The area around Argedwall resembled images of WWI trench warfare. Scorched ground, churned muck that was rife with metal projectiles. Protruding bits of steel like huge caltrops rose two meters tall in many locations, rooted in place and affixed with messily but sturdily applied welding. Strung in between some of these like hells silk was a much improved version of barbed wire. Broad spikes, hooked and more than capable of tearing a standard biotic to pieces, helped to dissuade anything from charging haphazardly through the area.
It looked like many of them had been replaced and repaired recently.
“We got the opportunity to refresh some of our defenses,” Peter explained as he saw my eyes survey the stout defenses, “they’re quite effective, but we don’t use them along the thoroughways.”
He pointed out long sections that were void of any such defenses, areas that the biotics would likely naturally move towards with limited resistance in their way. “We use our Cavalry divisions here to help slow down the flow of biotics. They can move across the terrain fairly easily once the trenches drop the bridges.”
The man pointed out said ‘bridges’ as he spoke, little more than half a meter thick steel plates that were affixed straight to the trench walls beneath it. From the direction of the city, someone could simply kick it down if needed, allowing easy paths over the wide trenches beneath. They could also be pulled down by the heavy chains that lay across the trenches themselves, in the event that there were Knights in the murder-halls beneath. I didn’t have the opportunity to see it all in play, but the image of the defenses that Argedwall painted a very brutal, smooth picture.
From beyond the circular trenches and their intersecting halls, biotics would move in towards the city. Even before any shots were fired or swords raised, several of the first wave of biotics would shred themselves upon the multitude static defenses scattered around. Some of these areas were split to allow passage in two directions where a defending unit could, in theory, be able to have a more defensible position. I doubted that was something done often, more an event that indicated a previous circle had to be abandoned in haste.
Beyond that were the trenches themselves. They were deep enough that the fully mechanized Knights could move with room to spare. Any biotic that tried to jump the gap would likely receive a spear to the gut. More likely, they’d stream into the trench like water, where the melee weapons and impressive coordination of the Knights would be put to use. While every Knight did appear to have some measure of ranged weapon on one shoulder and attached to their right wrists, few would need to use such things in close range.
There were some biotics that they preferred to keep out of the trenches and tunnels. Then there were those that the Knights wanted to keep out of the trenches at all costs, namely the Carriers and the Spindlies, which apparently hadn’t existed for all that long.
“We suffered heavy losses when they first appeared.” Voice grim, he shook his head, “ever since then, we were forced to play even further on the back foot. We weren’t prepared for something quite so durable, nor for something able to cut through our armor so cleanly.”
“It was the perfect counter.” I shook my head, “I’m sorry for your loss. Damond appeared to be their main nesting zone, but even after destroying the Hive cores, they were still mobile.”
The man nodded, though seemed visibly perturbed, “yes, Fran did mention that. We’re still not sure what to make of it, though. Most biotics just die when you kill the cores. The Carriers are still the only exception to that rule, but we don’t know why.”
I frowned at the knowledge that the Spindlies almost seemed bred for purpose in regards to Argedwall.
He directed my attention to the distant towers then, rousing me from my thoughts, “we used to have only a few towers, but now we’ve since added three for every district. The extra equipment was-” he cringed at this, “-a painful expense, but a necessary one.”
I frowned at that, “surely you all must have an abundance of Matter Energy?”
“If only that were the case. In the beginning we weren’t using mechs as heavily, but with so many biotics we began to lose many people. Half of Argedwall is left since those days, I’d say, though I can’t give you any exact numbers.” He looked remorsefully at the trenches, “between the need for medical equipment, infrastructure, and ammo alone, we were left in a tight spot. Myself and eleven others at the time made up the first Lords of Argedwall, and we decided that the initial investment of M.E. into mechs would pay for itself. Now we have more Lords, and far more mechs, but if we hadn’t gone that path… well, I fear we’d have far fewer men and women to stand beside.”
The information took me by surprise. For a moment, I contemplated if perhaps someone was taking Matter Energy once more, but I doubted that was the case here. When I thought about it objectively, the Knights likely took a great deal of damage in their day to day operations, at least when the hordes were fully active. If they were forced to perform repairs strictly on Matter Energy, rather than having their own machine bays, then the costs would quickly become exorbitant. Then there was the issue with the blockade of technologies that were allowed through the Obelisk for quite some time. Places like Argedwall likely were making due with what was available, but the inaccessibility of some very convenient tools and technologies would have certainly made their operations far more difficult.
I grit my teeth at that, reminding myself that Yezzek Tam, the councilman responsible for disarming Earth’s Obelisks, had his own situation to consider. For a brief moment, I considered murdering him as brutally as possible, but the benefits of keeping him firmly in my pocket outweighed that.
Right now, he was the buffer between Earth and any number of organizations that might want to take advantage of our status and situation. I’d learned enough to know that without a patron, our solar system could potentially be swept out from under us, legally, though it ground my guts to think of the possibility that our native resources wouldn’t be ours after all of this.
That was a long way off, though, and so long as Yezzek Tam proved himself useful, I would allow him to benefit as our proxy.
As we passed the towers that protruded from the dense walls of Argedwall, I noted that there were much slimmer, but heavily armed mechs that sat at the tops of the structures. I knew them as Arbolests, a variant of the Knights that specialized in heavy ordnance at range. Only those with extremely proficient accuracy were allowed to have the positions, mostly due to the fact that M.E. wasn’t as plentiful as they’d have liked here. According to Peter the situation had improved dramatically of late, due to access to the Obelisks.
“Honestly, if we hadn’t managed to upgrade our support systems, we might have had to scrounge up the least damaged parts,” the man let out a dispirited chuckle, “thanks, by the way.”
“For what?” I frowned, before remembering that I’d sent a general information missive through the Obelisk system when everything had been resolved. Anyone with access to the information, anyways, which excluded Sunvilla at the time.
“For removing the lock on the Obelisks tech,” the man nodded, already noting that I was recalling that, “you’re somewhat famous around here. When we heard that the Legion was nearby and willing to help, well, let's just say any table would welcome your people for a meal.”
That filled me with no small amount of warmth and pride. Peter himself seemed to be in high spirits along with Fran, Richard, and Alice.
“So, have you guys found any Uniques?” Richard cut in, “we found several around Gilramore.”
The man frowned, “hmm… what would be different about them?”
I paused at that, turning to Richard, who seemed to have that look about him when he was trying to appear nonchalant, but in reality was anything but.
“Everything,” he said, “here, let me send you some stuff.”
We kept walking at a slow pace as he perused the files and footage, and near the end Peter blanched, “sweet gods, this Wolven is an abomination.”
“Yeah,” I stated tamely, “that’s an understatement.”
‘No one appreciates Our art.’ Wolvey huffed in my mind, drawing a grim grin from my lips.
“Anyways, they’ll always be different from the biotics around, and tend to be viciously aggressive as well as intelligent.” Richard continued, “you’d know it if you’d seen it. The Obelisks reward additional Matter Energy for killing them, too.”
He hummed audibly, “I’d like to say no, but… there may be someone here that’s seen something like that. I’ll introduce you to him later. But I do have to warn you, he can be a little… agitatable.”
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I quirked an eyebrow at that, but didn’t pursue that line of questioning. It didn’t much surprise me anymore that people I often needed to talk too weren’t quite normal.
“The outer areas aren’t inhabited by virtue of safety, so we usually fill them with equipment and munitions and such.” He gestured to the houses, many of which were filled with racks of replacement weapons, ammo, and any number of other things. There were also several mess tents set up in the event that someone needed to grab a meal and then immediately head back out to the field. The yards, surprisingly, were well cared for and, as became readily apparent, not unique to the outer portions of the city. Winding gardens full of flowers and vegetation absolutely brimmed the city, a far cry from the hellish grid that lay beyond the walls.
“The noncombatants, albeit few in number, wanted to do something nice for the Knights.” Peter explained with a wide smile, “this is one thing they did.”
“It’s pretty!” Alice beamed, “it’s so different than what I expected from you guys.”
Peter arched an eyebrow at that, “well, I don’t know what you were expecting, but I’m glad to exceed those expectations.”
Alice coughed into her hand sheepishly, “eh, well, you know, bunch of people running around in heavy machinery doesn’t exactly shout ‘flower power’ y’know?”
Richard chuckled at that, and Peter smiled good naturedly, “that’s true, I suppose. Some of us were a bit less excited about them, but they came around. It’s fairly good for morale to help disconnect the Knights from the battlefield.”
As we went further in, I noticed a few more things, namely that there weren’t any shops, per se, but more like communal areas where food was prepared. Assumedly, the non-combatants were working in these areas, and filled large - honestly they looked like basins - trays of food that the Knights off duty scooped onto plates and moved to several dozens of tables.
I also noticed that there was a not insignificant number of my Legionaries grouped up with the various Knights. Peter had been right, I couldn’t sense much of any stiffness from the people of Argedwall around my own.
They ate together, laughed together, and had already been fighting alongside each other. Not a few of them, I heard, were talking about the various battles either side had already undergone. One of the more popular stories being thrown about was the final battle against Wolven as it surged against the walls. The more skilled storytellers gripped Knights with that tale, and a few of them shot furtive glances to the walls of their own city, no doubt fearing what would have happened should Wolven been their problem instead.
As we neared the center of the city, I could hear the grinding and machining of constant toil from workshops. Mech after mech was being taken apart, the damaged components quickly replaced with fresh modules, and then slapped onto a truck. It astounded me how quickly they moved, and I realized that there were far too many of them as compared to the population as I’d guessed it. They likely had spares that could be swapped out.
No doubt, the breathing room we gave them was being put to good use. It was astounding to see them move, and it was also impressive to see them using old technology alongside the new.
What I didn’t expect to see, and yet was unsurprised when a moment passed, was Patrick with an Ogre open, his own personalized machining bay helping to work through the back product, as well as upgrade a handful of machines. He looked up to see me, his stark concentration breaking with a broad, childlike grin. This was his element, and to my surprise I could see Daniel’s mech sitting in standby next to the Ogre. Several compartments were open and being picked at by the mechanics, and Daniel himself was watching them with a slight glower from the side.
“Danny!” Fran shouted out, drawing his attention to her. His mood brightened instantly as he moved over instantly, not noticing the chuckles from the mechanics.
Or the fact that their poking and prodding of his machine redoubled the moment he was gone.
“Fran,” he embraced her, “is it time for the meeting?”
Her eyes twinkled, “it is. You can join us if you aren’t too busy.”
“Please take me with you,” he said, a fake desperate tone to his voice.
Well, mostly fake, there was a slight twinge that I wasn’t so sure about.
She laughed, pulling him in gently, her power armor making her taller than he was. She was, of course, very careful with him. Power armor was no joke, and we’d had a few scant incidents with injuries that emphasized that point.
“Matt, how’d it go with Sunvilla?” Daniel turned to me.
I shrugged, “it’s fixed, now. I think I’m just going to have Bulwark deal with situations like that in the future, though.”
He nodded, “yeeeah, I’d rather just fight biotics. People are complicated.”
Peter’s eyebrows rose imperceptibly at that, “well, I suppose that’s fair enough.”
With a laugh, I explained, “your people are probably fine. The situation in Sunvilla was… uncommonly bad.”
I explained how things had gone, extra details added by Richard and Alice as they came up. Peter, Fran, and Daniel were listening intently, though Fran had already read my general report. It was always different hearing about something straight from the source, though, and by the end of it each of them were exasperated with the situation.
“Alright, I could see how you wouldn’t want to deal with that again. At least this Gerry fellow seems stable.” Peter contemplated aloud.
I nodded, then glanced around again, “hey, that reminds me, where’s Terry?”
“Oh, he’s harassing Masons,” Peter chuckled, “they’re our noncombatants. He’s trying to get them to adopt electricity as a viable defensive arrangement.”
“After he demonstrated the Raijin field, I think he got them hooked,” Fran pointed out, “those results are hard to argue.”
The Lord nodded, “the investment would be well worth it, though we’d likely have to completely upgrade some of our infrastructure to support it. The Round will decide if that’s viable in the short term.”
“We can help,” I shrugged, “it’s in our best interest that Argedwall stays standing, after all.”
The man tapped his side thoughtfully, clinking metal with every motion, “that’s a possibility. Some of the Lords might be against that much help. There’s not many that are wary of you guys, but I should warn you that some are afraid that you’ll seek to leverage yourselves into power here.”
“Ah,” I stated dryly, “politics.”
Peter gestured quickly, “very little, I assure you. That’s a matter that likely won’t come into play, but I did feel the need to alert you, just in case.”
“We appreciate that,” Fran said before I could potentially complain, “for now, we’ll just be bringing up the idea in any case.”
Peter nodded gratefully, “that’s all I can ask for. Now, the Round won’t be in session for some time yet, but I could certainly use a meal. Anyone interested in grabbing a meal?”
We went to do just that, although as I removed my helmet, I caught more than one shocked look from the Knights. Peter himself was one of them.
“What’s the story behind that?” A Knight at the table boldly asked, leaning forward as he studied me, utterly unphased.
The man next to him elbowed him, “that’s Reaper.”
The first man’s eyes widened before a toothy grin spread across his face, “I’m Jones, I’ve heard a lot about you. So, you’re definitely not the behind-the-desk sort.”
I saw a vein pulse on Peter’s neck, no longer wearing his mech.
The reference was utterly lost on me, but I clasped his hand, “Matthew Reaper, pleasure to meet you.”
When he grabbed my hand, his face tightened, “wow, you’re like a statue.”
“Jones,” Peter ground out through clenched teeth, “behave yourself.”
“I’m just saying shaking his hand is like having my hand sitting in a beartrap that doesn’t fully close.” He looked innocently at the man that was his superior, “I mean, have you shaken his hand? Come on, shake his hand.”
Confusion bubbled in my mind at the exchange as Peter eyed him warily before turning his gaze fully on me, “I’m sorry, he’s an idiot. You’ll have to excuse him.”
A Knight further down the table barked with laughter, “Ah, it finally happened! I won the bet!”
Several other Knights groaned, “I didn’t think Peter would ever actually say it.”
Jones frowned and rested back in his chair, “I’m not stupid, I just don’t bother with a filter.”
At this point, Peter was massaging his temples and groaning aloud.
I laughed, the few Knights who were vaguely concerned about my response joining in.
“It’s bio-steel,” I shared after the noise died down, “makes me several times heavier and durable. Most of me is mechanical.”
Someone whistled, “damn, dude, how does that even work?”
‘I died,’ was the response that stuck to my tongue, “you could say that it shouldn’t have been able to happen. I wouldn’t recommend it, either. Nothing quite like having to own nothing but metal furniture.”
“Ah, that would suck.” Jones frowned, “do you, uh… no, nevermind.”
Everyone turned to look at Jones like he was sick.
“Ah, fuck off, I do actually have some boundaries.” He huffed, booming laughter erupting from our table, and others who had chimed in.
One of my Legionaries reached across the table and put a slice of… something, on my plate. He was an older fellow, Graham, I think, “try it, it’s the best damn meat pie I’ve had.”
“Ah, Granny Turner must be in high spirits if she’s making her pies.” Peter laughed.
The rest of the day was passed similarly to that, and I found myself surprised that I felt… better, after just relaxing for a few hours.
Hopefully, the Round meeting was going to go as well.