The Mech Touch

Context was important.

Ves did not hold any interest in meddling in the affairs of the Rubarthan Pact in the past, mostly because he lacked the power to make a difference.

That had changed since his return from the Survivalist conference. He not only gained the power to exert influence on the first-rate colonial superstate, but also possessed a solid reason to intervene in the ongoing Rubarthan power struggle!

From the moment he revealed that he possessed a notable connection to the Destroyer of Worlds, he had already been regarded as a participant in this great game!

The fact that he was the inventor and the supplier of numerous revolutionary innovations such as companion spirits and kinship network massively boosted his value to the Rubarthan superstate!

All of this made it untenable for Ves to remain out of contact with the Rubarthans.

Fortunately, he recognized this new reality fairly quickly. He was not opposed to establishing a relationship with the Rubarthans so long as he gained enough benefits.

However, Ves needed to think carefully about wading into the ongoing power struggle between the Rubarthan princes.

It was not necessary for him to pick a side and back one of the princes.

After all, even the god pilots themselves would not explicitly back any of the princes. It would go against their official duties to wield their outsized power that could not be stopped by others.

It would only take a slight amount of effort for them to decide that none of the princes deserved to rule the Rubarthan Pact and ascend to the throne themselves!

According to the current rules of the game, the god pilots would only be able to provide implicit support at most. It was up to the princes themselves to leverage this advantage in their own ways.

In any case, Ves still had the option of maintaining relative neutrality so that he could maintain a healthy distance from the intensifying fight between the different Rubarthan princes.

This was why his latest move presented so much risk and danger.

The Inferno Spear Prince approached Ves as a member of the Rubarthan Military Council for at least two official reasons.

The first one was to clarify Ves' relationship with the Destroyer of Worlds.

The second one was to inquire about commissioning a kinship network for the Rubarthan Pact.

It was actually really significant that the Inferno Spear Prince was the one to establish initial contact with the famous new tier 3 galactic citizen.

Even if Prince Antonius did not want to spook Ves by pulling him into the vortex right away, the powerful Rubarthan never expected that the Larkinson Patriarch would propose to intervene on his own initiative.

What truly caught Prince Antonius and his staff off-guard was that Ves not only expressed the intention of wading into this imperial mud fight, but also proposed an enormous gambit that would have enormous implications for the entire Rubarthan Pact!

The Inferno Spear Prince no longer regarded Ves as a novice to high-level affairs anymore.

The fact that this second-class Senior Mech Designer took the initiative to propose a scheme that would eventually tilt the balance in the favor of the Destroyer of Worlds and the prince that earned her favor made it clear that Ves was qualified to act as a player in this great game!

"I see now why you are known as the Devil Tongue." The senior ace pilot as his eyes betrayed a lot more wariness and vigilance than before. "As the mech designer who managed to ensure the downfall of the Polymath, it is clear that your reputation as a destabilizing influence is not a fluke. Do you know how unnerving it is for you to set your sights on our colonial superstate? It might be better to keep you out of our affairs entirely."

Ves smiled in response. He recognized that he had managed to hook the Inferno Spear Prince. For all of the man's vigilance, there was no way he could remain unmoved to this offer!

When it came to proposals, the most important part was determining who benefited the most.

While Ves would definitely benefit from having one of his pets become the guardian animal of the Rubarthan Pact, the Inferno Spear Prince also stood to make a lot of gains!

In the political struggle between the Inferno Spear Prince and the Smokestack Prince, the former's accumulation and support base were too meager.

Once the latter managed to gain the implicit support of a god pilot, the former would fall too far behind!

This meant that the Inferno Spear Prince was on a timer. He needed to find ways to strengthen his position and ensure that he remained competitive enough to keep his imperial ambitions alive.

What Ves proposed was to find a way to strengthen the position of the Destroyer of Worlds in the Rubarthan Pact.

Perhaps it sounded a bit absurd, but Ves genuinely believed that as long as he could convert the Rubarthans into cat lovers, he could grant such an enormous advantage to the Inferno Spear Prince that his chances of winning the power struggle would become almost assured!

Of course, this was a huge and complex plan that depended on a lot of different variables. There was no guarantee that the scenario would play out the way that Ves had foreseen.

The selection of Clixie as the nexus of the Rubarthan kinship network was also highly suspect. There was no way the Rubarthans would accept such an unusually sketchy offer outright.

What if they introduced a spiritual trojan horse to their society that ultimately brainwashed the citizens of the colonial superstate into becoming the unwitting vassals of the Larkinson Clan?

The Rubarthans weren't fools! The more dramatic the offer, the more they needed to take their time to root out all of the possible risks and dangers!

Ves had to spend much of his time during this meeting on reassuring the Rubarthans.

"The mechers already trust me to provide not one, but four kinship networks." He told the wary prince. "My spirits may not be neutral, but they will be operating under constant supervision from a dedicated department established by the Red Association. Since you insist on obtaining a kinship network according to the same model, your colonial superstate can do the same. So long as you appoint the right people to lead this new supervisory department, you can be certain that Clixie will not be able to abuse her authority over your citizens."

The prince crossed his arms as he continued to regard the elegant cat as a possible threat. "That may be true, but you are the person responsible for constructing these additional observation and control systems in the first place. Do you recognize the problems with this state of affairs? We cannot develop a heavy dependency on an outsider in order to run our own state. We especially cannot accept a reality where we must rely on the protection and guidance of someone else's pet of all possibilities!"

The prince was right to question the viability and suitability of this radical proposal. It broke several major rules that would have caused it to get rejected outright in Rubarthan society!

However, Ves did not give up. He keenly recognized that the prince was still tempted. He just needed to allay enough concerns so that the Inferno Spear Prince and the people under him would continue to keep this option into consideration.

"Clixie is not inherently powerful by herself." Ves spoke as he approached his daughter and picked up the cat. "She won't be able to take over the Rubarthan Pact or anything. As long as she does anything that crosses the line, I am sure that either of your god pilots can take action to rein her in. Not that my cat will ever do so. She is far too lovely to do anything like that. Isn't that right, cutie?"

"Miaooow"

Though the cat initially had no idea what Ves was doing, she had gained a lot of clues after she listened in on the conversation. She knew that he wanted her to cooperate with him, so she immediately put on her sweetest act. Her tail was already starting to swish with excitement!

When Ves transferred the cat to the projection of the Inferno Spear Prince, the powerful ace pilot looked down on Clixie without appearing to have any direction.

Prince Antonius had spent most of his time on becoming better at fighting. In order to earn his amazing strength and keep himself in his best fighting condition, he had sacrificed many of the pleasures and experiences that life could offer to a privileged son.

This was also the reason why most of the other Rubarthan princes with piloting qualifications hadn't been able to match his martial accomplishments.

Despite his association with the Destroyer of Worlds, the man barely handled pets in his life. It took an unusually long time before he started to change his hold over the cat and pet Clixie on the head.

"Miaow- miaow- miaow-"

There was just something about cats that could melt the heart of even the most hardened and strong-willed soldier!

"Clixie is a genuine Rubarthan Sentinel Cat and has not undergone any subsequent modifications to her genome or anything." Ves explained as the prince slowly familiarized himself with the pet. "Her genes are designed by the people of your state, so you should be familiar with her bioprogramming. Clixie is designed to serve as a loyal and loving protector of the person she is designed to guard. She used to accompany my wife, but she is now tasked with keeping my daughter company. If she assumes the role as the nexus for your superstate's kinship network, then you can count on her to provide the protection and companionship that your people will need in the times to come."

The Inferno Spear Prince nodded in agreement. "Our Sentinel Cats are indeed known for their loyalty and dedication. While I can see that Clixie here is an excellent example of one, she has clearly mutated from her genetic template in order to acquire her current powers."

"If you need more assurance that Clixie will remain well-behaved, then I invite you to send a party of biotech experts and other relevant personnel to come to my location and thoroughly examine my pet. I understand that there is much at stake for you to accept my claims without evidence."

"That is a welcome offer. We may take you on it depending on our deliberations."

Even though the remote connection made it difficult for the Inferno Spear Prince to extend his full senses across a huge distance, his projection's direct contact with the Rubarthan Sentinel Cat at least enabled him to make an initial determination about Clixie.

Apparently, his evaluation was positive, because the prince began to look increasingly less wary towards Clixie.

Ves decided to pull out another card. He sent a mental transmission that soon caused a small sun to light up in the active Hyper Chamber.

"Nyaaaaaa-!"

The Golden Cat had made another appearance!

"This is the Golden Cat. I am sure you have learned about her already. She is in charge of our Larkinson Network. While she is a different sort of existence from an actual flesh-and-blood cat, you can expect Clixie to serve in a similar capacity."

Goldie already knew what was going on. She floated over to the Inferno Spear's physical projection and presented herself for inspection.

The Rubarthan prince obviously never encountered a life form like her before. Goldie was not only a spirit, but the heart of a growing spiritual network, and that caused her to embody the Larkinson Clan in a way that increased her weight in a metaphysical sense!

"Impressive." The Inferno Spear Prince couldn't help but say. "It is astounding to see what wonders can be wrought with the right application of power and knowledge. However, we are still considering whether it is suitable for your cat to occupy a sensitive position. We should at least be given an opportunity to examine the alternatives that you have presented."