The Mech Touch



As the humans displaced by the pescans moved into position to begin their long-awaited assault, a lot of events took place back in normal space.

The tragedies and losses inflicted on the citizens of the new colonial state centered around Davute were devastating!

The beasts let loose in the packed and congested city center that should have been the safest district of all had an enormous effect on many people.

The festive mood had decidedly been squashed by the violent attack!

Even the colonists located in the many planets that fell within the sphere of influence of the colonial state no longer felt happy and satisfied.

The broadcasts that clearly transmitted the violent and bloody images of death and destruction ensured that no one was able to miss what was taking place on the ground!

Though the citizens of the fledgling colonial state also managed to observe a lot of heroic mechs and mech units vanquish the stronger warbeasts, that did not take away the realization that Davute had screwed up its security precautions.

If the bystanders already had a low opinion of Davute, then those who suffered directly from this catastrophe held an even worse regard for the colonial state!

They had paid a great price to leave the Milky Way and start a new life in the Red Ocean because they thought they could rise to greater heights.

Though the Red Ocean always carried an element of risk, no one thought that a state as strong and well-prepared as Davute would get attacked to this extent.

Now, tens of thousands of people had died and more had suffered varying degrees of injuries.

The emergency services were still in the process of digging out bodies and badly injured survivors from collapsed structures.

The blood that had spilled on the streets had yet to be cleaned!

A lot of reinforcements had converged upon Kotor City. The colonial state had decided to draw forces away from other positions in order to convey absolute security in the symbol of its rule.

The abundance of mechs along with the calming glows of the Pacificer mechs did much to calm everyone's nerves.

Many expert mechs and ace mechs also deployed at the same time in order to do their part to reassure the frightened populace that a repeat attack would never be able to inflict as much damage.

Two hours after the outbreak of violence had ceased, the mood among the people had shifted.

The military and the security forces had done much to stem the bleeding and prevent the population from growing hysterical.

That did not mean that Davute was out of the woods quite yet. The confidence that the colonists and citizens held towards the institutions and the leaders of their new state had become permanently damaged.

A small but noticeable proportion of immigrants had even decided to cancel their plans to become a part of Davute's founding generation and decided to leave right away!

As long as they were not bound by overly restrictive contracts, these individuals who either possessed a lot of wealth or talent were all treasures to the state. The outflow of too many immigrants would definitely cause Davute to deflate.

This might prove fatal to its development!

As the leader of this young and fragile colonial state, President Yenames Clive had come under enormous pressure to lead his people through their very first crisis.

The man wanted to delay for another hour or two and wait if the Larkinsons trapped inside the mysterious pocket space managed to lead all of the trapped VIPs back to Kotor City.

The strange but helpful communication lines that the Larkinsons maintained with their kidnapped clansmen had given Yenames a lot of optimism and relief.

At least his government wasn't left in the dark!

If he could greet the survivors of this heinous act and address his citizens alongside the rescued stakeholders, then Yenames Clive would be able to ride on a wave of optimism!

Unfortunately for him, his subjects were lacking in patience. They demanded answers and they demanded an accounting from the state.

The longer he remained silent, the more room he gave for the people to make up their own answers, and not many of them aligned with his thoughts!

His chief of staff tried her best to persuade him to speak sooner rather than later.

"It is time, Yenames. I am aware you prefer to wait for the outcome of what is about to take place inside the pocket space, but you have an increasing number of angry stakeholders knocking at your door. They are not at all pleased by your previous reassurances. Then there is the general public. Their low opinion of us is spreading through the news cycle, causing many potential colonists to settle for other destinations. What is happening is antithetical to your strategy of inclusion."

The president sighed as he shifted in his ceremonial robes. He had yet to remove them, but seriously considered whether he should do so. He decided against it as he still needed to look dignified.

"Very well. Schedule the speech in fifteen minutes, and make sure it is broadcasted throughout our new territories."

It took time for President Yenames Clive to show up in public again.

He stepped onto the same grand stage that was still floating in a relatively exposed position in the air.

He did so in order to convey that the strength and confidence of the state hadn't been damaged, though the pair of ace mechs flanking it also helped a lot.

The choice of ace mechs guarding the grand stage was rather clever this time.

The leader of the colonial state should not show timidity in the face of this attack. Having an ace knight mech like the Indormeon as a guard was one of the most luxurious forms of protection that an individual could enjoy!

However, Yenames did not want to send the message that he was afraid and that he wanted to turtle up. He also did not want his citizens to let fear and inferiority take root in their hearts.

This was why the two ace mechs chosen to guard over his life possessed distinctive offensive traits.

The Shotgun Shogun piloted by Saint Antai Shogi had been one of the most prominent saviors today. It not only protected a lot of VIPs, but also defeated the powerful warbeasts that initiated the attack!

What was surprising was that Yenames had also invited the Mars to form a part of his protective detail for the time being.

The powerful masterwork ace hybrid mech had made an even greater impression onto everyone due to its domineering offensive might and its aggressive actions.

From firing its multitude of positron beam weapons towards different targets at the same time to utilizing its transphasic axe to chop apart rampaging warbeasts into pieces, the ultimate champion of the Cross Clan had won over a lot of fans and admirers today!

Right now, Yenames Clive did not care about the ace mech stealing his thunder.

He actually wished that more people would get distracted by the impressive masterwork mech

At least this way people would admire its strength and by extension the colonial state that managed to have such a powerful asset on retainer!

With the domain fields of the Shotgun Shogun and the Mars washing over him, President Yenames Clive already started to convey a much more forceful demeanor.

"My fellow Davutans." He spoke as he precisely modulated his voice. "Today is a day of tragedy. None of us wanted this to happen. We should have been celebrating the founding of our state. Instead, we have suffered a grievous blow that not only damaged our proud capital city, but also deprived many citizens of their lives."

The president's eyes burned. "It is tempting for us to become preoccupied by darker and more somber priorities. Whether it is mourning the dead or casting blame on our security forces, I know that many of you want to draw your attention inwards."

This was indeed the case. A lot of people had already started to shout against each other.

"What you may not take into account is that you will play exactly in the hands of the culprits responsible for launching this brazen sneak attack! The vile and evil murderers of Karlach, for who else could have plotted against our colonial state, have not sought to kill our citizens and inflict damage to a number of our city's structures. No, their ambitions stretch much further. They wish to turn Davutans against other Davutans. By causing us to squabble amongst each other, Karlach would become free to sweep our divided state!"

This time, Yenames Clive did not hide his defiant emotions.

"Do not let the Karlachs have the last laugh! We must not give in to the emotions and impulses that I have mentioned earlier. Davutans must be better than that. In a time of tragedy and loss like this, we must join hands and seek to support each other. Doing the opposite will only weaken us and deliver the outcome that our archenemies sought to accomplish with their unforgivable crimes."

Yenames Clive sneered in front of all of the recorders!

"We must remain unbowed! Show Karlach that our people are not the sort that collapses at the first blow. We can be better than that. Only by directing our hatred and desire for vengeance upon the true culprits of the attack will we be able to deny their satisfaction and pay them back for what they have done!"

Yenames received plenty of feedback throughout his speech. He became more reassured when he heard that most demographics responded well to his words so far. His efforts to direct people's anger towards Karlach played a crucial role in revitalizing the confidence of his state!

"Let us spite our foes by doing the opposite of what they seek. Instead of allowing them to spoil our party and force us to mourn our dead, I intend to complete my declaration and give us cause to celebrate!"

Yenames Clive began to look a lot more solemn this time. Many people already had an inkling that the crucial moment had come.

"On this day of blood debts and heroism, I declare that our colony shall form the basis of a new colonial state! From today onwards, this colony and the colonies that have signed our accords shall formally become a part of the Colonial Federation of Davute!"

The Colonial Federation of Davute!

Many citizens who lived in the sphere of this new state felt inordinately proud of becoming a part of it from the very beginning.

The malaise that previously hung over their heads due to the earlier tragedy had not entirely faded, but it did not affect their moods as much as before.

"By embracing the model of a federation, we guarantee that we provide an equal voice to every citizen, and to respect the rights of each colony in our great and welcoming state. None of us shall be able to declare themselves kings, and no one shall be granted the right to rule over others solely by birth."

A federation had a lot of good connotations!

Though there were clear weaknesses to federations, it did not stop people's enthusiasm for hearing they would live under a more equal society!

"Even I am not exempted from our laws." The Yenamest said. "As the founding president of our federation, I will not hold my post for life, but will step down from it so that another citizen of Davute can be voted into office. Let it be known that our colonial federation is willing to listen to its people!"

This increased people's enthusiasm further!

Not every state promised to hold its leaders directly accountable to its citizens.

After Yenames Clive wound down his speech, he spoke about the planned festivities.

"As I have stated before, we must not let the recent tragedy bring us to despair, but it would be too callous for us to celebrate the founding of our federation too soon. The festival will not be canceled. Instead, our administration will postpone it by several days to give everyone a time to recover and adjust. Only then will we proceed with our week-long celebration! Do not feel guilty for finding joy in this occasion, because we honor Davute with our words and deeds!"

Many people reacted with surprise when they heard that the state still insisted on holding the festival!

While it would be difficult for many people to muster up the same degree of enthusiasm of this festival as before, their new president had successfully persuaded them to enjoy this event without feeling too guilty!

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