The Mech Touch

"Expert pilots are always hard to deal with, but you can usually manage them as long as you keep them away from anything important." General Verle said. "This isn't possible here. When the expert pilot is the highest authority of a clan, then there isn't anyone else who can rein him in. Cases like these easily illustrate why we rarely elevate demigods to leaders. They are too self-centered for their own good."

"It's part of their DNA." Chief Minister Magdalena concurred. "They work harder than anyone else and their resolve is inhumanly strong. Expert pilots have to possess an unflinching confidence in themselves. The moment they begin to doubt their abilities is the moment when their upward momentum stalls. From what it sounds like, Patriarch Reginald is already inching closer to this point. He knows what it will mean for his future progress, so he has become quite desperate for a solution."

All of this meant that Patriarch Reginald Cross was unlikely to change his mind. Even if his radical decisions could lead to a great upheaval within his clan, he didn't let that stop him from pursuing his own desires. In fact, the expert pilot rationalized that his extreme actions would ultimately benefit his clan despite the immense risks he incurred.

"You know, Patriarch Ves, you have a huge influence in the outcome of this foolhardy attempt." Calabast said as she held Arnold in her lap and casually squished his cheeks. "There are two instances where you can play a role. First, you can try to make a masterwork mech or deliberately aim to keep it normal. Second, you are in complete control over the experimental procedure that you have developed. I can't tell how successful you are in making either of them succeed, but you can definitely ensure that Patriarch Reginald will fail without letting anyone grow suspicious."

Ves frowned. "What are you saying?"

She smirked. "If you believe that an idiot like Patriarch Reginald is unsuited to lead an allied clan, then why not make sure that he will exit stage? Just look at the history of the Cross Clan. The emergence of an ace pilot only temporarily benefited the Cross Clan. The same ace pilot possessed awful judgement and was way too caught up in his power for his good. His enormous failure almost led to the extinction of his clan. Do you really want to see a repeat when his son reprises his father's worst traits if he succeeds in becoming an ace pilot?"

This was an important consideration. Though Ves was sure that the Cross Clan at least learned some lessons from its calamitous fall, it was quite doubtful whether the Crossers were truly willing to recognize the faults of the late Saint Hemmington Cross.

Would helping Patriarch Reginald break through his bottleneck truly trigger a second fall? One that might not just end the Cross Clan, but also drag the Larkinson Clan down as well?

Since both clans were journeying together in the same fleet, any trouble that the Crossers incurred would also affect the Larkinsons and vice versa. Ves had a feeling that Patriarch Reginald wouldn't pay too much attention to such matters when he gained more power than ever.

While several other Larkinsons put serious thought in this suggestion, others objected to the idea.

"What you are suggesting is dishonorable!" Chief Minister Magdalena sternly insisted. "When someone asks for our help or requests our service, we should work honestly and do everything we can to fulfill expectations. How can we possibly build trust and camaraderie among our allies and partners if we act insincerely? We are Larkinsons, not Vrakens, madame. Do not mistake our identity."

Both Magdalena and Calabast glared at each other. They obviously held different stances and could not see eye to eye on this matter.

"I am on Magdalena's side on this." Ves spoke up. "I am a mech designer. It is my job to serve mech pilots. While Patriarch Reginald's requests are rather difficult and unorthodox, that does not change the fact that I have an obligation to meet his needs to the best of my capacity. This is my principle and a principle that every mech designer should adhere to. I am not going to sandbag in either of those instances."

He was being very serious about this. His tone sounded so definitive that Calabast decided not to argue further.

Whether Patriarch Reginald would become better or worse when he advanced to ace pilot was not in his consideration. Ves just didn't want to stoop so low as to screw over his clients who earnestly sought his service.

Ves expected the same from Professor Benedict Cortez. Becoming a Senior was much more important to him than gaining a temporary advantage due to pulling off a dirty move. Master Mech Designers were above such sordid moves. If the older mech designer ever wanted to become one himself, then he should at least clean up his behavior.

Since Ves decided to act with sincerity, there wasn't much to talk about anymore. There was little else they could do because Patriarch Reginald was too intractable to change his mind. The best the Larkinsons could do was to keep an eye on the Cross Clan and make sure they were prepared for anything that might happen.

"If the Cross Clan really descends into chaos, we may have to go in and restore order ourselves." General Verle said in an ominous tone. "We have no way of knowing how bad it can get, but if we consider the Crossers to be our brothers, then we have an obligation to lend them a hand."

"Let us hope it won't come to that."

The meeting ended and everyone went back to their respective ships or stations. Calabast and her pet decided to stick around a little longer, though.

While Arnold was running around the office while inspecting every ornament and piece of furniture, Calabast sauntered forward and leaned against Ves' desk. She reached out her hand and softly patted her palm onto Lucky's dozing form.

"Meow…"

"Heh, I miss your cat quite a lot. It's incredible what he is capable of, you know. If you leave him with me, I can make much better use of him than you ever will."

Ves shook his head. "Lucky is off-limits. You can loan him but he's not yours. He has even more uses than serving as a hacking tool."

"Fine, fine. As long as I can borrow him every now and then, my life would already be much easier."

He turned to observe Arnold scurrying about. The exobeast had grown a bit more powerful since the last time Ves laid eyes on the creature. The transformations taking place inside the mutated beast's body were also signs of progress.

Where it led to, Ves wasn't sure, but a stronger Arnold was able to provide a lot more assistance to the Larkinsons than a weaker Arnold.

"How is your pet coming along?"

"Well, he's grown smarter and more.. human, I would say."

"Oh?"

"Arnold was already quite smart to begin with, but he has grown even further away from just a beast." Calabast clarified. "I'm trained to analyze and predict human behavior. It's essential in my line of work. Do you know what I see when I study my pet? He's becoming a little less of a beast every day. He is able to control his instincts to a greater degree and he is fully capable of understanding complex human instructions. I am curious how far this improvement will go. Will he surpass us humans in terms of intelligence?"

"Intelligence is difficult to define. Perhaps Arnold might indeed become smarter than us in some aspects, but I doubt he will be able to surpass us on all fronts. He's still an alien beast at heart."

"Maybe you're right. I'll make sure to continue my observations on Arnold."

After they finished talking about their pets, Calabast decided to bring up a more serious topic.

"Ves?"

"Yes?"

"Have you made a decision on what your stance towards the Hexers will be after the Red Ocean?" She asked. "While the Hexers are on our side, they are not always sincere in the way they do things. You need to make the right decision going forward. Our clan should not be beholden to the Hexers. I did not quit DIVA and parted ways with the Vraken Matriarchal Dynasty only to continue associating with them in the Larkinson Clan."

Ves raised his eyebrows. "I thought a Hexer like you would be glad to have like minded company at your side."

"I haven't identified myself with the Hexers for a very long time, kid. I am glad that we have distanced ourselves from the Hexadric Hegemony, but its people are still around us. The Glory Seekers will continue to exert an adverse influence on you, your wife and the rest of our clan. They're not good company, Ves."

He sighed. "I know."

"Then follow my suggestion and kick them aside before we reach the Red Ocean."

"I can't do that, Calabast. Gloriana won't like that at all and I owe too much to her dynasty to repay their kindness with such an ungrateful move."

"Ves, Ves, Ves. This isn't the time for you to be soft." Calabast tutted and shook her head. "Compared to before, our situation is vastly different nowadays. We have grown powerful enough to take care of ourselves. We no longer need to depend on the professional soldiers of the Glory Seekers to win our battles. They're leeching from us at this point. Perhaps you think that is their just reward for assisting us when we were weak, but there are more ways you can repay your debts to the Wodins and the Hexers than tolerate their presence."

Ves grimaced. "Let's not go that far too soon. I have a different idea in mind on how to handle the Glory Seekers. We still have time until we reach the Red Ocean. Once we have firmly left the Milky Way behind, it will become a lot easier for us to change our relationship with the Glory Seekers. The main problem is finding a solution that does not upset my wife too much."

"Well, good luck with that, Ves. You're asking for the impossible. If I were in your shoes, I would cut my losses. It might not be nice to act like a scumbag, but you and the rest of our clan would be much better off in the long run if the Hexers aren't constantly trying to cling to us like an overly possessive wife. There are many other groups and factions in the Red Ocean that are more worth it for us to associate with. They don't come with problematic baggage either."

He sighed. If he had a choice, he would have never chosen to associate with the Hexers either, but his life led him onto a different path.

Calabast was right that Ves had already gotten what he wanted from the Hexers for the most part. As long as he designed two more mechs for them, he would complete his obligations to their people and state. If not for the presence of the Glory Seekers, he would have been able to make a clean break with the women.

In fact, there was something else that Ves hadn't mentioned to his spymaster. The Superior Mother was also intertwined with the Hexer people. If Ves wanted to make sure the ancestral spirit was fine, then he needed to make sure the Hexer people did not stray away from admiring his mother.

The only way for him to ease his concerns on this matter was to spread the Superior Mother to other states and cultures. Yet this was bound to be a difficult task as the Superior Mother was not an easy design spirit to work with for people without a Hexer background.

"Let's wait until we pass through the final portal." Ves reiterated. "A new galaxy should allow us to make a new start."

"I hope you'll be ready to make the necessary decision by then." Calabast said as she pushed herself away from his desk. "Let's go, Arnold. We're done here."

"Squeak."