The Mech Touch

Ves thought a lot about this conversation. It didn't take a genius to see that the MTA deeply wanted to know the secrets behind the Larkinson Clan's success. After the Battle against the Abyss, the clan suddenly gained four new expert pilots and nine new expert candidates.

In fact, there should have been even more expert candidates if some of them didn't die straight away!

Such a result was so extreme that even an idiot could tell there was something fishy about how all of these powerful mech pilots came into power!

Therefore, Ves could already tell the MTA would come calling.

It was difficult to find a way to resist their insistent advances.

While the MTA did not technically rule humanity as a whole, their power, influence and reach pretty much turned the Association into a de-facto hegemon.

When the MTA wanted something, few were able to say no.

Ves and his closest advisors discussed and analyzed how to keep himself and the Larkinson Clan free from the MTA's clutches.

The MTA did not expose its hierarchy and internal workings to the outside galaxy. It was rather difficult for outsiders to get a sense of how much say certain officials possessed within the organization.

Fortunately, there were plenty of clues. Both Calabast and Major Verle possessed deep insights into how organizations worked. The two already came to a consensus on what angle Ves should take to extricate himself from his current predicament.

Similar to the issue of his continued leadership in the clan, Ves did not need to persuade the MTA as a whole to leave him alone. That was impossible.

He only needed to win over someone powerful enough to cover for him and protect him from within the organization.

According to the public profile of Master Moira Willix, she was a distinguished Master Mech Designer who climbed up the ranks of the Mech Trade Association.

She originated from the galactic heartland, and quickly showed her talent in mech design. She traveled extensively and gained much from experiencing different locales and exchanging with many different mech designers along her journeys.

When she reached Master, she slowed down, but did not stop her travels. Right now, she had reached the edge of human space and was residing at Halcyon Citadel as a guest of sorts.

While Halcyon Citadel hosted many MTA Master Mech Designers, Ves did not believe they all had equal say in important matters.

The public profiles of the other MTA Masters mostly stated that they came from the galactic rim. Perhaps they were born and raised at Centerpoint, perhaps they came from a neighboring star cluster, perhaps they originated from another region in the periphery of human space.

The point was that these Masters were likely not very prominent due to the fact they emerged from the backwaters.

Certainly, the members of the MTA were technically equal to each other. Yet no organization was perfect, and no human was unbiased. Even if the Masters were of equal rank, Ves bet that those who originated closer to the galactic center had slightly more say than those who came from the galactic rim.

This was not the only part that was special about Master Willix. From what Calabast and Major Verle surmised, the visiting Master should wield a lot of power.

They weren't sure whether she possessed a higher rank in the hierarchy of Masters. What the advisors did know for sure was that Master Willix ought to possess a lot of soft power!

This was because of the huge network of contacts she must have developed through her travels. She resided at various MTA strongholds throughout her journey. There, she befriended fellow MTA mech designers, collaborated with them on certain projects and may have even stayed in touch with them. It was likely that at least some of these friends of hers were promoted to very high ranks after a time!

Admittedly, all of this could be wrong. Yet, Ves still felt very confident about this judgement. He had spoken with Master Willix often enough to get a sense of her identity.

While she mostly portrayed herself as an approachable Master who was easy to befriend, she occasionally revealed an arrogance that more closely reflected her exalted status.

These observations allowed him to make two tentative guesses.

First, Master Willix was very flexible. While she was obliged to project the authority of the MTA, she was more inclined to employ gentler means. This was probably a good approach to take when she traveled so widely and encountered so many different cultures.

Second, Master Willix possessed a lot of power. She was not above resorting to firmer means if that was what it took to get what she wanted. Of course, if the former solution could be employed, then there was no need for her to generate animosity.

Needlessly making enemies was not something a rational mech designer would do. There were too many downsides and not enough upsides.

The fact that Master Willix was mostly rational was a third additional factor that Ves considered. Different from passionate mech designers, someone like the woman whose projection he was facing should be making decisions based on objective costs and benefits.

While Ves did not believe that she had cut off her emotions entirely, at the very least she should be less affected by humanity's common faults such as pride, jealousy and greed.

This made it easier for him to formulate a proposal that appealed to her. He simply had to give her enough benefits.

Ves was about to commence his most difficult and riskiest negotiation to date. If he and his advisors had gotten the wrong read, then his upcoming pitch might easily backfire!

Even so, he made sure to project complete confidence in himself. He needed to show boldness, not timidity. There was no room for doubt or hesitation if he wanted to pull off this move.

"Master Willix. Before I make my proposal, can you guarantee that our upcoming conversation will remain between the two of us? I would like to make an appeal to you in private, not just as a Master of the MTA, but also as a friend."

This was the first time he called her a friend. Inwardly, he felt sick to his stomach for even calling her that.

Though they had developed a cordial relationship as of late, Ves never put down his guard in her presence.

He merely considered her to be a necessary evil and that he should make sure he remained on her good side.

It was kind of like pretending to like your boss. Even if you hated the stupid bastard so much you wanted to whack his head and trample him under your legs, it was best if you just acted as if you genuinely liked him as a person.

He never cared too much whether Master Willix saw through him or not. Human interaction was all an act to him. The masks that people wore in public played a vital role in smoothing over differences.

This time was no different. While Ves loathed Master Willix and wanted her to get out of his life most of the time, this time he needed something from her. He felt no shame at all for lying if that was what it took to further his cause!

A few tense seconds passed after he issued his request. Ves had the sense that she was contemplating whether it was worthwhile for her to indulge him. The matter they were discussing had wider implications.

"I cannot do that. As I have already said, what you and your fellow Larkinsons have managed to accomplish in the Nyxian Gap is of great importance to the MTA. I cannot deny you from my fellow colleagues. I hope you understand."

Damn. He really wanted to speak to her in private. Getting shot down meant that his plan would definitely become a bit more complicated.

He had no choice but to proceed onwards.

"Very well, then." He said as if it was not a big deal. "Let me begin by summing up our current circumstances. My clan has just won a difficult battle where we have done our utmost to defeat an overwhelming opponent. Facing warships is no joke, especially when one of them is the Gravada Knarlax, a heavy cruiser that not even your Association managed to destroy despite placing a bounty on her for several decades."

Master Willix did not like it when he pointed out the fact. "We would have punished the transgressions of the Allidus Alliance sooner or later."

Ves casually waved his hand. "The point is that we are the ones who have managed to accomplish this feat. Even if we had some unexpected help, the Allidus Alliance would have never lost their flagship and other prized warships if not for us. This is indisputable. We lost a lot of good men, but gained something great as well. Right now, our clan has five expert pilots, and that is just the start. Unfortunately, none of them have any expert mechs."

"I believe Miss Wodin is still in the process of approaching various Masters to address this need."

"That is so. Yet what if instead of approaching some random mech designer who is qualified to design expert mechs, I turn to you? You're a Master. You must have worked on plenty of expert mechs."

Master Willix frowned and crossed her arms. "I recall that we have already spoken about this topic. I am engaged in projects that are far more important than any private project. In addition, the neutrality issue you have mentioned earlier applies here as well. The MTA cannot show favoritism to any single human state, faction or organization."

"Come now." Ves smiled as if she had just made a joke. "Everyone knows that's nonsense. If the MTA is truly neutral, then your relationship with the first-rate superstates wouldn't be so tense."

"That is not something you are qualified to comment upon." She said to him with a chilling undertone.

Ves innocently raised his hand. "I just think that the MTA is flexible and open-minded enough to make exceptions. How else can a trans-galactic organization remain dominant across human space for so many centuries? Not even the Terran Confederation or New Rubarth Empire managed to attain as much legitimacy and support as the Association. Clearly, your approach to governing and living alongside local humans such as myself is more enlightened than the hamfisted approach employed by your predecessors."

"While I appreciate your views, I do not see how this is relevant."

"Oh, it is very relevant. You see, I think it is in your best interest to make an exception of the rules. I want you, or one of your subordinates if that isn't possible, to help our clan develop our new expert mechs."

Master Willix began to grow impatient. "I have already told you the reasons why this is not possible."

"I think you are wrong, ma'am! You are not looking at my proposal closely enough! Look, do you want to examine and work with my design philosophy? You can do this if you collaborate with me on some expert mech design projects. The mechs I intend to design for my expert pilots are so important that I will definitely pull out all the stops. Wouldn't it be nice for you to work alongside me and understand my perspective on mech design as it happens?"

"That is not a reason to set aside our objections, Mr. Larkinson."

"The neutrality rules only prohibit individual MTA officials from playing favorites with the locals, right? This is not the case this time! Participating in our expert mech design projects is a matter of public interest to the MTA. There is no better way to understand my design philosophy and learn what is special about LMC mechs than to design a couple of expert mechs with me. Isn't this what you want?"

Master Willix looked a bit perplexed at his specious argument. "You are twisting my arguments. Why should I possibly agree to your proposal?"

"I'm a very private person, as you might undoubtedly know. My ideas are rather unconventional. I have only shared them with Gloriana up until now. I am willing to extend my trust to you if that is enough to end any intrusive inquiries from the MTA. Since you are a part of this organization as well, I think it is enough to reveal some of my trade secrets to you, but only if you promise not to spread what you have learned from me. My design philosophy is not yet ready to be shared with the MTA as a whole. So what do you say, ma'am?"

He looked at her with a hopeful smile.

Unfortunately, Master Willix did not appear to be very receptive.

"Are.. you bribing me, Mr. Larkinson?"