The Mech Touch novel Chapter 4397

When Ves and his family finally returned to the Spirit of Bentheim, the Golden Skull Alliance's visit to Pentahull Station had come to an end.

The Larkinson Clan and its allies made productive use of their time in the Norbit System.

Ves received many reports on what his Larkinsons managed to get done during the days they spent on the space station, but he mainly directed his attention towards intelligence.

Information was more valuable than anything else at the moment, especially in light of Reynard Clarke's unexpected solicitation.

This was why he called over Calabast to his office in person so that he could discuss the latest developments in complete confidence.

"Hello again, Lucky."

"Meow~"

Lucky jumped from the desk and floated over to Calabast so that he could snuggle in her arms.

The cat comfortably purred from the moment that the spymaster began to rub and massage his metal head.

Ves was still in the process of putting the finishing touches on the experimental project that he had put on pause.

His recent visit to Pentahull Station had given him plenty of time for him to reconsider his existing ideas. He also gained a bit more inspiration as he witnessed different mechs, cultures and circumstances.

This was why he pushed back the completion of the new luminar crystal cannon for the Amaranto in order to update and tweak its design.

Though the result wouldn't be much different, Ves still believed it was worthwhile to ensure the weapon was fully equipped to handle the challenges in the future.

Calabast wasn't patient enough to let Ves finish his current design task.

"Ahem. You called, kid?"

Ves frowned as Calabast pulled him out of the zone. He let out a deep breath before he waved his hand to shut off the design interface.

"We need to talk. First off, tell me about the Clarke Clan. Have you sniffed out any information that can tell me more about how much the Rubarthans are backing the Clarkes?"

Calabast did not look worried as she continued to snuggle Lucky in her arms. "You don't need to be too concerned. The intelligence community is already aware that the New Rubarth Empire has a habit of taking advantage of outside groups that have shallow ties to the state. The Clarke Clan is merely one of many convenient cat's paws."

"What do you mean by that, exactly?"

"The Rubarthans don't value the Clarkes at all." The woman bluntly said. "I am confident in this assessment. Our Black Cats have collected an extensive amount of data inside Pentahull Station. They have infiltrated both the public and not-so-public spaces of the various hulls. Nothing we have gathered indicates that there is a solid connection between the Clarke Clan and the New Rubarth Empire."

"What if you are wrong? What if the Clarkes and the Rubarthans are much more competent in hiding their connections than you think?"

Calabast frowned. "You have no evidence for that, Ves. It is dangerous to speculate too much in my line of work. You will lose your mind in conspiracy theories before you know it. There is nothing wrong with applying Occam's Razor. The Clarke Clan is too small, weak and incapable to earn the appreciation of the Rubarthans. It does not have any powerful connections nor does it have any talented people in its ranks. Use your logic, Ves. The Clarkes don't even register in the minds of the first-raters."

Ves scratched his head. "If that is the case, then why did Reynard Clarke try to solicit me into defecting to the Rubarthans?"

The spymaster gently dropped Lucky onto the desk, much to the cat's complaint, so that she could cross her arms.

"The situation is quite clear to me. It is not the Clarkes that have taken the initiative, but the Rubarthans. Reynard Clarke is merely the spokesperson that at least one Rubarthan power has tapped to convey a request on its behalf."

That sounded a lot more serious than Ves initially thought! He straightened his back as his expression grew ugly.

"Are you saying that the Rubarthans have taken notice of me?" He asked.

"This is almost certainly the case based on the claims that Mr. Reynard Clarke has voiced during your talk. The Transhumanists are to blame for this. No matter how careful they are in keeping their secrets, it is impossible to maintain complete confidentiality in a large and divided super organization."

"Those damn mechers." Ves quietly cursed under his breath.

Every other alternative was better than those awful outcomes!

His mindset shifted after Calabast had wisened him up. The reality of life was that no one always got what they wanted. Not even the most powerful humans such as the Star Emperor or god pilots could satisfy all of their desires and fulfill all of their ambitions!

Since that was the case, how could Ves be any better?

Now that his mentality had become a little more open towards the Terrans and the Rubarthans, he struggled to figure out which camp he should lean towards if he was ever in need of shelter.

"If the MTA can no longer give us the protection that we need, I would prefer to knock on the doors of a group that is willing to respect our autonomy as much as possible." Ves spoke. "As much as I appreciate the Rubarthans for giving me an invitation, I would probably side with the Terrans if they promise to leave my clan alone. They shouldn't be interested in meddling in our affairs."

Calabast snorted. "Turning to the Terran Confederation is a serious mistake. I wouldn't join it unless we have exhausted every other option. The power of the ancient clans, the majority of which have a history that goes back millenia, are too deeply rooted in the fabric of Terran society. You would think that a society that is led by highly augmented humans would have its own house in order, but that is not the case. The incompetence, decadence and hedonism that has plagued the Terrans since the Age of Conquest are still as prevalent as ever."

Ves directed a deep glance towards his spymaster. "It sounds as if you are in favor of defecting to the Rubarthans first."

"I make no secret of my preference for the Rubarthans." She replied. "The culture of our clan already shares a resemblance to Rubarthan culture. The politics and intrigue of Rubarth should not be underestimated, but I can assure you that it is a lot more straightforward than the snake pit that is Terra. The best way to get accepted in Rubarthan society is to be successful in something. You just happened to excel at this. That means that you will not have any problems with integrating into the Rubarthan power structure."

Though Ves agreed with her assessment, he took her earlier words under account and did not immediately dismiss the merits of the Greater Terran United Confederation.

He eventually waved his arm. "There is no need to discuss this contingency in such exhausting detail. The two first-rate superstates are so goddamn huge that we can talk all day about which one suits us better."

"If that is what you wish."

This was only a remote consideration in the end. Ves was still as thick as thieves with the MTA and there was no reason for the mechers to turn him into an abandoned son.

"There is one more thing that you should take note of." Calabast said before she left. "The Rubarthans have approached us first. The question I have is whether the Terrans will follow suit. Their actions or lack thereof will tell us how extensively the secret has spread."

"Hm, you're right. Please pay attention to this matter and contact me the instant the Terrans or anyone tied to them has passed on a message."