, they could have stomped their assailants in a head-on collision, but the distance between Harkensen I and Harkensen III spanned several light-hours!

Without access to any of their mechs, their battle strength was at its lowest point.
Besides fighting off other infiltrators or infantrymen, they really couldn ’t defend against any other threats!

When Ves entered the makeshift command center, he quickly apprised himself of the situation.
Since the Vandals possessed no mechs, the only assignment he received was to study the enemy mechs and figure out their motives and origins.

The live footage playing out in front of Ves didn ’t really give Ves a lot to go about.
”Whoever the True Sons of Vesia are, they ’ve definitely done their homework.
The design of their amphibian mechs make use of Vesian design standards.
They ’re likely designed by a genuine Vesian mech designer. ”

”What can you tell about the quality of their mechs, Mr.
Larkinson? ”

”Good.
Very good.
Quality work for a civilian standard.
They ’re ideal for mercenary corps or other private outfits with money to spare.
I don ’t think their performance reaches the level of military mech models.
In short, when it comes to mechs, the defenders possess the advantage. ”

The quality of the amphibian mechs matched the quality of the mechs deployed by the Planetary Guard.
The Honored Ones piloted better mechs, so in theory they should have gotten the upper hand.

The reality was that their readiness and training severely fell short against their hardened and prepared adversaries.

”The terrorist mechs are piloted by experienced mech pilots.
Veterans, I should say, seeing how coordinated they act. ” A Vandal mech officer commented.
”They ’re far better trained than my own boys. ”

Even though the Reinaldans possessed the advantage in both numbers and quality, they still gave ground again and against because their mech pilots fought like rusted bots!

This battle neatly showcased the importance of good training.
Even if you threw a lot of money on acquiring lots of expensive mechs, without the right mech pilots in their cockpits, they could hardly deliver a performance commensurate to their cost!

The hotel rumbled once or twice as collateral damage spilled in their direction a couple of times.
The only reason why the True Sons of Vesia hadn ’t destroyed their hotels was because incoming reinforcements kept their hands full.
They couldn ’t spare a single second trying to overcome the energy barrier that protected the battered structure.

The Vandals kept their eye out for any other attackers, whether they came with mechs or just on foot.
Security officers holding scanners kept scanning every corner of the hotel.

Fortunately, no other attack had come by the time dawn arrived.
The sounds of fighting kept getting further away as the amphibian mechs slowly started to retreat into the waters.
The landbound mechs of the Planetary Guard and the Honored Ones weren ’t able to follow suit.

Only their aquatic mechs were able to continue the hunt!

”We ’ve survived. ” A Vandal sighed.

The rays of the local sun dawned upon a city of which half turned into ruins after a single battle!

The worst news was that the turmoil hadn ’t been confined to the surface.
Up in orbit, an entirely separate battle had taken place!