The Mech Touch

Noon had almost come. According to the standard clock, this was the time when the patriarchs of the Larkinson Clan and the Cross Clan addressed their own people.

While Patriarch Reginald Cross already began to hold a domineering and impassioned speech in front of his subjects, Ves adopted a calmer approach at the beginning.

Every Larkinson in the fleet stopped what they were doing and tuned in to the broadcast.

The entire Spirit of Bentheim slowed down. Aside from allowing essential, automated processes to continue operating, everything else fell silent.

On the 6th deck, Calabast stood in the center of the new Observation Department that was responsible for analyzing sensor readings and gathering intelligence.

The spymaster had completely shed the heated emotions that she showed before. Her body and expression did not show an inkling of fury or resentment.

She crossed her arms and smirked as she observed the projection of Ves standing generously on the bridge of his new flagship.

"I did not bet on the wrong horse." She whispered. "Let's see how much further I can ride you, Ves."

Aboard another ship called the Jason, the combat carrier that belonged exclusively to the Hall of Heroes became unprecedentedly calm as the expert pilots assigned to the vessel gathered their attendants. The Bright Companions, Lost Soldiers and the Radiant Hoplites made for a mixed bunch.

The Bright Companions stood rigidly behind Venerable Joshua Larkinson. The golden boy of the Larkinson Clan exuded a vivid sense of life that made everyone want to become his friend.

The members of the Bright Companions mostly consisted of Avatar mech pilots who showed promise. Each of them were disciplined and well-behaved.

"Our journey finally begins." Venerable Joshua excitingly spoke. "I will miss my home, but exploring the greater cosmos is too good to pass up! The patriarch will definitely be able to bring us to the Red Ocean!"

The Lost Soldiers presented a very different impression. Venerable Davia Stark, the guest expert pilot of the Larkinson Clan, applied different standards when selecting her own retainers.

The mech pilots who caught her attention all originated from the Living Sentinels. While their skill and discipline may be lacking, each rifleman mech pilot unquestionably respected the woman who brought them into her squad!

Venerable Davia glanced at the younger expert pilot with a vigilant expression. "That patriarch of yours isn't bringing us all to the Red Ocean out of the goodness of his heart. Let alone his motives, the dwarf galaxy itself is a place of peril. Have you even followed the news there? Fleets that are much stronger than ours vanish every day. Pioneers who have made much more preparation than us have died or fallen into ruin."

"We can't be afraid of taking chances!" Another female voice rang throughout the compartment! "We are fighters! We shoot, smash, cut and demolish any obstacle in our way. As long as we are strong enough, the Red Ocean will never take us down!"

Venerable Davia's strong but constrained force of will ceded ground as the third speaker's triumphant will expanded outward.

The Radiant Hoplites all raised their fists to echo their leading figure!

Venerable Rosa Orfan exuded plenty of confidence as she taunted Davia with her eyes.

"You're not a Larkinson, so you don't fully understand what we're capable of. Our clan is special. Ves has continually pulled out one rabbit after another from his hat. If you fought alongside us in the Nyxian Gap, you wouldn't say those words."

Davia contemptuously raised her eyebrow. "You mean the string of battles where only 20 percent of the Living Sentinel mech pilots made it back alive?"

"Not everyone is cut out to be a soldier!"

The thoughtless remark instantly riled up the Lost Soldiers!

Each of them were among the surviving Sentinel mech pilots who had managed to survive the Battle of Ulimo Citadel and the Battle against the Abyss. They may have been part of the worst-performing mech force in the campaign, but they could not tolerate this insult!

Before the Lost Soldiers and the Radiant Hoplites descended into a brawl, a single elderly voice called everyone out!

"STOP!"

The mech pilots each backed down as Commandant Cristoph Larkinson entered the compartment.

Though the man was just a retired mech officer of the Mech Corps, the presence and authority he exuded surpassed the wills of the three expert pilots.

In front of this old soldier, the younger and brasher mech pilots did not dare to stick their necks out anymore.

The commandant's eyes swept over everyone's face. He did not even spare the expert pilots from his judging gaze.

"Each of you are mech pilots. You have trained at least twelve years to become professionals that can be trusted to pilot immensely destructive war machines. I expect each of you to exercise better control over yourselves. You are not rambunctious children aymore. If you cannot rein in your impulses, then what gives you the right to pilot a mech?"

The head of the Hall of Heroes instantly shut everyone up. Even Venerable Orfan lost her momentum. As the old man calmly walked up to the center of the hall, he crossed his arms behind his back and faced the broadcast projection with a stoic face.

"We are Larkinsons." He said. "We are the successors of a line of honorable soldiers and mech pilots. Never forget where we came from. Even if we are leaving behind our ancestral home, we are still the same honorable warriors in our hearts. Direct your ire towards the enemies who wish to tear us down instead of your fellow comrades who may be saving your lives one day."

His words completely extinguished any animosity between the Lost Soldiers and the Radiant Hoplites. Though they were very different mech pilots who shared very different ideas, at the end of the day they were supposed to fight together.

Venerable Joshua looked particularly impressed at how the old commandant defused the tension between the mech pilots. As a young expert pilot, he never succeeded in commanding the respect of the older expert pilots.

"Can I do that one day?" He wondered.

Elsewhere, Commander Casella Ingvar stood proudly in the command center of the Steadfast Vigil. The Living Sentinels each stood up from their stations as well and silently faced the projection of the broadcast without any irregularities.

The expert candidate was very satisfied with what she saw. The Sentinels had cleaned themselves up under her command. She instilled more discipline and order among the ranks in order to instill more pride in their identity.

"Chirp. Chirp."

A yellow bird perched on her shoulder. Casella idly fed her pet with a seed.

"Hush, Mirrie. You can fly off later."

Elsewhere, aboard one of the civilian ships of the Larkinson fleet, a group of sloppy and undisciplined-looking mech pilots along with mech technicians and other personnel gathered in a crowd.

Director Raella Larkinson and 'Captain' Vincent Ricklin stood at the front.

"When is this speech supposed to start?" Vincent impatiently asked.

His girlfriend smacked his arm. "Shut up. It's starting right now!"

"Hey, don't hit me! I am the preseason finalist of the Larkinson Dueling League. Is this how you treat a champion?"

"You're not a champion. You got your butt whooped by a Swordmaiden." Raella sneered.

"I'm a gentleman, babe! I couldn't bring myself to hurt a girl."

"Excuses, excuses. Your Adonis Colossus simply can't handle an opposing mech that is more maneuverable and more ferocious than yours. I told you that it's not a proper dueling mech!"

"Hey, look! The big boss is finally speaking now!"

Back on the bridge of the Spirit of Bentheim, Ves looked at the projection that depicted hundreds of second-class ships. The power he had at his beck and call far surpassed what he controlled just half a year ago. The task force he brought into the Nyxian Gap would probably collapse after a single blow if it directly squared off against his current assets!

Anyone who made this realization would feel confident. Ves was no different. He had the illusion that he could defeat the entire galaxy as long as his forces kept growing stronger.

Though his mind told him that this growth could not be sustained, his imagination couldn't stop conjuring more ridiculous fantasies.

He took a deep breath. He gripped the Larkinson Mandate in his hand. Some of his delusions faded away as he drew strength from Goldie's warm and friendly presence.

"My fellow Larkinsons." He began as he took a few steps forward. "We are on the cusp of embarking on the journey of our lives. Only a couple of years after the founding of our clan, we are ready to fulfill our first great endeavor."

Lucky silently trailed after him as he paced, attracting attention from many people and pets.

"Each of you must be aware of how Task Force Predator fared in the Nyxian Gap. While the losses we have suffered are regrettable, the sacrifices we have made are not in vain. We have learned from some very valuable lessons from the battles we have fought. Our mechs and ships are stronger, more modern and more capable of withstanding the perils of intra-galactic travel!"

While it may not be the best decision to mention an old wound in the clan, Ves had a very good reason to bring up the recent tragedy.

"The Red Ocean is dangerous." He stated. "So is the Milky Way, in fact. No matter where we venture, we are constantly at risk of getting attacked for one reason or another. This is especially the case when our clan and alliance are independent. There is no state or huge organization backing us up. While this affords us the freedom to travel wherever we want, we also have to accept the possibility of being surrounded by enemies!"

His grave words dampened the enthusiasm among the Larkinsons. The clansmen did not expect to hear such a solemn speech today!

"Don't you think that sounds familiar?" Ves coyly smiled. "The Nyxian Gap is very similar to the Red Ocean. Think about it. Both regions are filled with dangerous elements. The authorities are largely absent and the humans who roam this region are opportunistic robbers who won't hesitate to attack you if you show any weakness. Do not think that I am exaggerating. Remnant aliens survivors are the least of our worries in the Red Ocean. The true danger comes from other humans!"

Too much publicity from the Red Ocean centered around the success stories. The news portals constantly gushed over lucky pioneers who managed to stumble upon a rich phasewater deposit or a cache of alien tech.

Hardly any journalist investigated the thousands of pioneers and fleets that had gone missing. Ves, who always regarded the Red Ocean with wariness, wanted to make sure his fellow clansmen didn't have the wrong idea!

"The Nyxian Gap has allowed us to witness the worst of humanity. Do not think that the Nyxian pirates are unique. I have seen the same kind of lawless bastards in the frontier beyond the border of human space. The dwarf galaxy we are heading towards is called another frontier, so do not think that the rules of civilized space apply to this uncontrollable region of space."

A strong desire flowed through his body.

Ves raised the book in his hands. "That does not mean we will shy away from this challenge! Where there is danger, there is riches. Each frontier offers an abundance of opportunities to those who are brave enough to venture in it. Even if nine out of ten explorers may die in pursuit of these opportunities, I am confident that our Larkinson Clan will be among the winners."

The Larkinson Mandate seemed to glow as Goldie resonated with his boundless confidence! Every clansman watching the broadcast felt a stirring in their hearts that could not be suppressed!

"Do you know why?! Because we are Larkinsons!" Ves exclaimed! "This is all the answer you need. If you believe in our clan, then you must believe in our strength! No matter what adversity we face, we are made to overcome challenges! For the clan!"

"FOR THE CLAN!" The clansmen roared throughout the fleet!