Following Lt. Jorvik towards the hangers, Thea could not help but get excited. They were about to get a first-hand look at the vehicles and war machinery of the UHF!

She’s always wondered about why the last two years of Basic hadn’t really included any vehicles and pretty much exclusively focused on infantry-based training, but hearing that there was an entirely different branch that dealt with the armoured divisions, had cleared that question right up.

While Thea was unlikely to join them, she was nevertheless excited to see the technology that was undoubtedly going to be a large part of the modern UHF armoured divisions’ arsenal.

Just the grav-bike of the Lieutenant alone had sparked Thea’s interest already, ‘I wonder if I could buy my own licence for a grav-bike as well… For a scout, that could be pretty useful, after all…’

Slightly giddy with anticipation, Thea walked next to Lucas who’s facial expressions betrayed his similarly, if not higher, level of anticipation to see the different kinds of armoured vehicles that the UHF had at their disposal.

As the group of Recruits followed behind the Lieutenant, he once again let his voice be carried by the DDS system, to reach everyone’s ears.

“Now, before we get to the juicy part, as we still have around a kilometre of walking to get there, I’ll take the time to explain one last, highly important facet of modern warfare: Battlefield types.

“You might have heard more experienced Marines or your Professors talk about specific types of battlefields before, but if you haven’t, don’t worry, for they’re very simple. There are generally three distinct types of battlefields we will encounter on any given campaign.

“First, the free battlefields. They are, as the name suggests, entirely free from any System-restrictions. They’re exceedingly rare, as neither the Factions nor TAS itself wants all-out, indiscriminate war. These types of battlefields generally only appear when there’s absolutely no holds barred between two Factions in a given conflict, as they continually escalate their resource expenditures.

“In order to create such a battlefield, all a Faction has to do is attack any given area in the most traditional way possible: Just do it. Simply take your ships and troops and invade whatever planet or area of space you want. If a Faction decides to do this, the entire area will be marked as a free battlefield. As mentioned previously, there are no restrictions applied to the entire battle, so they often end up escalating to enormous proportions. We generally try to avoid these conflicts, for obvious reasons, as they’re exceptionally resource hungry.

“The second type of battlefield is the one we’ll see the most of: Sanctioned battlefields. These are battlefields in which the System oversees the balance of war, through certain restrictions.

“The most obvious restriction, and the one you’ll likely have heard about before, is that only soldiers of a certain Tier are allowed to enter the battlefield and participate. This is a restriction set by the System to allow lower-tier soldiers to have a chance to rise to prominence, without getting utterly destroyed in any battlefield they might want to partake in.

“There are a couple of exceptions to this rule however: Any sanctioned battlefield allows for a certain, small number of higher-tier soldiers. We generally refer to these as Aces. As there is a very limited number of them in any given sanctioned battlefield, they are used as strategic and tactical options, to be deployed wherever and whenever necessary. Outside of tier restrictions, most battlefields also limit the maximum size of armoured vehicles, which we’ll get to in a minute, although this is not a guarantee.

“When it comes to sanctioned battlefields, your PV, or Point-Value, is a major deciding factor on what missions you will be given by the UHF. As the amount of troops we can deploy is heavily limited, based on the maximum size of the battlefield, we want to send the absolute best of the best to where we need them most. While it is possible to exceed the designated maximum size of troop deployments, this, much like anything else within the System, costs the Faction a lot of Merit to accomplish.

“At times, it can be worthwhile however, depending on the importance of the battlefield at hand. If there’s a valuable resource node that is being fought over, it could be worthwhile to spend some Faction Merit to deploy an extra Ace or an extra battalion of Marines, just to make sure we have the upper hand.

“Sanctioned battlefields are created, when a Faction declares their intent of attack on any given area, at least 24 hours in advance. There’s a System terminal for this, that will then alarm any Factions nearby of the upcoming battle. While this sounds like an odd way to do war, you have to remember that TAS is primarily looking to create conflict, not assist in humanities quarrels.

“So a warning makes a ton of sense, by giving the owning Faction at least some amount of time to prepare themselves for a counter. Let me also remind you that 24-hours is absolutely nothing, when it comes to interstellar travel. While we might know that war is about to break out in a given System, it won’t really do much for us most of the time, as there’s no way to get there in less than a week’s time, for example.”

Thea nodded to herself, as she thought, ‘That sounds reasonable… The System really does seem to be out for conflict at all times, more so than assisting any given Faction in leading their war in the most optimal way possible… Especially considering the restrictions on the respawn pod, for example, by not allowing us to disable it remotely, makes that very obvious. It’s trying very hard to keep things somewhat balanced, while continuously fanning the flames of conflict…’

A low murmur went through the Recruits behind her, as some of them discussed the information the Lieutenant had just revealed. Lt. Jorvik, on the other hand, seemed to simply bide his time as he waited for the discussions to die down, while continuing to walk towards the giant hangars.

As each minute passed, they drew nearer to the vast, metal hangar bays, structures that proved to be far larger than Thea had anticipated from her previous, more distant, point of view. Upon their approach, the colossal scale of these edifices became increasingly undeniable.

Stretching out to the horizon on either side, they stood as immense, imposing structures of dull grey metal, their forms merging with the skyline itself. Their exteriors were rugged and unadorned, prioritising functionality over aesthetics. The formidable walls undoubtedly served as the first line of defence against any external threat.

Each hangar was a monolith, punctuated only by the enormous sliding doors that hid their contents from the world. Uniformly embellished with the UHF insignia in the organisation's official colours of gold and red, these doors were like thin lines at a distance. However, as the group approached, these lines transformed into intimidating barriers, as high and wide as multistory buildings.

Just as the group of Recruits reached the shadow of the first, massive, hangar, Lt. Jorvik continued his lecture.

“The last and final type is the limited battlefield. This is the battlefield you are all familiar with, as they are the ones chosen for challenge trials. In limited battlefields, as the name suggests, a lot of things are vastly restricted. First and foremost, there is practically no combined arms presence on these battlefields. They generally focus on one particular type of combat, be it infantry, armoured vehicles, spaceships and the like.

“They’re more focused on their respective niche, than anything else. These types of battlefields are fairly rare however, as both sides of the conflict have to agree to a limited battlfield’s existence beforehand. This usually only happens in highly volatile areas or space combat, however. For example, in a fight over a highly flammable or explosive resource node, both Factions might agree to a limited battlefield in order to remove armoured vehicles from the fight, decreasing the risk of accidentally blowing up the resources as a result.

“The System then strictly enforces these limitations, by prohibiting either Faction to break them. Trust me, people have tried to break the limitations before and it did not end well for them. The Allbright System is very particular when it comes to making people adhere to its rules of engagement…

“Whatever the case, there is one final question to answer, before we open these hangar doors and take a look inside: ‘When does a fight actually end?’

“With a few different types of battlefields, that are generally more akin to wargames than true, all-out war, from a certain perspective, how does a winner get determined? The answer is fairly simple: Objectives. The System itself will designate certain objectives that need to be held or destroyed by each Faction, depending on the situation at-hand, in order to ‘win’ the battlefield.

“All-out destruction of the enemy forces is also a viable and accepted solution by the System, as is surrendering. Once a battlefield is designated as ‘won’ by either side, there’ll be a one-week timer before a cease-fire will be enacted by the System, which will last for one month at the least. That means that, in case we ever lose a battlefield you’re a part of, hunker down for a week if you can’t make it to an evacuation ship, before you try to leave.

“As with most things System-related, this cease-fire can be broken prematurely, if a Faction wants to spend a vast amount of Merit, of course. It generally doesn’t happen, however, as the Merit cost rarely outweighs the actual benefit of a premature end to the cease-fire. Sometimes, such as in cases where a high priority target is stranded on your newly conquered planet however, it may be worthwhile. Getting a basically guaranteed kill-shot at an enemy General-rank soldier for example, is definitely worth quite a lot, in the grand scheme of things…

“Now, enough of that. Let’s take a look at some vehicles, shall we?” Lt. Jorvik abruptly ended his current topic with a devious grin on his face, before leading the group of Recruits towards the first gigantic set of hangar doors.

Thea had to back off a few steps, just to see the top of the doors, by the time they stood in front of the imposing shadows of the monolithic hangar doors. A feeling of pure awe overcame her, at the sheer size of the building before her. Never in her life had she anticipated to see something as large as the hangar in front of her right now.

If she had to guess, it would likely be able to fit five to six golden age arcades inside of itself, with room to spare! The most impressive part however, was that there were more than a dozen of these same-sized hangars lined up here. Coming from an extremely small-population planet, Thea couldn’t even imagine the amount of vehicles that could possibly be stored inside of these monolithic hangars, much less the sheer amount of people required to man all of them.

As Lt. Jorvik approached the right side of the first hangar door and scanned in his biometrics at a panel set into the wall of the hangar itself, hidden behind what looked to be a blast-proof cover, the giant doors of the hangar suddenly came to life.

The metallic groan of gargantuan mechanisms echoed through the air as the colossal doors of the hangar began to shift. An intricate series of hydraulics and servos whirred and hissed, and the imposing barriers gradually parted. As the gap widened, a stream of diffused light spilled out from the hangar's depths, casting elongated shadows over the approaching group.

Then, a rush of air whooshed out from within, carrying the distinct scent of oil, metal, and electricity—a veritable cocktail of mechanised activity that hit Thea square in the face. She could feel her heart drumming in her chest as the anticipation reached its peak.

As the doors finally fully retracted, the hangar's insides were revealed.

The sight took Thea's breath away, her eyes widening as they struggled to take in the staggering panorama laid out before them. The hangar, like a colossal cave of steel and concrete, was filled with an unfathomable array of vehicles.

It was as if she was staring at a metal ocean, with waves of vehicles of every conceivable type stretching as far as the eye could see.

There were smaller-sized vehicles of all types—bikes, grav-bikes, quad bikes, ATVs, hovercrafts, lightly-armoured SUVs, and more, all neatly lined up in perfect rows. Thea’s mind tried to grasp the number of machines present, but it was an impossible task. She felt as though she was staring into an infinity mirror, with the bikes and vehicles stretching on and on.

The metallic bodies of these machines glinted in the artificial lighting, casting an array of reflections that danced across the hangar's walls. The sight of this mechanised army, ready and waiting, was truly awe-inspiring.

Thea was not the only one stunned at the sight before her, as the entire group of Recruits had frozen solid where they stood, at the imposing sight of the inside of the hangar.

With an amused chuckle, Lt. Jorvik broke the spell.

“Haha… Always the same reaction, yet I never grow tired of it… Welcome, Recruits, to the small-sized vehicle hangar. These vehicles right here are considered as the basic transport kind. Pretty much everything you will find in here, is available for purchase for you right now, assuming you have the corresponding Skills and Licences. You can obtain those on the shopping deck, just ask around and you’ll find where to get them.

“Armoured vehicles in modern warfare are generally divided up into five different size categories, which simultaneously represent their capabilities, most of the time. Some notable exceptions apply, but we won’t go into those quite yet. This hangar here is, as I mentioned before, the small-size one. The next bigger one is medium, then large, followed by super-large and then special-sized.

“During your first year, it is unlikely you will run into anything past medium-sized vehicles, regardless of the level of battlefield you will engage with inside of the DDS, as there is practically no way for you to fight against them. We’ll take a look at them in a bit here regardless, cause they’re positively gorgeous machines of war, so don’t worry about missing out on that part.

“For now, let’s head inside and I’ll tell you a few things about the vehicles, as these are the most likely ones you’ll actively engage with, as Marines. I’ll reiterate my entry statement, that if you find yourself attracted, either philosophically or sexually, to any of the armoured vehicles here and want to make them your career, let the Sovereign know. We’ll immediately move you to the armoured division, for you to receive special training.

“The armoured division is a fundamental part of the UHFMC’s operations and is highly regarded amongst everyone inside the UHF. It’s an exceptionally dangerous, yet equally rewarding career path, to become a part of the armoured division’s crews. We’d be happy to have any of you join them. The reason I’m harking on this with you in particular, is that the armoured division generally gets their Recruits from the second wave of Recruits - the initial rejects of your own drive.

“Having elites, such as yourselves, to lead them would boost the overall efficiency and efficacy of the armoured division as a whole, so consider the offer wisely. After all, as elites, you’re almost guaranteed to become a commander of your own crew, in a few years time.”

With those final words, that Thea briefly noted had definitely caused a few thoughtful expressions to appear on the faces of her fellow Recruits around her, Lt. Jorvik led them further inside the massive hangar, while explaining some of the vehicle’s peculiarities more in-depth.

“These vehicles right here are the grav-vehicles. Aptly named after their primary building piece: The anti-grav engine. It drastically lowers the weight of the vehicle, allowing it to hover across the ground with minimal energy expenditure. My bike outside is a customised version of one of these grav-bikes here, as you might have guessed.

“They are exceptional scouting tools, for they’re essentially dead-silent, as long as you don’t overtax the engine. Standard-issue grav-bikes come with two front-mounted medium-power laser guns, which generally looks similar to my own bike outside, although the ones on my baby are high-power, of course. Vehicle-grade medium-power laser guns pack enough of a punch to puncture and destroy most medium-sized vehicles with a couple of well-placed hits.

“As some of you might have realised by now, the UHF is very simple when it comes to its naming scheme. If something is medium-powered, it can generally kill medium-sized stuff. If something is high-power, it can generally kill large-sized stuff and so on. Makes it easy to explain to Recruits, but does often become confusing when you’re trying to order a customised vehicle, let me tell you…”

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

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In a similar vein, the next two hours passed, as Lt. Jorvik gave in-depth explanations and backgrounds to each small-sized vehicle they encountered. In total, the hangar held more than 50 different types of small-sized vehicles, with dozens of variants for each - some simply replaced the main weapon, while others entirely changed their purpose, such as from an attack bike to a transport one.

Thea was particularly taken by the grav-bike and grav-quad, as they seemed exceptionally handy for scouting purposes on more rural landscapes. She especially liked the grav-quad’s additional storage, as it would allow her to take additional backpacks of ammunition, rations or even backup weapons, compared to the grav-bike.

She made a mental note to check the prices on the bike and quad, whenever she went out to buy equipment. If the Skill and Licences weren’t too expensive, it would definitely be something worth considering, Thea ultimately decided.

When she shared her thoughts with Lucas, he nodded vehemently before answering, “I like it! I was personally thinking of something a bit bigger, maybe the armoured SUV? We could use a squad vehicle, after all… The Lieutenant’s sales pitch for the armoured division is also very tempting, but I can’t exactly leave Alpha Squad, just to go and play with vehicles, huh?”

Sensing a certain apprehension in his words, Thea interjected, “Honestly, Lucas…! You should follow whatever you want to do. If you want to join the armoured division, nobody is going to hate you for it! If that’s what you want for your career, go for it.

“As a member of Alpha Squad you’d likely get welcomed with open arms, if what the Lieutenant said about the general quality of Recruits for the AD is true…! Although, judging by the way the Lieutenant talked about sanctioned battlefields earlier, you might not have to be part of the AD to get to drive some of the bigger stuff, assuming you have the right Skills for it.

“He did briefly mention how Marines are often subbed in for crews of up to medium-sized vehicles, to save on troop deployment… So maybe you can have both: Alpha Squad and vehicle fun?”

At Thea’s words, Lucas’ face lit up with a big smile, “You’re right! I just have to get myself the Skills, maybe a Licence or two… and it should be fine! I’ll do that then! You know… I always thought Karania was going to be the brains of Alpha Squad, but you’re pretty smart yourself, aren’t you, Thea?” He added with a goofy-looking thumbs-up.

Unsure of how to react to the compliment, considering she barely did anything, coupled with the goofy-looking action of her squadmate, Thea simply chuckled while shaking her head, as they followed Lt. Jorvik to the second hangar.

Similarly to the first hangar, the Lieutenant walked towards the right-hand side of the giant doors and entered his biometrics into the hidden panel, before the hangar doors slowly opened.

As the second set of doors rumbled open, a markedly different scene unfolded before the assembled group of Recruits. Where the first hangar had been a vibrant sea of smaller vehicles, neatly arranged in lines, this second hangar was dominated by larger, more imposing machines.

Thea could feel a palpable shift in the air as the doors fully opened. The atmosphere inside the hangar was heavier, denser, and carried a weight of purpose that was impossible to ignore.

Medium-sized Tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers were spread throughout the hangar, their hulking forms casting long, forbidding shadows across the concrete floor. Their armour plating shone under the harsh hangar lights, presenting a formidable spectacle. Each one seemed to exude an aura of silent might and unyielding strength, their deadly purpose unmistakeable.

Despite the unique designs and impeccably crafted exteriors of each vehicle, there was a shared philosophy underlying their construction. It was a philosophy of efficiency and grace that echoed in Lt. Jorvik’s grav-bike as well. Thea found herself awestruck, mouth agape, at the overwhelming aura of this second hangar.

Every corner of the hangar she explored with her eyes revealed more awe-inspiring and potent vehicles. The mobile artillery vehicles, in particular, were a spectacular sight to behold.

These machines of war, with their folded, towering weapon systems resembling gigantic cubes atop the transport bed, radiated an unmistakable menace. They were towering monuments to destructive technology, their mere presence a potent declaration of power.

Interspersed among the more conventional vehicles were the Mechs—massive, bipedal machines reminiscent of technology Thea had only seen in science fiction games. Their imposing stature, sleek metallic bodies gleaming in the artificial light, lent an additional air of ruthless efficiency to the entire hangar.

The hangar seemed to hum with the dormant energy of these sleeping giants, a silent army awaiting its summons. Despite the stillness, there was a palpable sense of kinetic potential. It was a world apart from the first hangar—more a force of impending action than a collection of vehicles.

Thea could feel the difference deep within her. The sheer scale and power of the UHF's armoured division were laid bare before her, a sight both daunting and inspiring. She couldn't help but second-guess the advice she'd given Lucas earlier. Were Skills and Licences truly enough to command these beasts, even on sanctioned battlefields…?

Looking over towards her squadmate, she could not help but smile at the sight.

Lucas, usually a fairly mellow, calm person, had veritable stars in his eyes as he looked around the hangar seemingly filled with everything he could have ever dreamed of. He was slowly rotating on the spot, trying to take in every single inch of the hangar and its vehicles with his very being, before they were inevitably corralled through the hangar and on towards the next one.

Not wanting to interrupt the, strangely intimate-feeling, moment Thea simply continued taking in the vehicles around her as well, before Lt. Jorvik’s voice caught her attention once more.

“Now, this hangar, as you might have guessed, is the medium-sized vehicle bay. These here are only a fraction of the medium-sized vehicles available to the UHF armoured division, but they should give you a good look of the different types that exist. From your traditional tread-based tanks, over grav-tanks to mobile artillery systems and your typical medium-APCs. The only really surprising thing in here, in my opinion, are the Mechs.

“When the UHF AD first started researching Mechs, a lot of questions were raised on their efficacy. Why go with something that has legs, instead of more traditional tanks? What use is there in adding additional weak points? It took the R&D department decades to finally come up with a viable prototype to answer this question. The answer is as simple as you might expect: Versatility and Mobility.

“Where tread-tanks and grav-tanks can only realistically operate on somewhat even terrain, despite their exceptional targeting and stabilisation tech, Mechs can operate anywhere. If an enemy has built massive trenches, barricades or even walls, a Mech can simply walk around them, step over them or otherwise evade the issue entirely, when the more traditional options would be stuck.

“Coupled with the ever-increasing power output of the fusion-reactors inside the Mechs, their speed is also vastly superior to the more traditional tanks. Ultimately, Mechs were never meant to fight tanks in a stationary shootout, after all. You could see Mechs as the scout-type equivalent to the tanks’ heavy-type.

“Where tanks prefer to get dug in and shoot from a distance or slowly march forward in large arrays, Mechs are generally considered to be solo-operators. Most Mech squads are, at most, a group of five Mechs put together, that try to outmanoeuvre the enemy before they can even react to their presence.

“Make no mistake, however. A Mech can and absolutely will fuck up a tank, if given the chance. While their overall firepower and defensive capabilities are below that of the tanks, regardless of tread- or grav-variant, their vastly superior manoeuvrability allows them to employ hit and run style tactics that tank crews could never even dream of.

“Now… If you’re looking for Mechs that can go toe-to-toe with a tank… We’re going to have to go to the next hangar,” Lt. Jorvik finished with a wink and a big smile, as he saw that his teasing words had hit the spot.

The Recruits, especially the ones who had already looked somewhat thoughtful at the idea of joining the UHF AD, were eager, almost to a frightening degree, to get to the third hangar, after hearing the Lieutenant’s words.

Before they could speak up or start moving, however, Lt. Jorvik continued.

“Before we go there, however, I have to give you a rundown of the most important technologies inside this hangar: Vehicle weaponry, armours and utility equipment.

“Most tanks have a wide array of weapons available to them: Shells, railguns, laser cannons, plasma cannons, galvanic burst cannons, flame or plasma-throwers, and the list goes on and on, really. The general idea here is usually that a tank is only good at one particular thing, with its main-weapon, while the secondary ones shore up its weaknesses.

“If a given tank is running a plasma-cannon as its main-gun, it’ll likely have an array of heavy machine guns, laser gatling guns or the like as its side-guns, in order to deal with potentially approaching infantry. Keep this in mind for when you inevitably run into a situation where you have to make a decision with your squad, on whether you want to engage the tank or disengage from its area.

“Mechs generally have a similar loadout, although they often end up more heavily specialised due to their higher mobility. It’s far easier to move a Mech out of harm's way than a tank, after all. For Mechs, their main guns are located at their arms, while the side-guns are generally mounted near the chassis in the centre. Depending on the pilot, their main weapon will be on their dominant hand, with the secondary main weapon being on their non-dominant one. If you can figure out which one the dominant is, it will make your life a lot easier.

“In terms of armour, most vehicles inside of this hangar come with a similar armour-level, although tanks generally have more of it, while Mechs and APCs have less. Additionally, grav-tanks, due to the nature of the grav engines and their maximum load capacity, will be less armoured than tread-tanks, although they generally pack the same amount of punch.

“As a result, if you have to choose between a tread and a grav-tank to shoot at, take the grav one, as it’ll be easier to kill, given they’re both stationary. Grav-tanks have additional mobility benefits compared to their tread-based brothers however, as they can move sideways.

“So don’t try to shoot at them from a large distance, as they will simply side-step your rockets or whatever else you got, if the driver is in any way competent. Lastly, utility vehicles and equipment. Most utility vehicles will use modified versions of the mobile artillery you see here, although some use the grav- or tread-based tank chassis as well. The ones you’ll want to pay the most attention to are the following:

“Stealth, illusion, communication and supply. Pretty much in that order of importance too. Stealth utility vehicles are amongst the most dangerous things you can encounter on the battlefield, as they allow entire battalions of enemies to go undetected. If you manage to locate one of them, immediately inform command and try to disable the stealth generator afterwards.

“Stealth generators are exceptionally expensive to create, so losing one is a nasty blow to whatever the enemy might have been up to. Similarly, if you’re escorting one of our own, do not let it get destroyed or taken out. A single stealth vehicle can make or break an entire campaign, always remember that.

“Illusion tech is a level below stealth. Not quite as important, as they can’t use it to move around much without being obvious, but as a stationary or semi-mobile base of operations, they can be an absolute headache to deal with. Same procedure as with the stealth ones: Inform command, then try to disable or destroy the generators.

“When it comes to communications and supply vehicles, always comms in their location whenever you find one, but simply await further instructions from command. There are a lot of instances where we don’t want the enemy to know that we know where their precious things are hidden away, so don’t go out there simply destroying whatever you find.

“Now, having that all covered, let’s quickly go through the vehicles presented here and I’ll give you a quick rundown of what we’re actually looking at with each of them…”

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Another hour passed, as Lt. Jorvik led them through the second hangar and explained the different names and designations of the vehicles, as well as explained the different types of weaponry that they’re likely to encounter in the next year.

Overall, in the hangar they had just gone through, Lt. Jorvik had pointed out more than 30 different medium-sized vehicles, with an even greater number of variants than the small-sized ones. He had mentioned that there were at least four more similarly stacked hangars necessary, to list all the general usage vehicles for the UHF AD.

Thea was slightly overwhelmed with the amount of exposition the Lieutenant had provided over the past few hours, but was also similarly thankful for it. While she didn’t know how much of it would really be useful going forward, she knew that at the very least, she’d be able to make an educated guess at what might be their best option in any given situation.

So far, she highly enjoyed this lecture, compared to the System one she had the day before, as she got to experience the hangar bays and the vehicles first-hand. Lt. Jorvik had even allowed them to touch the sleek metallic armour of the tanks and Mechs, when they had passed by them, which had made Thea exceptionally happy. She had never even heard of the metal alloy that had been used to create the armour plates that covered the machines, yet she could immediately tell that it was an exceptional blend of rigidity, flexibility and toughness, that would provide the machines with a phenomenal balance in their defensive capabilities.

The Lieutenant had called it Crysteel-alloy, which was apparently a mixture of Crysium, supposedly a Tier 2 material - whatever that meant - Plasteel and a large amount of binding materials that even he was not privy to knowing about. Creating an alloy from Crysium was, according to the Lieutenant, exceptionally difficult, so the exact blend was considered a trade-secret of the Technorium Syndicate and their respective forge worlds, that provided the UHF with their war machines.

When they approached the next hangar, which was actually the second to last of the hangars in this row, as they had skipped two medium-vehicle ones in getting here, Lt. Jorvik stopped before the giant hangar doors, instead of heading straight towards the door panel as he had done before.

“Now then… This is the large-vehicle section. The machines inside are likely going to be extremely rare for you to ever encounter on a battlefield, at least for the first couple of years, but it’s fun to look at them regardless. The classification of a large-sized vehicle is generally based on weight. Any vehicle inside the hangar weighs at least 100 tons, but some of the heavier variants run up to 150 tons as well. If you’re joining the UHF AD, you might actually get to pilot one of them in a couple years, considering your elite status… But that’s a discussion for another time. Let’s have some fun!”

With that announcement, he quickly stepped towards the panel and unlocked the massive hangar doors using his biometrics, as he had done the previous two times as well.

As the third set of doors rumbled open, Thea was treated to yet another spectacle, markedly different from what she had seen so far. She had thought that she had been appropriately prepared for what she was about to find inside, based on the previous two hangars, but the sheer size and scale of the machines held within the large-vehicle hangar left her momentarily breathless.

Immediately capturing her attention were the tanks – machines so large and intimidating that they dwarfed even the Mechs she had seen earlier. Their steel-grey bodies gleamed under the harsh artificial lights, the heavily plated armour giving off an intimidating sheen. Their monstrous cannons, large enough to fit a grown man inside, were pointed menacingly towards the opened hangar doors, a silent testament to their devastating capabilities and potentially a silent threat, should any unauthorised person dare to break their way inside.

Naturally, they were all tread-based tanks, as there were no grav-engines strong enough to let behemoths of 100-150 tons of weight levitate off the ground. According to Lt. Jorvik’s earlier explanations on the medium-tanks, most machines incorporated some kind of anti-grav tech, to reduce the weight of their individual components. Thea suspected that this was the case for these behemoths as well, but she’d have to wait for Lt. Jorvik to begin his explanations on the heavy-type vehicles before she dared to ask the question. She did not want to ruin this moment of awe, after all.

Next came the Titans, as Lt. Jorvik had called them in the previous hangar—significantly bulkier and larger than the mechs, these behemoths were like moving fortresses. Their given name of Titans was painfully accurate in Thea’s opinion, as they positively towered above everything else inside the hangar. Each one of them stood around 30 metres tall.

Encased in layers of thick, high-tech armour plates whose design seemed to resemble that of fantasy-styled knights and paladins, featuring colourful insignias, pauldrons, and even helmets to protect their pilot cabins, they were a spectacle to behold, in and of themselves. The sophistication in their design hinted at unparalleled destructive capabilities, while retaining a certain amount of versatility and manoeuvrability that their smaller brethren were known for, making them the epitome of battlefield dominance.

Their mere presence inside the hangar made everything else feel smaller and the air denser, as their towering height simply added to the imposing nature of their existence..

Amongst these juggernauts, Thea also noticed an array of giant utility vehicles that seemed to be equipped with stealth generators and communications dishes, or maybe a radar-dish…? Their sleek designs stood out amongst the more imposing war machines. Their impeccably designed exterior shielding hinted at a maze of complex electronics housed within, undoubtedly an essential for orchestrating the precise ballet of modern warfare.

Also scattered throughout the hangar were the massive troop carrier vehicles that Lt. Jorvik had mentioned during his hour-long talk inside the previous hangar. They were almost unassuming compared to their more aggressive-looking counterparts despite their bulky, multi-layered and armour-plated exterior, but their size alone hinted at their significant role on the battlefield. Able to transport dozens, potentially even hundreds of soldiers at a time, these vehicles were the lifeline for ground troops during major operations.

Each of these machines in front of Thea was a testament to the pinnacle of human ingenuity and technological prowess, their silent forms promising a thunderous cacophony on the battlefield. Despite Lt. Jorvik's earlier, casual tone, Thea understood that piloting one of these colossal machines would be a responsibility like no other.

Despite that realisation, which was undoubtedly shared by her peers, she could not fault the Recruits around her that looked on with eager interest, their growing intentions of signing up with the UHF AD evident on their faces.

Lucas especially seemed enamoured with the Titan-class of machine. Thea could not fault him for that either, for their imposing, downright regal-looking exterior was a sight to behold.

Their hulking bodies had a top-heavy structure, supported by two massive legs that resembled steel-clad tree trunks. Each foot was as wide as a medium-sized vehicle, ending in several claw-like appendages that provided balance and traction on a wide array of terrains.

The Titans' arms, if one could call them that, were more like weapon platforms than anything else. Each was outfitted with an array of armaments that could level entire city blocks.

Long-range missile launchers, high-powered laser cannons, railguns, plasma-cannons and anti-aircraft systems were just a few of the lethal payloads they were equipped with. Despite their massive size, these machines were known for their surprising agility and nimbleness, a feat achieved by a truly marvellous combination of advanced gyroscopic technology, anti-grav components, unfathomably powerful engines and expert piloting.

However, what made the Titans truly awe-inspiring was the 'cockpit', housed within the upper torso of the machine. The cockpit was partially hidden behind an ornamental-looking, armoured housing that often resembled the full-plate helmets of knights or paladins in the arcade games that Thea used to enjoy. It was more of a command centre than a simple pilot's seat, featuring an array of screens, controls, and interfaces that connected the pilot and his crew with every facet of the Titan's operations.

Lt. Jorvik had started his explanations on some of the large-type vehicles already, but Thea and Lucas were busy, standing side-by-side and simply staring up at the Titan’s ‘face’, wondering just what exactly the view from the inside would be like, as this steel-monstrosity stomped its way towards whatever objective it might be required for…

(This chapter continues in Part 2)