The Mech Touch

ar Sector alone.
The market couldn ’t possibly accommodate all of them, therefore leading to a situation where competition had reached an increasingly brutal degree.

”There aren ’t that much mech designers in the frontier. ” Mayra explained the floating bots picked up her half-empty plate and replaced it with some kind of gelatinous substance.
”The education system in the frontier isn ’t very developed.
Most people learn from automatic teaching programs or through browsing free lessons on the galactic.
Genuine teachers are worth their weight in exotics.
It ’s exceptionally difficult to raise engineers and technicians when there ’s hardly any place to learn. ”

”Let alone a higher institution, many places don ’t even offer high school or elementary school-level classes. ” Ves added.
”To raise a qualified ship engineer or mech technician, you need to educate the students from the very start. ”

The age of ten was widely used as the starting point of a child ’s future development.
Before the state tested their aptitude, their future was in flux.
Anyone could become a mech pilot, and lots of children held out hope even if their odds were small.

Once they reached this magical age, the truth would finally emerge.
Many received a negative result, which meant their aspirations to become a mech pilot had been dashed.
From then on, the children needed to find another calling, and take classes that would bring them closer to their future careers.

”Children are some of the most precious resources in our region.
It is ten times harder for them to grow up there than in your safe and structured space.
When we say that every Swordmaiden in our group is a daughter of the frontier, it carries a special meaning to us. ”

Mayra gazed at a younger Swordmaiden sitting next to her.
Ves did not spot any family resemblance.
While Mayra ’s genetic modification tinted her skin in a subtle shade of purple, the other girl ’s modifications had changed given her a pair of horns that looked strong enough to impale someone in the way.

She looked like a little demoness in a way.
There was no telling what other modifications she hid underneath her clothes that consisted of a dragon scale-like pelt that glittered in orange and red.

Despite the lack of resemble, the Journeyman Mech Designer obviously cared a lot about the girl.
She introduced the young girl to Ves.
”This Ketis, my oldest student. ”

”I ’m your first student! ” Ketis growled.
The girl looked ready to stare her teacher to death.

”Don ’t mind her.
Ketis hasn ’t been exposed to the greater galaxy yet.
She ’s barely earned her battle clothes. ”

”I slayed a Wistra Dragon with my own sword! ”

Mayra laughed.
”Hunting a single exobeast does not mean you are ready to spread your wings.
Mech designers like us are valued in the frontier, but that also means that many pirates want to obtain us, and they don ’t care how.
This cocky attitude of yours will land you in trouble eventually. ”

The pair of Swordmaidens bickered for a while.
Ves had the feeling that Mayra regarded Ketis as her adopted daughter.
However, while Mayra was tempered by age and experience, Ketis was flush with the excitement of her youth and aggressive upbringing.
The Swordmaidens raised their maidens to be warriors, regardless of their ultimate vocation.

”You spend too much time on combat practice and not enough on your studies.
You ’ve already fallen behind on your mechanics classes! How are you supposed to design your own swordsman mech if you keep insisting on sparring against other Swordmaidens! ”

”Don ’t tell me what to do! I ’m a full-fledged Swordmaiden now! What I want to do with my time is none of your business! ”

The family drama sounded surprisingly mundane if it didn ’t involve lethal weapons that could cut through the hangar bay deck.
Ves found the idea of a sword-wielding mech designer absurd, but evidently Ketis tried her best to excel in both.

”Mech designers don ’t have to be combat marines or special forces operatives. ” He chipped in, wanting to provide his own perspective on the matter.
”While it ’s true that relying on your own strength is foolproof, the problem is that you can only split your time to a certain extent.
Many mech designers have never reached their full potential because they never made a plan or indulge themselves in too many distractions. ”

”How am I supposed to defend myself, huh? ” Ketis retorted.

”By relying on others.
That ’s the ultimate lot for mech designers.
You never hear stories as mech designers that are excellent soldiers.
It simply can ’t be done.
It takes a lifetime to study the art of designing mechs.
If you only spend half of your time on designing mechs and the other half on becoming a better warrior, you ’ll only end up average in both at best. ”

The young girl violently shook her head.
”I don ’t believe that! It doesn ’t take too much time to keep up with my sword practice. ”

This must have been an old argument for the couple.
Ketis ’ attitude would have never been tolerated in civilized space.
Mech designers who lazed about or got distracted by other activities quickly became redundant in the industry.
Employers could easily replace the slackers with more motivated mech designers.

As the dishes floated in and out of the dining room, the Vandals became a bit more accustomed to the hybrid-looking Swordmaidens.
They were still human, in a way.

Mayra began to probe Ves on his background and accomplishments.
She became mildly impressed when she found out that Ves had founded his own company and managed to become a nominal disciple to a Master Mech Designer.

”It ’s not so impressive. ” Ves said, not wishing to make a mountain out of a molehill.
”I ’m merely a part of the periphery in Master Olson ’s organization.
I ’m in no way comparable to her direct disciples. ”

The pirate mech designer eyed him with an appraising look.
”You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders.
Your grasp on mech design is more encompassing than the usual collection of fugitives that arrive in our region of space.
I ’d like you to tutor Ketis for a time. ”

”What?! ” Ketis erupted.
”That ’s absurd! I ’ve got nothing to learn from this fellow! ”

Even Ves was shocked.
Though he understood Mayra ’s intentions, an unwilling student was the worst kind of student!