The Mech Touch

The Larkinson Clan's entry into the Cinach System was a sight to behold!

Though the clan's starships were rather shabby, their numbers were enough to dwarf most other trade convoys passing through the local star system!

Their uniform appearances and the ubiquitous sight of the emblem of the Golden Cat did much to counteract their cheap origins. The hundreds of spaceborn mechs that deployed from the light carriers to form a security perimeter also reinforced the impression that the Larkinson Clan was not that easy to chew!

As much as the ships and mechs of the Larkinson Clan made an impression on the locals, it was the Hexers who attracted the majority of the attention.

The Glory Battalion served as the direct extension of one of the medium-sized powers of the Hexadric Hegemony. Though the Wodin Dynasty wasn't particularly powerful in the massive state, its sheer might and wealth still surpassed anything the locals could scrounge up! Though the Glory Battalion was only able to effectively field a single mech company at this point, no one dared to take its mechs lightly!

As for the Penitent Sisters, their strength was enough to give a Sentinel mech division a run of their money. While such outcomes were highly variable depending on the circumstances of both sides, there was no doubt that provoking the ire of 600 second-class mechs was a one-way ticket to doom!

The one strange trait about the Penitent Sisters was that their ships and mechs all carried a symbol usually associated with the male gender.

Considering their name, a lot of Sentinels had already guessed that there was something very wrong about the Penitent Sisters.

No matter what they thought in private, the strength of the Sisters had to be respected. There was no way that anyone in Cinach would dare to mock the peculiar punishment outfit!

As the fleet gradually glided in the direction of Cinach VI, the mech-producing planet owned by House Evenson, Ves curiously studied the local plot of the star system.

Just like any industrious system, thousands of vessels were travelling in several directions. While most of them consisted of small craft and sublight cargo vessels that lacked FTL drives, plenty more ships came from other star systems and states.

"Business is booming as ever." Ves remarked. "War makes for a very profitable endeavor to star systems like Cinach."

Amidst all of the trade vessels, mercenary carriers, Peacekeeper outfits and military patrols, Ves finally identified a small fleet of ships parked in the orbit of Cinach VI.

One single starship within the fleet carried the name of Gracious Indigo. Last Ves heard, the second-hand light carrier as the flagship of the Larkinson Family.

Obviously, the Larkinson Family lacked the resources of the Larkinson Clan. Its 1 percent share in the LMC was enough to cobble up some mechs, but it was a stretch for them to purchase new ships, especially in a war climate that significantly increased the value of star-faring vessels.

"How is the Larkinson Family doing, Benny?" Ves asked.

"They're doing fine, boss. For a time, they were split up between Larkinsons who managed to escape the manhunt in the Bright Republic and those who were caught in the net. That's no longer the case now. The two groups recently reunited when DIVA's rescue ship brought the former imprisoned Larkinsons to the old family."

"That's great."

Soon enough, Ves received a personal comm call from his famous uncle. He accepted the hail, causing a projection to form in front of his face.

"Ves." Ark Larkinson smiled at his blood cousin in a benevolent manner. "Your clan has finally arrived. I must say, your arrival certainly made a very huge impression on the citizens of the Cinach System. The local news portals have already raised all sorts of alarmist questions. I'm.. not comfortable with the company you keep."

The expert pilot must be referring to the Hexers.

To be honest, Ves wasn't comfortable with the female supremacists either, but they were necessary for his upcoming plans. He had become so entangled with the Hexers that he couldn't get rid of them even if he tried!

"Let's not talk about old matters. First, how are grandpa, Melinda and the rest?"

"They weren't mistreated. At least our former state had the decency to treat our family members with dignity." Ark grimaced. "That said, their capture and subsequent escape left plenty of mental trauma behind. They're not as easy-going as they used to be. Even your grandfather has grown more weary as of late."

"Will he be able to exercise some responsibilities?"

"He's been thinking about retirement every day. If not for the fact our family needs more steady leaders, he would have stepped back entirely. So far, we are thinking about elevating him to an advisory position."

"Ah. So it's just like his previous job, except he'll be helping you instead of the Ministry of Defense."

"Essentially, yes."

Both Larkinsons fell silent for a time.

Ark always held a special place in Ves' heart.

Even though he was already an illustrious expert pilot during the time Ves grew up, Ark never put on any airs to the son of his younger brother. They were truly family to each other every time they met and talked to each other.

As much as both of them wanted to go back to those simpler days, they couldn't. The silence that formed between the Larkinsons reflected all of the changes that took place over the past year.

The schism that tore apart the Larkinson Family, Ghanso's madness and the abrupt formation of the Larkinson Clan all drove a wedge between the two. The tension only grew worse when both Ves and Ark had become the leaders of their respective family organizations.

Already, the clan had radically diverged from the traditional customs of the family.

The family patriarch couldn't help but mention one of the most controversial decisions that Ves pushed through.

"Did you really have to grant our Larkinson name to so many people?" Ark painfully asked. "While I understand the necessity to secure the loyalty of people you are depending upon, our family isn't happy, to say the least."

Ves stubbornly crossed his arm. "What the family thinks is not my concern. Your group of Larkinsons have already made it clear that you don't want to be part of my clan's endeavors. I can accept that. However, don't turn around and try to control us as if we are still obliged to respect your opinions."

"I am aware of that, Ves. I don't mean to sound like a hypocrite. It is just that our Larkinson heritage is something that we both share. That means that we must both do our best to maintain the integrity of our name. While our family has diligently tried to preserve the honor and reputation of the Larkinson name, your clan did something outrageous by diluting it among thousands of people!"

"It's more than twelve-thousand by my count." Ves added.

"How much more will you add before you are satisfied, Ves?!" Ark slightly raised his tone.

"..I don't think our clan will ever stop adopting new people." Ves slowly replied. Though he disliked disappointing his uncle, as the patriarch of the clan, he had to stand up for his side! "We do things differently than the family. While we value our Larkinson heritage, we are much more willing to share it if it gains us the loyalty of many talented and capable people. To us, the meaning of our name no longer revolved around our bloodline! This is an outdated stance that will only limit our growth!"

Though the two Larkinsons had plenty more words to share, a casual comm call was not the most appropriate channel to hash out their grievances. Ark's dislike was clear to see, but he refrained from snapping back at his own cousin.

"Let's have a good talk when your fleet arrives at Cinach VI. As much as our family is peeved at your clan, our people are still very eager to see the Larkinsons that have left for the clan. After this reunion, it is highly uncertain if and when we will ever be able to meet each other again. For posterity's sake, we should make our final meeting as memorable and conclusive as possible."

The weight of their upcoming separation weighed heavily on every Larkinson, but especially on the minds of the two patriarchs.

The Larkinson Family never faced a situation like this where a large group of Larkinsons were determined to separate and go elsewhere. Even though the galactic net ensured that both groups of Larkinsons would be able to maintain contact with each other, the physical separation ensured that they would eventually drift apart, and not just physically.

How would the Larkinson Clan look like a century later? How would the Larkinson Family develop after suffering so much trauma within the same span of time?

No one dared to imagine how the clan or family would look like after so much time. In fact, one of them might meet calamity one day and become extinct during this period of time!

These uncertainties made it all the more important to cherish their upcoming reunion!

After sharing a knowing look with each other, they soon ended the call. Ves fell into thought after his chat with Ark.

"He's changed."

This observation was a reminder that the old days of his childhood were slowly becoming more irrelevant.

Ves was no longer the kid who was depressed about the fact that he didn't possess the genetic aptitude to pilot mechs.

Ark was no longer the rising war hero who made it through the previous Bright-Vesia War a lot better than Ryncol!

With the fall of Bentheim and the exodus from the Bright Republic, there was no way they could turn back the block and return to their old lives. Both of them had no choice but to proceed forward and hope their new lives ended up better!

When Ves recounted his conversation to Gloriana a few hours later, his girlfriend crossed her arms.

"With the restrained attitudes of your family, I doubt it will be able keep itself together. The Larkinson Family has only managed to hold on to the same values and customs because it always existed under the umbrella of the Bright Republic! Now that they have to face the elements on their own, they can't afford to be so soft anymore!"

Ves grimaced. "Are you saying the Larkinson Family will break up in the future?"

"It's a guarantee. They're too stubborn to change their ways. The fact that our clan pushed through the changes that were necessary to strengthen us for what is to come is even more of a reason for them to stick their heads in the sand! While I respect your uncle Ark as an accomplished expert pilot and mech officer, leaders like him are unqualified to lead his family in this cruel, male-dominated galaxy!"

"We have come a long way from our primitive, patriarchal ways." Ves coughed. "I can show you several studies that men and women hold an equal share of leadership positions in human space."

"THOSE STUDIES ARE LIES! THEY'RE BIASED AND ONLY SERVE TO PUSH THE BIG TWO'S NARRATIVE THAT MALES ARE JUST AS COMPETENT AS WOMEN AS LEADERS!"

Ves had to lean away from his girlfriend's tirade!

"Okay okay, whatever you say!" Ves sheepishly raised his hands. "Regardless, whether Ark Larkinson can serve as a good leader or not is not that important, I think. He's hardly the only capable member of the old family. There's my grandfather and many other respected Larkinsons who can guide them in the right direction."

"There are too many war-scarred brutes in your former family." Gloriana dismissed. "Whatever they choose will likely be slanted towards violence in some fashion or another."

"Our clan isn't too different from the old family in that regard." Ves defensively retorted.

Despite that, Gloriana sneered at him. "The Larkinson Clan is completely different, honey. It's led by brighter minds."

Ves pointed at himself. "You mean me?"

"...Maybe."