Once they had left the Restaurant, Lilith again led them to a waiting transport cart, with another driver from the security team, a shorter man with almost coal dark skin and hair who Max didn’t recognize. That likely meant that he was a friend of Lilith’s and worked on the upper research floor entrances, so Max just greeted him politely and hopped in with the others.

“Now that we’re all nearly in a food coma from the birthday dinner, there is a full team party going on to celebrate the completion of the last of the three new Heavy Mecha designs. They reserved the Military Museum deck just for the party, and I’m sure you will find something amazing there.” Lilith joked while thinking hard about everything but the museum and the party to try to fool Max’s mind reading.

It was working pretty well, Max got hints of the party planning, but nothing about what sort of surprise would be so amazing in a Museum. But maybe that part was for Nico, she loved the history and design process as much as Max loved Piloting, so the Museum likely did have a lot in store that she would enjoy, even if there wasn’t a party.

The Military Museum Deck was near the bottom of the city’s spherical shape, taking up an entire floor to itself. This was common in many Hab Domes, since the entrance that most people would use came in from the bottom, the first few floors were all shopping and entertainment districts so that the tourists didn’t have to pass through the residential areas to get to the places that they actually wanted to be.

In this case, it also served as camouflage in case someone did get in by accident. They would find themselves first in the shopping area for designer augmentic implants and clothing, then the museum, after which they would find that the elevators needed authorization to go higher, or appeared to have a malfunction, depending on who they were.

The moment they stepped out of the Elevator, the most unexpected sight in the world greeted Max’s eyes. Two Bone and Bronze Crusader Class Mecha encased in Stasis tubes, with a detailed write-up of the long history of the Redemption Pattern Crusaders on the placards in front of them and a huge sign saying Happy Birthday.

All of the base’s senior staff were there waiting, along with General Tennant, who Max didn’t know was even still on the planet.

“Congratulations on living to reach another year older, Majors. Your new orders will arrive in the morning, but today we have a monumental achievement to celebrate. First, the retirement of the two Heavy Mecha, Stalwart and Tarith’s Rage. Secondly, the birthdays of both of their pilots, Major Keres Max and Major Tarith Nico. And finally, the official announcement that the Alpha development and testing phase of the Next Generation Project that the entire Mecha Modernization Bureau has been committed to has now been completed.

I realize that was quite a mouthful, but I will only have to say it once. Tomorrow, a lot of you will receive updated orders for the next round of testing, which will be done off-world for practical reasons, meaning that this might be your last chance to socialize together in this group. Enjoy it.”

General Lu’s speech set the whole crowd to cheering, and even the most dour-faced members of the Mecha development teams managed a smile for this moment.

“Happy Birthday you two. There is one more thing I should show you before we get too invested in the party. It’s over on the far side of the Library, and not up for public viewing yet, but you two will certainly be interested.” General Tennant told Max and Nico with a smile, motioning them to follow him away from the party that was quickly getting rowdy as drinks were served and the previously low music was cranked up.

He led them through a series of corridors and back rooms until they reached a massive storage hangar, where items that the Museum held, but didn’t display were stored in a controlled environment. It was impossible to not know what he brought them here for, Shining Darkness stood proudly in the center of the room, inside a half-assembled Stasis Tube.

“That’s right. She has been mothballed. It was a good run, but the faithful old girl has seen the last of her active service unless something truly catastrophic happens.” The General told them, his eyes glistening with suppressed emotion.historical

Nico moved over to give him a soft hug from behind, while Max asked the obvious question. “So, if they have grounded Shining Darkness, what is next for you?”

“I have been named Fleet Lord Commander of the Testing fleet, with an upgrade from two to three star General. I will be in charge of Central Command for the testing missions, as well as what comes after. Understand, I am not at liberty to discuss that, and my System Skills should be enough to keep you out of the parts of my mind you shouldn’t be in, but we will be together for quite some time. The only difference is, that I won’t be grooming you to take over the Shining Darkness anymore, but to take over a newly formed Mechanized Regiment.”

“Why us? There are thousands of experienced Colonels and Brigadier Generals who don’t currently have a Command posting. Why would Command pick us for a newly formed Regiment?” Max asked, unable to get the answers straight from the General’s mind.

“The same reason that all Super Heavy Mecha Pilots swear an oath directly to the Emperor and in his presence. Loyalty. Experienced political officers all have strong connections with the various noble factions and are usually from one of them themselves. You two both hold Noble Title, but neither of you has an inherited faction or outside influences. I won’t lie, I have been instructed to raise you up as loyal servants of the Emperor, and so far you have been exemplary soldiers.

But the new Regiment will be in the spotlight from the moment they set foot in battle after our test missions are completed. Kepler can’t afford a Commander that might pit factions against each other, or work to undermine the leadership. The Rebels are still simmering away, waiting for their moment to try again, and we can’t afford to turn on our own with our neighbors breathing down our necks. A loyal show of force with the new Pattern Mecha is what the Emperor believes we need to settle the situation.”

General Tennant’s lengthy explanation both alarmed and reassured both Max and Nico. The Emperor was doing what he could to avoid civil war, even if it meant letting his enemies survive a bit longer until the Kepler Empire was strong enough to eliminate them without being swarmed and overrun by hostile outside forces.

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