The Mech Touch

Ves always had the suspicion that there was more behind the Red Ocean than what the Big Two and everyone else revealed on the surface.

The dwarf galaxy was virgin territory that offered great riches to any human organization. The first thought that anyone would develop when faced with this bountiful region was how difficult it would be to lay claim to everything!

If Ves asked himself whether the Big Two was capable of swallowing the entire Red Ocean with its huge number of star systems, there was no way the MTA and CFA were that incapable.

Then why did they pass off increasing their immediate interests in favor of letting the 'lesser' humans obtain the bulk of the pie?

Everyone knew the Big Two looked down on states and the people who lived in them as space peasants. After the debacles of the Age of Conquest, the current controllers of human space pretty much regarded everyone outside of their own ranks as irresponsible children who could not be trusted with powerful weapons and great responsibility.

They were like female Hexers who treated boys with contempt and distrust. Instead of basing their biases and prejudices on fallacious, unfalsifiable theories, the Big Two instead referred to past historical events as justification for their constrictive policies.

The human empires of the past almost made humanity extinct. Allowing them to field warships and weapons of mass destruction without limit would just lead to an inevitable return to horror days where admirals nuked entire planets to oblivion!

At least that was the consensus.

"Yet what if the Big Two no longer held this stance?" Shederin Purnesse threw out a radical question. "What if the MTA and CFA are prepared to let the children run free again?"

Ves was shocked yet again! For so long, people like him had become accustomed to living under the hegemony of the Big Two. So many generations had gone by with the Mech Trade Association and the Common Fleet Alliance taking care of all of their 'big boy' problems that people simply took it for granted that this pattern would likely continue throughout their entire lifetimes.

The mere thought that the Big Two would revoke some of the taboos that prevented humanity from descending into a spiral of death and destruction sent a huge shudder through his body.

"What you're saying is difficult to believe." Ves shakily responded. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof."

"I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, then." Shederin sheepishly smiled. "I do not have possession of proof that can convince you and the public that the Big Two is prepared to loosen the reins. However, in my own professional judgement, I can read and predict the Big Two's movements over time in the same way I do with other states such as the Garlen Empire and the Bucher Federation. Groups of this scale never move quickly. They are large, ponderous machines that need to plan well in advance and make specific, targeted movements in order to achieve their objective. By recognizing and analyzing the first steps of their grand plans, we can infer where their next steps will lead to. This is why I am reasonably confident in my prediction."

All of this went over Ves' head. In the end, his background and his specialization caused him to lack the vision that someone like Shederin Purnesse possessed. The old man used to be a part of the ruling class of a large and influential state. He was accustomed to seeing and thinking in terms of huge, societal shifts.

Ves became more convinced that roping in someone like Shederin Purnesse was a good idea. As much as Calabast had proven herself to be adequate in fulfilling the role of a diplomat, she simply lacked the vision that separated true experts in statecraft and foreign relations to those that merely dabbled in these fields.

Of course, he was also aware that Shederin Purnesse was putting up a show of some sorts. As a consummate salesman, how could Ves not recognize that he was being subjected to a sales pitch?

He didn't mind. He set out to rescue the Purnesse Family in order to recruit a diplomat to begin with. It was natural for the most likely candidate to fulfill this role to show off his chops.

Ves still remained skeptical of this train of thought. It sounded too grand and far-reaching.

"Even if the Big Two are plotting something like this, I don't see how this is relevant to our clan. We just want to carve a place for ourselves in the galaxy. Whether our society remains the same or is shifting into another form, we don't have the power to influence these enormous changes."

"That does not mean it is pointless for us to see and think ahead, Patriarch Ves. Let me put it this way. The Big Two are chess players and the Red Ocean is a new chessboard that they have just prepared. Where do you think pioneers such as you fit in this picture?"

Ves lowered his eyes. "Smaller people like us can only become their chess pieces if we wish to take part in this game."

"That is an apt way to describe the situation. The game revolving around the Red Ocean changes as the Big Two continue to pursue their own strategies. Chess pieces such as you can only obediently move to the squares we are directed to. We can do anything we want as long as we abide by the rules of the games and stay within our respective squares. The moment we act out of turn, move to a square where chess pieces like us aren't meant to go or break some other game rule, we endanger the integrity of the entire chess match."

"We don't intend to do anything of the sort." Ves insisted. "I don't have any illegal or improper intentions in mind. I just want to escape the confines of the stagnant power structure in this old galaxy and compete at the same starting line as the rest."

"What are your goals, exactly? I believe it is best that you establish this first."

Ves raised his finger. "First, I want to achieve long-term stability for the Larkinson Clan. I want to establish my own sovereign power base in space because I have suffered too many betrayals from powerful states. I think the only way to achieve this goal is to form a nomadic fleet that is not subject to the rule of any state and can always move away from dangerous threats."

He raised a second finger. "Second, I want to achieve success and prosperity for myself and my clan. Becoming a Master Mech Designer or dare I say Star Designer has always been my highest ambition. I have great confidence in my ability to make it this far, but it will take a long time and great effort to succeed where so many of my competitors and rivals have failed. The Red Ocean offers so many new opportunities that I will definitely receive the stimulation and new experiences that can propel my creative journey in mech design."

This was a rather difficult argument to convey to laymen, but surprisingly Shederin Purnesse nodded in understanding. He had worked with plenty of high-ranking mech designers before.

Seeing that he didn't need to explain his last point any further, Ves raised his third finger.

"Third…" He trailed. He hesitated for a moment, but decided that Shederin was worth at least a measure of his trust. "Let's just say that I have very powerful enemies. To be honest, part of the reason why I am so eager to leave for the Red Ocean is to escape the net of this enemy."

Shederin could immediately tell that Ves was sharing sensitive information. The old man lowered his voice and leaned forward.

"How powerful is this enemy of yours?"

The ambassador cleverly did not ask for the identity of the adversary, knowing that Ves didn't want to touch upon that subject today.

Ves always found it pleasant to speak to smart people. Then again, he also felt very paranoid that he would reveal way more about himself than he intended to. Fortunately, Shederin Purnesse would become a Larkinson soon enough, so there shouldn't be too many risks involved with revealing a portion of his ongoing concerns.

"Let's just say that my archenemy has a reach that spans across all of human space and perhaps beyond." Ves carefully stated. "The Milky Way is pretty much its entire backyard. I simply don't feel safe enough staying in the territory that the enemy has entrenched itself so deeply."

This was especially after the Crown Uprising raised the curtain on how many splinter organizations and hidden moles the Five Scrolls Compact had raised! They had agents everywhere and it was incredibly frightening how they could even insert traitors within the ranks of the Glory Seekers and the Cross Clan!

Shederin looked thoughtful. "If the reach of your enemy is that great, then you won't escape it by running to the Red Ocean."

"I'm aware of that, but at the very least they're starting off on the same foot as other pioneers. The disparity in power won't be so big over there. Besides, the Big Two's attention is squarely placed in the Red Ocean. You just said that any improper and insubordinate chess pieces will be eliminated by the chess players, so the rules of the game actually affords me great protection."

A lot of thoughts passed through Shederin's mind. Ves had revealed a lot of clues about himself and the supposed enemy he feared. If the former ambassador came to any conclusions, he kept them to himself, though.

"I see." The Purnesser eventually said. "So safety is your primary motive. You think the rules will protect you against those who don't intend to play the game from the start. That's a workable solution. However…"

Ves crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow. "What is the matter?"

"Have you ever thought that the chess game you are jumping into can be just as dangerous as your current situation?" Shederin challenged Ves. "It's called jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. The Red Ocean is not as safe as it sounds. While I am glad to see that you recognize the surface-level dangers, what is taking place in the dwarf galaxy is only the opening act of what is to come."

"This…"

"The Big Two absolutely did not open up the Red Ocean for exploration and colonization in order to give us 'lessers' freebies. The crucible is still in the process of heating up. Once it reaches the right temperature, that is when the true forging begins."

Now Ves understood why Shederin started off with explaining his grand theory about the Big Two's actual intentions for the Red Ocean. By knowing the possible context of the chess game, he had a much greater awareness of what future chess pieces like his clan might be going through in the future.

Though Ves constantly reminded himself that the narrative weaved by Shederin was purely based on speculation, his own cognition of what the MTA and CFA were like caused him to feel it might have a basis in truth.

"Not every chess piece gets taken off the board over the course of a match." Ves noted. "Depending on how the match proceeds, at least some pieces will be able to stay sound. What makes you think our odds of remaining on the board are so low?"

"Because at the current state of your clan and alliance, you can only be treated as a dispensable pawn that can be sacrificed, forgotten or discarded whenever it is convenient. You do not even come close to matching qualifications to become anything greater such as a knight, bishop, rook or queen."

"According to the rules of chess, any pawn that has reached the opposite side of the board can be promoted into a greater chess piece." Ves pedantically stated.

Shederin Purnesse responded with a contemptuous smile. "Let me respond with two questions. First, what are the odds that you and your clan can reach the eight rank of the chessboard? Second, how does doing this align with the goals that you have stated?"

"..."

Those were highly pertinent questions, and ones that Ves couldn't easily answer.