Chapter 431 431 Can't Trade That Either
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"What else did you develop? It can't be all weapons, right?" Max asked.
"Of course not. We didn't start with the very coolest thing since you wanted to see the armor first.
Meet the holowatch version one. It does all of the things you would expect of a standard smartwatch, with a holographic projector for video communication and data gathering. Plus, we have managed to adapt a very basic version of the flat space technology into the device. It has a one cubic meter storage space for rations, spare energy cells, and explosives." Nico introduced Max to the least assuming-looking device set out on the tables.
Max picked it up with the surprisingly agile fingers of the suit's gloves, which felt like he was using his own fingers, though a bit desensitized, and strapped the oversized device to his wrist over the armor.
The device linked to his helmet controls, so he could control it by voice if he didn't want to or couldn't touch the screen. That was much more convenient while inside an armor suit, and Max wondered how to interact with the Flat Space Technology that the Hunters had introduced them to.
"Just say Flat Space Open," Nico informed him.
The command opened a shimmering space over his arm, which Max found he could reach into, though there was nothing in it at the moment.
"Here, we designed the entire Infantry Pack to fit in the space's dimensions." A technician informed him, throwing Max a rack with various drawers and pieces of equipment slotted onto it.
It wasn't a bag. They were all accessible from the outside so that he could grab anything out of the flat space in an instant. Max put the crate away and then grabbed a pair of Ion Pistols out of the space before ordering it to close.
"At the moment, only the one wearing it can open and close it, but anyone can grab the items in it if it is open. We haven't managed to replicate that security feature yet, so there are some drawbacks to the first edition, but I think it will be more than sufficient to impress our soldiers." The Technician informed Max with a sigh.
"I can't see why anyone would be depressed about this. The device is an incredible improvement. I can see that there is at least a week's worth of rations and what appears to be a water dispenser, as well as all the usual kit." Max replied.
"It holds ten liters, but it has a dehumidifier function, so you can pull fresh water from atmospheric humidity on extended missions if the device is left deployed. It removes from the crate with a press of two buttons." The technician agreed.
That wasn't a bad start, and it weighed nothing at all. The perfect accessory for daily wear.
"Is there a version for casual use?" Max asked since this one was oversized for use over the armor.
"Of course. We made five versions, including that one. There are two utilitarian versions for daily use, and two fashionable versions for formal occasions. The cost might be a bit prohibitive at the moment on the general market, given the materials needed, but we can equip the entire Regiment with them if you want."
"I also made a modified version for Technicians. It is a full forearm plate with nine storage spaces included to store all your spare materials for repairs and resupply." Nico informed the group, who all looked ecstatic at the news.
The device was huge and bulky, but it could be worn with the Tech Adept Harness to give them a supply of repair materials at all times. They could even carry reconnaissance drones and other small luxuries with them.
"The total volume won't change, but the shape of the space can be altered, so it is possible to keep your rucksack and hoverboard in the storage space of your casual device." Nico pointed out, showing the versatility of the technology for civilian use.
"This technology might be a bit much to be sent out right away. But based on materials and energy requirements to produce it, what sort of market price are we looking at to sell them when the time comes?" Max asked.
"For the casual ones, without all the secure military communications features, and with only the basic holographic projection? Roughly fifty thousand credits." Nico shrugged.
That was expensive, but not prohibitively so. It could very well be mass marketed as a luxury necessity for the wealthy.
"Do we have a scanner that can detect what is hidden in the space? These could be a serious security risk." Max realized.
"Not yet. We can detect the presence of the space but not the contents at the moment. The Hunters didn't give us any clues on how to detect the space, so we have had to muddle through that on our own. Even now, if it is a foreign design, like theirs, our scanners won't find it at all. Only the rudimentary version that we have made is flawed enough to be detected with the sensors we have." The technician team explained.
"Well, we can work on that later. Is there anything else in this pile that is going to shock me into speechlessness, or just the watches?"
The technicians chuckled at the thought that they might have come up with even more than just a new armor suit and the watches in the few weeks that they had been working. It was nearly a miracle that they had even managed to get a beta version of the watches ready under an hour ago for him to inspect. They had only made the breakthrough that allowed them to stabilize the space last night.
"No, Commander. I think that will be enough for one day. We did consider swapping the Pilot Suits for the new armor since it can increase mobility and dexterity. It would make even our D Rank Line Mecha Pilots perform more like elites. That was the project's original purpose before we realized that it could be weaponized to let monsters like yourself take out light Mecha in hand-to-hand combat." The lead Technician explained, embarrassment clear on his weathered face.Chapter 432 432 The First Trade Deal
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"Why don't you go forward with the plan to replace the Pilot suits, then? Using old-issue Kepler suits or random bits of gear, as the Reavers do, is working fine for everyone, but I think this will be a much-appreciated addition to our kit.
Especially the watches.
Once we have the whole Regiment upgraded and we have a few rounds of combat tests completed, we can consider spreading them to a larger audience. We certainly can't do it until we are absolutely certain that there are no bugs, though. Even a minor flaw or glitch in the design would be a huge hit to our reputation." Max informed the design team.
With cheers and a round of high fives for a side project going mainstream, they got back to work while Max went to change out of the armor.
"Leave it on, but remove the helmet and gloves. That's how most Pilots spend their days, so it's a proper test." Nico suggested.
Even with the helmet removed, the suit remained active and could still be adjusted and manipulated with a small touchpad on the upper right arm. Most of the pilots and soldiers were right-handed, so the touchpad would be a bit awkward to use for them, but it would also not require them to put down their rifles to adjust the suit.
Max could see that he could also place his hand on the touchpad and voice control it when the helmet was off as well, so that was an option for times when you didn't want to take your eyes off the target but needed to adjust or remove a piece of your armor.
It might be a very rare occurrence, but if you got hit with an incendiary round, it could save your life if you got out of the suit fast enough.
"That's fine. I am sure everyone will be excited to get a sneak preview of the new suits anyhow." Max agreed.
The next task on his daily list was to patrol the ship and talk to whoever he came across, making sure that there were no issues being ignored and giving the Regiment a chance to make suggestions.
Most of them in the Kepler Empire would be about the food, but with the Replicators, that wasn't an issue aboard Terminus. Even if they didn't like the food in their Battalion's cafe, they could go to the Cruise Ship area for something different.
The ship felt pretty empty right now, with only a few visitors. It was pretty much empty, to begin with, as the Innu teams weren't large, nor was the Illithid contingent, but they were loud and excited enough that the cruise ship area at least felt occupied.
Hopefully, they would get more visitors soon, but that would rely on them sitting in one spot for a while so that the targeting scanners in the Alliance could lock onto them.
There wasn't much to report, the ship was in pristine condition, with excellent amenities, but he did hear from multiple people that the ship felt empty with their major entertainment venue not hosting any tourists, only the small team of nomads they had hired as engineers.
They were no fun at all, according to the Pilots. They were only interested in technology and rarely left the workshops and labs, even when they weren't on duty.
They were the last stop on his route, which would bring him back to the research bays where he was doing the testing earlier, so Max took some extra time to visit.
"Welcome back to the stream Tech Nomads and Nomadettes. We are coming live to you from the Human Cruise Ship Terminus again, and we have a wonderful new invention to show you." One of the Innu was speaking into a camera as Max entered.
"We have readied generation four of the Replicators. We call this the Colony Ship Generation of the design, as Terminus was originally a Colony Ship sent by the ancient Giants and abandoned here in this Galaxy when it broke down.
Now, I am transmitting the technical specs in a digital substream. Don't worry. Terminus has filed all the appropriate patents for a low royalty, free application patent, so you are free to build them yourselves if you like. The Royalty fee for this one is quite a bit more than usual, and we apologize, but it is set at the Alliance standard rate for replicator technology at fifty credits per unit produced.
I am certain that it will be worth it to all of you creative inventors, though. This design isn't based off of anything that has come before, and not even the Alliance's domestic units are this capable.
I know, big words, so here goes. Input mass is the standard biomass slurry, as you can see on the feed sensors, and output is . . . That's right, living seedlings!
How is that for development? Using human technology combined with Innu ingenuity, we have made a mass-producible live plant seeding unit for your own home. Do you want rare houseplants? You've got them. The freshest of produce, with that homegrown flavor you can't get from a generic replicator product? Just plant them in advance and let them finish in your garden.
For those of you on low-density planets, you can make the perfect garden with only the biomass from your food waste."
The Innu stopped when she noticed Max standing by the door and waved him over.
"Welcome Commander Keres, the leader of the Terminus Trading Company, who owns the patent for this amazing product. As you can see, he is wearing the hostile environment version of the newly developed explorer's suits, available for your own production in our recent uploads, with a very reasonable royalty fee.
Commander, this is the first time you have seen the Colony Ship Generation replicators. What do you think?"
Max chuckled at her enthusiasm and gave her a very serious-looking warning look. "I think you will be fending off marriage proposals from the hydroponics bay team when they find out."
That made the rest of the Tech Nomads burst into laughter, and they led Max off-camera while the broadcaster finished her explanation of the new design.
"I am glad you like it. Since we're employed by Terminus Trading Company, these design patents belong to the company, but the stream has been doing unexpectedly well, which makes up for the revenue splitting. What we wanted to talk to you about was the chances of a performance bonus to get some extra allocations of resources so we can speed up the renovation of our ship.
We have seen your new warp drive designs, and they make ours look like relics, not to mention that they have almost a million hours on them already." The leader of the Tech Nomads suggested.
The crystals to rebuild a warp drive were a restricted item in the Alliance due to their propensity to explode if misaligned, so they were prohibitively expensive for vagrant inventors like the Tech Nomads, which led to things like millions of hours of travel without a rebuild.
"Are you planning to leave us so soon, or are you doing a renovation video series?" Max asked.
"Renovation Series! They get so many views from our fellow Nomads." The Innu replied in unison.
"Besides, our contract says that on top of materials at cost, we get ten percent of the revenue from patents we assist with while employed here, paid quarterly, and the Colony Ship Replicators have gotten five million paid downloads already, despite the high cost. It might cost half a billion to rebuild a warp drive at a shop, but I think we can do it much cheaper using Human methods and some tweaking." The leader whispered to Max to keep sensitive ears on the stream from possibly picking up even a trace of her voice through the door to the lab.
Chapter 433 433 Arrival
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After Max finished his talk with the Innu Nomads, he returned to his office to get ready for the meetings. This time he wouldn't switch into the flamboyant Reaver Garb or the usual Mobile Suit. Instead, he would remain in the new augmentic bodysuit, which appeared slightly less armored, but was, in fact, much more powerful and durable than the old armors were.
[Commander, we have a message from Klux. They welcome us to their star system and repeat their request for us to dock at the end of the station, stating it is the only location large enough for a vessel our size.] Admiral Drake informed him.
[Excellent timing. Alert the security team that is on duty to meet Nico and me in the cargo bay.] Max informed him and turned to leave his office.
The suit really did look a bit plain, Max thought, so he had the ensuite materials printer make him an oversized coat, a full-length trenchcoat in black leather with gold spikes and buttons, then slipped it over the armor.
That was much better. Very post-apocalyptic warlord when combined with the new pattern of body armor.
Being a Reaver Commander, he had appearances to maintain, so he placed the helmet in the flat space storage of his new watch, then had the replicator make a flask of Rum and a bowl of assorted candies, placing them in the space along with his helmet.
It was strange how things stayed exactly where he placed them, not settling to the bottom or being affected by his own movement, but it was certainly convenient. This way, he could keep the full armor suit with him at all times in case he happened to need it in a hurry.
That gave him another great idea. If they could make dog tags with the flat space technology, every soldier could have backup storage for gear that they never needed to take off. Most Pilots, himself included, hadn't taken them off since they entered the academy. There simply wasn't any reason to.
When Max arrived at the bay, Nico was waiting, and the security team was on their way. They had five minutes until they docked at the Klux station, so he took the time to explain his idea about convenient storage inside dog tags to Nico, who was overseeing new product development.
"I don't see why not. They would need to be half a centimeter thick since that's the best that we can do for miniaturization for now, but that isn't too excessive, and many of the Pilots already put a rubber trim ring on them for decoration." Nico replied after a moment's thought.
That was still fairly heavy and large for a tag, but hanging from a chain around your neck, under your uniform, seemed like the best place to keep a storage device, in Max's opinion.
Terminus shuddered slightly as it came to a stop, the effect only noticeable because they were at the outer edge of the ship next to the bay door, which transmitted the vibration and noise directly to them.
[Docking successful. Atmosphere balanced. Station checks clean of communicable diseases. Preparing to open bay doors.] Admiral Drake reported.
The barrier over the door didn't lower when the doors opened, meaning that there would be no atmospheric mixing between the station and the ship, but the safety precautions were standard procedure, and a rapid change in pressure could cause significant damage to the human body.
"Commander Keres, Lady Tarith. My name is Joseph. First Among Equals here in Klux. It is a pleasure to receive you in our small system." The burly man on the station side of the barrier greeted them.
"The pleasure is all ours, Lord Joseph. Please do enter. The barrier will not stop you." Nico greeted him politely.
The man seemed a bit shocked as he passed through the barrier, leaving behind a wisp of dust and dirt off his clothing as the barrier skimmed the contaminants off him the same as it would any vessel or other object that entered Terminus.
His military uniform was rather plain but with the markings of a General, and the entourage behind him wore nearly identical uniforms but with less impressive hats.
"I am surprised that the Reavers thought of us for a Trade Alliance. As we all know, the Klux system doesn't export much of extreme value. We have been cut off from ship manufacturing for many years, so our access to repair parts for the asteroid mining facilities is limited, and our primary industry is farming." Lord Joseph said once his team was on board and then settled into one of the two luxurious recliners prepared for his team.
It appeared that he didn't bring a second in command at all and simply came himself, as the planetary Governor, to do the negotiations.
"That is part of what makes you perfect for an early entry into the Alliance. You lack the technology that we have, as well as access to open trade that would help your people increase productivity beyond subsistence.
Klux is admittedly not a military power, but you are also not an aggressive force, and the cornerstone of our deal is a non-aggression and mutual defense agreement. The more humans that we can ally with, the more peaceful we can make our portion of space, with the goal to stop interstellar wars between humans." Nico explained.
"So, you want to create one nation?" Lord Joseph asked dubiously.
"Not at all. That never works. We want to make one large trade alliance with thousands of member nations who don't fight each other. The Reavers have no intention of governing anyone. We just want everyone working together, so we can trade in peace and deal with outside threats in a unified manner." Nico informed him.
"So, it's not part of what the Cygnus Empire is up to now that the Kepler Empire has fallen?" He asked.
"They intend to join the alliance once they have settled the situation with their neighbors. Obviously, they aren't qualified quite yet, given the current violence, but they have agreed in principle to join once their more violent neighbors are brought under control."
That made sense to the leader, but he still had a lot more questions. Joining an alliance led by the species' most notorious rogue merchants wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision that he would make on behalf of his planet.
"Why don't we start by showing you the basic technologies that we intend to trade to every member of the alliance in order to improve their living conditions?" Nico suggested.
Every eye in the Klux team lit up at that suggestion. Being shown the highest level of technology during the very first hour of their meetings was a good sign that the Reavers really meant what they said and that they would not be withdrawing their offer due to the nation's low status or outside pressure.
"That would be a welcome diversion. I have heard that the Reavers are trading a materials printer technology to their proposed members. Do you have a sample here with you?" Lord Joseph asked.
"More than a sample. We have units here to trade, and we may be able to offer you one as a signing bonus should you agree to the terms of the Trade Alliance."
Chapter 434 434 Shocking The Klux
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Max gestured to the security team, and they brought out one of the new pattern materials printers, then opened the bay doors to the next bay, where a large cargo shuttle in the same organic styling as Terminus and the Cutters was waiting.
"The Materials Printer is something that we are offering to every nation in the alliance as the basis for their own advancement. With enough of them, there will no longer be a need to do all of your construction manually. You will be able to create advanced materials and components with the printer and then simply have your people assemble them.
However, the cargo shuttle was made here aboard Terminus, especially for the people of Klux. It has a decent cargo capacity, but more importantly, it has an extremely strong gravity beam. It can easily drag asteroids too large for the Station to process back to you for deconstruction.
You lack ship-building technology, but the Reavers do not. So, we will offer this cargo shuttle to you as a sign of goodwill. It doesn't have a warp drive, but for work inside your system, there is no better technology available to humanity." Nico informed the Klux delegation proudly.
"Seriously? You will just give us one of your shuttles?" Lord Joseph asked in amazement.
"Not one of ours. That one. Terminus is a Colony Ship adapted for the specific use of the Terminus Trading Company, which includes limited manufacturing facilities. It was designed and built right here on our vessel, specifically for you." Nico informed the planetary leader.
The entire Klux delegation simply stared at her and Max in shock, unable to believe that the Reavers were so far ahead of them in technology that they could simply build a space vessel on the bleeding edge of technology aboard some random trade vessel, even if it were a former Colony Ship.
"May we examine it?" One of the women in the delegation asked, taking out a simple scanning device.
"Of course. Would you like to pause the negotiations for a tour and explanation? This seems like the perfect time for it." Nico suggested.
"That would be greatly appreciated. By the way, what is that sitting beside the Materials Printer? I don't believe that we got to its description." Lord Joseph asked.
"Ah, the finest of our offerings for our new allies. The Replicator. It has the ability to turn generic biomass, like bulk crops or even food scraps, into a variety of complete meals.
It has become a staple of the kitchens aboard Terminus, as we can have it make anything on an entire menu in an instant out of hydroponically grown algae sludge. It is the fastest growing biomatter supply that we could find, but you can use anything your planet specializes in."
That stopped the delegates who were moving toward the shuttle in their tracks. Such a device was beyond belief. The conditions on Klux were harsh, and even with extensive engineering of their crops, and the devotion of the majority of their revenue to farm technology, they still struggled to grow a surplus.
But algae could be grown abundantly in any body of water, and it didn't need to be edible or appetizing if this device could make it into other food products.
"Why don't we check the ship first, and then we will make lunch with the Replicator, and everyone can sample its output potential?" Max suggested, speaking for the first time in this meeting.
"Yes, of course, Commander Keres. I look forward to trying the sort of ration pack that would appeal to a man of your stature." Lord Joseph agreed.
His sycophantic tone annoyed Max, but that was unavoidable. Reaver Commanders who controlled a Colony Ship were equally ranked with Planetary Governors on the social hierarchy, and some could generate revenue larger than a small planet's GDP by trading precious materials. More importantly, they also controlled a Mecha force that could challenge systems like Klux without even calling for reinforcements.
It was just a fact of life that weak nations would be walked over in negotiations, and Lord Joseph knew that very well. That was part of why the Reavers didn't have their Commanders lead such meetings, even though they were present. A representative could be bargained with. The man with the biggest guns was much harder to deal with.
Nico led the team to the Shuttle, explaining the features as they walked, which impressed the scientists among the Klux team.
"Tell me, Lady Tarith. Are you also interested in the fields of advanced technology?" One of the representatives asked as Nico started getting into deeper details.
"Very much so. In fact, this particular ship is my own design. Klux produces mostly food crops, so the cargo hold was designed for bulk crops to be easily loaded and unloaded, including a rotational gravity control, which can pour out the entire contents of the bay without any human intervention. But the system lacks raw materials for manufacturing, as the planet itself is very low in metals, so I upgraded the gravity beam to bring asteroids to your station." Nico told him.
The man was nearly in tears of joy at her thoughtfulness, and even Lord Joseph was staring open-mouthed at the little cyborg.
"You really did go all out to prepare for the meeting. It almost feels like we are negotiating on equal footing for the first time in my career." The Lord chuckled.
"That's how it is when you are dealing with Reavers. Every customer is important, and with the new alliance, soon many small systems will be on equal footing and share the same trade terms, so you won't have to worry about merchant vessels gouging you simply because they can."
The trade minister, who had a beam scale pin on his uniform hat, looked startled. "How do you propose that the Reavers will take over the trade routes?"
"That's going to be the easy part. We have developed a new generation of trade ships. They are much smaller than Terminus here, but they are on par with the Cutters that we carry, able to move a hundred thousand tonnes of bulk goods at Warp 10. As Warp factors are exponential, they can make the trip across the human-controlled territory in a matter of days instead of months.
Who else could compete with that level of speed for long-distance trade? No more will you have to wait months to receive products you have ordered from farther-flung destinations, and with the time saved, the cargo rates will lower somewhat for long voyages, as you are only tying up the vessel for a few days, not for months."
Nobody seemed to have a response to that. The thought that the Reavers would be able to move cargo at Warp 10 was so far beyond reason and logic that the Klux delegation couldn't process the news at all.
"Why don't we put the tour off for a bit and have lunch? It seems that this is a lot to take in, and it will be easier to digest the news over a nice meal. We will bring in the wait staff now, and you can watch as they make your orders with the Replicator. The menus are already on the table." Nico suggested, leading Lord Joseph to a table in the back of the cargo hold, which had been prepared for the purpose.
"Yes. That would be good. Do you perhaps have any Rum? I think I need a drink."
Chapter 435 435 This Is Artificial?
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Lord Joseph's question made all of the staff from Terminus laugh. This is a Reaver ship. How could we not have Rum? Putting aside the fact that we have replicators, just think of where you are.
"Of course we do," Max told him, taking the flask he had created out of the flat space and taking a sip before passing it over.
The tradition was one of trust, showing your guest that the bottle wasn't poisoned, but from the look on the planetary leader's face, it wasn't necessary. He simply needed the drink as soon as possible in hopes that it would help his brain recover from the shock that he had received.
Joseph finished the flask of Rum in one long swallow, then accepted the staff's lead to his seat at the round table they had prepared for lunch.
"That is a fine Rum. Where did you get it?" He asked curiously, staring at the empty flask, which was made out of some sort of plastic he didn't recognize.
"It is from the Replicator, as is the flask. That is why it is plastic and not metal. The replicators only make organic matter, so plant-based polymers are the basis for all dishes and containers it creates.
You can place your own in the machine and let it create food on top of them if you like. That is what our kitchens do because it saves on waste and energy usage.
You can keep that flask if you like. The replicator can make more with only a few seconds' wait." Max explained.
"So, everything that you are serving at this meal is artificial?" One of the staffers from Klux asked.
"Recombined, yes. Everything here was made on board Terminus, from the meal to the dishes and even the table that we are sitting at, which was created with the Materials Printer." Nico informed him.
That startled the delegation, but a second later, the dishes started coming out. Nico had picked what she called a surf and turf dinner. Steak and Lobster with an assortment of sides on a huge platter were placed in front of every dignitary seated at the table, filling the air with a delectable aroma that was making the Klux officers' mouths water.
Everything was in limited quantities on the planet, and there weren't many species of domestic animals that could survive the planet's conditions, so while they regularly ate fish, the steak was a rare delicacy.
"Eat up, please. This is all from the replicator, so with moderate energy usage, you can make meals like this out of any sort of base biomatter that you can provide. I think that it will be a big hit on the planet, even if your first order is only enough for a few locations." Nico suggested.
"Does it also make plain sorts of dishes? The tastes of most citizens of Klux tend toward the very basic, thanks to thousands of years of cultural development." One of the officers asked.
"We could have made it a simple meatloaf and mashed potatoes with steamed vegetables if that is your preference. We even have a variation that uses oatmeal as a filler in the meatloaf because it reminded one of our technicians of the way his mother made it at home." Nico told him with a chuckle.
That made all of the Klux officers smile. They did the same thing because the meat was expensive, and their government officials had an image to maintain. Luxurious meals, while the general population was on simple rations during lean years, wouldn't go over well with their egalitarian ideology.
Max nodded to the staff, who made the three simple dishes they had planned to suggest for just this reason. Meatloaf, shepherd's pie, and a plate of samosas. The last one was a bit spicy but still simple enough to make and vegetarian, which the locals would more likely be used to.
The Corporal working as a waiter, placed them in the middle of the table, and Nico pointed with her fork. "Feel free to sample them. We can adjust the recipes if they aren't to your tastes."
All of the units sold would have protective software in them that would prevent tampering and alterations so that Alliance members didn't start pumping out inferior knockoffs and damaging the reputation of the Reavers who had distributed the Replicators.
That did mean that they weren't easily user serviceable, but the Reavers would be happy to honor the warranty and replace them should one of them malfunction. It didn't take them much to make them anyhow.
Each of the dignitaries sampled the three new dishes on the table, looking pleased with the offering, and giving envious looks toward the Replicator.
"Can it do bulk orders? The tradition here is communal meals, so stew in ten-gallon pots would be more convenient than these lovely individual dishes." The Minister of Agriculture asked while he eyed the Samosas with greed.
"Yes, ten gallons at a time isn't an issue. You can even use your existing pots. The replicator even has the advantage of creating the meal at temperature, so nothing will get cooked to the bottom of the pot, or you can use it to create raw ingredients for your staff to cook in the traditional manner if that is your preference."
The Minister nodded. "That will definitely help with acceptance. We can feed the machine ground grasses and algae, as you do, and have it produce whatever we are short on until we have generated the funds to make them more mainstream. Then we can slowly switch to using them for everything.
But with the new shuttle and the Materials Printer, it shouldn't take us long to turn things around. No more than a year or two if we can get trade vessels here."
"I am glad you see things our way. You will find that the Materials Printer is very versatile, and as you can see, this one is industrial scale, capable of replacing an entire assembly line.
We can offer you this one as a bonus, as well as the first Replicator, and then we can sell you even more before we leave if you want to fully outfit the space station."
That caught their attention.
"So, we could have an industrial station, on par with the first-tier nations, starting today? We could start selling the dishware that our planet was famous for on a large scale again. When we still got regular trading ships, it was the major export of the planet, and the hand-painted porcelain went for very good prices." Lord Joseph announced.
Max looked up the dishware that they were talking about and found that it came in two varieties, one was a delicate porcelain with hand-painted designs on it, and the other was a meteoritic alloy version with an enameled surface, which was well-known among the commoners of other planets as being virtually indestructible.
Max waited while the Ministers all shared appreciative nods about the proposal. It only took them a few minutes to come to a consensus before Lord Joseph turned to Nico with a smile on his face.
"Let's see that Trade Agreement. Klux would like to become a signatory to your Alliance, even if it means we need to send men to war to keep the peace."
Chapter 436 436 Signed And Sealed
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The Klux delegation had already been given time to go over the agreement before Terminus arrived. They weren't asking for any modifications, so this signing process was more of a formality than a negotiation. They weren't in a position of power to be demanding more and were honestly flattered that the Reavers would even consider letting them join such a Trade Alliance.
The official document was placed on the table after the meticulously cleaned plates were gone. Lord Joseph didn't waste any time verifying that it was the same as the digital copy he had received, then signing.
The document was then scanned and uploaded, letting all the Reavers know that Klux was now a member of the Trade Alliance, along with an attached note that they would soon have high-end and highly durable common-grade dishes for trade, as they had in the past.
That got positive attention from both Cygnus and the Kepler Free Territory, both of whom had a lot of rebuilding to do inside their territories after the recent battles. Such common things as dishware might not seem like much, but when you were struggling for resources to rebuild critical infrastructure, being able to bring your citizens the necessities from a foreign location was a great benefit.
"Let's go over and show you the details of the Materials Printer. This one has been modified for the particular way that Klux prefers to do their manufacturing, with each process overseen by a separate human instead of having everything automated.
Of course, that is still an option, but the twenty-station quality control design is unique to the units we have made for your planet." Nico explained.
Lord Joseph admired the machine from every possible angle, then looked at the small pile of meteoritic ore sitting nearby for the purposes of demonstrations.
"May I? I have the design plans for the hardened dishes, assuming that this unit is compatible with the Mark 2 Constructors Files?" He asked.
That machine was obsolete by nearly three thousand years, and wasn't even a Materials Printer. It was an automated forge. But the files were so simple that the Materials Printer could analyze and transform them in a matter of seconds.
"Please input them into the main console, and the machine will convert them into modern formats for Materials Printers," Nico said with a grand gesture while Max signaled for Ore to be moved to the feed input side of the Materials Printer.
As expected, the process was quick and simple, and the printer extrapolated the desired material from the raw ore that was provided. Unlike the old version, which was painted with hard enamel, the Materials Printer would simply color and coat the outer layer of these ones, leaving a surface no softer than steel.
It could make a separate enamel coating to be applied on top, but it was simpler to save the step and form it at the same time.
Fifteen seconds after the data was input, the machine began to glow with energy, and the safety railings blocked the area where the work would take place. A minute after that, thousands of sets of dishes sat neatly on the floor, waiting to be boxed for shipment.
"It seems that we forgot to input data to put them in boxes. But that's a small oversight. Check them out and let us know if you find any quality issues with our products." Nico shrugged, seeing the dishes sitting on the floor.
"A small issue is no issue at all. If they were boxed, we would have to take them out to quality-check them before shipment. This way, we can box them on our own and ship them out. Is this the limit, or just the amount of material that you had on hand?" Lord Joseph asked.
"Just the amount of available material. The Materials Printer can make entire armor pieces for Super Heavy Mecha if it is programmed with the data, and they weigh dozens of tonnes each." Nico explained.
That impressed the delegation enough that they didn't have any more questions, except about the actual dishes that it had created. They appeared to be exactly the same as the ones from the original plans, but the method of creation was so different that they had a hard time believing that it wasn't a trick.
Eventually, they resorted to using an energy knife and cutting one of each dish apart to check the cross-section, finding that they did indeed meet quality control standards and weren't just an imitation that looked similar.
"At the price listed, we have enough spare funds to purchase six more units of the Materials Printers to complete the manufacturing lines of our Space Station, as well as one hundred units of the Replicators to go to the busiest locations in each city on the planet.
How long will it take to have those delivered?" Lord Joseph asked.
That was a slightly larger order of Replicators than Max had expected since he had thought that they would be more resistant to the technology, given their very structured culture, but Nico was ready for the request.
"We have the Printers ready now, and we can have the Replicators ready tonight. If you would like to make the credit transfer, we can unload the Materials Printers now and load the Replicators in your new shuttle when they are ready tonight. It is fully capable of repeated atmospheric entries without damage."
"Yes, that would be perfect. I will send a Piloting Crew here for instructions on the controls and navigation equipment since ours is a bit antiquated, so their training might not be sufficient, and we will begin assembling the Materials Printers right away.
That will take some time anyhow, as we need to disassemble the old production lines to install them, but we should be able to have it all ready in the morning for the first shift."
The Lord was certainly ambitious. They had just signed the deal, and he was planning to have the factory online the next morning with entirely new technology. Max put that down to enthusiasm until Nico shared an incoming message to the planet with him. Cygnus had placed an order for over a million units to be sent to one of the planets that they had just taken under their wing.
The damage to the planet must have been fairly severe, or the Cygnus Lords were looking to make a closer tie with Klux, which was going to be near their new borders when everything was settled.
Either way, it wasn't Max's problem. They had made their deal, and it was time to move on to the next system once the delivery was finished.Chapter 437 437 Holy Truth
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"I should return to the surface and give my people the good news. Being part of a Trade Alliance is a big deal to them since it will increase our revenue for the planet's services. Even before we introduce them to the new technologies, this day is a cause for celebration on Klux." Lord Joseph declared, then stood up and straightened his uniform.
"I am certain that the revelations of the day have been hard on the constitution. If you would like to return to the surface and inform your people, just leaving behind the trainees to learn to pilot the shuttle will be sufficient. We will make the delivery in the morning." Nico agreed, also rising to her feet to bid farewell to their new Alliance members.
"Thank you for your hospitality then, and we will be looking forward to the arrival of the Replicators. The first of them will go to the cafeteria of the government building so that all workers and petitioners can enjoy the benefits of our new Alliance equally.
I think they will be pleasantly surprised to find out the capabilities of the Reavers and the true benefits of joining with them." Lord Joseph announced.
He was about to continue when a beeping noise from his watch interrupted him. [Incoming Vessel. Holy Truth Warship, Cruiser Class.]
Lord Joseph sighed and looked sad for a second before standing a bit straighter and beginning to issue orders.
"We have a mole in the administration. Find them. Every member of the delegation will have their transmission logs checked." he announced, just as another announcement was broadcast throughout Terminus.
[Terminus Trading Company. This is Cardinal Red of the Holy Truth. You have violated the embargo of the Klux system. Please stand down and prepare to have your vessel boarded.]
Nico and Max both burst into laughter at that pompous declaration. The Holy Truth nation might not know it yet, but they were the final system that Cygnus was intending to annex now that the Kepler defenses had eliminated their war fleet. Not only that, but Terminus carried five fully equipped Cutters, which were more than a match for a single cruiser, even without deploying the Mecha contained within.
"It looks like the Trade Alliance needs to earn its keep on the very first day. Don't worry about those idiots. They won't have a system by the end of the month. We just need to keep them busy until Cygnus shows up.
You likely already know that most of their fleet went to fight in Kepler, but what you might not know is that the two most powerful Mecha in the Kepler arsenal were activated by the defenders, and the foreign fleets that were attacking have been eliminated.
None of their war vessels are coming back. They couldn't enforce a blockade even if they wanted to." Max explained to Lord Joseph, who was preparing his men for battle.
"So, you really will stand and fight for the Trade Alliance, even with a Colony Ship?" Lord Joseph asked curiously.
"Terminus is much more than a Colony Ship these days. She carries an entire Mecha Regiment and has been renovated to be one of the finest cruise ships in the galaxy while keeping the majority of her cargo capacity." Max informed him with pride.
The Lord seemed a bit confused about why they would have turned a Reaver vessel into a cruise ship, but the fact that they had a Mecha Regiment aboard was more than enough to calm his nerves.
Klux might not have a Mecha army, but if Terminus did, they wouldn't have any problems at all dealing with the Holy Truth Cruiser.
[All hands to battle stations, hostile vessel incoming. Prepare to launch the Cutters.]
Nico's voice over the intercom caused a wave of activity through the ship, and within three minutes, Max had received the first message that the Cutters were loaded and ready to go. That just might be a new record for the Regiment, but some of it was a coincidence since the majority of the ship had been on standby anyhow, in case the trade negotiations didn't go well.
[Launch the Cutters, hold your fire until my command] Max ordered, then began a transmission to the Holy Truth Cruiser.
[Cardinal Red, this is Commander Keres of the Terminus Trading Company. Cease your hostile actions at once, or prepare to face return fire. Klux has become a member of the Reaver Trade Alliance as of today and is entitled to invoke the mutual defense clauses within said agreement.]
The Holy Truth vessel did not take that well and began to fire on the Klux space station, which was unfortunately on the far side of Terminus itself. It was obvious that they were intending to disable the planet's ability to do any space-based trade by destroying the dilapidated station entirely, but the shields of the Colony Ship extended far enough from her hull that they absorbed the entire volley.
[This is an open broadcast. As of this moment, the Holy Truth has opened fire on the Terminus Trading Company and declared war on the Reavers.] Nico sent out over the open airwaves with a hint of amusement in her voice.
[Open fire.] Max ordered at the same time.
Five Orbital Lances from five Cutters hit the Cruiser's shields in the exact same instant, overloading the ship's power source and collapsing the shields.
They had reduced the power enough that the ship wasn't outright destroyed, but one lance did get through the ship's armor plating and disabled their Warp Drives permanently. That was no accident. Even an outdated warship like the one the Holy Truth had sent was an extremely valuable commodity, which could be captured and repurposed by the Reavers using their new technology.
They only had to clear the old crew out of it and call for a barge or other large ship to haul it back to Rae 5 for a refit.
"Lord Joseph, do you perhaps have a boarding vessel? We find ourselves short on infantry, and the aggressors need to be removed from the Terminus Trading Company's new Cruiser. Alive would be more humane, and we do hope to avoid further damaging our new ship." Nico asked politely.
Chapter 438 438 Night Shift
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"I certainly do have boarding vessels. Quite a few of them, in fact. We only lack interstellar capabilities due to the embargo and repeated attacks. If your Cutters can deploy their light Mecha to establish a breach head, we can be there in five minutes." Lord Joseph announced.
He had already called all of the defenders aboard the station to arms, and they could be aboard the shuttles used for hostile boarding maneuvers in under a minute.
They weren't advanced, but they didn't have to be. Their only purpose was to ram an enemy ship, then use a circular laser array to cut a hole in the hull that would let their occupants board the enemy vessel. They were just as disposable as Landers, and it was assumed that there would be losses every time they were deployed, so they weren't fancy vessels in any way.
That said, Klux still lacked the facilities to efficiently replace them or had lacked them up until a few hours ago when the Materials Printers arrived, with the ability to build an entire boarding shuttle in under a day.
[Fourth and Fifth Battalions, you are up. Get us a bay door open on that Cruiser and prepare a path for the landing parties from Klux.] Max ordered.
They could easily destroy the vessel with their firepower, but it was disabled and unlikely to get the power back online anytime soon, so it was much more beneficial to simply take the entire ship away from the Holy Truth force.
The Battalions spread out through space while the Inferno Pattern Crusaders flew forward with their thruster packs. They used their Disintegrators to blast out the outer doors of a dozen human-sized airlocks, which the boarding vessels would latch onto, saving them the time of cutting through the hull, and then one of the Super Heavy Mecha removed its Ion Bombard Arrays to allow it to use its powerful hands to open a main bay door.
A single blast from the defensive Lasers was enough to cut handholds in the door, and the twenty-meter-tall Mecha forced the doors wide, revealing an empty hangar where the defensive Mecha should have been stored.
Colonel Klinger had been expecting heavy defensive fire the moment that he forced the door open, but instead, he found that they didn't even have the usual Company of Light Mecha that every Cruiser should be carrying.
[All forces be aware, no Mecha were found in the hangars. They might have already been deployed throughout the vessel.] The Colonel informed his forces, then ordered the Line Mecha and Corvettes forward to attack.
They were the only ones that could possibly move through the hallways of a warship, and even that was a challenge for the older patterns. The new ones were more slender and agile, able to pass through the bulkhead doors that were designed to slow attacking Mecha that wanted to use routes other than the main halls, which were larger to allow cargo to be transported throughout the vessel.
[Breaching Crews are deploying now. Estimated casualties, under twenty percent.] The Klux space station's intercom announced happily, causing all of the Reavers to give the Lord and his retinue a disturbed look.
"What? That's actually pretty good for a breaching crew. A lot of the time, we lose over half of them before they even make it to the vessel."
He defended his military's calculations with a firm voice, but he had entirely missed the fact that the Reavers were disturbed by the fact that he still expected to lose a fifth of his troops, despite the enemy not having power aboard their ship, and a friendly Mecha force being present to reinforce them.
Even Kepler Generals didn't view infantry as that expendable.
The forcefully opened airlock doors were pulled closed again after the Light Mecha were aboard the Cruiser, limiting the atmospheric loss so that the infantry supporting them wasn't killed by the change in pressure. Then the interior airlock doors between the empty hangar and the ship were opened, revealing a dark and cavernous main hall that ran the length of the ship.
Normally, they would have expected to meet a large infantry defense force at this point, along with the defense Mecha, but instead, they held their fire, illuminating the length of the vessel with their spotlights.
[Sir, we have no hostile contact. The defense force is not in place.] The leader of the Light Mecha squad announced with a hint of confusion.
Their primary job is to take and hold the half dozen main corridors on the Cruiser. If they don't find anyone, what did they even come here for?
[Search for traps and proceed. They might not have been expecting the hostile response.] Colonel Klinger ordered.
Max was reviewing the scans of the vessel, which showed plenty of life forms aboard, but no energy activity. The Cruiser certainly had defenders, but for some reason, it had not sent them out. There was some hope that they would surrender without a fight, but that seemed a bit unrealistic to Max.
Nobody ever surrendered without a fight.
"Nico, send drones and see what you can find through the ports," Max ordered, wondering if the power outage was so severe that the ship had been unable to get orders relayed to the defense teams.
If that were the case, they would realize that something was seriously wrong, other than the power outage, in a few minutes and would follow their training to organize and defend the vessel.
"On it, Boss." Nico agreed, and Max saw the video feeds of a pair of drones joining the data that was coming in from the Mecha.
This new watch was amazing. Even without his helmet on, the holographic display could make dozens of screens, showing him all the information that he needed and even emulating the screen layout inside his cockpit for ease of use.
"Did I say to make these watches standard issue yet? If I didn't, do it as soon as you can produce them." Max whispered to Nico as he watched the drones begin searching through windows for signs of activity.
"Found it. I know why they're not responding." Nico gloated, then sent a video feed to Max's display.
It was the bridge of the Cruiser, where a dozen people were just beginning to regain consciousness while floating in the dark.
"The power surge knocked out the gravity before the shields broke and stopped the ship. I can see the blood stains on the window where someone's face hit it. I don't think they have taken many casualties, but they haven't given any orders to the defenders." Nico informed him, then relayed the report to the Klux breaching teams, who were using magnetic boots in place of fancy technology to keep their feet on the ground.
"We understand. Special Forces are on their way to secure the bridge now, and we are prepared for counterattacks." The breaching team's leader reported.
[All Main Hallways are secure. Preparing for enemy engagement.] The Light Mecha teams reported seconds later, having set up their full defensive coverage grid.
There were still secondary ladders, but the main stairwells and the empty elevator tubes were all in the main hallways, giving them basic control of movement on the ship on all levels. It was only a matter of time before the Holy Truth crew realized that they had lost the vessel.
Chapter 439 439 More Presents?
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While the Mecha secured the hallways, the Klux breaching teams were not idle. They had stormed the staging areas for infantry, the crew bunks, and the engineering bay during the first wave, and the second was well on their way to sweeping the main floor that they had entered from.
Sporadic screaming and the repeated flashing of Laser Rifles said that the breaching team might not be taking the directive to capture the enemy sailors very seriously, but they had brought multiple groups of prisoners to the mecha staging points for supervision within the first ten minutes.
That was a long time for a boarding action, in Max's opinion, but the top-floor blast doors were still secure, and the Command Staff was securely locked on the bridge. Max didn't know enough about the design of their ship to be able to tell if they stood a chance of getting power back online from there, and the computer system had no schematics on the uniquely cathedral-shaped vessel, so the most he could do was wait.
"This is taking too long. Request to manually extract the Holy Truth Command Squad." Nico asked Max very formally, with a professional smile not quite masking the bloodlust in her mechanical eyes.
"Does this plan involve taking Shattered Pride and kicking in the windows of their command bridge to pull them out into the vacuum of space?" Max asked suspiciously.
"I am glad we are on the same page, Commander. Can I take that as permission granted?"
Max placed one hand on each of Nico's shoulders, then grabbed her and moved her back to a chair at the table.
"Sit. Stay. Don't space the Command staff unless the Klux team fails to gain entry. I can see right here on the cameras that they don't have protective suits on, despite the situation. If you kicked the windows out, you would just kill them all, and we can do that with a drone." Max informed her with a grin.
[Second Holy Truth Cruiser incoming] Admiral Drake informed them, and Max sighed while Nico gave herself a congratulatory fist pump.
"Alright, you can deploy. The Cutters will disable the Cruiser after they refuse to stand down, and then you can go to work." Max agreed.
Nico looked a bit crestfallen at the news, and Max realized that she had intercepted the incoming Cruiser's signals and was hoping to get free reign to mangle the incoming ship by virtue of proximity.
[Incoming Holy Truth Vessel, be aware that your nation has attacked the Terminus Trading Company, and we are currently in the process of collecting reparations. Please stand down and leave the system to avoid further hostilities.] Max informed the Holy Truth Captain.
[This is Grand Deacon Blue of the Cruiser Divine Truth. Firing upon a Holy Truth Vessel is Heresy, punishable by death. You have thirty seconds to lower your shields and submit to judgment.] The Cruiser's Captain responded.
"Nico, don't break his ship too badly. This one is even fancier than the last one. I don't know if it can even be made useful, but I want it." Max ordered her before she could leave the cargo bay where the meetings were being held.
"In that case, I will just stay here. I have already sent the weapon modulation for a coordinated blast that will disable the ship with minimal damage, just like last time. We will have to scrap the engines anyhow. They're a Warp 2 relic made out of freeware schematics to begin with, and nobody would accept a commission to pilot such a vessel these days.
Uncle Lu is going to absolutely love you for this, though. You sent him two flying cathedrals after denying him Cathedral-themed Titan Class Mecha. Once he has finished retrofitting them, they will likely be flagship quality vessels, worthy of being the face of the Terminus Trading Company." Nico laughed.
Moments later, the incoming signal came again.
[I repeat, this is Grand Deacon Blue aboard the Cruiser Divine Truth. You have been convicted of Heresy and are scheduled for execution. You have ten seconds to lower your shields and stand down, or your punishment will be increased.]
"They have a punishment worse than death? It's a shame they won't exist long enough to try to implement it." Nico told Lord Joseph, who was looking positively petrified by the announcement.
[All Cutters, fire on the Divine Truth.] Max ordered, and the Orbital Lances flashed again, leaving the second vessel in the same shape as the first, dead in space and drifting.
Max checked his sensors to ensure that the vessel really was disabled, finding that half the Warp Drive was floating freely in space at the moment, but surprisingly the powerless ship was showing signs of activity.
[The rear bay doors on Target 2 are opening. Drones get me a good look at what is happening. Cutters, prepare to fire.]
The drones raced over to see what was going on and sent back the strangest sight that Max had ever seen.
Hundreds of men in space suits were lying down flat on a wheeled cart that four men were pushing into the bay of a standard Kepler-produced civilian cargo shuttle.
"Do you think that is their form of an attack squad? Or is it some sort of lifeboat?" Max asked Lord Joseph.
"That is their version of the breaching ship. They have a strong EMP weapon that shorts out our doors, and they just push the cart out of the shuttle and storm our ships after the doors are unlocked." Lord Joseph informed him.
"Do you not have shields?" Max asked, confused.
"No, all of our ships are repurposed mining ships. Why would they have shields?" Lord Joseph answered.
Max had to try very hard not to vent his frustrations on the incompetence of his new allies. Why wouldn't a mining ship have shields? They are exposed to constant debris and harsh conditions at every single orbital mine site in existence. They normally have even better shields than a military ship the same size because they don't need the power for a weapon system.
"Well, if they think that tactic will work on Terminus, they're about to have a very bad day," Max informed the leader of the Klux, then turned away to watch the parade of idiocy that was the Holy Truth attack plan.
He would have to warn the Cygnus fleet not to take them seriously. These two planetary systems full of oddballs really did deserve each other.
Max was about to issue another order to the drones to stop the shuttle with a gravity beam when Nico asked the most important question of the day.
"How did you let yourselves get embargoed by this group of imbeciles?"
For an instant, Lord Joseph looked outraged. Then the look turned to embarrassment. "You see, the ships are powerful, and the threats are very impressive. How were we supposed to know that they were empty? We just assumed that since they had a Mecha army, they had actually sent some to threaten us with.
Most of the time, they even send out a few squads of Line Mecha as a reminder before they make their demands." He tried to deflect, but even to himself, the words rang hollow.
"Maybe it is a one-off, and they simply didn't have any to send after the failed invasion, and with Cygnus drawing close to their borders? I have already sent a message about this incident to the Cygnus fleet, which will be arriving in the Holy Truth's territory very soon." Nico offered, as a form of apology for her comments and a mollification for the Lord of the Klux.
"Yes, hopefully. But your Trading Company has done very well for themselves today. You got a deal signed, and it seems you will have two Cruisers to add to your fleet. Do we perhaps have any more Rum? This deserves a celebratory sip."
Chapter 440 440 Ants In The Dark
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"Of course, we have more Rum. Don't forget that we have replicators here. I will get you a bottle right away to split with your team." Nico informed Lord Joseph.
"You won't be joining us?" He asked, wondering if she was still planning to take her Command Mecha to attack the disabled ship.
"I will, but I am a full conversion Cyborg. I can't get drunk." Nico explained, and all the Klux officers did a double take.
It was clear that she had mechanical eyes, but they had thought that was the extent of her modifications. Her non-Newtonian shell closely mimicked human flesh, and she was getting very good at an aloof version of normal facial features, so they hadn't noticed that she had been fully converted.
"Well, that was unexpected. I can see how Rum would lose its appeal if you could only drink it for the taste. Especially the cheap stuff that most merchants live off of." Lord Joseph agreed.
"I can also get you an assortment of other liquors if you would like. Terminus has it good, not having to worry about running out of the good Rum." Nico offered.
"In that case, can you get us a bottle of brandy? We make a version on Klux, and I would like to see how the Replicators version stacks up against it." The Agriculture Minister requested.
Their local version of the liquor was made from Ice Berries, and it had a minty cold aftertaste, which was completely different from a regular Brandy, despite appropriating the name due to the similarities in composition. Drinking the generic version from the Replicator could be a very enlightening experience for them, Max thought.
[Incoming Projectile Imminent. Size, 17 tonnes, velocity, 240kph.] The automated defense warning was announced while Nico brought back a large bottle of replicated Brandy.
She set the bottle on the table and turned to watch Max, who was viewing the Holy Truth boarding attempt, only to find him staring slack-jawed at the hologram in front of him.
"Did they actually get through? I can send some forces to clean them up." Nico offered, scrolling through the data feeds with her mind to see where reinforcements were needed.
Max brought the screen up over his shoulder level so that everyone behind him could see what he was looking at. Hundreds of small back objects had bounced off the Shielding around Terminus and were slowly floating away from the ship as the thruster packs they were wearing struggled to slow their velocity.
"The shuttle just turned around and released them without even checking if we had our shields up. I mean, they should have known the answer was yes since we blocked the first attack with them, but they didn't even try." Max stammered, overcome by the sheer idiocy of the events taking place.
"Oh, free shuttle. Bonus points for me." Nico cheered, and Max watched as the Gravity Beam grabbed hold of the small vessel that was frantically powering up and down their engines, trying to break free from the overwhelming force.
[Holy Truth Shuttle. Please reduce power to your thrusters. I do not wish to see any harm come to my new shuttle.] Nico announced over all channels short-range broadcast.
Most of the Klux dignitaries looked at her in confusion, wondering if she really assumed that they would follow her orders after she blatantly told them she was stealing their shuttle, but only a few seconds later, the engines powered down, and the small ship was safely brought into the bay next to them.
"One moment, gentlemen, I need to go see a guy about a thing. I will be right back." She explained as she walked through the open door separating the two bays and began to bang on the rear hatch door of the newly arrived shuttle.
"Don't make me come in there and get you, or I'm bringing an ass whooping with me," Nico shouted at them while Max facepalmed at her unique negotiating style.
Surprisingly, the hatch opened, and two pilots stepped out with their hands in the air. "We surrender. Please don't shoot. On behalf of the seventeenth breaching squadron, we surrender ourselves to your custody. Please save our disciples from the vacuum."
When they saw Nico and realized that they were twice her size, they looked a bit startled, but they immediately scanned the room and realized that they were surrounded by Mecha with no way out and a disabled shuttle.
"Our shuttle suddenly shut down, and we couldn't even rescue our team from space. Please, save them. They don't deserve to die like that." The second pilot begged, dropping to his knees and kowtowing before Nico.
"Fine. I will collect the ants. Inform them that if they resist, I am throwing them right back out of the bay door." Nico informed the pleading pilots and then watched as the Gravity Beam she was controlling brought the rest of the team safely through the barrier.
Once they were inside, the breaching team began to form up for an attack, but the Pilots immediately began shouting at them in their local dialect, a language that wasn't recorded in the computer translation files that Max had obtained from the Kepler military, and wasn't one that he had heard before.
With only a little convincing, the team threw down their weapons and removed their helmets, leaving them vulnerable if Nico really did follow through and throw them back into space for misbehavior.
"We have a lot of questions for you today, and since I am in a good mood, we will start with a simple question and no pain. Why are there no Mecha and no actual soldiers on either of the ships you sent here to Klux?"
The question startled Max and made him focus on trying to read their minds. Much of it had to be done through imagery since he didn't understand the language they were thinking in or speaking to each other, a deliberate defense against Kepler's Mental Interrogation, but he got the basics fairly quickly.
Cygnus was ahead of schedule. Their system was already under attack, and these two vessels had been in dry dock when the news came that Klux was signing a treaty with the Reavers. The Holy Truth Central Command believed that Cygnus would just punish them for their failure and then leave, so they mustered as many spare desk jockeys and retired naval staff as they could to intimidate the Klux into not signing an agreement.
"I request terms of surrender." The pilot announced resolutely, not answering Nico's question.
By rights, they could surrender their vessel to the Reavers if they were the ranking officer, or his representative, and it would end the hostilities, but it would not give them safe passage back to their country. They would remain prisoners of the Reavers and would face charges for any crimes they had committed under Reaver law.
In this case, that would be one shot fired against a Reaver vessel with no physical damage or loss of life. Even a harsh judge would only give the crew a few years of hard labor at the worst and triple that for the officers.
"Is that so? Alright, I will send drones to communicate with your bridge staff and see if they agree with your request." Nico informed the Pilot with a smile.
This might just be the easiest acquisition of two Cruisers in history.