The Mech Touch novel Chapter 3967

Chapter 3967 Reserve Larkinsons

The Larkinsons provided plenty of input on the branch system that Ves wanted to implement.

The premise of it was simple. The main branch of Larkinsons consisted of those who were permanently stationed in the fleet. These were the most authentic members of the clan and received the most rights and privileges.

Of course, their attachment to a fleet that sometimes went on dangerous expeditions also meant they had to bear the corresponding risks and other costs.

Life aboard starships could be harsh, monotonous and isolating. Few people believed that living in space all the time was better than living on a planet like Davute.

This was why Ves wanted to make sure that the clansmen who were willing to live at least a significant part of their lives in space received the best treatment in the Larkinson Clan.

Overall, the treatment of the clansmen in the main branch did not change in any meaningful way. The clan already provided the Larkinsons with generous treatment so Ves and the others saw no need to change this in any way aside from a modest increase in salaries and other minor benefits.

What really mattered was how the clan would treat its side branch members.

It was unrealistic to value them as much as the main branch members. If the Larkinson Clan ever grew to the point where it had established hundreds if not thousands of branches across many star systems, then it was impossible to protect and provide for the people living in these far-flung locations.

"We should treat them as reserve members." General Verle explained his own views on the matter. "One of the persistent problems we have is that we rely too much on external recruitment to address our manpower needs. While this sounds like a convenient solution, it is not the most reliable one over the long term. Instead of supplementing any losses or vacancies with outsiders, why not draw them from our branches?"

"That is a good approach." Calabast looked thoughtful. "The side branch members may not be as good as the main branch members, but they are already Larkinsons for the most part. Compared to the months and years it takes to train and indoctrinate outsiders, our clan can easily assimilate the side branch members into our main body in a fraction of the time."

Calabast possessed a strong opinion on this topic due to her personal experiences. She started off as a side branch member of the Vraken Matriarchal Dynasty. She bore all of the expectations and demands of this powerful Hexer family organization but could never match the importance of the main branch members.

In the Vraken Matriarchal Dynasty and most family organizations, bloodline and parentage defined one's status from birth. The main branch was the equivalent of the royal family of a state while the side branches were akin to lower aristocrats who did most of the more mundane work.

Such an approach was incompatible to the Larkinson Clan. From the beginning, Ves had set it up as a meritocracy, and the clansmen who followed him mostly inherited the same mentality.

While Ves had no illusions that his clan could be completely impartial towards the worth of different clansmen, he at least wished to avoid the excesses and inefficiencies of other family organizations.

To be fair, the Vrakens, Evans and even the Crossers had good reasons to pay so much attention to lineage.

It was hard to guarantee the loyalty and interests of every member. Those who were born in the periphery of a family would not necessarily be loyal enough to serve in its best interests.

Members of the main branch often received a much more focused and privileged upbringing. They became deeply entangled and invested in the current power structure. Their loyalty was much more guaranteed as the main branch members were much less likely to screw over the organization that brought them the most benefits!

The Larkinson Clan did not have to do all of this because of the existence of the Larkinson Network.

Every leader and high-ranking official seated at this table implicitly knew about the Larkinson Network. Some had even met and interacted with the Golden Cat in person!

With such a powerful and effective loyalty monitor at work, the clansmen did not have to regard each other with so much suspicion.

Ves did not wish to provoke too many internal contradictions within his clan. He wanted it to be like the original Larkinson Family where every member showed at least a measure of respect and goodwill towards their fellow Larkinsons.

This was why many of the Larkinsons did not wish to lower the status of the side branch members too much.

"The reserve members of our clan should always have access to a promotion channel." Calabast insisted. "In order to preserve the long-term health and vitality of the clan, we should give excellent side branch members the opportunity to promote to the main branch."

Ves already held the same thoughts. "Agreed. The requirements for a side brancher to become a main brancher should not be too low. As long as the side brancher has earned enough Larkinson merits or possesses skills and expertise that our clan sorely needs, he or she is eligible to be promoted to the main branch. Of course, that also means that this individual must accept the corresponding duties and obligations of a full member of our clan."

In this way, every Larkinson had the option to transition from the main branch to the side branch and vice versa. No one was forced to remain stuck on a starship or a boring rural branch for the rest of their lives.

Even Gloriana, who used to be a main branch member of the Wodin Dynasty, could get behind this sort of system.

"This is also a good way to ensure that the core of our clan will remain the best." She opined. "Those who work in the fleet who are unable or unwilling to keep up with the demands of the fleet can be pushed to our branches. Those who work at one of the planetary branches and have performed well can be transferred to the main branch in order to enhance its strength."

It was a logical and well-balanced system as long as there was enough upwards and downwards mobility.

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