The Mech Touch

Ves did not feel so good at the moment.

Though Irene had not given him a clear answer, he was smart enough to read between the lines.

He essentially received confirmation that the Terrans and the Rubarthans definitely provided support to the Cosmopolitan Movement. They may have cooperated with each other in secret as well!

It made a lot of sense. The current hegemons of humanity was the mechers and the fleeters.

Since the Age of Mechs, the Big Two stripped the Greater Terran United Confederation and the New Rubarth Empire of much of their military power and sovereignty.

How could the first-rate superstates possibly bear the indignity of being reduced to this point?!

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

With this universal adage in mind, the first-rate superstates and the Cosmopolitan Movement had many reasons to cooperate with each other. None of them were strong enough to threaten the dominance of the Big Two in isolation, but together they might be able to make a more substantial difference!

Perhaps the covert support of the Terrans and the Rubarthans was one of the principal reasons why the Cosmopolitan Movement had never been eradicated during the Age of Mechs.

The cosmopolitans remained so strong and numerous that they indirectly triggered the Great Severing!

Ves wondered what the Terran and Rubarthan leaders thought about that outcome. Did they agree with this initiative, or did the cosmopolitans take them all by surprise, and not in a good way?

He turned his attention to the god pilot again. He picked up another clue that attracted his interest. His strategy in dealing with her might change substantially depending on her answer.

"What is your relationship with the Rubarthans, exactly?" He asked. "From what I have read from your biography, you were originally born as a citizen of the Quillim Principality. The Rubarthans eventually assimilated you into their ranks when you demonstrated your strength and talent. They must have given you a lot of help for you to agree to become their guardian. How is your relationship with the Rubarthans these days?"

The powerful woman let out a sigh. "Among the guardians of the New Rubarth Empire, I can be considered as one of the less committed ones. I am not a native of the first-rate superstate. While it has successfully earned my loyalty, I am not a die-hard supporter like the Spacelock. I originally wasn't supposed to be here. I originally ventured to the Red Ocean because I wanted to seek you out. I do not mind that I am trapped on this side of the greater beyonder gate. I am much more needed here than back in the Milky Way."

"Do you accept instructions from the Rubarthan Pact, or are you the one that is issuing the orders these days?"

"I had a contract with the New Rubarthan Empire." Irene responded. "I would fight for the Rubarthans in exchange for gaining access to the services of the Star Designers and other rewards. It's not important nowadays as I can get what I want from other places, but I am still grateful to the Rubarthans for supporting me for so long. I particularly have a great amount of respect towards the Star Emperor. He is... a visionary and a great leader. It is regrettable that he was born at the wrong time."

Ves constantly had to remind himself that Irene was a top figure of human civilization. It shouldn't be surprising that she was on friendly terms with the sovereign of the New Rubarth Empire!

"Times have changed, though." He said. "We are cut off from the old galaxy. Not even the Star Emperor can cross the divide between the galaxies. Now that the Rubarthan Pact must stand on its own, what is your relationship to the people under your protection?"

An open look of contempt appeared on her face. "I care little for the politicking that has erupted after the Great Severing. The Rubarthans have the potential to be great when they are led by the Star Emperor. They can also become terrible when this leadership has become absent. There is nobody among the people who are currently jockeying for power in the Rubarthan Pact that has earned my recognition. This is one of the Star Emperor's greatest flaws. None of his sons and daughters have ever come close to matching his qualities."

Ves was sure that a lot of Rubarthans would become devastated if they heard Irene's true opinion towards them! She did not exhibit any restraint at all in front of the man she considered to be her friend!

"Don't you have a good relationship with the Inferno Spear Prince? He is currently one of the strongest contestants in the struggle for power within the Pact."

Irene crossed her arms and snorted in a contemptuous manner. "Is that what you think? The Inferno Spear Prince is a decent Rubarthan. He is willing to work hard to transform himself and has not slackened off at all despite all of the temptations in his life. However, that does not change the reality that he is a pampered prince who has never experienced the true struggle of a mech pilot who was put in a much more helpless situation. His high birth is holding him back from embarking on the road of no return. If he had the conviction to stare death in the face, then he wouldn't have remained stuck at this junction."

Wow. That sounded really harsh.

"Not everyone is cut out to become a god pilot." Ves carefully remarked. "Perhaps Prince Antonius may never become the best mech pilot, but what do you think about putting him in charge of the Rubarthan Pact? Short of putting a god pilot such as yourself in charge, it is much more fitting to appoint an ace pilot as the highest leader."

"I cannot say whether you are wrong, but this is a matter that the Rubarthans must decide among themselves. Frankly, I can think of a dozen people that can do a better job. The original ideal the New Rubarth Empire was based upon was meritocracy. Even a foreign import such as myself could climb up the ranks and attain the highest position. Years of handing over more power and responsibilities to the princes has eroded that principle. Too many Rubarthans blindly accept the premise that they no longer have the right to be in charge of anything important enough."

That caused Ves to raise his eyebrow. "You sound like you want to do away with giving special treatment to the Rubarthan princes."

"What I want and what will happen are rarely identical, Ves. You should know that as well. I may hold a great amount of sway over the Rubarthan Pact, but the Spacelock's voice is even greater among his people. Besides, the Rubarthans have become so dependent on the Rubarthan Imperial Household that they cannot adapt to a state where they are absent. I am not enthusiastic about Antonio, but I think that he is the best out of a range of bad choices. I have agreed to demonstrate my support to him when he needs it. I do not dislike the Smokestack Prince per se, but I have even less confidence in his ability to protect the lives of ordinary Rubarthans."

He agreed with that sentiment as well. Ves fell silent as he thought about Irene's changing relationship with the Rubarthans. He even began to sense an incredibly profitable opening!

"It sounds like you are not as attached to the Rubarthans as before. You are more concerned with protecting humanity as a whole than the Rubarthan people and state in particular. Does that accurately summarize your current stance?"

The Destroyer of Worlds grimaced. His words confronted her with thoughts and feelings that she did not really like.

"If I remained in the old galaxy, then I would have been more enthused about guarding the New Rubarth Empire and its many citizens. Here in the new frontier, I feel less connected to the Rubarthans. This is no fault of their own. I would have thought about severing my commitments to the Rubarthan Pact if there are multiple god pilots that can cover for my departure."

Ves' eyes grew hotter as he realized how alienated to her current employer Irene had become!

His reaction did not go unnoticed. The god pilot pinned Ves with a more intense and forceful stare!

"Do not even think about it. As much as I am drawn to all of the cats, I will not join the Larkinson Clan. Your people deserve a chance to grow up in their own right. I can do more to help red humanity survive if I continue to maintain my relationship with the Rubarthans."

"You should be able to lead them if you wanted to." Ves pointed out the obvious. "We are not only living in the Age of Mechs, but also an era that is being defined by the Fist of Defiance. The strongest warlords deserve to be in charge. Even if you are not a native Rubarthan, I am sure that all of those people do not mind. You do not seem to care too much about the Rubarthan princes so why should you respect their right to inherit the throne when the very concept of a hereditary absolute monarchy is already in conflict with the latest rules?"

Irene firmly shook her head. "You think too simply. A god pilot should not be a ruler. The duties and responsibilities of a head of state will only slow me down. The main goal of every god pilot is to pursue greater strength and successfully navigate the way ahead. It may be possible for certain god pilots to advance their strength by leading the masses, but that is not the case for me. I think that only the Army of One is suited for this, but he can already play with his battle bots."

The mention of what god pilots did after they had broken through to their current rank caused Ves to become a lot more attentive.

He had always wondered what god pilots actually did after they had overcome the largest hurdles in their lives!

"How do god pilots actually progress, if I may ask?"

"You may. It is relevant to the topic that I intend to discuss with you." The Destroyer of Worlds casually said. "The ugly truth is that god pilots have no clear way ahead. The Progenitors of Mechs who originally conceived of the existence of god pilots never bothered to think past this point. Even if they wanted to, they are not qualified to devise a path that leads to the rank beyond my current one. Every god pilot must figure out their way forward on their own. I have spoken to many of my peers about this, and each of them share the same struggle."

This was bad news as the enemies of red humanity had lots of powerhouses in their ranks. The native alien of the Red Ocean still had scores of ancient phase whales, while the mysterious aliens of Messier 87 were bound to be more dangerous!

The greater the progress of red humanity's god pilots, the greater their ability to defend the red humanity against all of these powerful enemies!

"Are all of you working separately, or are you taking the initiative to pool your efforts together and figure out a common solution?"

"It is not possible for us to cooperate on this matter." Irene shook her head. "God pilots are different from lower-ranking mech pilots. From the moment we have completely merged with our god mechs, we have become unique existences that bear no equal. I may share many traits in common with other god pilots, but our differences are just as large. No single method or approach can satisfy all of our needs. We have already separated from each other. Our only choice is to continue to go down these roads and hope they do not lead to dead ends."

That sounded extremely precarious to Ves. There was a massive difference between the existing mech pilot trajectory that had existed for centuries and the complete absence of guidance that came afterwards!

"I see. If I may ask, how did you decide to develop your power after you have broken through to your current rank?"

Ves grew incredibly curious on what the Destroyer of Worlds had devised to attain greater power in her post-divinity stage!