"You were not kidding." Freya whistled in appreciation. The Astarte was in the process of getting touch ups to the paint job it had received. But instead of its previously bulky appearance it had much less armor. But it still had a shield and a shoulder cannon in the right hand on the right shoulder. While in the left hand was a sword with a wrist gun.
Jace was inside the cabin with a datapad working on finishing what he needed to. As he ran the diagnostic he looked out at his former squadmates looking at the mecha in awe. He smirked before returning his attention to the diagnostic. It was still going through but it had already pulled up a few connection issues in the cabin he had to fix. So he leaned out and grabbed the toolbox.
Inside were an array of tools but he focused on the electrical reader and the electronic screwdriver. He unscrewed the relevant plate and began sorting through the wires looking for the dead wire that the diagnostic brought up. It was a wire for the air control system. He spent a moment fixing the wire.
"It is even more amazing when you saw it both before and after his alterations." Elena was pushing in a large cart full of his experiments and with Solisa's AI core was encased in a reinforced container. He had her bring it here so he could go straight to his new ship. "I know you said you care very little for goodbyes but trying to leave without warning is ridiculous!" She yelled at Jace.
Inside the mecha he was putting the panel back in place before glancing at her and shrugging. Then he went back to his repairs. The diagnostic was still running but he could still go through and fix what was already scanned.
"Is it really that big of a difference?" One of the Desert Dogs asked.
Elena chuckled as she pulled up a picture on her data pad. "It is a massive difference. My mother actually turned it into a picture to brag about in the future." Her data pad was passed around as they grumbled and whistled.
"Tani, why was he given enough time off to pull this off?" Kalil asked, his squad had decided to join them in checking out the mechs while they waited for their ship.
"Orders from the top." Tani shrugged, "while he was injured he was given free range to do what he wanted. I think they just wanted to stop crediting him for his achievements."
"Seriously?" Another of the squad asked in surprise. "How do you manage to get a reputation for being too good?"
"It wasn't because I was too good." Jace called out from the new spot he was fixing. "It was because my proactiveness was causing too many problems. So they gave me freedom to do what I want while injured in the hope I would not catch anymore attention. Basically they were making it so I could not be more proactive than my position let me be."
"I suppose with how much downtime we have had after a very active period they figured it would be fine for him to use his injuries as an excuse to lay low." Kalil was starting to understand that it was more than just a simple move. It was an effort to pull Jace Steel out of the public's spotlight. But that was not something he needed to be thinking about for the moment.
"Hey Jace, where are you going to be putting all of this?" Tani waved at his cart load of experimental toys. His prized speeder was actually buried underneath everything else.
"I have been told to bring it all with me and that was it. So I imagine it will be going to a lab or storage at our training facility." Jace answered as he climbed up the side of the mech with a toolbox in hand.
"I would think a private lab or the university would have gotten first dibs on things engineered by cadets. At least that is what happened during my cadet year." Kalil pointed out.
"Probably part of the emperor's small changes. You know those notifications and orders that he sends out with daily updates on the state of the nation?" Tani told him, reminding him of something that he honestly had not checked in for awhile. Kalil pulled open his datapad and began searching for these daily updates. He usually ignored them because it was unchanging, but now that the empire is changing it might be a good idea to check them out.
"Well while Kalil gets caught up we need to go to our designated pickup point. Apparently we will be going straight on board when it arrives in thirty minutes. Let's leave Jace to his work. Come on, Elena let me help you with that." Tani looked up from the notification she had just received. Then she began helping Elena push the cart out of the mech hanger.
"Umm… okay, I wasn't aware that any of Jace's squadmates knew my name." Elena pointed out, she had barely talked to the rest of Jace's former squad. She did spend some time talking with Mendez and a few engineers that helped with her ship but that was about it.
"Well, you have become well known because you basically lived on base with Jace. We were all concerned when you moved in together because we have seen how meticulous he is with his work and organizing his bunk at the barracks." Tani nonchalantly explained as she helped push the cart while the others moved ahead of them to the landing area for smaller military spacecraft. They could see it from a fair distance and how busy it was but each incoming ship had a reserved area for their transport on and off the station. It was set up because dozens of military spacecraft would come and go over the next few days. Too many for each to go through the lengthy station docking procedures that could take up to half a day to complete.
"I am surprised that is the reason I am well known on the base for that reason. I thought if anything the fact that my mother was squeezing your commander for rent would be the thing that made me and my family known by your crew." Elena chuckled as she pointed out her mother's presence on the base.
"No, we figured a civilian staying on base despite your mother being the head of the mercenary group was more surprising than a mercenary working for their pay." Tani responded with a shrug. Pointing out that they held no issues with the mercenaries' way of life. Tani in particular had worked with a number of mercenaries during one of her postings.
"I suppose it would be strange, but I wanted to enjoy my time with him while it lasted." Elena answered honestly, her cheeks coloring slightly pink in embarrassment.
"Really I am surprised you two are going to stop dating. A lot of the time people at least attempt a long distance relationship for a time." Tani pointed out.
"Except we are not dating. It was mostly for mutual pleasure and companionship." Elena sheepishly explained. "Though I have been wishing we were more than that these past few weeks."
"Ahhh, missed opportunities. Don't worry about it too much. It is better to play the market before deciding on what you want." Tani chuckled as she looked at Kalil. "Not everything is obvious when it comes to the matters of the heart. So it would be a good idea to take a step back."
"Um… why are you talking like some wizened old hag? You are not that much older than me." Elena pointed out.
"But thirties and twenties mean all the difference in the world to men and fair maidens like ourselves." Now Tani was being overly flamboyant and expressive. With a fake regal accent to match.
"What?" Elena began laughing, "fair maidens? What fair maiden can fire a gun with pinpoint accuracy?" She chuckled as they talked. Fair maidens in those fairy tales are always dainty and defenseless, neither Elena nor Tani were defenseless.
"Well…" Tani seemed to think for a minute before shrugging, "ah what the hell? I was going to make a joke about princes to match our fairness as maidens. But I lost my train of thought." Tani sighed in exasperation.
Elena continued laughing, bringing a hand up to wipe off a tear. "Seriously…" Elena seemed to be trying to remember if she heard this person's name before.
"Cassia Tani, but you can just call me Cass or Tani. That is what I am used to." Tani informed her, understanding the younger woman's conundrum because they had never spoken before so it was unlikely she would know her name.
"Thanks Cass." Elena gave a slight head bow in respect. "I was thinking that I had not laughed much recently but that really set me off."
When they arrived at the landing zone the Desert Dogs and other squad would be picked up from, Elena talked with all of them and got to know them all a bit more.