6907 Initially Unpopular As the secret conversation between Ves and Master Laila Devos neared its end, tension still existed between the two mech designers. They were too different from each other. They belonged to completely different generations and grew up under radically different environments. Their life trajectories were far apart from each other. Given all of these differences, was it any surprise that they failed to establish a close connection to each other? "The fundamental reason why you are unable to understand our desire for independence and nationhood is because you have never become a part of a strong state." The old woman remarked. "Think back on the first two or three decades of your life. How did you feel about the Bright Republic? How loyal were you to your home state? Do you think that you would have been willing to sacrifice your life to defend your state and its people?" Though Ves rarely thought about his past, he couldn't help but look back and recall what it was like. He used to be a lot more naive, ill-informed and muddle-headed at the time. Yet Ves admired his old self for possessing a noble heart and mind. Although he was not exemplary in any way, there was still a part of him that sincerely wanted to dedicate his life to protecting the state and more importantly the civilians that could use his protection. Unfortunately, this noble sentiment did not last. Ves let out another sigh in regret. "Ever since the Bright Republic sold me out, my faith in states and the powers that hold the reins of power over there have plummeted. Subsequent events have only reinforced my initial impression. Perhaps I have been extraordinarily unlucky during my journeys, but many states that had a chance to impress me ultimately did the opposite. By this time, I dare not trust any government or comparable institution. This is why I am more than willing to become a 'fence sitter' once you enact your secession plan. I don't dare to put my future in the hands of any powerful nation state." "And that is why you prefer to build your own nation state instead." Master Laila smirked as if the two were the same kind of conspirators. "Our plans do not necessarily conflict with yours. In fact, your clan stands to gain considerable rights and operating space once we have beaten back the oppressive control of the mechers and the fleeters. Your clan's neutral position puts you in a favorable position. We bear all of the risks, but you do not. If we succeed in our aims, then you stand to receive all of the benefits despite your lack of active participation." In other words, she accused the Larkinsons of freeloading, yet her tone clearly conveyed her lack of care towards this opportunistic behavior. The Terrans did not need the help of the Larkinson Clan, but they were more than willing to welcome the Larkinsons into the fold once their gambit delivered results. Ves could see that even if the Larkinson Clan continued to maintain its innocence, far too many people would naturally think that it was part of the same clique. Publishing denials would not work as the masses would rather believe in what they thought was the case. It would be an uphill battle to prove that the Larkinsons emphatically did not pick any side. "Perhaps you are right." He said with a frown that grew deeper. "My faith in government institutions has sunk so much that I can only extend my trust to my clan, and even that may not be as reliable as before. There is something… broken in me. What is unmade cannot become whole again. I really can't bring myself to put my trust in any government entity. Perhaps that sounds blasphemy to you, but I am merely the product of my own experiences. What I have witnessed throughout the years… has given me precious little reason to place much value in states, sovereign or otherwise." Master Laila expressed pity to Ves. "You poor boy. It is your misfortune that you were born far outside Terran space. If you had been born in our midst, you would have grown up in a 'state' that is fully deserving of your loyalty and faith. The dark days of the Age of Conquest may have forced us to bend the knee, but we have never been broken. We still uphold many of the values and principles that we revere for millenia. If you were a Terran like us, then any reasoning is redundant. You would have thrown your full support behind our initiative regardless of the risks." "I don't necessarily agree with you. It is exactly because I began my life in a weak third-rate state that I fought so hard to rise up the ranks and uplift myself. Only when you are at the bottom will you have the greatest motivation to rise to the top. It is unlikely that I would have been as successful as I am today if I was born in a prosperous first-rate superstate." They could never know for sure. Ves was born in the Bright Republic rather than other places. He was unique in many different ways. It was impossible to predict how his life would have unfolded if he grew up in a completely different place. Not even prophets could make such predictions. The air between the two mech designers eased for a bit. Although Ves still did not entirely agree with the secessionists, "Before we return to the banquet, I can answer one last question for you for friendship's sake. Please remember that I cannot divulge any sensitive information. Think carefully on what you wish to ask." This sounded like a precious opportunity to obtain slightly privileged but not completely confidential insider information. Ves needed to think carefully on what he should ask. Information was power. He had learned this lesson the hard way in the past. The more he knew, the lower his chances of suffering a disadvantage in the future. He did not rush to voice the first question that entered his mind, but thought carefully on what he should ask. He delegated most of his thinking power to it. Even his incarnations temporarily paused their duties and put their own minds to the task. When Ves thought about all of the implications of the upcoming secession attempt, he suddenly thought of a… concerning but not entirely unrealistic possibility. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦 "Master Laila." He spoke up again. "My question for you is rather difficult and sensitive. I completely understand if you do not want to answer it. If you do not wish to divulge any information on the subject, then just tell me so instead of responding with a lie. Is that alright?" "Ask your question, professor." "When the Terran Alliance declares its sovereignty, it will gain the power to engage in diplomacy. Does your nation state intend to uphold human supremacy as before, or drop it in favor of pursuing the possibility of forming an alliance with a native alien race?" This was a very weighty matter. Master Laila Devos recognized it as such, but she did not hold her mouth shut. "During the Age of Stars, we have given cosmopolitanism a chance. It failed. We embraced human supremacy despite many of the elites decrying this decision because of how absurdly the surrounding alien empires outnumbered us and surpassed us in technological development. You might not understand the history at the time, but back then, Supreme Marshal Caramond Perle had almost failed to spark off his revolution. The Cosmopolitan Movement used to be much more popular. In fact, it was still the dominant ideology even though its cracks had already started to show. Many institutions remained stuck in inertia." That was an interesting tidbit of history that Ves was not entirely clear of. He never really imagined that the cosmopolitans still managed to remain popular enough at the time. It showed that the transition from cosmopolitans to human supremacy did not happen overnight. It took a lot of time and bloody struggle for the Supreme Marshal and his growing following to prevail over the human traitors! As Ves took in the impromptu history lesson, he did not think that Master Laila Devos shared this particular story to him in order to voice her support for human supremacy. Instead, her true lesson was a little more subtle than that. As Ves continued to mull over her words, he realized that the past was a mirror of the present. "The situation is reversed for the current day." Ves said with growing insight. "The start of the Age of Conquest has cemented human supremacy as the dominant ideology of the human race going forward. It has upheld its dominance for many years, all the way up to current day. Even when certain individuals have begun to doubt the wisdom of excluding the possibility of cooperation with any alien race, they will instantly suffer retribution for showing any alleged sympathy for the alien race of the Red Ocean. They are our mortal enemies. How can we possibly think about prying a few of them from the Red Cabal and turning them into our allies?" This sounded completely crazy! Ves could hardly understand the logic behind such a demented plot. Yet… Master Laila Devos brought up this story in order to tell that the best decisions may not necessarily be the popular decisions. She also hinted that the Supreme Marshal that every human revered for truly bringing the human race to the stars started off incredibly unpopular, Caramond Perle had fought so much that he eventually managed to sway the masses with his example. "Cosmopolitans are hated everywhere." Ves spoke with a frown. "They will always get beat up and killed when exposed because their intentions are fundamentally misaligned with the prevailing ideology of our civilization. Anyone who even hints at supporting a future where they can ally and coexist with alien races would end up ruining their lives. Yet… if their solution happens to increase the chances that red humanity will survive… does it truly make sense to suppress it in the current day and age?" Ves would have gotten in trouble if he voiced this opinion. It was a good thing that this location should be secure. In any case, he recognized that the positions of ardent human supremacists in the past and supporters of peaceful coexistence with the native aliens in the present happened to be the same! Although Ves did not include actual cosmopolitans in his considerations, there had to be a lot of people who secretly thought that there had to be a better way to engage with aliens than to resort to genocide! Once the Terran Alliance and the Rubarthan Pact declared their independence, they could indeed seek to end hostilities and maybe even ally with more reasonable alien races! Of course, it would not be popular for the first-rate colonial superstates to push these controversial policies, but as long as it worked, they may be able to sway the opinion of the masses. Human supremacy had never become so fragile since the start of the Age of Conquest! Ves realized that nothing would piss off the mechers and the fleeters further than other humans forming their own treaties with different alien civilizations! Even if he still found it difficult to imagine a future where any human was able to tolerate living and working alongside native aliens, he could not completely rule out this possibility either. "Thank you for your clarification." Ves eventually said. "Your answer is very… insightful." "You are welcome, Ves. Remember that even if we consider… alternative strategies, we will never stoop so low as to cooperate with the Cosmopolitan Movement. These traitors have committed crimes against the Terran people since the dawn of our star empire. We have never forgotten what they have done, both in the distant past and in the most recent war. At least the native aliens are killing us for legitimate reasons. The cosmopolitans are responsible for killing untold amounts of human lives due to extremism for extremism's sake. We will never forgive them. Some principles must never be broken." While Ves grew a little more reassured after hearing that, in his opinion, the Terran Alliance actually had a lot in common with the Cosmopolitan Movement. Both of them were driven by fanatics who believed their cause was worth dying for! Both groups were mad. They just came in different brands of crazy as far as he was concerned!