The Kax Arena

Xiao thought she misheard Vesna but the girl repeated the name she thought she heard.

Hornet mech? Isn’t that an offense focused mech that only bigger mech organizations can afford?

The young woman then checked on the overview of a hornet mech.

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Mech Type: Hornet

Mech Weight Class: Light

Left Arm (Structure): 30

Left Torso (Structure): 30

Left Leg (Structure): 60

Center Torso (Structure): 60

Right Leg (Structure): 60

Right Torso (Structure): 30

Right Arm (Structure): 30

Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic), Armor (Improved)

Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved)

Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 20 (Basic), Engine Core 20 (Improved)

Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved)

Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Machine Gun, Small Laser, SRM2, SRM4, MRM5

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The hornet was a versatile mech that not only had the strengths of both the beetle and fly but also possessed more weapon types. Missile type weapons generally only showed up in medium mechs due to large amounts of space allocated for the ammo. In addition, special modifications had to be made to ensure missile launchers could be installed onto a mech. All of these strengths increased the maintenance and repair costs of a hornet, making it out of reach for small and even some medium sized mech organizations.

I can see why this mech is left as a backup. It’s too expensive to run it regularly.

With Vesna’s reassurance that the ant mech would be ready, Xiao chose to not worry too much about it. Her impression of the mechanics was a very positive one. They seemed to know what they were doing and were already working on the mech before she boarded the shuttle.

“Show me what I need to know about the next match,” said Xiao who wished to her energy on the next match.

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Match Type: Casual

Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only

Format: 2 versus 2

Arena: Casual Standard

Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat

Attendance: 3000

Salvage Reward: 2

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Xiao could see the salvage reward was more in line with what she expected. The smaller attendance would also affect the sponsor credits they could receive from the match.

“Can I get a hold of Wattan from here? I wanted to check something about the loadout.”

Vesna patched Xiao through the communication array aboard the shuttle. Seconds later, Wattan answered.

“Wattan, are we allowed to use one of the experimental flamers for the next match?”

“Impressed with these weapons already? I’ll let Twan know so he can make a template or two with them.”

Xiao thanked the head mechanic and, once the call was over, she asked Vesna for anything they had on her opponents. The girl said she needed an hour which she delivered when she presented the information in person.

“Our two opponents come from different mech organizations. I didn’t find any history of them working together. Both pilots have less than five matches under their belt each and their records are both below 0.500. They use the flea mech which I’m sending you an overview now. Beyond that, I know little else.”

“Flea mechs? No autocannons next match at least.”

The young woman would be lying if she claimed she wasn’t afraid of the autocannon. Even if her life wasn’t at risk, the power of the autocannon wasn’t something to be underestimated.

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Mech Type: Flea

Mech Weight Class: Light

Left Arm (Structure): 20

Left Torso (Structure): 20

Left Leg (Structure): 40

Center Torso (Structure): 40

Right Leg (Structure): 40

Right Torso (Structure): 20

Right Arm (Structure): 20

Armor Type(s): Armor (Primitive)

Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic)

Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 20 (Basic)

Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved)

Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Small Laser

>

The primitive armor verified what Xiao learned when she was studying to be a pilot. While the ant mech was well balanced and beginner friendly, the mech wasn’t the cheapest to repair and maintain. Therefore, many small mech organizations went with the flea to make repairs and maintenance more affordable. The price of saving credits directly impacted combat as, unlike the basic armor with its 2 armor per structure, the primitive armor only provided 1 armor per structure. Compared to her ant mech, the flea mechs couldn’t handle any hits. Any mistakes by the pilots would undoubtedly result in the flea losing one if not more components.

Against the fleas, I have several options now that I have experimental flamers.

Another weakness of the flea mech was its reliance on jump jets. The mech didn’t have improved engine cores like the fly so it couldn’t run fast enough to avoid attacks. To make up for it, the flea had multiple jump jets to give it maneuverability that it relied on to survive. The multiple jump jets meant the flea mech needed more heat sinks, thus further reducing how many slots were left for weapons. With even a single experimental flamer, Xiao could overheat the flea mechs if she pushed their pilots to overuse their jump jets.

“Is there another match after the upcoming one?” asked Xiao once she finished with her initial preparations for the next match.

“Yes, we have a three versus three match two weeks after the next one. We will have two days where we can meet the allied pilots to work out a strategy.”

The thought of all the upcoming matches both excited and tired Xiao. She was finally living her dream but her schedule wasn’t making it easy. She might be 1-0-0 for her current record but she was still far from the relegation matches needed for tournaments. Choosing to rest for the remainder of the flight, she excused herself and slept on her assigned bed, once again falling asleep instantly.

“Xiao! Get up! We’ve landed!”

As she rubbed her eyes, Xiao wondered where Vesna got her energy. To her surprise, the girl said she didn’t sleep at all on the shuttle. Apparently, she only needed energy drinks to keep her body going.

“What’s the plan for today?” asked Xiao after she washed up in the terminal restroom.

“We’re going shopping!”

An hour later, Xiao found herself with Vesna, Twan and Wattan at the Mech Department Store. The place not only offered anything that could go on a mech but it also possessed everything a pilot needed to perform their tasks well. The store had fifty floors total. Anyone could access the first floor but, starting from the second floor, one needed to meet specific requirements. For instance, only a registered pilot could enter the second floor but a pilot with ten matches fought could access the fourth floor. The higher the floor, the rarer and more expensive the goods were.

“What are we shopping for?” asked Xiao once they all gathered at the department store entrance.

“I’m here for the auction,” said Twan.

Upon hearing that, the young woman became more intrigued. To participate in an auction, one needed both connections and a lot of credits. Sometimes, extremely rare goods could show up in the auction that couldn’t be found elsewhere. For many, the auction was the closest most law abiding citizens would get to the black market. Vesna asked Twan if the man had his eye on something.

“That’s a secret!” said Twan. “If I do acquire it, we won’t use it except for the must win matches.”

The man then entered the store doors alone, leaving the other three people behind. Vesna broke the awkward situation by suggesting they go to the second floor. On this floor, the common subcomponents and equipment for mechs were on sale. As soon as they entered the floor, Wattan went to work as he checked his inventory to see what needed to be restocked. Xiao briefly interrupted him to inquire on the repairs of the ant mech.

“No worries, missus! The other two are hard at work and should be done by the end of tomorrow!”

Xiao was very impressed by the efficiency of the mechanics. She had expected the Ant mech to be ready closer to the match date but they were almost done. Vesna then came over and suggested that they leave the head mechanic to do his thing. Xiao agreed and the two of them went to the third floor to purchase pilot items.

“I know how you felt about the last match with your lack of items,” said the little girl. “We’ll be sure to have you fully ready for the next match.”

“What’s our budget?”

“I’ll be the judge of that!”

Xiao was certain that Orlan wouldn’t be a fan of this. However, she knew that she should only pick the bare minimum and not worry about the bells and whistles. A lot of new pilots made the mistakes of getting fancy items they didn’t need. Xiao wasn’t going to make the same mistake. The bells and whistles could come once she made a name for herself. In addition, the better bells and whistles were on the fourth floor so it would be a waste of credits if she purchased them on the third floor.