The Mech Touch

The departure of Brutus Wodin and his charity case didn't affect the Larkinson Clan. Ves felt almost just as secure as before.

Certainly, the emergence of an enemy expert pilot would definitely inflict a lot of pain. Without one of his own constraining such a powerful actor, a single powerful mech could wreak untold havoc in his ranks.

While the Larkinson veterans and the Flagrant Vandals received training on how to resist the aggression of an expert pilot, it was easier said than done to put it into practice!

The natural awe and fear towards expert pilots was a huge detriment to the effectiveness of such massed tactics.

Cases where a single expert pilot managed to disintegrate a force consisting of a thousand mechs weren't unheard of in the galaxy!

If all of those regular mech pilots kept their composure and worked together to surround and tire out the expert mech, then the latter would not be able to achieve much results before being taken down by sheer numbers.

Yet this was not always the case in practice! The success rate of these plans often hinged on the discipline and training of the mech pilots. As long as they didn't trust each other to cover their backs or possessed the will to sacrifice their lives for a greater purpose, the selfish mech pilots would always back off and try to avoid being included in the list of casualties!

Larkinson Network or not, Ves did not believe that most of his clansmen had reached the point of dying for the clan. Due to their training and unique characteristics, the Avatars of Myth and the Battle Criers came close, but Ves knew they still fell short in this area and many other areas.

Having an experienced mech officer who once commanded half of a mech regiment at his side turned out to be a very useful boon.

Major Verle-Larkinson was an all-round asset, possessing a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and insight in military matters. Not only that, he also possessed a dash of intelligence experience. From sabotage, kidnapping, wetwork and other unsavory activities, Verle-Larkinson had done it all throughout his decades-long career.

"Calling you Verle-Larkinson all the time is getting really tired." Ves complained during a meeting with the latest member of his inner circle. "Can I call you Quinlist?"

The major's mouth twitched. Evidently, he did not like his first name! "You can just call me Verle or Major Verle if that is what you prefer. Others in the clan have already reverted to ignoring the compound name."

The name Larkinson consisted of three syllables, and it was a lot of trouble to recite this name all of the time! Even the clansmen who proudly wore this name eventually got tired of saying it in rapid succession!

Ves palmed his face. "We need to find a better solution to this stupid naming problem."

"It's not a major issue, Ves. Just forget about it and let your clansmen sort it out by themselves."

It didn't matter too much anyway. Ves could see through his spiritual vision that Major Verle was already integrating deeper into the spiritual network centered around the Larkinson Mandate. So long as this bond remained healthy, Verle could be trusted to act in the interests of the clan!

"Alright. Let's get back to the topic at hand. What was it you said about the organization of our mech forces?"

The major coughed. "As I was saying, I have comprehensively inspected each and every force that is under your direct and indirect command. I even paid a visit to the Penitent Sisters, though they have been understandable reluctant to show me around."

"That must have been quite an ordeal." Ves smirked.

"I count myself lucky I managed to leave alive." Verle laughed. "In any case, after I have taken stock of your combat assets, I have ascertained many shortcomings and inefficiencies. While the various forces such as the Avatars and my Flagrant Vandals are individually well-run, at the strategic level there is a dangerous lack of cooperation and coordination."

Ves blinked at this answer. "Please explain."

"Hmm.. let's take the Mech Corps as a model. In a very simplified overview, the Mech Corps consists of three basic layers. At the bottom, there are the individual mech regiments which do all of the fighting as cohesive units with distinctive specialties. At the middle, there is the mech division level which gathers a number of diverse mech regiments together to achieve a strategic goal in a war theater. Above this level is HQ which manages the military at the state level."

It didn't take long for Ves to understand what Verle was getting at. "We are lacking in layers, is that what you are saying?"

Verle nodded. "Headquarters isn't just a place where the brass makes all of the big decisions. It also functions as an administrative center, much like the headquarters of your mech company. Countless policies, standards and other aspects are constantly being updated by one of its many offices and departments."

"I can understand that." Ves rubbed his smooth-shaven chin. "So far, the Avatars, Sentinels and other forces run their own affairs as self-contained silos. That is fine if they are only expected to operate by themselves, but the truth is that they will likely be asked to fight alongside other forces. Some conflict and friction is inevitable."

"I've reviewed the after-action reports of the Battle of Kesseling VIII." Major Verle stated. "It's obvious that the problems I've mentioned have already started to become evident during that time. The unexpected and uncoordinated reinforcements from the Swordmaidens and the Ylvainan defectors may have saved your clan from defeat, but the lack of coordination in their movements has led to an excessive number of preventable casualties."

"You're saying that a lot less mech pilots would have fallen if our forces all cooperated better?"

"Yes."

That was a very harsh statement. The truth hurt sometimes, and Ves felt very remorseful for not doing enough to deepen the integration between the Avatars, Sentinels, Battle Criers and Glory Battalion.

The major noted the effect he had on his audience. "It's okay, Ves. Your forces did their best. None of you expected to face an attack at that time and place. Let's move forward and establish a plan to address our shortcomings so that we won't be caught so flat-footed the next time."

"Let's do that. What is your proposal?"

Verle activated his comm and quickly sent a document to Ves. "I have already taken the liberty to write out a series of steps on what we need to do. The gist of my plan is to establish an office called the Military Bureau to make the beginning steps towards greater coordination and cooperation between the forces."

While the major spoke, Ves connected to his comm via his implant and rapidly scanned through the document in his mind.

"It sounds like you are working towards establishing a headquarters." He noted with surprise. "Why not create one straight-away?"

"It's not necessary, Ves. Starting too big will not only lead to a lot of disruption, but also attract a lot of animosity from your troops. I don't intend to replicate the flaws of the Mech Corps in the Larkinson Clan. You have already witnessed and suffered from the great disconnect between high command and the soldiers doing all of the fighting, right?"

Ves immediately nodded. He had no good opinion of the leadership of the Mech Corps!

"So the purpose of establishing a modest-sounding Military Bureau is to begin with a light touch, is that right?"

"Right. The Bureau will initially concern itself with establishing some common standards and protocols between the different forces. There are plenty of areas that need to be standardized, such as recruitment, wages and transfers. Once we get up to speed in matters related to human resources, we can move on to harmonizing certain rules and regulations in order to establish a common law between all of the forces. After that, we can tackle something more substantial as standardizing the technological specifications of most of their hardware."

All of this sounded very beneficial, but Ves also understood that this would be a huge endeavor. It might take years for all of these measures to make a difference!

Still, considering that the Larkinson Clan would only grow larger in the future, it was best to address these matters early when it was still easy to enact these kinds of changes.

"You have my permission to establish a Military Bureau and enact the changes which the clan deems necessary." Ves officially declared. "While I am willing to afford your Bureau a certain degree of independence, I want you to regularly report your findings and your actions to someone higher-up in the clan. For now, that includes both me and the Executive Council. Is that clear?"

"Looks like you are developing your Larkinson Clan into a state-like entity." Verle cleverly observed.

"Do you approve?"

He shrugged. "All of this is a bit new to me. I don't exactly have the best impression of spaceborn clans. They can be rather snobbish and elitist. I hope you won't steer your clan in the same direction."

"We'll see."

Before they ended the meeting, Verle brought up one more topic.

"Aside from establishing the Military Bureau, I also wanted to talk about the evolution direction of your forces."

"What is your opinion?"

"So far, their roles are fairly clear. I think it is best to continue their development in their chosen directions, but with a greater eye towards specialization so that they can better complement each other. With a true combined arms approach, our clan can handle any crisis."

"What will be the role of each force if you had your way?"

Verle listed out his views. "The Avatars of Myth can stay as our elite mech force. The Living Sentinels should specialize in defensive warfare. The Battle Criers are suited for irregular operations. The Swordmaidens are already transitioning into a black ops unit. As for the Flagrant Vandals, I think it is best to turn them into a raiding and reconnaissance force."

"The mech roster of the Vandals don't reflect this role." Ves pointed out. "You have plenty of medium mechs and even a couple of heavy mechs, right?"

"We can slowly phase them out. Since you have served with us for some time, you already know that we already employ light mechs extensively. We can deepen our use of light mechs while acquiring some medium mech models that all feature great mobility. Once we complete this transformation, our Vandals will become fully capable of fulfilling the scouting function that your other mech troops aren't as suited to perform."

That sounded quite logical. Ves was glad that Major Verle was able to find a place for the Flagrant Vandals in the clan.

"What about the possibility of operating in the auspices of the Black Cats?"

"I've already spoken to Madame Calabast. We both came to the conclusion that it is best for my Vandals to steer clear of her Black Cats." Verle admitted. "While I do possess an intelligence background, most of our Vandals are not. They are honest soldiers. Deep down, they all wish to prove themselves on the battlefield in an upright and honorable manner. I think we owe it to them to give them the chance the Mech Corps has denied them for too long."

"The Larkinson Clan will be happy to give them this opportunity." Ves smiled in acceptance. "The Larkinson Family has always valued honor, and our clan is no different. I'm sure your Vandals will acquit themselves well in their new role."

As soon as Major Verle received the green light for his proposals, he departed from Ves' office. His first step after establishing the Military Bureau was to pull in Fleet Coordinator Ophelia Kronon-Larkinson.

In a way, Ophelia already played the role that Verle described. She constantly kept an eye on the ships of the Larkinson Clan and suggested ways to increase their coordination.

Placing her in the newly-established Military Bureau would cement her role and allow her to act with greater authority with the mandate she gained.