CH 75

A Rush Job

“It’s done! It’s finally done! I’m so tired.”

The Chief Mechanic whose face was blackened with grease and dust shouted. In front of her lies a big drum-like machine with a thick cable connected to it.

“It’s done! Extra large-sized magazine for blaster rifles! You can easily fire 120 rounds straight without reloading with this thing! WaHaHaHaHa!!”

Perhaps because she has been working on this all night, one can catch a glimpse of madness from the Chief Mechanic’s laughter. Standing right beside her, Kisei starts breaking out in cold sweat as he smiled at her.

“S, sorry for the unreasonable request.”

“It’s okay! All I did was modifying the particle cartridge for a battleship’s turret. It’s no big deal.”

Seeing the fatigue from her expression, Kisei can’t help but apologize for the trouble he put her through.

The Chief Mechanic seems quite proud of her work but the modification was performed with limited supply and under such a tight window of time where battle could start at any moment. It’s easy to imagine how tough it was for her.

“Seriously, thank you for this. This will help my fight go a lot easier.”

Kisei lightly exhales. The reason why he made such an unreasonable request for this extra-large magazine was the appearance of the [Heavenly Roar]…….an opponent who he found himself struggling more than expected against in the previous operation.

Against such an opponent, even the momentary opening he exposes when reloading his weapon can be fatal.

“But did you not shoot down the [Heavenly Roar] in the last operation? Do you think that there will be more enemies like her coming?”

A young mechanic with dark eye bags said as she stared at him. When it comes to the [Heavenly Roar], her reputation as a pilot reaches even countries that are far away from the Nored Empire. Perhaps excited about the fact that she is now standing in front of the person who repelled such a famous pilot, the young mechanic’s body is strangely close to Kisei. Still, seeing the young mechanic gradually creeping closer to Kisei, Saki who was sitting nearby stared her down and stopped her advance.

“That was just them testing the water. That’s why they withdrew when we pushed back. The next time won’t be so easy.”

Kisei replied with a battle junkie grin. In response to Kisei’s subtly excited voice, Saki’s expression turned to a frown.

“Oi Oi, you are saying that more of those 4 Heavenly are coming? The Calencian front is not that important to their country, you know. Why would such a big shot like them be here…..”

“It seems that their commander regarded me quite highly. It wouldn’t be weird if she tries to throw everything she has at me right.”

“Speaking of it now, it seems that you did quite a number on them at Leboir huh…….”

Recalling the hellish battle with wave after wave after wave of enemy reinforcements, Saki’s frown deepened.

“Certainly, it’s very possible that she might resort to that kind of tactic if their commander put you into consideration. So does this means that she called that [Heavenly Roar] over as a countermeasure against you?”

“Being strong also has its downside too doesn’t it. Ahh, scary, scary.”

The Chief Mechanic shrugged. After all, it is normally unthinkable for a mere soldier to be the focus of the enemy’s commander tactic.

“It’s all good right, it just means that they are that desperate. It’s more fun when both sides go all in to compete with each other right.”

Saki’s expression turned bitter at Kisei who said such a thing so happily. She stood up from the oil barrel she was sitting on and let out a deep sigh.

“You are playing with fire again. You won’t live long with that attitude you know.”

“Killing and getting killed really are not my cup of tea though.”

“Then at least make yourself look a little more worried, come on.”

Saki let out another sigh and walked up to Kisei to rough up his hair. She’s so rough that it looks like she’s petting a large dog so Kisei was surprised.

“I wonder if you will behave a little if I take you home.”

Saki suddenly said that as she brought her face closer to Kisei’s. Saki who is now staring at him looks just like a dignified Japanese beauty. Since Saki doesn’t usually do this, it made his heart jump a little.

“……..”

However, it seems that Saki herself also feels the same as her face immediately turns bright red and gets away from him. Perhaps due to nervousness, her face was drenched in sweat.

“J, Just kidding! It’s a joke, a joke! HaHaHaHa! Forget about it!”

When Saki was doing that awkward laugh, a hand was placed on her shoulder. When she turned around, she was greeted by Schleer’s big smile.

“What do you think you are doing when I wasn’t looking I wonder?”

“It doesn’t concern you right.”

Saki’s cold answer made her earlier awkward display seem like a lie. Her complexion had already returned to normal. The change was so sudden that Kisei started to worry from the sudden change in her blood pressure.

“She’s not an enemy so don’t start fighting now……”

“I mean, Her Highness is kind of her enemy in a way though……..”

The Chief Mechanic murmured at Kisei’s attempt to break the fight. Even though the power relationship between them is between a superior and her subordinate, it isn’t that uncommon in Vuld culture for 2 women to start killing each other over a man. In terms of carnage, such conflicts are much bloodier than their Terran’s counterparts. Still, leaving their fighting power aside, both Schleer and Saki are gentlemen……no, both of them are Ladies, that’s why they won’t just start having a fistfight.

That being said, if things are too tense between them it will affect Kisei as well. With that being the case, he put the most natural smile he can muster on his face and intervene.

“So, what are you doing here? Your Highness. Did you need something?”

“Ah, no, it’s not really a big deal but–.”

Seeing Kisei, Schleer’s expression loosened. When Saki saw her like that she simply shrugged while the Chief Mechanic shook her head sideways.

“As you are aware, our next operation will take place on a habitable planet. That’s why I’m here to check if our strikers’ equipment has been changed for ground warfare.”

Strikers are a weapon that can fight anywhere from land, air, to outer space. However, their combat power can be improved if they are equipped with equipment specific to the combat environment. That’s why leaving aside the fleet escort strikers, Schleer has ordered for all strikers to be equipped with the ground warfare option.

“AH!?”

Recalling her order, the Chief Mechanic screamed. The [Caliburn-Revive] which is now docked on the maintenance hangar still doesn’t look any different from usual. It appears that it was still not equipped with ground warfare equipment at all.

“I, I’ll get to it now, Your Highness!”

“Eh, we are only 48 hours away from landing, you know!?”

“I will make it!”

Kisei got a little panicked at the Chief Mechanic’s desperate scream. It was his fault that she forgot to do this. That’s why he can’t afford her to get into any more trouble because of him.

“It’s okay, I should be able to do just fine with this equipment…….”

Perhaps getting some ideas of what’s going on from the look of the three, Schleer operated her tablet device with a troubled expression. After she gets some kind of confirmation, she continues.

“…..It can’t be helped, I will leave the modification to the free personnel. You three should get some rest.”