The Mech Touch

The entry of Joshua into the ranks of the Larkinsons marked a seminal moment in the history of the Larkinson Clan.

For the first time in the existence of the entire Larkinson line, the clan members recognized an outsider as a fully-fledged Larkinson without any caveats!

Even though Joshua was already dating Jannzi and could have become a Larkinson through marriage, Ves had forestalled this slow and gradual process and turned him into a Larkinson right away!

Joshua was very happy about his elevation. For the first time in his life, he truly felt he belonged to the family and clan he admired from afar and up close! The last point of separation between him and the Larkinsons were no longer in place.

From now on, he would no longer go by Joshua King.

From now on, he was Joshua Larkinson, an upstanding member of the Larkinson Clan!

Aside from him, Jannzi cheered for him as well. Even if she wasn't dating, she still would have endorsed his entry into the clan. He had already shown many of the exemplary traits that matched the Larkinson ideals.

Of course, the biggest winner of all was Ves. He successfully manipulated the circumstances in his favor and utterly dominated the assembly session. Though his conduct was tyrannical, few assembly members spoke up against his intervention. Even if they still harbored misgivings with turning people like Joshua into genuine Larkinsons on the same level as them, they kept their words to themselves!

The atmosphere after Joshua's entry into the clan was so heavily slanted in favor of the current proceedings that it seemed that no one could stave off the inevitable!

Ves rode the momentum he created after enacting his plans to maximum effect. He knew that adopting Joshua alone was far from sufficient! Thousands more aspiring soldiers and workers were waiting to become a Larkinson, and Ves wanted to act quickly in order to secure their permanent loyalty!

There were several reasons why he wanted to move quickly.

First, the Larkinson Mandate and the Golden Cat already exposed the ability to detect traitors and threats to the clan. Therefore, the risks involved with adding so many outsiders was largely moot. At least the worst outcomes were off the table!

Second, as the principal supporter of full integration during the assembly meeting, Ves stood to gain an unimaginable amount of support and appreciation from all of those new Larkinsons! His clout and influence within the clan would surely remain strong and enduring considering that he had allowed so many people to become Larkinsons!

Third, Ves wanted to move their hearts proactively in order to secure their commitment and reduce the risks of defection or betrayal.

Though the Battle of Kesseling VIII had made a lot of his subordinates proud, the awful losses and the considerable disruption to their lives were still sources of discontent.

Over time, the various setbacks and tragedies might erode the pillars of his organizations!

Turning them into Larkinsons before reaching the Sentinel Kingdom was a crucial objective to Ves! The people who joined his organizations and gradually became indoctrinated by them were very valuable resources. It took years to turn them into his loyal subjects!

If the fleet reached the Sentinel Kingdom only for a quarter or a third of his workforce to submit their resignations, Ves and the clan would be severely hampered!

It wasn't easy at all to recruit a lot of new people. Their shaky loyalties and commitments could be the doom of his endeavors if they all decided to abandon their duties and run when they encountered a crisis!

Caratan Larkinson and his band of like-minded clansmen weren't the only people in the fleet who expressed a desire to leave.

While Ves disdained the people who had already taken an oath and joined the clan only to change their mind later on, he was not as harsh to those who were merely employees.

The level of commitment expected from the two were completely different! This was why he frequently worried about valuable talents such as Casella and Imon Ingvar quitting their jobs. There was no way that Ves could retain those who resigned in the proper fashion.

"My fellow Larkinsons." He spoke up again. "Let us wrap this assembly meeting, shall we? Joshua is but the first to join our clan! Speaker, please hold the vote."

Ovrin Larkinson threw a sharp look at Ves. The impatience shown by the clan patriarch was a strong hint that he wanted the votes to be cast quickly without any further room for debate!

Though the speaker felt disturbed by this conduct, he nonetheless proceeded as instructed because the outcome already seemed set in stone.

"The critical question in consideration is to decide whether to open up the opportunity to integrate outside people into our Larkinson Clan without any explicit tiers or classes.

The speaker briefly reiterated the main points of the proposal. Outsiders were allowed to join the clan, but it wasn't as simple as knocking on its doors and filling in a form.

Just like Joshua, they had to possess existing relations with the Larkinson Clan. Whether they were employed by the LMC or served in one of the mech forces, the applicants shouldn't consist of random people from the streets!

Secondly, the applicants wouldn't be able to gain entry into the clan without securing the endorsement of at least one upstanding member of the clan.

While Ves already trusted the Golden Cat to keep an eye out for any traitors and agitators, it was best to leave the matter of control to the Larkinsons themselves.

As a result, the proposal made the person who recommended or endorsed the applicant responsible for the deeds and misdeeds of the latter.

For example, if Joshua went crazy one day and killed a bunch of Larkinsons, Jannzi would bear the guilt of harming the clan by incautiously inviting a malignant element into the clan!

This was a common condition in many organizations. It was a simple but effective method to ensure the applicants were as well-behaved as possible as their referrers accepted nothing less!

The final matter that Ovrin explained was the conditions of leaving the clan.

"The rules for Larkinsons born or married into the clan remain unchanged." The speaker said. "Any existing Larkinson can apply to leave the clan without too much fuss. This is a tradition that has been set by the original Larkinson Family and has ensured its stability and cohesion for centuries."

He threw a glance to the joyful Joshua who had since returned to the crowd on the side. "The rules are different to those who have applied to join our clan. Once they swear the oath, their decision is permanent and irrevocable. Unlike the Larkinsons who had no choice which clan or family they belong to, those who proactively seek to become a member of our clan must abide by their decisions! We will NOT allow anyone who voluntarily joins our clan to reconsider their choice and leave!"

This was a small concession on the part of those who were worried the outsiders would be less-than-committed to their new clan. Treachery was a rather sensitive subject to Ves and the other Larkinsons and they did not wish to accept reluctant applicants!

Of course, every rule possessed exceptions. In extraordinary circumstances, it was still possible for Joshua to leave the clan. If he transgressed or pushed very hard to leave, Ves or the Larkinson Court could review his case. Exile was a common punishment in many family organizations, and it was something that the Larkinson Family frequently employed as well in the past.

Once Speaker Ovrin clarified the most important details, he proceeded with the vote.

"Those in favor of this proposal, please say aye!"

Over forty assembly members instantly rose to their feet! Barring a couple of odd exceptions, the Larkinsons all raised their hands and voiced their support!

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"Those who are against this proposal, please say nay!"

No one moved. No one talked. An awkward silence stretched as none of the people who disapproved dared to stick their heads out of the crowd!

Though Ves already identified and memorized the identities of the assembly members who refused to voice their support, he didn't do anything to break the illusion of neutrality.

He had already secured his goal and scored a very important policy victory. There was no need for him to be petty and go after the obstructionists.

Ovrin paused a little longer than he had to in the hopes that someone raised a principled objection, but alas, Ves had built up so much momentum that none of the original opponents of this proposal thought it was wise to stand in his way!

"Forty-one votes in favor, eight abstentions, and no votes cast in opposition. The ayes have it. The Larkinson Assembly formally adopts this proposal! From this day onwards, the Larkinson Clan will open its gates to any outsiders who aspire to become a Larkinson!" Speaker Ovrin announced!

A large round of applause emerged from a surprising direction!

While the assembly members were still trying to fathom the profound consequences of the passing of the proposal, the crew and soldiers of the Redfeather were not so burdened. Their jubilation towards this change inspired all of their hopes to follow in Joshua's footsteps!

Everyone who wasn't already a Larkinson eagerly longed to place their palms on the Larkinson Mandate and take the oath!

After the commotion subsided a bit, Speaker Ovrin formally ended the assembly session. The members slowly started to exit the assembly theater and spoke in low tones with each other as they started to board their rides back to their assigned ships.

Ves and Gloriana rose from their seats and collected their cats before heading to their own shuttle.

Along the way, Ves held Gloriana's hand and silently communicated with her through their implants.

"I didn't do it for you." He conveyed.

Gloriana's lips curled up into a sly smile. "Oh? Then should I instruct the guards to remain in our stateroom later tonight and guard us against any possible threats?"

"Umm.. you don't have to.. we're pretty safe, you know. In fact, those guards are completely redundant considering that Lucky and Clixie already serve as excellent protectors. Why not reassign those valuable guards elsewhere? I think the Scarlet's Rose engineering bay requires more protection considering its vital importance to the running of the fleet."

"Hihihi! Sure, Ves. You just want to reinforce a critical compartment. Your suggestion doesn't have anything to do with expending your excess energy, does it? Should I be prepared for an exhausting night?"

Fortunately, Gloriana didn't prolong his torment any further. She squeezed his hand. "I'm very proud of you, Ves. You did what was necessary despite your desire to be soft to your relatives. While I understand your sentiment towards your family, you are their leader now. You can't afford to be soft and let your clan spin out of control."

"I'm… not sure I'm okay with what I've done." He sighed. "One thing is for sure. At least some part of me has grown hard!"

"Oh, Ves! Stop being so silly, hihi!"

The two boarded their shuttle. The vehicle quickly departed the Redfeather and flew back to the Scarlet Rose.

As Ves and Gloriana continued to communicate with each other through their private channel, Gavin coughed and interrupted their play.

"What is it, Benny?"

"First of all, I'd like to thank you for working so hard to push through the proposal. On behalf of all of the people in the fleet, I thank you. Each of us hope to be accepted into the clan very soon."

Ves smirked. "You sure you think you can become a Larkinson?"

Gavin blinked. "I've been serving as your assistant for years! I even have a referrer ready to back me up! Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson has already agreed to vouch for me when I submit my application!"

"Ah, but are you loyal enough? Bennies like you aren't exactly known for that, and you have already transgressed once. Will my Larkinson Mandate even accept your oath?"

"Boss! That's not fair!"