The Mech Touch

The wedding between Ves and Gloriana continued to evoke strong reactions from people!

Both up close and from afar, many people familiar with the couple were either happy at their joy, jealous of their accomplishments or hated them for how their work impacted the Komodo War!

One of the people who didn't know what to think about the joyous occasion was Tristan Wesseling.

As the direct disciple of Master Katzenberg, he rooted for his own state. He cheered for the introduction of the Glow Crusher and the O-K alloy that was integral to its power.

When the mechs designed by the Miracle Couple suddenly received an upgrade that effectively invalidated the Glow Crusher, Tristan should have been upset. The ease in which the Blessed Squire countered his Master's work was humiliating.

Yet.. having met and briefly worked alongside Ves for a time, Tristan couldn't bring himself to view him as an enemy. It was just unfortunate that they happened to be on opposite sides.

"Now that your relationship with the Hexers has reached this extent, I guess we won't be meeting each other again." The Fridayman Journeyman Mech Designer stated.

The only reason for them to keep in touch no longer mattered. Ves had his homegrown clan to the point where he could leave the star sector whenever he wished. He did not need Tristan or anyone else's help to escape retribution should the Friday Coalition win the Komodo War.

If the Hexers happened to win, then Tristan would turn to other solutions rather than putting his safety in the hands of a close ally of the Hegemony.

Ves and Gloriana could have held a quiet wedding ceremony. For the Larkinsons and Wodins to hold the occasion with so much bombast meant that the former became permanently aligned to the Hexers.

The Larkinsons may not be turning into Hexers, but the sharing of interests would make Ves even more at odds with the Fridaymen.

"What a pity."

Tristan did not feel too much of a loss from this development. He and Ves always followed directed trajectories from the start. There wasn't a lot of intersection in their lives.

Still, if Tristan knew that the third-rater he only paid scant attention turned into such a monstrous threat to the Friday Coalition, he would have spent more effort in befriending him. The fact that Ves managed to pass the trials organized by the Rim Guards should have been an obvious clue that he was destined for greatness!

"Maybe I could have prevented Ves from meeting with Gloriana."

It was no secret how the two initially met. If Tristan took the initiative to spend time with Ves and possibly introduce him to some of the women he was acquainted with, it might be the Hexers against glows instead of his own side!

The realization that he could have changed the course of history weighed heavily on his shoulders.

If he didn't become distracted by passing the trials, he may have been able to spare the Friday Coalition from suffering so much harm!

"Maybe I should reinforce my fleeting relationship with him instead. Even if he's an enemy, being able to speak to him might be crucial in the times to come."

It was too bad that he was confined to a secret research station. While his status afforded him some privileges, he was not allowed to communicate with the outside galaxy. The most he could do was to call up information from the galactic net.

Someone else who held mixed emotions towards the wedding was Carlos Shaw.

Once he was one of Ves' friends and companions. Now, his career was as bleak as his future.

The Apprentice Mech Designer in the service of the Mech Corps wasn't supposed to access the broadcast. However, a mech designer like Carlos was easily able to circumvent the hamfisted information controls, especially when he was on leave.

He currently resided in a rudimentary settlement built on the surface of a planet that used to belong to the former Coman Federation..

Of course, Carlos still needed to be careful about the interest he showed towards his former classmate and boss.

Suffice to say, anything surrounding Ves and the Larkinsons had become taboo to the diminished Bright Republic.

Now that the Friday Coalition strengthened its control over the third-rate state, the once-glorious presence of the LMC and its leader had become a faded memory to many people.

Only the mech pilots of the Desolate Soldier and several other LMC mech models still reminisced about piloting the so-called living mechs. Every other mech they piloted after the state confiscated their LMC mech felt stale and lifeless to them. It just wasn't the same according to their words.

"What makes your mechs special, Ves?" Carlos idly asked.

If he didn't let his jealousy and his trauma get the better of him, he could have stayed by Ves' side. As long as he kept playing the role of loyal soldier, he might have been able to learn some of the secrets that caused the products of the LMC to be so insanely attractive to mech pilots.

All of that was for naught. Carlos felt as if he was one of the stupidest mech designers in the Bright Republic for throwing such a priceless opportunity away. He didn't think he was wrong for wanting to become as successful as Ves. His mistake was to be too impatient about it. If he listened more earnestly to Ves, he could have been among the lucky 'clansmen' sitting in the audience.

"I HATE THIS!"

He sharply waved his hand, causing the projection to shut down.

"Ves.. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive if we ever meet again."

Carlos did not hold out his hope for that.

Ves had already left the Bright Republic far behind. Why would someone who was about to step into the galactic state look back at the backwater that previously held him back?

Not only was there nothing left to return to, the state had betrayed Ves. The government should be grateful that the famed Devil Tongue was too preoccupied with greater matters to take revenge on the people who betrayed his trust!

Some of Carlos' jealousy flared up again. He slapped his head in order to stave off another outburst!

"I can't lose control! Hold yourself together!"

It was too hard for him to do so. He held too many regrets to keep himself calm. Just thinking back on his feeble attempt to start his own mech business after he left the LMC was enough to send him into a spiral of negativity.

"Why did I fail while he succeeded? How come he improved even faster than me? I'm smart as well!"

Yet regardless of his artificially-boosted learning abilities, he remained stuck as a helper to more successful and qualified mech designers. He didn't even know how long it would take until he came within touching distance to Journeyman.

"I deserve better!" Carlos asserted!

It was too bad that nobody believed him. Not even his colleagues in the Mech Corps took him seriously these days.

Somewhere closer to home, the crowd of attending Larkinson clansmen each took pride in the grandness of the wedding. Each of them felt as if their clan had attained a greater status after today.

The members of the Larkinson Family who accepted the invitation to attend by projection looked envious. Unlike the clansmen, the members of the old family hardly felt worthy for the success of one of their original members.

Though the Larkinson Clan and Larkinson Family still shared many relations with each other, they were distinctly separate groups. Half of the people who decided to follow Venerable Ark Larkinson and help him restore the old family felt as if they made the wrong choice.

Why did they object to joining the Larkinson Clan?

Why did they throw away the opportunity to take part in so many glorious events?

What caused them to miss the chance to rise to greatness in the Red Ocean?

Though Ves Larkinson was a much more volatile patriarch than Venerable Ark, many family members began to think how their lives would be if they joined the clan instead.

Certainly, Ves had a habit of driving his clansmen into risky ventures. Just hearing about the horrendous casualty figures of the Nyxian Gap Campaign was enough to cause everyone to shiver.

Yet… Ves always found a way to make it worth it. His magnanimous promise buoyed many survivors of the campaign and helped take the sting off all of the traumas they suffered.

Melinda Larkinson's projection had moved closer to Raella Larkinson. The two cousins shared a deep look with each other.

"You should have been with us, Melinda."

"I don't know." Melinda frowned. "I don't regret sticking to the old family. It would have been great if certain people hadn't driven Ves out. He would have been able to help our family just like he is helping his clan."

Raella shook her head. "It's not the same. The Larkinson Family belongs to the elders and the expert pilots. Ves doesn't like that. I think he's far better off today now that he's basically in charge of us. Expert pilots don't have the most say anymore."

"Isn't that bad? The expert pilots of our family have always formed a stabilizing influence."

"We don't need no stinking stability, Melinda. Remaining stagnant or playing it safe won't get us anywhere. Besides, our expert pilots are a bit different. Just trust me. Putting our expert pilots in charge will just tear our clan apart."

The two watched the married couple begin to make their celebratory remarks. As Gloriana proudly addressed the public, the two Larkinson cousins ended their conversation.

Melinda still hadn't solved her confusion. His cousin's wife looked so glorious. Would she ever be able to wear such a magnificent dress? There was no way her own wedding would ever match the splendor of what she witnessed today!

Though she still believed in the leadership of her current patriarch, was it really worth it to pick virtue over ambition?

While she considered herself to be a proper Larkinson, she was still human. The values and traditions the Larkinson Family instilled to her clashed against the growing emotions boiling in the depths of her heart. She faintly suspected that her decision to leave Ves forever might have cut off her only opportunity for greatness!

No!

It was a mistake to think this way!

Melinda furiously shook her head. She looked back at Ark and calmed again. Her current patriarch was strong and remarkable in his own right!

Though she held some regrets, she did not feel too bothered by them anymore. Life was all about making choices. Perhaps some might not work out as well as she hoped, but there was little point in moping about what-ifs.

One other person in the crowd held some regrets.

Ketis Larkinson sat next to her fellow Swordmaidens. While the warrior women were only mildly impressed by the pomp and circumstance, the only mech designer among them couldn't help but imagine herself in Gloriana's place.

What if she was the one who wore the wedding dress?

What if she was the one who allowed Ves to slip a ring on her finger?

What if she was the one that Ves passionately kissed?

She would be lying if she denied she was jealous of Gloriana. Before the Hexer ever entered Ves' life, Ketis thought she had a chance.

Unfortunately, despite spending so much time together, he never viewed her like he did his current wife.

Why?

What was she missing?

Sure, she wasn't as feminine and charming as Gloriana, but Ves trusted just as much if not more. The two of them had grown very comfortable with each other starting from the Aeon Corona Mission. Yet for some reason or another, she failed to win this crucial battle.

She lowered her head in regret.

"I don't have a chance anymore." She acknowledged under her breath.

Ves was someone who took his commitments very seriously. Ketis respected Ves too much to take him away from Gloriana.

"I should look elsewhere."

There were plenty of other cute boys in the Larkinson Clan. Should she set his sights on one of the mech designers or should he cast his gaze towards the mech pilots instead?

Her eyes fell on the high-backed chair that belonged to Venerable Joshua.