The Mech Touch

Crossing a star cluster was different from crossing a star sector.

Now that the expeditionary fleet finally reached the border that demarcated the end of the Yeina Star Cluster and the beginning of the Bardo Star Cluster, everyone in the fleet became emotional.

Neither the Larkinsons, Glory Seekers nor Crossers had ever traveled so far beyond the normal confines of their local region.

Everyone held their own thoughts on the matter. Some saw it as an escape from their old homes. Others believed the passage would allow them to break out of their cocoons and soar into the skies like butterflies.

Whatever metaphors that the people in the fleet used to rationalize the crossing, there was no doubt that they would be putting a stripe between them and their past.

Once they left the Yeina Star Cluster, they would take one step out into the wider cosmos. The scope of everyone's vision would stretch far wider than the state, star sector or star cluster they originated from. To a number of people, it was only now that they began to feel that their former homes were not as impressive as they thought.

States like the Hexadric Hegemony, Heavensword Association and Life Research Association may be formidable in their backyard, but their playground was nothing compared to an entire continent!

As Ves along with his circle of advisors stood on the bridge of the Spirit of Bentheim, he became swept by emotion as well. An apprehensive but hopeful mood ran throughout the entire fleet. He was gratified that most of the Larkinsons around him were looking forward to the future instead of feeling regret at leaving their past behind.

To Ves, the Komodo Star Sector had already turned into an afterthought to him. While the Komodo War still raged as hot as ever, all of the light-years between him and the frontlines made it difficult for him to care about the outcome.

He still hated the Friday Coalition, but his grudge against them seemed trivial compared to the heights he was climbing. The Larkinson Clan was almost done with digesting the tens of thousands of new recruits that had recently joined its ranks. The clan administration was already planning a second round of recruitment.

As for the Hexadric Hegemony…

He threw a brief glance at Calabast. She showed no indication that she felt any regret for leaving the Hexadric Hegemony or leaving it to its potentially tragic fate.

Out of everyone in the Larkinson Clan, only Gloriana exhibited the strongest reaction. Still, even she knew that there was little she could do to remedy the situation. The border systems of the Hexadric Hegemony were being battered by vengeful Fridaymen. If not for the fact that the Hexers wrecked a lot of infrastructure in the space they had previously conquered, the Fridaymen would have been able to achieve more progress at this time!

Even Gloriana's occasional outbursts had grown more hollow. Though she cared a lot about the Hexadric Hegemony and its people, she cared about her family even more.

The Wodins were not without means. The dynasty had already made good progress in forming evacuation fleets and enacting their long-prepared contingency plans. The Glory Seekers was merely one of their continuity options.

Even if the Hegemony fell, Madame Constance Wodin and many of her relatives would be able to find a living elsewhere.

Of course, before the state fell, none of the Hexers intended to let the Fridaymen win. Their pride and their belief in female supremacy did not allow them to surrender!

All of this meant that Gloriana did not insist on helping the Hegemony as much anymore. She was a member of the Larkinson Clan now and her wellbeing was no longer bound the fate of he Hexadric Hegemony.

Besides, it was not as if the Hexers would disappear from the galactic stage if they lost their state. Gloriana frequently talked to her old contacts, so she was aware that the Hexers may be plotting a comeback in the Red Ocean.

All in all, hardly anyone in the Larkinson Clan had any reason to stop going forward. The influence exerted by the Larkinson Network gradually increased everyone's attachment to their new clan. This process naturally reduced everyone's attachment to their old homes.

These days, Ves barely thought about the Bright Republic at all. The humble third-rate state was practically dead to him. The fleet had already become his true haven.

He looked at the projection of the entire expeditionary fleet. The starships had already cycled their FTL drives long ago. The reason why they did not attempt the instant they were ready was because the engineers were all tasked with inspecting every critical system related to their operation.

Crossing into another star cluster was no joke. Just like the borders between star sectors, the borders between star clusters also consisted of gravitic barriers. Whether they were natural or artificial, when humanity took over a space region, they deliberately strengthened the walls in order to prevent hostile alien civilizations from sweeping across human space in an instant.

There were indications that the partitioning of space was no longer as absolute as before, though. Phasewater not only opened up new methods of superluminal travel, but was also capable of improving existing methods of travel.

Researchers who already had access to phasewater successfully managed to use it to strengthen an FTL drive. Depending on how phasewater was applied, an upgraded drive possessed more range, stability and in extreme cases even allowed them to leapfrog past several star sectors at a time!

The astounding benefits of phasewater would eventually transform and revolutionize space travel across the entirety of human space, but it would take many decades for the changes to be felt by average people.

If Ves and the Larkinson Clan ever returned to the galactic rim, the Yeina Star Cluster would probably look completely different!

Ves minutely shook his head. There was little point in looking back. Even he couldn't stop the expeditionary fleet from advancing anymore. He put so much effort into selling a dream of a new life in the Red Ocean that the Larkinsons would probably disregard his authority if he tried to hit the brakes.

"What are your views on the Bardo Star Cluster?"

"It's a fairly typical rim star cluster." Shederin Purnesse answered first. "Bardo is more developed than Yeina, so the degree of development in the star cluster is considerably higher than you are accustomed to. Many states have a rich and stable heritage, so wars are less frequent. The power distribution is already set in these areas, so the nature and frequency of war is subject to more rules and restrictions."

The states in the Bardo Star Cluster placed more emphasis on stability. Risk takers might be able to win, but the long stretch of time has caused many of them to disappear from history.

The ones that remained standing might not have been able to expand their territory or gain a lot of prosperity, but their prudence had paid off. In the end, the enduring successes of stable states encouraged others to follow suit, hence the overall decline in conflict.

That said, power struggles still existed. Rival powers simply accomplished their goals in different ways. In the worst case scenarios, wars still broke out, but it was too easy for them end up in a situation where both sides lost.

"Open warfare is considerably less frequent in the Bardo Star Cluster, but smaller skirmishes and unannounced conflicts have increased." General Verle's projection explained. "The risk of encountering them or getting caught up in them is low, though. The battles generally don't take place along the established trade routes.Unpredictable results might ensue if the combatants pull in a third party that was more powerful than anyone anticipated!"

Ves smirked. "These states are quite clever. The people back in our native star cluster could have learned a lesson from the Bardo Star Cluster."

He wouldn't have gotten dragged into so many conflicts if people just left him alone.

"We don't have ties to the states and organizations of Bardo, so we should be able to pass through their space without interruption." Calabast stated. "Though we cannot rule out the existence of relations that might cause the local powers here to target us, we are not that easy to attack. We should still exhibit basic prudence and send more scout ships ahead of our route in order to forewarn us against any ambushes and dangerous fleet presence."

"I'll take care of it, sir." General Verle said. "The Flagrant Vandals are already familiar with the protocols. I agree with Calabast's assessments. We are just one of many large fleets that merely want to pass through to the star cluster without affecting the local situation. There are so many other travelers that we are indistinguishable from the crowd."

Ves hoped that was the case, but if his advisors were wrong, the Larkinson Clan should be able to take care of itself. He just hoped that he would be able to get a couple of expert mechs online before anything bad happened. The power of the upcoming Larkinson expert mechs were absolutely not average!

"Since all our preparations are complete, let's proceed." He commanded. "Begin the transition!"

The massive fleet of the Larkinson Clan, Glory Seekers and Cross Clan simultaneously exited realspace and proceeded to go forth into a new region of space.

The Spirit of Bentheim and many other ships shook a bit due to the rougher-than-usual transition. Ves didn't show any concern as this was an expected side effect.

He still let out a tiny breath in relief after he confirmed that the Spirit of Bentheim and any other ship in the Larkinson fleet reported no significant issues.

Before Ves returned to the design lab, he asked one more question.

"What progress have we made in securing our new big purchases?"

"We have already concluded a financing agreement, so money is no object. We will have no problem with spending the equivalent of 11 trillion hex credits." Shederin replied.

"Who is willing to loan us that much money? And why so much?"

"The list prices of the second-class capital ships are already outdated." The chief diplomat replied. "If we want to secure the ships we are eying on, we need to present enough cash to persuade their current owners to give them up right away. If we wait any longer, there is a considerable chance that those with deeper pockets have already claimed the vessels for themselves."

Though non-combat oriented vessels such as the Discentibus and the Vivacious Wal did not directly increase an organization's combat effectiveness, they were very suitable for those looking to migrate to a different region of space. No ship was useless. At the very least, their huge hulls allowed them to function as jumbo-sized cargo haulers.

"Since we have the money, I take it that we should have no problem with getting the ships we want."

Shederin smiled. "We should be able to reach the star system where they are being sold within three to four weeks. The only issue is that negotiations are proceeding more slowly than we wish."

Ves scoffed. "Let me guess. The sellers realize that prices for starships are constantly rising, so they are looking to secure a bigger payday, right?"

Shederin regretfully nodded. "That is indeed the case. You have to realize that the owners of the ships are affected by naked greed and interest. These desires are difficult to suppress."

"I don't blame you. Anyone with a brain will know how to maximize their profits when they are holding on to valuable goods."

The problem was that the deal might not be settled once the Larkinsons arrived at the trading system. Ves did not want his fleet to be delayed so it was crucial for Shederin to solve this problem before that time.

"The new ships are worth the effort." Calabast reassured him. "Don't worry. If Mr. Purnesse's persuasion is not enough, I will give him a hand."

That should be enough, he supposed.