The Mech Touch

"No."

"Please reconsider. I truly have a great proposition for Commander Casella, but how can I present it to her when you are blocking my way to her cabin?"

"You don't need to meet with my sister. I can smell your intention a light-year away. Your thoughts are so impure that you will unnecessarily distract her from her upcoming mission. Do you know what is at stake right now? Our troops will soon pass through a portal and enter a mysterious pocket space where we must leverage as much power as possible to cut apart a gigantic skeleton. That is what is important right now. We are all operating under heightened alert right now. This is no time for fun and games!"

Though Venerable Brutus tried to remain graceful as his mother had taught him, it became harder for him to maintain his composure.

After paying a visit to the temporary surface base set up by the Larkinson Clan, he asked around and found where the expert pilots were residing when they weren't on duty.

Ordinarily, it shouldn't have been a problem for him to meet with Commander Casella. He was one of the most important soldiers of the Glory Seekers and possessed the necessary status to meet with the Sentinel Commander.

Unfortunately, his attempt to present his case to the Sentinel Commander was interrupted by the forceful blockade of the latest expert pilot of the Larkinson Clan!

Even though Venerable Brutus was certain that neither he nor Gloriana spread any word about his plan to escape his mother's arranged marriage plans, Venerable Imon Ingvar somehow derived his own conclusions about the Glory Seeker's approach and took offense!

The two expert pilots stared down at each other with both their eyes and their extraordinary willpower.

In his view, Venerable Brutus merely wanted to present a 'business' proposal to the woman in his mind. Though he didn't approach her purely out of love, he did not see anything wrong with a transparent and open discussion about how they could both benefit from forming a marital union.

Commander Casella should be rational enough to weigh his proposal on its merits. An expert pilot that was able to become smart and intelligent enough to retain her command position should not be overly swayed by her emotional impulses. This was also why Brutus thought it was a great idea to approach the Sentinel Commander first.

It was a pity that he miscalculated.

Her brother not only possessed the opposite inclinations, but also stood before the entrance of her cabin like a loyal guard dog.

Now, this hound had become agitated and would not stop barking against Brutus!

Venerable Imon's fiery and aggressive willpower collided against Venerable Brutus' firm and protective willpower.

In truth, there was no contest.

Brutus had just become a genuine mid-tier expert pilot and had already gone through a lot of tempering over the years.

Imon was like a recent graduate of a mech academy who fearlessly issued a challenge towards a veteran pilot!

If Venerable Brutus truly wanted to, he could leverage his considerable strength to defeat and humble this recently-advanced expert pilot.

This was not a wise course of action, though. Venerable Imon Ingvar was an ally and a powerful comrade who Brutus might be relying upon in future battles. Generating bad blood with such a pivotal figure was not wise.

Aside from that, Brutus hadn't forgotten that he had come here to appeal to Commander Casella. How could he possibly make a good impression on her when he just humiliated her close sibling?

The lack of good options frustrated Brutus. He tried to reason with the agitated hound a second time.

"My plan should not disturb your sister's preparations. I will only require a brief moment of her time. After I have made my case, she can decide by herself whether she is willing to cooperate with me. As long as she indicates her lack of interest, I will depart immediately and bother her no further."

Imon snarled and showed his teeth at the older and stronger expert pilot.

"You can get lost right away. I already know what my sister wants and you are not on her mind at all. Emasculated Hexer boys like you have no place in our Larkinson Clan! Go back home to your fellow Glory Seekers and hook up with the shrews over there instead!"

Brutus finally couldn't stand it anymore. Imon went too far by insulting the brave and honorable female soldiers that had risked their lives in past battles!

"Do not insult my fellow female soldiers! They are not shrews who deserve mockery!"

"I will call you and your Hexers whatever I like! None of us in the Larkinson Clan have ever liked you Glory Seekers to be honest. We all know the only reason why you are even a part of the expeditionary fleet is because we couldn't have turned you away when we were weaker. That's no longer the case now. You Hexers are becoming less and less relevant, so do us all a favor and get out of our way, boy!"

Brutus took a few steps forward. "You are entitled to your opinions, but it is clear to see that your sister has inherited the bulk of your family's intelligence. Your attempt to obstruct my path is not only unwise, but also counterproductive. Drop your animosity and let me proceed forward."

"No." Imon stubbornly repeated while raising his fist. "Don't test me, Brutus. I will punch you if you take one more step forward!"

"You are too weak to beat me in a fight. If you were smart enough to take stock, you would know that already."

"MY SISTER IS MY LIFE!"

Just as Imon was about to dive onto the other expert pilot, the door to the cabin slid open without warning!

"Imon, stand down!" Commander Casella barked out as her suited form emerged into the open.

Though Venerable Imon had become so agitated that he was only a single thread away from brawling against Venerable Brutus, the voice of his sister instantly froze his momentum.

He could not defy his latest order, so he forcefully pushed back his indignation and took a few steps back. His eyes still smoldered with resentment as he took up a guard position in front of his sibling.

Casella placed her hand on his shoulder and pushed him to the side.

"You have disappointed me, Imon. I am never unaware of what takes place around me, so I know exactly how you have conducted yourself earlier. I trust you to fight alongside me in battle, but this is no combat situation. I am more than able to take care of myself outside of the cockpit, thank you. Your misguided attempt to serve as my honor guard is completely superfluous and detrimental to your own rest."

"I chose to stand by your side by my own choice." Imon turned around and argued. "My entire life revolves around you now. I can't relax unless I am personally assured of your safety!"

"You are going overboard, Imon! This is not normal! You have your own life!"

"But sister—"

"Take a break." Casella ordered in a firm and uncompromising tone. "Go back to your own cabin and enjoy a proper rest. You cannot fight at your peak if you keep ruining your own health by insisting on this foolish pattern of behavior of yours. I do not need your protection in the middle of other Larkinsons. Before you say anything, Brutus is not a threat. I can handle him myself."

It was clear that Imon was not welcome here anymore. He glared one last time at Brutus before he reluctantly walked away.

"Come inside."

When Brutus and Casella entered the cabin and took their seats next to the latter's work desk, the two gauged each other for a moment.

Unlike Imon, his older sister was much calmer and more measured as a person. She looked at Brutus with clear awareness.

"I apologize for Venerable Imon's attitude towards you." She began. "His aggression towards you is misplaced, but his heart is in the right place. What can I do for you, Brutus?"

This was it. Venerable Brutus could finally make his case. He took a deep breath and let the earlier incident fade from his mind as much as possible.

"I have a proposal. Please allow me to explain it in full before you react."

He proceeded to explain his own circumstances and present his proposed solution to his predicament. He revealed his intention to form a relationship with Casella and laid out several reasons why it might be good for them to form an intimate partnership.

"Neither of us are normal people anymore." He told her. "We are demigods and more than human. It is hard for us to have relationships with ordinary people who do not have the strength and experiences to understand all of our facets. Though I am aware that I am making a presumptuous request by pushing for an expedited marriage, I am truly attracted to you. Together, we can form a union that will remain in parity for many years to come. Neither of us have to worry about the other falling behind. Will you give me a chance to prove that I am worthy of your affection?"

"..."

Commander Casella abided by his terms and did not make any comment before he finished his case.

Now that he had completed his pitch, Brutus waited tersely for the potential marriage candidate in his mind to offer her response.

Casella eventually spoke her mind.

"Relationships are a distant priority to me. Ever since I have joined the Larkinson Clan, I have thrown myself into my new duties and responsibilities. My life entered the right track and I continually managed to step up and meet everyone's expectations in me. I have no intention to change this. Becoming an expert pilot is not the end of the road to me. It is the beginning of a new journey. The coming years are a sensitive period to both the Larkinson Clan and my own development. I will not allow outside factors to distract myself from my work and my responsibilities to the clan. As one protector to another, I believe you understand where I am coming from. A relationship between us will never work because I am already married to my work."

"Oh…"

Casella sighed. "Even if the Larkinson Clan is no longer in a critical period, I still would not be inclined to accept your proposal. What you seek in a relationship is different from what I seek. Others may feel blessed for starting a relationship with an expert pilot, but I do not fall into this category. It is the opposite. I already have one stubborn fool in the form of my brother. I do not have the patience to tolerate another trying to become a part of my daily life."

"I see." Brutus flatly replied as he wearily stood up. "I understand your reasoning. I will not waste any more of your time. I will leave you to your preparations for the coming operation."

The Sentinel Commander stood up as well and exchanged a handshake with the Glory Seeker expert pilot.

"I may not be open to a relationship with you, but I am still glad to fight at your side. I hope my answer does not discourage you from fighting as we did before."

Brutus gave her a reassuring smile. "Have no fear of that. I will fight as vigorously as ever before. I am more concerned about your brother, though. I hope that his current feelings will not hinder him in future battles."

"I will sort him out after this. I can promise you that. Imon's breakthrough is too recent and he is still not accustomed to the changes he has undergone. He should still listen to me, though. He will get better as long as he is open to my instruction."

"I hope so, Commander. I hope so." Brutus replied.