The Mech Touch

While Gloriana sought to find someone close at hand that could fabricate their prototype, Ves exited the design lab in order to take stock at what else had taken place.

He soon found out that the Larkinson Family was finally departing the Cinach System.

"They're leaving?!" Ves looked surprised.

"The Larkinson Family has already lingered in Cinach for several months." Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson noted. "You have to keep in mind that the old family is much less prosperous than our clan. The family's fleet is just a fraction of the size of ours and their recruitment efforts have been minimal at best. Now that the preparations of our other relatives are complete, they are ready to set off and find their own way."

"Where does the family plan to go?"

"I'm not sure." Raymond shrugged. "Ark hasn't confided in me. I believe he is likely going to wander around in order to accumulate enough money and resources to build up a decent fleet that is capable of traversing to other star sectors."

"The old family doesn't need to do that. While I haven't been generous towards it, I still let them keep a 1 percent share in the LMC! With how well the Doom Guard and my other mech models have been selling lately, Ark shouldn't have too many problems procuring the hardware the family needs!"

"The family doesn't want to live off your charity. They are Larkinsons. They want to earn their own keep as much as possible. It's a matter of pride to many of them, and Ark probably thinks that he needs to keep them all sharp. If they begin to take the wealth granted by their minority stake in the LMC for granted, then the old family would soon become a shadow of its former self!"

"I see. Ark knows the importance of maintaining the readiness of the fighting forces of the family. In his cruel galaxy, the family can't afford to grow weak!"

"Per angusta ad augusta." Raymond recited. "Your clan may have enshrined this motto, but this has been one of the core principles of the Larkinson Family for centuries. A hard worker like Ark definitely knows what is best for his charges. Now that the old family has lost the protection of a state, it has to depend completely on itself! None of the members of the family can afford to slide back during this time."

Ves scratched his head. "While I understand this argument, leaving a safe star system like Cinach will only increase their vulnerability."

"Ah, I'm sure the family has taken all of the risks into account. Don't forget that your uncle is a strong expert pilot. He is much more frightening than a Doom Guard in battle!"

That was true. Ves had no choice but to put down his worries and trust that Ark knew what he was doing. His impressive track record already proved that he was qualified to lead the family during these difficult times!

"Will there be a final farewell?"

"Of course. The date has already been set. Every trueblood Larkinson is invited." Raymond momentarily paused. "For various reasons, it is best to keep the adopted Larkinsons at a distance. There are many members of the old family who believe that bestowing our name on tens of thousands of unrelated people is a great betrayal to our heritage."

Though it would be a shame to keep so many deserving clansmen away, it wasn't as if they possessed a lot of affection towards the old family. Though this decision was technically discriminatory towards the clan, it was unlikely that anyone would kick up a fuss at this time.

Even now, the status of trueblood Larkinsons was still eminent!

"If there aren't any major issues, then I approve."

"Good. This is very likely the last time that we will physically be in each other's presence, so Ark wants to make it memorable. No stunts, no drama. We should let every relative say their goodbyes to each other in peace."

The separation between the family and the clan would become final at that time.

Before this day, a couple of Larkinsons still maintained the hope that the two groups of Larkinsons would be able to reconcile their differences.

Sadly, no such movement had occurred. The Larkinson Clan had already chosen a different development trajectory that was simply too radical for the Larkinson Family.

The day of the final gathering soon came to pass. The rag-tag fleet of the Larkinson Family looked a little less shabby after several months of upgrades and acquisitions.

The Gracious Indigo was no longer as lonely as the family managed to secure several more light carriers and other ships from who knew where.

Every trueblood Larkinson in the Cinach System temporarily put down all of their duties and gathered in a large hall aboard a space station. The entire section had already been booked by the clan. A lot of security showed up in and around the station in order to prevent anyone from disturbing this highly-sensitive gathering.

If someone managed to launch an attack on the space station, Almost the entire original lineage of Larkinsons risked going extinct!

Since the gathering was such a juicy target to the enemies of the Larkinsons, Ves didn't hesitate to employ every spaceborn Penitent Sister asset to form a security cordon around the space station!

A lot of routine business and traffic encountered hindrances that day. The mere presence of so many intimidating second-class mechs practically turned the entire space station into a floating ghost town!

Fortunately, the clan's prestige along with the generous amount of money they threw at the owners of the station solved every objection.

A rather awkward union took place in the hall. While the interior had been converted in the style of modern Brighter architecture, hardly any trueblood Larkinson felt at ease.

This moment was simply too heavy for all of their hearts.

Ves, followed by Lucky, slowly approached Benjamin Larkinson.

"Grandfather."

"Ves."

"Do you have confidence in the family's future?"

The old man smiled. "I wouldn't be a part of it if I wasn't. I believe in my son. Ark truly has what it takes to lead the family to a new future. Trust in him. He won't lead us astray."

"At least he won't be alone. You'll be there to advise him along with all of the other elders."

"That's not necessarily a good thing, Ves." Benjamin shook his head. "All of our knowledge is centered around our circumstances back home. When it comes to traversing through foreign states, I barely know more than Ark. In these cases, it is best to lead someone with a nimbler mind. That is why Ark is our new patriarch instead of someone from my generation."

They chatted a bit until Ark himself approached. The expert pilot possessed such a huge presence that everyone couldn't help but pause at his passing!

To Ves, his uncle Ark looked considerably more impressive. Had he fully adjusted to his new role as the guardian and leader of the Larkinson Clan?

Whatever the case, this was a welcome development to Ves. The more imposing Ark became, the more leverage he would hold when he negotiated with other parties!

The two closed in for a warm hug.

"So this is it." Ves said after they parted from their embrace. "You're finally setting off, is that right?"

The older Larkinson nodded. "This is a necessary move. The longer we stay in the Cinach System, the more we huddle under the shadow of your clan. As a fellow patriarch, I'm sure you are aware of the necessity of maintaining self-sufficiency."

"I know."

The two exchanged some words, but most of what they wanted to say to each other had already been uttered in their previous conversations.

One irksome issue was that Ark Larkinson kept his plans for the family to himself.

This bothered Ves a lot. Even though he didn't have much to do with the old family anymore, he still wanted it to thrive in its own way. It was rather strange that Ark didn't explain where he wanted to settle down and what kind of employment opportunities he was looking for. Even with the dividends the old family received from its minority stake in the LMC, it would still take a long time for the members of the family to build up a fleet that could cross over to other star sectors!

Ark offered a simple answer to all of these concerns.

"We know what we are doing. Let us overcome this challenge on our own. If we ever need your help, we'll call you right away, but until then, let us prove to ourselves that we can stand on our own two feet in the wider galaxy."

"Alright…" Ves reluctantly said.

Soon enough, Ves and Ark proceeded to the front of the hall where they addressed their blood relatives.

"Fellow Larkinsons." Ves began. "Our time of parting has come. In the preceding months, I hope that you have made the most of our time together. From this day onwards, it will no longer be possible to hug each other. While we can always stay in contact with each other over the galactic net, make no mistake. Our physical separation will only widen our emotional separation."

Every Larkinson looked sad at that. They all knew that the family and the clan would only grow further apart over time.

"Do not be sad, my fellow Larkinsons." Ark spoke in a gentle tone. "As much as this parting makes the schism in our original family permanent, let us celebrate this occasion. We have accomplished much when we were together, and we will accomplish even more now that we are pursuing different trajectories. Even though you will never see hundreds of Larkinsons again, each of you will still be surrounded by relatives."

Ves smiled. "Splitting up doesn't make us weak. In fact, it's the opposite. Branching out in different directions will only strengthen our lineage! Before the schism, our family had always been vulnerable to getting wiped out at once. Now that we are travelling in different directions, we no longer have to be afraid of losing our entire name and heritage. Even if the clan is lost, the family will still be able to carry forth the banner of the Larkinsons! The same goes for the family!"

"New adventures await us both." Ark looked hopeful at the crowd of gathered Larkinsons. "The Larkinson Ancestor once traversed an unimaginable distance to start a new life in the Komodo Star Sector. Now, we follow in his honored footsteps. To traverse the stars is not a betrayal to our heritage. It is in our lifeblood! Though both of us have different ideas on what constitutes a proper home, both Ves and I will do our best lead you all to a great future!"

The Larkinsons all clapped! Every Larkinson felt the depth of energy and emotions behind the words of the patriarchs. Each of them couldn't help but feel touched in their hearts!

As soon as they wrapped up their speeches, the members of the Larkinson Family finally boarded their shuttles that would bring them to their ships.

Ves and every other member of the clan took their time to approach the relatives they were close to and bid their final goodbyes.

"I'm leaving, Ves." Melinda spoke.

Ves let out a heavy breath. "Sometimes, I didn't wish this day would come."

"You can't stop the inevitable. At least we get to part on our own terms."

Melinda reached out and ruffled his hair, completely ignoring the fact that Ves was a patriarch of a rising clan!

"I will miss you, Melinda. There are actually very few Larkinsons who I can truly be myself."

"It's okay, Ves." She smiled in a bittersweet manner. "I will always cherish the childhood memories I have of you. Both of us have grown up, though. As much as we wish to hold onto the past, we should look towards the future instead. Isn't that the point you were trying to make earlier?"

He nodded. "That's true, but.. that doesn't make this any less difficult."

Since Melinda didn't have much time before she had to enter her shuttle, she closed in and hugged him one last time.

"I'm very proud of you. You have become much greater than I could have ever thought. Your parents would feel proud if they could see you today!"

"You have become a great mech pilot as well. I'm sure you'll do a great job of protecting the family during your journey."

When Melinda withdrew, she spoke her final words to him in person.

"Goodbye, Ves."

"Goodbye, Melinda."

Melinda Larkinson along with many other members of the Larkinson Family left the hall, putting an end to the fateful gathering.