Once they reached the secured office, Uncle Lu brought out a new design schematic and placed it on the table.
"This is the current design plan. I won't know until later in the testing if it will need to be changed again, but the original had some issues.
All of the technology is new and untested, and the multiple types of energy fields can interact in unexpected ways. For example, trying to use the Hundred Points of Enlightenment took both the shielding and main power offline.
Engaging the Warp Field interfered with the structural stability field, because of the shape of the Mecha itself. As you recall from the Cutter tests, they are very finicky, especially at higher Warp factors.
So, while the design is similar, the height has been reduced to forty meters. The Thunder Guns on the arms were swapped for a freshly upgraded design of Disruptor that is stable over extreme distances.
There are still six barrels per arm, but they can also be linked to create two modified orbital lances.
I also managed to keep twelve Pulse Lasers in the shoulder plating. Their rate of fire has been increased from the standard, so they should serve the purpose of defensive duties.
You've also still got the sword, though a spear or polearm could be made instead.
It might seem like you've lost a lot, but the Disruptor design is very versatile, and can even make short work of the shields on a Destroyer class starship."
Uncle Lu praised his design changes while Max tried to understand the intended fighting style of this new design.
"It is too small to be called a God Class Mecha now, isn't it?" Those were the first words that escaped Max's mouth.
"True. It would still be a Titan Class unit though. With that amount of firepower and a Warp 12 top speed, I don't think anyone would argue against the title, even if forty meters isn't as tall as most Titans." Uncle Lu agreed.
Max looked over the Disruptor design schematic and saw that the combined output was greater than two regular orbital lances. How the scientist managed to get enough power production for that weapons array into a mecha was a minor miracle, and definitely explained the unusual power field interactions.
"What was your target enemy for this design?" Max asked.
The design was too focused for massed enemies unless the Disruptors could make wide-area attacks as well as focused beams, and too destructive when used at the full output against heavier targets unless you didn't care about the planet's infrastructure.
"With input from the others, it was designed for the things no other Mecha in our arsenal could do. Eliminating Transport Ships to prevent invasions, and rapid planetary Bombardment to clear alien held worlds."
"By input from others you mean you asked Nico and she wanted to bomb a planet into submission, don't you?" Max asked.
"Everyone else I asked agreed with her. It's far more firepower than the cutters have available, and when deployed into low orbit, most enemy sensor grids wouldn't even detect it until it was too late, they would identify it as space debris from the battle." Uncle Lu told him with pride.
"Can the Disruptors do wide area coverage?" Max asked, just to clarify the weapon's capability.
"Both wide range on the ground, making a thirty-degree cone twenty kilometers long, for sixty degrees total coverage between the arms, or a dispersed orbital strike, which would hit a circle of roughly thirty kilometers in diameter directly, without relying on secondary explosions to destroy an enemy position.
"That's got to be a war crime," Max muttered, thinking of what happened when the Disruptor output was lowered enough that it didn't just disintegrate its target.
"Nope, I double-checked this time. Because the core is still lethal it's legally sound. The outer areas are considered secondary damage, like the outer radius of an explosive. Even if someone files a complaint, they won't get too far without making fools of themselves when their political opponents counter their arguments." Uncle Lu gloated.
That was the thing about always being at war. You didn't always have to fight your own battles. Often, a group who had a grudge against those accusing you would do it on your behalf.
"Well, it's near twice the height of the Super Heavy Mecha we're using now, so I say it's a good design. We can work out any little flaws in its utility with additional handheld weapons once the main mecha is finished." Max agreed.
"Oh, that's an excellent idea. I could make a gun blade. You know, a sword with a huge Ion Cannon in it or something, or a Halberd that doubles as a Laser Lance for sniper duty when you turn it around.
I think we've finished our briefing, I need to get back and work on these edits and start designing the alternate weapon load outs."
That was all the warning Uncle Lu gave before he ran out of the room and to a waiting transport cart that would take him back to the underground areas of the moon base where his lab was located.
"You chased him away." Nico laughed when Max came out of the office, shaking his head at the overly creative old man.
"We were talking about new ideas, and he suddenly shouted gun blade and ran away to get back to work. You know how he is when inspiration strikes. How many questions have you gotten about that exoskeleton you were using?" Max replied.
"Not as many as I had expected. It seems that the acrobatics and the risk of the shield going down at an inopportune time made it less desirable as a weapon of war. It's not like the Reavers are crazy enough to field infantry battalions after all."
She had a point. As cool as the Archangel Exoskeleton was, this was not their target market for that sort of device. In fact, there weren't a lot of target markets for it, except the beleaguered infantry Regiments of the Galaxy, whom everyone seemed highly averse to spending good money to upgrade.
