The Mech Touch

General Verle expressed disappointment at Ves' choice. He genuinely believed that Commodore Abigail Evern could do a good job in managing the affairs of the clan.

"That's the thing, general. It's not enough to have the capabilities to manage all of the heavy responsibilities that come with the job. They also have to gain the support of a majority of clansmen. The position of chief minister is one of the highest offices of the clan. Anyone who takes it up will become one of the faces that will represent all of us. I don't want to appoint someone who is either a Hexer or close to it to speak on our behalf."

"I see. I may have neglected this angle." He said. "I'm used to dictating orders to subordinates, but the political arena requires a different approach."

Verle should have been more sensitive to these considerations, but he had been in charge for such a long time now that he had lost some of the political acumen that he used to possess back when he was a Firestarter.

"I'm not writing Commodore Evern off, general. She already ticks most of the boxes. As long as she and the Penitent Sisters work harder in reforming their image, the barriers that are hindering her from ascending to higher office will become a lot easier to overcome."

"That's good to hear. While all of our clansmen are loyal, the Penitent Sisters are much more notable in this regard."

"That's mostly due to their religious nature. From what I've noticed during my previous visit, the Penitent Sisters are mainly devoted to the Superior Mother. Though they also have plenty of reasons to be loyal to me and the rest of the clan, sometimes I feel like they are only fervent because of our relation with the Superior Mother." Ves remarked.

"I know what you mean, but in the end our hold over them is solid. If there is any chance that they are drifting apart from our clan, we will definitely be able to pick up the signs early enough to do something about it. No matter what, the best way for them to grow closer to their object of worship is to pilot your mechs. Their dependence on you and your work is our best guarantee that they will never go back to their old ways."

That was true. Even if someone else was able to tie a design spirit to a mech design, Ves possessed a deep relationship with the avatar of his actual mother. As long as he issued a request, the Superior Mother would probably indulge him. He was her son, after all. Didn't he deserve to get spoiled once in a while?

"Ahem." Ves softly coughed. "Let us set Commodore Evern aside. What alternatives do you have?"

"That's.. a bit of an issue, sir. The Larkinson Army is lacking in upper-level talent. While we do not necessarily have to settle on a senior officer, our remaining officer base is too young and brash to draw upon. The responsibility of leading the clan as a whole is so great that it is best that it is left to people with a certain level of maturity and life experience."

Ves agreed with General Verle, though there was an argument to be had for younger and more flexible leaders. He himself was very young for a clan patriarch, but then again his entire life didn't make any sense.

Still, Ves prioritized stability and control. The clan was already developing well enough that it didn't need to take any further risks. He preferred to appoint a cooler head that wasn't so quick to take a lot of risks.

"Our clan might be lacking in senior leaders, but we have over 150,000 people in our midst. I seriously doubt that you can't find another eligible candidate from their midst. If necessary, we can set our sights on a retired veteran."

"Let's not be so quick to draw upon them. I have another name in mind that might suit your purposes."

The former commander of the Living Sentinels entered the conference room and presented herself to Ves.

"Patriarch." She saluted. "I am at your service."

Ves fell silent as he studied the older woman. Magdalena Larkinson used to be a lot stiffer. As a military veteran and a mech officer, she was accustomed to projecting strength and authority.

Yet now that she had passed on her previous command, she moved on to become a staff officer who worked directly under General Verle. The break from her former command seemed to have done wonders for her mood. She looked as if she had fully moved past her rather shameful departure.

"How are you doing, Magdalena?"

"I'm doing well, sir. Commander Casella Ingvar is a much more suitable figurehead for the Living Sentinels. I don't miss my former job."

"What do you do these days?"

"I serve as General Verle's deputy for the most part." She replied. "Due to my background, I mostly assist with mech-related problems. I supervise the logistics concerning the allocation and transfer of newly-produced mechs among other tasks."

It was a rather boring-sounding job to Ves, but it was people like Major Magdalena that ensured that the different mech troops kept running smoothly.

As the major continued to elaborate on her job, Ves found that she possessed a comprehensive understanding of the military machine of the Larkinson Clan. Her diverse experience allowed her to gain a good perspective on what the forward and rear sides of the Larkinson Army required from each other. This allowed her to anticipate problems before they blew up and meet the needs of many soldiers without waiting for them to voice their complaints.

All in all, her job wouldn't change all that much if she became a chief minister. She would still be working on the same problems. The only difference was that she would have to address issues plaguing the rest of the clan.

There was only one major caveat to choosing Major Magdalena.

"How popular is she among the clansmen?"

General Verle grimaced. "Not high. While she has been helpful inside the Military Bureau, much of our work is hidden in the background. There are thousands of Larkinsons who don't have a good impression of Major Magdalena. The Living Sentinels who survived the horrors of the Nyxian Gap will especially feel sour if we 'reward' her with a huge promotion."

Ves fell silent for a moment. "This.. is indeed an issue, but… how many people are we talking about?"

"Sir?"

"Our clan was a lot smaller when we journeyed through the Nyxian Gap." Ves observed. "We didn't have all of the Lifers, Heavensworders, Purnessers, Ivenans and all of those other people on board yet. Do they have any bad impressions of Major Magdalena?"

"Hmmm.. it is unlikely they even know she exists, sir." General Verle replied. "She's not a prominent presence in the clan at the moment. There are so many other clansmen who draw attention that Major Magdalena is outright invisible."

Ves smirked. "Then that's that. Compared to the few tens of thousands of Larkinsons who personally lived through the events of the Nyxian Gap, the hundred-thousand newcomers haven't developed any negative impressions of her. That means the opposition to her ascension won't be as strong as you fear."

"I'm not quite certain about that, sir. The clansmen who have been with us for a longer time are much more influential than those who came after. All of the new recruits look up to them. The negative impression will definitely spread once Major Magdalena enters the spotlight again."

Ves didn't look very worried. "There is a limit to hearsay. In any case, most of her responsibilities will likely concern background matters. As long as she doesn't show up in public too much, I bet that most of our clansmen will no longer pay attention to her. She needs to do a good job, though. If she slips up, then she'll only inflame and vindicate all of the criticism."

As Ves and General Verle discussed the merits of Major Magdalena's suitability as chief minister, the woman in question looked increasingly bewildered.

She never expected that the two leaders were seriously thinking about putting her in charge of the entire clan!

"Patriarch, with respect, I believe you should consider another candidate."

"Hmmm?" Ves turned his head. "Why would you say that?"

"I haven't done anything to deserve this honor. While I am aware that you are considering me because there are not enough choices, I can recommend several colleagues who will be able to serve your needs better."

Both Ves and General Verle smiled.

"You have learned a lot from your previous failures." Ves spoke. "I like that. It is only when you fail that you will truly understand the severity of your responsibilities. I would rather put someone humble in charge than some hotshot who wants to take bold action. At least I can be assured that you will not overreach in your decisions."

General Verle added his own words. "The Larkinson Army needs to send a representative that stands up for it and meets its needs. I am reluctant to nominate someone with more ambition because there is a greater chance that the resulting chief minister will seek to fulfill his own interests. With Major Magdalena, we can be assured that she will look after the needs of our soldiers with humility."

In the end, Ves made his decision. Despite the lack of merits and the negative sentiment towards Major Magdalena, he predicted that opposition to her ascension wouldn't be particularly strong.

As long as the backlash was limited, there shouldn't be a major problem. Ves didn't want to consider anyone else, not when he had a candidate who was competent, humble, experienced and trustworthy.

The fact that she was a trueblood Larkinson who came from the original Larkinson Family was icing on the cake.

With her appointment, that would mean that two of the three chief minister seats would be filled by trueblood Larkinsons!

Not only would this ensure that the Larkinson Clan would develop along the lines of his original ideals, the combination of Magdalena and Raymond would also serve as a powerful check against Novilon Purnesse!

The man would always be in a minority. If he wanted to implement any measures, he had to gain the approval of either Magdalena or Raymond. Both of these older Larkinsons were not so easy to fool and they were much more loyal to the Larkinson cause than adopted clansmen.

All in all, this arrangement sounded great to Ves. He did not hesitate in passing on the necessary instructions. Though Major Magdalena would not be able to take office straight away, it wouldn't take long before she would formally become one of the most powerful and influential Larkinsons in the clan.

Though the woman in question still expressed a lot of reluctance about her suitability, she eventually accepted the decision.

"If you need me in this position, then I will do my best to repay your trust." She said as fire began to spark in her eyes.

Once they handled this important matter, General Verle eventually dismissed the soon-to-be chief minister, leaving him alone with Ves and a number of bodyguards.

"Well, that's that." General Verle said as he put down his formality a bit. "I didn't expect you to embrace Major Magdalena, but if she is to your liking, then I support your choice."

Ves crossed his arms. "Our clan has to remain firmly in the hands of those who are authentic Larkinsons. We have taken a lot of people lately who come from vastly different states and backgrounds. While it is nice to see that we are all getting along with each other, we can't let that overshadow our original culture. We need to reassert our original values and make sure that we don't become too swayed by other outlooks. The minority groups need to stay in the minority."

"The minority is quite stubborn about clinging to their old culture and heritage. Also, it is quite helpful for us to host different groups who excel in different matters. Just look at the Ylvainains or the Swordmaidens, for example. We would have become a very different clan if we stamped out all of that uniqueness. In fact, we might not even be alive today."

Ves sighed. This was a recurring dilemma to Ves. The clan had swung too much in the other direction for his liking, but that was also what made it strong today.