1203 1203 Solutions
The answer that Sylvie came up with for the Emperor Class Mecha was similar to the answer that Nico had come up with for her Super Heavy Mecha. There were no heavy Thunder Guns, instead each shoulder hosted a twin linked light Gatling Mass Driver combo, with a third, freely rotating upper turret.
Then the front and back of the Mecha were each given wide dispersion Disintegrator emitters, to allow for a full circle of short range destruction. The main weapon in each hand was a triple Plasma Destroyer Battery combo, which could be locked to the side of the Mecha to allow blades to extend from the forearms for close combat if that became necessary.
As long as it was less armoured than a Crusader Class Mecha, any of the weapons should be able to destroy the target with a single shot, and there weren't many targets on the planet that were more durable than that.
The only real drawback to fielding the Emperor Class Mecha was its size. At forty-five metres tall, it towered over everything else, and the enemy would be able to see it from nearly on the horizon. Of course, it was fully capable of firing back at them, but the lack of stealth would make it a pain to alter the deployment without using the portal device for instant relocation.
The walking tower of destruction would inspire terror in their enemies, and the Emperor Class Mecha aboard Creeping Darkness had been designed like Golden Knights, standing proud, and drawing the attention of the enemy while the smaller Mecha advanced.
That was how Max was going to use them this time as well. Once he had deployed troops to take an enemy position, he would deploy an Emperor Class unit to launch the attack from another direction, taking advantage of the high rate of fire to rattle the targets with explosions and early casualties before the main fighting force arrived.
When you used them against the Klem, they would be a mobile beacon, able to herd the infestation into traps that you set, while if you used them against the Cathedral Ships and their hyper aggressive warriors, you could accomplish the same thing in reverse, with the enemy splitting themselves between coming to you to destroy your mobile pylon of death and hammering it with their ranged artillery.
Fortunately, the distribution of the planet's topography made it less likely that they would be facing the main Myceloid force right at the start of the battle, as an ocean sized lake separated Max's position from their Castle, unless you went the long way around and much closer to the main base of the Great Enemy.
But that also gave Max a great idea. Neither of the other enemy forces were accustomed to fighting in or on water, so creating a naval fleet for ranged artillery would be brilliant. They could send out a number of larger Shin attack craft and have them float on the lake, using their top - mounted weapons to bombard anything that became a priority.
They were orbital fighters, they could survive operating as a submarine or a naval ship for as long as they needed to, but the placement would make it more difficult for the enemy to detect them. A single turret in the waves was incredibly difficult to pick up on radar, and the water would help mask their thermal signature.
They hadn't advanced that far, but he sent the recommendation for Felicity to plan around as she worked on the deployment orders for the defensive troops.
"Admiral, I have sensor feeds of an Alliance unit in trouble. One of the further advanced units, it is unclear if they know that anyone else is here, they haven't regrouped with the other units in the area." Sylvie reported.
"Send a Mecha Company to reinforce them using the portals. How are we doing on reserves of Mecha for deployment?"
There was a split second pause before the reply this time. "We just finished the fourth one that is in reserve. All other Companies have been sent out by Absolution to support other units on the surface."
"In that case, send them two Companies. If they are in trouble, it means there is a heavy enemy presence, and that is a prime opportunity to reduce their numbers.
Once the situation begins to stabilize, send one of the Emperor Class units using your new spec to a clear location within fifty kilometres of them."
"Understood, Commander. I will create a suitable unit."
It only took a minute to make an Emperor Class unit in the new spec, and all the systems were already well-known combinations that were tested in modular setups with the Emperor Class units, other than the Disintegrator, which replaced a Laser Array, and would have to be tested in combat.
"Sending the Emperor now." Sylvie happily reported as the unit was deployed.
Max focused a little on that region to see how it was working, as the two Companies of Mecha had only arrived a minute earlier. They were all Android Piloted, though, and worked seamlessly together against the Great Enemy force. The Alliance unit was mostly Pix, a tiny, generally noncombat species, as their bodies were extremely susceptible to pressure changes from artillery. Nearby explosions would almost certainly kill them, and even the Mass Drivers couldn't be used too close to them, but they were excellent assassins when assigned Laser Rifles.
"Sylvie, once the area is stable, send a supply depot to them and let them get armed and equipped for forward operations. The Pix likely didn't have radios on them when they were grabbed, and they can't get close to our main units, but they can be very effective scouts, and the building will serve as a good decoy once they are gone." Max ordered.
"Understood, Admiral. The units on the ground estimate seven minutes to stabilize the situation, there is a large enemy artillery presence, and the Myceloids are also nearby."
That could be an issue. They would challenge the smaller Mecha to duels, which would stop the main fight.
"Hold off on the depot then, and have them relayed to the nearest Alliance group. Then we can give that group the depot instead."
This would have been a lot easier if he at least had a map of his allied troops to start with. Guessing what each signature on the satellite sensors was piloted by was a nightmare.
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