The night before planetfall, Ves and Melkor gathered together in their bunk. Ensign D'Amato also turned in for the night, so they didn't have to worry about any nearby physical presences. Ves turned on his trusty Privacy Shield which doubtlessly blocked all forms of hidden monitoring.
"It's safe to talk now." He said.
Melkor immediately brought up his suspicions. "Have you noticed how this expedition is vastly over-prepared for a mere hunting expedition on an untamed planet?"
"Huh, I never thought about it that way. You're right in that House Kaine has brought way too many mechs, but aren't they making sure they'll be harvesting as much monoexurite as possible?"
"Even with all the losses, they are bringing in so many mechs that the local ecosystem will definitely notice. The scale of this expedition is vastly larger than the previous one."