The Mech Touch

Chapter 6957  The Territory Faction

"As you have already guessed, the Saint Commander enjoys the highest popularity and prestige among all of the current contenders." Gavin explained. "She is the current favorite to win the upcoming leadership election, but it is too premature to assume she will take over your office in two weeks. The other contenders do not intend to miss this opportunity to occupy the highest seat of the clan. They are still formulating their campaign strategies, but they definitely intend to give Casella Ingvar a run for her money."

Anything could happen in 2 weeks.

It was not impossible for the Saint Commander to suffer a drop in popularity.

This could give other ambitious Larkinsons an opportunity to stand out and present their own compelling narratives to the public!

One of the most important observations was that the Larkinson Clan was still very new. There were no established traditions, factions and leaders that could introduce a lot of stability, consistency and continuity to the upcoming popular vote.

In other words, everything was still in flex and could change at any time!

It was best if Ves did not make any presumptions about his successor.

Even if he believed that Casella should be able to win this leadership contest with ease, the Larkinson Clan was filled with other talents. Many of them had not yet been able to fully showcase their political prowess until yesterday.

Ves led the Larkinson Clan for multiple years. His leadership remained unassailable for most of that period. This naturally caused other leaders and groups to rein in their ambitions and avoid getting in his way.

It was only now that he had signalled his intention to resign that those suppressed political forces could finally propagate their views openly!

They could legitimately advocate for change without creating the impression that they were betraying the patriarch's vision.

After all, the next patriarch — or matriarch — may in fact be the person responsible for propagating those alternative views!

This was a great step forward in the development of the Larkinson Clan.

Not everything was good, though.

The unleashed political environment also introduced several news risks and also increased the division among the Larkinsons.

The existing structure and institutions probably had their hands full with trying to rein in all of the new variables.

21:31

The Larkinson Clan had thoroughly exited the adolescent stage and was gradually evolving into a more mature form.

This growth process introduced a lot of benefits, but also a lot of problems.

The existing structure and institutions probably had their hands full with trying to rein in all of the new variables.

Their ability to do so would largely determine whether the Larkinson Clan maintained its unity and existence.

Ves would have preferred to remain in power during this sensitive and dangerous transition period, but Gavin had already told him that he had become a lame duck patriarch.

His title and position remained in his hands, but his actual power and authority had already slipped from his hands.

If any trouble occurred during the next two weeks, Ves must stand aside and let others solve the problem on their own initiative.

Ves ultimately did not mind that the Larkinson Clan had grown strong and mature enough to take care of its own affairs, but he still felt a little resentful that he had been shoved to the side so abruptly.

He did not envision that he would lose his power over the clan so quickly and abruptly.

Since his departure from his position was a foregone conclusion, Ves paid more attention to those who wanted to succeed him and lead the clan into a new era.

"I think the Saint Commander has the right ideas." Ves said with a smile. "However, she is not the only person in contention. What about my good uncle Ark? I know him well enough that he will never let this opportunity pass. He used to lead the Larkinson Family. He probably thinks it is his destiny to take over the clan from me and lead it to a more magnificent future."

Gavin Neumann shrugged. "I cannot make any comments about destiny, but do not underestimate the Saint General. Even if it is clear that he has also been caught off-guard by the abrupt changes, he is responding fairly quickly. He has already published an initial manifesto that succinctly outlines his most important ideas. His confidantes and insiders are already working to present his proposed policies across the clan. It is too early to tell whether they will catch on, but I predict that Ark Larkinson shall definitely be able to form a sizable power bloc."

That caused Ves to raise his eyebrow.

"His ideas must be really compelling if he thinks he can win over so many clansmen."

"The Saint General is confident, but not to the point where he thinks he will automatically become the next patriarch. So far, his election strategy indicates that he understands his weaknesses quite well. Many core clansmen regard him as a traitor for leaving the expeditionary fleet and hook up with Davute instead. While he has become stronger, the Davute Branch is not doing too well due to native alien aggression."

"If I was in his position, I would never bother to challenge Casella." Ves said. "So why does Ark think he has a chance?"

"He knows where to get his votes." Gavin answered. "Our clan has grown quickly in the past 5 years. Many of the new members do not go directly to the expeditionary fleet or the Premier Branch. They are instead recruited locally and regionally by one of several hundred planetary branches. Not all of them are as large or well-developed as the Davute Branch at its height, but each of them have received enough funding to build homes and create work for hundreds if not thousands of Larkinsons."

That amounted to a lot of people. Even if there are old timers who did not consider the members of the side branches to be 'real' Larkinsons, the fact of the matter was that they had passed all of the vetting and connected to the Larkinson Network.

According to the rules set by Ves, membership in the Larkinson Clan was solely determined by the Golden Cat.

As long as she permitted an individual to become a part of the Larkinson Network, then he or she was a member of the clan, period.

This was why Lanie Larkinson was no longer tied to the Larkinson Clan despite the fact she still retained her family name.

All of this meant that for all intents and purposes, the members of the side branches were just as important as the members of the main branches!

No matter whether they were 'heroes' for being willing to serve on a dangerous fleet or 'cowards' who preferred to live on planets, each of them carried the same weight.

This was a deliberate policy decision that Ves had set early on. He wanted his clansmen to consider each other as equals. Even if this was not a realistic goal, he could make a good effort by preventing the members of the side branches from suffering too many disadvantages.

While it was reasonable for the members of the main branches to enjoy more privileges due to participating in a lot more battles, one Larkinson should never consider himself completely superior to another Larkinson.

While Ves had good intentions in mind when he set this rule, it inadvertently gave his uncle an opportunity to gain an advantage over Casella!

"The Saint Commander enjoys a high level of prestige within the expeditionary fleet. There is no doubt she can easily capture at least 80 percent of its votes." Gavin explained. "However, her influence is much less prominent among the side branches. The further they are removed from the fleet, the more she becomes an abstract existence."

Ves rubbed his hairless chin in thought. "I see. Casella is still an impressive figure to these distant branch members, but she is merely an ace commander to them. Ark also happens to be an ace commander. The two of them are pretty much equals in this regard."

"You are largely correct about that. The Saint General is planning to make a big deal out of the fact that he is the leader of the Davute Branch and that he is a strong advocate and representative of the side branches. He is 'their man'. He will stand up for them and ensure that they will receive the support they need to thrive on their respective planets. In short, he does not intend to appeal to the side branch members by relying on his mixed and tainted reputation. He instead tries to win them over by promising tangible benefits."

That was a good strategic choice. Ves became impressed that Ark had thought of this as a way to gain an advantage over Casella.

He was smart enough to avoid any direct confrontation against the Saint Commander in areas where his performance was not as good.

"Sure enough, he is not a general for nothing." Ves muttered.

Gavin smiled. "This is not the extent of his election strategy. It takes more than this to earn the trust of the Larkinsons. This is why his manifesto also mentions a grander plan to transform the Larkinson Clan from a half-nomadic group to a territory-holding empire."

"How… predictable. In the end, Ark still cannot get over his fixation on owning territory."

"It is not an obscure dream, boss. There are many Larkinsons who are natural supporters of the 'Territory Faction' under the Saint General." The personal assistant seriously explained. "Ark envisions a future where the Larkinson Clan has accumulated enough members, wealth and mobile assets to pack everything up and relocate to a resource-rich territory. It is his dream to found a first-rate state or close to it that is led and dominated by the Larkinsons."

What a huge ambition!

"There is an enormous flaw to this plan, Gavin. This state-building dream is only viable in a future where red humanity has successfully fended off the Red Tide Offensive and is in the process of executing a strong counteroffensive. This outcome is anything but certain. If red humanity is unable to capture lost ground and claim territories beyond its old borders, then all of this talk is useless."

The assistant shook his head. "That is not how many clansmen think. They are hopeful that red humanity will be able to make a comeback. When that happens, a large amount of territories will eventually become ripe for the taking. Those that have prepared to grab and develop territory in advance will be able to make hefty investments that will definitely pay off once the colonies are given time to develop. This is a chance for many ordinary Larkinsons to become landholders, business magnates, governors and so on. They are not necessarily aiming to enrich themselves. What they actually care about is to build rich and enduring legacies for their descendants."

Ves looked at Gavin with a hint of disbelief. "These greedy fellows. They are putting the cart before the horse. Our civilization is moving closer to extinction, and these idiots are still dreaming of owning territory? How stupid! Not only that, but I never founded the Larkinson Clan for the purpose of earning so much capital that we can sit on it and live off the returns for hundreds of years. That is lazy behavior that will eventually result in long-term stagnation. Our clansmen should constantly be on the move and seek greater attainments. Only by continuing to challenge ourselves will we be able to maintain a higher growth rate."

Gavin let out a sigh.

"I know that, Ves, but not everyone understands or agrees with your stances. There are Larkinsons who do not want to repeatedly risk their lives until they are finally unlucky enough to meet their end. There are also Larkinsons who do not want to remain stuck at the side branches as regular workers. While our clan already provides them with excellent benefits compared to many other states and organizations, people always want more. Ark happens to offer them a platform where they can realize their ambitions. They don't want to become nomads or the support personnel of those who are. They want to become the next aristocrats. All of these Larkinsons will become the backbone of the Territory Faction."