Compared to the Adelaides, the Boojays were a bunch of oddballs. Unlike most of the losers of power struggles that eventually went into exile, the Boojay Family simply couldn't accept its defeat and continued to cling onto its bitter past. Ves thought that it was a rather sad and pathetic attempt to cling to forgotten glory. The Boojays turned into sore losers who did not choose to make the sensible decision and accept their diminished lot in life. Instead, the leaders continued to draft the descendants of the family into a deluded and incredibly foolish quest to depose a core Terran power! The Chabran Ancient Clan that had driven out the Boojays a long time ago was not any average pushover. If the Yorul-Tavik Clan where Lord Pearian hailed from was a modest trade-oriented organization in the galactic center, the Chabran Ancient Clan was one of the major influences of a first-rate superstate! The Chabrans not only grasped a high degree of authority and autonomy on its own territories, but also spread out millions if not billions of loyal and filial descendants throughout all of the massive institutions of the superstate! The Chabran Ancient Clan therefore wielded both concentrated power and widespread influence. It had become so unassailable and unshakable within the Terran Confederation that no outside organization could possibly displace and replace such an entrenched clan! This sounded like a fool's errand of epic proportions! Ves believed that if the Boojays ever became crazy enough to travel all the way to the Terran Confederation so that they could wrestle against the Chabrans, the other Ancient Clans would soon rise up to reinforce the latter! After all, if an outside group with just the barest hint of a claim to the territories of the Terran Confederation could actually succeed in displacing an existing ancient clan, then all of the other ones became vulnerable to external challenges as well! Whether the Boojays understood this reality or not, Ves could not say for certain, but he did not hear much encouraging words from the matriarch of this madhouse of a family. "The opening of the Red Ocean is an event that reveals that destiny is in our favor." Matriarch Rezzie Boojay rambled. "Compared to the old galaxy, there is still an untold amount of riches and plunder in the new frontier that are still ripe for the taking. Many pioneers shall fall in the pursuit of greatness, but we must persevere because our ancestors are still waiting for us to return their ashes to the graveyards of their homelands." "You respect your ancestors a lot, I see. That is a great virtue. I truly wish you good luck on your endeavor, but there is so much we can do to help you on your way." The matriarch reined in her exuberance and gave him a friendly look. "We did not request to join your Golden Skull Alliance in order for you to fight our battles on our behalf. We have our mechs, expert mechs and ace mechs to rely upon. We mainly wish to join forces with you so that we can challenge greater alien opponents and yield vastly greater rewards upon defeating them. The joint operation organized by the Gemini Family has shown us that there is a faster means of earning a multitude of phasewater, resources, money and MTA merits." Ves nodded. "That is true, and we welcome you into our alliance as long as you are willing to abide by our rules. No matter what your ultimate goals you are pursuing, we in the alliance are united by our commonalities, not our differences. Everyone in our group wants to become stronger. That is what we are all fighting for. You will be in good company as long as this goal fits into your own plans." They chatted a bit more, but Ves did not manage to warm up to Matriarch Rezzie Boojay as well as General Herman Foraine. The latter possessed a more modest background and still retained a touch of his humble past, just like Ves. That caused both men to click with each other and talk frankly without being too concerned about differences in perspective and social taboos. The matriarch of the Boojay Family was a lot stiffer and more formal in comparison. It didn't help that she was considerably older than the likes of General Foraine. The gray-haired woman wielded authority for so long that it had become ingrained in her aging but still vigorous bones. She seemed to possess no casual interests and never let down her airs. Ves decided to bring up the topics he really wanted to raise with the Boojays. He gave her the same spiel about how danger could creep up on them at any moment. "Your concerns are valid." Matriarch Rezzie Boojay said. "However, as long as we remain guests of this planet, we can enjoy the hospitality of Davute. We have not remained here for long, but from what we have gathered so far, the local institutions have proven to be credible and trustworthy partners." "That description fits the overall administration of Davute, but it does not rule out that differences of opinion within the ranks can lead to unauthorized actions. Some of them may be detrimental to third parties such as us. I may not have lived as long as you, but in my limited experiences, I have found that it is always better to rely on our own troops." The female leader looked sympathetic towards him. "Your words ring true, but our Royal Jeem piloted by our only Saint is not close enough to intervene if the Davutans have lost control over this district." Neither of them could do anything about this. Ves inwardly cursed the excessive precautions of the Davutans once again. "Then I suggest you study an overview of the forces that you have on hand and remind them of how they need to respond if any irregularities occur. This day may proceed just as our hosts have planned, but if there is the smallest chance of disruptions, you and your family need to be ready to make proactive moves rather than react in a more passive manner. Take it from a clan leader who has learned this lesson the hard way." Ves already pushed at the limit that Calabast had explained to him. From the moment he started talking, he began to play with fire by dropping vague hints that all may not be what they seemed. He truly could not tell whether General Herman Foraine and Matriarch Rezzie Boojay picked up the hidden meaning behind his message. Both of them were clever in their own right, but whether they were willing to believe that Davute was unreliable was another matter. If Ves tried to push his message a bit too much, then he would not only turn into a liability to the powerful conspirators, but also risk getting dismissed as a conspiracy theorist by his intended audience. He left the gathering of Boojays shortly after that. He did not count on them to provide any timely assistance as their ace mech was not only stationed further away, but the Royal Jeem was also considerably slower than the Jedda Sandivar. Ves tried to track down the members of the Cross Clan, but the venues were too big and expansive. The Crossers could have holed up in one of the many reception rooms and lounges that the Davutans had prepared in order to encourage greater levels of cooperation between the stakeholders of the colonial state. The interference field blocked most forms of communications so it was not as if he could call Master Benedict Cortez over the comm. A loud chime soon sounded across the city. This was a signal that the next phase of the founding ceremony was about to commence. The majority of the invited guests headed in the same direction. Some walked on the ground while others used their antigrav clothing to fly above everyone's heads. Many of them poured into a series of large floating halls that had been specially constructed for a specific purpose. Each of them was notable, but the one floating in the center was the most important of them all. Only the highest representatives of each group could head inside. Thousands of round dining tables awaited the people inside. The white walls were decorated with real paintings and virtual With banners representing Davute as well as different groups hanging from the ceiling, it was pretty easy for the newcomers to seek out their assigned places. When Ves arrived at his assigned table that was located close to the front and center of the large and opulent hall. The position of this table reflected the high regard that Davute held towards the Larkinsons. "Papa! You're back again!" Andraste squealed as she sat on her elevated kid's seat. Ves grinned and moved forward so that he could hug his second daughter and kiss her on the top of her head. "Hello again, pumpkin. Have you had fun so far?" "Everything looks so pretty, but nothing is happening. When will the fun stuff start?" "It will not start in at least another hour. A few minutes from now, a bunch of important people will step forward and hold a bunch of important speeches." "Boring~" The current stage of the founding ceremony was not geared towards children. Perhaps only Aurelia might find the speeches engaging due to her growing expertise on leadership, politics and governance. One of the more interesting aspects of the seating arrangements of this stage was that Ves and his little family weren't sitting here alone. The top representatives of another group had been assigned to the other half of the round table. The purpose behind this arrangement was clear. Davute wanted its stakeholders to meet with fellow investors of the colonial state and forge new agreements as a result. More deals translated to a greater integration into the Davutan community. It became much harder for organizations to pull themselves out of the colonial state when they were anchored by a larger amount of commitments and contracts. Davute sorely needed more committed investors and business partners who were willing to commit for the long haul! After a short wait, a group of four distinguished ladies and gentlemen wearing refined but understated black suits approached and confirmed that they had found the right seats. "Ah, you are from the Larkinson Clan. We have heard much about you and your exploits. It is a pleasure to meet you." The oldest man with graying hair and beard spoke as he extended his hand. Ves stood up and shook hands with the man who unquestionably conveyed authority. "It is nice to meet you, but I am afraid that I am not acquainted with you and your organization. Could you introduce yourselves?" "My name is Bonte Richardson. I have many functions and titles, but I am primarily known for being the current chairman of DEP Construction. The friends that I have brought are also board members. We decide the overall strategic direction of the company that we have been entrusted to oversee." "That is... interesting." Ves said as he tried his best to maintain his enthusiasm. "So how big is your company and what sort of work does it do? I take it that it is not an average construction company." "We are not the largest construction company in Davute, but we are constantly expanding our operations due to persistent demand for high-quality structures. We can build anything from civilian condominiums to artificial floating islands. However, we are most known for erecting strong land-based defensive fortifications." Chairman Richardson explained as he sat down on his seat. "I see. Has your company built a lot of fortifications in this star system?" Richardson responded with a rich grin. "We have completed many aboveground and underground fortifications that are of great strategic importance to Davute. We are proud of our completed projects and the trust that the colonial government places in our work methods." Now that truly stood out to Ves. "That sounds impressive. Is there a reason why your construction company has received so much trust from the government? No casual construction company can build so many military strongholds." "You are correct in that." Richardson nodded. "The truth is that DEP Construction is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Serenitas Foundation. I believe you understand what that means." Ves widened his eyes when he heard the name of the second organization. Before he could issue his comment, his wife already blurted out her own thoughts. "Serenitas Foundation is one of the original founders and investors of the Davute Project! It carries just as much weight in this colony as the Clive Consortium!"