Chapter 2569: Matching Grandeur (1/2)

The floating hexagonal-shaped platform that orbited Cinach VI hosted another official gathering this day.

Previously used as the venue of one of the most spectacular weddings in the region, the so-called Hex Garden made for an excellent stage for one of the most important agreements the Larkinson Clan had made. Its picturesque garden and resplendent marble-like ornaments impressed both hosts and guests alike as they entered through the huge double doors.

Two different groups of people floated inside the main garden. They relied solely on their antigrav clothes to keep themselves aloft in the air. Each of them maintained a uniform and even altitude.

As some of the entrants passed through the entrance, they tilted their heads upwards. Past the enormous energy shield that kept the atmosphere in the garden in place, a vast expanse of stars stretched over everyone's heads.

Yet as more and more people floated through the entrance, some of those stars began to disappear.

Starships upon starships began to fly over. Two different fleets approached the space above the Hex Garden in parallel.

On one side were the distinctly red-coated combat carriers and other starships of the Larkinson Clan. Their subtle hexagonal sides made it clear where the clan obtained the powerful ships.

A lot of Larkinsons were secretly nervous about their fleet procession. Their crews didn't have enough time to master the newly-refurbished Hexer-built vessels. Fortunately, nothing went wrong. Each and every starship moved forward at an even, ceremonial pace.

On the other side were the pale blue vessels of the Cross Clan. Larger and more robust, these vessels were built for war. Due to the flight from Vicious Mountain, only the toughest ships that could keep up were able to cross over to Komodo.

Different from the Larkinson fleet, the Cross fleet featured two very overpowering elements.

Surrounded by an honor guard of combat carriers, the two capital ships of the Crossers flew over in an imposing manner. If not for the sophisticated lighting system that kept the garden evenly-lit, the huge hulls of the Antonio Cross and the Hemmington Cross would have cast huge shadows over the Hex Garden!

Even now, the posture of the Larkinsons taking part in the ceremony faintly grew weaker. This was the suppression of enormous capital ships.

Hardly any human could keep their composure when two enormous capital ships loomed directly from above!

The Antonio Cross with her fairly slender 1.8 kilometer hull and the Hemmington Cross with her bulky 3 kilometer were like two floating cities. Their dimensions and mass were so incomprehensibly huge that everyone seemed like ants underneath their majesty!

The Crossers who were entering from the other side all looked amused at their Larkinson counterparts. It was not a coincidence that the Antonio Cross and the Hemmington Cross flew so closely over the Hex Garden.

Even though all of the terms of the alliance treaty had been set, the Crossers still had their pride.

If not for the fact that the Cross Patriarch didn't have as much MTA merits as the Larkinson Patriarch, the Crossers wouldn't have been forced to make so many compromises!

As Ves passed through the double doors, he frowned upon the sight. If his clan received his much-anticipated factory ship and the Glory Seekers obtained their formidable Indigo Tremor, then the Crossers wouldn't have been so unbridled.

These little power plays indicated that the relationship between the Larkinson Clan and the Cross Clan was anything but harmonious. The two groups only banded together out of necessity. Each of them needed something from each other. Emotion, sentiment and camaraderie had nothing to do with their decision to band together.

Though this did not sound ideal, Ves knew that his clan would be welcoming several more allies like the Cross Clan in the near future.

After all, if he did not wish to take the risk of performing high-risk missions for the MTA, there was no way for him to earn millions of MTA merits in a short amount of time.

This meant that in order to redeem a fleet beyonder ticket, he had to seek more partners like the Cross Clan to split the cost.

As Ves floated forward, he wore his formal clan patriarch uniform, complete with a billowing cape.

”Meow.”

Lucky floated alongside him. He looked quite taken in by the cute little cape that Ves had quickly made and fitted for his cat this morning.

”The Cross Clan won't be arrogant for long.” Gloriana huffed as she held her own cat against her chest. ”With how much revenue the LMC is bringing in, we'll soon be able to overwhelm their ragtag fleet.”

As with other occasions, Gloriana opted to wear a custom dress. She wore a purple ensemble that was bedecked with lustrous blue gems cut in hexagonal shapes.

She was the only member of the Larkinson Clan who eschewed the standard red uniform, thereby making her stand out from the crowd.

”Miaow.”

Clixie squirmed out of Gloriana's grip and began to float in the air herself. Even though she lacked Lucky's flight capabilities, her owner fitted her with a small harness that incorporated an antigrav module. The organic cat was not at risk of falling anytime soon!

If not for the public occasion, the Golden Cat would have materialized her spiritual body as well. As it was, Ves could sense that she was paying close attention through the Larkinson Mandate that he carefully grasped.

As more and more people poured in, some more differences became apparent.

Even though the Larkinson clansmen wore identical red dress uniforms, they partitioned themselves in distinct groups.

The Avatars of Myth, Living Sentinels, Flagrant Vandals and so on all kept a small but noticeable distance from each other. The rivalry between the mech forces had not faded after battling alongside each other in the Nyxian Gap.

Instead, it had become more intense!

Ves keenly studied the attitudes his soldiers held towards each other. A bit of rivalry was good in his eyes. Even though the lack of total unity made his clansmen look a bit improper, he didn't mind this little detail.

A bit of friendly competition could do a lot of good in keeping his mech troops on their toes. He didn't want them to grow too complacent and stop working as hard to improve themselves.

Of course, if the competition between the different forces surpassed a certain threshold, it stopped being friendly. Fostering rivalries was a double-edged sword that could easily backfire on him if it went overboard.

As Patriarch Reginald Cross and his closest advisors and subordinates entered the garden, the posture of the Cross Clan had reached its peak!

Aside from their patriarch, the Crossers possessed three additional expert pilots. Their clan actually had more, but several brave expert pilots sacrificed their lives to delay enemy pursuit.