Chereads / Mech Odyssey / Chapter 23 - Team Dynamics

Chapter 23 - Team Dynamics

Zephyr stood on the lift, the low hum of the machine vibrating beneath his feet. After a few seconds, it halted in front of the damaged breastplate of the Squire. He leaned in closer, rubbing his hand along the scratched-up surface, his fingers tracing the grooves left by the recent battle. From below, Nia and Christina watched him with curious eyes.

"Come to think of it, this is the first time I'm visiting the academy's mech hangars," Christina remarked, her gaze wandering around the dimly lit, expansive building. The high ceilings and Squires lined up along the edges casted several shadowy giants that stood like guards.

Zephyr glanced down at the girl for a brief second before asking:

"Is it any different from the student hangars?"

She shook her head.

"The layout is pretty much the same, but the student hangars are a lot more cluttered. Instead of only having mechs line the perimeter, they are spaced out all across the floor like a grid."

He smiled thoughtfully.

'Well that's to be expected. Most if not all students owned their mech in the academy.'

Nia walked closer to the Squire, her eyes narrowing as she studied the mech with a more analytical gaze. 

"As I thought…this mech is modular."

The frame of the Squire was much less complex compared to current gen mechs however there were many interchangeable parts and exterior mounts for a wide assortment of loadouts. Because of this even though it was Nia's first time taking a closer look at the mech, it didn't take long for her to discern the design aspects the mass produced mech was created for.

Zephyr began to climb atop the mech with practiced ease as he began to inspect the shoulder joints and motors at a closer angle. Ever since he overclocked the mech, Zephyr had been curious how extensive the damage had been.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Christina asked nervously, her voice tinged with concern as she watched him ascend.

He chuckled softly glancing down at her again.

"Not really. I've done this plenty of times, don't worry." 

Nia nodded in agreement.

"He's right. The mech should be secured in a way it's unable to move. I used to see mechanics employed under my family climb on mechs quite often."

If it was something that was common even in the galactic heartland, it must be true right?

Christina still looked unconvinced, her eyes flickering between the young man and decrepit mech.

"Since when was Zephyr a mechanic…?" she muttered quietly, turning away.

From his vantage point, Zephyr was able to see intricate cracks in the mech's upper frame spreading out like a spider web. He grimaced as he continued to inspect several other areas.

'This mech is going to be out of commission for a while.'

By his own estimates, it would take at least a week minimum to replace all the damaged parts of the machine. The good thing was that the academy didn't have a lack of Squires. Zephyr could just pilot a different machine while the damaged ones are under repair. The only issue with this was that he needed to individually disable each mech's safety parameters.

That was going to be a massive pain.

Zephyr sighed slowly, his mind already working through the steps he'd need to take. As much as he liked the model, it was pretty much going to be a given he would need to overclock it every duel. This in turn will also limit the number of duels he was able to accept.

"I'll manage," he said quietly, more to himself than to them.

Nia tilted her head, studying him with a long look.

Finally she said:

"There is also another thing I want to discuss while we're all here."

Both her teammates directed their attention towards the Sterling daughter.

"And what is that exactly?" Christina asked, her tone inquisitive. 

The ends of Nia's lips curled slightly.

"Role distributions."

***

After dusting his hands off, Zephyr hopped back on the lift as it slowly brought him back down.

"Role distributions," he repeated, trying his best to keep his tone neutral. 

Nia nodded before continuing.

"Aside from survival practice, we'll also be engaging in team battles. Therefore I will share my ideas on how we distribute our roles so we can best coordinate with each other."

Zephyr didn't like where this conversation was going.

'I have a bad feeling about this.'

Nia didn't seem to notice—or perhaps she did and didn't care—as she continued. "Each of us needs to fulfill a specific role in combat. These roles will define our strategies, determine how we approach each engagement, and ultimately, how we succeed or fail as a team."

Christina leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "So, what roles do you have in mind?"

Nia's eyes flicked to Zephyr, and he could tell she was already sizing him up for something specific. "Given our recent experiences, I have some thoughts on that."

Zephyr crossed his arms, a slight edge creeping into his voice. 

"Let's hear it then."

The Sterling heir took a deep breath.

"Zephyr, you'll be our primary combatant, the frontline. Judging by how you faced me during our duel, I have confidence you will fit this role well."

There was a long unsettling pause after she finished her sentence.

'I knew it…this is what she meant by the meat shield.'

Fighting the urge to curse, Zephyr locked eyes with Nia.

"I refuse."

Although he had gone along with her plans for the most part, this was too much. 

Nia didn't flinch from his response as if she expected it. Instead she asked evenly: 

"Why?"

"Because we're down a member obviously!" Zephyr's voice rose slightly as he retorted in an irked tone.

"Most other teams are pretty much guaranteed to have four members. You're asking me to take on at least two mechs at the same time in a last generation machine! Are you asking me to die?!"

Christina watched on nervously as she commented in a small voice:

"Zephyr does have a point…we'll be at a serious disadvantage during team battles. Maybe we should reconsider finding a fourth member."

Another heavy silence settled over the group before Nia's expression softened slightly as she let out a sigh, realizing the difficulty in convincing her teammates. 

She met their gazes with a resigned look.

"I would like to hear your suggestions then."

Zephyr finally revealed a small grin. He'd just learned something important: if he could get Christina on his side, he had a better chance of challenging Nia's stubborn personality. 

"First of all," he began, his tone more measured now, "if you really want us to stay as a team of three, I'm not going to fight close quarters."

He paused deliberately, watching for any sign of resistance from Nia. Her expression remained impassive, so he continued.

"I'd prefer to fight mid-range, with either a ballistic or energy rifle. I'll still take point as the frontline, but my chances of surviving go up significantly if I can maintain a decent distance from the enemy."

Nia's gaze turned thoughtful, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered his words.

"So essentially, you want to be a land-bound dogfighter," she mused with a look of mild interest.

Zephyr snapped his fingers.

"Exactly."

He watched intently as Nia placed a hand on her chin, her thoughts visibly churning behind her cool exterior. 

Meanwhile, he shifted his body towards Christina's direction.

"Can you tell me what mech you pilot?" Zephyr asked, keeping his tone casual. "It would help me get a better idea of how our team should move forward."

For a moment, Christina's expression stiffened, as if she were hesitant to share. But after a brief pause, she nodded and sent a message to Zephyr's comm. He felt his device buzz in his pocket, and with a grateful nod, he quickly pulled up the profile she had sent.

As soon as the image loaded on his screen, Zephyr's brow shot up in surprise.

'What is this mech? I've never seen this model before.'

The mech on his screen was unlike anything he'd ever encountered. It stood at an imposing 14 meters tall, the same height as Nia's Spectre, technically classifying it as a medium mech. But that was where the similarities ended.

The head of the mech was shaped like a dodecahedron, a geometric oddity compared to the usual sleek or angular designs he was used to. Its body was heavily armored, covered in copper-colored hexagonal plates that interlocked seamlessly, creating a defense that looked almost impregnable. The sheer bulk of the armor made the mech appear as if it could shrug off anything short of a direct hit from an orbital cannon.

But what really caught Zephyr's attention was the rectangular backpack attached to the mech's back—and the complete lack of visible weaponry.

'What's the deal with this thing? It looks like a walking fortress, but…where are the weapons?'

He glanced up at Christina, who was watching him with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Clearly, she knew her mech was unusual, and Zephyr's reaction was exactly what she had expected.

"Uh…Christina, what exactly is this mech designed for? There are so many aspects that seem so out of place I don't even know where to begin."

For a Tier 1 mech, it looked terribly overengineered. From a mechanic's viewpoint, simply repairing the thing would be nightmarish.

And he still didn't know its purpose!

Christina took a deep breath, her fingers fidgeting slightly as she prepared to explain.

"It's a support unit," she said softly, almost as if she was revealing a well-kept secret. "I've never been too good at combat, so my father hired a mech designer to create a new line of auxiliary mechs. Currently it is being produced by Atlas Dynamics."

Zephyr blinked in a futile attempt to process her words.

'What did I just listen to?'