The Mech Touch

Chapter 3255: Old Guardian

The generals didn't have much to choose from. Many mech divisions were either too far away or stuck performing other missions. The number of units who were stationed close to the projected route of the human fleet and could be mobilized in their entirety only amounted to a handful.

The Vulcan Empire had embraced peace for a very long time. It was unnecessary to keep every military unit on a war footing. It was not only expensive, but also hard on the soldiers.

If the Ferril Province had more time, then it could have gathered thrice as many mech divisions. As it was, sending out the Molten Hammers, Slug Rangers and Hivar Roarers on short notice was the limit.

Venerable Orthox never doubted that his mech division alongside the other two divisions of the Ferril Provincial Army would claim victory. He and his fellow dwarven soldiers were not only fighting on home ground, but also brought a lot more mechs to the battlefield.

As far as he was concerned, winning this battle was just a formality.

That did not mean he was happy with this decision.

"Do these people even know how many dwarves will be driven to their deaths?!"

Orthox couldn't bear the thought of reliving the dark days of the dwarven rebellion. Back then, the sacrifices were worth it because the dwarven rebels fought for their freedom. They succeeded, so the Vulcan Empire should not have any reason to pick a fight against the humans.

No matter how many advantages the dwarven force possessed, the disparity in numbers was not overwhelming enough to produce a perfect victory. Their human targets would never roll over and accept their deaths in peace. Thousands of dwarven lives would definitely be lost, many of whom he personally knew and befriended.

The thought of losing so many more comrades was intolerable to someone who always tried his best to guard their lives!

His opposition to this lightning operation was clear to see, but too many muddled dwarves did not support his stance that it was a mistake to attack the humans.

It took a personal visit from his old friend and superior for Orthox to drop his opposition.

"The decision has already been made, Venerable Orthox. The dwarven people want to fight for their dwarven god." General Iker Kebrinore spoke.

Both of them were standing in Venerable Orthox's personal meditation chamber aboard the Great Ram. Images of the expert pilot's many fallen friends and battle comrades lined the bulkheads.

The expert pilot did not turn around to face the general. Instead, he kept folding his meaty arms behind his back while continuing to stare at the mementos of his past.

His will, which had long been tamed after many years of peace, had suddenly grown a lot hotter and restless as of late. Even General Kebrinore began to feel more unwelcome in this compartment.

"Is it truly the dwarven people who wish to slaughter our human visitors and spit in the eye of the MTA? Or is it the mad 'Flame Herald' who is attempting to push us into a black hole in order to fulfill his selfish ambitions?"

"Be careful what you say, Orthox!" The dwarven general became slightly alarmed! "I know you have your differences with the Dwarven God Cult, but it has become the mainstream amongst the youngsters. Flame Herald Uven Yellowshoe is even better than his father at converting Vulcanites to his beliefs. It is already a certainty that Vulcan will become known as a dwarven god within the next decade."

Venerable Orthox feared no cult leader. That said, he felt helpless at what was going on as of late. The changes in the Vulcan Empire did not sit well with him but matters of faith was never his strength.

"We fought too hard to free dwarves to see our hard work collapse. The Flame Herald is delusional if he thinks that Vulcan will help us fend off the MTA's wrath!"

"The MTA is distracted, my friend." General Kebrinore replied. "It has been for many decades. We are a mere sideshow to the mechers. The Red Ocean and the first-rate superstates are much greater concerns to them. As long as we don't do anything outrageous, I can guarantee you that the Big Two won't lift a finger."

"You don't know that, general!" Orthox yelled, his braided brown beard shaking with alarm! "I don't trust the Flame Herald to keep his cool and restrain his ambitions. He's the exact sort of person who will drive us into an impossible war against humans! Have you studied the enemy human states around us? I have, and I can tell you that each of them will not hesitate to rob our freedoms and put us back in the mines where they think we belong!"

The general was not as blind to the potential risks and dangers as many of his other dwarves. Many dwarves of the ruling class felt the same way as Venerable Orthox.

It was useless, though.

"Orthox…" Kebrinore sighed as he brushed his long and bushy beard. "Times have changed. The children who grew up in the Vulcan Empire are not content with hearing about the glories of the past. They are restless and ambitious. The Flame Herald is but one of many dwarves of the younger generation who believe they are capable of doing more. Over time, oldsters like us will die or retire from power, making way for brash and foolhardy dwarves who think they are on top of the galaxy."

"What are you saying, general?" The expert pilot glared.

"Think about it. Do you wish for these eager dwarves who have never witnessed the depravity of war to start a conflict with humans by themselves, or do you want to be on hand to guide them and protect them as best you can? I am certain that if we do not join in, the Dwarven God cultists will find a way to start a war without us, and more dwarves will eventually die because experienced soldiers like us aren't there to cover for their lack of experience."

General Kebrinore put Venerable Orthox in a difficult bind. A guardian must never abandon the people he vowed to protect. As a knight mech specialist, the thought of turning away was blasphemy.

The problem was that the role of a guardian was different from a leader. Venerable Orthox was not in charge and never sought to rule over his fellow dwarves. In his opinion, safeguarding their freedom and protecting them from external threats was his main responsibility. The tedious task of politicking and making decisions was best left to other dwarves.

Now, Orthox wished he would have become a bit more active in the political arena. Back in the early days, the dwarves who founded the Vulcan Empire were all sincere in their wish to provide a better life for their kind. They had just survived a brutal war and did not wish to diminish their population any further.

Those like-minded leaders were mostly gone these days. Orthox couldn't have possibly known that the Dwarven God Cult would rise up and earn support for its radical ideas. He also never expected that more and more dwarves were willing to start a war without thinking too much about the consequences!

Since the decision to attack the humans was set in stone, Venerable Orthox did not oppose General Kebrinore's argument. If the dwarves he cared about were so eager to fight, then he needed to be there in order to hold their hand and guard them against any major threats.

This was his duty as a soldier of the Vulcan Empire.

He still had questions, though.

"Why attack now? Why not wait until we are better prepared?"

"The Dwarven God Cult has grown impatient. It doesn't want to wait much longer to surpass the Vulcan Faith." General Kebrinore answered. "There is also a deeper significance to attacking this specific fleet. It is said that the Larkinson Clan is blessed by several human gods."

Venerable Orthox frowned. "You don't believe in that, do you?"

"It doesn't matter what I believe. The Larkinson Clan is associated with both hexism and the Ylvainan Faith. There are even rumors that they worship more gods, from some kind of cat to their patriarch himself."

"There are many foolish humans who believe in gods. What makes these Larkinsons different?"

"They can call upon their gods in battle or manifest their powers through their mechs. It's difficult to explain, but you will see why people think this is the case when you meet them in battle. All I can tell you is that the Larkinsons are the perfect punching bags for the Dwarven God Cult. They believe that Vulcan, the dwarf version that is, is locked in a struggle against human gods. What better way to prove their devotion to our god by beating up the favorite emissaries of obvious human gods such as 'The Superior Mother' and 'The Great Prophet?' The symbolic and religious meaning of defeating the Larkinson Clan is ten times bigger to the Flame Herald than attacking other human targets!"

Venerable Orthox still mulled over this discussion for a long time afterwards. As he sat in his cockpit and witnessed the battle unfolding, he questioned whether the Dwarven God Cult had made the right decision.

Fortunately, his dwarves had the situation well in hand. The Molten Hammers, the Slug Rangers and the Hivar Roarers did not disappoint and gained the upper hand in almost every aspect of the battle.

Even without the intervention of him and his fellow expert pilots, the dwarves were easily capable of tipping the scales in their favor. Though Orthox felt pained whenever he saw a mech pilot lose his life, he did not feel too burdened.

Battle was inherently dangerous and no one was able to protect every comrade. This was a lesson he learned a long time ago. Trying to coddle them would not only tire him out sooner, but also prevent his fellow dwarves from growing up and learning how to fight by themselves.

The only reason for him to step forward was if the enemy brought out its expert mechs. Even then, Orthox wasn't concerned at all, because the intelligence clearly stated that the human fleet was short on expert pilots and expert mechs. By how much, he wasn't sure, but it was impossible for private organizations to whip out so many expert mechs in a short amount of time.

"What a senseless slaughter."

Just as he thought that this battle had no suspense, he suddenly felt an enormous threat in the distance.

His eyes widened as his connection to his mech spotted a peculiar enemy mech formation surging forward.

This seemingly ordinary mech formation was the source of his alarm!

"What the…?"

Before he knew it, the marauder mechs began to glow and project a giant apparition of a robed lady that looked imperiously at the Molten Hammer mechs trying to break through the center!

As the lady began to swing her arm, the alarms ringing in Venerable Orthox's head had spiked!

Dwarven lives were at risk! Lots of them, in fact! How he knew that, he wasn't sure, but as a knight mech specialist and a self-proclaimed guardian of dwarvenkind, he never doubted his own instincts!

"These human mechs must be stopped!"

Venerable Orthox no longer paid attention to his instructions to stand by. Thousands of dwarven lives were at stake at the moment and he needed to be there in order to stave off a catastrophe!

"As long as I stop those mechs, everything will be right again!"

The Gatecrasher he piloted went from a relative standstill to speeding towards the front! Its powerful flight system boosted the expert mech forward with great power as Venerable Orthox did not hesitate to activate a resonating ability!

Soon, a heating comet flew above the dwarven lines as the glowing red Gatecrasher began to build up a huge amount of momentum in surprisingly little time. Venerable Orthox thought that as long as he reached the front and slammed his mech head-long into the lead marauder mech that led the enemy formation, he would be able to disrupt whatever move the enemy had planned!

Unfortunately, while his Gatecrasher was able to charge forward at a blazing fast pace, the giant human female had completed her arm motion.

A massive glowing wave of energy surged from her hand and advanced right into the middle of the Molten Hammer line!

Death had come, and it was ready to reap the lives of those who affronted the Superior Mother!

"NOOOO!" Venerable Orthox desperately roared as his desperation amplified his will! "SPLIT UP AND GET OUT OF THERE! DON'T GET HIT BY THAT ENERGY ATTACK!"