ababa

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While Nico and Corporal Walker were deep in discussions about the fine-tuning of the energy blade the Officers of Central Command were deep in discussion about how to avert a political disaster.

Somehow word had gotten out to the Anti Monarchist faction that the first wave of troops to land had taken heavy casualties against the Narsians and they were going all out to paint the Royal family as callous Warmongers who were too detached from the consequences of their actions.

For this reason, the Nobles who ran the bureaucracy insisted, that they should be removed and the more caring and connected politicians should take over.

It was an easy sell to the civilians who had never seen war and those who lost loved ones. The ones who would never understand that every battle in the last ten years was a defensive one, protecting their allied planets.

So Central Command needed to do something in coordination with army intelligence to salvage the situation.

They were already hunting down the informants, but the easiest answer was an intensive propaganda campaign. The recruitment from Kepler 111 would be folded into other units as an auxiliary reinforcement, with the survivor's registration numbers altered to hide the total numbers.

Nobody would ever be able to prove how many were lost and they could paint the entire mission as heroic work to save civilians from hostile aliens.

The more truth there is in a propaganda campaign, the more effective the lies you folded in will be after all.

To the allied worlds, the initial force won't have taken heavy casualties, they will have joined the following waves as experienced local guides and bonded with their new units.

Since the following waves of arrivals were much larger, the numbers will easily vanish in the fog of missing-in-action soldiers that are expected after any large battle. By the time the casualty lists are finalized the uproar will have died down and the propaganda department will be launching its own offensive, accusing those spreading negative reports of being traitors to humanity.

Is not the first time they have done something similar, and the ones making the most noise against the Emperor will quietly disappear over the next few years.

"For this to work, we need a public face. Someone from the first wave that we can show in the thick of battle. It needs to be a unit that didn't lose many officers, so we can make a big deal of promoting them. Emperor knows we have enough vacancies." One of the Generals suggests, checking his reports.

"What about these ones? There's lots of good footage of them in combat, they still have all six of their officers, two Majors, and four Captains, plus the Bronze and white is pretty photogenic." Another General suggests, bringing up a short video of the Narsians charging at Tarith's Rage which appears to be taunting them with its sword while the artillery fire of the Carpe Noctem rains down around it.

"The two Majors are my Proteges, so I would ask that they be kept together." General Tennant informs the group, looking over the footage that they have.

"It looks like the Tech Department has already claimed them for a special project. I'll send the group the data logs. From what I can see here, the two Majors both managed to meet or exceed the maximum design parameters of the Crusader Class Mecha Chassis. They must be absolute monsters in the cockpit if they are faster than the machine can keep up with. No wonder you wanted them for yourself, Tennant." General Mons laughs, connected to the group chat via the holographic link from the Carpe Noctem.

The Generals looked over the data set that Tech had provided along with their request for transfer and found that one of the two routinely pushed the movement of the Mecha well beyond design parameters, while the other had an astounding rate of fire with precise targeting adjustments between every shot. It was the precision that had caught the Tech department's eye initially. It suggested to them that he had a System skill that was well suited to their newest project. The incredible rate of fire was simply a bonus they would have to examine later.

"That works in our favor then. We won't even need to make up a reward for them. Tech will do it for us and the messaging group can spin it however they like. Why don't we send the others to you General Mons? They can take a promotion and become Company Commanders to replace the ones you lost, and we will fold a chunk of the recruits from Kepler 111 into your Regiment to make up the numbers?" The head of the committee announces.

He might have phrased it as a question, but he had already made the decision. The Special Tactics Unit will be broken up, with the infantry forming a new Special Forces Unit, and a round of promotions will be announced in a few weeks, once they are safely away from the battlefield.

The orders that make it to the Unit are simple ones:

[Stalwart Special Tactics Unit will join Noctem Regiment aboard Abraham Kepler, headed to the Orbital base in orbit of Comor for designated Relaxation time before redeployment.]

"Good news everyone. Orders are in and we are boarding a Lander in the first group to head up. Abraham Kepler will be taking us to Comor, a heavily populated planetary system with two designated vacation worlds plus the industrial hub world." Max informed the unit, turning the quiet discipline into raucous cheering and dancing.

A system with vacation planets was the very best of options. The vacation designation meant that they had been terraformed after the expansion of the main planet's population, and hadn't had their natural beauty exploited for resources. They were paradise worlds, intended for nothing but pure enjoyment.

They didn't even have to go looking for a working Lander, one was being sent for them that same evening to leave in the morning. That cut their time on the planet almost a day shorter than they had anticipated, and for Max, it couldn't be soon enough.

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Before first light the following day, the Lander had arrived to take Max's unit back to Abraham Kepler, and their designated berths there. The other units in their warehouse had arrived somewhat later and would be leaving later, so it was a quick and teasing goodbye, as the Special Tactics Unit wished the Mecha and techs that remained behind the best of luck with the cleanup.

They were all too excited to speak much on the flight up to the ship, but when they were landed in the hangar and ready to disembark for examination, Nico's smile kept getting more and more genuine.

"Excited to be home and off the battlefield?" Max asked her quietly.

"Yes, but that's not the best part. I'm totally going to fail the scan." Nico chuckled.

Of course, she would, she left as a fully organic human and returned as a full conversion cyborg. The ship's data logs were going to freak out and trigger the infiltration protocols. It happened a lot to Pilots who had undergone emergency battlefield augmentation and occasionally to those who had undergone a System upgrade that changed their body by a significant amount during the mission.

Max had forgotten because their previous missions didn't have any such fancy medical technology with them, and nobody had undergone one of the rare system upgrades that would trigger the scanners.

"Stalwart Special Tactics Unit, Fall In," Max yelled, getting his unit into formation within seconds.

The staff of the Abraham Kepler looked impressed at their discipline, but all eyes in the unit were on Nico, who had taken her place as Executive Officer at the front of the formation. That meant that she would be the first one scanned, and everyone would get to watch the show.

Max decided to prolong the process just a little, and took his place at the lead, stepping between the man with the scanner and Nico, so he could be processed first. Generally, as the Unit Commander, he didn't need to undergo the screening with the unit, he could do it later at the medical bay, but a little suspense would make it all the more entertaining, and assure the tech that their device was not in fact malfunctioning.

The wand beeped happily and the tech saluted Max. "All clear, sir. You are in perfect health, no diseases or harmful microbes detected."

"Thank you, Corporal." Max smiled, stepping aside to watch the man scan Nico.

The first part of the scan was across the head to check for altered brain chemistry which would indicate brainwashing, drug impairment, or one of the mind-altering life forms that some other nations used.

The man waved the wand and nothing happened. A full conversion cyborg's brain is in an armored capsule in its torso, not its head. After only a few incidents with snipers, the designs for full conversions were changed centuries ago.

"Thinking is overrated. Why not try the rest of the scan?" Nico asked the momentarily confused tech.

"Yes, of course, Major." He answered, then paused and waved the wand in front of her chest.

The happy beep was back and the man sighed in relief.

"I should have guessed right away." He muttered, and then the happy beep became an angry beeping, indicating that the person he scanned did not match the data on file for that registration number.

An entire platoon of Ship's security immediately rushed over, guns drawn and aimed at Nico, who was doing her best not to laugh in the very serious situation.

"Ma'am we will have to ask you to come with us. Do you have any weapons, drugs, or body armor on your person?"

"No, Lieutenant, I am clear," Nico answered and the tech brought out his metal detector, which predictably went insane the moment he turned it on.

"Dammit, sorry guys, she's an unregistered Cyborg." The tech said sheepishly, while the entire Special Tactics unit had restrained tears in their eyes.

It was like watching a bad comedy skit. They fell for every single mistake they could have made. But having gotten so used to things going right, the security force was still following the procedures manual and was patting her down to check for weapons and armor.

Cyborgs often had hidden storage areas for weapons, so patting them down was useless, and they were armor, they didn't need to wear any additional armor unless they were blending in with a unit, or were only partial conversions.

"We will have to escort this person away, for the ship's security protocols. Please continue your scans." The Lieutenant informed the tech with a sigh. He could clearly see he was being laughed at, since the entire unit already knew that she was going to fail the scan, they just didn't bother to inform the ship.

"Alright, the show is over. Everyone behave for the tech and let's get this done with." Max called, silencing his troops in an instant.

Four more of the infantry failed for infectious disease scans, which meant that everyone was off to the decontamination unit for a shower. They were given an antibiotic pill that would take care of all possible internal ailments, as well as a sanitizing shower, and then everyone was released to pick up their uniforms from the cleaning machines.

The rest of their gear would also have to be sanitized before it could be returned, but that was an expected part of every return, so nothing that could be damaged by the process was left in their bags.

The moment Max entered his bunk to change into something more casual, a notification beeped on his wrist device, informing him that his official status had been changed from actively deployed to in transit for vacation, with a date of return exactly three months away.

He now officially had nothing to do but relax. At the moment, he wasn't even officially responsible for the oversight of his unit anymore, since they too were off duty, though they would all still face reprimand if someone misbehaved while aboard the ship.

It was two more hours before Nico returned, and Max noticed that she now had hair on her previously shiny head.

"Leveraged the medical department or bought it from the stores in exchange for credits?" Max asked, checking out her new style, which was much longer than her old pixie cut, but just as jet black.

"A gift from General Tennant. They had it waiting for me when I came into the med bay for my examinations and registration." Nico explained, running her fingers through the long locks of silky hair. It was a strange experience for her, she had always kept her hair short and neatly trimmed, but the General's instructions said to leave this hair at its current length as long as possible, and that it might be necessary for her upcoming duties.

His message didn't explain what they would be doing after vacation, but it must involve some level of human interaction, which meant she likely also wouldn't be allowed to kill anyone, no matter how much they deserved it.

A shame really. The battlefield made things so much easier.

Max had no idea what was going through Nico's mind, he was simply shocked at her appearance. The mighty Tarith Nico actually looked girly. Even with his brain's increase in processing speed, Max was having a hard time accepting the change in her appearance. She was actually cute, and that's not a word he previously associated with her.

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Max was almost certain that the Unit didn't recognize Nico when they walked past to head to lunch in the closest Mess Hall. The only thing that had changed from this morning was her hair, but it was such a dramatic difference from her usual style that Max caught more than one soldier checking her out as she passed.

They were busy talking about the amenities of the Comor system, which was on the northern frontier of the Kepler Empire, closest to the Galactic Center. There were no more organized empires or alliances in that direction for hundreds of light years, so the planets of Comor had a fairly peaceful existence for most of their history. It was only when the Kepler Empire expanded that they were first faced with a real threat.

In response, they began developing state-of-the-art Mecha technology as a preventative measure, as well as a number of advanced artificial intelligence systems that were intended to assist them should battle come to them. The war never actually broke out though. The AI that they had developed made contact with the AI that governs Kepler's 'System' and they brokered a deal between them for mutual assistance.

The real attraction to the soldiers of Kepler wasn't their military alliance, but the state of the planets. The advanced Mecha showcase was a major attraction to the Pilots, but the pristine beaches and forests of the outlying planets weren't easy for anyone to turn down.

For Max and Nico, the real attraction was a bit nerdier than that. There was a video game tournament set to start a week after they arrived, where the contestants would get a chance to run a newly released first-person fighting game against the planet's best gamers.

Nobody knew the actual layout, control method, or even the setting of the game, only that it was a first-person survival game that had been developed under strict security for the event. To true gamers, this was the greatest of challenges. It was entirely new and would come with no instructions. The fastest to adapt and master the game would have the greatest advantages, and the top ten would get a two-week stay at the planet's most luxurious resort.

Nico had, of course, already booked their spots in the tournament, using her Military authority to overcome the obstacles that would normally prevent those who weren't currently on the planet from applying. They had proof they would be there, and off duty, and with a little persuasion from the Major, the tournament officials were happy to invite a pair of active Pilots to join the match.

Over lunch, everyone in the unit was talking about it, the advertisements were all over the data network if you searched for events on Comor. The contestants would only play the game for twelve hours to determine the winners, so there was a big buzz about which of the famous streamers would adapt fastest and win the prize.

"I'm telling you, it will be Lord PockiPok. Nobody else adapts to a new game as fast as he does. Remember Gears of Grindage Seventeen? He was in the endgame within twenty-four hours." One of the soldiers insisted, pulling up video streams from his chosen champion's past efforts.

"What about Callsign Flood? He cleared Ark of the Lost only fifty minutes after release." Another one suggested, making a few others laugh. The game was an incredible flop, largely thanks to his run-through. He hit all the hidden waypoints and skipped all the fluff content, so it was clear that he had an insider on the development team that gave him directions in advance.

"If only Blood Goddess was still actively gaming. She was a monster at every fighting game released for like eight straight years, then just vanished a couple of years ago." One of the Sergeants sighed.

"Blood Goddess eh?" Max whispered to Nico, who hid her smirk behind her hand.

"What can I say? It had such a nice ring to it. Maybe I should use it again for the tournament." Nico chuckled and then turned to the other soldiers.

"If she were there, we know PockiPok would have no chance. Remember when she went 197-0 on him in the duel mode of Neversummer Days, live on his own stream?" Nico joked and a few of the streamer's fans groaned.

"Don't remind me. That was just brutal. She even hacked his webcam so he couldn't log out, all he could do was just die and die and die." The soldier groaned, while a few others quickly pulled it up to see what they were talking about.

Being on a ship in the middle of nowhere, their access to streams was outdated, it would only catch up to live again when they got to a populated planet, but the streams they were looking for were popular enough to be archived, and old enough that they were definitely in the computers. If they weren't archived, they could try to pull them up as they passed within signal range of a populated system, but that could be days away.

"Let's get our mind off combat. Who is up for a nice leisurely game of Uno?" Someone asks, bringing a round of jeering insults their way. Uno was never a nice leisurely game. There might not be any money involved, but the game always ended in a fight.

"Fine. I've got my sketchbook, you bastards sit still for a while so I can memorialize our first day back aboard." The same soldier complained, moving to sit by the door where he could see most of the cafeteria with a pad of paper and a pencil in his hands.

Other than cards and reading, doing sketches was one of the most popular pastimes for the infantry, though most kept a rugged data tablet for the purpose, since the paper in a sketchpad was expensive and easily damaged.

They laughed and joked for hours before the staff kicked them out so they could start cleaning and setting up the dinner buffet. The ship was full now, and they were expecting the notification that they were leaving orbit soon, so everyone wanted to get a meal in before their evening nap. After years of experiments, the Pilots maintained that sleeping was still the best way to deal with the nausea and side effects commonly suffered after a transfer to faster-than-light travel.

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Even though they were all off duty, there really was no escape from training. An hour or two at the gym every day, a little time in the Mecha simulators, racketball games against each other, there was always some sort of physical exercise to do.

Nobody wanted to lose too many credits to gambling on this voyage after all. They were going to a highly populated planet, with a four-star orbital station known for its luxurious accommodations, and that meant they would need pocket money when they arrived. Actually spending their salary was an uncommon luxury to the fleet-based military assets. What they needed in combat was provided, and most of their rest time would be at a military spaceport that didn't have anything worth buying.

Between watching over the unit and his own training schedule, Max managed to avoid getting bored for the entire first week. But then the lethargy started to set in and he knew that either more intensive training or a proper distraction was needed. He decided that training was in itself a proper distraction.

So, for this voyage, the Stalwart Special Tactics Unit started a new Mecha Combat league aboard Abraham Kepler. Not a new idea though, they had set up these combat tournaments before. The only difference was that this time the Fleet was watching them more closely, so they couldn't set up a betting pool on the matches and had to pretend that they were just friendly training exercises.

They had a lot of highly skilled Corvette Class Pilots to go with their Crusader Class Pilots, whereas most of the units on the ship did not. The Noctem Regiment had many more in total, but compared to the number of Line Mecha Pilots, their numbers were minuscule.

So, the League was born. Everyone fought in completely standard Line Mecha simulators, and everyone got the same weapons. A sword and an Ion Rifle. For many pilots this was very familiar, for others, the sword was an accessory that they had rarely used. But with everyone relegated to the same level, they could battle to their heart's content with the simulators linked and let the training program keep a ranking system for them. Nobody could complain that the others had an advantage other than their system and pure skill because every mecha was the exact same. To most, that made it even more interesting.

Some scheduled fights so that they could learn from an opponent, others challenged pilots who annoyed them, and others were just there to kill time between card games. But every simulator was soon busy, and the rankings were written on the wall boards in every training arena aboard the ship.

The fleet staff thought it was hilarious, especially after Max pointed out that the Hanger Bay staff were all required to be qualified on the Line Mecha. Sure, most of them had never been in combat, and they had only barely passed their exams, being removed from the Piloting program and shifted to a maintenance track, but they were qualified, which meant that they were allowed to use the training equipment and they could join the battles.

[Central Command, are you watching these battles?] The Admiral piloting Abraham Kepler asked the authorities that he is certain were monitoring the ship's training devices from one of the Command Planets near the Empire's core.

[Stupendous idea Fleet, though I'm certain it was actually the junior officers that got bored and instituted it themselves. We have recorded a number of outstanding prospects for advancement through the training so far.] Central Command confirmed.

"That Special Tactics Group though, they're something else." One of the security officers mutters, switching the screen in front of the Admiral to a scene where one Mecha is teaching thirty others close combat techniques at a speed that a Line Mecha shouldn't be capable of.

"Are they training their Corvette Class Pilots on Line Mecha?" The Admiral asks, looking closely at the scene.

"The Major insists that if they can't get a Line Mecha up to one hundred percent output there's no reason for them to use the more complex systems of the Corvette Class. It's an odd idea, but some of them are getting very close to the goal." The security officer confirms, munching popcorn as he watches the unit spar with each other and practice their sword forms.

"How much would changing Mecha change their combat effectiveness?" The admiral asks. He was never a Mecha Pilot, he went directly to the fleet academy once his Innate Talent for Interstellar Navigation was discovered.

"With the same input speed, they should be about thirty percent more efficient due to the reduced lag time and larger size of the Corvette Class Mecha." The officer confirms as one of the more gifted students steps forward to challenge the instructor inside the melee training simulation.

"Which ones are those? They're all using default Mecha avatars, and I can't tell them apart." The Admiral complained, sitting back to watch the fight.

"That should be Lieutenant Wolfe challenging Major Max."

Those words had the crew bringing every secondary screen in the ship's bridge to the feed from the training match. If a pilot thought he was ready to challenge the Major, he should be able to make the Line Mecha move at its maximum control speed, so the fight would come down to talent and technique.

At first Lieutenant Wolfe thought he might stand a chance against Max in a firefight, moving behind one of the obstacles for cover and opening fire. Max only subtly shifted the torso of his Mecha to avoid serious damage while returning fire and the sensor head on the Lieutenant's Line Mecha was destroyed in a flash of sparks.

Without the primary sensors, there was no point in hiding anymore, the Line Mecha would just be torn apart. Fortunately, it has a small armored window in the front to improve visibility in exactly this situation, so Lieutenant Wolfe charged at Max, sword up and in the combat stance that they had been practicing. He had been doing extremely well at it, and his logs showed that he was pushing the maximum speed that the barebones Line Mecha was capable of, so he should stand a chance against Major Max, whose default spec Line Mecha couldn't move any faster than his own.

The two swords clashed with a whine of steel on steel and overloaded hydraulics. Max easily blocked the strike and pushed Lieutenant Wolfe back, firing two quick shots into the Mecha's torso to remind him that he did in fact have two hands and that ignoring the rifle just because you were close to your target was a fatal flaw.

The two mecha closed again, exchanging blows while Nico narrated for the rest of the unit who was watching the fight.

"You see how he's swinging wide to avoid having his blade intercepted mid-strike? That's costing him time, and at the peak of the Line Mecha's speed, it is making him unable to land a blow. Watch the small adjustments that Major Max is making. See how they put him in a position to block with minimal movement? That's the proper way to use what you have been learning." Nico's narration made it very clear to them where the Lieutenant was lacking, and the man himself could watch it back afterward to get her commentary and hints for self-improvement.

Max took it easy on him, giving everyone time to learn from his small mistakes which added up to a big advantage for Max. Eventually, the Line Mecha began to slow due to repeated damage and Max knew it was time to end the fight, using his rifle to knock aside a sword strike and piercing his blade through the cockpit of Lieutenant Wolfe's Mecha, resetting him to the starting area of the simulation.

"And that's how it's done. I expect you all will be able to do the same by the time we reach the space station and our vacation properly begins." Nico declared before encouraging the unit back to work.

[What a flawless style. Make sure you record that.] The order from Central Command was more than pointless, that battle had been recorded on dozens of devices all around the ship already. Nobody wanted to miss out on the 'Major Max Combat Hour' as they called it, where his executive officer narrated the challenges to help the pilots improve their technique. A few even thought to set it to upload to the streams, until they realized that it was a military training exercise and was, therefore, both confidential and security locked.

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By the time they arrived at their destination, almost all the Corvette Class Pilots had met Max's standard to finish the training in the Line Mecha, and some of the Line Mecha pilots who joined them for training were getting close to it.

That second group could easily pass the Corvette Class examination right now, but it wasn't within Max's authority to issue the exam. They weren't members of his unit, only visitors to their training regimen. With some luck, most of them would be allowed to advance by their own Commanders soon, possibly even at the end of this vacation period, but even if they didn't, those Pilots would be the elite among their peers.

They also now had a much more rounded fighting style than the training they got in the academies which heavily preferred ranged fire over melee.

[All hands to stations. Docking with Comor Station in 10 minutes.] Came the announcement of their final approach to the vacation destination.

"You heard the computer. Get your gear ready, we are in the first wave of units off the ship. Grab only what you need for the day, until you have clearance to leave the Station you will need to report back to the ship at night or pay the exorbitant rate for an Orbital Hotel." Max announced, getting his troops in order.

Everything seemed to be in order, and everyone was accounted for, but one particular Pilot looked very depressed and not at all eager to start their vacation. Max made a note to send a counselor to their bunk, but Nico was already headed over to see how she was doing.

The two women chatted for a while and joined the lineup with Nico's arm around the Pilot's waist in a friendly embrace. It was only when they got closer that Max realized what the problem was. The Pilot was Breckenridge, who was previously bunked with her stepbrother Murphy. They were inseparable from the moment they joined the unit, even though they fought constantly.

Max hadn't noticed them bickering for some time now, and it finally dawned on him that her brother was not with her. Max didn't recall him being lost in combat. They were both assigned to Alpha Squadron, which lost mecha but no pilots during their deployment.

Max searched the unit for Murphy and found him further back down the line, giving his finest effort to an attempt to suck the tongue out of the mouth of one of the infantry soldiers. Max couldn't see who it was, but he knew for sure that he wasn't getting in the middle of that relationship mess. If Nico could solve it, he was happy to let her. If not, either the professionals could deal with it or he would do it himself if it became an issue while on duty.

Unlike many other armies, the Kepler Military only gently discouraged intimate relations within the ranks, they didn't have an official ban on the practice. The only time it became a disciplinary issue was when it affected operational effectiveness. The siblings had three months to work things out, and if their fallout had already happened while they were on duty, they kept it out of their work, so no rules were broken. The only time it would become an issue was when it involved favoritism from a commanding officer. A complaint that a bed partner was unfairly promoted was a serious allegation.

In their finest dress uniforms, the Stalwart Special Tactics Unit prepared to disembark and join the crowds of the Space Station. The facility itself was not exclusively military-run like most others, it had two separate wings, serving military forces and private vessels. The central area of the Station was a mingling ground for all walks of space-faring life. Everyone from corporate vessels with bulk cargo to pleasure yachts and cruises joined the massive military transports and the sleek gunships aboard the Station, giving the crowd a more urban vibe, where the multiple cultures mixed randomly.

"Max, come join us. Breckenridge here is in need of a proper adult beverage and some dancing." Nico demanded, grabbing his hand and pulling him along towards the exit of the ship.

"Did you say drinks and dancing Major? It would be our honor if we could join you." One of the pilots in line, who was part of the Noctem Regiment's Special Forces, asked politely, sneaking glances at Breckenridge.

"The more the merrier." Max agreed, drawing the man and his friends into their group.

It was barely lunch by the Station's time, so there was a good chance the dance clubs would be totally empty when they arrived. But if they could round up more soldiers, they could make a proper party of it.

Nothing could have prepared the Pilots for the shock they received when they stepped off the ship and onto Comor Station though. The design was incredibly luxurious, but very strangely styled. The theme seemed to be Steampunk, but the thick carpets, real original paintings, and crystal chandeliers gave off a very expensive vibe.

Before becoming part of the Kepler Empire, this Station was Comor's gateway to the world, a private station for their region of the Galaxy's most wealthy of private guests. Even now it maintained that aesthetic, and the Military only sent essential patrols and a small number of elite guests to the Station annually as a reward for exemplary service.

There were four other stations around this planet alone, with three of them being strictly military in nature, so troop transfers and repairs would be done there. The Comor Station was strictly for vacation.

Seeing this, the soldiers' mood brightened, and even Breckenridge started looking forward to what a dance hall on Comor Station might look like.

Nico was the only one that knew where they were going, the ship didn't have a map of the Station aboard, mostly for security reasons agreed to in the treaty with Comor. But she had gained access the moment they were in communications range and gathered all the necessary information for the first few day's outings.

"Welcome Soldiers of the 43rd armored and the Noctem Regiment to The Pit, Comor Station's most eclectic dance club." A clearly augmented human greeted them at the door, wearing some form of a steampunk butler's uniform with a pair of bouncers in plain black suits standing behind him.

"We have been expecting you. Please, come in, the party never stops in here. After all, every ship is operating in a different time zone." The man's airy voice seemed like snobby was its natural state, but he was being very polite to them, even more than their Station and ranks demanded. But if they were getting in and partying, Max decided that it wasn't worth thinking about.

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Inside, the lights were dim, strobe lights flashed, and thousands of people were dancing in a half dozen differently themed areas, each with their own music. Max had never seen anything like it in his life, and most of the pilots looked completely stunned by the sight, which made the greeter smile at their naive nature.

In truth, The Pit was one of the galaxy's best regarded perpetual parties, and extremely difficult to simply enter. If you weren't up to their standards, the doors would remain firmly closed in your face and no amount of money would open them.

The reason they opened for the crew today was simple. Nico had promised them fresh meat for the Augmented Aunties that frequented and owned shares in the club. None of them looked a day over twenty, and every one of them was stunning in appearance, but that was all synthetic. Most of them were hundreds of years old and all of them had a taste for fresh-faced young soldiers. These dozens of Pilots, who outnumbered the women of their Regiment over twenty to one, had only been away from the academy a scarce few years, with the ones from the Special Tactics Unit being new graduates.

If the ladies couldn't find what they were looking for in this group, then what they were looking for might not exist.

Max saw what Nico had done in her thoughts and said a silent prayer for his comrades in arms. Their sacrifice today would be honored for life, though never spoken of again. Max decided to call this an educational moment for them, and it was the perfect opportunity to mingle with civilians and take Breckenridge's mind off the dating status of her brother.

"If you prefer, the club offers a fashion service for our VIP clients. Would you ladies care to partake?" A server asked the small handful of women in the group.

"That sounds lovely. Please lead the way." Nico agreed, winking at Max and dragging Breckenridge with her.

The others came very willingly, and the staff grabbed a few of the men to come with them as well, making Max chuckle as the ladies at the bar gave him a knowing smile. There was no doubt that those were the Augmented Aunties that Nico's thoughts had referred to, and it was also clear that they knew he understood who they were as well.

The changing process was incredibly fast, with makeup being applied and hair styled by an advanced robot in a matter of seconds. The outfits were themed to a portion of the club, and those who had been offered the service could return at will to match the section that they wished to mingle in.

Both Nico and Breckenridge returned in short Cheongsam type dresses with their hair up and fishnet stockings. Breckenridge looked highly uncomfortable, trying to adjust her dress a bit so the slit up the leg didn't show as much, but the skirt was cut just specifically to not show what it shouldn't unless the one wearing it wanted it to.

"Relax. Nobody will see your underwear. We're going to dance and drink and forget all about your problems." Nico insisted, giving a little twirl before grabbing Max in one hand and Breckenridge in the other.

A few of the Pilots, including the one who first asked to join them followed behind the ladies like lost puppies as Nico led them into an industrial-themed portion of the club with a bouncing pop beat. Shots of some glowing blue local liqueur were brought over the moment they entered, and both ladies downed them before Nico spun Breckenridge into the arms of her admirer, telling them to go dance while she found a table.

The table she found was in a corner, but up on a slightly raised platform that let them see the dance floor, and those near the dance floor see them. The server placed a reserved sign down on their behalf, along with a round of electrolyte replacement drinks, perfect for the exertion of dancing.

"Thank you." Max smiled at the server, who gave him a polite bow and walked back to her station.

Max didn't miss the signal that she gave a table full of ladies as she passed through. They all looked like local nobles' daughters, wearing high fashion and not the themed outfits that the club assigned to this room. Everyone knew that soldiers didn't carry any cash on them, and their credits could only be used or exchanged at specified locations, so the hungry looks the Pilots were getting could only mean one thing.

"Nico, what have you done?" Max whispered, knowing her ears could hear him.

"Created some fun. Trust me on this, nobody is going to get hurt, and they will have a wonderful tale to tell when they get back to the ship." Nico responded softly, as the Pilots met the approaching ladies halfway and began flirting before heading to the dance floor.

"Now, shall we? It would be a shame to get all dressed up and not dance." Nico pouted, pulling Max to his feet.

It wasn't necessary, Max was in a party mood, and ready to relax.

He couldn't help looking into the thoughts of the dancers though and found something very interesting. Nearly a third of the patrons at this time of day, all female, were actually employees of the club, here to dance and party with the paying customers.

This was how they maintained their reputation as a peak party spot, the club simply hired pretty women to show up a couple of times a week and party. What else they did was up to them, but Max stopped searching before he got to the details of their side jobs, for the sake of his own mental health. Max recalled that some clubs did that back on Kepler Terminus as well. They would pay celebrities to show up to their clubs and bring an entourage with them.

In exchange, the celebrity would promote the club and bring in visitors and revenue. Of course, a lot of the celebrities ended up spending more than they were paid, living the party lifestyle at a reduced cost, but that too was a win for the venue.

Max's stats were far beyond human average, so dancing was no trouble at all, and he had put a lot of work into his stamina. Hours passed, and the club got absolutely packed with patrons for the evening. Breckenridge and her admirer had disappeared with a wealthy socialite some time ago and most of the other Pilots were occupied either on the dance floor or at one of the tables, so Max and Nico returned to their booth while Max ordered a fresh drink. The one on the table wasn't empty, but he had left it unattended for hours at a time.

No way would he drink that in a place like this.

Every few hours that evening Nico demanded to change outfits and regions of the club, checking up on the other Pilots and all aspects of the party. They had just finished their fifth costume change of the night and were relaxing in what Max would have called a Cabaret, with a lovely singer from a blue-skinned species Max didn't recognize when they finally found Breckenridge and her admirer again. Both had a telltale glow and tousled hair, but more interestingly was the way they were both hanging off the obviously wealthy woman in between them.

That wasn't what Max expected when this party started, but if they were happy it was fine by him.

"Alright, everyone is happy, can we go now? You might not get tired, but we've been here over twelve hours." Max complained, quietly so as not to disturb the atmosphere of the room.

"Just a little longer, I ordered you some more snacks. You have to try these ones and then we can go." Nico agreed, humming along with the singer.

The pastries were the last straw for Max. They were filled with a strongly alcoholic fruit paste, and his vision began to blur a little as he heard Nico chuckle and escort him out of the club. They stopped for a few minutes while a staff member brought him water and Nico changed back into her uniform, but she left with a large bag that had the club's logo on it.

"The material printers make them on the spot, the clothes are intended to be single-use, so the Club only uses a specific pattern for one day a year," Nico informed Max as she half carried him back to the ship.

That was great news, he was looking forward to seeing her in some of those outfits again.

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Surprisingly, Max woke up the next day with only the faintest trace of a hangover, but an incredibly sore body. Every muscle and joint seemed to ache from hours and hours of dancing and partying at The Pit last night.

His wrist device had a message to contact Nico when he woke up, and he saw that it was nearly noon already. Max had never slept in that late a single day in his life, but given his condition last night, he isn't completely sure what time they got back to the ship.

The most important issue for what was left of the morning was food, so Max headed for the mess hall, where he could already hear boisterous voices talking about all the wonderful things they were going to do with their vacation days. The most popular was the Video Game Tournament, followed by something called a Hyper Luge, which seemed to be a winter sport that took place in the mountains.

There was still nearly a week until the tournament venue opened, so Max didn't know what he was going to do for the next few days but knowing Nico she had something insane planned. He didn't see any of the pilots who went to the club with him yesterday, but that wasn't surprising given the state that they were in when he left. Most of them wouldn't have come back to the ship last night anyhow. They were officially still stationed aboard Abraham Kepler, but as long as they didn't leave the Station nobody was going to reprimand them for staying out all night.

Once he had enough food and coffee in him to function, Max started to notice the envious glances the other soldiers were giving him.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

The closest Pilot was Vincente, who only laughed at his question. "No, Commander, your face is spotless. But we heard a wild tale of your adventures last night. Did you really manage to sneak an entire wing of Pilots into The Pit to take down a dozen of the planet's wealthiest bachelorettes?"

Max could shake his head at that interpretation. "I didn't sneak anyone in, we passed the Doorman's scrutiny. I'm not sure who everyone else went home with, but I came straight back to my room this morning."

"Oh, I saw that part, you were nearly passed out over Major Nico's shoulder singing Cabaret tunes. I checked the records, and nobody else came back, not even Breckenridge. We were worried about her, but when we contacted her some Pilot from the Noctem Regiment answered for her." the swarthy Captain chuckled.

"We've all heard the rumors about The Pit, and the women who frequent the club, but to think that so many of the Pilots would luck out and we weren't invited." Paul sighed, joining in the conversation.

"I'll just say this much, you got luckier than they did. Those innocents were no match for what they found in the club." Max told him with a smirk, thinking of the ones who were grabbed up by the Aunties. They might never look at a woman the same way again.

[There is a suit in your room. Get dressed up fancy, I've found us somewhere to visit on the Station.] Nico sent Max's wrist device just as he finished eating.

"Alright, Nico has plans for the day, and I'm included, so I will see you all later. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and enjoy your vacation." Max ordered his troops in a serious voice before going to get changed.

The 'suit' as Nico called it was a full formal military Tuxedo, mostly worn to political events and weddings. Nobody wore these for daily wear, but Nico had sent it for a reason, so Max reluctantly got it all on and tried to tame his hair, which was getting a bit shaggy, but still in regulation.

Nico has a hair styling device that will give him a perfect trim, so Max made his way to her room, finding the Major styling her hair into a half up half down style and wearing an elegant Silver ballgown that he recognized from the reception on Kepler 111 after the recruitment.

"Can you give me a haircut before you tell me what exactly you've got planned for today?" Max asked.

"No problem, just wrap it on your head and I'll trim you back to regulation. Unless you want something a bit fancier, since we're on vacation?" she asked with a smirk.

"If you're thinking of giving me a perm like the first day we met, forget about it. Just the regulation high and tight is fine for me."

Nico looked a little sad at the idea, but a second later, Max felt his hair being trimmed so he took the cloth-like device to the sink to shake it out. The mirror showed him the image of the perfectly trimmed blonde officer, a shining beacon of hope, straight from the Kepler propaganda videos. The stress of repeated battles had given his youthful face just enough maturity that he didn't look like a junior officer or Cadet anymore, and Max wondered just when that had happened.

"Now Lord Max, if you will kindly accompany me, we have an appointment to keep," Nico informed him, adding matching gloves to her outfit to hide the slightly mechanical look of her hands. The body had adjusted quite a bit, but nobody's knuckles were that smooth, so her hands were still clearly artificial.

A round of appreciative whistles followed them down the halls as they made their way to the exit again and Nico made a point of giving sarcastic curtseys to the people she recognized.

Again they walked through the opulent halls of the Comor Station's military wing, then Nico led him to a moving floor and they rode it to the far side of the station where the Yachts were docked and high society parties were held.

"Tell me we're not party crashing," Max whispered, worried that she was causing trouble.

"Of course not. This time they actually invited us without anyone asking. You will understand in a few minutes." Nico whispered back, stepping off the conveyor in front of a grand ballroom where a large number of nobles had congregated.

There were no questions when they approached, the doormen simply held out a fingerprint scanner for them to verify their identity. Both scanners went green and a bit of data appeared on the screen.

"Sir Max, Imperial Lady Tarith, the Lord General is waiting for you inside." The response from security immediately put Max on guard, the only ones who would call her Imperial Lady Tarith were higher nobles who were observing every bit of the formal ceremony. Everyone else would call her Lady Nico or Major Nico.

When they stepped into what was clearly a Noble Gala, Max was shocked to see Lord General Kirkland, one of the Cygnus officers that they captured on KSF129, their second deployment, where the Cygnus Army intervened. Though the two nations were again at peace, it was a bit of a shock to see the highly regarded Lord General here, on the far side of the Empire from his home territory.

"So glad you two could make it. I saw your transport come in and simply had to invite you both to come to visit. We're having a little soiree for the titled locals in celebration of the marriage between the Imperial family and the Comor System's ruling Chen family." Lord General Kirkland explained.

That explains the tuxedo.

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"It's a pleasure to see you again under such auspicious circumstances," Nico responded with a smile, making the Lord General laugh. The last time they parted they had been joking about meeting in combat.

"Please do come and meet the soon-to-be Imperial Lady Chen. We might have finally found someone your size." General Kirkland laughed, motioning them toward a table where two children and their parents were seated.

"Imperial Prince Wushu, Imperial Lady Chen, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Imperial Lady Tarith and Sir Max of Kepler Terminus." He introduced them to the two children, who were most likely the betrothed couple.

'He was right about finding someone Nico's size.' Max decided, noticing that neither child was old enough to have been sent to a military academy yet. Now that they were married, they likely wouldn't be, as they would be transferring to Cygnus, but the standard was still how Max measured age in his mind.

The two children's eyes lit up at the introduction, recognizing the names. It was the boy Wushu who spoke first though. "So it's really them? I knew it was true, only two nobles held off the advance of our Super Heavy Mecha."

"There was actually a third one there, a Viscount named Carb." Nico clarified, and the kids got even more excited, looking forward to Nico's version of storytime.

"Why don't we go socialize? They will monopolize your date for at least half an hour." General Kirkland laughed, leading Max away to introduce him to everyone else there.

"How did you end up on wedding convoy duty instead of inside a Mecha? Don't tell me you retired already?" Max asked the athletic man in his later middle years.

"The Royal Family was greatly disappointed with us all. Though the Lord Commander took the worst of the punishment, I've been transferred to the position of political emissary. In recognition of my work to ensure a fair and balanced trade deal in the wake of the disaster, of course." The General explained.

"My condolences. I don't think I could do politics full time."

That was a topic that both could agree on, and they turned to pleasant chatter as they met with the various Comor nobles who were present for the engagement party, as well as the members of the Cygnus Imperial escort that had come along.

"We have arranged to lodge the pair of you here in the Comor Royal Hotel for the remainder of the weekend until passes to the planet can be completed. It's much better than staying on the ship." The clerk who came with General Kirkland informed Max politely when they met, making his eyes bug out.

He had heard about this place last night. If The Pit was THE party place on the station, this was the most desired orbital resort. It had everything from galactically famous chefs to its own exclusive luxury mall and a three-hundred-acre orbital lake with an armored glass bottom, so you could swim out and look into the cosmos from the safety of the Space Station. There was even a golf course, though Max had no idea how the game was played.

"Tomorrow there's another special event you should attend. A bare-knuckle boxing match that is supposed to have a pair of Beta ranked fighters as the headliners." The General explained after all the introductions were finished.

Max had watched these as a kid but never in person. He could only afford to pirate them off the data network. They might not prove as interesting now that he was stronger and faster than the fighters were, but it was guaranteed to be a good show.

A Noble Gala was much more subdued than the wild party last night at The Pit and Max took his time to chat with everyone who seemed to be friendly. Many of them put a high value on titles and he was a Knight, the lowest of titled nobles, but for those who were the younger children of nobles, he was still something to aspire to, a man who earned his own title in combat and didn't have to inherit anything from his family.

Before long, the young couple was removed to a secure hotel suite to get to know each other better, though they were already bonding well over a love of the highly exaggerated war stories that Nico told. She had long since moved from her own experiences to retelling Kepler Military legends for the pair, whose parents had sheltered them from such things in their youth.

The parents still didn't seem really happy about the stories, but Nico told them so flamboyantly, with the gruesome parts glossed over that they would only make the kids wonder what was being hidden if they objected to the stories being told now. That would lead to them searching themselves, and unsupervised searches on the Data Network could show them many things that sheltered noble children didn't need to see.

"How is it that you never ended up married into a Ruling Family and instead ended up a Mecha Pilot, Lady Tarith?" The father of the groom asked with polite, but intense curiosity on his surgically beautiful features and in his voice.

"I have an Alpha Ranked System Compatibility, and Piloting is my family's hobby and primary profession, so I was sent to the Academy like all the other talented children," Nico answered with a smile.

Her family no longer cares about its noble heritage, but that would be impolite to say to a family who rules over a planet the same way they used to. The vague answer has only intrigued them more, and Max suspects that one or more of them will try to access her data later to see what sort of achievements she has managed to back up that devotion to Mecha.

They are about to retire to the suite that the General has booked for them when one final guest came in, clearly hurrying, and somewhat disheveled in a white lab coat.

?[0)??? "Forgive my appearance, I was involved in my work and lost track of time. Please do give my best to the couple." The scientist declared, drawing stifled laughter from many of the Comor nobles in the room.

"Uncle Lu, it's after eleven. They have gone to bed, you'll have to see them tomorrow." The father of the bride declared, smiling in affection at what was apparently his uncle.

"Oh, and the Noble Couple from Terminus are here as well. I have heard a lot about you, and I look forward to seeing you again." The scientist announced with a bow towards where Max and Nico were standing, then abruptly turned and left towards the hotel.

His Nephew sent guards after him, likely to stop him from barging in to see his grandniece and her fiancee and the party's atmosphere began to turn towards retiring for the night.

"Unlike the clubs here on the Station, we don't often party until the morning. I thank you all for coming to today's announcement, and a proper series of Engagement Parties will be arranged in the near future." The bride's father announced, bowing to the crowd before leading his wife away.

For most that was a signal to disperse, but for some, it was a signal to stuff their face with the remainder of the snacks and start pounding drinks.

As Max suspected, there were two very different kinds of Nobles.

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General Kirkland approached the spot where Max and Nico were admiring the devotion of some of the Comor Nobles to gluttony. He weaved his way through the thinning crowd with a smile until he got close to the two Kepler Pilots when he held up a hand with a pair of hotel key cards in it.

"As promised, your rooms are ready. I hope you don't mind that they're on the Cygnus delegations floor. It was the only way to obtain an extra room on short notice. The hotel is pretty much booked full for the upcoming engagement parties." The General explained.

"As luxurious as the rooms on a Capital Class transport are, I'm certain that anything you could find us in this hotel would be an improvement, Lord General." Max chuckled.

"The broom closet is two meters by three with hardwood flooring and golden fixtures. I checked." Nico added, making a number of the guests laugh.

No aspect of the hotel was overlooked so that malicious photographers would find there were no bad angles to embarrass the luxury of the resort with.

The General led them to a glass-walled elevator that overlooked the indoor lake, and they slowly ascended to nearly the top of the hotel.

"If you don't want to stay in for room service, the beachfront cafés have an excellent selection of seafood-based breakfast options. In addition, material printers in the room will create your choice of hotel-branded bathing apparel and formal wear. It's included with every stay, so don't be shy."

His description made this day off sound better and better. A whole day spent lounging on an exclusive resort beach with all-inclusive galaxy-class food and drinks? Max was practically in heaven.

"Say zero eight hundred?" Nico asked, and General Kirkland nodded.

"I'll be there. I live by the ocean on my homeworld, but good seafood is hard to find on deployment. Ah, here we are, your room. Forgive the plethora of guards. It is protocol with Royalty in the building. The entire hotel is on a discrete partial lockdown until after the young couple leaves." He explained.

?[0)??? "That's to be expected. I certainly don't want to get caught up in any meaningless international incidents." Max agreed, touching the key card to the door, which automatically swung open.

Max and Nico shared an incredulous look at the room. It has deep cream-colored carpets, burnished Bronze accents, blood red curtains, and bedding, with golden filigree on the walls.

Though there was an extremely slim chance that it was intentional, the hotel room almost perfectly matched their unit's colors.

General Kirkland noticed the unique color combination when his men checked in. When he spotted Abraham Kepler docking, he even rearranged some of the room assignments so that he could put Max and Nico in this particular room for their stay. The Comor Royal Family's brother, the scientist named Lu, who had come to the announcement party late today, had asked him to help impress these Pilots to earn their goodwill.

The General wasn't privy to the details, but he suspected that they were about to become much more famous in Kepler than he had made them infamous in Cygnus.

That would not be easy, though. They were the antagonists in a new hit docudrama that had aired all over the Cygnus nation. It had a surprise happy ending, with the antagonists releasing the captured heroes at the end and walking away from the battle to let them escape, but the filmmaker had used their actual names and a close copy of their likeness, so any Cygnus citizen they casually met would likely recognize them.

Of course, it was censored and blocked in Kepler since it was foreign propaganda, so they would likely never learn of their own infamy.

After bidding the General goodnight, Max took a moment to truly admire the room. It was properly a suite since the bedroom was separate, but the dining room and sitting room were in a matched theme. There was also a large holo-projector on which he couldn't wait to watch movies and a Bronze leather couch softer than any cloth he had ever touched.

"Could you unzip me? They've got a bubble bath that smells like orange blossoms." Nico demanded, pointing to her back.

Max obliged, and Nico simply stepped out of the dress right where she was, heading for the bath.

"There's a separate auto shower if you don't want to smell like orange blossoms." She called out right before the sound of splashing let him know she was in the tub.

After a whole day of socializing, Max was ready to shower and have a nap. Whoever decided that these functions should be twelve hours long was pure evil.

Max finished washing, stepped out of the shower, through the gold framed doorway that dried him with warm air as he passed through, and grabbed a robe from the wall. Nico was making happy noises in the tub, so he headed for the bedroom without bothering her, finding only one enormous bed.

It was what the slums called a Harem King Size mattress. At three meters in either direction, it was suited for many species of varying sizes but vastly oversized for the two of them.

It was incredibly comfortable, though; Max was asleep seconds after he lay down.

The next thing he knew, he heard Nico whistling as she got ready in the morning. He cracked open an eye and found her braiding her hair in a dressing gown, bringing back unpleasant memories of mornings with his mother when she was home and would insist on styling his hair for the day.

She had chosen a fashionable one-piece swimsuit that laced up the sides, showing off her flawless metallic skin, which she had managed to alter enough to almost exactly emulate her previously alabaster organic skin. She also had a Yukata, a form of simple short robe commonly worn during summer festivals waiting for her to finish her hair.

"You know those are usually worn without anything underneath." Max joked, and her eyes lit up with mischief.

"Wouldn't that cause an incredible scandal when I went swimming? Maybe I should change."

Max shook his head at her, then noticed a pair of shorts and a lightweight button-down shirt waiting for him with a pair of sandals.

"I took the liberty of picking matching outfits. Now hurry up or we will be late for breakfast."

Fortunately, she didn't go overboard, but the shirt was the same red as her swimsuit. Come to think of it, Max himself had never been to a lake unless you counted the day that Planet Belmont flooded.

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The moment max stepped out of the room a small voice called out to him from down the hall.

"Excuse me, Mister Stalwart, I mean Sir Max, are you going to the beach?" The young Cygnus Noble asked hopefully.

"Indeed I am. Would you like to come along?" Max asked and the boy cheered.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again, Sir. We would love to accompany you, but mother said that the first guards they sent today were unsuitable, so we had to wait." The young Lady Chen informed him, joining Max and Prince Wushu in the hallway.

"Lady Tarith will be with us shortly. She was unhappy with her sandals." Nico told the two children who looked at their own bare feet.

"We will be right back. Please wait just a moment." The Prince yelled as he ran back into his room for shoes.

As a Royal, he has a servant dedicated to dressing him, but they hadn't expected him to go outside quite yet, so he was still barefoot.

They were also joined by four Cygnus bodyguards and two Nannies in traditional Maid outfits that nearly reached the floor. The beach area was kept very warm for comfort while minimally dressed, so they would be sweltering in those uniforms, but their serious demeanor said that he shouldn't ask them to change.

Nico joined the group, taking one small hand in each of hers and then placing them together. "There we go. If you're holding hands you won't get separated."

The Lady Chen blushed a little and Prince Wushu tried to hide his embarrassment, but neither of them let go of the other's hand all the way to the elevator.

"You're a Cyborg aren't you? My uncle tells me all about new technology. Is that Synthetic flesh?" The little girl asked as they gathered in the glass box, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"This version is the Highly Malleable metal shell. The synthetic flesh isn't suitable for combat." Nico corrected her and the girl took Nico's hand in her free one.

"It's so real though, that's amazing. They won't let me in the lab, so I've never touched one before."

"Young Miss, the lab is a military facility, it is no place for children." The Nanny reprimanded her in an exasperated voice.

"Don't look at me with those Puppy eyes, I can't get you in either." Nico laughed as the young Lady pouted.

"But you've got the next best thing. Major Nico will stay near you until the replacement bodyguards show up." Max suggested, making the Nanny sigh.

?[0)??? Even though she was getting married off early, Lady Chen had high hopes that she could still grow up to be a Scientist like her favorite uncle. It probably wouldn't be an issue, since she seemed quite intelligent, but it would be in Cygnus, not here in Kepler, so she was kept strictly away from confidential information.

"General Kirkland, I do hope you don't mind a bit more company for breakfast. We found a few stragglers and brought them with us." Max called out when he found the Lord General sitting at a table, sipping on something white and slushy.

"I thought they were grounded until new bodyguards arrived?" The general asked, smiling at the kids.

"Who better than a pair of active duty Pilots with Alpha Ranked Systems? Even the bodyguards aren't allowed firearms inside the building, so there isn't much to fear." Nico shrugged off his concerns.

"And if someone does start shooting, she's bulletproof." Young Lady Chen pointed out.

"That's not how Systems work." The General began before looking more closely at Nico.

"Yesterday, I thought that was Court makeup, but you are a full conversation cyborg, aren't you? I don't know how I missed that during the treaty meetings." General Kirkland thought out loud.

"It's a recent development. A rather unfortunate incident with a Narsian invasion wave."

The bodyguards all winced in sympathy and the General patted her shoulder, leading them to the table.

"I hope your tastebuds survived, the food here smells amazing." He smiled, watching the Nannies get the two Nobles settled while they were still holding each other's hand.

That was a far better progression in the young couple's relationship than General Kirkland had hoped for the first day. Young Nobles often fought everything from the wedding plans to their staff and each other. If these two were calm and actually got along it would be a blessing for him.

The plate that was brought out for Max included a dozen matching pieces of sushi, a lobster tail, bite-sized crab salad sandwiches, and a salmon and eggs Benedict. Just looking at it Max is certain that there is no way he can eat all of this, no matter how good it looks.

Each of the others around the restaurant has received a similarly diverse meal and Max notices that the Comor nobles swap bits off their plates to get an even wider variety.

"It is the custom here. You rarely end up with more than a single bite of anything but your main dish." Lady Chen explained, noticing his confusion.

In Max's case, that's the Benedict and lobster, which he starts with while Nico swaps one of his sushi rolls with a stuffed mushroom from her plate.

The meal is a bright and lively scene. Even if the swapping of food between plates makes Max's eye twitch in annoyance, the end result is worth it. Now he knows which ones to order up to the room later.

The Comor nobles started a game of beach volleyball just after the meal "to burn off calories" and invited everyone to play. The only problem is that Comor is a First Generation Kepler ally, only those who are very young were born with Nanobots and a chance to activate the System.

Max considered playing at a human level, just for the promise of bikini-clad bodies, but declined with the excuse of watching the kids until replacement guards arrive.

"You can go if you like. With the others here we will be fine." Prince Wushu tells him before General Kirkland whispers something in his ear and the boy's eyes open wide in shock.

"No way that's true. No human can do that." The boy informs the General with full certainty.

"Major Max, might I ask how tough you can jump? The General asks politely, making his point.

"We don't really have a vertical jump in our testing, but with a couple of steps to get momentum it is no problem to jump on top of my Crusader Class Mecha, Stalwart," Max replied, keeping the answer vague since his strength is incredibly high even by Kepler standards.

Young Lady Chen looks intrigued while her fiance looks horrified at the news.

"A standard volleyball can't take a hit from a Crusader Class Pilot." Nico informed the boy gently and he just shook his head in denial, unwilling to accept the news.

"Is that why mom said we needed Kepler guards?" The little girl asked Nico.

"Most likely. With the system active we are very strong and fast. But I can sense that you will have it too, so you might be like Sir Max here if your compatibility is good enough."

"You mean I might be able to run as fast as a bicycle and jump over hovercraft?"

Her standards are much too low. Even the D Ranked infantry can mostly do that. But to a little girl who didn't grow up around it, such things would sound fantastic.

"Come here for a second and I'll show you something cool," Max told her, holding out his arms to pick her up.

Once she was in his arms, Max jumped up and over the volleyball net to land in the spectator area on the far side of the court. Lady Chen giggled and clapped her hands while Prince Wushu gave her an envious glare.

"Do you want to fly too?" Nico asked, but he only gave her a strange look.

"Could you even pick me up? No offense, but you're pretty small."

"Max, he wants to fly with you," Nico called, darting over to his side in a split second.

"And you could fight against that kind of speed when you're in a Mecha? Mecha really are amazing." Price Wushu congratulated General Kirkland in a very serious voice. The old man didn't have the heart to remind the boy that he lost, or that their Mecha control systems are very different and the Cygnus models only need a strong mind to move the powerful metallic suits.

He can find that out for himself later. Today all General Kirkland wants is for the young couple to get along with each other.

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They spent the rest of the morning watching the noble guests play beach games then went for a swim before relaxing on the beach with glasses of juice. Or at least Max went for a swim.

As it turns out, Nico does not float. At all. So, despite being waterproof and able to absorb oxygen from the water, playing in the deeper parts of the lake was not for her without specialized equipment. She did have a lot of fun in the deep water though, walking out to the center of the lake to admire the view out of the station through the transparent panels.

All morning long, Max sensed that something was not right, but when he listened to the thoughts of those around him he didn't find anything strange or threatening. He was beginning to think he was just being paranoid, the way the threat seemed to keep changing directions throughout the morning, but it was too persistent to be nothing at all.

After a light lunch of deep-fried fish fingers, specially prepared at Max's request for the kids, the next shift of guards arrived, six Gamma-ranked Security Guards employed by the Chen family.

All four parents came with them, ready to scold the children until they saw the two Majors and the General sitting with them.

"So you did wait for guards, just not the ones we expected. Well played." The head of the new security detail congratulated the two while giving the Nannies a dirty look for not informing him.

They looked utterly unconcerned, and Max got the impression that they were likely as well trained, if not more skilled than the actual security.

"Did you see anything suspicious this morning?" The leader of the incoming guard shift asked Max politely, ignoring the Nannies.

"Nothing. It's been pretty calm here." Max informed him with a smile. It was honestly a very relaxing morning, other than that nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

"Just the one server with the implanted cornea camera, but maybe that's normal? I don't know much about Comor employee security procedures." Nico added.

"Where?" Both Maids asked instantly, and Nico launched herself over to a nearby tiki bar, grabbing one of the employees by the shirt.

"This one, see. It's a cornea implant on his right eye." Nico pointed out.

"How could you even notice that? It's perfectly transparent." The man complained, clearly terrified of the swimsuit-clad Mecha Pilot.

"I am a Cyborg. Upgraded sensor devices are pretty standard for every full conversion, especially in the Military." Nico told him, keeping her face expressionless since she hadn't quite mastered a smirk yet.

It was actually her Innate Talent that found it and identified it as a camera, not some super secret military-grade upgrade to her eyes, though if she zoomed in and used her thermal overlay she would be able to detect the slight temperature variance between the two eyes. But who would examine a simple tiki bar employee that closely? The chances that he would be detected were extremely low.

"Cameras are strictly prohibited here. We will have to confiscate your recording device." The young Lady's maid snarled, barely keeping her quiet servant act together.

"I am with the Comor Free Bacon, I have rights. This is a violation of the press." The man declared suddenly, looking victorious.

"Under Kepler military security laws, taking illicit footage of military personnel and dignitaries is not a crime. However, publishing it may be considered a violation of espionage laws subject to summary execution on conviction." Nico informed him and a small wet spot became visible below the waist of his uniform as the reporter began to panic.

?[0)??? "I will see that the footage is properly vetted through the censors." The man stammered and then fled the beach at a full sprint, heading for the main doors out of the hotel and into the Station.

"How long has it been since a reporter was convicted of espionage?" Prince Wushu asked, eager to learn a new way to get rid of the annoying paparazzi that plagued the Cygnus Royal Family's life.

"The last one to be convicted in Kepler territory was thirty-seven years ago. A reporter was found to be a Cygnus military spy and was publicly executed. She was just scaring the reporter away with a threat." General Kirkland clarified for the boy, who looked crestfallen at the news that you couldn't simply convict and kill paparazzi.

"They're not allowed to take footage in private spaces though, so there are limits," Max added.

"You will get used to them, Highness. They're a persistent lot. But as long as you're never caught in public with a woman who isn't your wife the scandals will all be minor." General Kirkland chuckled. Multiple wives for the Royal family were nothing new, but there were strict standards to their behavior nonetheless.

The beach games had settled down for the afternoon and the kids were having a nap in a hammock together when the Chen family's rather eccentric uncle showed up, looking around to ensure his brother wasn't there to stop him from hanging out with his niece.

He had a big smile on his face and a pair of child-sized VR headsets with him. The moment he noticed Max and Nico he came over, wishing to say hello again.

"I hope you remember me. Everyone calls me Uncle Lu. I am the head of Comor's Mecha development program and an amateur video game designer. I designed the game you both will be competing on in a few days, but no spoilers, it would ruin the fun.

What I really came for was to see you. My department has been gushing about you two ever since that news blurb aired." He adobe's, heartily shaking Max's hand.

"What news blurb? We were in transit and the news is never shown here, so I have no idea what you're talking about." Max asked.

"Oh, there was some leaked footage showing your unit fighting Narsians on Sigmund. It's a long way from here, so they didn't play much footage, but that piloting was spectacular. We're all Mecha designers in my department, so how the end product will be used is important to us. I won't drag any more business into your vacation, but I had to say hello before the kids woke up."

Leaked footage from a planet with its satellite system destroyed and the cities overrun with giant aliens? Not highly likely. From the sound of it, the footage made them look heroic, so it's most likely a military video.

That's fine though, Pilots have always been held up as heroes, he grew up on their stories, as retold by the government. But in all his years, he had never heard of one from the videos even showing up on his planet.

Everyone here already knows who he is and what he does, so a few clips of him in action shouldn't change much about how he is treated by adults.

The kids woke up only a few minutes later and Uncle Lu began his attempt at convincing the maids to let them try the games he brought. Nico is smiling at his back, so whatever he brought isn't the usual boring stuff nobles call educational.

The two servants try the units first, then take them off and put them back on again, to see if he just put a single-use lock on whatever he is hiding. They are all aware of his antics, but he does have the rank to give the kids gifts without interference. Even if the maids will insist on safety checking the present before actually presenting it to the kids.

They both rush back to their room with the staff and guards while Uncle Lu grins. Once they're all away and out of earshot Nico turns to him and laughs.

"Gears of Grindage 3 is a classic. Gene locking it to only the kids was genius."

"I knew a cultured young lady such as yourself would approve. Now, would you both like to accompany me to the boxing matches? I'm not sure if you've realized this yet, but there's only one more day before the gaming tournament starts. I'll be going back to the planet tonight after the fights to be a judge if you want a ride without burning credits." Uncle Lu suggested.

That sounds much better than taking the public shuttle from the station. Tomorrow a lot of soldiers will be cleared to leave, so the shuttle will be packed and so will the planetary public transit.

152 Chapter 152

Name:Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System Author:

+ - Turn on Reset

"We will be in your care then, Uncle Lu," Max said politely, and the old scientist smiled at him, eager for the fights to begin.

"You're in for a treat. Though I suppose it's not so new to you. Fighters with higher quality Systems are still fairly rare here, but I have it on good advice that one of today's contestants has a base 2 strength. We've never had the chance to see Alpha Rank level strength in action." Uncle Lu was clearly a fan of the boxing matches.

Everyone took a moment to change in the beachfront showers, picking outfits from the Hotel's selection. Max went for casual jeans with a button-down black shirt rolled to his elbow and comfortable leather boots. Nico went for a Kimono in black with gold embroidery. Uncle Lu was a bit more formal, coming out in a business suit instead of his lab coat, looking uncomfortable without his lab coat but excited.

"If we exit the Hotel and take the conveyor, it will take us there. The venue is on this line. They've got a dress code, but we should all be good. I'm not a Chen for nothing." Uncle Lu laughed, leading them past the startled nobles who didn't expect to see the eccentric scientist in public.

Today the conveyor was busy even in the yacht district, as Uncle Lu called the station section around the Hotel. When they got to the entertainment district, it was packed, though the bodyguards that followed Uncle Lu around everywhere earned them a little space.

When they approached the VIP entrance to the venue holding the fights, there was some commotion in the street, but Max couldn't make it what it was over the shouting.

"It looks like we might be delayed. " The bodyguard in front sighed, leading them forward as far as he could with the densely packed crowd near the entrance.

It was just a bunch of drunken soldiers causing trouble for the staff who would not let them in the VIP entrance. In a few minutes, the Military Police would be here to break up the fight, so Max checked all the insignia to ensure none were from the units aboard Abraham Kepler.

The station was large, with multiple ships docked at every entrance pier, so it was hard to guess units unless the uniform was distinctive. Fortunately, Max didn't see any of their own in this particular mess. Instead, these were infantry from a regional patrol ship.

"Could you defend yourselves against that?" Uncle Lu asked as a soldier threw one of the security guards ten meters before he hit a wall.

"You missed the show on the beach this morning. The kids didn't believe it either, but yes, we could take them all at once." Max explained.

"Then do we have to wait? We're already running behind."

Nico smiled and stepped forward, looking delicate and elegant in her black kimono. "Officer On Deck!" She shouted, using her augmented voice box to let all the miscreants hear her.

She pulled her wrist device from her clutch and activated the identity hologram, showing her as a Major. Max did the same, lighting up the Golden Battle Cannon icon that designated him as the Commander of a mecha unit.

"Piss off, little girl." The closest man snarled, throwing a punch with all the might that a Delta Ranked veteran could manage.

The sound of bones splintering as his hand hit her face silenced the crowd, who thought he might have killed the petite officer. But she was standing exactly where he was before he attacked while the soldier held his mangled hand.

"Feth, she's a combat Cyborg." Someone called out, breaking the hesitation, and the crowd scattered.

"I suggest that you run," Nico told the man who was still in front of her, cradling his injured hand. He didn't need a third reminder and began sprinting back toward the military docks for a medic.

"Problem solved with minimal violence," Nico said happily, taking a compact from her clutch to check her makeup.

She wasn't using foundation, so there was only a small mark left behind by the man's hand and a tiny bit of blood which she touched up with a tissue. After a few seconds of work, her face was flawless again.

"Perfect. Now, shall we, gentlemen? It would be a shame to miss the opening fights."

?[0)??? Her suddenly sweet demeanor threw Uncle Lu off balance, and the older man heard many murmurs in the crowd about how Nico would be watching fights she would have no problem winning. That wasn't the point, though. Even if you could do it yourself, it was still entertainment.

The girl at the door checked their tickets and assigned an usher to bring them to their seats. Uncle Lu had them all sitting one row back of ringside, which seemed odd to Max, but it could be related to Uncle Lu's eyesight.

The countdown to the first fight had already begun when they were seated, warning everyone to return to their seats. It wasn't a square boxing ring like Max expected. The arena here on Comor station was a round, sand-floored pit with padded walls three meters high.

"Once upon a time, the walls were stone and were part of the fighting tactic. Now things are more civilized, and there are no weapons or deaths." Uncle Lu explained.

Reading everyone's thoughts, Max learned that boxing was a loose translation of this event to benefit foreign sensibilities. It was more of a gladiator fight, mixed martial arts with no padding, taking place on a sand floor.

With three rounds at five minutes each, the format was familiar, as were the victory conditions of tapping out our judge's decision.

Uncle Lu picked the second row because the ring girls and vendors would circle the pit between rounds and he hated getting bumped or flirted with. The major cause of his annoyance was that he had a high enough position and enough money that his age was irrelevant to many power-hungry youngsters, as he called them in his thoughts.

The first match was between a pair of burly dark-haired men that seemed to be Delta Ranked. Or perhaps they didn't have a System and were incredibly powerfully built.

The organizers had done a splendid job of the arrangements, and only one fight of the eight before the finale had been a lopsided blowout. But, unlike most, their group of three chose not to gamble on the matches, just watching and cheering.

When the two last fighters came out, the first thing Max noticed was the prison tattoos all over them. That explained how they had found two prize fighters with Beta Ranked system compatibility out here on the edge of the Empire. They had bailed them out of jail to fight.

'Who am I to judge? I bailed a bunch of them out to fight to the death on the front lines.' Max thought, wondering what the Captains were up to right now.

If it weren't so crowded, he would have known they were cheering from up in the nosebleed seats above him while Paul and Vincente did their best to try every one of the foods the vendors offered.

An additional cage dropped above the ring for the finale since the three-meter walls were nothing to the two fighters, and one of them could easily be thrown into the crowd without it.

The bell rang, and the two men slammed fists into each other, beginning a brutal brawl with no technique, little finesse, but an incredible amount of entertainment value. They weren't fighting to kill. Instead, they had been paid and freed to put on a show at superhuman speeds.

Much like every other form of mass entertainment, the final fight was staged, but fun. Max could see in their thoughts that the winner wasn't determined, only that it should happen in the third and final round or go to a decision.

Unethical, but not unexpected. It was a great show, and the flying elbow from the top of the cage ended the fight with thirty seconds left in the final round was a masterful touch.

The fight was sure to be on every social media highlight reel for weeks.

The trio waited for the crowd to clear out before getting up to head to Uncle Lu's shuttle so they could make it to the gaming tournament. They still had twenty-four hours, but the scientist wanted to show them around the Capital first.

It was his hometown, and he was pretty proud of the attractions it held. Most people outside the lab found his constant talk about Mecha tedious or dull, but these two listened, so he wanted to do what he could to show them a good time.