The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2007

Chapter 2007 Unrecognized

The discussion with the three Larkinson elders hardly resolved his doubts and uncertainty surrounding the imminent adoption of outsiders into the clan.

On one hand, Ves gladly welcomed the expansion of the clan as long as the original Larkinsons remained in control.

On the other hand, Ves did not want the clan to become too stratified and locked in class tension.

He knew from observing other family organizations that dividing family members into a group of core members and outer members happened very frequently.

Many families, clans, noble houses, dynasties and etcetera often faced a similar situation as the Larkinson Clan. Expanding their group often had to be done for one reason or another, but the persistent question remained. How much power did they need to give up to accept the outsiders into the clan?

When it came to these kinds of matters, self-interest often trumped fairness. Even if the outsiders had contributed far more to the group than the so-called insiders, they were still deprived of the rewards and recognition they deserved in order to preserve the interests of the latter!

This could become a very major fault line later on. A lot of families and clans went down because of the infighting and intrigue such divisions provoked.

Ves did not want to turn his clan into a group where one Larkinson wasn't able to trust another Larkinson. This kind of future was something unthinkable for the old Larkinson Family and he wasn't about to let his clan descend so easily!

After a lengthy and illuminating discussion with elders, Raymond said one last piece before departing from the Scarlet Rose.

"Whatever road we take, we best make our decision after considering all of the angles. The outcome of this serious question will determine what it truly means to be a Larkinson. Think carefully before you make your own choice, young Ves. Are Larkinsons only confined to those who possess the blood? Or is it possible that there are already a lot more Larkinsons among us, just waiting to be recognized?"

Obviously, Raymond still preferred to take the riskier but more rewarding choice of treating outsiders as equal.

When the three old fogeys left, Ves lingered in his office. He tapped his fingers against his desk as Lucky playfully swiped them with his paw.

"Meow."

"Are you feeling lonely?"

"Meow!"

"Is Clixie not enough for you?"

"Meow meow!"

"You want to become in charge of an entire posse? I don't know about that. I don't want to turn the Scarlet Rose into a cat zoo!"

"Meeeeooow."

"Hmm, maybe you have a point. There's not enough life on this ship."

As the former mobile supply frigate of the CRC, the ship wasn't all that big to begin with. Due to his paranoia, he only stationed his most loyal Avatars and Battle Criers as her crew. While they were very dedicated to their jobs, they were always serious on duty and off duty.

The design teams and Larkinson seeds residing on his ship possessed a lot more personality, but as current and future mech designers, they always recognized the vast gap between their employer and themselves.

"I'm a bit too isolated here." He muttered. "I'm cut-off from the rest of my fleet. I don't even know how others are doing."

He supposed he could patch into the monitoring system feeds to observe what was happening on the other ships, but that sounded a bit too lazy and detached for him. Since the fleet required half a day to cycle the FTL drives of its slower ships, why not take advantage of this window of opportunity to tour his sprawling organization.

After he made his decision, he broke the news to Gavin, who blinked at the sudden initiative.

"That's rather unexpected of you, boss." He replied, though he made sure to tap into his data pad to ready a shuttle and accompanying escorts. "You have two big mech design projects in the pipeline. Is this really the time to go on a tour?"

"It'll only be half a day. I've never really taken stock of my people after we fled Kesseling VIII. We've been running from the Fridaymen for so long that it was as if they were right on our heels. Now that we have the Penitent Sisters to guard us, the crisis isn't so severe anymore."

His personnel quickly readied an armored shuttle for departure. After sending a note to Gloriana that he wouldn't be attending today's design session, he took Lucky and Nitaa and started his short tour.

Surprisingly, Ves didn't opt to drop by the Redfeather or any other ship in his possession.

Instead, his first stop was the Serendipity. Venerable Brutus Wodin perplexingly welcomed his arrival at the hangar bay of light frigate.

"Welcome to my personal ship, Mr. Larkinson." The expert pilot said with reserve. "I have some very nice bottles of authentic Hexer vintages waiting to be opened up. Would you like to peruse my collection?"

Ves waved his hand. "No thanks. I'd like to take a look at your Star Dancer instead. I've never seen a second-class expert mech up close."

"My mech is right ahead. Please be mindful that we can't allow you to peek too much. The mech is built using some of the best technology the Hegemony has mastered. While Gloriana is permitted to know the technical details, you are not on the list."

"Understandable. I just want to take a look to appreciate the craftsmanship of your mech."

They walked a few bays over until they reached the Star Dancer. Just as he expected, the expert mech was fully ready to deploy if needed.

"Impressive." Ves sighed in admiration. "This is perhaps the most powerful ranged mech that I have ever personally laid eyes upon. Its craftsmanship is exquisite."

The expert mech was everything he expected and more. Though he had reviewed the battle footage of the Star Dancer in action against the CRC's Screaming Blade, seeing the mech up close was an entirely different experience.

Though dormant, the mech carried the spiritual flavor of its mech pilot. Even now, Brutus' strange protective field merged seamlessly with the mech, making it appear as if they were connected despite the latter's dormancy.

"They don't seem to apply to you anymore." _{freewebnøvel.coɱ}

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