The Mech Touch

The marriage between Ves and Gloriana was a joyous occasion!

From this moment onwards, the bride had truly become a part of the Larkinson Clan. Gloriana Wodin-Larkinson smiled with pure bliss and ecstasy as the newly-married couple finally ended their passionate kiss!

"I love you, Ves."

"I love you too, Gloriana."

"Meow!"

"Miaow!"

Their two cats were happy for their union as well. All of the pets watching from below felt the energy coursing through the Larkinson Clan and expressed their jubilation in their own manner.

The loud cacophony of cheers, howls, music and fireworks blended together in an unforgettably grand moment to the lucky pair. Even Master Willix and Jovy floating high above got caught up in the energy. The MTA mech designers clapped when the lovers established their union.

"They deserve each other." Master Willix coyly remarked.

Jovy couldn't maintain a straight face either. "I know I shouldn't, but I feel kind of jealous at Ves. It's so rare for two compatible mech designers to click together to this degree."

The matchmaking services sponsored by the MTA claimed to be able to ensure a perfect fit between two mech designers, but every mecher knew that this was an exaggeration.

Love couldn't be calculated. Love wasn't predictable.

Sometimes, opposites attracted each other. Other times, couples broke apart in the ugliest fashion due to irreconcilable differences.

Jovy simply couldn't figure out how two very different mech designers managed to get along with each other. Gloriana was a thoroughbred Hexer while Ves possessed a much humbler background. Their ideals, design philosophies and values diverged so much that they should have been repelled by each other.

How could someone proud like Ves possibly overlook Gloriana's Hexer tendencies?

How could someone as exacting and precise as Gloriana tolerate Ves' chaotic way of life?

Master Willix glanced knowingly at Jovy.

"Love is one of the few areas where it's best not to adhere too closely to logic. Besides, even if we set aside irrational feelings, there are still several compelling reasons why the two are a great fit with each other. Their different specialties complement each other perfectly. The synergy they have already achieved is but a taste of what is to come."

"Is that why you go out of your way to support them, ma'am?"

"That, and more."

Many other people developed various thoughts about the union that had formed without a hitch.

The projections of Benjamin and Ark Larkinson both looked happy without any other considerations.

Though neither of them particularly liked the Hexers, they were glad that Ves finally got rid of his bachelor status.

"I hope I will live long enough to greet my great-grandchildren." Benjamin wistfully said.

"Don't be like that, father." The patriarch of the Larkinson Family frowned at him. "You still have some years left in your body. From the way Ves and Gloriana are barely holding themselves back from jumping at each other, it looks like we won't have to wait too long before we welcome some new relatives."

The old man sighed and looked down. "I know. I heard that most well-off Hexers have a tradition of raising six children. I will last long enough to meet with the oldest of my great-grandchildren by remote, but I'm not sure whether I'll be able to see and talk to the entire set before my bones finally collapse."

A melancholic mood swept over the two important figures of the family. They were not as young as Ves. They also weren't as wealthy as him. Though the family held some shares in the LMC, it invested most of the dividends in its more productive members. The family would only be able to grow stronger if its present and future generations gained the support they needed to develop themselves.

"Father.. if we ask Ves, I'm sure he'll.."

Benjamin resolutely shook his head. "No. The cost is too prohibitive. Whether you pay in credits or merits, the cost to prolong the life of a potentiate, especially one with brain injuries such as myself, is too much. The chance of failure is considerable and we won't be able to get anything worth preserving even if the procedure is successful. My time has passed, my son. Don't let me become a burden."

Though Benjamin's condition looked rather decent, that was mainly because of the increasingly more extensive treatments he received. His old war wounds had been acting up more and more as his body condition passed a certain stage.

Over on the opposite side of the isle, Constance Wodin and her close family each felt mixed emotions.

They were proud that one of their own managed to marry such a prominent and successful mech designer. They were also ashamed that the husband in question wasn't a proper Hexer boy, but an uncouth foreign 'man' with a history of savagery.

Colonel Kellandra Wodin curled her mouth into a frown. "These animals running around below us have no place in this wedding. If we didn't add so many cleaning bots and air purification systems to this platform, we would have been drenched in the stench of the droppings these ignorant creatures are leaving behind."

"I think the presence of all of these pets adds some variety to the wedding ceremony." Tarkus Wodin lightly spoke. "Gloriana's husband is a clear lover of animals. If he takes care of his pets as well as our little sister, then I have no concerns."

"He should have married his cat instead." Kellandra snorted.

"Please, sister. Let's not be so harsh on the boy." Amarintha Wodin spoke up. "Ves Larkinson is blessed by the Superior Mother. He may even be her child."

The faces of every nearby Wodin changed. This was a very contentious topic!

Though Gloriana bragged multiple times that Ves was the literal son of the Superior Mother, the rest of her family didn't quite know how to take that. It was not that they thought that Gloriana was lying, but she may have misinterpreted the relationship between her husband and the Supreme.

Still, from all of the signs the Wodins had witnessed so far, it was undeniable that Ves Larkinson possessed a definite relationship with the Superior. How a foreign boy of all people attained such an unprecedentedly close link with such an august Hexer figure mystifying. Gloriana's direct relatives held very diverging opinions on the matter.

Matriarch Xiaphna raised her wrinkled hand. The Wodin siblings immediately fell silent.

"The will of the Superior Mother must be respected. She is the most exemplary mother of our people. For too long, we have lived without the guidance of the Supremes. Now that one of them has returned to us, it is no surprise that what we think is true is actually at odds with what the Superior Mother originally advocated. Time and ambitious matriarchs have twisted our interpretation of the Supreme's tenets. Now that we have regained access to the original source, we should feel thankful to the boy who has brought her back."

Her wise words conveyed a considerable degree of authority. Minister Constance Wodin, Colonel Kellandra Wodin and many other important members of her dynasty all bowed to show respect.

Now that the Wodin Matriarch offered her unequivocal support to Ves in the clearest fashion to date, people like Kellandra had to watch her tone.

While it was still possible for haters of Ves to voice their discontent, they had to have a good reason for doing so. Since the Wodin Dynasty was already effectively cooperating with the Larkinson Clan to an extent, it was not wise to badmouth their partners.

Of course, there were many other people who were not restrained in voicing their displeasure at the wedding.

"VES! NOO! HOW COULD YOU!" A loud shriek echoed across a compartment on the Pallas Intaer. "I don't understand! That ugly woman practically ruined your life and forced you to consort with Hexers. Why are you playing along with your kidnapper? Are you afflicted by Stockholm syndrome or something? If I knew how bad Gloriana hooked her claws into you, I would have forced you to undergo therapy when you fell into my hands!"

The celebratory wedding was like hell to Aisling Curver! The Fridayman mech designer still yearned to capture Ves' heart, yet from the moment the lucky couple slipped the rings on each other's fingers, her dream finally broke.

Ves belonged to Gloriana from now on! Even if they broke up in the future, the ideal man and partner in Aisling's mind would have been tainted by the poisonous influence of her Hexer rival.

Unless she gained the ability to travel back in time, there was no way to undo this travesty!

A mech pilot who shared a faint resemblance to the groom strode forward. His boots clanked against the deck of the ready room.

Venerable Ghanso Larkinson burned with hatred as he stared at the live footage of the wedding.

His force of will grew more intense! Each time his loathsome cousin accomplished another success, Ghanso's rage grew more intense.

It was as if he derived strength from his vendetta against the mech designer!

As far as Ghanso was concerned, his fellow Larkinsons increasingly fell under the sway of the Devil Tongue. The wedding was the most egregious instance yet due to all of the pride the Larkinsons gained from holding such a grand event!

"I told you he's no good." He growled. "You deserve to be with a better man, Lady Curver. Someone who is depraved enough to love a hexer is no good partner at all. The two of them deserve each other."

Aisling angrily turned around and slapped the expert pilot's arm! "You don't understand, Brighter! His design philosophy is so magical! There are even signs that he has managed to imitate some of Master Huron's inventions. Do you know what that means? We would have been able to elevate neural networking technology to greater heights if I captured him first! Letting Gloriana make the first move is one of the greatest regrets in my life!"

Her heartache struck so deep that she began to cry on the spot!

"My Ves! My Ves! My Ves!"

Venerable Ghanso scowled in disgust. He never understood how a smart and successful mech designer like Aisling could become so smitten with his bastard of a cousin.

What annoyed him even more was that Ves didn't even reciprocate Aisling's affection!

Though he did not approve of Aisling's devotion to his cousin, at the very least their relationship would have restrained the tumor of the Larkinsons.

Now that Ves married one of the insane women of the Hegemony, there was no chance that he will hold back from ruining the Larkinson lineage!

As Ghanso and Aisling processed the outcome of the wedding in their own ways, an alarm suddenly sounded.

[ALERT! THE HEXERS ARE PRESSING US BACK! THEIR GLOW MECHS HAVE BECOME MUCH MORE ACTIVE! AS A RESULT, THE HEX ARMY HAS BEEN LAUNCHING SPONTANEOUS OFFENSIVES AND COUNTERATTACKS AGAINST OUR LINES! TAKE EXCEEDING CARE AGAINST ANY VALKYRIE REDEEMER, ESPECIALLY THE NEW VARIANTS!]

"Damn! I bet Ves is to blame for this again!"

Ghanso soon received orders to board his mech. He left Aisling to her misery and marched to the lower decks. Many panicked or worried crewmen were heading to their stations.

When he reached the hangar bay, the other expert pilot stationed aboard the Pallas Intaer was already standing before her mech.

"You Larkinsons are always sparking trouble."

"Shut your trap, Venerable Foster. I won't let you insult my family. Most Larkinsons are decent. Ves is an aberration, so don't lump him with the rest of us. Is that clear?"

Venerable Foster stared aggressively at her colleague. "I don't take orders from you, Brighter. My opinions haven't changed. Our star sector would have been a better place if Larkinsons such as you didn't exist. Ves is just the only one of you who doesn't bother to hide."

Though Ghanso wanted to punch Foster in the face, this was not the time. They could settle the score afterwards!