The Mech Touch

Kelandra took over after Ves expressed his disgust. After a half-coherent chat with the drunken mercenary representative, their local guide managed to get the man call for his boss for a potential job.

Twenty minutes passed by. Ves stepped well away from the Battle Crier assigned to represent his mercenary corps, not willing to risk getting soiled by the drunken Kinner’s vomit and spit.

Despite the disgraceful display, he did not take it to mind. The other Battle Criers sitting deeper looked a bit more sober and decent. They also possessed a confident and energetic demeanor, which meant that there shouldn’t be any problems concerning their motivation.

Eventually, the man they had been waiting for arrived at the hall. A large, heavyset man with ragged red hair came to the drunken representative and whacked the fellow in the cheek!

The force of the blow was so significant that the rep immediately collapsed onto the floor!

"You dumb pig! Is this how you’re supposed to attract a client!? Go wash yourself up and report back to base!"

"Y-Y-Yes, commander!"

The big man then turned around and spotted Kelandra. "So who’s the foreigner interested in the Battle Criers?"

"I am." Ves confidently stepped forward and offered a hand. "Are you the mercenary commander of the Battle Criers?"

"That I am! Hugin Cinnabar, at your service!"

The commander smacked his palm against the offered hand and attempted to shake it in a crushing grip.

Yet the grip from the soft and delicate hand did not buckle from the Kinner tribesman’s strength. Instead, it exerted a strength beyond any human reason!

Commander Cinnabar’s eyes widened as he quickly ended his pathetic power play. "You’re not an ordinary mech designer!"

"You’re not an ordinary Kinner mercenary commander." Ves smiled like a shark. Towards brash types like these, he found it better if he established his dominance first. "I’ve been through some scrapes in my life."

"Clearly you do." The commander replied with evident respect. "It’s really refreshing to meet a mech designer who spent some time outside their stuffy labs. You’re interesting! Let’s talk!"

The group along with Hugin Cinnabar moved behind the table where the rep used to sit.

"Alright, you layabouts! Clear some space for us!"

Once the lounging mercs left their places, everyone sat down at the seats that had been freed up. Ves did so reluctantly as he spotted some dried stains on the surface of his chair.

Commander Cinnabar noticed his actions and chuckled. "Well, let’s get down to business, shall we? Who are you and why are you looking into us?"

"My name is Ves Larkinson, a Journeyman Mech Designer from the Bright Republic. I’m looking into hiring a dependable mercenary corps to escort me and protect me during a year-long tour through the star sector..."

As Ves gave his spiel, the commander keenly kept his ears open. All the basic points came up. Ves not only wanted to hire an all-round mercenary corps that could cover him both in space and on land, but he also wanted the possibility to buy out the Battle Criers if he became satisfied with their service.

This really caught the mercenary commander’s attention. "We don’t get many offers like this. Most employers don’t want to spend any more time with us than necessary. Our special Kinner charm is too much for them to handle, you see."

"I like a man with personality!" Ves chuckled. "I used to spend some time with mech pilots who are somewhat closer to the bottom of the barrel. While hiring better trained and better-armed mech pilots is what most people in my position would do, I don’t necessarily think that’s a good idea."

"What are you looking for, Mr. Larkinson?"

"I want a mercenary corps who cares. I want the men and women fighting on my behalf to have some spirit. I want the people who I entrust my life upon to be loyal to me not just because their upbringing as a Kinner says so, but because they believe in my cause."

"Interesting." The commander paused. The intrigue in his eyes had never diminished. "I never expected to meet with a client as unique as you. Most mech designers I’ve worked for are so stuck up that they can’t even look at the floor anymore because their necks are too used to looking upwards. We don’t exactly offer the qualities they are looking for. They wanted well-behaved, good-looking lap dogs."

Ves grinned. "That’s the thing. I’m not looking for lap dogs. I’d rather spend my time with hunting dogs. Do the Battle Criers fit in that category?"

"Hehe. I would liken us more to jackals than thoroughbred dogs. We’ve got a bit of wildness in us. While we don’t make for the best guards, as long as you point us at a target, we’ll make sure to tear it into pieces!"

Obviously, a mismatch still existed in what Ves demanded and what the Battle Criers could provide. The mercenary corps mainly undertook offensive missions and only occasionally guarded people or facilities.

They did not make for the best guard mech force. A lot of other Kinner mercenary corps were much more adept in defending a VIP against external threats.

Ves ought to consider hiring them instead. Yet he refused to do so. As he continued to chat with Commander Cinnabar, he became increasingly more comfortable at the thought of hiring the Battle Criers.

Though his nostalgia towards the Vandals and Swordmaidens played a major role in driving him towards this decision, more factors played into his decision.

First, studying Commander Cinnabar’s record beforehand and talking to him in person made it clear that Cinnabar was a reliable if flawed commander. Though he did not possess that much tactical and strategic acumen, he was very capable leading and inspiring his men.

Ves thought very highly of this particular ability. It reminded him of Major Verle’s manipulative but effective means of raising morale among the Vandals. The tougher the times, the more the ability to motivate and inspire the men became vital to maintaining the cohesion of a force.

It could mean the difference between abandonment and sticking to the end!

Although properly speaking the Battle Criers already ought to be loyal to Ves due to their Kinner values, he would rather gain some more assurances.

As long as he managed to stay on the good side of Commander Cinnabar, then he could trust in the mercenary commander to keep the rest of his men on their side.

This led to the second reason why Ves became enamored by the Battle Criers. He went along well with Commander Cinnabar.

Although the Kinner mercenary leader obviously wanted to play nice to the person with all the money, the two hit it off quite nicely from the start.

Ves liked the honesty and lack of sophistication from Commander Cinnabar. The older man may exaggerate the merits of the Battle Criers by a bit, but he was not ashamed to mention the points they were lacking or needed to work upon.

"We don’t own the best mechs." The commander shrugged. "Unless you can supply us with new ones, we won’t be able to beat every opponent we come across."

"That’s not a problem." Ves dismissively waved his hand. "I’ll reserve replacement mechs for the Battle Criers when we return to the Bright Republic. Perhaps by then, I’ve decided to buy you all out sans your existing assets and integrate you into my Avatars of Myth."

The possibility of being absorbed into another outfit evoked mixed feelings from the commander. "I’m not sure whether I can accept that outcome. I spent so much time building up the Battle Criers that I don’t want our hard work and our martial tradition to die out."

"Your men can still form distinctive mech companies within the Avatars." Ves offered a concession. "While I will still demand that you get along with the Avatars and align yourself with their martial tradition, I do not object if your Kinners still maintain a distinct grouping within my personal force. The Battle Criers will still live on, if not on paper, then in spirit."

Using the word spirit evoked a mixed feeling inside Ves. If there was one regret about his decision, it was that Commander Cinnabar did not possess any detectable trace of spirituality. This meant that the man was unlikely to become an expert pilot in his lifetime.

Ves did not take this observation to heart. Even if Commander Cinnabar lacked the potential, perhaps Ves might be able to resolve this issue one day if the Kinner performed exceptionally in his service.

Even if Ves ruled out this option, he could always see if any of the other Battle Criers possessed the potential.

If it turned out that none of them possessed the potential, then Ves would just have to accept this outcome. Picking up mech pilots with the potential to break through the extraordinary threshold was more of a bonus objective than a necessity in his eyes.

At the end of their back-and-forth, both sides gained a good insight on what they wanted from each other.

Ves wanted to try out a Kinner mercenary corps for a year and see if they had what it took to serve him on a more permanent basis.

Commander Cinnabar wanted to draw back from the life of a mercenary who constantly danced on the knife edge for a very simple reason.

"I’m married." The rough-looking man stated. "Ever since I tied the knot, I realized I can’t keep going like this and expect to be there for my children. I grew up without knowing my parents, you see. While I love my tribe and my culture, I don’t want my sons and daughters to experience what it is like to be raised by nanny bots and overworked matrons."

Ves believed the commander. No normal parent would want to bring up their children in such loveless camps or institutions. Even if this practice was somewhat more acceptable in the Kinner Tribe, that was only because the market always hungered for more Kinners.

Commander Cinnabar was in his mid-forties and was almost reaching fifty. While he was still in the prime of his mech piloting career, how long would it last? At some point in time, age would begin to catch up to him, no matter what kind of treatments and augmentations he received.

For him to plan for a transition to an easier life of service at this point in his life was a very logical move to make. Though not all of the Battle Criers were as enthused to leave their freewheeling mercenary days behind, the commander was confident he could get his men to agree to the changes.

Ves smiled. "Family is important. Your children are important. I’ll make sure to give you and your Battle Criers the opportunity to spend sufficient time with both. The Avatars of Myth are already set in a way that allows for such. I’m looking to bring you in not because I have a need for hired thugs. I want people who are willing to fight for something greater."

What that ’something greater’ actually turned out to be, Ves hoped that it would be him or at least his ideals. Trying to convert the Battle Criers into worshipping his ideals would definitely be a long-term project.

Ves intended to spend a lot of time in indoctrinating the Battle Criers into becoming his most dedicated Avatars!

At the end of their exchange, Commander Cinnabar drew back. "You’ve given me a lot of food for thought. I’ll have to think over your offer and discuss it with my men. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, I think."

"Go ahead. I’ll be sticking around on Bloodstone for some time." Ves smiled and waved. "My assistant here will leave behind our contact information. If you have any questions or made up your mind, feel free to call us, commander."

Ves extended his hook. Now he needed to wait and see if the fish would bite.

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