Chapter 92

　　"Right through here." Warner said, stepping into a small side door of the large concrete structure. Rising over fifty feet into the air, the large bay doors were sealed shut.

　　Lights automatically came on overhead, revealing the interior. It was a typical storage hold, with bare stone floor and walls. The ceiling had large fans twirling slowly to circulate the air inside and keep the temperature and humidity from becoming overwhelming.

　　Three Mechs stood against the walls waiting to be used. Clean and well maintained, they didn`t show their age despite their mismatched colour palette from the different parts used to outfit them.

　　"As I said, these are training models for the Guard, and they don`t typically leave the Fort for long. We loan them out while their regular Mechs are being repaired so they don`t have too much downtime waiting. But they work. I`ll vouch for them myself."

　　Kal and Mare walked deeper into the storage room, carefully looking over the three Mechs.

　　The first was tall and slim, with long limbs and large wings folded behind it. A Seraph capable of flight, they had seen the Mobile Suit in action in the game and knew of its capabilities.

　　"The XMF Seraph.` Its design is based on one of the Heavy Class Variants that the Guard prefers, the Throne.` It`s perfect if we need to fly a Mech out for a rescue mission or a quick scout of an area. Light armour, paper-thin shield, it has the defensive capabilities of a wet paper towel, but it`s agile and quick." Warner joked, walking up to the Mech and patting it on the leg.

　　"It can have a harsh learning curve, depending on what Light Classes you have experience with." Warner made the statement sound like a question as he waited for the pair to offer information.

　　"I`ve used a few, but a Sniper Variant Scout has been my preferred model." Mare said.

　　"A Blade and a base model Scout. I enjoyed the Scout`s flexibility." Kal finished, looking at the Seraph.

　　"Milady, the Seraph may work for you as a sniper, but I always found that its light frame couldn`t handle the recoil as much as I prefer. And for you, Milord, the Seraph doesn`t work as a vanguard like a Blade can. You might like one of the others more." Warner said, waving them to follow as they walked past the Seraph.

　　"Medium Class is different than Light in more ways than just having a larger frame and better Reactor. Light class Mechs use all their energy and Neural Burden to run and gun, but they are mostly all the same. The more power it produces means that they are typically pigeonholed into a particular role.

　　"Medium Class generally pushes that excess reactor power into a single aspect, like flying for the Seraph, or defensively like the Baldur." Warner said, moving to the following Mobile Suit.

　　Kal was familiar with this one. The shorter and stockier Mech looked like a heavily armoured Knight, its head having a similar look to the ancient Norse Viking helms with two wings on the side. Staring at it, he couldn`t help but recall the battle against the Aesir-sponsored Corsairs.

　　"The Baldur is a tried and true defender, thick amour and shields, can take a hit and keep going. I`ve seen one get struck dead center by a PPC and shake it off with nothing more than a scorch mark as a souvenir. The Aesir Variant is based on an older, obsolete design of the Guard`s Protector,` but it was retired after the Rebellion.

　　"This Variant has stronger shields and lighter armour, so it has a bit more maneuverability, but it still makes a good vanguard." Warner explained.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

　　Unlike the Seraph, which was brightly painted in white and blue for the Imperial Guard, this variant was a dull grey and black. Both Mechs had obvious replacement limbs, and the paint colour was slightly off.

　　"I`ve seen it in action. I`ll take this one." Kal said, his eyes distant momentarily before returning to the present.

　　"Excellent, Milord. I think this next one would be better suited to a Sniper." The final Mech stood across the room from the others.

　　Tall, powerful and ominous with its bright crimson paint offset by black stripes through the torso, it was the only Mech that was equipped with weapons. It held two long-barrelled PPCs in its hands, pointing down at the ground.

　　"The DSPT Oppressor.` Stereotypical Glass Cannon.` This monster is designed as a Medium Class version of the Tyrant.` There are no shields, outfitted with light armour, but an unparalleled suite of sensors and two PPCs hardwired into the reactor. Quick recharge on the PPC and they can even be combined into a more powerful shot at the cost of depleting the Reactor." Warner said with pride.

　　"I personally Pilot the Tyrant,` there`s nothing better than burning through a half dozen Mechs before they even know you`re there. The Heavy has flight and shields, but this one is nothing to scoff at." Warner explained.

　　"I`ll take it." Mare said, nodding her head at the predatory Mobile Suit.

　　"Great, then we`ll have to do the Neural Suitability and Burden test, but if you`re comfortable in a Light Class, you should both pass. Once you`re cleared, all have them prepped and ready on the surface for you while you grab something to eat and change into your suits." Warner offered.

　　Kal grabbed onto the retractable ladder that hung down from the Baldur, placing his foot in the stirrup as it lifted him to the open cockpit. Similar to the Light Class Variants he had Piloted before, the interior was padded gel with a seat in the center. Resting against the comfortable chair, he brought up the Mobile Suits holo display.

　　"Initiate Neural Link." Kal ordered. The Mobile Suit began to hum as the Reactor activated, the link pushing against the edge of his awareness.

　　"Neural Suitability Testing in progress. Standby." The mechanical voice advised, and Kal busied himself by browsing the information onboard about the Mech.

　　He despised the logo of Aesir Corporation as it hovered in the air above the cockpit console. According to Amelia, the people involved in financing the Corsairs were all imprisoned. Aside from a large fine, they didn`t suffer any real losses.

　　Still, the corporation itself maintained deniability, claiming it was the actions of a rogue group in their organization.

　　Kal had been wondering about the leader of the Corsairs, Jack, since he had left the hospital, but no information was available. The man had made wild accusations, claiming to be related to the Emperor, was it possible he was and had been dealt with privately? If he was tried and imprisoned, there was no public record available.

　　Pushing the thought out of his mind, he only had to wait a moment for the test results to come through.

　　"Test complete, Neural Suitability adequate. Beginning Burden test."

　　The pressure on Kal`s head grew stronger, ratcheting up every second, but it was still nothing compared to the Atlas.

　　"Test Complete, Neural Burden within regulation safety standard."

　　Unfortunately, the mindless test couldn`t tell him how much lag or burden he would experience, only if it would be detrimental to his health. Closing the terminal, he exited the Mobile Suit just as Mare descended from hers.

　　"How was it?" He asked.

　　"Great! The Oppressor` has more systems than I expected. The sensors are like looking out of a third eye in the back of your head. It will take some getting used to." Mare replied enthusiastically.

　　"Alright, I`ll have both of them readied. Can you find your way back to your quarters?" Warner asked, keen to speak to the technicians and have both Mobile Suits perform their best for the Princess. There would be no way he would allow any defects in the Machines to hinder their training.

　　Kal and Mare followed the path back to their rooms. Along the way, Kal asked a question that had been bothering him.

　　"I`ve been curious. What did your parents think of you coming to Mars with me to train? Are they supportive of your decision to become a Pilot?" Kal asked.

　　Although his parents neglected him his entire life, he knew that most normal families would be concerned if their daughter travelled to Mars with a young man she hardly knew to train in dangerous Mechs.

　　"They don`t know. I`ve avoided speaking to them after they tried to assign me an escort for the Ball without my input." Mare replied, brushing aside her hair and replacing her sunglasses as they entered the bright Martian sunlight.

　　Kal sighed, knowing that trouble would eventually find them from that statement.

　　"Grandmother knows. She was concerned but understood what we needed to accomplish here. She trusts me. It helps that we`re on a planet filled with the most loyal members of the Imperial Guard in the Galaxy. So, you should be on your best behaviour." Mare joked, flashing him a beautiful smile.