The Mech Touch

Lieutenant Dominic Kronon and his two subordinates received a kingly reception upon their arrival to the war-stricken star system.

They came not as individuals, but representatives of their people and state. They wore their best dress uniforms as they attended a grand banquet in the presence of ministers, generals and other dignified officials.

As mere soldiers, they should have received the least attention out of the people present, but the circumstances were anything but unusual!

The Kronon mech pilots had already joined the Hunters of Ylvaine by virtue of their skill and record.

Not only that, but Dominic, Edward and Jezel all became one of the foremost representatives of the Eye of Ylvaine.

Not only did they test pilot the prototypes of the Deliverers, they also piloted the only three gold label Deliverers in existence!

Technically, the precious mechs still belonged to the LMC. However, Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson graciously lent the mechs to the Eye of Ylvaine as long as they were used to defend the Bright Republic.

With these great mechs about to show their magic, every Brighter in the Bentheim System anticipated a miracle!

Some of them even began to show some desire to convert to the Ylvainan Faith!

In their darkest moments, all of the enlightened ideals of the Bright Republic failed to give them solace!

Only the light of the Ylvainan Faith gave them warmth!

The second-class mercenary corps that recently lent their assistance at Bentheim failed to stir the people's hearts.

Not only did the Fridaymen mercenaries look down on the Brighters, they could only cover one direction at most!

Their role was extremely marginal in relation to the overall war theater. Even though they always smashed every sandman fleet that they met, the powerful mercenaries refused to split up and dilute their battle strength!

All of the goodwill that the Brighters held towards the Fridaymen mercenaries quickly evaporated. Though they still appreciated the help, their arrogant and dismissive attitudes did not win any hearts!

The three Kronons became the focus of many expectations.

To their credit, the three veteran Kronons endured the attention with stoic professionalism. They parroted the formal pleasantries that had been drilled in their heads and constantly smiled politely in public.

No matter how much they resented the Brighters for harming the Bright Martyr, they had to follow the arrangements of their superiors!

At this time, the Ylvaine Protectorate wanted to develop friendly relations with the Bright Republic!

"The Brighters really don't deserve to be saved." Jezebel Kronon whispered as they sat down at the seats of honor. "If I had my way, I would have stepped aside until they finally cough up the Bright Martyr."

"It's useless." Lieutenant Dominic admonished her. "Mr. Larkinson is long gone from the Bright Republic according to our sources. As much as we want to save him, we have an obligation to our people. The Protectorate needs us to play our roles."

Edward Klesser put his hand on Jezebel's shoulder. "The Great Prophet is watching over all of his believers. The Bright Martyr is no exception. Believe in Mr. Larkinson. He shall return. I am sure of it. His journey has not come to an end!"

The Kronons had little choice but to cling to faith.

As the dishes started arriving, several officials awkwardly approached the Hunters of Ylvaine, but failed to engage them in conversation.

They had too little in common. Though the Kronon mech pilots were decent in speaking prepared remarks, they possessed no diplomatic training to speak of. Their expressions of faith completely fell flat and their lingering animosity towards the Bright Republic made any attempts to forge a friendship a fruitless endeavor.

Fortunately, at least some higher ups anticipated such an outcome.

Ordinarily, soldiers understood other soldiers the best.

However, any officers of the Mech Corps received cold shoulders from the stoic Hunters of Ylvaine.

None of the three could forget how Venerable Ghanso Larkinson shot down over a hundred mechs while taking refuge behind his position in the Mech Corps!

Even though Ghanso was only one mech pilot among many, the entire service had been tarnished in the eyes of the Kronon Dynasty!

As far as they were concerned, the entire Mech Corps carried the sin of betraying the Bright Martyr!

It was already a miracle in itself that Jezebel Kronon resisted the urge to punch the mech captain who tried to engage her in conversation!

"Calm down, sergeant." Dominic softly rebuked her. "You are visibly losing control. Don't disgrace our dynasty!"

"I'm sorry, sir."

The hosts eventually changed gears seeing that all of their previous entreaties failed.

It became clear that these Kronons harbored an intense grudge towards the Mech Corps!

This was bad news, as the Bright Republic depended heavily on the willingness and sincerity of these three Kronon mech pilots to relieve the pressure at Bentheim!

This was why instead of sending more officials, the hosts instead dispatched someone that was bound to evoke more sympathy.

"Hello."

The three Kronons looked up from their discussion and encountered a captain of the Bentheim Planetary Guard!

"You are..?" Jezebel frowned.

"Captain Melinda Larkinson of the local Planetary Guard. I'm pleased to meet you."

A Larkinson! The Kronons instantly dropped their disdain. Out of all of the Brighters they met, only the Larkinsons impressed them! The valor and dedication shown by many Larkinsons when they attempted to stand in the way of Ghanso made an unforgettable impression in their minds!

If not for the severe diplomatic consequences for attacking a foreign expert pilot, the three Kronons wouldn't have stood aside that day!

Even if there was no chance that three standard mechs could beat the Glittering Comet, the Kronons still wanted to put their faith to the test!

The fact that their superiors forbid them for involving themselves in this event haunted them to this day!

For this reason, the three Kronons regarded Melinda with much more fondness than any other Brighter.

Of course, they weren't exactly sure whether Melinda stood on the side of Ghanso or Ves' side of the family.

"What is your relation to the Bright Martyr?"

"I'm his elder cousin and friend. I frequently spent time with him in the past and I continued to stay in touch with him as he began his mech design career."

"I see. You're a friend of ours if you're a friend of the Bright Martyr." Lieutenant Dominic nodded to her in approval. "Come take a seat."

Melinda sat down and carefully engaged in conversation with the Ylvainans.

"Just for full disclosure, it wasn't my idea to attend this reception and approach you in this way. I would have wanted to meet you in more informal circumstances, but duty demands otherwise."

"You Larkinsons are so dedicated to your duties." Jezebel sneered.

"Aren't you Kronons the same? I believe Ves had a word to say about your rigid dedication to your mission. What I often find lacking from Ves is that he's too obsessed with his work and career to remember what our lives are really all about. Our work shouldn't define our lives. Our friends and family define our lives."

All three Kronons looked at her with incomprehension.

"Well said, but.. our mission must always come first. Our Protectorate wouldn't have lasted so long against the sandmen if not for our valiant dedication. We are the Protectors of the Flock. It is our duty to fight for our people!"

Melinda smiled ruefully at them. "You don't seem to understand my point."

"We do." Dominic replied. "We just choose to give up the many pleasures and delights that life can bring. Every Kronon born in the dynasty or adopted into it is willing to sacrifice everything for the betterment of our people! This is what our faith compels us! Don't think we are giving up everything for nothing. We will definitely be rewarded in the afterlife!"

All three Kronons shared looks of conviction with each other. No matter how devout they were in their faith, every member of the Kronon Dynasty had been instilled with the values of their lineage.

The Kronon Dynasty sacrificed an enormous amount of members in escorting the fugitive believers to the edge of human space! Through the selfless sacrifice of their predecessors, the Ylvainan Faith finally managed to take root in the territories that encompassed their current state!

Their zealotry and unflinching devotion threw Melinda off balance.

She had the sense she was talking to a member of the conservative faction of the Larkinson Family!

"That sounds.. nice." She eventually remarked. "In any case, you'll soon be deployed to different fleets in order to assist them in resisting the tide of sandmen. Are you willing to lend a hand to our people?"

"We are professionals." Dominic declared. "We follow the instructions of our superiors. As long as Ylvaine wills it, we shall defend you Brighters as if you are part of our flock!"

"What if.. there is a conflict between the two? What if your superiors and 'Ylvaine' disagrees?"

Jezebel grinned. "The Great Prophet's will is absolute! As our greatest leader and founder of our faith, his orders take precedence!"

"He's dead, though!" Melinda blurted out. "How can you possibly take orders from someone in the grave?"

"The Great Prophet isn't dead." Edward responded. "He's alive. We know because his heart beats with ours each time. If you are a devout Ylvainan believer, you will know this as well once you step in the cockpit of a Holy Soldier or Deliverer mech. Aren't you one of the Bright Martyr's friends? You must have piloted one of his mechs, then."

"I participated in the Battle for Bentheim from the beginning by piloting a Desolate Soldier into battle."

"Then you must surely know that your mech is alive! Every mech made by the Bright Martyr is alive!"

"The Living Mech Corporation isn't called this way for nothing." Melinda agreed. "I've always felt that there is more to the glows of the Desolate Soldiers. I imagine it's the same for your Ylvainan mechs. However, I find it hard to accept that this is the same as your prophet coming back from the dead to help your people tide over this crisis!"

"This is what we believe." Jezebel spoke with conviction. "The Bright Martyr is the true blessed of our Great Prophet! Your cousin's unique talent with mechs is the vehicle in which Prophet Ylvaine has bestowed his light onto us once again! We are eminently grateful to Mr. Larkinson for saving us and reigniting our people's faith!"

Melinda couldn't help but remain skeptical. If this prophet of theirs was so great, then why did he need to communicate with his followers through the medium of a mech? Why couldn't the prophet pass on his revelations to his followers directly? Weren't gods supposed to be able to bless their believers directly?

However, it wouldn't be very polite nor diplomatic to express her Brighter skepticism.

She still remembered her mission. She needed to forge a friendly relationship with these weird and zealous Kronons.

Dominic asked his own question to Melinda.

"It is no secret that many Larkinsons have applied to move to our sacred state. The LMC, Avatars and other organizations that belong to the Bright Martyr have all lost faith in the Bright Republic. With their departure, some of the members of your esteemed family are following suit. Will you be accompanying your enlightened relatives as well?"

Melinda shook her head. "I'm not part of this silly fight between Ves and Ghanso. I am committed to my duty, but not in the bone-headed way of my aggressive cousin. I plan to continue my service to the Planetary Guard. Bentheim and the Bright Republic still needs us Larkinsons."

"Ah. Your stance is the same as that of your honorable uncle."

"Uncle Ark is a true Larkinson as far as I'm concerned. He's the only expert pilot in the family who isn't trying to tear us apart." Melinda sighed.

"While it is disappointing that Colonel Ark Larkinson is still committed to his corrupt Mech Corps, we respect his loyalty and dedication."

Melinda only grimaced further when she heard that. No matter how hard her uncle tried to play peacekeeper, even he couldn't stave off the inevitable outcome!

Just thinking about the inevitable split-up of the family depressed her to no end! She never imagined that the Larkinson Family would ever break into two due to ideological differences!