The Larkinson fleet adopted a standard formation as it rested in one of the Langrange points close to Cinach VI.
Mechs that used to be on patrol began to fly back to their respective carriers now that the fleet was about to depart.
The former Hexer combat carriers formed an oval formation around the fleet. Their relatively tough exteriors made them suitable for these positions. While the combat carriers weren’t designed to serve as shields, they could play the role in an emergency.
This was necessary in order to protect the more fragile vessels clustered in the interior of the formation.
Various logistical ships, cargo ships and civilian ships could not withstand as much damage as the combat carriers. Even though the second-class vessels were more than capable of withstanding attacks from third-class mechs, it was a different story if second-class enemies emerged.
The Spirit of Bentheim occupied the center of the huge formation. Even though her defenses were far more comprehensive than that of the combat carriers, she was the heart and soul of the expeditionary fleet. The clan did not wish to risk any of her precious crew and production equipment.
In the past month, the Spirit of Bentheim underwent a profound transformation.
From the inside, many temporary Hexer crew members traveled back to the Hexadric Hegemony. Thousands of Larkinson spacers took their place.
Since the Spirit of Bentheim was the most crucial ship in the Larkinson fleet, only the most talented, experienced and knowledgeable ship officers and ratings received the honor of serving aboard her. Fleet Coordinator Ophelia Kronon even transferred a number of experienced specialists from other vessels in order to make sure the ship would fall under the control of the Larkinsons.
From the outside, the capital ship underwent a more drastic transformation!
The port and starboard side of the vessel proudly displayed her name in huge, white letters. Anyone who observed the red-coated vessel would not be able to mistake her identity!
Yet this was not the most drastic addition.
The huge, six-sided capital ship used to feature a rather standard-looking prow. The Hexer shipyard that built the Spirit of Bentheim did not deviate from the customized ship design that the Larkinsons and Hexers had agreed upon.
The prow of the factory ship used to resemble a normal-looking wedge. It was as if the shipbuilders affixed a giant ram on the front of the vessel.
Of course, the ram was absolutely not supposed to crash into other vessels. Even if the Spirit of Bentheim speared through the hull of another vessel, her internal structure simply couldn’t withstand the enormous stresses unleashed upon impact!
The only instance where ramming was a valid battle tactic was if the initiating side was prepared to sacrifice a ship!
For these reasons, the prows of starships did not have to be optimized for ramming.
Many sub-capital ships adopted an aerodynamic profile in order to facilitate atmospheric flight. Of course, the ships did not need to be perfectly streamlined as their immense propulsion and levitation power played a much greater role than any lift they could possibly generate.
This was why most starships eschewed wings.
In any case, the Spirit of Bentheim was not designed to land on a gravity well, so there was even less of a demand to make her aerodynamic.
This allowed the Larkinson Clan to spruce up the appearance of their first and only capital ship.
The Glory Seekers, Crossers and the other natives and observers in the Cinach System witnessed an astonishing sight.
A number of logistical vessels parked next to the Spirit of Bentheim and began to work on her prow.
Precious, pre-processed alloy appeared from the bellies of various cargo vessels. The installation crews took these giants blocks and support struts and carefully affixed them onto the front of the factory ship.
The true purpose of the V-shaped prow became evident now. The shape presented a very convenient platform for the alloys that the Larkinsons were piling up on the front of their flagship!
In the span of several weeks, more and more dazzling alloy surrounded the original prow. Not a hint of the red-shaped wedge was visible as the Larkinsons slowly formed a very distinct shape with the gold-coated alloy blocks.
It was only in the final days when the Spirit of Bentheim revealed her new prow!
Tons and tons of gold-coated Breyer alloy stood out starkly against the red-coated hull. Hardly anyone who observed the new vessel could believe that the Larkinsons were extravagant enough to employ so many tons of valuable alloy to decorate the front of their factory ship!
Breyer alloy was more resilient than the bulk plating that armored the rest of the capital ship’s hull. The Larkinson Clan pretty much emptied its entire reserve of this valuable and precious alloy in order to complete this vanity project!
The effect was obvious.
Both Larkinsons and outsiders couldn’t help but be impressed at the transformation. The Spirit of Bentheim gained a ferocious air as her prow displayed a magnificent representation of the Golden Cat’s head!
“Is that a lion?”
“It’s supposed to be a cat.”
“What? A housecat? Are you sure?”
Most outside observers mistakenly thought they were looking at a lion. Only the Larkinsons and those who were familiar with them knew that it was actually a cat!
No one understood the Larkinson Clan’s obsession with cats. Even its own allies considered it to be an eccentric quirk.
Only the Larkinsons themselves knew better. The Golden Cat was more than just their symbol and mascot. The ancestral spirit actually existed, and she was present in every Larkinson’s heart!
As Ves had concluded his speech, he gazed at a projection that showed off the Spirit of Bentheim’s gleaming golden prow. He felt inordinately pleased his flagship gained such a unique and eye-catching appearance!
“It’s too bad it’s not alive.” He muttered.
If he had his way, he would have turned the immense cat head into a giant totem dedicated to Goldie. However, there was no way to accomplish this unless Ves manually fabricated all of the alloy blocks by hand.
As far as he was aware of, only he possessed the capability to make spiritual energy-infused objects or totems. Unlike mechs which drew strength from his mech designs, totems did not enjoy this convenience.
Due to lack of time, he only fabricated a couple of alloy blocks in person. Their faint spiritual foundation wasn’t enough to support Goldie’s presence across the entire prow, but Ves hoped that might change one day.
The sound of heels approaching broke him from his reverie. A pleasant scent began to tickle his nose. He did not even have to turn around to recognize who walked up to his side.
“Hmph.” Gloriana adopted a skeptical expression. “I don’t know where you got so much Breyer alloy. If I knew you could obtain such quantities with ease, I would have insisted on using them on our mechs! Do you realize how many Valkyrie mechs we could have upgraded with this stellar material?”
“The effect of this prow is at least ten times more shocking than fielding a hundred Breyer alloy-clad mechs.” Ves retorted. “Don’t worry, Gloriana. I’ve already reserved enough Breyer alloy to clad the mechs of our expert pilots and expert candidates. That is sufficient for our purposes. Also, it is not as if the Bentheim’s upgraded prow is useless. Any mech who attacks our factory ship from the front will have a very hard time getting through all of that alloy!”
The two continued to argue a bit while their cats sat silently next to each other.
“Meow.” Lucky licked Clixie’s ear.
“Miaow.” The organic cat patted away the gem cat.
After a short time, a new projection appeared in front of the Miracle Couple. Major Verle saluted to Ves before issuing his report.
“Every ship in our expeditionary fleet is prepared to transition into FTL. We have just received word that the Glory Seeker fleet and the Crosser fleet are also prepared. The Barracuda and a number of other scout ships have already ventured ahead of us in order to give us advance warning of any irregularities at our emergence point.”
It was quite dangerous for a huge fleet to travel to other destinations in a huge gathering. In order to be safe, the Golden Skull Alliance already dispatched a number of fast and agile starships beforehand so that they could relay their observations back to the main fleet over the galactic net.
Of course, it was also dangerous for scout ships to travel too far ahead. As long as any enemies were watching out for a vessel like the Barracuda, then they could receive advance warning of where the main fleet of the Golden Skull Alliance would arrive next!
For this reason, the scout vessels only departed a few hours ahead of time. Right now, they were nowhere close to the first stop of the journey.
“Have we left anything important behind?” Ves asked.
The major shook his head. “All our clansmen are accounted for. We are ready to transition at your command.”
“Very well. Please commence our FTL drives. Our grand expedition starts here!”
Hundreds of starships began to spool their FTL drives. After several moments, they disappeared from the material realm at a predetermined order.
Combat vessels went first. Non-combat vessels went next. When the powerful Spirit of Bentheim warmed up one of her three heavy-duty FTL drives, Ves felt as if a very strong vibration ran throughout his body.
From the slightly-discomfited expressions of the bridge operators, he wasn’t the only person who felt this way.
A sensation that felt similar to a pop ran through everyone’s body as the immense capital ship finally transitioned into FTL!
The projections that displayed different views of the Cinach System instantly disappeared. Nothing came in its place as the visual appearance of higher-dimensional space technically didn’t make sense to human eyes.
A sense of hope and wonder swept over everyone aboard the Spirit of Bentheim. After so many months of preparation, they were finally setting off for the Red Ocean!
Ves and Gloriana left the bridge and returned to their grand stateroom. Both of them looked excited as they thought about what they might encounter.
“So.” Gloriana began as she held her cat. “Our first destination is the Life Research Association, right?”
“Correct. We need to beef up our biotech capabilities. I hope to hire a lot of doctors, geneticists, implant surgeons and exobiologists. We still need to provide the survivors of the Nyxian Gap Campaign with a free set of augmentations.”
“It’s not going to be easy to hire the best biotech experts, Ves. The researchers of the LRA are very content with their state. Do you know how many organizations like ours are recruiting highly-skilled personnel over there?”
Ves momentarily winced. “I know it’s going to be difficult to attract some of the more arrogant scientists, but our clan is not a regular organization. I am confident that our prestige and our recent accomplishments will attract some ambitious Lifers. There has to be plenty of them who are willing to explore the Red Ocean with us. There are adventurous souls in every state.”
“You may be right, but my point still stands. We can probably convince a lot of average doctors, but the best the LRA has to offer will not be swayed by ordinary promises. These accomplished elites have already established themselves in the upper hierarchy of their states. We need to adopt a specific approach to poach some of these top-tier researchers. The sooner we prepare a plan, the higher our chances of getting a top expert.”
Ves slowed down his steps. “Why are you so insistent on getting the best? These are exactly the kind of people I don’t want to recruit. These people have too many ties to the LRA. They’re also older and very set in their ways. With their strong intellect and mental development, it’s impossible to guarantee their loyalty to our clan! I would rather recruit a bunch of younger talents and develop them step by step.”
“That’s not enough!” She retorted. “We need the best straight away! If you don’t want to bother with this issue, then leave the planning to me. I will make sure we can enjoy the best of care once we leave Majestic Teal.”
“Fine then!”
