The Mech Touch

Chapter 7087: True Allies

"Who are your closest allies at the moment?" Calabast asked. "List them out for me. Do not think too much at this stage."

Ves tried his best to obey her instructions.

"Let’s see. You already know about the Golden Skull Alliance. Although I haven’t interacted with the other alliance partners for a while, Ketis and the other Larkinsons over the expeditionary fleet are still fighting alongside them as we speak. Next, I have been cooperating with the Red Association for a fairly long time. I have also gained the friendship of the Red Fleet, though this relationship is a lot more shallow. I am also friendly with the Terran Alliance and the Rubarthan Pact, but for different reasons."

"Can you explain them, Ves?"

"Sure. Let me start with the Terrans. I have spent a good amount of time on New Constantinople VIII and have grown especially close with the Devos Ancient Clan. Oh, I am also friends with the Streon Ancient Clan, though that is largely because of my relationships with General Axelar Streon and her granddaughter. I am also friendly with several other Terran ancient clans, but that is mostly transactional in nature. I cannot say we are close enough that they will back us up if we get in trouble. Only the Devosans and the Streons give me hope of helping us beyond the expectation of an immediate reward."

"How certain are you that the Terrans are willing to make sacrifices in order to save you and the clan?"

That was a difficult question to answer. Ves did not truly know what the Terrans were thinking. He could only look back on the deals they made and how much they had helped each other fulfill their objectives.

"If the situation has truly grown desperate, then the Devosans will likely not be of too much assistance." Ves reluctantly admitted. "We grew close to each other mainly due to proximity and the benefits that have resulted from that. Now that we have left their territory, I expect our relations to cool, though we are still cooperating on stuff like the Arboreal Project. As for the Streons... I have a special relationship with General Axelar Streon. Even if we haven’t talked to each other in a long time, I am fairly confident that he will do us a favor even if it is to the detriment of his ancient clan."

"You sound more confident when you mention the Renewer of Terra." She said.

Ves smiled. "It helps that he is a peak ace pilot with ambitions to become more. High-ranking ace pilots are not always trustworthy or friendly, but so long as you win the trust and friendship of one, you can rely upon it unless you cross the other party’s bottom line."

Calabast looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Alright. If you think that General Axelar Streon is a dependable partner, then we will take him into account when we draft our next plans. Do you think the rest of his ancient clan is as friendly to us, or is this mainly a personal thing?"

"The latter, unfortunately." He admitted. "The other Streons don’t know why I am so close to their leader. That may lead to a problem down the line. General Axelar has reasons to help me when I am in need, but if he goes against the wishes of his entire ancient clan, then that will put him into a bind. He has a duty to lead and protect his fellow Streons. How can he do so if he disregards their wishes? Personally speaking, I do not want to subject him to this dilemma. He deserves better."

"I see. What is the Rubarthan side of the equation?"

"For reasons that I cannot get into at the moment, I have built up a good relationship with the Destroyer of Worlds. I dare say that we are good friends with each other. Her title makes her sound scary and unstable, but she is actually delightful to be around. The only reason why I haven’t been able to deepen our friendship and remain in more frequent contact with her is because she holds immense responsibilities. She is one of the most powerful protectors of the Rubarthan Pact and all of its people. Each mistake can consign millions or billions of people to eradication. It would be far too selfish of me to take advantage of our special relationships to take up her valuable time."

"You are quite noble in that, Ves. I know many people would not hesitate to milk a friendship with a god pilot for all it is worth."

He snorted. "God pilots possess such excellent insights into other people that they will never remain friends with such personalities for long. These powerful beings greatly prize sincerity. They have become so powerful, but they must always remain true to themselves. Honesty is not just a virtue to them, but a necessity. Dealing with mortals who lie as easily as breathing must be frustrating for god pilots as they need to wrangle around obvious false truths and delusions while also remaining true to their ideals. I think this is also the reason why they are so detached from mainstream society."

Calabast looked rather interested in his insights and his irreverence towards god pilots. Most people did not even dare to speak about them for fear of dishonoring them or accidentally offending their entire group.

Ves on the other hand spoke casually about them as if he met them every weekend or whatever.

"Let us get back to the Destroyer of Worlds. If you have become an enemy of mankind, will the Destroyer of Worlds agree to shelter you against everyone’s ire, or is there a limit to her generosity?"

Ves tried to think hard on what she would do. "I think she is a protector and a woman of principles. It will ultimately depend on who is at fault. If I am unjustly accused, she will protect me even if all of red humanity is calling out for my blood. If I am being persecuted because I got caught while committing a misdeed, then she may leave me to my own fate."

"Very well. Then we have to make sure you remain as upright as possible." Calabast said without going into too much detail. That was not a conversation that they could hold at the moment. "The protection of a god pilot is vastly more preferable to that of a peak ace pilot. The Destroyer of Worlds enjoys an unparalleled status in the Rubarthan Pact. It is good that you have made plans to travel to the Rubarthan Pact. We will need to seek out opportunities for you to intersect with her somehow."

He did not disagree with her. He was eager to meet with the god pilot again and talk about a number of important topics.

However, meeting with a god pilot was much easier said than done. The Destroyer of Worlds had become busier than ever as she tried her best to stem the tide of invading voribugs.

Already, stories emerged in the media about how many planets she had blown up as of late, both to deny valuable resources to the voribugs and to cull their numbers by eliminating their planetary strongholds.

It was extremely wasteful and desperate for her to blow up so many planets, but this was one of the few short-term solutions the Rubarthans could rely upon to reduce the pressure of this new enemy.

In any case, the Rubarthans would only need to worry about paying the price if they survived the current crises and experienced a resurgence in the future. So what if the border region had become devoid of life-bearing or resource rich planets? The Rubarthans would just have to move past the desolated areas and colonize other territories.

"Since I want to help the Rubarthans repel the voribugs, I think it is not impossible for us to meet with the Destroyer of Worlds during our stay over there. We can form more integral plans if we are able to meet in private. The premise is that we show her goodwill and make sure we are meeting with good intentions in mind. It would be disastrous if we seek her out for the wrong reasons."

"Then it is good that you are a principled mech designer." Calabast gave Ves a mysterious smile. "You should think of ideas where the two of you could collaborate upon. The more active your cooperation with her, the more you can rely upon her when times are tough. You cannot afford to take her friendship for granted."

Ves nodded in agreement. "I do not."

"So what about the Red Association, Ves? You are cooperating most actively with the mechers from what I have been able to determine, but I suspect that you do not trust them that much."

Ves grimaces and waved his hand around the room. "Careful now, Calabast. We are making use of their devices while residing on one of their planets."

She chuckled. "You do not need to remind me of that. Do not worry, Ves. The mechers are listening to so many conversations that they cannot act upon all of them. It is impossible. They also understand that just because people are bad mouthing them does not necessarily mean they are enemies. Strategically voicing our mistrust and discontent to the RA can serve as a signal that encourages them to address their problems. So who among the Red Association do you trust the most?"

"I consider Jovy Armalon to be a genuine friend." Ves said without hesitation. "I have known Vector Loban for a shorter amount of time, but we are friends as well, even if we do not have that much of a shared history. The only problem with the two is that they are still low-to-mid-ranking mech designers in the vast hierarchy of the Red Association. They have no weight in the organization. We will need to appeal to the high-ranking leaders in order to receive the RA’s genuine protection, but I am not particularly close to any of them at the moment."

"What about the Bluejay Fleet?"

"We both know the soldiers and officers of the Bluejay Fleet are far more loyal to the Red Association than myself. They will not hesitate to withdraw if they received instructions from their headquarters."

The Saint Commander had a plan to subvert their loyalties, but this plan became a lot harder to realize now that the new matriarch had opted to stay behind with the Premier Fleet in Terran space.

"Which god pilots and Star Designers do you have a relationship with?" She asked. "Leave the Polymath out of the picture for now. Who among these exalted figures can you petition for protection if your situation has grown precarious?"

That was a difficult question to answer.

"I have met with both the Xenotechnician and the Web Mistress. Both are difficult figures to talk to. I would very much prefer to keep my distance from them. The Fist of Defiance is a pretty awesome guy. He is completely transparent and unpretentious in his dealings with others. I cannot exactly say that we are close, though. He probably feels gratitude to me for helping him further his own goals and ambitions. As for the Evolution Witch..."

Calabast slowly raised her eyebrows. "Go on."

Ves shook his head. "I think it is best if I do not go into detail of how I evaluate her and my relationship with her. The short story is that it is complicated. As you know, she is one of the leading figures of the Oblivion Gate Consortium. She is probably friends with my mother who is based in the old galaxy. So you can say that Divine Lucie Miyazaki will probably bail me out if I am in a pinch, but... it will not be without a heavy price. She is one of the more volatile god pilots that I know of. You can never predict what she might do, especially in a dwarf galaxy that is becoming more chaotic by the day."