The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2608

Chapter 2608: Home

The Larkinson fleet had assembled in full as Ves was about to hold his last speech in the Cinach System.

Everyone knew that this would be another historic moment in the short but growing history of the Larkinson Clan.

Though the clan had only existed for a short time, its historical record had already turned into a mythical saga to the tens of thousands of Larkinsons who joined later.

None of the newcomers felt as if they had joined an organization that was still in its infancy and was still in the process of setting up its foundation.

Instead, they felt as if they joined a flourishing castle that was still in the process of building taller walls and more majestic fortifications.

The founding of the Larkinson Clan, the Battle of Kesseling VIII, the flight from the Ylvaine Protectorate to the Sentinel Kingdom, the Nyxian Gap Campaign and the legendary marriage of the Miracle Couple all enriched the Larkinson Clan's heritage and elevated its history to a living myth!

Now, one of the most important chapters of the Larkinson Clan's history had come, and many more clansmen would be taking part for the very first time.

An energy built up among the clansmen as they assumed their stations or huddled together with their friends and family in the communal compartments of their ships.

The temporary base the Larkinsons had rented on the surface of Cinach VI had been completely emptied. Not a single Larkinson or anything of value remained.

The transfer was permanent. Not a single fully-fledged member of the clan was supposed to live on a planet after this day. If Ves had his way, every clansmen should consider their fleet their only home.

His dream was coming true. Unlike the Larkinson Family that had become bound to the Bright Republic, the Larkinson Clan would not be following its predecessor's footsteps!

Of course, he knew that not everyone shared his paranoia against betrayal and his dislike towards settling down on solid ground.

Humans were too accustomed to living in fixed locations. Much of human civilization still abided by a model of living that regarded planets as homes rather than resource production sites.

To Ves, this was an outmoded way of thinking. Now that humanity had gained the ability to live in space indefinitely on a very comfortable basis, why shouldn't people like him switch over?

Aside from certain problems such as higher costs and lack of living space that prevented everyone from following his footsteps, the advantages were too compelling!

All of the grumbling within the clan about missing the open air and being able to visit a diverse set of locales such as beaches, cities, snow mountains and so on did not move his heart at all. None of that was useful to him when his life, freedom and prosperity could all be taken away at any time if the state he was living in betrayed him yet again!

This was why he vigorously overruled all objections. He did not want anyone spoiling his plan when it was about to go into fruition.

In the final weeks, Ves even spent less time in the design lab in order to push, persuade, plead, coerce and lie to the stakeholders of the clan. He worked hard to make sure that every high-ranking Larkinson either supported the grand expedition or shut their mouths about it if their opinions differed!

It worked. Showing how much he cared about the grand expedition not only brought most of the leading figures of the clan in line, but also built up the hype among the rank-and-file members.

With role models and authoritative figures such as Ves, Venerable Joshua, Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson and Commander Casella Ingvar leading the way, the members at the middle and bottom of the pyramid all followed suit!

In any case, the vast majority of people who joined the Larkinson Clan already heard about the grand expedition. They signed up knowing that they would be leaving their old lives behind in order to venture into a completely new region of space.

The hesitation and pushback that Ves was afraid of never materialized. Certainly, thousands of clansmen must be having second thoughts, but without a leading figure rising up to unify their voice, the doubters were as weak as scattered sand.

Before the onset of noon, the clansmen were reflecting on the life they were about to leave behind. No matter what, the Komodo Star Sector used to be their home. While they wouldn't instantly cross over the border once the fleet transitioned into FTL, they knew that once the expeditionary fleet set off, it would not stop until it had reached another star sector!

At this time, Calabast entered the bridge and quietly approached Ves as he was making himself comfortable in his grand new seat.

As she approached, she picked up Lucky and scratched his chin. The cat squinted in pleasure and melted in her grasp.

"Meow~"

"Hehe. Good boy." She complimented as she dug out a lump of mineral from her uniform pocket and effortlessly slid it into Lucky's maw. "Who's a deadly little commando cat?"

"Meow!"

Ves turned his attention away from the status readouts of the fleet. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Calabast offered him a brilliant smile. "Well said, Ves. The exact definition of home is not important. Whether your home is Cloudy Curtain or the Spirit of Bentheim, what matters the most is that it is able to make you feel safe and secure. However, not everyone abides by this view. There will be many Larkinsons who will have difficulty treating their starships as their new homes. These people will always view the planets of their births or where they had spent their best years before joining our clan as their true homes." _{fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm}

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify