Chapter 56

　　Gareth Quade piloted his Medium Class Mech Erebus` around the perimeter of the operation zone. The Pirate Mechs were secure in the holds of the three Starships the Baron had brought with him while their ship was still being assessed for threats and information by Kal`s specialists.

　　He hadn`t had much to do during the battle. He had deployed with the reserve forces once they jumped into the system, but by then, Rise` had already subdued everything handily. Gareth wasn`t too upset about the day`s events, he would have fought convincingly, but it was better that he didn`t have to.

　　Flipping on his squad`s communication link, he spoke to the other team members. Like him, they all piloted an Erebus,` a Mech built off the design of the Nyx` and developed in tandem with the smaller mobile suit. Unparalleled in its class while fighting in space, it operated similarly to his Seraph` but with added mobility and speed.

　　"Any of you know what the holdup is? We should be packing it in and Jumping to where these bastards came from." Gareth asked.

　　"No clue. Orders are to hold for now and monitor for any activity." One of his team members responded, her voice bored at the lack of activity. She was letting her Mech drift, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness.

　　Cursing, Gareth changed the comms channel, trying to reach someone with an answer. With no luck, he tried Talha, only to be told she was unavailable. Frustrated, he maneuvered his Mech towards the command Starship, telling the others he would return shortly.

　　His father predicted the Baron would fall for their bait, Jumping into their trap once the coordinates were found. If there was a problem, Gareth needed to know about it.

　　His Erebus` pierced the shield protecting the hold, drifting through the opening before gently landing on the metallic deck, the artificial gravity pulling down on it. Exiting, he looked around for Talha or someone in charge. He noticed the prisoners were still in the hold, kneeling on the cold floor under guard.

　　Gareth avoided looking at them for too long, trying not to catch the eye of anyone, especially Samson, and giving away his cover. He wasn`t sure how much they knew. His father frequently kept his crew in the dark or told them conflicting stories.

　　Dodging their gaze, he went through the storage hold, looking for Talha or someone who could update him on what was happening. Stepping from the main hold to the hallway where the crew quarters were located, he spotted Baron Caledon in discussions with Tamara and the Imperial Herald, Samuel.

　　Gareth had never seen Kal look so grim. His expression was harsh as he listened to Tamara, occasionally nodding at whatever she was saying. Stepping around their group, Gareth decided not to listen in and risk discovery by the Baron for eavesdropping. He may have been connected to Talha but wasn`t privy to Kal`s inner circle.

　　He found Talha just as she was exiting the commander center, the doors automatically sliding shut behind her. The redheaded woman was tapping on a datapad, and her House Guard Uniform was open at the collar, giving her a slightly dishevelled look when combined with her messy hairstyle.

　　Gareth stopped, waiting for her to notice him while listening to her mutter to herself. He couldn`t determine what she was saying, but she seemed frustrated.

　　"Hey, what`s the delay?" Gareth asked, not willing to wait anymore. He needed to know why the Baron wasn`t moving on the information that had been dropped into his lap.

　　"Oh? What are you doing here? Shouldn`t you be on patrol?" Talha stopped, looking up from her datapad at hearing his voice. She looked at him disappointed, instantly assuming he was neglecting his duties.

　　"I am. I just wanted to know why I was out there, looking at a frozen wasteland in the middle of nowhere instead of leading an assault on those criminals. Why aren`t we moving? Was there a problem with the data from the Starship?" Gareth pushed for information, making it seem like he felt his talents were being wasted.

　　Talha shook her head, already moving past him as she responded.

　　"Kal feels that something isn`t right with the data. We`re waiting until the rest of our forces arrive, along with reinforcements from the Imperial Guard." Talha replied, looking down at her Datapad once more as it pinged` with a notification.

　　Behind her, Gareth frowned at the statement, unnoticed by Talha. He clenched his fist in frustration. Their plan would be ruined if all the Baron`s forces combined with the Imperial Guard. Worse, his father`s forces weren`t expected to encounter so many Mechs. It would be a potential disaster.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

　　Their entire plan hinged on the Baron`s forces being unprepared for the overwhelming force Jack had at his disposal. He expected Kal to be overconfident. His army stretched thin as he protected multiple worlds while Jack consolidated everything he had for this trap.

　　"The Guard? Seriously? It`s only a few pirates. We can handle them with what we have now. Don`t you think he`s overreacting?" Gareth pressed. He needed more information when he contacted Jack.

　　"It doesn`t matter what I think, and they`ll be here in a few hours. The Guard will send an entire Heavy Mechs company to join us. We`ll wait until they`re here before jumping." Talha said. She kept walking while Gareth dropped back, her figure disappearing into the crowd as she returned to Kal.

　　I need a communication terminal.` Gareth thought, looking around momentarily before heading to one of the private meeting rooms just off the crew quarters.

　　Imperial Net access required fixed installations to access. Still, if Talha was in communication with the Guard and the Baron`s other forces, she likely had a relay set up through one of the other ships, Jumping to a nearby access point to send messages.

　　Ducking into one of the empty rooms, he closed and locked the door, the electronic lock magnetically sealing it. The room was small, only containing a table and four chairs. On the wall was a holo display, the projection screen showing the House Caledon red stag.

　　Tapping the device, Gareth confirmed that there was a relay setup, allowing him to record and send messages on a delay. Every half an hour, one of the other Starships would Jump to a neighbouring system to transmit before returning. Looking at the timer, there were still a few minutes before the next Jump.

　　Bringing up his private account, he used a simple encryption that his father taught him, making it appear innocuous while hiding the information he had found about the Baron`s intentions. Finishing the message, he added it to the other outgoing messages for the subsequent transmission. Closing the display, Gareth walked out of the room, returning to his Erebus` and exiting the Starship.

　　Hopefully, within the next half an hour, his father would receive his message and arrive before the Baron`s other forces, and more importantly, the Imperial Guard, arrived.

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　　In the darkness of space, a fleet of Starship waited for their mark to arrive. Seven ships, each with a full complement of the best Mechs Aesir Corporation could provide.

　　Over a thousand of the Light Class Norn,` long-range humanoid Mobile Suits with Heavy Lasguns, PPCs, and missile launchers ready to be unleashed as soon as the target Jumped into range. Distinctive with their heavily armoured bodies and minimal thrusters, they sacrificed speed and agility for overwhelming firepower and defence.

　　Several hundred Medium Class Baldur` Mechs supported the army of `Norn.` Sixty feet tall and wide-bodied, they were physically imposing and slow-moving in the weightlessness of space.

　　More extensive and heavier than their Light Class variants, these Mobile Suits had thick shields, becoming a defensive barrier to soak up the enemy fire while protecting the more vulnerable Light Class behind them.

　　Finally, dozens of Heavy Class Fenrir` Mobile Suits were at the vanguard. With their distinctive, wolflike heads, they had an aggressive appearance. Unlike the other Aesir Mechs, the Fenrir` was agile and quick, wielding a mix of long-range and close-quarters weapons. Heavily armoured and shielded, they would be at the forefront of this battle.

　　All of Aesir`s Mechs had been modified for space combat. Suited for ground combat, the Corporations had developed a suite of attachments to allow them to operate in the void at reduced mobility compared to a space-variant like the Nyx` or Erebus.`

　　On the lead Starship, Lucky Jack and Erika Pearson of Aesir Corporations stood in the Command Centre, waiting for Baron Caledon`s and his forces` appearance. The smartly dressed businesswoman glanced at the operation timer on one of the displays, frowning at the delay.

　　It had been over an hour since Kalen Caledon should have intercepted their Starship and retrieved the Coordinates to their location. Why wasn`t he here yet?

　　Next to her, Lucky Jack seemed calm. The extravagantly dressed man was relaxed in his chair, his feet up on the console while his crew worked around him. Observant, he noticed the woman`s discomfort at the delay.

　　"Relax, they`ll be here. A young man like Baron Caledon can`t resist the banquet we`ve set for him. A motley collection of old Mechs and terrible, desperate Pirates. He`ll be here." Jack reassured her, tapping his perfectly manicured finger against the arm of his chair.

　　Still, the minutes crawled by, and no ships appeared.

　　"Sir! We`ve received a communication. It`s marked urgent.`" One of the crewmembers spoke from his console, the notification showing up through their communication link. The old mining outpost still had its infrastructure connected to the Imperial Net, allowing the Pirates access.

　　"Display it." Jack replied, looking up at the front holo screen as it showed a familiar face. Gareth Quade hovered in the air at the front of the room, his expression concerned.

　　"Jack, Baron Caledon is delaying for more of his forces to arrive. He has three Starships waiting at the attached coordinates and another ten on their way in the next few hours. Worse, the Imperial Guard is sending reinforcements." Gareth spoke to the room before the message ended.

　　Jack frowned at the words, and his right eye twitched slightly. He hated when his plans didn`t come together. It was said the Emperor could predict events hundreds of years into the future, and yet, Jack couldn`t even do the same for a young, impulsive Baron.

　　"Prepare our forces. We`ll Jump to Kalen Caledon`s location." Erika ordered, seeing Jack was more focused on his frustrations than acting. Gathering the Mechs into their holds, the seven brand-new, Aesir-manufactured Starships Jumped together.