"Half of the Wodin Warriors sent to the Cinach System are being dispatched to the Nyxian Gap." Gloriana's physical projection told him. Her shape pressed against his own and her perfume intoxicated his nose. "We care about you, so we have sent the most we are able to afford. It's just that they won't be able to get to you fast enough."

"I'm aware. Regardless, your dynasty's gesture is helpful nonetheless. If some major change takes place that alters our strategic situation, our fleet might be able to evade the Allidus Alliance. Don't forget that while those warships are powerful, they're also slow."

"I know, but my sister Kellendra told me that your options are limited. She's not very optimistic about being able to catch up. She also can't go too deep into the Nyxian Gap. It would be a tragedy to lose her along with thousands of loyal, rigorously-trained Hexer mech pilots."

"Don't worry. Your dynasty's commitment is enough. I don't want to drag them all down with me if the worst comes to pass. If anything, maybe some of us might be able to evade the pirates by splitting up. As long as I'm on one of the few ships that manages to rendez-vous with your Wodin Warriors, I'll probably be in the clear."

"That's what we're hoping for as well." She looked up at him with an adoring expression. "Regardless of the fate of your forces in the Nyxian Gap, you are by far the most important person in your fleet. It doesn't matter if Venerable Jannzi, your relatives, your experienced mech pilots or anyone else will die. It doesn't matter if you lose all of your ships and possessions. Your life is the only thing that matters to me. Don't let yourself be dragged down by your counterproductive sentiments."

Ves frowned at that. "Our clan is all about family, Gloriana. I won't leave my people behind while there is still a chance."

"DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR LIFE, VES! I STILL NEED YOU!" She slapped her palm against his chest. "Look, if all hope is lost, and it appears to be that way, then just do everything you can to make it out. We can always start anew as long as you return, especially with the level of success we currently enjoy. You're a mech designer. Playing clan leader is all well and good, but if it becomes a hindrance to your career, then don't continue with it any longer. You can always rely on the Wodin Dynasty to manage your business and protect you from danger."

There was no way Ves was going to accept this solution! He would rather let the pirates kill him and the entire task force than to become a Hexer puppet!

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't think the outcome is set in stone. Let's just see how the situation develops."

Gloriana wasn't the only person who encouraged him to bail out of the task force. Doing so would definitely leave most of the members of the task force at the mercy of the pirates, but that didn't seem to bother a couple of other people.

In a later meeting with Calabast, she expressed a similar sentiment.

"I know that you and some of the people in the fleet are cooking up some drastic measures to resist the enemy punitive fleet."

"We are." Ves nodded. "Do you have something in mind as well?"

"I'm still working on it. It will take some time for me to get back to you on that. Still, we can't assume that all of our harebrained schemes will work out. We need to plan for failure as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"If worse comes to worst, we need to get out, preferably without getting chased by too many pirates." Calabast stated. "I have already developed some contingency plans on how to do so before or during a losing battle. Utilizing our stealth shuttle is key. While there is a possibility that the Gravada Knarlax possesses anti-stealth capabilities that are potent enough to power through our shuttle's means of stealth, such measures aren't effective past a certain range."

"You're suggesting that we abandon the Scarlet Rose and scurry away with the help of our stealth shuttle?"

She nodded. "You and I are some of the most high-value targets in our fleet. Capturing or killing us is very important to our opponents. We can't run away on the Scarlet Rose because our ship is too high-profile. Even if she is fast enough to outrun any pirate target, don't forget that we'll still be surrounded by many other pirate groups. There is little chance our smaller vessel can resist every hostile pirate outfit that attempts to bar our way."

He agreed with her on that. The Scarlet Rose was one of the best ships in the Larkinson Clan to this date, but she only held enough hangar room capacity for four mechs, maybe five if he tossed away the statue of the Unending One from the mech workshop.

How could an escort of five mechs possibly fend off all of the pirates who would come running as if they were sharks smelling blood?

"The plan therefore is to remain fluid. Depending on how the rout unfolds, we'll have to make a judgement call and decide on following the ship that has the best chance of getting away from the main pirate force. Ideally, we should be following a combat carrier of the Penitent Sisters. Their ships are faster and far more resistant to damage. If the carrier is able to retain a full mech company, then our chances of escaping enemy pursuit and fending off opportunistic pirate outfits are the highest. I've already contacted some of their officers in order to prepare for an eventual emergency withdrawal."

Though Ves was not seriously willing to consider bailing out, he had to admit that Calabast's arrangements sounded workable. Making it off with forty second-class mechs sounded like a decent prospect.

Still, he knew that Calabast hadn't cooked up this plan solely because she was worried for his life.

"This is your escape plan, isn't it?" Ves guessed. "If I refuse to go along with you, will this be how you get away?"

She smiled at him. She didn't hide her intentions. "You can't win every fight, Ves. Victory and defeat are part of life. The true test is not how often you can achieve a win, but how well you are able to pick yourself up after suffering a loss. Don't be stupid and die with the rest. Focus on preserving your life."

"I don't think I'll be able to live with myself if I take your option."

"Disgrace, guilt and shame are immaterial." Calabast lectured to him while crossing her arms. "So what if you disgrace yourself? So what if you are branded as a coward? You're a mech designer! No one expects you to put up a good fight, or any fight for that matter! What little guilt and shame you acquire will easily fade after a couple of decades of running a normal life. When you look back on this incident, you'll probably whack yourself on the head for entering the Nyxian Gap in the first place."

That last part sounded true, but most of what she said did not sit well in him. Certainly, disgrace, guilt and shame were not a big deal to some people. They were social or psychological concepts that largely existed in everyone's minds.

From a logical perspective, as long as Ves decided to ignore these emotions, he could go on about his life without too many repercussions.

Yet Ves instinctively resisted such thoughts.

"The battle isn't lost yet. It hasn't even begun. As Larkinsons, we should be giving it all. No enemy is infallible nor invincible. There are always ways to beat them. I believe that our task force still possesses the means to defeat the pirate fleet. We just need to utilize our assets to the greatest degree."

The spymaster began to look annoyed at his stubborn mindset. She tapped him on the forehead.

"Preserving your life in a hopeless situation isn't a sin, Ves. The remainder of the Larkinson Clan is better served with you returning alive and well rather than dying for a hopeless cause."

Ves shoved away her finger. "Enough! I understand your argument, and ordinarily you may be right, but our case isn't hopeless just yet! Let's all work on our own solutions and see where that will take us a month from now. If we truly haven't been able to come up with anything that helps, then I'll consider your suggestion more seriously."

She ended the meeting and left shortly after he made his stance clear.

Though he understood her logic, he didn't like her overall mindset. What was it with all of these people telling him the battle was already lost? Sure, Task Force Predator was horribly outgunned and outmatched by the pirate warfleet, but the enemy wasn't the only one who possessed trump cards!

"Since these Nyxian pirates like to go crazy, I'll do the same!" Ves spoke with an intense expression!

One of the measures he had chosen was to begin with empowering some of his mechs. He couldn't wait for his little experiment with Vincent's Adonis Colossus to yield some measurable results. 

Even if he lacked way too much data to conclude this measure was safe, Ves had no choice but to set aside all of his safety concerns and trust in his unproven and unconfirmed theories.

For this reason, he moved to the Redfeather's hangar bay and addressed every mech pilot who piloted a Bright Warrior on the Avatar flagship.

"Avatars, Bright Companions, I am glad to see you today."

The Avatars as well as Joshua and his personal squad stood straight in their dashing bright uniforms.

Despite the pessimistic sentiment that had spread throughout the fleet, the Avatars remained fully confident in their ability to make it through. Their ability to keep up their morale was a testament to their elite training.

"While we are facing some formidable enemies, we aren't pushovers. Our clan is strong. We have faced many crises. We will make it through this time as well, but it won't be easy. I have developed a potential.. upgrade.. That might supercharge your ability to pilot your mech."

The Avatars all looked interested. That was good.

Ves hesitated a bit. "I can't exactly describe what I will do to your Bright Warrior mechs, but know that piloting them will become a lot more serious from now on. When you next pilot your mech, you will doubtlessly realize that it is more responsive to you. This is not an illusion. If my changes are successful, your mech will become more 'alive', in a way."

He looked sternly in every mech pilot's eyes. "However, the reason why I've withheld this measure from everyone is because it's very experimental. Death is a very real possibility. However, if you follow my instructions and sincerely respect the mech, nothing will go wrong. All I ask from you is to abide by your code of honor and to maintain your confidence. Are there any volunteers for this experimental procedure?"

It didn't take long before Joshua stepped forward. "I wish to volunteer, sir!"

"I want to volunteer as well, sir!"

"Please improve our mechs, sir!"

Not a single Avatar mech pilot refused this call. As far as they were concerned, it was their duty to do so. Their trust in Ves was very high. Anything that could improve their mechs and make them feel less useless was very welcome in their eyes.

The Avatars of Myth did not wish to be relegated to cannon fodder in the next battle!

Warmth spread through his veins as Ves received the response he wished. "Very well, then. Let's begin. I will be tinkering with each of your mechs for the remainder of the day. Due to experimental reasons, the changes will vary in intensity, but don't take any of the mechs lightly!"

Ves was about to experiment on his own clansmen, and some of his best mech pilots at that! If this experiment proceeded horribly, then the Avatars of Myth would surely suffer a massive blow!