The Mech Touch

Ves did not make life easy for himself by aiming to go big on the spiritual design of the Disruptor Project.

This was a rare opportunity for him to combine the strengths of a prime mech with an expert mech.

With a rare resource like Unending alloy at his disposal, there was no way that Ves wanted to squander its potential by maintaining a cautious approach!

In truth, one of the reasons why Ves behaved so well lately and tried his best to meet and exceed Gloriana's expectations was because he knew her too well.

If he didn't make her happy, how could he get away with any stunts?

Fortunately, his ploy succeeded. Gloriana was so upbeat about the progress of the Disruptor Project that she eventually allowed Ves to have his fun.

Everything would be fine as long as Ves succeeded in his implementation, but if he screwed up in any way, there was no doubt that Gloriana would turn into a demoness again!

Ves shuddered as he imagined the reckoning he would face if he caused the project to be delayed because of his distractions.

Despite this threat, he did not intend to scale back his ambitions. A moment like this would not come again for a very long time and he instinctively felt he was working on another powerful innovation.

Though he wasn't able to predict the power of his latest preoccupation, he guessed that it would not be weak!

"This is the key to differentiating my work." Ves whispered to himself.

He wanted to make a mark on the mech community. The invention of prime mechs and prime resonance had already given him a lot of fulfillment, but they were clearly inferior substitutes to the real deal.

Now that he was able to work on actual expert mechs that were able to evoke true resonance, what would they be like if he was able to alter this established dynamic by leveraging his spiritual engineering capabilities?

While Ves didn't exactly know how Seniors and Masters enabled expert mechs to exhibit true resonance, he theorized that this was a completely different approach from his own ones.

He was absolutely certain that no existing mech designer had ever created anything comparable to prime resonance!

Since design spirits played a key role in making this phenomenon possible in the first place, he predicted that he would gain an absolutely extraordinary result if he increased the union between design spirit and mech!

However, before he could explore this topic any further, he received an important message.

Shederin Purnesse had finally formulated a diplomatic strategy for the Larkinson Clan. The man spent weeks pouring through numerous archives, speaking to many different Larkinsons, looking up information on the galactic net and so on. He tried his best to come up with the most fitting plan for the clan in order to showcase his value.

Ves took a brief moment off his schedule to meet with the former ambassador at his new office. The Larkinson Clan had recently set up the Foreign Relations Department in order to emphasize the growing importance of forging ties.

Shederin had come in at the right time. Though the former Loxian had yet to become the leader of the department, as long as his plan was sound, the job was as good as his. Out of all of the Purnessers, only he had the talent, experience and wisdom to assume this major responsibility!

Ves already saw the difference that someone like Shederin could make when he entered the compartment which housed the new department. The various Larkinsons assigned to expand the foreign relations activities of the clan had become a lot more focused and driven.

The old man was already starting to make his mark here. Previously, none of the Larkinsons knew what they were doing. While they could make simple contacts and conduct straightforward business deals, their level of thinking couldn't keep up with the expanding scope of the Larkinson Clan.

Now that someone who used to be in charge of the foreign relations of an entire state entered the picture, the existing workers finally began to see the light.

The air of optimism in the Foreign Relations Department resembled that of the Design Department. This was a good sign in Ves' eyes as it appeared that Shederin's influence was absolutely not weak.

What would it be like if he actually took charge of this department? Once he gained the authority he needed, the Larkinson Clan would no longer appear like brutes in front of other people!

Ves became more certain that it had been worth it for him to rescue the Purnesse Family. The trivial losses the Avatars and Vandals suffered during the previous battle were incomparable to the gains.

He quickly moved through the main hall and entered a small and fairly barren office compartment.

Shederin already prepared his presentation. The desk and other furniture had moved over to the side in order to make way for a large projection that displayed multiple key elements.

"Patriarch Ves, please come in. I think you'll be quite excited to hear what I am about to say."

Ves smiled. "Let's hear it, then. Our clan has gone on for too long without a clear idea on how to interact with outside parties. I'm very interested in hearing your perspective."

The ambassador did not waste any time on pleasantries or small talk. He had already spent enough time in the Larkinson Clan to know that its members preferred to be polite but direct. There was a lot of work to be done in the fleet and no one wanted to become a burden to their comrades.

"I've taken stock of the Larkinson Clan and its current situation." Shederin began. "Before I can formulate a strategy, we first need to define our goals. Based on what you have said and what I have observed from other Larkinsons, I have summarized a small list."

The old man gestured to the projection which began to display a few key goals.

"The primary goal of the Larkinson Clan is to exist as an independent organization that is able to provide for its clansmen. It must belong to the Larkinsons and no one else should be able to order them around. The members should also be happy in the clan and be able to live and die in it without any regrets."

This was a more general goal, but one that Ves could support. "While I haven't exactly thought about it that way, I do think it is essential to achieve all of these points. We have been burned too many times by others to put all of our trust in outsiders. We should be able to take care of our own and be able to make ourselves happy."

"One of the terms that is rather challenging to work with is that you do not wish to subject yourself to the rule of others, correct?"

"That's the primary reason why I have put so much effort into establishing a spaceborn clan. Only by retaining our mobility will we be able to prevent ourselves from being tied by local power players."

Shederin nodded in understanding, but he did not look optimistic. "I can understand why you think this is the right course of action, but your demand imposes many restrictions on us. At the very least, it rules out the possibility of taking shelter under the umbrella of the Terran Alliance and the Rubarthan Pact. Both alliances are hierarchical in nature. If you join the Terran Alliance, you must dance to the tunes of the ancient clans. If you become a part of the Rubarthan Pact, you are obliged to follow any instruction given by a Rubarthan prince. Regardless of their differences, the leading figures of the first-rate superstates only have their own interests in mind."

Ves sighed. "You're right. The two alliances that are based in the Red Ocean truly aren't suitable for our clan. It's a pity that we have to rule them out from the beginning. They provide a lot of benefits to those who join their ranks."

The Terrans were especially generous. With the Red Ocean Promise, the strongest pioneers in the Terran Alliance actually had a chance of ascending to the same height as the powerful and prestigious ancient clans that had dominated the Greater Terran United Confederation for millennia!

Ves would be lying if he claimed he wasn't interested in this reward. While he did not have a good opinion on the Terrans, they were rightfully considered to be one of the most powerful groups in human space. Becoming one of their top dogs would instantly propel the Larkinson Clan to a galactic power!

However, how realistic was it for his clan to climb on top of all of those other pioneers who would be willing to do anything to achieve this ultimate ambition?

Ves had no confidence that his clan would be able to survive in this horrible competition! Their foundation was too shallow and their starting point was too low.

The pioneers who originated from the galactic heartland and the galactic center had a lot more wealth, assets, personnel and connections at their disposal. This head start provided these ambitious competitors with an unassailable advantage!

The fact that the expeditionary would be entering the Red Ocean years after its opening also caused his clan to fall behind.

Though it pained Ves to cross these options off the list, it had to be done.

"Then our only option is the Red Ocean Union, right?"

Shederin nodded. "It is the only regional alliance that makes sense for us. As we have discussed earlier, it does not impose too many restrictions on its members, but it doesn't offer as much benefits either."

"If that's the case, why not skip these alliances entirely and try to forge a different path?"

"This is too difficult, patriarch. I do not advise starting from scratch. The Golden Skull Alliance is still lacking in too many areas."

Shederin pointed at the projection, which showed a basic diagram of the Larkinson Clan and its various connections. It also showed three different bubbles which broadly represent the three regional alliances.

Right now, the Larkinson Clan sits outside the alliances. Our contact with the groups that chose to join them will either be hostile and neutral. There is little chance we'll be able to forge friendly ties with them. Even the members of the Red Ocean Union will not open their doors to us. Do you know why?"

"Because… the members of these alliances can already befriend others who made the same decision. There is an inherent increase in trust and common ground between different groups."

"The only partners we can forge ties with are those that have also chosen to reject the alliances. Think about that. What kind of pioneers and groups would reject the entreaties of all three major regional alliances?"

"They're crazy." Ves threw out a guess.

Shederin softly coughed. "I would not use that terminology, but my overall judgement is similar. The Red Ocean is highly dangerous. Pioneers and fleets either get destroyed or disappear on a regular basis. The groups that chose to brave these risks while rejecting systematic assistance are quite unique. It is unlikely that they can become one of our trusted partners because the fact that they have eschewed the Red Ocean Union already indicates that they do not like to make lasting commitments."

They were all selfish, in other words.

This meant that the only option that Shederin found acceptable was to apply to join the Red Ocean Union once they reached the Red Ocean.

"The Red Ocean Union is constantly developing, right?" Ves recalled.

"That is true. It is constantly changing and refining its rules and approach. If we join it at a relatively early stage, there is a good chance that we will be able to gain a lot more benefits as the alliance grows."

"It's a bit risky, though. Who knows if the Red Ocean Union will actually become better?"

The Big Two are behind this alliance. That should explain everything." Shederin confidently smiled.