Krell Belmont's fingertips brushed the cold composite grip. He felt the faint warmth from the energy conduits, and a strange sense of security filled him, making him gradually feel his strength.
The low hum of the bulkheads, the faint smell of lubricant and sweat in the air, the sound of the warriors beside him silently and intently checking their gear... It all felt so real.
Far more real than the glittering lights of lavish banquets, nightclubs, and regattas.
Even more real than the intoxicating charms of his girl groups.
At that moment, his heart swelled with a sense of purpose. At that moment, he—who had always wavered between progress and depravity—was burning with fervor.
He lifted his head and gazed at the burly Lumina beside him. The man was awkwardly trying to put on his Behemoth armor.
"We're not going to rescue a princess," he heard the Lumina say.
"Right. We're just going to kick the Empire's ass," replied a young woman from Earth, smiling.
That was Theia, the third-generation chief of the Spirit Research Society. Her full name was Bai Ziqi.
Her heraldic mech bore a star on its shoulder, but she didn't look like a soldier at all. She was the quintessential psychic battle maniac, the sort Belmont had seen plenty of times.
That wasn't surprising, though. Before his tactical retirement, he, Krell Belmont, had been a general too.
The Lumina awkwardly reached out a massive hand and patted the carapace on his head. "I'm a citizen of the Commonwealth, and I got a degree from the Alliance, but the Alliance hunted me down. I escaped the Alliance, then accepted an imperial amnesty, and now I'm fighting alongside the Alliance against the Imperials. Life as a Lumina mechanic sure has been eventful."
"My life's been eventful too. Everyone