The ready bay was a cacophony of clanging metal, hissing hydraulics, and the gravelly shouts of ground crew. David stood beneath his personal Gladiator—now officially designated Echo-7—running through a final equipment check. Following the mission brief and Miller"s advice, he"d ditched the standard-issue, long-range but cumbersome railgun and the small missile launcher. In the close-quarters brawl of an asteroid belt, sustained firepower and close-range punch mattered more. His mech"s right arm now sported a shorter, thicker-barreled "Thunderclap" electromagnetic cannon. It had a ferocious rate of fire and projectile velocity that could shred light ship armor at close range, but it guzzled power like a thirsty vampire. To feed this electric beast while maintaining shields and mobility, th
