Humanity's Greatest Mecha Warrior System

[Colony Ship Terminus, please maintain a safe distance of two thousand kilometers from the station while staying no less than two hundred kilometers from the other ships in orbit and send a shuttle of under one hundred meters in length with your representatives.] The control room of the station where they were supposed to be meeting the Rebel and Cygnus leaders for their meeting announced after Admiral Drake hailed them.

There were three Cygnus Cutters and a Destroyer, two President Class Kepler transports, and three more Destroyers of Factions that Max wasn't immediately familiar with.

[Understood, Station Control. Prepare for an incoming shuttle.] Max replied.

He looked over at his team, twenty specifically chosen Pilots from among the Corvette Class units of the First Battalion, all equipped with Archangel Exoskeletons under their Reaver garb. They would put the forcefields up the moment that they arrived at the station and remain behind Max and Nico as their retinue.

If the station had a problem with the Reavers carrying weapons, this could become an issue, but Max was hoping that nobody would say anything, at least not here on this frontier station, which was already hosting multiple factions, going by the large vessels they had seen on the way in.

They all took their seats in the new shuttle, with Nico guiding it out of the bay using the Tech Adept Harness that she felt complimented her look the best, and made their way to the station at a sedate one-quarter of the suborbital cruising speed limit.

That should give their hosts plenty of time to get a good look at their new shuttle, whose windows were now opaque, hiding the occupants from casual inspection, while Nico kept a jamming signal up to prevent them from being scanned.

It would annoy the Rebels to no end, Max was certain, but the Cygnus officers were familiar with the practice, as it was how they arrived when they were sending a ranking Noble.

Everything about their approach had been carefully calculated to make them seem more impressive than they were, bolstering the image of the Reavers as an emerging power with unique new technologies that the other Nations should have at least heard rumors of by now, even if they hadn't found any solid footage to confirm it yet.

As they passed through the barrier around the cargo bay, Max saw their power usage spike as Nico normalized the hull temperature of the shuttle without waiting for the systems of the Station to do it for her, one more small power play that let them disembark as soon as the shuttle was stable and powered down, before the reception team could get properly in place.

The retinue formed up into two ranks, making an aisle for their Commanders to exit the shuttle, then fell in behind them as the Station's representatives came into the bay to meet them.

"Your technology is surprisingly effective. Pardon our delay. As you are the last to arrive, having been summoned after the meetings were already underway, please follow me to the reception hall where the others are waiting for you." The man in the plain gray uniform of an outpost station welcomed them.

"Kind words for our technicians' skills are always welcome. You may tell them that Commander Keres and Tarith Rage of the Terminus Trading Company will meet them personally." Nico told the base officers.

"Certainly, Madam. This way, please. All weapons are to be out of sight during the meeting or placed in the care of the staff if that is not possible. The tensions have been somewhat high this past week with so many factions present. I hope you understand."

"Entirely reasonable. All of our weapons are out of sight." Nico agreed with a smile that made the man shudder a little.

They followed the staff through the hallways to a large convention hall, where Max could sense hundreds of thoughts ongoing inside, negotiating a trade deal between Cygnus and a small nation to the East of them, on the far side of their nation from here.

That was unusual. Normally nations were only concerned with their immediate neighbors, and Kepler was many light years and multiple small nations away from their borders.

"Commander Keres and Tarith Rage of the Terminus Trading Company, representing the Reaver Faction." The staff announced them at the door, drawing every eye in the room to their location.

There were some welcomes and some grumbling about the apparent youth of the representatives, but after a few seconds, the crowd settled, and the leader of the meeting, a Rebel Kepler Duke, came forward to speak to them.

"Might either of you hold Noble Titles, or should we refer to you both by your bare names?" He asked haughtily.

From behind him, a familiar voice chuckled. "You may call him Sir Keres Max, and that is the Imperial Lady Tarith Nico."

That voice couldn't be anyone but Lord General Kirkland of Cygnus and his introduction had caused a panic in the room. The two of them were considered war criminals by the Rebel faction, and their presence here representing the Reavers was enough to make many think that they had been tricked.

"Lord General, you do appear in the strangest places, don't you? I hadn't expected to see you again after our abrupt departure from the service of the Kepler Fleet, but it is pleasant to see a familiar and dignified face, even if we are surrounded by cowards and traitors." Nico greeted him.

Max resisted the urge to smack her in the back of the head, knowing that she had a forcefield up, and resigned himself only to sigh.

The Rebel Duke looked incredibly offended and was about to speak when Nico turned to speak to him.

"Certainly not your dignified self. Duke, whoever you are. Rest assured, we are here on behalf of the Reavers and only the Reavers." Nico told him.

"You still have a way with words, Lady Tarith. I understand that you are bulletproof, but not all of us enjoy that luxury, so I would politely ask that you not touch off another gunfight inside the meeting hall." Lord General Kirkland requested.

"I will keep it in mind. Now, what were we called all the way across the Kepler Kingdom to talk about?"