"So you're finally leaving." "You sound as if you already predicted this outcome in advance." "You're a gem in a pile of trash. Anyone who has spent enough time around you will realize that as long as you don't get yourself killed for a stupid reason, you are destined to go further. This day had to come sooner or later. I just didn't expect it to happen this soon, but that proves that the mechers have a good eye tor talent." "I don't blame you. J share the same thoughts. Moving up at this time is both a curse and a blessing. Ou the one hand, 1 can gain access to much greater knowledge and resources than before. On lhe other hand, I've become so exposed that every move I make will have massive implications. A part of me still yearns to go back to the life of a relatively quirky and dispensable second-class mech designer." "You did what was necessary lo preserve your interests and prevent us from losing our freedom. This can happen al any lime, even when it is inconvenient, it is your ability lo adapt and improvise that will determine whether you will get ahead or fall behind. You made the right decision, Ves. Now you need to deal with rhe consequences of your own actions." The time for Ves to part ways with the expeditionary Heel had come closer. His clan already made sufficient arrangements to continue the operation of the main fleet in his absence. His allies had already been informed and made the appropriate adjustments. Ves just wanted to visit a few of his friends and acquaintances one last time before he left for rhe upper zones. The former Skull Architect readily invited his guest to his design lab. It wasn't as if his mech designs were of much value to the likes of a tier 3 galactic citizen. "I'm counting on you to keep lhe expeditionary Heel intact, Benedict. Out of everyone who will remain in lhe Heel, I trust your judgment lhe most. You are lhe only person among us whose experience in adversity is close to mine. This is why I feel most relieved by giving you operational command. The Larkinsons will listen to you in times when it is appropriate. Hopefully, General Verle will defer to your advice and instructions just as he did with mine." Master Benedict Cortez nodded in a serious manner. "I will do my best lo earn lhe trust of your fellow Larkinsons. 1 am nol going easy on them, though. You are fortunate enough that the mechers have decided to fast-track you, but that doesn't mean that you have gotten rid of me. I have my own ambitions. However, I can only resort to more ordinary means to get started with first-class mech designs." That was going to take a long time. Master Mech Designers had to abide by much higher standards in order to get taken seriously in a first-class mech market. The amount of knowledge and high technologies they needed to learn was astronomical! Ves found it rather curious that Master Benedict actually chose to reject Che offer of an EdNet quota. The man was determined to go his own way. "Are you going to take advantage of the New Elites Program to move your way up, Benedict?" "I am. Since the Fist of Defiance was generous enough to break apart Che status quo and allow for the rise of a new generation of leaders, it would be stupid for me co let this opportunity pass. Exciting times are ahead tor all of us. He has single-handedly restored my faith in red humanity. 1 think it is very much possible for the Cross Clan and I to rise up and become a small part of the first-class power structure. We just need to earn enough war merits and avoid a miserable death, which is admittedly challenging during these turbulent times." Ves smiled at the Master Mech Designer. "1 hope your tone does not match your approach. I'm not sure how much information you have about our opposition, but the native aliens will not let you run them over with ease. You have already witnessed the power of their warships. Not all of them are as scary as they sound, but the aliens are bound to upgrade their vessels with stolen human tech. Make sure you scout your targets in advance and never let the aliens take you by surprise." "You do not need to teach the art of war to me, Ves. Besides, if I happen to overlook a few details, the leaders of your clan will definitely give me a reminder, at least lhe ones that have chosen to remain that is. The Golden Skull Alliance is filled with talents and highly knowledgeable experts. Let them prove that they can manage without you. Our people cannot grow up if you constantly feel compelled to act as their parent." The older mech designer was right. Ves frequently felt anxious about letting his clansmen resume the Trailblazer Expedition without his supervision, but there was little he could do about it. Benedict was correct about needing to let go and allow his clansmen to bloom by themselves. "The New Elites Program is able to offer anyone a pathway to the top, but they have to rely on their own efforts for the most part." Ves remarked. "It's harsh but fair. I guess that Is the only way that the Red Two can whip people into shape to the point where they can adequately resist the aliens." Master Benedict turned and faced Ves directly. "Failure is inevitable, you know that? Sooner or later, we will collide against a more powerful alien force and suffer severe casualties as a consequence. The Larkinsons you regard as your friends and family may perish in large numbers. Not even our expert pilots are exempt from this. Are you prepared to let them continue their expeditions knowing that they may pay the ultimate price for their ambition?" Ves closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I know what you are saying. I am not ignoring this risk. I hope lhal my clansmen will be able to keep themselves safe for a long lime, but if they want to become a linelighter or warfighter so badly, they need to accept the risks that come with these honored positions. Part of the reason why the mechers are pushing the Deep Strike Flan is to weed out the incompetent. Our clansmen must pass the test set by the Fist of Defiance if they want to enjoy the rewards that come with becoming a New Elite." One of the reasons why a lot of mechers were initially hesitant about the Deep Strike Plan was because it entailed a lot of risks and dangers. Not everyone could succeed. There would be lots of people who would either overestimate their abilities or suffer a streak of bad luck in the process of lighting against the aliens. The fault tolerance in any serious battle against a powerful opponent was inherently low! This meant that even the simplest of errors could lead to lots of deaths. Ves did not want to experience a future where he would receive news that the expeditionary fleet lost half of their men. He especially did not want to live in a reality where his closest friends and comrades such as Venerable Joshua Larkinson and Commander Melkor Larkinson died while he was too far away to provide enough assistance! Still, the probability of that happening shouldn't be too high. The Larkinson Clan had plenty of trump cards, from battle networks to retaining access to the Spirit of Bentheim. Ves actually felt tempted to bring his upgraded factory ship along his journey to the upper zones, but he would probably become a laughing stock if he did so. The vessel may have reached quasi-first-class standards, but that was just a fancy way of saying that it was still a second-class capital ship in essence! The first-raters tended to be very snobbish about standards. If Ves wanted to get taken seriously, then he needed to make use of a first-class starship. The Bluejay Fleet of the Red Association was enough to satisfy this requirement for the time being. He could work towards upgrading the Spirit of Bentheim to a proper first-class factory ship in the following years. Il wouldn't be too difficult to turn her into a ship that wouldn't look too out of place in the most prosperous regions of human space. Much of her hull had already received a lot of high-quality structural renewals in advance. Ves only needed to find a way to upgrade his flagship's power generators, the computer processors and the superdrives. He then needed to secure enough first-class personnel to man lhe upgraded sialions. Thai should be enough lo barely push lhe Spirit of Bernheim into first-class territory. "So what is the Cross Clan's blueprint for the next decade? How do you intend to catch up to me? Will you truly invest your efforts into helping the Crossers that are effectively under your control, or are you thinking about going solo?" Master Benedict crossed his arms. "Good help is hard to find. You should know chat well. Due to the existence of the Cross Network, rhe Crossers are the most trustworthy and reliable soldiers that I can count upon. It will be difficult and costly to uplift some of them to first-class standards, but this effort is bearable due to the opportunities provided by the New Elites Program. I have to admit that if the Fist of Defiance did not win out, I might have chosen differently. Since thal is not lhe case, I see no need to divest myself from the Cross Clan." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂 "It sounds as if you have found your people." "I won't necessarily say that." The Master Mech Designer shook his head. "1 do admit that these people have grown on me. They are obedient and adhere to military discipline. They are skilled and motivated enough to embrace the mechs that I have designed for them. Their patriarch is difficult to manage, but other than the Crossers have potential, especially now that we have entered an age where their martial culture fits with the times. Perhaps the only notable fault is that they are not as charming as your Larkinsons." The Crossers were a bit lacking in terms of diversity and personality. Ves smirked in response. "Well, your kinship network is overseen by a spirit derived from a serious ace pilot. My clan is watched over by a playful cat. Aside from that, the rules we set and our recruitment policies have all shaped our organizations in different ways. You should loosen up your clan and widen the pool of recruitment if you want to increase its versatility." "I think we shall stick to our current policies. We have our own ways." The two mech designers talked a bit more. They shared their visions of the future as well as their plans for the coming years. Master Benedict Cortez had already begun to make a bit more progress in developing a viable means for his mechs to power their electronic systems through E energy radiation, it was quite impressive how he managed to utilize his Endex System as a springboard into researching a much more powerful version that readily exploited the new circumstances! As long as he worked fast enough, he had a good chance of making a huge contribution to red humanity. If his work could potentially make conventional power sources unnecessary, lhen lhe mechers would definitely (real him well! Still, competition was fierce. Many other mech designers and researchers aimed to invent similar solutions. Ves wasn't too optimistic that Master Benedict would be able to succeed, but he still had plenty of time to do better in the future. Master Benedict had a much better chance of becoming a warlord first. No amount of book learning and minor experiences could match what the former fugitive had gone through. Though the older man had been forced to abandon his old name and life in order to adapt to a more civilized society, it was time for him to go back to his roots.