Chapter 7349: Outdated Principles The thought of getting attacked by a small army of honorable mech pilots sounded ridiculous in this day and age, but the circumstances forced Ves to take this threat seriously. He truly felt as if he had entered into a bizarre timeline. Due to the appearance of a single catalyst for explosive technological change, those within human society who had reason to oppose the advances may actually choose to forsake their oaths and fight against their fellow brothers and sisters! It all depended on what these deluded soldiers valued and how they interpreted their service. Though Ves did not want to believe that these discontented fellows could muster up a force that was strong enough to threaten the safety of the research specimen, the Secret Department’s warning made it clear that this was no joke. "Remember that these extremists do not need to be strong or numerous enough to defeat the entire escort fleet." Secret Keeper Zariel-775 reminded him. "They only need to possess enough capabilities to destroy the Ixith Goliath that is currently frozen in stasis. If these soldiers are fanatical enough to disregard their lives and reputations, then they may be able to accomplish the impossible. Never underestimate the willingness for humans to sacrifice themselves for their ideals." In other words, only the most insane and deluded soldiers would attempt such an insane operation. As long as they committed to this action and successfully intercepted the escort fleet, a confrontation would be inevitable. There was no way to persuade these misguided fools into breaking off their attacks. This was because they were utterly convinced that the Ixith Goliath posed an existential threat against the honor and status of high-ranking mech pilots! Ves tiredly rubbed his face. "These goddamn mech pilots. The MTA’s generational propaganda has pushed their status to an unnatural height. For so many years, our entire society has treated them as the protagonists of the Age of Mechs. Now that we have transitioned to the Age of Dawn, it appears that many of these supposedly honorable soldiers and warriors are unwilling to relinquish their monopoly on true resonance." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 He could understand the perspective of this class of people. They enjoyed an eminent status because they all held the potential to become the ultimate human gods. Now that an emerging new technology appeared that had the potential to steal and commoditize their greatest strength, many of them would definitely feel pissed! However, Ves felt this was a shortsighted perspective. The Red War and the Voribug War had been grueling to red humanity. The border regions suffered an enormous degree of erosion. Even if the frontlines hadn’t been moved back by a lot, that was only because the major human powers had been expending a lot of military forces that they had previously imported from the Milky Way Galaxy en masse. Those margins had grown dangerously thin after years of fighting. Only the arrival of the Cybernetic Empire brought up red humanity’s available troop numbers, but the vast military buildup of Bridgehead One alone could not possibly cover the needs of every front. Red humanity needed the power of stolen resonance. Ves readily acknowledged the ethical and moral problems related to acquiring sources of extraordinary willpower, but human civilization could not afford to let these issues hinder the development of a lifesaving branch of technology! He made his stance clear to the secret keeper who undoubtedly received an assignment to determine his stance. "These dissidents are not evil, but misguided." Ves honestly voiced his own thoughts. "Their honor exists to serve our race. Their principles exist precisely to contain their destructive power and limit the damage they can do to our society. When the changing times have caused a misalignment between their principles and the current needs of the human race, the correct response is to recontextualize their values. Their insistence on sticking to their outdated rules and their utter refusal to adapt themselves to the current era is unacceptable. We have no need for fossils who are obsessed with the glory of a fading age. As long as they become a hindrance... then destroying them is justified." A solemn silence ensued as both Ves and the secret keeper contemplated the rich meanings behind those words. "Well-articulated." Zariel-775 made a small nod in acknowledgement. "I suggest you turn that into a speech and broadcast it throughout the entire escort fleet. Let everyone know what is at stake and what the correct response should be. Do not make them regret turning their weapons against their fellow humans if the time calls for it. We cannot fail in our mission. The Ixith Goliath must reach the Yernstall Central Star Node." "I guarantee that my forces and I will do our best." Ves responded. "I cannot make any other promises than that. I do not control all of the variables." "Much of the safety of the research specimen relies upon the will of Saint Rosa Orfan. Can we trust her to do what is necessary and turn her deadly spear against fellow mech pilots and maybe even other high-ranking mech pilots?" Ves smiled. "She will. She has her principles, but they are noticeably looser and less stuffy than that of others. Saint Orfan is a woman who chases after power. I do not think she cares too much about the possible rise of stolen resonance technology. She has her own destiny. If anything, the arrival of new competition will prompt her to fight harder." "That is how a true strongwoman should think." Zariel-775 gave a rare hint of satisfaction. "Make sure to prepare your newest ace mech as well as your Ascended Giants for... anti-mech combat. The probability of facing warships is low, but the probability of fighting against mechs is 100 percent." "There will be no problems in this regard." Ves confidently said. "My giants may have faltered when fighting against the Goliath Hive, but it will be a different story when they fight against more familiar adversaries. As for my Riot Mark III, it has very few challengers throughout human-occupied space. The only threat that we need to be serious about is another full superdimensional ace mech. Can you tell us if it is possible to encounter one of them along our journey?" The secret keeper paused for a short moment. "We do not have all of the information, director. We have done our best to track every movement of mid-to-high-grade superdimensional matter, and we know where the Rubarthans and other powers have spent much of their bounty on, but... the veil of secrecy is hard to pierce. That said, I am of the opinion that this possibility is not high. Only the most trusted and proven of heroes have received the first batch of full superdimensional mechs. If they have disregarded their orders and chosen to take matters into their own hands, then they will have thoroughly burned their bridges and declared themselves renegades to all of red humanity." In other words, it was not impossible for Saint Rosa Orfan to get confronted by an equal or superior opponent! The very thought of it evoked a lot of frustration in Ves. Full superdimensional mechs had become the latest and greatest trump card of red humanity. These were ultimate weapons that needed to be employed against the real enemies of their civilization. To have these magnificent machines turn their formidable strength against each other was a huge waste! Regardless of who won or lost, red humanity would definitely bleed as a consequence! Though Ves was not willing to believe that any of the major powers managed to lose control of a full superdimensional mech, he could not afford to disregard this possibility. It would be safer to assume the worst-case scenario would happen and plan around this future. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, then." Ves said with new determination. "My staff and I need intelligence. We need to know what possible threats of significance that we may face. Please gather any scrap of information you have on ace pilots with strong principles that are close enough to be able to intercept our fleet. They should be our focus. As for expert pilots and ordinary soldiers, I do not see how they can pose a significant threat. Perhaps you can trace their movements if they are trying to act in coordination with hostile saints." "Do not tell us how to conduct our investigations. We have already begun to monitor the individuals in question. The entire Astral Octagon has invested significant resources in assisting our work. This matter is too important to overlook even the smallest of details." The two continued to talk a bit about specific measures. Security needed to be upgraded and communications needed to be locked down. The escort fleet also needed to chart a more circuitous and randomized route in order to make interception harder. This would unfortunately extend the date of arrival, but it couldn’t be helped. Following a mostly straight line from Philaster Crestia to Yernstall was way too predictable! "Is there anything else I should know?" Ves asked as the meeting came to an end. "Yes. Although you have resigned from your position as the chief councilor of the Upper Council of the Red Collective, large developments have occurred that you should be informed about. Multiple groups of individuals have founded a number of cults. The individuals in question are both extraordinary and highly accomplished in their new fields. We believe that their cults have great potential and will become a fixture in our evolving society." Ves nodded. "I am sure they are important and all, but I don’t have time to examine them at the moment. The laboratory calls. I have been holding myself back long enough. Studying the Ixith Goliath now that it is still within my reach supersedes almost all of my other needs. If you have any other information that I should know, then compile a report and send it to me. You can contact me directly if anything happens that is directly related to the security of our package and our escort fleet." He had lost his patience. He had enough of talking. Once the secret keeper confirmed that he had conveyed everything essential, Ves quickly said goodbye before leaving the meeting room. Before he headed over to the laboratory, he briefly returned to his state room and met with his children again. "Papa!" "You’re finally back!" Ves temporarily shed his burdens and smiled as he bent down to hug his two children. "I missed you so much." He said as he hugged and took in the scents of his son and daughter. "Meow." Lucky lazily yawned as he rested on a couch. "Miaow~" Clixie enthusiastically trod forward and pressed her body against his legs. Most of his thoughts about the possibility of fighting against human extremists faded from his mind as he quickly brought his children up to date about his latest battlefield exploits. His children had been scared when they saw the mighty Ixith Goliath beat up the Dark Apostle. Ves felt rather embarrassed, but he tried his best to tell his children that he was not as threatened as it seemed. "Your old man still has a few trump cards, you know. I never enter the battlefield without a trick or two. The Level 8 Goliath may have caught me by surprise by how powerful it turned out, but I am not that easy to kill." "Liar." Andraste accused her own father. "That battle was way too close. Saint Rosa is the only reason why you got away so easily. Please don’t be so reckless next time. Why don’t you call back Dise and other powerful Larkinsons? We have so many of them, papa!" "I would like to, but it is not that simple, my dear." Ves explained with a sigh. "The Premier Fleet is currently contracted to assist the Terran Alliance in defending its own frontline. That is not a responsibility that they can shake off lightly. Even if they want to come back and reinforce us, the distance is too far. They won’t make it in time."