The Mech Touch novel Chapter 7089

Chapter 7089: A Star Empire Devoid of Honor

One of the reasons why Ves wanted to talk to Calabast was to determine how to manage his relationship with the Cybernetic Empire.

A discussion on the Polymath could not be avoided for that reason.

For better or worse, she had become the singular most powerful Star Designer in the Red Ocean.

She not only possessed the most versatile ’specialization’ among her kind, but she also commanded the most technologically advanced empire, even if it was technically confined to a single massive star system for the time being.

She also had a lot of uncommitted military forces at her disposal. Anyone she chose to reinforce with her massive armada would definitely be able to endure the pressure of one or several massive alien threats.

Yet was the Polymath willing to send her soldiers straight into the meat grinder only for others to reap most of the benefits?

Ves did not think she was that noble or altruistic. She would only go out of her way to others if they had a purpose in her master plan.

Even then, whether she would actually put in the effort to save others depended on whether she completed a favorable cost-benefit analysis.

She was definitely the sort of person who would instantly end a 100-year old friendship and stab her former comrades in the back if she believed that

Calabast smiled. "Ah, the Polymath. I am not entirely aware of the relationship dynamic between the two as I am not privy to all of your information. However, I can read the clues and make my own judgment. As far as I am concerned, the Polymath is neither your enemy nor your friend. That means she can be used."

"Pardon?"

The spymaster leaned forward. "What I mean by that is that you can continue to engage her as if you are a free agent and a mercenary. I can see that you have very little trust in her, but that you also have little fear that she will strike against you. This means that it is best to maintain a detached relationship with her and her empire. You can cooperate with the Cybers, but you must ensure that you do not commit too heavily to your relationship with them to the point where it may seem that you are taking their side."

Ves frowned. "What if I fail to do so? What if I become too friendly with the Cybers?"

"Then that will strain your relationships with others. The Polymath is the most polarizing Star Designer in the Red Ocean. She has easily surpassed the Xenotechnician and his suspected ties to the Cosmopolitan Movement. That should tell you how the public outside of Bridgehead One sees her at the moment. Since they have appeared, the Cybers have quickly developed a reputation for being stingy, greedy and unwilling to send out most of their forces to save red humanity. Compared to the Red Three and the newly independent colonial alliances, the Cybernetic Empire completely lacks their honor and nobility."

That caused Ves to chuckle. "Hehehe. Figures. That is what you get when you put the most rational Star Designer in charge. She may have worked with many mech pilots over the years, but I doubt she truly understands what drives them. The emotional connection simply is not there. Humans do stupid things all of the time that make our race seem flawed, but so what? Not all flaws are deplorable. It is a mistake if the Polymath thinks she can replace honor with technology. Perhaps this is another reason why the Cybers have produced very few high-ranking mech pilots. They have replaced faith in themselves with confidence in their own tech."

Of course, he wouldn’t be saying this if the Cybernetic Empire’s technology was a lot more advanced than what it had shown on the surface.

There came a point when superior technology produced such crushing advantages that no honor and glory could overcome the massive gap in strength.

"Let us get back on topic." Calabast said. "The Cybernetic Empire currently suffers from bad PR. If the Cybers want to address this, it is not enough for them to take action directly. It is much more effective if they can convert outsiders into agents who can vouch on their behalf. I predict that in the following years, the Cybers will try to cultivate a network of friendly associates that can serve as a humanizing interface between themselves and the wider public. They may even take over a few states if they see an opportunity."

"What does that mean for me? Do you think that the Cybers will try to win me over?"

Calabast seriously nodded. "That is what my analysis has revealed. You are popular and a proven innovator who cannot translate all of his ideas into reality because you lack access to advanced tech and robust R&D support. The Cybernetic Empire happens to have all of the tech and researchers in abundance, but it lacks a popular mandate. You have to remember that the Polymath did not ascend into power in a very legitimate fashion. This does not matter in the long term, but for now she is still regarded as a thief and an opportunist more than an actual empress."

He agreed with her. When people thought of the current Star Emperor of New Rubarth Empire, their minds would immediately get overtaken by all sorts of myths and feelings. The emperor was not a Star Designer or a god pilot, but he was a sovereign who was larger than life in his own way.

Nobody thought that way when it came to the Polymath. The masses may respect her and look up to her for her many accomplishments in mech design and other fields, but what did that have to do with governance?

Even if people were clamoring for her massive armies and advanced tech, that did not automatically cause her to be seen as a good ruler.

It took more than that to acquire legitimacy.

"So the short version is that we happen to be able to address each other’s deficiencies, is that right?"

"Right." Calabast confirmed. "There is nothing inherently wrong with trying to help each other out, but you must take care not to turn a transactional relationship into a ruler-vassal relationship. If Her Imperial Majesty is truly rational and seeking greater advantages for herself, then she cannot ignore the substantial benefits she can obtain by bringing you into the Cybernetic Empire. If you meet with the Cyber representative tomorrow and receive a lucrative offer that will try to bind you into making long-term commitments, you must be vigilant."

"Do you think that it is a mistake for the Larkinsons to engage with the Cybers in the first place?" He asked.

Calabast did not answer right away.

"It is not my place to tell the clan what to do. That is what the matriarch and the other governing institutions are for. In my professional opinion, the Cybernetic Empire is too new, too volatile and too ambitious. It is a disruptive force that is only tolerated because Bridgehead One is unassailable and because the Polymath can still help red humanity resist the alien tide. You can potentially obtain massive advantages if you are willing to assist the Cybers in expanding their influence across the Red Ocean, but your obvious distrust towards them precludes this course of action."

Ves firmly nodded. "I think they can be described as a necessary evil. The Cybers are not as threatening as the unambiguously hostile aliens that are pressing past our border regions, but their vision for red humanity is one that has completely surrendered to the Polymath’s rule. That is a vision that I cannot accept."

He would rather see red humanity fracture and split up into many diverging groups than to accept unity under the Cybernetic Empress.

Whether he was able to prevent that from happening remained to be seen.

After talking a bit more with Calabast, he came away with a much more solid idea on how to approach his upcoming talks with the Cybers.

Of course, Ves also thought about Calabast’s underlying intentions.

Ever since she and the other EdNet graduates came back, Ves could not help but grow suspicious about whether the RA had compromised them in any way.

From tampering with their cranial implants to subliminally hypnotizing them during their sleep cycles, Ves could think of a hundred different ways the mechers could subtly subvert them into advancing the interests of the RA over the Larkinson Clan.

So long as the manipulation was subtle enough, neither Ves nor the Golden Cat would be able to pick up any ill intentions from their words and deeds.

Was the Calabast trying to cautious Ves to maintain a healthy distance from the Cybernetic Empire because she thought it was best, or because it was the outcome that the Red Association favored the most?