This is a Beta Test?! - A Literally Broken System

The Vestygian War Rig Coal has been in the Republic's service for over two decades. One of the fastest of its kind, it is one of the best Rigs that are currently under the employ of the Republic's Navy in their efforts to completely take over the Shallow Deep.

And of course, the man responsible for commanding said Rig would also have to be as competent as his vessel.

"Where are these Imperials going?"

"Are they giving up?"

Even as his subordinates looked on at the situation before them feeling overconfident and smug about their assured victory, Somatic Red Shepard knew better than to let their superior position blind him from an obvious maneuver. It was clear that the Imperial Rig was the first of its kind, and its mysterious callsign only meant that it was possibly a new weapon meant to turn the tides of the battle for the Shallow Deep.

"They're planning something," Red muttered aloud, commanding the bridge's attention as he kept his eyes on the charts. "The fact that they haven't sunk despite all of the cannonballs we threw at them means that it can take more damage than any normal Rig can take."

"But sir, it hasn't even managed to hit a single attack on us yet," one of his men laughed aloud. "If they had any weapons on board, surely they would've already used it."

Red hummed to himself as he ignored the revelry of the people under his command. While it was true that the mysterious Imperial Rig has yet to field any weapons beyond what were clearly obsolete Vestygian cannons, there was still a sinking feeling settling within his chest the more he observed the enemy Rig's movements. Their heading had been completely erratic for the past hour that they've been chasing them down; constantly swerving across the waters as if they couldn't make up their minds. At one moment, they'd be moving in a straight line, and at the next, they'll suddenly do a maneuver that no sane navigator of the Deep would even dare to do.

"There's still a chance that they're biding their time," Red commanded out, his grip on his captain's hat tightening as he pulled it down tighter into his head. "Remember, the Imperials might be barbarians, but even they could steal ideas and make them their own."

It had been the running theme across the three Great Nations, after all. With Kattleyna completely falling behind in terms of technological advancements and basic governing in general, they've resorted to stealing technology from its closer neighbor Marquee. They've also stolen a few things from Vestyge, as was evident with their liberal yet atrocious usage of their cannons, but the fact that they could somehow build a Rig of this caliber was far from any of the Republic's intelligence network.

"Sir! They're turning around!"

"They have a weapon on deck! Adjusting our heading!"

"Is... Is that a Marquean Tether Cannon!?"

"That's impossible! It's too big! Marquean Systems aren't built to provide that much energy!"

Red's eyes widened at the reports he was hearing. Looking down at the charts, the white hue of the Imperial Rig almost flashed brightly as the Rig's sensors failed to detect its energy levels. Just what exactly was the engine in that thing then? Surely, it would have to be of Marquean design if they were so blatantly upscaling their own weapon designs.

"It's a bluff," Red concluded, his hand stretched out as he gave out a command. "[Stop Panicking]."

Feeling his [Manifest]'s effects wash over him, a wave of calm focus emanated from his hand, his [Befehl] glowing atop his head as he too benefited from his own sense of focus and order.

"Orders, sir?!"

The Somatic hummed in thought before he replied, "Keep the cannons firing! They're on the run! Don't let them escape!"

"Aye, sir!"

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the charts, his mind whirring with possibilities as the mystery of the unnamed Imperial Rig kept popping into his mind.

"Just what are they up to in there..."

For the umpteenth time, the urge to hail the enemy Rig came up to his mind. For some reason, he was sure that he'd get vital information from the very moment they answered. However, he stayed his orders, remembering just why he refused to do so in the first place.

"They're Somatics... We don't know what they can do just yet..."

Just the potential of an enemy Somatic somehow affecting them through a hail was simply too great to ignore. Despite advances in Vestygian wireless communication systems, there was simply no way to filter out any sort of effects that a hostile Somatic could use to affect the person on the other side of the line. And that wasn't to mention the risk of letting the entire ship fall simply because of one unavoidable mistake. The VWR Shale fell to a Somatic that could give out suggestions through her voice, and the higher-ups quickly mandated a 'no hailing' policy for any vessel unaffiliated with the Republic.

[*"Uhh... Hello?"*]

His eyes widened. "What is that!?"

"I-It's from the Imperial Rig, sir," his comms officer anxiously replied. "They're trying to hail us."

Red grimaced. He wouldn't have any of these Imperials trying to worm their way into their heads. "Cut the line."

"Of course."

With a loud screech, the line got cut off, Vestygian technology doing its best to mimic its Marquean counterpart as it forcibly destroyed the connection. While Red understood the Republic's reluctance on incurring more of Marquee's wrath by being accused of stealing technology, doing so was starting to prove more beneficial than trying to make their own version of a vastly superior design. Say what they could about Marquee's overabundant obsession with technology, but no one in the Deep could deny that the small nation was decades ahead of its larger contemporaries.

[*"Well now. That was rude."*]

"Sir?!"

Red almost stood up from his seat. Did the Imperials just somehow pull a move out of the Marquean playbook? "Cut the-"

[*BOOM!*]

Red was thrown off his seat as a massive hit rocked the entire Rig. Quickly standing back up, he barked aloud, "What in the- Report!"

"S-Sir! We've been hit!"

"The Tether Cannon has connected us with the Imperial Rig!"

His eyes narrowed... "Impossible..."

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