The Mech Touch

After exchanging encrypted messages with Gloriana, Ves received a bunch of useful information.

First, he received an analysis of the Dyer Broslev Class. The Scarlet Rose just happened to be an upgraded version of the Dyer Broslev Class, so the information he received was very useful in increasing his understanding of his new ship.

The Hexers not only analyzed the Dyer Broslev Class in detail, but also documented all of the traps, safeguards and backup measures slipped into the various systems of the ship.

Though Ves managed to disarm many of them, he still missed a couple of hidden dangers, especially the ones embedded in the minor systems.

A sour expression faintly marred his face.

"Starships are way too complex."

If Ves was working with a mech, then he would have grasped it to a much greater degree! Even if it wasn't possible for him to master 100 of the ship, then he would have at least managed to understand 50 or 60 percent of its mechanisms!

In comparison, Ves felt he had only gained a selective understanding of the ship. He barely grasped 10 to 20 percent of the Scarlet Rose, but actually understood less than 5 percent of her workings!

The only reason why Ves managed to gain control of the mobile supply frigate was because no one else was left to contest his coup.

As long as the captain or a senior officer of the ship remained alive, they could have instantly taken back control over the core command systems!

The information provided by the Hexers specifically pointed out this well-hidden security risk. Though it only posed a threat when someone accessed the bridge, Ves still poured all of his efforts into closing this backdoor!

Aside from this useful information, Gloriana also passed on a modified route for him to navigate back to safety.

When Ves inspected the route, he found out that it actually consisted of several branches. If one destination wasn't safe for any reason, he could opt to travel to another star system instead.

Ves had to admit that this plan was very comprehensive. He wouldn't end up without direction when circumstances forced him to diverge from his primary route!

He could definitely tell that Calabast was responsible for forming this plan. Aside from suggesting various routes, the plan also highlighted opportunities to upgrade the ship or shake off pursuit.

Unfortunately, the plan did not mention anything about enlisting additional help along the way.

The Scarlet Rose was an empty castle without a competent crew. She was also defenseless as there weren't any ships and mechs to protect her against any possible threats!

Ves sorely missed the Avatars of Myth and the Battle Criers at this time! As long as he enjoyed their protection, he had much more confidence in sneaking back to safety!

Fortunately, the one saving grace was the Scarlet Rose's exceptional mobility.

As long as Ves disregarded the longevity of her propulsion system, his ship could easily outrun nearly any pursuers!

The fast cycling time of her FTL drive made it difficult for carriers and lower-quality vessels to keep up with her flight!

The original crew of the Scarlet Rose deserved a lot of credit for keeping the ship in excellent shape. Her FTL drive and her propulsion system were both in tip-top shape.

Though it was risky to overburden them, Ves didn't have to worry about wearing them out in a short amount of time.

Ships were built to endure, especially the more expensive ones like the Scarlet Rose. In ordinary cases, she should easily be able to maintain optimum performance for 50 years!

Overburdening the ship in any way would shorten this optimum state. The deterioration became even worse when there weren't any engineers on hand to mitigate the damage and perform immediate maintenance and repairs!

However, Ves didn't care about this at the moment. Though he already considered the ship as his possession, he clearly knew his priorities!

He should secure his own life and freedom first before chasing after other goals!

"If it's necessary to abandon the Scarlet Rose, I'll do it! I won't be able to cling to her anyway if my enemies manage to corner the ship!"

The plan already took these eventualities into account. Some of the star systems on his route were lightly populated.

The sparse settlements didn't attract a lot of traffic, thereby giving Ves plenty of opportunities to slip in and blend in the towns and cities.

As long as he waited for rescue or obtained passage on another ship, Ves could definitely resume his escape!

Of course, Ves did not wish to resort to this contingency plan. He was not a spy and did not feel confident in his ability to hijack another ship, especially when his opponents blockaded the planet!

According to his current plan, the Scarlet Rose had to pass through three different states in order to reach the Ylvaine Protectorate.

Right now, he resided in the Ordent Republic, a weak third-rate state that bordered the Friday Coalition.

Due to its small size and strong dependence on the Friday Coalition, the state did not possess a strong military heritage. The private sector outfits weren't very powerful either. None of them fought in any intensive battles or wars. Most of the fighting in this star system consisted of ritualized duels and restricted battles.

However, the annoying part about Ordent was that it maintained close ties with the Gauge Dynasty and Konsu Clan. The intelligence provided by Gloriana warned him that the Ordenters wouldn't hesitate to move in large numbers to hunt him down!

Once he passed through the Ordent Republic, Ves would cross into the Great Zona Republic.

Though its name sounded impressive, it wasn't actually stronger than the Bright Republic.

Different from Ordent, Zona experienced numerous wars, all of which ended in victory!

The reason why it adopted its current name was because the smaller Zona Republic managed to annex various neighboring states!

Though each of these states were small and weak, for Zona to become the ultimate victor of this territorial struggle spoke volumes about its military might!

In recent times, Zona abandoned its aggressive posture. While its militarists wanted to continue its string of victories, the internal stability of the state dropped significantly as it failed to digest its earlier conquests!

The Zonars were good at winning territories, but that didn't mean that they were good at keeping them! Their arrogant, tyrannical rule over their conquered territories evoked a lot of dissatisfaction, providing fertile ground to many hostile rebel groups!

Ves already knew how hard it was to fight against rebels. The Bentheim Liberation Movement and the Vesia Revolutionary Front managed to last for centuries despite enduring continuous persecution!

While it was almost impossible for these rebel groups to topple an entire state, they nonetheless turned into persistent dogs that continued to gnaw at the legs of the Great Zona Republic!

None of these rebel organizations should possess any special affection for the Friday Coalition.

Yet that did not mean that the enemy of his enemy was a friend!

The Scarlet Rose was an extremely valuable second-class ship! Any rebel group that managed to get their hands on her would be able to expand their spaceborn operations or sell her for a huge windfall!

The rebels couldn't be trusted! At best, Ves could take advantage of the pressure they exerted on the Zonars to slip between the cracks!

After crossing the Great Zona Republic, Ves would enter the Crecia Republic.

Bordering both the Star Faith Collective and the Ylvaine Protectorate, the Crecia Republic strongly resisted these religious influences by adopting a strong secular tradition.

This reminded him a lot of the Bright Republic.

Different from his home state, Crecia was a lot more centralized. The president held most of the power as there weren't any founding families or other legacy influences to divide power among themselves.

As a result, Crecia boasted very strong stability, which was bad news to Ves. The more chaotic the state, the easier it was to slip through its territories. A stable state like Crecia meant that it could easily muster up a lot of assets to cut off his escape routes!

"Well, whatever. I'll deal with this problem when I get to it." He shrugged. "I can only solve my problems step by step."

In total, Ves needed to cross through the territories of three republics, making him feel as if he was embarking on another odyssey!

The odds were against them. Ves was all alone with no one else but Lucky to keep him company.

He couldn't obtain any further help along the way. None of the mercenary corps and other possible sources of help could be trusted. They were much more liable to capture the Scarlet Rose and offer her back to the Friday Coalition in order to obtain rich rewards!

Ves grimaced. "The states in this region are all aligned with their big neighbor."

A second-rate state ordinarily didn't bother with taking over the poorer territories of third-rate states. That did not mean a more powerful state could ignore the riffraff entirely!

The former undeniably expanded their tentacles to the latter in order to prevent its enemies from doing the same!

As long as all of the third-rate states in the vicinity came under the influence of the Coalition, the Hexers wouldn't be able to infiltrate them and use them as a springboard to mess with their rivals!

The Ylvaine Protectorate happened to avoid getting swept up in the Coalition's influence due to several reasons.

First, throughout its history, the Protectorate isolated itself from the outside galaxy. It rejected any outside influences and continued to bury its head in the sand regardless of what went on outside its borders!

Second, the partners of the Coalition all consisted of secular powers. None of them possessed much enthusiasm in building ties with a religious culture they regarded as superstition.

Third, the Friday Coalition already built up influences in many other third-rate states. It was not a big deal to leave behind some gaps.

Even if the Hexadric Hegemony tentatively built some relationships with the Ylvaine Protectorate, the isolated state would never pose a threat to the Coalition's territorial supremacy!

This neglect gave Ves an opportunity to evade pursuit. As long as he crossed the border into the Ylvaine Protectorate, all of his other pursuers should think twice!

Perhaps in ordinary times, there was no reason to respect Ylvaine Protectorate's sovereignty.

However, the Komodo War made everything more sensitive!

Most states didn't actually want to forge a life-and-death bond with the Friday Coalition! If they betted on the wrong horse, the Hexers would surely make them pay for their hasty judgement!

Another complicating factor was the dazzling role played by the Deliverers.

While Ves didn't have the time to keep up with the news, what little he read suggested that the so-called Eye of Ylvaine became the latest sensation of the Sand War!

The Deliverers all performed well when piloted by Ylvainans. However, they seemed to perform the best in the hands of the Hunters of Ylvaine!

It was as if the Great Prophet started to concentrate his blessings on these chosen elites!

With the Ylvaine Protectorate expressing willingness to dispatch their Hunters of Ylvaine to foreign states, the Ylvainans gained a lot of appreciation!

If at this time some states conspired to attack the Ylvaine Protectorate, what would happen to its military assistance?

"Since I'm the designer of the Deliverer, other people should better harbor some scruples in pursuing me!" He reasoned.

Only the most committed lackeys of the Coalitions should pursue him wholeheartedly. As for others, his entanglement with the Ylvaine Protectorate and Hexadric Hegemony should definitely deter them from trying too hard in pissing him off!

"In these troubled times, it's best to stay neutral and let the big boys fight it out!"

After making this realization, Ves regained some hope. While his actual deterrence wasn't that great, as long as he leaned on his backers, he might be able to worm his way out of trouble!