The Mech Touch

Learning about his grandfather's inevitable passing put Ves into a morose mood for a time.

None of the many positive developments of his clan could cheer him up like before. All of the spending and all of the acquisitions did not seem important anymore when he was faced with the impending loss of one of the most important relatives of his life.

His grandfather had always been good to him. Ves had constantly looked up to Benjamin whenever he visited the Larkinson Estate in his youth. He had listened to so many stories and learned so many life lessons from the wise but aging man that it took the sting out of losing his mother at an early age.

Now, history was repeating itself as Ves or Gloriana regularly brought their children over to Benjamin's quiet and peaceful estate.

The parents insisted on bringing their children whenever Benjamin was in a good enough condition to receive visitors, which didn't happen all that much.

No matter whether it was Aurelia, Andraste or little Marvaine, their great-grandfather could always provide them with a fun, engaging and educational story.

Most of the time, Benjamin tried to pass on his obsession towards family to his youngest descendants. He instilled the young children with a much greater appreciation of relatives who they could trust and count on in their lives.

Though Ves personally thought that a part of his grandfather's life lessons sounded a bit old-fashioned or that relevant anymore, he tolerated these instances as it would not be long before his children could no longer receive any further tales from the father of the father of their father.

It was shortly after his children started to spend time with their oldest living relative on the side of the Larkinsons that Ves received an important message.

"Boss!" Gavin Neumann shouted over the comm. "The colonial government has finally made its big move. A large procession is making its way to the Cat Nest. You should take a look at it. There are not only a dozen shuttles on the way, but it is even being escorted by a full mech company that also happens to include two expert mechs! We have already received a priority missive to prepare for its arrival and greet an important guest."

"Oh." Ves said without much surprise. "I guess the style of Davute hasn't changed. It would have been nice to receive a notification a few days in advance, but I guess those guys like to take people by surprise. Have you informed Minister Shederin Purnesse?"

"He is already on top of the situation. He has prepared for this state visit for over a week. While we have made sufficient preparations to receive a government envoy, the principal representative of the government that is on the way has a much greater status than we expected. Our clan administration is scrambling to upgrade our reception so that we will not convey any unintentional disrespect."

That caused Ves to become more attentive to this development.

"What do you mean, Benny? Is it necessary for us to roll out the red carpet for Reina Kernsk?"

"Madame Kernsk is on the way as well, but she is not coming as the principal representative this time! A much more important figure is heading over to open up a dialogue with our clan!"

That made Ves suspicious. "Who?"

"Yenames Clive."

"What?! Are you sure about that? Have you misread the first name perhaps? There are many people with Clive in their name in Davute."

"I'm not kidding, boss! There is only one member of the Clive Consortium whose first name is Yenames. To be honest, we didn't quite believe it at first either, so we called the administration for confirmation."

"And?"

"The person that everyone is convinced will become the ruler of the colonial state is definitely making his way over to the Cat Nest! He and his entourage will arrive within 10 minutes!"

"!!!"

Ves became truly startled at this time. The future king, president, prime minister, chancellor or whatever of Davute was paying an official visit to the Larkinson Clan's main holding on the planet.

This was a huge development and one that vastly exceeded his expectations!

It was not as if he anticipated that he would be invited to speak to Yenames Clive in person.

However, if the big man wanted a meeting, Ves expected that he would get summoned to an official palace or government office.

This was how it was supposed to be. For a man of great stature and power to condescend to visiting a mech designer and clan leader at a comprehensive complex located in the middle of Industrial District 2 was highly abnormal!

A part of Ves felt flattered by it. The high-profile visit showed that Davute valued him so much that the big man decided to go to the Larkinsons rather than the other way around.

Another part of Ves grew suspicious at the theatrics. The better the treatment, the more the Davutans wanted to take from him. What was happening was way too excessive for a medium-sized pioneering organization!

Could Ves and his clan truly bear the price of an official visit from the highest official of the colonial government?

"I will be there as soon as possible." Ves said as he remembered that time was of the essence. "I need time to change into my best ceremonial outfit. Where will our initial meeting be held?"

"We have consulted with a number of officials and decided to go through with holding the initial meet and greet inside the Ascension Gallery."

"Good choice. That is the most beautiful site of the Cat Nest. It will surely make a powerful impression on Mr. Clive and his entourage. Well, let's get to it. Make sure to clear much of the Cat Nest and put our garrison on a heightened level of alert."

"General Verle is already taking care of that, boss."

The call ended. Ves scrambled to his bedroom to change his outfit and allow the makeup bot to brush up on his appearance.

"C'mon, Lucky. We're meeting an important fellow today."

"Meow..."

Ves picked up his tired and overstuffed cat and quickly judged the weight.

"Oof, your digestion system still hasn't made much progress, I see."

"Meow!"

"You should get on and produce those gems if don't you want me to talk about it! It's not my fault you're overweight!"

"Meow meow!"

Ves ignored his cat's complaints and quickly boarded a small shuttle that had landed in the front yard of the Royal Mansion.

As the vehicle quickly lifted off, he noted that the usual escort of mechs had been bolstered by the Everchanger and the Minerva.

The quick arrival of the two masterwork expert mechs allowed the Larkinson Clan to show off its own splendor. It was one of the many ways in which the Larkinson Clan could convey to third parties that it was worthwhile for the future ruler of Davute to head over in person.

The shuttle soon touched down next to the Ascension Gallery. As Ves stepped out with Lucky in his arms, he could already see that the staff and guards on duty had hastily ushered out the guests that had come to admire the monumental structure and the series of totems placed inside.

Although Ves found it rather strange that Yenames Clive readily agreed to meet in a location that was saturated with different glows, perhaps the man truly didn't feel there was any risk of getting mentally influenced.

His personal assistant along with a bunch of other Larkinsons already awaited him at the center.

The group stood in front of a large totem of the Golden Cat.

The magnificent work looked resplendent as it bathed in the light that passed through the transparent circular window on the roof.

"Boss, you have arrived in time." Gavin smiled at Ves. "Minister Shederin Purnesse has already received Mr. Clive at our landing zone. The latter's group is already on its way to this location."

"Where is Calabast? I figured that she would be here as well."

"She has actually declined to attend. She told us that it was already enough for her to monitor the talks from a distance."

Ves shrugged. "She may be right. So how will we proceed? Should I leave all of the serious talking to Minister Shederin or should I lead the discussion on our side?"

"I believe that it is best to take the latter approach. We have no real choice. Mr. Yenames Clive has graced us with the immense honor of a visit in person. It would be highly disrespectful for you to pass on the responsibility of talking to him to a proxy, especially when you are right here. The highest leaders on both sides must engage with each other. That is the way the Davutans have set this up. You can only solicit the advice from Shederin and other advisors at most, but you will have to carry most of the conversation by yourself."

"...Damnit. I knew it wasn't so simple."

Ves didn't have to be a seasoned diplomat to know that the colonial government had weaved an extensive design around the Larkinson Clan. The latest move of the Davutans fit right into the constriction strategy that they had apparently employed.

These moves demonstrated the intelligence, the patience, the determination, the ruthlessness and above all else the determination to secure their objectives!

It was extremely concerning to deal with these kinds of people. It was always the schemers and the masterminds that seemed to screw his clan over.

Ves much preferred to deal with honorable warriors or obvious idealists as they could easily be outmaneuvered with a bit of cleverness.

"Oh well." He shrugged. "Let's go over the list of points that I need to pay attention to, shall we? I need to make certain that we are on the same page."

A few minutes passed by as Ves quickly jogged his memory and made certain that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hadn't changed any priorities.

"Our guests have almost arrived!"

"Get in position, everyone!"

Due to the security rules imposed by the colonial government, Ves had to leave most of his honor guard well outside. The mechs that were a part of his security detail also had to remain parked outside.

As such, Ves only had four or so guards protecting his person.

In contrast, as soon as the massive gates of the Ascension Gallery slid open, eight powerful mechs slowly stepped inside.

Each of the machines were coated in vertical stripes of white and blue, though their exteriors were also embellished with silver.

The only mechs that looked a little more unique were the two expert mechs at the end. The knight mech and the rifleman mech formed a classic combination that could snipe threats from afar while blocking any enemies that managed to get close.

Once the mechs entered the enormous center hall that could easily accommodate many more mechs, a large column of white-and-blue guards marched inside.

The column eventually split up in order to form a long lane that led straight to the center.

It was only now that the main delegation proceeded forward.

Ves could already spot Shederin Purnesse wearing his best formal suit walking alongside a tall, dark-haired man who wore a slightly exotic formal robed suit.

The outfit was certainly colorful. Patterns and symbols of multiple different colors painted an entire canvas across Yenames Clive's outfit.

Ves was sure that the artwork conveyed an entire story, but he didn't have the motivation to decipher it at the moment. He was much more focused on the upcoming talk itself.

Finally, the head of the procession stopped around twenty paces away from Ves and his own entourage.

The future ruler's chief of staff stepped forward and shouted out in a formal voice that echoed throughout the massive hall.

"Patriarch Ves Larkinson! Prospective President Yenames Clive greets you in the name of the Colony of Davute, the future capital of our colonial state! Please receive our sincerest well-wishes and encouragement for your glorious endeavors! Know that the Colony of Davute considers you and your clan to be our most honorable compatriots! Let us come together and discuss the joining of our fates so that we can both prosper from the cooperation that we can forge in our names!"

"..."

Well, the Davutans sure liked to do things big!