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"I know you're on vacation, but how do got feel about a small chat about Mecha over dinner?" Uncle Lu asked, eager to get back to his hobby after a few days off.
"It is a little-known fact, but we were both obsessive Mecha fans from the day we were born," Nico replied with an absolutely straight face, making the cook chuckle from where she was finishing up in the kitchen.
"Excellent, so this thought has been bothering me for a while, but what would you change if you could redesign the Crusader Class Chassis armament options?" He asked, practically vibrating with excitement.
"More artillery. The Battle Cannon isn't nearly enough indirect firepower for the average Heavy Mecha unit, much less a front-line assault unit, which doesn't have the advantage of emplaced infantry positions to saturate the target with artillery fire. Plus, so many weapons have the power to shoot past the horizon, but can't because they travel in a straight line. A variable distance artillery weapon that could keep up with my targeting would be a dream come true." Max answered almost immediately.
"A truly interesting thought. Traditionally, artillery duties have fallen to the infantry, while they also serve to protect the armor from close combat in a combined arms force. But if the Mecha were also doing artillery duty it would allow a smaller Mecha presence in the force without sacrificing firepower, since there wouldn't be any artillery emplacements for the Mecha to defend. What about you Miss Nico?"
Nico was happy to humor the scientist and took a moment to think beyond the obvious increase in firing rates.
"What about something with better short-range area damage? The Ion Cannons have a burst mode, and the claw has a mediocre flamer, but what if we could turn that up to eleven? Do you know much about the fusion drills that are used for asteroid mining?"
Uncle Lu nodded his head. "They use a cold fusion reaction, directed out a nozzle to melt the planetoids into workable pieces. But what would you use them against on a Mecha?"
"Everything. Close quarters Mecha combat, purging non-believers, lighting cigarettes." Nico shrugged.
"That sort of flame could melt bunkers and defensive emplacements and breach fortifications, as well as clearing large groups of light mecha and infantry that had breached the line." Max clarified on her behalf.
Nico's mind had gotten sidetracked by a memory of how a similar weapon in her past life would light up buildings like a candle if you fired it up from the bottom and melted them from the inside.
It was almost too effective.
"Not bad, but it might take some work to make it mobile. What else" Uncle Lu was actually taking notes now as dinner was brought out.
"If you made the Rail Gun fire razor-thin discs it would be much more fun. Like a supersonic Frisbee. Or maybe you could make a heavier pulse laser. The speed is a great advantage over Ion projectiles, and a rapid burst should be possible with staged capacitors. The array type ones like Stalwart uses are great against light targets, but the existing Laser Cannon sucks and it fires way too slowly." Nico suggested.
"Please eat, it's best hot." The chef interrupted them, ignoring the implications of their friendly chat. It was better not to think or know about what went on in the design labs.
"What about a disruptor-style weapon? The ones that break molecular bonds." Nico added and both men stopped to look at her.
"I am like ninety percent sure that doesn't exist." Uncle Lu informed her.
"Of course it does. The Scourge use them to breach ship hulls, so there must be data on them. Nobody would be expecting it, so I'll bet most armors aren't designed to defend against that sort of weapon. It would be a great hidden trick."
"Hmm, I see, here they are. Comor hadn't encountered that species before, so I hadn't studied their technology. It seems like it might be highly compatible with the System as well, so it might be viable as an infantry rifle or implanted weapon for cybernetic augmentations if we can successfully develop our own miniaturized versions." He agreed, now in full scientist mode, speaking around mouthfuls of food as he searched the military database.
"Eat first, science later. We've got plenty of time before the resort trip." Max laughed, taking the data tablet from him and placing it on the table.
Uncle Lu got a pleading look on his face that was almost exactly the same as the one the young Lady Chen used. "Just one more question. Don't you think the Crusader Class Chassis is a bit too short? Of every nation in the southern region of the Galaxy, Kepler's Crusader is the shortest, but that really limits the placement of the ordinance. The more heavily armed and slightly larger Corvette class units we released have been a big hit with the pilots that have used them.
A single pilot Mecha near the size of the Phalanx Class mecha is perfectly viable with an Alpha Ranked System Compatibility. Especially with multiple targeting skills. Going up in size would really increase the Versatility of our elite forces, and the existing Phalanx Class and Crusader Class Mecha were designed before the System was in place and only received minor upgrades over the years, never a full overhaul and redesign."
"Just remember that Central Command thinks in the terms of millions of units per decade when it comes to Heavy Mecha. If you want them to approve a major change like a new pattern of Crusader Class Mecha it needs to be more powerful, versatile, and cost-effective, while also being easy for the Materials Printer to create parts for, so rare materials can sink the approval of an otherwise very appealing design." Max reminded him while Uncle Lu trapped his finger in the table in thought, with his dinner plate sitting empty in front of him.
Nico's mechanical eyes made a light whirring noise as she looked through something in her integrated heads-up display. "Why not give them all advanced shields? I know Kepler and everyone else gave up on them for heavy Mecha due to the problems with power supplies and creating spare parts, but that was a long time ago and I am sure your department could come up with something that was easier to build if they put their minds to it.
That would improve survivability, and make it easier to sell the design since you could go lighter on the armor and structural reinforcements to make up for the extra size. The Crusader is a timeless design, and nearly indestructible compared to anything else in its class, so replacing it won't be easy, but that might be enough to earn you some special forces trials."
"Bunch of lousy bureaucrats. If they left it between Pilots and Mecha engineers we could have so much better equipment, but NO, some accountant says it's too expensive. Bunch of killjoys is what they are." Uncle Lu complains.
"By the way, is there dessert? We didn't eat it already did we?" He muttered, looking at the table that the staff had already cleaned.
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In all the excitement of drawing up Mecha designs the next morning to explain the ideas that they began on at dinner the day before, everyone managed to forget that the event organizers were coming that day to do promotional videos.
"Greetings Director Kim, I will get the Master for you right away." They heard the housekeeper says softly after the doorbell rang.
Both Majors were in tank tops and fatigue pants when the game company director entered, while Uncle Lu was in pajama pants and a lab coat. Sketches and mathematical equations were scrawled on papers scattered all over the room, and the three hastily worked to clean them up before the Video Game company executives were exposed to sensitive military data.
"You forgot we were coming, didn't you? That's fine, we can make this casual." The Director sighed, motioning the cameras forward to the room that was set up to mimic a convention hall.
"I'm afraid that won't do. Now that everyone on the planet knows who we are, every official interview represents the Pilots Corps of the Military, so we will have to be in full uniform if we're not fully casual. Give us five minutes and we will be ready." Max informed him.
An in-home chat was one thing, but they couldn't get away with half a uniform for an official promotion. The options were still casual or full uniform.
Can we get you in the other outfits we have brought as well? We would like to get multiple spots if possible." The clothing and makeup crew asked.
"That's not a problem, just no uniform elements without a full uniform." Max clarified.
"Perfect, we have a holographic backdrop, so we can do multiple scenes in advance and limit the need for repeat ads. Gamers prefer a multi advertisement intensive campaign, according to our data."
Max wasn't sure who told them that, but the market saturation technique where the game ads came up constantly at every opportunity, was possibly the most annoying strategy ever in Max's opinion.
He hurried to change into his uniform, meeting Nico in the hall outside the meeting room.
"Let's get this going. I suspect they're going to want as much footage as they can get." She greeted him, carrying a small basket with drinks and snacks.
The basket turned out to be for Uncle Lu, who was overseeing the whole process from a chair off to one side.
"First up we will do the uniformed intro shots."
Show business was no less exhausting than piloting, Max decided after doing the introduction dozens of times, in different poses and scenery. Nico had it even worse, they wanted her to change voice settings multiple times a scene as well as all the different poses.
Then came the same thing with them both together, before it was time for a costume change.
"Most of the advertisement will be game footage, but we want four full runs. We're done with the uniforms, then we will do formal since you are both Nobles and high society prefers their own for endorsements.
After that will be a short beach wear shoot in the artificial resort scenery and one more in casual wear." The director decided.
Formal wear went smoothly, and they had brought a matching suit and ballgown for him and Nico. The beach wear scene was where things went all wrong.
The crew had forgotten the outfits and neither of them had anything suitable with them. Max and Nico had planned to get their own, but the propaganda video made them stay in yesterday.
"We will order a selection to be delivered. Do you have casual wear? We brought some, but we didn't know your style." The director explained.
"We have a little, but it might be too casual for an advertisement if you know what I mean," Max informed him.
As soon as he said that, the assistants rolled forward a coat rack with a wide variety of clothing on it. There was enough here to do a full fashion show, and the director was worried it wasn't enough for them to find an outfit they liked. He was greatly overestimating how picky Max was about what he wore.
Max was easy to please as far as casual clothing went. Jeans and a Comor Game Development logo t-shirt and he was good to go. Nico was a bit pickier, grabbing items off her rack and then going for his.
They stepped behind the curtains hung in the corner of the room to change, finishing up quickly to get the scene over with. Nico came out and Max couldn't help but wonder what sort of crowd she hung out with before joining the academy. He had met one friend of hers, who was an egotistical slacker, but she never really thought about the past.
She had one of the black men's logo shirts on, tied at the back to show off her figure. It ended most of the way down a gray and white plaid pleated skirt, paired with fishnet stockings and leather boots. She had given herself black lipstick that highlighted how pale she had made her artificial skin and tied her hair back in a ponytail.
She looked over her body over more time, adjusted her bust up one more cup size, and nodded in satisfaction.
The two younger camera operators whistled as she walked out and even the female assistant nodded in appreciation.
"Every big jock needs a small goth girlfriend and this is as close as I could get," Nico informed them happily.
"Alright, let's get to work. We will air this one first, they're perfect together." The director announced, bringing out a new script for them to follow for the casual scenes.
Before they were done with the Casual wear scenes, the beach wear had arrived. A delivery van brought a variety of shorts, polo shirts, and short-sleeved button-down shirts with tropical flower patterns. Nico had swimsuits with various covers waiting for her, and she was done before Max even picked his first outfit.
He had no idea what others wore for a whole day at the beach if it wasn't swimwear, he had been thinking of boots to keep the sand out, but this time it was all sandals and soft shoes.
"Start with this," Nico said, handing him a flowery shirt and knee-length swim shorts with a pair of soft shoes Max didn't recognize.
He changed quickly and came out, but Nico only laughed and then undid all the buttons on his shirt, showing off his torso. She was wearing a red bikini top with a bright-colored wrap skirt and sandals, so she was showing just as much skin, convincing Max that she knew something about beach wear that he didn't. Wouldn't this just lead to sunburn?
"At the beach, you wear just enough to be decent." She informed him.
That made sense, on the station everyone just stayed in swimsuits.
When they finished, the advertising group told them that all the clothes were prepared for them, so they could keep them. They wouldn't fit anyone else quite right, since it was all custom tailored.
That solved their shopping issue, they now had a full wardrobe of civilian clothing for their vacation. The only question was what they were doing to do with all this when it was time to go back on duty. A Major was given plenty of storage allotment, but not this much, and it could be a year or more before they wore most of it again.
Max decided that was a problem for later. For today he was mentally exhausted and just wanted to sink into the couch and wait for food to appear. Unfortunately, it was only the middle of the afternoon. They had made good time on their scenes, not often having to redo them, so dinner would be a while.
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With all the footage that they could possibly need for their advertisements, the event organizers didn't need to bother Max and Nico again before they reached the resort.
The others weren't so lucky, the rest of the top ten had to do their advertisement spots both individually and sometimes together on the next day and they had been at it for almost fifteen hours before the filming was done.
Uncle Lu had gotten both Nico and Max an orbital transfer cube to use as luggage for the rest of their upcoming vacation. They fit perfectly in the lockers on a Lander, and a Major was allowed room for two of them plus their duffel on a combat mission, and more if they were transferring for a non-combat duty.
That triggered the thinning out of the donated clothing until they each had one cube worth to go with their duffel of personal effects that had been transferred from Abraham Kepler.
The luggage didn't come with official orders, but all of their personal effects were now in their possession, except what had been left inside their Mecha. That amounted to a bit of bedding and a few photos, but they were safe right where they were. Nobody would tamper with a pilot's cockpit.
The luggage transfer was rather concerning to Max, giving him the impression that the ship might be down for longer than expected, or that the level of casualties meant that the 43rd Armored was going to get reorganized.
Unlike his Mecha, Abraham Kepler wasn't a Relic of a ship, it was only three tours from its commission date, or a little over thirty years old. It had taken quite a bit of damage since he arrived though, so it was possible they found hidden structural damage that would require a more extensive refit.
"We are all packed and ready to go," Max called to Uncle Lu, who had promised them a lift to the resort so they didn't have to fly commercial.
"Two bags each. How very military efficient of you. Alright, I will have the driver take us to the shuttle and we can fly over. They have a private landing pad there, so we won't need a car at the other end.
I wish I could stay, but once I drop you off I need to get back to the lab and work on those ideas we thought up. The team thinks some of them are short-term viable." Uncle Lu's excitement was visible and Max felt bad about taking him away from his work.
Even if he was fun to hang out with, he was a top scientist with responsibilities as well as a member of the Ruling family of Comor. The fact he had taken this long off from his duties already was more than a little shocking.
"Since the shuttle is at the lab, why don't we drop you at work and the pilot can bring the shuttle back when he's done?" Max suggested.
"Would you mind? It would give me at least three extra hours in the lab today." Uncle Lu asked.
"It is your shuttle, and you have already been very good to us. You can leave the last leg to the professionals." Nico agreed, patting him on the back.
"That settles it then. Let's get a move on. Things to do, people to see."
On the way to the lab, Uncle Lu was already busy working, sending messages about structural alterations to the X109 and X137 designs. He had taken the talk about mass production efficiency to heart and was planning to fully alter the designs to make them more viable to produce in large quantities.
It was the final step that most scientists forgot, a mistake that relegated millions of brilliant ideas to obscurity or a purely theoretical existence.
The Comor lab would have access to the list of all materials that the various units were allocated for orbital insertion, and they could work from there to tweak their design to be more compatible with the existing materials stockpile and other commonly available materials that could logically be substituted without much inconvenience.
A half dozen of his researchers were waiting in the hangar with designs in their hands when the trio arrived at the lab. They were hasty modifications and combinations of existing proposals, a rough draft that would better match the new design priority. Everyone was so invested in their work that only a few words were exchanged before the whole group disappeared through the security doors to the lab.
"You get used to it, he's always like that." The shuttle pilot laughed, loading their luggage into the cargo hold of the versatile little ship.
"Don't worry, we understand. He was the same way yesterday when we were brainstorming ideas to make the designs more viable and user-friendly." Max agreed with a shrug before climbing the steps into the shuttle's passenger compartment.
Max decided to check the news one last time before they entered the resort, where access by outsiders would be strictly controlled. With luck, the furor would have died down and things would be back to normal by the time they left next week.
That didn't look too likely today, the footage from their battles was being used in the new military motivational videos, short pro-Kepler videos meant to give civilians a feeling of safety and national pride.
On top of that, Predatory Instinct was the biggest pop culture event of the month, possibly the year, with three hundred million users on pre-order for next week's official release. The ads played every second commercial break, splashing their faces all over the data network.
"It is all your fault. Who told you to get all those thirsty young women pining for you in the Harkness cosplay?" Nico joked when the feed recommended a fan compilation of scenes of Max as their next video.
"That would be you. I distinctly recall you picking out the costume." Max pointed out.
"Relax, it's part of being famous. You should see the fan video feeds they made of me. Luckily for me, the default setting in the shuttle had the child safety on." Nico laughed.
"There will be tons of bad art and amateur fan fiction created for any popular new game. The streamers use it to increase their viewership when they can become the face of a game community." She added, dismissing Max's embarrassment.
They watched a random episode of a comedy series for the rest of the flight, which extended to over an hour due to flight routing and speed limits over populated areas. Nobody was a fan of repeated sonic booms outside their hab dome after all.
The highlight of the whole flight was the landing. As soon as they entered the approach pattern, both Max and Nico realized that the resort used large, winged canines as part of their security patrol.
The look in Nico's eyes was a dangerous one, so Max warned her in advance. "If you upset the security there is a very good chance you will get both of us thrown out before our vacation even starts."
"Relax. I just want to pet the puppy. Even if they are large, these ones are trained, I am sure you can pet them."
Her chance came as soon as they landed. A security guard with a canine companion came to check their shuttle for contraband, sniffing around outside before they were allowed to disembark, then waiting to the side to welcome them to the resort.
"Welcome to the… Lugo, no." The guard started his spiel, then had to stop as his canine lunged at Nico.
It was fast, so much so that Max couldn't intercept it in time, but it wasn't aggressive, it was nuzzling and licking Nico as she rubbed its head. Max recoiled a little in shock, then checked Nico's thoughts to see what she had done.
There was no way a trained security dog was that friendly, plus the handler panicked when it moved.
What Max found was that the guard animals all had cybernetic obedience implants to prevent them from attacking guests. Nico had hacked it to make herself the canine's new best friend.
After a few seconds, she changed the settings back and the beast returned to its handler and stood at attention to memorize the scents of the guests the way it was trained to do.
"I am very sorry about that. It's a side effect of one of my System Functions and not his fault at all." Nico explained.
System Functions could be almost anything, and there was very little chance that they could prove she was lying, so the guard simply accepted the apology, but he did reprimand his partner for forgetting his training.
Since they arrived on a Chen family shuttle, that was the extent of the security measures for them, and the guard led them to the reception area where dozens of hosts were waiting to greet them and take care of anything they could possibly need while their luggage was sent to their room.
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"Have the other two arrived?" Max asked the host who was leading them to the rooms they were assigned. Captain Catan won the game tournament betting, but Max never did ask who he was bringing as his plus one.
"Yes, Sir Max. They are waiting in the room on the right for your arrival. Would you care for refreshments, or perhaps a light lunch after your flight?" The host asked, motioning toward the room where the Captain should be waiting.
"Both I think. I don't plan on venturing out much this afternoon." Max decided and the host bowed before politely knocking on the door of the room.
"Captain, your esteemed guests have arrived." He announced and then stepped away to fetch the food and drink order.
After a few seconds, Captain Catan answered the door in just a pair of fatigue pants, smiling at his commanding officers.
"Welcome, and thank you so much for offering this amazing suite up as a prize. The staff told us when we arrived that you two had chosen to share a room so that you could offer the second room to the unit." Catan welcomed them.
There was a second person in the room, hurriedly getting dressed while Catan distracted them at the door, Max could hear the rustling of clothes, so he didn't try to hurry in and instead stood in the hallway talking to the Commander of the Infantry portion of the Special Tactics Unit.
"It was the right thing to do. We could have picked one winner each, but it was better to let one winner and their date enjoy the luxury. You can tell Lieutenant Breckenridge she doesn't need socks, we're not going anywhere." Nico informed Catan, using a formal and polite tone that was slightly different than what her voice box usually generated.
Max took s second to look into her thoughts and got a shock so major that he almost forgot the reason they were here, standing in the hallway of a resort planet's most expensive and famous resort.
Nico had been using her System Functions to modify her Cyborg body into something entirely new. It somewhat reminded him of the Scavengers, being a nanotechnology-filled living metal body. But she wasn't going for their consumption-optimized form, Nico was making herself nearly human again, but out of metallic alloys and with very, very different physiology.
From what he could learn from her thoughts, the System agreed that it would work, and eventually become compatible enough with humanity that her body could assimilate human genetic material to create a second generation of self-propagating superhumans.
How exactly that would work wasn't clear, but the AI of the System was rarely wrong when it gave information with that level of certainty.
Max could see that she had been feeding the AI data from her past life though, so perhaps some of that information on Genetic Manipulation was helpful.
He had been so engrossed in her thoughts that Max almost missed the others going inside. Breckenridge had thrown on a pair of pink tights and a cream-colored sweater dress, and the mismatch of colors made Max chuckle.
It clearly wasn't what she had planned to wear, and it was much too warm for the tropical setting, so there must be marks or love bites that she was trying to hide.
"Welcome to Comor. It looks like you're already enjoying your stay." Nico laughed and Breckenridge smacked her, then winced and cradled her hand.
"Non-Newtonian shell. The harder you hit it, the harder it gets. I am still working on having it maintain flexibility under impact." Nico explained, turning the Lieutenant's wince into a glare.
"You've gotten it so close to looking like real skin that I forgot," Breckenridge complained, then sighed.
"Some things happened, you know. But we have been seeing each other every day this week." She explained while Catan wrapped an arm around her waist.
'Did taking her to The Pit flip a switch in her head?' Max wondered but avoided intruding on her thoughts. He was pretty sure he was happier not knowing about her sex life, but she was well known in the unit for being a bit of a prude and perhaps a bit too attached to her brother under the auspices of having him as her lifelong rival.
As a mecha and an infantry officer, they weren't in each other's direct chain of command, so the upper brass wouldn't have any issues with their relationship. Plus, they looked happy together. Very happy.
"There are drinks and snacks coming. Have you had a chance to visit the floating cities yet?" Max's question seemed to catch them off guard and the couple just shook their head.
"Accommodations were expensive and hard to find, so we stayed at the Station until this morning. Even if you spent two months there it would hardly be enough to fully explore that place." Catan shrugged.
He had a point, Max hadn't had to look for a hotel room on Comor yet, all of his arrangements had been taken care of by others.
"What about you two? Other than the gaming tournament, where did you disappear to? I saw you dressed in your formal best when you left the unit." Catan asked.
"There was a wedding announcement that we were invited to by an old friend, then we spent a few days with a local scientist that we met there and explored the city as much as we could." Nico glossed over the finer details since the full story was pretty unbelievable.
Speaking of which, the first of the wedding parties was going to start in a few days, and Max had received his invitation directly from Lord General Kirkland, complete with a personal note from the young couple asking him to attend.
Nico likely got the same thing, since the wedding couple was a big fan of her, and she had some status as a distant member of the groom's extended family by Cygnus standards.
Room service knocked at the door and then brought in a collection of pastries, finger sandwiches, and fruit along with an assortment of wines and liquors, placing them on a folding table that the staff brought with them.
"You must have really splurged, Commander," Breckenridge said in awe, making Max laugh.
"It's an all-inclusive resort. Like the ship cafeteria, but without rationing and the food is actually good." Max told her while Catan poured a round of drinks.
"To victory and fame."
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"Why don't we all check out the climbing walls tomorrow? I hear they're incredibly complex and should be a proper challenge even for you two with incredibly strong systems." Breckenridge suggested as they finished their afternoon snack.
"There is a cavern system with an entrance at the top that contains its own ecosystem, with life forms that are only found here on planet Comor. This planet was originally habitable with its own flora base, so the native plant life is completely unique, unlike the plants on so many of the terraformed worlds." Nico added, more interested in the exploration aspect.
"Then from the caves to the waterfall for lunch? I saw on the brochure that the main kitchen will deliver a picnic lunch there for you on request." Catan agreed.
It was at the end of the cave, so not at all out of their way, and a few hours of exercise would do them all a world of good after slacking all week. Max had gotten so used to his workout routine that even a few days off was starting to make him feel like he was being lazy and abandoning his obligations.
"It's a plan then. Should we come to get you two at say seven in the morning so we can get breakfast and enjoy the sunrise?" Max asked, and Catan nodded.
"That would be good. The sun here is a very interesting color, and the sunrises are supposed to be the most vivid shade of blue. I've been looking forward to it for a while. We will likely stay out and watch it set as well." The infantry Captain told Max with a wink.
Their balconies both had great skyline views, but the one that Max and Nico were in faced the morning light, while the one Captain Catan was in faced the sunset. Both were incredible views in their own right, but given the option, Sunset was usually preferable on vacation, just so you didn't have the morning sun in your eyes when you woke up.
Max and Nico had just retired to their room when Nico sighed and closed the curtains, before turning to the bathroom and doing the same, then hanging a bathrobe over the inside of the curtain.
"What's up with that? Adaptation migraines form the light?" Max asked. It was a common side effect of ocular implants, and hers were still relatively new after all.
"No, my thermal indicator found what looked like a person with a camera in the woods, trying to evade the security sweep. It's most likely Paparazzi again, the same as when we were out with Lu, and at the Orbital Resort. They're vultures hanging around anywhere they think they might find someone famous in a scandal."
It sounded a bit harsh, but she wasn't really wrong. The sorts of people who wanted to be "Celebrity Reporters" as they called themselves were usually highly narcissistic failed influencers and not anything resembling decent journalists.
"Hopefully they get it sorted. All ten winners plus their guests will be here today, so it is sort of prime time for the paparazzi." Max agreed, stripping down to take a shower before changing clothes.
It was hot here, and something more relaxing was the obvious choice. Fortunately, he had a collection of beach wear to choose from that was all light cloth, breathable, and minimally covering.
"There's an infinity pool next to the hotel that overlooks the woods if you want to relax there. The water is not too warm, and there are beverages waiting there." Nico suggested.
They still had a few hours to dinner, so that would be just the thing to kill some time. Nico changed into a bikini under a pink yukata with sandals, while Max went for a more normal set of long swim shorts with one of the black floral shirts the Game Company had provided them.
The amenities list said that there were towels at the pool, as well as lounge chairs, a fire pit, and some other amenities, so they didn't bother to bring anything with them, only stopping to make sure that the door was properly encoded to their fingerprint. It was unlikely that such a luxurious place would make such a simple mistake, but it was better to be safe than end up locked out of your room.
When they arrived at the pool, the gamer known as Lord PockyPock was already there, with a nearly nude lady hanging off of him that Max assumed was the fan he had chosen to accompany him on the trip. They had set up their camera and lighting already, it seemed, and were doing a short spot for his stream.
The camera was off to the side with a great view overlooking the pool and the forest, but it did not belong to the streamer. It was also an amenity of the hotel, for their social media famous guests, so that the best view in the area was never taken. They just needed to wait until it was free.
There was a subtle lineup, other famous folk lounging on the chairs to get a turn to film for their next day's broadcasts, or their social media stream, but Max and Nico avoided that end of the area and headed for the end of the pool where the staff was waiting on other guests, who were alternating between the water and the lounge chairs.
The evaporating water helped keep everyone cool in the afternoon heat, while advanced sunscreens prevented skin damage. Max had totally forgotten about that, having spent so much time inside his mecha that the outdoor elements were a foreign thing to him these days. Nico forgot because she was made of metal, and it simply didn't matter to her.
Once she saw the wealthy vacationers applying it, she caught on fast, and commandeered a bottle from one of the nearby staff members, along with a pair of towels for the lounge chairs.
"I got the oily shine version. You do my back and I will do yours?" Nico asked, making Max smile.
She was up to something, mostly attracting attention for her own amusement, but she was avoiding thinking about whatever it was she was really planning, so Max couldn't tell her not to do it.
Max took the first turn and watched as the guys nearby stealthily snuck peeks at him applying the suntan oil. But when it was Nico's turn, it was obvious she was posing as she applied the oil to him. She didn't even stop at his back, and did all of his front as well, as the distracted social media starlets gawked in envy.
The civilian men might spend some time at the Gym, but most of them had low-ranked systems, so their bodies were no match for Max's technology-enhanced physique. He wasn't overly bulky, but even his muscles seemed to have muscles these days, and the System deemed almost all fat storage as redundant and unnecessary.
"I know what you're thinking. It's all about that pretty face you've got." Nico whispered while Max sighed at all the attention he was getting.
He was definitely going to be in a lot of Keplergram feeds tomorrow.
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Once the afternoon heat started to fade the crowd around the pool started to thin out and the social media celebrities moved on to the restaurant to take outcrops of their food. It was a ridiculous tradition Max didn't understand since 99 percent of their audience would never even be on this planet, but taking pictures of every meal was a tradition all through history.
"Why don't we order dinner at the tables overlooking the forest?" Max asked, indicating a group of tables under umbrellas off to the side of the pool area where they were out of the line of sight of the main attractions, but still had a great view.
"That works for me. It will have a great sunset view as well, probably better than the restaurant if we didn't get a window seat." Nico agreed.
Those with famous travel blogs were pretty much obligated to go to the most famous spots for a photo multiple times a day, and their antics served as amusement for the truly wealthy visitors who were there to relax.
The second group, the truly wealthy, are the ones that joined Max and Nico on the patio for dinner.
"Sir Max and Lady Tarith, it is an honor to meet you both. I am Baroness Claudia from Kepler 108. My son is a huge fan of the fighting games like the one you are advertising." An older woman greeted them once their drinks were served.
"It is a pleasure Baroness. I do hope that Comor has been as good to you as it has been to us." Max greeted her with a smile, wondering how he got so popular even with the civilian Nobles, who have always been somewhat at odds with the military for threatening their political authority.
"The endorsement of the Ruling Family was a nice touch. Tell me, how did you manage to get them on board with such a venture?" The Baroness asked, and Max realized where the misunderstanding came from.
She thought that he was the Noble backing the game, but he was the one on contract, while the Chen family actually owned the company.
"The Chen family has their eye on many things. To be a top family is to be involved in every facet of your planet's economy after all." Nico informed her with a smile, and a number of the other Nobles around her smirked at the subtle jab at the status of a Baroness.
"Your Tarith family might be waning, but you still have your fingers in a lot of pies do you not? I visited Kepler Terminus a few years back, and for a noble family that refuses a title, the Tarith family does seem to be involved in everything." One of the other ladies present pointed out
Max knew Nico's family was very large since it included all branches of the main family and had a particular fondness for many children. Over a single school break he had seen nearly a hundred people from her mother's generation in total, and there was talk of others that couldn't come to visit due to business.
"You know how it is. Some families prefer to be subtle and understated." Nico answered with a wink and a pointed look at the woman's heavy makeup and expensive jewelry.
Nico herself was wearing bright Sakura pink, but the others seemed to get the reference.
One of the better-dressed men finally stepped in to avoid a catfight. "Greetings, Sir Max, Imperial Lady Tarith. I am Duke Luigi, of Cygnus. Would you mind horribly if I joined you for dinner? None of the others from the Groom's delegation are here yet."
Max took a second to consider the man's words and noticed that he mentioned the groom, so he must be at the resort for one of the wedding parties.
"Of course, please do join us, Duke Luigi. It would be our honor." Nico nodded, avoiding a smile, since she knew hers didn't look quite right yet.
The intervention of the Duke was enough to quiet the Lesser Nobles. None of them wanted that level of trouble, even if they were up for a verbal sparring match with the military-aligned pair.
"Will you be attending all the parties, or just the one that will be held here? Now that you've become the face of Kepler's latest news campaign, I understand that you might not want to go to all of the public events." Duke Luigi asked.
"We were at the announcement, so I think just this one should be fine, though we did receive an invitation from the young couple to attend them all." Max shrugged, making the others nearby look shocked.
"That's probably not going to work out though. This is the first event, and after seeing you again they aren't going to let you escape so easily." Nico teased him.
"She has a point, Lady Chen speaks very highly of you both." A female voice joined the conversation from somewhere behind Max.
She looked vaguely familiar from the party on the Station, but Max couldn't immediately place her.
"I believe you have met Madam Aria. The younger daughter of Viscount Aria works as a personal guard for the Chen family." Duke Luigi introduced them and Max finally put the pieces together. She was one half of the stern-faced maid pair that followed the young couple around.
The hotel staff brought out their meals and the conversation turned to the upcoming day's plans. Most of the Nobles were doing the forest walk, exploring the unique local plants for the morning. A few were planning on sports outings or the caverns, but those ones were all doing them in the opposite direction that Max and his group were, so that they didn't have to scale the cliffs to get to them.
Instead, they would take a second, shorter cavern back to the bottom of the hill and return to the hotel. It was much more of a lazy outing for sightseeing, instead of a physical workout like the cliffs were.
Of course, only about half even planned to exit the resort compound. Walking in the tropical heat wasn't for everyone, many preferred to just lounge around the pool or the spa facilities, maximizing their relaxation with zero physical activity.
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By the time they escaped the chatty Nobles, it was well after dark, and the Military crew had plans for first thing in the morning. They had been assured that the facilities would be all but abandoned at that time of day, despite it being early enough to escape the heat. Most patrons wouldn't be up for hours after they left, the Nobles assured Max.
The resort's patrons were usually carefully curated, to appeal to the highest of standards and not embarrass the resort's reputation. Just getting them to accept the random winners of a Tournament had been a struggle for the organizers, requiring intervention by the Chen family themselves.
They had gotten lucky, and the winning crew was fairly respectable, without any slovenly sorts or truly repugnant faces in the mix. With the data net being Kepler-wide, the competition for famous streamers was very intense, and the slightest flaw was often enough to end the career of an up-and-coming star. Even the lone adult entertainer in the group of victorious competitors was a well-known entertainment feature at a certain sort of Noble parties and blended in well with the crowd.
She was a bit upset that they prohibited her from filming adult scenes in recognizable areas of the hotel, but Max suspected that she might still find a few friendly faces in the recreation areas.
When they arrived back at the room the first thing they both did was strip down and go for a shower, removing the scent of pool water from their skin and replacing it with the gently scented body washes that the hotel provided.
Once they were both clean, Max looked at the bed in silent trepidation. The temperature control in the room was incredible, but he slept better if he had some outside ventilation. The problem was that opening a door would make it too hot in the room to comfortably sleep.
"Hey Nico, you can alter your shell temperature, right?" Max asked, getting a brilliant idea.
"Of course, it's a standard feature of all military cyborg conversions," Nico answered, not understanding where he was going with this.
"So, if you dropped your outer temperature down to a pleasant eighteen degrees Celcius, you would be perfectly soft and cool to sleep on, right?"
Max's suggestion made Nico smirk. "I knew you secretly loved to cuddle. I will set my shell temperature and you tell me how it works out for you."
Max woke up the next morning holding a cool and refreshing pillow in his arms. But it was really heavy. For a moment he thought it was some sort of weighted blanket gimmick sleep aid, but then his brain fully engaged and he realized that the weight was because it was Nico that he was wrapped around.
Her body held the perfect temperature all night, keeping it pleasantly cool under the comforter, even with the door open, letting the warm night air into the room.
"We should do this every night. I don't think I've slept that well in, well ever to be honest." Max sighed, shifting to release Nico from his grasp.
They had thirty minutes before they had planned to be at breakfast, so he reluctantly got out of bed and went looking through his clothes for something appropriate.
That led him to another missing point of information from his youth. Max had even less idea what you wore to go rock climbing and wilderness hiking than he did about what constituted beach wear. But that was what the Materials Printer was for.
[One Comor Resort custom Rock Adventure outing set printing] The machine chirped happily, creating him a pair of stretchy shorts, a light blue shirt that hugged his body, and a pair of strange shoes with stiff toes and low-cut socks.
If the resort said that was what you wore to go to the rock wall, that was what Max was going to wear. Surely they wouldn't steer him wrong?
"What are you dressed as today? Pro Climber cosplay?" Nico chuckled when she saw him getting dressed.
"It's what the Materials Printer said was correct." Max pointed out in his defense.
"And it wasn't wrong, but you forgot to choose casual as an option. You look like you're headed to some professional competition, not a casual day trip with your friends.
"Fine then smartass, what would you pick?" Max asked.
"First, pick normal shoes for the walk. I will pack the climbing ones in a backpack with snacks and drinks. Next, those shorts are very nice, but in an 'admire your package' sort of way. Put on these light pants with the big pockets from the casual wear shoot. There are probably going to be bugs in the woods early in the morning." Nico suggested, not following her own advice at all.
She wore sensible walking shoes, but with Capri cut exercise tights and a loose shirt over a sports bra. Max was just about to chastise her for it when he realized that it didn't matter what she wore, she was immune to insects bites from anything that wasn't large enough to be fatal to humans.
Plus, she looked really good in that, and it would be a shame to ask her to change.
Max was certain that hanging out with Nico all the time was going to ruin him for women later in life. Humans had imperfections, marks, plus various odors and wrinkles, but a Cyborg's Body was absolutely flawless, like a retouched photo or a doll. She seemed to know it too, but it was hard to tell because Nico had never been body shy.
"We should hit the gym later too. A little walk isn't much of a workout, and the procedures manual says I'm supposed to keep up my routine so that I more fully integrate with my cybernetics." Nico suggested, taking Max's hand to lead him out of the room.
"I'm sure they have something for us. A resort this fancy surely gets its share of fitness buffs." Max agreed, looking forward to a workout himself. He could likely draw Catan and Breckenridge in as well. The whole unit was used to training daily, so a trip to the gym after a week off might be welcome.
The couple was already in line for the restaurant when Max and Nico arrived. They were indeed much earlier than the usual time for guests, and the overnight table settings were being changed for a more colorful morning setting, which led to a ten-minute delay before the early rising breakfast diners could be seated.
They kept to a fairly light breakfast, and a packed lunch. The hotel offered a porter to go with them to carry their bags or an arranged lunch at one of the stops, but the group was more interested in wandering about than keeping any sort of schedule.
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The hike out to the cliff face wasn't as long as Max was expecting, only five kilometers.
By the standards of those without Systems, it might be a long trip, but it was an easy jog for the four soldiers, and they made it in under fifteen minutes without breaking a sweat. The staff working the safety ropes around the climbing hill were somewhat surprised to see them so early, but they weren't the only outdoor enthusiasts at the resort, so the equipment had already been checked for the day and was ready to go when they arrived.
There were four basic lines up the cliff, plus one hiking path that made a long loop to the top, and a secondary short cave system that led out near the base of the cliff.
Two were of moderate difficulty, one could almost be walked up by those with decent agility, and the last had multiple overhangs and nearly smooth sections.
All four sets of eyes went to the fourth route at the same time, and Max sighed. "I hate to do this, but I'm pulling rank. I'm the senior officer, so I'm going first."
That made the others laugh, as well as brought a smile to the faces of the staff. Nobody likes to wait in line, but if they are all military, they will at least have a system worked out to decide these things.
"I will take the route beside it. A lot of those handholds look fragile, and I don't want to damage the cliff face." Nico decided though she was not much heavier than many of the overweight climbers that attempted the route and were essentially hauled to the top by their harness so that they could say they completed it.
The third route was up a small box crevasse, an easy route for Nico, whose legs never got tired of holding her body weight at awkward angles.
Looking down at Captain Catan's face as he reached the top of the cliff, Max realized that he had made a tactical error. He should have been the gentleman and let the ladies go up first. Though, the view from up here wasn't that bad either.
Nico didn't take long to reach the top, thanks to a body that didn't get tired or sweat under stress while trying to hold onto small ridges in the cliff face, but Lieutenant Breckenridge took nearly thirty minutes to reach the peak of the route.
The resort had expected this though, and most of their climbers took over an hour since the planet was mostly visited by Civilians, so they had set up a shower station at the top, with spring water pumped to a barrel for a natural cold shower, perfect for washing away the sweat of a long climb.
Once they were thoroughly refreshed, Max led the group into the caverns. There were formed from water runoff through the limestone, giving the caverns a smooth surface with stalactites that had grown into full-height pillars in many spots. The crystallized minerals made for a rainbow of colors, but the most incredible part of the entire experience were the plants. Flowers bloomed in every possible color combination, and a variety of shining scales flashed through the air as the small fish that served as their pollinators jumped between the petals, pulling down pollen to serve as their food source.
"I have never even heard of something like this before." Breckenridge sighed, watching the fish flash through the air.
"I believe they only exist here, on Comor. From the records that could be compiled, the original settlers found the one-in-a-million worlds jackpot here. A planet with existing life that was suitable for human habitation. They only had to modify it a little to grow crops that they could eat, and most of the planet was left intact." Max explained while Catan spent more time looking at Breckenridge than the caverns.
As they got further underground and away from the light, the cavern changed, turning from flowers to luminescent fungus. The glow served the same purpose as the brightly colored flowers, attracting the jumping fish to spread their spores around the cave.
They could see that there were warning signs of safe spots if a sudden rain came through, so the Cavern must flood to some degree, helping the plant life spread through the entire system, but there was no call for rain in the forecast over the next few days.
Though two kilometers was enormous for a cave system, and they were moving at a relative crawl so they could truly appreciate the scenery, the trip was over much too soon for Max's liking. He was tempted to suggest they go back and use the exit that led to the base of the cliff face, but Nico had seen another attraction on the chart that he had somehow missed.
The Security training Kennels were not far from this exit, set into the woods where they wouldn't detract from the natural beauty of the resort.
It was rare for the others to see her that worked up about anything, so there were no objections as she led them down a side trail away from civilization, stopping only when the security guards ordered them to.
"Guests, this is an unsecured area, please return to the main resort attractions." A man with a half-grown flying wolf beside him asked politely.
"Ten minutes with the puppy and I won't give you any more trouble." Nico counteroffered, making the guard sigh.
"We get your sort a few times a year. Not afraid of anything, not even wolves three times your size. But fortunately, we have just the thing. A few of the failed candidates were too friendly and have become mostly domesticated. They have been trained not to bite, so they are safe to interact with. Give me a moment and I will bring one out." The guard informed them.
Nico looked a bit disappointed that it wouldn't be a guard dog or a wild wolf, but Breckenridge was quickly building up to a full frenzy after seeing the pup in training. They had searched the plane when it landed, but the passengers couldn't see them, and the commercial flights went through a more intensive technological screening than the private craft did.
A golden-winged wolf with a big happy smile on its face and a long blue tongue hanging out bounded up to them a few minutes later, nuzzling against Nico and leaving a huge slobber trail up the side of Catan's face.
"I see why this one was not suited to be a guard dog." Max laughed as the other three played with the pup.
"I've got a ball if you want to play fetch with it. Just be sure to dodge the return, because he likes to tackle people." The handler chuckled, handing Max a bright red oblong ball that drew the wolf's instant attention.
By the time they were done playing they had definitely missed lunch, and the snacks they had packed were long gone, but the guards were kind enough to offer them a lift back to the resort.
"No need. Exercise is good for these lumps. We're all from the same Special Tactics Unit, and we've already been on vacation for a week. A proper workout is in order." Max dismissed the guard's concern and looked back to the resort, now some ten kilometers in the distance.
"Last one back to the hotel wears their partner's choice of outfit to dinner." Max joked, then took off at a run.
He and Breckenridge should have this, Max was certain. As long as the Corvette Class Pilot didn't get tired, she should be able to beat Catan in a foot race with relative ease.
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At dinner, a Casually dressed Breckenridge led Catan in a full tuxedo, while Max, in jeans and a polo shirt, led Nico in a ballgown to the main dining hall, where they had reserved a window seat for the evening. They passed a number of nobles who gave them amused looks, understanding right away that the outfits were a result of a bet. It was a fancy resort, but a ballgown and a tuxedo for dinner were a bit much.
They had just gotten seated when a small boy's voice chirped from across the restaurant. "Lord General look, the mecha lady is so pretty today."
Imperial Prince Wushu was at a table in the far corner with a group of Cygnus nobles, including the Duke who had sat with Max and Nico yesterday at dinner. The boy was waving furiously and standing in his seat, trying to get their attention. Lord General Kirkland was doing his best to get the boy to sit down, but he wasn't having it until he got to talk to the friends he had made on the space station.
"I will be back in a moment. I'll settle him for dinner, but I suspect we will be busy all evening." Nico joked.
With an elegant swish of her dress, Nico rose to her feet and seemed to glide her way across the floor, the floor-length skirt of her gown barely making a ripple as she moved. Max was sure it was a trick of her leg movement, but it made her look somewhat like a fairy, floating across the room.
"Lady Tarith, it is a pleasure to see you again." Lord General Kirkland greeted her, as Nico grabbed the young prince into her arms and gave him a spin.
"The pleasure is all mine. I'm guessing that you have arrived early for tomorrow's wedding celebrations, so I won't keep you too long. I just had to come over and say hello to the lovely young groom here and ask where his blushing bride was hiding." She told the General, who gave her a smile in return.
"She has been somewhat delayed. She locked herself in her Uncle Lu's lab today so she could play with the mecha trainers, and it took over an hour for security to get her out. She should be here soon, the staff was told to bring her straight to dinner when she arrived, and then she is grounded for the rest of the night." Prince Wushu whispered to Nico, not wanting the tables around them to know.
The memory made everyone around the table laugh. A little girl locked Chen Family security out of a secure lab? Not likely. But the chances that Uncle Lu refused to answer the door until they were finished playing? That was very likely, if not the only logical answer.
"Bring her to say hello after the meal if you have a chance. If not, we will see you both tomorrow at the celebration." Nico replied with a nod and a curtsey before returning to her table.
That was enough to settle the young Prince down for a little while so he would eat, and a round of the dinner special was brought to Max's table along with a bottle of wine and a small vial of something Max didn't recognize.
"Energy supplements, for the Cybernetically Enhanced. A new development of the Chen Family from right here on Comor." The server informed them with pride.
Oh, those things. Uncle Lu was a big fan and had them try them out already, assuming these were the same ones and he didn't feed them experimental drugs the last time.
"Thank you, that is greatly appreciated," Nico responded, managing a proper smile this time.
Max knew that her System was altering her body, but the speed that she was adapting to facial expressions was incredible. Many Cyborgs take over a year to produce expressions that convey an actual emotion and don't just look artificial. Some never manage to do it at all. Even those who get organic augmentations will normally struggle with their new appendages and facial features for a few months.
It's not a design issue, at least not that Max knows of. It's that the brain doesn't recognize it as the original body part and therefore has no muscle memory for it and has to learn to use the perfectly functional appendage all over again. The same thing often happens to people like Dave, if they can get the money for reconstructive surgery that will let them walk again.
That was something that Max was eagerly waiting to do. The veteran had raised him better than his own parents had, and now that Max had Military Credits, they could be transferred to Dave's veteran account for the surgery. The problem was going to be convincing the military medical system that he was a high enough priority to be granted access to the advanced medical procedures.
Max could try to go through the civilian system, but that was a mess on Kepler Terminus. Over half of the population were veterans or government workers, and most of those who weren't were slum dwellers with no system and low-paying jobs. That meant that places like the Gray Market clinic where Max was born made up most of the private system, and they didn't have clearance for the sort of gene therapy needed to undo the damage from the chemical weapon attack and heal Dave's body.
It was a hard lesson to learn as a child in this life. Just because something existed, didn't mean that everyone would be given access to it. Your contribution to society determined society's contribution to you.
But Max was getting sidetracked, and only just managed to pull himself back to the real world in time to keep track of the conversation. That hadn't happened to him in a while, and usually only happened when he was about to regain memories or was thinking of something that was forcibly repressed.
Could he actually know something about gene therapy? He didn't recall it existing in his last life, and he certainly wasn't a doctor. He would have to try again later and see if there were other thoughts that triggered the experience.
The young Lady Chen never did make it to dinner. An argument with her watcher led to her having dinner in her room and only the promise of getting to see everyone at breakfast averted a full-blown meltdown. It was a bit of a disappointment, the kids were an amusing pair, but everyone had a long day today and was ready to get some sleep early in the evening to prepare for tomorrow's festivities.
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Young Lady Chen had begun sending messages even before the sun came up the next morning, bemoaning her confinement and making sure she wouldn't be having breakfast alone.
There was no fear of that. With all the guests for her party here she wouldn't get a calm moment all day unless she went to hide in her room.
Catan and Breckenridge had been warned about the day's event and planned to stay away from the popular areas for the day. Neither was a big fan of crowds, especially crowds of the filthy rich and their groupies.
Instead, they had ordered room service and then planned to go to the Grav Ball arena for the morning.
"Should we do matching outfits?" Nico asked, holding up a dark gray button-down shirt from Max's luggage.
"Might as well. You know they are going to make us take photos again, possibly even more than usual, since this is a public venue. If you thought the Nobles were obnoxious, wait until the streamers and influencers get a chance to be seen with the Ruling Family." Max grumbled.
Nico chose a black kimono with a gray sash and Max wondered where these outfits kept coming from. It was possible she was custom ordering them every morning, but that seemed excessive even for her. She really did seem fond of the local fashion though.
Max looked into her thoughts to see what she was planning to do for the more formal afternoon outfit, but she was busy contemplating how many more places this outfit had to hide weapons than a regular dress.
She had a point, the regular ballgown had no good hiding spots, this style had layers that folded at the front and a wide sash to tuck things in.
Being a full conversion Cyborg, using a metal detector on her was pointless, so she only had to hide them from a pat down.
Not that she would actually need a weapon against anyone here, but it seemed to relax her.
The hallway was packed with guests this morning when they left their room to go for breakfast. The Lord General was saving them a seat at the young couple's request, so they didn't have to worry about finding somewhere to sit, but the restaurant was packed and there was a rather long line to get in.
The word that the highest nobles on the planet were present in the restaurant had spread and everyone who wanted to curry favor had rushed down.
"Names for the list please." The host greeted Max when he got to the door.
"Sir Max and Lady Tarith, with the group of the Lord General Kirkland," Max told him politely and the host gestured inside.
"This way Sir. Your companions have already arrived." Dozens of jealous eyes glared at them as they were escorted inside immediately, headed for a private room in the back.
The large table would seat thirty when full, but only a dozen had arrived so far. The room felt rather empty with so few people, but shockingly, the Lord General actually had a date this morning, a frigid looking older woman who had brought her own attendant, a younger man who was standing against the wall waiting to be called on.
The two maids who were assigned to the young couple were against the far wall, watching everyone who entered, while the couple themselves were fidgeting in their seats waiting for everyone to arrive.
"The Majors are here, come sit and tell us a story." Prince Wushu called happily when he noticed Max enter.
"I know just the one for you. It's the story of a brave hero named Roger, a first-year academy student who held a Plasma Cannon emplacement against a thousand giant Narsians until reinforcements could arrive." Max began and a lot of the Nobles looked uncomfortable.
But Max knew his audience well, and the lengthy and highly embellished story of a young Cadet who took a Line Mecha out for the first time and became a hero was a huge hit.
"I heard one of the officers talking about the Ghost of Sigmund Uranium Swamp, do you know that one?" Prince Wushu asked, making Max laugh and Nico turn away to hide her face.
"That one isn't a breakfast story. Ghost stories are supposed to be saved for late nights, not early mornings." Max managed to disagree, but not without a smile on his face.
"So you do know it. It must be a good one, but nobody will tell me. Is it a horror story?" The boy asked innocently.
"A very scary one, but it has a happy ending," Nico told him with a wink, making him giggle.
More people had come in during Max's story and it was finally time to eat. Max took his seat next to General Kirkland and his date, the frigid woman who turned out to be the Dutchess Kirkland, Lord General Kirkland's little sister.
They had nothing at all in common, either in appearance or temperament, but the Dutchess informed Max that they shared the same father, though their mothers were different wives, of which he had four.
"Will you retire and have lots of wives, Sir Max? The news says you're a hero and that's what heroes do, right?" Prince Wushu asked while the young Lady Chen gave him a look that promised pain at the end of this line of questions.
"I'll tell you a secret. If you have more than one wife, they will join together to pick on you. It's better to make one wife really happy so she doesn't bully you." Nico whispered to him, just loud enough for those in the seats nearby to hear.
"Lady Tarith is really smart. I don't want to be bullied." He nodded, taking her advice as gospel truth, while the Nobles hid their amusement.
Breakfast was brought out, and the itinerary of the day's events was reviewed. It was mostly just two events: A Garden Party, and an evening masquerade ball.
Both could accommodate the entire population of the hotel, and the staff was prepared for exactly that since everyone loved a good party here.
"Uncle Lu can't come to the Garden Party, but he wants to see you both later." Young Lady Chen whispered as they prepared to leave the private room.
It must be Mecha related. She did get grounded for being late because she was in his lab, and that was probably the last time they talked, knowing how obsessed the man was with his work.
As they walked out of the dining room, dozens of cameras were rolling and the streamers had done their intros quietly in advance of meeting the couple who were the talk of the planet today. Everything was set and ready for the highlight of their morning stream, showing off that they were at a restaurant frequented by planetary rulers.
The high society guests were giving their tackiness disgusted looks, but the shock on all the social media stars' faces when the couple came out happily chatting with Nico and Max, along with Lord General and Dutchess Kirkland, who none of the streamers recognized, was sweet justice to the Nobles.
Dozens of perfectly tanned and manicured stars panicked, unable to introduce the two couples escorting the bride and groom. Even the young couple's parents had moved away a step, enjoying the chaos they caused among the commoners.
These events were usually very stuffy and formal, with thousands of people sucking up to them, so the chance to play a joke at everyone else's expense was a rare luxury.
It didn't take long to get Dutchess Kirkland to open up once they were on the move, though she was very introverted and hid her social anxiety behind her icy demeanor. The secret ended up being storytelling. The Dutchess loved reading and had amassed an enormous library at her home that the kids would be able to access once they got back to Cygnus since she lived in the same city as Prince Wushu.
She also had adopted a dozen large exotic cats, which made an instant friend of Nico, lover of all things furry and deadly.
It was a slow walk out to the Garden, constantly stopping to wave at people while pretending that this was somehow a normal situation, but it was a very comfortable conversation, now that they realized that they all had enough in common to hold one.
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Max was in the middle of the garden party, enjoying the shade of a large tea tree when his wrist device started beeping urgently, sending a string of notifications.
As unit Commander, he was notified separately of every transfer, and his entire Special Tactics Unit had just been reassigned. Most were going to Special Forces units in the Noctem Regiment, some had been moved to lead other squads, while Ari, Paul, and Vincente had been rewarded with Heavy Mecha wings of their own and an official commendation, which would give them extra benefits at retirement as well as being considered earlier for advancement.
He quickly silenced his watch, but the military alert ring tone was unmistakable. Many of the guests around him were giving him sympathetic looks, knowing that his vacation had just come to a crashing halt.
Nico had also received the alerts as his executive officer, and the guests around her looked absolutely stunned. None of them had realized that she was a soldier, they all thought she was a civilian noble by the way she mingled with high society.
"My apologies, you know how it can be, contacted any time of the day or night. If you'll excuse us, I will borrow Major Max for a moment and return once we have sorted these notifications." Nico told the crowd, before smoothly maneuvering Max away.
You can't just read confidential military dispatches in public, so they would need to go back to their room to see what all had come through and if there were any issues with the orders. Catan and Breckenridge should have gotten notices as well.
Back in their room, Max scanned through the orders, checking for errors and transfers that might cause issues, like breaking up a well-bonded wing.
Some of that was inevitable since some of the Pilots are going to light mecha units for Command experience, but it is better if obvious errors are caught now and not after the Pilots are at a new unit.
"You know what I don't see in any of these orders?" Nico asked as Max worked.
"A demotion?" Max answered, noticing everyone had been promoted or given a commendation and nobody that had a leadership position had lost it in the transfer.
"That too. But what I meant was our names. There is no order for either of us in this group of orders." Nico pointed out, making Max double-check the messages.
"So what are we? A unit of two? I hope this doesn't mean we have to train a whole new Special Tactics Unit." Max sighed.
Nico gave a noncommittal shrug. "I don't know yet. But the other two have 72 hours to return to the station, and we don't have any orders yet."
"If we don't have any orders we might as well head back down to the party before the kids miss us. They will want to know all about what the message was though, so be prepared for twenty questions." Max suggested.
"You're forgetting one thing. The garden party is about to end, and then it is a masquerade ball. Give it an hour to shower and change and we should be right on time for the evening festivities. The hotel is going to be bringing up outfits for everyone attending so that the clothing isn't an immediate giveaway of everyone's identity."
Not that it would matter for the two of them. Not many Kepler women were as short as Nico, and not many civilian men were as broad-shouldered and blonde as Max, thanks to the military grabbing everyone with half-decent system compatibility. There were sure to be more blonde men, some of them bleached blonde, but Max wasn't an easy person to miss in a crowd.
He was just about to get into the shower when a sudden and frantic pounding on the door startled him. They had everything that they could need, who would be so excited at this time of day?
The answer was, of course, Catan and Breckenridge. They had both been transferred to the same Special Forces unit, with Captain Catan getting a promotion to Major and command of the Infantry section of the force.
"Majors, thank goodness we caught you. We will have to leave tomorrow if we are going to get back to the Comor Station on time using commercial flights, and I was worried that we would miss you at the ball this evening. Since we're shipping out, we decided to come along and celebrate for one last night." Captain, or rather Major Catan greeted them the moment Nico opened the door.
"It was good to see that you both got a great posting within the Noctem Regiment. Not only do you get to keep your status as special operators, but you will also be around a lot of people you already know." Nico answered, and Breckenridge nodded.
"About a quarter of the unit's mecha and almost all the infantry ended up with us. From the look of it, the Special Forces unit is much larger than our Special Operations unit was, with a full hundred pilot wing of Corvette Class Mecha. They're standard patterns though, and it will be a sad day to transfer out of the Comor Pattern. The seats are so much more comfortable." The Lieutenant laughed, thinking back to her time in a Line Mecha, which was not only sparsely decorated but also cramped.
"There is still hope. Abraham Kepler is in for a refit and restocking here on Comor, and they don't make standard pattern Corvettes here. You might still get to keep your baby." Max reminded her.
"We can only hope. Those upgraded Mecha were a godsend for my men as well." Catan agreed, then turned to his two former Commanding officers.
"So, where did you both end up? In the Politburo doing propaganda videos and hanging out with political officers all day long?" The infantryman joked.
"No orders for us yet. Everyone in the unit was transferred, so there is a possibility that while you lot are making up for lost Command Assets, we will be training a whole new unit from scratch." Max sighed, not looking forward to it.
"Be positive. It would still be better than being stuck with politicians all day." Breckenridge smiled, then looked at her watch and panicked.
"Sorry, I have to go, there's only an hour to get ready for the masquerade ball and I haven't even showered or shaved yet." She called as she ran across the hall and into her own room again.
"Best of luck to you in the future. I hope we can see you in the morning before we fly out, but if we don't, be safe and do the Emperor proud." With his farewells said, Catan headed back into the room as well to get ready for the evening's festivities.
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For the evening festivities, Max was given a black pinstripe suit with a light gray vest and tie and a black shirt. Paired with a golden metallic mask that covered his upper face, he was ready to go.
When he finished dressing, Max heard a laugh from the washroom where Nico was doing her makeup and getting ready. While Max expected it to be a short burst of amusement, the laughing just continued, making him more and more curious about what they might have assigned Nico as an outfit that would bring this level of amusement.
She came out a few minutes later in a light blue princess dress, with a matching feathered mask and a white gossamer shawl. Without the mask, it was an exact replica of the dress worn by a famous children's movie character.
Nico gave him a twirl as she entered the room and giggled. "I think they made a mistake, but I am totally wearing this outfit."
Max smiled at her enthusiasm, watching her twirl around the room. "Given who it is in honor of, the theme might be Prince and Princess."
"Well then, we should get going. I'm sure that a certain little Princess is eagerly waiting for her guests to come and tell her war stories."
The hotel's halls were filled with men in matching suits and a wide variety of Princesses as Max made his way to the patio where the ball was being held. Fairy lights were hung in every hallway on the main floor, and the walls had holograms of a stone castle activated over them to add to the ambiance.
The whole patio has been transformed into a replica of the Kepler Imperial Palace, a grand stone edifice said to have been carved from an entire mountain thousands of years ago.
It had been rebuilt and renovated numerous times since then, and the true origins were lost to time, but the annual address from the railing of the patio overlooking the gardens, the patio that this event was designed to mimic, was a well-known sight to all Kepler citizens.
A rather stiff and uncomfortable-looking muscular Prince caught Nico's attention and she began to drag Max across the courtyard to where Catan was standing by the wall, overwhelmed by the opulence of his surroundings.
He had been able to deal with his nerves around such luxury when it was just a grand place full of wealthy people, but the Royal theme was too much for him to take in all at once.
A waltz was playing from hidden speakers while the crowd mingled and laughed, so Max danced his way to the infantry officer with Nico in his arms, making the best of the situation to have a bit of fun.
Catan recognized them in an instant, being such a distinctive pair, and the sight brought Breckenridge back with a small plate of snacks in her hand.
"If you're feeling overwhelmed, just remember that on a normal day, half these guests look up to you as a hero of the Kepler Empire," Max whispered to Catan, who gave him a wry smile.
"I don't feel much like a hero." He answered, shaking his head.
"That's how you know it's true." Max shrugged, thinking of everything they had been through together.
Cameras were strictly forbidden at this event so that everyone could just unwind and relax without fear of ending up on a video stream or in the news, and the crowd was taking full advantage of that fact.
By the time it got dark and the fireworks that were to be a highlight of the evening began, most of the crowd was plenty drunk, the dancing had become much more lively and the young couple was clearly exhausted.
But the fireworks were amazing. Though this was only one of a half dozen events and it was organized for a lesser member of the Royal Family, this was a Cygnus Royal Wedding celebration after all, and no expense was spared.
The entire region of the planet was closed to air traffic for the show, which was sent in multiple layers, both close to the ground for the sound effects and high into the atmosphere to be seen from hundreds of kilometers away.
The spectacular show would take over most of the local news cycle the next day, while the broadcasters wished the daughter of the Chen Family a happy future in Cygnus.
Max was just about to head to his room and order a late meal to help absorb some of the wine he had gone through tonight when a familiar head of disheveled gray hair came jogging his way.
"Good evening Uncle Lu. Sorry that I didn't get a chance to speak to you tonight, your family seemed a bit protective." Max greeted the old scientist.
"You would think I planned to abduct my own great niece the way they kept her guarded. I only managed to sneak her my parting gift ten minutes ago. But I actually came over looking for you today. I have a document to give you and Major Nico, eyes only sort of thing." Uncle Lu informed him.
"I thought this might be coming. The rest of my unit got their orders this afternoon." Max told him, gesturing inside the hotel.
"Shall we?"
Uncle Lu shook his head. "Not yet. I ordered meat pies for the alcohol, and we're not done dancing yet. You can take the business messages in the morning."
The old man took Nico's hand and placed Max's in the hand of an unfamiliar young woman in a pink princess dress. Definitely not a noble, going by the way she blushed as Max held her hand to lead her to the dance floor, so either a random guest or one of Uncle Lu's researchers.
Once he reached the floor, Max found it nearly impossible to leave. Every Auntie wanted a dance, and there were drinks and meat pies, and some sort of samosa with a vegetable filling and a surprisingly mild spice.
Too much spice or sugar was hard on drunken stomachs, so the evening selections were toned down to keep the guests partying until dawn, despite the fact the guests of honor fell asleep before midnight and were carried away by the Nannies.
The next morning Max woke up wrapped around the cool shell of Nico, with a pounding headache and a wrist device beeping with constant messages from the unit as they departed for their new deployments.
It was a touching gesture, and he would have appreciated it much more if he had turned the notification volume down in advance.
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Max was still grumbling about the noise of the notifications when a cold hand under the blankets slapped him on the backside.
"Get up and read your messages so that we can go to breakfast, or lunch since it's the middle of the afternoon. We transfer out tonight." Nico informed him, confirming Max's fear that they were being sent back to work early.
There were two messages waiting for him, other than the ones from the unit. One was the notice that Abraham Kepler's Warp Drive had a fault that required structural overhaul and would be in dry dock until further notice, with the units formerly aboard it being transferred to the Perseverance Eternal.
The second was the eyes-only message from Uncle Lu.
[Major Keres Max
You are hereby relieved of Command of the Stalwart Special Tactics Unit with full honors and transferred to the Strategic Development Department for duty in the Mecha Modernization Bureau under General Chen Lu.
This posting has been classified Vermilion, all documents will be eyes only outside of a secured facility.
Duty Status for Major Keres Max will officially be changed to 4F Unfit for Service due to injury, until such time as this posting is completed.
You are required to report to the Mecha Development Lab on Comor Prime within 24 hours of receiving this message.
– Central Command]
That was a bit more than Max was expecting. First, Uncle Lu isn't just an eccentric scientist designing oddball Mecha for the Comorian Conglomerate, he is the General in charge of modernizing the entire Kepler mechanized force.
Second, the project is so classified that the Department doesn't officially exist and all the members are listed as retired from duty.
Third, this resort planet is actually the single most important strategic asset in the entire Empire, and not a single soul knows it, outside of the lab. No wonder the old man can't go anywhere without guards and the security team couldn't get into his lab to get Lady Chen out.
Vermilion access was a subcategory of Top Secret, an unofficial level of classified where all documents would delete after being accessed and used biometric encryption. Both the device and the intended user needed to match to decrypt them, and if anything went wrong, they simply scrambled the message and then self-destructed with a malicious virus.
It was a level of security not even used for major military operations, but Max would be living under it 24/7 for the foreseeable future.
Nico was right, he needed a full stomach to digest this news. And a drink, he definitely needed another drink.
Uncle Lu, or General Chen Lu as Max now knew him to be, was waiting on the patio by the infinity pool when Nico led Max out to eat. The area was deserted today, since the bright light hurt everyone's eyes after a long night of drinking and celebration, leaving the old man sitting alone in his lab coat over a casual suit.
"Good to see you. I thought I'd give you an update on this evening's tour of the museum. The dress code is casual, with no need for uniforms or fancy clothes. I'll have your belongings sent to your apartment, so no need to worry about anything.
I'm sure you'll love the place, it's an outer unit, so it looks out of the dome directly from your window." Uncle Lu's casual conversation did an excellent job of hiding the true nature of their conversation, but Max did wonder where exactly he would be living.
"Thank you for your consideration. I'm sure the museum will be an incredible experience. I've heard all about it." Nico answered, taking a seat beside Uncle Lu and signaling to the waitress to bring them drinks and the brunch special.
She used the single-handed sign language common among the deaf, but the staff seemed to know it well, and the order was ready before the waitress even got to the kitchen to place the order.
"I wasn't expecting to be hanging around quite this long, but I'm sure it won't be a terrible experience to remain here on Comor for a while," Max added, smiling at Uncle Lu.
"You will see, it is not bad at all. But enough about that, let's finish our meal so we can get going. We wouldn't want to miss our reservation." The General's face almost looked serious there for a second, and Max wondered if it was a crack in the mask, or if this laid-back attitude was his default setting.
"We can take my shuttle, it's waiting outside." Uncle Lu informed them as the meal finished.
He had already had the staff pack up all their belongings from the hotel room, and double-check to make sure they hadn't hidden any valuables so that nothing was left behind at the resort. The room itself had a convenient function for this, as every item in the room was digitally tracked, so when the sensors scanned the interior, it would tell them if any additional items remained in the suite.
It was a small high-tech luxury the hotel employed for their guests, but it proved invaluable many times in the past, finding fallen watches and earrings left behind when guests were about to check out. The guests could generally replace such things without any issue, but sometimes they held sentimental value that was worth far more than a few diamonds.
The Pilot and security guards were waiting at the shuttle when the three of them arrived to fly back to the lab, and their presence felt much more official now that Max knew that Uncle Lu was a General and not just some random member of the planet's ruling family.
The conversation was still just as casual on the flight to the lab though, talking of Mecha and design philosophy the entire time, exactly the same conversation they were having the last time they flew together. It was a relief to Max since Uncle Lu was now his commanding officer. Finding out that he was stuck up and strict once you were under his command would have totally ruined Max's image of him and would have made this assignment much less enjoyable.