The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1707

Chapter 1707 Taking Sides

Hundreds of Larkinsons lived on Cloudy Curtain. Many of them left the Larkinson Estate on Rittersberg in order to take part in the new and promising ventures of Ves and LMC.

Most of them were at least partially inclined towards Ves and his bold new vision for their family.

Even so, most Larkinsons disliked turning against their own family members.

The Larkinson Family had never been good at politics and infighting. They never raised their children to scheme and to turn against each other to gain an advantage.

To be honest, they abhorred such conduct. They much preferred the entire family to get along with each other. Open conflict between family was very taboo because it disrupted the camaraderie between every member of the family!

This was also why the steering committee convened behind closed doors. Not even the Larkinson Family could escape division. The best way to control it was by allowing the most influential members of the family to hash out their differences of opinions in a formal gathering.

This was a tradition formed in the early days of the formation of the Larkinson Family.

Now, Ves outright ignored this tradition and deliberately aired his conflict in full view of every available Larkinson!

None of the Larkinsons had ever encountered a situation like this! Even though disagreements between Larkinsons were common, no family member ever dared to do anything in public for fear of disrupting the harmony among their own kind!

Most Larkinsons, even the oldest veterans who had survived multiple wars, reacted to this explosive incident with horror and confusion!

"What is this kid Ghanso doing?! Family never goes after family!"

"How can little Ves be so outrageous to trample on every rule that has allowed our family to remain strong?!"

"I don't want to see our family getting torn apart by these two knuckleheads! Can anyone contact Ark?! He should be able to sort this crisis out!"

"I've already asked my contacts, but to no avail! It seems that Ark and the 1st Havensworth Division is currently locked in a battle against a large sandman fleet! There is absolutely no way the Mech Corps will allow us to disturb his mood as he is leading his troops in battle!"

This was an extremely unfortunate coincidence. Ark Larkinson was not only a strong and respected expert pilot, but also a mech colonel who possessed a strong foundation in the Havensworth Mech Army!

It was not very rare for expert pilots to become qualified mech officers able to command a mech company or two, but very few of them became senior officers due to various reasons.

First, expert pilots were generally disinclined to meddle too much in the affairs of mortals. Most of them pursued greater strength and considered the heavy responsibilities of a senior officer to be a detriment to their growth!

Second, anyone who wanted to surpass the rank mech captain needed a certain degree of political skills or at least learned how to curry favor!

The reason why Venerable Ark Larkinson managed to climb up the ranks was because he was very charismatic!

While most expert pilots were rather difficult to get close to, Ark Larkinson maintained both a friendly and dignified demeanor, which turned him into a very good leader!

Ark Larkinson became known as an expert pilot who was impeccably upright and moral. At the same time, he was also compassionate and inspirational.

By relying on these strengths, Ark easily became a mech colonel some years ago, but stalled ever since then. It was far more complicated to become a mech general.

Even so, Ark's ability to become a high-ranking officer brilliantly proved his ability to work with people.

If Ark was reachable, he would definitely be able to mediate this disastrous conflict between Ves and Ghanso!

The absence or inability to contact any Larkinson who could deescalate the situation forced every Larkinson to take a stance!

At this time, everyone who watched the broadcast and heard Ves' appeal began to make their own decisions.

Very few Larkinsons sided with Ghanso. This was not only because the most duty-minded Larkinsons were currently in the Mech Corps and therefore difficult to reach, but also because the young expert pilot did not appear very likable.

His abrasive attitude and his insistence on following unpalatable orders did not paint him in a good light!

Many retired Larkinson mech pilots ordinarily held much respect for the Mech Corps they served for many years. Yet they were not blind to the factionalism within the military.

The Larkinsons were never taught to navigate the political currents within the Mech Corps, so they ordinarily avoided them altogether.

When Ves accused Venerable Ghanso Larkinson of acting as the lapdog of Mech General Ulrich Cavendish, a lot of veterans unconsciously expressed disgust!

While it was not a problem in itself to obey a superior who belonged to a faction, it was a different matter if the orders aimed at their own family!

Whether Ves was truthful or not, Ghanso never refuted this accusation, which likely signified that it was true!

Therefore, despite the feelings of the Larkinsons towards the Mech Corps, they did not associate Ghanso's conduct with the service as a whole!

Instead, they recognized that Ghanso improperly involved himself in some kind of private scheme!

This has led to the indignation of many Larkinsons who would have otherwise remained neutral!

"I don't really agree with how Ves is handling things, but at least his heart is in the right place! Someone like him is worth protecting!"

"While Vessie here has broken a ton of rules, at least he believes he is doing what is best for our family! On the other hand, Ghanso has shown that he is willing to follow orders and adhere to rules no matter what harm they do to our Larkinson Family!"

"If I had to choose between the two, I would go for the one who actually cares a damn about our lives! The galaxy is inherently chaotic, and no rule lasts forever!"

Most of these crotchety Larkinson veterans were still able to interface with a mech, though only barely. Their bodies and their brains deteriorated significantly due to aging, causing them to be less responsive and less able to handle the flow of data from a mech.