"...and that's why we almost lost this battle." Melkor spoke over the comm.

Ves drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk. "I see. This Captain Zorke fellow sounds like he's only competent enough to command a single mech company. Now that the Mech Corps had put him in charge of a defensive force of hundreds of mechs and starfighters, he's clearly out of his depth."

"At least he's not around anymore to lead us into another disaster." Melkor's projection shrugged, not caring if he spoke ill of the dead. "Right now, the survivors here are divided and demoralized. The lieutenant that took over as acting commander is mainly a fighter. He's an excellent marksman but a poor tactician."

"What's in store, then?"

"The higher ups only told us that a replacement is on their way, but I really doubt that whoever they send is better than Captain Zorke. Everyone knows the Mech Corps is stretching their manpower thin. There are simply too many star systems to cover. An evacuated star system that we've been assigned to is so worthless that our priority is at the bottom."

"Do you need me to pull some strings?"

"Your offer is appreciated, but it's best you don't interfere." The Avatar Commander calmly replied. "At this stage, the status of the Mech Corps is incomparable. The military won't allow a commanding officer of a private outfit to take charge."

"You're a Larkinson."

Melkor chuckled. "Our family's reputation isn't enough to override the concerns of the Mech Corps. Protocol has to be followed. Don't worry about me. I have the situation handled. Once the Sand War develops further, I believe there may be opportunities for the Avatars to excel."

"Good luck then, Melkor. Stay alive."

"Don't slack off back at home. Your mechs have made a huge impact at the front. I have a lot of expectations for your next designs."

The comm call ended. Ves leaned back in his chair and digested what he learned.

Though he could access various sources to learn about the circumstances at the front, it was a lot more personal when someone like Melkor vented his frustrations.

"Not everything is going according to plan." Ves concluded after summing up the insights he gained in recent days. "The lack of competent commanding officers is leading to much more severe losses than the Mech Corps initially anticipated."

It wasn't as if the Bright Republic lacked commanders of this caliber. The problem was that the Mech Corps only had so much of them. The remainder consisted of commanders of various private sector outfits.

It was not very wise to put them in command. Not only did they favor their own forces, they also possessed erratic command styles.

While that might not be a problem when they commanded their own men, once they started bossing around strangers, a lot of animosity might ensue that would ruin the camaraderie between allies.

The problem was so bad in fact that the Mech Corps recently requested retired mech officers to return and relieve the pressure.

The Cloud Estate emptied out considerably as a result. Ves missed the old dogs who decided to answer the call of duty.

"I hope they're happy." Ves muttered. "Perhaps to them, dying in the course of fighting the good fight is better than languishing quietly in my estate."

Having spent a considerable amount of time among his aunts and uncles, Ves knew that they were all Larkinsons to the bone.

Their advanced age may have made them unsuitable to pilot mechs, but as long as they had command experience, it wouldn't be too much of a problem to direct a battle from a command center.

His next appointment arrived a moment later. Dr. Lupo Guernica strolled into his office without cleaning up the stains on his fingers.

If not the exobiologist's newly-purchased self-cleaning lab coat, his clothes would have looked just as soiled!

"Take a seat, Lupo." Ves gestured.

"Alright."

"How is the institute doing?"

"It's doing great!" Lupo gushed. "The budget you've set is generous enough for me to procure most of the machines that I need to perform my research! While the ongoing crisis is making it harder than I like to acquire precision lab equipment, I'm fortunate that they're still in stock in Bentheim. I can begin performing advanced experiments immediately!"

Ves gently knocked his fist against his desk. "I did not establish the Larkinson Exobiology Institute to fund your pet projects."

"You didn't?" Lupo answered in confusion.

"While your area of specialization sounds interesting, I'm a mech designer, not a business magnate. I have no desire to diversify my business holdings."

"Then.."

"Oh, I'm not saying that you aren't allowed to pursue your interests as long as you keep me in the loop. It's just that the focus of the LEI is not on developing better nutrition solutions. Instead, it's meant to assist me in designing mechs by studying the properties of powerful and interesting exobeasts. Forming an exobeast reserve on Cloudy Curtain is the main priority. How much progress have you made so far?"

"Uhh…"

"I see." Ves sighed. "I hope this is the last time I remind you of your assignments. You work for me. The next time you forget something, I'll reduce your budget by ten percent."

"NO!" Lupo stood up. "You can't do that, Mr. Larkinson! Biotech research is incredibly expensive!"

"Then do your job and take your responsibilities seriously. The LEI is not your personal property!"

To a research-mad scientist like Dr. Lupo, Ves did not have to employ any complicated tricks to bring him to heel. Merely threatening to withhold money was enough to make the exobiologist honest.

Once Ves put Dr. Lupo on his toes, he brought up the real reason why he called the fellow to his office.

"You can leave most of the work involved with setting up an exobeast reserve to your new subordinates. What I really want from you is something different."

"Hm?"

Ves activated a jammer before retrieving something very special from a pocket sewn into one of his Synthra Umbra garments.

The small transparent cube glowed in soft white, allowing Dr. Lupo to see the bioimplant frozen inside.

"This is a stasis cage!" He uttered in shock. "And this implant! What kind of implant requires such luxurious treatment?"

"What you're looking at is a Tito Biosystems Archimedes Rubal 1002-Z Cranial Codex Bioimplant that I happened to salvage from the frontier."

"Tito Biosystems! That's a huge name in the galactic biotech community! How in the galaxy did you manage to obtain one of their products?!"

"It's a long story." Ves chuckled. "Don't ask too many questions. What matters is what you can do with it. Are you able to inspect the integrity of this bioimplant?"

���I don't recognize this model or implant type. I've only dabbled in implants in a general sense. I'm far from a specialist in this field." Lupo answered honestly, still perplexed that Ves held a piece of high technology.

"You're still a biotech expert, right? Due to the sensitivity of this object, I can't trust too many people with knowledge of its existence in my hands. I want you to keep what I told you to yourself and verify whether this implant is still safe to install in my cranium."

Dr. Lupo frowned deeply at the stasis cube. "Just because I'm well-versed in bioscience doesn't mean I'm adept in every specialty. Implant studies are far from my area of interest."

"I can be very generous as long as you achieve some results." Ves smirked. "I will double your personal budget every time you complete a major assignment. Well, at least for the first four times or so. I can't keep this up forever."

"Really?!"

"I promise." Ves grinned. "While I set high expectations for you, as long as you do what I ask, I'll increase your annual budget so you can pursue your pet projects in your free time to your heart's content. Does that sound like a good deal to you, doctor?"

Dr. Lupo thumped his palm against his chest. "You can rely on me! Archimedes Rubal? I'll unlock its secrets within a day!"

"Don't make any boasts you can't back up. This is a very advanced if somewhat outdated implant. Treat it with care and don't make any changes without my express permission."

Seeing as Ves valued it very much, Lupo adopted a serious expression. "I'll do as you say."

Ves watched on as Dr. Lupo picked up the stasis case and placed it into a small protective container he carried in his lab coat.

Though Ves really did not feel entirely sure about placing the Archimedes Rubal in Lupo's care, he couldn't afford to sit on it any longer.

If he wanted to make some progress, he just had to go out on a limb and put his trust in someone.

At the very least, Ves had a good feeling about Dr. Lupo. Ves had observed the exobiologist carefully and saw no sign that the man was compromised in any way.

"There is something else I want you to do." Ves addressed the next topic. He retrieved a sack from his pocket and passed it on to Dr. Lupo. "Can you identify the spice within?"

Lupo opened up the sack and studied the dark spice contained within. "What a pungent smell! Is this geril spice? It smells different from what I'm used to! This must be the authentic formula!"

Ves smiled. "You're correct. I've got a lot more geril spice stored in my vault. You see, they're somewhat special to me. Aside from making spicy Nyx dogs delicious, geril spice is also useful for blocking special tracking methods based on metaphysical scent."

"Pardon?"

"Geril spice has an extraordinary quality to them that is very valuable to me. Imitation products may taste the same, but they lack this special quality. What I want you to do is study this spice and see if you can isolate this extraordinary component. It would be ideal if you can find a way to produce what you've identified. As far as I know, the only source of authentic geril spice is the Nyxian Gap, and that is far from ideal."

"Interesting.." Dr. Lupo smiled and boldly sampled the spice. "What a unique flavor profile. No wonder spicy Nyx dogs have become a cult classic. I've been missing out!"

Ves coughed. "Studying the Archimedes Rubal and setting up the exobeast preserve come first. Don't spend too much time on the geril spice before you're done with your main responsibilities. Understood?"

Lupo looked as if he couldn't restrain himself. With great difficulty, he closed the sack and placed it in his pocket. His mouth still rolled and quivered as if he was savoring the taste of geril spice.

"I.. will make sure not to forget about my other responsibilities, Mr. Larkinson."

"That's not all I want you to do." Ves spoke and retrieved a data chip from his desk drawer before sliding it across the desk. "Take this data chip. It contains all of the scans and physiological data of my physique, in particular my biological augmentations."

"I'm aware that you have an abnormal physique." Lupo said. "While I am reasonably versed with the human body, your augmented physique is quite perplexing."

"I know. Every exobiologist told me that they don't have a clue how the so-called Jutland organ works. I don't expect you to figure out its functioning immediately. I just want you to tackle this issue step by step."

"You are putting a lot on my plate. Even if you've promised to double my budget each time I've completed an assignment, I'm afraid it will take many years for me to satisfy all of your demands."

Ves did not look worried. "I have one more thing for you. Take this and have a bite."

He threw a candy at Lupo, who merely observed and sniffed it for a moment before popping into his mouth.

"Hmm.. sweet.. it doesn't taste like any candy I am familiar with. Wait a minute.. this sensation.."

Lupo's eyes slowly lit up as his mind experienced a profound transformation.

"Do you have more of these candies?"

Ves grinned and opened his palm, revealing four more identical candies.