The Mech Touch

The group waited for a moment until Abis, Lieutenant Sendra and Lieutenant Rodan both arrived with their own entourage of officers and guards.

”Let us enter the citadel. We have a lot of business to conduct.” Abis remarked.

The large group of Mirror Raiders stuck together as they stepped aboard a transit vehicle. The bus proceeded to zip through a tunnel that led straight to the citadel at rapid speed.

Once the transit vehicle arrived at its destination, the Mirror Raiders stepped off and became astounded by the sight that greeted them at an instant.

A modest underground city unfolded before their eyes! Even though the ceiling was made out of nothing but carved rock, the lights affixed to them cast a rather pleasant shade onto the surface.

Tens of thousands of pirates resided in the city. Most of them werenʼt actually ʼpiratesʼ in the truest sense of the word. Most of them had been born in the Nyxian Gap and lived their entire lives in lawless space.

Despite the presence of violent criminals and cruel robbers in the boisterous underground city, the Mirror Raiders hardly noticed any signs of fighting or robbing.

Of course, that did not mean that the public area of Ulimo was safe. The large amount of Dry Snake patrols at the entrance of the city exerted a strong deterrence at any pirate who wanted to stir up trouble.

A few minutes passed as the Mirror Raiders slowly passed through the checkpoints and entered the city proper.

Street urchins ran through the alleys. P.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es plied their services. A lonesome old man set up a market stall on the side of the street in order to sell a fresh batch of locally-produced nutrient packs which were renowned for their unique texture and complex taste. Dozens of pirates quickly swarmed the stall and eagerly paid for their purchases in K-bits.

The value of a solid K-coin was quite high. Using them in mundane transactions was as ridiculous as paying an MTA credit for a simple shuttle transit!

Ketis grew a bit curious at the nutrient packs on sale. She knew that Ves was actually a big lover and a casual collector of them. Cheap and long-lasting, they fed the stomachs of a significant proportion of humanity every day!

Just as she was about to approach the stall, Abis reached out and halted her. ”Donʼt buy any of the food on sale here.”

”Yes, sir.” Ketis obediently nodded.

If she was in her normal guise, she wouldnʼt pay attention to Flagrant Vandal officer. Sadly, she was just a simple guard right now. There was no excuse for her to disobey.

”Bo, explore the city and make some friends if you can. Make sure not to stray anywhere that looks sketchy.”

Dietrich lazily saluted Abis. ”Yes, dad.”

”Be serious! Donʼt piss anyone off and donʼt throw your weight around. While youʼre making friends, we will be spending some of our spoils on buying some much-needed mechs and supplies. This is just the first day of our stay here. There is no need to do too much. Scout out the city first. We need to know the lay of the land before we do anything else.”

The disguised Larkinsons eagerly explored the pirate city!