The Mech Touch

When the Mech Corps took Ves away from Cloudy Curtain, Ghanso left a graveyard of mechs behind!

What started off as a simple retrieval mission ended up in an exaggerated public spectacle!

It was all the fault of Ves! If he hadn't overreacted to the admittedly strong-handed request from the capture fleet, this matter wouldn't have attracted so much attention!

Everything that ensued from his refusal to play along became known throughout the remainder of the Bright Republic and beyond!

The famed Larkinson Family, known for its honor, valor and uprightness in battle, erupted into a schism!

One one side was the young expert pilot who many people regarded as the next Ark Larkinson! Ever since he advanced to expert, Ghanso constantly distinguished himself in battle against the Vesians and the sandmen!

Baptized in two different wars, his proficiency in piloting his Glittering Comet constantly increased by leaps and bounds! His marksmanship constantly grew more and more precise to the point of reaching an uncanny level!

On the other side was the first and most impressive mech designer of the Larkinson Family! Almost every Brighter heard of Ves Larkinson by now, not just because of the awards he received during the war against the Vesians, but also because of the Soldier product line he conceived!

The influence of the Desolate Soldier and variants couldn't be overstated! Its glow was so useful that the Soldier mechs sold over a million times! Almost every mech pilot and a large chunk of civilians personally experienced the legendary glows, and each of them gained an unforgettable impression of duty!

Aside from the Bright Republic, the Soldier mechs had also played a pivotal role in other states such as the Ylvaine Protectorate and the Reinald Republic!

An uncountable amount of people were grateful to Ves Larkinson for delivering a mech that single-handedly saved them from catastrophe!

The fame, honor and prestige of Ves far surpassed that of Ghanso!

Therefore, when this matter initially blew up, by far the most sympathized with Ves!

Though most Brighters held a lot of respect for the Mech Corps and expert pilots, Venerable Ghanso Larkinson's conduct during the incident had been far too ugly!

Through his mule-headed actions and words, he practically disgraced himself and his beliefs! The public no longer recognized the dignity he possessed as an expert pilot, and instead hurled insults at his name for being such a stubborn tool!

The consequences of blowing up this matter was dire! Though the government acted quickly, none of them had been prepared to suppress this matter!

Many Larkinsons witnessed the events in person or through a live feed! Plenty of them had a bone to pick with Ghanso, so they readily spread the footage all over the galactic net!

Ghanso's betrayal and the mysterious capture of Ves became known throughout the Bright Republic and beyond!

The Mech Corps became furious! How could high command stab one of the heroes responsible for helping them fight off the sandmen in the back?!

Due to the weird and exaggerated events, no one believed that the mission to capture Ves was about relocating him to a safer location! If that were true, Ves wouldn't have resisted so strongly!

The Larkinson Family became angry as well! All of the Larkinsons serving in the Mech Corps heard about the incident one way or another. To say they were mad was an understatement!

Though the influence of the Larkinsons wasn't much, when they united around a single issue, their clout turned out to be quite formidable!

When Colonel Ark Larkinson himself paid attention to this matter, he started to investigate the matter behind the scenes! He and every other Larkinsons were beginning to stir the hierarchy of the Mech Corps! Plenty of servicemen were more than willing to support them due to their impeccable honor and the injustice they suffered!

For now, Ark and the other influential Larkinson mech pilots remained silent. Yet once they opened their mouth to the public, the Bright Republic would definitely listen!

The government of the Bright Republic could not afford this outcome!

"Give them what they want! Where is Ves Larkinson? Spit him out!"

The pressure on the government and the Mech Corps increased as nothing happened for a few days! Because of their inaction, the matter boiled over to such an extent that even the Ylvaine Protectorate began to knock on their doors!

The Bright Martyr enjoyed an exalted status within their state! His disappearance alarmed the entire Protectorate, causing every Ylvainan to detest the Bright Republic with a passion!

"Where is Ves Larkinson?!"

"Did the Mech Corps kill him?! Why would they do such a thing?!"

"He's not dead! If he was, the Soldier mechs would have lost their powers by now!"

The pressure on the government increased to such an extent that the slow-moving Mech Corps had no choice but to break its own rules and force General Cavendish to answer!

Even the full might of the Cavendish Family and the Ramza Family failed to resist the overwhelming pressure from the masses!

Yet General Cavendish remained mum! As a distinguished mech general, he knew that it would be very bad if he told his interrogators the truth!

At the same time, Venerable Ghanso Larkinson came under immense pressure himself!

Both Benjamin and Ark Larkinson used all of their power and influence to corner Ghanso!

Throughout this crisis that threatened to grow into a fatal distraction that might end the Bright Republic, the three Larkinsons faced each other in a three-way comm call.

In ordinary circumstances, it was impossible for two current expert pilots and a former expert pilot of the Larkinson Family to gather together during a war! Each of the three held a lot of responsibilities.

Both Benjamin and Ark stared at Ghanso's resigned expression with indignation.

While Benjamin hadn't talked to Ves very often, he already regarded Ves as his favorite grandson!

As for Ark, his close sentiments with his missing brother Ryncol made him feel guilty that he hadn't been able to protect Ves! Who could guess that the Mech Corps he unflinchingly served for decades would start with his own cousin!?

"Ghanso." Ark began. "I'm disappointed by you. It is one thing to do your duty. It is another thing to confuse right and wrong!"

"I won't excuse myself." Ghanso defended himself. "I followed my orders faithfully, not just because I am a Larkinson or took an oath to serve the Mech Corps, but also because it is for the good of our state and every life that depends on its protection! My actions have saved the Bright Republic!"

"Absurd!" Benjamin blew up! Though he was normally amiable, this time he lost control! "Look at what is happening in the news! You've tarnished the service! This is not an inconsequential matter! Every serviceman is questioning the honor of the Mech Corps! The performance of our soldiers have dropped by five percent throughout the war theater! Not just the Mech Corps, but also the Starfighter Corps and the irregular forces are fighting with less enthusiasm!"

Ark Larkinson looked at Ghanso with condemnation. "Do you realize what you've done? You've damaged the soul of our state! The Bright Republic is a state based on laws and rights. Every Brighter is not only fighting for their lives, but also for the ideals they grew up with! If it turns out that the Mech Corps has betrayed our ideals, then what are we all fighting for?! Why must we continue to lift up our arms and sacrifice our lives?!"

"These matters are not my concern, Colonel Ark." Ghanso defiantly crossed his arms. "I am a soldier. I am an instrument. It is not my job to set policy. I merely do what I'm told. Everything else is not my problem. The only thing I regret is that our Larkinson Family will never be the same. I share some blame for that, but if I had a choice, I would do the same thing again!"

"What are you talking about, Ghanso?! What does disappearing Ves have to do with saving the Bright Republic?!"

"I'm sorry, Colonel Ark. My lips are sealed. I'm under strict orders not to reveal any details about my mission. As far as I'm concerned, high command has not issued any orders to disclose what I know. Until that happens, I won't tell you anything!"

Both Benjamin and Ark exchanged a silent glance. Due to the entanglement between three different founding families, it was unlikely for high command to resolve this problem quickly!

The oldest Larkinson closed his eyes and spoke.

"If that is how you want to play this game, then so be it. Let me send you something, Ghanso."

A priority alert quickly sounded out from Ghanso's comm!

An unsettling feeling overcame his mood. His intuition warned him that something very bad might happen!

Even though Ghanso did his best to ignore his comm, the data package he received forcefully triggered its backdoors!

His comm automatically projected a very official-looking document in front of his face! He wouldn't be able to avoid it unless he destroyed his comm, but that was disallowed under the regulations of the Mech Corps!

The moment he saw the very prominent-looking seals, Ghanso instantly knew who issued these orders!

"This.. comes directly from the office of the bright president!" Ghanso uttered in shock. "How could you obtain an exception?!"

"Do you think I have been keeping my head down at the Ministry of Defense?" Benjamin smiled. "The bright president himself wants to resolve this matter as fast as possible! Now, will you spit out the truth, or choose to defy the lawful authority of our state? Choose carefully!"

Ghanso's face turned ugly as he read through the official document. He reluctantly took a minute to verify its authenticity.

Nothing was wrong. Everything was completely in order, which meant that the bright president truly signed these orders!

"The people run our state, not the generals." Benjamin reminded Ghanso. "While the emergency laws that have come into effect have empowered the military, don't forget the person who holds the title of commander-in-chief!"

Ghanso did not need a reminder. The commander-in-chief of all of the military branches of the Bright Republic was the head of state!

Because of the high trust in the military, the Mech Corps and the other branches usually ran their affairs by themselves. Very rarely did the bright president intervene directly.

Yet that did not change that this esteemed individual exercised supreme command over the military!

In many states, the military answered to the civilian government. This was the standard throughout human space as it was the most successful model that ensured long-term stability and prosperity!

"What are you waiting for, Ghanso?" Ark prodded the silent expert pilot. "You are an obedient expert pilot, are you not? Your mission has already been declassified! There are no more excuses for you to hide behind! Whatever backing you are relying on to support you won't be able to exceed the authority of the bright president!"

He was right! Seeing that the orders sent by Benjamin were completely valid and unambiguously clear, Ghanso had no choice but to obey them! Even though he really didn't want to, he had his principles!

"Ves Larkinson is not at Rittersberg or New Foundation. When we brought him out of the Cloudy Curtain System, we did not dump him at some secret military base or transferred him to another government branch."

"Where is he, Ghanso?! Where is my grandson!"

"Under General Cavendish's unders, we met up with a monitor from the Friday Coalition and handed him over to her ship. She's a famous mech designer and she appears to be very interested in working with Ves! If I am guessing correctly, the monitor has long brought Ves away!"

"What?! Why?!"

"Have you noticed the Fridayman mercenary corps that recently participated in the Battle for Bentheim? General Cavendish made a deal with the monitor. In exchange for trading away Ves, she would dispatch a second-class mercenary corps to defend the Bentheim System for the remainder of the Sand War!"

Both Ark and Benjamin Larkinson became shocked, before turning incredibly angry!

Such a trade was not only dishonorable, but also broke the bottom line of the Larkinson Family! There was no way both of them approved of this scheme! Even Ark, who felt very sympathetic about Ghanso's commitment to following orders, felt his trust for his state beginning to break apart!