The Mech Touch

Before Venerable Jannzi Larkinson deployed into the field, she had a brief moment of time where she could enjoy the company of her little family.

Many people in the clan had reacted with surprise when she initially became engaged with a clansmen.

Too many people saw her as an abrasive expert pilot who openly dared to defy the Larkinson Patriarch and anyone who supported a reckless agenda.

While Jannzi was completely unapologetic about her advocacy, this was far from her only side.

As a trueblood descendant of the Larkinson Family, family was truly important to her. The imperative to start a family and produce children that could continue the legacy of the Larkinsons was seared in her very being.

This was why she had taken valuable time away from her training to find a like minded partner.

Suffice to say, her initial dates did not exactly proceed smoothly.

Though Jannzi still attracted a lot of admirers due to the fact that she was an expert pilot, it was a lot harder to find a clansman that she considered sane!

Too many boys professed their support for the policies and decisions of Patriarch Ves. There was no way that Jannzi wanted to start up a relationship with a man who had no problem with dragging off the Larkinson Clan into dangerous alien territory!

She felt she was lucky when she finally met a match that was aligned with and supportive of her views.

Jannzi still recalled her first date with the man that eventually became her husband. Both of them dressed up for the occasion and met each other inside an upscale restaurant in the Commercial District of Kotor City on Davute VII.

"If I had a choice, I would have never joined the Larkinson Clan. Its history, its military background and its penchant for provoking violent conflicts with many different groups is completely the opposite from what I seek in an organization."

"Then why did you join our clan regardless of your personal feelings?" Jannzi curiously asked.

"Our family was in a lot of trouble back then." Adenau Purnesse-Larkinson helplessly smiled. "We were targeted by our political enemies back in the Grand Loxic Republic during the height of the Crown Uprising. The mass unrest and frequent terrorist attacks has left us bereft with allies and support to keep us safe. Your expeditionary fleet specifically swung by our planet to rescue my fellow Purnessers and I in exchange for offering our services to you Larkinsons. No matter what I think about your clan, I am not a man who goes back on my word, so I have diligently put my expertise to good use even if I am not enthusiastic about my current employer."

"I can understand how you must feel when your circumstances left you with no alternatives." Jannzi genuinely sympathized with the man. "Do you hate our clan?"

Adenau shook his head. "Oh no. Your Larkinson Clan still has many positive aspects. I could have ended up in much worse places. I merely object to giving too much weight to the military side of the clan and taking personal part in dangerous expeditions and campaigns. I understand that it may have been necessary for your people to take risks in the past, but the gains that you have made and the business empire that the patriarch has built up are more than enough to sustain our prosperity and provide a good and stable life for every Larkinson."

"Is that what you truly think?" Jannzi asked as she genuinely looked impressed at what she heard.

In fact, she didn't have to ask for confirmation. Her strong intuition was already able to sense the sincerity in Adenau Purnesse's voice.

The man confidently smiled. "I should know, miss. I am an economist. I am currently working for the Central Bank of the Larkinson Clan. While I am not allowed to mention any specific numbers, I have come in touch with so much data that shows how explosively our economy and financial position still grow in the coming decade that I see little reason in employing our mech forces for anything but defense."

"That is exactly what I think as well, Mr. Purnesse!"

"Please call me Adenau. May I call you Jannzi, Venerable Larkinson?"

The expert pilot gave him a brilliant smile. "You may. I never liked the word Venerable anyway. It makes me sound as if I have put myself above other clansmen such as yourself."

"You are better than other people. You expert pilots play an important role in securing our clan and serving as role models for the next generation of Larkinsons."

"There is no need for you to flatter me, Adenau."

The two Larkinsons, one trueblood and one adopted, managed to hit it off well as they continued their discussion over dinner.

It was rare for Jannzi to find a clansman who possessed genuine pacifist views. This was because the recruitment officers specifically screened every applicant for their compatibility of the overall direction of the Larkinson Clan.

Anyone who harbored opinions similar to that of Adenau Purnesse were often kicked out of the recruitment offices before they were 10 minutes into their opening interviews!

The instance where the Larkinson Clan almost coerced the Purnesse Family into the fold was a rare case where people with radically different opinions ended up as Larkinsons.

Adenau and many of his relatives still couldn't forget the time where Larkinson instructors had put them into hellish training in order to 'integrate' the Purnessers into the Larkinson Clan!

In any case, as Jannzi and Adenau continued to date each other over the course of several months, they eventually decided to tie the knot and form a permanent union with each other.

Though Venerable Jannzi hardly considered Adenau to be the perfect man for her, he was at least mature and sensible enough to keep her pleased.

She did not hold any high expectations for her spouse. No matter whether Adanau was a respectable economist or a failing artist, it was enough for him to stay by her side as long as he did not oppose her strong views!

Adenau on the other hand was more than pleased with the woman he ended up with. Despite her notoriety among the Larkinsons, she was still a fairly powerful expert pilot who partnered with one of the most iconic and promising living mechs of the Larkinson Clan!

"I won't lie to you, Jannzi." The man told her lover fairly early on. "Our Purnesse Family strongly supports our relationship. I am hardly the only Purnesser that thinks our clan should chart a different course. Pulling someone as powerful as you into our family's orbit will strengthen our hand and give us more political leverage over time. We can get a lot more done if we unite our strength."

Jannzi smiled. "I have no problem with that. I already expected your people to hold such views. I am not opposed to allying with your Purnesse Family. Though we still have our differences, we also have a lot in common. I can't fight Ves and his sycophants alone. I don't have the political acumen and organization to effect meaningful change. I have concluded that the best way for me to save our clan and protect our clansmen is for me to work together with the more risk-averse members of your family. How many of them agree with our stances?"

"Plenty." Adenau smirked. "Though our family only makes up a small part of our clan, don't forget that the majority of my relatives are positioned in the middle and upper layers of the clan administration. Our influence is disproportionate to our numbers, but the problem is that the patriarch is so strong that many of us do not dare to voice our actual opinions openly. The same goes for other clansmen whose risk appetites aren't as great. I believe that once an iconic Larkinson such as yourself joins our faction, we will be able to provide a voice for many aggrieved and uncertain clansmen."

Though Jannzi and the Purnesse Family hardly made any progress on this front, the expert pilot's personal life changed quickly after she married Adanau Purnesse.

Experiencing pregnancy and giving birth to her first baby son was one of the happiest and most memorable moments of her life.

As a woman born into the Larkinson Family, her aunts and uncles often emphasized how meaningful and important it was for her to prevent herself from losing herself in her duties as a soldier.

It wasn't until she started to raise her lovely little boy that the meaning of the word 'family' became a lot more personal and important to her very being.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Mercer?" Venerable Jannzi smiled as she held her boy in her arms.

"Will you beat a lot of mechs today?"

"I will fight as many mechs as I have to, but that doesn't mean it is good for you to look forward to defeating as many enemies as possible."

"Huh?"

"We are committing a grave injustice to the people of this star system by invading their territory and threatening to destroy their homes and livelihoods. I already feel guilty for taking part in this attack at all, but I have little choice in the matter."

"Why is mommy sad? Mechs are so cool! I want to see mommy fight!"

The expert pilot exchanged a helpless glance with her husband. No matter how much they tried to shape the views of their young child, it was all too easy for Mercer to inherit the love and enthusiasm for mechs and battle from other Larkinsons.

"Come back safely, okay?" Adenau softly requested after he kissed his wife. "It is moments like these that I feel regret for not being able to fight myself."

The expert pilot hugged her child and husband one last time. "There is no need for you to fight. That is my job. I will try my best to come back alive, but I can never make any promises. There are times where my duty obliges me to stand my ground and fulfill my responsibilities even at great risk to my life."

"Why, Jannzi? Why are you willing to go so far?"

"Because I am a knight." She stated with utter conviction. "I am a protector of the weak and the guardian of the innocent. Though I do not agree with the decision to attack Pima Prime, I will still lend my strength to the clan, if only to shield our fellow clansmen from the consequences of provoking a fight against the Fridaymen."

This was the life of a soldier, a mech pilot and a knight.

She didn't get to choose the direction of the Larkinson Clan, but that did not stop her from fighting on its behalf.

After she finally parted with her husband and child, Jannzi lifted off from the deck and entered the cockpit of the Shield of Samar, she patiently waited until she received the order to activate her mech and sortie into space.

"Once more unto the breach, my old friend."

The Shield of Samar's powerful presence embraced Jannzi as if it was welcoming back a sister.

"We have a tough fight ahead of us, Sammie." Jannzi spoke in a familiar tone.

"OUR DUTY REMAINS THE SAME WHETHER WE FIGHT AGAINST MECHS, VORIBUGS OR PHASE WHALES. WE ARE THE SHIELD THAT PROVIDES COVER TO THOSE THAT CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES."

"I know. The enemy firepower will likely be great. The Sundered Phalanx will test our defenses more than the other enemies that we have confronted in the past."

"WE ARE NOT ALONE. THE AMOUNT OF OPPOSITION MAY BE GREAT, BUT WE HAVE ENOUGH COMRADES BY OUR SIDE. LET US FOCUS ON OUR OWN PERFORMANCE. THE GREATER OUR RESULTS, THE MORE OUR CLAN RESPECTS OUR STRENGTH. IT WILL BE EASIER FOR THE BOTH OF US TO REALIZE OUR GOALS IF WE CAN USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THAT WE CAN DO MORE THAN LIFT OUR SHIELD AND RESIST INCOMING ATTACKS."

"That will depend on what the Fridaymen will do. We will be staying in the rear for the entire duration of the battle. To be honest, I hope the Sundered Phalanx will never be able to push close to our fleet. If the enemy mechs can get close enough to attack our ships, then something has gone seriously wrong for our clan."

The Shield of Samar's three eyes flashed with anticipation.

"THAT SHALL BE THE MOMENT WHERE WE WILL TRULY BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE OUR STRENGTH."