Much of the Larkinson Clan had gathered today!
After residing almost half a year in the Cinach System, Ves and a substantial proportion of the clan’s combat forces were finally scheduled to leave.
Before that happened, the clan made sure to throw a huge celebration.
“Congratulations for reaching expert candidate!”
The lucky adopted Larkinson smiled for posterity as his dashing figure held the hand of his girlfriend.
The Two J’s as they were starting to get called had become one of the hottest young couples of the Larkinson Clan.
Everyone knew that Joshua and Jannzi Larkinson possessed a bright future! They may very well soon be expert pilots that every warrior in the Larkinson would look up to! As long as one of them advanced, the clan would no longer be worse off than the Larkinson Family when it came to martial prowess.
From a political standpoint, Ves couldn’t be happier for the pairing. As young expert candidates, they not only supported each other, but also represented the fusion between old and new Larkinsons.
Within the huge, festive hall that could house thousands of people, an enormous crowd of Larkinsons mingled with each other as they joyously toasted the latest Larkinson to have breached beyond human limits.
Each of the Larkinsons wore the same style of uniforms, their colors only differing by the branch they worked for. Yet no matter how they differed, each clansman wore the symbol of the Golden Cat on their backs, thereby presenting an incredibly strong united front!
In order to increase the harmony of the hall, Ves had added some of his personal touches to the interior. The clan emblem had been affixed to each large wall. Over a hundred life-like projections of the Golden Cat flew over everyone’s heads and played with each other like real cats.
Kids giggled as the projected cats playfully wooshed through their bodies, depositing some of the clan’s precious new Larkinson merits to their accounts!
The clan had also distributed a number of charming-looking Golden Cat statues in the hall. Sized like cows, these statues looked imposing enough to convey a lot of presence, but were still small enough to fit through a standard corridor.
Ves did not make them just to spice up the celebrations. The statues also served as totems for the clan’s Ancestral Spirit. They not only provided Goldie with a strong channel to extend her influence, but also earned everyone’s appreciation for their exquisite craftsmanship.
Even if Ves did not specialize in crafting statues, with three masterwork mechs under his belt, his ability to shape any object had increased remarkably. Though this boost mostly applied to mechs, in truth it also affected anything else that shared something in common!
In fact, he suspected that this might be one of the reasons why Star Designers eventually expanded their scope beyond mechs.
Their mech affinity may have reached such an insanely high level that any machine no longer seemed mysterious to them. Whether it was ships, space stations or even grander designs, all of them shared the same root as mechs.
Perhaps to Star Designers, mechs no longer seemed special to them, which was why they removed the word ‘mech’ from their title!
He shook his head. Thinking about Star Designers was way too premature. Right now, he wanted to enjoy the party he organized!
Even though more than twenty-thousand people had gathered in the huge venue rented by the clan, Ves did not worry about any attacks.
A large number of mechs from every combat branch of the clan were stationed just outside and in orbit. At fixed intervals, a portion of their mech pilots rotated so that everyone had an opportunity to take part in the celebration.
No Larkinson was left out!
Of course, the Penitent Sisters hovered around as well. Their formidable Hexer mechs patrolled and remained in silent vigil, causing every other outfit or organization on Cinach VI to steer clear of the site!
Standing on a raised platform reserved for the leaders and upper hierarchy of the clan, Ves and Gloriana both held hands as they wore more resplendent outfits.
Ves wore his standard uniform, but added a grand red cape that bore the clan emblem and some additional flourishes.
Gloriana meanwhile wore a brilliant blue dress that featured moving patterns of elegant-looking fish.
Their cats weren’t too far away. Lucky and Clixie both kept the Larkinson Mandate company. The book hovered over a majestic-looking pedestal and spun lazily on its axis.
As the spirit that watched over the entire clan, Goldie was having the time of her life! Her presence suffused the hall, and the joyous emotions of the Larkinsons fed straight back, causing her to swell with power and affection!
“It’s amazing to see how much we’ve grown in just a year.” Melkor noted with admiration.
The Avatar Commander cut a dashing figure himself. With a new, slimmer second-class visor model and some rank insignia on his uniform, Melkor exuded a commanding demeanor that was no less than that of an elder!
“You know, I never asked why you wear something over your eyes all the time.” Ves spoke up. “Is there something wrong with your vision? You can just stop by the Larkinson Biotech Institute if you need something fixed.”
“It’s none of your business, Ves.”
Hardly any clansman dared to speak that way to him nowadays. His stature continually increased with each and every accomplishment he made. In addition, the rapid growth of the clan he founded also turned him into a revered figure akin to senior statesmen such as Senator Tovar!
Though Gloriana frowned a bit, Ves squeezed her hand. The Larkinson Clan had never insisted on excessive formality and strict hierarchies. Besides, it felt good to be around people who he didn’t need to put on any airs.
The more power he gained, the more restricted he felt. It became increasingly more difficult for him to break the expectations set upon him. The transition happened too quickly for Ves to grow into his leadership role.
In that regard, Melkor was better off. While Ves had to bear the entire weight of the Larkinson Clan on his shoulders, his cousin only had to worry about the Avatars of Myth. It was no surprise that the Avatar Commander adjusted to his role much better.
After chatting with Melkor, Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson approached as well.
“My grandson will be taking part in your mission as well.” He sighed.
Ves nodded. “There is no peace in the Nyxian Gap. Tusa will be able to find plenty of opportunities to test his limits.”
“I’m aware that this is what he wants.” Raymond spoke with concern. “That boy wants to be the first clansman to advance to expert pilot. Jannzi is giving him a lot of pressure.”
“It is in his nature to be flighty. Racing ahead of others is part of his personality.” Ves shrugged.
Though he had never paid a lot of attention to Tusa Billingsley-Larkinson, that did not mean the expert candidate was weak!
Tusa was the most formidable light skirmisher specialist in the clan. What Ves valued most in him was that Tusa acted responsibly and often spared some time to tutor other light mech specialists. The Flagrant Vandals even employed him as a guest instructor to facilitate their transition to light mechs!
“The Doom Guard is still selling well. It is even being exported to other star sectors, though not by us.” Raymond explained. “We have cautiously begun to set up subsidiaries in Vicious Mountain and Majestic Teal. However, not even the loyalty medallions we’ve sent will ensure we are able to exert sufficient control. We need the guarantee of the MTA in order to make our presence solid.”
Ves frowned. That cost a lot of merits, and he wasn’t sure whether it was worth it to spend that much. “Don’t be in a hurry. If need be, just slow down. We are already earning plenty of money from our current star sector and many of our most pressing needs have already been met. I’ll revisit this issue after I return from the Nyxian Gap. Depending on how many merits I’ve earned, I’ll look into borrowing the power of the MTA to reinforce our control over our expanding network.”
“That sounds good.”
After Raymond came some other figures. This was a rare opportunity to catch up with Ves outside his design lab, and plenty of people wanted to command his attention in order to draw attention to their own priorities.
Ves tired a bit from handling these issues. He felt as if his own clansmen were lobbying him as if he was a politician.
Soon enough, another couple stepped forward. Ves immediately scowled. “What are you two doing here?”
“Hey, Ves!” Raella grinned as she stood next to Vincent. “Thanks for all of the work you’ve done. Now that our clan is swimming in money, it’s a lot easier to get a hold of the funding required to set up the Larkinson Championship Series. I hope to begin the next duels in just half a year, with team battles coming six months later!”
That sounded remarkably quick! Even though Ves wasn’t very familiar with competitive circuits, he could easily imagine all of the infrastructure that needed to be set up in order to hold a safe and expensive competition.
“How did you manage to fund your venture so quickly? I don’t recall the Assembly expanding your budget.”
“We plan to keep costs fairly low at the start by restricting the duels to third-class mechs for now, so we don’t actually need an excessive amount of hex credits. The handout from the clan only makes up 20 percent of our funding. We managed to obtain the rest through attracting investment. It’s all Vincent’s idea.”
The man in question patted his broad chest. “There’s a lot of interest in the LCS throughout the clan. When I saw how eager Avatars wanted to prove that they were the best or how domineering the Swordmaidens wanted to vanquish over everyone else, I recognized an opportunity. What if we can channel the rivalries within the clan in the arena?”
“You don’t mean…”
“It’s exactly what you think, Ves.” Raella grinned. “I managed to convince several bigshots within the clan to invest in the LCS. In exchange, they not only get shares in our organization, but are also allowed to field a team!”
“Who did you manage to convince so far?”
“A couple.” Raella raised her fingers in succession. “First, there’s Commander Dise of the Swordmaidens. She plans to pick a group of her most competitive mech pilots to form the Amazons. Then there’s Melkor, who has already set up the Golden Avatars. Commander Orfan enthusiastically pitched in as well. I heard the Flagrant Vandals have already formed a team organization called the 100 Scoundrels. I’m still in negotiation with the Battle Criers and the Living Sentinels, but I expect them to put forth their own teams very soon.”
“Don’t forget about me!” Vincent grinned. “Team Solo Vincent will steamroll all of the competition once the first season starts!”
Though Ves was not particularly enthused by Raella and Vincent, he had to admit that they were certainly enterprising. Their success in attracting investment was a testament to their business acumen!
“Why tell us all of this? I’m not involved in this venture.”
“We still have a few team slots left. Since you and your girlfriend are so loaded with money, would any of you like to become a partner as well? It will be fun! We can fight for pride and glory!”
“No.” Ves resolutely shook his head. “I’m not interested.”
Gloriana on the hand looked intrigued. “I don’t know Ves. It sounds like a great way to have some fun.”
“So you’re willing to invest in us?!” Realla looked excited.
“Only if I’m allowed to field Hexers in my team.”
The condition caused the rest to look astonished. Vincent and Realla frowned a bit. They looked to each other before nodding.
“We can do that. Some additional challenges will certainly stoke up the competition. Since all of the mech pilots in our clan will promote to a higher class sooner or later, the differences won’t be great. Have you figured out a team name already?”
“Yes. My team shall be known as Cloud 6!”
