The Mech Touch

For whatever reason, the Fist of Defiance and his supporters understood the pros and cons of kinship networks quite well!

Despite all of the justified concerns about how extensively they could control and influence different people, the mechers went ahead and intended to turn kinship networks into a core component of the Deep Strike Plan anyway.

This indicated that the Fist of Defiance had very strong ideas on what was wrong about human society and that he wanted to correct them now that he obtained a strong mandate.

No god pilot was truly neutral. Each of them had fought a lot of battles and survived many confrontations where they could have died or lost their capital to progress any further.

The wars and conflicts of the past had filtered out a huge amount of mech pilots over the generations, leaving humanity with just around a hundred god pilots that had reached the finish line they always dreamt about.

All of these struggles defined and shaped their stances, their principles and convictions into a steely core that became a central part of their being!

It was rather frightening to realize that such a fanatic whose will could not be shaken by anything managed to gain the power he needed to create his 'ideal' society.

There was no way that the ideas of the Fist of Defiance made everyone happy. Just the hints and references about shifting power away from the established powers was sure to make a lot of old and established players unhappy!

Still, what could they do? The Fist of Defiance was a force unto himself. If he managed to gain the support of key stakeholders such as the Red Association and every other god pilot and Star Designer, then change became inevitable.

The need to gain the support of those stakeholders already forced the Fist of Defiance into making compromises and additions to his original plan.

The overall framework of the Deep Strike Plan would still remain intact, but there were plenty of ways to maneuver around its edges.

Ves recognized an opportunity to do the same. He felt honored that his solution could make a material contribution to the Deep Strike Plan. He did not want to disappoint the Fist of Defiance by impeding the god pilot's grand plan, but that did not stop him from seeking advantages whenever possible.

The selection and configuration of the kinship networks was probably his best opportunity yet to establish a lasting advantage in the new society!

If he could set up a number of them centered around the design spirits he had a close relationship with, he could massively expand his indirect influence over the new elites!

Unlike the case with Gaia who had immediately escaped his control, he still retained significantly greater sway over his older and more familiar spirits!

Even if his interactions with them had slowly transitioned from a superior-subordinate relationship to more equal partnerships, that did not change the fact that they would readily obey his instructions as long as he did not go too far!

As the inventor of kinship networks, Ves understood extremely well how advantageous it was to directly or indirectly control a kinship network.

He could effectively keep tabs on everyone, learn what people were concerned about, track their movements, receive advanced warning if they had any treachery in mind and more.

Somehow, he didn't think it would be that easy though. There had to be a reason why he was discussing this topic with the Xenotechnician, one of the oldest and more experienced Star Designers alive!

"We cannot employ too many kinship networks at once." The Xenotechnician shook his head. "The purpose of instituting the New Elites Program is to unite a large variety of leaders and soldiers together. There may be an argument to establish several different kinship networks that are more closely aligned with different cultures, but going too far will introduce too many new divisions. Let us approach this problem from a different angle. Which of your 'spirits' do you think is the most suited to guide our New Elites?"

That was a difficult question. Ves could put forth a lot of different names, but he eventually settled for the classic counterpart of the Solemn Guardian.

"I would have to put forth Zeigra, the Crown Cat. He used to be a lot more irrational, but his animalistic ferocity has been tempered by his long exposure to millions of human mech pilots. Nonetheless, his basic qualities are still preserved. Mech pilots also report that Zeigra's influence also bestows them with a better innate sense of detecting and exploiting weaknesses in metal structures. All in all, Zeigra's influence can inject a lot of courage and aggression to the warfighters who are being tasked with confronting a lot of different alien forces."

The Star Designer sitting on the other side of the desk adopted a thoughtful look. "We have made the same consideration. Not all of us are comfortable with the idea of subjecting our best and bravest soldiers to a source of aggression, but a narrow majority of us recognizes that it is better than the alternatives. We would deal with herding large populations of aggressive warfighters than to see them cower and shirk when they are deployed in battle under the most arduous circumstances. It is vital for the kinship network to suppress the psychological pressure of fighting so far away from friendly territory that there is nowhere to run to safety."

The mechers were right to be concerned about this. Ves had participated in his fair share of campaigns where he and his forces were deployed way too deep into enemy territory. He still remembered the fears and doubts that gnawed on his mind.

The warfighters had to face at least ten times more pressure!

Few if any soldiers truly had an inkling of how close the isolation and lack of reinforcements could push them to the brink of sanity. Human survival instincts would put them into a constant state of elevated fear. If they spent most of their time thinking about how they were one step away from annihilation, then only a single incident could push them past the edge!

Ves was pretty sure that happened to him a few times in the past. The secret mission with the Flagrant Vandals came to mind.

It did not escape his notice that high-strung circumstances like these also happened to stimulate mech pilots the most.

Even as their sanity and rationality started to crumble, their minds and wills would get tested like nothing else. These were the conditions where the breakthrough rates soared through the roof!

These pilots were bound to become problem cases, yet that was a price that the mechers were willing to accept. Red humanity needed power more than they demanded stability. The Fist of Defiance's plan was entirely predicated on producing as many powerhouses as possible.

The main requirement of a kinship network was not to rein these warfighters in, but to stimulate them further!

The more reckless they became, the more they pushed themselves past their limits!

The more aggressive they became, the more they would volunteer for subsequent deep strike expeditions!

Ves smirked now that he understood the greater context surrounding this issue.

"I am sure that the Fist of Defiance will come to appreciate a kinship network managed by Zeigra. Warfighters don't necessarily need to be clever and rational when engaged in battle. Leave that up to the military commanders and the people in the rear. What they need is aggression and momentum. The more, the better. We are engaged in total war. Collateral damage and civilian casualties are no concern to us since we aren't fighting in our own territories anymore. In fact, the more outrageous our warfighters behave on the battlefield, the more the aliens will take our deep strike fleet seriously!"

This was not just a war of numbers, but also a war of psychology. Anything that could increase the psychological advantage of red humanity had to be embraced no matter the cost!

This may be why the Xenotechnician eventually relented.

"Very well. We will consider the selection of the energy-based life form known as Zeigra as the basis of an exclusive kinship network for the new class of warfighters." The old man spoke in an officious tone. "In order to moderate the kinship network and prevent any possible abuse, we intend to put forth a series of requirements and design specifications. The simple model that you have employed for your own use is not sufficient for our needs."

Ves was afraid of that. It sounded as if it wouldn't be so easy for him to take advantage of the new kinship networks.

"I understand." He responded. "You want to treat the new kinship networks as public services. It is logical that you wish to impose greater restrictions and oversight on them. It should be possible to accommodate your needs, though 1 will have to tinker with their designs and figure out new solutions to satisfy all of your requests."

The Xenotechnician looked pleased with that response. "We will hold you to that promise. Let us return to our original subject. Zeigra will accommodate most warfighters, but not all. There will be mech units whose training and doctrines are not compatible with blind aggression. They can best be served with a more cold-blooded influence."

"Helena." Ves immediately proposed. "If I am allowed to put forth a second spirit, then I would like to propose the Daughter of Death. Her nature still makes her suitable to be used in offensive operations. She is sensitive towards life and death. She can help warfighters cope with death and make more gains as they reap more alien lives. If soldiers are especially attuned towards her, they can even learn her power and become especially deadly on the battlefield. More importantly, she can also offer vital protection against the same deadly energies that embodies her. If nothing else, a feminine influence will provide an excellent contrast to the more masculine Zeigra."

The mechers clearly had a lot of concerns about Helena as well.

"We have considered this choice as well." The Xenotechnician steadily spoke. "Our main objection is that she is a spirit inspired by the religious beliefs of a radical human culture. Our studies of the Hex Federation show that Helena actively plays into the religious biases and preconceptions of its citizens and soldiers. We are adamantly opposed to any attempt to spread this faith beyond the boundaries of this female-centric population group."

Ves innocently spread his arms. "1 can understand your reluctance, but Helena is a lot more reasonable than you think. Unlike the Superior Mother, Helena emerged in a time when the Hexers were on the losing side of their regional war. They had already begun to implement many practical and necessary reforms that moderated their culture. You don't need to be afraid that she will insist on spreading her faith. 1 can arrange a meeting between Helena and anyone of your choosing to assuage your concerns."

The Star Designer looked pleased.

"We would not want to work with any of your spirits if they are not open to dialogue. It is necessary for us to communicate with them and come to an agreement about the terms of our cooperation. We wish to ensure that they never have any cause to betray our trust."

"That won't happen. My spirits deeply understand the value of cooperating with people. This is a win-win arrangement for all of them. They are born to serve and protect humanity. Their growth is dependent on the prosperity of the people they come in touch with. Previously, they did so through the medium of mechs and never disappointed me over the years. Now, they can begin to do their jobs in a more direct and widespread fashion."

What Ves did not mention was that most if not all of his design spirits were probably incredibly vulnerable to the might of god pilots!

Even if all of those spirits existed in the imaginary realm, Ves had a feeling that this would not stop any angry god pilots from exacting retribution on any offending spirit!