The Mech Touch novel Chapter 142

Ves spent the next two days in a leisurely fashion. He played with the kids and awed them with his mechanical skill by cobbling together a few toys. It truly warmed his heart to make his cousins giggle and laugh.

Besides amusing himself, he also caught up with the news when he talked to the more informed elders. Now that he joined the Larkinson Family’s steering committee, he received access to their modest database and intelligence network. He already skimmed through the most recent files, but they only painted a scattered picture of current events.

Even the Larkinsons suspected that there were other influences at work. The amount of pirates and rebels rampaging through the entire star sector appeared to be too numerous and well-funded to be a homegrown phenomenon.

Despite these indications, the Bright Republic focused most of its efforts on the upcoming conflict with its irreconcilable neighbor. No matter what outsiders were up to, the Republic had to beat back the Vesia Kingdom first before worrying about the bigger picture.

The Kingdom happened to be a little bit larger and wealthier than the Republic. They owed most of their superiority due to possessing two port systems, which greatly extended their reach and shrunk their supply lines. Unfortunately for the Vesians, their port systems were poorly located and had little strategic value other than a convenient relay to ships looking to transit elsewhere.

"The Vesians have always been jealous at how much trade is diverted to the Bentheim System." Ves concluded. The upcoming war would likely revolve around trying to conquer the Bentheim System. "Cloudy Curtain shouldn’t attract too much attention, but it will definitely be in the line of fire at some point."

In fact, throughout the wars, when the Vesians succeeded in punching through the border, they often occupied the surrounding territories. An underdeveloped system like Cloudy Curtain only merited a tiny occupation force. They usually swept away the gangs and ensured none of the locals tried anything funny while their main forces proceeded to siege the Bentheim System.

Sadly, it appeared the Vesians made ample preparations this time.

"The Kingdom is actually grappling with fewer unrest than us." Elder Ovrin explained. "Their control over their society is much stricter than ours. More importantly, the so-called nobles and the royals actually came to a rare agreement to put down most of their disputes and focus their animosity onto us."

Ves frowned at the news. "The dysfunctional rivalry between the nobles and the royal family is the only reason why the Vesians have never fought at their best in the past few wars."

"Oh don’t worry about that Ves. They can draft up a fancy paper all they want. Whether the Vesians will actually stick to it is another question."

"Still, it’s rather uncharacteristic for the Vesians to shake hands and get along with each other. The nobles always wanted to depose the royal family and rule their state as a council. The monarchs always wanted to strip the nobles of their private armies. Their interests simply don’t align."

"We have reason to believe the secret agreement is imposed by the same outside force that’s been stirring the star sector. Their influence is substantial, but I don’t think they fully realize how quickly the Vesian nobles are willing to stab each other in the back."

Both of them shared a knowing look. The Vesians were capable of fielding a terrible army, but they always screwed up in terms of leadership. In comparison, the Bright Republic usually exerted competent leadership even if its soldiers weren’t as hardened.

"Whatever the case, we expect the different factions to abide by the agreement for a year at the very least. Your home system is at risk if their offensive breaks through our lines. Are you sure you don’t want to relocate your assets?"

He seriously weighed the choice, but eventually shook his head. "I think my father made his home on Cloudy Curtain for a reason. I don’t want to let go of what he left behind."

"Fair enough. You’re a Larkinson like the rest of us. I’m glad you’re brave, but I’m not certain whether you are expressing it in the right moment."

The conversation went nowhere, so Ves changed the topic. "When will the steering committee convene?"

"The patriarch will return tomorrow. We’ll hold a special session in order to induct you in our ranks. We’ll also discuss next year’s budget among other administrative decisions."

"Not a lot of Larkinsons have come this year. Will it be okay to hold a meeting with more than half of the committee in active duty?"

"Oh, it’s mostly a matter of routine." Ovrin waved away the question. "Anything that requires a discussion has already been addressed. Besides some technicalities, we’ve already settled on the major points."

It sounded like the latest session before the new year celebration was just a last-minute check. Now that Ves joined their circle, he got to know that the Larkinsons owned a modest business empire on Rittersberg that earned the family about fifty million credits a year.

That might not sound like much compared to his own activities, but they were stable businesses. Ves knew more than anyone else how volatile and innovative the mech market could be. In contrast, the Larkinson Trust Fund invested in a number of hotels, apartments and other real estate that always maintained a stable stream of profits.

"We’re starting to bolster our pension fund in preparation for the worst. It’s always better to get on top of them instead of catching up to it afterwards."

Both of them grimaced a bit. The pension fund kept the widows and orphans clothed and fed. If the steering committee proactively put more money in its pot, then that meant they expected that not every Larkinson might survive the war.

Ves spent a moment to worry about the lives of those he cared about. Most of the Larkinsons were acquaintances to him, but certain relatives such as Uncle Ark or his cousin Melinda earned a special place in his heart.

After another day of fun and relaxation, the entire planet took on a festive cheer. A large amount of construction bots transformed the city of Varleton into a festive paradise full of blinking blue lights and streamers in order to complement the Republic’s national color.

The smarter Larkinsons noted that the Republic spent a little more effort in this year’s party. The government wanted to reassure its citizens by projecting strength and instilling pride.

The patriarch finally returned in the morning. His reinforced aircar actually arrived at the compound with a modest escort of mechs and infantry fighting vehicles.

The mechs quickly flew away once Benjamin stepped out, but the infantry remained and started to collaborate with the compound’s existing security force.