The Mech Touch

　　After talking to two different expert pilots, he gained a lot more comprehension than before. He finally figured out a few matters that had eluded him for a long time. He no longer felt as lost as before.

　　He was still a distance away from resolving his issues, though. Joshua needed to put a bit more effort into coming up with a resolution of his greatest problem.

　　As he boarded his shuttle and left the remote hunting ground, he continued to peer through the window and gaze down at the changing landscape. Snow made way for frosty soil, much of which were already being worked upon in preparation for turning them into farms.

　　All of the native alien biodiversity that used to reside in these regions had no choice but to die or make way. The bellies of hungry colonists needed to be filled and it was a lot cheaper to depend on local produce.

　　This time, Joshua didn't feel as conflicted about it than before. Commander Dise gave him a lot of perspective on the struggle for survival.

　　"Species go extinct all the time. Not every life is precious. If those aliens were all stronger, we would go right back to the difficult days of the Age of Stars where our race was constantly being suppressed."

　　Did that make him feel good about the fact that humanity gratuitously slaughtered every sentient alien in the Red Ocean? Was he suddenly okay now with the fact that greedy colonists did not hesitate to wipe out countless indigious life forms to make the conquered planets habitable for humans?

　　Not really. He would never be able to bring himself to a point where he reveled in the slaughter. Yet as long as he was able to accept what was happening and be able to live with the current reality, that was enough.

　　The principled part of him felt that he was admitting defeat. Yet when he thought about all of the dangers that the Larkinson Clan was facing in the Red Ocean, it gradually dawned upon him that he was being silly for thinking about extending mercy to others when he still struggled to protect his fellow clansmen.

　　"Dise is right." He sighed. "I'm just an expert pilot. That means I'm barely a step up from a space peasant in galactic terms. How can I possibly be arrogant enough to impose my entire will on human society? Only gods can do that!"

　　He already felt a bit of the fog in his mind beginning to clear. His emphasis on putting the interests of the clan above everyone else gave him a much simpler and more realistic goal.

　　Though it was not a grand or ambitious goal, it was one that he could easily live with and dedicate his life towards.

　　Of course, he still valued his personal desire to pilot the best living mechs and to support the mech designer who made them possible.

　　He was still a small distance away from being able to face Ketis with confidence. Before he returned to her side, he sought out one last person to resolve his final doubts.

　　Though he questioned the wisdom of approaching this person, Joshua eventually figured that no one understood him better than the clan patriarch. He must surely know what to do in this situation, right?

　　Ves furrowed his brows as he looked up from his desk terminal. "I can tell you that Dise has put you in the right direction. It really is too arrogant of you to care for the plight of worthless aliens when you are just a tiny fish in a really big ocean. If you truly understand life in all of its facets, then you should know that it is intricately tied to death. Weaker species die so that the stronger and more adaptable ones are able to thrive. It's not how we want to treat our fellow humans, but it costs far too much resources and sacrifice to realize your idyllic vision."

　　"I get that, sir." Joshua said as he sat in front of the desk like a proper schoolboy. "What I am still struggling with is how to get back in Ketis' good graces. I thought that since you're married and all that you should have a better idea how to handle women. Do you have any helpful tips?"

　　"Uhhhh…"

　　An awkward silence ensued. Ves quickly turned to his gem cat. "Do you have any ideas, Lucky?"

　　"Meow."

　　"What he said."

　　"…"

　　"…Guuuuwaaaaaa…"

　　"Oh, my daughter has woken from her nap again. Please wait a moment."

　　Ves reached to the side and carefully lifted Aurelia from her soft little bed. As Ves cradled his daughter in his arms, both of them radiated so much warmth, love and trust towards each other that Joshua became struck by the sight.

　　Someone like him could see further than ordinary people. The expert pilot clearly sensed that the bond between Ves and Aurelia was far stronger than the ones between any other parent and child!

　　While the effects of this powerful bond was uncertain, witnessing it evoked a strange desire in his heart.

　　"Hihihihi! Gaawaaaauwuuuu…"

　　Minutes passed by as Ves gently played and cuddled with his lovely little girl without any regard for other considerations. To him, making Aurelia happy was the greatest priority in his life at the moment.

　　"Sir… can I… can I hold her?" Joshua requested.

　　Ves turned and looked at him for a few seconds. He slowly nodded. "Be careful with her. She's tougher than ordinary babies but don't get too excited."

　　"I'll take great care of her. I promise."

　　As Ves slowly handed Aurelia over, another cat warily walked right next to Joshua.

　　"Miaow."

　　Joshua understood that he couldn't hold Ves and Gloriana's child for long, so he tried his best to enjoy the moment.

　　"She's so small and delicate."

　　"She is." Ves nodded. "It will take years for her to grow into a formidable human. I'll feel more at ease once she becomes strong and smart enough to take care of herself. Until then, I will dedicate much of my life to provide her with the best and most comfortable conditions to grow. I won't let any humans, phase whales, nunsers, puelmers or astral beasts jeopardize my daughter's wellbeing!"

　　"..Guwwaaa..!" Aurelia tried to reach out to her familiar father.

　　Ves took Aurelia back in his arms and returned to his seat behind the desk.

　　"Children are the most precious gifts of life." Ves stated to the expert pilot. "Like any organism, we humans are programmed to value our children and our family before anyone else. It's a biological instinct and one that is universal to pretty much every species in the cosmos. It sounds selfish but it's not. It's a part of life. To give our children the safety and opportunities that they deserve, I am even willing to kill other people's fathers and sons if that is what it takes! I might sound unnecessarily cruel, but once you become a father like me, you'll think the same way."

　　A light began to shine in Joshua's eyes. The desire in his heart grew stronger and his force of will finally made a full recovery!

　　Ves smirked at the sight. "For someone who thinks he knows a lot about life, you haven't been enjoying it as much. You should do something about that, Joshua. In order to truly understand the force that gives you strength, it is vital for you to experience the cycle of life. I hope that helps."

　　"Thanks, sir! Before I go, could you do me a favor?"

　　"Sure."

　　When Joshua finally stepped out of the building, he showed a lot more confidence and determination than before.

　　He accessed his comm in order to find out where his girlfriend was located and quickly hailed a shuttle in order to bring him to the site.

　　The vehicle dropped him off at a large marketplace. Joshua continued to follow the trail until he saw his girlfriend evaluating the sample of metals that a visiting trader put on display.

　　"Ketis!"

　　"Joshua?" She turned around and took a good look at him. "You look… better than before."

　　"I did some soul-searching after we last met. Can we go somewhere to talk in private? This place is way too busy."

　　"Not now. I'm looking for suitable new materials to strengthen the weapon of one of my mech design projects further. I still need to go through half of the shops and stalls before I have swept through this entire marketplace. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

　　Joshua initially shrank back, but then he recalled what he wanted to do. His eyes firmed up again as he moved alongside his girlfriend and hooked his arm across her muscled back.

　　"Whatever you are doing can wait. I really want to talk to you and I can't wait any further."

　　He dragged her away from the stall and guided her towards the exit.

　　Though Ketis possessed considerably greater physical strength than Joshua, she allowed him to take her away. She grew intrigued at his new behavior.

　　They eventually exited the busy marketplace and moved over to a more quiet park.

　　"Joshua?"

　　"Ketis." He said as he turned her body at a 90 degree angle so that he could stare in her eyes. "I was a coward and an idiot back then. I messed up and I know it. I thought long and hard about what you said. I also visited a few people to help me gain perspective. What I learned was that extending sympathy to people and humans outside our clan is an unattainable luxury and that sticking to it will only harm the people I care about the most."

　　"Well, I'm glad you think this way, Joshua, but that doesn't address everything."

　　"I know. This was why I also took a deep look at myself. I'm not used to standing up for myself, but it's clear that I need to show my spine more often. I never had to do that much before in my life, but it's never too late to start."

　　"Okay…?"

　　Joshua leaned closer to her even as he continued to grip her arms. "After thinking back on the moments we shared with each other, I began to cherish them even more. Just thinking about putting an end is intolerable to me! I don't want the good times to end. I want them to become even better! I'm willing to do anything to ensure you won't turn away from me, so please forgive me for imposing myself upon you. I can't think of anything better."

　　"What do you mean, Joshua? You're not making— mmmph!"

　　The expert pilot leaned in further to capture Ketis' lips in a passionate and hungry kiss. The mech designer fully experienced how much Joshua had missed her company!

　　When they finally separated, the two softly gazed into each other's eyes. The tension that existed between them earlier had faded away.

　　This was not the end, though.

　　Joshua began to drop to his knees and pulled out a decorative little box from one of his coat pockets.

　　He slowly brought it forward and opened it up to present a special glimmering ring to his girlfriend.

　　"Ketis Larkinson… I love you. We might have our differences, but I cannot think of any other woman I would like to stay with for the rest of my life. That's not all I want. I think that both of our lives would become a lot more enjoyable if we started a family together. I want to become a father, Ketis, but I don't want to be one with any random Larkinson. It has to be you. I want you to become my woman. I won't accept any other outcomes and I'll beat any other man who thinks he can take you away from me. Now, will you marry me, please?"

　　The swordmaster and journeyman blinked for a moment before she burst out into a giggle!

　　"Yes! I do! I've been waiting to hear you say that. I thought you would never muster up the courage to propose to me. Now come here and kiss me, you idiot!"

　　The two affectionately kissed each other again.