Chapter 1603
" . . . and that's why we almost lost this battle . " Melkor spoke over the comm .
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Ves drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk . "I see . This Captain Zorke fellow sounds like he's only competent enough to command a single mech company . Now that the Mech Corps had put him in charge of a defensive force of hundreds of mechs and starfighters, he's clearly out of his depth . "
"At least he's not around anymore to lead us into another disaster . " Melkor's projection shrugged, not caring if he spoke ill of the dead . "Right now, the survivors here are divided and demoralized . The lieutenant that took over as acting commander is mainly a fighter . He's an excellent marksman but a poor tactician . "
"What's in store, then?"
"The higher ups only told us that a replacement is on their way, but I really doubt that whoever they send is better than Captain Zorke . Everyone knows the Mech Corps is stretching their manpower thin . There are simply too many star systems to cover . An evacuated star system that we've been assigned to is so worthless that our priority is at the bottom . "
"Do you need me to pull some strings?"
"Your offer is appreciated, but it's best you don't interfere . " The Avatar Commander calmly replied . "At this stage, the status of the Mech Corps is incomparable . The military won't allow a commanding officer of a private outfit to take charge . "
"You're a Larkinson . "
Melkor chuckled . "Our family's reputation isn't enough to override the concerns of the Mech Corps . Protocol has to be followed . Don't worry about me . I have the situation handled . Once the Sand War develops further, I believe there may be opportunities for the Avatars to excel . "
"Good luck then, Melkor . Stay alive . "
"Don't slack off back at home . Your mechs have made a huge impact at the front . I have a lot of expectations for your next designs . "
The comm call ended . Ves leaned back in his chair and digested what he learned .
Though he could access various sources to learn about the circumstances at the front, it was a lot more personal when someone like Melkor vented his frustrations .
"Not everything is going according to plan . " Ves concluded after summing up the insights he gained in recent days . "The lack of competent commanding officers is leading to much more severe losses than the Mech Corps initially anticipated . "
It wasn't as if the Bright Republic lacked commanders of this caliber . The problem was that the Mech Corps only had so much of them . The remainder consisted of commanders of various private sector outfits .
It was not very wise to put them in command . Not only did they favor their own forces, they also possessed erratic command styles .
While that might not be a problem when they commanded their own men, once they started bossing around strangers, a lot of animosity might ensue that would ruin the camaraderie between allies .
The problem was so bad in fact that the Mech Corps recently requested retired mech officers to return and relieve the pressure .
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The Cloud Estate emptied out considerably as a result . Ves missed the old dogs who decided to answer the call of duty .
"I hope they're happy . " Ves muttered . "Perhaps to them, dying in the course of fighting the good fight is better than languishing quietly in my estate . "
Having spent a considerable amount of time among his aunts and uncles, Ves knew that they were all Larkinsons to the bone .
Their advanced age may have made them unsuitable to pilot mechs, but as long as they had command experience, it wouldn't be too much of a problem to direct a battle from a command center .
His next appointment arrived a moment later . Dr . Lupo Guernica strolled into his office without cleaning up the stains on his fingers .
If not the exobiologist's newly-purchased self-cleaning lab coat, his clothes would have looked just as soiled!
"Take a seat, Lupo . " Ves gestured .
"Alright . "
"How is the institute doing?"
"It's doing great!" Lupo gushed . "The budget you've set is generous enough for me to procure most of the machines that I need to perform my research! While the ongoing crisis is making it harder than I like to acquire precision lab equipment, I'm fortunate that they're still in stock in Bentheim . I can begin performing advanced experiments immediately!"
Ves gently knocked his fist against his desk . "I did not establish the Larkinson Exobiology Institute to fund your pet projects . "
"You didn't?" Lupo answered in confusion .
"While your area of specialization sounds interesting, I'm a mech designer, not a business magnate . I have no desire to diversify my business holdings . "
"Then . . "
"Oh, I'm not saying that you aren't allowed to pursue your interests as long as you keep me in the loop . It's just that the focus of the LEI is not on developing better nutrition solutions . Instead, it's meant to assist me in designing mechs by studying the properties of powerful and interesting exobeasts . Forming an exobeast reserve on Cloudy Curtain is the main priority . How much progress have you made so far?"
"Uhh…"
"I see . " Ves sighed . "I hope this is the last time I remind you of your assignments . You work for me . The next time you forget something, I'll reduce your budget by ten percent . "
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"NO!" Lupo stood up . "You can't do that, Mr . Larkinson! Biotech research is incredibly expensive!"
"Then do your job and take your responsibilities seriously . The LEI is not your personal property!"
To a research-mad scientist like Dr . Lupo, Ves did not have to employ any complicated tricks to bring him to heel . Merely threatening to withhold money was enough to make the exobiologist honest .
Once Ves put Dr . Lupo on his toes, he brought up the real reason why he called the fellow to his office .
"You can leave most of the work involved with setting up an exobeast reserve to your new subordinates . What I really want from you is something different . "
"Hm?"
Ves activated a jammer before retrieving something very special from a pocket sewn into one of his Synthra Umbra garments .
The small transparent cube glowed in soft white, allowing Dr . Lupo to see the bioimplant frozen inside .
"This is a stasis cage!" He uttered in shock . "And this implant! What kind of implant requires such luxurious treatment?"
"What you're looking at is a Tito Biosystems Archimedes Rubal 1002-Z Cranial Codex Bioimplant that I happened to salvage from the frontier . "
"Tito Biosystems! That's a huge name in the galactic biotech community! How in the galaxy did you manage to obtain one of their products?!"
"It's a long story . " Ves chuckled . "Don't ask too many questions . What matters is what you can do with it . Are you able to inspect the integrity of this bioimplant?"
���I don't recognize this model or implant type . I've only dabbled in implants in a general sense . I'm far from a specialist in this field . " Lupo answered honestly, still perplexed that Ves held a piece of high technology .
"You're still a biotech expert, right? Due to the sensitivity of this object, I can't trust too many people with knowledge of its existence in my hands . I want you to keep what I told you to yourself and verify whether this implant is still safe to install in my cranium . "
Dr . Lupo frowned deeply at the stasis cube . "Just because I'm well-versed in bioscience doesn't mean I'm adept in every specialty . Implant studies are far from my area of interest . "
"I can be very generous as long as you achieve some results . " Ves smirked . "I will double your personal budget every time you complete a major assignment . Well, at least for the first four times or so . I can't keep this up forever . "
"Really?!"
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"I promise . " Ves grinned . "While I set high expectations for you, as long as you do what I ask, I'll increase your annual budget so you can pursue your pet projects in your free time to your heart's content . Does that sound like a good deal to you, doctor?"
Dr . Lupo thumped his palm against his chest . "You can rely on me! Archimedes Rubal? I'll unlock its secrets within a day!"
"Don't make any boasts you can't back up . This is a very advanced if somewhat outdated implant . Treat it with care and don't make any changes without my express permission . "
Seeing as Ves valued it very much, Lupo adopted a serious expression . "I'll do as you say . "
Ves watched on as Dr . Lupo picked up the stasis case and placed it into a small protective container he carried in his lab coat .
Though Ves really did not feel entirely sure about placing the Archimedes Rubal in Lupo's care, he couldn't afford to sit on it any longer .
If he wanted to make some progress, he just had to go out on a limb and put his trust in someone .
At the very least, Ves had a good feeling about Dr . Lupo . Ves had observed the exobiologist carefully and saw no sign that the man was compromised in any way .
"There is something else I want you to do . " Ves addressed the next topic . He retrieved a sack from his pocket and passed it on to Dr . Lupo . "Can you identify the spice within?"
Lupo opened up the sack and studied the dark spice contained within . "What a pungent smell! Is this geril spice? It smells different from what I'm used to! This must be the authentic formula!"
Ves smiled . "You're correct . I've got a lot more geril spice stored in my vault . You see, they're somewhat special to me . Aside from making spicy Nyx dogs delicious, geril spice is also useful for blocking special tracking methods based on metaphysical scent . "
"Pardon?"
"Geril spice has an extraordinary quality to them that is very valuable to me . Imitation products may taste the same, but they lack this special quality . What I want you to do is study this spice and see if you can isolate this extraordinary component . It would be ideal if you can find a way to produce what you've identified . As far as I know, the only source of authentic geril spice is the Nyxian Gap, and that is far from ideal . "
"Interesting . . " Dr . Lupo smiled and boldly sampled the spice . "What a unique flavor profile . No wonder spicy Nyx dogs have become a cult classic . I've been missing out!"
Ves coughed . "Studying the Archimedes Rubal and setting up the exobeast preserve come first . Don't spend too much time on the geril spice before you're done with your main responsibilities . Understood?"
Lupo looked as if he couldn't restrain himself . With great difficulty, he closed the sack and placed it in his pocket . His mouth still rolled and quivered as if he was savoring the taste of geril spice .
"I . . will make sure not to forget about my other responsibilities, Mr . Larkinson . "
"That's not all I want you to do . " Ves spoke and retrieved a data chip from his desk drawer before sliding it across the desk . "Take this data chip . It contains all of the scans and physiological data of my physique, in particular my biological augmentations . "
"I'm aware that you have an abnormal physique . " Lupo said . "While I am reasonably versed with the human body, your augmented physique is quite perplexing . "
"I know . Every exobiologist told me that they don't have a clue how the so-called Jutland organ works . I don't expect you to figure out its functioning immediately . I just want you to tackle this issue step by step . "
"You are putting a lot on my plate . Even if you've promised to double my budget each time I've completed an assignment, I'm afraid it will take many years for me to satisfy all of your demands . "
Ves did not look worried . "I have one more thing for you . Take this and have a bite . "
He threw a candy at Lupo, who merely observed and sniffed it for a moment before popping into his mouth .
"Hmm . . sweet . . it doesn't taste like any candy I am familiar with . Wait a minute . . this sensation . . "
Lupo's eyes slowly lit up as his mind experienced a profound transformation .
"Do you have more of these candies?"
Ves grinned and opened his palm, revealing four more identical candies .
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